justice but mercy patience will come in and plead for vengeance against the sinner and that will be the forest plague of all When you appeare before God what wil you expect you will call for mercy to save you and for patience to beare with you No no saith Mercy Iustice Lord I have beene despised Iustice saith Patience hath beene abused Iustice saith Goodnesse I have beene wronged And how will it be then when Mercy it selfe shall condēne that soule and Patience shall be an accuser of it and Goodnesse shall call for vengeance against it The third ground Thirdly as we must consider Gods mercy that hath beene abused and the Iustice of God that hath beene provoked So consider the nature of your sinnes and the haynousnesse of them sinne is not a tricke of youth or a matter of merryment but a breach of the Law of God and therefore it is good for a man in this case to examine every commandement of God and the breach thereof Thus I would have the soule well acquainted with the Law You know not your sinnes therefore get you home to the Law and looke into the glasse thereof and then bundle up all your sinnes thus So many sins against God himself in the first commandement against his worship in the second against his name in the third against his Sabbath in the fourth commandement nay all our thoughts words and actions all of them have beene sinnes able to sinke our soules to the bottome of hell bundle up your sinnes lay one upon the heart and another upon the conscience and then it will breake your backes those small infirmities you make nothing of those sinnes you make slight of and make a tricke of youth if you will bestow your minds a little seriously you will see them to be farre otherwise every sinne deserves death The wages of sinne is death not he onely that murthers his neighbour and takes away his life but the malitious man and the proud man deserves death Nay to come nearer the text what if I prove you had a hand in the shedding of the blood of Christ dwell here a little and consider it and you shall see the point cleare If there be any soule here present that hopes to have any part in Christ as if I should goe from man to man and aske have you a part in Christ you will say aye surely I hope so marke what I say thē if thou hopest for any mercy from Christ then Christ was thy surety and bare thy sinnes and those sinnes of thine were the witnesses against our Saviour they were the souldiers that tooke him the thornes that pierced him the speare that gored him the Crosse that tooke away his life The truth is the souldiers and Pilate the Scribes and Pharisees could have done nothing to our Saviour but for thy sinnes had it not beene for thy sinnes had it not beene for the sinnes of the elect the souldiers could not have apprehended him the Pharisees could not have witnessed against him there could have been no Judge to condemne him very well then thy sins caused all this thy wicked thoughts and wicked actions caused our Saviour to cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me He sunke under the consideration of thy sinnes and thou goest away and makest a tricke of youth of them and a matter of merryment of loose talke and wicked doings well you had a part in the crucifying of Christ. When you are gone think of this and as you are going home thinke with your selves It was my sinnes that had a part in the shedding of the blood of Christ and when you are at meate let that come into your mind I have had a hand in the crucifying of the Lord Jesus Christ and when you goe to bed thinke of it I am one of those that have embrewed their hands in the blood of the Lord Jesus that Saviour that is now at the right hand of God that hath done so much for his servants that sweat drops of blood those sweates and drops were for thy sinnes and is this a matter of merryment and a tricke of youth in the meane time No no thy soule will finde it otherwise one day unlesse the Lord remove those sinnes of thine those sins will make thee howle in hell fire one day unlesse you be burthened with them here thinke of this I am one of those that by vaine thoughts and prophane actions have crucifyed the Lord of life and if you can make those sinnes a matter of merriment I wonder at it The fourth Ground ariseth from the consideration of the punishment of sinne you must consider what sinne will cost you namely those endlesse torments that cannot be conceived nor prevented and I will leave here to speake of the paines of the wicked I should have said much thereof and come to speake only a little of the last Judgement Me thinkes I see the Lord of heaven and earth and the attributes of God appearing before him the Mercy of God the Goodnesse of God the Wisedome of God the Power of God the Patience and longsuffering of God and they come all to a sinner a wicked hypocrite or a carnall professor and say Bounty hath kept you Patience hath borne with you Longsufferance hath endured you Mercy hath relieved you the Goodnesse of the Lord hath beene great unto you All these comfortable attributes will bid you adue and say farewell damned soule you must goe hence to hell to have fellowship with damned ghosts Mercy shall never be enlarged towards you any more you shal never have Patience any more to beare with you never Goodnesse more to succour you never compassion more to relieve you never power more to strengthen you Nay you that have heretofore withdrawne