saith Moses Psal. 90. 8. set our iniquities before thee our secret sinnes in the light of thy countenance But thou wilt say to me What sinnes should I call to mind all that is an endlesse worke I know not where to begin nor where to make an end Psal. 40. 12. They are more in number saith David then the haires of my head How much more wilt thou say are my sins innumerable I answer 1. The more sinnes thou canst call to mind the better it will be for thee This we may see Ezek. 20. 43. where this is promised as a singular grace God would worke in his peoples hearts You shall remember your wayes and all your doings you have beene defiled and yee shall loath your selves in your owne sight for all your evils that ye have committed Therefore also when the Lord prescribeth unto Aaron the course hee should take in making an attonement betweene God and the people he tels him Levit. 16. 21. he must confesse over the live goat all the iniquities of the children of Israel and all their transgressions in all their sinnes And therefore it is good when thou goest about this worke to take the helpe of the glasse set the glasse of Gods Law before thee and examine thy wayes according unto it Rom. 3. 20. By the Law commeth the knowledge of sinne Secondly take heed thou dost not in thy examination willingly forget or passe by any sinne Either 1. out of a conceit that it is but small For Gods curse is due to the smallest Deut. 27. 26 Nor. 2. out of favour thou bearest to it and loathnesse to leave it For if thou regardi niquity in thine heart the Lord will not regard thee Psal. 66. 18. and Prov. 28. 13. Hee that hideth his sin shall not prosper Thirdly and lâ—stly Be thou yet in this examination of thy selfe specially desirous and carefull to call to mind the foulest and grossest of all thy sinnes that ever thou commiettdst though it were long agoe Deut 9. 7. Remember and forget not how thou provokedst the Lord thy God to wrath in the wiâ—dernesse Thus did David in the exercising of himâ—selfe unto repentance thinke oft of the sinnes of his youth Psalm 25. 7. Remember not the sinnes of my youth nor my transgressions So did Paul oft call to mind his foulest sinnes 1 Tim. 1. 13. I was a blasphemer and a persecuter For the heart will sooner bee brought to remorse and sorrow by remembrance of these then of smaller sinnes which was the cause why the Publicans and Harlots those grosse sinners repented sooner then the civill Pharisees Matth. 21. 32. No hard matter for you that have beene adulterers blasphemers persecuters theeves oppressours drunkards to bring your hearts unto godly sorrow if you would take but a little paines with them You that have lived more civilly as that rich young man had done that concerning the Commandements of the second Table could say unto Christ Matthew 19. 20. All these things have I kept from my youth up must take the more paines in this work The second thing we must doe in this examination of our selves is this When we have found out and called to mind our sinnes then must wee consider and weigh with our selves the hainousnesse of them aggravate them against our selves and lay them so to heart as we may bee affected and moved to remorse and sorrow for them Men are oft blamed for this that they laid not their sinnes to their heart considered not so of them as to bee affected with them Esay 47. 7. The Caldeans are blamed that they did not lay to their hearts the oppressions they had done to Gods people And the Iewes Esay 57. 11. that they laid not to heart their Idolatry Now the way to lay them to our heart is to consider well the hainousnesse of them and the circumstances whereby they are aggravated Paâ—l did use thus to aggravate his sinnes against himselfe Ephe. 3. 8. I am lesse then the least of all Saints 1 Tim. 1. 15. I am the chief of all sinners The circumstances whereby sinne is aggravated are many I will name a few of them First Consider thy sinnes have beene committed against many and strong meanes of grace Remember what Christ saith Matth. 11. 24. to Capernaum because of this I say unto thee that it shall bee more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgement then for thee Oh! consider with thy selfe that if the sinnes of Indians and other barbarous people that never enjoyed any ordinary meanes of grace shall justly be punished in Hell fire as doubtlesse they shall For as many as have sinned without Law shall also perish without Law saith the Apostle Rom. 2. 12. If the sinnes of Infants doe justly deserve damnation as certainly they doe Death hath raigned saith he Rom. 5. 14. even over them that have not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression that is not actually What degree and measure of punishment and torment thinkest thou is most justly due to thy sinnes that have beene committed against such meanes of grace as thou hast enjoyed Secondly Thy sinnes have not beene committed upon ignorance but against thy knowledge And if the elect Iewes were so pricked in heart for the sinne they committed ignorantly Act. 3. 17. how much more cause hast thou Remember what Christ saith of this circumstance Luk. 12. 47. That servant which knew his Lords will and prepared not himselfe neither did according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes Thirdly How voluntary thou hast sinned how weake and light the tentations have often beene that have drawne thee to it nay how thou hast drawne and provoked thy selfe to it And say thou to thine owne heart If God were so much offended with Ahab though he had so strong a tempter as Iesabel his wife I Kings 21. 25. Alas what cause hath he to bee offended with mee that have beene mine owne tempter Remember what the Holy Ghost speaketh of this circumstance Esay 33. 1 Woe to thee that spoilest and wast not spoiled 5. 18. Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity sin as it were with a cart rope Fourthly The◠〈◊〉 â—â—mber of thy sinnes Say they were in their 〈…〉 so small yet the number of them and thy multiplyiâ—g of them so ofâ— makes the burden â—f them intolerable Consider how the Lord aggravates sinne by this circumstance Ier. 5. 6. A Lyon out of the forrest shall slay them and a Wolfe of the eveningâ— shall spoile them a Leopard shall watch over their cities every one that goeth out thence shall be torne in pieces because their transgressions are many and their backslidings are increased See what weight this very circumstance gave unto Davids sinne in the sense of his Conscience Mine iniquities saith he Psal. 40. 12. are more then the haires of mine head therefore mine heart faileth mee The sands though taken severally they
