disclosed that gracious designe which he had resolved upon from everlasting of recovering saving some of the sons and daughters of the first Adam Recovery by Christ the second Adam who was exhibited though somewhat obscurely in that glorious promise the seede of the woman shall breake the head of the serpent which words containe the tenour of the Covenant of grace or second Covenant which God entred into with man suspending life and salvation upon the condition of believing of which I shall speake more hereafter This second Covenant was at first called no other then the promise of the blessed seede Severall names of the Covenant of grace with the reason of them viz when made knowne unto Adam in the words forementioned namely that the seede of the woman should c. Afterwards it was called a Covenant when revealed to Abraham and ratified by many solemnities Afterwards it was styled a Testament or Legacy where in Moses his time it was sealed with the bloud of Christ who was typically slaine in the severall sacrifices and now the new Testament because sealed with the bloud of the Testator Jesus Christ himselfe which is a new seale in comparison of the bloud of Christ typically shed which was long before it Other reasons there are of its being called the new Testament though it be for substance the same with the old Testament which is very Gospell as well as the new for the Covenant of workes was never called a Testament nor could beare that name which we shall hint hereafter Touching the Promise Condition Mediator and Seales of the new Covenant or Testament I believe as followeth First that the things promised to those which are concerned in it are Christ with all his rich purchases Covenant of grace its promises such as are the gift of the spirit pardon of sin healing of our natures peace of conscience and eternall happinesse New testament-promises are mostly spirituall but those of the old testament were more carnal that is more relating unto temporall and outward things Secondly That the condition of the new Covenant It s condition not assurance but faith Assurance proved not essentiall to saving faith on which the forementioned promises are suspended is Faith I do not say assurance for that Faith may be where assurance is not is cleer to me from 1 Joh. 5.13 These things have I written to you that believe on the name of the sonne of God that you may know that you have eternall life and had their Faith beene Assurance they would have knowne that they had had eternall life i. e. were heires of it without his writing to them and that yee may believe on the name of the sonne of God that is that you may increase in faith Now assurance being the highest pitch of faith a speaking the absence of all doubting doth admit of no increase Indeed vision is beyond Assurance but there is no degree of faith higher and greater then assurance if unbeleife may be mingled with true faith as appeareth from this place it may as also from Mark 9.24 when the man cryes out Lord I believe help my unbeliefe there Assurance is not of the essence of true faith but a higher degree of it for Assurance excludes all unbeliefe I might adde that the fruits of saving faith Faith as purifying of the heart prizing of Christ c doe experimentally appear to be in the hearts of many who are farre short of Assurance But such a Faith is required to bring us within the Covenant as is an Affiance or resting innitency or resting of the soul upon Jesus Christ exhibited in the promise for life and salvation expressed in Isaiah by trusting in the Lord and staying upon the name of God when we sit in darkenesse and see no light As for the effects of true faith they are these 1. It workes by love and consequently puts men upon obedience to the commands For those that love God wil keep his commandments are indeed constrained thereto by the love of God shed abroad in their hearts So you see that faith doth not exclude but include obedience to the commands of God wherein holinesse consists Though we are justified by faith without workes yet not by a faith which hath no works Saving faith receiveth Christ according to all his offices as well as he is a King and Lord as Priest and Saviour Touching the Mediator of the New Covenant which is Christ I believe concerning him as such Mediator and his Offices 1. The duplicity of his nature that he is God as wel as man man as well as God 2. The triplicity of his offices namely that he is 1. a King having a Mediatorious Kingdom committed to him by God the Father by vertue whereof he doth chiefly act and appeare in the Kingdom of grace and ought principally and immediately to be addressed to which Kingdom it is said he shall hereafter deliver up to God the Father and then shall God be all in all This Kingdom of his he doth administer by certain outward means and visible dispensations as the Word and Sacraments as wel as by the inward operation of his Spirit which whosoever cast off in so doing doe in effect say that they will not be subjects of Christ his Kingdom 2. That he is a Prophet for the enlightning and instructing of his Church which yet he doth not ordinarily immediately but mediately by those Ordinances which he hath appointed in his Church having given variety of gifts for the edification thereof 3. That he is a Priest who hath offered up himslfe a sacrifice for us did raise himselfe from the grave within three daies by the power of his Godhead shortly after ascended up to Heaven where he now sets at the right hand of God the Father alwaies making intercession for us As touching the seales of the new Covenant having spoken of the promise condition and mediator thereof I do this further believe namely that they were and are but two Sacraments properly called Seales or Sacraments viz The Passeover and Circumcision under the Old Testaments administration Baptism and the Lords Supper under the of God c. He had said vers 13. that Moses did put a vaile upon his face that the children of Israel could not see to the end of those things which are abolished that is they could not see Christ who was the end of the Ceremoniall law which is now abolished by reason of that vaile which is not onely upon the hearts of the Jewes at this day but was then upon the face of Moses that is of Moses his writings which vaile was no other then the darkenesse and obscurity of the manner in which the mysteries of the Gospell were then delivered They are said to have had but the shadow of good things to come the shadow of a man is so darke a representation of him that he can never or very hardly be known by it but we to see