your selves from Gods wisedome and gospell you shall never have wisedome more to guide you never Gospell more to comfort you never Mercy more to cheare you you shall then goe into endlesse and easelesse torments which can never be ended where you shall never be refreshed never eased never comforted and then you shall remember your sinnes My covetousnesse and pride was the cause of this I may thanke my sinnes for this Thinke of these things I beseech you seriously and see if sinne be good now see if you can take any sweetnesse in it I end all with that of Iob O that my griefe were well weighed and my calamity laid in the ballance for now they would be heavier then the sand of the sea So say I oh that our sins were weighed and our iniquities weighed in the ballance together such mercy have we despised such Justice we have provoked such a Lord of life have we crucifyed such torments have we deserved endlesse easelesse and remedilesse if these were weighed they would be heavyer then the sand and sincke our soules under the consideration of them But then you will say happyly I can thinke of these things and consider of
THE SOVLES PREPARATION FOR CHRIST OR A TREATISE OF CONTRITION Wherein is discovered How God breaks the heart and wounds the Soule in the conversion of a Sinner to Himselfe PSAL. 51.17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit A broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise LONDON Printed for ROBERT DAVVLMAN at the signe of the Brazen-serpent in Pauls Churchyard 1632. A TABLE OF THE CONTENTS A ALl-sufficiencie in God a meanes to enlighten our dead hope 214. Application of particular sins a way to make us see them 64. How the word affects when applied 65. then hitting soonest 65. sinking deepest 67. for this it is ministers are so hated 68. B Bondage the spirit of bondage how it helps to the sight of sin 124. Broken heart is made by meditatioÌ„ of the word preached C Carnall men can give no comfort to wounded consciences 220. 240. Christ three grounds why the soule flies not to Christ 118. Labour to see the necessitie of Christ 122. sight of sinne a meanes to drive us to Christ. 117. Common depravation of our nature no plea for us to slight sinne 40. Confession of sinne needfull for the cure thereof 57. It must be open and free 219. a large confession may come from a wicked man 221. when hypocriticall 225. the difference betweene true and false confession 227. popish confession what 230. To hide our sinne a fearefull and dangerous sinne 235. To what persons how they should be qualified that we must confesse unto 239. Motives 241. Companions when evill a great hindrance to the working of grace and bow 95. Conscience a help to meditation 123. Consideration of Gods goodnesse a meanes to breake our hearts 101. Contrition what 2. a contrice heart acceptable 163 164. this contrition is wrought in all though not in the same manner and measure 170. Conviction of the soule for sinne â—ow 23. why God convinces 31. meanes of conviction 36. other meanes to worke sound conviction 200. D Death of sinne must be in us 256. Delight in sinne damnable 190 191 192. F Freenesse of Gods promises revives our hope 215. G God is All-sufficient 6. mercifull 6.210 Gods goodnesse considered a meanes to breake the heart 101. so also his justice 103. Gods abundant mercy a meanes to revive our hope 217 H Heart which feares discovery is evill 79. It is broken by meditation on the word preached 81. so also by consideration of Gods goodnesse 101. so also of his justice 103. what is meant by heart here 130. when our hearts are like stones 181. an ignorant heart is a naughty heart 33. Hatred of sin what 246. differences betweene sorrow for him and hatred of sinne 241. wherein this hatred consists 250. Help must be conveied to a wounded soule 190. Hearing the word how we may with profit 76. Hell torments how in some sort to judge of them 55. Hiding sinne a fearefull sinne 80. Hope supports the hearts of the sorrowfull 205. an antidote against despaire 208. It incourageth our indeavors 209. the soules anchor 112 how it is maintained and fed 214. I Ignorant heart is a naughty heart 33. Iustice of God a meanes to breake the heart 10 K Kindnesse of God a meanes to breake the heart 101. Knowledge of our sinne a meanes of conviction for it 377. L Law a meanes to convince us of sinne 38. M Meditation of Gods word preacht a meanes to breake our hearts 81. what it is and how to be done 83. it brings the word more powerfull to the heart and there fastens it 88. the lamentable neglect of this duty lamented câ—nsured 93. the comfort that ariseth from this duty 98. the ground the manner power thereof 100. how to be followed 109. when damped in us how revived 122. Mercy with what cautions a prophane person may seeke it 5. abundant mercy in God a meanes to revive our hope 217. God is mercifull 210. Ministers must first humble before lift up 61. they are much based for speciall application 6â— playn preaching is the best way 71. they should be skilfull mercifull faithfull men 240. N Nature no plea to help us to lessen our sinnes 41. Nature of God is tender and mercifull 210. O Opposites to the word deeply plagued 127. P Pitty belongs to wounded and troubled consciences 183. c. Popish divices cannot help a wounded conscience 191. Pricking or piercing the heart wherein it consists 129. Promise of God being free lifes up the head