prayer 2. Sam. 24. 16. The Lord repented Him of the evill and said to the Angeâ—â— that destroyed the people it is enough stay now thine hand Is it in the power of man to overcome God to withstand Him when He comes to take vengeance to cause Him to change His mind Yes verily Iacob had thaâ— power Gen. 32. 26 when the Lord had wrestled with Him and said Let Me go he would not let Him go but Verse 28. as a prince he had power with Gâ—d and pâ—evâ—iled And how did he overcome God thâ—s By prayer as you may see Hos. 12. 4. He hâ—d power â—ver the Angell and prevailed he wept 〈◊〉 madâ— supplication untâ— him Say not those were rare men for all Gods people have this name given them they are all called the Israel of God Gal. 6. 16. and therefore as Princes may prevaile with God this way And no marvell though Gods people may thus prevaile with God for the staying of His hand inteâ—porall judgements or removing of them from their brethren seeing they are able to prevaile with God even for the pardon of their sinnes which are the causes of those judgements and for the converting and saving of their soules Iam. 5. 15. The prayer of faiâ—h shall sâ—ve the sicke and if he have committed sinâ—â—s they shal be forgiven him And 1 Ioâ— 5. 16. If any 〈◊〉 see his broâ—â—er sinneâ— sinne which is not â—nto death he shall aske and he shall give him life for them that sinne not 〈◊〉 death The Use this Doctrine serves unto is for Instruction Râ—proofe Examination First for instruction To teach us what account is to be made of such as are true Israelites And know thou hâ—st two reasons to moâ—e thee to make much of such 1. They are a blessing to the place where they live Esa. 19. 24. Israel shall be a blessing in the midst of the land They are the props and pillars of the Land for their sakes the Land is spared If there had been butten such in Sodom Sodom had beene spared Gen 18. 32. 2. They are able as Princes to prevaile mightily with God by their prayers to stand in the breach and to hold Gods hands they are the charioâ—s of Israel and the horseâ—eâ—â— thereof as they are called 2 King 13. 14. Indeed there are but a few such true Israelites which makes the Prophet speake in that manner Psal. 25. 12. What man is he that feareth the Lord But where thou knowest such make much of them Why should not Gods favouritâ—s be as much honoured as the favourites of the greatest King Get as many such into the towne thou livest in as thou canst They are as Lâ—ts in Sodom Gen. 19. 22. till Lâ—t was gone out of Sodom the Angell could not destroy it Get as many such into thy family as thou canst As David professed he would do Psal. 101. 6. Miâ—e eyes shal be upon the faithfull in the land that they may dwell with me Gen. 39. 5. The Lord blessed the Egyptiâ—ns house for Iosephs sâ—ke Get such friends as these are Psal. 119. 63. I am a companion of all them that feare Thee Vers. 79. Let those that feare Thee turne unto me and those that have knowne thy testimonies I tell thee Paul as great an Apostle as he was knew how to esteeme and make use of such friends Rom. 15. 30. Nâ—w I beseech you brethren for the Lâ—rd Iesus Christs sake and for the lâ—ve of the spirit that you strive together with me in your prâ—yers to God for mee I know I shall offend many of you in speaking so much for such whom above all others you detest most and are ready to shew it upon every occasion And I have wondred much to see the bitter hatred that many who are otherwise civill men beare to such as feare God For think I Psal. 11. 3. and What hâ—th the righteous done Bâ—t I have found in Gods Booke the true cause of it and that is this that every naturall man hateth God and is an enemy to Him Rom. 5. 10. and that God hath put enmity betweene the seed of the serpâ—â— and the seed of the womâ—n Gen. 3. 15. and therefore so long as thou continuest an enemy unto God and one of the serpents seed thou must needs hate all such as truly feare God The good Lord be mercifull to thee and give thee an heart to take notice of thy wretched estate that thou maist repent and come out of it The second Use is for reproofe of three sorts of men I Of them that cannot pray 2. Of them that do not use to pray 3. Of them that will not pray First of them that cannot pray O consider how miserable a man thou art First thou wantest that whereby thou shouldest helpe thy poore brethren in their misery A griefe it is to an honest mind to see his brother in extreme want and misery and he hath nothing to relieve him with Therefore is that commandment given Ephes. 4. 28. Let him labour in some honest calling that be mâ—y have to give How much more just cause of griefe is this when thou canst not so much as pray for him Secondly thou wantest that whereby thou shouldest keepe off Gods judgements from thy selfe or remove them or yeeld thee comfort in them For my love thâ—â— were mine â—dversaries saith David Psal. 109. 4. but I gave my selfe to prayer That was his chiefe comfort in all his afflictions Thirdly thou wantest that that should give thee comfort in thy present estate For thou canst have no assurance that thou art Gods child or that thou hast any truth of grace in thee if thou cannot not pray The spirit of grace is the spirit of sâ—pplication Zac. 12. 10. Because ye â—re sonnes saith the Apostle Gal. 4. 6. God hath sent fâ—rth the spirit of His Sâ—nne into your hearts crying Abbâ— Father No man is the child of God nor hath the spirit of Christ in him that is not able feelingly and fervently to call Godâ—Father and to pray unto Him Learne therefore to cry earnestly unto God as the Disciples did Lâ—k 11. 1. Lord teach me to pray The second sort that are to be reproved by this Doctrine are such as can but through lazinesse and prophaâ—e negligence do not use to pray Many there be that seldome or never pray it may be in their sicknesse or extreme danger they will but they beare upon them that brand of an hypocrite that Iob speaâ—eth of 〈◊〉 27. 10. Will he call upon God at all times that is constantly and not by fits and starts onely Many that did once use constantly to pray with their families and in secret have now given it over To whom the Lord will one day say as Esa. 43. 22. Thoâ— hast not called upon 〈◊〉 O 〈◊〉 but thâ—â—â—ast beeâ—e â—eary of â—e O Isâ—â—â—l they that neglect their calling upon God and are 〈◊〉 of prayer are weary of God Maâ—y never poâ—â—ed out prayer to God