I will never leave thee nor forsake thee There are two considerations Which may put us upon praying for soft hearts besides the promise of God whereof we have spoken already as first we cannot glorifie God with hard hearts Men of hard hearts do sinne the greatest honour and service that is possible for men to doe it and God the greatest dishonour and disservice I shall make it out to you thus He that commits sin and is never troubled for it or layeth it to heart doth upon the matter justifie it and say in effect that he hath no cause to be ashamed that sinne is no such ugly abominable thing as the Scripture represents it and hereby he doth sin as much credit and service as in him lieth and on the other hand he dishonoureth God as much in that he makes light of breaking his righteous law as if it were a smal thing so to doe You cannot slight any man more then in making nothing of offending him as if it were not a pin matter whether he were pleased or displeased Now this were a very good argument for a man to plead with God in relation to the obtaining a soft heart Lord thou knowest I cannot but dishonour thee and honour sinne thy great enemy in a high degree so long as my heart continueth thus hard wherefore I beseech thee to soften it 2. Men of soft and tender hearts are most like to be continued in the enjoyment of those good things which God hath bestowed upon them Mercies bestowed upon hard hearted men doe many times prove like the seed sown in the stony ground Mark 4.5 6. which had no deep rooting so that it soon sprung up withered Such mens mercies doe ofttimes soon wither When men doe turne the grace of God into wantonnesse and take occasion from the light of Gods countenance to waxe more hard and proud as the Clay that is hardned by the Sunbeams usually God doth quickly withdraw the light of his countenance from them and leave them in darknesse but when those beames doe melt the heart and make it more and more soft God is pleased ofttimes to let them abide longer with us being improved for that end whereunto they were sent c. This may encourage us to pray for soft hearts c. 6. Vse This may serve for the comfort of all those who have broken and contrite hearts Though men despise them God will accept of them and love them St. Iames reproves those chap. 2.2 who were full of their respects towards such as came into their Assemblies with Gold rings and goodly apparell but despised the poor saying stand here or sit under my foot stoole thereby intimating that in this carriage of theirs they were altogether unlike to God who is no respecter of persons upon any of those accounts and yet he hath more respect unto some then unto others namely unto those who are of broken and contrite hearts Great persons look that it should be accounted a high respect if they vouchsafe now and then to bestow a visit upon them that are poore How much greater is the respect and condescension of the great God towards broken hearted sinners in that he vouchsafeth not onely to visit them now and then but to take up his abode with them to dwel with them Though God doe sometimes retire himselfe so that a broken hearted Christian feares he is departed as a man may think one that lodgeth in his house is not within when he keepes close not willing to be spoken with yet he alwaies dwels with the broken heart to revive the spirit of the humble and contrite Let broken hearted Christians be of good cheer they may safely call God and Christ Emanuel that is God with them c. Obj. But will God shew mercy to and accept of me who am a grievous sinner I cannot believe it Ans Yes God wil shew thee mercy if thou beest an humble soule Obj. But I have been a grievous sinner a notorious liver and therefore I am justly humbled for my sins Ans Thou must not look upon thy selfe as thou hast bin but as thou now art if thou be humbled the blood of Christ washeth thee from all thy sinnes how many and great soever they have been I doe not say that thou oughtest not to reflect upon thy former conversation upon any account whatsoever For you know that the Apostle Paul did call to mind what he had been namely a blasphemer a persecutor an injurious person c. This he did in reference to the magnifying of Gods grace in making him such as he was by grace but I say that in a time of trouble and perplexity of spirit we ought to look upon the present humiliation of our souls and brokennesse of our hearts as a ground of joy and comfort Obj. But I am not worthy that God should shew me so much mercy as to accept of me Ans No nor ever wilt be worthy in thy selfe of any mercy but God looks upon thee in Christ and in him doth account thee worthy Therefore goe to God in the name of Christ that is the way to finde acceptance For God is very ready to heare his peoples prayers to grant their requests and he hath promised to heare when they call and he takes delight to heare his people pray Therefore this may encourage us to pray for God wil hear Obj. But will God heare and grant the prayers of all Ans No. They must be godly which do prevaile with God They must be such as doe not allow themselves in any sin whatsoever If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not heare my prayers c. Psal 66.18 Again They that would prevaile with God must pray in faith and with earnestnesse Again They must be constant in prayer and not give over praying Again they must put up their requests in the name of Christ with thankfulnesse for such mercies as they have already received Obj. I hope I am Gods child and I have prayed but God heares not me Ans God may have heard thee though not at the same time that thou desirest not in the same thing There may be good reason for that Thou must not tie God to thy time nor to thy means For God is wise he doth delay the granting of our requests for severall holy ends and purposes as for example To try our faith to humble us to make us see the want of a mercy that we may the better prize it when it comes be more thankfull for it and use it more to his glory c. FINIS A Short CONFESSION OF FAITH BY Mr. SAMUEL ROWLES Master of Arts LATE Fellow of Trinity Colledge in Cambridge And now Minister of Thistleworth in the County of Middlesex LONDON Printed for John Rothwell 1652. To the Reader Good Reader THe ensuing confession of faith which was delivered by me some years since at my Ordination in Kent was not then intended or calculated for
A Briefe DISCOURSE TOUCHING A Broken Heart In which the nature causes and signes of it are solidly treated of as also its acceptablenesse to God Together with many other motives pressing us to labour after the procurement of it and the means leading thereunto Being the summe and substance of certain Sermons preached by Mr. Daniel Carwardine late Minister of Eling in the County of Middlesex And since his death put forth by S. R. a friend of his Whereunto is annexed A CONFESSION OF FAITH by Mr. Samuel Rowles late Fellow of Trinity-Colledge in Cambridge And now Minister of Thistleworth in the County of Middlesex London Printed by E. G. for J. Rothwell and are to be sold at his shop on the North-side of Pauls 1652. To the Reader Christian Reader THis little Treatise if thou wilt please to peruse it as thou soon mayest hath a very gracious and profitable designe upon thee namely to help forward the great work of softning and breaking thy hard heart that so it may become a Sacrifice of a sweet smelling savour to the great God who delighteth in nothing wherewith the sonnes and daughters of men can present him more then in an humble and contrite spirit I have ventured to call thy heart hard whoever thou art that mayest cast thine eyes upon these lines taking it for a certain truth that the hearts of all the sons and daughters as well of God as of Belial are more or lesse obdurate if you consider them absolutely though the hearts of good men may be called soft in comparison with the hearts of wicked ones or if compared with that greater degree of hardnesse which was sometimes upon themselves even since the time of their conversion Such as doe take themselves to have least need of any helpes and furtherances in order to brokenness of heart it is to be feared have of all men else the most The Church of Laodicea which thought it selfe to have been rich namely in grace and holinesse and increased in riches that is in a growing thriving condition more holy every day then other yea at length so rich as to stand in need of nothing arrived at the very perfection of grace was it should seem in the account of God wretched miserable poore blind naked Revel 3.17 usually by how much richer any man is in spirituals by so much poorer he is in spirit and by how much poorer in spirit by so much richer in spirituall substance If I may measure thy wheat by my Bushell as Solomon gives me leave to doe Prov. 27.19 As in the water face answereth to face so the heart of a man to man I say according to that maxime of Solomon I can tell thee by the hardnesse of my own heart that there is some of that bitter root of obdurateness springing up in thine I would not doe thee so much wrong not knowing of thee nor being ever able to know thy heart as to say that there is so much of it in thy heart as in my own But how little soever it is you know what the Scripture saith touching leaven A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump so it is with the leaven of heart-hardnesse If thou look not to it in time what our Saviour saith concerning Mustardseed Matth. 