Impenitents 2. So our thanks-givings are but the sacrifices of fools 3. We cannot heare with profit for good seed must be sowne in good ground 4. We cannot receive the holy Sacrament for pearls must not be given to swine So we are unfit for all acts and exercises of Religion And especially upon our death-beds when we should part with this life Our iniquities shew us quite out of heavens way and we have no warrant to commend our spirits into the hands of God for he receiveth no such souls as turn aside to crooked wayes he leadeth them forth with workers of iniquitie There is none so unhappie as the impenitent sinner For the world cannot be friend him and God will not Who shall then have pity upon thee O Iesus David feels the burthen of sinne importable There is no rest in my bones because of my sinne For mine iniquities are gone over my head as an heavy burthen they are too heavy for me My wounds stinke and are corrupt because of my foolishnesse I am troubled I am bowed down greatly I go mourning all the day long S. Augustine very judiciously looketh beyond David in this Psalme and maketh the whole Psalme the complaint of Christ Who though he were free from the infection of sinne yet was he over-laden with the burthen thereof for God layed on him the iniquities of us all So the point is more prest to the conscience of a sinner for if my sinnes could make the soul of Christ heavy to death if my sinnes could make him sweat water and bloud and pray with strong cryes and supplications how blinde must my reason be if I see them not How insensible and dull must I be if I feele not the stench and annoyance the weight and burthen of them For these iniquities do move God to anger and it is a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of God in his displeasure for even our God is a consuming fire Now we see in Davids example how combersome a few sinnes are and what feare what agony of heart what griefe what shame they bring We have cause to lay this to our hearts for when we shall see our many crying bold presumptuous sinnes together in order before us when our conscience shall tell us not onely that we have received the grace of God in vain but that we have turned the grace of God into wantonnesse and have abused his best â—avours and despised his threatnings At once carrying in our faces Cains frowns and in our heart Cains malice against our brother having Esaâ—s prophanenesse Achans theft Ahabs oppression out-sinning those who are in the holy story the spots and blemishes of their times How doth Sathan benight us if we discerne not our fault and our danger How doth he harden our hearts if we feele not the burthen How doth he benumme and dead the conscience if the lash of our iniquities do not smart upon us We have cause to think upon it now if our Land after so great blessings of God swarme at this day with impious sinnes if Religion hath suffered symonie and oppression pride and drunkennesse Sodome and Gomorrah were modest sinners in comparison of us It will be easier for them one day for we live in the light we have more knowledge of our Masters will then our fathers had Pulpit and Presse have filled the eare and eye with the wayes of life And we are filii tenebrarum sonnes of darknesse still and walk in the paths of death We are hearers onely deceiving our own selves and the more we know of our Masters will the more stripes it will cost us that we have done so little of it we have gathered such drosse to our gold that it will ask an hot fire to refine us God in favour yet forbeareth us expecting our repentance and there is no hope of his love but in that way To fast and mourne for a day to ask God forgivenesse to promise amendment is no more then Ahab may do and it may spinne out the time and put off judgement for a while But plangere commissa to bewail sinnes committed is but a part of repentance and it hath lost the labour and our tears shall never be put into the bottle if after we do committere plangenda commit sinnes to be bewailed Transgressions iniquities sinnes these are our disease and that which threatneth it mortall is our dangerous impenitencie 2. What remedie Mercie this is the soveraigne remedy this heals all diseases but some few drops of this balme will not do it here David knows that God hath sundry vessels of this wine some stronger then other he desireth to draw of the strongest and for quantity he desireth the multitude a great measure and that running over for qualitie his tenderest and dearest compassions Those that are extracted and distilled to the height of strength sinnes of ignorance sinnes of infirmitie and weaknesse sinnes committed with reluctation and resistance the Fathers have called veniall because a small measure of Gods mercy will remove them and their punishment but studied sinnes acted after deliberation and practised upon advise and used to hide and shelter other sinnes have a more provoking qualitie in them to kindle the wrath of God a worse deserving condition to draw that wrath upon us David needs the most the best and strongest of these mercies for his transgressions Saint Augustine Attendis contemptores ut corrigas nescientes ut doceâ—â— confitentes ut ignoscas Thou observest the despisers to correct them the ignorant to teach them the confessours of sinne to pardon them Zacharie calleth these mercies that he beggeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the bowels of the mercy of our God Sicut pater miseretur as a father takes pity Christ hath given us a full example of such a Father in the parable of the prodigall Look how high the heaven is above the earth so high is the mercie of God to them that feare him that is nothing in comparison for mercie cannot be numbred This is that which boundeth the waters of the Sea that they do not return to drown the earth This keepeth his fire and brimstone bound up that it falleth not upon our Cities and Towns our persons and cattell to consume them This locketh up the earth underneath us that it doth not open the mouth to swallow us up quick This keepeth the key of his treasures of judgements that they cannot come abroad to destroy and consume the world as Jeremy saith It is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions faile not They are new every morning Though he cause griefe yet he will have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies for he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men They that love lying vanities forsake their own mercy The mercy of God is called our mercy for God hath no occasion to use his mercy any where else but among the sonnes of men The Angels
that sinned are not capable of it The Angels that stand in their first estate never came to miserie and they stand by the providence and love of God But sinfull man maketh God called mercifull and he putteth him to his multitude of tender compassions This is the rock of our refuge our strong Citie of refuge against the pursuer it is our hiding place In nothing doth God comfort us more Therefore be ye merciful with this sicut Sicut pater vester coelestis as your heavenly Father There is nothing that flattereth sinne more and that giveth it growth and vegetation amongst us then the overweening of this mercie Every wicked man can say God hath multitude of tender compassions and his mercies are more then my sinnes it is true But what interest such a one may have in those mercies he little considereth For with the Lord is mercie that he may be feared and that a sinner may apply himself not to continue in his finne presuming upon it but for sake it beleeving it for he that confesseth and for saketh his sinne shall have this mercie Let us therefore begin with David at Confitebor contra me I will confesse against my self and say Peccavi contra Dominum I have sinned against the Lord with a conscience of our sinnes and a sense both of the pollution of them within our selues and of the provocation of Gods due displeasure against us for them Then it will be in season to call for mercie But if we over-weene our own integritie as some justiciaries do Sani non egent medico the whole need no Physitian or if we sinne on in confidence of mercy at last We shall finde that God sitteth in his throne and judgeth uprightly and that the ungodly shall not stand in judgement nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous For the Lord knoweth the way of the just but the way of the ungodly shall perish 3. What effect he desireth of these mercies This is varied in phrase for he is passionate and exceeding earnest with God and plieth him with strong cries and supplications 1. To blot out his transgressions 2. To wash him throughly 3. To cleanse him 1. The blotting out of his transgressions hath reference to the books of God wherein all our transgressions are recorded 1. The book of Gods remembrance 2. The book of our conscience 1. The book of Gods remembrance God is a Seer and there is nothing hid from his eye and he doth consider the sonnes of men his eyes are upon all his wayes There is not a thought in our hearts but he knoweth it long before we our selues know it As he seeth so he remembreth and that we call his book of accounts wherein he recordeth all that is said done or thought that he may judge us according to all that is registred in that book whether it be good or evill He is said to blot us out of that book when our true repentance and his free pardon hath removed our iniquity from us Two Doctrines arise from hence 1. One of terrour all our sinnes are booked and kept upon record 2. Another of comfort they may be blotted out thence 1. Doctr. Knowing the terrour of the Lord we must be wariehow we sinne against him for though we love sinne he hateth it He is a God that loveth not wickednesse neither shall any evill dwell with him Though we sleight sinne and passe it over gainsomely and pleasantly yet he taketh it to heart and recordeth it that he may be able to set all our sinnes in order before us when time comes This is a black book and it will be a fearfull and shamefull thing to behold all our sinnes inventoried together All our idle words vain lascivious malitious false slanderous speeches all our loose thoughts all our vast and unlawfull desires all our ungodly works done all the good duties omitted all the evils we would have done all the imaginations of the thoughts of our hearts are not all these things written in his book We may conceive it by this David hath the honourable memory of walking in all the wayes of God alwayes save onely in the matter of Uriah the Hittite That matter is recorded in this living book of holy Scripture so are many of the infirmities of his holy ones chiefly for terrour of his children that they might feare to sinne against him who keepeth so exact a score of all our transgressions These are called debts and God our creditour keeps his debt-book very perfect The Steward in the parable called his Masters debtors they could tell every man what he owed but who knoweth how often he hath offended We have no hope to pay these debts and therefore we desire mercy to blot them out of the book And if we look back upon the transgressions of our whole life we shall see need not onely of the loving kindnesse of the Lord but of the multitude of his tenderest compassions 2. Another book is the book of our Conscience this also keepeth a record against us It was called of old our inwit