corrupts the Will and so poisons all our Intellectual faculties that we cannot see the light of Faith or ardently love God or do any other Act that may speak us living Christians and in a State of Grace Secondly They are alike in their Infection The reason why we shut people up that are Infected and avoid their Company is because they easily communicate their Disease to those that are in health it is so with sin it insensibly creeps upon us The often seeing wicked men repeat their crimes first takes from us the hatred we should bear them and afterward by undiscerned progressions so far work on us that we begin to love and commit the same The Historian observes That Augustus soon perceived the Inclination of his two Daughters by the Company they kept The one affected none but the grave Senators and worthy personages of Rome and the Other none but the loose and debauch'd Gallants We cannot touch pitch but we must be defiled and we cannot converse with wicked men but we shall be tainted with their Impurities Thirdly They are alike diffusive Thucidides in his Description of the Plague of Athens tells us it began in Africa march'd from Aethiopia into Aegypt and so took its course for Athens which was a vast progress And hath not Sin done the like Hath not the Sin of Adam in Paradice spread it self over the whole World and so seized upon the mass of Mankind that we must all confess we are Vnclean and there is none of us righteous no not one Fourthly They are both terrible What a dismal sight is it to see an Army enter by force into a pleasant City and there in a moment by the licentious fury of the Soldiers view those streets floating with the blood of the Inhabitants which in time of Peace used to be strewed with flowers Yet when heat of blood is over some mercy is usually hoped for and many times obtained But the Plague like another Attila the Scourge of God sweeps all before it and seldom gives Quarter Sin does the like yea in a more terrible manner for it erects its Trophies upon the ruine of Souls The destruction of the body is but a momentary pain but that of the Soul is commensurate to the duration of it which is to all Eternity How much reason have we therefore to pray to be delivered from this Executioner that like another Nero loves to perpetuate misery and strikes a wretch ut sentiat se mori Fifthly They are alike in their Symptomes When a man begins to feel some distemper in his head stomach belly or other parts though we apprehend some danger yet we think him not past the benefit of Physick and a possibility of Recovery but if once his body begin to be purpled and the plague spots discover their dismal hue we then quit all hopes and think nothing less than a miracle can recover him Sin also hath her spots and they are as ill boading to the Soul as the other to the body V. 23. and therefore St. Jude in his General Epistle styles wicked men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spots in their feasts of Charity Lastly They are both of a quick dispatch Other Diseases seem to give us some warning that we may set our house in order and by repentance blot out the Score of our sins prodigality but the pestilential sword like the Italian Stilletto carries death upon the point and at its first entrance summons the wounded to his Funeral so that we may now sing in a mournful Dirge Our pleasures cease our joys are flying Death is alive but Life is dying Hence it is that Galen calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because of its Mortal quality and Hippocrates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because of its spreading nature This deadly disease we see lays heaps upon heaps and if the Almighty power puts not a stop to its violent proceedings it will in a short time scarce leave living enough to bury the dead Where God gives it a Commission it runs like fire in a Corn field That passage in Samuel is very remarkable 2 Sam. 24.15 where it is said So the Lord sent a Pestilence upon Israel from the Morning even to the time appointed Some think this appointed time was six hours and of this opinion is St. * Super Psal 37. Ambrose * quaest 37 Theodoret and the Jewish Historian Josephus Others think this appointed time was until night and that at the beginning of the Evening Sacrifice it ceased which St. Hierome followes V. Casp Sanctium inâ—l Others with Tostatus Abulensis think it lasted three dayes However all agree that it was but a short space in which this Tragedy was acted although the quamdiù is not certain Upon this account the Septuagint reads the Words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If I send Death amongst my people to signifie other diseases by Medical herbs and