A Continuation of morning-exercise questions and cases of conscience practically resolvedA Continuation of morning-exercise questions and cases of conscience practicaly resolved

3. How we should mourn in respect of our selves who are the Mourners.

1. For the first Branch, as our Mourning respects God: It is to be performed with advancing of those perfections of his that relate to those great Sins and Sinners for which and for whom we mourn. And in our mourning for the Sins of others in respect of God, we must advance

1. His great and unparalleled Patience and Long-suffering extended towards those whose Sins we mourn and lament over. This was evident in Nehemiah's confessing and bewailing the sins of the sinful Jews, Nehem. 9.30. At large he confesseth their sins in that Chapter, but vers. 30, 31. he adds the admiration and acknowledgement of Gods forbearing goodness towards them. Yet (saith he vers. 30.) didst thou forbear them, or as 'tis in the Hebrew, protract, defer,¹ prolong over them; yea many years didst thou forbear them; and vers. 31. when the Jews were in their Enemies hands, for their sins, yet nevertheless (saith he) for thy great mercies sake thou didst not utterly consume nor forsake them. When we mourn for the sins of our Places, we should much admire Gods forbearing Goodness, that he defers to punish those Sins and Sinners which we must not defer to mourn for. We should lay Man low, but at the same time set up God high, and in nothing more than in his Patience towards Sinners: Patience I say infinitely exceeding any ever exercised by Man. 1. All the Sins we mourn for, are ⟨p. 108⟩most clearly seen by God and known to him. He sees sin wherever 'tis, and infinitely more plainly understands, all the odious Circumstances and aggravations of sin, than we can do that mourn for them, or than they can that did commit them. And 2. As he sees sin in all its odiousness, so he infinitely more hates it than all the Saints and Angels in Heaven can do, as being the only object of his hatred, all the Streams whereof are collected in this one Channel. Sin being also against his very nature and being, a destroying him in the desire of the Sinner, and that which should he in the least measure love, or less than infinitely hate, he would cease to be God. Further admire his Patience 3. In sparing those that are perfectly in his power to destroy, Rebels that are under his feet: Yea, lastly, whom in all their Rebellions, he invites to repentance, yea feeds, supplies, maintains daily and richly. Say then in thy Mourning for the Abominations of others, How patient art thou in forbearing to punish those sins, which it is my duty with an holy impatience to see and hear!