The works of William Bridge, sometime fellow of Emmanuel College in CambridgeThe vvorks of William Bridge, sometime fellow of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge

In the Fourth place, §4It's one thing for a man to be broken with the weight of sin: and another thing to have his soul thawen, and melted for it. There is a great deal of difference you know, between the breaking of the ice with your hands, or with a staff; and the thawing of the ice, melting by the thaw. When you take a staff and break the ice with your hands, though you break it in one place, it freezes in another: but when there is a thaw, then it melts, then it breaks every where. So now it is in regard of legal breakings: Here's a man hath a work of the Law upon his soul, he breaks for his Drunkenness, and he breaks for his Swearing, and he breaks for his Wantonness: Oh! but he freezes in Unbelief, in another place; he freezes in Unthankfulness: But when a gospel-work comes, it makes a general thaw, a man is broken every where. And this is more.

In the Fourth place, §4It's one thing for a man to be broken with the weight of sin: and another thing to have his soul thawen, and melted for it. There is a great deal of difference you know, between the breaking of the ice with your hands, or with a staffe; and the thawing of the ice, melting by the thaw. When you take a staffe and break the ice with your hands, though you break it in one place, it freezes in another: but when there is a thaw, then it melts, then it breaks every where. So now it is in regard of legal breakings: Here's a man hath a work of the Law upon his soul, he breaks for his Drunkenness, and he breaks for his Swearing, and he breaks for his Wantonness: Oh! but he freezes in Unbelief, in another place; he freezes in Unthankfulness: But when a gospel-work comes, it makes a general thaw, a man is broken every where. And this is more.

Again, It is one thing for a man to have more sorrow, grief, §5Repentance in the Ore: and another thing to have a more sorrow, grief, and Repentance that is well Refined. As now, suppose a man take a hand full of gold in the Ore; it seems to be a great deal more than a twenty shilling-piece: I but, because much of that is to be taken away, a great deal of Earth is to be taken away, it is less in the worth. Thus it is between Legal Repentance, and Evangelical: The Legal Repentance may seem to be more in bulk: I but, a great deal of that is to be taken away: Much unbelief to be taken away: many sad, despairing conclusions to be taken away: a great deal of Mercenariness to be taken away. And therefore ye shall observe, That when the father had kissed the Prodigal, he left out the Mercenary piece that he spoke of before he came home. Says he (at the 18. verse) I will arise, and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against Heaven, and before thee, and am no more