The Fountain of Life Opened

First, To show what the melting of the affections by way of grief and sorrow is. Secondly, That they may be so melted, even upon the account of Christ; and yet the heart remain unrenewed.

First, To shew what the melting of the affections by way of grief and sorrow is. Secondly, That they may be so melted, even upon the account of Christ; and yet the heart remain unrenewed.

First, What the melting of the affections by way of grief and §1sorrow is.

Tears are nothing else but the juice of a mind oppressed, and squeezed with grief. Grief compresses the heart, the heart so compressed and squeezed, vents it self sometimes in tears, sighs, groans, &c. and this is two fold; gracious and wholly supernatural, or common and altogether natural. The gracious melting or sorrow of the soul, is likewise two fold, habitual or actual. Habitual godly sorrow, is that gracious disposition, inclination or tendency of the renewed heart to mourn and melt, when any just occasion is presented to the soul, that calls for such sorrow. It is expressed, ⟨p. 330⟩Ezek. 36.26. By taking away the heart of stone, and giving an heart of flesh. That is an heart impressive, and yielding to such arguments and considerations as move it to mourning.

Tears are nothing else but the juice of a mind oppressed, and squeesed with grief. Grief compresses the heart, the heart so compressed and squeez'd, vents it self sometimes in tears, sighs, groans, &c. and this is two fold; gratious and wholly supernatural, or common and altogether natural. The gratious melting or sorrow of the soul, is likewise two fold, habitual or actual. Habitual godly sorrow, is that gratious disposition, inclination or tendency of the renewed heart to mourn and melt, when any just occasion is presented to the soul, that calls for such sorrow. It is expressed,