sweete and pleasanc to the vpright or should I be a false Prophet to speake peace to the wicked h Isa 57.21 to whom there is no peace This subiect that I purpose to intreat of is to direct the humbled sinner as the i Gen. 11.19 Angel did Hagar to the spring of water to refresh her thirstie Son Ishmael to the liuing waters of spirituall and true consolation a Riddle a Mysterie and a Paradoxe to nature the world to whom it is a true axiome maxime that euerie like begets his like as beasts birds fishes and creeping things being the sensible creatures and all plants hearbs and trees being the vegetatiue creatures hauing onely the life of increase it is also a position true in nature that contraries doe not beget or preserue their contraries but destroy and consume them as the fumes being hote and dry and the vapors and cloudes cold and moyst k Iob. 36.33 What combate and opposition is there as appeares in thunders and lightnings which are neuer quieted but by the rupture and breaking of the cloudes and vapory substance to make way for the fiery exhalations evacuation But behold here one of the wonders of the most high for his works in creation prouidence and the regenerating of men are contrarie to all the vnderstanding of nature as he brought l Gen. 1.3 light out of darkenesse the rainebow m Gen. 9.12 a signe of present raine for the most part and yet an euerlasting signe of the Couenant that God made after the deluge that hee will neuer destroy the earth any more with water He brings life to all his elect but out of death euen the death of his Sonne hee brings good out of euill euen out of the most exquisite villanies that euer were as out of Iudas his treason and all the wicked conspiracie of the high Priests Scribes and Pharisees against his eternall Sonne so in this particular ioy comfort peace and felicitie is promised to the righteous but arising out of a strange branch and that which is opposite thereto in all mens opinion euen sorrow and howsoeuer it cannot be a true position in naturall things yet it is a sound sure position in Diuinitie for being both graces of the spirit of God they doe conserue and not destroy each other The inducements perswading me to this subiect are 1. If it were possible to awaken this sinnefull world to consider that God cals them to mourning girding with sackcloth fasting and prayer in the sence of their owne sinnes and the sinnes of the time and land where wee liue and behold as the Prophet sayth m Isa 12.13 Killing Oxen and slaying sheepe eating and drinking c. a horrible sinne to be set vpon their jovall and mad mirth as the wise man speakes throwing axes edge-tooles firebrands and deadly weapons at the faces each of other saying am I not in jest When the Lord cals for lamentation and mourning Luk. 6.25 O ponder the woe of our Sauiour you that forget God Woe be to you that now laugh for you shall mourne it may be when it is too late 2. That I might direct the poore humbled Soule which though they be but few scarce one of a family or ten of a Tribe the true way to the consolations of GOD n Isa 55.1.3 that they may receiue the wine and milke of comfort and their soules may liue time hath beene Oh that I might truly say time is when wee that are the dispensers of the mysteries and treasures of God I speake experimentally haue not inioyed time three or foure houres after a Sermon to eate or refresh our selues for answering the doubts of perplexed and afflicted consciences a happy worke But now Oh the obdurate and adamantine hardnesse of heart an afflicted spirit is as a signe wonder in Israel yet blessed be God some there are for whose cause and of a tender commiseration and respect my soule desires to vndergoe any taske or trauaile for their ease refreshing and releefe I haue knowne some in terrors of conscience Prou. 18.14 and vnder the vexation of a wounded spirit which the wise man saith Who can beare tenne twentie yeares when I was not so able to administer consolation which might haue beene soone directed and recouered with the assisstance and blessing of the spirit of God Now for the point it is a certaine truth that there is no true ioy to bee expected before the heart be humbled with sorrow in the sence and feeling of a mans sinne 1. Because the current of all the promises runne thus Our Sauiour who best knew to administer a word in season pronounceth mourners onely to be happy o Matt. 5.4 Blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted and Dauid by the spirit of God teacheth this p Ps 126.5 They that sow in teares shall reape in ioy Againe q Ps 30.5.11 Weeping may abide in the Euening but ioy commeth in the Morning And in the 11. vers Thou hast turned my mourning into ioy thou hast loosed my sacke and guirded mee with gladnesse thus he proclaymeth this experiment to the comfort of all succeeding ages and professeth that hee will