to 2 Sam. 7. 18. But we must still know that this broken tender Heart is not a Plant that grows in our own Soil but is the peculiar gift of God himself He that made the Heart must break the heart We may be under heart-breaking Providences and yet the heart remain altogether unbroken as it was with Pharach whose heart though it was under the Hammers of ten terrible Judgments immediately succeeding one another yet continued hardened against God. The Heart of Man is harder than Hardness it self till God softneth and breaks it Men move not they relent not let God thunder never so terribly let God in the greatest earnest cast abroad his Firebrands Arrows and Death in the most dreadful representations of Wrath and Judgment yet still man trembles not nor is any more astonished than if in all this God were but in jest till he comes and falls to work vvith him and forces him to cry out What have I done What shall I do Therefore let us have recourse to him vvho as he gives the new heart so also therevvith the broken heart And let mens hearts be never so hard if God comes once to deal effectually vvith them they shall become mollified and tender as it vvas vvith those hardned Jews vvho by vvicked and cruel hands murdered the Lord of Life though they stouted it out a great vvhile yet hovv suddenly vvhen God brought them under the Hammer of his Word and Spirit in Peter's powerful Ministry vvere they broken and being pricked in their hearts cryed out Men and Brethren what shall we do Acts 2. 37. And the like instance vve have in the Jailor vvho vvas a most barbarous hard hearted vvretch yet vvhen God came to deal vvith him he Was soon tamed and his heart became exceeding soft and tender Act. 16. 29 30. Men may speak long enough and the heart not at all be moved but The voice of the Lord is powerful the voice of the Lord is full of Majesty and breaketh the Rocks and Cedars He turns the Rock into a standing Water the Flint into a Fountain of Waters And this is a Glorious work indeed that Hearts of Stone should be disolved and melted into waters of Godly Sorrow working Repentance not to be Repented of 2 Cor. 7. 10. When God speaks Effectually the stoutest Heart must melt and yield Wait upon God then for the Softning thy Heart and avoid whatsoever may be a means of Hardening it as the Apostle cautions the Hebrews Take heed least ye be Hardened through the deceitfulness of Sin. Heb. 3. 1â— Sin is Deceitful and will Harden all those that indulge it the more Tender any man is to his Lust the more will he be Hardened by it There is a native Hardness in every mans Heart and though it may be softned by Gospel means yet if those means be afterwards neglected the Heart will fall to its Native Hardness again as it is with the Wax and the Clay Therefore how much doth it behoove us to keep close to God in the use of all Gospel means whereby our Hearts being once softened may be alwayes kept so Which is best done by Repeating the use of those means which were at first blessed for the Softning of them The following Treatise may be of great use to the People of God through his Blessing accompanying it to keep their hearts Tender and Broken when so many after their hardness and impenitent heart are treasuring up Wrath against the day of Wrath. Rom. 2. 5. O let none who peruse this Book herd with that generation of Hardened Ones but be a companion of all those that mourn in Zion and whose hearts are Broken for their own the Churches and the Nations Provocations who indeed are the only likely ones that will stand in the gap to divert Judgments When Shishack King of Egypt with a great Host came up against Judah and having taken their Frontier fenced Cities they sat down before Jerusalem which put them all under a great Consternation but the King and Princes upon this humble themselves the Lord sends a Gracious Message to them by Shemajah the Prophet the import whereof was That because they humbled themselves the Lord would not destroy them nor pour out his Wrath upon them by the hand of Shishak 2 Chr. 12. 5 6 7. The greater the Party is of Mourning Christians the more hope we have that the Storm impending may be blown over and the Blessings enjoyed may yet be continued As long as there is a Sighing Party we may hope to be yet Preserved at least such will have the Mark set upon them selves which shall distinguish them from those whom the Slaughtermen shall receive Commission to destroy Ezek. 9. 