namely by the light of thy Countenance for that is the Plaister for a broken Heart Thou hast put Gladness in our Heart more than in the Time that their Corn and their Wine encreaseth Psal. 4. 1 6 7. O! A broken Heart can savour Pardon can savour the Consolations of the Holy Ghost Yea as a hungry or thirsty man prizes Bread and VVater in the want thereof so do the broken in Heart prize and set an high esteem on the things of the Lord Jesus His Flesh his Blood his Promise and the light of his Countenance are the only sweet things both to Scent and Taste to those that are of a wounded Spirit The full Soul loatheth the Honey-Comb the whole despise the Gospel they savour not the things that are of God. If twenty Men were to hear a Pardon Read and but one of those Twenty were condemned to die and the Pardon was for none but such which of these Men think you would taste the Sweetness of that Pardon they who were not or he that was Condemned The Condemned Man doubtless This is the Case in Hand The broken in Heart is a Condemned Man yea 't is sence of Condemnation with other things that has indeed broken his Heart nor is there any thing but sence of Forgiveness that can bind it up or heal it But could that heal it could he not taste truly taste or rightly relish this Forgiveness No. Forgiveness would be to him as it is to him that has not sence of want of it But I say what 's the Reason some so prize what others so despise since they both stand in need of the same Grace and Mercy of God in Christ Why the one sees and the other sees nothing of this woful miserable State. And thus have I shewed you the necessity of a Broken Heart 1. Man is Dead and must be Quickned 2. Man is a Fool and must be made Wise. 3. Man is Proud and must be Humbled 4. Man is Self-willed and must be Broken. 5. Man is Fearless and must be made to Consider 6. Man is a False Believer and must be Rectified 7. Man is a Lover of Sin and must be Weaned from it 8. Man is Wild and must be Tamed 9. Man Disrelishes the things of God and can take no savour in them until his Heart is Broken. And thus I have done with this and shall next come to the Reasons of the Point namely to shew you Why or how it comes to pass that a Broken Heart a Heart truly Contrite is to God such an Excellent thing That to him it is so we have proved by six Demonstrations What it is we have shewed by the six Signs thereof That it must be is manifest by those Nine Reasons but now urged And WHY it is with God or in his Esteem an Excellent Thing that is shewn by that which follows First A Broken Heart is the Handy-work of God an Heart of his OWN Preparing for his own Service It is a Sacrifice of his own providing of his providing for Himself As Abraham said in another Case God will provide himself a Lamb Gen. 22. 8. Hence it is said The Preparation of the Heart in Man c. is from the Lord. And again God maketh my Heart soft and the Almighty troubleth me Job 23. 16. The Heart as it is by Nature Hard Stupid and Impenitrable so it remains and so will remain until God as was said Bruiseth it with his Hammer and Melts it with his Fire The stony Nature of it is therefore said to be taken away of God. I will take away the stony Heart out of your Flesh and will give you saith he an Heart of Flesh Ezelâ— 36. 26. I will take away the stony Heart or the Stoniness or the the Hardness of your Heart and I will give you an Heart of Flesh that is I will make your Heart sensible soft wieldable governable and penitent Sometimes he bids Men rent their Hearts not because they can but to convince them rather that though it must be so they cannot do it So he bids them make themselves a New Heart and a New Spirit for the same purpose also for if God doth not Rent it it remains Unrent if God makes it not new it abides an old one still This is that that is meant by his Bending of Men for Himself and of his working in them that which is pleasing in his Sight Zach. 9. 13. The Heart Soul or Spirit as in it self as it came from God's Fingers a Precious Thing a thing in God's Account worth more than all the World this Heart Soul or Spirit Sin has hardened the Devil has bewitched the World has deceived This Heart thus beguiled God Coveteth and Desireth My Son faith he give me thy Heart and let thine Eyes observe my Ways Prov. 33. 26. This Man cannot do this thing for that his Heart has the Mastery of him will not but carry him after all manner of Vanity What now must be done Why God must take the Heart by Storm by Power and bring it to a Complyance with the Word But the Heart of it self will not it is deluded carried away to another than God. Wherefore God now betakes him to his Sword and brings down the Heart with Labour opens it and drives out the strong Man Armed that did keep it wounds it and makes it smart for its Rebellion that it may cry so he rectifies it for himself He maketh sore and bindeth up he Woundeth and his Hands make whole Job 5. 18. Thus having wrought it for himself it becomes his Habitation his Dwelling-place That Christ might dwell in your Heart by Faith. But I would not swerve from the thing in Hand I have told you a broken Heart is the handy-work of God a Sacrifice of his own Preparing a Material fitted for himself 1. By breaking of the Heart he openeth it and makes it a Receptacle for the Graces of his Spirit that 's the Cabinet when unlocked where God lays up the Jewels of the Gospel There he puts his Fear I will put my Fear in their Heart There he writes his Law I will write my Law in their Heart There he puts his Spirit I will put my Spirit within you Jer. 31. 31 32 33. Chap. 32. 39 40 41. Ezek. 36. 26 27. The Heart I say God chuses for his Cabinet There he hides his Treasure there is the Seat of Justice Mercy and of every Grace of God I mean when 't is Broken made Contrite and so Regulated by the Holy Word 2. The Heart when Broken is like sweet Gums and Spices when beaten For as such cast their fragrant Scent into the Nostrils of Men so the Heart when Broken casts its sweet Smells in the Nostrils of God. The Incense which was a Type of Prayer of Old was to be beaten or bruised and so to be burned in the Censer The Heart must be beaten or bruised and then the sweet Scent will come out even Groans and Cries
Sacrifices of God are a broken Spirit The Demonstration is this Because a Broken and a Contrite Heart God will not despise In the Assertion we have Two Things present themselves to our Consideration 1. That a Broken Spirit is to God a Sacrifice 2. That it is to God as that which answereth to or goeth beyond ALL Sacrifices The Sacrifices of God are a broken Spirit The demonstration of this is plain for that Heart God will not despise it A Broken and a Contrite Heart O God thou wilt not despise Whence I draw this Conclusion That a Spirit rightly broken an Heart truly Contrite is to God an Excellent thing That is a thing that goeth beyond all External Duties whatever for that is intended by this saying The Sacrifices because it answereth to all Sacrifices which we can offer to God yea it serveth in the room of all All our Sacrifices without this are nothing this alone is all There are four things that are very acceptable to God. The First is The Sacrifice of the Body of Christ for our Sins of this you read Heb. 10. For there you have it preferred to all burnt Offerings and Sacrifices 't is this that pleaseth God 't is this that Sanctifieth and so setteth the People acceptable in the sight of God. Secondly Unseigned love O God is counted better then all Sacrifices or external parts of Worship And to love the Lord thy God with all the heart with all the understanding and with all the Soul and with all the strength and to love his Neighbour as himself is better then all whole burnt-Offerings and Sacrifices Mar 12. 33. Thirdly To walk Holily and Humbly and Obediently towards and before God is another Mich. 6. 6 7 8. Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt-Offerings and Sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord Behold to Obey is better then Sacrifice and to Hearken theâ— the fat of Rams 1 Sam. 15. 