place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit Isai 57. 15. Here Humility and Contrition of Spirit are Associates A proud self-rich self-full spirit is very inconsistent with a broken spirit the Angel of the Church that proudly bragged that he was rich and encreased with goods and had need of no thing was as farre from brokennesse of heart as he was from apprehensivenesse of his own misery not knowing that hee was wretched and miserable and poore and blind and naked Rev. 3. 17. Where now is thine humility and spirituall poverty if thou beest hardened in spirituall pride self-conceit c. how should a broken spirit lodge in thy brest 3. Love to Jesus Christ A broken spirit is a tender affectionate loving spirit and the love of such a spirit flames out most ardently towards Christ Oh it entirely loves Christ that loved it prayed for it bled for it dyed for it and washed it from its sin in his own blood Gal. 2. 20. Rev. 1. 5. how it esteemes affects embraces the Lord saith thou art my portion in the land of the living whom have I in heaven but thee and in earth ther 's none that I can desire besides thee All things are but losse and dung to the wining of Christ Phil. 3. one Christ is worth ten thousand worlds c. See how strong the love of that penitent broken-hearted woman was to Christ Her bathing his feet in her tears wiping them with her hairs kissing them with her mouth and annoynting them with costly oynment palpably proclaime her love to Christ and Christ himself testifies that she loved much Luk. 7. 37. 38. 44. to 49. she could not chuse for Christ had loved her much he forgave her her sins which were many and she gave him her affections and teares which were many No wonder that a broken heart is a Christ-loving-heart for its Christ that gives the broken heart Zech. 12. 10 11. its Christ that loves comforts and binds up the broken heart Isai 61. 1 2 c. with Luk. 4. 18 19. ther 's much of Christ in the broken heart how then can a broken heart chuse but be endeared to Christ As the soaking April showers make the fields send forth a sweet smell or as the bruising of Camomil makes it the more fragrantly odoriferous so Christ softening and bruising the heart makes the heart expresse a sweet fragrancy of love to him See now what tender affection thou bearest to Jesus Christ to his Person presence office Honour Ordinances image in his members c. if thou wouldst read brokennesse in thine heart 4. Obedience A broken spirit is a dutifull tractable obedientiall spirit Thus these two are coupled together And I will give them an heart of flesh ther 's brokennesse of spirit That they may walke in my Statutes and keep mine Ordinances and do them ther 's obedience associated to brokennesse of heart Ezek. 11. 19 20. and the like Ezek. 36. 26 27. softned waxe will receive any impression melted mettle will runne into any mould thus a melted softned heart will bend and bow as God will have it Then a Persecuting Saul can say Lord what wilt thou have me to do Act. 9. 6. as if hee should say Lord do but thou command I am ready to obey Then the betrayers and murderers of Christ can say men and brethren what shall we do Act. 2. 37. as if they had said we see we are undone in our selves by our sins but now we are ready to take any course for remedy which the Lord by you shall prescribe Such an heart is fixed and resolved upon all dutifull compliance with Gods commands can say as a Augustine Lord give me ability to do what thou commandest and then command me whatsoever thou pleasest Hast thou such a flexible dutifull spirit a broken spirit is an obedient spirit But an hard heart like a stone will not bow or bend may sooner be ground to powder Hardned Pharoah professed he would not let Israel goe Exod. 5. 2. Hard-hearted Manasses and the people would not hearken to Gods messages 2 Chron. 33. 10. The stubborn and stony spirited Jewes tell Jeremiah plainly As for the word that thou hast spoken to us in the name of the Lord we will not harken unto thee but we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our owne mouth Jer. 44. 16 17. 2. By the Adjuncts or Properties of a truly penitentiall broken spirit we may further discover whether our spirits be broken and thereupon the gratefull sacrifices of God Among the many Properties that might be insisted upon take a taste of these few that follow 1. A broken spirit grieves and mourns for the sins of others especially for the publique abounding sins of the times wherein it lives A soft heart is like the moist elements water and ayre which are very hardly kept in and contained within their own bounds it satisfies not it selfe onely within the bounds of its owne sins to lament them but runnes abroad also in lamentations for others This as b Augustine expresseth it is pia tristitia beata miseria i. e. A pious sorrow and blessed misery to be afflicted for not to be intangled with others vices c. Thus that Phoenix-King Josiahs heart was tender and he mourned and wept and rent his clothes for the sinnes of the land 2 Chron. 