13.31 thou wilt finde true in relation to hardness of heart Mustardseed saith he is the least of all seed but when it is grown it is the greatest of al herbs and becommeth a tree so that the birds of the ayre come and lodge in the branches thereof Hardness of heart is at the first one of the least sinnes not in respect of nature but degree for men doe set upon great sinnes at the first with tenderish reluctant consciences and softish hearts hardness of heart being usually introduced not meerely by the hainousness of one sinne once committed but by frequency and custome in sinning but afterwards it grows up to be as a mighty tree and well it may seeing all sinnes do contribute sap and moysture towards the growth of it and then the birds of the ayre I mean all sorts of soring high flown wickedness doe come and lodge in the branches of it that is to say are welcomed and entertained by means of it When the heart of a man is waxen hard it becomes a very cage of unclean birds an open house keeper to receive all sorts of profane vagabonds If thou art any waies prejudiced against this argument of heart-contrition as too legall which is the usuall form of their Mittimus who doe imprison soul-searching truth in unrighteousness T is legall doctrine say they away with it I say in case thou dost apprehend this doctrine too legall the common imputation cast upon unpleasing truths the ensuing Treatise will sufficiently convince thee of thine error if thou hadst rather part with it then keep it when thou hast light sufficiently whereby to see that it is indeed an error I need not tell thee how frequent a thing it is with Christ and his Apostles in the new Testament to commend encourage and exhort unto humility poverty of spirit unfained repentance godly sorrow all which expressions signifie no other then brokenness of heart and contrition of spirit which some are so loath to heare of and so upon a true account unwilling to come under the influence of those beatitudes benedictions pronounced by ur Lord Iesus Christ Blessed are the poor in spirit Blessed are they that mourne c. Darest thou to lay any thing to the charge of that doctrine which Christ hath not onely justified by his preaching but also crowned with his blessing which also was much in use amongst the Apostles who were exact followers of their Lord and master Christ If God despise not a broken heart but accepts it delights in it and dwels with it take heed of entertaining undervaluing thoughts concerning brokenness of heart Believe it God will despise thee and whatsoever proceedeth from thee if thou despise it What Paul saith in reference unto preaching the Gospel 1 Cor. 9 16. Necessity is laid upon me and woe unto me if I preach not the Gospel we may say the same in reference to brokennesse of heart necessity is laid upon us not a necessity of custom or tradition but of commission and therefore woe unto us if we preach it not See our commission for it Heb. 3.13 Exhort one another daily lest any of you be hardned thorough the deceitfulnesse of sinne Even private Christians are enjoyned to exhort one another for the prevention of hardnes of heart how much more ought the Ministers of the word to doe it yea the text saith it must be done daily and all little enough to keepe our hearts soft which are as subject to be hard as water that is taken of the fire is to waxe cold Reader if thou art desirous to have thy heart spiritually broken for so thou oughtest to be though many doe all they can to keepe their hearts from being broken
thou mayest meete with many helpes and encouragements thereunto one or both from severall hands namely from the word and spirit of God from both law and gospell threatnings and promises mercies and afflictions from things within and things without thee from the living voyce of Gods surviving Ministers who cry as Iohn the Baptist in the Wildernesse Repent repent for the Kingdome of Heaven is at hand as also from the publike labours of Gods servants who are dead and gone and amongst the rest from this little worke which is the onely orphan exposed to publike view of a late reverend and godly Minister who now resteth from his labours The worke is of so very small a bulke that thou mayest reade it over in a few houres but of so great difficulty in respect of practise that thou canst make no great proficiency therein in many dayes weekes or yeares unlesse thou gird up the loines of thy minde and set about it with all earnestnesse Such was the modesty of the author that he could never be prevailed upon by any importunity to suffer any thing of his during his life time to come neere the presse nor yet to consent to it after his death But that some of his friends desirous to erect a memoriall of him and to make him serviceable to the publicke as well since his death as in the time of his life have used him not unlike to Sauls usage of the Prophet Samuel though with a better Conscience and intent calling him forth as it were from the grave into the Land of the living where he was content to have laine in perpetuall silence and obscurity till the day of the revelation of all things The seasonablenesse of the subject was one of the maine inducements moving those to get it published whose desire it was to bring it forth into the light And it must needes he granted that this argument was never more seasonable then now it is hardnesse of heart and haughtinesse of spirit being an epidemicall disease of the present age as he that runs may reade And yet never less complaining of hard hearts then now a dayes but I wonder not at that it being the nature of this distemper to steale upon men so insensibly that they do not onely not perceive it of themselves but are also let loose to an inapprehension of such discoveries as spirituall physitians doe make unto them of their being under the power thereof though they shew them ever so many symptomes to evince the truth of what they charge them with That I lay no false imputation upon the men and women of the present age in saying that their hearts are generally hard above measure is easie to make appeare from severall cleaâ—e demonstrations I shall give you but one which is this we finde by sad experience that the worke of conversion is very much at a stand few there be that are taken in the net of the Gospell in comparison of what had wont to be yea we heare not of many who come so farre as to be pricked at the heart and put that necessary question what shall we doe to be saved whence should this proceede but from the generall hardnesse of mens hearts more then formerly The word of God is as quick and powerfull as sharp and piercing now as ever it was consider it in its selfe for