22. Fourthly And this in our Text is the Fourth The Sacrifices of God are a broken Spirit A broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise But note by the way that this Broken this Broken and Contrite Heart is thus excellent only to God O God saith he THOU wilt not despise it by which is implyed the World have not this esteem or respect for such a heart or for one that is of a broken and a contrite Spirit No no a Man a VVoman that is blessed with a Broken Heart is so far off from getting by that esteem with the VVorld that they are but burdens and trouble Houses where-ever they are or go Such People carry with them Molestation and Disquietment they are in Carnal Families as David was to the King of Gath Troublers of the House 1 Sam. 21. Their Sighs their Tears their day and night Groans their Cries and Prayers and Solitary Carriages puts all the Carnal Family out of Order Hence you have them brow-beaten by some contemned by others ye and their company fled from and diserted by others But mark the Text A broken and a contrite heart O GOD thou wilt not despise but rather accept for not to despise is with God to esteem and set a high price upon But we will demonstrate by several particulars that a Broken Spirit a Spirit RIGHTLY Broken an Heart TRULY Contrite is to God an Excellent thing First This is evident from the Comparison Thou desirest not Sacrifice else would I give it thou delightest not in burnt-Offerings The Sacrifices of God are a broken Spirit c. Mark He rejecteth Sacrifices Offerings and Sacrifices that is all Levitical Ceremonies under the Law and all External Performances under the Gospel but accepteth a Broken Heart It is therefore manifest by this were there nothing else to be said that proves that a heart rightly Broken a heart truly Contrite is to God an Excellent thing for as you see such a heart is set before all Sacrifice and yet they were the Ordinances of God and things that he commanded but lo a Broken Spirit is above them all a Contrite Heart goes beyond them yea beyond them when put all together Thou wilt not have the one thou wilt not despise the other O Brethren A Broken and a Contrite Heart is an Excellent thing Have I said a Broken Heart a Broken and a Contrite Heart is esteemed above all Sacrifices I will add Secondly It is of greater esteem with God then is either Heaven or Earth and that 's more then to be set before External Duties Thus saith the Lord Heaven is my Throne and the Earth is my Footstool where is the house that ye build me or where is the place of my rest for all these things hath mine hands made and all these things have been saith the Lord But to this man will I look even to him that is poor and and of a contrite Spirit and trembleth at my word Isa. 66. 1 2. Mark God saith He hath made all these things but he doth not say that he will look to them that is take complacency and delight in them No there is that wanting in all that he hath made that should take-up and delight hâ—r heart But now let a Broken-hearted Sinner come before him yea he ranges the world through out to find out such an one and and having found him To this man saith he will I look I say again that such a man to him is of more value then is either Heaven or Earth They saith he shall wax old they shall perish and vanish away but this man he continues he as is presented to us in another place under another character he shall abide for ever Heb. 1. 10 11 12. 1 John 2. 17. To this man will I look with this man will I be delighted for so to look doth sometimes signifie Thou hast ravished my heart my Sister my Spouse saith Christ to his humble hearted thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine Eyes while it is as a Conduit to let the rivers out of thy broken heart I am taken saith he with one chain of thy Neck Song 4. 9. Here you see he looks and is ravisht he looks and is taken as it saith in another place The King is held in the Galleries Song 7. 5. That is is taken with his Beloved with the Doves Eyes of his Beloved Chap 1. 15. with the contrite spirit of his People But it is not thus reported of him with respect to heaven or earth them he sets more lightly by Them he reserves unto Fire against the day of Judgment and Pâ—rdation of Ungodly Men 2 Pet. 3. 7. But the Broken in Heart are his Beloved his Jewels Wherefore what I have said as to this must go for the Truth of God to wit That a broken hearted Sinner a Sinner with a Contrite Spirit is of more esteem with God then is either heaven or earth He saith He hath made them but he doth not say He will look to them He saith
when alas All these are but the beginnings of Love and but that which makes way for Life The Lord kills before he makes alive he wounds before his Hands make whole Yea he does the one in Order to or because he would do the other he wounds because his Purpose is to heal He maketh sore and bindeth up He woundeth and his Hands make whole Deut. 32. 39. 1 Sam. 2. 6. Job 5. 18. His design I say is the Salvation of the Soul. He scourgeth he breaketh the Heart of every Son whom he receiveth and Wo be to him whose Heart God breaketh not And thus have I proved what at first I asserted namely That a Spirit rightly Broken an Heart truly Contrite is to God an Excellent Thing A Broken and a Contrite Heart O God thou wilt not despise For thus say I 1. This is Evident for that it is better than Sacrifices than all Sacrifice 2. The Man that has it is of more esteem with God than Heaven and Earth 3. God coveteth such a Man for his Intimate and House-Companion 4. He Reserveth for them his Cordials and spiritual Comforts 5. He has given his Son à charge a Commandment to take Care that the Broken hearted be healed and he is resolved to heal them 6. And concluded that the Broken hearted and they that are of a Contrite Spirit shall be saved that is Possest of the Heavens I come now in Order to shew you what a Broken Heart and what a Contrite Spirit is This must be done because in the Discovery of this lies both the Comfort of them that have it and the Conviction of them that have it not Now that I may do this the better I must propound and speak to these four Things 1. I must shew you what an one that Heart is that is not Broken that is not Contrite 2. I must shew you how or with what the Heart is Broken and made Contrite 3. Shew you how and what it is when Broken and made Contrite And 4. I shall last of all give you some Signâ— of a Broken and Contrite Heart For the first of these to wit What an one that Heart is that is not a Broken that is not a Contrite Heart 1. The Heart before â—is broken is Hard and Stubborn and Obstinate against God and the Salvation of the Soul Zach. 7. 12. Deut. 2 30. Chap. 9. 27. 2. 'T is an Heart full of Evil Imaginations and Darkness Gen. 8. 12. Rom. 1. 21. 3. 'T is a Heart Deceitful and subject to be deceived especially about the things of an Eternal Concernment Isa. 44 20. Deut. 11. 16. 4. 'T is an Heart that rather gathereth Iniquity and Vanity to it self than any thing that is good for the Soul Psal. 41. 6. Psal. 94. 11. 5. 'T is an Unbelieving Heart and one that will turn away from God to Sin Heb. 3. 12. Deut. 17. 17. 6. 'T is an Heart not prepared for God being Uncircumcised not for the Reception of his holy Word 2 Chron. 12. 14. Psal. 78. 8. Acts 7. 51. 7. 'T is an Heart not Single but Double 'T will pretend to serve God but will withall lean to the Devil and Sin Psal. 12. 2. Ezek. 33. 31. 8. 'T is an Heart Proud and Stout it loves not to be Controuled though the Controuler be God himself Psal. 101. 5. Prov. 16. 5. Mal. 3. 9. 'T is an Heart that wil give Place to Satan but will Resist the Holy Ghost Act. 5. 3. Chap. 7. 51. 10. In a Word 'T is deceitful above all things and desperately Wicked So wicked that none can know it Jer. 17. 9. That the Heart before it is broken is such and worse than I have described it to be is sufficiently seen by the whole course of the World. Where is the man whose Heart has not been Broken and whose Spirit is not Contrite that according to the Word of God deals honestly with his own Soul It is one Character of a right Heart that it is sound in God's Statutes and honest Psal. 119. 80. Luke 8. 15. Now an honest Heart will not put off it self nor be put off with that which will not go for current Money with the Merchant I mean with that which will not go for saving Grace at the day of Judgment But alas alas But few Men how honest soever they are to others have honesty towards themselves though he is the worst of Deceivers who deceiveth his own Soul as James has it about the things of his own Soul Jam. 1. 22 26. But Secondly I now come to shew you with WHAT and HOW the Heart is Broken and the Spirit made Contrite The Instrument with which the Heart is Broken and with which the Spirit is made Contrite is the Word Is not my Word says God like a Fire and like â— Hammer that breaketh the Roâ—â— in pieces Jer. 23. 29. The Rock in his Text is thâ— Heart which in another place is compared to an Adamant which Adamant is harder than Flint Zach. â— 11 12. Ezek. 3. 9. This Rock this Adamant this Stony Heart is Broken and made Contrite by the Word But it only is so when the Word is as a Fire and as a Hammer to break and melt it And then and then only it is as a Fire and a Hammer to the Heart to break it when 't is managed by the Arm of God. No man can break the Heart with the Word no Angel can break the Heart with the Word that is if God forbears to second it by mighty Power from Heaven This made Balaâ—m go without an Heart rightly broken and truly conâ—â—â—te though he was rebuked by an Angel and the Pharisees die in their Sins though rebuked for them and admonished to turn from them by the Saviour of the World. VVherefore though the Word is the Instrument with which the Heart is broken yet it is not broken with the Word till that Word is managed by the Might and Power of God. This made the Prophet Isaiah after long Preaching cry out That he had laboured for Nought and in Vain And this made him cry to God to Rent the Heavens and come down that the Mountains or Rocky Hills or Hearts might be broken and melt at his Presence Isa. 49. 4. Chap. 64. 1 2. For he found by Experience that as to this no effectual Work could be done unless the Lord put to his Hand This also is often intimated in the Scriptures where it faith When the Preachers preached effectually to the breaking of Men's Hearts the Lord wrought with them the Hand of the Lord was with them and the like Mar. 16. 20. Acts 11 21. Now when the Hand of the Lord is with the Word then 't is mighty 't is mighty thorough God to the pulling down of strong Holds 'T is sharp then as a Sword in the Soul and Spirit It stiâ—ks like an Arrow in the Hearts of Sinners to the causing of the People to fall at his Foot for Mercy Then 't