the skill of Physicians may be Cured but this is an infallible Executioner as sure as death it self And doth not Sin do the same with the Soul Gen. 2.17 In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye not a year after but in the very day thou breakest my Commandement thy sin will prove deadly So Annanias and Sapphyra no sooner lyed to the holy Ghost but at St. Peter's Examination their Consciences became their condemning Jury and their Sentence a sudden Death We have now seen their agreement I shall only say there is this happy dissimilitude that whereas the Cure of the Bodily plague is uncertain that of the Soul plague is infallible if we fly to Christ with a due sense of our misery and seek from his Merits that Alexipharmacon that is an Antidote against the greatest Crimes But I shall desist from speaking any longer indefinitely of Sin and come to those particular ones that in so high a degree have drawn this plague upon us First then The sin that leads the van is our Sabbath-breaking How loud doth this cry in the Ears of God! A sin more frequent impudent and unpunish'd than in those late black days when the greatest were justified by a Law This blessed day is now as much mangled and broken as once the Lord of it was And as the Poet deriding the immoderate dress of a wanton Girl told her that she was minima pars sui so is this day so divided that it is now become the least part of it self and you may seek for a Sabbath in a Sabbath and not find it And whereas it ought to be the greatest Festival and holy Rest now other days are more innocent then this Those we spend upon our Callings and this the more is our shame on our sins In the Primitive times sanctifying the Lords Day was an eminent Character that Christians lived in the purity of their profession When the Question was asked Servasti Dominicam The Answer returned was Christianus sum intermittere non possum I am a Christian and may not
Vmbra viri facies haec est Surgentis in altum Effigiem melius pagina culta dabit Ingentes animae superant virtutibus Artem Vostermanne tuam vel Titiane tuam PILLVLAE PESTILENTIALES OR A SPIRITUAL RECEIPT for Cure of The Plague Delivered in a Sermon Preach'd in St. Paul's Church LONDON in the mid'st of our late Sore VISITATION By Rich. Kingston M. A. and Preacher at St. James Clerken-well Numb 16.46 There is wrath gone out from the Lord and the Plague is begun Numb 16.48 And Aaron stood between the Living and the Dead and the Plague was stayed LONDON Printed by W. G. for Edw. Brewster at the Crane in St. Pauls Church-yard 1665. To the Right Honourable Sir JOHN KEELING Knight and Baronet Lord Chief Justice of ENGLAND Right Honourable WHen I lift mine Eyes from the low and humble valley of my obscure fortunes to that bright shining and Eminent hill of Honour on which the Favour of His Majesty the Nobleness of Birth and your many Excellent Virtues have seated you I cannot but lay a sharp and rigorous Censure upon my own Presumption that I so much a stranger to your Lordship should thus boldly adventure to press into your presence and to crave your Honourable Patronage of so mean a Work but when your Honour is pleas'd to consider that Divine Truth 's are Subjects worthy of acceptation though presented in an Earthen Vessel and David's comfort in rescuing his Wives and recovering the spoils from the Amalekites was no whit the smaller although a young man of Egypt made way for the discovery I hope to obtain what I humbly beg your Honours Pardon My Lord this Sermon was Compos'd and Preach'd in the very height of our late dreadful Visitation when Thousands dy'd on our right hand and Ten Thousand on our left at which time my imployment by day was visiting the Sick and by night burying the Dead having no time allowed for study but what I extracted from my natural rest which may make this Tract more guilty of failings than at another time my humble request therefore to your Lordship is that you would be pleased to lay the finger of a charitable construction upon the Scar of my imperfection and favourably accept this first fruit of my labours So in all humility imploring the God of Majesty and Mercy to Sanctifie your Heart Rectifie your Hand Justifie your Soul and lastly Crown your Head with eternal Glory I take the honour to Subscribe my self Your Lordships daily Oratour Rich. Kingston To the Right Worshipful Joseph Ayloff and George Walsh Esquires two of his Majesties Justices of the Peace for the County of Middlesex And to the Worshipful Henry Dacres and William Cole Esquires as also to his much respected friend Mr. Henry Knight R. K. wisheth the dew of Heaven and the fatness of the Earth Right Worshipful TUtelar Angels are a controverted Theme