4. But I shall not further enlarge the Porch as designing to make way for the Readers Entrance into the House where I doubt not but he will be pleased with the Furniture and Provision he finds in it And I shall only further assure him that this whole Book was not only prepared for but also put unto the Press by the Author himself whom the Lord was pleased to Remove to the great Loss and unexpressible Grief of many precious Souls before the sheets could be all wrought off And now as I hinted in the beginning that what was Transcribed out of the Author's heart into the Book may be Transcribed out of the Book into the hearts of all who shall Peruse it is the Desire and Prayer of Sept. 21. 1699. A Lover and Honourer of all Saints as such George Cokayn THE Acceptable Sacrifice OR THE EXCELLENCY OF A BROKEN HEART Psal. 51. 17. â—he Sacrifices of God are a Broken Spirit A Broken and a Contrite Heart O God thou wilt not despise THis Psalm is David's Penitential Psalm It may be be fitly so called because it is a Psalm â—y which is manifest the Unâ—eigned Sorrow which he had for his horrible Sin in 〈◊〉 of Bethsheba and slaying Uriah her Husband A Relation at large of which you have in the 11th and 12th of the Second of Samuel Many workings of Heart as this Psalm sheweth this poor man had so soon as Conviction did fall upon his Spirit one while he cries for Mercy then he confesses his heinous Offences then he bewails the depravity of his Nature sometimes he cries out to be Washed and Sanctified and then again he is affraid that God will cast him away from his Presence and take his Holy Spirit utterly from him And thus he goes on till he comes to the Text and there he stayeth his mind finding in himself that Heart and Spirit which God did not dislike The Sacrifices of God says he are a broken Spirit as if he should say I thank God I have that A Broken and a Contrite Heart saith he O God thou wilt not despise as if he should say I thank God I have that The Words consist of Two Parts 1. An Assertion 2. A Demonstration of that Assertion The Assertion is this The
is as was said afore as a Fire and as a Hammer to break this Rock in Pieces 2 Cor. 10. 4. Hâ—b 4. 14. Psal. 110. 3. And hence the Word is made mention of under a double Consideration 1. As it stands by it self 2. As attended with Power from Heaven As it stands by it self and is not seconded with saving Operation from Heaven it is called the Word ONLY the Word Barely or as if it was only the Word of Men 1 Thess. 1 5 6 7. 1 Cor. 4. 19 20 1 Thess. 2. 13. Because then it is only as managed by men who are not able to make it accomplish that Work. The Word of Gods when in a Man's hand ONLY is like the Father's Sword in the hand of the sucking Child which Sword though never so well Pointed and though never so sharp on the Edges is not now able to conquer a Fâ—e and to make an Enemy fall and cry out for Mercy because 't is but in the hand of the Child But now let the same Sword be put into the hand of a skilful Father and God is both skilful and able to manage his Word and then the Sinner and then the proud helpers too are both made to stoop and submit themselves Wherefore I say tho the Word be the Instrument yet of it self doth do no saving good to the Soul the heart is not Broken nor the Spirit made Contrite thereby it only worketh Death and leaveth men in the chains of of their Sins still faster bound over to Eternal Condemnation 2 Cor. 2. 15 16. 2. But when seconded by mighty Power then the same word is as the roaring of a Lyon as the piercing of a Sword as a burning fire in the Bones as thunder and as a hammer that dashes all to pieces Jer. 25. 30. Amo. 1. 2. Chap. 3. 8. Act. 2 37. Jer. 20. 9. Psal. 29. 3 4 5 6 7 8 9. Wherefore from hence it is to be concluded that whoever haâ— heard the Word preached and has not heard the Voice of the living God therein has not as yet had their Hearts broken nor their Spirits made contrite for their Sins And this leads me to the second thing to wit To shew how the heart is broken and the spirit made contrite by the Word And verily it is when the word comes home with Power But yet this is but general Wherefore more particularly First Then the VVord works effectually to this purpose when it findeth out the Sinner and his Sin and shall convince him that it has found him out Thus it was with our first Father when he had Sinned he sought to hide himself from God he gets among the Trees of the Garden and there he shrouds himself but yet not thinking himself secure he covers himself with Fig. Leaves and now he lyeth quiet now God shall not find me thinks he nor know what I have done but lo by and by he hears the Voice of the Lord God walking in the Garden and now Adam what do you mean to do Why as yet he seulketh and hides his head and seeks yet to lye undiscovered but behold the Voice cries out ADAM And now he begins to Tremble Adam where art thou Says God and now Adam is made to Answer But the Voice of the Lord God doth not leave him here No it now begins to search and to enquire after his doings and to unravel what he had wrapt together and covered until it made him bare and Naked in his own sight before the face of God. Gen. 3. 