how we should examine For our direction therefore heerein know that in this search wee must labour to finde out two things 1. Our sinne 2. Our misery by reason of sinne In the search of sinne both Originall and Actuall sinne must be found out 1. For Originall sinne we must know that in it are two things 1. The Guilt of the first sinne of Adam in eating the forbidden fruit For in Adam as the roote of all mankinde we all sinned And if wee had no inherent sinne of our owne this imputed sinne of Rom. 5. his were enough to damne vs. 2. That which necessarily followeth vpon the former The generall corruption and deprauation of our whole nature and it consists in these two points 1. The whole man is in Euill Euery part and power of soule and body is infected with this leprosie from the Crowne of the head to the soales of the feet there is nothing but boiles and botches 2. Whole euill is in man that is to say the seeds of and so a fitnesse to all sinnes euen the most odious As the Chaos at the first creation had the seeds Gen. 1. 2. of all creatures and wanted onely the spirits motion to bring them foorth so this Chaos and masse of sinne hath the seedes of all sinnes and wants but the powerfull motion of Sathan and warmth of his temptations to hatch euen Cockatrices and such like poysoned monsters O how should this humble vs to thinke what venomed natures wee haue so that neuer was there any villany committed by any forlorne Miscreant wherunto we haue not a disposition in our selues We cry out of Cain Iudas Iulian the Sodomites Why we carry them all in our own bosoms They are but glasses to see our Prou. 27. 19. faces in as in the water face answereth to face so doth the heart of man to man saith Salomon As there is a full agreement twixt the liuing face and the representation in the water so twixt Iudas his heart and any other mans as there is the same nature of all lyons so of all men Let then the schoole-men goe and teach that Thom. in supple Contrition is not for Originall but onely Actuall and those mortall sinnes But he that shall in searching see what a bottomlesse gulfe what a filthie sincke it is shall see what cause he hath to bewaile it with Paul and with Dauid Rom. 7. Psal 51. II. For Actuall sinnes we must search out what we can 1. The number 2. The hainousnesse of them 1. As touching the number diuers directions for search may be giuen A man may consider himselfe according to those diuers relations wherein he stands bound to God to himselfe to his brethren either in the Church as a Minister in the Common-wealth as a Magistrate in the family as father mother childe master seruant husband wife Now a man should carry himselfe along through all these considerations and examine himselfe of the discharge of his duty and in euery one of them Or else he may deuide his time according to the seuerall places and conditions wherein hee hath passed it So much time spent in my Parents family so much in apprentishippe so much in single life so much in marriage so much priuately so much in this or that publique calling so much in this towne so much in that so much in this house so much in that And heere he must examine himselfe how he hath filled vp the empty spaces of his houres what good he hath done in these seuerall portions of time But the best way of examination is by the Law of the ten commandement truely vnderstood and applied For many will acknowledge themselues sinners in grosse but come to the particulars of the Law and then they are innocent they neuer brake either the first or second or third c. commandement Like as if a man saying he were sicke and being thereupon asked where and led a long from his head to the feete should yet then be well in euery particular part The reason is because the Law is not vnderstood by them For by the Law Rom 3. vnderstood comes the knowledge of sinne Therefore to helpe vs in examining our hearts by the Law these rules of interpretation must bee remembred 1. Vnder the negatiue the affirmatiue is comprehended When euill is forbidden the contrary good is commanded 2. Vnder one good or euill action all of the same kinde or nature are comprehended yea all occasions and meanes leading thereto 3. The Law is spirituall and bindes euen the heart and thoughts thereof 4. The Law requires not onely our obseruation but preseruation that is that we doe not only keep it our selues but cause others also what in vs lieth to keep it And therefore it forbids not only the doing of euill our selues but helping or any way furthering of others though but by silence conniuence or slight reproofe as that of Eli to his sonnes This rule is gathered out of the fourth commandement Thou thy sonne c. which by proportion must be applied to all the rest 