34. King David was a man after Gods owne heart and his heart was habitually tender and broken and how was he affected and afflicted at the sins of others I beheld saith he the transgressors and was grieved because they kept not thy Word Psal. 119. 158. And againe Horror hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake thy Law Psal. 119. 53. And yet further Rivers of waters run down mine eyes because they keep not thy Law Psal. 119. 136. Mark Josiah's heart was tender he humbled himselfe before God he rent his clothes and wept before the Lord David expresseth his grief horror and rivers of tears and both for others sinnes Here Right Honourable you may see in these two gracious Kings that it 's a beame of true honor and nobility becoming Peers or Princes to have broken spirits that can relent for others offences And this is the Periphrasis of those tender-hearted Saints in Jerusalem Men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that are done in the midst thereof Ezek. 9. 4. Whereas an hard heart troubles not it selfe at others sins but rather doth the same and takes pleasure in them that do them Rom. 1. 32. How is thine heart affected at others sins especially at the horrid impieties of these times where 's thy griefe thy horror thy sighs thy cries thy rivers of tears in secret c. 2. A broken spirit hath clearest and saddest apprehensions of its own sinfulness if others sins be motes it s owne are beams if others be molehills its owne are apprehended as mountaines The
when men will not be reformed no not by the severest judgements of God Lev. 26. 24 25 26. Thus have I briefly indigitated out of the word of God some of those sins and abominations in these several Catalogues for which the Lord hath heretofore threatned and plagued his people with SVVORD PESTILENCE and FAMINE two of which this Kingdome of late hath â—adly fâ—lt and the third is greatly feared That your Honours may cleerly see the equity of Gods severest proceedings with us in all this that is come upon us and the necessity of our breaking our hearts and humbling our soules greatly in this Land for all those Sins and Rebellions wherewith we have already pulled so much and are like to pull down more and more vengeance upon our selves and our Posteritie For which of all those Abominations fore-mentioned is not England deeply guilty of And shall England think to commit the same sins and yet escape the judgements of God Wherefore I most humbly and earnestly beseech your Honours that as you tender the glory of God the true happinesse of this Church and State the removing of present and preventing of future judgements the treasuring up of blessings for the present generation and for posterity and the re-imbarquing of England again in the bosome of Gods favour you would be pleased in your great zeal and wisdome to think of some way how with the advice of the Assembly of Divines a more full and impartiall Catalogue then hitherto hath been made of the Publick sins and provocations of England may be drawn up and published by Authority of Parliament and that a most solemn Day of Humiliation for the whole Kingdome may be peculiarly set apart for afflicting of our souls deeply for those sins from Dan to Beersheba And let the Lord accept us Now the Father of mercies and God of all consolation lift up your hearts in the wayes of God and make you strong for all the work of God that remains upon your hand So prayeth Your Honours faithfull servant in the Lord FRAN. ROBERTS A Broken Spirit Gods Sacrifices OR The gratefulness of a broken SPIRIT unto GOD PSAL. 51. 17. The Sacrifices of God are a broken Spirit THis day we are come together to afflict our souls and mourn before the Lord because the heavens have now for divers moneths together so sadly mourned upon the Land in extraordinary dearth-threatning shours These excessive shouâ—s and judgement of rain were first gendred and occasioned by the poysonfull vapours of our sins and the sins of the Land that have ascended and been multiplyed before the Loâ—d One successfull and approved remedy against both sin and judgementâ— is To lay our selves low before the Lord with penitentiall brokennesse of spirit and this brokennesse is the peculiar subject of this Text Oh that our God would break our hearts like Davids heart in the consideration of it The Psalm may be justly stiled Davids Recantation How doth he bleed and melt for his bloody sins This sweet singer of Israel as he is stiled never prayed and sung more melodiously and pathetically then when his heart was broken most penitentially as the birds in the spring tune most sweetly when it rains most sadly or as some faces appear most oriently beautiful when they are most instampt with sorrow In this Psalm are Principally considerable the Title and the substance of the Psalm 1. The Title prefixed which is here as the Contents of a book as the Key of the Psalm contains 1. The inscription of it To the chief Musician or to the master of the musick 2. The Primary or instrumental Cause of it Viz. DAVID He ingenuously takes the shame of his sin upon his own face 3. The Occasion of the Psalm which is twofold viz. 1. DAVIDS Iniquity and 2. NATHANS Ministry waking his secure conscience out of it When Nathan the Prophet came unto him after he had gone in to Bathâ—heba The story is fully laid down in 2 Sam. 11. 