intentions and these the Law of God will judge 5. Judge not thy self to be righteous and gracious by bare restraints from sin in particular actions but if you would judge your selves judge by the ordinary course of your lives It is possible that in a particular act a good man may not be kept from that sin from which a wicked man may and it is possible that a wicked man may do that good which a godly man may not be able to do Now you are not to judge of your selves by particular acts but by the constant course of your lives for if you should do otherwise you would condemn the generation of the just I shall give an example by comparing together good King David and wicked King Abimelech they were both tempted to the same sin and should you have guessed at these two men by their particular restraints you would have taken Abimelech for the good King and David for the bad King Abimelech in his restraint was far better then David it is said of Abimelech that he took Sarah he did not know that she was Abrahams wife but David did know that Bathsheba was the wife of Vriah and then further Abimelech the Heathen King though he had Sarah in the house yet the Scripture tells you he did not defile her but David took Bathsheba into his house and was actually unclean with her Now should you look upon these two men in this particular case you would judge Abimelech to be the gracious King and David the Heathen King But now if you look upon David in the ordinary course of his life he was far better then Abimelech you are not therefore to passe a verdict upon any man that he is good or bad by any particular act that as it is a rule in Philosophy that one act doth not denominate so when you go to judge of men you must not look upon a particular act but upon the general scope and current of their lives Prov. 16.17 The high way of the righteous is to depart from evil Vse 2 The second Use is of Instruction and first to regenerate men who have the renewing work of the Spirit There are these three Instructions I would have you to learne 1. Blesse God that ever you have been crossed in the doing of those sins which you would have committed How near the brink of many a sin hath many a godly man been at when an occasion and an inclination hath met together but God hath put in a restraint O blesse God it is the greatest mercy next converting grace It was the prayer of Jabez O that thou wouldest blesse me indeed and O that thou wouldest keep me from evil let it be thy prayer also Sometimes men are angry when they are kept from an intended sin and this is just as if a man going to execution should be angry with a man for stopping him in his way Alas poor man thou art going to the execution of thy sin if any stop thee 't is the saving of thy soul at least the saving of thy peace therefore blesse God How did David blesse God when he intended to have cut off Nabal and all his family when Abigail came with smooth words and prevented him O then sayes he Blessed be God and blessed be thou and blessed be the Counsel thou hast given me 1 â—am 25.32 so it may be thou hast determined the Commission of a sin with all circumstances which may further thee in the execution of it and hath God stopped thee in thy way what great cause hast thou to magnifie him 2. From hence gathet what cause the people of God have to suspect their own hearts lest they should carry them to such evils which they think they should never have committed Suppose the Spirit should be suspended that it should not restrain thee what evil wouldest thou not commit There are Scripture-instances of godly men who have fallen into those sins that themselves never thought they should commit and such sins which were repugnant to those graces wherein they were most excellent Abraham he was the eminentest man alive in his age for faith Gal. 3.9 Abrahamus paâ—er fidelium non efficienter sed exemplariter and therefore was called the father of the faithful now would any man think that Abraham should fall into unbelief why yes he did for being distrustful of Gods Providence he told two lies one to Pharaoh King of Egypt Gen. 12.13 and the other to Abimelech King of Gerar. Likewise Moses the Scripture tell of him that he was the meekest man upon earth Psal 106.33 and yet he spake unadvisedly with his lips he fell into passion which was that sin which was contrary to that grace wherein he was most excellent And so also Iob Jam. 5.11 whom the Scripture tells you was the most patient man on earth and of all sins Iob was most hurried to impatiency Job 3. insomuch that he bitterly curseth the day of his birth and the night in which it is said A man-childe is conceived I name these examples to you to let you see what cause you have to blesse God for the sin you have been prevented from and what cause you have to suspect your hearts if the Spirit of God withdraw from you And so Moses he was noted to be the meekest man on earth Numb 12.3 And yet even this meek Moses is transported with passion and he speaks unadvisedly with his mouth 3. Pray unto God for the Spirit to do its office in thy soul Psal 106.33 that the Spirit may keep thee from doing the evil thou wouldest We read of David Psal 19.13 that he made this prayer Lord keep thy servant also from presumptuous sins Thou hast need to pray that the Spirit may check and curb thy corruptions when thou art tempted to sin because there is no man though never so good that can stand by his own strength though never so great and thereby avoid an evil when he is tempted to it though never so foule O therefore pray for preventing grace that God would keep thee by his Spirit that so thou mightest not do the works of the flesh And therefore Christ hath taught us to pray Lord deliver us from evil Mat. 6.13 viz. from that evil which we cannot of our selves avoid Secondly as this point refers to the unregenerate who have only restraining grace to hinder them from sin Let even such consider what cause they have to blesse God for this mercy though they shall go to hell yet they have cause to blesse God for restraining grace on earth for though it will not make you good yet it will and doth make you lesse evil and though it cannot make you spiritual yet it will make you good moral men By restraining grace a man may have this good 1. He may not commit so many and great sins 2. He may not incur so great punishment 3. He will bring the lesse scandal
