I will never leave thee nor forsake thee There are two considerations Which may put us upon praying for soft hearts besides the promise of God whereof we have spoken already as first we cannot glorifie God with hard hearts Men of hard hearts do sinne the greatest honour and service that is possible for men to doe it and God the greatest dishonour and disservice I shall make it out to you thus He that commits sin and is never troubled for it or layeth it to heart doth upon the matter justifie it and say in effect that he hath no cause to be ashamed that sinne is no such ugly abominable thing as the Scripture represents it and hereby he doth sin as much credit and service as in him lieth and on the other hand he dishonoureth God as much in that he makes light of breaking his righteous law as if it were a smal thing so to doe You cannot slight any man more then in making nothing of offending him as if it were not a pin matter whether he were pleased or displeased Now this were a very good argument for a man to plead with God in relation to the obtaining a soft heart Lord thou knowest I cannot but dishonour thee and honour sinne thy great enemy in a high degree so long as my heart continueth thus hard wherefore I beseech thee to soften it 2. Men of soft and tender hearts are most like to be continued in the enjoyment of those good things which God hath bestowed upon them Mercies bestowed upon hard hearted men doe many times prove like the seed sown in the stony ground Mark 4.5 6. which had no deep rooting so that it soon sprung up withered Such mens mercies doe ofttimes soon wither When men doe turne the grace of God into wantonnesse and take occasion from the light of Gods countenance to waxe more hard and proud as the Clay that is hardned by the Sunbeams usually God doth quickly withdraw the light of his countenance from them and leave them in darknesse but when those beames doe melt the heart and make it more and more soft God is pleased ofttimes to let them abide longer with us being improved for that end whereunto they were sent c. This may encourage us to pray for soft hearts c. 6. Vse This may serve for the comfort of all those who have broken and contrite hearts Though men despise them God will accept of them and love them St. Iames reproves those chap. 2.2 who were full of their respects towards such as came into their Assemblies with Gold rings and goodly apparell but despised the poor saying stand here or sit under my foot stoole thereby intimating that in this carriage of theirs they were altogether unlike to God who is no respecter of persons upon any of those accounts and yet he hath more respect unto some then unto others namely unto those who are of broken and contrite hearts Great persons look that it should be accounted a high respect if they vouchsafe now and then to bestow a visit upon them that are poore How much greater is the respect and condescension of the great God towards broken hearted sinners in that he vouchsafeth not onely to visit them now and then but to take up his abode with them to dwel with them Though God doe sometimes retire himselfe so that a broken hearted Christian feares he is departed as a man may think one that lodgeth in his house is not within when he keepes close not willing to be spoken with yet he alwaies dwels with the broken heart to revive the spirit of the humble and contrite Let broken hearted Christians be of good cheer they may safely call God and Christ Emanuel that is God with them c. Obj. But will God shew mercy to and accept of me who am a grievous sinner I cannot believe it Ans Yes God wil shew thee mercy if thou beest an humble soule Obj. But I have been a grievous sinner a notorious liver and therefore I am justly humbled for my sins Ans Thou must not look upon thy selfe as thou hast bin but as thou now art if thou be humbled the blood of Christ washeth thee from all thy sinnes how many and great soever they have been I doe not say that thou oughtest not to reflect upon thy former conversation upon any account whatsoever For you know that the Apostle Paul did call to mind what he had been namely a blasphemer a persecutor an injurious person c. This he did in reference to the magnifying of Gods grace in making him such as he was by grace but I say that in a time of trouble and perplexity of spirit we ought to look upon the present humiliation of our souls and brokennesse of our hearts as a ground of joy and comfort Obj. But I am not worthy that God should shew me so much mercy as to accept of me Ans No nor ever wilt be worthy in thy selfe of any mercy but God looks upon thee in Christ and in him doth account thee worthy Therefore goe to God in the name of Christ that is the way to finde acceptance For God is very ready to heare his peoples prayers to grant their requests and he hath promised to heare when they call and he takes delight to heare his people pray Therefore this may encourage us to pray for God wil hear Obj. But will God heare and grant the prayers of all Ans No. They must be godly which do prevaile with God They must be such as doe not allow themselves in any sin whatsoever If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not heare my prayers c. Psal 66.18 Again They that would prevaile with God must pray in faith and with earnestnesse Again They must be constant in prayer and not give over praying Again they must put up their requests in the name of Christ with thankfulnesse for such mercies as they have already received Obj. I hope I am Gods child and I have prayed but God heares not me Ans God may have heard thee though not at the same time that thou desirest not in the same thing There may be good reason for that Thou must not tie God to thy time nor to thy means For God is wise he doth delay the granting of our requests for severall holy ends and purposes as for example To try our faith to humble us to make us see the want of a mercy that we may the better prize it when it comes be more thankfull for it and use it more to his glory c. FINIS A Short CONFESSION OF FAITH BY Mr. SAMUEL ROWLES Master of Arts LATE Fellow of Trinity Colledge in Cambridge And now Minister of Thistleworth in the County of Middlesex LONDON Printed for John Rothwell 1652. To the Reader Good Reader THe ensuing confession of faith which was delivered by me some years since at my Ordination in Kent was not then intended or calculated for