5. That specially wee must search our selues by the first and last commandement for that they pierce deeper then the rest euen to thoughts not consented to Thus conceiuing of the Law lay it to thy heart and try thy selfe by it and loe with Ezekiel still shalt thou see new and fresh abhominations 1. Command Thou shalt haue no other Gods but mee Thou wilt say I beleeue that there is onely one true God maker of heauen and earth and I defie all the Idols of the Heathen Answ Yea but the Law is spirituall and claimes the heart the affections the thoughts In the which looke how many sinnes are cherished so many false gods are there chosen as it were Barrabasses rather then Christ Looke how many creatures thou inordinately louest fearest trustest reioycest in so many new gods hast thou coyned and wilt thou then plead not guilty this commandement arraigning thee 2. Command Thou shalt not make any grauen image O sayes one I abhorre the Popish images and the idolatry of the masse Yea but vnder the negatiue the affirmatiue is comprehended Doest thou loue the true worship of God as thou hatest the false Thou detestest Popish fasting louest thou true fasts Thou loathest the masse Delightest thou in the supper of the Lord Thou despisest the Priests of Antichrist Reuerencest thou the ministers of Christ These interrogatories will pose and pulse many 3. Command Take not Gods name in vaine I heare thee saying I cannot away with swearing Yea but doest thou reprooue others swearing Leu. 5. 1. for the Law must be preserued not obserued onely Againe vnder Gods name is comprehended his word workes and whatsoeuer it is whereby he makes himselfe knowen According to the rule vnder one kinde c. And diddest thou neuer heare sermons vnpreparedly irreuerently c. 4. Command Keepe holy the Sabaoth Why we worke not we trauell not Wee come to Church Yea
and trembles at my word A man whose courage is cooled and naturall spirits wasted and his very heart broken with crosses in this world is soone taken downe A little thing daunts such a poore soule whereas a man of spirit and courage will not be terrified with ones threatnings Before our Repentance oh the stoutnesse and stiffenesse of our hearts against God! Though the Lyon roared neuer so much wee would not tremble but when with the hammer of the Law and happily of some afflictions besides God hath broken these stout hearts of ours then alas what a little thing will make vs stoope An angry word or an angry looke will more humble vs then then angry stroakes and stripes could do before Thus was it with broken heartd Iosiah he heard the book 2. Kin. 22. 10. 11. of the Law onely read in a priuate place by a lay-man and yet his heart melted Alas we heare the same threatnings not read onely but preached at large with an edge set on them in the open Church by Gods Ministers and yet wee tremble and relent no more then the seates wee sit on and the stones we tread on So contrite Hezekiah when Is 39. 8. Isaiah threatned him he bowed hee tooke not the boldnesse and foole-hardinesse of Ahab against Micaiah and which many now take to kicke against the Minister and his doctrine and to say It is not good which thou sayest as Ahab sayd but the word of the Lord saies hee is good Thus was it with Dauid and so is it with all tender hearted Christistians that when God hides his face and looks but a little awry on them then are they sore troubled So was it with humbled Iob Behold sayes he I am Iob 39. 37. 38. vile what shall I answer thee I will lay mine hand vpon my mouth Once haue I spoken but I will answer no more yea twice but I will proceed no further So Ionah testifies his repentance by closing his Prophecy with Ion 4. his silence But many are like those impudent castawayes at the last day that will not sticke to giue God the lie when hee rebukes them by his Ministers Matth. 25. Lord say they when saw we thee an hungry and sed thee not as if they had said why doest thou challenge vs of that wherof we were neuer guilty and so they charge God to charge them falsely 2. Humble patience in all our afflictions I say 2. Humble Patience humble patience for there is a threefold patience 1. Constrained and perforce when a man beares that which he would faine be rid of as the damned in hell 2. Voluntary and cheerefull But now one may suffer cheerefully when hee that afflicts deales vniustly And this patience argues a vertue rather in the sufferer then any iustice in the inflicter of the punishment 3. There is therefore an humble patience when a man acknowledges the righteousnes of his afflictions in regard of his sins when a man frees and iustifies God and blames himselfe altogether So Lam. 3. Wherefore is the Lam. 3. 39. 33. 