by day because of thy daily indisposition From hence see the need thou hast of the Spirit of God Posit 2 It is not enough you be convinced of the need you have of the Spirits motions but also you should be convinced what a great gulfe of misery you are plunged into if the Spirits motions be restrained which will appear upon this threefold account 1. It is recorded in Scripture as a great misery if but the common workings and gifts of Gods Spirit be withdrawn 1 Sam. 28. and therefore you read what a lamentable complaint Saul made because the Spirit was departed from him which was but in its common gifts And so also of Sampson it is said he wist not that the Spirit was departed from him that is the Spirit of fortitude Judg. 16.20 and is this a lamentation when the Spirit in its common gifts shall be withdrawn and shall it not be looked upon as a sad misery when the Spirit in its saving comforting and sanctifying operation shall be withheld 2. Be convinced hereof because whilest the Spirit is withdrawn thou art under a constant losse I may exemplifie it by this comparison Suppose a great Merchant that had a ship at sea richly laden and this ship should be neer the harbour but being becalmed or having crosse windes it should not be able to come to its haven Now all the while the ship is out the Merchant is at a daily losse Make it your case in a spiritual sense this ship is thy soul the lading is grace and the haven is heaven the gales of winde are the motions of the Spirit cross gales that arise are temptations now if the motions of the Spirit help thee not thou wilt not be able to come to the haven from hence see your misery without the motions of Gods Spirit 3. Be convinced of thy misery because if good motions do not possesse thy heart multitudes of evil motions will if the house of thy heart be empty of good motions the devil will enter by evil motions and dwell there Mat. 12.44,45 Either thy heart is an habitation for the Spirit of God or else it is a receptacle for the evil spirit with all its sinful motions The soul is a restlesse active thing and when the good Spirit doth not act it the evil spirit will the devil will slippe no oportunity that may advantage he will not let any house long stand empty Posit 3 What cause have we to be humbled for that receptivenesse that is in our natures to entertaine evil motions from the wicked spirit and for that backwardnesse in our hearts to entertaine holy motions from the good Spirit Our natures are as gunpowder to fire if a spark of temptation fall upon us how soon are we all on a fire but to good motions out hearts are as green wood to the fire what opposition is there in us and backwardnesse to entertaine them Evil thoughts in the soul are natural but good thoughts are supernatural Mans heart by nature is a slaughter-house to holy motions many good motions hast thou stifled and strangled in thy heart but that nature which is a slaughter-house to good motions it is a store-house to wicked motions An evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil Luke 6 45. saith our Saviour what a natural receptivenesse is there in thy heart for the intertaining of that which is evil Posit 4 When the Spirits motions are withdrawn labour to search and finde out the cause and then bewaile it what injuries or unkindnesse hast thou done to the Spirit that it is gone To grieve the Spirit Eph. 4.30 is more unkindnesse then to resist the Spirit a man is more troubled for the unkindnesse of a friend then for all the hatred and opposition of his enemy Surely something is the matter hast thou not kept thy conscience nasty it is nastinesse in the dove-house that causes the dove to leave the house Is there not an indulgence of some allowed provoking sinne that the Spirit of God sees in thee hast thou not quenched the Spirits motions hast thou not grieved the Spirit vexed resisted or tempted the Spirit Search out the cause and when thou hast found it then bewaile it and cry Wo is me the Spirit would have taken up his residence in my heart and I would not give him entertainment And so whom I have begg'd with teares and enjoyed with comfort I have lost through the folly of my sinful doings If thou hast not yet found out the cause I would have thee to consult with thy own conscience which is Gods officer in thee and it will give thee a true account if thou wilt hearken to it ask it these three question Have not I fallen from my first love as the Ephesians did Revel 2.4,5 Have I not stifled checks of conscience and the Spirits motions Have I not prostituted the Spirits motions to servile and base imployments as Simon Magus for secular advantage and worldly interest hast thou not addicted thy self to contrary motions hast thou not been more ready to hearken to the solicitations of the evil spirit then to the incitations of the good Spirit Aske thy conscience it may be it will give in this answer Hath not the Spirit departed because of thy pride and idlenesse and self-conceitednesse by such like proposals as these to conscience thou mayest come to know the cause wherefore the Spirit is withdrawn from thee Posit 5 Consider that the withdrawings of the Spirits motions is not alwayes for sinne but some other higher and greater ends which God hath 1. It is true that God doth usually withdraw the motions of his Spirit because of sinne and therefore sayes the Prophet Isaiah Your iniquities have separated between you and your God Isai 59.2 and so also the Prophet Micah They shall cry unto the Lord but he will not hear them he will even hide his face from them at that time as they have behaved themselve ill in their doings Micah 3.4 Usually sinne is the cause for which the Spirit of God withdraws 2. This is most true that if there were not sinne in us Gods Spirit should never be withdrawn from us we should be uncapable of desertion of the Spirit were it not for sinne in general and therefore though sinne in general be the causa sine qua non yet it is not alwayes the cause immediate for which the Spirit withdraws 3. Though there be sinne in us as a cause to us why Gods Spirit departs yet God doth not alwayes make sinne a cause to himselfe but it is for some other higher ends Divines that handle this subject touching the desertion of the soul and the withdrawings of Gods Spirit they distinguish a threefold desertion upon a threefold cause and we have touched upon that already 1. There may be a desertion which is cautional not for sinne 2 Cor. 12.7 but to prevent sin And
