The Anatomy of Melancholy

This heaven of repentance is still open for all distressed souls; and howsoever as yet no signs appear, thou maist repent in good time. Hear a comfortable speech of S. Austin, Whatsoever thou shalt do, how great a sinner soever, thou art yet living; if God would not help thee, he would surely take thee away; but in sparing thy life, he gives thee leasure, and invites thee to repentance.

Howsoever as yet, I say, thou perceivest no fruit, no feeling, findest no likelihood of it in thy self, patiently abide the Lords good leisure; despair not, or think thou art a Reprobate; he came to call sinners to repentance, Luk. 5. 32. of which number thou art one; he came to call thee, and in his time will surely call thee.

And although as yet thou hast no inclination to pray, to repent, thy faith be cold and dead, and thou wholy averse from all divine functions, yet it may revive, as Trees are dead in Winter but flourish in the Spring; these Vertues may lie hid in thee for the present, yet hereafter shew themselves, and peradventure already bud, howsoever thou dost not perceive it. ’Tis Satans policy to plead against, suppress and aggravate, to conceal those sparks of faith in thee.

Thou dost not believe thou saist, yet thou wouldst believe if thou couldst, ’tis thy desire to believe; then pray, Lord help mine unbelief; and hereafter thou shalt certainly believe: Dabitur sitienti, It shall be given to him that thirsteth.

Thou canst not yet repent, hereafter thou shalt; a black cloud of sin as yet obnubilates thy soul, terrifies thy conscience, but this cloud may conceive a Rain-bow at the last, and be quite dissipated by repentance. Be of good chear; a child is rational in power, not in act; and so art thou penitent in affection, though not yet in action.

’Tis thy desire to please God, to be heartily sorry; comfort thy self, no time is overpast, ’tis never too late. A desire to repent, is repentance it self, though not in nature, yet in Gods acceptance; a willing minde is sufficient. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, Mat. 5. 6. He that is destitute of Gods Grace, and wisheth for it shall have it.

The Lord (saith David, Psal. 10. 17) will hear the desire of the poor, that is, of such as are in distress of body and minde. ’Tis true thou canst not as yet grieve for thy sin, thou hast no feeling of faith, I yeeld; yet canst thou grieve thou dost not grieve? It troubles thee, I am sure, thine heart should be so impenitent and hard, thou wouldst have it otherwise; ’tis thy desire to grieve, to repent and believe.

Thou lovest Gods children and Saints in the mean time, hatest them not, persecutest them not, but rather wishest thy self a true Professor, to be as they are, as thou thy self hast been heretofore; which is an evident token thou art in no such desperate case. ’Tis a good sign of thy conversion, thy sins are pardonable, thou art, or shalt surely be reconciled.