thy selfe and puttest thy selfe among the sorrowes of the divels which is a Bedlam madnesse Helpe 2 Be acquainted with all the wayes thou canst possibly how to anatomize thy sinnes for which purpose take these methods and helpes Method 1 Bee perfect in the Law of God and looke thy selfe in the pure Christall glasse thereof be throughly catechised in the Commandements as in the fourth Commandement wherein consider Preparation Celebration Preparation which consists In praying Publiquely with thy Family Privately with thy selfe In examination In renewing thy repentance In covenanting with thy thoughts to spend that whole day in holy things Celebration It may be for scandalous sinnes in thy life thou hast beene sorrowfull but thou hast passed the Sabbath with many wādrings for which thou hast not beene humbled All these are to be brought to thy minde with much bleeding An vtter Cessation or abstinence from thoughts words deeds of calling or recreation more then for necessity mercy or comelinesse Method 2 Take survey of all the wrong which wee haue offered to all things in Heaven and Earth all things are the worse for a wicked man soe farre as his sinne can adde hurt vnto them Method 3 Take a perusall of thy selfe from top to toe The sinnes of thy eyes each thing thou lookest on not making a holy vse of them is a sinne of omission consider then how many there are every day and if in one part so many what are there in the whole body Method 4 Consider all the commissions and omissions as thou standest in severall relations As a Creature how thou hast carried thy selfe to thy Creator As an husband to thy wife As a Father to thy Children As a Master to thy Family As a neighbour to them without or to Gods children As a Subject c. Take notice of all thy faylings in all these and thou shalt finde sufficient matter for a day of humiliation Method 5 Labour to get as I am perswaded every Christian hath two Catalogues of thy sins before conversion and since Of Gods mercies spirituall and temporall Helpe 3 Take notice of the guilt of originall sinne Now because a Christian may haue his heart locked vp more at one time then at another let them in case of barrennesse consider these sixe quickning points Quick Point 1 Looke to the seede and sinke and naturall inclination of thy heart to all manner of wickednesse for suppose by the mercy of God thou wert able to say and that truely that thou couldest not possibly finde any actuall sin within thee yet looke backe to the corrupt fountaine and there thou shalt finde that thou and the most holy Christian on earth whilst thou livest in this house of flesh and tabernacle of clay thou hast it in thy nature to sinne against the Holy Ghost to kill Iesus Christ to commit sodomy and what hindereth but Gods free mercy This then throughly considered is sufficient matter to humble thee to consider with thy selfe what a wretch am I yet that haue this seede still in my bowels Quic. Point 2 Consider and throughly weigh the circumstances of all thy sinnes of thy vnregeneration at what time in what place with what scandall c. As Austin sayth of himselfe hee did wonderfully weepe in reading the fourth booke of Virgill when Dido was killed what a damn'd soule had I quoth hee that could weepe for her misery and not for my owne so when hee listned to musicke and to the tune in singing of a Psalme in the Church rather then kept his heart to goe along with the matter and for being much addicted to stage-playes and many more but especially for robbing an orchard which hee aggravates by many circumstances that great renowned Father left this example to all posterity whereas if a young man now adayes should but crye out of robbing an orchard hee would be thought simple and too precise Looke the second booke of his Confessions Cap. 4. where see his sinne aggravated by these ten circumstances Circum ∣ stance 1 Sayth hee this theft which I committed was not onely in the booke of God forbidden but I had it in my heart dayly Circum ∣ stance 2 Volui feci I resolued with free will to doe it and I did it Circum ∣ stance 3 Fastidio aequitatis I did not doe it for want but in disdaine of goodnesse and out of an eager desire to do wrong Circum ∣ stance 4 I had abundance of the same kinde better at home Circum ∣ stance 5 I did steale them not soe much to injoy the thing as mine owne theft that it might be sayd of my old companions that I robd an Orchard Circum ∣ stance 6 There was a number of desperate swaggerers and incarnate Divels with mee Circum ∣ stance 7 Nocte intempestiva at midnight which