8. Yea they have been brought to the very point brink of despaire before they could come to comfort So was Asaph when he cryed Psal. 73 26. My flesh and my heart faileth And so was Heman when he complained Psal. 88. 15. While I suffer thy terrours I am distracted And so was David also when he said thus in his prayer unto God Psal. 40. 12. Mine iniquities have taken hold upon me so as I am not able to looke up they are more then the haires of my head therefore my heart faileth me But these were fouler sinners thou wilt say then ever thou wert I will shew thee therefore examples of such as whose sinnes were as small as thine Iob was never tainted with so fowle sinnes as thou hast been and yet his eyes were wont to poure out teares unto God 16. 20. He for that very forwardnesse and impatiency he shewed in so great affliction abhorred himselfe and repented in dust and ashes Iob 42. 6. Davids heart was so soft and tender that it smote him when he had but cut off the skirt of Sauls garment 1 Sam. 24. 5. The poore man whose child Christ dispossessed burst out into teares even for the weakenesse of his faith Mar. 9. 24. Paul was marvellously humbled even for his originall sinne Rom. 7. 24. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Consider these examples well and thou must needs conclude with thy selfe 1. Surely it must needs be a good thing 2. Surely it must needs be a necessary thing that all Gods people have beene so much given unto Surely I have as much cause as they had to weepe and bee deeply humbled for my sinnes But I will give thee another example farre greater then all these thy blessed Saviour that had no sin was much given to mourning and weeping for the the sinnes that thou and such as thou art have committed Mar. 3. 5. He mourned for the hardnesse of the hearts even of his enemies He wept over Ierusalem Luc. 19. 41. His soule was exceeding sorrowfull unto death Mat. 26. 38. He offred up prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares Heb. 5. 7. Say not I have the lesse cause to grieve for my sinnes because hee grieved so much for them Esay 53. 4. Surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrowes For thou must become conformable unto him in his sufferings or thou shalt never have comfort in them Rom. 8. 29. 6. 5. Say therefore to thine owne soule if all Gods people have beene so apt to weep and mourne what am I But before I proceede to the second Motive two questions and doubts must be ansvered that may arise from the first Can I not be in the state of grace unlesse I match these examples and be so tender hearted and apt to mourne as they I answer first thou mayest All Gods children have not beene humbled nor broken in heart in the same measure and degree and two reasons there be of the difference First In the persons themselves Some of them have beene more hainous sinners then others And according to the proportion of mens sins hath and must be the measure of mens humiliation The hainouser the sinne the deeper and of the longer continuance must the sorrow be Of Manafâ—es it is said 2 Chron. 33. 12. He humbled himselfe greatly before God Of David Psal. 51. 8. that his anguish and sorrow for sin was like to the paine a man feeleth that hath his bones broken Of Mary Magdalen that she wept so aboundantly as she could wash Christs feet with her teares Luc. 7. 38. Thinke upon this thou that hast beene guilty of murther persecution whoredome or such like hainous sinnes thy sorrow must be proportionable to the hainousnesse of thy sinnes The second reason of the difference is in the Lord who is the only worker giver of this grace For as in other graces he is pleased to give them in greater measure to some of his elect then to others Mat. 13. 23. In some elect ground the seed of the Word yeelds but thirty in some sixty in some an hundred fold So is it in this Ordinarily the Lord useth by the spirit of bondage and legal terrors to prepare men to their conversion and deeply to humble them to give them the spirit of bondage Rom. 8. 15. But we read of no such thing in the first conversion of Matthew though he had beene a Publican For at his very first conversion he made a great feast to Christ Mat. 9. 9 10. nor in those that Peter converted for though they were pricked in their hearts and deeply humbled before they beleeved Act. 2. 37. Yet did their sorrow and feare continue nothing so long upon them as Davids did they quickly attained to comfort in the assurance of pardon Act. 2. 41. 46 Lydias example I doe of purpose omit for shee though shee beleeved not in Christ till she heard Paul Act. 16. 14. yet was converted and feared God before Verse 13. Secondly Yet know this that all Gods elect 1. Find in themselves this humiliation even with legall terrours at one time or other For Christ was sent to preach the Gospell to none but to the broken-hearted to the captives to the bruised Luk. 4. 18. that is to such as had the spirit of bondage Rom. 8. 15. 2. All Gods faithfull and true hearted people are in some true measure humbled and can mourne and afflict their soules for sinne for they are all oft in scripture stiled by this title They are called the humble Psal. 34. 2. an afflicted and poore people Zeph. 3. 12. the poore of the flâ—ck Zac. 11. 7. 11. poore he meanes in spirit Maâ— 5. 3. Psal. 34 6 3. They hold themselves bound to aime at the best marks and to strive to be like them that have most excelled in this grace of brokennesse of spirit ability to mourne for sin Phil. 3. 17. Brethren be followers together of mee and marke them that walke so as ye have us for an ensample Thou art then in a wofull case if thou neither canst mourne for thy sinne nor strivest to doe it But yet there is a second question to be resolved For we heare may some say that Iob and David Peter and Paul and Hezechia and Iosia and Christ have been much given to weeping in their mourning for sinne they have wept much Can I not bee in the state of grace can I not have truely repented nor beene humbled for my sinne unlesse I can doe as they did unlesse I can weepe for my sinne I answer First That the griefe and mourning for sinne be absolutely necessary unto unfained repentance teares are not alwayes so And I will shew you two reasons of the difference that is to be observed betweene Gods people in this point First The constitution of some mens bodyes makes them much more unapt to weepe then others are Secondly The
