Selected quad for the lemma: sin_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
sin_n	david_n	lord_n	nathan_n	4,238	5	12.7447	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A95609	A Scripture-map of the wildernesse of sin, and vvay to Canaan. Or The sinners way to the saints rest. Wherein the close bewildring sleights of sin, wiles of the Devill, and windings of the heart, as also the various bewildrings of lost sinners, yea, even of saints, before, in, and after conversion; the necessity of leaning upon Christ alone for salvation, with directions therein: as also, the evident and eminent danger of false guides, false wayes, false leaning-stocks, are plainly, and practically discovered. Being the summe of LXIV lecture sermons preached at Sudbury in Suffolk, on Cantic. 8.5. / By Faithful Teate, M.A. minister of the Gospel.	Teate, Faithful, b. 1621.	1655 (1655)	Wing T615; Thomason E839_1; ESTC R203761	372,945	489

my purpose is that Ro. 2.19 ●rt thou confident that thou thy self art a guide of the blind hat teachest another and teachest not thy self that sai'st a man should not steal and thou stealest c. thou art a sad Guide indeed saith God though thou bee never so confident that thou art a Guide and indeed we use to say None so bold as blind-bayard None will take it usually more in snuff to be undervalued as to their Ministery then such lame dead standing resting Ministers 2 A civility preaching Minry 2. A Civility-preaching or practising Minister that in neither life nor doctrine goes farther whose business it is only to make their hearers good neighbours and as they call it good Townsmen living lovingly and dealing righteously truly that 's good and it may be themselves will set them a Copy therein by living peaceably and honestly amongst their Neighbours And I would all that are called Ministers would doe so well But yet let such know that they and their people for all such preaching and practising are in the Wildernesse if they come no farther There are some Ministers in the World of this stamp whose people I believe would go to Hell and dye in the Wildernesse of sin though they should do all that their Ministers bid them do When the civill man came to Christ asked him what he should do to inherit Eternal life Christ to try him Preacheth at first after their rate Mat. 19.18 19 thou shalt not commit Adultery nor steal c. and honor thy Father and Mother c. Why thus far it seems his teachers had taught him and thus far he had learnt from his youth ver 20. say you so Oh! but saith Christ Luk. 18.22 One thing thou lackest go and sell all and follow me which is the sum of the Gospell that which he had learnt was Morality but one thing he lackt and that was Divinity that was Christianity that was self-deniall self-abasing gospell-humbling gospell-repentance sell all and gospell-faith and gospell-obedience come and follow me this Doctrine he was never taught before and this he never learnt and therefore notwithstanding his proficiency in the other and due observancy of those Guides yet was hee left in the Wildernesse still and lost ther● as you may see in the close of the story 3. A generall preaching Ministry 3. A general preaching Minister that either preacheth notions or generall things of Doctrine or else practicall truths but in a generall way Truly the reason I believe that people generally continue bewildred is Ministers preaching so much in a generall way to particular soules in their naturall condition that do not use to take home any more to themselves then we carry home into their bosoms whether almost they will or no. Surely as it is not food in generall that supports or Physick in generall that heales the body so is it not the truth in general that cures the soul but this or that food or Physick applyed to this or that body or this or that truth applyed to this or that soul You know that Drunkards doe usually sleepe under invectives in generall against Drunkennesse and be very safe too Oh! I am not the Drunkard I am but a good fellow or the like till the word come close and plain and home And truly the Guidance of a generall-preaching Minister is little more worth then the Counsell of a Country-Ideot that when a travailer should ask the way to London hee should answer London-Road and the man should reply yea but which is London-Road or which way shall I take to get into it and he should answer nay I cannot tell So they preach that sin is the way to Hel and Repentance and Faith are the way to Heaven yea but saith a poor soule which hears them preach thus generally yea but what is Faith or Repentance or how shal we do to know whether I repent or believe or no What is it to mortifie the deeds of the flesh and what is it to walk after the spirit which you say we must do and truly the Minister is come the next time to a new Text and never unties the old knot And so the poor soul is as much at a losse as ever it was Onely it knowes now that sinne will damn it and that faith would save it but how to get out of the Wildernesse of sin or how to get into the way of faith never doth the Minister shew and this is the guidance of generall Preaching A sad instance of such Preaching and an happy instance of the contrary we have at once in one Preacher upon one hearer Nathan and David Nathan he forms a curious and elegant story wherein he lively wittily reproves Davids sin to Davids very face 2 Sam. 12. the four first verses Now mark as hee Preaches in the generall so David assents in the generall and is convinced in the generall ver 5. as the Lord lives saith David the man shall die that did this Why David was the man But yet for all the beating of the very bush that David was hid in till David himself comes by particular and plain dealing to bee smitten