of heart wherin we are to be principall agents our selves for we may do much in this worke our selves are these 110 1. We must make choise of a fit time to goe about this worke 111 2. We must separate our selves from company and make choise of a fit place to doe it 118 3. We must seriously and impartially examine our owne hearts 119 4. We must cry earnestly to God to helpe us in this worke to blesse our indeavours in it 128 SERMON VIII NEcessary to have notes and signes given us whereby sincere and saving sorrow for sinne may be discerned 130 1. He that is truly humbled mournes more for the evill of sinne then for the evill of punishment 133 2. He mournes for sinne not so much in respect to himselfe as unto God because he is offended and dishonoured by his sinne 137 And 3. notes to try whether a man doth so 141. 142 THE AVTHOVRS Prayer before his Lecture THy Word O Lord is holy and pure as is thine owne Majesty and being sincerely preached worketh either to the salvation or condemnation of the hearers And we all that are heere assembled before thee at this time are of uncircumcised hearts and eares utterly unworthy by reason of that sinne wherein we were conceived and borne and of those actuall transgressions that wee have multiplyed against thy Majesty in thought word and deed from our first being untill this present houre once to set foot into thy Temple or to heare thy Word at all Vtterly unfit and unable by reason of our custome in sinne and the hardnesse of our hearts to profit by it when as we heare it So that Lord we are at this time in danger to be unprofitable hearers of thy holy Word and by being unprofitable bearers of the same we are in danger of thy heavy displeasure Yet forasmuch as it hath pleased thee in mercy to command us this exercise to appoint it to be the onely ordinary meanes whereby thou wilt worke Faith and repentance in thy children and the principall meanes whereby thou wilt increase them to promise also graciously that thou wilt accompany the outward ministery of thy Word with the inward grace and blessing of thy Spirit in the hearts of them that shall be reverently and faithfully exercised in the same We therefore in humble obedience to this thy holy commandement and in full affiance and confidence in this thy gracious promise are bold to present our selves before thee at this time Beseeching thee in thy sonnes blood to wash away all our siâ—â—es so as they may never bee laid to our charge againe either in the world to come to our condemnation or at this time to bring a curse upon this our exercise Good Lord so sprinckle that blood of thy Sonne upon our consciences that we may be assured of thy love and favour towards us in him By it sanctify us at this time and thy word to our uses opening and enlightning our understanding so as we may be able to understand and conceave of thy word aright strenghtening our memories so as we may bee able to remember it softning our hard and stony hearts so as wee may be able to beleeve it to yeeld unto it to apply it to our owne soules to meditate and conferre thereupon to practise it in our lives and conversations to stirre up one another to the obedience thereof That this our exercise may tend to the increase of our knowledge and of our obedience of our Faith and of repentance the glory of thy blessed name and the everlasting comfort of our owne soules Heare us O Lord in these our requests in what else soever thou knowest good for us or any of thy Church for Iesus Christ his sake our Lord and only Saviour In whose name wee continue our prayers unto thee as he himselfe hath taught us Saying Our Father which art in Heaven c. SERMON I. AVGVST III. MDCXXV PSAL. 35. 13. But as for me when they were sicke my clothing was sackcloth I humbled my selfe with fasting and my prayer returned into mine owne bosome NOt to take up time in speaking of the former part of this Psalme these words have this coherence and dependance on that which went before David as a type of CHRIST having many mortall enemies doth in this Psalme by a Propheticall spirit pray against them or rather foretell what should befall them In this Verse and the former to shew what cause he had to do so he aggravateth their sin by their unthankfulnesse in dealing so badly with him that had deserved so well of them The parts of this Verse are two viz. a profession of 1. The kindnes he shewed to these men wherin observe the Time when he did it and the occasion he tooke to doe it When they were sicke Dutie wherby he expressed his love he prayed for them which is amplified by the extraordinary manner of it set forth by the Outward helpes he used in it Sackcloth Fasting Inward disposition of his mind in it he humbled or afflicted his soule 2. The successe and comfort he found in it Observe first Davids practise he was wont when these men were sicke to be affected with their misery which teacheth us that GODS people ought to take to heart the miseries and calamities of others the judgements of GOD that do befall others Seâ— for proofe of this both the examples of his servants and then GODS commandement also When Eliphaz Bildad and Zophar heard of Iobs misery they came to mourne with him Iob 2. 