Israel and forgivenesse of sinnes Soe is it as certaine we never truly repented of our sinnes if wee have not unfeignedly sorrowed and mourned for them 2 Cor. 7. 10. Godly sorrow worketh repentance unto salvation Wee must be made though not equall yet conformable to Christ in his death and passion as the Apostle speaketh Phil. 3. 10. or we shall never reigne with him This is a faithfull saying saith the Apostle 2 Tim. 2. 11. 12. if wee â—ee dead with him wee shall also live with him if we suffer with him wee shall also reigne with him And this was a cheif part of his passion wherein we must be conformable unto him When he suffred for our sinnes Mat. 26. 37. He began to be sorrowfull and very heavy insomuch as he could not containe but must needs acquaint his three Disciples with it verse 38. Then saith he unto them my soule is exceeding sorrowfull even unto death When he suffred for our sinnes hee wept abundantly as the Apostle saith Heb. 5. 7. He offred up prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares We cannot sorrow and weepe in that measure as he did for our sinnes but we must sorrow in our measure as he did we must be made conformable to him in his passion as you have heard or wee shall never have part in him We must either mourne as Peter did with a saving sorrow Mat. 26. 75. or wee shall mourne as Iudas did with a desperate sorrow Mat. 27. 3 5. We must either now in this life mourn for our sinnâ—s as we have heard all Gods servants have done or we shall certainly herafter cry for sorrow of heart as the Prophet speaketh Esa. 65. 14. and houle for vexation of spirit in Hell where shall bee nothing but weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth as our Saviour speaketh Luk. 13. 28. where their worme never dyeth and the fire never shall be quenched Mar. 9. 44. Secondly Because men are very apt to bee deceived in this point and to thinke they have beene rightly humbled and have rightly sorrowed for their sinnes when indeed they have not We read of the hypocrites expostulation with God Esa. 58. 3. They had afflicted their soules and God tooke no knowledge of it Zach. 7. 3 5. They had mourned and wept in their fasts and the Lord saith of them they had not done it unto him they had their owne ends in it Yea it is certaine many hypocrites doe indeed mourne and are exceedingly humbled sometimes You know the Lord giveth this testimony of Ahab himselfe that he was humbled 1 Kings 21. 29. And yet as good never a whit as never the better their sorrow and humiliation is to no purpose at all because it is not sound and sincere Thirdly Because many of Gods children that are indeed true mourners are apt to doubt of themselves and to complaine their hearts are so hard that they cannot mourne for their sinnes ô if they had soft and melting hearts that they could sorrow that they could weep for sinne they were in an happy case but alas they cannot Thus Gods Church and people complaine unto God Esâ— 63. 17. O Lord why hast thou hardned our heart Seeing therefore it is as you see in these three respects a matter of so great necessity to have a sure direction given us out of Gods Word how to discerne that humiliation of soule and sorrow for sinne that is sincere and saving from that that is counterfait I will give you some principall notes of differences betweene them whereby they may be judged of And these are to bee referred to foure heads The first is from the object of our sorrow and humiliation the thing the matter that we are grieved and humbled for The second from the measure and degree of our sorrow The third from the cause that breedeth it in us and fountaine from whence it floweth The fourth and last from the effects and fruits that proceed from it For the first If we desire to know whether we were ever yet rightly humbled or whether we doe still remaine in the hardnesse and impenitency of our hearts we must examine what it is that hath troubled us and made us to mourne First He that is truly humbled mourneth for the evill of sinne rather then for the evill of punishment It is no ill signe to mourne and to be humbled under the judgements of God Nay it is our duty to be so and a passing ill signe it is of an ungratious heart not to be affected with the judgements of God not to be troubled when the Lord sheweth himselfe to be angry with us The Prophet complaineth of this as of a great sinne Ier. 5. 3. O Lord thou hast stricken them and they have not grieved It is said of Gods people Ezr. 10. 9. that they trembled because of the great raine And David and the Elders of Israel humbled themselves greatly for the plague that God sent upon the land 2 Sam. 24. 17. And so did Iehoshaphat when God threatned an invasion 2 Chron. 20. 3. When the state and government of the Kingdome of Israel in the dayes of Saul was so broken and out of order had so many breaches in it that it did even shake and totter as ready to fall and come to ruine as the Prophet complaineth Psal. 60. 2. Gods people were so troubled with the sensible token of Gods displeasure that they were euen astonished with it thou hast made us to drinke the wine of astonishment as the Prophet speaketh verse 3. And certainly this is a dangerous signe that our people generally are given up of God to a marvellous hardnesse of heart that the Lord having by all these tokens of his anger cald us to weeping and to mourning as the Prophet speaketh Esa. 22. 12. we have beene generally given to asmuch jollity in these times as ever we were Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till you dye saith the Lord God of Hosts as it followeth there verse 14. Yet though it be a good thing to be humbled under Gods judgements this is not enough to prove our humiliation to bee sound and sincere Many an hypocrite hath gone so farre Thus farre Ahab went ô how he was humbled at the hearing of that fearefull judgement that God threatned by the Prophet to bring upon him and his house 1 King 21. 29. Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himselfe Thus farre Iehoram his sonne and as bad a man almost as he went when a grievous famine was upon the land he greatly humbled himselfe for though he were a King he wore sackcloth not as his upper garment as the manner was to expresse their humiliation outwardly but secretly next his skin 2 King 6. 30. See how farre an hypocrite may goe in humbling himselfe under Gods judgements But the true repentant though he is humbled for and can mourne for Gods judgements yet that is neither the onely nor the chief cause of his sorrow his
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
and humbledst thy selfe before me and didst rent thy clothes and weep before me I have even heard thee saith the Lord. Wherein also we may observe how well God is pleased to see his people fall into these passions of feare and sorrow when he by his word doth rebuke and threaten them Which the Lord also professeth Esa. 66. 2. But to this man will I looke even to him that is poore and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my Word So when God hath shewed himselfe to bee angry and displeased with them by executing any of his judgements upon them they have then beene wont and it was their duty then to afflict their soules If her father saith the Lord of Miriam Num. 12. 14. had but spit in her face should shee not be ashamed seven dayes See a plaine proofe of this 2 Chron. 7. 13. If I send pestilence among my people if my people shall humble themselves and pray and seeke my face Marke not their owne losse by the judgement should trouble them so much as Gods anger and therefore in their prayer they seeke Gods face and favour above all things And this is very pleasing unto God to see his people humble themselves so under the strokes of his hand See a notable example of this 2 Chron. 12. 3 4. Shishak King of Egypt came against Ierusalem with a mighty Army and tooke the fenced Cities that pertained to Iudah and came to Ierusalem See what followed 2 Chron. 12. 6. The Princes of Israel and the King humbled themselves and they said the Lord is righteous And what followed upon that verse 7. And when the Lord saw that they humbled themselves the word of the Lord came to Shemajah saying they have humbled themselves therefore I will not destroy them Thirdly When they have seene God dishonored by the sins of others then have they also mourned and afflicted their soules Ieremy professeth 13 17. If you will not heare my soule shall weep in secret places for your pride So David professeth that the Zeale of Gods house the inward vexation of his soule through zealous sorrow and indignation for the neglect and profanation of Gods worship had even eaten him up and consumed him Psal. 69. 9. Specially the foule sinnes that they have knowne in the places Townes Congregations Families where themselves lived So it is said of Lot 2 Pet. 2. 8. That righteous man dwelling among them in seeing and hearing vexed his righteous soule from day to day with their unlawfull deeds So Paul saith the Corinthians should have done 1 Cor. 5. 2. Ye are puffed up and have not rather mourned And see how highly God is pleased with this when his people can mourn for this cause Ezek. 9. 4. And the Lord said unto him that was clothed with linen and had the writers inkhorne by his side Goe through the midst of the City through the mids of Ierusalem and set a marke upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof Fourthly and lastly The chief cause why they have beene so given to mourning and weeping why they have afflicted themselves so much hath beene their owne sinnes whereby themselves have offended and dishonoured God This David professeth was the cause why his sorrow was continually before him he was sorry for his sinne Psal. 38. 16. 17. This was the cause why Mary Magdalen wept so abundantly that shee was able to wash Christs feet with her teares shee was a sinner Luk. 7. 37 38. This sorrow God wonderfully delights in more then in all outward worship whatsoever Psal. 51. 17. The Sacrifices of God are a broken spirit a broken and contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise Now come we to the second inquiry to find out the true causes and reasons of this why God should so much desire and delight to see His people humbled with sorrow to see them afflict and chasten their soules in this manner It is said of Him that He hath pleasure in the prosperity of His servants Psal. 35 27. that He doth not afflict willingly Lam. 3. 33. that in all the afflictions of His people He is afflicted Esa. 63. 9. And indeed it is true that our sorrowes in themselves please not God but onely in respect First of the causes and fountaines from whence they proceed that is 1. They are the worke of His owne Spirit It is the Spirit of God onely that gives to any man such a fleshy and soft heart as we may see by that promise Ezek. 11. 19. I will give them one heart and will put a new spirit within you and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh and will give them an heart of flesh And I will powre upon them my spirit and they shall mourne abundantly saith the Lord Zach. 12. 10. And God must needs take pleasure in the worke of His owne grace and holy Spirit 2. These teares proceed from our love to God Kindnesse you know causeth teares more than any thing els so it is in this case Christ saith of the woman that wept so abundantly that she loved much Luke 7. 47. And that which makes men most of all to mourne for sinne is the Spirit of grace which perswades us of Gods free love to us and that Christ was pierced by and for us Zach. 12. 10. And this above many other workes of His Spirit God greatly delighteth in 1 Cor. 8. 3. If any man love God the same is knowne of Him Secondly In respect of the end that this sorrow tends unto the issue and effect of it the Lord greatly delighteth in it He seeth we have need of it 1 Pet. 1. 6. Now for a season if need be you are in heavinesse The Lord seeth it will do us much good and therefore He is so well pleased with it Eccles. 7. 3. By the sadnesse of the countenance the heart is made better 1. It makes us more capable of every grace of God and fitter to receive it As the vessell that is full can receive no good liquor but all is spilt that is powred upon it and the emptier it is the more it will receive So is it in this case Iam. 4. 6. God will give grace to the humble For knowledge Psal. 25. 9. The meeke will He teach His way and for comfort 2 Cor. 7. 6. God comforteth those that are cast downe 2. It worketh repentance unto salvation and the heart is never wont to be truly turned unto God and changed but the change begins here 2 Cor. 7. 10. Godly sorrow worketh repentance unto salvation not to be repented of 3. It makes Christ and Gods Word and Promises sweet unto us and all Gods mercies to relish well as hunger makes us relish our meat and thirst our drinke Prov. 27. 7. The full soule loatheth an hony-combe but to the hungry soule every bitter thing is sweet The prodigall when he had beene pinched with hunger