A Briefe DISCOURSE TOUCHING A Broken Heart In which the nature causes and signes of it are solidly treated of as also its acceptablenesse to God Together with many other motives pressing us to labour after the procurement of it and the means leading thereunto Being the summe and substance of certain Sermons preached by Mr. Daniel Carwardine late Minister of Eling in the County of Middlesex And since his death put forth by S. R. a friend of his Whereunto is annexed A CONFESSION OF FAITH by Mr. Samuel Rowles late Fellow of Trinity-Colledge in Cambridge And now Minister of Thistleworth in the County of Middlesex London Printed by E. G. for J. Rothwell and are to be sold at his shop on the North-side of Pauls 1652. To the Reader Christian Reader THis little Treatise if thou wilt please to peruse it as thou soon mayest hath a very gracious and profitable designe upon thee namely to help forward the great work of softning and breaking thy hard heart that so it may become a Sacrifice of a sweet smelling savour to the great God who delighteth in nothing wherewith the sonnes and daughters of men can present him more then in an humble and contrite spirit I have ventured to call thy heart hard whoever thou art that mayest cast thine eyes upon these lines taking it for a certain truth that the hearts of all the sons and daughters as well of God as of Belial are more or lesse obdurate if you consider them absolutely though the hearts of good men may be called soft in comparison with the hearts of wicked ones or if compared with that greater degree of hardnesse which was sometimes upon themselves even since the time of their conversion Such as doe take themselves to have least need of any helpes and furtherances in order to brokenness of heart it is to be feared have of all men else the most The Church of Laodicea which thought it selfe to have been rich namely in grace and holinesse and increased in riches that is in a growing thriving condition more holy every day then other yea at length so rich as to stand in need of nothing arrived at the very perfection of grace was it should seem in the account of God wretched miserable poore blind naked Revel 3.17 usually by how much richer any man is in spirituals by so much poorer he is in spirit and by how much poorer in spirit by so much richer in spirituall substance If I may measure thy wheat by my Bushell as Solomon gives me leave to doe Prov. 27.19 As in the water face answereth to face so the heart of a man to man I say according to that maxime of Solomon I can tell thee by the hardnesse of my own heart that there is some of that bitter root of obdurateness springing up in thine I would not doe thee so much wrong not knowing of thee nor being ever able to know thy heart as to say that there is so much of it in thy heart as in my own But how little soever it is you know what the Scripture saith touching leaven A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump so it is with the leaven of heart-hardnesse If thou look not to it in time what our Saviour saith concerning Mustardseed Matth. 13.31 thou wilt finde true in relation to hardness of heart Mustardseed saith he is the least of all seed but when it is grown it is the greatest of al herbs and becommeth a tree so that the birds of the ayre come and lodge in the branches thereof Hardness of heart is at the first one of the least sinnes not in respect of nature but degree for men doe set upon great sinnes at the first with tenderish reluctant consciences and softish hearts hardness of heart being usually introduced not meerely by the hainousness of one sinne once committed but by frequency and custome in sinning but afterwards it grows up to be as a mighty tree and well it may seeing all sinnes do contribute sap and moysture towards the growth of it and then the birds of the ayre I mean all sorts of soring high flown wickedness doe come and lodge in the branches of it that is to say are welcomed and entertained by means of it When the heart of a man is waxen hard it becomes a very cage of unclean birds an open house keeper to receive all sorts of profane vagabonds If thou art any waies prejudiced against this argument of heart-contrition as too legall which is the usuall form of their Mittimus who doe imprison soul-searching truth in unrighteousness T is legall doctrine say they away with it I say in case thou dost apprehend this doctrine too legall the common imputation cast upon unpleasing truths the ensuing Treatise will sufficiently convince thee of thine error if thou hadst rather part with it then keep it when thou hast light sufficiently whereby to see that it is indeed an error I need not tell thee how frequent a thing it is with Christ and his Apostles in the new Testament to commend encourage and exhort unto humility poverty of spirit unfained repentance godly sorrow all which expressions signifie no other then brokenness of heart and contrition of spirit which some are so loath to heare of and so upon a true account unwilling to come under the influence of those beatitudes benedictions pronounced by ur Lord Iesus Christ Blessed are the poor in spirit Blessed are they that mourne c. Darest thou to lay any thing to the charge of that doctrine which Christ hath not onely justified by his preaching but also crowned with his blessing which also was much in use amongst the Apostles who were exact followers of their Lord and master Christ If God despise not a broken heart but accepts it delights in it and dwels with it take heed of entertaining undervaluing thoughts concerning brokenness of heart Believe it God will despise thee and whatsoever proceedeth from thee if thou despise it What Paul saith in reference unto preaching the Gospel 1 Cor. 9 16. Necessity is laid upon me and woe unto me if I preach not the Gospel we may say the same in reference to brokennesse of heart necessity is laid upon us not a necessity of custom or tradition but of commission and therefore woe unto us if we preach it not See our commission for it Heb. 3.13 Exhort one another daily lest any of you be hardned thorough the deceitfulnesse of sinne Even private Christians are enjoyned to exhort one another for the prevention of hardnes of heart how much more ought the Ministers of the word to doe it yea the text saith it must be done daily and all little enough to keepe our hearts soft which are as subject to be hard as water that is taken of the fire is to waxe cold Reader if thou art desirous to have thy heart spiritually broken for so thou oughtest to be though many doe all they can to keepe their hearts from being broken