34. liuing man sorrowfull Man suffereth for his sinnes for God doth not punish willingly nor afflict the children of men In stamping vnder his feete all the prisoners of the earth This is that which is called in Scripture Humbling our selues vnder the hand of God When we take Gods part against our selues in our crosses and not our owne parts against God as the humbled sinner sits alone and keepes silence and puts his mouth in the dust and giues his cheekes to smiters So the Repenting Lam. 3. 28. 29. 30. theefe wee are indeede heere righteously So the poore woman acknowledged the name of a Luc. 23. 41. dogge at Christs hand Truth Lord yet the dogs eat the crummes that fall vnder the table So the Lord Matth. 15. sayes of the Israelites that their vncircumcised harts Leuit. 26. 41. should bee humbled and they should willingly beare the punishments of their iniquities When then we murmure and like the angry horse stamp and champ the bit in our crosses and doe not with the Prophet say I will beare the wrath of the Lord because I haue sinned against him wee know not as yet what true humilation is Mic 7. 9. 3. Such as respect our brethren and these actions Such as respect our brethren 3. 1. In quiet bearing of iniuries are threefold 1. In meeke and quiet bearing all iniuries vnkindnesses and disgraces whatsoeuer An vnhumbled wretch cannot suspect the least wrong but hee swells presently Whereas if a man bee truely humbled his humility will tell him thou deseruest thus to bee vsed thou art worthy of these wrongs Loe then true humiliation will make vs not only to take Gods part but euen our wicked enemies part against our selues as Dauid tooke Shemeis against himselfe Let him alone Dauid beeing humbled 2. Sam. 16. thought there could come no disgrace to him which his sinnes deserued not So Hezekiah and his people held their peace when Rabsakeh rayled on them For none can thinke or speake so vilely of 2. King 18. 36. an humbled repentant as he himself thinks of himselfe Who could haue said more of Paul then hee himselfe did when he said hee was the chiefe of sinners 1. Tim. 1. 15. The wicked call Gods children hypocrites proud couetous wordly Why alas they call themselues so and accuse themselues with heauy hearts of all these sinnes vnto the Lord. And wheras they vse to bee humbled with the sense of these sinnes they will be so farre from being moued with these clamours of the world that they will reioyce rather that there is matter occasion giuen them to shew and expresse their humiliation It is an ill signe when a man can put vp no iniury Moses being a meeke man humbled with the sence of his owne vnworthinesse with silence passed by the grudgings of Aaron and Miriam And Dauid when he was reuiled was as a deafe man that heard not and Numb 12. Ps 38. 12. 13. as a dumbe man in whose mouth was no answer 2 In not preferring and aduancing our selues aboue our brethren but in making our selues equall 2. In not aduancing our selues aboue our brethren with those of the lower sort and in giuing honour going one before another accounting the lowest place good enough for vs choosing the lowest place at the Rom. 12. Luke 14. feast And so indeed an humbled sinner will thus abase himselfe First of all considering that euen his best part his soule is made of nothing This excellent creature that thus reasons and discourses not long since was nothing Now nothing is lesse then a Feather then a stone then a moate in the ayre But then when hee lookes to his sinnes hee sees himselfe worse then nothing That ambition then which raignes in men whereby they aspire to the highest places and iudge themselues worthier then others shewes plainely that they were
But without any true reformation for presently after he fell to as bad cruelty against the holy Prophet Micaiah Iudas was grieued for murthering Christ yet no change ensued hee fell to murthering of himselfe The Israelites being threatned by God when as they meditated a returne into Aegypt wept and howled And yet at the same time being commanded not to goe the next way to Canaan but to fetch a compasse about they disobeyed But these men sorrow not aright because they sorrow not as the Corinthians did vnto a transmentation vnto a change of their thoughts and purposes from euill to good It is not possible a man should truely grieue and be displeased for his sins and yet continue in them without a change For as one very well sayes vnlesse sinne be made a wanton it will not stay It likes no grimme entertainement The sad countenance the weeping eyes the frowning forehead dash it quite out of countenance It is not able to stand before them The teares of true Repentance haue a purging and a raising vertue therfore the Prophet exhorting to Repentance sayes Wash yee make yee cleane These teares therefore Is 1. 