5. If they can have no rest here, they get into another starting hole, they go to their Humiliations, Repentings, Tears, Sorrows, and Confessions. They hear a man cannot be saved by reforming his life, unless he come to afflict his soul too; he must sorrow and weep here, or else cry out in hell hereafter. Hereupon they betake themselves to their sorrows, tears, confession of sins, and now the wind is down, and the tempest is over, and they make themselves safe, Matth. 11. 21. They would have repented, that is, the Heathen, as Beza speaks, when any wrath was kindled from Heaven, they would go to their sackcloth and sorrows, and so thought to pacify Gods anger again, and here they rested: so it is with many a man; many ⟨p. 235⟩people have sick fits and qualms of conscience, and then they do as Crows that give themselves a vomit by swallowing down some stone when they are sick, and then they are well again; so when men are troubled for their sins, they will give themselves, a vomit of prayer, a vomit of confession, and humiliation, Isa. 58. 5. Hence many when they can get no good by this physic, by their sorrows, and tears, cast off all again; for making these things their God, and their Christ, they forsake them when they cannot save them; Mat. 3. 14. more are driven to Christ by the sense of the burden of an hard, dead, blind, filthy heart, than by the sense of sorrows, because a man rests in the one, viz. in sorrows most commonly, but trembles and flies out of himself when he feels the other: thus men rest in their repentance, and therefore Austin hath a pretty speech which sounds ha•sh, that Repentance damneth more than sin; meaning that thousands did perish by resting in it: and hence ⟨p. 236⟩we see among many people, if they have large affections, they think they are in good favour; if they want them, they think then they are cast-aways, when they cannot mourn, nor be affected as once they were, because they rest in them.
5. If they can have no rest here, they get into another starting hole, they goe to their Humiliations, Repentings, Teares, Sorrowes, and Confessions. They heare a man cannot be saved by reforming his life, unlesse he come to afflict his soule too; he must sorrow and weepe here, or else cry out in hell hereafter. Hereupon they betake themselves to their sorrowes, teares, confession of sinnes, and now the winde is downe, and the tempest is over, and they make themselves safe, Matth. 11. 21. They would have repented, that is, the Heathen, as Beza speakes, when any wrath was kindled from Heaven, they would goe to their sackcloth and sorrowes, and so thought to pacifie Gods anger againe, and here they rested: so it is with many a man; many ⟨p. 235⟩people have sicke fits and qualmes of conscience, and then they doe as Crowes that give themselves a vomit by swallowing downe some stone when they are sicke, and then they are well againe; so when men are troubled for their sinnes, they will give themselves, a vomit of prayer, a vomit of confession, and humiliation, Isa. 58. 5. Hence many when they can get no good by this physicke, by their sorrowes, and teares, cast off all againe; for making these things their God, and their Christ, they forsake them when they cannot save them; Mat. 3. 14. more are driven to Christ by the sense of the burden of an hard, dead, blind, filthy heart, than by the sense of sorrowes, because a man rests in the one, viz. in sorrowes most commonly, but tr•mbles and flyes out of himselfe when he feeles the other: thus men rest in their repentance, and therefore Austin hath a pretty speech which sounds ha•sh, that Repentance damneth more than sin; meaning that thousands did perish by resting in it: and hence ⟨p. 236⟩wee see among many people, if they have large affections, they thinke they are in good favour; if they want them, they thinke then they are cast-awayes, when they cannot mourne, nor be affected as once they were, because they rest in them.