of my corrupt nature whilest I was a Pharisee I did not then see nor know my selfe to be so vile and sinful as now I do and so when light breaks into the soul those sins appeared which lay hid and those which seemed but as motes now appeare beames and those which seemed as little as gnats now appeare as bigge as Camels 2. It may proceed from a more gracious and tender sincerity in thy conscience then there was in times past In former time thy conscience was hard seared and senselesse fighting against the sense of sinne but now God hath melted and mollified it God hath made thy conscience to be not as seared but as raw flesh godly men may complain of corruption and think they have more then ever they had but it is because they are more tender and more sensible When a man hath hurt his finger he thinks he doth never so much touch it as then and this ariseth from the tendernesse of the part so God having made thy heart a broken and a soft heart therefore the corruption of thy heart is more felt then before Prov. 7 2◠Sin to a wicked man is as a blow on the back but sin to a godly man is as a blow upon the eye 3. Consider this though you discern the corruptions of your nature and see more of it then ever you saw before yet be confidently assured of this that thou shalt have the final victory To this purpose I may accommodate that passage concerning Rebecca who having conceived the children strugled together within her and she said Lord Why am I thus And the Lord said unto her Two Nations are in thy womb that is the rise of two Nations Gen. 25.22,23 Esau and Jacob two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels and the one people shall be stronger then the ether and the elder shall serve the younger Whence mark 1. It is said There was two manner of people in her womb and these separated Thus is Sin and Grace 2. The one is said to be stronger then the other that is the posterity of Esau they shall be stronger fot a while then the Israelites Numb 22.18 for they did defeat them once but now what is the comfort Why The elder shall serve the younger and so it came to passe that the Edomites did serve the Israelites 2 Sam. 8.14 1 Kings 22 47. Obad. 8.17,18 Thus I may say as of Esau and Jacob Corruption of nature is stronger then Grace in many good men and it is elder then grace but here is your comfort The elder shall serve the younger Grace shall get the final victory Direction 3 I inferre hence that though you are not to be discouraged considering this corruption yet you are greatly to be humbled in the sense of this contrariety that is in your natures against grace If you had onely a disability as to grace it were matter of humiliation for you if you had onely an opposition against grace that would be cause of more humiliation but having an utter contrariety against grace here is greater cause for you to be humbled A carnal minde is not onely an enemy to God but enmity it selfe What the Spirit perswades to that the flesh disswades from Rom. 8.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and what the Spirit wills that the flesh wills and therefore you have great cause of humiliation 4. Learn to reduce all actual sins that have broke out in your lives to their original that is to this contrariety of nature Thou dost not sin because the devill tempts thee nor because thou art in bad company but because thou hast a corrupt nature It is a saying of a learned Divine that a Christian hath many enemies to fight withall but he hath onely one which overcomes grace and that is the flesh Were it not for corruption within all temptations would be no other to thee then they were unto Christ the Tempter came to him but he found nothing in him his temptations were but as a spark of fire cast into the sea but the devil comes to thee and the world comes to thee and they find fit matter in thee a suitablenes in thy nature to fall into and close with the temptation and therefore reduce actual sin to its original thus Paul did It is no more I that sins sayes he but who doth he blame Rom 7.20 not the devil nor the world but sin that dwelleth in me that is an evill and corrupt nature it is my corrrupt nature which drawes me to evill and hinders me from good and if you would thus reduce your sinne to its original what cause of sorrow and debasement would it give unto you It is said of David that the devil moved him to number the people but he doth not charge it upon the devil 1 Chr. 21.1 2 Sam. 24.10 but upon himself and sayes he I have sinned and I have done foolishly we are all transgressours from the womb Complain not of the evill that is in thy life but charge it upon thy corrupt nature and thus also David in another place Isai 48.8 he duces those two great evils of murther and adultery to the corruption of his nature and sayes he I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me And thus Augustine in his Confessions Psal 51.5 when he confesseth how he robbed an Orchard he saith neither hunger nor want of the fruit he stole for he had better at home but it was meerly to gratifie corrupt nature 5. If there be contrariety in thy nature against grace oh then do not joyn in with this contrariety against the Spirit wouldst thou joyn with an enemy this contrariety why is it in thee is it not to damne and destroy thy soule 1 Pet. 2.11 therefore sayes the Apostle Abstain from fleshly lusts because they warre against the soule the flesh strives to damne you but the Spirit strives to save you therefore do not take part with thy enemy Yet how many men are there that joyn with the corrupt motions of their hearts when they prompt them to evill and how unreasonable is this the Apostle tells us that We are not debtors to the flesh to live after the flesh Rom. 8.12 as if he should say You owe nothing to corrupt nature and why will you yield thereunto It is honesty in every man to pay his debts But you owe nothing to corrupt nature but you are Debtors to the Spirit and if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body ye shall live Therefore indulge not the flesh or as the same Apostle speakes Make no provision for the flesh Rom. 13.14 If an enemy come into your houses will you victual his camp will you send in Armes to an enemy to destroy you this is that which men do when they joyn with the flesh against the Spirit By how much any man makes provision for the flesh by