these are inseparable properties of the word of God as we reade Heb. 4.12 but the hearts of men are not so pliable as heretofore they are become law proofe and gospell-proofe more then ever in such a sense as we call that kinde of armour which no bullet oan enter armour of proofe But I have no pleasure in upbraiding men with the hardness of their hearts we had much rather be imployed in provoking them to labour after the softning and mollifying of them that they may send forth a fragrant smell into the nostrils of the great God as spices being bruised are most fragrant If thou wilt ply this worke of labouring to breake thy heart Evangelically besides all those excellent helpes whereof I told thee before which doe most willingly offer themselves to thy assistance there are others thou mayest have for pressing and compelling such as thou little dreamest of namely the Divell the world and the flesh all and every of which by the power of God and grace may be made use of towards the breaking of thy hard heart If thou take this passage for a riddle the meaning of it is this the people of God reflecting upon and laying to heart those motions of sin which are continually stirring in them as also those severall temptations both from the divell and world whereunto they are daily and hourely obnoxious are hereby greatly humbled and abased in their own eyes as Paul was by reason of the body of death which he carryed about with him and the Messenger of Sathan which was sent to buffet him Surely this was the english of that good mans paradox who said he had sometimes received hurt by his graces and good by his sins the good which his sins did him surely was no other then this that they did serve to humble him and make him poore in spirit Though it be a very spirituall and excellent imployment to admire the riches of Gods love revealed in the Gospel and to rejoyce therein yet this is not a Christians onely worke whilest he sojourneth in this vale of teares as some would represent it who affect this kind of sublimity in the state of grace which is proper for and consistent onely with the condition of glorified Saints in Heaven If we could imagine sinne to be in Heaven there would be occasion for sorrow and brokennesse of heart even there also because there are certain actions in the state of grace sinfull actions committed by us which shall never be in the state of glory Thence it is that there are passions and affections also proper for this state which shall be done away in that as sorrow brokenness of heart c. Surely Christ was no whit angry with Peter but rather well pleased at it for weeping bitterly after that he had denyed his Lord and Master When Peter did flow with teares then did Christ cast an eye of compassion towards him The ensuing discourse will furnish thee wiih many motives unto brokenness of heart I shall therefore spare the labour of mentioning any save onely this one consideration tending thereunto namely that the heart of man is almost the onely thing amongst all created things that remains unbroken I say there are few pieces of the creation round about us but have been or are exceedingly broken were not the apostatizing Angels greatly broken when they were cast down from Heaven like lightning and thrust into the nethermost hell Is not the image of God in man exceedingly broken and defaced in comparison of what it was in the state of innocency are not the severall faculties of the souls of men their understandings
wils affections consciences memory wretchedly broken by that fall so that they are nothing like to what they would have been if man had stood in his primitive glory and excellency We have now broken apprehensions of things leaking memories like to broken vessels broken inclinations to good in our wils like bowles that are not halfe biassed If we looke upon the law of God hath not that beene miserably broken by us and yet is from day to day Our duties and performances are they not for the most part yea altogether broken and imperfect things like children borne before their full time weakely heartlesse things Our very graces are they not broken and imperfect habits full of mixture and adulteration our Faith mixed and as it were sophisticated with unbeliefe our humility with pride our self-deniall with self-seeking If we looke upon those creatures which are below us is not their primitive excellency greatly abated and impaired by the fall of man as the Apostle intimates when be saith That the whole creation is made subject to vanity by reason of him who hath subjected it that is to say sinfull man As for the Civill State in how broken and unsettled a condition that is for the present I neede not tell thee for that is the breach whereof the generallity of men are but too too sensible And as for the Church of God it selfe is not that in a broken shattered condition now if ever are not professors of Religion all to pieces almost in every place I had almost compared the condition of the Church at present to a ship that is wracke here swims one planke there another It may be scarce two whole planks to be found together The Lord helps us what sad and numerous or rather innumerable breaches are in the midst of us at this day And yet alas our hard hearts do stil remaine unbroken Adde to all that hath been spoken that thou who readest this booke hast it may be many breaches in thy holinesse many in thy peace severall breaches in thy name estate friends and comforts of every kinde and yet perhaps after all this a heart in a greate measure hard and unbroken It it great pity that should not be broken of all the rest were that broken as it should be it would conduce to the making of all the rest whole againe It is indeed a difficult worke to breake a hard heart but thorough Christ enabling thee thou mayest doe that and all things else be strong therefore in the Lord and in the power of his might and so goe forth to encounter this mighty Gyant thy hard heart I meane Wrestle with God in prayer for a soft heart and resolve not to let him goe till he have blessed thee therewith as Jacob did in another case Begge of him who triumphed over principallities and powers and made an open shew of them upon his Crosse which was the time of his greatest humiliation that being now exalted to the right hand of his Father he would enable thee to triumph over thy hard heart which is his enemy no lesse then thine and to make thee more then conquerour on that behalfe He that hath promised to break the Serpents head can with greatest ease break thy heart And who can tell but that he may please to doe it at least in part with the little hammer of this ensuing discourse if thou be willing to come under the stroke of it If this little Treatise with the blessing of God upon it shall prosper in thy hands or heart rather as I desire with all my soule it may give God the glory and seeing the author himselfe is where thy prayers cannot reach him where and where only the people of God are indeed above all such duties and ordinances I mean heaven substitute me in his roome as the object of thy hearty remembrances at the throne of grace which if thou shalt please to doe I shall thinke my selfe well appayed for my poore endeavours in the perfecting and publishing of it for thy use and benefit as also obliged to be further serviceable to thee as God shal hereafter enable me Farewell Thine in the service of the Gospel SAMUEL ROWLES From my Study in Thistleworth March 26. 