12. Chapters 2. The Substance of the Psalm it self wherein consider 1. The nature or kind of it so it is a Psalmus {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a Praying Psalm 2. The scope or end of it principally to implore Gods free grace and favor in the pardoning and purging of his sin and the more plenary sanctifying and comforting of his sin-afflicted heart as is evident in the Current of the Psalm Whence its very clear 1. That the best of Saints may foully faâ—l 2. That the Saints foully falling shall yet penitentially rise again 3. That when they rise after their relapses they are embittered against their own sins most impartially they deal with God in their Repentance most ingenuously and sincerely 3. The branches or parts of this Prayer which are chiefly two viz. Petition for himself who by Murder and Adultery had offâ—…ed Verse 1. to 18. And Supplication for the Church of God which by his fal might be scandalized and endangered Vâ—â—se 18 19. For himself he beggs Restauration by Arguments drawn 1. From himself most seriously and sincerely repenting Ver. 3. to 13. 2. From others who might be involved in like offences whom upon such his experience of divine favor he should be enabled feelingly to instruct in the ways of God and mysteries of Conversion Then will I teach transgressors thy wayes and sinners shall be converted unto the Verse 13. Then I that have been a Patiâ—nt shal become a Phisitian to other sin-bruised souls Then I that have had my bones thus broken by my fall shal help to bind up the broken bones of others 3. From Gods own glory which upon such beams and discoveries of grace would be rendred most illustrious 1 Partly in his thankeful publishing of Gods praises for mercies received Verse 14 15. 2 Partly in his dutiful sacrificing and rendering unto God not so much the carnal typical sacrifices of the Law which were not the things wherein God did rest Verse 15 16. But the spiritual and true sacrifices of a broken and contrite spirit which were the sacrifices of Gods delight in the words of the Text ver. 17. The Sacrifices of God are a broken Spirit c. Having thus led you to the Words lets-view the treasure comprized in them they set forth The singular gratefulnesse of true broken-heartednesse Here are two Propositions Emphatically discovering this 1. Affirmatively shewing in what high account a broken spirit is with God The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit 2. Negatively discovering what dis-respect or unkindnesse a broken heart shall never finde with God A broken and contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise Both Propositions are for substance one and the same but doubled like Pharaohs Dreams more infallibly to assure us of the certainty thereof and therefore in the handling of the first proposition we shal in effect have the sense of both In the Affirmative proposition you have first the subjâ—ct A broken Spirit Secondly the Predicate affirmed of
do evill that they cannot lay it aside no more then the black Moore his skin or the Leopard his spots Jer. 13. 23. This habituall hardnesse creeps and steales upon mens spirits through sins subtilty which leaves behind it not only reatum guilt but also maculum a stain or spot lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sin Heb. 3. 13. This hardnesse growes on by steps and degrees as Divines observe viz. 1. Ther 's Suggestion of sin 2. Acceptation of the Suggestion 3. Acting the sin accepted 4. Delighting in sin acted 5. Habit and Custome in sin delighted in 6. Necessity in sin accustomed 7. Finally death the result of all See Jam. 1. 14. 15. Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed Then when lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sin and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death Wherein observe these degrees 1. Lust within which is the nursery of sin and a Tinder to catch at all Temptations 2. Drawing-away by it viz. from God 3. Entising viz. unto evill 4. Lusts corruption viz. a delightfull accepting of the entisement and consent of the will and heart thereto c. 5. Bringing forth of sin viz. into act and execution 6. Finishing of sin acted i. e. Going on in a course and custome of sinning it being a further step t as Calvin notes 7. Death the due wages of all The degrees of hardening in sin are thus reckoned up by u Bernard if he was author of that Book de Conscientia viz. 1. He that