8. Yea they have been brought to the very point brink of despaire before they could come to comfort So was Asaph when he cryed Psal. 73 26. My flesh and my heart faileth And so was Heman when he complained Psal. 88. 15. While I suffer thy terrours I am distracted And so was David also when he said thus in his prayer unto God Psal. 40. 12. Mine iniquities have taken hold upon me so as I am not able to looke up they are more then the haires of my head therefore my heart faileth me But these were fouler sinners thou wilt say then ever thou wert I will shew thee therefore examples of such as whose sinnes were as small as thine Iob was never tainted with so fowle sinnes as thou hast been and yet his eyes were wont to poure out teares unto God 16. 20. He for that very forwardnesse and impatiency he shewed in so great affliction abhorred himselfe and repented in dust and ashes Iob 42. 6. Davids heart was so soft and tender that it smote him when he had but cut off the skirt of Sauls garment 1 Sam. 24. 5. The poore man whose child Christ dispossessed burst out into teares even for the weakenesse of his faith Mar. 9. 24. Paul was marvellously humbled even for his originall sinne Rom. 7. 24. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Consider these examples well and thou must needs conclude with thy selfe 1. Surely it must needs be a good thing 2. Surely it must needs be a necessary thing that all Gods people have beene so much given unto Surely I have as much cause as they had to weepe and bee deeply humbled for my sinnes But I will give thee another example farre greater then all these thy blessed Saviour that had no sin was much given to mourning and weeping for the the sinnes that thou and such as thou art have committed Mar. 3. 5. He mourned for the hardnesse of the hearts even of his enemies He wept over Ierusalem Luc. 19. 41. His soule was exceeding sorrowfull unto death Mat. 26. 38. He offred up prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares Heb. 5. 7. Say not I have the lesse cause to grieve for my sinnes because hee grieved so much for them Esay 53. 4. Surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrowes For thou must become conformable unto him in his sufferings or thou shalt never have comfort in them Rom. 8. 29. 6. 5. Say therefore to thine owne soule if all Gods people have beene so apt to weep and mourne what am I But before I proceede to the second Motive two questions and doubts must be ansvered that may arise from the first Can I not be in the state of grace unlesse I match these examples and be so tender hearted and apt to mourne as they I answer first thou mayest All Gods children have not beene humbled nor broken in heart in the same measure and degree and two reasons there be of the difference First In the persons themselves Some of them have beene more hainous sinners then others And according to the proportion of mens sins hath and must be the measure of mens humiliation The hainouser the sinne the deeper and of the longer continuance must the sorrow be Of Manafâ—es it is said 2 Chron. 33. 12. He humbled himselfe greatly before God Of David Psal. 51. 8. that his anguish and sorrow for sin was like to the paine a man feeleth that hath his bones broken Of Mary Magdalen that she wept so aboundantly as she could wash Christs feet with her teares Luc. 7. 38. Thinke upon this thou that hast beene guilty of murther persecution whoredome or such like hainous sinnes thy sorrow must be proportionable to the hainousnesse of thy sinnes The second reason of the difference is in the Lord who is the only worker giver of this grace For as in other graces he is pleased to give them in greater measure to some of his elect then to others Mat. 13. 23. In some elect ground the seed of the Word yeelds but thirty in some sixty in some an hundred fold So is it in this Ordinarily the Lord useth by the spirit of bondage and legal terrors to prepare men to their conversion and deeply to humble them to give them the spirit of bondage Rom. 8. 15. But we read of no such thing in the first conversion of Matthew though he had beene a Publican For at his very first conversion he made a great feast to Christ Mat. 9. 9 10. nor in those that Peter converted for though they were pricked in their hearts and deeply humbled before they beleeved Act. 2. 37. Yet did their sorrow and feare continue nothing so long upon them as Davids did they quickly attained to comfort in the assurance of pardon Act. 2. 41. 46 Lydias example I doe of purpose omit for shee though shee beleeved not in Christ till she heard Paul Act. 16. 14. yet was converted and feared God before Verse 13. Secondly Yet know this that all Gods elect 1. Find in themselves this humiliation even with legall terrours at one time or other For Christ was sent to preach the Gospell to none but to the broken-hearted to the captives to the bruised Luk. 4. 18. that is to such as had the spirit of bondage Rom. 8. 15. 2. All Gods faithfull and true hearted people are in some true measure humbled and can mourne and afflict their soules for sinne for they are all oft in scripture stiled by this title They are called the humble Psal. 34. 2. an afflicted and poore people Zeph. 3. 12. the poore of the flâ—ck Zac. 11. 7. 11. poore he meanes in spirit Maâ— 5. 3. Psal. 34 6 3. They hold themselves bound to aime at the best marks and to strive to be like them that have most excelled in this grace of brokennesse of spirit ability to mourne for sin Phil. 3. 17. Brethren be followers together of mee and marke them that walke so as ye have us for an ensample Thou art then in a wofull case if thou neither canst mourne for thy sinne nor strivest to doe it But yet there is a second question to be resolved For we heare may some say that Iob and David Peter and Paul and Hezechia and Iosia and Christ have been much given to weeping in their mourning for sinne they have wept much Can I not bee in the state of grace can I not have truely repented nor beene humbled for my sinne unlesse I can doe as they did unlesse I can weepe for my sinne I answer First That the griefe and mourning for sinne be absolutely necessary unto unfained repentance teares are not alwayes so And I will shew you two reasons of the difference that is to be observed betweene Gods people in this point First The constitution of some mens bodyes makes them much more unapt to weepe then others are Secondly The
very extreamity of griefe sometimes so oppresseth and overwhelmeth mens hearts as David complaineth of himselfe Psal. 143. 4. My spirit is overwhelmed within me my heart within mee 〈◊〉 desolate as they cannot ease themselves either by words or teares Gods people have beene oft in that extreamity of griefe as they could not pray I meane not expresse in words the desires of their heart but with sighes and groanings Rom. 8. 26. In extreamity of sorrow some men cannot weepe It is said of David and his company 1 Sam. 30. 4. they had no more power to weepe So that I may say to thee that if thou canst by the signes that I shall by and by give thee approve that thou art able soundly to mourne and bee humbled for thy sinnes though thou canst not weepe for them thou mayst be in the state of grace for all that But secondly I answer That if the constitution of thy body will serve thee to weep for other things and yet thou couldst never weep for thy sinnes surely thy case is fearefull As to the man that can remember other things well enough a tale a play but a sermon a chapter of the Bible he cannot remember and excuseth the matter thus my memory is naught I may say it is naught indeed with a witnes it is sinfully it is damnably naught so to thee that canst weepe for other things but not for sinne I may say flatter not thy selfe but strive to bee able to doe as thou hearest other the good servants of God have done and that God hath beene so highly pleased with them for strive to bee able to weepe for thy sinnes The second motive to persuade you to seeke for this grace is the consideration of the manifold promises God hath made in his word to them that can afflict their soules and be rightly humbled for sinnes and the great benefite that this grace will bring with it First This sorrow shall not be everlasting Rev. 7. 17. but it shall end in comfort Iohn 16. 20. Yee shall be sorrowfull but your sorrow shall be turned into joy Psal. 126. 5. They that sow in teares shall reap in joy It is appointed unto them that mourne in Zion that they shall have the â—ile of joy given them for their mourning the garment of praise for the spirit of heavines Esa. 61. 3. The Lord who is the father of mercies God of all consolation is cald a God that comforteth al those that are cast downe 2 Cor. 7. 6. Never found Gods people that coÌ„fort in Gods mercy in the assurance of the pardoÌ„ of their sins as when they have beene most humbled and able to weep most for their sinnes Esa. 29. 19. The meeke shall increase their joy in the Lord and the poore among men shall rejoyce in the holy one of Israel The day of humiliation when Gods people afflict their soules before him is called a day of attonement Levit. 23. 27. For so is Gods promise Zac. 13. 1. In that day there shall be a fountaine opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Ierusalem for sinne and for uncleannesse First No man need feare hee shall bring himselfe to desperation if he give way to this tendernesse of heart and sorrowing for sinne For there is no such medicine in the world to free thy heart from legall and desperate feares and sorrowes and to bring thy heart to sweet peace and comfort in God as this is if thou couldst rightly mourne and be humbled for thy sinne When those poore wretches that had crucified Christ and were pricked in their hearts with intollerable feares and sorrowes and anguish of soule for it and cried out to the Apostles what shall we doe Act. 2. 37. Marke what remedy Peter prescribes them verse 38. Repent saith he Why Did they not repent already of that they had done Yes with legall repentance for endaungering themselves but his meaning is repent and mourne that you have offended God And indeed so is Gods promise Esay 57. 15. I will dwell with him that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones He may be sure to have his heart revived and comforted that can be humbled enough Secondly Yea there is no such remedy against wordly sorrow as this if when we feele our hearts dejected with any sorrow for any worldly crosse we would labour to turne our heart from the consideration of the crosse to the consideration of our sinne that hath beene the cause of it And this remedy you shall finde prescribed Lam. 3. 39. Wherefore doth a living man complaine chafe and fret and disquiet himselfe a man for the punishment of his sinnes let us search and try our wayes I beseech you lay this second Motive to your hearts every one of you 1. Many of you never yet had any comfort in God in the assurance of the pardon of your sinnes never found sweetnesse in Christ nor in Gods promises 2. Many of you are much disquieted with legall and desperate feares 3. Many of you are alwayes heavy hearted somtimes by reason of crosses you meet with and sometimes you know not why And what is the true cause of all this You were never yet rightly humbled for your sinnes Why will you continue in this uncomfortable estate Learne to mourne and weepe for thy sinnes and that will help all The second promise made unto it and benefit this sorrow will bring is that it will make us capable of and able to thrive in every saving grace This benefit you shall find pressed as a motive unto this 1 Pet. 5. 5 6. God giveth grace to the humble humble your selves therefore saith the Apostle under the mighty hand of God Iam. 4. 6 7 9. God giveth grace to the humble submit your selves therefore to God bee afflicted and mourne and weep Men use not to come to the rock to be well grounded and setled in grace till they have digged deep Luk. 6. 48. Such shall attaine to a cleare and certaine and sanctified knowledge of the truth Psal. 25. 9. The humble he will teach his way Such shall get power over their corruptions 2 Cor. 7. 10. Godly sorrow worketh repentance unto salvation not to be repented of Eccle. 7. 3. Sorrow is better then laughter for by the sadnesse of the countenance the heart is made better These teares are of a purging and cleansing nature no sope no nitre is so effectuall to get the spots and staines out of cloth as these are to wash out the spots of thy soule That which Salomon saith of a slanderer Prov. 25. 23. An angry countenance will drive him away may be said of this if sinne be not cockerd and made much of if we would shew our selves discontented sad and heavy while it tarrieth with us this would drive it away Take this also to heart I pray you 1 Many of
you complaine or have just cause to complaine you thrive not in any saving grace you are like Pharaohs kine though you live in never so good pasture yet are you still as ill favoured and leane as ever you were Gen. 41. 19. 21. 2. Many of you are extreamely ignorant and unsetled in your religion unstable soules as the Apostle speakes 2 Pet. 3. 16. 3. Many of you complaine you cannot overcome nor get power over any corruption you cry with the Apostle though not with that successe that hee did Rom. 7. 15. That which I doe I allow not for what I would that I doe not but what I hate that doe I. Learne to know the true cause of all this you were never yet rightly humbled for sinne If thou couldst be humbled and learne to mourne for thy sinne God would give thee more grace Thirdly The Lord hath promised his speciall protection assistance and mercy in the evill day the day of his wrath and judgements unto such as are rightly humbled and can mourne for their sinnes Psal. 18. 27. Thou wilt save the afflicted people and 34. 18. He saveth such as be of a contrite spirit Iob 22. 29. When men are cast downe then thou shalt say there is a lifting up he shall save the humble person And this promise God hath been wont to make good one of these three wayes 1. Either by turning away the judgment that he had threatned as 2 Chron. 32. 26. Hezechia humbled himselfe for the pride of his heart both he and the inhabitants of Ierusalem so that the wrath of the Lord came not upon them in the dayes of Hezechia Yea to shew what sound humiliation is able to doe the very counterfait of it hath beene very effectuall this way for the turning away of judgements 2 Chron. 12. 12 When Rehoboam humbled himselfe the wrath of the Lord turned from him so that he would not destroy him altogether and also in Iudah things went well The like we may see in the example of a worse man then hee 1 King 21. 29. Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himselfe before me therefore I will not bring the evill in his dayes Or 2. by hiding his servants from the judgement and providing for their safety in the common calamity as he did Iust Lot that was vexed with the filthy conversation of the Sodomites 2 Pet. 2. 7. This our God can doe verse 9. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of tentations For to him belong the issues of death Psal. 68. 20. Or 3. if he see it not good to do either of the former by sealing them setting his mark upon them giving them by his spirit further assurance of his favour and strength of grace to indure the calamity for that is Gods seale and marke Ep. 1. 13. and so did the Lord with those humbled soules that went into captivity Ezek. 9. 4. Goe through the midst of the City through the midst of Ierusalem and set a marke upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abhominations that be done in the midst thereof Consider well of this benefit I pray you 1. We live now in an evill time The plague hath devoured many thousands already and we all may see cause enough to feare it may come neerer to every one of us then yet it hath done 2. The Lord doth also threaten us with the sword You have heard of the intentions of our enemies abroad 3. All mens hearts are disquieted with feare few have any inward peace and security in their minds Learne therefore to know how wee might remedy this Certainly if we could learne to afflict our selves and mourne for our sinnes we need not feare either the plague or the papists God would be a refuge for us a refuge in times of trouble Psal. 9. 9. O that Gods people throughout the land could humble themselves more for sin for the sinnes of the land and for their owne sinnes O that we could doe it that are here now Remember what is said Prov. 14. 26. In the feare of the Lord is strong confidence and his children shall have a place of refuge Fourthly The Lord hath promised that the prayers of such shall prevaile mightily with him both for themselves and others You know what is said of Iacob Hos. 12. 4. He had power over the Angel and prevailed he wept and made supplications unto him And of Hezechiah Esa. 38. 5. I have heard thy prayers I have seene thy teares behold I will adde unto thy dayes 15. yeeres And what need we more examples when we have the Lords expresse Word and promise for this Psal. 10. 17. Lord thou hast heard the desire of the humble thou wilt prepare their heart thou wilt cause thine eare to heare Psal 34. 17. When the Prophet had said The righteous cry and the Lord heareth them he giveth this for the reason verse 18. The Lord is nigh to them that are of a broken heart 2 Chron. 7. 14. If my people that are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray then will I heare from Heaven Yea for others also God will heare them Iob 42. 8. My servant Iob shall pray for you for him will I accept 1. Wee all complaine and not without cause as Iob did Iob 30. 20. I cry unto thee and thou dost not heare me I stand up and thou regardest me not 2. And we account it if we be as we should be the cheif priviledge and comfort we have in this life to have audience and respect with God in our prayers 1 Iohn 5. 14. This is the confidence that wee have in him that if wee aske any thing according to his will he heareth us 3. Take notice of a cheif cause thereof and as thou desirest God should have more respect to thy prayers labour thou to be more humbled for thy sinnes SERMON VI. Novemb. 9. 1625. FOlloweth now the third and last motive that this is the best way to prevent the Lord from afflicting and humbling our soules with his owne hand when we have learned to humble and afflict our owne soules For this is a certaine truth sinne will bring sorrow sooner or later that cannot bee avoided Sinne is therefore called sorrow because sorrow is an inevitable effect and consequent of it Eccl. 11. When he had said verse 9. Rejoyce O young man in thy youth and let thy heart cheere thee in the daies of thy youth and walke in the waies of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes but know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into judgement he addes verse 10. Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart and put away evill from thy flesh When sinne hath gone before sorrow even sorrow and affliction of soule for sinne will follow Prov. 29. 6. In the transgression of a wicked man there is a snare that is that that will fill their hearts with deadly sorrow and heavinesse
