§. Sect. 3 Of the second part of repen∣tance, which consisteth in conuersion and amend∣ment.
The second part of thy repentance (O my soule) is thy conuersion and amendment, whereby thou turnest from thy sinnes vnto God, desi∣ring and indeuouring to serue and please him in newnesse of life; the things from which thou must turne (O my soule) are thy sinnes, yea from all thy sinnes, great and small, none being so great that they need to dis∣courage thee, seeing they are incomparably exceeded by Gods infinite mercies, and the All-sufficient merits of thy Sauiour; nor any so small, that thou shouldest neglect amendment, seeing the least bring euerlast∣ing death, if they be not washed away with the blood of Christ, who al∣so dyed for them as well as for the greatest. Or if there bee any difference in thy conuersion from thy sinnes (O my soule) it must be in leauing those sinnes with greatest hatred and detestation, which thou hast formerly im∣braced with greatest loue, seeing by them thou hast most dishonoured and displeased thy God, and wounded thine owne conscience. The other part of thy conuersion is, that thou turne vnto the Lord, that thou maist serue and please him in newnesse of life; according to that of the Pro∣phet, O Israel, if ye returne, returne vnto me, saith the Lord: for it is not e∣nough that thou cease to be the seruant of sinne, vnlesse thou become a seruant of righteousnesse; nor to be vnblameable before men, vnlesse thou be holy before God; nor to abstaine from euill, vnlesse thou doest good; nor to keepe thy selfe from mis-spending thy Lords Talent, vnlesse thou doest by vse increase it to thy Masters aduantage. And as in thy returning there is a change in the obiect, from (not some, but) all euill; not to some onely, but all good; so if it be sound and sincere, it is also to bee plainly discerned in the subiect or person that returneth, and in the change of all his faculties and actions. And therefore if thou truly repentest (O my soule) there is a change in thy mind, from the darknesse of ignorance, to the light of knowledge; from errour, to truth; in thy conscience, from dead workes, to purity; in thy will, refusing that euill which formerly it imbra∣ced, and imbracing that good which in time past it reiected; in thy heart, from hardnesse to tendernesse; from security and impenitency, to true re∣pentance; from the loue of sinne, to the loue of God and all goodnesse for Gods sake; from lothing of spirituall things, to hating of carnall; and so in the rest of thy affections and passions. If thy repentance be sincere, * 1.1 it beginneth inwardly in thee (my soule) and proceedeth to the outward parts; it beginneth in feruent desires, proceedeth in good resolutions and earnest indeuours, and sheweth both in our holy and righteous actions, throughout the whole course of our liues and conuersations. And howso∣euer it is imperfect in respect of degrees, seeing we can neuer sufficiently, whilest we liue heere, bewaile and forsake our sinnes, nor serue the Lord in holinesse and righteousnesse, in any such perfection as the Law requi∣reth; yet if thou doest truly repent (O my soule) there is a perfection of integrity, whereby thou labourest to serue and please thy God in renoun∣cing all sinne, and imbracing all righteousnesse, and in the purifying of all thy powers and faculties, outward and inward, from corruption to ho∣linesse.