11. But he was a rare man for piety and authority also you will say see therefore another example of this duty performed towards them that were not so Did not I weepe for him that was in trouble saith Iob Chap. 30. 25. was not my soule grieved for the poore Yea see an example of this towards most wicked men Iudg. 21. 2. The people of Israel came to the house of GOD as we do now to professe their sorrow for the extreme misery that the wicked Benjamites were most justly fallen into Yea we are straityly charged by the LORD to do so to remember and thinke of them as if their case were our owne Remember them that are in bonds saith the Apostle Heb. 13. 3. as bound with them and them that are in adversity as being your selves also in the body Yea to do it with hearty commiseration Rom. 12. 15. Weepe with them that weepe Yea if the judgement be famous and exemplary we are commanded also to make publique and solemne profession as we do at this day that we are affected with their misery Levit. 10. 6. Let your brethren the whole house of Israel bewaile the burning which the LORD hath kindled Three speciall reasons and grounds there be for this Doctrine for we should take to heart the miseries and calamities of others First In respect had to them that are afflicted For admit they were not our fellow-members in CHRIST nor
the plague if we do not first make our peace with GOD all these are in vaine If we beare in our bosome the cause of the plague if we nourish and increase it daily I meane our sinnes we cannot be sure to keepe it from our townes and houses do what we can Know thou for a surety it is GOD that sends the pestilence as He saith 2 Chron. 7. 13. In this judgement above others we are said to fall into the LORDS hands as David speaketh 2 Sam. 24. 14. And as He sends it so He onely guides it whither it shall go and whither it shall not go whom it shall smite and whom it shall spare And though He do usually send it by outward and ordinary meanes yet alwayes He doth not so Some that live in the thickest of them that are infected and in a most corrupt aire do escape some that flie from the places infected into the purest aire are infected they know not how How many Physitians and Chyrurgions and nurses and keepers that have beene wont to visit the infected to sweat them to dresse their sores to wash their linnen yea how many that have daily conversed with them and lyen in bed with them also have beene knowne to have escaped the infection altogether Whereas many that have beene most carefull to keepe themselves from all that have been infected and to use all good preservatives against the contagion have beene taken by it No man may argue from hence as some foolishly have done that this disease is not in it owne nature more infectious than other diseases are No more than from this that the three noble Iewes that were cast into Nebuchadnezzars furnace received no hurt at all by it Dan. 3. 27. and that oft times one house in a street or roome in a house escape burning in the greatest fires that have beene heard of a man may conclude that fire is not in it selfe of a burning and consuming nature But in this as in the other the finger and power of GOD is to be acknowledged in restraining and setting bonds to this heavy judgement as pleaseth Him And this the LORD doubtlesse doth to hearten and encourage them that are whole to performe all necessary duties of mercy and love to them that are sicke And as the LORD can thus limit the plague of pestilence so can He if He please command it to go through our whole Land before it cease as He did through the land of Israel 2 Sam. 24. 15. from Dan to Beersheba Though we flie from it He can follow and pursue us with it as He hath done many and threatneth I will persecute and follow them with the pestilence saith He Ier. 29. 18. Though we shut our doores against it He can make it come in at our windowes as they complaine Ier. 9. 