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heart_n prayer_n spirit_n supplication_n 2,281 5 11.0765 5 false
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A91855 A broken spirit, God's sacrifices. Or, The gratefulnesse of a broken spirit unto God. Represented in a sermon, before the right Honourable House of Peeres, in K. Henry the Seventh's chappell in the Abbey Westminster, upon Wednesday Decemb. 9. 1646. Being a day of publike humiliation for removing of the great judgment of rain and waters then upon the kingdome, &c. / By Fran. Roberts M. A. Minister of Christ, at Austins, London. Roberts, Francis, 1609-1675. 1646 (1646) Wing R1580; Thomason E365_14; ESTC R201252 39,320 48

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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
Jerusalem into his Kingdome 2 Chron. 33. 12. 13. In a word what respect had Christ to the penitent womans brokennesse of spirit when he so commends her entertainment of himself with Tears washing of his feet with them wiping them with the haires of her head c. before the Pharisies entertaining of him with all his dainties and Complements Luk. 7. 36. to the end Now all this respect which God so peculiarly manifests to brokennesse of spirit makes it cleare that a broken spirit is Gods most gratefull Sacrifice and delight 4. A broken Spirit is so pleasing to God That he rankes a broken spirit a tender fleshy heart a spirit of mourning c. among the rarest expressions of his speciall grace and favour promised to his Church Therefore where God promiseth To be to his people a little Sanctuary in the Countries where they shall come Their gathering again The Reformation of the Land Onenesse of heart Newnesse of spirit c. he addeth And I will take the stony heart out of their flesh and will give them an heart of flesh Ezek. 11. 16. to 21. And elsewhere after other promises God saith Then will I sprinkle cleane water upon you and ye shall be clean from all your filthinesse and from all your idols will I cleanse you 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 Ezek. 36. 24 25 26. c. yea when those Evangelicall blessings are promised to the House of David and inhabitants of Jerusalem The spirit of Grace and of Supplication it is added And they shall look upon me whom they have pierced and they shall mourne for him as one mourneth for his only son and shal be in bitternesse for him as one that is in bitternesse for his first borne c. Zech. 12. 10. c. Where brokennesse of Spirit for the sins that broke and pierced Christ is expressed under the notions of Mourning as for an only son of being in bitternesse as for a first borne of great mourning as of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddo where good Josiah was slain Now why should this brokennesse of spirit be thus ranked among Gods choice promised blessings if the Lord had not choyce thoughts and account thereof 5. A Broken spirit is so gratefull to God That himselfe undertakes it to be the peculiar Physitian to heale bind up revive and comfort poore broken hearts and bleeding soules He healeth the broken in heart and bindeth up their wounds Psal. 147. 3. He bottles up their teares and their sighing is not hid from him He dwels in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit but to what end To revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones Isai. 57. 15. Griefe and sorrow kills joy and comfort revives It s true God sometimes sets off the beauty of his own sweet Comforts by the darksome shadow of trouble of spirit and broken bones inflicted upon us he casts down that he may lift us up he crusheth that he may consolate us yea he kills us that he may more gratefully revive us as one said Dejicit ut relevet premit ut solatia praestet Enecat ut possit vivificare Deus Still the scope and intendment of God is the swathing up of broken bones the sweetning of the embittered spirits of his people This the very office of Jesus Christ himselfe The Lord hath annointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted to comfort all that mourn To appoint unto them that mourn in Sion to give unto them beauty for ashes the oyle of joy for mourning the garment of praise for the spirit of heavinesse Isai. 〈◊〉 1 2 3. Compared with Luk. 4. 18. k Happy teares which Christs hand shall wipe oft happy wounds which Christs blood shall close again happy brokennesse of heart which Christ shall bind up c. behold how God how Christ loves a broken heart 6. Finally a truly broken spirit is so acceptable to God That he is pleased to select and single out the broken heart the poore and contrite spirit for his peculiar habitation and for the place of his rest Where is the place of my rest saith God Himself answereth To this man will I looke even to him that is poore and of a contrite spirit as if he should say here is my rest here will I place mine eye and heart here will I repose my self and dwell Isa. 66. 1. 2. But more clearly elsewhere Thus saith the high and lofty-one that inhabiteth eternity whose nam● is holy I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit Isai. 57. 15. God will not dwell with the proud hard impenitent unbelieving heart yet will dwell with the contrite and humble spirit What God dwell there how deare is such a heart to God It is not said Saints or Angels shall dwell with such though they are sweet companions Not Peace Joy Comfort Life Grace Holinesse Happinesse c. shall dwell there though these are deare delights able to change the blackest midnight into a smiling morning a very Prison into a Pallace and the vale of the shadow of death into a mountain of life and joy But i●s said that the High and Lofty One that inhabits eternity will dwell with him that 's of an humble and contrite spirit Oh how doth the highest God descend how doth the lowest heart ascend in such an inhabitation The broken heart saith with the Centurion Lord I am not worthy thou shouldst come under my roofe much lesse that thou shouldst dwell there 11. Thus much of the {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} That a broken spirit is a most pleasing Sacrifice to God Now passe we to the second particular the {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Why a truly broken spirit should be so gratefull Sacrifices to God This may be opened both Negatively and Affirmatively Negatively this gratefulnesse of a broken spirit ariseth not from any merit or any degree or shadow of merit that may be imagined to be l in a broken spirit as the Popish merit-mongers do commonly suggest when they treat of this Theame of brokennesse of heart For though ou●heads were waters and our eyes fountains of tears Jer. 9. 1. Though wee should eat ashes as bread and mingle our drinke with weeping Psal. 102. 9. though all the night long we should make our bed to swim and water our couch with tears Psal. 6. that our eyes were dim with griefe our cheeks furrowed with sorrow and our very moysture turned into the droughts of Summer Psal. 32. 4. yet when all 's done we are but unprofitable Servants what have we done more then duty nay for ground