upon the generall conviction is not worth any thing to him but himselfe lies secure in the Wildernesse of sin still But when Nathan comes to preach particularly David begins to apply particularly and when Nathan smites him he smites upon his own breast Thou art the man saith Nathan ver 7. Thus saith the Lord I did thus and thus for thee verses 7 8. and yet thou hast done thus and thus against me Thou hast slain Uriah and thou hast taken his wife to bee thy wife and thou hast despised the Commandement of the Lord and thou hast done evill c. ver 9. And therefore saith the Lord I will raise up evill against thee and the sword shall never depart from thine bouse ver 10 11. Now David begins to be startled to purpose and to be down-right in acknowledgement as Nathan was in conviction And David said unto Nathan I have sinned against the Lord. Verse 13. Whilst Nathan the cries man did soso and David cries the man shall die But when Nathan cries thou art the man David criee I have sinned against the Lord and if you read but the Penitentiall Psalms of David you shall find what a sad cry it was Particular Preaching makes penitent hearers Whilest Peter cries out Ye have Crucified c. Act. 2 36. They cry out What shal we do v. 37. We say Dolus latet in Universalibus It is easie to deceive or to be deceived by generalls A sedulous inquiry in quiry into the particulars of truth and a close application to particular Cases are the choice meanes for us Ministers to undeceive others and to be undeceived as to the state of our own soules Thus much of the third bewildring Guidance viz. of some Ministers so called Come we now to the next CHAP. VI. There are

of blood yet at length sin shall sting like an adder and bite like a serpent of the wilderness Prov. 23.32 Vse To yong ones Now to come up from the the wildernes Hearken then you yong ones unto me and I will shew you an excellent way Youth I know is of all ages and states most desirous and indeed most free for travel but it pities me to think that so much gallant youth and the strength thereof should be spent in wandring up and down in the worthless wilderness of sin Encouragement 1. The fitness of youthful time for that travel rather if you will be traveling remember Canaan Oh! what a time is the strength of your youth to make out your way from the wilderness of sin Thou hast some strength to rush through the thickets more then an old man hath and if thou lose a little of thy flesh in breaking through the thorns thou art yong and thy flesh will come again if thou lose by repentance as to carnal respects there 's time enough before thee to have amends made thee I observe as the yong ones were those of the Israelites that got through the wilderness unto Canaan Numb 26.64 so at this day those that are converted are converted yong ten to one of those that live to be old and yet come to be new born If old men will have their old ways still and scorn to learn a new lesson being old yea if their joints be stiff and their knees feeble that they cannot travel yet let us yong men get up and be going and the Lord be with us This day the Lord calls you yong ones from the Lions de● and Leopards mountains if you refuse this call to day you will mourn at the last when your strength is consumed and say How have I hated instruction and mine heart despised reproof Prov. 7.11 12. Take a tree from the wilderness when its young set it in your Garden keep it and water it c. and little fear of its death but take an old tree from the wilderness and transplant it in your Orchard and do what you will there is little hope of the life of it if there be 't will cost much ado much weeping to water it c. hear David crying Psalm 25 6 7. Remember thy tender mercies remember not the sins of my youth nor my transgressions If thou have only thy youth transgressions or bewildrings to reckon for it will be work enough for thee though thou have thy youth strength to do the work in Secondly As this is the fittest time for thee 2. The acceptableness of youth herein unto God so is it the most welcome time to God young ones if you did but know how kindly the Lord would take it to see you come up from the wilderness such youthfull Spouses leaning upon the Beloved it would ravish your hearts within you I le give you a tast for God hath bidden me go and cry in your ears saying Thus saith the Lord I remember the kindness of thy youth the love of thine Espousals when thou wentest after me in the wilderness in a Land that was not sown Jer. 2.2 Oh Christ the Shepheard is come into the Wilderness to seek and to save that which is lost Oh if thou wilt in thy youth be so kind as to follow him till thou shall come to Canaan God will never forget this love of thine espousals say not that thou art too young to marry Christ the younger thou art the better Christ will like thee CHAP. III. A fifth particular to wit that mans estate is a bewildred estate the world is a wilderness proved generally proved particularly the first particular poverty a wilderness opened and applyed Fifthly Mans estate a bewild red estate FIfthly Men and women as soon as they enter upon the world as we say that is upon the heart of the world they enter upon the heart of the Wilderness The world is a Wilderness to the unregenerate for here grow those Thorns that choak the word of God The world is a wilderness here are the thorns Mat. 13.22 He that hath the word choaked by the Cares of this world is said to receive it among thorns When the Word meets with a worldly heart it is like good seed sown in a thorny wilderness Worldlings you that hear me this day I appeal to your consciences if it be not so In comes a note or an observation an advice or a conviction and up start the thorny worldly thoughts that are within thee