28. and doth all of free Cost of meer Mercy and Compassion But what 's all this to one that neither sees his Sickness that sees nothing of a Wound What is the best Physician alive or all the Physicans in the World put all together to him that knows no Sickness that is sensible of no Disease Physicians as was said may go a begging for all the healthful Physicians are of no esteem save only to the Sick or upon a supposition of being so now or at any other time Why this is the cause Christ is so little set by in the World God has not made them sick by smiting of them his Sword has not given them the wound his Dart has not been struck through their Liver they have not been broken with his Hammer nor melted with his Fire So they have no regard to his Physician so they slight all the provision which God has made for the Salvation of the Soul. But now let such a Soul be wounded let such a mans heart be broken let such a man be made sick through the sting of guilt and be made to wallow himself in ashes under the burden of his Transgressions and then who but Christ as has been shew'd afore Then the Physician then Wash me Lord then Supple my Wounds then Pour thy Wine and Oyle into my Sore Then Lord Jesus cause me to hear the Voice of Joy and Gladness that the Bones which thou hast broken may Rejoyce Nothing now so welcome as healing and so nothing no man so desirable now as Christ His name to such is the best of names His Love to such is the best of Love himself being now not only in himself but also to such a Soul the chiefest of Ten Thousands Song 5. As Bread to the Hungry as Water to the Thirsty as Light to the Blind and Liberty to the Imprisoned So and a thousand times more is Jesus Christ to the Wounded and to them that are Broken Hearted Now as was said this must needs be Excellent in Gods Eyes since Christ Jesus is so glorious in his Eyes To contemn what a man counts Excellent is an offence to him but to vallue esteem or think highly of that which is of esteem with me this is pleasing to me such an opinion is excellent in my sight What says Christ My Father loveth you because ye loved me Who hath an high esteem for Christ the Father hath an high esteem for them Hence 't is said He that hath the Son hath the Father the Father will be his and will do for him as a Father who receiveth and sets an honourable esteem on his Son John 16. 27. But none will none can do this but the Broken-Hearted because they and they only are sensible of the want and worth of an intrest in him I dare appeal to all the World as to the truth of this and do say again That these and none but these have hearts of esteem in the sight of God. Alas the heart of the wicked is little worth Pov. 10. 20. for it is destitute of a precious esteem of Christ and cannot but be destitute because it is not wounded broken and made sensible of the want of mercy by him Fourthly A Broken Heart is of great esteem with God because it is A thankful heart for that sence of sin and of grace it has received The Broken Heart is a sensible heart This we touched upon before It is sensible of the dangers which Sin leadeth to yea and has cause to be sensible thereof because it has seen and felt what Sin is both in the guilt and punishment that by Law is due thereto As a Broken heart is sensible of Sin in the evil nature and consequences of it so it is also sensible of the way of Gods delivering the Soul from the day of Judgment consequently it must be a thankful heart Now he that Praises me glorifies me saith God and God loves to be glorified Gods glory is dear unto him he will not part with that Psal. 50. 23. Isa. 42. 8. The Broken-Hearted say I forasmuch as he is the sensible Soul it follows that he is the Thankful Soul. Bless the Lord O my Soul said David and all that is within me Bless his holy Name Behold what Blessing of God is here And yet not content here with he goes on with it again saying Bless the Lord O my Soul and forget not all his Benefits Psal. 103. 1 2. But what 's the matter Oh he has forgiven all thine Iniquities and healed all thy Diseases He has redeemed thy Life from Destruction and Crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender Mercies Verse 3. 4. But how came he to be affected with this Why he knew what it was to hang over the mouth of Hell for Sin Yea he knew what it was for Death and Hell to beset and compass him about Yea they took hold of him as we have said and were pulling of him down into the deep this â—e saw to the breaking of his heart He saw also the way of Life and had his Soul relieved with faith and sence of that and that made him a thankful man. If a man who has had a broken Leg is but made to understand that by the breaking of that he kept from breaking of his Neck he will be thankful to God for a broken Leg. 