as appeares by the next words but the righteous sing and rejoyce Ier. 2. 19. Thine owne wickednesse shall correct thee know therefore and see that it is an evill thing and bitter that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God and that my feare is not in thee Thy sinnes certainly will be bitter to thee one day sooner or later Take this for an undoubted truth thou must either temporally heere or eternally hereafter in hell lament and be waile and weepe for thy sinnes Luc. 13. 28. There shall be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth when ye shall see Abraham and Isaac and Iacob and all the Prophets in the Kingdome of God and your selves thrust out How much more when they shall see and feele the torments that are prepared in hell for them Now when God as an angry judge strikes and afflicts the soule with sorrow for sinne even in this life ô that sorrow is terrible and intolerable when hee smites the heart he so sets it on as no man is able to abide it Heb. 10. 31. It is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the living God Prov. 18. 14. A wounded spirit that is which God in his anger hath wounded who can beare Nah. 1. 6. Who can stand before his indignation and who can abide in the fiercenesse of his anger his fury is powred out like fire and the rocks are throwne down by him And the best way to prevent the Lord from wounding and afflicting our soules is to smite and afflict our owne hearts for our sinnes the way to prevent those intollerable and everlasting sorrowes which God in his fury will bring upon wicked men is to worke our hearts to this godly sorrow our selves and to humble our owne soules this is plaine by that speach of the Apostle 1 Cor. 11. 31. If wee would judge our selves wee should not bee judged of the Lord hee meanes as appeares in the next verse O thinke of this thou merry Greeke that art all for mirth and pleasure thou drunkard and whoremaister that findest such joy and sweetnesse in thy sinne thou pleasant witted fellow that canst so wittily breake jests upon religion and the servants of God that thou canst set all the company on laughing the time will come when thy sinnes which thou canst not abide to thinke of shall be set in order before thine eyes that thou shalt not be able to looke of from them they shall never out of thy thought Psal. 50. 21. Thou that canst not abide to heare of thy sinnes nor to be told of them nor reproved for them by any of Gods servants who are as Elihu speakes Iob 33. 6 7 8. in Gods stead unto thee formed out of the clay aswell as thy selfe whose terror need not make thee affraid shalt one day heare the Lord himselfe reproving thee for them Psal. 50. 21. I will reprove thee saith he and that will be such a kind of reproving as is mentioned Psal. 2. 5. Then shall hee speake to them in his wrath and vex them in his sore displeasure better to have an hundred of Gods poore servants to reprove thee then to have the Lord doe it Thou that canst not abide to let any sadnesse or sorrow for sinne to come neare thy heart but hatest sorrow as the Devill and abandonest it from thee with all thy might doe what thou canst sooner or later it will seize upon thee When Gods servants that have beene much given to mourning for sinne shall sing for joy of heart thou shalt cry for sorrow of heart and howle for vexation of spirit Esay 65. 14. Luke 6. 25. Woe unto you that laugh now for ye shall mourne and weepe Yea 2. thinke of this all you that feare God were it not much better for you to take paines with your owne hearts to humble and afflict them then to leave it to God to doe it in his wrath You have heard hee will certainly doe it if you doe it not and the way to prevent him from doing it is to doe it your selves And these are the motives that may stir up in every one of us a desire to seeke for this grace of an humbled and broken heart It followeth now that I shew you the meanes whereby you may atteine it And these are of two sorts 1. Some such as wherein you must use the helpe of others 2. Some such as wherein you must be the agents your selves Of the first sort I will name to you but two The first is the ministery of the Word If thou wouldst have a soft heart able to mourne for sinne thou must conscionably frequent the faithfull ministery of the Word strive to live under a forcible ministery such as will search thy heart No meanes in the world have ever wrought so mightily to the saving humbling and afflicting of the soule as this hath done By this meanes they that had crucified Christ and were so hardned in their sin that when they saw that wonderfull miracle even the Apostles that were poore Galileans speake in all languages the wonderfull things of God they mocked them and said these men are full of wine Act. 2. 13. were so pricked and wounded in their hearts that they knew not what to doe till the same hand that wounded them had healed them againe as you may read Act. 2. 37 41. And what was it that brought David to such a saving sense of his sinne in numbring of the people that his heart smote him for it and he cryed I have sinned greatly in that I have done I have done very foolishly 2 Sam. 24. 10. Surely God had sent Gâ—d the Prophet unto him as you may see in the next words verse 11. For when David was up in the morning the Word of the Lord came unto the Prophet Gâ—d Davids Seer saying c. and though it be said of Manasses 2 Chron. 33. 12. that when he was in affliction he besought the Lord his God and humbled himselfe greatly before him yet if you looke into the 18. verse of that chap. you shall find he had a mightier and stronger meane to worke that humiliation in his heart then his affliction was the Lord had sent to him Seers and Prophets that spake unto him in the name of the Lord. His affliction was but a subordinate meanes to make him the better able to receive profit by the word the words and ministery of the seers was that that wrought this mighty work There is more force in the ministery of the Word to worke sound and saving humiliation then in all the afflictions in the world Psal. 94. 12. Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest O Lord and teachest him out of thy Law See a notable experiment of this in Rehoboam and the Princes of Iudah 2 Chron. 12. 2 6. When God had for their apostacy sent Shishak King of Egypt with a mighty and invincible army against them and brought them thereby into extreame perill and distresse
Lord is nigh saith he to them that are of a broken heart If we would strive in our daily prayers when wee make confession of our sinnes to doe it with feeling and not formally it would not onley make our prayers more effectuall with God but keepe our hearts from hardning and bring them to a good temper Luk. 18. 13 14. When the Publican made confession of his sinnes with that feeling smiting upon his breast and saying God be mercifull to mee a sinner It is said â—ee went home to his house justified rather then the other Fourthly This daily accustoming our selves unto this worke of calling our selves to account and afflicting our hearts for our sinnes would make it more easy and familiar unto us when we shall have extraordinary occasion to betake our selves to it That which is said by the Prophet of the Lords chastening of us may fitly be applyed to this chastening of ourselves Lam. 3. 27. It is good for a man that he beare the yoke in his youth and to have beene accustomed to stoop unto and to beare patiently the Lords afflicting hand By this that hath beene said you see it is good for us to be doing somewhat in this worke every day Yet are there five speciall times and seasons that will yeeld us great helpe in this businesse more then other times will doe The first fit time to worke our hearts to godly sorrow is presently after some fall we have received some grosse sinne we have slipped into A great advantage it will be unto us to humble our soules for it presently and without delay For first sinne newly committed may be better knowne and remembred with all the circumstances whereby it is aggravated And that is a great helpe to the humiliation of the soule as wee may perceive in Davids speech Psal. 51. 3. For I acâ—nowledge my transgressions and my siâ—â—e is ever before me Secondly The heart will not be so hardned by sinne that is newly committed but more easily wrought upon and softned then when sin hath lyen long upon it As a bone that is out of joint the longer it is neglected will be set againe with more difficulty and paine A Leopard may as soone leave his spots an Ethiopian his blacknesse as he can do his sinne that hath lyen long in it Ier. 13. 23. Secondly Another fit season for this worke is when wee prepare our selves to renew our covenant with God in the holy Sacrament For 1. at that time God requires of us a speciall care to examine our selves and call to mind our sins and to judge our selves for them else it is not possible we should receive worthily 1 Cor. 11. 28. 29 31. When thou bringest thy gift to the altar saith our Saviour Mat. 5. 23. as at the Lords table we doe offer and present our selves unto God our soules and bodyes as a holy reasonable and lively sacrifice unto him and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee Teaching us that at that time specially we should remember and call to mind what our brother and much more what our heavenly father hath against us 2. At that time men if they have any spark of grace in them are apt to find in themselves some stirrings of their affections unto goodnesse some motions of Gods spirit some dispositions unto devotion and remorse for sinne Ministers that use to deale privately with their people at that time shall find them more easie to be wrought upon and so shal every man his own heart then at other times These good motions should bee followed without delay As it is said that they that lay at the poole of Bethesda stroue to get in so soone as euer the Angell had stirred the water Iohn 5. 4. And Iosuah so soone as God by a vision had stirred him up to search and find out the sinne that had provoked God against Israel Iosh. 7. 16. went without delay immediatly about it So should we doe in this case When we feele God begins to soften our hearts and to stirre up these good dispositions to devotion in us then should wee set our selves seriously to this worke of calling to mind our sinnes and bringing our hearts to sorrow for them For 1. when God stirs up such motions he knocks at the doore of our hearts and sheweth himselfe willing to enter in Rev. 3. 20. 2. Satan will bee ready to quench the spirit in these good motions As it is said he watched the infant to devoure it so soone as ever it should be borne Rev. 12. 4. Thirdly The dayes and times wee set apart for fasting and prayer upon whatsoever just occasion are a most fit season for us to goe about this work For 1. we find Gods people have had their hearts wonderfully softned at such times The Israelites in the fast that they kept for successe against Benjamin came into the house of God and wept Iudg. 20. 26. And in the fast they kept as Mispeh they wept so abundantly that they are said 1 Sam. 7. 6. to have drawne water as by buckets full out of their hearts and to have poured it out before the Lord. 2. This exercise of a religious fast is a great help and furtherance to this work As wee see heere in Davids example Psal. 35. 13. I humbled my selfe with fasting 69. 10. I wept and chastened my soule with fasting Fourthly When any judgements of God lye heavy upon our selves or our brethren that is a fit season to goe about this work When these men were in misery David fell heere to afflicting of his soule Psal. 35. 13. For 1. the Lord by every one of his judgements doth testify from Heaven that he hath matter against us as Naoâ—i saith Ruth 1. 21. Why doe you call mee Naomi seeing the Lord by taking away my husband and my children hath testified against me and the Almighty hath afflicted me 2. God by his judgements doth call upon us to examine our wayes and humble our selves before him Hag. 1. 5 6 7. Now therefore saith the Lord of Hosts coâ—sider your wayes yee have sowen much and brought in liâ—le thus saith the Lord of Hosts consider your wayes And Esa. 22. 12. In that day did the Lord God of Hosts call to weeping and to mourning 3. God by his judgements softneth the hearts of men and worketh in them more remorse more pronenesse and aptnes to repent then at other times Iob 23. 16. God maketh my heart soft saith Iob and the Almighty troubleth mee A man shall find himselfe fitter to pray then then at other times and we should take the advantage and opportunity of this time for it Iam. 5. 13. Is any afflicted let him pray This hath beene oft seene even in many notable hypocrites who how profane soever their hearts have beene at other times yet in their affliction have found in themselves a disposition to pray and to repent Psal. 78. 34. When he slew them then they sought him
