ENGLANDS PATTERNE AND DUTY IN IT'S MONTHLY FASTS PRESENTED IN A SERMON Preached to both Houses of Parliament assembled on Friday the 21. of July An. Dom. 1643. BEING An extraordinary Day of publicke Humiliation appointed by them throughout London and Westminster that every one might bitterly bewaile his owne sinnes and crie mightily vnto God for Christ his sake to remove his wrath and heale the Land By WILLIAM SPURSTOWE sometimes Fellow of KATHERINE HALL in Chambridg and now Pastor of HACKNEY near LONDON Published by Order of both Houses of Parliament In that day did the Lord God of Hosts â—…ll to weeping and to mourning and to baldnesse and to girding with sackcloth and behold joy and gladnesse slaying oxen and killing sheep eating flesh and drinking wine let vs eate and drinke for to morrow we shall die And it was revealed in my eares by the Lord of Hosts surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till you die saith the Lord God of Hosts Isa 22. 12. 13. 14. LONDON Printed for Peter Cole at the signe of the Glove in Corne-hill neare the Royall Exchange 1643. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE The House of Lords AND THE HONOURABLE HOUSE Of Commons ASSEMBLED IN PARLIAMENT IT is reported of a great Persian Monarke that having lost his royall Consort he was so deeply affected with sorrow as that he refused to admit of any comfort In this height of passion a certaine Philosopher vndertooke if that he would furnish him with things necessarie for his purpose to raise the dead Queen againe the Empirour much taken with the offer was willing for that end to exhaust all his Treasures but the other only demanded of him three names of such persons as had never felt any greife or sadnesse to engrave them on the Queens Monument which after much search throughout his Empire could not be found I to the restoring of this bleeding dying Kingdom whose wounds every day grow wider and wider shall not desire the names of any such persons as have been altogether strangers vnto sorrow and humiliation they being those that have drawne the heaviest judgments vpon it but the names of such as have been reall and solemne mourners before God in the behalfe of this Land which if in any competent number they may be found I shall not feare but this Kingdome may see a glorious and happy resurrection This affection of sorrow is that which this Sermon did first call for from the Pulpit and doth still continue being published by your Command to doe it from the Presse as being the most sutable posture and dresse to the present conditon of this Land it cals and invites all to an holy mourning and humiliatiation before the Lord whose sinnes have bin as oyle to the lampe and fuell vnto the fire to feed and nourish that displeasure that burnes in the bowels of the Kingdome But more especially your Honours who are the two eyes of the Kingdome not only to watch over it for it's good but to mourne over it for it's sinnes and miserie not only to be Reformers of it but Weepers for it And the first stones of Reformation which are not like the foundation of the Temple that was laid with the weepings of the old men and the shoutings of the young men but with the bitter mourning of all sorts will I doubt not in the finishing and perfecting of the worke receive the joyfull acclamations both of young and old both of Governours and People the God of Heaven himselfe turning our water into wine on the wet seed-time of teares into an harvest of joy and spirituall blessings which that he may speedily doe prayes Your Honours to serve you for Christ WILLIAM SPURSTOWE A SERMON PREACHED To both Houses of PARLIAMENT On Friday the 21. of July 1643. 1. Sam. 7. 6. And they gathered together to Mizpeh and drew water and powred it out before the Lord and fasted that day and said there we have sinned against the Lord. THe strength and happinesse of the State and Kingdome of Israell was if you looke into the present Story sorely shaken and wasted from a double Hand the Sword of God and the Sword of Man the Sword of the Philistines in one Battell tooke away thirtie thousand and the Sword of God at one stroake swept away fifty thousand Cap. 4. 10. Cap. 6. 19. So that all Israel in this sad plight wherein they stand can scarce tell what else is left them for to doe but to bewaile their condition The Philistines they are strong and cannot be resisted God is angerie and will not be intreated they sigh unto him through the weight of their oppressions but are not eased they lament after him but doe not find him In this exigency the Prophet Samuel counsels and excites Israel to the practice of two most seasonable duties to a reall and perfect Reformation v. 3. to a deep and serious Humiliation ver the fift the joynt performance of both which procure no lesse then a miraculous helpe from Heaven to the ruine of the Philistines and salvation of all Israell ver 10. 