hee aggravates with another Circumstance when wee had been sporting and dancing and drinking we did it Circum ∣ stance 8 We carried al away Circum ∣ stance 9 We carried so many away that they were a burden to vs. Circum ∣ stance 10 When wee came home we gaue them to the swine and then at the conclusion hee cryes Oh my God behold my heart Ecce cor meum Deus If wee would looke backe on such a Sabbath breaking how in such a place at such a time so inflamed with lust If drunkards whoremongers vsurers c. would take this course they might finde such aggravations that by the mercy of God might terrifie them from their evill courses Quic. Point 3 In case of barrennesse consider wee had our hands in the sinne of Adam and soe brought all the sorrow sinne and damnation vpon all men that are or shall be damned and we are guilty of all the horrours of conscience If wee had not hearts of adamant or hewn out of a rocke or had sucked the brest of Wolues or Tigers wee would be moued at this which is able to breake a thousand adamants I speake advisedly it is able to open a wide gap of penitent teares in the most flinty soule of the most bloody sinner Quic. Point 4 Cut of all sin both originall and actuall that thou hast taken notice of and do but consider the imperfections that follow the best actions the innumerable distractions of the most holy prayer that ever thou madest the sins of the last Sabbath thy deadnesse fruitlesnesse c. Quic. Point 5 Remoue all personall sinnes yet consider how many wayes wee haue our hands in others sins which it may be they haue carried to hell with them Wee haue a world of matter from hence to breake our hearts for wee may be guilty of others sins 13 wayes There is none but are guilty of some of these wayes viz. First by incouraging them as those Prophets which cryed Peace peace when there is no peace when they are but formall or civill professors those that sow pillowes vnder mens elbowes that heale the wounds of the people with faire words
humble heart Helpe 5 Get this and get all Thou gettest true title and interest vnto the passion of Christ and all the cōforts in the booke of God the promises both of this life and of that to come Sixt Act. Get an outward bewayling with heart-pearcing confession where Helpe 1 Consider first the practice of the Saints of God They powred out teares as men water out of Buckets 1. Sam. 7. Mary washed Christs feete with her teares The Publican strucke on his breast with a sorrowfull acknowledgemēt of his sinnes Helpe 2 Consider secondly thy hands eies and tongue and heart haue beene instruments of Gods dishonour therefore by rule of proportion thou shouldst haue the workes of thy hands instrumentall demonstrations of repentance thy eyes fountaines of teares thy tongue should vtter and heart suffer griefe Helpe 3 Consider that for outward things men will weepe teares as for dejection from high places losses crosses in wife or children as David for Absolon so it is with many what wringing their hands tearing their haire bitter crying c. Then the losse of Christ who is infinitely better than husband wife child or any thing in the world this this how should it breake thy heart If all Iobs troubles were on thee and could wring one teare from thee then one sinne should wring blood from thy heart Seventh Act. Get a hatred and aversion in thy will from sin considering these three helpes What sinne is in it selfe How God is provoked with it How thou art hurt by it Helpe 1 What sinne is Sinne in it selfe is fouler than any fiend in hell because it made that so as fire is hotter then water that is heat It 's extreamely ill nothing comes neare it I consider of sinne here in the abstract so it s a greater ill than the damnation of a mans soule for when two ills fight together that which cōquers must needes be the greater now when a man hath lyen in hell ten thousand yeares hee is as farre from comming out as ever for the eternall duration in hell cannot expiate sinne It s most infectious It 's compared to a Leprosie for The first sinne that peeped into the world stayned the beauty of it no sooner sinne was committed by Adam but the Stars seemed impure in Gods sight the beasts were at variance the earth full of brambles and all things cursed Secondly it sowred all natural religious and civill actions Thirdly if a man in authority be sinfull all vnder him will be infected Sin is most filthy compared to the most vile things that can be named to menstruous ragges the vomite of doggs c. Nay not any dirt or filthy thing can staine a Sunne-beame but sin staines