Christian Reader,
THE two great Graces essential to a Saint in this life, are Faith and Repentance. These are the two wings by which he flyes to Heaven. Faith and Repentance preserve the spiritual life, as heat and radical moisture do the natural. The Grace which I am now to discuss, is Repentance.
Chrysostome thought it the fittest subject for him to Preach upon before the Emperour Arcadius. And Austin caused the Penitential Psalms to be written before him as he lay upon his Bed, and he did often peruse them with tears1. Repentance is never out of season; it is of as frequent use, as the Artificers Tool, or the Souldiers weapon. If I am not mistaken, practical Points are more needful in this Age, than Controversal and Polemical. I had thought to have smothered these Meditation· in […] De[…]k, but […] to be of great concern in this […] of time, I have rescinded my first resolution, […] have exposed them to a critical view. Repentance is Purgative; fear not the working of this Pill. Smite thy soul (saith Chrysostome) smite it, it will escape death by that stroke. How happy were it if we were more deeply affected with sin, and our eyes did swim in their Orb. The waters of Repentance though they are troubled, yet Pure, where we may clearly see the Spirit of God moving. Moist tears dry up the rheumes of sin, and quench the wrath of God2. Repentance is the Cherisher of Piety, the Procurer of Mercy3. The more regret and trouble of Spirit we have at our first Conversion, the less we shall feel afterwards. The greater Fine is paid, the less Rent. Christians have you a sad resentment of other things, and not of sin? Worldly Tears fall to the earth, but godly tears are kept in a bottle, Psalm 56. 8. Iudge not holy weeping superfluous. Tertullian thought he was born for no other end but to repent4. Either sin must drown· or the scul burn. Let it not be said, Repentance is difficult. Things that are excellent deserve […]5. Will not a man digg for Gold in the […], though it makes him swea[…]6. It is better to go with difficulty to Heaven, than with case to Hell. What would the […] give might they have an H[…]rauld sent to them from God to proclaim mercy upon their repentance? What Vollies of sighs and groans would they send up to Heaven, what floods of tears would their eyes pour forth, but it is now too late7. They may keep their tears to lament their folly, sooner than to procure pitty. O that therefore while we are on this side the Grave, we would make our peace with God. To morrow may be our dying day, let this be our repenting day. How should we imitate the Saints of old who have imbittered their souls8, and sacrificed their lusts, and put on sackcloth […] hope of white robes. Peter baptized himself with tears; And that devout Lady Paula, (of whom Hierom writes) like a Bird of Paradise bemoaned her self and humbled her self to the dust for sin. Besides our own personal miscarriages, the deplorable condition of the Land calls for a contribution of Tears. Have not we lost much of our Pristine fame and renown9? Time was when we did sit as Princess among the Provinces (Lam. 1. 1). God made the sheaves of other Nations to do obeysance to our Sheaf (Genesis 37. 7), but is not our Glory fled away as a Bird? Hos. 9. 11. We are become the shame of our friends, and the scorn of our enemies. And what severe dispensations are yet behind, we cannot tell. Our black and Hideous Vapours having ascended, we may fear loud Thunder-claps should follow; and will not all this bring us to our wits, and excite in us a Spirit of humiliation? Shall we sleep on the top of the Mast when the winds are blowing from all the quarters of Heaven? O let not the Apple of our eye cease (Lam. 2. 18). I will not launch forth any further in a Prefatory Discourse, but that God would add a blessing to this work, and so direct this arrow, that though shot at rovers, it may hit the mark, and some sin may be shot to death, shall be the ardent prayer of him, who is
May 25. 1668. The Well-wisher of thy Souls Happiness, Thomas Watson.
Footnotes
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Possidon. in vit. Aug. ↩
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Fletûs imbre exstinxit Petrus fulmen irae divinae. Brugensis. ↩
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[…]. Chrysost de Poenit. ↩
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Peccator omnium […]otarum cùm sim· nec ulli rei nisi poenitentiae natus. Term. de […]. ↩
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Superas[…]evadere ad auras hoc opus, &c. Virgil. ↩
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[…] Plutarch. ↩
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Post mortem non d[…]tur poenitentiae locus. Tertul. con[…]. Deme[…]r. ↩
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Cum pervenissem ad poe[…]itentes vidi […] res & verba quae Deo vim infe[…]e possent· Quosdam ex eis vidi noctibus totis state Pervigiles; alios humi […]uridas facies inclinantes, indignos so qui coelum aspicerent vociferantes; nonnullos lugentes, fron· ten que in Terram collidentes […] alios pectora jugiter Tundentes, animámque suam suspi[…]i· inge[…]i amaricantes. Cl[…]mach. ↩
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Fama Pari Passu ambulat cum vita. ↩