for that favour prayse God for euer 2. A broken heart are the sweete odours and sacrifices acceptable to him and the Prophet vtters it as if it were all better then all r Psa 51.17 The sacrifices of God are a broken and contrite heart and that he will neuer despise it what could be spoken more amply then this 3. The Lord himselfe professeth that hee will take vp the contrite heart to keepe his royall Court of refidence there and to reuiue that spirit Å¿ Isa 66.2 To him will I looke euen to him that is poore and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my word that is receiueth my word and doctrine with feare and trembling Quest But doth the promises of happinesse and beatitude belong to all sorrowes indefinitly Answ That were too large and layes open a doore of happines to many which sorrow and that excessiuely yet shall vndoubtedly perish there must be therefore issued out as the Lawyers say a Writ of melias inquirendum which I will doe by a distribution of sorrowes and mourners into their seuerall rankes and answere till I come at the true sorrow as the Lord answered t 1 Sam. 16.7.12 Samuel when he sent him to annoint Dauid King of Ifrael the sonnes of Ishai being brought Eliab Abinadab Sbamuah the Lord said to each seuerally the Lord hath not chosen him nor any of Ishais seuen sonnes vntill Dauid came and then the Lord answered annoint him King ouer my people for this is he We are therefore to obserue three kindes of sorrowes 1. Naturall sorrowes 2. Vnnaturall diabolicall or diuelish sorrowes 3. Supernaturall The sorrowes of the afflicted scandalized I call naturall because they proceed from nature and naturall causes The sorrowes
judgment of GOD who as they haue finned vndivided so are they not divided in the smart thereof but are corrected and afflicted together the body hath beene a servant to ehe lusts of the soule receiueth the guerdon wages of sinne with it Dauid abused the vigour of his body in the sinnes of adultery and murther and the Lord chastneth him in both-Thus of natural sorrowes 2. Vnnatural or diabolical diuelish sorrowes 1. Of the desperate 2. Of the disappointed 1. The sorrow of the desperate as Iob sayth z 〈◊〉 Iob 3.20 they desire to see the graue they seeke death and cannot finde it that is they feele such a racke torment and vexation in their conscience being without hope of the consolations of God are not able to endure this insupportable burthen of a wounded spirit and therefore are driven to one of those woful shifts either which come to driue it away by calling in other distractions helplesse alas comfortlesse as marrying wiues building citties inventing muficke such like bables fit for fooles and childreÌ„ buc neuer turne their thoughts to GOD to seeke for fauour much like the vile world now that drinke away the thought of their latter end but alas what good is in this nothing but to still the out cry and clamour of conscience for a time that they may haue a greater freedome to sinne and not bee disquieted or else desperately to seeke death as a 2 Sam. 17 25. Aâ—hitopbel and b Math. 27.5 Iudas by laying violent handes vpon themselues a medicine as euil or worse then the disease or else sinke vnder the burthen as those Priers and Papists who lay like fooles vnder stockes crying out bitterly in the sence of their tormented consciences Francis Spire wishing that their plagues and torments in Hell might be but as many yeares as there are droppes of water in the Sea or as many yeares as a little bird would be in carrying away a huge mountaine in her mouth for then there would be an end but now it will bee eternall What shall I speake of Latonius who died roaring as if hee had beene possessed body and soule with the Deuill or of Hosfminster Eccius and other whom stories make mention of 2. The sorrow of the disappointed as of Haman when his wicked deuise hee had against Mordecai and the Iewes was preuented c Hest 6.12 hasted home mourning and his head couered When Ahab could not obtaine Nabaoth veineyard d 1. King 21.4 went home to his house heauie lay vpon his bed would not eat So Amron Dauids sonne when hee had missed his lust with his sister Thamar e 2. Sam. 13.24 he fell sicke for her the world is filled with these cursed deuillish sorrowes when they cannot atchieue their wicked plots stratagems and hellish deuises but this is a diabolicall and wicked sorrow and neyther of these yet is that true sorrow which brings true peace and ioy and therefore we must seeke for another Thirdly supernaturall or religious sorrowes which are of two sortes Legall Euangelical This legall sorrow goes before faith being a griefe wrought by the preaching of the Law inlightning and wounding the soule in the sence and feeling of sinne racking tormenting and disquieting the conscience and making it speake and crie out with inutterable clamors and following him