instrument working by the spirit without the fruit of the word true repentance hath not had as yet any healing or saving work on the soul What vertue is there in that Physick which makes not the Patient sicker then he was and puts him not to pain What healing vertue is in the plaister if it smart not and it s a sure signe that the dislocated or broken bone is not brought right to its place if there be no pain felt in the setting Where no sorrow follows sin where no remorse of conscience is in sinners and come short of Reprobates as not so humbled and sensible as was 1 King Ahab 2 King Pharaoh who confessed his sinne they may justly seem to be in worse case then many who now are deeply plunged into hell How many have we that never hung down the head with King Ahab nor were moved with any denunciation of judgement How many who never yet were so much humbled as King Pharaoh a very reprobate but remain yet obstinate and obdurate they are called upon to let their beloved and gainfull sinnes go and to part with them as he was to let the people of Israel to go out of his land which at length he did though with little thanks being forced thereunto by the extremity of plagues from God but do many of us so much as he Exod. 9 27.28 and 10.16 17. he confessed his sin and said I have sinned this time the Lord is righteous and I and my people are wicked intreat the Lord for it is enough c. and I have sinned against the Lord your God said he to Moses and Aaron and against you sought the prayer of Moses and 12.31 32 33. now therefore forgive and intreat the Lord your God that he may take away this death onely yea at length he did according to Gods command let the people go yea was urgent upon them apprehending nothing but death for him and his who said we be all dead men and dismissing them he said go and at length though forced did obey be gone and blesse me also But have we not many that never yet confest their sinness as he did who never intreated Moses or any faithfull Minister of God to pray for them in all their life who never yet obeyed God or put away their beloved sins neither in love to God nor in fear How many amongst us are there that never see not confess their sin or shew any readiness to turn from their evil way when God stands in their way by his judgements threatned as yet did Balaam Num. 22.34 that never had any such good motions savoury thoughts and speeches as hee had 3 Balaam but wil go on in the very face of God and in despite of his judgements threatned yea it may be also inflicted as Isa 57.17 and so in other sins God meets men in the way of infamy for their uncleanness and yet they wil go on in that way stil in the way of their hatred and plotting mischief against Gods faithful servants and yet they wil on stil in that way which yet Balaam did not for seeing at length the Angel and his sword drawn in his hand hee bowed down his head and fell shat on his face saying I have sinned for he went with a purpose to curse Gods people now therefore if it displease thee Numb 22.31 -34. I wil get mee back again How many who never relent for any wrong they do Gods faithful servants as yet did Saul a reprobate towards David 4 Saul 1 Sam. 24.16 17 18 19. 5. Herod Who never reverence Gods Ministers or hear them gladly or upon hearing reform and do many things as yet did Herod who yet afterwards took off John's head and yet not without sorrow Who never tremble when they hear Discourses and Sermons of righteousness temperance and judgement to come as yet Felix did and yet they I beleeve as unrighteous 6 Felix Acts 24.25 intemperate and lyable to judgement in many other regards as Felix was Nay never complain so much as Cain did 7 Cain either of sin or punishment or of being cast out of Gods presence but rather please themselves in their sins and cast themselves daily out of Gods presence and favour and make themselves unworthy to partake with Gods people in the communion of Saints Yea lastly Have we not many who come short even of Popish penance who never were yet so compunct in heart and troubled in conscience as was Judas 8 Judas who never confessed their sins by name and with aggravation of it as he saying I have sinned in betraying innocent blood neither ever made restitution as he did of goods ill gotten or sought to give satisfaction for any wrong done by them The folly of such secure sinners Oh then the extreme folly and madness of such secure sinners who think themselves in good case and wil hope to be saved as wel as any and yet come short of very reprobates But if those named and such like who shewed more compunction of heart and therein and in their confessions of sins and other works and their certain damnation Jude ver 7. have so far outstripped and gone before you be yet gone to hel to the divel and to destruction and now suffer the vengeance of eternal fire what wil become of you secure and senselesse sinners who feed sport play minde the world use means of unlawful gain without all fear of Gods judgements so much and so often threatned in his name by his ministers and executed by himself on others How shal you escape the damnation of hell where shall you appear who yet shew not such remorse as these reprobates did You must needs then in this your case be thought to be next door to hel and to the estate of damned spirits being so stupified as not to be moved with Gods threatnings no not with his gracious promises and peremptory commands Vnlesse they do not onely outstrip these but all Temporizers whosoever And yet my deerly Beloved whose salvation I long after and do thus seek though you should do as much as these named yea though you should go as far in humiliation sorrow zeal and reformation as either these or any other bare Temporary yea as far as hee did to whom our Saviour said Thou art not far from the Kingdom of heaven even as far as Jehu in zeal against other mens sin as far as Ananias to part with a great portion of thy goods for the publick good of others as far as Demas and Alexander to forsake the world and thy hopes in it and to follow poor Christ yea to venture thy self as Alexander the Coppersmith did in cleaving to the truth as far as Nicolas who was chosen Deacon by the Church for that reverend respect they had of his gifts or lastly as is said as far as Judas who being an Apostle could both pray and preach with great