21. Death is come up to our windowes and is entred into our palaces Let no man thinke he can be sure to avoid this judgement by flying from it if he be not carefull to remove the cause of it and to make his peace with GOD. Do therefore before it come nearer to thee as the LORD Himselfe counselleth thee Amos 4. 12. Prepare to meet thy GOD. And because thou canst have no assurance in thy selfe that thou shalt be able to avoid the danger of the indignation of this King that comes against thee for ought thou knowest with so great a power learne that wisdome that our Saviour directeth thee unto Luke 14. 32. While He is yet a great way off send an ambassage and desire conditions of peacewith Him If thou wouldst be free from the feare of the plague feare GOD aright Be not afraid saith the Prophet Esa. 8. 12 13. sanctifie the LORD of hosts Himselfe and let Him be your feare and let Him be your dread If we could feare the LORD as we ought we should not need to feare any thing els in the world Be sure to make thy peace with Him which how thou mayest doe I will tell thee by and by Thirdly and lastly to cause us to take to heart and to be affected with this fearefull plague consider that if this judgement be neglected as great as it is it wil be but a fore-runner of some more fearefull judgement than this is And as our Saviour speaketh in another case Matth. 24. 8. this wil be but the beginning of our sorrowes There is a judgement that this nation hath hitherto beene preserved from to the astonishment and admiration of all the world that is greater than this for it useth to bring this and the famine also with it I meane warre The sword of our bloudy and mercilesse enemies is worse than the plague This is plaine by Davids choice 2 Sam. 24. 14. Let us fall now into the hand of the LORD for His mercies are great and let me not fall into the handof man And surely we have cause to feare that if this will do us no good GOD cannot endure to have His judgements despised Heare what He saith Levit. 26. 18. If you will not for all this hearken unto Me then I will punish you seven times more for your sinnes And certainly I may say to all you that heare me this day if you regard not nor profit by this fearfull plague you heare of in London and in other parts of the Land GOD will either bring it home to you or a worse plague than it Luke 13. 3. Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish The second duty that this Doctrine serveth to exhort us to is that we would make right use of this judgement of GOD that is upon the Land unto our selves And that standeth in foure points First seeing 1. GOD gives us in this judgement such cause of sorrow seeing He is angry and 2 not with the Londoners onely but with us with the whole Land and 3. it may be more with us than with them and 4. seeing we know not how soon this fire that burnes our neighbours house may light upon ours We must therfore examine every one of us our own wayes This direction is given us Lam. 3. 39. 40. Wherefore doth a living man complaine a man for the punishment of his sinnes As if the Church there should say why do men mourne and fret and take on so for this judgement of GOD that is justly fallen upon them Why do they not betake themselves to the right course for the pacifying of GODS wrath Which is this and this onely Let us search and try our wayes and turne againe to the LORD Every one of us should say thus within himselfe surely the LORD is very angry with the whole Land with every one of us and what have I done to anger the LORD thus to provoke Him to this wrath Ier. 8. 6 7. The LORD chargeth the Iewes that they did not know His judgement because no man said what have I done And so surely will He judge of us We know not the meaning of the
apprehension and sense of mine owne unworthinesse and sinne how can I be importâ—nate with God in my prayer How can I pray in faith or be confident that He will heare me This must needs deprive a man of all boldnesse discourage and make him afraid to speake unto God This effect the sense of sinne seemes to have had in David when he cryed Psal. 40. 12. Miâ—e iniquities have taken hold upon me so that I am not able to looke up they are more than the haires of mine head therefore mine heart faileth me But to this I answer that no faithfull man hath cause to feare this For Gods people have never beene so strong with Him in prayer as when they were most abased and dejected in themselves insense of their owne weakenesse and unworthinesse When I am weake saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 12. 10. weake and dejected in my selfe through sense of mine owne infirmities and afflictions then am I strong strong in the Lord and fittest to do Him service in an acceptable manner See an example and type of this in Iâ—cob Gen. 32. 