Israel and forgivenesse of sinnes Soe is it as certaine we never truly repented of our sinnes if wee have not unfeignedly sorrowed and mourned for them 2 Cor. 7. 10. Godly sorrow worketh repentance unto salvation Wee must be made though not equall yet conformable to Christ in his death and passion as the Apostle speaketh Phil. 3. 10. or we shall never reigne with him This is a faithfull saying saith the Apostle 2 Tim. 2. 11. 12. if wee â—ee dead with him wee shall also live with him if we suffer with him wee shall also reigne with him And this was a cheif part of his passion wherein we must be conformable unto him When he suffred for our sinnes Mat. 26. 37. He began to be sorrowfull and very heavy insomuch as he could not containe but must needs acquaint his three Disciples with it verse 38. Then saith he unto them my soule is exceeding sorrowfull even unto death When he suffred for our sinnes hee wept abundantly as the Apostle saith Heb. 5. 7. He offred up prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares We cannot sorrow and weepe in that measure as he did for our sinnes but we must sorrow in our measure as he did we must be made conformable to him in his passion as you have heard or wee shall never have part in him We must either mourne as Peter did with a saving sorrow Mat. 26. 75. or wee shall mourne as Iudas did with a desperate sorrow Mat. 27. 3 5. We must either now in this life mourn for our sinnâ—s as we have heard all Gods servants have done or we shall certainly herafter cry for sorrow of heart as the Prophet speaketh Esa. 65. 14. and houle for vexation of spirit in Hell where shall bee nothing but weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth as our Saviour speaketh Luk. 13. 28. where their worme never dyeth and the fire never shall be quenched Mar. 9. 44. Secondly Because men are very apt to bee deceived in this point and to thinke they have beene rightly humbled and have rightly sorrowed for their sinnes when indeed they have not We read of the hypocrites expostulation with God Esa. 58. 3. They had afflicted their soules and God tooke no knowledge of it Zach. 7. 3 5. They had mourned and wept in their fasts and the Lord saith of them they had not done it unto him they had their owne ends in it Yea it is certaine many hypocrites doe indeed mourne and are exceedingly humbled sometimes You know the Lord giveth this testimony of Ahab himselfe that he was humbled 1 Kings 21. 29. And yet as good never a whit as never the better their sorrow and humiliation is to no purpose at all because it is not sound and sincere Thirdly Because many of Gods children that are indeed true mourners are apt to doubt of themselves and to complaine their hearts are so hard that they cannot mourne for their sinnes ô if they had soft and melting hearts that they could sorrow that they could weep for sinne they were in an happy case but alas they cannot Thus Gods Church and people complaine unto God Esâ— 63. 17. O Lord why hast thou hardned our heart Seeing therefore it is as you see in these three respects a matter of so great necessity to have a sure direction given us out of Gods Word how to discerne that humiliation of soule and sorrow for sinne that is sincere and saving from that that is counterfait I will give you some principall notes of differences betweene them whereby they may be judged of And these are to bee referred to foure heads The first is from the object of our sorrow and humiliation the thing the matter that we are grieved and humbled for The second from the measure and degree of our sorrow The third from the cause that breedeth it in us and fountaine from whence it floweth The fourth and last from the effects and fruits that proceed from it For the first If we desire to know whether we were ever yet rightly humbled or whether we doe still remaine in the hardnesse and impenitency of our hearts we must examine what it is that hath troubled us and made us to mourne First He that is truly humbled mourneth for the evill of sinne rather then for the evill of punishment It is no ill signe to mourne and to be humbled under the judgements of God Nay it is our duty to be so and a passing ill signe it is of an ungratious heart not to be affected with the judgements of God not to be troubled when the Lord sheweth himselfe to be angry with us The Prophet complaineth of this as of a great sinne Ier. 5. 3. O Lord thou hast stricken them and they have not grieved It is said of Gods people Ezr. 10. 9. that they trembled because of the great raine And David and the Elders of Israel humbled themselves greatly for the plague that God sent upon the land 2 Sam. 24. 17. And so did Iehoshaphat when God threatned an invasion 2 Chron. 20. 3. When the state and government of the Kingdome of Israel in the dayes of Saul was so broken and out of order had so many breaches in it that it did even shake and totter as ready to fall and come to ruine as the Prophet complaineth Psal. 60. 2. Gods people were so troubled with the sensible token of Gods displeasure that they were euen astonished with it thou hast made us to drinke the wine of astonishment as the Prophet speaketh verse 3. And certainly this is a dangerous signe that our people generally are given up of God to a marvellous hardnesse of heart that the Lord having by all these tokens of his anger cald us to weeping and to mourning as the Prophet speaketh Esa. 22. 12. we have beene generally given to asmuch jollity in these times as ever we were Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till you dye saith the Lord God of Hosts as it followeth there verse 14. Yet though it be a good thing to be humbled under Gods judgements this is not enough to prove our humiliation to bee sound and sincere Many an hypocrite hath gone so farre Thus farre Ahab went ô how he was humbled at the hearing of that fearefull judgement that God threatned by the Prophet to bring upon him and his house 1 King 21. 29. Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himselfe Thus farre Iehoram his sonne and as bad a man almost as he went when a grievous famine was upon the land he greatly humbled himselfe for though he were a King he wore sackcloth not as his upper garment as the manner was to expresse their humiliation outwardly but secretly next his skin 2 King 6. 30. See how farre an hypocrite may goe in humbling himselfe under Gods judgements But the true repentant though he is humbled for and can mourne for Gods judgements yet that is neither the onely nor the chief cause of his sorrow his