amongst Schoolmen but the favourable influence of a just defence from your Worships hath been an unquestionable matter of my experience which transcendent favours if buried in Oblivion would be an high impeachment of veracity and not to acknowledge them having this occasion could plead for no distance from down-right sordidness and plain Ingratitude The Work is too small and the Author too mean to equalize your worth or merit your Patronage only 't is the height of my Ambition to let the world know that your favours which as far excel my deserts as my power to retaliate have not been bestowed on an ungrateful Servant I am not ignorant that cunning Bezaliahs and Aholiahs may carve and pollish the Temple yet I am glad that I can but lay one little stone though men of brighter Souls bring their Gold and Jewels to it yet I hope God will accept of my young Pigeons and Turtle Doves I may say with St. Peter Silver and Gold have I none but what I have I give you in all humility beseeching you to consider my years which are but few and the time I had which was but short and my many other sad occasions wherewith in the mean time I was interrupted and then accept of this for tryal as if it were the extract of some purer and better wit The Lord prosper your days direct your hearts and bless all your undertakings to the glory of his Name and your own eternal felicitie So ever Prayeth Your Worships in all Duty and Service Rich. Kingston To the Church-Wardens of the Parish of St. James Clerken-Well for the time being and to the rest of the Officers and Inhabitants of the same Parish R. K. Wisheth health and happiness in this life and Eternal blessedness in that to come Loving Friends IT pleased the wise Disposer of all things to cast my lot among you in one of the most dreadful Visitations that ever England knew when the black Horse of the Pestilence with Pale Death on his back pranc'd our Streets at Noon day and Midnight at which dreadful and never to be forgotten time our sense of Seeing was well-nigh glutted with beholding the sight of our Diseased and Deceased Friends enough to have extinguish'd the optick faculty No Papers then over our Dores were set With Chambers ready furnish'd to be Let But a sad Lord have mercy upon us and A Bloody Cross as fatal marks did stand Presaging th' noisome Pestilence within Was come to take revenge of us for Sin And as our Eyes might well be dim'd so might our Ears be deaf'd with the doleful cryes of the Poor for Food to keep them from Starving of the Sick for Physick to keep them from Dying and of them that were Marked for Spiritual helps to preserve them from Perishing We well might hear of Death there was such plenty One Bell at once was fain to Ring for twenty No Clocks were heard to strike upon their Bells Cause nothing Rung but Death-lamenting knells Which dreadful noises so terrified some and affrighted all that men knew not what course to steer to preserve themselves from this wounding shaft Some by their fear to go to Church deburr'd Anon are carri'd Dead into the Yard And Churches new with too much Burial fed Fear'd they should have no meeting but of Dead This Poyson'd Arrow of the Pestilence especially when it was first foot among us wounded so suddenly and sharply that we could scarce be resolved whether 't was Sickness or Death it self that assaulted us for many lying down to repose in the Evening made their sleep true kin to Death by dying before the Morning Ah who would then defer A preparation for this messenger But not to detain you longer with a large Epistle to a little Book be pleas'd to accept thereof as a Testimony of my sincere love to you which shall always be accompanied with my hearty Prayers for you that our merciful God would be pleas'd to withdraw his Sin-revenging Scourge which is still amongst us and charge his Angels to guard your persons from future dangers and give you
do otherwise How are we fallen from our first love by prophaning the Sabbath either through Schismatical Petulancy or Idleness and Security snorting on a Bed or walking in the fields forgetting that he which on this day gathered sticks was paid home with stones Considering therefore the judgement of God that hangs over our head for this particular sin it is Christian Prudence to pray Lord have Mercy upon us and encline our hearts to keep this Law Secondly Another Sin that pulls down God's vengeance on us is that of Pride Boetius sayes excellently well Cum omnia vitia fugiant à Deo sola Superbia se Deo opponit When all Vices flye from God Pride alone opposes it self to God In other vices men seek some imaginary good but in this they endevour to dethrone God it is an opposition to his very Being as he is Alpha