then if at all they will be sorry and dejected at the View of their own Defects This is the case Men by Sin are marr'd spoil'd corrupted depraved but they dwell by themselves in the dark they see neither God nor Angel nor Saint in their excellent Nature and Beauty and therefore they are apt to count even their own uncomly parts their Ornaments and their Glory But now let such as I said see God see Saints or the Ornaments of the Holy Ghost and themselves as they are without them and then they cannot but must be affected with and sorry for their own Deformity When the Lord CHRIST put forth but little of his Excellency before his Servant Peter's Face it raised up the Depravity of Peter's Nature before him to his great Confusion and Shame and made him cry out to him in the midst of all his Fellows Depart from me for I am a sinful Man O Lord Luke 5. 4 5 6 7 8. This therefore is the cause of a Broken Heart even a sight of Divine Excellencies and a Sence that I am a poor depraved spoiled defiled Wretch And this sight having broken the Heart begets sorrow in the Broken-hearted 2. The Broken-hearted is a sorrowful Man for that he finds his Depravity of Nature strong in him to the putting forth it self to oppose and overthrow what his changed Mind doth prompt him to When I would do Good said Paul Evil is present withe me Rom. 7. 21. Evil is present to oppose to resist and make Head against the desires of my Soul. The Man that has his Bones broken may have yet a Mind to be industriously Occupied in a lawful and honest Calling but he finds by Experience that an Infirmity attends his present Condition that strongly resists his good Endeavours And at this he shakes his Head makes Complaints and with sorrow of Heart he sighs and says I cannot do the thing that I would Rom. 7. 15. Gal. 5. 17. I am weak I am feeble I am not only Depraved but by that Depravity Deprived of Ability to put good Motions good Intentions and Desires into Execution to Compleatness O says he I am ready to halt my Sorrow is continually before me You must know the Broken-hearted loves God loves his Soul loves Good and hates Evil. Now for such an one to find in himself an Opposition and continual Contradiction to this holy Passion it must needs cause Sorrow Godly Sorrow as the Apostle Paul calls it For such are made sorry after a godly sort To be sorry for that thy Nature is with Sin depraved and that through this Depravity thou art deprived of Ability to do what the Word and thy holy Mind doth prompt thee to is to be sorry after a godly sort For this Sorrow worketh that in thee of which thou wilt never have cause to Repent no not to Eternity 2 Cor. 7. 9 10 11. 3. The Broken-hearted Man is sorry for those Breaches that by Reason of the depravity of his Nature is made in his Life and Conversation And this was the Case of the Man in our Text. The vileness of his Nature had broken out to the defiling of his Life and to the making of him at this time base in Conversation This this was it that all to brake his Heart He saw in this he had dishonoured God and that cut him Against thee thee only have I sinned and done this Evil in thy Sight Psal. 51. 4. He saw in this he had caused the Enemies of God to open their Mouths and Blaspheme and this cut him to the Heart This made him cry I have sinned against thee Lord This made him say I will declare mine Iniquity I will be sorry for my Sin Psal. 38. 18. When a man is designed to do a matter when his Heart is set upon it and the Broken-hearted doth design to glorifie God an Obstruction to that Design the spoyling of this Work makes him Sorrowful Hannah coveted Children but could not have them and this made her a Woman of a sorrowful Spirit 1 Sam. 1. 15. A Broken-hearted Man would be well inwardly and do that which is well outwardly but he feels he finds he sees he is prevented prevented at least in part This makes him sorrowful in this he Groans groans earnestly being burdened with his Imperfections 2 Cor. 5. 1 2 3. You know one with broken Bones has Imperfections many and is more sensible of them too as was said afore than any other Man and this makes him sorrowful yea and makes him conclude That he shall go softly all his days in the Bitterness of his Soul Isa. 57. 15. Thirdly The Man with a broken Heart is a very Humble Man or true Humility is a sign of a Broken Heart Hence Brokenness of Heart Contrition of Spirit and Humbleness of Mind are put together To revive the Heart of the humble and to revive the Spirit of the Contrite Ones Isa. 57. 15. To follow our Similitude Suppose a Man while in bodily Health stout and strong and one that fears and cares for no Man yet let this Man have but a Leg or an Arm broken and his Courage is quell'd he is now so far off from hectoring of it with a Man that he is afraid of every little Child that doth but offer to touch him Now he will Court the most feeble that has ought to do with him to use him and handle him gently Now he is become a Child in Courage a Child in Fear and humbleth himself as a little Child Why thus it is with that Man that is of a Broken and Contrite Spirit Time was indeed he could hector even hector it with God himself saying What 's the Almighty that we should serve him Or what Profit shall I have if I keep his Commandments Job 21 15. Mal. 3. 13 14. Ay! But now his Heart is broken God has wrestled with him and given him a fall to the breaking of his Bones his Heart and now he Crouches now he Cringes now he begs of God that he will not only do him good but do it with tender Hands Have Mercy upon me O God said David yea according to the Multitude of thy TENDER Mercies blot out my Transgressions Psal. 51. 1. He stands as he sees not only in need of Mercy but of the tenderest Mercies God has several sorts of Mercies some more rough some more tender God can save a Man and yet have him a dreadful Way to Heaven This the Broken hearted sees and this the Broken-hearted dreads and therefore pleads for the tenderest sort of Mercies and here we read of his gentle dealing and that he is very pitiful and that he deals tenderly with his But the Reason of such Expressions no man knows but he that is Broken-hearted he has his Sores his running Sores his stinking Sores Wherefore he is pained and therefore covets to be handled tenderly Thus God has broken the Pride of his Spirit and humbled the Loftiness of Man. And his Humility
yet appears 1. In his Thankfulness for Natural Life He reckoneâ—â— at Night when he goes to Bed that like as a Lion so God will tear him to pieces before the Morning Light Isa. 38. 13. There is no Judgment that has fallen upon others but he counts of right he should be swallowed up by it My Flesh trembleth for fear of thee and I am afraid of thy Judgments Psal. 119. 120. But perceiving a day added to his Life and that he in the Morning is still on this side Hell he cannot choose but take notice of it and acknowledge it as a special Favour saying God be thanked for holding my Soul in Life till now and for keeping my Life back from the the Destroyer Compare Job 33. 22. and Psal. 56. 13. Psal. 86. 13. Man before his Heart is broken counts Time his own and therefore he spends it lavishingly upon every idle thing His Soul is far from fear because the Rod of God is not upon him but when he sees himself under the wounding hand of God or when God like a Lyon is breaking all his Bones then he humbleth himself before him and falleth at his Foot. Now he has learn'd to count every Moment a Mercy and every small Morsel a Mercy 2. Now also the least hopes of Mercy for his Soul O how Precious is it He that was wont to make Orts of the Gospel and that valued Promises but aâ— Stubble and the Words of God but as Rotten Wood Now with what an Eye doth he looâ— on the Promise Yea he counteth a Peradventure of Mercy more rich more worth than all the World. Now as we say He is glad to leap at a Crust now to be a Dog in God's House 〈◊〉 counted better by him than to dwell in the Tents of the Wicked Matt. 15. 26 27. Luke 15. 17 18 19. 3. Now he that was wont ' to look scornfully upon the People of God yea that used to scorn to shew them a gentle cast of his Countenance Now he admires and bows before them and is ready to lick the Dust of their Feet and would count it his greatest the highest Honour to be as one of the least of them Make me as one of thy Hired Servants says he Luke 15. 19. 4. Now he is in his own Eyes the greatest Fool in Nature for that he sees he has been so mistaken in his ways and has not yet but little if any true Knowledge of God. Every one now says he has more Knowledge of God than I every one serves him better than I Psal. 73. 21 22 Prov. 30. 2 3. 5. Now may he be but one though the least in the Kingdom of Heaven Now may he be but one though the least in the Church on Earth Now may he â—e but loved though the least beloved of Saints How high an Account doth he set thereon 6. Now when he talketh with God or Men how doth he debase himself before them If with God how does he accuse himself and load himself with the Acknowledgements of his own Villanies which he committed in the days wherein he was the Enemy of God Lord said Paul that Contrite One I Imprisoned and did beat in every Synagogue them that believe on thee And when the Blood of thy Martyr Stephen was shed I also was standing by and consenting unto his Death and kept the Raiment of them that slew him Act. 22. 