11. This Text which I have read containes the Relation and Manner of Israels performance of that second duty to which the Prophet did excite them And in it there are these two partes The parts of the Text. First a generall Convention and meeting of the whole State and Kingdome They gaâ—hered together to Mispeh Secondly a particular account of what they did at this Meeting and that is set downe in three Actions 1. they drew water and poured it out before the Lord 2. And fasted on that day 3. And said there we have sinned before the Lord. These three Actions inlightning the first only with some breife Commentarie will exactly poynt out the duty and taske of this Day which is a Day of mourning a Day of fasting and a Day of selfe arraining before the Lord. And drew water and poured it out before the Lord. Some Interpreters vnderstand it of the water of Purification whereby they testified their hope and faith in the remission and washing away of their sinnes Others thinke that their drawing and pouring forth of water was a lively ceremony to expresse the great measure of their Humiliation that their Soules were poured forth as water upon the ground Hieroin 〈◊〉 Quaest 〈◊〉 tradit Hebr. Hierome goes alone at least without any considerable Traine and saith that into this water Curses were throwne and that as in the Law the water of Jelousie was appoynted for the triall of Adulterie so was this for the tryall of Idolatours whose lips did clamme and cleave together when they had tasted of it The Chaldee whom Junius and Osiander follow expound it of the plentie of teares which streamed from their eyes as so many fountaines And this last sense shall I at present close with and so turne the three Actions in Israels Nationall Convention in the middest of which fasting is so ranked as to
as a crowne or garland on your head to morrow take nothing againe as a freind into your bosome that you have this day looked upon as an enemie But if any man shall dare to mocke God and by fresh apostacies to breake the solemne covennat that he hath now entered into let him know this for a certaine that if there be justice in Heaven or fire in Hell he shall one day be filled with the bitter fruits of his owne wayes and shall find the wages of sinne to be death For the application of this poynt I shall confine my selfe unto two Vses the first whereof shall consist only of some directions that may help us in confession which to performe aright is not the least part of a christians worke or care 1. Vse First studie well your hearts the heart is a vast maze and labyrinth in which not he that runnes fastest soonest comes to an end but he that walkes most circumspectly as a darke vault that stands in need of al the candles of the Lord for to enlighten it as a vast Sea which needs the longest line for to fathome it and the more you are acquainted with it the more you shall see cause to abhorre your-selves and matter to plead against your-selves There are in the eye a thousand vanities adulteries pride curiositie thefts and the like but si trabs in oculo sylva in corde if there be a beame in the eye there is a wood in the heart there are in the hands violence rapines bloudshed but they are there only as water in a stream the heart is the fountaine that feeds and nourisheth it in all the members there is a fulnesse of sin but the heart is the roote that derives life and strength vnto all as the Sea that filles the Rivers but yet it selfe is never the lesse emptie After all communications and diffusions of lust into everie facultie there are in the heart as the proper seate Atheisme blasphemies treasons against the very life and being of God sins at which the very flesh itselfe will quake and tremble when they doe begin to peep and put out in the verie shaddow of a thought Now can a man that is any way apprehensive that he hath such a treasure such an Hell such a magasin of sins within him want what to confesse and what to condemne himselfe for in the sight of God no certanly words he may want and teares and sighes but never matter of confession and astonishment were his life drawne out to an eternitie it is the ignorance only that men have of their hearts that filles them with pride boastings presumptions of their estates opinions of their goodnesse that make them like the Pharisie that can find little to confesse but much to commend himselfe for whereas if God did but discover the true condition of their hearts vnto them they would like the Publican knock and smite their brests and cry out Lord be mercifull to me a sinner Secondly Get a spirituall knowledge of the Law of God That is it which as a light discovers those corruptions and sins which lie hid and vnseen in the darke night of ignorance and makes them to appeare in their due shape and proportion Paul while this light of the Law shone into his heart was alive as himselfe confesseth Rom. 7. 9. full of conceits of his own righteousnesse and abilities to performe what ever the Law had required to salvation but when the Commandement came sinne revived and Paul dyed all his presumptions and misperswations they withered and fell away as leaves doe from the trees in Autumne and his sins they like the Crowes nests appeared which before are unseen and undiscerned then he saw that to be a mountaine which before he judged to be a moate and that to be sin which before he looked vpon as righteousnesse then he saw much to bemoan much to confesse and to be ashamed of but nothing to boast and glorie of some sins indeed the weake glimmerings of nature may discover vnto men to be vile lying luxurie idlenesse the Cretian Poet could tax in his owne countrie men but to read over the whole Historie of a mans life without any other candle is as impossible as to turne over great volumes by the light of a glow-worme Tit. 1. 