are brought on us by a Change of Fortune, or the Neceffity of human Condition. And the Confiderations of Philosophy not extending beyond these Limits, it is no Wonder to find Wisdom placed in an Abfence of Paffion; and Grief and Sorrow and all the tender Motions of the Mind expofed as certain Marks of a flavish abject Spirit. But when the Reafons of Philosophy are transferred to the Cause of Religion, they lofe their Name; and the fame Conclufions, for want of the fame Principles to fupport them, are foolish and abfurd. In natural Evils, Sorrow and Grief of Mind give us the quickest and fharpeft Sense of our Afflictions, and diveft us of the Power of looking out for the proper Comforts and Supports: they increase and lengthen out our Misery; nor can the Mind ever lofe Sight of its Afflictions, till Length of Time fets it free from Grief, or the very Excefs of Sorrow fo far ftupefies the Senfe of Feeling, that it destroys itself. And when it leaves us, often it carries off with it our Strength and Health, and bequeaths to us a weak Body and a feeble Mind, and entails up

on

on the very beft Days of our Youth the very worft Infirmities of Age and Sicknefs: For the Sorrow of the World worketh Death. But in fpiritual Evils, where Sin and Guilt threaten the Life of the Soul, and haften to bring on us Death eternal, Sorrow is the best Indication of Life, and, like the Pulfe in the natural Body, fhews there is fome Heat and Vigour ftill remaining: As it increases, it brings with it the Symptoms, of Recovery; Sin and Guilt fly before it; Life and Immortality follow after it. And the Mind thus purged by religious Sorrow fends into the Heart fresh Streams of Pleasure, and abounds with all the Joys which the Senfe of the Love of God, the present Poffeffion of Peace, and the firm Expectation of future Glory can produce: For Godly Sorrow worketh Repentance unto Salvation not to be repented of. From the Confideration of these different Effects of worldly and of religious Sorrow, the Apoftle with no lefs Truth than Art infinuates to the Corinthians, how truly he had acted the Part of a Friend towards them, in bringing them to a due Senfe

of

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of Sorrow for the Sins they had committed. It is the Part of a Friend to ease our Minds of Grief, to step in between us and Sorrow, and to make us, as far as it is poffible, forget our Misfortunes: Why then do the Minifters of Chrift petually fuggeft new Fears to us, and still labour to awaken our Souls to a Senfe of their Misery, and to fill us with Sorrow, by continually reprefenting to us the Greatness of our Lofs? To this let the Apoftle answer for himself, and for all: I rejoice not that ye were made forry, but that ye forrowed to Repentance. If from worldly Sorrow there can arise nothing but certain Pain and Mifery, if the Anguish of Mind produces Feebleness of Body, and the lamenting our paft Misfortunes renders us incapable of the Enjoyments which are present, happy is the Man who can bear up against Afflictions, and with an undisturbed Mind fubmit to thofe Evils which no Sorrow can either ease or prevent. But if in godly Sorrow the Effects are just contrary, if Grief can blot out the Guilt of Sins past, and preserve us from the Infection for the Time to come; if it brings

brings Eafe to a wounded Spirit, and makes us to be at Peace with ourselves, and with God; if it renders Life comfortable, and Death not terrible; if it rids us of Fear for the prefent, and fills us with Hope full of future Glory: how happy then are they who go to the House of Mourning, and by a wife Choice escape the Punishment of Sin, by fubmitting to the Sorrow of it?

How these bleffed Fruits grow out of godly Sorrow, will appear to you from the Apostle's Words in the Text, in which the Effects of godly and worldly Sorrow are fully expreffed in few Words: Godly Sorrow worketh Repentance unto Salvation not to be repented of; but the Sorrow of the World worketh Death. In which Words you may obferve, firft, that Sorrow is diftinguished from Repentance; for godly Sorrow is faid to work Repentance, and is therefore fuppofed to have the fame Relation to it that the Cause has to its Effect. Secondly, You may obferve that Sorrow is not faid to work Salvation immediately and of itself, but by the Means of that Repentance which it produceth. Thirdly,

You

You may obferve that worldly Sorrow is faid to produce Death immediately: It brings forth nothing analogous to Repentance, but does indeed confirm and ftrengthen the evil Difpofition from which it grows. Fourthly, The Death which is wrought by worldly Sorrow is oppofed to the Salvation which follows Repentance; and may therefore fignify eternal Death, as well as temporal; the Truth of the Propofition admitting either or both of these Explications. As I explain and enlarge these Obfervations, I fhall take in what I judge neceffary to give you a diftinct Conception of the Nature of godly, and of worldly Sorrow, and to fhew the Effects of both.

First, then, you may obferve that Sorrow is diftinguished from Repentance; for godly Sorrow is faid to work Repentance, and is therefore supposed to bear the same Relation to it as the Caufe does to its Effect. In common Speech we are apt to speak of Sorrow for Sin under the Name of Repentance, and to afcribe to it the Effects belonging only to Repentance: But the Apostle in the Verfe before us has plainly another Notion of Repentance, fince the common Notion would make an Ab

furdity