1652. A TREATISE OF Brokennesse of Heart Psal 51.17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit a broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise THe title of this Psalm sheweth us both the Author or rather Penman and occasion of it being stiled a Psalm of David when Nathan the Prophet came unto him after he had gone into Bathsheba which story you may reade at large in 2 Sam 12.1 and so onwards The Psalm it selfe doth excellently suite the occasion being full of humble and sorrowfull acknowledgement of the greatnesse of his offence as you may see verse 3 4. I acknowledge my transgressions and my sinne is ever before me Against thee thee onely have I sinned and done this evill in thy sight c. so likewise in other verses of the chapter And as he condemnes himselfe so likewise doth he expressely own the righteousnesse of God in the judgement which was denounced against him as it is written vers 4. That thou mayest be justified when thou speakest and be cleare when thou judgest You have also in severall verses of this Psalm earnest supplications made unto God doubtlesse with strong sighs and groanes by this holy penitent Prophet as in the first place that God would take away the guilt of his sinne so vers 1. According to thy tender mercyes blot out my transgressions 2. That God would take away the filth of his sinne so vers 2. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquities and cleanse me from my sinne 3. That God would preserve him from relapsing into the same sinne or sinnes of like nature for which purpose he prayes v. 10. that God would create in him a cleane heart probably in reference to his uncleane sin And in the 14 vers that God would deliver him from bloud-guiltinesse probably with relacion to his having shed the innocent bloud of Vriah In the fourth place he begs of God to restore unto him the joy of his salvation to make him heare joy and gladnesse that the bones which he had broken might rejoyce Furthermore he promiseth unto God that if he will doe for him according to the tenor of his requests namely pardon his sinne he will thorough his grace inabling him teach transgressors his wayes and be instrumentall that sinners may be converted to him vers 13 as also that his tongue shall sing aloud of his righteousnesse and his mouth shall shew forth his praise vers 14 15. If God did so much regard sacrifice and burnt offrings he saith he would not spare for them vers 16. Thou desirest not sacrifice else would I give it If thousands of rams and whole rivers of oyle might have beene acceptable to God he would have offered them with all his heart But he knew there
by reason of sinne men that have been in the same condition with others who are in any kinde of misery are most inclinable to pitty and commiseration Upon this account it is said of Christ that we have not a high Priest who knoweth not how to be touched with our infirmities in as much as he was made like unto us in all things sinne excepted It is also thus written Heb. 2.18 For in that himselfe hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted Men that have beene exercised with any kind of bodily infirmities as gout stone collick are best able to pitty those who have the like infirmities So they who have themselves known what belongs to a broken heart will expresse it by their sympathy with others who fall into the same condition Not but that it is matter of rejoycing to see the hearts of our friends broken with godly sorrow if we consider the fruit and effect of it but if we consider it meerely as it is in its selfe what is said of affliction is true of brokenheartednesse No affliction is joyous for the present but grievous but it worketh the peaceable fruits of righteousnesse for them who are exercised therewith So broken heartednesse is not joyous for the present and in that regard it calls for pitty and sympathy though it doe afterwards worke the peaceable fruits of righteousnesse We pitty our friends when their Physicke doth make them heart sicke though we know it will doe them good in the conclusion Thus much shall suffice of the use which is by way of examination c. 5. Vse this should exhort us to labour to get broken and soft hearts For motives whereunto consider these following particulars which are reducible to two generall heads 1. The danger evill and inconvenience of a hard unbroken heart 2. The benefit of a soft broken heart under each of which we might ranke many particulars c. The evills ensuing upon a hard heart are as follow 1. God will not accept but reject an hard heart together with all that which proceedes from it c. See Jer. 4.3 Breake up your fallow grounds sow not amongst thornes circumcise your selves to the Lord and take away the foreskins of your hearts lest my fury breake forth like fire and burne that none can quench it How farre is the great God from accepting those the fallow ground of whose heart is not broken up seeing he doth here threaten that the fire of his wrath shall break forth upon them and there shall be none to quench it And thou by thy hard and impenitent heart saith the Apostle treasurest up to thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath That is all any man shall get at the hands of God by a hard heart namely a treasure of wrath you know that God doth chiefly eye with what hearts men do bring their services before him So that if men pray with ever so much appearance of zeale and fervency if they fast ever so often if they give ever so much Almes to the poor if they make ever so large professions of religion c. and their hearts under all this doe still remaine hard and unbroken it is as if they had done nothing at all All their bodily exercise will profit them very little c. 2. A hard heart will shut out all that which would come to doe us good If we have hard hearts mercies will not winne us judgments will not affright us Looke how it is with men of harsh dispositions and and inflexible natures use faire meanes to them and you stirre them not use fowle meanes and they are still at the same passe of insensiblenesse you had as good threaten a wooden post or speak to it friendly and it would be to as much purpose as to threaten such men or to intreate them friendlily Just thus it is with a hard heart It is like stony rocky ground no seede of grace will thrive there how should faith thrive in a heart that is insensible of sinne will they goe to Christ for life who apprehend not that they are lost and dead in themselves How should repentance flourish there where sin is not felt how should they love God much who doe not apprehend that they have many sinnes which had neede to be forgiven A hard heart is so farre from being better for mercies that it waxeth worse and worse under them It turneth the grace of God into wantonnesse Because judgement is not speedily exercised upon the children of disobedience therefore is the heart of the children of men set to doe evill And not onely so but they doe take occasion by the judgments of God also to waxe worse and worse As they are smitten they revolt more and more like the smiths anvill the more it is beaten upon the harder it growes The more plagues God did send upon Pharoah still the more hard and insensible he did grow A hard heart is like the clay that is made more hard by contrary causes both by the warme sunshine as also by the cold frost If God put not more then ordinary efficacie into the meanes a hard heart will rather be worse then better for them c. 3. We can never hope upon good grounds to enter into Heaven with unbroken hearts None shall dwell with God hereafter but those with whom God dwels here Now the text saith that God doth dwell with him that is of an humble and contrite heart thereby intimating that God dwels not with them that are of proud unbroken hearts Thou by thy hard and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2. That 's all a man gets by a hard heart We reade of some who when they shall come at the day of Judgment and knock saying Lord Lord open to us shall receive this answer I know yee not depart yee workers of iniquity for when I was hungry yee fed me not c. And doe you thinke that hard hearted sinners shall receive any other answer then this Depart c. For when I knocked at the doore of your hearts yee would not open to me though my locks were wet with the dew of the night therefore now will I not open to you If you observe who they are whom Christ pronounceth blessed in his Sermon Matth. 