and Omega the first Efficient and last End no wonder therefore if he blasts the persons and designs of those that harbour this Monster which beginning first in heaven will never forget its old Attempt And therefore St. Prosper in his Excellent Epistle to the Noble Virgin Demetrias says finely Cum aliae cupiditates ea tantum bona quibus adversantur imminuant haec dum omnia ad se trahit simul universa corrumpit That whereas other Lusts waste only that Good and Virtue to which they are contrary Pride whilest it arrogates all to it self corrupts all at once God therefore scatters the Proud he maketh them like Smoak to speak with the Psalmist which perisheth in ascending and vanisheth in dilating of it self I shall not need to tell you how he hath punish'd it in Wicked men as in Nebuchadnezzar Herod and Antiochus for he will not allow it in his own people And therefore if Corah Dathan and Abiram will be holier than Moses and Aaron and tempt the Jewish Congregation to a Contempt of their Superiours he will presently open the Earth and bury them alive They were ante Sepulti quam Mortui as the African Father Optatus speaks If David out of pride will number the People and sure it was so for the Text saith 1 Chr. 21.14 his heart was lift up to number the People God will send his Plague and sweep away seventy thousand of them 3. A third sin is that Cursed one of Swearing so much in Practice Because of Oaths saith the Prophet the Land Mourneth Jer. 3.10 And how can we but expect that God will send the lightning of his judgements from heaven when we do so thunder out Oaths on Earth This is a Reigning Sin not only amongst the Basest but those that would be thought the Ornaments of the Age as if Gentility consisted in belching out blasphemy If the King be spoken against it is high treason and deservedly punish'd with Death if a Noble man be traduced or slandered it is punishable by the Statute of Scandalum Magnatum yea a private man in cases of Obloquy hath his remedy by Action only the name of God though dear to him is not so tenderly regarded but is most grievously rent and torn by this common and Soul-ruining Sin of Swearing But let me advise the black mouthed Swearer to have a care of swearing in jest as men are apt to pretend lest he go to Hell in earnest for every Oath he swears gives his Soul a wound and that wound will be vocal enough to peirce heaven and call for vengeance on the Swearer Have not many of us uncharitably and blasphemously wish'd that the Plague of God would light upon our Brethren How justly now hath it overtaken us Curses and Execrations have proceeded from us like Arrows shot against heaven and now they are returned back upon our own heads Fourthly I must name that of Vncharitableness to one another upon occasions that should rather administer grounds of Repentance then of Malice The Apostle tells us Charity covers a multitude of Sins but we as if we were true Children of Noah delight in our Relations Nakedness What heart-burnings are between us upon small differences of Judgement The Turk cannot hate a Christian with a more Vatinian hatred then we persecute one another though baptized into the same Faith and equally professors of the same Gospell Is not the Plague come upon us that our Lord foretold that Father should be against Son and Son against Father will an Independant endure a Presbyterian or the Anabaptist and Fifth Monarchist one of the Episcopal persuasion No no we have known to our grief what blood hath been shed upon this account and that their mutual animosities have boyled to as great a height as those at present between Turk and Persian Constantine the Great when he summoned the first General Councel at Nice to extinguish the Arrian Heresie concerning the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Christ with his Father caused all the private Contentions and Strifes that were enflamed amongst the Bishops themselves to be drawn up into a Compendium of Articles before they should deliberate about that grand Affair which being done he sealed them up with his own Royal Signet and kept them in his bosome for a while as a Secret afterward in his Speech exhorting them to unity of Spirit and a serious discussion of those things that concerned the Cause of Christ he burnt all those envious Libells together Car. in Nice Conc. Appar pag. 45. in 16. Ne innotesceret ulli odium sugillatio Sacerdotum as Caranza informs me Let us that serve at the Altar imitate this Pious Prince and if there be any unchristian uncharitable fends amongst us bury them in Eternal Oblivion left they hinder us in the prosecution of the Cause of God and not only prove our shame but a stumbling block of Offence to the Enemies of