'T is good for me said David that I have been Afflicted I was by that preserved from a great danger for before that I went astray Psal. 119. 67. 71. And who can be thankful for a mercy that is not sensible that they want it have it and have it of Mercy Now this the Broken-Hearted this the man that is of a Contrite Spirit is sensible of and that with reference to Mercies of the best sort and therefore must needs be a thankful man and so have an heart of esteem with God because it is a thankful heart Fifthly A Broken Heart is 〈◊〉 great esteem with or an excellent thing in the sight of God Because 't is an heart that desires now to become a receptacle or habitation for the Spirit and Graces of the Spirit of God. It was the Devils hold before and was contented so to be But now it is for entertaining of for being possessed with the holy Spirit of God. Create in me a clean heart said David and renew a a right spirit within me Take not thy holy Spirit from me uphold me with thy free Spirit Psal. 51. 10 11 12. Now he was for a clean heart and a right Spirit now he was for the sanctifyings of the blessed Spirit of Grace A thing which the uncircumcised in heart resists and do despite unto Acts 7. 51. Heb. 10. 29. A Broken Heart therefore suiteth with the heart of God a Contrite Spirit is one Spirit with him God as I told you before covets to dwell with the Broken in Heart and the Broken in Heart desireth communion with him Now here 's an agreement an
oneness of mind now the same mind is in thee which was also in Christ Jesus This must needs be an excellent Spirit this must needs be better with God and in his Sight Then thousands of Rams or Ten thousand Rivers of Oyl But does the Carnal World covet this this Spirit and the blessed Graces of it No they despise it as I said before they mock at it they prefer and countenance any sorry dirty Lust rather and the reason is because they want a Broken Heart that Heart so highly in esteem with God and remain for want thereof in their enmity to God. The Broken-Hearted knows that the sanctifyings of the Spirit is a good means to keep from that relaps out of which a man cannot come unless his heart be wounded a second time Doubtless David had a Broken Heart at first Conversion and if that Brokenness had remained that is had he not given way to hardness of heart again he had never fallen into that Sin out of which he could not be recovered but by the breaking of his Bones a second time Therefore I say a Broken Heart is of great esteem with God for it and I will add so long as it retains its tenderness covets none but God and the things of his holy Spirit Sin is an abomination to it And here as in a fit place before I go any further I will shew you some of the advantages that a Christian gets by keeping of his Heart tender For As to have a Broken Heart is to have an excellent thing so to keep this broken heart tender is also very advantagio us First This is the way to maintain in thy Soul always a fear of Sinning against God. Christians do not wink at or give way to Sin until their hearts begin to lose their Tenderness A Tender Heart will be afflicted at the Sin of another much more it will be afraid of committing of Sin it self 2 King 22. 19. Secondly A Tender Heart quickly yieldeth to Prayer yea prompteth to it puts an edge and fire into it we never are backward to Prayer until our heart has lost its Tenderness â—ho then it grows cold flat and formal and so carnal to and in that holy duty Thirdly A Tender Heart has always Repentance at hand for the least fault or slip or sinful thought that the Soul is guilty of in many things the best offend But if a Christian loseth his Tenderness if he says he has his Repentance to seek his heart is grown hard has lost that Spirit that kind Spirit of Repentance it was wont to have Thus it was with the Corinthians they were decayed and lost their Tenderness wherefore their Sin yea great Sins remained unrepented of 2 Cor. 12 20 21. Fourthly A Tender Heart is for receiving often its Communion with God when he that is hardened tho the seed of Grace is in him will be content to Eat Drink Sleep wake and go days without number without him Isa. 17. 10. 18. Jer. 2. 