7 8 9 10 11. Thus therefore doth the Word when managed by the Arm of God. It findeth out it singleth out the Sinner the Sinner finds it so it finds out the sins of the Sinner it unravels his whole Life it strips him and layes him Naked in his own sight before the face of God neither can the Sinner nor his Wickedness be longer hid and covered and now begins the Sinner to see what he never saw before 2. Another instance for this is David the man of our Text he sins he sins grosly he sins and hides it yea and seeks to hide it from the sight of God and man. Well Nathan is sent to Preach a Preaching to him and that in common and that in special in common by a Parable in special by a Particular Application of it to him While Nathan only Preached in common or in general David was fish-whole and stood as right in his own eyes as if he had been as innocent and as harmless as any man alive But God had a love for David and therefore Commands his Servant Nathan to go home not only to Davids Ears but to Davids Conscience Well David now must fall Says Nathan Thou art the man says David I have Sinned 1 Sam. 12. 1 5 7 13. and then his heart was broken and his spirit made contrite as this Psalm and our Text doth shew 3. A third instance is that of Saul he had heard many a Sermon and was become a great Professor yea he was more zealous then was many of his Equals but his heart was never Broken nor his Spirit never made Contrite till he heard one Preach from Heaven till he heard God in the word of God making enquiry after his Sins Saul Saul Why Persecutest thou me says Jesus and then he can stand no longer for then his heart brake then he Falls to the Ground then he Trembles then he crys out Who art thou Lord And Lord what wilt thou have me to do Acts 8. Wherefore as I said Then the VVord works effectually to this purpose when it findeth out the Sinner and his Sin and also when it shall convince him that it has found him out Only I must joyn here a caution for every operation of the word upon the Conscience is not Saving nor doth all Conviction end in the saving Conversion of the Sinner It is then only such an operation of the word that is intended namely That shews the Sinner not only the Evil of his ways but brings the heart unfeignedly over to God by Christ. And this brings me to the third thing Thirdly I am therefore come to shew you how and what the Heart is when Broken and made Contrite And this I must do by opening unto you the two chief Expressions in the Text. 1. What is meant by this word Broken. 2. What is meant by this word Contrite First For this word Broken Tindal renders it a Troubled heart but I think there is more in it I take it therefore to be a heart disabled as to former actions even as a man whole bones are broken is disabled as to his way of running leaping wrestling or ought else which vainly he was wont to do wherefore that which was called a broken-heart in the Text he calls his broken Bones in verse the eighth Cause me saith he to hear joy and gladness that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce And why is the breaking of the heart
our Tongues we will prevail our Lips are our own Who is Lord over us Psal. 12. 4. Hence they are said to stop their Ear to pull away their Shoulder to shut their Eyes and harden their Hearts against the Words of God and to Contemn the Counsel of the most High Zech. 7. 10 11 12. Psal. 107. 11. They are fitly compared to the Rebellious Son who would not be ruled by his Parents or to the Prodigal who would have all in his own Hand and remove himself far away from Father and Father's House Deut. 21. 20. Luk. 15. 13. Now for such Creatures nothing will do but Violence The stubborn Son must be stoned till he dies and the Prodigal must be Famished out of all Nothing else I say will do Their Self-willed stubborn Heart will not comply with the Will of God before 't is broken Deut. 21. 21. Luke 15. 