hath been accustomed to welldoing falling to sin grievously Sin seems to him a burden so intolerable as if in sinning he were going down to hell alive 2. Of insupportable in short time it becomes but heavy 3. Of heavy light 4. Of lightsome delightsome 5. Of delightsome desireable 6. Of desireable customary 7. Of Customary excusable 8. Of excusable defensible 9. Of defensible matter of boasting To this height can nothing be added Nothing so much exasperateth the Majesty of that dreadfull Judge as to sin and securely to sin and to boast of vices as though they were virtues 4. Judicially mens hearts are hardened in sin when they are forsaken of God and given up to their own obduration and the dominion of the Devill that seeing they will be hard they shall be hard with a witnesse Thus we read often of Gods hardening of Pharaoh's heart Exod 4. 22. and 7. 3. c. and that God hardeneth whom he will Rom. 9. 18. Pharoah had many judgements upon him but his hard heart was the most dreadfull of all his judgements This was the Plague of his plagues This the Plague of his Soule This a Plague that would stick upon him to all eternity But when God is said in his just judgement to harden mens hearts we must understand it wisely cautiously w God hardens no mans heart by infusing any new wickednesse thereinto as the Manichees wickedly imagined See Jam. 1. 13. For then God should be the Author of sin which were blasphemous once to think But God hardens the heart 1. By x withdrawing or denying to the heart his softning grace which he is not bound to give whereby the heart might be restrained from sin which grace being denyed the sinner hardens his own heart by his own inward pravity as when an owner denies to prop up or repaire a ruinous reeling house the house falls by its own ponderousnesse Thus Divines make God Causam removentem prohibens a cause removing the impediment of such sins as men rush upon when their hold-back is removed 2. By Delivering men up to the swinge of their own lusts and the dominion of Sathan Compare these places Psal. 81. 11 12. Rom. 1. 26 27 28 c. 1 King 22. 22 23. Joh. 13. 26 27. in such case God saith he that is filthy let him be filthy still he that is hard-hearted let him be hard-hearted c. 3. By giving men means of restraint which falling upon hearts thus forsaken of God exasperate and enlarge them the more in all wickednesse with violence and greedinesse as the stopping or damming up of a violent torrent makes the streams thereof the more impetuous not that these restraints provoke to sin properly and formally in their own Nature but occasionally and accidentally only through hard-hearted mens abuse Thus the Law irritates sin works in them all manner of coâ—…piscence Rom. 7. 8. Thus the Prophets and Ministers of the word harden some men accidentally Isai. 6. 9 10. with Act. 28. 26 27. which soften others as the same Sunne which softens wax hardens elay the same heavenly heat which makes a garden of flowers smell more fragrantly makes sinks or dunghills sent more loathsomely 4. By denying unto hard-hearted men even those means of restraint after those means have been thus miserably abused but wholly leaving them to the Calamity of their own waies See Hos. 4. 14. Thus much in briefe of the nature of Hardnesse of Heart Now in the next place consider how odious an hard heart is to God and consequently how odious and burdensome it should be to all Gods people The hatefulnesse and odiousnesse of an hard Heart to God appears plainly in divers respects viz. In that he 1. Forbids it 2. Grieves at it 3. Brands it 4. Threatens it and 5. Plagues it Take a taste of all these out of the word 1. God forbids it in his word cryes harden not your hearts See Psal. 95. 8. Heb. 3. 8. 15. and 4. 7. What God forbids is displeasing and hatefull to him 2. God much layes to heart the hardnesse of mens hearts Jesus Christ looked round about upon the Pharisies with Anger being grieved for the hardnesse of their hearts Mark 3. 5. And after his Resurrection he upbraided his own Disciples for the hardnesse of their hearts in that they believed not them that had seen Christ after he was risen Mar. 16. 14. yea God professeth he was grieved with hard-hearted Israel for 40. yeares together Heb. 3. 8 9 10. 3. God brands hardnesse of heart with such notes of infamy and disgrace as discover his great detestation thereof Among many other passages hardnesse of heart is accounted of God a fruit and proper effect of sin Lest your hearts be hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sin Heb. 3. 13. such as is the cause such is the proper effect both abominable to God Hardnesse of heart is accounted a great sin it self whereby God is much tempted and provoked Heb. 3. 8 9 10. The depth of a mans naturall misery under sin is laid down under the Notion of having a stony heart Ezek. 11. 19. 20. and 36. 26 27. The height of Pharoahs sin is comprized under his hardnesse of heart Exod. 14. 4. Yea hardnesse of heart is a cause of sin y of any the foulest abominations what Temptation of the Devill will not an hard heart swallow down what horrid impieties