32. Fifthly A Tender Heart is a wakeful watchful heart It watches against Sin in the Soul Sin in the Family Sin in the Calling Sin in Spiritual duties and performances c. It watches against Satan against the World against the Flesh c. But now when the Heart is not Tender there is Sleepiness Unwatchfulness Idleness a Suffering the heart the Family and Calling to be much defiled spotted and blemished with Sin for a heart departs from God and turns aside in all these things Sixthly A Tender Heart will deny it self and that in lawful things and will forhear even that which may be done for some Jew or Gentile or the Church of God or any member of it should be offended or made weak thereby whereas the Christian that is not tender that has lost his tenderness is so far off of denying himself in lawful things that he will even adventure to meddle in things utterly forbidden whoever is offended grieved or made weak thereby For an instance for this we need go no further then to the man in the Text who while he was Tender trembled at little things but when his heart was hardened he could take Bethsheba to satisfie his Lust and kill her husband to cover his Wickedness Seventhly A Tender Heart I mean the heart kept tender preserves from many a blow lash and fatherly chastisement because it shuns the causes which is sin of the scourging hand of God. With the upright thou wilt shew thy self upright but with the froward thou wilt shew thy self unsavoury 2 Sam. 22. 27. Psal. 18. 25 26 27. Many a needless rebuke and wound doth happen to the Saints of God thorow their unwise behaviour when I say needless I mean they are not necessary but to reclaim us from our vanities for we should not feel the smart of them were it not for our follies Hence the afflicted is called a fool because his folly brings his affliction upon him Fools says David Because of their transgressions and because of their Iniquities are afflicted Psal. 107. 17. And therefore it is as was said afore that he calls his Sin his foolishness And again God will speak peace to his people and his saints but let not them return again to folly Psal. 38. 5. Psal. 85. 8. If his Children transgress my Laws I will visit their Transgressions with a Râ—d and their Iniquities with Stripes Quest. But what should a Christian do when God has broke his heart to keep it tender Answ. To this I will speak briefly And First Give you several Cautions Secondly Several Directions For Cautions 1. Take heed that you choke not those Convictions that at present do break your hearts by labouring to put those things out of your minds which were the cause of such Convictions but rather nourish and cherish those things in a deep and sober remembrance of them Think therefore with thy self thus What was it that at first did wound my heart And let that still be there until by the Grace of God and the Redeemed blood of Christ it is removed 2. Shun Vain Company the keeping of Vain Company has stifled many a Conviction kill'd many a desire and made many a Soul fall into Hell that once was hot in looking after Heaven A Companion that is not profitable to the Soul is hurtful He that walketh with wise men shall be wise but a Companion of Fools shall be destroyed Prov. 13. 20. 3. Take heed of Idle Talk that thou neither hear nor joyn with it Go from the presence of a foolish man when thou perceivest not in him the lips of Knowledge Prov. 14. 7. Evil Communication corrupâ—s good manners And a fools Lips are a snare to his Soul. Wherefore take heed of these things Prov. 18. 7. 1 Cor. 15. 33. 4. Beware of the least motion to Sin that it be not countenanced lest the countenancing of that makes way for a bigger David's eye took his heart and so his heart nourishing the thought made
strength faileth me As for the light of mine Eyes it also is gone from me My lovers and friends stand aloof from my sore And so he goes on Psal. 38. 1 2 3 4 c. These are the Words Sighs Complaints Prayers and Arguments of a Broken Heart to God for Mercy And so are they Have Mercy upon me O God according to thy loving kindness According to the multitude of thy tender Mercies blot out my Transgressions Wash me throughly from mine Iniquity and cleanse me from my Sin. For I acknowledge my Transgressions and my Sins are ever before me Psal. 51. 1 2 3. God alloweth poor Creatures that can without lying thus to plead and argue with him I am poor and sorrowful said the good man to him let thy Salvation set me on high Psal. 69. 29. Wherefore Thou that hast a Broken Heart take courage God bids thee take courage say therefore to thy Soul Why art thou cast down O my Soul As usually the Broken-Hearted are And why art thou disquieted within me Hope thou in God. I had fainted if I had not been of good courage therefore be of good courage and he shall strengthen thine heart Psal. 42. 11. Psal. 43. 5. Psal. 27. 