14 15 16 17. These are they that are called the Stout-hearted these are said to be far from Righteousness and so will remain until their Hearts are broken for so they must be made to know themselves Isa. 9. 9 10 11. Fifthly Man as he comes into the World is not only a Dead Man a Fool Proud and Self-willed but also a Fearless Creature There is saith the Text no Fear of God before their Eyes Rom. 3. 18. No fear of God. There is fear of Man fear of losing his Favour his Love his good Will his Help his Friendship This is seen every where how does the Poor fear the Rich the Weak fear the Strong and those that are Threatned them that Threaten But come now to God why none Fears him that is by Nature none Reverence him they neither fear his Frowns nor seek his Favour nor enquire how they may escape his revenging Hand that is lifted up against their Sins and their Souls because of Sin. Little things they fear the losing of them but the Soul they are not afraid to lose They fear not me saith the Lord Mal. 3. 5. How many times are some men put in mind of DEATH by Sickness upon themselves by Graves by the Death of others How many times are they put in mind of HELL by reading the Word by lashes of Conscience and by some that go roaring in Despair out of this World How many times are they put in mind of the Day of Judgment As 1. By God's binding the Fallen Angels over to Judgment 2. By the Drowning of the Old World 2 Pet. 2. 4 5. Jude 6. 7. 3. By the Burning of Sodom and Gomorrah with Fire from Heaven 2 Pet. 2. 6. Jude 7. 4. By Appointing a Day Acts 17. 29 30 31. 5. By Appointing a Judge Acts 10. 40 41 42. 6. By Reserving their Crimes in Records Isa. 30. 8. Revel 20. 12. 7. By Appointing and Preparing of Witnesses Rom. 2. 15. 8. And by Promising yea Threatning yea Resolving to call the whole World to his Bar there to be judged for all which they have done and said and for every Secret Thing Mat. 25. 31 32 33. Chap. 12. 36. Eccles. 11. 9. Chap. 12. 14. And yet they fear not God Alas They believe not these things These things to carnal Men are like Lot's Preaching to his Sons and Daughters that were in Sodom When he told them that God would destroy that Place He seemed unto them as one that mocked and his Words to them were as idle â—ales Gen. 19. 14. Fearless Men are not won by Words Blows Wounds and Killings are the things that must bring them under fear How many strugling fits had Israel with God in the Wilderness How many times did they declare that there they feared him not And observe they were seldom if ever brought to fear and dread his Glorious Name unless he beset them round with Death and the Grave Nothing nothing but a severe Hand will make the fearless fear Hence to speak after the manner of Men God is put upon it to go this way with Sinners when he would save their Souls even bring them and lay them at the Mouth and within sight of Hell and Everlasting Damnation and there also charge them with Sin and Guilt to the breaking of their Hearts before they will fear his Name Sixthly Man as he comes into the World is not only a Dead Man a Fool Proud Self-willed and Fearless But he is a false Believer concerning God. Let God report of himself never so plainly Man by Nature will not believe this Report of him No They are become vain in their Imaginations and their foolish Heart is darkned Wherefore they turn the Glory of God which is his Truth into a Lie Rom. 1. 21 22 23 24 25. 1. God says He sees They say He seeth not God saith He knows They say He doth not know God saith None is like Himself Yet they say He is altogether like to them God saith None shall keep his Door for nought They say 'T is in Vain and to no Profit to serve Him He saith He will do Good They say He will neither do Good nor Evil Job 22. 13 14. Psal. 50. 21. Job 21. 14 15. Mal. 3. 14. Zeph. 1. 12. Thus they falsly believe concerning God Yea as to the Word of his Grace and the Revelation of his Mercy in Christ. They stick not to say by their Practice for a wicked Man speaketh with his Feet Prov. 6. 13. that that is a stark Lie and not to be trusted to 1 John 5. 