even whilst thou art within the reach of the word and choak that good seed Here are the the entangling waies that it brings not forth Again The world is a wilderness to the unregenerate for here are those crooked and foul waies that are the entanglements of the poor soul the Apostle 2 Pet. 2.20 mentioning the pollutions of the world saith They are entangled therein and overcome The world is a thorny thicket and entangling wilderness to the unconverted My friends were it only your Babes and children They that enter upon the world enter the very midst of the wilderness and youth that were bewildred it were less to be feared you might hope that when they came to have experience of and to understand the waies of the world they might come to understand their own waies or at least if you were not your selves lost you might set them into the way But let me tell you what ever you think or speak of Men of the world know not what way they wal in or unto any man Oh say you I know well enough what I do and about what I go and what way I am in there is not an unregenerate heart amongst you but is so far bewildred as not to know the way that thy soul is in Prov. 20.4 Mans goings are of the Lord how then can a man understand his own way He that is a stranger from Gods waies is altogether ignorant of his own waies nay how can he understand them Mans goings are known of the Lord The interpretation of this Scripture may be according to Prov. 5.21 Mans waies are before the Lords eyes and he pondereth all his wayes T is Gods prerogative to understand not only his own waies but thy waies as it is the Saints prerogative that know God not only to understand their waies but Gods waies but it is thy misery neither to know Gods waies nor thine own Prov. 12.26 The way of the wicked seduceth him Seduceth that is his very way leads him out of his Way It seems a right way unto him but the end thereof are waies of death Prov. 14.12 The end of his way he thinks is thriving and riches and a comfortable life this thinks he will be the end of his grinding the faces of the poor and cheating the rich and this he thinks is a right way he may lawfully buy as cheap and sell as dear as he can But the end

the dark valley of the shadow of death It deceived me how is that truly thus much I can say to it from the experience that I have had of poore soules in such a condition Darkning us that their sense of their sinne hath beene more then true even greater in some respect then their sinne Consult with Paul who tells you here that he was deceived but doth not tell you wherein 1 Tim. 1.15 Christ came to save sinners saith he of whom I am chiefe Why how could that bee Paul was before Conversion a sober blamelesse man as touching the Law Phil. 3.6 Zealous according to his light if you urge his persecuting of the Church why still there are as great if not much greater sinners then he for 1 Tim 1.13 He did it ignorantly Yet still when the Law stirres up the sence of sinne as encompassing poore Paul this is that that kills him that he is the chiefe of sinners Thus is it with our poore hearts Oh! when we see the brightnesse and glory of the Law of the Lord how Holy and just and good it is and how vile and sinfull and abominable our selves are Oh! never was there any sinne like ours never any guilt like ours What sinne against such meanes as I against such light as I against such mercies as I against such calls of Grace as I Oh! never any one sinned as I have done Yes friend thinke as bad of thy selfe as thou wilt others as sinfull as thou have gone before thee Now this is one bewildring darknesse● in the fence of sinne which may more humble then hurt you I would many were allured into this wilderness this day But now comes Satan as I said before Darkning that splendor of Gods mercy unto us and his businesse is to raise the darksome fogges of thy selfe-condemning and soul-bewildring thoughts yet higher so as not onely to bedarken all that is within thee but to cloud the face of mercy and to obscure the glory of Christs undertakings by the black guilt of thy sinnes Here is a worse deceiving by the sense of sin through Satans temptation and this makes the formes Wildernesse much more bewildring and the poore lost Creature ten thousand times more at a loss then it was before when the soule comes to see its sinnes greater then any other sinnes of the Children of men Satan striketh in and takes advantage to make it account its sinnes greater then any of Gods pardons and this is a deceiving indeed unto slaying and such I believe was the dark bewildring sence that Cain and Judas had of their sinnes take heed take heed of this deceipt in your sensibleness of your sinnes and yet even in this dark wilderness are many deare unto God for a season left and as it were lost till God come and speake comfortably unto them I can give you two eminent instances both of mine owne knowledge Instance The one was when I was a little one A rich man was walking and there comes a poor Creature to him with death in his face and begges of him some reliefe the man was an hard man and denyed the poor wretch importunes and through importunity prevailes thus farre saith the rich man come to my house to morrow and I will give you something Oh! sir saith the poore one I shall die before morning if I have not something to succour me this night yet could not the Rich man be then prevailed with that very night the begger dyed was sound dead the next morning the Rich man laies this to hear as I confess well he might was so terrified that for much time not the least comfort could be fastned on him but never was any guilt or sinne like his by night he was faine to have constant company and Candles burning with him and it would frequently cry out That now