for though our appetite and witbe so corrupt that the deceivable lusts of the flesh do often transport us to Gods offence yet our understanding and reason and memorie informe our conscience of our sinnes and that booketh them This book is not so exactly kept as the other because 1. Many sinnes passe us which we are not aware of 2. Many thoughts words and works escape us which we think to be no sinnes our consciences not being rightly informed 3. Many sinnes our memory doth not retein which should give in evidence to our conscience against us 4. The conscience it self may be corrupted benummed seared and so many foule deeds may escape unrecorded Yet for all this if we had no other book opened against us to convince us of sinne but this This alone would call us guilty and expose us to wrath David sueth to have his transgressions blotted out of both these books For if the tender mercies of God should blot his book and the book of our conscience remaine against us we should live upon the rack in a perpetuall torture our spirit wounded within us It is well observed of Cardinall Bellarmine Sciebat David ex actione peccati relinqui in animâ— reatum mortis aeternae David knew that by the acting of sinne in his soul was left the guilt deserving eternall death You may discerne the convulsions and strong cramps of the soul for sinne in David There is no rest in my bones because of my sinne So long as we live in sinne we feele not the pain of it David for ten moneths found no great need of these mercies of God For a sinner during his impenitencie is as a man besides himself but reversus ad se returning to himself then he bethinketh in what case he stands before God Demersus in profundo drowned in the deep the Sea above him seems not heavy Elementa in loco non
the latter end it will not be a luxation of our bones putting them out of joynt but a breaking literally this must not be understood of the breaking of bones neither the contrary spoken also by David Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivereth him our of them all He keepeth all his bones so that not one of them is broken for wee know that not onely alive but dead the bones of the Lords servants have beene violated their dead bones lye scattered like chippes of wood at the mouth of the grave By bones the strength of the body the inward strength and vigour of the soule is meant And the conscience of sinne and the terrour of judgement doth breake the heart of a true penitent so long as he beholdeth his sinne deserving his death his judge ready to pronounce the sentence of it hell open to receive him for it and the evill Angels Gods executioners at hand to hurry him to it Here is extremity of anguish even anima doloris dolor animae the soule of sorrow the sorrow of the soule enough to make a man goe weeping all the day long I beseech you lay this example to heart David that walked with an upright heart and the holy Ghost hath testified him unblameable save onely in this matter of Vriah the Hittite Yet see how he afflicteth himselfe for all his other transgressions which were not laid to his charge his conscience forgiveth him nothing No question but David had many infirmities and many other aberrations some upon record yet they were all by his repentance and the favour of God past over yet they upbrayd him now all of them come upon him like a breach of waters with so fierce irruption and so deluging inundation that they steepe him in deepe waters and cover him all over with affliction The reason is as in sinne the fault he that breaketh the least Commandement and repaireth not himselfe by repentance is guilty of the whole law so in transgressions he that repenteth of all the sinnes he hath done and hath his pardon under seale by the next offence is lyable to all the evidence againe of his former sinnes he cancelleth and forfeiteth his pardon for pardon ever bindeth to good behaviour This breakes the bones of David to have all this weight upon him 2 The author of this Thou hast broken God in favour to his children doth afflict them for sinne and the very phrase of breaking his bones though it expresse extremity of misery and paine yet it hath hope in it for broken bones by acunning hand may be set againe and returne to their former use and strength so that a conscience distrest for sinnes is not out of hope yet upon that hope no wise man will adventure upon sinne saying though I am wounded yet I may be healed againe though I am broken I may be repaired for let him consider 1 Who breakes his bones Thou he that made us our bones and put them in their severall places and tyed them together with ligaments and covered them with flesh he that keepeth all our bones from breaking it must be a great matter that must move him to breake the bones of any of us The God of all consolation that comforteth us in all our distresses when he commeth to distresse us this makes affliction weigh heavy It was Iobs vexation The arrowes of the Almighty are within me the poyson whereof drinketh up my spirit the terrors of God doe set themselves in array against mee He will not suffer me to take my breath but filleth mee with bitternesse What greater sorrow can be then to have God in opposition 2 The paine of the affliction exprest so feelingly in the breaking of bones which as is said is the anguish of the soule for sinne and feare of the consuming fire of Gods wrath and the tempest as Iob cals it of anger 3. The paine of setting these bones againe for though bones dislocate may be put in joynt and though bones broken may be set againe yet this is not done without paine and great extremity to the Patient Repentance setteth all our broken pained bones it recovereth the soule from the anguish thereof but hee that once feeleth the smart of a true repentance will say the pleasures of sinne which are but for a season are as hard a bargaine as ever he made and as deare bought they cost teares which are sanguis vulner aticordis the bloud of a wounded heart they cost sighes and grones which cannot be exprest they cost watching fasting taming of the body to bring it in subjection even to the crucifying of the flesh with the lusts thereof Therefore let no man adventure his bones in hope of setting them againe But how did God breake the bones of David here 1 Outwardly by his word sent in the ministerie of Nathan the Prophet for the word and voyce of God is a two edged sword This was all the strength by which Jeremie was sent forth by God on that great businesse over nations and over kingdomes to root out to pull downe and to destroy and to throw downe Behold I have put my words in thy mouth This is the sword of the spirit and though our doctrine drop as the raine gently and easily if we drinke it in and become fruitfull by it yet when our sinnes doe overgrow we shall finde it a sharpe Conlter to rend the fallow grounds of our hearts we shall finde it a rod of iron to breake our soules in pieces and this word runneth very swiftly it is gladius versatilis a sword that turneth every way 2 But it is a dead letter and draweth no bloud till it come to the conscience for so long as it beateth the eare and ayre onely and worketh no further than the understanding there is no great cumber with it as wee see in those who daily heare their swearing and drunkennesse reproved in the house of God and threatned with losse and deprivation of the kingdome of God it worketh not upon them but when Nathan comes home to their consciences tu es homo thou art the man God hath sent mee to thee to charge thee with this sinne and to tell thee hee is angry and is whetting his sword to cut thee off for it this breaketh and shattereth the bones and though our publike ministery doe not descend to such particulars as tu es homo thou art the man and our private reproofes are subject to ill constructiou yet a plaine dealing death bed will roare it in our eares of our inward man Tu es homo thou art the man thou hast lived a blasphemer of the name of God a glutton a drunkard c. This fils the soules of many dying persons with so much bitternesse that when the sorrowes of death are upon them and the judgement of their whole life in sight the conscience of their sinnes doth make their soules much sicker then their bodies One of
griefe so inward as in anima in the soule yet so sensible as nos vidimus we saw it How were the rivers of their bloud which runne in the channels of their veines to water the earth of which they are made frozen and congealed that they had neither mercy to pitty their fathers sonne nor so much tendernesse as to looke another way nos vidimus we saw Seeing malice and envy had taken away their hearts why had it left the eyes open to let in so unpleasing a sight Thou shouldest not have looked on the day of thy brother Thou shouldest not have looked on their affliction in the day of their calamity oculi augâ—â—â— dolorâ—m commonly that the eye sees not the heart grieves not here the mercies of the brethren were all turned eruell 4 I but perchance Ioseph might thanke his owne stout heart for their cruell usage of him for many times our own untemperate carriage in afflictions brings fewell to the fire that scorcheth us and blowes more breath into the tempest of winde that bestormeth us But Iosephs brethren have not this excuse they confesse their brother resisted them not but with humble entreaties they confesse he besought us The petition of a soule in anguish faire-spoken and humble hath pierced hard hearts and relented cruell intentions of evill but it wrought not here for 5 They confesse we would not heare They did heare the request of their brethren but they would not heare for they will not heare that doe not heare to doe what they are requested I have prest this example the more to declare how troubles awake the conscience from a dead sleepe and turn our eyes into our owne bosomes that if there lye a notoriouâ— unrepented sinne in the heart stoned as low as Jonah who lay asleepe in the bottome of the shippes Hold affliction will romage the ship and will cry as the Mariners to Ionah Awake thou sleeper and bring it above hatches Therefore it is wisedome by confession by repentance and prayer to quit our consciences so soone as we can of such sinnes Here is a sinne of bloud almost a full yeare old and though Nathan hath pronounced Gods pardon of it the conscience of David is not yet at rest his thoughts are upon it and his prayers be concerning it 2 Another of Sathans seasons to call such speciall sinnes to remembrance is when we are neare our end that is a season wherein many of the faithfull servants of God have dangerous and fearefull conflicts with Sathan After his 40. daies temptation of Christ in the wildernesse it is said that he departed from him for a season Once he borrowed the heart and tongue of an Apostle even of Peter to tempt him but Christ resented him and said Get thee behinde me Sathan but he confesseth a little before his passion The Prince of this world commeth but he hath nothing in me There is his advantage against us when any speciall sinnes lye upon the conscience unrepented then he hath something of his in us This makes many an aking heart upon death-beds for then judgement is at hand and the old flatterie of sinne Dominus tardabit the Lord will delay is removed by the sensible decay of the body and the evident symptomes of approaching death The widdow of Sarepta when