16. are washing and cleansing teares where they fall they make cleane worke scouring away the filthinesse of our sinnes The abundance of naturall raine maketh the waies fowle that before were faire But contrarily the more abundantly this raine falleth the cleaner and fairer are the wayes of our hearts and fitter for the feet of the Lord to walke in For this is that same preparing of the way Matth. 3. of the Lord which the Baptist requires Worldly sorrow workes a change in the body it brings gray haires on the head and furrowes and wrinckles in the face It turnes youth into olde age and strength into weaknesse and so causeth death But the change of godly sorrow is quite contrary It turnes olde age into youth and a weaknesse and sicknesse into health and strength No distillations of waters heale our bodily diseases so as this water doth our spirituall This salt brine takes away all our raw humours and makes vs sauory meate for the Lord. This raine dissolues the clowds of our iniquities and ô what a pure cleerenesse is there in the heauen of our hearts And therfore iustly may wee suspect their repentance whose sorrow brings not with it this happy change 2. So also may we theirs whose change and alteration proceedes not from godly sorrow and touch of conscience for sinne Let it not suffice vs that in many things wee haue reformed our wayes For so did Herod Iudas and many other temporary beleeuers But alas this reformation was not grounded vpon true humiliation and so at length it came to nought as an vnfounded building And therefore by humiliation first digge wee deepe in our hearts and cast out the rotten and vnsound ground and so build wee Excellent is the counsell of Christ to luke-warme Laodicea be zealous that is reforme the fault of thy luke-warmnesse Reuel 3. but withall he addes and Repent namely of thy lukewarmnesse let the reformation of thy fault be grounded on sound sorrow for it So may I say to the couetous be liberall and repent to the vncleane be chaste and repent to the neglecter of Gods worship frequent the Church and exercises of Religion and repent Many Professours haue made a goodly flourish and of couetous haue turned liberall and of prophane deuout and who so forward as they But when they turned religious they did not heartily repent and repine at their former prophanesse grieuing and grudging at the seruice which formerly they did Sathan They sowed not the seed of their obedience in tears nay with the stony ground they beganne in ioy and therefore end in sorrow Before haruest comes all is withered and they become vnfruitfull They beganne not in humility and therefore end not in glory Nay they beganne in pride and therefore end in shame They beganne in impenitency and therefore end in despaire And thus haue we opened the definition of Repentance CHAP. II. In what order Humiliation is wrought REpentance then consisting of those two parts Humiliation and Reformation let vs speake of them both seuerally And first of Humiliation where consider first the grace it selfe And secondly the contraries to it In the grace it selfe foure things are to be considered 1. The Nature 2. The Measure 3. The Vse and Excellency 4. The Practise 1. For the nature two poynts must bee considered 1. The nature of Humiliation in two things 1. In what order it is wrought 2. What are the qualities and propeties of it being wrought For the former it is thus to be considered 1. The spirit by the shrill trumpet of the Law arouseth the sinners drousie conscience setteth his 1. The order of it sinnes in order before him and presenteth him with that fearefull spectacle of eternall death and condemnation And that so that the poore sinner selfe-conuict and selfe-condemned holding vp his guilty hands before Gods Tribunall and receiuing the sentence of death doth not onely see hell with a wide and gaping mouth ready to deuoure him but euen in a manner feeleth himselfe in hell already the terrours of God fighting against him and the envenomed arrowes of the Almighty sticking in his ribbes so that in this perplexity being brought downe to the very gate of hell and feeling the very flashings of hell fire in his conscience he cries out Miserable man that I am who shall deliuer me Who shall descend into this deepe to Rom. 7. helpe me out of the myre wherein I sticke so fast A man in this case is like a rocke which with some mighty shaking is made to tremble but yet still retaines his hardnesse or as an iron vessell which with some violent stroakes is broken into peeces but these peeces remaine whole and hard and are not yet molten by the fire Now vnto humiliation there is required not onely a broken but also a contrite spirit And Contrition is when all is stamped to very dust and ground as it were to powder so that there is a through dissolution of that which before was firmely hardened and compacted together But the Law of it selfe cannot dissolue and soften the hard heart of man Therefore the sinner though neuer so violently shaken and battred with the thunderbolts of the Law is not as yet truely humbled but onely prepared for and in the way vnto humiliation As when a thing is torne and broken though into great and solide lumps it is neerer to dissolution then when it was whole and entire 2. Therefore the spirit by the hammer of the Law hauing broken vs doth in the next place by the fire of the Gospell melt vs. For the word of God Ierem. 