OF THE PENITENT.

He has a wounded heart and a sad face, yet not so much for fear as for unkindness.  The wrong of his sin troubles him more than the danger.  None but he is the better for his sorrow; neither is any passion more hurtful to others than this is gainful to him:  the more he seeks to hide his grief, the less it will be hid; every man may read it not only in his eyes, but in his bones.  Whilst he is in charity with all others, he is so fallen out with himself that none but God can reconcile him.  He hath sued himself in all courts, accuseth, arraigneth, sentenceth, punisheth himself impartially, and sooner may find mercy at any hand than at his own.  He only hath pulled off the fair visor of sin; so as that which appears not but masked unto others, is seen of him barefaced, and bewrays that fearful ugliness, which none can conceive but he that hath viewed it.  He hath looked into the depth of the bottomless pit, and hath seen his own offence tormented in others, and the same brands shaken at him.  He hath seen the change of faces in that cool one, as a tempter, as a tormentor; and hath heard the noise of a conscience, and is so frightened with all these, that he can never have rest till he have run out of himself to God, in whose face at first he find rigour, but afterwards sweetness in his bosom; he bleeds first from the hand that heals him.  The law of God hath made work for mercy, which he hath no sooner apprehended than he forgets his wounds, and looks carelessly upon all these terrors of guiltiness.  When he casts his eye back upon himself, he wonders where he was and how he came there; and grants that if there were not some witchcraft in sin, he could not have been so sottishly graceless.  And now, in the issue, Satan finds (not without indignation and repentance) that he hath done him a good turn in tempting him:  for he had never been so good if he had not sinned; he had never fought with such courage, if he had not seen his blood and been ashamed of his folly.  Now he is seen and felt in the front of the spiritual battle; and can teach others how to fight, and encourage them in fighting.  His heart was never more taken up with the pleasure of sin, than now with care of avoiding it:  the very sight of that cup, wherein such a fulsome portion was brought him, turns his stomach:  the first offers of sin make him tremble more now than he did before at the judgments of his sin; neither dares he so much as look towards Sodom.  All the powers and craft of hell cannot fetch him in for a customer to evil; his infirmity may yield once, his resolution never.  There is none of his senses or parts, which he hath not within covenants for their good behaviour, which they cannot ever break with impunity.  The wrongs of his sin he repays to men with recompense, as hating it should be said he owes anything to his offence; to God (what in him lies) with sighs, tears, vows, and endeavours of amendment.  No heart is