her onely sonne was dead was in a storme at Eliah and said unto him What have I to doe with thee O thou man of God art thou come to call my sinne to remembrance and to slay my sonne Did the death of her sonne call her sinne to remembrance bethinke you then how our owne death in sight and sense will call all our sinnes to remembrance that we have done And in this Inventorie if there be any capitall sinne texted and recorded by the conscience in great and capitall letters not yet blotted out by our repentance and Gods gracious pardon how will that sin present it selfe to present remembrance how will it cruciate and torment the inward man even the hid man of the heart Judas his last words gushed out the bowels of his despaire as his last passion did the bowels of his body I have sinned in betraying innocent bloud he had not the heart to breath one miserere have mercy to comfort the agony of his despairing end The penitent convert thiefe on the Crosse was in a better minde he glorified God and his Sonne Christ by a free confession for he rebuked his blasphemous fellow thiefe saying Dost not thou feare God seeing we are in the same condemnation and we indeed justly for wee receive the reward of our deeds but this man hath done nothing amisse This had beene the Crosse of his soule as that he hung on was of his body if his faith had not nailed his sinnes as fast to Christ as Christ was nailed for them to his Crosse which he declared in the next words And he said unto Iesus Lord remember me when thou commest into thy kingdome which was answered with bodie mecum cris to day thou shalt be with me It is worthy our observing that Iesus Christ did institute the holy Sacrament of his Passion the evening before his suffering as it were acting his death in visible demonstration before he under-went it To teach how effectuall the death of Christ is against our sinnes and for preparation of the soule for her remove hence And from hence it is that the holy Church hath not only offered this Sacrament as the bread of our spirituall life to nourish it but hath commended it also to sicke persons upon their death beds as viaticum animae the provision of the soule so the Councell of Nice calleth it That the conscience being then purged from all sinne may receive Iesus Christ inâ—o it And in this holy action our search of our hearts will soone finde out any eminent and notorious sinne to confesse and repent it that the conscience may be disburthened and that the soule of man may be domus pacis the house of peace for otherwise we receive that Sacrament unworthily to our condemnation Our Saviour is precise in this If thou bring thy gift to the Altar and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee More if God have ought against thee leave there thy gift Goe and be reconciled et offer and then bring it This is a Sacrament from God to us it is a sacrifice from us to God If any great extraordinary sinne lye upon the conscience we had best exonerate us thereof for we and our gift will else be unacceptable to him If God receive our gift he will not refuse us for he looketh first upon Abel then on his sacrifice we make our offering acceptable not that us Now because our sinnes lye so heavy especially our notorious sinne this or that particular transgression upon our conscience in the agonie of death Christ hath ordained a gracious remedy that upon our repentance the faithfull Minister of the Word should
have power in his name to pronounce his absolution and free pardon of that and all the rest sincerely repented saying Whosoever sinnes yee remit they are remitted And the true penitent hath comfort to his heart in that absolution Some of our owne brethren at home have quarrelled this as popish not well advised of the ordinance and institution of Iesus Christ our Master by whose commission we performe this as the cleare Text doth warrant Tertullian calleth the Clergie a distinct order separate from all other callings to a speciall worke of Gods holy service for the enlightening of ignorants and converting transgressors and comforting the disconsolate and confirming such as are weake And what greater comfort can we administer then the assurance of forgivenesse to distressed soules languishing under the oppression of their conscience for their sinnes Therefore Christ in our Commission useth the same word for our pardoning of sinnes that he teacheth us to use in our owne prayers to God for our pardon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whosoever sinnes yee remit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Forgive us A departing soule being to leave the world and hearing that he that hideth his sinnes shall not prosper having the sting of conscience and the Angell of Sathan buffetting him can no longer hide this fire in his bosome which burneth him but hee bringeth it forth in confession And wee finde in the capitall punishment of malefactors that the feare of judgement and terrour of conscience a little before their end hath detected many murthers adulteries felonies and foule transgressions which till then lay hidden in the secret of their hearts concealed from the worlds intelligence and suspicion In such cases having disburdened their soules and declared their repentance our absolution is of force and then the penitent cryeth Nâ—nc dimittis servum tuum Domine in pace Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace and as one that hath his yoke taken off and his burthen eased he removeth hence with joy 2 This petition teacheth that the sinne of shedding innocent bloud oppresseth the conscience and is of a crimosin dye hardly washt out After the fall of our Parents the first sinne we reade recorded was murther the first death by it He that maketh inquisition for bloud beginneth his search and vengeance at the bloud of Abel That sinne of bloud in Caine is set for terror in the beginning of the holy story of the Bible to advise us of that roaring Lyon who goeth about continually seeking whom hee may devoure He was a lyar and a murtherer from the beginning hee practised upon the soules and bodies of our first Parents and by a cunning lye brought in death upon them in Paradise Then he incensed a brother against a brother in the first infancie of time Observe that murther 1 In the conception of it 2 In the act and execution 3 In the sequell and event of it 1 In the conception the provocation was onely Gods accepting of his brother in his service and his refusing him which made his death a persecution in Caine a Martyrdom in Abel This put murther into the heart God saw it there yet he taketh notice of it by the countenaÌ„ce of Cain Anger cannot well conceale it selfe and God is so tender as not to endure a frowning countenance in us to one another He expostulated the cause with Caine he layed the fault upon himselfe If thou doe well c. he gave him place of his brother and promised him his subjection Hee would have cured Caine of this disease but he would not 2 In the act It was the foulest that could be Cain talked with Abel his brother no question but it was a faire â—poken parley which tempted him â—alone with him into the field and there he arose against him and slew him A strange act worthy to be recorded The first borne in the world a murtherer the first recorded sinne in the generation of man murther the first brother a murtherer the first death murther Death followed sinne God would rather have it performed by the hand of man than by his owne hand the better to shew the effect of his justice and mans sinne according to the sentence Thou shalt dye the death 3 The sequell to that I hasten for 1 Cain sought not out God said nothing to him the text saith The Lord said unto Cain he spake first and enquired after the murther he maketh inquisition for bloud 2 His question where is Abel thy brother he calleth for him by name Abel God nameth him by the name that his Mother gave him He challengeth a right in his person hee challengeth their right in him who named him And the interest that the murthered had in the murtherer frater tuus thy brother 3 When this would not bring forth a confession and repentance of the fault but was frowardly answered first with a nescio I know not a lye then with a surly question Am I my brothers keeper Then God replieth with 1 Detection of the murtherer What hast thou done for hee so troubleth the conscience of such persons as shed bloud 2 Production of evidence vox sanguinis fratris tui de terra inclamat me the voyce of thy brothers bloud cryes unto me from the earth 3 Vpon so cleare evidence he proceedeth to judgement 1 The earth is cursed for his sake to him so before in his fathers sinne we thinke much if the earth serve us not with the fruits thereof we may thanke our sinne 2 His person is cursed a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be on the earth 4 When hee stood convicted in his conscience by the voyce of the Iudge and evidentiâ facti the plainenesse of the deed done 1 He turnes desperate and speakes a speech which beares a double construction My punishment is greater than I can beare or My iniquity is greater than that it may be forgiven 2 He takes upon himselfe a necessity of grievous punishment which he distributeth into foure great griefes 1 Thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth 2 And from thy face shall I be hid 3 And I shall be a fugitive and vagabond upon the earth 4 And it shall come to passe that every one that findeth me shall slay me Observe the first punishment of murther in this full example for it is notable 1 In the Iudge secondly in the judgement 1 The Iudge is God himselfe he taketh it into his owne judicature conventeth convinceth judgeth the offender himselfe The fault is exprest in the words of my Text vox sanguinum the voyce of blouds for hee not onely spilled the bloud of his brother but he destroyed the posterity that might have bin derived from him and he is called Abel the just so he might have had semen sanctum an holy seed All this hope of after-generations all their bloud spilt in him The judgement an heavy curse 1 Without him in the earth 2 Excommunication from the face