the Devill was ready to seize on him He was through providence brought unto a godly Minister where I was and to whom I was related I being little was left in the roome when the Minister and he were together Oh! it would have broken any heart that had the least of tendernesse to see the poore man what paines he tooke to load himselfe with misery and to obstruct the way of mercy and this was the upshot of all never was there such a Murtherer as he that obtained mercy I remember for the afflicted mans carriage made the discourse take more impression on me the Minister instanced in Davids Murther and aggravated it what a man David was of what profession under what mercies c. and what a man Uriah was a godly man a faithfull subject a publique spirited man c. and what a murther it was known wilfull devised plotted longed for and pleasing to David when accomplished and yet I remember would not that poore man bee perswaded but that his sinne was farre greater then Davids and so such as God would not pardon although at length it pleased God by that Minister to fasten some comfort on him Instance The other was mine owne experience also not long since Indeed the good woman desired me for Caution unto others concealing her to take some occasion to speake of the thing Her great sinne for which shee thought there was no mercy no pardon was a lie and on this manner she was private at duty in a roome that was said to be haunted as the phrase is in the night and there came by the Chamber doore a man of the house that hearing some stirring there asked her it being very dark whether she was there or no calling her by her name she being unwilling that hee should know that she used to be there of the suddaine answered that it was not she he urged her again and again she denyed At length the man halfe affrighted prayed her as ever she look'd for mercy from God that she would tell him if it were she and shee being much moved and yet unwilling through the strength of the present temptation to unsay what she had spoken denyed it yet again I thus farre agreed with her that it was indeed a very great sinne and deeply to be sorrowed for but her language was that it was the greatest sinne that ever was committed and that there could be no mercy for her because she had denyed the mercies of the Lord. I instanced in Peters denial of Christ once twice thrice till it came to cursing and swearing and perfect disowning of his Saviour I know not the man I aggravated it from Peters solemne profession of Christ his engagement not to deny him c. and yet notwithstanding he obtained mercy But for all I could say I could not for the present perswade the woman but that her denyall was a farre greater sinne then Peters and though she believed that there was mercy for him and salvation for him that declaredly denyed his Saviour yet could I not perswade her that there was any mercy for her who as

Scriptures that I have mentioned 1. That souls that have Christ and are converted may from thence be sure that they are elected but yet that it doth not hence follow that souls that are yet Christless and unconverted as yet are reprobated But yet Againe so much I presume the second Scripture speaks that no soul can come to say I am not reprobate I know I am not but by being able to say Christ is in me although another soule may not say because Christ is not in me therefore I am a Reprobate Christ is in me therefore I am no Reprobate that Scripture concludes undoubtedly true Christ is not in me therefore I am a Reprobate that Scripture concludes not neither can it so conclude for it is a lie sinners in hell may say we are all Reprobates therefore Christ is not in us sinners upon Earth may not say Christ is not in us therefore we are all Reprobates for though Christ be not in you to day who can or dare say but that God may convert you to morrow I shall illustrate the whole of this 2. Simile by a similitude obvious to you You have in your Town an hundred shifts by a Benefactors will to be dealt forth to an hundred poor men and women whom the Trustees shall choose out of all the poor They are chosen before the Dole which is to be at twice and in two severall places some to be distributed in the fore-noon at one place of concourse some in the after-noon at another the man or woman that receives in the forenoon may rest assured that he or she was elected or chosen because they have received but he that stands by and receives not cannot rest assured or be sure that he is not elected because although he receives not then yet he may in the afternoon Sinners that are timously converted may be sure they were elected because they have received the gift of God But sinners that are yet unconverted I grant they have abundant reason to question whether they be elected or no and a great deal of reaon to fear lest God should call them Reprobate silver but they cannot be sure they may not conclude that they are Reprobate because God may at the eleventh hour send them into the Vineyard Though hee that receives not in the forenoon may fear he is not chosen yet he may not conclude so as to neglect to wait in the afternoon it may be he may then receive Unconverted ones have reason to fear that they are unelected ones and let this to purpose humble them but let them not so wretchedly conclude as to despair and so as to neglect the afternoones dole yea surely they should be the more humbly solicitous because there is but one part of the day to deal in and if that be over and Christ the gift of God not received they may then conclude they were reprobated but whilst they are yet on this side Hell let them return to God for who knows but God may return to them and leave a blessing behind him Jon. 3.9 So then my conclusion is that whatever thy