how can a man be sorrowful for not being sorrowful? For either he hath reason at first to be sorrowful, or he hath not. If he hath not, why should he be sorrowful for not doing an unreasonable act? If he hath reason, and knows it, it is certain he will be as sorrowful as that cause so apprehended can effect: but he can be no more, and so much he cannot choose but be. But if there be cause to be sorrowful, and the man knows it not, then he cannot yet grieve for that; for he knows no cause, and that is all one as if he had none. But if there be indeed a cause which he hath not considered, then let him be called upon to consider that, and then he will be directly and truly sorrowful, when he hath considered it; and hath reason to be sorrowful because he had not considered it before, that is, because he had not repented sooner; but to be sorrowful because he is not sorrowful, can have no other good meaning but this: we are to endeavour to be displeased at sin, and to use all the means we can to hate it; that is, when we find not any sensitive sorrow or pungency of spirit, let us contend to make our intellectual sorrow as great as we can. And if we perceive or suspect we have not true repentance, let us beg of God to give it ; and let us use the proper means of obtaining the grace; and if we are uncertain concerning the actions of our own heart, let us supply them by prayer, and holy desires; that if we cannot perceive the grace in the proper shape, and by its own symptoms and indications, we may be made, in some measure, humbly confident by other images and reflections, by seeing the grace in another shape: so David; "Concupivi desiderare justificationes tuas;" "I have desired to desire thy justifications;" that is, either I have prayed for that grace, or I have seen that I have that desire, not by a direct observation, but by some other signification.. But it is certain,, no man can be sorrowful for not being sorrowful, if he means the same kind and manner of sorrow; as there cannot be two, where there is not one; and there cannot be a reflex ray, where there was not a direct. 23. But if there be such difficulty in the questions of our own sorrow, it were very well, that even this part of repentance should be conducted, as all the other ought,—by the ministry of a spiritual man; that it may be better instructed, and prudently managed, and better discerned, and led on to its proper effects. But when it is so helped forward, it is more than contrition,-it is confession also; of which I am yet to give in special accounts. SECTION III. Of the Natures and Difference of Attrition and Contrition. 24. ALL the passions of the irascible faculty are that sorrow, in some sense or other, which will produce repentance. Repentance cannot kill sin, but by withdrawing the will from it: and the will is not to be withdrawn, but by complying with the contrary affection to that, which before did accompany it in evil. Now whatever that affection was, pleasure was the product, it was that which nursed or begot the sin: now as this pleasure might proceed from hope, from possession, from sense, from fancy, from desire, and all the passions of the concupiscible appetite; so when there is a displeasure conceived, it will help to destroy sin, from what passion soever, of what faculty soever, that displeasure can be produced. 25. If the displeasure at sin proceeds from any passion of the irascible faculty, it is that which those divines, who understand the meaning of their own words of art, commonly call' attrition,' that is,—a resolving against sin, the resolution proceeding from any principle, that is troublesome and dolorous-and in what degree of good that is (as appears in the stating of this question), it is acceptable to God; not an acceptable repentance, for it is not so much; but it is a good beginning of it, an acceptable introduction to it; and must, in its very nature, suppose a sorrow, or displeasure,—in which although according to the quality of the motives of attrition, or the disposition of the penitent, there is more or less sensitive trouble respectively, yet in all there must be so much sorrow or displeasure, as to cause a dereliction of the sin, or a resolution, at least, to leave it. 26. But there are some natures so ingenuous, and there are some periods of repentance so perfect, and some penitents have so far proceeded in the methods of holiness, and pardon, that they are fallen out with sin upon the stock of some principles proceeding from the concupiscible appetite; such are love and hope; and if these have for their object God or the divine promises, it is that noblest principle of repentance or holy life, which divines call' contrition.' For hope cannot be without love of that which is hoped for; if therefore this hope have for its object temporal purchases, it is or may be a sufficient cause of leaving sin, according as the power and efficacy of the hope shall be; but it will not be sufficient towards pardon, unless, in its progression, it join with some better principle of a spiritual grace. Temporal hope and temporal fear may begin God's work upon our spirits; but till it be gone further, we are not in the first step of an actual state of grace. But as attrition proceeds from the motives of those displeasing objects, which are threatened by God to be the evil consequents of sin, relating to eternity; so contrition proceeds from objects and motives of desire, which are promises and benefits, received already, or to be received hereafter. But these must also be more than temporal good things: for hopes and fears relating to things (though promised or threatened in Holy Scripture), are not sufficient incentives of a holy and acceptable