sinnes that have provoked God to those judgements trouble him most I will declare mine iniquitie saith David Psal. 38. 18. and be sory for my sinne And Ezek. 7. 16. They shall be on the mountaines like the dâ—ves of the valleyes all of them mourning every man for 〈◊〉 iniquity Yea even wheÌ„ Gods judgements do presse and humble him most yet â—he is more troubled for his sinne then for the affliction that is upon him as wee shall see in that prayer of David Psal. 25. 18. Looke upon my affliction and my paine and forgive all my sinnes And so it is said of Gods people in Ezras time when the Lord by a judgement of immoderate raine had testified his displeasure against them Ezra 10. 9 They trembled because of this matter their sinne in marrying Idolaters and for the great raine Their sinne was the chief thing they trembled for Let us then examine our sorrow by this first note alas many blesse themselves in this that they have beene much given to sorrow and heavinesse 1. If sorrow be good saith many a one I have had enough of that Yea upon this they ground their hope that they shall escape the wrath to come because they have endured so much sorrow in this life I have had my punishment in this life saith he Alas poore wretch of all thy sorrowes that thou hast endured I may say as our Saviour doth in another case Mat. 24. 8. All these are but the beginning of sorrows worldly sorrowes are but the beginning of hellish sorrowes The Devils also beleeve and tremble after this sort as the Apostle speaketh Iam. 2. 19. They are troubled exceedingly more then ever thou couldst be with the apprehension and sense of the punishment which they undoubtedly bâ—leeve is prepared for them 2. Many of you are oft troubled with sadnesse and heavinesse of heart and can say as Iob 23. 16. God maketh my heart soft and the Almighty troubleth me O that thou couldst turne the streame of thy sorrow the right way from sorrowing for thy affliction to sorrowing for thy sinne One houre spent in sorrowing for thy sin will yeeld thee more true comfort then a thousand spent in sorrowing for thy affliction will doe 3. And we all now assembled to professe our humiliation for the manifold tokens of Gods anger upon his Church and this land must examine the truth of our hearts in this whether we can aswell mourne for the sinnes of the land as for the judgements of God that are upon it and are threatned against it See a notable example of this in Nehemiah Chap. 1. when he heard of the great affliction and reproach Gods people were in at Ierusalem verse 3. How the wals of Ierusalem were broken downe and the gates thereof burnt with fire he sat downe and wept and mourned certaine dayes and fasted and prayed before the God of Heaven as he saith verse 4. But what is it that most humbled and troubled his heart in this his fast Surely not so much the judgement whereby God had shewed himselfe to be angry with them as their sinnes whereby they had made him angry as you shall see verse 6. 7. and surely the sinnes of the land ought to trouble us more then any of the judgements either persent or imminent though they bee very great and fearefull For 1. they give us cause to feare far heavier then these be and God hath said of England as hee said once of the Kingdome of Iuda Ezek. 21. 27. I will overturne everturne overturne it and it shall be no more 2. If it were not for the sinnes of the land these judgements would vanish or doe us no hurt at all 1 Cor. 15. 56. The sting of death is sinne And of one sinne the sinne of Idolatry specially being openly committed and alas our land standeth guilty of that and of many more it is said Exod. 32. 25. Moses saw though every blind foole could not see it that the people were naked for Aaron had made them naked to their shame before their enemies Alas the sinnes of the land make us naked to our enemies abroad and to our treacherous and bloudy Papists at home do what we can to defend and arme our selves till our sinnes be repented of till they be removed we shall be found to be a naked people We cannot stand before our enemies till the accursed thing till Achâ—n betaken away Iosh. 7. 13. and alas we have many Achans amongst us So many of you therefore as have hearts that can mourne that can be humbled mourne for the sinnes of the land and by the first note approve unto God and to your owne hearts the truth of your humiliation that you professe this day And so much for the first note Secondly He that is truly humbled mourneth for sinne not so much in respect to himselfe of the hurt and danger that his sinne bringeth upon himselfe as in respect to God because he is offended and dishonoured by his sinne Saving sorrow is therefore called 2 Cor. 7. 10. Godly sorrow 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sorrow that respecteth God and is opposed to worldly sorrow that respecteth onely the crosses and miseries that sinne maketh us subject unto I graunt 1. It is not unlawfull to bee troubled for sinne even out of respect to the punishment and misery that it will bring upon us As a man may have respect to this in his feare that keepeth him from committing sinne so may he also in his sorrow for it after it is committed Iob giveth this for a reason why he durst not sinne For destruction from God saith he Iob 31. 23. was a terrour to me And so doth Paul 2 Cor. 5. 11. Knowing therefore the terrours of the Lord we persuade men 2. Sound and saving humiliation for sinne useth to begin in this legall compunction and terror which hath respect onely to the misery that sinne bringeth us to And not one of an hundred doe ever come to mourne for sinne in respect to God till they have first learned to mourne for sinne in respect to themselves this prepareth maketh way for and draweth in the other as the prick of the needle doth the threed So it is said of those three thousand that were converted by Peter Act. 2. 37. that they were first pricked in their hearts that is with this legall sorrow and feare But though this bee a lawfull and good thing to mourne and be troubled for sinne even in respect of the misery it maketh us obnoxious unto yet is not this sufficient to prove our humiliation and sorrow for sinne to be sound and sincere for many an hypocrite hath gone so farre they have beene greatly humbled and troubled for their sinnes O how Pharaoh complained and cried out of his sinne Exod. 9. 27. He saith to Moses and Aaron I have sinned the Lord is righteous and I and my people are wicked And so did Iudas Mat. 27. 3. 4. He repented himselfe cryed out saying