10. Now what shall God do to save these Men If he hides himself and conceals his Glory They Perish If he sends to them by his Messengers and forbears to come to them himself They Perish If he comes to them and forbears to work upon them by his Word They Perish If he worketh on them but not effectually They Perish If he works effectually he must break their Hearts and make them as men wounded to Death fall at his Feet for Mercy or there can be no good done on them they will not rightly Believe until he fires them out of their Mis-belief and makes them to know by the breaking of their Bones for their false Faith that he is and will be what he has said of himself in his Holy Word The Heart therefore must be broken before the man can come to good Seventhly Man as he comes into the World is not only a Dead Man a Fool Proud Self-willed Fearless and false Believer but a great Lover of Sin. He is Captivated Ravished Drowned in the Delights of it Hence it says They love Sin delight in Lies do take Pleasure in Iniquity and in them that do it that they Sport themselves in their own Deceivings and Glory in their Shame John 3. 19. Psal. 62. 4. Rom. 1. 32. 2 Pet. 2. 13. Phil. 3. 19. This is the temper of Man by Nature for Sin is mixed with and has the Mastery of all the Powers of his Soul. Hence they are said to be Captives to it and to be led Captive into
the Pleasures of it at the will of the Devil 2 Tim. 2. 26. And you know 't is not an easie thing to break Love or to take the Affections off of that Object on which they are so deeply set in which they are so deeply rooted as Man's Heart is in his Sins Alas How many are there that Contemn all the Allurements of Heaven and that Trample upon all the Threatnings of God and that say Tush at all the Flames of Hell when ever they are propounded as Motives to work them off their sinful Delights So Fixed are they so Mad are they upon these beastly Idols Yea he that shall take in hand to stop their course in this their Way is as he that shall attempt to prevent the raging Waves of the Sea from their course when driven by the mighty Winds When Men are somewhat put to it when Reason and Conscience shall begin a little to hearken to a Preacher or a Judgment that shall begin to hunt for Iniquity how many Tricks Evasions Excuses Demurs Delays hiding Holes will they make invent and find to hide and preserve their sweet Sins with themselves and their Souls in the delights of them to their own Eternal Perdition Hence they endeavour to stifle Conscience to choak Convictions to forget God to make themselves Atheists to contradict Preachers that are plain and honest and to heap to themselves such of them only as are like themselves That speak unto them smooth things and Prophesie Deceits Yea they say themselves to such Preachers Get ye out of the way turn aside out of the Path cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us Isa. 30. 8 9 10 11. If they be followed still and Conscience and Guilt shall like Blood-Hounds find them out in their Secret Places and Roar against them for their wicked Lives then they will flatter cogg dissemble and lie against their Souls promising to mend to turn to repent and grow better shortly and all to daff-off Convictions and Molestations in their wicked ways that they may yet pursue their Lusts their Pleasures and sinful Delights in quiet and without Controul Yea further I have known some that have been made to Roar like Bears to Yell like Dragons and to Howl like Dogs by reason of the weight of Guilt and the lashes of Hell upon their Conscience for their evil deeds who have so soon as their present Torments and Fears were gone returned again with the Dog to his Vomit or as the Sow that was washed to her Wallowing in the Mire Hos 7. 14. 2 Pet. â— 20 21 22. Once again Some have been made taste of the good Word of God of the Joy of Heaven and of the Powers of the World to come and yet could not by any one nay by all of these be made to break their League for ever with their Lusts and Sins Heb. 6. 1 2 3 4 5. Luke 8. 13. John 5. 33 34 35. O Lord What 's Man that thou art mindful of him Wherein is he to be accounted of He has sinned against thee he loves his Sins more than thee He is a lover of Pleasures more than he is a Lover of God. But now how shall this man be Reclaimed from this Sin How shall he be brought wrought and made to be out of Love with it Doubtless it can be by no other means by what we can see in the Word but by the wounding breaking and disabling of the Heart that loves it and by that means making it a Plague and Gall unto it Sin may be made an Affliction and as Gall and Wormwood to them that love it but the making of it so bitter a thing to such a Man will not be done but by great and â—ore means I remember we had in our Town some time since a little Girl that loved to eat the heads of foul Tobacco-Pipes and neither Rod nor good words could reclaim her and make her leave them So