The Daily Practice of Devotion, Part 10
OF SOLEMN REPENTANCE.
NOW beſide this daily and ordinary Confeſſion and Repentacne, it were good to ſet apart ſome particular times, once a week (on Fridays) or at leaſt once a month, for a more ſolemn Humiliation.
In which you may proceed by theſe ſeveral ſteps.
I. Take an exect ſurvey of the ſtate of your Soul: Examine your ſelf ſtrictly, and ſearch into every corner of your heart.
Recollect and reckon up particularly, as far as you can remember, all the ſeveral ſins and abominations of your paſt life, eſpecially ſince your laſt ſolemn Account.
Repreſent every one in his own colours, with all the ſeveral circumſtances of aggravation and odiouſneſs you can call to mind.
II. Labour to get a true and through ſight and ſenſe of the vileneſs and miſery of your condition.
Conſider in what a dangerous and deplorable ſtate you had been, if God, ſhould have taken you away in this courſe without Repentance.
And hereupon you cannot but acknowledge and magnifie his mercy and long-ſuffering; that notwithſtanding all theſe provocations he hath yet forborn you thus long, and now by his goodneſs leads you to Repentance, Rom. 2. 4.
III. Strive to be ſeriouſly affected with a true and hearty ſorrow for having ſo hainouſly offended ſo good and gracious a God.
Stedfaſtly reſolve to forſake all theſe abominations, wherewith you have thus grieved his holy Spirit.
But be ſure this be done ſincerely, withou reſerving to your ſelf any other darling ſin.
Though it ſeem never ſo ſmall, though it be never ſo dear to you, yet ſpare it not for any reſpect.
Though it be to you as your right hand, or your right eye, yet pluck it out, or cut it o…, and caſt it from you, Mat. 5. 29, 30.
It is better for you to enter into life halt or maimed, than to be caſt whole into everlaſting fire, Mat. 18. 8. Mat. 9. 43. 45. 47.
God will have all or none; he will not be content with a part, though never ſo great a part.
IV. Apply your ſelf to God by a lively faith in his promiſes, of mercy and pardon in the bloud of Jeſus Chriſt.
Pour out your ſoul before him in an humble Confeſſion of all your ſins and abominations.
Beſeech and importune him for the grace of godly ſorrow, which may work in you true Repentance, 2 Cor. 7. 10.
Implore his mercy and pardon in the merits and ſatisfaction of his dear Son Jeſus Chriſt.
V. Offer up your ſelf wholly into his hands with a promiſe and vow of new life, and more diligent performance of your duty.
And deſire the gracious in fluence of his Holy Spirit, as well for a ſeal of your Pardon, as to excite, and aſſiſt, and enable you to perform his will for the future.
VI. And though it be impoſſible for you to make reſtitution or ſatisfaction to God for the wrongs and affronts which in every ſingle ſin you have offered to his Glory; yet to ſhew the ſincerity and readineſs of your will according to your Power, ſet your ſelf with moſt diligence to the performance of thoſe Duties wherein you have been moſt defective.
And act a kind of holy revenge upon thoſe ſins of which you have been moſt gulity, by ſetting your ſelf moſt zealouſly to the practice of the contrary vertues.
VII. And this your reconciliation to God it will be fit (I may ſay neceſſary) to make your peace with the world:
By making reſtitution and ſatisfaction to all that you have wronged; by deſiring pardon of thoſe you have offended; and likewiſe by freely Pardoning all that have offended or injured you.
And if all this be done ſincerely and uprightly, as is required, on your part, doubtleſs,Cor. 10. 13. God is faithful that hath promiſed, Heb. 20. 23.and will not fail in the performance of his part.