23. 9. is both a hammer breaking the rockes and a fire A hammer in the Law A fire in the Gospell which with the heat of Gods loue in Christ doth melt mollifie and dissolue our hearts
neuer yet truely humbled for their sinnes 3 In not daring Masterly and Iudge-like to censure 3. In not censuring for the humbled sinner finds so much matter at home within himselfe that he hath no leysure to looke so much into others And therfore though seuere to himselfe yet more milde to others in meekenesse of minde esteeming euery man better then Phil 2. 3. himselfe And those faults he sees in others he takes notice of happily in himselfe or else of others as bad at least of the seedes and inclinations to those sinnes Therefore Iames after he had commanded vs to humble our selues hee addes speake not euill Aut sumus aut fuimus aut possumus esse quod hic est Iam. 4. 10 11. one of another For how doth hee humble and cast downe himselfe that goes about to cast downe others and trample them vnder his feete 4 In abasing and submitting our selues to the lowest and meanest offices of loue to our brethren 4. In submitting to lowest offices Thus the humbled sinner will make himselfe a seruant vnto all and according to the Apostles commandement will serue others by loue and bearing other 1. Cor 9. 19. Gal. 5. 13. Gal. 6 2. mens burdens so fulfills the law of Christ CHAP. IX Of the contraries to Humiliation Despaire and a seared Conscience HItherto of the grace of Humiliation it selfe Now to adde a worde or two of the contraries to it Contrary to godly humiliation or contrition are these two 1. Desperation 2. The blockish the seared and sencelesse Conscience that is past feeling Both these indeed must be auoyded but Ephes 4. yet the latter of the two is more vsuall and more dangerous more vsuall because it is more pleasing to our nature whereas Desperation is more distastefull in regard of the bitternesse And therfore Sathan wants that bait to bring men to despaire which he hath to bring men to senslesse security Therefore heere we may say as they sang of Saul and Dauid Desperation slayes thousands Security Sam. ten thousands euen as more die of intemperancy of diet then are killed by the Sword so though Despaire be more fearefull yet Security is more frequent More dangerous also because Desparation may be turned sooner to good for that the despairing person is touched with the sight of his sins feeles his owne misery But the senslesse conscience is nothing so it hath neither sight of sin nor sense of misery Both these extreames of Desperation and of Senslesnesse come from one cause and that is the neglect of the prickes and wounds of conscience It is a great mercy of God to giue vs so faire warning from a monitour within our owne bosomes The warnings others giue vs wee are ready to except against Wee cannot except against the warnings of our owne hearts But as when milder correction preuailes not with our children wee proceed to seuerer discipline so when Conscience her gentler prickings are neglected shee falles to deeper wounding and cutting when rods will do no good God puts Scorpions into her hands to scourge vs to death Euery little prick of an accusation fetches as it were some blood from thy soule Now if presently with a repenting heart thou wouldest craue the bloud of Christ to be applyed to thy soule the bleeding would be stayed But because thou neglectest the bleeding and thinkest to stay it by base medicines of thine owne therefore the wound bleedes still and thou shalt dye of it And thus we see how desperation comes from the neglect of the pricks of Conscience But againe and that more commonly the Conscience growes seared and past feeling so that a man may now sinne freely and that without controule of Conscience after that hee hath once begunne to despise the admonitions and accusations thereof So we see the Father giues ouer correcting his vnhappy child when hee growes worse for all his correcting of him Thus many mens consciences deale with them speaking in a manner vnto them as God speakes to the Iewes Why should we smite you any more since ye fall away more and more you set light by our warning we will euen giue ouer Isay 1. 