12 13 14. But Alas The Broken-Hearted are far off from this they faint they reckon themselves among the dead they think God will remember them no more the thoughts of the greatness of God and his holiness and their own Sins and Vilenesses will certainly consume them they feel guilt and anguish of Soul they go Mourning all the day long their Mouth is full of gravil and gaul and they are made to drink draughts of Wormwood and Gaul So that he must be an artist indeed at believing who can come to God under his guilt and horror and plead in faith that the Sacrifices of God are a Broken Heart such as he had and that a Broken and a Contrite Spirit God will not despise Fifthly If a Broken Heart if a Broken and a Contrite Spirit is of such esteem with God Then why should some be as they are so afraid of a Broken Heart and so shy of a Contrite Spirit I have observed that some men are as fraid of a Broken Heart or that they for their sins should have their hearts Broken as the Dog is of the Whip O! They cann't away with such Books with such Sermons with such Preachers or with such talk as tends to make a man sensible of and to Break his Heart and to make him Contrite for his Sins Hence they heap to themselves such Teachers get such Books Love such Company and delight in such Discourse as rather tends to harden then soften to make desperate in then sorrowful for their Sins They say to such Sermons Books and Preachers as Amaziah said to Amos. O thou seer go flee thou away into the land of Judah and there eat Bread and Prophesie there but Prophesie not again any more at Bethel c. Amos 7. 12 13. But do these People know what they do Yes think they for such Preachers such Books such Discourses tend to make one Melancholy or Mad they make us that we cannot take pleasure in our Selves in our Concerns in our Lives But Oh Fool in grain Let me speak unto thee Is it a time to take Pleasure and to Recreate thy self in any thing before thou hast Mourned and been Sorry for thy Sins That Mirth that is before Repentance for Sin will certainly end in heaviness Wherefore the Wise Man puting both together saith that Mourning must be first There is a time to Weep and a time to Laugh a time to Mourn and a time to Dance Eccles. 3. 4. What! An Unconverted Man and Laugh Shouldest thou see one Singing merry Songs that is riding up Holbourn to Tyburn to be hanged for Felony wouldest thou not count him besides himself if not worse and yet thus it is with him that is for Mirth while he standeth Condemned by the Book of God for his Trespasses Man Man Thou hast cause to Mourn yea thou must Mourn if ever thou art Saved Wherefore my advice is that instead of shuning thou covet both such Books such Preachers and such Discourses as has a tendency to make a man sensible of and to break his Heart for Sin and the reason is because thou wilt never be as thou shoud'st concerned about nor seek the Salvation of thine own Soul before thou hast a Broken Heart a Broken and a Contrite Spirit Wherefore be not afraid of a Broken Heart be not shy of a Contrite Spirit It is one of the greatest Mercies that God bestows upon a Man or a Woman The Heart Rightly Broken at the sence of and made Truly Contrite for Trransgression is a certain fore-runner of Salvation This is evident from these six demonstrations which was laid down to prove the point in hand at first And for thy awaking in this matter Let me tell thee and thou wilt find it so Thou must have thy heart Broken whether thou wilt or no. God is resolved to break ALL hearts for Sin some time or other Can it be imagined Sin being what it is and God what he is to wit a Revenger of Disobedience but that one time or other man must smart for Sin Smart I say either to Repentance or to Condemnation He that Mourns not now while the Door of Mercy 's open must Mourn for Sin when the door of Mercy 's shut Shall men despise God Break his Law Contemn his Threats Abuse his Grace yea Shut their Eyes when he says See and Stop their Ears when he says Hear and shall they SO escape No no Because he called and they refused he stretched out his hand and they regarded it not Therefore shall Calamity come upon them as upon one in Travel and they shall cry in their Destruction and then God will laugh at their Destruction and mock when their Fear cometh Then saith he They shall cry Prov. 1. 24. 25 26 c. I have often observed that this threatning is repeated at least seven times in the new Testament saying There shall be weeping and gnashing of Teeth There shall be wailing and gnashing of Teeth as Mat. 8. 12. Chap. 13. 42. and 50. Chap. 22. 13. Chap. 24 51. Chap. 25. 30. Luke 13. 28. There where in Hell and at the barr of Christs Tribunal when he comes to judge the World and shall have shut too the door to keep them out of Glory that have here despised the offer of his Grace and overlooked the day of his Patience There shall be wailing and gnashing of Teeth They shall weep and wail for this There are but two Scriptures that I shall use more and then I shall draw towards a Conclusion One is that in Proverbs where Solomon is counseling of Young Men to beware of Strange that is of wanton light and ensnaring women Take heed of such said he Lest thou mourn at last that is in Hell when thou art dead when