thou mayest meete with many helpes and encouragements thereunto one or both from severall hands namely from the word and spirit of God from both law and gospell threatnings and promises mercies and afflictions from things within and things without thee from the living voyce of Gods surviving Ministers who cry as Iohn the Baptist in the Wildernesse Repent repent for the Kingdome of Heaven is at hand as also from the publike labours of Gods servants who are dead and gone and amongst the rest from this little worke which is the onely orphan exposed to publike view of a late reverend and godly Minister who now resteth from his labours The worke is of so very small a bulke that thou mayest reade it over in a few houres but of so great difficulty in respect of practise that thou canst make no great proficiency therein in many dayes weekes or yeares unlesse thou gird up the loines of thy minde and set about it with all earnestnesse Such was the modesty of the author that he could never be prevailed upon by any importunity to suffer any thing of his during his life time to come neere the presse nor yet to consent to it after his death But that some of his friends desirous to erect a memoriall of him and to make him serviceable to the publicke as well since his death as in the time of his life have used him not unlike to Sauls usage of the Prophet Samuel though with a better Conscience and intent calling him forth as it were from the grave into the Land of the living where he was content to have laine in perpetuall silence and obscurity till the day of the revelation of all things The seasonablenesse of the subject was one of the maine inducements moving those to get it published whose desire it was to bring it forth into the light And it must needes he granted that this argument was never more seasonable then now it is hardnesse of heart and haughtinesse of spirit being an epidemicall disease of the present age as he that runs may reade And yet never less complaining of hard hearts then now a dayes but I wonder not at that it being the nature of this distemper to steale upon men so insensibly that they do not onely not perceive it of themselves but are also let loose to an inapprehension of such discoveries as spirituall physitians doe make unto them of their being under the power thereof though they shew them ever so many symptomes to evince the truth of what they charge them with That I lay no false imputation upon the men and women of the present age in saying that their hearts are generally hard above measure is easie to make appeare from severall cleaâ—e demonstrations I shall give you but one which is this we finde by sad experience that the worke of conversion is very much at a stand few there be that are taken in the net of the Gospell in comparison of what had wont to be yea we heare not of many who come so farre as to be pricked at the heart and put that necessary question what shall we doe to be saved whence should this proceede but from the generall hardnesse of mens hearts more then formerly The word of God is as quick and powerfull as sharp and piercing now as ever it was consider it in its selfe for these are inseparable properties of the word of God as we reade Heb. 4.12 but the hearts of men are not so pliable as heretofore they are become law proofe and gospell-proofe more then ever in such a sense as we call that kinde of armour which no bullet oan enter armour of proofe But I have no pleasure in upbraiding men with the hardness of their hearts we had much rather be imployed in provoking them to labour after the softning and mollifying of them that they may send forth a fragrant smell into the nostrils of the great God as spices being bruised are most fragrant If thou wilt ply this worke of labouring to breake thy heart Evangelically besides all those excellent helpes whereof I told thee before which doe most willingly offer themselves to thy assistance there are others thou mayest have for pressing and compelling such as thou little dreamest of namely the Divell the world and the flesh all and every of which by the power of God and grace may be made use of towards the breaking of thy hard heart If thou take this passage for a riddle the meaning of it is this the people of God reflecting upon and laying to heart those motions of sin which are continually stirring in them as also those severall temptations both from the divell and world whereunto they are daily and hourely obnoxious are hereby greatly humbled and abased in their own eyes as Paul was by reason of the body of death which he carryed about with him and the Messenger of Sathan which was sent to buffet him Surely this was the english of that good mans paradox who said he had sometimes received hurt by his graces and good by his sins the good which his sins did him surely was no other then this that they did serve to humble him and make him poore in spirit Though it be a very spirituall and excellent imployment to admire the riches of Gods love revealed in the Gospel and to rejoyce therein yet this is not a Christians onely worke whilest he sojourneth in this vale of teares as some would represent it who affect this kind of sublimity in the state of grace which is proper for and consistent onely with the condition of glorified Saints in Heaven If we could imagine sinne to be in Heaven there would be occasion for sorrow and brokennesse of heart even there also because there are certain actions in the state of grace sinfull actions committed by us which shall never be in the state of glory Thence it is that there are passions and affections also proper for this state which shall be done away in that as sorrow brokenness of heart c. Surely Christ was no whit angry with Peter but rather well pleased at it for weeping bitterly after that he had denyed his Lord and Master When Peter did flow with teares then did Christ cast an eye of compassion towards him The ensuing discourse will furnish thee wiih many motives unto brokenness of heart I shall therefore spare the labour of mentioning any save onely this one consideration tending thereunto namely that the heart of man is almost the onely thing amongst all created things that remains unbroken I say there are few pieces of the creation round about us but have been or are exceedingly broken were not the apostatizing Angels greatly broken when they were cast down from Heaven like lightning and thrust into the nethermost hell Is not the image of God in man exceedingly broken and defaced in comparison of what it was in the state of innocency are not the severall faculties of the souls of men their understandings