the Faith Our Lord and Saviour at his departure left us this New Commandement that we should love one another but we have so affronted this Injunction that it is no marvel if he says he is come not to send Peace but a Sword a Sword that shall draw out our vitals and render us the victims of his fury Fifthly That Rebellious murmuring humour with which we have outraged Prince and Priest The Sacred Scripture never gives us an Account of Murmurers but it tells us likewise their Punishment Pharaoh murmured at the Israelites and God entombed him and his hoast in the Red Sea Joseph's Brethren murmured at him and their reward was vassalage they became his Servants Saul murmured at David's ten thousands and God left him to be his own Executioner Judas murmured at the Box of Oyle that was poured on his Masters head and what was his reward he hang'd himself And is not this our Case When King Charles the first lived though we may say of him as Homer said of Greece that it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Pap and Dug of the Earth He the Cream and Excellentest of Princes how did our ungodly and malicious humours load him
studies Can we hope that that Man's prayer should be acceptable to God whose heart in stead of being lifted up to the throne of Grace is sunk into the Earth by the love of Terrene pleasures No we must have hearts purified with the fire of Divine love and hands wash'd in innocency before we can be acceptable Under the Law the burnt offerings were to be flea'd and cut in peices and their Legs and Inwards were to be wash'd Upon which Saint Cyril of Alexandria says 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The fleaing off the Skin was a riddle of naked discovery Hom. Pasc 22. p. 240. for nothing at all in us is hid or veiled from the Divine and pure eyes of God We must not be content with the superficies and out-side of a good life but we must flea our Sacrifices and look to the Integrity of our inwards we must as it were cut our selves in peices by a strict examination of the particular actions of our whole life whatever belongs to us our desires our thoughts all must be purified if we would have our Sacrifice Grateful How many are there in the World that make long prayers yet devour Widows houses How many that have nothing in their mouths but Gospel light and the advancement of the Kingdom of Christ yet do but flea them and you shall find them full of Avarice Pride Faction and the greatest uncharitableness Godfrey of Bulloine being asked by the Ambassador of a Sarazen Prince how he had his hands tam doctas ad praeliandum so able to fight returned this answer Quia manus semper habui puras ab impuris contractibus peccati Because I never defiled my hands with any notorious Sin Our Prayers will never be prevalent with God until we first combat and foyle our own Sins 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plato defines Purity a Separation of the worse from the better We must in a good sense be Separatists and come out of Babylon before we can be fit company for the Lamb and when we have once done this we may confidently hope a relaxation of our miseries and that God will hear from heaven forgive our Sins and heal our Land And so I come to the third Ingredient in the Text Repentance If my people humble themselves and pray and turn from their evil ways then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their Sin and will heal their Land In the Pythian and Olympick Games the Contenders for honour and renown had their way chalk'd out with two white Lists out of which they were not to salley so it was with Adam in Paradice his via morum was rayled in with Innocence aswell as his via pedum adorned with Flowers and other delightful Objects but he having leap'd over the pale by eating the forbidden fruit took upon him the Trade of wandring into by-paths and his children like so many Gypsies have ever since exercised the same Profession I have heard of some that they have been so much in love with the wandring humour that though they have been heirs to good fortunes yet they have consorted themselves with the begging Crew only to have the Liberty of roving up and down And thus it is with man generally as to his Spiritual condition though God hath elevated us to the dignity of Sons-ship and Christ accepted the Title of our elder Brother yet we have strayed away from his blessed Company and that heavenly inheritance he purchased for us with his blood We have taken more delight in the meanders of Sin and folly that can afford us nothing of sollid worth than in those durable and eternal riches of Grace and Holyness Upon this score it is that the Text saith If my people turn from their evil ways