COMPUNCTION OR Pricking of Heart With the Time Meanes Nature Necessity and Order of it and of Conversion With Motives Directions Signes and Means of cure of the wounded in Heart with other Consequent or Concomitant Duties Especially SELF-DENIALL All of them gathered from the Text ACTS 2.37 And Fitted Preached and Applied to his Hearers at Dantzick in pruse-Pruse-land in Ann. 1641. and partly 1642. Being the sum of 80. Sermons With a POST-SCRIPT concerning these Times and the sutableness of this Text and argument to the same and to the calling of the Jews By R. J. Doctor of Divinity LONDON Printed by Ruth Raworth for Thomas Whitaker and are to be sold at his Shop at the Kings Armes in Pauls Church-yard 1648. To the Right Worshipfull Mr. THOMAS BVRNEL Governour the Worshipfull Deputy Assistants and whole body of the Right worshipfull Company of east-East-land Merchants residing in London and in other parts of England AS ALSO To my loving Hearers here at Dantzick of the same Society R. J. prayeth and wisheth to you all and each a Share and Partnership in that Society and Communion of Saints whereof Christ Jesus is sole Governour and Head THat I do prefixe your names and make choise of you Right worshipfull c. before all other in this Dedication and publication of these Sermon-notes is not done without good ground and reason First I account it very sutable to my duty to give you this taste of my labours and thus to render an account unto you in part how my ministeriall pains have been imployed here for the spirituall good of your sons servants factors and friends respectively seeing your prayers and desires attested under so many of your hands at first were that my ministery might prevail mightily in these parts and that those of our Nation here might walk answerable to the profession of the Gospel I have to these your good desires joyned not my prayers only but my best indeavours that by the good fruit and efficacy of my ministery here you may have no cause to repent you either of your choice of me or cost on me and them but that you may by Gods mercy reap the harvest of that your seed and fruit of your expectation and desires You by this taste may perceive the method and manner of my plain teaching which is framed not to tickle the ear but by Gods mercy to touch the heart and not to please any man in his sin and security but only in that which is good My indeavours I say tend this way the blessing and success is from God of whom it is still and ever to be sought Again I should be unthankfull both to God and to you all by whose desires votes and good liking I was called to this imployment if I did not by some more then private acknowledgement take notice and give testimony of Gods good hand of providence towards me by making you his instruments to call me to this place and meanes of imployment at such a time when through the malignancy of some degenerate spirits sensualists and time-servers and through their hatred of the truth power and life of religion and godliness they by false reports defamations and accusations without proof got their lies if not credited and beleeved yet made use of though under other pretexts to my unjust deprivation yea and banishment from mine own dwelling house and native home by procuring letters in his Majesties name whom by like mis-reports they mis-informed and abused not only for the setling of another in my place and means but to require my removall from Newcastle by which means I was cast meerly upon Gods providence who yet in the riches of his wisedome and mercy to me I say not to yours in these parts who yet had been so long destitute but to my self who desired nothing more then imployment had provided as those here to desire supply so your selves upon the recommendation at first of a private friend without my privity seconded by the approbation and recommendation of a worthy Divine to pitch upon my self and to put me otherwise an ancient born and sworn-brother of your Company into imployment again by the free and unanimous vote of your Generall Court procuring me also a warrant from the Councel for my transportation and so to provide for me not only a competent yeerly maintenance and minervall but a convenient dwelling house as also to be at further cost for a place of our asembling and meeting This I acknowledge as a great favour and providence 〈◊〉 God who till he again gather the outcasts of Israel provided you to give me a call as once he commanded the widow of Sarepta to sustain the persecuted Prophet Elijah 1 Kings 17.9 sending him in like mercy to her only as me now a Prophet not accepted at least generally in mine own countrey Luke 4.24 25 26. to your friends here when yet there were many widowes in Israel as then were many places destitute of faithfull Pastors in England Thus it fared here in some proportion with me and many other in England as once when the Jewes in envy and opposition against Paul and Barnabas Acts 13.45 46 did put the word of God from them and so judged themselves unworthy of everlasting life whereby those servants of the Lord turned to the Gentiles God so commanding who hearing it were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. The Gentils we see with the woman of Canaan were glad of that which the Jewes did surfet on and of those Crumbs