deceit I shall say three things 1. It is a good rule of the Schoolmen that you must not neglect that which is good in it selfe and necessary to avoid a sin which may be by accident a sin for otherwise you should never perform duty If a man will avoid hearing lest he should be distracted therein and praying lest he should have wandring thoughts by this reason a man should never perform duty Now to hear and to pray it is good in it selfe but that thou art distracted in hearing or thy minde wandring in praying this is an accident and therefore thou must not upon a pretence of being guilty of lesse evill leave undone those duties which in themselves are good 2. Those men which make this a plea they will not performe duty because they sin in duty upon the same reason they may as well say they will not follow their callings in the world because they sin in them and therefore this plea though it be a plausible one and doubting Christians are many times intangled therewith yet by this plea you will not onely be taken off from religious but civil duties also 3. Consider that the avoiding of evil upon this pretence you do thereby run into a greater evill and the reason is because wilful neglects and total omissions are greater then spiritual defects in the manner of religious performances it is a lesser sin to be distracted in prayer then not to pray at all This plea therefore is but a lazy plea of corrupt nature to make us neglect religious performances 14. Another plea is a pretence of disability to perform as we ought The flesh will tell you if thou wert able to perform duty better thou shouldest be incouraged to do it often but alas thou art not able to perform duty when thou comest to hear thou wantest faith to believe the word and memory to treasure it up When tho◠comest to pray thou wantest a composed minde and thou wantest apt expressions and hence the flesh pleades that disability to duty should take a man off from duty This plea prevailes with many Christians troubled in conscience and in answer thereto consider 1. That many Christians which pretend disability it may be the reason is not disability but rather enmity against duty which is the cause of their neglect Nolle in causa est cùm non posse praetenditur Sen. Epist 116. Seneca hath a passage to this purpose in one of his Epistles Men sayes he pretend that they are not able to do good but the true cause is they are not willing not a disability in the nature but an enmity in the heart which is the cause It is worth your noting that where the Apostle mentions a disability to duty he there mentions also the enmity of a natural mans heart against duty The carnal minde Rom. 8.7 sayes he is enmity against God for it is not subject to the law of God nor indeed can be So that those who plead a disability they have cause to look to their hearts whether their neglect of duty doth not rather proceed from a dislike in judgement rather then a disability in affection 2. Christians are apt to make disability a plea to neglect duty when indeed it is rather the danger that doth attend duty that keeps them off then disability You have a notable instance of this in Moses a good man you have the story at large in the fourth of Exodus God commands Moses that he should go into Egypt Exod. 4.10,13,19 and there to take the care and charge of his people but what sayes Moses Oh sayes he Wilt thou send me to conduct this people alas I am not able I am not eloquent neither heretofore nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant but I am slow of speech and of a slow tongue this was a plausible pretence and therefore in the thirteenth verse sayes he Lord I pray send by the hand of him whom thou wilt send But now was Moses disability the real cause wherefore he would not go why no therefore in the nineteenth verse you have there the true reason discovered Return saith the Lord into Egypt for all the men are dead which sought thy life There the Lord hints the cause Moses had formerly killed an Egyptian and there was great search made after him And when God bid Moses go again into Egypt he was afraid Moses doth not tell God so but pretends disability then the Lord told him shat the men were dead which sought his life and then the Text saith that Moses took his wife and his children and went down into Egypt 15. Another plea is succeslessenesse in duty the flesh will suggest thus unto thee What needest thou continue in a godly course of life thou hast made many a prayer and heard many a Sermon and yet thou art never the better To this I answer 1. That thou owest duty to God as thou art his creature though he should never give thee successe in his service 2. Duty it selfe is successe the very performance is a recompence if God should never bring thee to heaven thou hast in part a recompence that God suffers thee to perform duty to him here You have your fruit unto holiness Rom. 6.20 as the Apostle tells you and in the end you shall have everlasting life holinesse and duty they are the reward of duty 3. Consider that there is a two-fold successe attendant on duty First a real successe Secondly a sensible successe Sometimes the successe is sensible and a mans affections are raised and his lusts subdued but though successe may not alwayes be sensible yet it is alwayes reall a godly man gets real good by all the duties he performes Ephes 6.8 Whatsoever good any man doth the same he shall receive whether he be bond or free No man shall open the dores of Gods house in vain Wicked Ahab that did God but temporal service God requited him with a temporal reward 1 Kings 21.29 there is alwayes a real successe which goes along with the performance of our duty And thus I have layed down the stratagems and deceits of the flesh whereby it labours to divert men from duty and have given you answers to them all that you might not be deceived by the sly subtility thereof Vse 1 The Use shall be unto those men whose consciences tell them they have been deceived by some of these pleas of corrupt nature so as to omit good duties Before such I would lay these five considerations 1. That a man may go to hell for the omissions of good duties as well as for the commissions of sin Natural conscience will tel a man that gross sinners shall not inherit the Kingdom of heaven but Scripture will tell you also that men shall go to hell for the omissions of good It is observable in the sentence which shall be pronounced at the last day by the Judge of all the world that the form of