12. Thirdly Keepe alive in your hearts the apprehension of some particular sinnes for which God hath deeply humbled you Christians in their way to Heaven as thay are not without assaults temptations importunities of the flesh So are they not sometimes without fals and bruses lusts tempt and they yeild the flesh flatters and must be gratified and by this meanes oftentimes their peace is impaired and their consciences deeply wounded Now if any of us have such blacke dayes in our Calenders such foule sins in our private Registers that may mind us what we have sometimes bin let vs as much as we can keep vp the apprehensiof that deformitie uglinesse contrariety to the Law which they seemed to have when first God set them vpon our consciences the fresh remembrance of sin in this kind it is like a pease in an issue that keeps it open and makes it run it makes the heart to be in a broaken and melting frame to be free in confession and earnest in prayer that God would shew him mercy and let him live before him Fourthly Reflect seriously vpon your wayes Running waters cast no shaddow no more doe fleeting thougts make any representation of a mans condition he that rides post can never make a true mappe of a Countrie nor that man any discoverie of himselfe whose thoughts doe not now and then make a stand and looke backward it is consideration that tels vs what need we stand in of mercie to pardon us and what need we have to confesse our sinnes that we may be pardoned it 's consideration that makes the issues of sinne dreadfull and causeth us with trembling to seeke him whom we have offended and to â—urne our feete unto his Testimonies 2. Vse A second Vse is in breife to discover how injurious they are not only vnto themselves but unto the the happinesse of the whole Kingdome that would in these sad times crie downe all acknowledgment and confession of sinne as that which is vselesse and unbecomming the dayes and times of the Gospel and would by certaine artes and wyles put a beautie vpon most mishapen and deformed opinions Pausanias tels a storie of a mirrour in the Temple of Smyrna that if any that had a beautifull face looked in it he would appeare exceedingly deformed and if any that were ilfavoured did looke in it they did appeare beautifull and amiable not much unlike to this glasse are their fancies which render the blessed truthes of God sorrow for sinne confession of sinne and prayer for pardon as things that the Law of the Gospel doth not injoyne or Christ accept and crie up a libertie and freedom from the Law as a rule to guide and order our conversations by which Opinion if they should once come to prevaile in mens minds they will quickely bid farwell to all holinesse But I spare to speake any more because that you with whom the weightie affaires of the Church are betrusted will doe that right to the Gospel and trueth which shall beseeme Persons of your worth and pietie FINIS ERRATA Page 13. l. 4. for devotious r. directions pag. 14. l. 8. r. prescribed pag. 17. l. 10. r. stroak Die Jovis 27. Julij 1643. IT is this day Ordered by the Lords in Parliament that Master Spurstowe hath hereby thankes given him from their Lordships for the great paines taken by him in his Sermon he made in Saint Margarets Church Westminster before the Lords and Commons on Friday the 21. of this instant July at the publike Humiliation And is hereby desired to cause his said Sermon to be forthwith Printed and Published John Browne Cler. Parl. Die Veneris 21. Julij 1643. IT is this day Ordered by the House of Commons that Master Salloway doe give thankes to Master Spurstowe who at the desire of the House this day Preached before the Commons at St. Margarets Westminster it being an extraordinary day of publicke Humiliation and that he be desired to print his Sermon And it is Ordered that no man shall print his Sermon but whom the said Mr. Spurstowe shall Authorize under his hand-writing H. Elsygne Cler. Parl. D. Com. I appoint Peter Cole to print my Sermon William Spurstowe