it self will prove the burthen of the conscience the feare of a deadly blow the trembling of our hearts the shame of our faces the disquieting of the whole man This sheweth us what a body of sinne we beare about us for as the proverbe is Wickednesse proceedeth from the wicked this calleth the heart uncleane and the conscience defiled Cease therefore to do evill and learne to do well This is the way of life to escape the paths of death Evils are a shamed of themselves and Sathan dare not be so open in his temptations as to tender them to us bare-faced but he putteth either some matter of vertue upon them to hide them out of sight or some pretence of great pleasure or profit to sweeten them that they may go down with us without distaste Let us but take so much leasure as to take off this disguise and behold evill in it own proper colours and we shall see such a loathed deformitie we shall feele such an abhorred complection of stench and commistion of filthinesse as will discourage us from it We shall discerne danger in the touch of it and death in the committing of it Libera nos à malo Deliver us from evill 4 The particularity This sinne Here Davids repentance doth come home to his present disease this great exemplarie teeming and pregnant this parturient sinne which brought forth so many so horrible sinnes Lust when it conceiveth bringeth forth sinne Lust was Davids sinne see the present issue and encrease of it it broughtforth adultery Two bodies defiled Matrimony Gods ordinance polluted Gods good creatures abused to drunkennesse Joab corrupted Uriah murthered This sinne cherished veiled with a marriage and for ten moneths unrepented I have done this evill all this beside all the other sinnes of my life I have added this also No doubt but he did consider this sinne also in the punishment of it 1 With vexation in his conscience 2 With shame in the world 3 With the griefe of the Church 4 With the joy of Gods enemies 5 With the anger of God 6 With the chiding of Nathan 7 With the death of the childe 8 With a continuall incumbent punishment in his own house Non discedet gladius c. The sword shall not depart c. Before he craved mercy against his transgressions and iniquitie and sinnes Now he comes to this eminent and notorious sinne I have done evill this evill Which teacheth us when we come to repaire the decayes of our spirituall man by repentance to have speciall care of those particular sinnes which have especially corrupted us and provoked God against us A generall peccavi iniquè egi I have sinned and done wickedly will not serve without we come to this evill As the people of Israel did when the Lord affrighted them with thunder and raine in their wheat-harvest they confessed and said to Samuel Pray for thy servants unto the Lord thy God that we dye not for we have added unto all our sinnes this evill in asking us a King We say of some man he is a very true hearted honest man but he will sometimes over-drink or he will sometimes sweare in his passion or he will over-shoot himself in his anger or he is somewhat covetous or prodigall or wanton c. Let every man so account with God for his sinnes as to confesse with griefe shame and fear this evill to which either some corruption of nature or some continuance of custome or some temptation of pleasure profit or some present occasion for want of grace by some sudden surprize hath prevailed with him to give him a fall Opportunitie doth often tempt and prevaile against a great measure of knowledge and grace and God sometimes leaveth us to our selves to try our strength how we can resist Sathan If we prove too weake for him and that he do over-beare us we have no remedie but this particular repentance All sinnes foule us therefore David prayeth to be washed some sinnes steine us and an ordinarie washing will not cleare us therefore he prayeth Wash me throughly and make me cleane It is our wisedome to discerne this difference of our sinnes and consider which be dyed in crimsin which in scarlet and to bring them to the washing especially So shall we be purged from our great offence Here is Noahs drunkennesse and Lots drunkennesse and incest Pauls persecution of the Church Peters denyall of his Master In multis offendimus omnes in many things we sinne all But if we survey our consciences carefully and inquisitively we shall finde this evill some especiall sinne that we have either much accustomed our selves to or that we have once committed overtaken with some sudden strong temptation which we may call this evill How evill this evill tasted in the end we see his appetite desired it before as a chiefe pleasure and now it is become his griefe and greatest paine He was very warie after of falling into this sinne Yet another temptation put him into new sinne of numbring his people when he had done this evill also he fell to this remedy of particular repentance And David said unto God I have sinned greatly because I have done this thing but now I beseech thee do away the iniquity of thy servant for I have done very foolishly He that hath many of these grosse and high-growne sinnes blasphemies prophanations of the Lords-day adulterie drunkennesse c. to account for is in heavy case If one at once smart so shâ—rply and weigh so heavily what will many do Aperiantur ut operiantur sanemus ut sanemus Let them be shewn that they may becovered let us reveal them that we may heal them 5 The daring of this sinne In thy sight He had conveied this sinne as closely and warily as he could God took notice of that also Thou diddest it secretly Bathsheba was secretly sent for and entised and defiled Vriah dyed in a just warre But now David seeeth that all this was done in the sight of God he seeth what the hand doth and what heart setteth it awork David could not be ignorant of this but we willingly embrace temptations to evill which we can keep out of the worlds eye The searching eye of God cannot be benighted it is over all the world and discerneth both good and evill Will any man steale whilest the owner looketh on Dare any man trespasse a King when his eye is upon him A king sitting on the throne of judgement driveth away all evill with his eye He was a foole that said in his heart Non est Deus there is no God he saith so that denyeth him a sight of all things There is no power like the power of God there is no strength to execute power like the strength of God There is no fire so hot as the fire of his furie There is no threatning so surely accomplished as his menaces Yet when we are afraid of every eye of man in our secret sinnes we dare
these in this distresse can tell you whether this be not a breaking of their bones Let the Word therefore work upon us and let every hearer when he heareth his sinne reproved take the reproofe to him and prevent an accusation tu es homo thou art the man with a confession Me me ad sum qui feci I I have done it So breaking our bones with remorse and contrition wee shall save them from his breaking we shall reserve them to his healing and binding up I conclude this point in the words of our Saviour He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my words hath one that judgeth him the word that I have spoken the same shall judge him in the last day 2 Davids suit wherein 1 Where he seeketh remedy it is from God the hand that â—â—oke his bones can set them againe no other hand can doe it Come let us returne to the Lord for he hath torn and he will heale us he hath smitten and he will binde us up David knoweth that God hath a multitude of tender compassions he layd that foundation of his faith repentance and prayer Verse 2. Whom have I in heaven but thee there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever David had good friends in heaven Abraham the father of the faithfull Isaac the seed promised Iacob that wrastled with God and prevailed yet he seeketh to none of these and I never read in either Testament of any one that had any suit to Abraham but the rich man in hell To countenance the use of invocation of Saints yet that hath no life in it to encourage any such mediation All the booke of God through the addresse of prayers hath beene onely to God and he hath revealed so open a way of accesse to him that wee need not goe so farre about for David saith He also will heare their prayers and will helpe them David was put to it to try all the wayes of comfort and hee used no other invocation The sorrowes of death compassed me the paines of hell gate hold upon me I found trouble and sorrow then called I upon the name of the Lord O Lord I beseech thee deliver my soule God maketh this good use of our sinnes to bring us to him and sinne never undoeth us till it driveth us away from God to seeke help elsewhere You see what good successe the richman had with Abraham he could not get a drop of cold water he was sent to Moses and the Prophets for his brethren They sought no helpe any where but immediately in God he hath healing under his wings wings are the emblemes of speed he is swift to heare our complaints to heale our sores He healeth all our infirmities and forgiveth us all our sinnes 2 How he seeketh remedy by prayer he doth not come pharisaically to God to justifie himselfe by his former conscionable living he doth not â—lledge how he hath walked and done that which is right in the eyes of the Lord and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the daies of his life save onely in this thing All our former holinesse will not beare us out in any one sinne but when we fall we cause all his righteousnesse that he hath done shall not be mentioned in his trespasse that he hath trespassed and in the sinne that he hath sinned in them shal he dye rather our sinne is aggravated thereby therefore the way of prayer is the way of remedy Let us seeke the face and favour of God so by confession deprecation and supplication The fountaine is deepe but we have wherewith to draw up the waters thereof our prayer is a bucket that will not come up empty The Apostle biddeth semper orate pray alwayes Christ biddeth aske seeke knocke This the Prophet calleth buying without money when we have all good things for asking The Church of Rome hath not a worse barre to keepe her children from God and other men from their communion then by teaching them to say prayers in a strange tongue for all such petitioners have their answer nescitis quid petatis ye know not what ye aske our understanding our affections our faith our hope all must be exercised in our prayers 3 What is his suit Make me to heare joy and gladnesse We may demand why David doth desire this now seeing he had no sooner confest his sinne but Nathan pronounced his absolution he heard joy in his pardon he heard gladnesse in the remedy of his punishment non morieris thou shalt not dye 1 David had heard this comfort from Nathan yet hee desireth further assurance of it from the spirit of God for in so sudden joyes we are not our owne men so are wee transported with the gladnesse thereof When thou broughtest againe the captivity of Sion we were like to them that dreame Our foule sinnes doe make us feare that it is too good to be true 2 He desireth more of this comfort more joy and more gladnesse The joy of sinne and delight of sense doth much hinder repentance the joy of the holy Ghost doth crown repentance 3 David openeth himselfe in his phrase of Petition he doth not say give me joy and gladnesse but make me heare for the vessell of his heart was not yet capable of the joy that was now tendred to him griefe and anguish had filled it he prayeth therefore for capacity to receive this gladnesse Five notes grow upon this point 1 When he had heard already he desireth to heare more they that have once tasted of this joy are never satisfied but cry alwaies give give till they come to the fulnesse and fatnesse of Gods house 2 See what a distressed man a sinner is Enosh he is â—â— fraid he shall never have joy enough â—â—◠〈◊〉 prayeth here for double joy joy and gladnesse joy in his pardon of sin gladnesse in his favour 3 See how long the conscience of a sinner is tost like to the sea after the winde is laid 4 Observe how he would have his joy come to him ex auditu fac me audire by hearing make me to heare for ex auditu fides faith comes by hearing he lost his joy by harkening to the voyce of the Serpent 5 It will not come so except God make him heare fac me aâ—dire make me to heare he must say ephata to our eare that we may not onely receive the sound of comfort in our eare but sound comfort in our heart If the foure windes should breath nothing but joy and gladnesse and all the Prophets and Angelâ— of God should like Ababs Prophets prophecie good to us unlesse God by his spirit did suggest to our spirits this joy wee were still in evill taking for till our spirit witnesse with Gods spirit wee have no joy He desireth assurance in his faith 4 The