are as a bulwark and fence to guard the heart against sinne The Spirit it is as the sluce of a pond if the flood-gate be down it keeps the water within its bounds but if you pull up the sluce what an inundation of water will there be 2. If thou wouldst have the Spirit to keep thee from evil thou must labour to keep thy selfe the Spirits keeping of a man doth not exclude his holy care to keep himselfe Psal 18.23 this was Davids practice He kept himselfe from his iniquity he would not make Gods care to keep him an occasion for him to be idle Remember and take this for a rule that if you do not take care to keep your selves from the occasions of sinne the Spirit will never keep you from the execution thereof and therefore you reade 1 Joh. 5.18 that he that is begotten of God he keepeth himselfe that the evil one toucheth him not and so speaks Jude Keep your selves in the love of God Jude 23. 3. What cause have regenerate men to blesse God both in reference to themselves and in reference to wicked men 1. In reference to themselves to what evil would not the flesh have drawn you had it not been for the contrary working of the Spirit in you I appeale to your own conscience how often have you resolved to do wickedly nay how farre have you gone in it insomuch that you have resolved on the time when on the place where and the manner how to bring your intended evil about and yet God hath kept you from your intended purpose so that ye could not do the evil ye would what cause have you to blesse God for positive grace and not only so but for preventing grace that you have been restrained from sin It was thus with David with a full resolution he did resolve to kill Nabal and all his family but the Spirit of God prevented it by setting home the counsell of a poor woman and therefore here upon see what cause you have to blesse God for preventing grace and that you may be provoked hereunto I would leave with you some considerations upon a twofold account 1. If you consider the universality of that corruption that is in your natures 2. If you consider the strength of it 1. If you consider the universality of corruption in the universality of persons all the children of Adam are infected with this common contagion all having sinned in him and so are guilty of the punishment so are they obnoxious to the contagion of Adams sinne Rom. 5.12 2. If you consider the universality of parts there is never a part of man but it is defiled with sinne even regenerate men as there is something in every part sanctified so there is something in each part unsanctified as there is grace in every part so there is sinne in every part 3. In regard of the object a mans nature it is averse to all good and prone to all evil Corruption of nature it is set out by Divines by comparing it to that rude Chaos which was before the creation in which rude heap there was vertualiy all creatures which afterwards the Lord created So it is with corruption of nature it hath vertually in it all the sinnes acted in the world 4. There is an universality in respect of the time this corruption of nature it was not only in one age of the world and not in another but in all ages of the world It reigned from Adam to Moses Rom. 5.14 even over those who had not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression Now put all these together that all persons and all parts of men are corrupted and that in all times and that this corruption prompts you to all sinne consider but all this and have you not great cause to admire that there is no more wickednesse committed in the world 2. Consider not only the universality of corruption but the strength of it If it were but a weak enemy it were not so much but there is great strength and potency in it and therefore it is called sometimes an enticing and sometimes a drawing enemy and if it cannot entice by policy it will draw by power 2. We are to magnifie Gods grace in reference to wicked men that are enemies to the Church of God if the restraining grace of Gods Spirit did not withhold wicked men from doing the evil they would there would be no living in the world if it were not thus every wicked man would murther every man that angred him and he would deceive every man that dealed with him we should have all humane societies overturned the Church of God rooted out from under Heaven did not God by the common workings of his Spirit restrain men Psalme 76.10 God he will turne the wrath of man to his praise and the remainder of wrath wilt thou restraine It is spoken of Gods enemies and God will restraine their wrath by the common workings of his Spirit and it shall evidentially turne to his praise and shall be conducible to the glory of God and the good of his people You have a famous instance in Laban and Jacob Laban came with a mischievous intent against Jacob but God meets with him Gen. 31.29 and gives him a charge that he should not meddle with Jacob no not so much as to speak against him God laid a mighty restraint upon Labans spirit so that he could not do the mischief he intended Gen. 33.4 So likewise in the case of Esau and Jacob Esau he pursued his brother with a deadly hatred insomuch as he resolved when the dayes of his fathers mourning were over to kill his brother but God did so alter his disposition and restrain his bloody intent that when he met with his brother he fell on his neck and kissed him To this purpose the Psalmist hath an expression that the Lord shall cut off the spirit of Princes he is terrible to the Kings of the earth Psal 76.12 In other translations it is The Lord shall restraine the spirit of Princes and it was so in all ages and it is so in this age Men that hate religion though they have much power in their hands yet the power of their hands shall not come into act and because there is no wicked man in the world which shall do the evill he would therefore you have much cause to blesse God Pharaoh though he had much power in his hands yet God delivered his people out of his hands and thus the Lord would not suffer Balaam to curse his people Num. 23. Psal 105.14,15 he will suffer no man to do them harme as David speaks yea He reproved Kings for their sakes saying Touch not mine anointed and do my Prophets no harme Sermon XXVI At Lawrence Jewry London Februar 9. 1650. GAL. 5. verse 17. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the