which fell from the richer but loathed table of the Children Even as many now who loathing the homely Manna of the Word in the simplicity of the Gospel and longing after such teachers as are according to their own minde humour and heart find as those in the wildernesse who had other meat according to their lusts given them indeed but with a curse both of body for while their meat was yet in their mouths Psal 78.30 31. the wrath of God came upon them and slew the fattest of them and of soul too for he gave them their request but sent leannesse into their soul Psal 106.15 3. By this not undesired by some here my desire is by penning and printing to water that seed which at first was sown by preaching Joh. 14.26 and as neer as I can to become a Remembrancer this way also as well as by prayer at the throne of grace to my hearers here even after my departure and decease by stirring up that spirit in them which as a Remembrancer is promised to them in due time and season to bring to their remembrance what hath by Christ and his Minister been said unto them 2 Pet. 1.15 that so they may either reap that good which was and is intended by me or that this may prove a testimony on Gods behalf in time to come against them that hee hath not wholly been wanting to them And thus with hope that my
the Almighty hath afflicted me Thus the good woman was humbled in Gods sight who had deprived her of her husband and two sonnes in a strange land and that doubtlesse in sight of her sin and unworthinesse and acknowledgement of Gods just hand upon her 2 To joyn with God 1 By justifying him 2. Secondly when God by afflictions humbles and bruiseth thee joyn with him in humbling thy selfe 1. Justifie God in his chastisements confesse him righteous and thy selfe the sinner and justly met withall this is one main end of Gods chastisements Levit. 26.41 that our hard and uncircumcised hearts be humbled and that we when his hand is upon us accept of the punishment of our iniquity and condemning our selves Do thou then follow home the affliction lament thine own unto wardnesse and if especially his hand lie long on thee or that his strokes be multiplied say Lord what an hard heart have I and senslesse that needs all this hammering and melting this battering and bruising that none of this could be spared Thus at length by Gods mercy thy hard and unrelenting heart shall be bruised softened and humbled 2. 2 By taking advantage of the occasion and time Take the advantage of the time when Gods hand is upon thee Men of the World both know and are carefull to observe the fittest Seasons for ploughing and breaking up of their grounds and God lookes that we do the like for the breaking up of the fallow and hard ground of our hearts Jer. 4.3 which he expects from us as a duty Eccles 3.4 There is a time to weep and a time to mourn God by his judgements on us by crosses and afflictions softens bowes and masters our stout stomackes brings down our high lookes and thoughts when we finde him stronger than our selves which perhaps we thought not on before and to take from us such stayes and props whether wealth friends health c. as on which we rested our selves more than on him Seeing men commonly under cresses are somewhat softened Job 23.15 16. Now hereby God workes in men more selfe deniall at least remorse and some more fitnesse and pronenesse to repent then at other times Thus saith Job I am troubled at his presence when I consider I am afraid of him for God maketh my heart soft and the Almighty troubleth me And in regard of troubles and distresses David complaineth to God saying I am poured out like water Psal 22.14 and all my bones are out of joynt my heart is like wax it is melted in the midst of my bowels And thus in some measure the unregenerate finde it with them in their troubles and feares whereby they finde themselves more disposed to pray and more disposed to pray and to repent and to repent as the Israelites though unsound and unconstant when God slew them they sought him and returned Psal 78.34 Isay 26.16 and Lord in trouble have they visited thee saith Isay they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them At such times the hearts even of hypocrites become more remorsefull as we see in men in their sicknesse and distresse Now as Ministers should take such opportunities to worke upon mens hearts Job 33.22 so should they themselves especially as the iron when it is hot is soon bowed and fashioned by hammering and as the Wax when it is warme and soft may better be wrought and formed as we please which opportunity would be followed home My advice then to thee who desirest this pliable and sensible heart is to take the oportunitie of thy deep afflictions and crosses to follow home this worke Is any afflicted Let him pray saith Saint James Let him humble himselfe in prayer Jam. 5.13 confesse heartily his sin and seek mercy Art thou affected with sorrow upon the death suppose of some dear Friend Parent Childe or Associate Husband or Wife Whatsoever the occasion of thy grief be yea or if a secret sadnesse or pensivenesse come upon thee so as thou findest thy selfe disposed to weep omit not such a fit season now that thy countenance is sad the heart is made better Eccles 7.3 that is more soft and yielding to good impressions and our sorrow turned the right way the Lord thus softens and inclines thy soul to fresh sorrow for sin and would have thee to turne the stream of thy natural sorrow or melacholicke pensivenesse into the right chanel from the out ward or inward occasion from the known or unknown cause of thy heavinesse to sorrow and mourning for thy sin from the effect to the cause seeing nothing is truly to be sorrowed for but sin which is the onely true cause of all our other sorrowes and afflictions Blessed is such a crosse losse or affliction as