will not an hard heart rush furiously upon See that passage 2. King 17. 14 c. This is as a wicked Devill that brings along many other devils with it to possesse the soule More especially it brings forth the cursed fruits of 1. Wofull impenitency an hard heart cannot will not repent 2 Chron. 36. 13. Rom. 2. 5. 2. Wilfull Rebellion pride and obstinacy against God Dan. 5. 20. Nehem. 9. 16 17. 29. Jerem. 7. 26. Ezek. 3. 7. 3. Wofull and damnable unbeliefe Act. 19. 9. Mark 6. 51 52. and 8. 16 17 c. and 16. 14. Heb. 3. 8. 11. compared with ver. 18. 19. 4. God threatens hardnesse of heart with sad and heavy Comminations as Pro. 28. 14. and notably Pro. 29. 10. Jer. 19. 15. but most remarkably Heb. 3. 8. to 12. Gods threats argue evidently Gods wrath against it 5. Finally over and beyond all this God plagues hardnesse of heart with dreadfull judgments who ever hardened himselfe against God and prospered Job 9. 4. 1. What Temporall vengeance inflicts hee for hardnesse of heart as upon Pharaoh and the Egyptians who after all their plagues for hardning their hearts against God were at once intombed in the Red-Sea Exod. 14. upon Israel for their hardnesse of heart not suffered to enter into Gods rest to enjoy the promised Canan Heb. 3. 8 9 10 11 c. and afterwards they that came into the promised Land for this wickednesse were removed out of Gods sight 2 King 17. 14. with 18. How terrible was that vengeance of God upon Nebuchadnezar hardned in his pride Dan. 5. 20 21 read it and tremble at it 2. What Spirituall wrath doth God poure out upon hard hearts giving them up to utter obduration as in Pharoah Exod. 4. 22. and 7. 3. and in others Joh. 12. 40. 3. Finally what eternall vengeance do hard hearts here treasure up unto themselves against the day of wrath Rom. 2. 5 c. Doubtlesse if God thus forbid thus lay to heart thus brand thus threaten and thus plague an hard heart an hard heart be it never so pleasing to man or gratefull to Sathan yet it is most hatefull and abominable to the great heart-searching God How wofull their condition that lye under the plague of an hard heart How happy they that are delivered from it This may serve to put us all upon the Tryall and Examination of our hearts and spirits whether they be broken or no that so we may discover whether they be the gratefull Sacrifices of God or no which of us would not be glad that our hearts and spirits might be truly acceptable to God then let us diligently inquire whether they be truly broken and contrite The stresse of our Comfort will peculiarly lean upon this basis of penitentiall brokennesse if our hearts be actually broken this day what an Odour of a sweet smell shall they be to God in Christ if they be habitually broken how pleasing shall they be to God continually but all will depend upon this that they be kindly broken and softened as Davids was But how may we discover whether our hearts and spirits be truly broken and contrite Answ. Principally 2. waies 1. By the Concomitants or Companions of a broken spirit 2. By the Adjuncts or Properties thereof 1. By the Concomitants or Companions attending upon a broken spirit Noscitur ex comite qui non dignoscitur ex se oft-times a man is known by his Companions more then by his own Conditions All the graces of the spirit are spiritually concatenated and linked together but some graces being more peculiarly homogeneall and neer of kin to one another are more immediately coupled and associated and such do mutually descry and discover one another Now these are the usuall and famliiar Companions of true brokennesse of spirit and tendernesse of heart viz. 1. A Spirit of Prayer and Supplication A broken spirit is a praying spirit they usually go together they are promised together I will powre the spirit of grace and supplications and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for him c. Zech. 12. 10. to the end They are performed together when the heart of the Prodigall sonne was touched and broken for his lewd courses presently he resolves upon praying I will go to my Father and say to him Father I have sinned against heaven and before thee Luk. 15. 18. Saul who afterward was called Paul was no sooner dismounted struck to the earth and his heart humbled and broken at his first Conversion by Christs immediate voice from Heaven but Christ gives this character of him Behold he prayeth Act. 9. 11. this was worth beholding and considering indeed that a persecuting Saul should so soon become a praying Saint Yea Jesus Christ himself being so broken and abased in his spirit with surrounding sorrow in his agony {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} he prayed more fervently Luk. 22. 