5. Blessed are the poor in spirit c. You will finde that the most of those which are there mentioned are men of a temper as contrary to hardnesse of heart as white is to blacke Our Saviour doth there pronounce them blessed who are poore in spirit who mourne who are meek who do hunger and thirst after righteousnesse now these are the properties of broken hearted men and there is nothing more contrary to them then a hard heart Thus have we set before you the great evils attending upon a hard heart namely it hinders our acceptance with God suffers us not to reape benefit by what would otherwise do
as we sometimes say of children they are spoyled with kindnesse It is not so apt to be puffed up with mercies and to turne them into wantonnesse as others are 3. It receiveth mercy most thankfully and in that respect is most fit for mercy Beggars by how much lower they are brought thorough want by so much more thankefull will they be for any small almes that is given them whereas those that are not sensible of much want begin to looke bigge if you offer them a small matter 4. Broken hearted Christians make the best use and improvements of their mercies and therefore are most fit for mercy They who thinke themselves most unworthy to receive are alwayes most carefull what and how to render c. 5. The fifth benefit of a soft heart is a soft heart is most fit to doe any thing that is good as to pray heare receive the Lords supper or performe any other duty acceptably Indeed no heart but a soft heart is fit for duties or can performe them as they ought to be performed Prayer that proceedes not from a broken and contrite heart though it be joyned with fasting is as no prayer no fast in the sight of God If we be frequent in hearing the word and have not our hearts broken and humbled thereby we lose the benefit of that duty So likewise if we come to the Lords Table and then behold the body of Christ brokē with unbroken hearts we shall goe away as empty as we came and do God as little service in coming as if we had staid away And it must needs be so that a soft heart should be most fit for duty because an humble self abasing temper is the best posture for the soule to draw nigh to God and not onely so but this is further observable namely that humility and brokennesse of soule fills men with zeal and activity for God an humble heart thus thinkes with it selfe I have hitherto beene very unprofitable it is little service scarce worth speaking of that God hath had from me as yet Oh how shall I redeeme time for God how shall I make amends for my former basenesse and uselesnesse If God will but honour my utmost endeavour to be any wayes instrumentall for his glory how happy shall I account my selfe c. 6. The sixth and last benefit of a soft heart is that it doth fit for a Kingdome for Heaven and happinesse We read of being made meete to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light now brokennesse of a heart is a thing greatly conducing to the meetnesse for an inheritance in light there spoken of And that it is so will appeare if we shall but consider what is the worke and employment of Saints and Angels in Heaven Is it not to admire and adore God and to sing everlasting Hallelujahs Now who so fit to praise and to admire God as broken hearted humble men I can but thinke how poore humble hearted Christians will stand amazed and astonished at the day of judgement when God shall call them to his right hand when Christ shall bid them sit downe together with him and judge the world Do you thinke they will not be full of such thoughts as these Alas what were we or what are we that God should thus delight to honour us that we should be made Kings and Queenes unto God when thousands of the great ones of the world are cast downe to hell Surely they will cry out Not unto us O Lord not unto us but to thy name be all the Praise and Glory For by grace we are saved by free grace alone are we saved Hallelujah Thus have we set before you the severall benefits of a soft heart so much shall suffice by way of motives to put us upon endeavouring after the getting of soft hearts Qu. But peradventure some will be ready to aske How may we come by soft hearts which we have heard to be sacrifices so acceptable to God By what meanes may we attaine thereunto Ans That it may be attained in the use of meanes such Scriptures seeme to signifie wherein God cals upon us to rend our hearts and to plow up the fallow ground of our hearts c. Now the meanes to be used are as follow 1. Meanes We must attend upon the word of God For that is Gods hammer to breake the heart and we must heare it with reverence faith and diligence else it will harden our hearts and encrease our condemnation It had wont to be no strange thing to heare of hard hearts broken by the power of Gods word sometimes severall in some one towne or village and that within the space of a few years There is the same efficacy in the word now as was then were it not that the prejudice which is in the minds of men against it and great neglect and contempt of it did intercept the benefit which they might otherwise receive by it That it is the proper worke of the word of God to soften mens hearts I meane as an instrument in the hand of the spirit I may make appeare from this experiment you see when the word of God doth not soften mens hearts usually nothing else doth the worke remaines undone Men ordinarily carry hard hearts with them to their graves when they will not make use of the word of God wherewith to breake them See Heb. 4 12. The word of God is quick and powerfull and sharper then any two edged sword piersing even to the dividing of soul spirit and of the joynts and marrow c. David prayes that God would sanctifie him by his truth his word is truth Now brokennesse of heart is a great part of sanctification c. 2. Meane we must take away that or those sins which doe harden our hearts Sin is the great cause of hardnesse of heart It is like some evill humour which is got to a head and causeth a great swelling and hardnesse There is no mollifying the place until such time as the evill humour which is in it be either dissolved or dissipated There are some kinde of sins which doe more especially conduce to hardning of mens hearts as for example scandalous sins sins against knowledge sins which have much of a mans understanding and will in them deliberate sins sins committed upon very slender temptations delightfull sins customary sins sins which begin to justifie themselves and to put men upon pleading their cause or at leastwise extenuating and making light of them It is impossible for a man to keepe a tender conscience if he will entertaine any one sinne as his constant welcome guest I might shew you severall wayes whereby sinne doth harden mens hearts One is this any sinne that a man doth allow himself doth as it were shade his soule that is keepe off the warme beames of the light of Gods countenance which would otherwise shine upon it you see how it is with the high wayes such as lye open