with hew and crie so as wheresoeuer hee becomes hee carries his accuser Iudge tormentor and executioner about with him and this hath and must be the condition of euery one whom God purposeth to saue at one time or other and in some degree or other for the Lord heales none but the wounded with the wine and oyle of the sweete promises of the Gospell and indeede they feele no want thereof f Matt. 9.12.13 The whole neede nut the Physitian saith our Sauiour but those that are sicke these he came to call to repentance not the righteous that is such as are righteous in their owne account and howsoeuer this bee no sauing grace but as the Schools speake a generall grace or a grace of preparation not of composition such as hee promiscuously bestowes vpon the world aswell as his people though hee giues them more Yet let all men know for certaintie that till legall sorrow hath though serious fence of sin made a man tremble and sorrow euen in respect of the vengeance and wrath of God and brought him to despayre in regarde of himselfe he is not moued to consider seriously which is the first wheele of all like the spring in a watch which moues all the rest much lesse to desire mercie which is the opening of the doore of the heart to let in the Lord Iesus into the soule Therefore hath the Lord set vp a Ministerie in his Church that partly by the laws preached driues men to their wits-end as those three thousand Conuertes that at Peters Sermon cryed out b Act. 2.37 What shall we doe and partly by his works as the Iayler when the earthquake and opening of the prison-dores made him tremble crie out c Act. 16.29 30. What shall I doe And Manasseh God bindes him in chaines and sends him to Babell c 2. Chro. 33.12.13 and then hee humbled himselfe greatly before the God of his Fathers and God was intreated of him brought him backe into his owne land Many are the gashes wounds Sathan and sinne hath made in our soules wee must and shall feele the smart of them before we be throughly healed To this purpose hath God set vp and placed his monitor conscience in mans foule to crie aloud and tell him what hee hath done amisse to apprehend him and set vp a Gibbet in his soule to which it adiudgeth him and all to bring him to himselfe to sue for pardon Yet is not this the sorrow which hath the promise of ioy and comfort annexed to it though this bee not altogether separated from it yet is this legall sorrow in reprobaâ—es and diuels d Act. 24 25 when Felix heard Paul dispute of temperance and the iudgment to come he trembleth c. And S. Iames saith e Iam. 2.19 That the Diuels beleeue and tremble which is more then many a wicked man doth Heare this yee Profane obdurate and hard hearted monsters and bee ashamed at your condition that in this respect are worse then the Deuils and infernall damned spirits fiends if you will not learne and be taught by your eternall soueraigne Lord King learne thus much of the Diuels least they rise vp in iudgment against you and condemne you as our Sauiour said of Sodome and Gâ—morrah that they should rise vp in iudgement against the Iewes 2. Now are wee come to the true sorrow which will appeare g 1. Sa. 16.11 as Dauid the last least and youngest of all the sonnes of Ishai faire ruddy and of a comely countenance so is this a blessed sweete amiable grace peculiar and
cryes mercy mercy at the judgement seat but keepes the purse still so do men often especially hide the sweet morsell of their beloued finnes vnder their tongues the sinne of their nature and the sinne of their calling not considering what the Lord sayth Å¿ Isa 1.16.17 Wash you make you cleane put away the euill of your workes cease to doe euill learne to doe well c. True confession hath these particulars 1. The most wicked and reprobate man that euer was may and oft will confesse his sinne by lumpe and in generall to say we are all sinners c but this brings no glory to God or comfort to the party confessing but there is a confession which indeed brings much glory to God which Ioshua adviseth A chan to set his heart vpon t Ios 7.19 My sonne giue glory to the Lord God of Israel and confesse this day This this I say is that which will bring true peace to the conscience thus did Dauid when hee had confessed all his sinnes in particular which hee knew intreates the u Ps 15.12 Lord to purge him from his secâ—rt sinnes as if he should haue said O Lord now I haue confessed all my knowne sinnes there are yet infinite secret sinnes which I know not and if I knew them all I would confesse them in speciall and particular to thy Maiestie for otherwise there were no hope of the pardon remission of them this brings case to the heart and comfort to the soule so did Dautd also and found comfort w Ps 32.5 I confessed my sinne to the Lord and thou forgauest the iniquity of my handes I verily beleeue there was neuer any knowne sinne pardoned