44. then he did as it were bend all his nerves intend the utmost activity of his spirit to wrastle with his heavenly father the Apostle saith he offered up Prayers and Supplications with strong crying and teares Heb. 5. 7. Some writings cannot be read but in water and those Petitions of believers which are indited by the spirit with sobs and groanes and swimming along towards God in streams of teares how legible and available are they with God The spirit it selfe helpeth our infirmities See Rom. 8. 26. No spirit can sigh and groane can weep and mourn can tug and wrastle with God like a broken spirit Such a spirit not so much prayes to God as powers out it selfe and all its desires into the bosome of God See Psal. 102. Title of the Psal. Such a spirit prayes importunately pathetically powerfuly of all frames of Soule this melting broken frame of spirit is z most ingenuous eloquent and potent in prayer fetches arguments from the best to picks Gods nature Christs merit Covenant promises c. fils it self full of them as a vessell with new wine urges darts them up vigorously pursues the Lord will let him have no rest will have no nay resolves like Jacob not to let him go till he reach out a blessing Reflect now upon thy self ô Christian where is thy Spirit of Supplication Where those mighty unutterable groanes and desires where those wrastlings c. doest thou not know what a spirit of prayer meanes neither doest thou know what a broken spirit meanes 2. Humility A broken spirit is an humble spirit low in its own eyes thinks worse of it self then of any others or then any others can think of it can preferre the meanest Saint before it selfe counting it selfe the least of Saints if a Saint at all c. But to this man will I looke even to him that is poore and of a contrite spirit Isai. 66. 2 Poverty of spirit and brokennesse of spirit are familiar companions Again God saith I dwell in the high and holy
's his sole prerogative both to take away the heart of stone and to give an heart of flesh Ezek. 11. 19. and 36. 26. 1. God can enlighten and convince the heart of its own hardnesse 2. God can subdue and remove the hearts stoninesse 3. God can infuse an habituall supernaturall tendernesse and 4. God can draw forth that habit into actuall relentings upon all good occasions this is his method God alone can do all in this matter rely only on him for it as the sole author of it 2. By a dutifull attendance upon Gods word in the powerfull Ministry of it This is most quick and powerfull and sharper then any two edged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of soule and spirit Heb. 4. 12. Are our hearts iron the word is as fire to â—oâ—â—en and melt the iron are our hearts stone the word is as an hammer to break the rock in pieces Jer. 23. 29. This instrumentally made King Josiah's heart tender 2 Chron. 34. 19. 27. This made the returned exiles to weep Neh. 8. 9. This pricked Peters hearers in their hearts Act. 2. â—6 oh waite upon this word of God with a lively heart-searching Ministry oh tremble at this mighty working word of God that can through God make an hard heart soft and keep a soft heart tender 3. By a frequent and serious consideration of our own and others sias Others sins may break our hearts as it is cleare in the case of Josiah 2 Chron. 34. 19 c. of David Psal. 119 53. 158. 136. of Ezra Ezr. 9. 1 2 3 4 5. and of those Mourners Ezek. 9. 4. But our own sins may even grinde our hearts to powder as appears here in David Psal. 51. 3 4. 8. my sin is ever before me against thee thee only have I sinned that the bones which thou hast broken as in the Prodigall Luk. 15. 18. 19. as in those Jewes Zech. 12. 10 11 12 c. mans sin makes the whole Creation groan as under a load ready to break its back Rom. 8. 22. and shall not mans own spirit groan and his own heart break under the pressure of his own iniquities In what words shall I a little represent the sins of England and the sins of your own soules unto you for the actuall mollifying of your hearts Think what sin is it is the transgression of the Law 1 Joh. 3. 4. the death of the Soule Eph. 〈◊〉 1. the fruites of the flesh Gal. 5. 19. the workes of the Devill 1 Joh. 2. 8. and utter abomination to God Pro. 26. 25. Sin is so foule and filthy that the filth under the nailes and arm-holes f Jam. 1. 21. the vomit of a dog the myre of a swine 2 Pet. 2. 22. the poyson of serpents Rom. 3. 13. the spots of Leopards and the skin of black Moores Jer. 13. 23. the putrifaction and deadly stink of opened sepulchers Rom. 3. 13. and basest g excrements themselves Jam. 1 2â— are the similitudes wherein the holy Ghost sets it out to us Sin is the inlet of death and all misery Rom. 5. 12. worse then the Devill for sin made him a Devil and the very Hel of Hell Think against whom sin is committed Against God blessed for ever infinitely pure and cannot look upon it Heb. 1. 13. just and will not clear the guilty Ex. 34. 