and revives hope 215. R Repentance not in our owne power 52. Reprehension 〈◊〉 sharpe a meanes to move us to see our sinnes 64. S Shifts a sinner uses to beate backe the power of the word 40 Sinne must be truly seene before the heart is broken 11. what this sight of sinne is 12. the properties thereof 14 the evill of sinne is farre greater then the evill of punishment reason thereof 15. It is a departing from God 19. why men cannot see the vilenesse of their sinne 20. how to see them convictingly 36 grounds why we slight our sinnes 40. particular sinnes closely applyed a meanes to see them 64. sight of sinne a meanes to drive us to Christ 117. sinne wounds the soule why 158. when we make sinne our God 174. all are not alike wounded for sinne 178. A truly sorrowfull soule hath a restlesse distast of sinne 245. Sinners in an high degree may be reconciled 4 All sinners are fighters against God 18. open and scandalous sinners commonly have a greater measure of sorrow 179. Soule how prepared for Christ 247. when it is said truly to be broken 255. Sorrow if godly it is a deep sorrow 134. how wrought 135. how procured 142. how the soule should behave it selfe under this sorrow 150. It is restlesse till it have obtained mercy 155. It drives unto God 157. this makes us highly to prize Christ 164. whether sorrow for sinne is a worke of saving grace 165. how sorrow of preparation is knowne and how sorrow of sanctification 167. whether this sorrow is wrought alike in all 170. not in the same manner 177. when sorrow is made a maske to cover sinne 193. It must not be slight but solid 198. the fruits thereof 203. Spirit of bondage how it helps to see sinne 1â—4 T Thoughts that are sinfull how produced 44. how and in what respects sinne in thought is more vile 44. W Word must be submitted unto 39â— and never shifted off 40. the threats must not be shifed off 48. when closely applyed it much affects 64 65. the word preacht must be meditated on 81. the opposers of the word in great danger 127. Worthinesse in our selves none to moue Christ to pitty us 119. Wrath of God is an insupportable burthen 56. Places of Scripture inlightned Cap. ver pag. Deut. 1.14.51 32.6.102 Iosua 7.24.211 1 Ki. 20.21.64 2 Cr. 36.16.127 Iudg. 1.12.101 Iob 5. last 85 6.12 â—6 7.20.30 13.27.25 14.17.22 19.23.184 22.13.48 36.6.126 9.12 10. ib. 40.3.39 Ps. 39.24.255 38.2.2 Ps. 58.8.77 74.4.2
profest opposing of God himselfe a sinfull creature joynes side with the devill and the world and comes in battaile array against the Lord and flies in the face of the God of hosts they are called haters of God Psam 83. That is when they see grace in another man in such a man and in such a woman and hate them for it little doe they thinke that they hate the God of heaven and his holy nature and if it were possible they would have no God in heaven to take notice of their sins call theÌ„ to account for them as the wise man Gamaliel said to the Pharesies and elders refraine your selves from these men and let them alone for if this Counsell or worke be of men it will come to nothing but if it be of God you cannot destroy it lest you be found fighters against God you make nothing of opposing the Gospell and preaching thereof I tell you that there is never a creature that lives in any such sinfull course but he is a fighter against God and he resists the Lord as really as one man doth another And as Stephen saith You stifnecked and uncircumcised in heart you have resisted against the holy Ghost You must not thinke that you resist men onely no poore creatures you resist the Spirit and so aime at the Almighty in opposing of the meanes of grace What a fearefull condition is this I pray you in cold blood consider this and say thus Good Lord What a sinfull wretch am I that a poore damned wretch of the earth should stand in defiaÌ„ce against the God of hosts and that I should submit my selfe to the devill and oppose the Lord of hostes And as you resist the Lord so you doe also passe the sentence of condemnation upon your selves and seale up that doome which one day shall be executed upon the wicked in hell at that great day of accompt that looke what God shall do theÌ„ the same thou dost now by sinning this is the doome or as I may say the necke verse of the wicked and the last blow as now thou doest depart from God by sinning so then thou shalt depart froÌ„ God for ever A wicked man forsakes God and pluckes his heart from under the wisdom of God that should inform him in the way of life and the soule saith God shall not blesse me God shall not be God unto me but I will live as I list and I will run down post hast to hell and when our hearts beginne to rise against God and his ordinances and your soules beginne to goe against the Lord I tell you what I would thinke with my selfe suppose I heard the voice of the Archangell crying Arise yee dead and come to Iudgement and the last trumpet sounding and the Lord Jesus comming in the heavens with his glorious Angells and did see the Goats standing â—â— the left hand and the Saints on the right hand and with that I did heare the terrible sound Depart ye cursed would you be content to heare that sentence passe against your soules Oh what lamentation and woe your poore soules would make in those dayes and therefore consider it well and say that I doe that in sinning which the Lord will doe in the day of Judgement shall I depart from the Lord and