or defectivenesse which were flat blasphemy to ascribe to God who is all light and in him no darkenesse at all but meerely suffereth to be and for holy ends and purposes some of which we may partly guesse at doth refuse to let and hinder though it be in the power of his hands to doe it God is no wayes bound to stay the hands of men when they stretch them forth to their own ruin nor can he be said to tempt any man when he is tempted and drawne away of his owne hearts lusts the Lord meane time refusing to prevent or returne that his captivity We deny not that God doth concurre to those actions which are sinfull but not to the sinfulnesse of those actions As he that striketh a lame horse makes him goe but doth not make him halt for that proceeds meerely from his lamenesse He that playeth upon an untuned instrument with a skilful hand is the cause of the sound but not of the jarring for that it jarres proceeds meerly from the untunednesse of the instrument and not from the unskilfulnesse of such a Musician There is something in every evil action which is good namely its naturall being as it is a physicall motion and so farre forth it is from God but the morall pravity and irregularity of it is from man alone We also grant that God doth sometimes lay stumbling blocks in the way of sinners as it is Ezek. 3.20 but yet he only suffereth and no wayes compels them to fall or thrusts them downe A man may walke if he be very carefull without falling though many stumbling blocks should lye in his way That God is onely the author of the occasion and hath no hand in the sinne it self is intimated to us in that passage of the Lords prayer in which we are taught thus to speake Leade us not into temptation but deliver us from evil not lead us not into evil but deliver us from temptation implying that though we are lead into temptation by God yet not into evil not into sinne though he offer the temptation yet he onely suffereth the sinne I speake nothing to the prejudice of Gods providence in disposing of sinne as well as other occurrences for God may onely permit the commission of sinne and yet dispose of sinne committed in subserviency to his own Glory But to proceede from Gods permissive decree to his positive providence I believe it to have such an universall influence upon all the affairs of the world that the most inconsiderable passages and occurrences are ordered and disposed thereby insomuch that not a haire can fall from our heads or two sparrows light upon the ground without it Concerning the dealing of God with Angels and men Angels which are of all other most remarkable I thus believe First as touching Angels that they were all of them created by God pure and spotlesse spirits an order of being above men of a more Noble and active constitution in which estate many of them yet continue and are probably confirmed by Christ therein being pure flames ministring to him that is the consuming fire as also pitching their Tents about the godly and attending upon their good and safety but others of them thorough affectation as is conceived to have been equall with God fell downe from Heaven like lightning that is were forced downe from thence as fire which naturally tends upwards is when it lightneth driven downwards by the violence of the breaking cloud and that those who kept not their standing are reserved in chaines of darkenesse to the judgement of the great day God having made no provision for their recovery as he did for raising up the tabernacle of Adam which was fallen Concerning man the next creature to Angels in point of dignity and excellency the spirit of God speaking in the word hath thus perswaded me Man namely that God at first did make him righteous stamped his own image upon him gave him freedome of will with an indifferency to good or evill put him into a capacity of standing though not into an impossibility of falling made a Covenant of workes with him that in doing he should live gave him a positive law besides that which was written in his heart whereby to try his obedience which law he wilfully transgressed and we in him that one Adam being all of us representatively and after a sort really forasmuch as we were all in his loines and by that his transgression brought a curse upon himselfe and his posterity yea his posterity upon themselves and all other creatures inferior to them which are said to be made subject to vanity by reason of him who subjected them that is man viz. obnoxiousnesse to eternall death the inflicting whereof upon those for whom Christ interposeth not is most just and had beene so in respect of all if Jesus Christ had not interposed as will appeare if we consider the hainousnesse of the sinne Mans fall which did contain in it a manifest breach of all the commandments though it may seem at the first view to have been of no such magnitude and malignity or the incapacity of one man to receive that great weight of wrath which was due for it or the relation wherein we stood to Adam being somewhat of himselfe in a sense sufficiently proper being bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh that is seeminally and radically in him I say these things considered we may salve the justice of God without having recourse to his Soveraigne power It is no part of Gods Soveraignty nor yet consistent with his justice to charge guilt upon innocent creatures neither would or could the righteous God who can doe no unrighteous thing have laid Adams sin at our doore had it not been our sin as well as his The woefull fruits of that accursed fall we have daily experience of The sad consequences of it in the universall depravation of our natures displaying it selfe and being too too legible in the miserable darknesse of our understandings for how small a portion is it that we know of God our selves or the nature of those creatures which are round about us in comparison of what we might have knowne perversnesse of our wils which take occasion by the Law of God to sin out of measure sinfully disorder of our affections which are fixed most when they should be least or not at all and least when they should be most of all which also change their due centres our love moving towards those things which should be the center of our hatred erroneousnesse stupidity searednesse defilement and interessednesse of our consciences and continual pronenesse of the whole man unto that which is evill as it is written the imaginations or figments of the minds of men are evil and onely evill and that continually But to proceed I further believe that God soone after the fall of man probably so soone as that the Sun did hardly go down upon his wrath