7. Omniscient knows all sin fully omnipotent can crush all sinners eternally He fashioned thee curiously he hath provided for thee plentifully hath given Christ his own Son to redeem and save thee to the uttermost hath loved thee freely hath alwaies been doing thee good never did thee harme and against him thou hast oftended oh how this wounded David Psal. 51. Against Christ also thou sinnest who became man yea a man of sorrowes yea a worme rather then a man for thee who was tempted betrayed scorned abused bruised wounded for thee who prayed sighed sorrowed sweat drops of blood and powred out his soule to death for thee who loved thee and washed thee from thy sins in his own blood Rev. 1. 5. how should this make thee mourne Zech. 12. 10 11 12. yea against the Spirit that convinceth illuminateth adopteth Sanctifieth sâ—aleth coÌ„forteth dwelleth in thee Is this thy kindnesse to thy God dâ—est thou thus requite the Lord oh foolish person and unwise Think by whom sin is acted by them that are to God but as wormes mothes grashoppers as the dust of the ballance as nothing as chaffe before the wind as stubble before the consuming fire your sins hurt not God but your selves If you be holy what do you to him if sinfull what doe you against him Job 35. 6. Think how your sins Englands sins are aggravated being beyond sins of Sodom Samaria Jerusalem because against greater light mercies meanes ordinances then ever they enjoyed against promises and threats kindnesses and judgments the patience of God wonderfull deliverances and a glorious gospell How should such considerations as these even break the soule in pieces 4. By a prudent laying to heart of Gods judgements inflicted This may be a meanes of softening a stony heart when perhaps the word will not penetrate Manasses that would not hearken to Gods word yet melted in his chaines humbled himselfe greatly 2 Chron. 33. 12. How did the people tremble at the great raine Ezr. 10. 9. God implyes that his judgements will make the uncircumcised hearts be humbled and accept the punishment Levit. 26. 41. and bring people to know the plague in their own heart 1 King 8. 38. Consider now how God hath plagued England with his judgements and let your hearts be broken for England and your selves therein Think what variety of judgements are upon the Land The Pestilence hath slain thousands the sword ten thousands The immoderate rain for these divers moneths hindering seed-time with some or washing seed sowne out of the ground with others and so threatning a famine The murrain among horses and cattell in some places as is credibly reported and which is heavier then all the spirit of errour and heresie that spreads and frets among us as a Gangrene so many being given up to strong delusion to believe a lye 2 Thes. 2. 11. how are these judgements concatenated together and pursue one another as Jobs messengers and the billowes of the Sea and Gods hand is stretched out still Think of the impartiality of Gods judgments upon us No degree sex or age hath been spared King and subject Nobles and ignoble Magistrates Ministers high and low rich and poor all have tasted of Gods severity Think of Gods wrath and displeasure that discovers it self in all his frown more heavy then the frownes of all the world if he looke but upon the earth it trembleth if he touch the hills they smoak Psal. 104. 32. shall not we tremble when he is angry Think of Englands sins deserving all these and worse these shafts that fall upon our heads we first shot
manner and end of all our penitentiall mournings for sinne doe we not come short of duty alas for us ipsae Lachrymae sunt Lachrymabiles c. we had need to weeep over our teares sigh over our sobs mourne over our griefes be broken for our brokennnsse and to repent over our very repentance not that these duties are performed by us but that they are performed no better when we doe our best so much flesh adheres to all We read of Davids broken bones but we read not of his merit m we read of Peters bitter teares for his sin but we read not a word of their satisfaction that must be left for ever to the blood of Christ Affirmatively a broken spirit is a most gratefull sacrifice to God because 1. A broken spirit is a spirituall sacrifice Herein not the bodies or blood of dead bruit-beasts but the spirit iâ— selfe of â—…g and reasonable man even his very heart and soule is sacrificed to God and the spirit of one man is better then all the beasts and earthly creatures in the whole world And the spirit of man offered is not his spirit as stony and carnaâ—… but as broken and spiritualized with godly sorrow and repentance The spirit is the best of man a broken spirit is the best of spirits Now God insists much upon the spiritualnesse of his sacrifices and services he specially calls for the heart My son give me thine heart Pro. 23. 26. all the Gospell-sacrifices which are acceptable to God in Christ they are spirituall Sacrifices 1 Pet. 2. 5. living sacrifices I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable to God which is your reasonable service or your service according-to-the-Word Rom. 12. 