thinke every good thing too good for them as he that said he was lesse then the least of all the mercyes of God The reason why men are so hardly brought to deny themselves in any thing which may any wayes gratifie them is this namely because thorough the selfe-love that is in them they doe thinke nothing too good for themselves Now when humility and broken heartednesse hath once taken men of from this conceipt and made them to thinke the quite contrary namely that every thing is too good for them they can safely deny themselves in this or that which they would otherwise seeke to enjoy By how much more of selfe denyall is in any man by so much more is there in him of broken heartednesse and by how much more of broken heartednesse by so much more of selfe denyall You know that famous instance of the Prodigall returning to his father with a broken heart Father saith he Jam unworthy to be called thy sonne make me as one of thy hired servants A broken heart will deny it selfe in many things as for example not onely in the pleasure which it might have in repeating sins formerly committed against which it doth firmly resolve in the strength of Christ but also in those lawfull actions which may any waies give occasion unto relapsing into former sins or be any appearance of setting their faces towards them Yea such a person wil be apt to deny himselfe in the lawfull use of that which he hath formerly abused through excesse as wine company recreation c. 5. It consists in or rather is alwaies accompanied with self accusing and condemning before God Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth wil speake Persons that are full of self judging wil fall to self accusing and from thence to self condemning The divel who is called the accuser of the brethren might spare himselfe that labour forasmuch as broken hearted sinners are as forward to accuse themselves as he can be How highly doth Paul charge himselfe whom he cals the greatest of sinners David doth much accuse himselfe in this and severall other Psalms and condemn himself also For then is a man said to condemn himself when he acknowledgeth that God were most just if he should condemn him in respect of any argument which can be drawn from himselfe to the contrary what may be alledged to the contrary in reference to his surety Jesus Christ is another matter c. Men that Pharisee like doe stand upon their terms and goe about to justifie themselves before God I do not speak of pleading their sincerity for that is lawful in some cases but rather their innocency in a great degree as if they were no great sinners but like the cloud which the Prophet Malachy saw at the first of the bignesse of a mans hand sinners of a small size I say they who so justifie themselves may talke much of broken heartednesse but they never knew indeed and in truth what it meant Men that take up a new fashioned kinde of praying new in reference to those prayers which are recorded in the word as also which have beene used amongst Gods people generally leaving out the confession of sinne and taking of shame to themselves for it it is to be feared have their hearts little broken in that duty Sixthly broken heartednesse consists in selfe abhorrence as was instanced before in Job A man that hath a noysome disease upon him as an overspreading leprosie c is not onely offensive to others but also loathsome to himselfe He is an abomination to himselfe so that he could even leape out of his skin if he knew how So it is with broken hearted sinners they are even an abhorring to themselves by reason of the leprosie of sinne which cleaves to them Hence Paul cryed out O wretched man who should deliver him from his body of death which he carryed about with him Because he could not tell how sinne and his body could otherwise be parted then by parting soule and body he did long to be rid of his very body As a man that is given to cleanlinesse if any vermine come neere him begins to be sicke of him selfe or at leastwise of his cloathes and longs till he be shifted So Paul did long to put off his mortall body because the loathsome vermine of sinne did breede in it doe what he could and to put on immortality in which condition all filth would be done away You know sinne is mitted As it is amongst friends in the world though they truly love each other yet because there are certaine differences betweene them for the present uncompremised such courtesies as may be offered on either hand for the present will not be accepted It is the complaint of the Church unto God Lament 3.44 Thou hast covered thy selfe with a cloud that our prayers should not passe thorough It was a time in which God had led his people into captivity for the hardnesse of their hearts and it should seeme that was not all but he did also for the present stoppe his eares against their prayers looking upon them as yet not sufficiently humbled and heart broken for their sinnes 4. Vse This should put us upon examination whether we have broken hearts or not And believe it there hath beene much said to put us upon diligent inquiry thereinto forasmuch as we have proved it to be a sacrifice well pleasing unto God Who would not think it worth his while to enquire whether himselfe and his services be such as God accepts Quest But how may we come to know whether our hearts be truly broken for sinne or not Ans For the discovery hereof you may have recourse unto the description of broken heartednesse laid downe in the beginning of this discourse in which we told you that brokennesse of heart did consist in these severall particulars namely in a thorough conviction of the ugly nature of sin Now put the question to your hearts are you convinced of the evill of sinne after such a manner as is there described nextly in being really ashamed of sinne Now doe you finde this also viz. that sinne is matter of great shame and confusion of face to you that you looke upon sinne as that which is your great reproach Thirdly what mourning and relenting of heart is there in you for the commission of sinne is it matter of griefe and lamentation to you Fourthly hath the sight and apprehension of your sinnes brought you to the unfained deniall of your selves looking upon your selves as lesse then the least of the mercies of God by reason of them Fifthly are you come to that passe as even to loath abhor and be weary of your selves by reason of sinne Sixthly doe we judge accuse and condemne our selves before God sincerely for sinne adde hereto a seventh signe of broken heartednesse which hath not as yet beene mentioned and that is doe we really pitty those that hang downe their heads and are perplexed