to any man before it was acknowledged confessed before God in specie and in particular 2. Confession which brings most glory to God is a priuate confession not before or to man but in secret as our Sauiour aduiseth in prayer whereof confession is a part x Mat. â— 6 When thou prayest enter into thy chamber and shut the doore and pray to thy Father in secret c. an hypocrite may confesse his sinnes and that largely in prayer and yet perish but when the sinner is pinched at the heart with the sence and feeling of his sinne against God beloued whom he hath grieued thereby seekes some secret chamber closet house wood where he is sure to be furthest from the eyes and eares of men and there powre out his soule before the Lord in a corner notonely in Paules Christ Church and S. Patrickes as the manner of the Pharises anciently was 〈◊〉 non in Teâ—â—plo and of our ignorant people now is to content them which saw but in secret this is pleasing and acceptable to God Neither doe I in this infringe or deterre from publicke confession in these particular cases 1. When men haue giuen publicke scandal and offence publicke confession is necessary so did y A â—han giue glory to God p Iosh 7.19 2. When after our confession of sinnes God hath beene pleased to assure our soules of his mercy in the free remission and pardon of them wee confesse them to comfort others as Paul relates his persecution and blasphemie to comfort others if any should euer so deepely be plunged into the like wickednesse 3. Wee should in some cases not bee ashamed to publish our sinnes to all the world to testifie our true repentance through effectuall turning vnto God at David â—se 4. It must be free and not exhausted wrung from vs as was that of y Iosh 7.17.18 Acban first he was pull'd out by the Tribe then by the Family and after by the people till which time he helde out without confession when sinne hath found out the sinner and he can hide it no longer it 's no gramercie as wee speake I am not peremptory but that God may and sometime hath mercy vpon theeues varlets and wicked men brought before judgment seates and to execution for their villanies when they confesse their sinnes but scarce one of a thousand of these confessions are sound and would looke for a great many of sound signes before I should speake comfort to such a man but when it comes free in times of health peace prosperity c. it brings glory to God comfort to the Confessor 5. It must be to God not to a Priest which hath no foundation in sacred writ thus did Dauid z Hs 51.4 against thee against thee onely haue I sinned c. Haue I offended a Priest or what Law of his haue I transgressed that I should confesse to him or hath hee power to remit my sinnes the very Iewes and Pharisees could say it was blasphemie for a meere man to say a Luke 7.48 thy sinnes are forgiuen thee Yet wee deny not priuate confession of man to man privately in these two cases onely In private iniuries betwixt man and man when by our offences we haue injured them as oft we doe though the sinne be principally against God b 2. Sam. 11.11 as Dauid wronged Vriah in this case it was necessary that Dauid should haue confessed his iniury done to him in deflowring and defiling his wife and not haue seconded his first wickednesse by writing murtherous lines to Ioab to depraue him of his life and that for two reasons 1. To testifie our repentance to be vnfaigned and sound towardes God to our selues and the partie whom wee haue offended 2. To testifie that wee are throughly and soundly reconciled each to other and this is intended by our Sauiour Christ b Luke 17.4 If thy brother trespasse against thee seuen times a day and come and say it repents mee thou shalt forgiue him Thus God sends c Gen. 20.7 Abimelech to Abraham whom hee had vnwittingly wronged to reconcile himselfe to him so obtaine his prayers d Iob 42.7 So are Iobs friendes sent to Iob to confesse their censoriousnesse of him and to importune him to intreate a pacification of God for them 2. In perplexities of conscience when a man hath vsed all private meanes as humiliation confession of sinnes priuate prayer fasting searching againe and againe ouer the Lords Records and can finde no ease that the conscience may finde ease peace the Spirit of God adviseth vs to vse the helpe of some other speciall man of wisdome gifts and secrecy not a Minister onely but any other to confesse to him both his affliction of spirit and the cause thereof e Iames 5.16 Confesse your sinnes one to an other and pray one for another c. Now I confesse the Minister ought to bee the best prepared f Mal. 2.7 his hopes should preserue knowledge and the people should learne the Law at his mouth he ought also to haue the tongue of the learned and to bee studied in cases of conscience to administer and giue consolation to a wounded and weary soule and hath speciall promise