eye and respect both the other into two poynts sutable to this representative Assembly of this whole Kingdome now met about the same worke and duty First that true fasters should be weepers Secondly that in fasting there should be an acknowledgment and confession of sinne Doct. 1. That true fasters should be weepers Fasting and teares you shall find in Scripture to be like two twines that cannot be seperated like a paire of mournfull Doves that alwayes accompany together Nehemiah 1. 4. I sat down and wept and mourned certaine dayes and fasted and prayed before the God of Heaven Joel 2. 12. Turne yee to me with all your heart and with fasting and with weeping and with mourning Hester 4. 3. And everie Province whether-soever the Kings Commandement and his Decree came there was great mourning among the Jewes and fasting and weeping and wailing For the cleare explicating of this poynt I will propound two thinges First I will shew why teares are requisite to fasting Secondly what qualifications those teares should have which are shed in a day of Fast and Humiliation Teares are requisite to fasting for 3. respects First why teares are requisite to fasting and that in these three respects First in regard of the prevalencie that teares have with the God of Mercy and bowells Eusebius tels a Storie of a certaine Altar that was Clementiae consecrata dedicated and consecrated to mercy upon which no other Sacrifice was to be layed but teares intimating therby a peculiar aptnes in tears to stirre up bowels and to beget Compassions above all other Sacrifices whatsoever And indeed with God we shall find them of that eâ—…cacy as that none have bedewed his Altar with their unfeined teares but he hath made their Faces to shine with his oyle of gladnesse Hannah in bitternesse of Soule prayed vnto the Lord and wept sore 1. Sam. 1. 10. But she went her way and her countenance was no more sad ver 18. Good Hezechia by his prayer and teares reversed the Sentence of death and had fifteen yeares added vnto his dayes 2. King 20. 5. 6. Jacob had power with God yea he had power over the Angel and prevailed but how he wept and made supplication vnto him Hosea 12. 3. 4. Prevalency of teares strangâ— in 2. respects And this prevalency of teares as it is great so it is strange and wonderfull and that in a double regard 1. Deorsum fluunt et Coelum petunt They drop and fall from the eyes to the earth but yet by their power they reach and pearce the highest Heavens 2. Mutae sunt et loquntur They hold their peace and yet they crie they are mute and yet they speak Psal 6. 8. The Lord hath heard the voyce of my weeping Lam. 2. 18. In the Originall it runes thus Non taceat pupilla oculi tui let not thine eye hold its peace A second respect that makes teares requisite is because the eye hath been the cheifest Broker for sin and vanitie Sinne made its first enterance by the eye Gen. 3. 6. and still it is one of the widest Gates by which lusts and follies are let into the Soule Fit therefore it is that in the duties of humiliation the eye should beare a part with the other members of the body that as the heart doth sigh the face doth blush the tongue doth crie the hand knockes the breast the lippes doe tremble and the knees do bend so the eye should mourne and weep it having exceeded in guilt any other part and member of the body otherwise it 's rather the eye of an Idol then of a Christian Three things occasion tearce A third respect is taken from the confluence of all those thinges in a day of Humiliation which vsually are the occasions and rise of teares Now there are three things that doe dispose and incline a person to weeping First The losse or absence of some Great Good That was it which put Micha Judges 18. 24. into such a strange mixture of passions of anger weeping crying out when being asked what aileth him he replies ye have taken away my gods which I made and the preist and ye are gone away and what have I more and what is this that you say unto me what aileth thee that was it which sprang as a new leake in Maries eys Joh. 20. 13. They have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have layd him that was it which made David and his people when Ziklag was burnt with fire and their wives their sonns and their daughters were taken captives to lift up their voyce and weepe untill they had no more power to weep 1. Sam. 30. 4. Now in a day of fasting what truly broken and humbled heart reflecting upon its owne condition finds not such a losse of peace with God such suspensions of light from God such an absence of holynesse in it selfe such a want of mortification of lustes as may justly call for teares sighes and what ever else doth vsually attend great sorrow But especially we on this day have cause to mourne having losse upon losses that may provoake us thereunto A losse of Worthies that have lately fallen and miscaried in our Israell a losse of hopes and affaires in State a losse of expectation in maine blessinges that concerne the beautie and the settlement of the Church whose Foundations are still shaken by the violence and opposition of many sonnes of Belial that are risen up against it In a word I am affraid that most of us are this day at a losse in regard of all those affections of feare of shame of indignation which should be a stirring in this present duty the very want of which may cause us to weepe in that we can fast and mourne no better before the Lord. Secondly the feare of some great approaching evill In the Object which moves and begets feare futurition is required as a necessarie condition but yet all evill the lesse future it is the more dreadfull it is it being with the Objects of passion in nearenesse of time as it is with the Objects of sence in nearenesse of place propinquitie in either making the objects more present and the impressions therefrom upon the faculties more strong The feare of Ninivehes speedy destruction which was prophecied to be within foutie dayes did strike that Heathen King with such apprehensions of dread as to make him change his Throne for the pavement his roabes for sackecloath his mirth and fulnesse into a bitter mourning and fasting Jonah 3. 6. the going out of the Decree of Ahasuerus to destroy and extirpate forthwith all the Jewes was that which filled everie Dwelling with sadnesse and everie eye with teares In everie province whethersoever the Kings Commandement and his Decree came there was great mourning among the Jewes and fasting and weeping and wailing Est 4. 3. Now if the feare of imminent evills doe occasion weeping what wonder is it if a faster be a weeper