1. God himselfe is a spirit and will be worshipped in spirit Joh. 4. 24. and the more the spirit of man is spiritualized the more it becomes both like God and liked of God 2. A broken spirit is a true and sincere spirit It doth not hypocritically cover its sin like Adam Job 31 33. or spare any iniquity as Saul did Agag c. But like a broken vessell le ts all runne out ingenuously spreads open all its own vilenesses before the Lord takes the shame of all upon its own face le ts all lye loose As water myre stones heterogeneals which were inseperably congealed in a hard bound frost yet they all lye loose when there comes a kindly thaw so the heart that was once congealed in the mire and dregs of sin when with penitentiall brokennesse it is kindly thawed and dissolved sins that stuck fastest in the soule lie loose the spirit longs to be rid of them all as here broken-spirited David lamented both originalls and actualls he spares not even his foulest and shamefullest miscarriages would be thoroughly purged from all Psal. 51. 2. 7. Thus Paul after he became a man of a broken spirit freely rips up his foulest enormities confesseth he was a blasphemer and a persecutor and injurious 1. Tim. 1. 13. elsewhere he saith I verily thought with my self that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth Which thing I also did in Jerusalem and many of the Saints did I shut up in prison having received Authority from the chiefe Priests and when they were put to death I gave my voice against them and I punished them oft in every Synagogue and compelled them to blaspheame and being exceedingly mad against them I persecuted them even unto strange Cities Act. 26. 9. 10. 11. And it is observeable how Gods promise of an heart of flesh is coupledwith the promise of sprinkling clean water upon his people of cleansing them from all their filthinesse and from all their uncleannesses Ezek. 36. 25. 26. 29. An heart of flesh and uncleannesses cannot peaceably lodge together it would sincerely abandon all n is in bitternesse for all and taketh pleasure in that bitternesse Counterfeits not trouble for sin like the Pharisies with their sower disfigured faces Math. 6. Squeezes not out a few crocodiles tears c. but his very soule bleeds and his eye trickles down with teares in secret powring out complaints into the bosome of God when no eye but his sees Ille dolet verè qui sine teste dolet Now God calls for uprightnesse walk before me and be thou upright Gen. 17. 1. he loves sincerity and Truth in the inward parts Psal. 51. 6. and Nathaniel is prized and commended of Christ for a True Israelite indeed because in him there was no guile Joh. 1. 27. 3. A broken spirit is a gracious spirit It s part of the Grace promised in the Current of the New Covenant Ezek. 11. 19. c. and 36. 26 27. c. its one fruit and that a Principall one of the spirit of grace promised Zech. 12. 10. c. Consequently its part of that precious image of God consisting in true holinesse Eph. 4. 24. and a rich linke of that admirable chain of o grace about the Churches neck Cant. 4. 9. And therefore God is much taken with a truly broken heart he cannot chuse but accept and prize his own Graces in us love his own image and the reflexive rayes of his own beauty upon us Christ pathetically professeth to his Church as much Thou hast ravisht my heart my sister my spouse thou hast ravisht my heart with one of thine eyes with one chain of thy neck The smell of thine oyntments is better then all spices the smell of thy Garments is like the smell of Lebanon Cant. 4. 9. 10. 11. 4. A truly broken spirit is also a believing spirit Faith and repentance are inseparable twins bred together in one and the same sanctified womb of the converted Soule Faith first is in us in order of nature at least but actuall Repentance is apt first to appear as sap and life are first in the root yet buds leaves and fruit first discover themselves in the branches They shall look upon me whom they have pierced ther'e 's faith for with what other eye can they behold Christ crucifyed And they shall monrn for him c. ther 's brokennesse of spirit resulting from it Zech. 12. 10. There is an hard Question in Divinity whether Faith be not part of Repentance p Thus some Resolve If Repentance be considered largely for the whole worke of Conversion so faith is comprized in it if strictly so it is the cause thereof however they are neerly allyed Sister-graces Now faith wonderfully pleaseth God Heb. 11. 5 6. hence that we read of such a Catalogue of Faiths Triumphs and glorious atchievments in that Chap. Faith most highly honours God and God highly honours faith Faith clasps fast hold of Jesus Christ as its peculiar object and comes into the presence of God with Christ crucified in its Armes urges his person and passion as sinnes propitiation Counts all self-righteousnesse losse and dung in comparison