such way to blot our misdeeds out of Gods booke of remembrance as this to publish our owne faults and our repentance of them as David here doth From the whole petition we gather one substance of request which is that God would forgive him all his sinnes which petition is grounded upon an Article of faith the tenth in our Apostles Creed Forgivenesse of sinnes It is also the fifth Petition in the Lords Prayer dimitte nobis debita nostra Forgive us our trespasses David saith Credidi proptereà locâ—tâ—â— sum I beleeved and therefore I spake If we beleeve the Article we may move God in the Petition It is as great an honour to God to be a forgiver as to be a giver Amongst our selves we know that it is one of the hardest taskes of our religion to forgive an injurie Our hearts rise against them that doe it our bloud boyles our countenance falleth it is much more easie to winne us to give gifts to our brethren then to forgive injuries yet we are never out of that Petition to God and in our daily prayer as we aske bread for the day so we aske forgivenesse because our soule needeth pardon as much as our body needeth food I may say much more for wee may goe in the strength of one meale some houres but there is no moment of our life which doth not need to cry God mercy and to aske his pardon for our sinne The necessitie whereof is such that our Saviour taketh advantage of it to establish our charity to our brethren that way That wee might begge no pardon for our selves but with a Sicut â—os dimittimus As we forgive The phrases used in Scripture in petition of Gods pardon are much varied Christ biddeth us say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 put them away which Isay doth render thus Thou hast cast all my sinnes behinde thy backe Micah is more full in this expressure He will turne again he will have compassion upon us he will subdue our iniquities and thou wilt cast all our sinnes into the depths of the sea This David doth call washing cleansing purging hiding Gods face from them and blotting out All meete in one full point of gratious pardon for all these phrases desire an absolute totall and finall remove of our sinnes both from the displeasure of God and from both the annoyance and the punishment of our selves And we can have no peace in our conscience till we be comfortably perswaded hereof Sinnes are called debts Agree with thine adversarie for feare of the Prison thou shalt not come out thence till thou hast paid the utmost farthing blessed is the man whose unrighteousnesse is forgiven I his text teacheth that we must strive and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contend with God by our prayers for the forgivenes of our sinnes Observe the contents of the Lords Prayer in which would all our lawfull petitions are cast and by which modell the whole building of our supplications is erected The three first Petitions respect the glory of God The latter regardeth our good in two things 1 In our esse our being Give us bread that is let us live we pray for supportation of our being 2 Our bene esse our well being and that consisteth in these three things mainly 1 In the pardon of our sinnes past Et dimitte and forgive 2 In the prevention of temptations to come et ne nos inducas and leade us not 3 In deliverance from punishment and from the power of Sathan Which three Petitions have respect to our sinne so important is our suit for pardon that Christ beginnes our bene esse well being at dimitte forgive Doe but observe your selves how importunate you are with God for ease and health when you are sicke your mouth is full of miserere mei Deus have mercy on mee O God You call upon all that visite you to comfort you with their prayers you send to Church to crave ayde of the congregation you give God no rest How is it that in your sinnes the mortall diseases of your soules you are not thus earnest with God for his pardon which is the onely physicke for a diseased soule David saith God healeth all our infirmities and he sheweth how hee pardoneth all our sinnes therefore the way of cure in all griefes of the body is to heale the soule first so David Sana animam meam c. Heale my soule c. How came it sicke quia peccavi contrate because I have sinned against thee Christ usually in his cures began his healing there fili dimittuntur tibi peccata tua sonne thy sinnes are forgiven thee But the reason why we are so importunate for our body so slight and negligent for our soule is this wee feele the aking and smart the convulsions and crampes the cold shakings the fiery inflammations the trembling palsies the griping and grating collickes and other afflicting diseases which cruciate the body we are not so sensible of the spirituall disease of sinne till we come to remove it by repentance then all other griefes fall short of the griefe of sinne that is a breaking of the bones as before it is exprest Surely if I were limited to one petition and no more for my selfe I would choose this before any Dele omnes iniquitates meas blot out all mine iniquities for there is nothing can be ill with him that hath no iniquity to answer for his soule shall dwell at ease I therefore presse the doctrinall example of David Let us never leave begging of God the pardon of our sinne I will not streine my selfe to multiply reasons of this doctrine that were to follow the new fashion of preaching for we also are at our fashions One maine reason hereof may serve There is nothing so much displeaseth God nothing so much endangereth this life and that which is to come as sinne This I thinke no man will refuse to put for granted Then I say there is no way to be found out of this danger of our sinne but by Gods pardon Come to the Court of justice the law condemneth us Cursed is every one that confirmeth not all the words of the law to doe them Come to the judgement of most voyces all the people shall say Amen for who will blesse where God curseth Come to the Court of Conscience our owne heart condemneth and smiteth us for our sinne is ever before us What have poore sinners then to say for themselves why death should not be the wages of sinne The fault is capitall here is no escape from the justice of the Law but by the Kings gratious pardon In our Ecclesiasticall Courts we have power in the discretion of the Iudge in causes criminall commutare poenam to change the punishment to let offendors buy out a shame of publique disgrace with some pecuniary mulct to be employed in pios usus in religious uses If in causes capitall there have beene Commutatio paenae change of punishment and
enemies etiaÌ„ domestici ejus inimiciejus the enemies be homebred Iob amongst many other aberrations of men wherof he acquitteth himselfe saith if mine heart walked after mine eyes for when our eyes behold beauty as David did to lust we lose our heart by it Dinah is deflowred if she gad If our heart walk after our eare we may entertain wanton lascivious words which corrupt good manners calumnious and slandercus reports which deprave our neighbours dicterious and satanicall invectives which hurt their good name prophane and blasphemous words which dishonour the name of God If our heart walke after ouâ— tast wee may defile our bodies and soules with surfetting and drunkennesse to the distemper of our bodies the corruption of our soules the displeasing of God the defiling of our consciences the abuse of Gods good creatures unthankfully and the corrupting of others by our evill example So when Christ shall say to thee My sonne give me thy heart thou hast no heart to give him for whoredome wine and new wine take away the heart It is good for us to take into our consideration what is good and what the Lord requireth of us We see the fruit of it in David for having before considered that God requireth truth in the inward part he now becomes carefull of his inward parts and is an humble suter to God for his heart they that meditate not on these things lose their hearts 2 He desireth a cleane heart so he interpreteth his former petitions wash me cleanse me purge me with hysop me that is my heart there is a deepe steine in it of originall sinne there is a foule issue from thence of all other sins these make the conscience sicke of an infectious leprosie even to the second death these make our words and workes and our whole conversation noxious to our brethren obnoxious to the wrath of God The purging of the heart is the cleansing of the whole man for out of the abundance of the heart the tongue speaketh the eare heareth the eye seeth the foot walketh The heart ruleth and guideth all the rest of the man if the fountaine be cleare the streames that flow thence will bee pure and the waters sweet else they will be like the waters of Marab bitter waters Saint Augustine wonders at the folly of man be desireth every thing for himselfe good and of the best he loves cleane cloathing upon him he loves cleane feeding cleane lodging he is next to a bruit beast that is a sloven and yet few desire to have cleane hearts Cleane garners for your graine cleane warehouses for your commodities are desired Your heart is the granary for the pure seed of the word the warehouse for the rich commodity of Gods spirituall favours and graces if that be nastie and noysome stenched with our abominable sinnes tenanted by uncleane spirits Non est loâ—us in diversorio there is no roome in the Inne Though the Saviour of the world was borne in a Stable for want of a fitter roome his good spirit will not house it selfe in hearts that like Stables are fitter for bruit beasts than for the Sonne of God to be entertained there Beati mundi corde blessed are the pure in heart saith Christ S. Gr. upon that saith Si illum qui ab omni peccato mundus est in cordis nostri hospitio habere volumus oportet primò ut cor ab omni vitiorum sorde purgemus If we will have him in the Inne of our hearts which is pure from all sinne wee must first purge our hearts from the foulenesse of vices Our bodies be the temples of the holy Ghost our hearts the Chancell of the Church the Sanctum Sanctorum where the Arke of God is to be placed and where God should sit betweene the Cherubins He that defileth the house of God him will God destroy David asketh the question who shall ascend to the hill of the Lord and who shall stand in his holy place he answereth He that hath cleane hands and a pure heart for no uncleane thing shall bee admitted to enter that holy place They that thinke well of this as much as they desire salvation with God in heaven so much will they strive with God by prayers to obtaine of him a cleane heart and an unstumbling conscience 3 He desireth this of God by way of creation crea in me create in me 1 He desireth this of God for hee onely is the purger of hearts who is the creator of them he takes it upon himselfe I will save you from all your uncleannesses we must goe out of our selves for this for so Ieremie confesseth O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himselfe it is not in man that walketh to direct his steppes therefore helpe O God as before doe thou wash and cleanse and purge me with thy hysope and I shall be cleane if wee be of his washing we shall be whiter than