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

Thirdly, The more a man is humbled, truly humbled for Sin, the more he is found in Duty; the more a man is discouraged, the more his hands are weakened to Duty: As it is with the Water, if the Water do continue in its true stream, it doth not over-flow ⟨p. 72⟩the Banks, it doth not break down the Dam: Sometimes you have a great fall of Water, a great and mighty flood, and then the River over-flows the Banks, and the Water bears down the Dam. So here; Duty is the Bank of Sorrow, Grief, and Humiliation for Sin; I say, your Duties are the Banks of all your Godly Sorrow, and when a mans Sorrow, or Grief, doth arise to such an height, that it swells over Duty, and a man saith, I will pray no more, it is to no purpose; and I will hear no more, for there is no hope for my soul; and I will examine my own heart no more: when thus Sorrow swells over Duty, and breaks down the Dam of Duty, then it is Discouragement, it is not Humiliation: be not mistaken, this is not Humiliation, this is a plain Discouragement. There is a great difference then between Discouragement and Humiliation: Many People indeed do call their Discouragements, Humiliation; but the Lord knows, there is not a drop of Humiliation in a flood of Discouragement: Would you therefore be humbled? O then, be not discouraged; for the more you are discouraged, the less you will be humbled; and the more humbled you are, the less discouraged you will be.

Thirdly, The more a man is humbled, truly humbled for Sin, the more he is found in Duty; the more a man is discouraged, the more his hands are weakened to Duty: As it is with the Water, if the Water do continue in its true stream, it doth not over-flow ⟨p. 72⟩the Banks, it doth not break down the Dam: Somtimes you have a great fall of Water, a great and mighty flood, and then the River over-flows the Banks, and the Water bears down the Dam. So here; Duty is the Bank of Sorrow, Grief, and Humiliation for Sin; I say, your Duties are the Banks of all your Godly Sorrow, and when a mans Sorrow, or Grief, doth arise to such an height, that it swels over Duty, and a man saith, I will pray no more, it is to no purpose; and I will hear no more, for there is no hope for my soul; and I will examine my own heart no more: when thus Sorrow swels over Duty, and breaks down the Dam of Duty, then it is Discouragement, it is not Humiliation: be not mistaken, this is not Humiliation, this is a plain Discouragement. There is a great difference then between Discouragement and Humiliation: Many People indeed do call their Discouragements, Humiliation; but the Lord knows, there is not a drop of Humiliation in a flood of Discouragement: Would you therefore be humbled? O then, be not discouraged; for the more you are discouraged, the less you will be humbled; and the more humbled you are, the less discouraged you wil be.