who feares almost everie evill to be feared He feares that God may call to rememberance his former iniquities and make him to possesse the sinnes of his youth and therefore weeps Psal 79. 8. Iob. 13. 26. He feares that God whose blowes he can better brooke then his absence will not be intreated to take vp in his bosome but hold him as a stranger and therefore weepes He feares that his sinnes his deafenesse to Gods call his conterlustings to Gods will his impuritie in Gods service his securitie vnder Gods Judgments may cause the hand of Heaven which is lifted vp in threatnigs to fall downe in seveare punishments and therefore weepes Speake you whose hearts and eyes are exercised in this dayes duty are not these and such-like evills the causes of your feares and the motives to your weeping Thirdly the sence and smart of some greivous paine and extremitie That is it which in Hell causes an eternall weeping and gnashing of teeth the fire alwayes burnes the worme continually gnawes they have no moment free from paine therefore no moment free from teares Now this cause of mourning meets with both the former in a day of humiliation as lines in a Center to make fasters to become weepers for then it is that the afflicted soule is made sicke with sinne and burthened with the weight of its owne guilt cries out who will take this dagger out of my bowells this poysoned arrow out of my heart this milstone off my backe this fire out of my bones these stinges out of my conscience then it is that seeming sweetnesse of sin is turned into gall and the heart of a sinner is scalded with the estuations of those lusts with which formerly it pleased it selfe not vnlike to the fish that is often times boyled in that water in which it swimes and sportes it selfe I now come to the second particular propounded to shew what kind of teares should be shed in Fasts For there are lacrymae mentiri doctae as Bernard speakes Ber. Ep. 247. teares that are taught to lye and feigne There are praeficarum lachrymae the teares of hired women which gaine and monie drawes from them Jer. 9. 17. there are lachrimae Hiericuntinae teares that are like Jerichoes waters though the duties are sweet in which they be shed yet they are bitter and vnpleasing Six properties of prevailing teares I shall therefore acquaint you with six properties that teares that will preavaile ought to have First They must spring from a tender and broaken heart freely and voluntarily They must be like water from a living fountaine that flowes naturally not like water from a dead pitt that is drawne forth with engines like water from a cloud that is melted by the Sun not like water from a Still that is forced with fire the beames of Gods love are they which must diâ—…olve our hearts and not the fire of his judgments An hard heart in times of sore distresse may have plentie of teares and yet retaine its hardnesse like marble that sweates in foule weather but is not the softer An Ahab may humble himselfe when God threatens and a Felix may tremble when he heares of Judgment 2. King 23. 29. Act 24. 25. But a Josiah only whose teares spring from a broken and tender heart so mournes 〈◊〉 to please God and prevaile with God Chron. 2. 34. 27. Because thine heart was tender and thou didst humble thy selfe before God and didst rend thy clothes and weepe before me I have even heard thee also saith the Lord. 2 Cor. 3. 6. Secondly Prevailing teares must be reforming and clensing teares not such as wet only the face but such as wash the heart Humiliation without reformation is like the Word of God in the Letter which kils and not quickens which accents sinne not lessens it which hastens judgement and not defers it Palenesse in the face and blood in the heart whitenesse in the eye and blacknesse in the soule a knee-bowing to him and thoughts rising up against him an head hanging downe like a bull-rush and an heart like an Adamant hard and unreformed are of all sinnes in Gods sight the worst like the Leaprosie in the Law which was ever uncleanest when whitest And shall by God be doomed with the heaviest of judgements Hyprocrisie is the first borne of Hell and must there looke for its double portion Oh therefore take heed to your selves what you doe this day be sure you that are fasters be reformers bring your lives to the Rule and your actions to the Law of God and let all run paralell with the Word as an exact and well-made Diall with the Sunne Thirdly Prevailing teares and sorrow must eye that more which dishonoureth God then that which afflictes our selves they must be more for that which fighteth against his Image then for what is contrary to our nature more for that which defileth the spirit then for that which paineth the flesh we must grieve more that sinne hath made us unholy then that it hath made us unhappy that wee have run out of the way of the Law then that we have run in danger of the Law wee must not cry onely with Pharoah take away this plague but with Israel in the Prophet take away all Iniquity and receive us graciously Hos 14. 