snow 2 He requesteth this by way of creation to create is to make something of nothing Our hearts are so foule and corrupt that there is no repairing of them we must have nâ—w ones made of purpose to serve God with which God in wisedome knowing and in mercy pittying saith A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh 2 Petition 1 He desireth of God his spirit this is the spirit of sanctification This Saint Paul praied for the Thessalonians And the very God of peace sanctifie you wholly or throughout The spirit of naturall life doth animate the body and maketh it fit for actions of life The spirit of God doth quicken us to actions thoughts and words which belong to holy life We are by nature dead in trespasses sins it is the good spirit of God by which we are new borne and without this we are the children of death for except ye be borne againe of water and the holy Ghost ye cannot enter into the kingdome of heaven he that is so borne of this spirit hath a seed remaining in him 2 He desireth a right spirit the margent of the K. B. doth more naturally expresse the originall calling it a constant spirit For David had received the good spirit of God which so enlightened his understanding and so sanctified his affections and governed his whole conversation that he was a man after the heart of God But when he embraced that mischievous temptation which carried him away from the Word and Commandement of God and opened his eare to the perswasions of flesh and bloud then that good spirit forsooke him for a time and hee lay like a dead man insensible of his fault of his danger Therefore now returning to God by repentance he petitioneth God for a constant spirit that may abide ever with him to guide him that he may never
water to wash these wounds and they are tender and this must be done often Beloved let me tell you that Sathan befooleth us with many false pleasures of vanitie which make these wounds in our souls We pay deare for them when we come to this washing And he that considers it well will know the terrour of the Lord and be afraid to give way to temptations that may put him to the pain of repentance It is true that nothing in this world is so painfull as true repentance It is called mortification killing the old man not every kinde of death crucifie the flesh Mors lâ—ntâ— violenta dedecorosa a death slow violent disgracefull It is called the breaking of the heart the renting and tâ—aring of it in peeces It is sackcloth for clothing baldnesse for beauty it is Amaritudo animae the bitter nessâ— of soul Yet for all this Multiplica lavare multiply to wash Iâ— drosse be mingled with our gold it will ask an hot fire to purge it out and that is repentance Behold Niniveh doing penance for her sinnes The King arose from his throne he layed his roabe from him and covered him with sackcloth and sat in ashes proclaimed Let neither man nor beast taste any thing let them not feed nor drink water But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth Here is a Citie washt throughly in a bath of repentant and true tears Ecce Rex tâ—ns venit tibi mansuetus Behold thy King comes to thee meek the true and living picture of mortification He that sate on a throne of majestie and honour a glorious King arose from his throne as if his throne trembled under him in a we of the supreme throne which is set for justice upon all the world He layeth down his glory and casteth his Crown at the footstool of the most high All the ensignes of honour and principalitie above men he putteth off and puts himself into the number and rank of common men He puts off his royall garments the habite of glory He puts on sackcloth the dresse and trimme of repentance and humility He casteth himself on the ground there he sitteth in an heap of ashes He depriveth himself of his food and then Regis ad exemplum according to the Kings example all do so What can be added to this unworthying of himself He thought himself neither worthy of honour nor rayment nor ease nor food Not made onely a common man but as one of the beasts of the earth they were also clad in sackcloth Job in cinere in ashes dust to dust Thus the sinne of pride doth penance in coming down and abusing themselves The sinne of vanitie in apparrell doth penance in sackcloth The sinne of delicacie and nicenesse in a seat of ashes The sinne of drunkennesse and gluttony in fasting not bread not water The sinne of contempt and scorne of one another doth penance in an equality of like condition behold and see which is the King which is the Subject nay which is the man which is the beast all in one Liverie of sorrow and shame all in sackcloth Yet let me use the words of our Saviour of this sight Solomon in all his glorious royalty was not apparreled like one of these Never did Niniveh shew fairer in the eyes of heaven then this day never was Nineveh so throughly washt never so cleane Me thinks I heare the voyce of God saying as of Ahab so much rather so of Niniveh Seest thou how Niniveh humbleth it self before me It was a day of Ninivehs purification and God was appeased the doome of her destruction gratiously reversed David himself in this storie feeling the hand of God upon him in the visitation of his childe refused his bed laid him down on the earth would not wash or anoint or change garments refused to eat his bread We visit the Courts of Princes in our bravest trimme We finde the face and favour of God soonest in our worst clothes and meanest accoutrements All this is thought nothing the Penitent saith I will yet be more vile When Benhadad the proud provoker of King Ahab was down the winde his Servants had this hope onely left to propound to him Behold now we have heard that the Kings of Israel are mercifull Kings let us therefore I pray thee put sackcloth upon our loyns and rops upon our heads and go out to the King of Israel c. They did so Thus must they do that will have a guilt of sinne washed away thorowly and so our God being a mercifull God our life may be spared 3 David desireth God to wash him for the truth is he may say to us all as once to Peter Nisi ego te lavero non habebis partem mecum Except I wash thee thou shalt have no part in me David saith I will wash my hands in innocencie and Isaiah biddeth Wash you make you clean The work of our purification is not performed throughly but in the concurrence of both these we wash our selves in our true repentance God washeth us in his gratious pardon Yet even in our repentance God doth wash us too for he giveth both the grace and power of repentance he worketh all his works in us our spirits and faculties work together with him we are not meerly passives in our own washing but we give our affections and desires of heart to it we offer the service of our sighs and groans and tears and bring our bodies in subjection The Spirit of God doth not all it self but it helpeth our infirmities 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word is of strong signification for here is a burthen too heavy for us to beare the Spirit of God comes to our help and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alone were a carriage 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is over against us as when a burthen is born betweene two 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 decompoundeth the word and joyneth him in the burthen with us So he leaves not all the burthen upon us whose weaknesse cannot undergo it He takes not all the burthen upon him and from us but he beareth with us and as it ever falleth out between two that beare the same burthen the weaker doth ease himself upon the stronger so it is here the most of our burthen in this act of repentance lyeth upon God therefore Lava tu Domine wash thou Lord. Many would faine cast all the care upon God of their washing David doth his best and craveth here but Gods assistance For we must not sit out in our burthens and duties we cannot exonerate our selves so The manner how God worketh this lotion in us is 1 By his word so Christ Uos mundi est is propter sermonem quem ego locutus sum vobis You are clean by the word which I have spoken unto you Saint Augustine sheweth how the word doth cleanse us for it is Verbum fidei docens gignens alens fidem the word of faith teaching begetting nourishing faith And
of God 3 A wandring unsetled life 4 Terrour of conscience Observe the effect upon himselfe for 1 He repineth at the justice of God for inflicting too much punishment 2 He despaireth of the mercy of God he neither hopeth nor asketh Gods pardon 3 He lookes for retaliation whosoever meeteth me will kill me he holdeth himselfe now no better than a man of death The reason why God declared himselfe so soon so quick so sharp an avenger of murther is because hee is author of life and conserver of it Iob giveth him that title the preserver of men and he cannot beare it that hee taking care of all to preserve their lives men should unsive one the other In the plantation of Paradise he set in the middest of the Garden a tree of life not onely a Sacrament but an instrument of life It was one of his quarrels with the old world For the earth is full of violence because of men Therefore when he renewed the world after the floud hee exprest his care of mans life Surely the bloud of your lives will I require at the hand of every beast will I require it and at the hand of every man and at the hand of every mans brother will I require the life of man Whosoever sheddeth mans bloud by man shall his bloud be shed for in the image of God made he man Cains conscience thought this just when he said whosoever meeteth me wil kill me This was after established for a law whosoever killeth any person the murtherer shall be put to death Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murtherer which is guilty of death but he shall surely be put to death he giveth two reasons of this severe law 1 For bloud defileth the land and the land cannot bee cleansed of the bloud that was shed therein but by the bloud of him that shed it The Iewish Doctors interpret this law thus The avenger of bloud cannot pardon wilfull murther because the bloud shed is not the possession of the avenger of bloud i. e. of the Magistrate but it belongeth to God 2 For I the Lord dwell among the children of Israell This agreeth well with their exposition of the Law God taketh this into his owne judicature his peremptory law must stand Salomons doome is A man that doth violence to any mans person to bloud shall flye to the pit let no man stay him God unpriviledgeth him Thou shalt take him from mine Altar that he may dye In overt acts of murther this law is cleare and just There be covert acts as when our hand is not the actor but our instigation and proxie as in Naboths case whom Ahab murthered by a coloured processe and in Davids case here Consent and approbation in the Court of conscience extendeth so farre as drawing in a party as principall So Paul confest that he slew Stephen who saâ—e by and kept the garments of them that stoned him Yet God favoured the lives of such as by misadventure without malice which our law calleth Chance-medly had shed bloud he priviledged Cities of refuge for them to flye unto where they continued till the death of the high Priest then they had liberty Which shewed that involuntary murther needed the expiation of the death of Christ our high Priest For shedding of bloud in our owne