and returned And Esa. 26. 16. Lord in trouble have they visited thee they poured out a prayer when thy chastning was upon them And we find by experience that at such a time a faithfull Minister may much better worke up on the hearts of men to bring them to remorse and repentance then at another time According to that speach of Elihu Iob 33. 22 24. When a mans soule draweth neere to the grave if there bee then a messenger with him an interpreter one of a thousand to shew unto man his uprightnesse then he is gracious unto him And so speaketh Davidâ—lso â—lso Psal. 94. 12. Blessed is the man whom thou chastnest ô Lord and teachest him out of thy Law This is a singular favour of God when correction and instruction goe together And herein wee are bound to acknowledge the great mercy of God to our Land that in the time of so generall and grievous visitation as hath been upon it he hath put it into the Kings heart to command so much preaching that thereby the hearts of the people might bee effectually wrought upon now the Lord hath so by his judgement prepared them And certainly if in such a time the word doe not work upon mens hearts it will never doe them good Fiftly and lastly When wee feele a secret pensivenesse and sadnesse to come upon our hearts so as they even melt within us like ground that thaweth after a frost so as we could even weepe abundantly this is an excellent season and opportunity to bring our hearts unto godly sorrow in For 1. sadnesse and heavinesse maketh the heart more apt to bee wrought to goodnesse Eccle. 7. 3. Sorrow is better then laughter for by the sadnesse of the countenance the heart is made better 2. This is the way to turne the streame and current of our sorrow the right way by making our sin our greatest sorrow as indeed it ought to bee because it is the onely just cause of all other our sorrowes Lam. 3. 39. 40. Wherefore doth a living man complaine a man for the punishment of his sinnes Let us search and try our wayes and turne againe unto the Lord. And surely to conclude this first point in this we have all cause to acknowledge our owne folly and to bee humbled for it and to impute that want of grace and ability that is in us to mourne for our sins unto this that wee have neglected these times and seasons whereby we might have beene so much helped in this work We know the fittest seasons for the plowing and breaking up of our ground and we carefully observe them but we know not or care not to observe the fittest seasons for the breaking up of the fallow ground of our hearts which yet concerneth us much more then the other doth Breake up your fâ—llow ground saith the Prophet Ier. 4. 3. and sow not among thornes The second thing wee must doe to worke our hearts to godly sorrow is this after we have made choise of a fit time to goe about this work we must also make choise of a fit place for it even such as wherein we may be most free from all distractions For though this also be but a circumstance yet may it yeeld us some help in all exeâ—cises of devotioÌ„ Christ bids us make choise of a secret place for our private prayer Mat. 6. 6. And so did he himsâ—lfe Mar 1. 35. Hee went out and departed into a solitary place and there prayed And Act. 10. 9. Peter went up to the top of the house to pray So though it be no shame for a man to weepe for his sinnes as we have heard Gods people have done abundantly in their solemne fasts yet is a solitary and secret place the fittest to worke our hearts unto godly sorrow Commune with your own hearts upon your beds in secret saith David Psal. 4. 4. and be still Hâ—Zechiah turned his face to the wall when he prayed and wept so sore Esa. 38. 2 3. And Ieremiah 13. 17. saith his soule should weepe in secret And Zâ—ch 12. 12. it is said they should mourne every family apart the husband apart and the wife apart And Ieremy describing the man that is humbled under Gods hand aright saith Lam. 3. 28. Hee sitteth alone and keepeth silence Thirdly When wee have made choise of a fit time and a fit place also for this businesse then must we examine our hearts seriously and impartially And in this examination two things are to be performed by us 1. We must labour to find out and call to mind our sinnes for which wee should bee humbled 2. We must lay them to our hearts and so consider and weigh with our selves the hainousnesse of them and aggravate them against our selves that we may be affected with them For the first Hee that desires to have his heart humbled and to bee able to mourne for his sinnes must labour by diligent search and examination to finde out his sinnes and call them to mind and set them before his face Bring it againe to mind ô yee transgressours saith the Lord Esa. 46. 8. Let not man be affraid or unwilling to doe this To commit sinne is dangerous and hurtfull to thy soule but to call thy sinnes to remembrance hath no danger in it will doe thee no hurt at all to have an enemy or a mortall disease upon thee is dangerous and hurtfull but to be aware of them to know them when thou hast them may doe thee much good Iob knew this well and therefore prayeth earnestly to God to helpe him in this Iob 13. 23. Make mee to know my transgression and my sinne For 1. till then thou canst never truly mourne for thy sin and repent of it Ier. 8. 6. No man repented himselfe of his wickednesse saying what have I done To know in generall and in grosse that thou art a sinner wil never huÌ„ble thee aright thou must know thy sins in particular or thou canst never truely repent This was that that humbled Gods people so in the dayes of Samuel 1 Sam. 12. 19. Wee have added to allour other sinnes this evill to aske a King This was that that humbled those 3000. mentioned Act. 2. 36 37. and pricked them at the heart God made knowne to them their sinne in particular even that hainous sinne of crucifying the Lord of life 2. It is profitable for us in another respect For the more carefull we are to remember our sinnes and call them to mind the more ready will the Lord bee to forget them and cast them behind his back This is plaine by that prayer David maketh Psalm 51. 1 2 3. Have mercy upon me ô God wash me throughly from my iniquity for I know my transgressions and my sinne is ever before mee But if thou strive to forget them never to thinke of them to cast them behind thy back bee thou sure God will remember them and never have them out of his eye Thou hast
saith Moses Psal. 90. 8. set our iniquities before thee our secret sinnes in the light of thy countenance But thou wilt say to me What sinnes should I call to mind all that is an endlesse worke I know not where to begin nor where to make an end Psal. 40. 12. They are more in number saith David then the haires of my head How much more wilt thou say are my sins innumerable I answer 1. The more sinnes thou canst call to mind the better it will be for thee This we may see Ezek. 20. 43. where this is promised as a singular grace God would worke in his peoples hearts You shall remember your wayes and all your doings you have beene defiled and yee shall loath your selves in your owne sight for all your evils that ye have committed Therefore also when the Lord prescribeth unto Aaron the course hee should take in making an attonement betweene God and the people he tels him Levit. 16. 21. he must confesse over the live goat all the iniquities of the children of Israel and all their transgressions in all their sinnes And therefore it is good when thou goest about this worke to take the helpe of the glasse set the glasse of Gods Law before thee and examine thy wayes according unto it Rom. 3. 20. By the Law commeth the knowledge of sinne Secondly take heed thou dost not in thy examination willingly forget or passe by any sinne Either 1. out of a conceit that it is but small For Gods curse is due to the smallest Deut. 27. 26 Nor. 2. out of favour thou bearest to it and loathnesse to leave it For if thou regardi niquity in thine heart the Lord will not regard thee Psal. 66. 18. and Prov. 28. 13. Hee that hideth his sin shall not prosper Thirdly and lâ—stly Be thou yet in this examination of thy selfe specially desirous and carefull to call to mind the foulest and grossest of all thy sinnes that ever thou commiettdst though it were long agoe Deut 9. 7. Remember and forget not how thou provokedst the Lord thy God to wrath in the wiâ—dernesse Thus did David in the exercising of himâ—selfe unto repentance thinke oft of the sinnes of his youth Psalm 25. 7. Remember not the sinnes of my youth nor my transgressions So did Paul oft call to mind his foulest sinnes 1 Tim. 1. 13. I was a blasphemer and a persecuter For the heart will sooner bee brought to remorse and sorrow by remembrance of these then of smaller sinnes which was the cause why the Publicans and Harlots those grosse sinners repented sooner then the civill Pharisees Matth. 21. 32. No hard matter for you that have beene adulterers blasphemers persecuters theeves oppressours drunkards to bring your hearts unto godly sorrow if you would take but a little paines with them You that have lived more civilly as that rich young man had done that concerning the Commandements of the second Table could say unto Christ Matthew 19. 20. All these things have I kept from my youth up must take the more paines in this work The second thing we must doe in this examination of our selves is this When we have found out and called to mind our sinnes then must wee consider and weigh with our selves the hainousnesse of them aggravate them against our selves and lay them so to heart as we may bee affected and moved to remorse and sorrow for them Men are oft blamed for this that they laid not their sinnes to their heart considered not so of them as to bee affected with them Esay 47. 7. The Caldeans are blamed that they did not lay to their hearts the oppressions they had done to Gods people And the Iewes Esay 57. 11. that they laid not to heart their Idolatry Now the way to lay them to our heart is to consider well the hainousnesse of them and the circumstances whereby they are aggravated Paâ—l did use thus to aggravate his sinnes against himselfe Ephe. 3. 8. I am lesse then the least of all Saints 1 Tim. 1. 15. I am the chief of all sinners The circumstances whereby sinne is aggravated are many I will name a few of them First Consider thy sinnes have beene committed against many and strong meanes of grace Remember what Christ saith Matth. 11. 24. to Capernaum because of this I say unto thee that it shall bee more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgement then for thee Oh! consider with thy selfe that if the sinnes of Indians and other barbarous people that never enjoyed any ordinary meanes of grace shall justly be punished in Hell fire as doubtlesse they shall For as many as have sinned without Law shall also perish without Law saith the Apostle Rom. 2. 12. If the sinnes of Infants doe justly deserve damnation as certainly they doe Death hath raigned saith he Rom. 5. 14. even over them that have not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression that is not actually What degree and measure of punishment and torment thinkest thou is most justly due to thy sinnes that have beene committed against such meanes of grace as thou hast enjoyed Secondly Thy sinnes have not beene committed upon ignorance but against thy knowledge And if the elect Iewes were so pricked in heart for the sinne they committed ignorantly Act. 3. 17. how much more cause hast thou Remember what Christ saith of this circumstance Luk. 12. 47. That servant which knew his Lords will and prepared not himselfe neither did according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes Thirdly How voluntary thou hast sinned how weake and light the tentations have often beene that have drawne thee to it nay how thou hast drawne and provoked thy selfe to it And say thou to thine owne heart If God were so much offended with Ahab though he had so strong a tempter as Iesabel his wife I Kings 21. 25. Alas what cause hath he to bee offended with mee that have beene mine owne tempter Remember what the Holy Ghost speaketh of this circumstance Esay 33. 1 Woe to thee that spoilest and wast not spoiled 5. 18. Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity sin as it were with a cart rope Fourthly The◠〈◊〉 â—â—mber of thy sinnes Say they were in their 〈…〉 so small yet the number of them and thy multiplyiâ—g of them so ofâ— makes the burden â—f them intolerable Consider how the Lord aggravates sinne by this circumstance Ier. 5. 6. A Lyon out of the forrest shall slay them and a Wolfe of the eveningâ— shall spoile them a Leopard shall watch over their cities every one that goeth out thence shall be torne in pieces because their transgressions are many and their backslidings are increased See what weight this very circumstance gave unto Davids sinne in the sense of his Conscience Mine iniquities saith he Psal. 40. 12. are more then the haires of mine head therefore mine heart faileth mee The sands though taken severally they
sinnes that have provoked God to those judgements trouble him most I will declare mine iniquitie saith David Psal. 38. 18. and be sory for my sinne And Ezek. 7. 16. They shall be on the mountaines like the dâ—ves of the valleyes all of them mourning every man for 〈◊〉 iniquity Yea even wheÌ„ Gods judgements do presse and humble him most yet â—he is more troubled for his sinne then for the affliction that is upon him as wee shall see in that prayer of David Psal. 25. 18. Looke upon my affliction and my paine and forgive all my sinnes And so it is said of Gods people in Ezras time when the Lord by a judgement of immoderate raine had testified his displeasure against them Ezra 10. 9 They trembled because of this matter their sinne in marrying Idolaters and for the great raine Their sinne was the chief thing they trembled for Let us then examine our sorrow by this first note alas many blesse themselves in this that they have beene much given to sorrow and heavinesse 1. If sorrow be good saith many a one I have had enough of that Yea upon this they ground their hope that they shall escape the wrath to come because they have endured so much sorrow in this life I have had my punishment in this life saith he Alas poore wretch of all thy sorrowes that thou hast endured I may say as our Saviour doth in another case Mat. 24. 8. All these are but the beginning of sorrows worldly sorrowes are but the beginning of hellish sorrowes The Devils also beleeve and tremble after this sort as the Apostle speaketh Iam. 2. 19. They are troubled exceedingly more then ever thou couldst be with the apprehension and sense of the punishment which they undoubtedly bâ—leeve is prepared for them 2. Many of you are oft troubled with sadnesse and heavinesse of heart and can say as Iob 23. 16. God maketh my heart soft and the Almighty troubleth me O that thou couldst turne the streame of thy sorrow the right way from sorrowing for thy affliction to sorrowing for thy sinne One houre spent in sorrowing for thy sin will yeeld thee more true comfort then a thousand spent in sorrowing for thy affliction will doe 3. And we all now assembled to professe our humiliation for the manifold tokens of Gods anger upon his Church and this land must examine the truth of our hearts in this whether we can aswell mourne for the sinnes of the land as for the judgements of God that are upon it and are threatned against it See a notable example of this in Nehemiah Chap. 1. when he heard of the great affliction and reproach Gods people were in at Ierusalem verse 3. How the wals of Ierusalem were broken downe and the gates thereof burnt with fire he sat downe and wept and mourned certaine dayes and fasted and prayed before the God of Heaven as he saith verse 4. But what is it that most humbled and troubled his heart in this his fast Surely not so much the judgement whereby God had shewed himselfe to be angry with them as their sinnes whereby they had made him angry as you shall see verse 6. 