you there is a clashing between Gods will and yours as if God did not so well know how to deal with you as you do with your selves else you would quietly submit to his will 3. Another evill cause from whence this immoderate sorrow ariseth is ignorance both of the vanity of temporall things and the reality of spirituall things we discover thereby that we think temporall things to have more worth in them then indeed they have and spirituall things lesse But 2dly As it proceeds from evill causes so it produceth evill effects there are these five evill effects that immoderate sorrow produceth as 1. It prejudiceth your naturall health 2 Cor. 7.10 godly sorrow worketh repentance never to be repented of but worldly sorrow causeth death And Solomon tells us a sorrowfull spirit drieth up the bones Prov. 17.22 so saies David in Psal 31.10 my life is spent with grief and my years with sighing my bones are consumed 2. It is a blemish to Religion for a Christian to be excessive in his sorrows for the joy of the Lord should be his strength A godly Christian hath alwayes cause of joy unspeakable and full of glory therefore it is a blemish to Christianity to see a godly man overpressed with worldly sorrow it is an aspersion upon Religion for a godly man to hang down his head for the losse of any outward things as if he had no greater concernments to look after no joy nor comfort nor happiness to look after but here in this life 3. It exceedingly indisposeth the heart to holy and spirituall duties it hinders and interrupts you in hearing the word and prayer Exod. 6.9 They hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit and cruel bondage c. Psal 77.4 I am so troubled that I cannot speak 4. Excessive sorrow imbitters those sweet and comfortable mercies you do injoy a thousand mercies are buried under the excessive sorrow for one affliction as in Gen. 37.35 the place before quoted Jacob did so extreamly mourn for Joseph his youngest Sonne which he supposed to be dead that though he had eleven Sonnes and many Daughters and all of them came to comfort him yet he could take no comfort in any of them but resolved that his gray hairs should go down to the grave in mourning for him this one excessive sorrow for Joseph did imbitter many mercies and comforts which he did injoy So Esther 5.13 though Haman was admitted to the greatest intimacy familiarity with the King yet all this availed him nothing so long as he saw Mordecai sitting at the Kings Gate in this regard many men discover a temper much like the Hedg-hog which as naturalists tell us hath this property it will gather a great many apples or such like fruit upon his bristles and then go to a Hedge and eat them but it is so mournfull a Creature that if it chance but to let fall one of his apples by the way it will so vex and trouble him that he will throw down all the rest So many men if they meet but with one cross or affliction it will make them throw away all the other mercies they enjoy and take no comfort in any of them 5. Excessive sorrow for worldly crosses provokes God many times to send heavier and greater afflictions then ever yet you suffered As I told you before a stubborn Child that blubbers and cries and murmurs under the Fathers corrections will fare the worse and have the more blowes for it so the more we repine and immoderately grieve for any worldly afflictions the more crosses and troubles we are like to have And thus I have done with the second question why Christians should take heed of immoderacie and excessiveness in worldly sorrows We come now to lay down some considerations whereby to allay your sorrows but I must leave that till the afternoon I shall onely for the present make a short application of what hath been said and so have done Vse Vse Is it so that Christians should not be excessive in worldly sorrows but weep as if they wept not then this reproves those that can mourn for every crosse that befalls them but yet cannot shed a teare for any sin they commit Many men complain of small inconsiderable troubles and affliction but yet never complain of their sins and corruptions these never trouble them nor come near their hearts they can mourn for that which can but at most prejudice the body and yet never grieve for that which can prejudice and destroy their soules 2. I beseech you beloved take heed of being lavish of your teares for worldly crosses or afflictions it is pitty to wash a foul Room with sweet water I must needs tell you teares are too pretious to shâ—d for every trifle it were a great deal better you would keep this pretious water to wash away your sins for though it is Christs blood alone that can wash away the guilt of sin yet your teares may much conduce to wash away the filth and power of sin When you mourn for worldly crosses then weep as if you wept not but when you mourn for sin mourn as much as you can Be like yee before the Sun that will soon melt and convert into water you that are the Children of God know that you have greater things and of higher concernment to bestow your teares upon then any outward troubles you have daily failings and many sins and corruptions unmortified and unsubdued and the losse of the light of Gods countenance to mourn for your sorrows never run aright but when they run in this Channel when your tears run into the Mill-pond to grind your lusts and corruptions to consume and weaken them then are your sorrows right and regular Lastly Let me intreat and advise you not to mistake in reference to your sorrows to think you do mourn and grieve for sin when it is only for outward afflictions Many men when their Neighbours aske them why they are so sad and mournfull and weep so much will be ready to say it is for their sins and failings and corruptions that are too strong for them or the like when indeed it is only for some crosse or outward trouble they have met with therefore do not mistake that sorrow to be for your sins which is onely or especially for some outward affliction you have met with SERMON 2. WEe come now to the third Question which I shall spend this whole Aftemoon upon and that is this to lay down to you 12 considerations whereby to allay and keep under immoderateness and excessive sorrow for any worldly crosses or afflictions and how to keep our selves in the frame and temper of spirit which the Apostle here enjoyns us namely to weep as if we wept not I told you in the morning God would not have us stupid and insensible of his hand in any affliction but yet as we should not be stoicall so neither must we be excessive in our sorrows I have