defence for preservation of our lives in an assault nature reason religion and the lawes under which we live doe all excuse it Yet there ought to be a tendernesse in us to favour life as much as may be because the law of God is so expresse proximum ut teipsum love thy neighbour as thy selfe but wilfull murther is my Text. Davids fault was no lesse and against the vengeance of that sin he here prayeth For engagements to duels which in point of honour do often inflame great spirits to bloudy executions Let us wisely weigh the matter and we shall finde manifest injurie maintained on one side professed revenge on the other both naught The heinousnesse of this sinne of bloud thus detected in culpa poena in the fault and punishment Our use of this point is 1 A caution ne fiat let it not be 2 A remedy post factum when it is The first I confesse is not in my Text yet seeing how heavy this sinne lay upon the conscience of David we may deduce this use of it knowing the terrour of the Lord to admonish all men to looke to the law non occides thou shalt not kill For these things are written for our learning as the Apostle applyeth the commemoration of the old sinnes of Gods people to them to whom he wrote Not to lust after evill things not to be idolaters not to commit fornication not to tempt Christ not to murmure as they did so we may admonish not to shed bloud as many have done Take heed of murther I may use the words of Gamaliel Lest haply ye be found even to fight against God for it is against God 1 In his law not occides thou shalt not kill 2 In his image for man is so 3 In his Magistrate who beareth not the sword in vaine he weareth it as a defender of thy life and as an avenger of thy bloud 2 For remedy post factum after the sinne committed David was a King and in no danger of temporall lawes to avenge the bloud by him shed and it was carried so cunningly as he appeared not to it But had Zimri peace who slew his Master or had David any peace who slew his servant he repaireth to God by holy devotion and prayer to be delivered from blouds for this bloud had defiled him If bloud doe make the land uncleane in which it is committed it doth much more defile the person guilty of it till it be avenged And surely now we come to the reason why David doth not before pray Lord forgive remit or pardon but wash wash throughly make mee cleane wash me with hysope blot out all my sinnes For bloud defileth it is no ordinary pollution it is a foule steine it will not easily out it is a crimosin a scarlet dye No man can ever wash out that tincture no man can pardon that sinne We may say as our Saviour doth with men this is impossible but with God all things are possible hee must be sought by prayer libera me deliver me The words of Davids petitioâ— libera me Deus deliveâ—â—e O Lord doe shew that David is in durance for this is â—â—x Captivi the voyce of a captive He is in laqueo diaboli in the snare of the divell so the Apostle calleth the guilt of sin and before hee calleth it the condemnation of the divell The divell hath his snares like a cunning fowler as well as his pawes being a roaring Lyon he maketh snares of our owne sinnes to hold us fast and David himselfe saith of God Vpon the wicked
his recantation you shall see how hee declareth himself against them pronouncing them all vanity and vexation of spirit It is an old Proverbe Fortis in bello sapiens in ira amicus in adversis Strong in warre wise in anger a friend in adversity This is the Purgatory in which these are tryed If they comefairly off in these probations we esteeme them approved I may adde hereunto that a true Christian is tryed also in temptatioÌ„s of pleasure Ioseph was not so put to it either in the pit wherinto his brethren let him down or in the hands of the stranger Merchants into which he was sold not in the prison where his feet were in the stocks and the irons entred into his soule as in the hand of his Mistris when she laid hold of him and said lie with me Pleasures corrupt our understanding and cast our reason and judgment into a dead sleep They steale away the heart There is none that understandeth and seeketh after God Non est Deus in viis corum God is not in their wayes God sends Ezech. to Ierusalem on this errand Sonne of man cause Ierusalem to know her abominations For as Eliphas saith in Iob Man beleeveth not that hee erreth in vanitie therefore vanitie shall be his change His branch shall not be green but shall be cut off before his day Epaminondas is recorded a rare example of stayednesse that was able to walk sadly and gravely nothing moved with the vain delights of the people whose hearts were all set upon a merry pin on their wanton holyday It is a great example of Israel being in pursuit of the Philistines when Saul had cursed him with a curse that should eat any food till night that hee might be avenged on his enemies The story saith The men of Israel were pressed with hunger And all they of the Land came to a wood where honie lay upon the ground And the people came into the wood and behold the hony dropped and no man moved his hand to his mouth for the people feared the oath Wee are in pursuite of three dangerous enemies the Flesh the World and the Devill We have taken an oath in our Baptisme to fight strongly and constantly against these Fasting is one of our weapons we shall not want the sweet temptation of hony that is of pleasure dropping before us entisements to break our fast Let us remember our early oath sworne to God in our Baptisme Let us keep a devout fast from all sinfull delights what though it cost us a pinching and pressing bunger This is the way to get victory of our enemies before night for when night commeth we can no longer work Pleasant to the eye and delectable to the taste was the forbidden fruit But nakednesse and the losse of Paradise the sweat of the face and the multiplyed sorrows of Child-birth followed eating our first parents were no longer happy then whilest they were fasting It will be a very hard matter to perswade a man in the vanitie of his pleasure to offer God a sacrifice of a broken heart For in our full dishes and overflowing cups wee cannot remember Ioseph's affliction we shall hardly then arise from our banquet to visit him and suffer with him There is nothing in the world that so dimmeth the sight to behold the course of Gods judgments in the World nothing so deafeth the eare against the Word that runneth very swiftly nothing that fatteth the heart to slaughter so much as pleasure doth If Iobsâ—onnes â—onnes feast Iob feareth and sacrificeth least they should offend God in their mirth It is a spirituall kinde of martyrdome to absteine from pleasures when they are in our power as Bernard Inter epulas esurire To be hungry amidst banquetâ— as Israel did when the hony dropped and lay on the ground to tread upon it and passe over it Naturall death doth not spare us for our businesse for our delights and Iobs children were surprized with a violent death when they were feasting Mortification which iâ— the breaking of our hearts the thrashing grinding of our spirits should be so willing so 〈◊〉 so peremptorie as to do execution even upon the body and soule at a short warning not regarding the present delights of the world lâ—st another giâ—d us and carry us whither wee would net least like Haman wee be harried from the Queenes Banquet to the tree of execution A third impediment of this Sacrifice is a natural slothfulnesse in us to do those things that have any painfulnesse in them S. Pauls precept is Not slothfull to doe service The slothfull will not plough because of Winter therfore he shall beg in â—ummer but have nothing Ever since our first parents tasted the forbidden fruit that sweet meate had sowre-sawce Man was made for travaile and hee that would not labour might not eat So when we pray panem nostrum our bread wee mean not the bread of idlenesse for there is no â—read ours but what wee labour for so they go together in the sentence Insuâ—ore vultus tui vescêris pane tuo In the sweat of thy race shalt thou eat thy bread And we must labour for the bread that endureth for ever We must work out our salvation It is an idle prâ—tense to cry out Leâ— est in vsae There is a Lion in the way We know that our adversary the Devill goeth about like a roring Lion there is no way out of his walk Hee compasseth the earth to and fro we must resist him The Apostle hath fitted a Panoply to arme us against him We must fight a good fight Vincenâ—i dabitur To him that overcommeth shall be given If we be so idle that we will not stirre or so faint-hearted that we dare not see our own bloud or so pitifull that wee cannot finde in our hearts to destroy such an enemie our own idlenesse is our ruine It is one of the greatest tasks that ever thou undertookest by thy repentance to breake thine owne heart Thou hast armies against thee within thy selfe to preserve it from contrition and breaking 1 All thy imaginations of thy thoughts for they are onely evill these are an innumerous armie the miâ—â—tia warfare of the brain 2 All thy affections and passions which proceed from the heart these are all Cardiacall 3 All thy sins which Concupiscence hath brooded in thy heart the nest of them all These are the militia warfare of the heart Nate Deo potes hoc sub casu ducere somnos ô born of God in troubles deep and midst of anguish canst thou sleep The man of God that fighteth these battailes must not be idle The true cause of this spirituall idlenes in us is the reluctation of our corrupt nature to the work of our own salvation for our progression of our nature is easie the way lieth all down-hil our sayling is with winde and tyde and he that maketh his voyage for Hell may ship his oares and never needeth
