I. Scripture-light the most sure light ... delivered in three sermons on 2 Pet.…

Again, It may be, that if you were humbled so, or so much at the present, or at the first, you would have the less fear of your own heart. The more humbled, it may be, the less after-fear, and the less humbled, the more after-fear, the less humbled, sometimes, the more a man fears his own heart, and his own condition. Gracious fear is as good as humiliation, and if that which you want in humiliation you have it made up in fear, have you any reason to be discouraged? I know it is usual with Satan, to say unto the people of God at their first coming on to Christ, that they are not humbled enough, and so keeps them off from Mercy and Grace: But I pray tell me, Can ye ever be humbled enough? Can there be any proportion between your sins, and your humiliation? The Truth is, we should labour that our Humiliation be answerable to our sin; but God is not pleased with grief for grief, God is not pleased with sorrow for sorrow; the end of all our sorrow and grief is, to embitter our sin to us, to make us to prize Jesus Christ, to wean us from the delights and pleasures of the Creature, to discover ⟨p. 69⟩the deceitfulness and naughtiness of our own hearts. In scripture phrase, and language or the new Testament, Repentance is called an after-wisdom, an after-mind, [Greek or Hebrew], a bethinking of ones self, it is called a conviction; now though you be not humbled unto the degree which you do desire, yet notwithstanding, do you not bethink your self, are you not convinced of the evil of your former way? hath not the Lord now given you an after-wisdom? and do not you say concerning your sin, O! if it were to do again, I would not do it for all the world? Thus it is with the Servants and people of God, though they cannot be humbled so much as they would be, yet notwithstanding, they are thus far humbled, thus far grieved, that their sins are embittered, and themselves thereby weaned from the delights and pleasures of the world, convinced of the evil of their sin, and what they want in humiliation they have it in humility, the less humbled, the more they are kept humble, and what they do want at the first, they have it afterwards by degrees, soaking into their souls. Have they then any reason to be discouraged, in these respects? surely no.

Again, It may be, that if you were humbled so, or so much at the present, or at the first, you would have the less fear of your own heart. The more humbled, it may be, the less after-fear, and the less humbled, the more after-fear, the less humbled, sometimes, the more a man fears his own heart, and his own condition. Gracious fear is as good as humiliation, and if that which you want in humilation you have it made up in fear, have you any reason to be discouraged? I know it is usual with Satan, to say unto the people of God at their first coming on to Christ, that they are not humbled enough, and so keeps them off from Mercy and Grace: But I pray tell me, Can ye ever be humbled enough? Can there be any proportion between your sins, and your humiliation? The Truth is, we should labor that our Humiliation be answerable to our sin; but God is not pleased with grief for grief, God is not pleased with sorrow for sorrow; the end of all our sorrow and grief is, to imbitter our sin to us, to make us to prize Jesus Christ, to wean us from the delights and pleasures of the Creature, to discover