19 20. Yea I punished thy Saints oft in every Synagogue and Compelled them to Blaspheme And being exceeding mad against them I Persecuted them â—â—en unto strange Cities Acts 〈…〉 9 10 11. Also when he comes to speak to Saints how doth he make himself vile before them I am saith he the least of the Apostles I am not meet to be called an Apostle I am less then the least of all Saints I was a Blasphemer I was a Persecuter and Injurious c. 1 Cor 15 9. Ephes. 3. 8. 1 Tim. 1. 13. What Humility what Self-abasing Thoughts doth a Broken Heart produce When David danced before the Ark of God also how did he discover his Nakedness to the disliking of his Wife And when she taunted him for his doings says he It was before the Lord c. And I will be yet more vile than thus and will be base in mine own Sight 2 Sam. 6. 20 21 22. Oh 〈…〉 Man that is or that has been kindly broken in his Spirit 〈…〉 that is of a Contrite Heart is a lowly a humble Man. Fourthly The Broken-hearted Man is a Man that sees himself in Spirituals to be poor Therefore as Humble and Contrite so Poor and Contrite are put together in the Word But to this Man will I look even to him that is Poor and of a Contrite Spirit Isa. 66. 1 2. And here we still pursue our Metaphor A wounded Man a Man with broken Bones concludes his Condition to be but Poor very Poor Ask him how he does and he Answers Truly Neighbour in a very Poor Condition Also you have the Spiritual Poverty of such as have or have had their Hearts broken and that have been of Contrite Spirits much made mention of in the Word And they go by two Names to distinguish them from others They are called THY Poor that is God's Poor they are also called the Poor in Spirit Psal. 72. 2. Psal. 74. 9. Mat. 5. 3. Now the Man that is poor in his own Eyes for of him we now discourse and the Broken hearted is such an one is sensible of his wants He knows he cannot help himself and therefore is forced to be content to live by the Charity of others Thus it is in Nature thus it is in Grace First The Broken-hearted now knows his wants and he knew it not till now As he that has a broken Bone knew no want of a Bone-setter till he knew his Bone was broken His broken Bone makes him know it his Pain and Anguish makes him know it And thus it is in Spirituals Now he sees to be Poor indeed is to want the sence of the Favour God for his great Pain is sence of Wrath as has been shewn before And the Voice of Joy would heal his broken Bones Psal. 51. 8. Two things he thinks would make him Rich. 1. A Right and Title to Jesus Christ and all his Benefits 2. And Saving Faith therein They that are spiritually Rich are rich in Him and in the Faith of Him 2 Cor. 8. 9. James 2. 5. The first of these giveth us a Right to the Kingdom of Heaven and the second yields the Soul the Comfort of it and the Broken hearted Man wants the Sence and Knowledge of his â—nterest in these That he knows he wants them is plain but that he knows he has them is what as yet he wants the Attainment of Hence he says The Poor and Needy seek Water and there is none and their Tongue fails for Thirst There is none in their View none in their View for them Isa. 41.
the Heart in Order to Salvation because a Man will not sincerely comply with the means conducing thereunto until his Heart is broken For First Man take him as he comes into the World as to Spirituals as to Evangelical Things in which mainly lies Man's Eternal Felicity and there he is as one Dead and so Stupified and wholly in himself as unconcerned with it Nor can my Call nor Admonition that has not a Heart-breaking-Power attending of it bring him to a due Consideration of his present State and so unto an effectual Desire to be Saved Many ways God has Manifested this 1. He has threatned Men with Temporal Judgments yea sent such Judgments upon them once and again over and over but they will not do What says he I have given you cleanness of Teeth in all your Cities I have with holden the Rain from you I have smitten you with Blasting and Mildew I have sent among you the Pestilence I have overthrew some of you as God Overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah Yet have ye not not returned unto me saith the Lord Amos 4. 6 7 8 9 10 11. See here Here is Judgment upon Judgment Stroke after Stroke Punishment after Punishment but all will not do unless the Heart is broken Yea another Prophet seems to say that such things instead of converting the Soul sets it further off If Heart-breaking Work attend such strokes Why should ye be striken any more says he Ye will Revolt more and more Isa. 1. 5. Man's Heart is Fenced it is grown Gross there is a Skin that like a Coat of Male has wrapp'd it up and enclosed it on every side This Skin this Coat of Male unless it be cut off and taken away the Heart remains untouched whole and so as unconcerned whatever Judgments or Afflictions light upon the Body Mat. 13. 15. Acts 28. 27. This which I call the Coat of Male the Sence of the Heart has two great Names in Scripture It is called the Fore-skin of the Heart and the Armour in which the Devil trusteth Deut. 10. 16. Luke 11. 22. Because these Shield and Fence the Heart from all Gospel Doctrine and from all legal Punishments nothing can come at it till these are removed Therefore in Order unto Conversion the Heart is said to be Circumcised that is this Fore-skin is taken away and this Coat of Male is spoiled I will Circumcise thy Heart saith he to love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart and then the Devils Goods are spoiled that thou mayest live Deut. 30. 6. Luke 11. 22. And now the Heart lies open now the Word will prick cut and pierce it and it being cut prick'd and pierced it bleeds it faints it falls and dies at the Foot of God unless it is supported by the Grace and love of God in Jesus Christ. Conversion you know begins at the Heart but if the Heart be so secured by Sin and Satan as I have said all Judgments are while that is so in vain Hence Moses after he had made a long Relation of Mercy and Judgment unto the Children of Israel suggests that yet the great thing was wanting to them and that thing was An Heart to perceive and Eyes to see and Ears to hear unto that Day Deut. 29. 2. 3. Their Hearts were as yet not touched to the quick were not awakened and wounded by the the Holy Word of God and made tremble at its Truth and Terrour But I say before the Heart be touched prick'd made smart c. How can 〈◊〉 be thought be the Danger never so great that it should Repent Cry Bow and Break at the Foot of God and Supplicate there for Mercy And yet thus it must do for thus God has Ordained and thus God has appointed it nor can Men be saved without it But I say Can a Man Spiritually Dead a stupid Man whose Heart is past feeling do this before he has his dead and stupid Heart awakened to see and feel its State and Misery without it But Secondly Man take him as he comes into the World and how wise soever he is in Worldly and Temporal Things He is yet a Fool as to that which is Spiritual and Heavenly Hence he says The Natural Man receiveth not the things that are of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness to him because he is indeed a Fool to them neither says the Text can he know them for they are spiritually descerned 1 Cor. 2. 14. But how now Must this Fool be made Wise VVhy VVisdom must be put into his Heart Job 38. 36. Now none can put it there but God and how doth he put it there but by making room there for it by taking away the thing which hinders which is that Folly and Madness which naturally dwelleth there But how doth he take that away but by a severe Chastising of his Soul for it until he has made him weary of it The Whip and Stripes are provided for the Natural Fool and so it is for him that is Spiritually so Prov. 19. 20. Solomon intimates that 't is a hard thing to make a Fool become wise Though thou shouldest bray a Fool in a Mortar among Wheat with a Pestil yet will not his Foolishness depart from him Prov. 27. 22. By this it appears that it is a hard thing to make a Fool a Wise Man. To bray one in a Morter is a dreadful thing to bray one there with a Pestil and yet it seems a Whip a Morter and a Pestil is the way And if this is the way to make one Wise in this World and if all this will hardly do how must the Foo◠that is so in Spirituals be whip'd and beaten and striped before he is made wise therein Yea his Heart must be put into God's Morter and must be beaten yea Brayed there with the Pestil of the Law before it loves to hearken unto Heavenly Things It is a great Word in Jeremiah Thorough Deceit th 〈…〉 is Folly they refuse to know 〈…〉 saith the Lord. And what follows Why Therefore th 〈…〉 saith the Lord behold I will 〈…〉 them and try them that is wit◠Fire for how shall I do for the Daughter of my People Jer. 9. 6 7. I will melt them I will put them into my Furnace and there I will try them and there I will make them know me saith the Lord. When David was under spiritual Chastisement for his Sin and had his Heart under the breaking Hand of God Then he said God should make him know Wisdom Psal. 51. 6. Now he was in the Morter now he was in the Furnace now he was bruised and melted yea now his Bones his Heart was breaking and now his Folly was departing Now says he Thou shalt make me to know Wisdom If I know any thing of the way of God with US Fools there is nothing else will make us wise Men yea a Thousand Breakin gs will not make ùs so wise as we should be We say Wisdom is