25 26 Never was he so strong with God as when the hollow of his thigh was out of joynt He had power over the Angell over Christ the Angell of the covenant saith the Prophet Hos. 12. 4. and prevailed He wept and made supplication unto Him He found Him in Bethel Why wept he so Certainly from the sense of his owne infirmity and unworthinesse but he prevailed with God in his supplications neverthelesse but much the more for that See this also in the good woman of Canaan do you not thinke she was much abased in her selfe upon those three repulses that she had received Mat. 15. 27. yet was her prayer then most strong and effectuall with God Vers. 28. And this is surely another cause why our prayers for our brethren have beene so weake and without force with God we are too strong too well perswaded of our selves to do Gods people any good with our prayers Fourthly We must bring with us unto prayer an unfeigned desire and a full purpose and resolution of heart to reforme that that is amisse both in our selves and others and so to remove the cause of Gods displeasure that is kindled against us Certainly this would give wonderfull force unto our prayers This was that that gave such force unto the fasting and praying of the Ninivites Ion. 3. See their care and desire Let them turne every one from his evill way say the King and his Nobles in their proclamation Verse 8. and from the violence that is in their hands See also both the performance of that they resolved to do and how nothing so much prevailed with God for the successe of their prayers as this Verse 10. God saw their workes that they turned from their evill way and God repented of the evill that He had said He would do untâ— them and He did it not Therefore hath it been usuall with Gods people in their solemne fasts not onely to make full and particular confession of their sinnes but also to vow unto God that they would leave and forsake them yea they were wont solemnly to bind themselves unto this All this is evident â—eb 9. 12 38. 10. 29. When Phinehas stood up and executed judgement upon Zimri and Cozbi as Moses and the Iudges had before done of many others that were joyned unto Baal-Peor Numb 25. 4 5. and so removed the cause of Gods displeasure the plague was stayed saith the Prophet Psal. 106. 30. All the weeping of the whole congregation before the doore of the tabernacle of which we read Numb 25. 6. could do nothing without that O that God would put into the hearts of all our Magistrates not onely to appoint and keep solemne and generall fasts but also by severe execution of the lawes to remove the causes of all our plagues Our King and State blessed be God have made good Lawes against idolatry swearing prophanation of the Sabbath murther and drunkennesse but alas we want such as Phinehas to see the lawes executed upon any of these offendors and therefore it is no marvell though the plague be not stayed While these fowle sinnes are winked at and go unpunished what hope can we have that either our owne prayers or the prayers of all the Saints upon earth should prevaile with God for our Land Till the Achans be found out and punished as found they may easily be for they do every where declare their sinne as Sodom they hide it not as the Prophet speaketh Esa. 3. 9. but till they be punished as God did say to Ioshua Icsh. 7. 10 11. Get thee up wherefâ—re lyest thou thus upon thy face Israel hath sinned so will He to us why do you thus fast and pray and make such shew of humiliation as you do find out the sinnes and punish them that are the causes of Mine anger and then I wil be appeased toward you and your Land Certainly one chiefe cause why our fasting and praying hath done so little good is because this â—aâ—h not beene done Nay many of these lewd men that are guilty of these foule sinnes intrude themselves into our assemblies and joyne with us in these holy duties And we know that the sacrifice of the wicked is abomination unto the Lord Prov. 15. 8. Let me therefore exhort you beloved that as you desire to please God in this profession of humiliation that you make and to benefit your selves or your brethren by your prayers resolve both to forsake every knowne sinne and vow unto God this day amendment of life in such particulars as thine owne heart can tell thee thou hast most offended God by and which of us all is it that hath not something to reforme remembring alwayes that speech of the Prophet Psal 66. 