those same things as in a glasse we may as well know a man by the representation of him in a glasse as if we should see him face to face and with open face too which may signifie more light shining into the understandings of men under the Gospell then did in the time of the law and to behold the glory of God whereas they saw little of it in comparison 3. Efficacy 3. In point of efficacy the new Testament administration of the Gospell doth excell But believers in the old Testament were generally as trees growing in the shade except some few worthyes such as Abraham and David Whereas believers under the new Testament dispensation are as trees growing in such places where the influence of the warm beames of the Sun may come at them without hinderance or interposition Hence the time of the old Testament is called the time before the comming of Faith Gal. 3.23 Before Faith came i. e. in that plenty that it comes in the time of the new Testament we were shut up unto the Faith which should afterwards be revealed All which expressions doe speake the old Testament administration of the Covenant of grace to have beene lesse effectuall then is the new some thinke that place Zach. 12.8 He that is feeble shall be as David and the house of David shall be as God as the Angell of God before them I say some thinke that it is a promise of that eminency of grace which shall be in believers in the time of the new Testament above what was in the generallity of old Testament believers 4. 4. Change of Seales a a fourth difference The administration of the Covenant of grace under the new Testament differeth from that of the old in respect of the alteration of seales of which we have spoken already Thus have I declared my perswasions touching the Covenant of grace and the severall things belonging thereunto After the publication of the foresaid Covenant in that first promise the seed of the woman shall breake the head of the Serpâ—nt God was pleased by severall piece-meales and in severall manners to make knowne himselfe to those who lived in the infancy of the world declaring himselfe to them sometimes by a voyce from Heaven as the law was given from Mount Sinai sometimes by visions other times by dreames other times by prophecies sometimes by inspiration of things not propheticall which things were afterwards written for our instruction upon whom the ends of the world are come that we thorough Faith and patience might inherit the promises Scriptures which writings are commonly knowne by the name of the Bible or holy scriptures concerning which I thus believe namely that they were inspired by God and left as a rule of faith and manners so to continue to the worlds end and are able to make the man of God perfect to every good word and worke As also that we who live under the Gospel ought still to have respect unto that part of Scripture which is called the old Testament My reasons for it are these 1. That exhortation of Christ Iohn 5.39 Search the Scriptures Reasons why the old Testament should be still respected which is meant of the old Testament for then they had no other for in them yee thinke that is you your selves are perswaded as well as the truth is that yee have eternall life that is the way to eternall life which is Christ himselfe declared to you as appeareth to be the meaning by the following words and they are they which testifie of me Who dare reject that word which gives testimony to Christ if you say that the ceremoniall law did so I answer that the observation of it now would be a witnessing against Christ as if he were not already come in the flesh but expected hereafter and therefore it is abolished 2. The identity or samenesse of the old and new Testament is another reason why I contend for having respect to it The old and new Testament doe both treate of the same subject namely Christ and the way of salvation by Faith in him though with some difference of circumstance c. It is said that unto Christ did all the prophets beare witnesse 3. The frequent quotations which are in the new Testament out ot the old as if Christ himselfe and his Apostles had but commented upon the old Testament and would not urge things upon the beliefe of those to whom they Preached without good warrant and testimony from Moses and the Prophets 4. I am induced to have respect to the old Testament from this undeniable principle namely that as it is dangerous to plant what God hath not planted so much more dangerous to plucke up what God hath planted till he begin to doe it with his own right hand Now we doe estranging them to the world affecting them to and enflaming them for God 2. Touching the duties of men towards God The duties of men towards God I thus believe viz. That all sorts of men are bound to love feare serve and trust in him with all their hearts and soules by vertue of their being received from him in conjunction with all other mercyes as also for the continued preservation which is equivalent to a continuall creation of their beings and wel-beings But that there is a double tye upon believers to give up their whole selves souls and bodies unto God For they are least of all their own being Gods not onely by creation and forfeiture as all wicked men are but by redemption also he having bought them with a price The manner in which they are to serve God for the externall part of it I conceive to be in the way of his ordinances viz by praying reading Singing of Psalms what it is hearing meditating singing of Psalmes which is meditating and praising of God with the voyce lifted up for the expressing and provoking of greater cheerefulnesse and affording further leisure by due pausing and treatable delivery for divine consideration not to omit attendance upon God in the sacraments of baptisme and the Lords supper Right manner of performing duties what it is As for the manner of performing these duties in which the life and spirit of religion doth consist they are to be done in Faith from Gospell motives to spirituall ends by way of testifying our thankefulnesse and the rule of them is to be the word of God I might adde that God is to be served in the exercise of all graces as Faith humility patience self-denyall zeale Expectations of men from God Of all men c. which are the fruits of the spirit of God within us Lastly I shall conclude with my perswasions touching what men are to expect from God 1. In generall 2. In speciall In the generall all men are to looke for a summons by death to a particular appearance and accompt for the resurrection of their bodies after they have laine awhile in the grave for a citall of soule and body to appeare before God at the day of the great Assize to give an account of the deedes done in their bodies These things are to be expected in common both of good and bad Of wicked men But to descend to particulars As for men continuing in unbeliefe and impenitency I know nothing belongs to them but a certaine dreadfull expectation of fury and vengeance to be poured out upon all the adversaries and that having compassed themselves with sparkes they should have this at length at Gods hand namely to lye downe in sorrow and that their soules being at the great day reunited to their bodies should return to hell whence they came the Sentence of eternall condemnation being irrecoverably past upon them Depart yee cursed c. Of good men in respect of the present life and of that which is to come But as for Believers they have something to expect from God here and something hereafter Here they expect some things for themselves and other things for the Church for themselves the keeping of them by the power of God to salvation the peace of God to guard their hearts For the Church The presence of Christ with it by his spirit to the worlds end the breaking of the Serpents head and putting downe of the man of sinne and all other enemies of Christ which shall be made his footstoole For hereafter they expect that their soules being joyned to their bodies which shall be made conformable to the glorious body of Christ shall re-enter into their mansions of glory being an intire glorified essence whereas but a part of them was before in glory having heard their judge who is also their redeemer and surety thus pronounce concerning them Well done good and faithfull servants enter into your Masters Joy FINIS