bereaving us of earthly if not sinfull comforts and confidence sends us to seek our comfort and to place our trust onely in God by seeking our peace with him with true teares of godly sorrow sor our sin by which he was offended 3 To come 3. Thirdly for evils to come and judgements threatened or feared in this life or at and after the end of it Death it selfe Hell and the last Judgement the dreadfulnesse and terrour of which should make us afraid and such fear will or should worke sensiblenesse and tendernesse in us as apprehension but of temporal judgements made Josiahs heart to melt though there was in him some mixture also of love to God and zeal to his honour howsoever As 1. Temporal judgements threatened it made him with teares seek peace with God for himselfe and his people for the aversion of his judgements from them If an earthly Prince should threaten us how would we fear and by humbling our selves seek to make our peace again with him How submissively did Jacob carry himselfe toward his brother Esau when he came towards wards him as an enemie Thy servant Jacob and Let me finde grace in the sight of my lord Gen. 32.20 33.15 How much more should we fear and humble our selves Amos 38. when the Lord God hath spoken when this Lion roares who will not fear and humble himselfe before him How also did the thought of death humble not onely a good King Hezekiah but an hypocrite King Ahab 2 Death Isay 38.1 2 3. 1 Kings 21 19-21 27.29 Jon. 3.5 c. and the Ninivites Let the living then lay death to heart Eccles 7 2 and apprehend it as near that as men in apparent danger of death both by sea or land on their death-beds or as men condemned to die they may be humbled sorrowfull and penitent Let us thinke often also of Hell and of that place of torments 3 Hell and how it is prepared as for all impenitent sinners so also for the secure and voluptuous livers Luke 16.27 c. 4 The last judgement such as was Dives and his brethren so of the dreadfull
from him Or otherwise as is said by a good but ungrounded conceit of thy self and of thine own estate being alive before the Law come closer and neerer home to thy conscience thou thinkest thy self safe and in good estate Rom. 7.8 and apprehendest no danger or judgement as belonging to thee but onely to others But in a word know and remember that though thou be thus partiall towards thy self yet God is not as hath been said though thou hide cover and conceal thy bosom sin neither searching it out thy self nor suffering the word to search thee yet God will search thee and finde it out Thy safest way were to judge and condemn thy self that thou mayst not be condemned and judged of the Lord and to imitate the poor and humble Publican who smote on his brest and heart confessing and craving mercy for his sin and to beware of the proud Pharisee his self-justification 5. Flattery of soothing Prophets 5. And as part cause of the former beware of smoothing and flattering teachers who howsoever sometimes they may make a flourish and declame it may be against sin and tell of Gods judgements yet they will have a care that they come not so neer as to offend thee or to touch thee in thy speciall sin if especially thou be one in place or who mayst come even with them again These men heal before they hurt and what stings others the faithfull servants of God have left in the mindes and consciences of any they seek to pluck out and to heal the wound with their oyly words being like the false Prophets of old of whom and of the Priests it was said They have healed the hurt bruise or breach of the daughter of my people slightly saying Peace peace when there is no peace Jer. 6. v. 14. And when Gods deerest servants tell the people of particular judgements belonging to them and so by wounding and pricking their consciences bring them on in a good way towards repentance these flattering Prophets strengthen their hands that they should not return from their wicked wayes by promising them life Ezek. 13.22 onely wounding and making sad the heart of the righteous whom God hath not made sad In this case I must say to you if you would be pricked and savingly wounded for your sins as the Lord in another case said to the Kings of the Nations Therefore hearken not ye to your Prophets nor to your Diviners c. for they prophesie a lie unto you to remove you far from your Land and that ye should perish Jer. 27.9 10. and Jer. 29.8 6. Lastly 6. Vnbelief take heed of unbelief want of faith to beleeve Gods true Prophets when they tell you of the danger of your sin keeps you from applying the threatnings of God to your selves so that you reap no fruit by the word but though fairly warned and called to repentance with hope of mercy perish through your own unbelief in his wrath as it was with those of the old world whereas Noah himself by faith being warned of God of things not seen as yet moved with fear prepared an ark to the saving of his house Hebr. 11.7 So wee read of Enoch Jude v. 7. though but the seventh from Adam and in the beginning of the world who yet set the end of the world or the day of judgement before him prophesying thereof whereas secure men through their unbelief never humble themselves if then till judgements be upon them being herein like such as hearing thunderclaps far off are not moved till they be as present over their heads and some hurt in their sight be done then with Pharaoh they tremble but not till then So want of faith in Christ keeps men from being sensible of their sin and from being pricked in conscience for it When was it that these Converts in my Text were pricked in heart It was when they heard and withall beleeved that Christ whom they crucified was the true Messias So it was foretold Zech. 12.10 that when they should look upon him whom they had pierced they should be pierced themselves and mourn