in part to God. but but few such are converted there is required a great deal of breaking work upon his heart to make him come to Paul's conclusion What! are we better than they No in no wise Rom. 3. 9. I say before he can be brought to see his glorious Robes are filthy Rags and his gainful things but loss and dung Isa. 64. Phil. 3. This is also gathered from these words Publicans and Harlots enter into the Kingdom of God before the Pharisees Mat. 21. 31. Why before them but because they lie fairer for the word are easier convinced of their need of Christ and so are brought home to him without as I may all that adoe that the Holy Ghost doth make to bring home one of these to him True nothing is hard or difficult to God. But I speak after the manner of men And let who will take to task a man debauch'd in this Life and one that is not so and he shall see if he laboureth to convince them both that they are in a state of Condemnation by nature that the Pharisee will make his appeals to God with a great many God I thank thee 's while the Publican hangs his Head shakes at Heart and smites upon his Breast saying God be merciful to me a sinner Luk. 18. 11 12 13. Wherefore a self-righteous man is but a painted Satan or a Devil in fine Cloathes but thinks he so of himself No! no! He saith to others Stand back come not near me I am holier than thou 'T is almost impossible that a self-righteous man should be saved But he that can drive a Camel through the eye of a Needle can cause that even such a one shall see his lost condition and that he needeth the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ. He can make him see I say that his own goodness did stand more in his way to the Kingdom of Heaven than he was aware of and can make him feel too that his leaning to that is as great iniquity as any immorality that men commit The sum then is That men that are converted to God by Christ through the Word and Spirit for all this must go to Effectual Conversion must have their Hearts broken and Spirits made contrite I say it MUST be so for the reasons shewed before Yea and all decaied apostatised and backsliden Christians must in order to their recovery again to God have their Hearts broken their Souls wounded their Spirits made contrite and sorry for their sins Come come Conversion to God is not SO easie and SO smooth a thing as some would have men believe it is Why is mans Heart compared to fallow ground Gods Word to a Plow and his Ministers to Plow-men if the Heart indeed has no need of breaking in order to the receiving of the Seed of God unto Eternal Life Jer. 4 3. Luk. 9. 62. 1 Cor. 9. 10. Who knows not that Fallow-ground must be Plowed and Plowed too before the Husbandman will venture his Seed yea and after that oft soundly harrowed or else he will have but a slender Harvest Why is the Conversion of the Soul compared to the grafting of a Tree if that may be done without cutting The Word is the Graft the Soul is the Tree and the word as the Sien must be let in by a wound for to stick on the outside or to be tied on with a string will do no good here heart must be set to heart and back to back or your pretended ingrafting will come to nothing Rom. 11. 17 24. Jam. 1. 20. I say heart must be set to heart and back to back or the sap will not be conveyed from the root to the branch And I say This must be done by a wound The Lord opened the heart of Lidia as a man openeth the stock to graft in the siens and so the word was let into her soul and so the word and her heart comented and became one Acts 16. 14. Why is Christ bid to gird his Sword upon his Thigh And why must he make his Arrows sharp and all that the Heart may with this Sword and these Arrows he shot wounded and made to bleed Yea why is he commanded to let it be so if the People would bow and fall kindly under him and heartily implore his Grace without it Psa. 45. 3 4 5. Alas men are too lofty too proud too wild too devilishly resolved in the ways of their own Destruction in their occasions they are like the wild Asses upon the wild Mountains nothing can break them of their purposes or hinder them from ruining of their own precious and immortal Souls but the breaking of their hearts Why is a broken heart put in the room of all Sacrifices which we can offer to God and a contrite Spirit put in the room of all offerings as they are and you may see it so if you compare the Text with that Verse which goes before it I say why is it counted better than all were they all put together if any one part or if all external parts of Worship were they put together could be able to render the man a found and a rightly made New Creature without it A broken heart a contrite Spirit God will not despise but both thou and all thy Service he will certainly slight and reject if when thou comest to him a broken heart be wanting Wherefore here is the point Come Broken come Contrite come Sensible of and Sorry for thy Sins or thy coming will be counted no coming to God aright and if so consequently thou wilt get no benefit thereby FINIS
to 2 Sam. 7. 18. But we must still know that this broken tender Heart is not a Plant that grows in our own Soil but is the peculiar gift of God himself He that made the Heart must break the heart We may be under heart-breaking Providences and yet the heart remain altogether unbroken as it was with Pharach whose heart though it was under the Hammers of ten terrible Judgments immediately succeeding one another yet continued hardened against God. The Heart of Man is harder than Hardness it self till God softneth and breaks it Men move not they relent not let God thunder never so terribly let God in the greatest earnest cast abroad his Firebrands Arrows and Death in the most dreadful representations of Wrath and Judgment yet still man trembles not nor is any more astonished than if in all this God were but in jest till he comes and falls to work vvith him and forces him to cry out What have I done What shall I do Therefore let us have recourse to him vvho as he gives the new heart so also therevvith the broken heart And let mens hearts be never so hard if God comes once to deal effectually vvith them they shall become mollified and tender as it vvas vvith those hardned Jews vvho by vvicked and cruel hands murdered the Lord of Life though they stouted it out a great vvhile yet hovv suddenly vvhen God brought them under the Hammer of his Word and Spirit in Peter's powerful Ministry vvere they broken and being pricked in their hearts cryed out Men and Brethren what shall we do Acts 2. 37. And the like instance vve have in the Jailor vvho vvas a most barbarous hard hearted vvretch yet vvhen God came to deal vvith him he Was soon tamed and his heart became exceeding soft and tender Act. 16. 29 30. Men may speak long enough and the heart not at all be moved but The voice of the Lord is powerful the voice of the Lord is full of Majesty and breaketh the Rocks and Cedars He turns the Rock into a standing Water the Flint into a Fountain of Waters And this is a Glorious work indeed that Hearts of Stone should be disolved and melted into waters of Godly Sorrow working Repentance not to be Repented of 2 Cor. 7. 10. When God speaks Effectually the stoutest Heart must melt and yield Wait upon God then for the Softning thy Heart and avoid whatsoever may be a means of Hardening it as the Apostle cautions the Hebrews Take heed least ye be Hardened through the deceitfulness of Sin. Heb. 3. 1â— Sin is Deceitful and will Harden all those that indulge it the more Tender any man is to his Lust the more will he be Hardened by it There is a native Hardness in every mans Heart and though it may be softned by Gospel means yet if those means be afterwards neglected the Heart will fall to its Native Hardness again as it is with the Wax and the Clay Therefore how much doth it behoove us to keep close to God in the use of all Gospel means whereby our Hearts being once softened may be alwayes kept so Which is best done by Repeating the use of those means which were at first blessed for the Softning of them The following Treatise may be of great use to the People of God through his Blessing accompanying it to keep their hearts Tender and Broken when so many after their hardness and impenitent heart are treasuring up Wrath against the day of Wrath. Rom. 2. 5. O let none who peruse this Book herd with that generation of Hardened Ones but be a companion of all those that mourn in Zion and whose hearts are Broken for their own the Churches and the Nations Provocations who indeed are the only likely ones that will stand in the gap to divert Judgments When Shishack King of Egypt with a great Host came up against Judah and having taken their Frontier fenced Cities they sat down before Jerusalem which put them all under a great Consternation but the King and Princes upon this humble themselves the Lord sends a Gracious Message to them by Shemajah the Prophet the import whereof was That because they humbled themselves the Lord would not destroy them nor pour out his Wrath upon them by the hand of Shishak 2 Chr. 12. 