18. If I regardiniquity in my heart the Lord will not heare me as also 2. to do what lies in thee to reforme others Fiftly and lastly We must joyne workes of mercy with our prayers 1. Let no man thinke he shall be a looser by that that he gives out of conscience towards God unto the poore He that hath pitie upon the poore lendeth unto the Lord saith the Holy Ghost Prov. 19. 17. and that that he hath given will He pay him againe 2. Of all almes that is given that is best and most pleasing unto God that is given in our Church-assemblies for it is an ordinance of God and even a Sabbath-duty that collection should be made for the poore when we meet together as is plaine by that speech of the Apostle 1 Cor. 16. 1 2. And of that that is thus given you may have much more assurance that it shal be given to them onely that have need than you can have of much of that that you give at your doores 3. There is great force in this worke of mercy to further the good successe of our prayers els would not the Angell have said thus unto Cornelius
THE DOCTRINE OF FASTING AND PRAIER AND Humiliation for Sinne. DELIVERED In sundry Sermons at the Fast appointed by publique authority in the yeere 1625. By that Late Faithfull and Worthy Minister of Iesus Christ. ARTH. HILDERSAM LONDON Printed by George Miller for Edward Brewster and are to be sold at his shop at the great North-doore of S. Pauls at the signe of the Bible 1633. THE CONTENTS OF these Sermons SERMON I. Doctrine GOds people ought to take to heart the miseries and calamities of others the judgements of God that are executed upon others Page 2 Reason In respect had â— 1. To them that are afflicted 3 2. To the Lord. 4 3. To our selves â— Vse 1. To exhort us to take to heart gods judgments upon our brethren visited with the pestilence 8 For. 1. It is a fearefull judgement and their case is lamentable 9 2. None of us can tell how farre it may goe how neere it may come to us 11 3. If this bee neglected by us it will prove but a forerunner of some more fearefull judgment 14 2. To exhort us to make right use of it 15 1. By examining our owne hearts whether those sinnes be in us that are the speciall causes of the Plague 21 2. By taking the right course speedily to make our peace with God 21 3. By increasing our care to reforme our families 23 4. By being more mercifull to them in distresse 25 SERMON II. Doctrine A chiefe duty we are to performe to them in misery is to pray for them Pag. 27. This duty is to be performed 1. Whereby we doe expresse our love to any and whereby wee may doe them good 27 2. For all that are in misery 27 3. Specially for Gods people 28 4. In an extraordinary manner when their misery is extraordinary 28 5. Publiquely and generally when the calamitie is common and generall 29 Reason 1. The Lord is he onely that both inflicteth the judgment and is able to remove it 30 2. He commandes desires and lookes for this duty of us in this case 31 3. There is great power and force in this to relieve our afflicted brethren 31 Vse 1. To teach us what account is to be made of such as are true Israelites indeed gracious and mighty with God in prayer 33 2. To reprove such as 1. Either cannot pray or 35 2. Dâ—e not use to pray or 36 3. Will not pray 37 3. To examine our prayers and inquire how they have proved and what the causes have beene why they have proved noe better and these are 5. principally 39 SERMON III. David did not onely pray for his enemies when they were in misery but he did it in an extraordinary manner For his help in this prayer he clothed himselfe with sackcloth This was used much then in this case yet not as a religious but civill ceremony which we now are not bound to 4â— 50 Doctrine In the dayes of humiliation besides fervent prayer and the afflicting of our soules certaine outward and bodily exercises are to be used by Gods people viz. Certaine things are to bee done and perfermed as 51 1. Reading and preaching of the Word 52 2. Singing of psalmes 53 3. Almesdeeds 53 4. Censuring and reforming of grosse sinnes 53 Certaine things also are to be forborne in the day of our humiliation for our better helpe in this duty 1. All manner of meate and drinke 55 2. All costlinesse and neatenesse in apparell 55 3. Delights of all sortes 56 4. All workes of our calling And in these 4. points this abstinence is to be used for a whole day 56 5. Yea some abatement there must bee also in our naturall rest and sleepe upon this day 57 Yet are there 3. Cautions to be observed touching this abstinence 1. Outward abstinence is not the chief part of a true fast not the chiefe helpe to our prayers in it 58 2. The outward signes and helpes to humiliation must bee increased