most of his afflictions and the least of his mercies but if you would keep your hearts from excessive sorrow you should amplifie and inlarge Gods mercies to you and extenuate and lessen your afflictions in your memories and you will greaten your thankfulnesse and lessen and abate your murmurring and sorrowes Consider with your selves that the least mercy that you doe enjoy is more then you doe deserve and the greatest affliction you endure a great deale lesse then your demerits and consider likewise that you brought nothing into the world neither can you carry any thing out and that if you doe escape hell torment hereafter it is a greater mercy then if you should enjoy all the treasures and pleasures in the world but many people if they meet but with one day of adversity they will pore upon their misery and amplifie their sorrowes and never thinke of those loads of mercies which God hath heaped upon their heads you have more cause to rejoyce that God gives you the least mercy then to rpine when he sends on you the greatest affliction 10. Compare your afflictions with others that have endured greater afflictions with more patience and lesse sorrow then you have done consider the patience of Job and the end that the Lord made with him you never lost so much as Job lost he lost 7000. Sheep 3000. Camels 500 yoake of Oxen and 500. shee Asses he lost seven sonnes and three daughters and all in one day he endured a great deale of misery in his body and lay upon the very dunghil and yet was patient under all these afflictions Why nowconsider that better men then thou art have had greater miseries and troubles and afflictions then you and yet have had a great deale more patience and lesse sorrow and griefe then thou The Apostle Peter perswaded men to patience in a suffering condition 1 Pet 5.9 considering that the same afflictions are accomplisht in their brethren which are in the world and Paul 1 Cor. 10.13 There hath nothing befallen you but such as is common to man Nay Jesus Christ himselfe underwent many afflictions and miseries and yet he opened not his mouth but as a Sheep before the shearers is dumbe so he opened not his mouth Those that have more grace have lesse mercy then thou and those that have lesse sinnes have more afflictions 11. To allay your sorrow and keep it within bounds consider that 't is better with you when you are at the worst then it is with wicked men when they are at the best if this consideration did lye neere your hearts it would greatly allay all excessive sorrow A little that a righteous man hath is better then the revenues of the wicked Prov. 15.6 In the house of the righteous is much treasure but in the revenues of the wicked is trouble Observe it is not said in the revenues of the righteous is much treasure but in the house of the righteous it may be a righteous mans house may be a poore cottage a beggars house and in it not a stoole to sit on or a fire to warme him or food to nourish him c. and yet sayes Solomon in the house of the righteous is much treasure but have wicked men treasure too no in the revenues of the wicked is much trouble he doth not say in the house of the wicked but in their revenues there is much trouble there is the curse of God upon all that a wicked man enjoyes the poore beggerly cottage of a righteous man hath more treasure and happinesse in it then the great revenues of wicked men a godly man when he is at worst is better then a wicked man at best Prov. 16.8 Better is a little with righteousnesse then great revenues without right a little with the feare of God is better then a great deale that a wicked man hath Why now will you lay this to heart suppose you lye under great afflictions and have lost an estate or wife or children or friends or any thing yet thou art a godly man I dare assure you that in your worst condition you are better then a wicked man in his best estate though there be little or nothing in your house yet there is great treasure and though there be much in a wicked mans house yet there is likewise a great deal of trouble and sorrow I have only one consideration more and I have done 12. If thou wouldest allay excessive sorrow for worldly crosses consider that you will live a great deale more happy in being contented with what you have then you can doe in over much grieving for what you want for thou dost by this meanes pierce thy selfe through with many sorrowes A man may be a very rich man and drive a great Trade and yet that man may be a miserable man and have a hell in his conscience and a hell in his family Therefore if you cannot bring your estate to your minde you must bring downe your minde to your estate for the comfort of a mans life doth not consist in riches but in being contented with his condition therefore rather blesse God for what thou hast then mourne and grieve for what thou wantest for this is the way to make thy life uncomfortable and full of trouble and sorrow take the Apostles advise Hebr. 13.5 sayes he Let your conversations be without covetousnesse and be content with such things as you have And thus I have done with these twelve helpes or considerations to keep your sorrowes within bounds Use We come now to the use which shall be of reproofe to those that can mourne for every triviall and inconsiderable losse they meet with in the world that have heads like Fountaines to poure out rivers of Teares for any worldly crosses or afflictions and yet when God calls for mourning and weeping and baldnesse their heads are like a Rock that cannot shed one drop though they can mourne for small light afflictions yet they cannot shed a teare either for their own sins or the sinnes of the Nation these men are justly to be reproved for their preposterous sorrow SERM. 4. I come now to make a further improvement of this poynt if it be so that Christians must take heed of immoderate sorrow and weep as if they wept not for worldly afflictions then this doctrine will administer these three cautions to you from whence will arise three Cases of conscience Caution 1. Take heed that you run not into this mistake that when you are excessive in sorrow for worldly crosses to pretend onely to have a naturall sensibleness of your afflictions and no more and the reason why I give you this caution is because there is an aptnesse in men naturally when they are reproved for their immoderate sorrowes to excuse it and say will you not give me leave to mourne for my sinnes and to have a sensiblenesse of Gods hand upon me and the like Case 1 Now because men are so apt to mistake