bitterly and be sensible of their sin which shall be fulfilled especially at the conversion of their Nation but then they must no longer abide in unbelief Rom. 11.23 Seeing then faith is the gift of God we must earnestly pray for it and carefully attend to the ministry of the word by which it is begotten To withdraw from the hearing of the word either in regard of presence of body or attention of mind is to keep our selves out of the sphere and compasse within which onely the word of God that sword of the Spirit is active and operative and will reach and pierce us SECT 2. Le ts removed which make the soul senseless And first Sensuality and worldliness 2 Lets keeping the soul from being sensible of pricking BUt men who cannot avoid the stroke of the word the scorching of that fire the smiting of heart and conscience having such teachers as smite home and will not suffer them by their evasions shifts excuses and extenuations to put by the blow yet as experience sheweth shew themselves little sensible of the same neither are they truely made sorrowful thereby being like Jacob or Israel Mens senselsness for blindnesse deafnesse incredulity senselessness and stupidity on whom it is said the Lord poured the fury of his anger and the strength of battell and it set him on fire round about yet he knew not and it burned him yet he laid it not to heart Isa 42.25 or like the drunkard who may say They have stricken me and I was not sick they have beaten me and I felt it not Prov. 23 25. being past feeling Ephes 4.19 and of cauterized consciences 1 Tim. 4.2 Now there are divers things which bereave men of all spirituall sense and pain which accordingly if we would become true mourners for sin we must carefully beware of and see that wee give no way unto them Men have ways and means by which they for the while especially become insensible of pain by pricking Divers things bereaving men of the sense of bodily pain As Deep sleep Searing burning bone-setting incision cutting off a member and the like as by the use and application of narcoticall or stupefactive medicines and potions by being cast into a deep and dead sleep by which all their senses even that of feeling are bound up so by searing and burning whereby the part is mortified and the inward humidity dried up So I have heard and read Bewithching how in the body of witches in covenant with the Divel in the place where by sucking or otherwise he sets his mark or Sacramental signe the place is so benummed and deaded that a pin of a great largeness and length may be thrust in to the head without the grief or any sense of the party by which means if that mark or bewitched place can be but once found out
done wickedly but these sheep 2 Sam. 24.17 what have they done Let thine hand I pray thee and of Job be against me and my fathers house Job 1. Levit. 26. So Job in his sore affliction was content to receive evill at the hand of God as well as good thereby accepting of the punishment of his sin as true converts do who are sensible of their own ill deservings and others and are humbly patient under Gods hand Thus the mournfull repentance of them that escape in the finall desolation of Israel is described But they that escape of them shall escape and shall be on the mountaines like doves of the vallies all of them mourning Ezek. 7.16 and 18. every one for his iniquitie as for the rest when destruction is upon them horrour covers them and shame is upon their faces The King shall mourn and the Prince shall be clothed with desolation and the hands of the people of the land shall be troubled but what they shall seek peace what peace not with God but with man that is ease from their troubles but there shall be none and 26 27. Then they shall also seek a vision from the Prophet in hope God will give them ease and deliverance such as their seducing and flattering Prophets did promise them but the Law shall perish from the Priest and counsell from the ancients there shall be none to give them any hope from God Psal 38.3 4. c. So David again being in a pitifull case in regard of some grievous sicknesse inflicted on him because of his sin which he confesseth though his sorrow which was increased by reason of the insultations and snares of the wicked was continually before him yet that troubled him not so much as his sin the cause thereof therefore saith he and vers 18. I will declare mine iniquity I will be sorry for my sin So that when hee is sensible of Gods judgements and afflictions yet his sin is his greatest sorrow The troubles of mine heart are inlarged Psal 25 17 18. look upon mine affliction and my pain and forgive all my sins They were his sins which most troubled him Now I ask is thy sorrow when Gods hand is upon thee Application or upon the Church or nation and place where thou livest such as this If so thou mayest have comfort of it when thou canst turn the stream of thy worldly sorrow into the right channell and make thine eyes run down with rivers of teares because of sin Psal 119.139 thine own and others because men keep not Gods Law and canst with those in Ezekiel mourn for the sins of the place Ezek. 9. and for all the abominations thereof more then for the evill fruits and effects of sin which thou canst in all humility accept of and submit unto heartily bewailing the one and humbly submitting to the other as it was with good Nehemiah chap. 1.4 5. compared with 5 6. and with Daniel chap. 9 5 6 7 8 c. 14. But if it be chiefly for the evill effects of thy sin either felt or feared thou hast cause to sorrow afresh lest thy sorrow being only for punishment prove but the beginning of everlasting sorrow and torment to thee as to Pharaoh who when Gods hand was heavy upon him and his people shewed himself more affected with the evill he suffered then with the evill which he did and therefore cried