Conversation hath been it is not for thee to conclude if now thine heart be in any measure inclined towards God that thou art a Reprobate onely let prophane and impenitent ones know that I speak to poor distracted Consciences this day Your arguments are such as these Object 1 1. The greatness of your sins in themselves Oh sai'st thou Never were such great sins committed by any elect therefore I am a Reprobate Ans I do seriously believe that if Davids murther with Adultery and Peters deniall had been committed by thee thou wouldst have thought as I believe they did that they were the greatest sins in the world yea greater than those very sins that thou arguest thy reprobation from But this is no argument for they were the elect of God Object 2 2. Oh! but my sin hath been against light of Conscience against profession of God against vowes and Covenants c. my sins admit of all manner of aggravations therefore I am a reprobate Ans Read the entire stories of David and Peter and if thou maist not unfeignedly judge that if thou hadst been the aggravator of their sins as thou art of thine own thou wouldest have spoken as bitter things of their sins as thou now dost of thine own and found as sad circumstances whereby to heighten them supposing them thine then I had almost said be disconsolate still Thirdly Oh but mine whole Conversation hath been a very Object 3 trade of sinning I have done evills over and over again and again even as I could with both hands greedily even unto this end of my dayes and now I am just agoing out of the world and therefore I am a Reprobate Ans I confesse this is very sad indeed but yet I must say Here is not enough in the premises whence to infer the conclusion For the Thiefe Luk. 23. was a Thiefe to his dying day whose whole trade was to sin he lived upon it and no question used both hands in it delighted in it and which is sad 't is said that both the Thieves at first reviled Christ and cast the blasphemous reproaches of the wicked multitude into Christs teeth Mat. 27.44 And this was the very day that the Thiefe that was saved went to be hanged so Mark 15.32 And yet this Thiefe presently falls a reproving the other condemning himselfe justifying Christ praying unto Christ believing in Christ and saith Christ unto him Verily this day thou shalt be with me in Paradice Luk. 23.39 40 41 42 43. Therefore he was Elected and therefore thou canst not hence conclude that thou art a Reprobate as opposite to Elect for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is sometimes to be taken for one that is as yet unsound though he may be elect But to close this I pray you who are the reprobates that I am now speaking to even such as I could wish the most of you that hear me this day were if they be not already such even such as Job was Chap. 27.2 The almighty hath taken away my judgement saith he that is God hath rejected me he will have nothing at all to doe with me and yet ver 3.4 5. he saith againe All the while my breath is in me my tongue shall not utter deceit nor my lips speake wickedly I will hold mine integrity until I die My brethren they are such among you that fear the Lord and obey the voyce of his servants that walk in this darknesse and see no light Isa 50.10 I remember once I was in discourse with a poore woman whose whole complaint against her selfe was in conclusion this that she was a Reprobate I perceived much good in the womans spirit yet this was at the end of all I asked her why she concluded so hardly against God and her selfe that whatever God had done as to others whose mercy to others she was wrapt up in the

hath done for God c. Lu. 18.12 And yet went away unstified v. 14. Think of those lost souls that shall come to Christ in the last day telling what they have done for him how they have preached in his Name and cast out Devils for him c. And yet Christ tells them he doth not know them Think of Noahs Workmen that holpe to build the Ark yet were not saved by the Ark. But you wil then say What shall we do with our doings truly I must say as to the business of justification and making your peace with God say when you have done all as Lu. 17.10 That you are but unprofitable servants 3ly But when the soul comes to be yet farther enlightned and directed 3d. Darkness We must be humbled to such a degree so as to think indeed that what it can give or what it can do are nothing indeed neither are they that which as to peace-making God requires yet is there bewildring darkness upon the Spirit when the soul comes to be of Davids mind and to speake his language Psal 51.16 Thou desirest not sacrifice else would I give it thou delightest not in burnt-Offerings then in comes the 17 v. The sacrifices of God are a broken heart and here the poor creature is at a losse and in the dark still crying out Oh! what shall I do for such a Sacrifice Now goeth he to hammer his own spirit and to see if he can break his own heart and yet it doth not please him Poore ones place this brokenness of heart in such a measure of being humbled yea David might well say indeed that he he had a Broken heart so a sacrifice which God would not despise for he watered his Couch with his tears if I could do so saith the soul I durst then think that I had a Sacrifice Yea but prophane Esau had multitude of brinish teares and yet he had no Sacrifice Heb. 12.17 Thou thinkst the Sacrifice of broken-heartednesse consists in such degrees of being humbled and till thou come to such a measure as such an one had thou darest not believe in Jesus Christ and so thou still walkest in darknesse Observe what the Psalmist sayes The sacrifices of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not the Sacrifice but the Sacrifices of God are a broken heart And here it seems that a