7. and surely the sinnes of the land ought to trouble us more then any of the judgements either persent or imminent though they bee very great and fearefull For 1. they give us cause to feare far heavier then these be and God hath said of England as hee said once of the Kingdome of Iuda Ezek. 21. 27. I will overturne everturne overturne it and it shall be no more 2. If it were not for the sinnes of the land these judgements would vanish or doe us no hurt at all 1 Cor. 15. 56. The sting of death is sinne And of one sinne the sinne of Idolatry specially being openly committed and alas our land standeth guilty of that and of many more it is said Exod. 32. 25. Moses saw though every blind foole could not see it that the people were naked for Aaron had made them naked to their shame before their enemies Alas the sinnes of the land make us naked to our enemies abroad and to our treacherous and bloudy Papists at home do what we can to defend and arme our selves till our sinnes be repented of till they be removed we shall be found to be a naked people We cannot stand before our enemies till the accursed thing till Achâ—n betaken away Iosh. 7. 13. and alas we have many Achans amongst us So many of you therefore as have hearts that can mourne that can be humbled mourne for the sinnes of the land and by the first note approve unto God and to your owne hearts the truth of your humiliation that you professe this day And so much for the first note Secondly He that is truly humbled mourneth for sinne not so much in respect to himselfe of the hurt and danger that his sinne bringeth upon himselfe as in respect to God because he is offended and dishonoured by his sinne Saving sorrow is therefore called 2 Cor. 7. 10. Godly sorrow 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sorrow that respecteth God and is opposed to worldly sorrow that respecteth onely the crosses and miseries that sinne maketh us subject unto I graunt 1. It is not unlawfull to bee troubled for sinne even out of respect to the punishment and misery that it will bring upon us As a man may have respect to this in his feare that keepeth him from committing sinne so may he also in his sorrow for it after it is committed Iob giveth this for a reason why he durst not sinne For destruction from God saith he Iob 31. 23. was a terrour to me And so doth Paul 2 Cor. 5. 11. Knowing therefore the terrours of the Lord we persuade men 2. Sound and saving humiliation for sinne useth to begin in this legall compunction and terror which hath respect onely to the misery that sinne bringeth us to And not one of an hundred doe ever come to mourne for sinne in respect to God till they have first learned to mourne for sinne in respect to themselves this prepareth maketh way for and draweth in the other as the prick of the needle doth the threed So it is said of those three thousand that were converted by Peter Act. 2. 37. that they were first pricked in their hearts that is with this legall sorrow and feare But though this bee a lawfull and good thing to mourne and be troubled for sinne even in respect of the misery it maketh us obnoxious unto yet is not this sufficient to prove our humiliation and sorrow for sinne to be sound and sincere for many an hypocrite hath gone so farre they have beene greatly humbled and troubled for their sinnes O how Pharaoh complained and cried out of his sinne Exod. 9. 27. He saith to Moses and Aaron I have sinned the Lord is righteous and I and my people are wicked And so did Iudas Mat. 27. 3. 4. He repented himselfe cryed out saying
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
our kindred or acquaintance nor our country-men admit they were meere strangers to us admit they were all most wicked men yet nature binds us to be affected with their miseries because they are our owne flesh Esa. 58. 7. Hide not thy selfe from thine owne flesh And he that hath not humanity and naturall affection in him certainly hath no grace but is given up to areprobate mind as the Apostle teacheth us Rom. 1. 31. Yea it is an argument of a cruell heart to be void of naturall commiseration and carelesse of other men whether they sinke or swim In this Cain first bewrayed his murderous heart when he said of his brother Gen. 4. 9. Am I my brothers keeper And so did the chiefe Priests and Elders when hearing Iudas cry out of himselfe for his sinne and beholding him in the pangs of desperation they said unto him What is that to us see thou to that Secondly In respect had unto the LORD who by these judgements executed upon others doth manifest from heaven that His wrath is kindled that He is in a fury So that not to be affected with His judgements executed upon others is a double contempt done to the LORD Himselfe 1. In that we are not moved nor tremble to see Him angry Amos 3. 8. The Lion hath roared who will not feare It is hard to find a man so stout and couragious shall I say nay so senslesse or prophane that trembleth not sometimes at the fearefull thunder-claps and lightnings because GOD therein manifesteth His glorious power and because that though He strike not many with them usually yet some He doth but there is much more cause to tremble and be affected with His generall and extraordinary judgements upon others for thereby He doth not onely manifest His glorious power but His revenging justice also and anger against sin which is much more terrible than the other See a proofe of this Ezek. 32. 10. The Kings of the nations shal be horribly affraid for thee when I shall brandish my sword before them and they shall tremble at every moment every man for his owne life in the day of thy fall The Heathen that had no goodnesse in them at all when they should behold how terrible GOD was in His judgements upon His owne people should be in continuall feare that He would destroy them also As the scholler that is himselfe faulty and obnoxious to the rod when he seeth his master in a fury against any of his fellowes cannot chuse but tremble unlesse he be desperate This made the Prophet when GOD had in a vision manifested to him His glory Esa. 6. 45. when he saw the posts of the temple doore moved at the voice of the Angel that cryed and the house filled with smoke to cry out from the very consciousnesse of his owne sinfulnesse and deserts Woe is me for I am undone because I am a man of uncleane lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of uncleane lips for mine eyes have seene the King the LORD of Hosts 2. There is in this another contempt also done unto GOD because GOD never smites some but to warne all what is due to them and what they must looke for unlesse they repent Even those executions which the Magistrate doth by GODS appointment upon foule offenders are done chiefly to warne others Deut. 13. 11. All Israel shall heare and feare and shall do no more any such wickednesse as this is amongst you But much more those judgements which the LORD Himselfe hath executed upon any either immediately or by His destroying Angels are intended chiefly for the instruction and warning of others The righteous shall see and feare saith David Psal. 52. 6. The LORD consumed the Sodomites in that fearefull manner to make them an example to those that after should live ungodlily 2 Pet. 2. 6. And the earth swallowed up Corah Dathan and Abiram not onely out of that respect GOD had to the glory of His owne justice in taking vengeance on them for all their sinnes but that they might become a signe unto others as the HOLY GHOST saith expresly Num. 26. 10. Every judgement of GOD hath a voice and is a reall Sermon of repentance and the more generall and extraordinary the judgement is by so much the lowder and more audible voice it hath and it is therefore a contempt done to GOD when we regard it not nor hearken unto it Mica 6. 9. Heare the rod and who hath appointed it The third and last reason and ground of the Doctrine is in respect had to our selves For there is no judgement executed upon others specially if it be any whit publike and generall and more than ordinary but we all are to take our selves interessed in it yea to have had a hand in provoking the LORD unto it For as sinne is the cause of all GODS judgements that come upon a land so we must not judge them the greatest sinners alwayes upon whom they light Those eighteene upon whom the tower of Silo fell thinke ye saith our Saviour Luke 13. 4 5. that they were sinners above all that dwelt in Hierusalem I tell you nay Neither must we thinke that the sinnes of those whom GOD smites with His judgements are the only cause of the judgements or that He is angry with them only but know that He is aswel angry oft times with those that He spares as with those whom he smites and the sins of those whom he spares have oft a stronger hand in plucking down the judgement than the sinnes of those whom He smites have had Two notable examples we have for this in the time of David It was a fearefull judgement that GOD executed upon Vzza 1 Chron. 13. 10. The anger of the LORD was kindled against Vzza and He smote him because he put his hand to the arkeâ— and it is said Verse 12. that the judgement upon Vzza much affected David and made his heart quake And why so Surely because he knew that GOD was not angry with Vzza onely but with the whole congregation The LORD our GOD saith David 1 Chron. 15. 13. made a breach upon us for that we sought Him not after the due order He knew that the sinnes of the Priests and others that were spared provoked GOD to that judgement more than Vzza's did as appeares in the beginning of that Verse For because ye did it not at the first the LORD our GOD c. The second example is 2 Sam. 24. It was a fearefull judgement that is mentioned in the fifteenth Verse When by a pestilence that the LORD sent upon Israel in three dayes there died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba seventy thousand men and they that were slaine had doubtlesse sinne enough in themselves to deserve it but was their sinne the onely or the chiefe cause of that judgement no certainly the sinne of those that were spared was the chiefe cause of it as David confesseth Vers. 17. Loe
plague nor make right use of it unlesse every one of us enter into his owne heart aâ—d say what have I done To this end it wil be profitable for us to search the Scriptures and find out what were the speciall sinnes which either have brought the pestilence upon GODS people in former times or which the LORD hath threatned to punish in this manner and with this judgement For the first I find five great plagues of pestilence recorded in the holy Scriptures and the speciall sinnes that were the causes of them are also plainly set downe The first great plague we read of was that which is spoken of Numb 11. 33. The wrath of the LORD was kindled against the people and the LORD smote the people with a very great plague And what was the cause of that plague Surely their murmuring and discontentment at their present condition their unthankfulnesse to the LORD who had brought them out of the land of Egypt Vers. 20. their loathing of Manna Verse 6. which the Prophet for the excellency thereof calleth Angles food Psal. 78. 25. and the corne and bread of heaven Psal. 78. 24. 105. 40. their lusting after the flesh-pots of Egypt and longing to be there againe Numb 11. 45. Exod. 16. 3. Secondly Another we find mentioned Numb 14. where although the LORD was stayed by the prayer of Moses from smiting the whole congregation with the pestilence and from dis-inheriting them as He threatned to do Vers. 6. yet often of those men that were sent to search out the Land it is said Vers. 37. that they died of the plague before the LORD And the cause of this is said to be Verse 36 37. that they did bring up a slander and evil report upon the promised Land and thereby made all the congregation to murmure against Moses who had spoken so much good of it Thirdly Another great plague Moses hath set downe the story of Numb 16. 49. wherein there died foureteene thousand and seven hundred and yet then so soone as wrath was gone out from the LORD so soone as the plague was begun as we read Vers. 46 48. Aaron the true â—ype of our onely High Priest and effectuall Intercessour for us unto GOD went with his incense and stood betweene the dead and the living and made an attonement for the people and so the plague was stayed How fearefull a pestilence would that have beene if it had continued any time if it had not been presently stayed And the sin that provoked GOD to send this pestilence among His people we find to have been their murmuring and rebelling against Moses and Aaron the Ministers and servants of the LORD as it is plain by the 41 and 42 Verses of that Chapter Fourthly The fourth memorable pestilence that we read of is that which is recorded Num. 25. of which there fell in one day as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 10. 8. three and twenty thousand Moses in setting down that story saith Numb 25. 9. those that died in the plague were twenty and foure thousand putting all together in that summe that perished at that time and for that sinne as well those whom himselfe and the judges had put to death according to the commandment of GOD Vers. 4 5. which may seeme to have beene in number about a thousand as those that perished by that plague which the LORD in His fierce anger as it is said Vers. 4. did send amongst them which were the three and twenty thousand that the Apostle speaketh of For that most of them that then perished died of an extraordinary pestilence and not all by the sword of the Magistrate as some learned men judge may appeare by that which the HOLY GHOST speaketh of it in other places as Numb 31. 16. There was a plague among the Congregation of the LORD and Iosh. 22. 17. where the very same words are used by Phinehas who had a chiefe hand in the staying of it and Psal. 106. 29 30. The plague brake in upon them then stood up Phinehas and executed judgement and so the plague was stayed And what was the cause of this strange and fearefull pestilence that consumed in one day three and twenty thousand Surely it was whoredome as both Moses Numb 25. 1 6. and the Apostle 1 Cor. 10. 8. do expresly teach us Fiftly the fift and last plague we read of in holy Scripture was in Davids time the story whereof is set downe 2 Sam. 24. 15. this went thorough all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba in three dayes and consumed in so short a time no lesse than seventy thousand men And the cause of this plague was the pride of Davids heart and the confidence he reposed in his owne strength and in the outward meanes he had to defend himselfe by and to provide for his owne safety And besides these five great plagues I find also mention made of another dangerous and strange sicknesse wherewithall the LORD in his just judgement did smite and afflict his people in the Church of Corinth which though I cannot certainly say it was the pestilence because the text doth not expresly say so yet I may boldly say it was an epidemicall disease and grievous mortality most likely to be it Many are weake and sicke among you saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 11. 30. and many sleepe that is die of it And the cause of this sicknesse and mortality the Apostle tels us was this that they came carelesly unreverently and without due preparation unto the holy Sacrament Thus you see what sinnes have brought the plague upon men in former times yea upon such as have beene GODS people by profession aswell as we And This happened unto them for ensample as the Apostle speaketh 1 Cor. 10. 11. and all the seen samples are written and recorded in Scripture of purpose for our admonition And although we read of no plagues that are recorded in the holy Scriptures but those that I have mentioned and for those sinnes yet find we diverse other sinnes also which GOD hath threatned to punish this way GODS people were afraid that He would fall upon them and consume them with the pestilence as we read Exod. 5. 3. even for their negligence of His solemne worship and service though they were then in Egypt where they could not performe it without extreme danger And because Pharaoh had despised and hardened his heart against former and smaller judgements the LORD threatneth Exod. 9. 15. to smite him and his people with the pestilence To conclude the LORD did by His Prophet Ieremiah 21. 5 6. threaten in anger and fury and in great wrath to smite the inhabitants of Ierusalem both man and beast and that they should die of a very great pestilence because they stood out in rebellion against the King of Babylon and refused to yeeld unto him as GOD had commanded them whereby it appeareth that an obstinate refusing to obey the Word and commandment of GOD in any thing though it