not out to God as David did I beseech thee O Lord take away the iniquity of thy servant for I have done very foolishly but to Moses and Aaron 2 Sam. 24.10 Exod. 10.17 Intreat the Lord your God that he may take away from me this death only True sorrow is for sin as sin and as it is an offence of God True sorrow then is more for sin as it is sin and an offence of Gods Majesty and a dishonour done unto him then for any evill consequent of sin hurt perill or danger it brings men into It is therefore called a godly sorrow or sorrow according to God respecting him more then our selves being more for the object of our sorrow which is sin 2 Cor. 7 9. and 10. then for any Act of sorrow caused by sin whereof sorrowing aright for sin as sin we may have much comfort it being repentance not to be repented of and not worldly sorrow working death It is such a sorrow as wherby we lament after the Lord as they did Such is not the sorrow of hypocrites Zach. 7.5 1 Sam. 7.2 and not such as the Iews in their captivity performed concerning which the Lord bids Zacharie aske the Priests saying when ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh moneth even those seventy yeares did you at all fast unto me even to me Nor such as the Israelites formerly made shew of and of which the Lord complaineth saying They return but not to the most High Hos 7.14.16 they are like a deceitful bow And saith the Lord they have not cried unto me with their heart when they howled upon their beds they assemble themselves for corn and wine and they rebell against mee The meaning is what shew soever they make of sorrow for sin it is not in sincerity nor from the heart Whose sorrow meerly respects themselves and that chiefly in things of this life It is not for their sin as it is sin against me and my honour but it is for their adversity captivity want through dearth and famine give them ease libertie and let them have corn and wine and their sins against me will never trouble them Nay when thus they howl and cry unto me they rebell against me how much rather then would they so doe if they had their desire they seek as worldlings usually do Psal 4.6 7. not my face and favour whom by their sins they have offended and dishonoured but corn and wine the blessings of my left hand and so in their howling fasting and sorrow they have not regard to me whom by their sins they pierce and wound but to themselves and that not to their soules but to their bodies in the things only of this life Now hence it is that God having threatned his people with grievous evils for their sins against him calls on them to return and to mourn sincerely in these words Therefore also now saith the Lord Joel 2.12 13. Turn you even to me with all your heart and with fasting and with weeping and with mourning And rent your heart and not your garment c. Where the Emphasis would be observed turn you to me even unto me till ye come and reach unto me Vsque ad me shewing that our repentance and sorrow comes short of God if it be chiefly for worldly wants crosses and losses and not in sincerity of heart sorrow for sin as it is sin against God SECT 2. How to know when our sorrow is for sin as sin if
own private and particular cause of joy should not be thought on but laid aside when it goes not well with Jerusalem and Sion as it was with the Wife of Phinehas as in divers examples Phinehas his Wife who for grief to hear that the Ark of God was seized on by the Philistims fell in labour and would not be comforted in a son which she bare she set not her heart to that neither did she regard it But to shew what she most laid to heart she named the childe Ichabod that is Where is the glory or There is no glory saying The glory is departed from Israel for the Ark of God is taken and so she died 1 Sam. 4.20.21 22. Nehemiah The like we see in that worthy Nehemiah Neh. 1.3 4. who understanding the misery of Jerusalem though he himself was in great favour with Artaxerxes the King and that it was well with himself yet sate down and wept and mourned certain days and prayed before the God of heaven on the behalf of his distressed brethren The like I might shew in Abraham interceding for Sodom Abraham and specially for Lot and in all likelihood not sleeping the night before Gen. 18. Ezekiel Moses Paul Joshua Josh 7 5 6 9. So in Ezekiel and the mourners Ezek. 9.4 8. In Moses and Paul of whom before And in Joshua and the Elders sorrowfully complaining in fear the enemies should environ them round and cut off their name from the earth so that God should not have a Church on earth to serve and honour him And thus by Gods blessing and mercy the care of our dread Soveraign Our own Land at this time and of this our Nation hath shewed it self concerning the distressed estate of Gods Church and people in Ireland not onely by and in the monthly exercise of prayer not sparing either Prayers fasting and supplication for them to draw down a blessing from God upon them and themselves but by supplies made both of money Money or munition and men who to represse those Popish and Romish Rebels and inhumane monsters have hazarded their lives Lives for Ireland yea many of them for the publick good and peace of that Church and people and re-establishing of the true Religion among them and securing it to our selves have already spent their best blood and lost their lives and as we see it in nature Thus in the humane Body the hand will expose it self to save the head and the whole body yea in Nature and in the Vniverse the water and fire will forsake their own proper motion and nature fire will descend and water ascend rather then there be any discontinuity or vacuity in the whole Yea every creature is ordained of God to be serviceable to the more superiour and not for it self alone The Earth is for the corn wine and oyle and these for Gods