which implyes they were out of the way of God and altogether journying the Mazes of Idolatry and Sin that God would heal and redress the miseries that for such deviations were come upon them But because I will speak more distinctly of Repentance I shall consider it in its three parts 1. Compunction or Contrition for Sin 2. Confession of Sin 3. Conversion from Sin to God First Compunction or Contrition And now how happy should I be if my discourse to you at this time could have the same operation on your hearts that St. Peter's Sermon had upon his Auditors as St. Luke describes it in the second of the Acts and the 37. vers where it is said Now when they heard this they were pricked in their hearts and said unto Peter and the rest of the Apostles Men and Brethren what shall we do A true and holy Sorrow like so many Needles peirced them thorough as Eupolis recounts of Pericles's Oration to the People of Athens Cicero de Clar. Orat. In animis auditorum aculeos reliquit it left stings in his Auditors minds Now that we may a little consider the phrase we must make a difference between spiritus compunctionis and compunctio spiritus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Spirit of Compunction which St. Paul complains of in the unbelieving Rom. 11.8 believing Jews and Compunction of Spirit or of the heart mentioned in this place of the Acts St. Paul says God hath given them a Spirit of Slumber eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not hear unto this day as if he would say they are possest with a Spirit of stupidity and obstinacy in Sin that slash and wound them never so yet they will not be sensible but this compunction or pricking of the heart which St. Peter's Auditors endured was a godly Sorrow for their Sins and sight of their miserable Condition Now Lorinus affords us a ternary of reasons why godly Sorrow for Sin is called compunction of the heart Act. C. 2. 1. Quia vel aperitur Cordis apostema 2. Vel quia vulneratur Cor amore Dei 3. Vel quia daemon dolore invidia sauciatur Either because the corruption of the heart is discovered as an Aposteme or Vlcer is opened by the prick of a Launce Or because the heart is wounded with the love of God as the Spouse in the Canticles cries out I am sick of Love Or because thereby the Devil is wounded with Indignation and Envy as knowing the ruine of his Interest and Kingdome must needs be caused when Sinners return to God the Centre of their happiness from which they recoyled But if any one ask me the reason why they were thus pricked thus wounded at the heart the 23. 24. Verses of the second of the Acts will tell us him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledg of God Ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain It was high time for the Jews to be touched to the quick that had put to death the Lord of Life their Messiah and Saviour of the World And truly if we reflect aright upon our selves we shall find it high time for us to
be thus wounded if we consider that the Jews did but once crucifie him but We by the committal of fresh sins and Impieties crucifie him every day and grieve his holy Spirit It is therefore infinitly necessary we should have this due sense this holy wounding of heart if we expect God should repent of the evil done unto us and heal our Land 2. The second branch of Repentance is Confession As we must be sorrowful for sin so we must make a true confession of sin Now in confession we must observe these Rules First Our confession must be humble and self-accusing Non vis ut ille damnet Tu damna Vis ut ille ignoscat Tu agnosce Wouldst thou not that God should Condemn thee condemn thy self Say with the Publican Lord have mercy upon me a sinner Wouldst thou have God pardon Do thou crye guilty We must not imitate our Grandfather Adam that cryed The Woman thou gavest me presented me the fruit and I did eat We must take the sins we have committed upon our selves it being altogether unjust we should file that Evil on anothers score of which we have been the Authors How many are there in these days that when they are accused of any Vncleanness lay the fault upon Nature as St. Austin complains many in his time did and consequently accuse God himself We ought rather with the Prophet David to cry out Lord it is I that have done this Great Wickedness and with Jeremiah confess our ways and our Evil doings have brought all these miseries upon us Secondly We must not put our sins to the Devil's Account He may tempt us but he cannot force us to sin The Devil might have offered Eve a thousand of those beautiful Apples without prevailing had she not been as willing to tast that forbidden fruit as he ready to perswade her it was good If he could