till three whole weekes were fulfilled Now for the reasons and grounds of the Doctrine why such bodily exercises especially this abstinence must be used upon the dayes of our humiliation I need go no further than this that God hath ordained them in His Word as you have heard and therefore we may be assured 1. They are usefull and profitable for us For whatsoever He commands us to doe is for our good Deut. 10. 13. 2. That He will make them effectuall to His people unto those ends He hath ordained them for Teach them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you saith our Saviour Mat. 28. 20. and loe I am with you alway even unto the end of the world And those ends are three principally First to further and helpe forward the inward humiliation of the heart to make us the better to feele what sinne is and what it hath deserved at Gods hands For as the full feeding and pleasing of the body in these things is a meanes to increase corruption Ier. 5. 7 8. When I fed them to the full then they committed adultery c. they were as fed horses in the morning c. so the abridging of it in these things is effectuall to weaken and abate the strength of sinne 1 Cor. 9. 27. I keepe under my body and bring it into subjection By this we take revenge of our selves which is a great helpe unto true repentance as the Apostle sheweth 2 Cor. 7. 11. Secondly To further and helpe forward the fervency of our hearts in prayer This is evident by that speech of Christ Mar. 9. 29. This kind can come forth by nothing but by prayer and fasting Thirdly To professe and make outward protestation of our repentance and submission unto God and humble desire to be reconciled unto Him And even this is highly pleasing unto God as we may see in the example of Ahab 1 King 21. 29. Because he humbleth himselfe before me therefore I will not bring the evill in his dayes and of Rehoboam and his Princes They have humbled themselves saith the Lord 2 Chron. 12. 7. therefore I will not destroy them and Verse 12. When Rehoboam humbled himselfe the wrath of the Lord turned from him and yet had these no truth of grace in them In which respect Though 1. No man can please God in his fast nor find sound comfort to his soule in it that is not in his heart troubled for his sinne doth not unfainedly repent that cannot pray that doth not believe We know saith the man that was borne blind Ioh. 9. 31. that God heareth not sinners And without faith it is impossible to please God saith the Apostle Heb. 11. 6. 2. Though no man be fit to keep a private and voluntary fast that is a novice in religion and hath not attained to some good measure of grace for feare of taking hurt and being made the worse by it according to that speech of our Saviour Luke 5. 36 37. The new piece will make the rent greater the new wine will burst the bottels Yet in publique and generall calamities they may be injoyned to keepe a fast that have no such measure of grace in them as we see Ioel 1. 14. Gather the Elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the Lord 2 16. Gather the children and those that sucke the breasts Yea it hath gâ—eatly furthered the efficacy of the prayers of Gods owne people when in such a case all have come tag and rag as we say to joyne with them in this service as I noted to you the last day out of Iudg. 20. 26. If any man shall object God will not heare hypocrites and wicked men Iob 27. 9. Will God heare his cry and if I regard iniquity in my heart saith David Psal. 66. 18. the Lord will not heare me I answer It is true such can have no assurance that God will heare them or respect their prayers because they have no promise Godlinesse hath the promises saith the Apostle 1 Tim. 4. 8. All Gods promises belong to the godly and to them onely But yet for temporall blessings God hath oft had respect to the cryes even of such as have had no truth of grace as is plaine Gen. 21. 17. God heard the voice of Ishmael and Psal. 78. 38. Many a time upon their prayers whom he had described Vers. 37. turned He His anger away For 1. in this they were thus farre no hypocrites because they were heartily sensible of Gods judgements and desired unfainedly to be eased of them Therefore it is said 2 Chron. 12. 6. The Princes of Israel and the King humbled themselves 2. This taking to heart of Gods judgements and professing their humiliation and their yeelding to the commandement of authority in this case as in the dayes of the Iudges and Iehoshaphat we heard all the people did these I say were good things and remainders of Gods image in them In which respect the Holy Ghost saith 2 Chron 20. 12. In Iudah the hand of God was to give them one heart to do the commandement of the King and of the Princes by the Word of the Lord. And these remainders of His owne image God loves wheresoever He sees them Marke 10. 21. Iesus beholding him loved him The Use this Doctrine serveth unto is First For instruction to direct us how we should keepe our fasts Though this be a Doctrinall point and not so fit haply to worke upon our affections as some other might be and such as doth also concern but the outside of the true fast yet have I beene the larger in it because it may serve for a preparation to all the fasts we shall keepe hereafter and the fruit and successe of our fasts depends on our performing of them in that manner God hath appointed Many that are willing to obey God in this duty may through ignorance faile in the right manner of performing it and so not onely lose their labour but offend God further 1 Chron. 15. 13. The Lord our God said David made a breach upon us because we sought Him not in due order And though God have in our fasts a principall respect to our hearts 1 Sam. 16. 7. yet lookes He also for the service of our bodies specially in such exercises of publike and solemne profession 1 Cor. 6. 28. Glorifie God in your bodies saith the Apostle And though these you have heard be not the chief dutys to be performed at a fast yet are they duties commanded and hee that makes not conscience of the least Commandement of God can have no comfort in his estate Psal. 119. 6. Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect to all thy commandments Secondly For exhortation to us all to make conscience of every one of these outward duties that have beene commanded to us that is 1. Of joyning with the congregation in hearing the Word even read aswell as preached See what
find out and reforme the causes of the plague Though Ioshua and all the Elders of Israel should fall upon their faces and cry never so fervently they can doe no good till Achan be found out and punished Iosh. 7. And what hope then can we have to prevaile in our fasts while no care is taken to find out Achan The idolater is an Achan and so is the murtherer and so is the adulterer and so is the blâ—sphemer and so is the drunkard And there is power not in Ioshua onely but in every officer among us yea in every man almost to find out our Achans and bring them to punishment Our Achans are not so close as that man was our Achans do not hide their accursed things as he did Iosh. 7. 21. Endeavour every one of you to finde them out and suppresse them or else our fasts will bee of small force with God SERMON IV. Sept. 14. 1625. NOw it followeth that we observe further the inward affection and disposition of Davids heart in this his extraordinary prayer hee humbled or afflicted his soule And heere we must for the opening of the words and phrase see what is meant by the humbling and afflicting of his soule and how that is done for the understanding whereof three things must be observed â—irst That the soule aswell as the body is subject both to prosperity a blessed and comfortable estate and to adversity also a wofull and afflicted state and condition and that not onely in the life to come but even in this life also For the first See 3. Ioh. 2. I wish thou maist prosper and be in health even as thy soule prospereth and for the other See Psal. 31. 7. Thou hast considered my trouble thou hast knowne my soule in adversities SecoÌ„dly That as the prosperity happines glory of the soule consisteth in inwardpeace traÌ„quility and joy Rom. 14. 17. The Kingdome of God is righteousnesse and peace and joy of the Holy Ghost so that which humbleth and afflicteth it is sorrow and feare and such like affections which are therefore called the passions and perturbations of the soule Prov. 12. 25. Heavinesse in the heart of man maketh it stoop that is that that humbleth it Yea these affections of sorrow and feare doe afflict the soule and put it to paine even as pricks and wounds and the stinging of a Serpent would doe the body So it is said Act. 2. 37. They were pricked in their hearts when by Peters sermon they were brought to sound griefe of heart for sinne and feare of Gods wrath So Prov. 23. 32. Sinne is said at last to bite like a Serpent and sting like an Adder by reason of the extreame anguish which through sorrow and feare iâ— puts the soule unto Thirdly That sometimes the Lord himselfe doth thus afflict and humble the soule with sorrow and feare Iob 5. 18. Hee woundeth and his hands make whole and the strokes that hee gives prove usually extreame and intollerable Psal. 51. 8. That the bones that thou hast broken may rejoyce The Lords strokes broke his bones Prov. 18. 14. A wounded spirit who can beare That is when the wound is given by Gods hand Heb. 10. 31. It is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the living God and sometimes Gods people for the preventing of this have voluntarily afflicted and humbled their owne soules by provoking themselves to sorrow and feare whereby their soules might bee humbled knowing well 1 Cor. 11. 31. If we would judge our selves we should not be judged of the Lord. And so did David in this place I humbled and afflicted my soule by fasting So saith hee also Psal. 69. 10. I wept and chastned my soule by fasting And this the Apostle in joines the faithfull to doe Iam. 4. 9. Be afflicted he meanes not beare or suffer the afflictions God layeth upon you but afflict your selves as appeares in the next words and mourne and weep let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into heavinesse So then if wee would know the reason why David did fast at this time it was to humble and afflict his soule to work his soule to sorrow and griefe And what meant hee in this his extraordinary prayer for these men to afflict his soule thus Surely it was to make his prayer more available with God for them And from this his practise example this Doctrine ariseth for our instruction That the chief use of a religious fast is to humble and afflict the soule with sorrow and grief and a chief thing that makes our prayer effectuall with God is the inward humiliation and sorrow of our soules from whence they do proceed Two branches there be you see of this doctrine and I will handle them distinctly First A religious fast serves chiefly to this end to humble and afflict the soule So Esa. 58. 5. The fast that God hath chosen is called a day for a man to afflict his soule in This is a duty commanded upon the fast day Ioel 2. 13. Rend your hearts and not your garments See how this is injoyned Levit. 23. 29. Whatsoever soule it bee that shall not be afflicted upon that day shall bee cut off from his people So our Saviour gives this for a reason why his Disciples could keep no fasts because they could not mourne while the bridegroom was with them Math. 9. 15. So that no man can keepe a fast well that cannot mourn that hath not an humbled and troubled soule in him on that day Therefore we read that Gods people in their fasts were wont to weep much and that not onely in private and secret fasts as Nehem. 14. I sate downe and wept and mourned certaine dayes and fasted and prayed before the God of Heaven but in publique also Ezr. 10. 1. When Ezra prayed and made confession of sinnes weeping and casting himselfe downe before the house of God there assembled unto him a very great congregation and the people wept very sore Yea God coÌ„maundeth his people to doe so at such times When God cals us to keepe fasts he cals us to weeping and to mourning Esa 22. 12. So Ioel 2. 12. Turne you to mee with all your heart and with fasting and with weeping and with mourning And for the second branch of the Doctrine A chief thing that makes the prayers of Gods people at a fast or at any other time most powerfull and effectuall with God is the humiliation and sorrow of the soule from which those prayers doe proceed See the proofe of this in the most powerfull fasts that wee read of Iâ—dg 20. 26. In that fast wherein Israel prevailed with God for successe against the Benjamites after two notable foils before there were many teares shed all Israel wept before the Lord yet were there above ten thousand of as valiant men as ever drew sword In the fast that was kept in Samuels time at Mizpeh whereby Israel obtained a marvellous victory against the
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.