a more glorious creature which is the soule of man Sin is of that hellish nature that it drawes out takes in to it selfe the wrath of God Sin is full of cursed consequences Privatiue Positiue Privatiue losse of Gods favour the blood of Christ the guard of Angels peace of conscience c. Positiue it brings all misery spirituall hardnesse of heart blindnesse of minde horrour of conscience despaire c. with all temporall losses and crosses here and hereafter eternall torments of soule and body Helpe 2 God is provoked with it Each sinne is the only object of Gods infinite hatred His loue is diversified to himselfe his Sonne the Angels the creatures but his hatred is confined onely to sinne What infinite of infinites of hatred hast thou on thy soule with all thy sinnes when each sinne hath the infinite hatred of God vpon it Each sin is against the Majesty of that dreadfull Lord of Heaven and earth who can turne all things into hell nay heavē hell into nothing by his word Now against this God thou sinnest what art thou but dust and ashes a bagge of filth and flegme and all that 's naught And what is thy life but a span a bubble a dreame a shadow of a dreame And shall such a thing offend such a God Every sin strikes at the glory of Gods pure eye Sin is that which killed his Sonne the least sinne could not be pardoned but by Christs carrying his heart blood to his Father and offering it for sinne Each sinne is an offence to all his mercies This aggravated the sinne vpon Eli 1. Sam. 2.29 David 2. Sam. 12.8.9 c. Mercy is the most eminent attribute of God and therefore the sinne against it is the greater What therefore are our sins in the time of the Gospell Helpe 3 Consider how thou art hurt by it for Each sin kills thy soule which it better then the world Mat. 16.29 Each sinne bring it never soe much pleasure in the committing leaues a threefold sting Naturall Temporall Immortall Naturall after worldly pleasure comes melancholly properly either because it lasted no longer or they had no more delight in it c. That as all waters end in the salt sea so all worldly joyes are swallowed vp in sorrowes bottomlesse gulfe Temporall ther 's labour in getting care in keeping and sorrow in parting with worldly goods Immortall God will call thee to judgment for it Each sin robbes thee of abundance of comfort What a vast difference do we see in conquering sin and being conquered by sinne as for instance in Ioseph and David the one raised after his cōquest to much honour the other scarce enjoyed one good day after hee was conquered but as Ezekias walked heavily in the bitternesse of his soule all his dayes As some Divines haue said of Guliacius and Spira the one is honour'd in Calvins Epistles for ever the other after his backsliding liued a while in exquisite horror and after dyed in despaire Thy owne conscience will accuse thee one day for every sinne though now it seemes hid to thee and thy conscience is more then a thousand witnesses therefore thou wilt certainely be overthrowne For the sins which peradventure thou liuest now in and accountest but petty and veniall many poore soules are at this instant burning in hell for What misery and hurt then attends on thee for the same Eight Act. Get a strong reasoning in thy minde against sinne as first these three grand reasons Reas 1 The horrour of hell Therefore Christians wrong themselues that will not vse this as a motiue the vnquenchable wrath of God shall feede vpon thy soule if thou committest this sinne Reas 2 The joyes of heavē I shall dwell with God for ever if beleeving I make conscience of every sin as an evidence and fruit of saving faith Reas 3 And aboue all the glory of God if Gods glory and the damnation of our soules were in a ballance his glory should preponderate and prevaile while wee preferre Gods glory aboue our owne salvation Moses and Paul would haue done that although wee cannot seeke it but in and by our salvation as the meanes is subordinate to the end Secondly from every line in Gods booke His attributes as