I have sinned in that I have betrayed innocent blood Did not these men mourne for their sinnes thinke you Yes that they did but it was not out of any respect to God whom they had offended but onely out of respect to themselves and the hurt they had done themselves thereby as appeareth plainly in their stories Now the true repentant though he be humbled for his sinne in respect to himselfe and the danger and hurt that he feareth his sinne will doe him yet he resteth not there but he is also humbled for his sinne in respect to God and chiefly because he hath offended and dishonoured God by his sinne This was that that troubled David most Psal. 51. 4. Against thee thee onely have I sinned When God had threatned heavy things against him by God he cryeth not as Pharaoh Exod. 10. 17. Take away from mee this death only but as 2. Sam. 24. 10. I beseech thee ô Lord take away the iniquity of thy servant Yea he was well content to beare that punishment so his sinne might be pardoned that he might have Gods favour verse 17. Let thy hand I pray thee be against me and my fathers house The punishment that his sinne hath brought or is like to bring upon him troubleth the true penitent nothing so much as the offending of God and losse of his favour Hee lamenteth after the Lord as it is said Gods people did 1 Sam. 7. 2. And as he mourneth for his sinne in respect to God more then to the punishment of his sinne so doth hee joy and take more comfort in the assurance of the pardon of his sinne then in deliverance from any judgement whatsoever This is the thing that David gloried in Psal. 32. 5. Thou forgavest not the punishment as the old translation reads but the iniquity of my sinne O let us examine our selves by this second note whether we have sorrowed for oursinnes in respect unto God or to our selves onely Thy sinnes doe trouble thee because thou knowest they deserve hell and damnation thou knowest they deserve Gods curse in thy children in thy estate in every thing thou takest in hand Thou dost well in this but if this be the onely thing or the chief thing that maketh thy sinne such a burden to thy heart thou hast not yet repented aright When those that heard Peter were pricked in their hearts with these legall sorrowes and asked him what they should doe to come to comfort he bad them repent Act. 2. 37. 38. As if he had said This is a good preparative but this is not repentance This is a chief note of sincerity in every grace and so in this when we doe that that God requireth when we mourne for our sinnes in respect unto God and not to our selves Thus God upbraideth the hypocrites Zac. 7. 5. When yee fasted and mourned did yee it at all to mee even to mee Rom. 14. 6. He that regardeth a day regardeth it unto the Lord. I will give you therefore three other notes to try this by whether your sorrow for sinne be in respect to the Lord because you have offended and dishonoured him or noe First Then your sinnes will trouble you aswell in the days of health and prosperity as in sicknes and affliction else you doe no more then an hypocrite may doe For it is said of the wicked Israelites Psal. 78. 34. When he slew them then they sought him and returned and enquired early after God Secondly Then you will be troubled for one sinne aswell as for another for every thing you know to be a sinne for God is offended and dishonoured by one aswell as by another Whosoever shall keepe the whole Law saith the Apostle Iam. 2. 10. and yet offend in one point he is guilty of all I doe not say we should be troubled so much for one sinne as for another for God in his Law hath put a difference betweene sinnes and as some dutyes that God requireth of us so some sinnes are weightier then others Mat. 23. 23. Iudgement Mercy and Fidelity are called by our Saviour the weightier matters of the Law and it is made there the note of an hypocrite to be more troubled for small sinnes then for great Matthew 23. 24. to straine at a gnat and swallow a camell But this is also certaine that he that is troubled for sinne because it is sinne in resepect unto God because he is offended and dishonoured by it will be troubled for one sinne aswell as for another So we shall find David was humbled not for his adultery and murder onely but for all his sinnes Psal. 51. 9. Hide thy face from my sinnes and blot out all mine iniquities The Apostle speaking of the loose performing of spirituall duties of coming to the sacrament without due preparation saith we must judge our selves even for that 1 Cor. 11. 31. And saith that even for this sinne God strucke many with sicknesse and mortality because they would not judge themselves for such sins God did judge them 1 Cor. 11. 30. Davids heart smote him even for cutting of the lap of Sauls garment 1 Sam. 24. 5. When Saul counted the sparing of Agag and of the fattest of the cattell specially for sacrifice but a matter of nothing Samuel telleth him disobedience to God is as bad as witchcraft and idolatry 1 Sam. 15. 23. O therefore know thou art not troubled for any sinne in respect to God if thy very unprofitablenes idlenesse peevishnesse unconstancy playing fast and loose with God do not trouble thee Yea the man whose heart is truly humbled for sin is conscious of the sinfull depravation of his nature and is humbled for that which is the root asmuch if not much more then for his actuall sinnes which are the fruits of it All sins that defile a man come from within from this fountaine Mar. 7. 23. David was humbled for this Psal. 51. 5. Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sinne did my mother conceive me And so Paul though he had lived a most innocent life even before his calling to Christ Phil. 3. 6. Yet see how he was troubled even for this Rom. 7. 14 24. Thirdly If you be humbled for your sinne out of respect to God because God is offended and dishonoured by it then will you be able to mourne for the sins of other men for God is aswel offended and dishonoured by them as by your own 1. I shewed you before that the man that is truly hūbled for the Iudgments of God upon this land will mourne more for the sinnes of the land then for the Iudgements themselves So must we 2. bee able to mourne for the sinnes of the places and townes we dwell in specially if they be of note for religion This is prescribed as a duty 1 Cor. 5. 2. Ye should have mourned that he that hath done this deed might be taken away This is commended by the Holy Gost as a great vertue and grace in Lot