5 6 7. The greater the Party is of Mourning Christians the more hope we have that the Storm impending may be blown over and the Blessings enjoyed may yet be continued As long as there is a Sighing Party we may hope to be yet Preserved at least such will have the Mark set upon them selves which shall distinguish them from those whom the Slaughtermen shall receive Commission to destroy Ezek. 9. 4. But I shall not further enlarge the Porch as designing to make way for the Readers Entrance into the House where I doubt not but he will be pleased with the Furniture and Provision he finds in it And I shall only further assure him that this whole Book was not only prepared for but also put unto the Press by the Author himself whom the Lord was pleased to Remove to the great Loss and unexpressible Grief of many precious Souls before the sheets could be all wrought off And now as I hinted in the beginning that what was Transcribed out of the Author's heart into the Book may be Transcribed out of the Book into the hearts of all who shall Peruse it is the Desire and Prayer of Sept. 21. 1699. A Lover and Honourer of all Saints as such George Cokayn THE Acceptable Sacrifice OR THE EXCELLENCY OF A BROKEN HEART Psal. 51. 17. â—he Sacrifices of God are a Broken Spirit A Broken and a Contrite Heart O God thou wilt not despise THis Psalm is David's Penitential Psalm It may be be fitly so called because it is a Psalm â—y which is manifest the Unâ—eigned Sorrow which he had for his horrible Sin in 〈◊〉 of Bethsheba and slaying Uriah her Husband A Relation at large of which you have in the 11th and 12th of the Second of Samuel Many workings of Heart as this Psalm sheweth this poor man had so soon as Conviction did fall upon his Spirit one while he cries for Mercy then he confesses his heinous Offences then he bewails the depravity of his Nature sometimes he cries out to be Washed and Sanctified and then again he is affraid that God will cast him away from his Presence and take his Holy Spirit utterly from him And thus he goes on till he comes to the Text and there he stayeth his mind finding in himself that Heart and Spirit which God did not dislike The Sacrifices of God says he are a broken Spirit as if he should say I thank God I have that A Broken and a Contrite Heart saith he O God thou wilt not despise as if he should say I thank God I have that The Words consist of Two Parts 1. An Assertion 2. A Demonstration of that Assertion The Assertion is this The
our Tongues we will prevail our Lips are our own Who is Lord over us Psal. 12. 4. Hence they are said to stop their Ear to pull away their Shoulder to shut their Eyes and harden their Hearts against the Words of God and to Contemn the Counsel of the most High Zech. 7. 10 11 12. Psal. 107. 11. They are fitly compared to the Rebellious Son who would not be ruled by his Parents or to the Prodigal who would have all in his own Hand and remove himself far away from Father and Father's House Deut. 21. 20. Luk. 15. 13. Now for such Creatures nothing will do but Violence The stubborn Son must be stoned till he dies and the Prodigal must be Famished out of all Nothing else I say will do Their Self-willed stubborn Heart will not comply with the Will of God before 't is broken Deut. 21. 21. Luke 15. 14 15 16 17. These are they that are called the Stout-hearted these are said to be far from Righteousness and so will remain until their Hearts are broken for so they must be made to know themselves Isa. 9. 9 10 11. Fifthly Man as he comes into the World is not only a Dead Man a Fool Proud and Self-willed but also a Fearless Creature There is saith the Text no Fear of God before their Eyes Rom. 3. 18. No fear of God. There is fear of Man fear of losing his Favour his Love his good Will his Help his Friendship This is seen every where how does the Poor fear the Rich the Weak fear the Strong and those that are Threatned them that Threaten But come now to God why none Fears him that is by Nature none Reverence him they neither fear his Frowns nor seek his Favour nor enquire how they may escape his revenging Hand that is lifted up against their Sins and their Souls because of Sin. Little things they fear the losing of them but the Soul they are not afraid to lose They fear not me saith the Lord Mal. 3. 5. How many times are some men put in mind of DEATH by Sickness upon themselves by Graves by the Death of others How many times are they put in mind of HELL by reading the Word by lashes of Conscience and by some that go roaring in Despair out of this World How many times are they put in mind of the Day of Judgment As 1. By God's binding the Fallen Angels over to Judgment 2. By the Drowning of the Old World 2 Pet. 2. 4 5. Jude 6. 7. 3. By the Burning of Sodom and Gomorrah with Fire from Heaven 2 Pet. 2. 6. Jude 7. 4. By Appointing a Day Acts 17. 29 30 31. 5. By Appointing a Judge Acts 10. 40 41 42. 6. By Reserving their Crimes in Records Isa. 30. 8. Revel 20. 12. 7. By Appointing and Preparing of Witnesses Rom. 2. 15. 8. And by Promising yea Threatning yea Resolving to call the whole World to his Bar there to be judged for all which they have done and said and for every Secret Thing Mat. 25. 31 32 33. Chap. 12. 36. Eccles. 11. 9. Chap. 12. 14. And yet they fear not God Alas They believe not these things These things to carnal Men are like Lot's Preaching to his Sons and Daughters that were in Sodom When he told them that God would destroy that Place He seemed unto them as one that mocked and his Words to them were as idle â—ales Gen. 19. 14. Fearless Men are not won by Words Blows Wounds and Killings are the things that must bring them under fear How many strugling fits had Israel with God in the Wilderness How many times did they declare that there they feared him not And observe they were seldom if ever brought to fear and dread his Glorious Name unless he beset them round with Death and the Grave Nothing nothing but a severe Hand will make the fearless fear Hence to speak after the manner of Men God is put upon it to go this way with Sinners when he would save their Souls even bring them and lay them at the Mouth and within sight of Hell and Everlasting Damnation and there also charge them with Sin and Guilt to the breaking of their Hearts before they will fear his Name Sixthly Man as he comes into the World is not only a Dead Man a Fool Proud Self-willed and Fearless But he is a false Believer concerning God. Let God report of himself never so plainly Man by Nature will not believe this Report of him No They are become vain in their Imaginations and their foolish Heart is darkned Wherefore they turn the Glory of God which is his Truth into a Lie Rom. 1. 21 22 23 24 25. 1. God says He sees They say He seeth not God saith He knows They say He doth not know God saith None is like Himself Yet they say He is altogether like to them God saith None shall keep his Door for nought They say 'T is in Vain and to no Profit to serve Him He saith He will do Good They say He will neither do Good nor Evil Job 22. 13 14. Psal. 50. 21. Job 21. 14 15. Mal. 3. 14. Zeph. 1. 12. Thus they falsly believe concerning God Yea as to the Word of his Grace and the Revelation of his Mercy in Christ. They stick not to say by their Practice for a wicked Man speaketh with his Feet Prov. 6. 13. that that is a stark Lie and not to be trusted to 1 John 5. 10. Now what shall God do to save these Men If he hides himself and conceals his Glory They Perish If he sends to them by his Messengers and forbears to come to them himself They Perish If he comes to them and forbears to work upon them by his Word They Perish If he worketh on them but not effectually They Perish If he works effectually he must break their Hearts and make them as men wounded to Death fall at his Feet for Mercy or there can be no good done on them they will not rightly Believe until he fires them out of their Mis-belief and makes them to know by the breaking of their Bones for their false Faith that he is and will be what he has said of himself in his Holy Word The Heart therefore must be broken before the man can come to good Seventhly Man as he comes into the World is not only a Dead Man a Fool Proud Self-willed Fearless and false Believer but a great Lover of Sin. He is Captivated Ravished Drowned in the Delights of it Hence it says They love Sin delight in Lies do take Pleasure in Iniquity and in them that do it that they Sport themselves in their own Deceivings and Glory in their Shame John 3. 19. Psal. 62. 4. Rom. 1. 32. 2 Pet. 2. 13. Phil. 3. 19. This is the temper of Man by Nature for Sin is mixed with and has the Mastery of all the Powers of his Soul. Hence they are said to be Captives to it and to be led Captive into