Broken heart if it go alone and carry not along with it another Sacrifice viz. Christ can never be acceptable unto God For it is not onely expresly manifest that David looks beyond the Sacrifices of the Law by what he saith in the precedent verse but it is to me evident not onely from the clearnesse and Evangelicalness of this Psalms whole style but particularly from that particular Petition v. 7. Purge me with Hysop and I shall be clean which Hysop was of a two-fold use in the Ceremoniall Law 1. For the sprinkling of the blood of the cleane Bird a type of Christ by which sprinkling the Leper was to be cleansed Lev. 14.6 7. And 2ly For the sprinkling of the water of Separation or purification Numb 19.9 18. called therefore Holy water Chap. 5.17 because the unclcan were therewith purified It is I say to me evident that by faith David had respect to that Blood and Water that at once issued out of the side of Jesus Christ Jo. 19.34 At that time when he offered up his body once for all Heb. 10.9 That one Sacrifice offered for sins for ever v. 12. Which Blood and Water is expresly called Zach. 13.1 and I think not impertinently to this matter a fountaine opened for sin viz. that of blood and for uncleanness viz. that of water to the house of David 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for sinne and for separation that is to say separation for uncleanness expresly respecting that Water of separation which was a type of sanctification as the fountaine for sin that blood for Justification both are for the house of David Oh happy re●urne of the foresaid holy prayer But now where is the bleeding Bird and the running Water and the Hysop wherewith this sprinkling is to be made read but the preceding verses ch 12. ●0 I will poure upon the house of David again the spirit of grace and supplications that is the same thing that David in the foresaid Psalme calls the broken spirit the Sacrifices of God but how comes it to be so They shall look on me whom they have pierced and mourn c. there are the Sacrifices a bleeding Spirit looking to a bleeding Christ a pierced soul taking hold by faith upon a pierced Christ a broken heart acting faith for the same thing that in our Text is called Leaning is in that Text called Looking upon a broken Christ Oh these are Gods Sacrifices such as he will not such as he cannot despise such a soul hath the blood of pierced Christ for the doing away of the Leprosie and plague of sin and the water of a pierced Christ for the purging of pollutions of sin away from it and it want not the Hysop of bitternesse if you look to the end of the verse that bitter but purgative grace of godly sorrow to repentance never to be repented of whereby that Blood Water are sprinkled upon it unto Righteousne●s Holiness whilst it by faith continueth looking on him that was pierced or in the language of our Text leaning upon the Beloved But and if we shall think that the Psalmists expression is onely an Hebraism the Sacrifices that is to say the best or chief Sacrifice of God is a broken heart we must yet understand it of an heart Evangelically broken and so the matter of necessity returns to the same thing Know ye therefore this day Note That all the businesse and use of a broken heart as to Pacification the Atonement of the sinner unto God though as to us there may be other uses of it such as to make us to walk humbly with good Hezekiah all our dayes Isa 38.15 I say all the use of the broken heart as to pacification with God is meerly to make the penitent sinner willing to take hold on a broken Christ and when these two go together there are the Sacrifices of God Thou art in the darke if thou thinke that thy broken-heartedness makes peace with God for thee any more then any Gift or Work of thine by or of it self but broken-heartedness makes thee see what need thou hast of makes thee desirous accordingly to take hold upon Gods strength that He may make peace with God for thee Thine humblings be they as great as Esaus are no better Sacrifices to God then his teares unlesse thy broken heart hold up a broken Christ for a sin-offering for a propitiation unto God Query If you say then how shall I know whether my heart be sufficiently broken Solu I answer If thine heart whether it be harrowed or shattered to pieces more

he and wherein is he thus blessed that comes to learne in Christs Schoole why verse 13. That thou maist give him rest from the time of trouble this will make thee a goodmends for the soarest whipping if thou learn the lesson of Christianity to day thou shalt have rest to morrow Thus God expresly speaking concerning this knowledge Isai 28.9 10 11. saith of it verse 12. This is the rest wherewith you may cause the weary to rest and this is the refreshing And it must needs be that the knowledge of the Lord Christ must be a refreshing knowledge to the soule upon three accounts For 1. It is a spirituall First It is a spiritual therefore a refreshing knowledge to the Spirit 't is a knowledge of spirituall things and after a spirituall manner The understanding of things carnall or spirituall things in a carnal sort cannot indeed satisfactorily refresh the Spirit The soule that knowes Christ knowes him not after the flesh but spiritually and whosoever to knows him knowes the things that God hath prepared for them that love him and what are the things prepared but Mansions adequate and eternall rest which things being revealed by the Spirit and spiritually discerned by the soule are ravishing and refreshing to the soul your hearts bear testimony hereunto compare 1 Cor. 2.9 10 14. with Jo. 14.2 2ly It is an experimentall 2ly An experimentall and therefore a refreshing knowledge They that know Christ feele Christ and the feeling of him must needs be refreshing