hee sent Shemajâ—h the Prophet unto them to declare unto them the true cause of that judgement and to bring them to an effectuall sight and sense of their sinne and then not before they humbled themselves and confessed that the Lord was righteous Gods judgements and corrections without the word vse not to worke savingly Indeed they serve 1. to prepare and make the heart fitter to receive and profite by the word 2. to stirre up those sparks and make them to burne which the word had before cast into the heart and were covered as with ashes but without the word they use not to worke savingly But the word even without affliction hath done mighty things this way Ier. 23. 29. Is not my Word like as a fire saith the Lord and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces Wouldst thou then have thy heart softned Bring it to this fire if it be as hard as iron it will soften it and make it plyable bring it to this anvile where the hammer smiteth and it wil breake it For first this is ordained and sanctified of God to bee a glasse that will cleerly and evidently discover to us all our spots and deformities as the Apostle teacheth us Iam. 1. 23. Secondly God hath promised to accompany this ordinance of his with the divine power and efficacy of his holy Spirit I will be with you saith our Saviour Mat. 28. 20. unto the end of the world And therefore it is no marvell though it be so mighty this way A likely matter will you say for where have you harder and profaner hearts then such as are daily beaten upon by this hammer I answer First That the hardned and reprobate heart is made the harder by the strokes of this haÌ„mer specially such hearts as once were softned and are growne hard againe even as the Smiths iron is To 〈◊〉 the word is a savour of death unto death 2 Cor. 〈…〉 Secondly The true cause why so many heare us daily and their hearts are never a whit mollified by it is this in many of our hearers the Lord works not with us no alas in these dayes the Lord works with us but in few and if he be not with us if hee worke not with us we can doe nothing When God bad Moses take his rod and smite the rock in Horeb he told him he would stand before him on the rock and then when God stood upon the rock Moses smote the rock and water gushed out of it aboundantly Exod. 17. 5 6. If God had not beene there Moses smiting the rock would have done nothing so is it in this case Thirdly This I say that such as God hath in mercy ordained to give a soft heart unto shall feele their hearts mollified more by this then by any other meanes And if this will not soften thy heart I assure thee nothing will doe it This being so Oh that we who are Gods ministers would more diligently carefully apply our selves to this worke and stir up our selves in our ministry not onely to reprove sinne but to doe it feelingly and conscionably so as may be most effectuall to bring Gods people to sound humiliation for sinne If we would bring them to lament for sinne we must mourne to them our selves as our saviour speaketh Mat. 11. 17. and not by our Epicurisme and riotous lives proclaime unto them that we are far from having humbled soules in our selves for our owne sinnes And O that you that are Gods people would seek for and desire this helpe from us in our ministry to soften your hearts and further you in this worke of humiliation of foule for sinne Certainly you should desire and seek for all good helpes this way When God denounced against his people the heavy judgement of the Babilonish captivity and provokes them to humiliation and repentance for the preventing of it Consider yee saith he ler. 9. 17 18. and call for the mourning women that they may come and send for cunning women that they may come and let them make hast and take up a wailing for us that our eyes may runne down with teares and our eyelids gush out with waters He alludes to the custome they had in funerals and such occasions of mourning to hire certain women that by their skill in singing dolefull songs might increase their heavinesse and make them more apt to mourn But his meaning is to teach them that in such a time as that was wherein they had also just cause to mourne and humble themselves they should use all the best helps they could to provoke themselves unto sorrow And surely we should all learne to doe so in this case seeing humiliation for sinne is so necessary and the ministry of the word is a singular meanes to worke our hearts to it we should therefore desire so far as the good order that God hath established in his Church will permit to heare such as whose ministry is most powerfull and effectuall for the softning of a hard heart The second meane wherein we must use the help of others is the benefit of private admonition and reproofe They that would have their hearts softned to be able to mourne and weepe for sin must not bee unwilling to be admonished and reproved for sin in private by some faithfull friend either Minister or other but count it a great benefit and desire it rather First certainly God hath given authority and a straight charge to all his people to watch one over another and to call upon and admonish and reprove one another Heb. 10. 24. Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works 2 Thes. 3. 15. Yet count him not as an enemy but admonish him as a brother Levit. 19. 17. Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour and not suffer sinne upon him Secondly God hath sanctified and ordained this for a meanes to reclaime poore sinners to bring them to a saving sight and sense of their sinne and keepe them from hardning their hearts in it Matth. 18. 15. If thy brother shall trespasse against thee go and tell him his fault betweene thee and him alone if he shall heare thee thou hast gained thy brother but if not then Verse 16. 17. take with thee one or two more that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established And if he shall neglect to heare them tell it unto the Church but if he neglect to heare the Church let him be to thee as a Heathen man and a Publicane As if he had said count not his case desperate till this course have been taken with him Thirdly God hath oft blessed this course wonderfully Mel. 3. 16. Then they that feared the Lord spake oft one to another and the Lord hearkned and heard it and a booke of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought
upon his name This was the meane whereby Gods people were kept from the prophanenesse and security of those times and God was wonderfully pleased with it Yea many a heart hath been mollified this way which the publique Ministry could not soften Nathans private dealing with David prevailed more with him than all the publique meanes he had enjoyed in a whole yeare 2 Sam. 12. 7. 13. Fourthly Count it therefore a great blessing of God to thee to have such a friend or such a Minister as will watch over thee and deale thus privately and plainely with thee yea seeke for such friends It is said of Ionâ—than 1 Sam. 20. 8. that he had brought David into a covenant of the Lord with him We should labour to get such friends as we might make this covenant with Yea we should beg of God to give us such a friend Psal. 141. 5. Let the righteous smite me it shal be a kindnesse and let him reprove me it shal be an excellent oyle that shall not breake my head And we have all great need of it for selfeâ— love so blinds us as we cannot see that that is amisse in our selves In these last times especially men shal be lovers of themselves as the Apostle teacheth us 2 Tim. 3. 2. And what marvell then if there be now adayes so much security and hardnesse of heart among Christians No man holds himselfe bound to watch over his brother to admonish or reprove him but every man saith in his heart as Cain Gen. 4. 9. Am I my brothers keeper The Papists shall rise up in judgement against us in this for they take all opportunities to gaine others to Antichrist They like the Scribes and Pharises of whom our Saviour speaketh Mat. 23. 15. do compasse sea and land to make one proselyte but we have no care at all to gaine any unto Christ. And on the other side all men are unwilling to be admonished and plainly dealt with in private even by the Minister of God but are apt to say to any that would admonish them as the Sodomites did to Lot Gen. 19. 9. Stand backe this fellow will needs be a Iudge But know for a certainty that thou that art so unwilling to heare of thy sinne and to be plainly dealt with about it art in love with thy sinne and hast no desire to bring thy heart to godly griefe and sorrow for it SERMON VII Decemb. 7. 1625. IT followeth now that we come to those meanes wherein we are to be principall agents our selves For though this to speake properly be the mighty work of God to humble and mollifie the heart of man and make it able to mourne for sinne according to that promise Ezek. 11. 19. I will take the stony heart out of their flesh and I will give them an heart of flesh yet may we after we are once regenerated do much to further this great worke of God in our selves Therefore we see David professeth here that he afflicted his owne soule and Psal. 69. 10. that he chastned his soule And of Iosiâ—h it is said that he did humble himselfe before God 2 Chron. 34. 27. and of Manasses 2 Chron. 33. 12. that he humbled himselfe greatly before the God of his fathers Yea Gods people are commanded in the day of their fast Levit. 23. 27. to afflict their owne soules and Ioel 2. 13. to rent their hearts And Iâ—â— 4. 3 4. to breake up their fallow ground and to circumcise and take away the foreskin of their owne hearts By all which places it appeareth we may our selves do much in this worke yea that we must be doers in it our selves or els it will never be well done And certainly if we would do what we might our hearts would be much softer and better able to mourne for our sinnes than they are If any of you shall aske me Why what can we do or what should we do to worke our hearts to this godly sorrow I answer There are foure principall things that we may doe and that we must do if we would get broken and humbled hearts For 1. We must make choice of a fit time 2. Of a fit place 3. When we have so done we must examine our hearts seriously and imparâ—ially 4. We must pray to God for his assistance in this businesse First We must take a fit time to go about this worke For though this be but a matter of circumstance yet have Gods people found much helpe unto spirituall duties even in this Daniel for his private prayer made choice of the time that God had appointed for the evening sacrifice Dan. 9. 21. And so did Cornelius as will appeare if you compare Act. 10. 30. and 31. together Our blessed Saviour made choice of the evening for this purpose sometimes Mat. 14. 23. and sometimes of the morning early before day Mar. 1. 35. And as all our time is not to be spent in mourning so are there some times and seasons fitter for this purpose and such as will yeeld us more helpe in this worke than other-some will do Eccles. 3. 4. There is a time to weepe and a time to laugh a time to mourne and a time to dance And it is the wisdome of a Christian to discerne and take the fittest time for this purpose Eccles. 8. 5. A wise mans heart discerneth both time and judgement saith Salomon Eph. 5. 15 16. Walke not as fooles but as wise men redeeming the time The wisdome of a man you see consisteth much in the husbanding of his time well and making choice of the fittest time fore every purpose and action that he takes in hand And what times are the fittest may you say for this purpose I answer it is profitable for a man every day to be doing somewhat in this worke by observing his owne wayes and calling himselfe to an account for them For First The Apostle tels us we are in danger to be hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sinne if we do not exhort or stirre up our selves daily Heb. 3. 13. Secondly The time of our death is very uncertaine and such servants we know as have great dealings for their master and looke to be called to a strict account they know not how soone will looke every day into their accounts and have them in areadinesse continually And surely this is our case we know not how soone our accounts will be called for Mar. 13. 35 36. Watch ye therefore for ye know not when the master of the house will come least comming suddenly he find you sleeping Thirdly This would helpe us greatly in our daily prayers unto God The more sense and sorrow for sinne we have when we pray the more acceptable certainly would our prayers be unto God Psal. 34. When David had said Vers. 17. The righteous cry and the Lord heareth them he tels us Verse 18. what cries and prayers of the righteous they be that the Lord hath such respect unto The
I have sinned in that I have betrayed innocent blood Did not these men mourne for their sinnes thinke you Yes that they did but it was not out of any respect to God whom they had offended but onely out of respect to themselves and the hurt they had done themselves thereby as appeareth plainly in their stories Now the true repentant though he be humbled for his sinne in respect to himselfe and the danger and hurt that he feareth his sinne will doe him yet he resteth not there but he is also humbled for his sinne in respect to God and chiefly because he hath offended and dishonoured God by his sinne This was that that troubled David most Psal. 51. 4. Against thee thee onely have I sinned When God had threatned heavy things against him by God he cryeth not as Pharaoh Exod. 10. 17. Take away from mee this death only but as 2. Sam. 24. 10. I beseech thee ô Lord take away the iniquity of thy servant Yea he was well content to beare that punishment so his sinne might be pardoned that he might have Gods favour verse 17. Let thy hand I pray thee be against me and my fathers house The punishment that his sinne hath brought or is like to bring upon him troubleth the true penitent nothing so much as the offending of God and losse of his favour Hee lamenteth after the Lord as it is said Gods people did 1 Sam. 7. 2. And as he mourneth for his sinne in respect to God more then to the punishment of his sinne so doth hee joy and take more comfort in the assurance of the pardon of his sinne then in deliverance from any judgement whatsoever This is the thing that David gloried in Psal. 32. 5. Thou forgavest not the punishment as the old translation reads but the iniquity of my sinne O let us examine our selves by this second note whether we have sorrowed for oursinnes in respect unto God or to our selves onely Thy sinnes doe trouble thee because thou knowest they deserve hell and damnation thou knowest they deserve Gods curse in thy children in thy estate in every thing thou takest in hand Thou dost well in this but if this be the onely thing or the chief thing that maketh thy sinne such a burden to thy heart thou hast not yet repented aright When those that heard Peter were pricked in their hearts with these legall sorrowes and asked him what they should doe to come to comfort he bad them repent Act. 2. 37. 38. As if he had said This is a good preparative but this is not repentance This is a chief note of sincerity in every grace and so in this when we doe that that God requireth when we mourne for our sinnes in respect unto God and not to our selves Thus God upbraideth the hypocrites Zac. 7. 5. When yee fasted and mourned did yee it at all to mee even to mee Rom. 14. 6. He that regardeth a day regardeth it unto the Lord. I will give you therefore three other notes to try this by whether your sorrow for sinne be in respect to the Lord because you have offended and dishonoured him or noe First Then your sinnes will trouble you aswell in the days of health and prosperity as in sicknes and affliction else you doe no more then an hypocrite may doe For it is said of the wicked Israelites Psal. 78. 