of all carnal Men in their Wildness or Estranged-ness from God. Hence 't is said of the Prodigal at his Conversion That he came to himself then implying that he was Mad Wild or out of his WITS afore Luke 15. 17. I know there is a Difference sometimes betwixt ones being wild and mad Yet sometimes wildness arriveth to that Degree as to give one rightly the Denomination of being mad And 't is always true in Spirituals namely that he that is wild as to God is mad or besides himself and so not capable before he is tamed of minding his own Eternal good as he should There are these several things that are tokens of one Wild or Mad and they all meet in a Carnal Man. 1. A wild or mad Man gives no heed to good Counsel The Frenzy of his Head shuts all out and by its Force leads him away from men that are Wise and Sober and thus it is with Carnal Men. Good Counsel is to them as Pearls are that are cast afore Swine It is trampled under Foot of them and the man is despised that brings it The poor Man's Wisdom is despised and his Words are not heard Mat. 7. 6. Eccl. 9. 16. 2. A wild or mad Man let him alone and he will greatly busy himself all his Life to accomplish that which when it is compleated amounts to nothing The Work the Toyl the Travel of such an one comes to nothing save to declare that he was out of his Wits that did it David imitating of such an one Scrabled upon the Gate of the King as Fools do with Chalk and like to this is all the Work of all Carnal Men in the World 1 Sam. 21. 12 13. Hence such an one is said to labour for the Wind or for what will amount to no more than if he filled his Belly with the East-Wind Eccles. 5. 16. Job 15. 2. 3. A wild or mad Man if you set him to do any thing and he does it he will yet do it not by or according to your bidding but after the folly of his own wild fancy even as Jehu Executed the Commandment of the Lord he did it in his own madness taking no heed to the Commandment of the Lord 2 Kings 9. 20. Chap. 10. 31. And thus do carnal Men do when they meddle with any of God's matters as Hearing Praying Reading Professing they do all according to their own wild Fancy They take no heed to do these after the Commandment of the Lord. 4. Wild or Mad Men if they deck or array themselves with ought as many times they do why the Spirit of their Wildness or Frenzy appears even in the mode and way in which they do it Either the things themselves which they make use of for that purpose are very Toyes and Trifles or if they seem to be better they are put on after an Antick manner rather to the rendring of them ridiculous than to bespeak them sober judicious or wise And so do natural Men array themselves with what they would be accepted in with God. Would one in his Wits think to make himself fine or acceptable to men by arraying himself in Menstruous Clothes or by painting his Face with Dross and Dung And yet this is the Finery of carnal men when they approach for Acceptance into the presence of God Isa. 64. 6 Phil. 3. 7 8. O the Wildness the Frenzy the Madness that possesses the Heart and Mind of Carnal Men They walk according to the course of this World according to or after that Spirit which is in Truth the Spirit of the Devil which worketh in the Children of Disobedience Eph. 2. 1 2 3. But do they believe that thus it is with them No they are in their own Account as other mad men are the only ones in the World. Hence they are so taken and tickled with their own frantick Motions and deride all else that dwell in the World. But which is the way to make one that is Wild or a Mad man Sober To let him alone will not do it to give him good Words only will not do it No he must be tamed means must be used to tame him He brought down their Heart with Labour or by continual Molestation as you have it Psal. 107. 10 11 12. He speaketh there of Mad-men That are kept up in Darkness and bound in Afflictions and Irons because they Rebelled against the Words of God and Contemned the Counsel of the most High. This therefore is the way to deal with such and none but God can so deal with them They must be taken they must be separated from men they must be laid in Chains in Darkness Afflictions and Irons They must be blooded half starved whipped purged and be dealt with as mad People are dealt with And thus they must be dealt with till they come to themselves and cry out in their Distresses And then they cry to the Lord in their Troubles and he saveth them out of their Distresses Then he brings them out of Darkness and the Shadow of Death and breaks their Bands in sunder Psal. 107. 13 14 15. Thus I say God Tames the Wild and brings Mad Prodigals to themselves and so to him for Mercy Ninthly Man as he comes into the World is not only a Dead Man a Fool Proud Self-willed Fearless a false Believer a Lover of Sin and a Wild Man but a Man that Dis-relishes the things of the Kingdom of God. I told you before that Unconverted man is such as did not taste things But now I add that he disrelishes things he calls bitter things sweet and sweet bitter he judges quite amiss These are they God threatneth with a Wo. Wo to them that call Evil Good and Good Evil that put Darkness for Light and Light for Darkness That put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter Isa. 5. 20. This latter part of this Text shews us evidently that the things of God are Disrelished by some They call his sweet things bitter and the Devils bitter things sweet and all this is for want of a broken Heart A broken Heart relishes otherwise than an whole or unbroken one doth A man that has no Pain or Bodily Distress cannot find or feel Vertue or good in the most Sovereign Plaister were it applied to Arm or Leg no he rather says Away with these stinking daubing things O! But lay the same Plaisters where there is need and the Patient will Relish and Taste and Savour the goodness of them yea will prize and commend them to others Thus it is in Spirituals The VVorld they know not what the Anguish or Pain of a broken Heart means They say Who will shew us any good that is better than we find in our Sports Pleasures Estates and Preferments There be many says the Psalmist speak after this sort But what says the distressed man VVhy Lord lift thou up the Light of thy Countenance upon us And then adds Thou hact put Gladness in our Heart
oneness of mind now the same mind is in thee which was also in Christ Jesus This must needs be an excellent Spirit this must needs be better with God and in his Sight Then thousands of Rams or Ten thousand Rivers of Oyl But does the Carnal World covet this this Spirit and the blessed Graces of it No they despise it as I said before they mock at it they prefer and countenance any sorry dirty Lust rather and the reason is because they want a Broken Heart that Heart so highly in esteem with God and remain for want thereof in their enmity to God. The Broken-Hearted knows that the sanctifyings of the Spirit is a good means to keep from that relaps out of which a man cannot come unless his heart be wounded a second time Doubtless David had a Broken Heart at first Conversion and if that Brokenness had remained that is had he not given way to hardness of heart again he had never fallen into that Sin out of which he could not be recovered but by the breaking of his Bones a second time Therefore I say a Broken Heart is of great esteem with God for it and I will add so long as it retains its tenderness covets none but God and the things of his holy Spirit Sin is an abomination to it And here as in a fit place before I go any further I will shew you some of the advantages that a Christian gets by keeping of his Heart tender For As to have a Broken Heart is to have an excellent thing so to keep this broken heart tender is also very advantagio us First This is the way to maintain in thy Soul always a fear of Sinning against God. Christians do not wink at or give way to Sin until their hearts begin to lose their Tenderness A Tender Heart will be afflicted at the Sin of another much more it will be afraid of committing of Sin it self 2 King 22. 19. Secondly A Tender Heart quickly yieldeth to Prayer yea prompteth to it puts an edge and fire into it we never are backward to Prayer until our heart has lost its Tenderness â—ho then it grows cold flat and formal and so carnal to and in that holy duty Thirdly A Tender Heart has always Repentance at hand for the least fault or slip or sinful thought that the Soul is guilty of in many things the best offend But if a Christian loseth his Tenderness if he says he has his Repentance to seek his heart is grown hard has lost that Spirit that kind Spirit of Repentance it was wont to have Thus it was with the Corinthians they were decayed and lost their Tenderness wherefore their Sin yea great Sins remained unrepented of 2 Cor. 12 20 21. Fourthly A Tender Heart is for receiving often its Communion with God when he that is hardened tho the seed of Grace is in him will be content to Eat Drink Sleep wake and go days without number without him Isa. 17. 10. 18. Jer. 2. 32. Fifthly A Tender Heart is a wakeful watchful heart It watches against Sin in the Soul Sin in the Family Sin in the Calling Sin in Spiritual duties and performances c. It watches against Satan against the World against the Flesh c. But now when the Heart is not Tender there is Sleepiness Unwatchfulness Idleness a Suffering the heart the Family and Calling to be much defiled spotted and blemished with Sin for a heart departs from God and turns aside in all these things Sixthly A Tender Heart will deny it self and that in lawful things and will forhear even that which may be done for some Jew or Gentile or the Church of God or any member of it should be offended or made weak thereby whereas the Christian that is not tender that has lost his tenderness is so far off of denying himself in lawful things that he will even adventure to meddle in things utterly forbidden whoever is offended grieved or made weak thereby For an instance for this we need go no further then to the man in the Text who while he was Tender trembled at little things but when his heart was hardened he could take Bethsheba to satisfie his Lust and kill her husband to cover his Wickedness Seventhly A Tender Heart I mean the heart kept tender preserves from many a blow lash and fatherly chastisement because it shuns the causes which is sin of the scourging hand of God. With the upright thou wilt shew thy self upright but with the froward thou wilt shew thy self unsavoury 2 Sam. 22. 