according to the increase and urgency of the cause thereof 58 3. The Law of outward abstinence in the dayes of humiliation must give place to the necessity and conveniency of man 59 Reason This abstinence is necessary in the dayes of humiliation 61 1. To helpe forward the inward humiliation of the heart 61 2. To helpe forward the fervency of the heart in prayer 62 3. To professe and make outward protestation both of our submission to God and of our repentance and desire to bee reconciled unto him 62 Vse 1. To teach us how to keepe our Fasts in the right manner 64 2. To exhort us to conscience and care in all these particular outward and bodily duties yet not resting in them but referring them to the right ends 65 3. To reprove sundry abuses which are chiefe causes of the ill successe of our Fasts 66 SERMON IV. DAvid afflicted his soule in his fast And what the meaning of the phrase is 70 Doctrine The chiefe use of a religious fast is to humble and afflict the Soule with sorrow and griefe And the chiefe thing that makes 〈◊〉 prayers powerfull with God at our fasts or any other time when they proceed from humbled and afflicted soules Yet every sorrow in this case pleaseth not God 72 Reason Of that sorrow Gods people have expressed at their fasts c. And with which God hath beene so much pleased 75 1. The fellow feeling of the miseries of others 76 2. When the Lord either by his judgements or threatnings hath declared himselfe angry with them 77 3. When they have seene God dishonored by the sinnes of others 78 4 When themselves have offended and dishonoured God by their own sinnes 79 Reason Why the Lord so much desires and delights to see his people humble themselves with sorrow and afflict their soules 80 1. The cause and roote from whence this sorrow springs 80 2. The end and effect that it tendes unto For first It makes the soule more capable of every grace and fit to receive it 80 Secondly It workes repentance unto salvation 81â— Thirdly It makes the Word and Christ and all Gods mercies sweeter unto us 81 Fourthly It makes us pray more fervently 82 Fiftly It makes us fitter to converse and walke with God 82 SERMON V. 1. Vse of the former doctrine is to exhort us to strive for this grace of godly sorrow and to be able to afflict our owne soules as David did 85 Motives to provoke us unto this 1. The example of Gods best servants 86 2. The promises God hath made unto this grace 91 SERMON VI. 3. THis is the best way to prevent the Lord from humbling and afflicting of our soules with his hand 99 Meanes to attaine to this grace of godly sorrow where in we are To use the helpe of others 1. A conscionable frequenting of the ministery of the Word 102 2. A willingnesse to bee privately admonished and reproved by some faithfull friend 106 SERMON VII THe meanes to attaine to godly sorrow and tendernesse
would have beene glad with all his heart to have fared as his fathers servants did Luke 15. 19. O what sweetnesse found Paul in Christ I determined saith he not to know any thing among you save Iesus Christ and Him crucified 1 Cor. 2. 2. And what made his tast so good He had been deeply humbled in sense of his sinnes as appeares plainly by this that he counted himselfe lesse than the least of all Saints Eph. 3. 8. and the chiefest of all the sinners that Christ came to save 1 Tim. 1. 15. And what sweetnesse did David find in Gods Word and promises Psal. 119. 103. How sweet are thy words unto my taste Yea sweeter then hony to my mouth And how came he to this O he had beene greatly humbled with sense of sinne as appeares Psal. 40. 12. Innumerable evils have compassed me about mine iniquities have taken hold upon me so that I am not able to looke up they are more then the haires of mine head therefore my heart faileth me Yea this makes all Gods mercies relish well and our hearts to rejoyce and be thankfull for them a farthing token is to a very poore man most acceptable This we shall see in Iacobs example hee vowed great thankfulnesse to God if hee would give him but bread to eate and raiment to put on as wee see Gen. 28. 20. because hee was so humbled in the sense of his owne unworthinesse and could say Gen. 32. 10. I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies 4. It makes them seeke to God more earnestly and pray more fervently As it is said of our Saviour himselfe Luk. 22. 44. that being in an agony he prayed more earnestly his inward abasement through anguish of soule did adde much to the fervency of his prayer So it is also with all his members they never pray so fervently as when they are most humbled and afflicted in spirit Lord in trouble have they visited thee saith the Prophet Esa. 26. 