her Father takes advice of a Doctor to wean her from them and 't was this Take saith he a great many of the foulest Tobacco Pipe Heads you can get and boyl them in Milk and make a Posset of that Milk and make your Daughter drink the Posset-Drink up He did so and gave his Girl it and made her drink it up the which became SO irksome and nautious to her Stomach and made her SO sick that she could never abide to meddle with Tobacco-Pipe Heads any more and so was cured of that Disease Thou lovest thy Sin and neither Rod nor good Words will as yet reclaim thee well take heed if thou wilt not be Reclaimed God will make thee a Posset of them which shall be so bitter to thy Soul so irksome to thy Taste so loathsome to thy Mind and so afflicting to thy Heart that it shall break it with Sickness and Grief till it be loathsom to thee I say thus he will do if he loves thee If not he will suffer thee to take thy course and will let thee go on with thy Tobacco-Pipe-Heads The Children of Israel will have Flesh must have Flesh they Weep Cry and Murmur because they have not Flesh. The Bread of Heaven that 's but light and sorry stuff in their Esteem Num. 11. 1 2 3 4 5 6. Moses goes and tells God how the People despised his Heavenly Bread and how they longed lusted and desired to be fed with Flesh. Well says God They shall have Flesh they shall have their fill of Flesh I will feed them with it they shall have to the full and that Not for a day or two days or five days neither ten days nor twenty days But even a whole Month until it come out at their Nostrils and it be loathsome unto them because they have despised the Lord Num. 11. 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20. He can tell how to make that loathsome to thee on which thou most doest set thine evil Heart And he will do so if he loves thee else as I said he will not make thee sick by smiting of thee nor punish thee for or when thou committest Whoredom but will let thee alone till the Judgment day and call thee to a reckoning for all thy Sins then But to pass this Eighthly Man as he comes into the World is not only a Dead Man a Fool Proud Self-willed Fearless a false Believer and a Lover of Sin but a Wild Man. He is of the wild Olive Tree of that which is wild by Nature Rom. 11. 17 24. So in another place Man by Nature is compared to the Ass to a wild Ass For vain or empty Man would be Wise though Man be born as a wild Asses Colt Job 11. 12. Isaac was a Figure of Christ and of all Converted Men Gal. 4. 28. But Ishmael was a Figure of Man by Nature And the Holy Ghost as to that saith this of him And he will be a wild Man Gen. 16. 12. This man I say was a Figure
strength faileth me As for the light of mine Eyes it also is gone from me My lovers and friends stand aloof from my sore And so he goes on Psal. 38. 1 2 3 4 c. These are the Words Sighs Complaints Prayers and Arguments of a Broken Heart to God for Mercy And so are they Have Mercy upon me O God according to thy loving kindness According to the multitude of thy tender Mercies blot out my Transgressions Wash me throughly from mine Iniquity and cleanse me from my Sin. For I acknowledge my Transgressions and my Sins are ever before me Psal. 51. 1 2 3. God alloweth poor Creatures that can without lying thus to plead and argue with him I am poor and sorrowful said the good man to him let thy Salvation set me on high Psal. 69. 29. Wherefore Thou that hast a Broken Heart take courage God bids thee take courage say therefore to thy Soul Why art thou cast down O my Soul As usually the Broken-Hearted are And why art thou disquieted within me Hope thou in God. I had fainted if I had not been of good courage therefore be of good courage and he shall strengthen thine heart Psal. 42. 11. Psal. 43. 5. Psal. 27. 12 13 14. But Alas The Broken-Hearted are far off from this they faint they reckon themselves among the dead they think God will remember them no more the thoughts of the greatness of God and his holiness and their own Sins and Vilenesses will certainly consume them they feel guilt and anguish of Soul they go Mourning all the day long their Mouth is full of gravil and gaul and they are made to drink draughts of Wormwood and Gaul So that he must be an artist indeed at believing who can come to God under his guilt and horror and plead in faith that the Sacrifices of God are a Broken Heart such as he had and that a Broken and a Contrite Spirit God will not despise Fifthly If a Broken Heart if a Broken and a Contrite Spirit is of such esteem