repentance; which, because it is not a transient act but a state of holiness, cannot be supported by a transitory and deficient cause, but must wholly rely upon expectation and love of things, that are eternal and cannot pass away. Attrition begins with fear; contrition hath hope and love in it. The first is a good beginning, but it is no more; before a man can say he is pardoned, he must be gone beyond the first, and arrived at this. The reason is plain; because although in the beginnings of repentance there is a great fear, yet the causes of this fear wear away and lessen, according as the repentance goes on, and are quite extinguished, when the penitent hath mortified his sin, and hath received the spirit of adoption, the Anpopopía, 'the confidence' of the sons of God; but because repentance must be perfect, and must be perpetual during this life, it must also be maintained, and supported by something that is lasting, and will not wear off, and that is hope and love; according to that of St. Austin*, "Pœnitentiam certam non facit, nisi odium peccati et amor Dei:""Hatred of sin, and the love of God, make repentance Serm. 7. de Tempor. firm and sure;" nothing else can do it: but this is a work of time; but such a work, that without it be done, our pardon is not perfect. 27. Now of this contrition, relying upon motives of pleasure and objects of amability, being the noblest principle of action, and made up of the love of God, and holy things, and holy expectations, the product is quite differing from that of attrition, or the imperfect repentance; for that commencing upon fear or displeasure, is only apt to produce a dereliction or quitting of our sin, and all the servile affections of frighted or displeased persons. But this would not effect a universal obedience; which only can be effected by the love and the affection of sons; which is also the product of those objects, which are the incentives of the divine love, and is called contrition: that is, a hatred against sin, as being an enemy to God, and all our hopes of enjoying God; whom because this repenting man loves and delights in, he also hates whatsoever God hates,—and is really grieved, for ever having offended so good a God, and for having endangered his hopes of dwelling with him whom he so loves; and therefore, now does the quite contrary. 28. Now this is not usually the beginning of repentance, but is a great progression in it; and it contains in it obedience. He that is attrite, leaves his sin; but he that is contrite, obeys God, and pursues the interests and acquists of virtue: so that contrition is not only a sorrow for having offended God, whom the penitent loves; that is but one act or effect of contrition; but contrition loves God, and hates sin; it leaves this, and adheres to him; abstains from evil, and does good; dies to sin, and lives to righteousness; and is a state of pardon and acceptable services. 29. But then there is a sorrow also proper to it; for as this grace comes from the noblest passions and apprehensions, so it does operate in the best manner, and to the noblest purposes. It hates sin upon higher contemplations, than he that hates it upon the stock of fear: he hates sin as being against God, and religion, and right reason; that is, he is gone further from him: he hates it for itself. Pœnitet, ô si quid miserorum creditur ulli, Pœnitet, et facto torqueor ipse meo. Cumque sit exilium, magis est mihi culpa dolori; That is, not only the evil effect to himself, but the irregularity and the displeasure to Almighty God, are the incentives of his displeasure against sin; and because in all these passions and effective motions of the mind, there is a sorrow under some shape or other, this sorrow or displeasure is that, which is a very acceptable signification, and act of repentance; and yet it is not to be judged of by sense, but by reason, by the caution and enmity against sin: to which this also is to be added: 30. That if any man inquires, whether or no his hatred against sin proceed from the love of God or no; that is, whether it be attrition or contrition,―he is only to observe whether he does endeavour heartily and constantly to please God by obedience; for this is love, that we keep his commandments:' and although sometimes we may tell concerning our love as well as concerning our fear; yet when the direct principle is not so evident, our only way left to try, is by the event that is contrition which makes us to exterminate and mortify sin, and endeavour to keep the commandments of God. For that is sorrow proceeding from love. 31. And now it is no wonder, if to-contrition pardon be so constantly annexed, in all the discourses of divines: but unless contrition be thus understood, and if a single act of something like it, be mistaken for the whole state of this grace, we shall be deceived by applying false promises to a real need, or true promises to an incompetent and incapable state of things. But when it is thus meant, all the sorrows that can come from this principle are the signs of life. His lacrimis vitam damus, et miserescimus ultro. No man can deny pardon to such penitents, nor cease to joy in such tears. 32. The sum of the present inquiry is this: contrition is sometimes used for a part of repentance, sometimes taken for the whole duty. As it is a part, so it is' that displeasure at sin, and hatred of it, which is commonly expressed in sorrow, but for ever in the leaving of it. It is sometimes begun with fear, sometimes with shame, and sometimes with kindness, with thankfulness and love; but love and obedience are ever at the latter end of it, though it were not at the beginning and till then it is called attrition. But when it is |