5. Conscience is Gods officer and it is set by God to doe the best office that can bee to vs. But when God sees his officer not regarded hee will discharge him of his office When a wound is not taken in time the flesh festers and growes dead and rotten so also it fares with the wounds of Conscience A wounding Conscience neglected will grow a dead Conscience O then howsoeuer thou mayst set light by the checkes and rebukes of men and mayst shake off them yet neuer reiect or con-contemne the checks of Conscience In any case take heed of that for either it will continually ring such a loud peale in thine eares as shall make them to tingle and thine heart to tremble or else that which is worse it shall for euer after hold its peace Doe wee then feele the priuy nippes and secret snibs and pulls of our consciences Let vs giue ear to so wholsome a rebuker Let vs seeke presently to the Lord for mercy and forgiuenesse Let vs humble our soules before him in confession Let vs put Conscience out of office no otherwise then thus that as Conscience hath accused vs to our selues so now we will goe and accuse our selues to our God For if Consciences roddes and checks cannot driue thee to Repentance whose should Many there are that in regard of their places are free from the rods and the cheekes of men as Kings and great ones Who dare checke them None may smite them yet God in mercy towards them will 2. Sam. 24. 10. haue their Conscience to smite them as Dauids heart smote him though a King Conscience takes no notice of Kingship Therefore all euen great States and they of all others must most listen to and heede the voice of Conscience lest otherwise it fare with vs as with those whom great and violent noises continually herd at length make deafe as in those that dwell by the fall of the riuer Nilus Or as it doth with vnlucky boyes who beeing vsed to the rodde at length harden themselues and regard it not CHAP. X. Of the names whereby the second part of Repentance viz. change of heart is set out in Scripture HItherto of the former part of Repentance 2. The second part of Repentance Conuersion where Mourning Humiliation or Contrition The second followeth Turning Reformation or Conuersion where consider wee 1. The Names 2. The Nature 3. The Practise of it 1. For the names they are more especially two 1. The names of it 1. An Hebrew name signifying Turning or Conuersion 2. A Greeke name signifying After-wit or wisdome The first name is a metaphor drawen from trauellers who hauing gone out of their way must come backe againe and returne into the right way if euer they meane to arriue vnto the intended period
but the Law is spirituall and requireth euen the rest of thy heart from worldly thoughts much more of thy tongue from worldly speeches And how often hast thou here offended 5. Command Honour thy father c. O I should be vnnaturall if I did not so Yea but thy Magistrate thy Minister thy Husband thy Master thy Superiours are thy Fathers also And hast thou no way failed in performance of honour to all these And thou that art any of these fathers hast thou preserued this Law or rather by an vnbeseeming carriage hast thou not inuited thy inferiours to contemne thee 6. Command Thou shalt not kill Heere thou thinkest thy selfe innocent indeede Yea but there is a murther of the heart hatred wrath c. Perhaps by greeuing the heart of thy brother vniustly thou hast shortned his dayes Or if free from bodily murther yet haply thou hast murthered his soule by thy negligence by thy euill example 7. Command Against Adultery Here also the lust of the heart yea the vse of any prouokements thereof as idlenesse drunkennesse gluttony wanton bookes lookes pictures dances speeches vesture gesture are sufficient to make thee guilty before God yea winking at it in others 8. Command Against stealing Heere euen Couetousnesse is a Pick-purse before God Yea and not to vphold the estate of our brother is stealing for the poore are made owners of part of our goods Prou. 3. 9. Command Against false witnesse bearing Where lying flattering detracting listning to tales yea not giuing testimony to thy brothers name and commending Gods grace in him makes thee guilty 10. Command Cuts to the very quicke condemning the very first motions of sinnes springing out of our hearts though reiected presently Well then this filthy dunghill how euer vnstirred it did not annoy vs yer after this raking in it the stench will bee intollerable Though in our blindnesse wee might please our selues yet when our eyes are opened to looke in this glasse ô what vgly creatures shall wee thinke our selues then Though in the darke seeing no danger wee were fearelesse yet by this light discerning not onely the beames but euen the least moates and seeing so infinite a swarme of sinnes yea an army of iniquities incompassing vs how can we chuse but be confounded in our selues and forced to cry out with Iob Not one of a thousand and with Dauid If thou markest what is done amisse who shall abide it Psal 130. 