to them 1 Jo. 1.1 Our hands have handled the word of life this experimentall knowledge the Apostle communicates as being abundantly himselfe refreshed that their joy also might be full ver 4. Thirdly To know Christ 3ly A soule Centring knowledge must needs afford rest to our understandings because Christ is the very Center of all knowledge knowing him you need go no farther knowing him you may well sit down and rest and refresh your your selves for you know enough you know all 1 Cor. 2.2 I determined to know nothing among you but Jesus Christ and him crucified so Phil. 3.10 That I might know him and the power of his Resurrection and fellowship of his sufferings If Paul as learned as he otherwise was could but reach unto this knowledge he doth not once entertaine a thought that his wearied understanding should travell any farther 2ly 2ly Of your wearied Consciences Come and leane your weary Consciences upon Jesus Christ Oh! how do some complaine of tyred Consciences and how falne would they sit down but know not where to rest themselves This was Davids sad out-cry Psal 38.3 There is no rest in my bones because of my sin Now what shall such a soule do in such a case I le tell you in Isaiahs words Thus saith the Lord God the holy one of Israel Isai 30.15 In returning and rest you shall be saved in quietnesse and confidence shall be your strength that is return to Christ and lean upon him and you shall have rest and strength from him unto the quieting of your wearied and distracted soules But how shall weary Consciences doe to refresh themselves by leaning on Jesus Christ Question How that shal be Answer I answer Bring all your Conscience fraught and laiden and unburthen it upon Jesus Christ Christ doth not bid weary and loaden Consciences to lay downe their burthens 1. Lay downe thy burthens upon Christ and then to come unto him but come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden which undoubtedly and peculiarly refers to Conscience-loadings and I will give you rest Mat. 11.28 That is b●ing your burthens to me and I le take them down 1. Vnlade the acknowledgements of your sins into Christs bosome First Let weary Consciences unlade all their acknowledgements and disgorgings of sinne into Christs own bosome immediately Thus David in the fore quoted Psalme 38.18 He resolves upon acknowledgement of his sin and this he empties into the Lords own bosome verse 9. 1. Your sinne-sorrowes Secondly As you bring your sin-acknowledgements so bring your sin-sorrowes to Christ let your faith put the Lord Christ to the same worke whereunto he is called by the Father to carry our griefes and sorrowes So Isai 53.4 Thus David Psal 38.6 When he was troubled and bowed down greatly going mourning all the day long he had immediate recourse to the Lord Christ 3ly Your wearying sighs and groanings Thirdly Let us also disburthen all wearying sighs and tyring groanes of our troubled minds into the bosome of Jesus Christ Thus David Psal 38.9 Lord all my desire is before thee and my groaning is not hid from thee Wouldst thou pray down the guilt or groan down the power of any Corruption that clogs thy poore Conscience even to the making of thee weary of thy very life then leane on Jesus Christ and thou shalt find rest Yea this I would Note unto you before I leave you that Christ doth not bid weary soules to go to the Father Note but to come to him with their heavy loadings believe it 't will be ill leaning of a tyred Conscience upon God the Father with Christ the Advocate If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father 1 Joh. 2.1 Come not to the Father first but to the Advocate and by the Advocate to the Father If a man have a Creditor to speak with he will speake with his Surety first and if he can but engage him he can with boldnesse look his Creditor in the face But woe woe to that Conscience that comes sinful and Christlesse unto the great and righteous holy and sin-abhorring Majestie of the Lord God 2ly 2ly Take up Cordials from Christ Let thy weary Conscience take from Christs hand his Cordials as well as lay downe thy burthen on his shoulders 'T is true I am the chiefe of sinners so let repentance speak in thy soule yea But this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation so let thy faith speak viz. That Christ came into the world to save such I shall o●e day fall by such a strong Corruption if Conscience-trouble say so let faith say nay but Christ came into world that he might destroy the works of the Devill c. And thus in any other case of Conscience the way to have an heart sprinkled from an evill Conscience is to draw near in the full assurance of faith unto Jesus Christ having him as an High Priest over the houshold of God Heb. 10.21 22. 3ly 3ly Your wearied affections Leane your tyred affections upon the Lord Christ and in him let them rest themselves As to know Christ is the only true stay to the understanding so to love him c. is the onely true stay to the affections Set your affections on things above where Christ sits Col. 3.1 As who should say else will they flutter about as the wandring dove without any rest at all but in Christ they