2. Brisson de Reg. Persi lib. 2. Fourthly Prevailing teares must be constant The Persians had one day in a yeare a festivall which they called vitiorum interitum wherein they slew all Serpents and venemous creatures and after that till the returne of the same day suffered them to swarme as fast as ever not in an unlike manner doe many mourne for their sins at some set day in the moneth or the yeare appointed by the State they hang down their head they cry out of their sinnes and make professions of better living and then till the revolution of the same time suffer them to spread in their lives and to grow up in their conversations as fast as ever But those suddain motions and â—…ashes those fits and starts in humiliation are so far wide from the mourning of a true Christian who in a constant and regular course crucifies his lusts weakens the strength of sin sighs over his corruptions when he cannot weepe and has a bleeding heart oft times when not a wet eye as that they will be never able to denominate that man a Christian in whome they are only found In Categ cap. de qualit Aristotle excellently distinguisheth between colours that arise from passion and from complection The one he saith giveth the denomination to the subject wherein it is which the other doth not If the Question be asked what a like man is Socrates If he be of a pale or high-coloured complection it may be fitly Answered that he is a pale man or a sanguine man but when a man of another complection is pale for feare or red with blushing we doe not vse to say
more power and venome to afflict the conscience and to make life miserable then many legions of divels Fourthly Consider the Lord Christ himselfe how deeply he was affected when he stood vnder the weight of our sinnes and his Fathers wrath St Luke speakes much in one word when he tels vs that Christ was in an agonie Luke 22. 44 but if you please to admit a breife Commentarie vpon it out of the Evangelists themselves you may then learne how sharpe and bitter the agonie was Mar. 14. 33 Mat. 26. 37. 38. Will you see how it affected his Head vpon the fore-taste he began 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be amazed how it affected his heart he began 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to droope to faint how it affected his soule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was all overcast with a heavinesse to death how it affected his body it made it to sweate great drops of blood Luke 22. 44. Shall now our sinnes thus affect Christ and not afflict vs shall they be as monntaines upon his backe and as Attomes on ours like to the stone of the Sybils Dio. Chry. orat 13. which to some weighed like leade and others like a feather If so know for a certaine that you whose hearts the love of a bleeding and crucified Saviour doe not melt his glorious and terrible power shall one day break and afflict for ever Fistly Consider we have all contributed to that multiplicitie of evils vnder which the Kingdome labours and strugles for life Had Great ones bin more resolute for God and not like the top of a Fishers Angling rod have bowed and bended to all purposes and indangger Religion to save their Honours had our Magistrates bin more wakefull to prevent both the sowing and growth of divers tares had our Ministers bin more conscientious then to daub with vntempered morter and to expose glasse for pearles Tertul. had all of vs lesse complyed with vanities with fashions and sinnes of the time God had not been so angerie nor we so miserable as now we are Requisite therefore it is that as we have brought feuell to the fire to nourish it so we now bring water to quench it and not stand as many doe when an house is on fire like idle spectatours that hinder rather then further the quenching I have done this vse and only by way of caution shall adde a few words to releive some troubled souls with whom tears perhaps are scarce though grenes are plentifull be not discouraged as if you had done nothing in the dutie of the day you have had a rationall sorrow though not a passionate sorrow you have had sighes which are the inward tears as Austin cals them though not the outward and that is the mourning which is most effectuall with God 2. Vse To discover for happily we may wonder why our humiliations and fastings which have bin so frequent have not bin returned with successe into our bosomes sutable to our desires but that still there are as many dangerous symptomes of a languishing and dying Kingdome as ever We have Fasted but have we wept we have wept but have we wept aright Give me leave to run over three of those foremention'd qualifications and you shall see eminent defects in our weepings Three defects in our weeping First the teares which have been shed have bin rather forced then voluntarie more from the smart of Stroakes then the sence of sin more from a want of outward contentments then for the losse of Gods favour And therefore it is no wonder if we say with Israel we have covered the Altar of the Lord with teares with weeping and with crying out and yet he regardeth it not Mal. 2. 