for his works were evill The foolish Israelites did offer their sonnes and daughters unto Devils Many of the Heathen were so transported with superstition and reverence of their false gods that they spared not to offer up their children in burnt Sacrifices to them They have burned their sonnes and daughters with fire to their gods Israel hath warning not to do so Yet they took no warning For not onelâ— the King of Moab did this For hee offered his sonne the heire of his kingdome for a burnt-offering upon the wall But Ahaz King of Judah made his sonne to passe through the fire And wee finds it one of the provocations which incensed the Lord against Israel to give them into deportation Some thinke that this evill custome grew out of the Commandement given to Abraham to offer his Sonne From whence was concluded that the greatest expressure of obedience put upon him did teach it the exaltation and fulnesse of zeale in them that could find in their hearts to offer up their beloved children in sacrifice Therfore in the consultation before urged in Micah for the means of reconciliation to God this was one Shall I give the fruit of my body for the sin of my soule But Abraham did not kill his sonne hee would have done it by vertue of Gods speciall Commandement and God approved his willing obedience but held his hand from the act For he will have mercy and not sacrifice I denâ— not but there is a strong demonstration of servent zeale in those that can afford to God such Sacrifices But that which he requireth is more excellent and toucheth us much more neer the quick as S. Austine In to habes quod occidas noli extrà thura quâ—rere Thou hast what thou mayst kill in thy selfe seeke not Frankincenâ—e without thy selfe This breaking of the heart and contrition of the spirit is a sacrifice for God Have wee not heard of some whom the conscience of sinne hath so afflicted as they have not thought themselves worthy of any more life but have died by their own hand These courses are desperate and damnable that is not it which God requireth of them hee doth not desire our bodies a dead sacrifice I beseech you brethren that you give up your bodies a living Sacrifice This is his will Ut perâ—ant crimina non homines that the faults perish not the men We shall find that a work of more sorrow and af-fliction then to kill the body Wee have full examples in the books of time of many that have made nothing of it to die by their own hand But it is a Sacrifice onely for God to destroy the body of sin in our selves and to preserve life for Gods better service For our sinnes be deerer to us then our children then our life then our good name which should be valued more then life then our precious soules Doth not the drunkard preferre his drunkennesse before his health who knoweth that drunkennesse destroyeth health Doth not the covetous man love his wedge and heape more then Heaven Doth not the Wanton undo his body his posterity his very soule for the fulfilling of his lust Do not all sinners â—ell Heaven and eternall life for the feeding and fewelling of their darling sinnes Of all the lessons that wee are taught in the house of God none is so hard to learn none so uneasie to practise as the doctrine of Repentance Men are either transported with gluttony and drunkennesse and all they can get goeth that way their bellie is their God and they make all these means Sacrifices to that devouring Idoll If they feed the hungry and quench the thirst of their brethren their meats and drinks are sacrifices to God Especially when wee deny them to our selves to relieve such or we are transported with pride and our back is our god and Fashion is our Idoll and wee consume all in vain adornings of our houses of clay hanging them with the costly garish trappings of vanity If wee give one of our coâ—â—â— to cover the nakednesse of our brethren and spare our wooll to keep them warm that their souls may blesse us for it this garment so bestowed is a sacrifice to God Or we are transported with ambition and all our study is how to rise higher our cares and desires and our wealth are all sacrifices to that Idoll of Ambition but if we raise the poor out of the dust take him up from the ground it is sacrificium Deo a sacrifice to God Was Sauls a sacrifice to God when against Gods Commandement he spared the best of the spoile of Amalek to offer it to God Is not obedience better then sacrifice Doth the Church of Rome offer God a sacrifice when she presenteth the Shrines of the dead and the Images of our Lady and the Saints with rich gifts They did so who kneaded their dough and made cakes to offer them to the Queen of Heaven and powred out drink-offerings to other gods Be there not many that sacrifice to their not and burne incense to their drag because by them their portion is fat and their â—eâ—â— plenteous These make themselves their owne Idols and kisse their owne hands and thank their owne wits for all the good that commeth to them they never look up so high as God to give him thanks for any thing But when all is done this onely is a sacrifice to God when wee break our hearts and spirits and grinde them with sincere contrition for sin destroying the nest wherin lust teemeth her brood of iniquity This putteth away the leaven which sowreth all our actions and devotions and turneth our very prayers into sin The excellency of this sacrifice will more cleerly appeare in the following portion of my text These broken-hearted persons are such as God delighteth to dwell with that he may revive the spirit of contrite ones To such onely is the Gospel sent Hee hath sent me to binde up the broken-hearted These be mourners they not onely bewaile their own sins but their eyes do run rivers of waters for those that â—â—ep not the Law They are grieved for transgressours One of these is health to a City all fare the better for him Loâ—s righteous soule was vexed with the ungodlinesse of Sodome God warned him out his Angell pulled him out and he desiring a place to retire to the Angell hastned him thither saying Haste thee escape thither for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither These mourners are priviledged from the fury of Gods destroying Angell his marke is upon them they must be spared in the day of Gods visitation Come not neere any man upon whom is the mark They have eyes pickled in their teares they have voyces hoarse with crying upon God for mercy they have soules cloven to the pavement they have soules heavy unto death their countenance is cast down Their Harps are turned into mourning and their organs into
the voice of them that weep Their whole bodies and mindes and soules are living sacrifices holy unto God and therefore acceptable for so it followeth God will not despise them Here ariseth a Quaere Now wee have seene the excellency and necessity of these sacrifices What hindereth that wee doe not offer them up to God continually We do bear about us a body of sin and in it these hinderances of this excellent and holy service 1 An over-bold presumption of the favour and remisnesse of God in putting us to this pain 2 An over-delight in our works of darknesse and the forbidden pleasures of life 3 A naturall slothfulnesse in doing such things as carry with them painfulnesse in the doing of them 4 A naturall tendernesse of our selves whereby wee do favour our own flesh and cannot put it to griefe 5 The cares of life I Presumption on the favour of God to us We think the word more severe and the killing letter of it more cutting then it need to be and the minister of this word more harsh then is cause We confesse that for terrour these things are set down and the Ministers must threaten us with heavy judgement if our hearts be not broken But it is God who is veiled in the parable of that Master to whom his servant deep in his debt came and besought him for favour and hee forgave him all the debt So we confesse that this sacrifice of broken hearts is a due debt but our Master is so gracious and pitifull to forgive it all There be many fair spoken texts that seem to nourish this presumption in us As a father hath compassion of his children so hath the Lord compassion but it is on them that fear him not on them that presume on him And the parable of that father of the prodigall who did not so much as chide his unthrifty son but met him afarre off fell on his neck welcomed him with a kisse and feasted and clothed him doth expresse a great tendernesse But let no man presume upon that for that sonne came home with a broken hart Father I have sinned against heaven and against thee Non sumdignus vocari fac me unum ex mercenariis tuis I am not worthy to be called and make me one of thy hyred servants His father was sensible of his contrition hee was lost by his sin and found in his repentance he was dead by the wound of his own conscience and made alive by his fathers favourable pardon receiving him againe to his grace And the servant to whom his master forgave all his debt was put to his miserere have mercy his master saw his heart broken with the grief of his debt and heard his willing protestation to pay all and received his humble supplication for mercie God is a loving Father but not indulgent he loveth not so but that he chasteneth and scourgeth every sonne whom hee receiveth for â—ods are for the backs of fools Iudgment beginneth at the house of God and the righteous are hardly saved Saint Peter would put any man out of heart to presume too much upon the favour of God for by three great examples he declareth the severe justice of God against sin For if God spared not the Angels that sinned but cast them down to Hell and delivered them into chains of darknesse to be reserved unto judgment And spared not the old world bringing in the floud upon the world of the ungodly â—urning the Cities of Sodome and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow making them an example unto those that after should live ungodly The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished 2. Peter 2. 4. Presumption doth make an Idole of God for it advanceth the mercy of God against his holinesse which hateth sinne against his truth which threatneth sinne against his justice which punisheth sinne Presumption crucifieth againe the Lord Iesus and layeth on more stripes upon him Presumption resisteth grieveth quencheth the holy Ghost by whom wee are sealed to the day of Redemption and so boldly trespasseth the whole Trinity I need not urge any other evidence against presumption on the favour of God then his severity against his own Son Misit dedit non pepercit non fuit dolor sicut He sent he gave he spared him not there was no sorrow like unto his And was this to quite us from all passion No if wee suffer with him wee shall also reigne with him hee did not drinke of a sponge of vineger and gall Transeat calix Let this cup passe from me Hee began the health of his Spouse the Church all the faithfull must doe him right they owe him a pledge Some are put to it to suffer for him none are exempt from suffering with him This is the least and easiest plunge wee can be put to to break our hearts with contrition for our own sins ò mihi tum quà m molliter ossa quiescent ô then my bones shall take their sweet repose When I can tender to my God a broken heart no laceration no dissipation of it can so unfashion it but that he can put it together again like the dry bones in Ezech. Vision and say unto it live In our mortification it dieth a naturall heart in our first resurrection it riseth againe a spirituall heart I conclude with Davids suite O keepe thy servant from presumptuous sins that they have no dominion over me so shall I be innocent from the great offence 2 A second impediment to the sacrifice of a broken heart is an over-delight that we take in the vain pleasures of life God was pleased to make a singular triall of two men in two contrary wayes for example of others 1 Hee made tryall of his servant Job by afflictions they came upon him suddenly and they came thick In all the things wherin he had blessed Job above most men he afflicted him beyond example In his honor autority he tryed him with disgrace and contempt In a fair posterity he tried him with orbitie In his abundance of riches he tryed him with poverty In his friends with paucity he had few left and they proved grievous to him In his health he afflicted his body with painfull and lothsome diseases and sores Yet you have heard of the patience of Job saith the Apostle hee came off faire In all this Iob sinned not neither did hee charge God foolishly 2 His servant Solomon he tryed with honour riches and power with victory over his enemies and the cup of temporall pleasures of life he made to over-flow never did any man on earth drinke so deep of that cup. In this tryall Solomon miscarried pleasures stole away his heart Solomon lost his integrity his wisdome wherin he excelled all that were before him was benighted in him the salt in him was infatuate Such power have worldly pleasures against wisdome See his Ecclesiastes