with God Then why should some be as they are so afraid of a Broken Heart and so shy of a Contrite Spirit I have observed that some men are as fraid of a Broken Heart or that they for their sins should have their hearts Broken as the Dog is of the Whip O! They cann't away with such Books with such Sermons with such Preachers or with such talk as tends to make a man sensible of and to Break his Heart and to make him Contrite for his Sins Hence they heap to themselves such Teachers get such Books Love such Company and delight in such Discourse as rather tends to harden then soften to make desperate in then sorrowful for their Sins They say to such Sermons Books and Preachers as Amaziah said to Amos. O thou seer go flee thou away into the land of Judah and there eat Bread and Prophesie there but Prophesie not again any more at Bethel c. Amos 7. 12 13. But do these People know what they do Yes think they for such Preachers such Books such Discourses tend to make one Melancholy or Mad they make us that we cannot take pleasure in our Selves in our Concerns in our Lives But Oh Fool in grain Let me speak unto thee Is it a time to take Pleasure and to Recreate thy self in any thing before thou hast Mourned and been Sorry for thy Sins That Mirth that is before Repentance for Sin will certainly end in heaviness Wherefore the Wise Man puting both together saith that Mourning must be first There is a time to Weep and a time to Laugh a time to Mourn and a time to Dance Eccles. 3. 4. What! An Unconverted Man and Laugh Shouldest thou see one Singing merry Songs that is riding up Holbourn to Tyburn to be hanged for Felony wouldest thou not count him besides himself if not worse and yet thus it is with him that is for Mirth while he standeth Condemned by the Book of God for his Trespasses Man Man Thou hast cause to Mourn yea thou must Mourn if ever thou art Saved Wherefore my advice is that instead of shuning thou covet both such Books such Preachers and such Discourses as has a tendency to make a man sensible of and to break his Heart for Sin and the reason is because thou wilt never be as thou shoud'st concerned about nor seek the Salvation of thine own Soul before thou hast a Broken Heart a Broken and a Contrite Spirit Wherefore be not afraid of a Broken Heart be not shy of a Contrite Spirit It is one of the greatest Mercies that God bestows upon a Man or a Woman The Heart Rightly Broken at the sence of and made Truly Contrite for Trransgression is a certain fore-runner of Salvation This is evident from these six demonstrations which was laid down to prove the point in hand at first And for thy awaking in this matter Let me tell thee and thou wilt find it so Thou must have thy heart Broken whether thou wilt or no. God is resolved to break ALL hearts for Sin some time or other Can it be imagined Sin being what it is and God what he is to wit a Revenger of Disobedience but that one time or other man must smart for Sin Smart I say either to Repentance or to Condemnation He that Mourns not now while the Door of Mercy 's open must Mourn for Sin when the door of Mercy 's shut Shall men despise God Break his Law Contemn his Threats Abuse his Grace yea Shut their Eyes when he says See and Stop their Ears when he says Hear and shall they SO escape No no Because he called and they refused he stretched out his hand and they regarded it not Therefore shall Calamity come upon them as upon one in Travel and they shall cry in their Destruction and then God will laugh at their Destruction and mock when their Fear cometh Then saith he They shall cry Prov. 1. 24. 25 26 c. I have often observed that this threatning is repeated at least seven times in the new Testament saying There shall be weeping and gnashing of Teeth There shall be wailing and gnashing of Teeth as Mat. 8. 12. Chap. 13. 42. and 50. Chap. 22. 13. Chap. 24 51. Chap. 25. 30. Luke 13. 28. There where in Hell and at the barr of Christs Tribunal when he comes to judge the World and shall have shut too the door to keep them out of Glory that have here despised the offer of his Grace and overlooked the day of his Patience There shall be wailing and gnashing of Teeth They shall weep and wail for this There are but two Scriptures that I shall use more and then I shall draw towards a Conclusion One is that in Proverbs where Solomon is counseling of Young Men to beware of Strange that is of wanton light and ensnaring women Take heed of such said he Lest thou mourn at last that is in Hell when thou art dead when