16. they poured out a prayer when thy chastning was upon them 5. And lastly It makes a man fit to walke and converse with God no man can be fit to doe so till then Mic. 6. 8. The Lord requires we should humble our selves to walke with our God We can never walke nor converse with God til we can humble our selves And that both 1. In respect of the Lord who can not delight to converse with any till he be humbled as no great man will be familiar with a saucy unmannerly foole that knowes not how to carry himselfe before his betters nor to give due respect unto him God cannot abide that flesh should glory in his presence 1 Cor. 1. 29. 2 Sam. 22. 28. The afflicted people thou wilt save but thine eyes are upon the haughty that thou maist bring them downe The more we are humbled in our selves the more the Lord delights in us to bee and converse with us Though the Lord be high saith the Psalmist Psal. 138. 6. yet hath hee respect unto the lowly but the proud he knowes afarre of And Esa. 57. 15. He will dwell with him that is of a contrite and humble spirit 2. In respect of our selves wee are never fit to walke with God till we be truly humbled We cannot serve God so as to please him till we can doe it with reverence and feare Heb. 12. 28. Till then we cannot heare the word as we should All thy saints are in thine hands saith Moses Deut. 33. 3. and they are humbled at thy feet to receive thy words Till then we can never pray as we should Till we can consider God is in the heaven of high and incomprehensible majesty and we upon earth base and vile worms wee shall bee apt to bee rash with our mouths and our heart will be hasty to utter any thing before God as Salomon speaketh Eccle. 5. 2. Till then men will never bee fearefull to offend him no wee can never know him nor our selves rightly till we have beene soundly humbled I have heard of thee saith Iob 42. 4. by the hearing of the eare but now mine eye seeth thee Iob had a true and saving knowledge of God before as he had also beene truly humbled in soule before but nothing to that he had when God had thorowly humbled him And so it is said of Manasseh 2 Chron. 33. 12. 13. That when he was in affliction and had humbled himselfe greatly then Manasseh knew that the Lord he was God Till then we cannot yeeld any acceptable and constant obedience unto God Ier. 44. 10. They are not humbled even unto this day neither have they feared nor walked in my Law nor in my statutes that I set before you and before your fathers SERMON V. Octob. 12. 1625. TWo Uses this Doctrine serveth unto principally First for exhortation and then for comfort And first to exhortus that we would all of us strive to aâ—teine to this grace that David heere speaketh of and hath beene commended unto us in this Doctrine that is to be able to afflict our owne soules with godly sorrow And for my better proceeding in handling of this use and for the help of your memory and edification I will deliver unto you 1. The motives whereby you may be provoked to seeke this grace 2. The meanes you must use for the atteyning of it 3. The signes and tokens whereby you may discerne it First Motives I say for you had need to have forcible reasons shewed you why you should desire it none of us desire it as we ought most men abhorre all sorrow they put farre away the evil day Amos 6. 3. and give themselves to all meanes of mirth that they can devise Amos 6. 5 6. And even in these times wherein the Lord by so many meanes cals to mourning and to weeping behold joy and gladnesse every where as it was in the Prophets time Esa 22. 12 13. Every mans heart is in the house of mirth Eccle. 7. 4. You had need therefore have forcible motives given you to persuade you to seeke and labour for godly sorrow for an afflicted and humbled heart In the stone of the kidny or bladder men need not be persuaded to desire or seeke remedy but in the stone of the heart they doe First Consider the examples of Gods servants whom God in his Word hath commended to us and whom we count happy men as the Apostle speaketh Iam. 5. 11. and we shall see they were men of tender hearts they were deeply humbled and much given to mourning and weeping for their sinnes David was much given to weeping for sinne he spent whole nights in weeping abundantly Psal. 6. 6. And Peter when he repented wept bitterly Mat. 26. 75. Paul was so humbled all his dayes for the sins he committed before his calling that hee counted himselfe not worthy to be called an Apostle 1 Cor. 15 9 Yea he judged himself lesse then the least of all Saints Ep. 3.