by reason of sinne men that have been in the same condition with others who are in any kinde of misery are most inclinable to pitty and commiseration Upon this account it is said of Christ that we have not a high Priest who knoweth not how to be touched with our infirmities in as much as he was made like unto us in all things sinne excepted It is also thus written Heb. 2.18 For in that himselfe hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted Men that have beene exercised with any kind of bodily infirmities as gout stone collick are best able to pitty those who have the like infirmities So they who have themselves known what belongs to a broken heart will expresse it by their sympathy with others who fall into the same condition Not but that it is matter of rejoycing to see the hearts of our friends broken with godly sorrow if we consider the fruit and effect of it but if we consider it meerely as it is in its selfe what is said of affliction is true of brokenheartednesse No affliction is joyous for the present but grievous but it worketh the peaceable fruits of righteousnesse for them who are exercised therewith So broken heartednesse is not joyous for the present and in that regard it calls for pitty and sympathy though it doe afterwards worke the peaceable fruits of righteousnesse We pitty our friends when their Physicke doth make them heart sicke though we know it will doe them good in the conclusion Thus much shall suffice of the use which is by way of examination c. 5. Vse this should exhort us to labour to get broken and soft hearts For motives whereunto consider these following particulars which are reducible to two generall heads 1. The danger evill and inconvenience of a hard unbroken heart 2. The benefit of a soft broken heart under each of which we might ranke many particulars c. The evills ensuing upon a hard heart are as follow 1. God will not accept but reject an hard heart together with all that which proceedes from it c. See Jer. 4.3 Breake up your fallow grounds sow not amongst thornes circumcise your selves to the Lord and take away the foreskins of your hearts lest my fury breake forth like fire and burne that none can quench it How farre is the great God from accepting those the fallow ground of whose heart is not broken up seeing he doth here threaten that the fire of his wrath shall break forth upon them and there shall be none to quench it And thou by thy hard and impenitent heart saith the Apostle treasurest up to thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath That is all any man shall get at the hands of God by a hard heart namely a treasure of wrath you know that God doth chiefly eye with what hearts men do bring their services before him So that if men pray with ever so much appearance of zeale and fervency if they fast ever so often if they give ever so much Almes to the poor if they make ever so large professions of religion c. and their hearts under all this doe still remaine hard and unbroken it is as if they had done nothing at all All their bodily exercise will profit them very little c. 2. A hard heart will shut out all that which would come to doe us good If we have hard hearts mercies will not winne us judgments will not affright us Looke how it is with men of harsh dispositions and and inflexible natures use faire meanes to them and you stirre them not use fowle meanes and they are still at the same passe of insensiblenesse you had as good threaten a wooden post or speak to it friendly and it would be to as much purpose as to threaten such men or to intreate them friendlily Just thus it is with a hard heart It is like stony rocky ground no seede of grace will thrive there how should faith thrive in a heart that is insensible of sinne will they goe to Christ for life who apprehend not that they are lost and dead in themselves How should repentance flourish there where sin is not felt how should they love God much who doe not apprehend that they have many sinnes which had neede to be forgiven A hard heart is so farre from being better for mercies that it waxeth worse and worse under them It turneth the grace of God into wantonnesse Because judgement is not speedily exercised upon the children of disobedience therefore is the heart of the children of men set to doe evill And not onely so but they doe take occasion by the judgments of God also to waxe worse and worse As they are smitten they revolt more and more like the smiths anvill the more it is beaten upon the harder it growes The more plagues God did send upon Pharoah still the more hard and insensible he did grow A hard heart is like the clay that is made more hard by contrary causes both by the warme sunshine as also by the cold frost If God put not more then ordinary efficacie into the meanes a hard heart will rather be worse then better for them c. 3. We can never hope upon good grounds to enter into Heaven with unbroken hearts None shall dwell with God hereafter but those with whom God dwels here Now the text saith that God doth dwell with him that is of an humble and contrite heart thereby intimating that God dwels not with them that are of proud unbroken hearts Thou by thy hard and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2. That 's all a man gets by a hard heart We reade of some who when they shall come at the day of Judgment and knock saying Lord Lord open to us shall receive this answer I know yee not depart yee workers of iniquity for when I was hungry yee fed me not c. And doe you thinke that hard hearted sinners shall receive any other answer then this Depart c. For when I knocked at the doore of your hearts yee would not open to me though my locks were wet with the dew of the night therefore now will I not open to you If you observe who they are whom Christ pronounceth blessed in his Sermon Matth. 5. Blessed are the poor in spirit c. You will finde that the most of those which are there mentioned are men of a temper as contrary to hardnesse of heart as white is to blacke Our Saviour doth there pronounce them blessed who are poore in spirit who mourne who are meek who do hunger and thirst after righteousnesse now these are the properties of broken hearted men and there is nothing more contrary to them then a hard heart Thus have we set before you the great evils attending upon a hard heart namely it hinders our acceptance with God suffers us not to reape benefit by what would otherwise do
us good and which is worst of all it shuts Heaven gate against it which three things are most true concerning it if by a hard heart you understand a heart not in the least truly broken for sinne c. Come we to the second sort of motives which we promised to speake of namely such as are taken from the benefit and usefulnesse of a broken heart The benefits of a soft heart are as follow 1. A soft heart is fit to receive any Grace as soft wax is fit to receive any impression Metal being softned by fire is fit to be wrought in such manner as the artificer doth desire to have it When God is about to stampe his image upon the soule of a man the worke of grace I meane his manner is to prepare the heart thereunto by breaking and softning of it with the power of spirituall conviction As those we read of in the Acts who were pricked at heart which is the first good we heare of them It is said of the spirit that he shall convince first of sinne and then of righteousnesse As ground is prepared to receive the seed by being first