force us to sin we might justly lay the fault at his dore and make the very necessity of sinning our Apology But the Apostle St. James bids us resist the Devil and he will fly from us to teach us we have a power to combat and through Grace baffle his pernicious temptations Thirdly Neither must we make God the Author of our sins He is a God of purer eyes than to behold iniquity and what blasphemy would it be in us when we have committed sins that even some natural men would abhor to father them upon God the source of all purity and goodness The Psalmist steers another course when he says I will confess my sins unto the Lord Psal 32. He doth not say he will accuse God as the author of his Lust to the Wife of Vriah or of his Pride in numbering the people no but I will confess to him against my self he is righteous and I have done wickedly God cannot be tempted to evil neither tempts he any man it is a principle of corruption within us that brings forth this viperous brood and we must wholly acknowledge God righteous when he punisheth for Sin Fourthly Our Confession must be Integra perfecta There are many that will be ready to acknowledge those Sins which they see the best of Men are obnoxious to but their Dallilah's their darling Sins like the true name of Rome they keep concealed But this is not the Confession that will do our work a lame half-confession is no more acceptable to God than if we should offer him half our heart when he requires the whole Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart which he can never truly be said to do that leaves some Sins unconfess'd and as it were hid in the inward recesses of his Soul because God being a profess'd enemy to every Sin such a concealment is a taking part with that which he most hates Thirdly The third part of Repentance is Conversion Now there is a two-fold Conversion 1. A Turning and total Conversion of a Sinner from Sin to God and in this Signification is comprehended the whole work of Grace Psal 51.14 And Sinners shall be converted unto thee this is passive Conversion wherein God is the Chief Agent but our selves by our natural power work nothing unless it be to hinder the work of Grace 2. There is a turning from some particular Sin or Sins whereby we have offended God or Man Luke 22.32 When thou art converted and Jer. 31.18 Convert thou me and I shall be converted This is an active Conversion performed by men who being already renewed by Grace do work together with this Grace Now this conversion is a turning of the heart unto God whereby we contract a perfect aversion to those things which we formerly delighted in and have such an alteration in our will and affections that we desire nothing and affect nothing but what we find agreeable to his blessed will It is not a turning of the Brain an alteration of this or that opinion that is Vertigo Capitis not Conversio Cordis but it is a meer alteration and turning of 〈…〉 of our hearts So that the perfection of this conversion consists in the turning of the whole heart This true turning is a thing no way pleasing to the Devil If he could he would not have us turn at all he sowes pillows under our Elbows and perswades us we are in a blessed condition but if we will needs turn he will persuade us to Turn any whether rather than unto God If he cannot effect this yet his Artifice and cunning is to make us leave our hearts behind Now if that will not do but we will Turn with our heart in Corde yet he labours all he can it may not be in toto he would have us have some private ends some Lusts to gratifie he would have our affections broken and not entirely subservient to the Divine Will But Beloved if we would remove these judgments that lye heavy upon us we must not divide our hearts between God and the Devil but must turn to God with our whole hearts for he is the great Physician that only can heal our diseased Souls And thus I come to the fourth and last Branch of the Text the Physician prescribing the Medicine GOD in these words I will hear from heaven and will forgive their Sin and will heal their Land St. Chrysostome tells us that Christ the second person of the Trinity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by his death became Physician of the Dead in his very humility and state of Exinanition he baffled Sin and Death and the Balsam of his Blood shed upon the Cross closed up the Serpentine wound received in Paradice If this be true of Christ as without doubt it is whilest he was in the form of a Servant we ought not to question the performance of the promise made us in my Text by the whole Trinity I will hear from heaven c. I God the Father I God the Son I God the Holy Ghost I one yet three at whose presence the