34. When he slew them then they sought him and returned and enquired early after God Secondly Then you will be troubled for one sinne aswell as for another for every thing you know to be a sinne for God is offended and dishonoured by one aswell as by another Whosoever shall keepe the whole Law saith the Apostle Iam. 2. 10. and yet offend in one point he is guilty of all I doe not say we should be troubled so much for one sinne as for another for God in his Law hath put a difference betweene sinnes and as some dutyes that God requireth of us so some sinnes are weightier then others Mat. 23. 23. Iudgement Mercy and Fidelity are called by our Saviour the weightier matters of the Law and it is made there the note of an hypocrite to be more troubled for small sinnes then for great Matthew 23. 24. to straine at a gnat and swallow a camell But this is also certaine that he that is troubled for sinne because it is sinne in resepect unto God because he is offended and dishonoured by it will be troubled for one sinne aswell as for another So we shall find David was humbled not for his adultery and murder onely but for all his sinnes Psal. 51. 9. Hide thy face from my sinnes and blot out all mine iniquities The Apostle speaking of the loose performing of spirituall duties of coming to the sacrament without due preparation saith we must judge our selves even for that 1 Cor. 11. 31. And saith that even for this sinne God strucke many with sicknesse and mortality because they would not judge themselves for such sins God did judge them 1 Cor. 11. 30. Davids heart smote him even for cutting of the lap of Sauls garment 1 Sam. 24. 5. When Saul counted the sparing of Agag and of the fattest of the cattell specially for sacrifice but a matter of nothing Samuel telleth him disobedience to God is as bad as witchcraft and idolatry 1 Sam. 15. 23. O therefore know thou art not troubled for any sinne in respect to God if thy very unprofitablenes idlenesse peevishnesse unconstancy playing fast and loose with God do not trouble thee Yea the man whose heart is truly humbled for sin is conscious of the sinfull depravation of his nature and is humbled for that which is the root asmuch if not much more then for his actuall sinnes which are the fruits of it All sins that defile a man come from within from this fountaine Mar. 7. 23. David was humbled for this Psal. 51. 5. Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sinne did my mother conceive me And so Paul though he had lived a most innocent life even before his calling to Christ Phil. 3. 6. Yet see how he was troubled even for this Rom. 7. 14 24. Thirdly If you be humbled for your sinne out of respect to God because God is offended and dishonoured by it then will you be able to mourne for the sins of other men for God is aswel offended and dishonoured by them as by your own 1. I shewed you before that the man that is truly hūbled for the Iudgments of God upon this land will mourne more for the sinnes of the land then for the Iudgements themselves So must we 2. bee able to mourne for the sinnes of the places and townes we dwell in specially if they be of note for religion This is prescribed as a duty 1 Cor. 5. 2. Ye should have mourned that he that hath done this deed might be taken away This is commended by the Holy Gost as a great vertue and grace in Lot
as of the chiefe cause why God did hide His face from His people and consumed them with His judgements Esa. 64. 7. There is noâ—e that câ—lleth upâ—n Thy Name that stirreth â—p hâ—mself to take hâ—ld of Thee By prayer the faithfull may as it were take hold on God they may hold His hands from 〈◊〉 them as Moâ—â— did when God said to him Exâ—d 32. 10. Let Me â—lone But none doth thus effectually call upon God and take hold of Him that prayeth coldly and drowsily but he onely that stirreth up and rowâ—eth himselfe unto this duty that he may do it fervently And â—urely this mâ—y be one cause why God hath given no better answer to our prayers hitherto because he seeth how cold and drowsâ—e we have beene in them how little affected we have beene with the miseries of our brethren whom we have seemed to pray for When our blessed Saviour was in His agony and his soule was exceeding sorrowfull even unto death Mat. 26. 38. His Disciples Peter and Iames and Iohn whom He desired to watch with Him and to be some helpe to Him in that His distresse fell asleepe so little sense had they of His extreme misery Mat. 26. 40. And even so have we carried our selves towards our brethren the members of Christ we have pretended a willingnesse to yeeld them our helpe in the miseries they are in but alas in the prayers that we have seemed to make for them we have beene overtaken with drowsinesse and sleepinesse we have beene in them little or nothing at all touched with the sense of their distresse But as our Saviour said then unto those His Disciples Mat 26. 41. Watch and pray So say I unto you beloved you can never do your selves or your brethren good by your prayers unlesse when you pray you watch and looke well to your hearts to keepe them from drowsinesse and senslesnesse from wandring and roving that when you pray you may pray with fervency and feeling of your owne necessities and of the necessities of them that you do pray for Let us not thinke that because we see no better fruit of our prayers the Lord hath beene displeased with us for keeping these fasts and presuming to become sâ—itors to Him for our brethren But let us rather judge that He hath therefore delayed to answer us hitherto that He might cause us hereby to cry lowder and to be more importunate and fervent with Him in our prayers For so dealt He with the good woman of Canaan Mat. 15. 22 24. 26. He did not onely delay to helpe her but by His neglecting of her and the rough answers He gave her seemed angry with her and willing to discourage her not out of any dislike He had to her or her suit wherewith doubtlesse He was much pleased but onely to increase her fervency and importunity in prayer Secondly We must pray in faith and confidence to be heard Let him aske in faith saith the Apostle Iam. 1. 6 7. els let him not think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. And surely we have just cause to pray in faith and confidence that we shall prevaile with God in these prayers that we make for our distressed brethren Many good grounds of confidence we have 1. We have heard that it is the will and commandement of God that we should pray for them And this is the confidence that we have in Him saith the Apostle I Iâ—h 5. 14. that if we aske any thing according to His will He heareth us 2. These extraordinary prayers and fasts that we keepe are injoyned us by publique authority of our gracious Soveraigne and of the State And even that is a thing highly pleasing unto God and will much further the successe of our prayers Therefore also it is mentioned by the Holy Ghost as a matter of no small imporâ—ance in two of the most succesfull fasts that is in that of Iâ—dah 2 Chron. 20. 3. Iehoshaphat feared and set himself to seeke the Lord and proclaimed a fast throughout all ludah And in that of the Ninivites Ion. 3. 7. He caused it to be proclaimed and published through Niniveh by the decree of the King and his Nobles saying c. 3. These fasts are kept generally and every where throughout the Land and that is also a thing that God is much pleased with such prayers and dayes of humiliation that have beene so universall have beene wont much to prevaile with God as we have already heard out of Iudg. 20. 26. 2 Chron. 20. 3 13. Ion. 3. 5 7 8. 4. The nation and people that we pray for are Gods owne people and such as beare His Name Admit our Land be as sinfull as Sodom was yet remember that if there had beene but ten such in Soâ—om as we have many thousands of in our Land God had heard Abrahams prayer even for Sodom because of them Gen. 18. 32. Of our Land blessed be God we may yet say there is no nation in the world at this day that hath so many righteous persons in it or that hath the Gospell preached in it in that sincerity and power as we have Nay there is no City in the world where the Gospell is so plentifully and so faithfully preached nor wherein God is so purely worshipped as in that City that we meet together this day to pray for And what an encouragement that may be unto us in our prayers is plaine by that speech of the Prophet in his prayer unto God for Iudah Ier. 14. 9. Yet thou O Lord art in the midst of us and we are called by thy Name leave us not And this must be acknowledged for another cause why our prayers hitherto have sped no better we have not prayed in faith Many have joyned with us whose persons God never yet accepted or was well pleased with And till God have respect to Abel himselfe He will never have respect to any offâ—ing of his Gen. 4. 4. And such of us as are in the state of grace yet have we not stirred up our faith and confidence to speed in the prayers we have made Do it hereafter and thou shalt be sure to speed the better in thy prayers for it Say unto thy soule when thou preparest thy selfe to pray as David did Psal. 42. 11 Why art thou cast downe O my soule and why art thou disquieted within me Hope thou in God for I shall yet praise Him who is the health of my countenance and my God Put thy confidence in God hope and expect to receive a gracious answer from Him when thou prayest unto Him and thou shalt find better successe in thy prayers than thou hast beene wont to do Thirdly We must pray in sense of our owne unworthinesse no man is fit to pray for Gods people but he that feeles the plague of his owne heart as Salomon speaketh I King 8. 38. But how can that be will you say if I have when I pray a deepe
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
be very small yet many heaped together will make an intollerable burden Iob 6. 3. Iob saith his grief was heavier then the sand of the Sea If for one sinne Adam was so terrified that he fled from God Gen. 3. 8. what cause of terrour have I maist thou well say to thine owne soule Fiftly How oft thou hast relapsed and fallen backe againe into the same sin that thy heart hath smitten thee for and thou hast repented of and covenanted with God that thou wouldst forsake it returning with the dogge to that thou hast loathed and vomited up 2 Pet. 2. 22. An arme once broken cannot be cured without paine but if often the cure will be more dangerous and painefull If thou hadst broken thy promises and covenants with men thou wouldst count it a matter of infamy and shame unto thee what cause of shame is it then that thou hast broken thy promises unto God See also how this circumstances doth aggravate sinne Eccle. 5. 4. When thou vowest a vow unto God deferre not to pay it for hee hath no pleasure in fouls Sixtly How thou hast by thy sinne corrupted others whereof it may bee some are in Hell already and some in the way to Hâ—ll and thou canst not draw them unto repentance Indeed if thou canst truly repent this shall not hinder thy salvation that thou hast beene a meane of the damning of others for so was Paul Act. 26. 11. Yet must it needs be a heart-breaking to thee whensoever thou dost seriously thinke of it all the dayes of thy life and so was it unto Paul If thou hadst beene the meane to undoe another in his outward estate much more if thou hadst taken away his life it would be a just cause of heavinesse to thee how much more cause of humbling is it that thou hast beene a meane of destroying the soule of any Matth. 18. 7. Woe to the man by whom the offence cometh Ier. 6. 28. they are brasse and iron they are corrupters Seventhly consider the person against whom thou hast sinned Psal. 51. 4. Against thee thee onely have I sinned And consider the Lord 1. in his greatnesse and excellency of power and justice If one man sinne against another saith Ely to his sonnes 1 Sâ—m 2. 25. the judge shall judge him but if a man sinne against the Lord who shall intreat for him 2. But specially in his goodnesse towards thy selfe Consider that that God whom thou hast offendâ—d thou dost not onely live by Act. 17. 28. but also hee is of that gracious difposition that notwithstanding all thy rebellions he would not have thee perish For 1. he is apt to forgive thee upon thy repenâ—ance Esa. 55. 7. 2. He hath proclaimed a generall pâ—rdon and not excluded thee Ioh. 3. 16. but will have it offred unto thee Mar. 16. 15. 3. Hee seâ—kes to thee to be reconciled 2 Cor. 5. 20. 4 He hath done more for thee hee loves thee with the love of a father for to such specially I speake and thou hast received the spirit of adoption whereby thou art able to cry Abba father Rom. 8. 15. Consider well of this and it will have more force to mollifie thy heart then any thing else in the world The sense of our desperate estate without this may make us roare and rave and rage against the Lord like a wild Bull in a net as the Prophet speaketh Esay â—1 20. but nothing will humble the heart so kindly nor make it melt in godly sorrow as the true consideration of this love of God Psal. 130. 4. there is forgivenesse with thee that thou mayest bee feared It was not the crowing of the Cock twice that made Peters heart melt but the gracious looke that Christ cast upon him Luke 22. 61 62. The Lord turned and looked upon Peter then Peter remembred the Word of the Lord and Peter went out and wept bitterly This was that that wrought upon the heart of the prodigall Luk. 15. 18. I will arise and goe to my father and I will say father I have sinned And so must thou say to thine owne heart if ever thou wouldst have it to melt and thine eyes shed teares for thy siâ—nes It is my father my father that I have so offended Say to it as Moses doth to the Iewes Deut. 32. 6. Have I 〈◊〉 requited the Lord O foolish and ungratious wretch that I am Is hee not my father hath he not made mee and established mee The fourth and last thing we must doe to bring our hearts unto this godly sorrow is fervent prayer For thou must 1. complaine to God of the hardnes of thy heart as Esa 63. 17. O Lord why hast thou hardned my heart from thy feare 2. Begge this grace of him and cry to him for it That which the Apostle saith of wisdome may bee said of this grace also Iam. 1. 5. If any of you lacke a soft heart let him aske of God who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not and it shall be given him 3. Challeng him with his promise and in a holy reverence charge him with that covenant mentioned Ezek. 36. 26. I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh And Zach. 12. 10. I will poure upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Ierusalem the spirit of grace and of supplications and they shall looke upon mee whom they have pierced and they shall mourne for him as one that mourneth for his onely sonne and be in bitternesse for him as one that is in bitternesse for his first borne 4. Bee importunate in this suite as one that will take no nay nor give it over till thou hast obtained it as David Psal. 27. 4. and the woman of Canaan Mat. 15. 27. 5. Waite for an answer and pray still limit not the Lord his time Lâ—ke 18. 1 Wee ought alwayes to pray and not to faint Consider how oft the Lord called upon thee before thou didst answer him and how long hee waited for thee Romans 10. 21. All the day long have I stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gaine-saying people Remember that promise Esay 49. 23. They shall not bee ashamed or disappointed that wait for mee SERMON VIII August 2. 1626. IT followeth now that we proceed to â—hew you the signes and notes whereby wee may bee able to discerne whether wee have beene yet rightly humbled for our sinnes whether that sorrow for sinne that we have felt in our selves be unfeigned yea or no whether it be that saving sorrow of Gods elect unto which all these promises of comfort and mercy that we have heard of doe belong And surely it is a matter of great use and necessity to have notes given us out of Gods Word to try our humiliation and sorrow for sinne by First Because as it is certaine our sinnes are not pardoned unlesse we have truly repented of them Act. 5. 31. Christ giveth repentance to