1 His Iustice 2 His mercy His Iustice to terrifie sinners His mercy to allure vs to him His Iudgements His Promises Thirdly from logicall places See Rogers on meditations and in each particular consider of thy sinne As 1 The definitiō As 2 The division As 3 The causes As 4 The effects As 5 The subject As 6 The adjunct As 7 The comparison As 8 The contrary Fourthly from places of Scripture From examples in Scripture How shall I do this so sin against God saith Ioseph From your former estate Yee were darknesse but now yee are light c. From the end of all things Seeing all things must be dissolved what manner of men ought wee to be Fiftly from thy selfe Thy soule is immortall all the Devils in hell cannot kill it Thy body is fraile all helps cannot long vphold it Sixtly from Christ Looke vpon him weeping nay bleeding on the crosse and saying thus Sinne brought mee from the bosome of my Father to dye for it Seaventhly from the incomprehensible excellencie of God against whom thou sinnest Ninth Act. Get a sincere opposition in thy life to sinne Helpes thereto Helpe 1 When any bait of Sathan or old companions would allure thee to sin take this dilemma Either I must repent and then it will bring more sorrow than the pleasure did good or not repent and then it 's the damnation of my soule Helpe 2 Consider thy madnesse which layest most desperately in one scale of the ballance heaven the favour of God the blood of Christ and thine owne soule in the other a little dung pelfe base lust c. And lettest this oversway which bringeth rottennesse to thy bones perhaps losse of thy good name c. Helpe 3 And that thou maist yet be further armed to withstand the assaults of thy three grand enemies the world the flesh and the devill which dayly seeke the destructiō of thy soule cōsider these twelue Antidotes Consider the shortnes of the pleasure of sin with the length of the punishment the one for a moment the other everlasting Consider the companions of sinne for one sinne never goes alone but being once entertained it sets all the faculties of the soule also in a combustion and so procures a spirituall judgement if not temporall vpon estate and person Consider thy life is but a span a breath a blast soone gone now if wee had all the pleasure in the world yet being so soone to loose it it 's not worth esteeming Consider sin causeth vs to lose a greater good than that can be as the favour of God interest in Christ guard of Angels right to the creatures c. Consider the vncertainty of repentance thou maist never haue motion to repent after thou hast sinned and so art damned Consider the nearnesse of death to thee some haue liued out aboue halfe their time others almost all of it young and old dye suddenly many times Consider one moment in hell will be worse then all the pleasure in the world did good though it should haue lasted a thousand yeares twice told So on the contrary one moment in heaven doth more good than all the hardnesse and paines in good duties or persecution for them did hurt Consider the dignity of thy soule it 's more worth then a world Lose it not then for any sinne Consider the preciousnesse of a good conscience which is a continuall feast This thou losest by sinne Consider thou sinnest against a world of mercies which God hath sent to thee as to soule body good name estate others that belong to thee Consider nothing can wash away any sinne but the blood of Christ And wilt thou now pollute thy selfe againe as it were to haue him kill'd afresh to wash away thy sinne Consider the ancient Martyrs and Worthies chose rather to burne at a stake than they would sin and wilt thou soe easily be drawne to it or rather runne to it Anselme sayd if the flames of hell were on the one side and sinne on the other side I would rather lye in those flames than sinne And others would rather be torne in pieces with wild horses Wee haue as precious meanes as they and if our hearts were as good wee should haue the like affections Tenth Act. Get a sincere grieving that thou canst do these things no better as considering Though thou hadst a thousand eyes and could weepe them all out and shed rivers of teares and a thousand hearts to burst yet all were not sufficient for the least sinne or vanity either of the eye or heart How much more when our hearts are barren and dry had wee neede to labour for this sorrow Considering when thou hast made the best praier or watched most diligently over thy selfe for the right and due sanctification of the Sabbaoth or spent thy selfe in a day of humiliation thou hadst neede to crye and burst thy heart againe for the imperfections and failings thereof In this sorrow that thou canst performe good duties no better Weaue vp the web what 's lacking in any of the rest here make it vp and to incourage thee thou hast this happinesse joyned with it that though thy griefe be small if it be true to cause thee to sell all that is to part from every sinne for Christ and take him as a husband and a Lord both for protection and government Then by the consent of all Divines it it godly sorrow and certainly accepted in Christ ₠FINIS