people Birds beasts bees are fruitfull not for themselves but for us men neither is every man born for himself but for others also and for the more publick good of State and Church Every good man is a common good and of a publick spirit for the good of many This makes such an one a Man among men one of a thousand Let us thus conceive as of the naturalnesse and necessity so of the excellency of this publick spirit Private interests to be denyed for publick persons Example in the Galatians once that so for the publick good of many especially of those that are good and publick persons we may be content to deny our selves in our own particular interests as the Galatians were once so affected to Paul that to have done him good or that it had been possible they would have plucked out their own eys and have given them to him they had him in such love and estimation in Priscilla and Aquila Gal. 4.15 as also had Priscilla and Aquila who for Pauls sake laid down their own necks Rom. 16.4 so ingaging in acknowledgment of thankfulnesse not onely him but also all the Churches of the Gentiles whose Apostle he was However as the need of such requires in an high estimation of them as publick good things and profitable to many let us be willing so far to deny our selves for them as in our wealth and that is but duty to contribute to them and communicate to them in all good things or in all our goods Gal. 1.6 and afford them double honour 1 Tim. 5.17 and in our names by answering for them in our lives if need be by speaking or pleading for them as did Queen Esther Thus to do namely to subordinate a mans self to the more publick and generall good of the Church Signes of self-denyal gathered from the four generall things named cause and people of God is an evident expression of one that denies himself truely as is also the practice of those other things formerly mentioned as Greater care to gain a mans own soul then the world High estimation of Christ of his excellency fulness and All-sufficiency with a true sence of a mans own emptiness worthlessness folly especially an high estimation of Christ with a mean conceit of our selves impotency wretchedness basenesse or in want of the sence of these with a true desire to know the worst by a mans own self as in Eli 1 Sam. 3.17 18. Job 34.32 and Psal 139.23 and by being well-affected to the means of discovery of him to himself and not willingly and willfully ignorant of what may debase him and advance Christ and respect to Gods glory Lastly Subordination of a mans self and all unto Gods will and glory of a mans wealth liberty name yea life rather then deny God in his truth glory worship as wee see in Daniel Dan. 6.10 and in the holy Martyrs of Jesus Christ not being ashamed to confess Christ and to advance Gods glory in any company or upon any occasion The conclusion of this point of self-deniall But now it may seem high time to leave this discourse of self-deniall in this place where it is not so directly and by way of precept taught as gathered and presupposed in these who were so savingly touched by the word and driven out of themselves so as to cry out Men and brethren what shall we do But as I have said the uncertainty of my long abode with you and of having occasion more purposely to handle the argument together with the exceeding great usefulness and profit as I hope of the duty have drawn me on to be so large This if it seem to be prolixity shall be recompenced with brevity in the dispatch of the third and last observation concerning the qualification of those whom God doth save with which all shall be finished CHAP. XXXVII SECT 1. Shewing thirdly that such as God converteth and saveth must be willing and pliable to Gods will and ready to submit to him in matter of 1. Salvation 2. Religion and
prophesie falsely witness the Arminian and Popish doctrine taught by many and the Priests bear rule for whose demerits Princes are left to themselves and are strengthened by their meanes and that the people also love to have it so what will we doe in the end thereof Jer. 5.30 31. What can be expected that good is It is said The anger of the Lord was first kindled against Israel and then he moved or suffered Satan to move King David against Israel to say to Joab though unwilling go number Israel and Judah and all to the end that a plague might come upon Israel 2 Sam. 24.1 Now our people have besides all their other provocations so generally complied with their Priests for so in a more Popish sence they will be called and with their Prophets and strengthned them by their readiness to entertain their opinions superstititions and new Ceremonies and are yet such enemies to Reformation yea and yet so generally senceless of our present sufferings in the true causes thereof that we have just cause to thinke that his Majesty whose Throne ever be guiltlesse is what by the demerit of their ill deeds what by their ill counsell and instigation moved to say go number England and Wales array as many as you can c. and all that the deserved wrath may at length fall upon themselves as the first and chief procurers of these evills and that withall the better affected among them may be further tried humbled approved and prepared for after mercies Yet good hope upon our humiliation and reformation Howsoever our good hope is that upon our more solemn yea and daily humiliations in compunction of heart for our own sins and the sins of the land and times God after some triall will graciously be pleased to crown the pious laborious and constant indeavours of this present Parliament with an happy end both for our selves with a peaceable and blessed conclusion and happy Reformation now to be begun and in due time further to be setled according to his word in our own Churches of great Brittain and Ireland other nations and as our hope is to be followed in his good time also by others in other Countries by degrees and so long till the great stumbling block and main hinderance of the Jewes conversion and calling again in and by the downfall of Rome be removed out of the way and especially the Jewes Now that the Iewes shall be called and again received as from the dead and graffed into their own Olive-tree their sins according to Gods election and love taken away and the vail of their ignorance removed we need not doubt whose calling and conversion we expect See Rom. 11 12.