ploughed and broken up so likewise is it with the hearts of men It is said That the humble God will teach God makes men teachable by humbling them and then he teacheth them Thou bindest man in cords of affliction and sealest up instruction to him why then namely because men are usually most humble and broken in a time of affliction and therefore most teachable at such a time Now it is a great matter to have our hearts fit to receive good as Scripture counts fitnesse because such a heart is neare unto good good doth as it were lye at the doore of such a heart Many mercies are long comming because the heart is long in fitting to receive them And it is the manner of God in dispensing of mercies first to look that the heart be made fit to receive them as a wise Physitian will not give strong physick till he have prepared the body of his patient for it A smith will not strike his iron till he have first made it hot and so capable of impression from his blow Though God could perfect severall kinds of worke in an instant yet it is his manner to doe things gradually as first to fit men for mercies and then to bestow mercies upon them humble your selves under the mighty hand of God that he may lift you up in due time If God give men good things before such time as they are fit for them he gives them usually in wrath and not in mercy for their hurt and not for their good It is therefore a great benefit to have our hearts fit to receive good So much of the first motive 2. God will take up his abode in thy heart if it be an humble heart yea Christ will come and the spirit will come and take up their abode in thy heart if it be a soft heart Isa 57.15 Thus saith the high and holy one I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of an humble and contrite heart to revive the heart of the contrite ones Now this is an expression which speakes much intimacy and nearnesse for God to say that he dwells with them that are of an humble spirit It is a steppe towards familiarity to dwell in the same towne a further steppe to dwel the next doore to any neighbour but beyond either of these to dwell in the same house with any friend how happy would a sick man think himselfe if he had an able Physitian dwelling constantly in the house with him so as to be alwayes at hand when he hath any occasion to make use of him God dwels with broken hearted sinners for that very end that he may revive them If any friend in whose company you take great delight so much indeed that you are not well without him should say well rather then you shall be melancholly for want of my company I will even come dwell with you for altogether would you not count it a great priviledge how much greater priviledge is it to have God and Christ and the spirit dwel with us Oh! who would lose such a priviledge rather then be at the paines to breake a hard heart 3. An humble a soft heart is in the best capacity to be freed from sinne Looke how it is with the ground whilest it is hard and fast bound with frost there is no getting up the weedes if you would ever so faine but when the raine descends upon it and softens it then you may pluck them up with ease Sinne is bound up in the hearts of men whose hearts are hard as weedes are bound in the ground in frosty weather but when it waxeth soft it may be plucked up by the rootes God doth sometimes suffer sinne to continue in greater strength and vigour in the hearts of his people then it otherwise should on purpose to humble them as knowing that nothing can be matter of greater humiliation to a gracious heart then the power and strength of sin within it Some thinke that by the messenger of Sathan which was sent to buffet Paul that he might not be puffed up with revelations we are to understand some sinne whereunto he was tempted as a meanes to keep him humble seeing then it is the manner of God sometimes to break the hearts of good men by suffering their sinnes to remaine in a great measure unsubdued as some good men that are subject to violent passion pensivenesse and discontent of spirit broken heartednesse must needes make way for the delivering men from the Tyranny of their sins for if you take away the cause of sins continuance in good men which is oftimes the want of due humiliation and brokennesse of heart the effect will follow 4. A soft heart is fit to receive all sorts of good things John the Baptist is said to have prepared the way of Christ now you know the great Doctrine which John insisted upon was repentance or broken heartednesse as being very preparatory to the great worke of Christ which was to binde up the broken hearted and to proclaime liberty to the captives to bring the glad tidings of salvation into the world Tidings of pardoning grace is most acceptable and welcome to a broken heart A broken heart is fit for comfort counsell mercy grace and indeed what not that is truely good If you would know in what respect a broken heart is most fit for any kinde of good take this briefe account of it 1. A broken heart stands in the most need of mercy as comfort c. A man is then most fit for meate and drinke when he is most hungry and thirsty and so stands in the greatest neede of it He that hath not so good an appetite is not so fit to eate 2. A soft heart is in the least danger of getting hurt by mercies of being spoiled with kindnesse
those same things as in a glasse we may as well know a man by the representation of him in a glasse as if we should see him face to face and with open face too which may signifie more light shining into the understandings of men under the Gospell then did in the time of the law and to behold the glory of God whereas they saw little of it in comparison 3. Efficacy 3. In point of efficacy the new Testament administration of the Gospell doth excell But believers in the old Testament were generally as trees growing in the shade except some few worthyes such as Abraham and David Whereas believers under the new Testament dispensation are as trees growing in such places where the influence of the warm beames of the Sun may come at them without hinderance or interposition Hence the time of the old Testament is called the time before the comming of Faith Gal. 3.23 Before Faith came i. e. in that plenty that it comes in the time of the new Testament we were shut up unto the Faith which should afterwards be revealed All which expressions doe speake the old Testament administration of the Covenant of grace to have beene lesse effectuall then is the new some thinke that place Zach. 12.8 He that is feeble shall be as David and the house of David shall be as God as the Angell of God before them I say some thinke that it is a promise of that eminency of grace which shall be in believers in the time of the new Testament above what was in the generallity of old Testament believers 4. 