as any that they could heare yet could they receive no comfort or benefit at all by it Moses spake so saith the text Exod. 6. 9. unto the children of Israel but they hearkned not unto Moses for anguish of spirit and for cruell bondage 3. Admit we were never so able and fit to minde this matter then and to go about this weighty businesse admit we could be then more apt to seeke reconciliation with God than at any other time yet have we just cause to feare that because we have wilfully neglected this worke so long and presumptuously put it off till the last houre the Lord in his righteous judgement will refuse to be found of us at that time Thus we shall find the Lord hath threatned to do Prov. 1. 24 26 28 29. Because I have called saith he and ye refused I have stretched out mine hand and no man regarded I also will laugh at your calamity I will mocke when your feare commeth Then shall they call upon me but I will not answer they shall seeke me early but they shall not find me for that they hated knowledge and did not choose the feare of the Lord. Now if you shall aske me how may this be done I answer That he that would make this sure to himselfe that when he dies he shall go to heaven must do these three things 1. He must repent of all his knowne sinnes He must call them to mind bewaile them unfainedly confesse them to God and crave earnestly of him the pardon of them and resolve with himselfe to forsake them all For 1. Sinne is the sâ—ing of death as the Apostle cals it 1 Cor. 15. 56. And if that be once done away and forsaken death can never hurt a man nor hath he any cause to feare it at all 2. On the other side no man can hope to go to heaven with his sinnes unrepented of Know ye not saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 6. 9. that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdome of God Be not deceived neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor effeminate nor abusers of themselves with mankind nor theeves nor covetous nor drunkards nor revilers nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdome of God Any one of these sinnes unrepented of will certainly exclude a man utterly out of the kingdome of heaven 3. Though it be dangerous for a man to live in sinne yet is it a matter of farre greater danger to him to die in sinne and to be over-taken by death before he have repented of it This our Saviour noteth as the extreme unhappinesse of the wicked Iewes and repeats it often Iohn 8. 21. 24. that they should die in their sinnes 2. Get good assurance by a lively faith that Christ is thine and then shalt thou be able to die in peace and in a certaine hope to go to heaven when thou art dead When old Simeon had seene Christ whom he had waited for by faith and longed to see and was thereby confirmed much in that faith he had in him before He blessed God anâ— said Luke 2. 28 29 30. Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seene thy salvation They that have once seene and embraced Christ as he did spiritually by faith I meane and not corporally onely shall die in peace and none but they can do so For 1. It is Christ onely that hath overcome death for us and taken away the sting of it When the Apostle had said 1 Cor. 15. 56. that sin is the sting of death But thanks be to God saith he Verse 57. which giveth us victory through our Lord Iesus Christ. Death is overcome so that it cannot hurt the true believer at all but him that is nor in Christ it will sting unto death even unto the second death 2. We can have no hope to come to heaven but onely through him Christ is in you saith the Apostle Col. 1. 27. the hope of glory There is no hope to come to glory but onely by Christ. Nay there is no hope to come to glory through him unlesse he be in us unlesse he dwell in us by a lively faith 3. If thou wouldst be sure to go to heaven when thou diest labour whilest thou livest to lead an unblameable a godly and fruitfull life even to do all the good that God gives thee power and opportunity to do As we have opportunity saith the Apostle Gal. 6. 10. which none of us can tell how soone it may be taken from us let us do good unto all men especially unto them that are of the houshold of faith See what comfort Hezechia found in this when he was to die Remember now O Lord I beseech thee saith he Esa. 38. 3. how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart have done that which is good in thy sight Now on his death-bed his conscience gave this comfortaâ—â—e testimony unto him that he had lead a holy life and now doth he even before the Lord comfort himselfe in that against the feare of death See also what a testimony the holy Apostle gives unto good workes even to the workes of charity and mercy in this case Charge them that are 〈◊〉 in this world saith he 1 Tim. 6. 17 19. that they 〈◊〉 good that they be rich in good workes ready to distribute willing to communicate laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on eternall life Workes of charity not as a meritorious cause of salvation but as a sure evidence that by a lively faith we have interest and title to the merits of Christ shal be rewarded with stable and durable riches in time to come and will make a man able with confidence of hope to lay hold on eternall life And that which the Apostle saith of certaine bad men 2 Cor. 11. 15. that their end shal be according to their workes may be said of all good men also their end shal be according to their workes A good life will certainly end in a blessed and comfortable death Foure things are wont to be objected against this which I will briefly give answer unto Experience sheweth daily that many do die willingly and quietly and comfortably also that have neither lived so unblameably and fruitfully nor used any such means to prepare themselves for death as you have prescribed To this I answer 1. That we may not thinke that every one that dies quietly and speakes gloriously of his willingnesse to die and of the peace and comfort that he finds in the assurance of his salvation doth die happily and comfortably indeed For the Holy Ghost speaks of some that were most wâ—cked and wretched men that have no bands in their death Psal. 73. 4. In outward things all things aswell in death as in life fall alike to good and bad as Salomon saith Eccles. 9. 2. 2. We have just cause to suspect the peace