3. 2. Besides the number of our sinnes their hainousnesse must also be found out A sore which at first seemes nothing by reason of the small quantity of skin that is broken afterward being searched and launched and the dead flesh taken out the hole is much greater then before So sinnes which seeme small and petty sinnes to carnall ciuill men such as they thinke may easily be washed away with a few formall cursory prayers when once they begin to search them by the Law they appeare out of measure sinnefull There is no greater hinderer of serious humiliation then that tricke of extenuation whereby men deale with their sinnes as the steward with his masters debts for an hundred he set downe fifty But Luc. 16. if wee would make our hearts bleede in godly sorrow wee must strictly presse euery circumstance whereby it may be aggrauated It is noted in Peters weeping that he first weighed his sinne and considered the heightning circumstances the person Mar. 14. 72. denied Iesus Christ the Lord of glory his owne person that denied a Disciple of Christ the means hee had to haue kept him Christs admonition the manner with swearing and cursing and that not once but often So doth Dauid amplifie his sinne by his knowledge Psalm 51. Thou hast taught mee wisdome in my secret parts I cannot plead ignorance Psal 51. 6. thou hast most familiarly and fully acquainted mee with thy will In this search also the place where and the time when the sinne was committed would bee inquired after Drunkennesse on the Sabaoth swearing in the Church-assembly receiue increase of filthinesse from the holinesse of the time and place Hosea thus brands the drunkennesse of the Nobles In the day of the King wherein either his birth or Hos 7. 5. coronation was solemnized which craued Prayers rather then Cups euen then they made themselues drunke with flagons of wine Inquire also whether the sinne haue been repeated often and specially after Repentance and how long it hath beene continued in for custome and daily practise ripens sin Idlenesse to the twelfth houre is greater then to the sixt And this is the search we must make for our sinnes 2. As our sinne so our misery procured by sin must be considered and beheld in the Law Euen the curse of God begun heere and to bee perfited heerafter in torments easelesse and endlesse Cursed is euery one that abideth not in all the things written in Deut. 27. 26. this booke And this curse must be applyed to euery particular Commandement and not to the whole Law onely When thus wee shall know our estate our nature to bee poysoned our liues laden with innumerable those hainous and horrible rebellions bringing vs into the state of condemnation on our parts wholly vnauoydable when a man shall know all this what flinty brest is there that cannot be mooued Strike the rocke of thy heart with the rod of the Law discouering thy sinne thy misery and riuers of water will gush foorth And this is the first duty for prouoking of godly sorrow the consideration of our owne wayes 2. In Consideration of God wayes of The second followeth the consideration of Gods wayes both of Iustice Mercy 1. Iustice And Lam. 3. 1. Of Iustice It worketh much vpon the heart when a man considers how the Lord hath met with him in his sinne and hath shaped answerable punishments My soule hath them namely the gall and wormewood of my afflictions in remembrance is humbled within me saith the repenting Church So Haggay prouoking the Iewes to Repentance Hagg. 1. 6. Consider saith he your wayes in your hearts but so that withall yee consider Gods wayes proportionable in the punishment to yours in the sinne Yee haue sowen much and haue reaped little yee haue eaten and haue not beene filled drunken and not satisfied c. marke the long taile of punishments your sinnes haue drawen after them So the Church of Ephesus being called to Repentance is first bidden to remember from whence shee is Reuel 2. 5. fallen by her sinne what she had lost thereby viz. the presence of the spirit boldnesse of faith peace of conscience ioy in the holy Ghost free accesse vnto God in praier Such losses throughly thoght vpon will pierce the heart with godly sorrow and make the fallen Christian say with Iob Oh that it Iob 29. were with me as in times past and with Dauid When I remember these things my soule is powred out within Psal 42. mee 2.