too much when he so blubbers and cries the tears trickling down his eyes that he cannot see his Letters nor read his Book so a Christian grieves too much for his corruptions when he cannot see nor blesse God for those graces he gives him 2. You grieve over-much for sin when it doth damne and darken your evidences for Heaven when a Christian does so pore upon his sins and discover such cause of grief and sorrow from them that he never looks into his own heart to see what cause of joy he hath there in having an assurance of his interest in Christ and a right and title unto glory Beloved God would not have one grace to justle out another sorrow for sin is a grace but yet God would not have this to justle out spirituall joy When a Christian does so grieve for sin that he casts away all hopes of Heaven then his forrow is excessive when he grieves and blubbers so that he cannot read his evidences for Heaven 3dly Sorrowing for sin is excessive when it laies discouragements upon the soul to come in to Christ for pardon and remission when a man shall so grieve for sin that he dares not venture to look up to Jesus Christ for mercy and to lay hold upon a promise for his comfort when a sinner does thus then he mourns excessively If the Children of Israel in the wilderness when they were stung of the fiery Serpents had not had the boldness to look up to the Brazen Serpent they could not have been healed and recovered so when sorrow for sin makes us that we cannot look up to Christ for pardon then it is excessive Sorrow and teares for sin are never right till they are like floods of water to drive us to Christ Fourthly sorrow for sin is then immoderate when it so overwhelms you that you can take no comfort in the outward blessings that God hath given you as Houses or Lands or Corne or Wine or the like When a Christians sorrow for sin doth so damp his spirits that he cannot take that outward joy and lawful complacency in worldly comforts that God allowes him then is your sorrow inordinate though many think that God allowes that sin should be so bitter to them yet it is no such matter you must be sorry for sin and yet take comfort in the outward blessings that God bestowes upon you Fifthly Sorrow for sin is inordinate when it puts a man into an incapacity to receive comforts from the Gospel when a Christian shall see his sin so great and his case so sad that if you tender the promises of the Gospel to him they are as things of no worth to him he thinks they do not belong to him and therefore can find no comfort nor savour in any of them When a man shall be obstinate and peremptorily stand out against the comforts of the Gospel because of his sin then is his sorrow inordinate Thus Asaph did in Psal 74.2 saies he I was in trouble and my soul refused to be comforted When a mans condition is sad and yet he refuseth to be comforted then is his sorrow excessive Sixthly Then is sorrow for sin immoderate when it disables or indisposeth a man to perform his duty either in his generall or particular calling when it doth indispose him to the duties of his generall calling as a Christian that he cannot pray nor read nor discourse nor hear the word of God but lies alone in a corner and will not admit of any body to comfort him or confer with him that sorrow that indisposeth a man to holy duties is an irregular sorrow Ps 77.4 I am so troubled that I cannot speak to wit to God in prayer And so again that sorrow that indisposeth a man to the duties of his particular Calling as a man that he cannot work or study or trade and follow his particular imployments that sorrow is an inordinate sorrow God doth require us to work in our Callings as well as to work out our salvation and therefore that sorrow that hinders and indisposeth us to it is excessive and immoderate And thus I have shewed you when sorrow for sin is excessive and have onely given you the heads of things and have likewise done in resolving the third case of conscience Vse VVe come now to the application and if it be so that a Christian must not onely take heed of grieving overmuch for afflictions but for sin too then take heed you do not pervert this Doctrine take heed of being obstinate and perverse and hard-hearted in sin though I tell you that Christians should not be excessive in their sorrows for sin yet I do not say that wicked men should be obstinate and stout-hearted in sin and never mourn for sin at all No it were well for them that they could weep bitterly for their sins therefore you that are obstinate and presumptuous sinners take heed that you do not abuse this Doctrine and again you that count sin your greatest burthen that every mole-hill of sin is like a Mountain upon you take heed that ye be not so overwhelmed with sorrow that you can see no comfort at all in Christ and in the promises of Salvation through him but do you look to the Lord Jesus Christ and see that there is more in Christ to save you then there is in your selves to condemn you though there be abundance of corruption in you yet there is a fullnesse of satisfaction in Christ he is able to save to the uttermost all that shall come unto God by him All you that do belong to Christ do neither weep too much for your sins nor yet too little do not say I will not grieve nor shed tears at all for them for as Christs blood was shed for our sins so we should shed tears for them but yet we must not so grieve for them as to discourage us from going unto Christ and to darken our evidences for Heaven Use Exhor ∣ tation We have onely now a use of exhortation and then I have done If Christians must take heed that they weep as if they wept not for that is the scope of the Text then let me in the bowells of Christ perswade all you that are the people of God to labour to fulfill this Apostolike Rule that you would so carry your selves as those that have better hopes Several Considerations to keep men from excessive sorrow and better things to look after then any thing here below And as before I gave you twelve considerations to allay keep under excessive sorrow so now I shall give you 7 or 8 Considerations more to keep out excessive sorrow which if seriously laid to heart may be a great help to keep you from breaking out into immoderate sorrow whatever betides you Consid 1 1. Consider that excessive sorrow for worldly crosses argues either a totall want of grace or else an extream weakness of grace First it sometimes argues a totall want of