4. Change of Seales a a fourth difference The administration of the Covenant of grace under the new Testament differeth from that of the old in respect of the alteration of seales of which we have spoken already Thus have I declared my perswasions touching the Covenant of grace and the severall things belonging thereunto After the publication of the foresaid Covenant in that first promise the seed of the woman shall breake the head of the Serpâ—nt God was pleased by severall piece-meales and in severall manners to make knowne himselfe to those who lived in the infancy of the world declaring himselfe to them sometimes by a voyce from Heaven as the law was given from Mount Sinai sometimes by visions other times by dreames other times by prophecies sometimes by inspiration of things not propheticall which things were afterwards written for our instruction upon whom the ends of the world are come that we thorough Faith and patience might inherit the promises Scriptures which writings are commonly knowne by the name of the Bible or holy scriptures concerning which I thus believe namely that they were inspired by God and left as a rule of faith and manners so to continue to the worlds end and are able to make the man of God perfect to every good word and worke As also that we who live under the Gospel ought still to have respect unto that part of Scripture which is called the old Testament My reasons for it are these 1. That exhortation of Christ Iohn 5.39 Search the Scriptures Reasons why the old Testament should be still respected which is meant of the old Testament for then they had no other for in them yee thinke that is you your selves are perswaded as well as the truth is that yee have eternall life that is the way to eternall life which is Christ himselfe declared to you as appeareth to be the meaning by the following words and they are they which testifie of me Who dare reject that word which gives testimony to Christ if you say that the ceremoniall law did so I answer that the observation of it now would be a witnessing against Christ as if he were not already come in the flesh but expected hereafter and therefore it is abolished 2. The identity or samenesse of the old and new Testament is another reason why I contend for having respect to it The old and new Testament doe both treate of the same subject namely Christ and the way of salvation by Faith in him though with some difference of circumstance c. It is said that unto Christ did all the prophets beare witnesse 3. The frequent quotations which are in the new Testament out ot the old as if Christ himselfe and his Apostles had but commented upon the old Testament and would not urge things upon the beliefe of those to whom they Preached without good warrant and testimony from Moses and the Prophets 4. I am induced to have respect to the old Testament from this undeniable principle namely that as it is dangerous to plant what God hath not planted so much more dangerous to plucke up what God hath planted till he begin to doe it with his own right hand Now we doe estranging them to the world affecting them to and enflaming them for God 2. Touching the duties of men towards God The duties of men towards God I thus believe viz. That all sorts of men are bound to love feare serve and trust in him with all their hearts and soules by vertue of their being received from him in conjunction with all other mercyes as also for the continued preservation which is equivalent to a continuall creation of their beings and wel-beings But that there is a double tye upon believers to give up their whole selves souls and bodies unto God For they are least of all their own being Gods not onely by creation and forfeiture as all wicked men are but by redemption also he having bought them with a price The manner in which they are to serve God for the externall part of it I conceive to be in the way of his ordinances viz by praying reading Singing of Psalms what it is hearing meditating singing of Psalmes which is meditating and praising of God with the voyce lifted up for the expressing and provoking of greater cheerefulnesse and affording further leisure by due pausing and treatable delivery for divine consideration not to omit attendance upon God in the sacraments of baptisme and the Lords supper Right manner of performing duties what it is As for the manner of performing these duties in which the life and spirit of religion doth consist they are to be done in Faith from Gospell motives to spirituall ends by way of testifying our thankefulnesse and the rule of them is to be the word of God I might adde that God is to be served in the exercise of all graces as Faith humility patience self-denyall zeale Expectations of men from God Of all men c. which are the fruits of the spirit of God within us Lastly I shall conclude with my perswasions touching what men are to expect from God 1. In generall 2. In speciall In the generall all men are to looke for a summons by death to a particular appearance and accompt for the resurrection of their bodies after they have laine awhile in the grave for a citall of soule and body to appeare before God at the day of the great Assize to give an account of the deedes done in their bodies These things are to be expected in common both of good and bad Of wicked men But to descend to particulars As for men continuing in unbeliefe and impenitency I know nothing belongs to them but a certaine dreadfull expectation of fury and vengeance to be poured out upon all the adversaries and that having compassed themselves with sparkes they should have this at length at Gods hand namely to lye downe in sorrow and that their soules being at the great day reunited to their bodies should return to hell whence they came the Sentence of eternall condemnation being irrecoverably past upon them Depart yee cursed c. Of good men in respect of the present life and of that which is to come But as for Believers they have something to expect from God here and something hereafter Here they expect some things for themselves and other things for the Church for themselves the keeping of them by the power of God to salvation the peace of God to guard their hearts For the Church The presence of Christ with it by his spirit to the worlds end the breaking of the Serpents head and putting downe of the man of sinne and all other enemies of Christ which shall be made his footstoole For hereafter they expect that their soules being joyned to their bodies which shall be made conformable to the glorious body of Christ shall re-enter into their mansions of glory being an intire glorified essence whereas but a part of them was before in glory having heard their judge who is also their redeemer and surety thus pronounce concerning them Well done good and faithfull servants enter into your Masters Joy FINIS