-15-23 24. to 29.2 Cor. 3.14 15 16. And for the occasions and grounds thereof we may more then probably conclude when they shall be pricked in heart upon like grounds that by Gods blessing they shall be the same for effect and in the general which they were by the same grace working effectually to these in this my Text where that old prophesie of Zachary only began to be fulfilled God having on that day of Pentecost in outward and visible signs and otherwise poured upon them the hearers as well as teachers the spirit of grace and supplications And saith the Lord Zach. 19.9 10 11. they shall look upon me whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his only son and shall be in bitternesse for him as one that is in bitterness for his first born Now when was it that these were so pricked in heart and mourned as were these Jewes here in my Text but when they were convicted first of Christs glory and that Jesus the son of Mary being now advanced to glory at the right hand of the Father was made and declared of God to be both Lord and Christ Secondly or withall of their own sin and unworthy carriage towards him whom they were truly charged to have crucified as appeares by the close of Peters Sermon in the words immediatly preceding my Text Acts 2.36 And when shall the body of the scattered Nation of the Jewes mourn and convert to God but when they also shall be convinced namely first of the glory and power of Jesus Christ and withall of their own wicked blasphemies and sins against him so loving a Saviour Vpon conviction and fight 1. Of the glory of Christ 1. Christ to their conviction will at length even here on earth though I will not say by a bodily appearance and residence amongst us shew himself King of his Church and deliver as once the Israelites from Pharaoh and the Ark from the Philistines and himself out of the power of death and the grave so it from the tyranny of Antichrist and from all yokes of superstitious ceremonies and of his power and victory over Antichrist and other enemies spirituall and bodily and tyrannicall government which hath so long and that in part even since the time of Reformation lien upon the necks of his people as also from all licentious doctrines and practises The Kings of the earth and of the world whom those three unclean spirits coming out of the mouth of the Dragon Beast and false Prophet shall gather to the battell of that great day of God Almighty into a place called Armageddon to make war against Christ Rev. 16. or as he is called the word of God King of Kings and Lord of Lords who sits on the white Horse and against his Army Rev. 19.11,12 -18 19. those Kings I say by their ill successe shall at length see and acknowledge as the power of Christ against whom they warred so their own madness in opposing him and his people and how they have been deluded and so not knowing what to do or how to be saved in their own Religion and way shall at length abandon the same embrace the truth and way of Christ and submit to his Scepter Then shall they hate the whore and see the abominations of poperie and so shall Euphrates be dried up that is as a good Author doth interpret the succours Mr. Cotton on the sixt viall supplies and revenues of Rome that the way of the Kings of the East whom the best Interpreters make the Jewes may be prepared Revel 16.12 13 c. for then also by the same successe of the battel in Armageddon shall the Jewes see the mighty power of Christ in rooting out all Idolatry and superstitions and prophanenesse of Professors which have so long kept and hindred them from comming to the knowledge and acknowledgement of their Messias 2. Of their own sin in crucifying and rejecting him 2. Then also upon conviction of their sin against their Messias and King now acknowledged by them there shall be great mourning but in a godly manner as at the mourning of Hadadrimmon upon the death of good King Josiah in the valley of Mageddon unto which this Armageddon may allude Which mourning shall be in compunction such as this in my Text was and with contrition of heart not only because Jesus now acknowledged their Messias and the King of glory was crucified by them but also for them and his blood shed even for them that spilt it Yet their sin in crucifying and rejecting him so long yea of cursing the name the Lord Jesus in their Liturgies praying that it might perish from under these heavens and from above this earth shall be their sorrow also as having so long brought them and their fathers under the curse of Cain Gen. 4.14 and made them no better then fugitives and vagabonds in the earth Thus when the enemies of the Church and that man of sin shall as well by the mouth â—f the sword as by the sword of the mouth be destroyed Rev. 19.21 these Jewes convinced by them both shall mourn and come to true repentance After which Christ shall reign in the purity and power of his Ordinances here on earth and in due time after make his appearance as a glorious King and judge of quick and dead and come to wipe all teares from the eyes of true mourners according to his gracious promise Joh. 14.3 I will come again and receive you unto my self that where I am there may yee be also Rev. 22.20 Surely I come quickly Amen Even so Come Lord Jesus Dantzick October 30. 1642. FINIS