13. Secondly our teares have not been reforming teares And here give me leave Right Honourable to speake to you whom Reformation most concerns you have passed worthy Votes for a strict Observation of the Sabbath and of fasting dayes but you have been too apt to sit downe without a pursuance of the same Alas it is not a naked Vote that passeth within your walls that can vote our Churches full and the Taverns emptie there must something else be done before a Reformation in either will be obtained offenders must be punished Ministers of Justice must he quickened and called vpon by your selves for else you will find that true which Alphius the vsurer sometime said of his clients Optima nomina non appellando fiere mala Colum. de re rust lib. 1. cap. 7. good Debters will grow bad paymasters if they be let alone Thirdly our mourning have not been constant The hearing of some ill tydings the miscarying of some hopes have caused vs to hang downe our heads for a day and to power forth some teares in the presence of God but when these things have bin a little digested and slept vpon we have bin as secure about our conditions dead and flat in our duties as ever before Our tears have bin like water in the conduits that runnes at times but not like water in the spring that rnnes constantly by fits and starts we have bin earnest with God like the grasse-hoppers as Gregorie speakes Greg. mor. lib. 13. cap. 12. that make faint assaies to fly vp to Heaven and then presently fall to the earth againe But if ever wee would appease God while his anger burnes let our eye weep while he denies let us beg while he withdrawes and absents himselfe let vs vncessantly crie out as the Church did Jer. 14. 9. Oh thou hope of Jsrael the Saviour therof in the time of trouble why shouldest thou be as a stranger in the Land and as a wayfaring man that turneth a side to tarry for a night I come now to the second poynt which is That with fasting and weeping Confession and acknowledgment of sinne is to be joyned The vsing of certaine words in healing the diseases of the body with which many ignorant people are better acquainted then with prayer is no other then a sinfull Charme but in curing the diseases of the soule and diverting the Judgments of Heaven words are Gods Recipe Hosea 14. 2. Take with you words and turne to the Lord say unto him take away iniquity and receive vs gratiously They are the Saints practice Ezra 9. 9. O Lord my God I am ashamed and blush to lift vp my face to to thee my God for our iniquities are increased over our heads and our trespasse is growne vp vnto the Heavens Dan. 9. 4 5. I set my face vnto the Lord God and to seeke by prayer and supplication with fasting and sackcloth and ashes and I prayed vnto the Lord my God and made my confession For the explicating of this poynt I will shew first wherein a true confession of sinne stands Secondly in what manner it must be performed True confession is made vp of two particulars sui ipsius accusatio sui ipsius condemnatio of a mans accusing of himselfe and of a
mans judging of himselfe First in accusing himselfe he is to be coelestis et fidelis Dei orator contra seipsum as Parisiensis speakes a heavenly and faithful pleader for God against himselfe he is to set out his sinnes with those particular aggravations that have run into them and doe truly greaten them in Gods sight for as in Greek we doe not vsually pronounce according to to the long or short Syllable but accorditg to the Accent so in sinne God doth not alwayes judg the greatnes from the Fact but from the circumstances with which it is committed or as in matter of Grace God doth not weigh it by the Scale but tries it by the touch-stone so in sinne God doth not weigh it by the bulke but by the ingreadients A sinne of a lesser magnitude committed with light with love stirres vp and provokes God more then a greater sinne with reluctancy passion or surprizall for gravius est peccatum diligere quam committere it is far worse to be in love with sinne then to commit it as Gregorie well saith Secondly In condemning a mans selfe he is to passe a severe Sentence against himself by acknowledging that God may justly let him sinke in the middest of his rebellions without casting forth a new cord of mercie to help or save thus did the humble Prodigall Luke 15. 18. 19. I have sinned against Heaven and before thee and am no more worthy to be called thy Sonne Now in the doing of these there is a double good that the sinner gets in the accusing of himselfe he puts Sathan that is the great accuser of the Brethren quite out of office he can lay no more to his charge then he hath already layed to his owne in condemning himselfe he puts God out of office as I may so speake who will not judge them that have judged and sentenced themselves 1. Cor. 11. 