him who is of an humble and contrite spirit to revive him which reviving presupposeth drooping and sadnesse The soule that is not cast downe with sorrow needes no reviving But every kinde of sorrow is not the brokennesse of heart here spoken of but onely that kinde of sorrow which we spake of even now namely sorrow for sinne There is a sorrow called worldly sorrow or heart breaking which is said to worke death God hath no pleasure in seeing his people breake their hearts after such a fashion nay he hath commanded that in respect of outwards men should be so far from breaking their hearts with sorrow that they should mourne as if they mourned not But godly sorrow which is said to work repentance never more to be repented of that is the brokenness of heart here commended as may appeare from Isa 57.15 where a broken heart is twice in one verse joyned with an humble heart as being convertible termes I dwell with him that is of an humble and contrite spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and contrite Now you know that great trouble of spirit occasioned by outward crosses is not true humility for such affliction of spirit may stand with great pride and great hardnesse of heart yea it may arise from pride By how much more proud the heart is by so much more will it rage and take on when it meetes with opposition like waves that swell and roare and dash themselves in pieces against those rocks which stand in their way If you looke also into the 66 chapter of Isaiah vers 2. there are two passages in that verse which doe manifest that by brokennesse of heart must needs be meant sorrow for sin and not any other kind of sorrow A broken heart is there called a poore spirit and a spirit which trembleth at the word of God To him will I looke that is poore and of a contrite spirit that trembleth at my word Now a man may be much broken with afflictions and yet be farre from that poverty of spirit to which Christ pronounceth the blessing Blessed are the poore in spirit A mans heart may be as much lifted up within him when he is poore naked in outward respects as if he were rich and full and wanted nothing It is onely a true sight of sinne which can work true poverty of spirit So whereas a contrite heart is said to tremble at the word of God you know that is usually a fruit of mens being sensible of their sinnes and not of outward troubles to make them tremble at the word of God Thus have we proved to you that by brokennesse of heart is meant a true and godly sorrow for sinne Come we now to shew you more particularly wherein this brokennesse of heart doth consist which is as followeth It doth consist first in a thorow conviction of the ugly nature of sin I call that a thorow conviction of the uglinesse of sinne whereby men are not onely inclined to thinke of sinne as an ugly deformed thing but are altogether perswaded that it is so and doe no more question it then they question the uglinesse of any thing which is abominable to the eye or against which they have a natural antipathy As those that have a natural antipathy against any kind of creatures c. Or rather we may describe a thorow conviction thus namely it is such a conviction of the loathsomenesse of sin as is effectual to perswade with men to endeavour the forsaking of it Observe that we doe define brokennesse of heart to consist in a thorough conviction not meerly of the dangerousnesse of sin or evil consequences thereof but in conviction of the ugly nature of sinne as it is contrary to the holy nature and righteous law of God see a text for this purpose namely Iob. 42.51.6 I have heard of thee with the hearing of the eare but now mine eye seeth thee therefore doe I abhor my selfe and repent in dust and ashes That which made Iob abhor himselfe was the sight of God and how did that doe it why thus the more he beheld God the more he did observe his own contrariety to God by reason of sinne whence sprung that selfe abhorrence of his And this is the first particular wherein brokennesse of heart consists Secondly It consists in true mourning for sinne They goe about to divide betwixt things that are inseparable who say their hearts are affected with a true hatred of sinne and yet are not broken with reall sorrow for sinne Hatred of sinne and sorrow for the commission of it doe alwayes goe together In the 12 of Zachariah vers 10. you have the repentance or broken heartednesse of the Jewes which is there prophecyed of thus described They shall tooke upon me whom they have pierced and they shall mourne for him as one mourneth for his only Son and shall be in bitternesse for him as one that is in bitternesse for his first borne Thirdly in shame of heart and soul that we have sinned Shamefulnesse in respect of sinne doth constantly attend broken heartednesse yea our being ashamed of sinne doth much helpe to breake our hearts for sinne See what is said of broken-hearted Ephraim Ier. 31 19. After I was instructed I smote upon my thigh I was ashamed yea even confounded because I did beare the reproach of my youth Broken-hearted sinners reflect upon the dayes of their vanity before conversion as a great reproach to them They blush to thinke what they were before God called them I was a blasphemer a persecutor an injurious person doubtlesse with no small shame he speaks it If one that were afterwards a great personage advanced to some great preferment had formerly been a scullion or kitchin boy how ashamed would he be to be told of it yea if he did but thinke of the meane offices which he had done in his time it would much abash him especially if he were a man of a proud spirit So broken hearted sinners when they call to minde what base drudges they have beene to sin and Satan what sordid worke they have been imployed in by them formerly it filleth them with shame and confusion of face not because their spirits are proud for this is not pride in them but because they are raised up to a holy disdaine and contempt of sinne as of that which is the greatest badge of dishonour that can cleave to them Noble personages are not more ashamed of having their bloud stained by treason then broken hearted sinners are of those staines of sinne which have cleaved to them Nor are they onely ashamed of the dayes of their vanity but also of the vanity of their present dayes c. Fourthly broken heartednesse consisteth in selfe-denyall and resolution to forsake sinne for the time to come A broken heart is alwayes a selfe-denying heart and it must needes be so because broken hearted persons are very sensible of their own unworthinesse and consequently apt to