First, if you look at the grace of God as it works in the heart,1 and exercises it self in the conversion of a sinner, you shall find, that when the soul discerns any life of grace in its heart, that sin is now pardoned, and God is pleased to frame it anew, and to give it a new life; at that time the heart is taken up with these two contrary effects; it is both enlarged with no small measure of joy, that ever God should redeem him from such a desperate condition as his soul lay in, and yet withal full of grief of heart, that ever he should have so much displeased that God, that hath done so much for him; and so plain, as that you shall evidently discern the voice of your own joy, from the voice of your own grief. I know not better how to instance in it, then to fetch a resemblance from the return of the Children of Israel, from captivity to Jerusalem, read Psal. 126.2, 3, 4. When God turned the captivity of his people, this was their affection; then was their mouth filled with laughter, and their tongue with singing, &c. Now the same people that so rejoice to see themselves redeemed by the Arm of the Lord, when they do rejoice to see themselves set at liberty from the captivity, they do at the same time as sadly grieve and weep, to consider the unkindness they have put upon God, and their unworthiness of such a mercy from him, as you may read, Jer. 50. 4, 5. speaking of the same people, and of the same time, their return from ⟨p. 111⟩the captivity; and he tells you, They shall come, going and weeping shall they go, and seek the Lord God, and ask the way to Zion, with their faces thitherward; If the Psalmist speaks of it, he saith, they were out of, and beyond themselves for joy, as in a comfortable dream; the news seemed to be too good to be true, and they rejoiced with exceeding great joy, and if the Prophet Jeremiah speak of the very same people, and the same time, and the very same action; he tells you, They go to Jerusalem, weeping, they go to seek the Lord, and ask the way to Zion; they rejoice at the greatness of the mercy, and weep in sense of their unworthiness of it. And truly this kind of combination shall you find stirring in every soul that is converted to God, when the pardon of its sin is sealed to its heart;
First, if you looke at the grace of God as it workes in the heart,1 and exercises it selfe in the conversion of a sinner, you shall finde, that when the soule discernes any life of grace in its heart, that sin is now pardoned, and God is pleased to frame it anew, and to give it a new life; at that time the heart is taken up with these two contrary effects; it is both inlarged with no small measure of joy, that ever God should redeeme him from such a desperate condition as his soul lay in, and yet withall full of grief of heart, that ever he should have so much displeased that God, that hath done so much for him; and so plaine, as that you shall evidently discerne the voyce of your own joy, from the voyce of your owne griefe. I know not better how to instance in it, then to fetch a resemblance from the returne of the Children of Israel, from captivity to Ierusalem, read Psal. 126.2, 3, 4. When God turned the captivity of his people, this was their affection; then was their mouth filled with laughter, and their tongue with singing, &c. Now the same people that so rejoyce to see themselves redeemed by the Arme of the Lord, when they doe rejoyce to see themselves set at liberty from the captivity, they doe at the same time as sadly grieve and weepe, to consider the unkindnesse they have put upon God, and their unworthinesse of such a mercy from him, as you may read, Jer. 50. 4, 5. speaking of the same people, and of the same time, their return from ⟨p. 111⟩the captivity; and he tels you, They shall come, going and weeping shall they goe, and seek the Lord God, and aske the way to Zion, with their faces thitherward; If the Psalmist speakes of it, he saith, they were out of, and beyond themselves for joy, as in a comfortable dreame; the newes seemed to be too good to be true, and they rejoyced with exceeding great joy, and if the Prophet Jeremy speake of the very same people, and the same time, and the very same action; he tells you, They goe to Jerusalem, weeping, they goe to seek the Lord, and aske the way to Zion; they rejoyce at the greatnesse of the mercy, and weep in sence of their unworthinesse of it. And truly this kinde of combination shall you finde stirring in every soule that is converted to God, when the pardon of its sin is sealed to its heart;
- 1Joy and grief in the soul sanctified at once.Ioy and griefe in the soule sanctified at once.