31. But to speake more distinctly of this first part of confession viz selfe accusation give me leave to propound three particulars about it Three partic in selfe accusat First the Inditement and charge that a man prefers against himselfe it must be speciall and not generall Confession with many is reckoned to be well enough done when that some few such overlie expressions drop from their lips as that they are sinners God help them and who is not and they are heartily sorry for what they have done but if you descend to particulars run over the whole Law and they plead not guilty Images they defie sweare they do not and for Church they come with the first and goe with the last as for repentance if you aske them wherin it lyes they answer not much vnlike him in Quintilian Quintil. inst l. 2. c. 11. who being demanded what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was replyed truly he could not tell but if it were any thing to the purpose he was sure it was in his Declamation what repentance and sorrow for sinne is they cannot tell but sure they are they have long agoe repented for their sinnes But how wide such acknowledgments are from that exact confession which the Scriptures call for the practice of repenting sinners doth abundantly evince How often is David vpon his knees in confessing his murther his adulterie what an Historie doth Nehemiah make of Israels sinnes in his prayer to God Neh. cap. 9. how particularly doth Paul describe his madnesse against the Church his blasphemies against Christ and all to this end that themselves may be more ashamed and God the more glorified In sinnes indeed of ignorance God is pleased to accept of confession in the generall and in the lumpe but for sinnes of knowledge he lookes that they be brought in as distinct debts and vrged in our confessions as so many new Inditements against our selves Seconly as we are to charge particulars vpon our selves so also among them to single and cull out our principall and cheife sinnes streading them before God with all their aggravations As Phisitions in their Anatomie Lectures though the whole body lye before them yet they read cheifely upon some more noble and Architectonical parts the braine the heart the stomach or the like so in our humiliations though we bring the whole body of sinne and death into Gods presence yet are we to dwell andinsist cheisly vpon those corruptiōs which have a greater transcendency of evill in them above others As for instance vpon our vnbeleife which is a mother sinne and carries a thousand others in the wombe of of it vpon your wordly mindednesse which takes of the strength of all our affections from God and pitcheth it vpon the creature like to an ill spleene that robs the body of it's best norishment to feed it selfe Vpon the breaking of our solemne Covenants made and renewed with God a sinne which above many others hath helped to vnsheath the Sword of God against vs and to let forth that dispeasure and indignation of the Lord which burnes like a fire that will not be quenched Thirdly In Confession we are to charge vpon our selves those powerfull stirrings of lust which spring from the sinfull frame and constitution of our nature and derive a venome to everie action that comes from us sin being in the facultie as poyson in the Fountaine that sheds infection into everie thing that proceedes from it And this is it which begets an indisposition of heart to holy services that in our prayers damps our zeale fervencie humiliation selfe abhorrency that in our meditations makes vs roving and vnsetled driving to no poynt or issue like a ship in a tempest that tosses much and sayles little that in our converse mingles much levitie frowardnesse vnfaithfullnesse in a word that is it which though it doe not make our holy duties sinnes and so hatefull to God as our Adversaries slander vs Bellarm. de justif lib. 4. cap. 10. yet doth contribute such a vitiousnesse as a foule channel doth to cleane water to everie thing that proceeds from vs as that God may justly charge vs for mixing our sin with his grace and throw all our best workes as dung in our faces Great reason is there therefore that we should both accuse our selves for this pravity and deordination of nature and before God condemne and sentence our selves for the cursed fruites that flow from it which is the second branch of true confession that is breifly to be vnfolded This selfe condemnation lyeth in two things First in acknowledgment that the vmost wrath and severitie of God is justly due to such sinnes as we have fallen into for though a justified person by his transgressions doe not de facto become subject to the wrath and vengence of God being a person priviledged and exempted from the maledictions of the law yet they doe de merito make such a person lyable to death for the covenant of grace doth not nullifie the merit of sinne but causeth that sinne shall not