Words whereby we may be saved. By Thomas Vincent, sometime minister of Maudlins milk-street,…

Direction 2. You must mourn for sin, if you would be saved; except ye repent, saith our Saviour, ye shall all likewise perish, Luk. 13. 3. Those that laugh and rejoice now in a way of sin, shall mourn and weep for it for ever to no purpose, Luk 6. 25. But blessed are they that mourn for sin now, for they shall be comforted and saved, Matth. 5. 4. The seed time of repentance accompanied with the showers of tears, will return with the harvest of salvation, and sheaves of joy and comfort, Psal. 126. 5, 6. They that sow in tears shall reap in joy; he that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him, Therefore see what the Apostle exhorteth unto, which is necessary to your salvation, Jam. 4. 9. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy into heaviness. Humble your selves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. Sinners, you have delighted your selves in sin, you must now be afflicted for it; sin hath been sweet in your mouth, it must now be bitter to your heart: God calls you to salvation by his Son, but withal he calls you to weeping, and mourning, and deep humiliation in order hereunto; not that your tears can wash off the guilt of your sins, nothing can do this but the blood of Christ; not that God delights in your griefs and sorrows as such, but ⟨p. 46⟩because mourning is needful for you to prepare you for Christ, and Salvation by him; whilst sin is sweet unto your taste, you will roll it under your tongue, and hug it in your bosom; you will spare it, and nothing will persuade you to part with it; but when you taste the bitterness of sin in compunction and sorrow for it, then you will spit it out; when you perceive the gall and the worm wood, then your mouth will be put out of relish, then you will desire no longer to suck at the breast of sin; whilst you are insensible of sin, you will be insensible of your need of a Saviour: None but sick persons do prize and send for the Physician, and none but such as are sick of sin, and groan and mourn under the burden of this sickness, do prize a Christ who is the soul-Physician,