and quietnesse of conscience that seemes to be in that man that was never troubled nor disquieted in his mind for his sinnes Because the spirit of bondage and feare useth to go before the spirit of adoption and comfort as is plaine by the Apostles speech Rom. 8. 15. 3. And lastly it is certainly a grievous judgement of God and such as we should all tremble at to see a man that hath beene in his whole life time notoriously wicked to have no sight at all nor trouble of mind for his sinnes before he dies Our Saviour pronounceth them to be happy men Mat. 5. 3 4 6. that are so poore in spirit that they mourne for it and hunger and thirst after righteousnesse And if this be a blessed thing in every child of God how unblameable and civill soever his life hath been at all times even in the time of his best health and prosperity to see and feele in himselfe so just cause of mourning and trouble of mind as breeds in him an unsatiable desire after the righteousnesse of God in Christ then must it needs be a most wofull and cursed thing in a man that hath been notoriously wicked to be void of all sight and sense of his sinnes of all trouble of mind for them even then when he is summoned by sicknesse and death to appeare before the judgement-seat of God to go to hell in a sleep and never to have his conscience awakened till he come there And indeed so the Prophet speaketh of this as of a most dreadfull judgement of God when he gives up wicked men unto this blindnesse and senslesnesse of heart The Lord hath powred out upon you saith he Esa. 29. 10. the spirit of deepe sleepe and hath closed your eyes so as you cannot see nor be sensible of your owne estate But we see also on the other side in daily experience say some that many who have seemed most religious in all their life time and carefull to live well have yet shewed very great unwillingnesse and feare to die more a great deale then other men usually do To this I have two things to answer First that it is indeed possible enough even for a faithfull and godly man to feele in himselfe an unwillingnesse and feare to die Good Hezechia wept sore Esa. 38. 3. when the Prophet brought him word in his sicknesse that he must die and not live and David also prayed oft against death and that he might live still Psal. 6. 4 5. and 30. 8 9. and 88. 9 12. It is with many of Gods people in this case as it was with Lot when he would leave Sodom Though Lot had so small comfort in Sodom while he lived in it 2 Pet. 2. 8. yet see how unwilling he was to part with it Gen. 19. 16. He lingred so that the Angels were faine to pull him out as it were by strong hand they laid hold upon his hand saith the sacred text the Lord being mercifull unto him and brought him forth and set him without the City Some unwillingnesse to die our Saviour tels Peter he should find in himselfe even then when he should suffer martyrdome for his sake When thou shalt be old saith he Ioh. 21. 18. thou shalt stretch forth thy hands and another shall gird thee and carie thee whither thou wouldest not And there is good reason to be given for this For 1. Death being a great enemie to the nature of man and even the dissolution of it there must needs be in all men naturally some feare of it Such as haue beene long and inward and deare friends cannot part for adieu as we say without much unwillingnesse and expression of griefe as we see in the example of Ionathan and David 1 Sam. 20. 41. And where were ever found in the world so long inward dear friends as the soule and body have beene 2. Who can thinke of his personall appearance before the Majesty of God without some feare 3. Lastly the best of Gods servants though they know and believe that when they die they shall not come into condemnation as our Saviour speaketh Iohn 5. 24. but are already passed from death unto life and therefore have no just cause in respect of their future estate to feare death at all but rather to welcome it and to rejoyce in it yet are they regenerated and consequently do believe but in part And though the spirit the regenerate part indeed be willing as our Saviour speaketh Mat. 26. 41. yet the flesh the unregenerate part will be apt to shew it selfe weake and unwilling to die But then I answer secondly that there is no man that hath lead a godly life but 1. He discernes and bewailes his owne corruption in this his unwillingnesse to die he yeelds not to it but strives against it by all meanes and even in this case finds in himselfe that combate betweene the flesh and the spirit that the Apostle speakes of Gal. 5. 17. The flesh lusâ—eth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other 2. He doth in the end overcome this corruption and is by Gods grace made most willing and desirous to die before God cals and takes him away according to that gracious promise made unto all Gods people to all that have been carefull to serve and please him Psal. 29. 11. The Lord will give strength unto his people the Lord will blesse his people with peace But then there is yet another thing objected against this that hath been said touching the assurance they may have to die happily and well that have been carefull to live religiously and well namely that many who have beene most precisely religious have not onely beene void of comfort when they should die but full of terrour in their conscience calling in question the truth of their faith and of whatsoever goodnesse hath seemed to be in them apt to despaire utterly of the mercy of God in Christ. My answer to this objection must consist of three branches 1. It is possible indeed even for a man that hath lived a most innocent and holy life to expresse in his last sicknesse much terrour and to breake forth into speeches that tend unto desperation and even unto blasphemy also against God For 1. There is no disease so violent and extreme but the child of God may be subject unto it and die of it also aswell as any other man All things come alike to all in this respect as Salomon speaketh Eccl. 9. 2. And these things that are objected as causlesse feares and terrours ravings blasphemies fierce speeches and actions both against themselves and others are knowne to be the very naturall effects of some violent and extreme diseases 2. It cannot be denyed but that Satan also is wont to shew the uttermost of his fury and power against Gods servants in their last sicknesse The last combate that they have with him