its Keeper and now it will leane to Christs counsell and to his advice and to his prescriptions because it is sick of its own There is a Twofold spirituall sicknesse that will bring a soule to need Christ as a leaning stock First A sicknesse of hatred unto sin 1. Sick of hatred to sin for it is not every sicknesse that will make you need this Physitian Many are sick for sin I meane as the punishment of sinne for this cause we may say as Paul 1 Cor. 11.30 say indeed that many are sick but there are but few sick of sin But where-ever there is a Sin-sicknesse there cannot but be a provocation to vomiting David cannot hold till he brings up all Sinne lies upon a sick Conscience as undigested Meat upon a sick stomack You know also that where ever there is a propension to vomit there is a great desire of somewhat to lean upon Oh! what would a sin-sick soule that cannot possibly be well untill it hath by broken hearted confessions vomited up its iniquities give that it had freedome to leane its head in Christs bosome so Psal 32.3 While I kept silence my bones waxed old c. therefore ver 5. I said I will confesse my transgressions to the Lord and thou forgavest c. and vers 6. For this cause shall every one that is godly pray unto thee As who would say when I was so sin-sick that I knew not what to doe I did but leane my head in the Lords bosome and bring it up again and I had so much ease to my soul that I would advise every troubled heart to lean where I lean'd and to doe what I did 2ly Sick of love to Christ Secondly A Love-sicknesse unto Jesus Christ Many are also Love-sick but as Amnon for his sister for a lust or for a corruption but few are sick for Christ The language of Love-sicknesse is such as this I must have him or else I dye Give me Christ or none will content me Thus those passionate breakings forth of the Spouse Love is stronger then death Mine heart failed when he spake I charge you O ye daughters of Jerusalem if you find my beloved that you tell him that I am sick of love Cant. 5.8 Now this Love-sick Spouse will be sure to be a leaning Spouse she sinks she swoones she dyes away if Christ doe not come unto her Cant. 2.5 6. Stay me comfort me for I am sick of love His left hand is under my head his right hand doth embrace me O! how doth a poore stomack sick Creature desire to hold and to be held when it is ready to swoon away 2ly By becomming a shaken soule So then 't is a sad signe that you are neither sick of hatred unto sin nor of love unto Christ when you see little need of leaning upon him Secondly Labour th●● that are a lost soul to get into a shaken posture that is the way to get into a leanin posture What 's the reason there 's so little catching hold upon Christ by worldly men in their time of health Oh! it is because there is little shaking of worldly things in that time but now Isai 2.20 21. They shall one day cast away their Idols of Gold and Silver which they have made each one for himselfe that they may run into the clefts of the Rock when God ariseth to shake terribly the Earth Oh! you see by frequent experience in poore dying Worldlings when God shakes their Earth how solicitous they are then to take hold if they durst on the God of Heaven When they see by these shakings what slender supports their golden Gods and silver shrines are to leane upon oh then what would they give for Jesus Christ for to be their soules leaning stock You read Act. 4.31 That the place was shaken where they met before God sent out upon them the Holy Ghost to speak the word of God with boldness So this is the manner of his working to shake soules before he powre out upon them the Spirit of believing to apply the promise of God with boldnesse Thus did the Lord take Iob by the neck when he was at ease and shook him to pieces so saith himselfe Iob. 16.12 Now when God hath shaken our comforts and enjoyments in the world and scattered our duties that they appeare broken poor crazy things when he hath shaken to pieces our righteousnesse and all our selfe-supports then sirs then if ever will Christ appeare desirable unto us oh then shall we long to leane upon him Memorable is that passage Hab. 3.17 When I heard my belly trembled my lips quivered at the voice rottenness entred into my bones and I trembled in my selfe that I might rest in the day of trouble Here 's strange shaking and as strange establishment I trembled that I might rest The more shaking at first the stronger leaning afterwards for verily Note though God doth not shake all souls alike before he make them leane upon himselfe yet have I observed that the lesse the heart hath beene shaken in the first stirrings of grace the more feeble have the leanings been perhaps many yeares afterward and the more easiely interrupted and disturbed Nay though the Lord hath opened some hearts as Lydias without much manifest shaking at the first yet have I known many even sincere soules of them kept almost in an every day Ague almost all their lives after their Conversion I mean in continuall spirituall shakings Therefore if God hath shaken thee be not angry but as soon as thou canst catch hold upon Christ and leane hard for else I le tell you when we are greatly shaken we may continue in great danger of falling if we have not an Anchor of hope to take hold on a Pillar of Christs Chariot to leane upon 3ly By becomming a sinking soule Thirdly Labour thou that art a lost soul to get into a sinking posture that is the way to get into a leaning posture This perhaps you will say is strange but this I know to be true Mat. 14.30 Peter beginning to sink cryed Lord save me Oh! sinking souls will be sure to catch hold if it be possible and nothing shall discourage them though Christ should cut their fingers yet will they hold rather then drowne such a soule will take hold of Christ upon the most cutting termes of the Gospell A Boat a Boat a Boat all that I am worth in the world for a Boat saith a sinking person and will never leave looking and crying and catching as long as it can either keepe hand or head above water Thus David Psal 69.1 2. Save me O God I am come into the deep I sink in deep water where no standing is And he is at it againe verse 14. Deliver me least I sinke Sirs none can imagine but those that have felt how welcome a Leaning stock Christ is unto a soule in such a sinking condition but you who have sounded the deepes of