27. Psal. 18. 25 26 27. Many a needless rebuke and wound doth happen to the Saints of God thorow their unwise behaviour when I say needless I mean they are not necessary but to reclaim us from our vanities for we should not feel the smart of them were it not for our follies Hence the afflicted is called a fool because his folly brings his affliction upon him Fools says David Because of their transgressions and because of their Iniquities are afflicted Psal. 107. 17. And therefore it is as was said afore that he calls his Sin his foolishness And again God will speak peace to his people and his saints but let not them return again to folly Psal. 38. 5. Psal. 85. 8. If his Children transgress my Laws I will visit their Transgressions with a Râ—d and their Iniquities with Stripes Quest. But what should a Christian do when God has broke his heart to keep it tender Answ. To this I will speak briefly And First Give you several Cautions Secondly Several Directions For Cautions 1. Take heed that you choke not those Convictions that at present do break your hearts by labouring to put those things out of your minds which were the cause of such Convictions but rather nourish and cherish those things in a deep and sober remembrance of them Think therefore with thy self thus What was it that at first did wound my heart And let that still be there until by the Grace of God and the Redeemed blood of Christ it is removed 2. Shun Vain Company the keeping of Vain Company has stifled many a Conviction kill'd many a desire and made many a Soul fall into Hell that once was hot in looking after Heaven A Companion that is not profitable to the Soul is hurtful He that walketh with wise men shall be wise but a Companion of Fools shall be destroyed Prov. 13. 20. 3. Take heed of Idle Talk that thou neither hear nor joyn with it Go from the presence of a foolish man when thou perceivest not in him the lips of Knowledge Prov. 14. 7. Evil Communication corrupâ—s good manners And a fools Lips are a snare to his Soul. Wherefore take heed of these things Prov. 18. 7. 1 Cor. 15. 33. 4. Beware of the least motion to Sin that it be not countenanced lest the countenancing of that makes way for a bigger David's eye took his heart and so his heart nourishing the thought made
thy flesh and thy body are consumed and say how have I hated Instruction and despised Reproof and have not obeyed the voice of my Teachers nor enclined mine ears to them that Instructed me Prov. 5. 1 2 3 c. The other Scripture is that in Isaiah where he says Because when I Called ye did not Answer when I Spake ye did not Hear but did evil before mine Eyes and did choose that wherein I delighted not Therefore thus saith the Lord God Behold my Servant shall eat but ye shall be hungrey behold my Servants shall drink but ye shall be thirsty behold my Servants shall rejoyce but ye shall be ashamed behold my Servants shall sing for joy of Heart but ye shall cry for Sorrow of Heart and howl for Vexation of Spirit Isa. 65. 12 13 14. How many beholds are here And every behold is not only a call to careless ones to Consider but as a declaration from Heaven that thus at last it shall be with all Impenitent Sinners That is when others sing for Joy in the Kingdom of Heaven they they shall Sorrow in Hell and howl for vexation of Spirit there Wherefore let me advise that you be not afraid of but that ye rather covet a Broken Heart and prize a Contrite Spirit I say covet it now now the White Flag is hung out now the Golden Scepter of Grace is held forth to you Better mourn now God enclines to Mercy and Pardon then mourn when the door is quite shut up And take notice that this is not the first time that I have given you this Advice Lastly If a Broken Heart be a thing of so great esteem with God as has been said and if duties cannot be rightly performed by a heart that has not been Broken. Then this shews the vanity of those Peoples minds and also the invalidity of their pretended divine Services who worship God with an heart that was never Broken and without a Contrite Spirit There has indeed at all times been great flocks of such Professors in the World in every Age but to little purpose unless to deceive themselves to mock God and lay stumbling blocks in the way of others for a man whose heart was never truly Broken and whose Spirit was never Contrite cannot profess Christ in earnest cannot love his own Soul in earnest I mean he cannot do these things in truth and seek his own good the right way for he wants a bottom for it to wit a Broken Heart for sin and a Contrite Spirit That which makes a man an hearty an unfeigned a sincere seeker after the good of his own Soul is sense of sin and a Godly fear of being overtaken with the danger which it brings a man into This makes him Contrite or Repentant and puts him up on seeking of Christ the Saviour with heart aking and heart breaking Considerations But this cannot be where this sense this godly fear and this holy contrition is wanting profess men may and make a noise as the empty Barrel maketh the bigest sound but prove them and they are full of air full of emptiness and that 's all Nor are such Professors tender of God's Name nor of the Credit of that Gospel which they profess nor can they for they want that which should Oblidge them thereunto which is a sence of Pardon and Forgiveness by the which their broken Hearts have been replenished succored and made hope in God. Paul said The Love of Christ constrained him But what was Paul but a broken Hearted and a contrite Sinner See Acts 9. 3 4 5 6. 2 Cor. 5. 14. When God shews a man the Sin he has committed the Hell he has deserved the Heaven he has lost and yet that Christ and Grace and Pardon may be had this will make him serious this will make him melt this will break his heart this will shew him that there is more than Air than a Noise than an Empty Sound in Religion and this is the man whose Heart whose Life whose Conversation and All will be ingaged in the matters of the Eternal Salvation of his Precious and Immortal Soul. Object But some may object That in this saying I seem to ridged and censorious and will if I moderate not these Lines with something milder afterward discourage many an honest Soul. I Answer Not a jot not an honest Soul in all the World will be offended at my words for not one can be an honest Soul I mean with reference to its concerns in another World that has not had a broken Heart that never had a Contrite Spirit This I will say because I would be understood aright That all attain-not to the same degree of trouble nor lie so long there under as some of their Brethren do But to go to Heaven without a Broken Heart or to be forgiven sin without a Contrite Spirit is no Article of my Belief We speak not now of what is secret revealed things belong to us and our Children nor must we venture to go further in our Faith. Doth not Christ say The whole have no need of the Phsiti an that is they see NO need but Christ will make them see their need before he ministers his Sovereign Grace unto them and good reason otherwise he will have but little thanks for his kindness Object But there are that are godly educated from their Childhood and so drink in the Principles of Christianity they know net how Answer I count it one thing to receive the Faith of Christ from men only and another to receive it from God by the means If thou art taught by an Angel yet if not taught of God thou wilt never come to Christ I do not say thou wilt never profess him But if God speaks and thou shalt hear and understand him that voice will make such work within thee as was never made before The Voice of God is a Voice by it self and is so distinguished by them that are taught thereby Joh. 6. 44 45. Psal. 29. Hab. 3. 15 16. Ephes. 4. 20 21. 1 Pet. 2. 2 3. Object But some men are not so debauched and profane as some and so need not to be so hammered and fired as others so broken and wounded as others Answ. God knows best what we need Paul was as righteous before conversion as any that can pretend to Civility now I suppose and yet that notwithstanding he was made shake and was astonished at himself at his Conversion And truly I think the more righteous any is in his own eyes before conversion the more need he has of heart breaking work in order to his salvation because a man is not by nature so easily convinced that his righteousness is to God abominable as he is that his debauchery and prosaneness is A mans goodness is that which blinds him most is dearest to him and hardly parted with and therefore when such an one is converted that thinks he has goodness of his own enough to commend him in whole or