withdraw my selfe from mercy and say Christ shall not rule over me and save me shall I doe that against my selfe which the Lord shall doe in that day God forbid There are two things hardly knowne what God is and what our sinnes are or else we hardly apply the knowledge of them to our selves Objects But some will object and say if sinne be so vile in it selfe then why doe not men see it Answ. To this I answer the reason why men see not their sinnes though it be so vile it is mainely upon these two grounds First because we judge not of sinne according to the word and verdict of it but either in regard of the profit that is therein or the pleasure that we expect there from The Usurer lookes on his profit that comes by sinne and the adulterer his pleasure and Iudas saw the money but he did not see the malice of his owne heart nor the want of love to his Master and this made him take up that course which he did but when he threw away his thirtie pence the Lord made him see the vilenesse of his sinne it came cleerly to his sight and therefore he cryed out I have sinned in betraying innocent blood As bribes blind the eyes of the wise and pervert judgment so sin bribes the eyes of the soule and therefore the Tradseman seeth much profit come by cozening false measures and so gives way to himselfe therein but he sees not the sin so the oppressor seeth the morgages pawnes that come in but he cannot see his sin till he be laid on his death bed and then the Lord sheweth him all the wrong that he hath done Secondly another reason why we see not the vilenesse of sinne is because we judge the nature of sinne according to Gods patience towards us as thus a man commits a sin is not plagued for it and therefore he thinkes God will not execute judgements upon him at all all things continue a like saith the wicked man as if he had said you talke of the wrath of God that shall be revealed froÌ„ heaven against all ungodlines where is the promise of his comming doe you not see that such a man is an oppressor a prophane persoÌ„ yet growes rich and thrives in the world and because God spares a wicked man still for the present therefore he thinkes all are but words he shall be free from the punishment to come as the Prophet saith in the name of the Lord These things hast thou done and I kept silence when thou wast upon thy Ale-bench and there thou didst speake against holinesse and purity and because I did beare yet and say nothing therfore thou speakest wickedly that I was even such a one as thy selfe The wicked man takes Gods patience to be a kinde of allowance to him in his sinne as the wise man saith because sentence against an evill worke is not speedily executed therefore the hearts of the sonnes of men are wholy set in them to doe mischiefe as the Prophet saith they call the proud happy ye that worke wickednesse are set to doe evill they that tempt God are delivered As who should say you say that the wrath of God is incensed against swearers and drunkards and the like but we see them prosper and because they doe prosper thus their hearts are set to worke wickednes but howsoever it is true the Lord doth sometime beare with wicked men the longer God staies the greater account they shall make and the heavier judgements they shall receive from God See what Iob saith thou sealest up my transgressions in a bagge and
thou sowest up mine iniquities Wicked men doe treasure up vengeance against the day of the Lord the profane person treasures up wrath and in the eighteenth verse he saith The mountaines falling come to nothing as if he had said good Lord who can beare all those sinnes that I have committed Are they all sealed up and shall all the judgements due unto them fall upon me heavier then the mountaines Good Lord what rock or mountaine can beare the weight of my sinnes thus sealed up setled and laid close to my heart And so God seales up an hundred thousand oathes in one bagge and an ocean of pride and mischiefes done to Gods people and Church are barrelled up in another and the Lord shall one day lay all these upon thy necke Who is able to beare all these sinnes Now it falles out with a sinner as it is with a banckrout debtor one man throwes him into prison and when he is there every one comes against him and so he shall never come out but die and rotte in the prison so though the Lord will not execute judgement on thee speedily yet in the end the Lord will be paid for all thy sins and when thou art in hell then mercy and justice and patience will cry all to heaven for justice and vengeance then happily a drunkard is cast into prison for his drunkennesse and for his blasphemy and then all his filthinesse comes in as so many bills of inditement against him Oh therefore labour to see sinne alive we play with sinne as if it were dead when children see the picture of a dead lyon upon a wall they labour to pull him in pieces but if there were a live lyon in the place it would make the strongest to runne So thou paintest thy sinne and sayest it is thy infirmity God forgive your swearing the like and thus you dally with your sinnes but brethren labour to see sinne alive and to see sinne roaring upon you see the pawe of sinne and the condemnation that shall be throwne upon the soule by it and this will awake the soule in the apprehension of it Secondly we must see sinne convictingly that it may be so to us as it is in it selfe that looke what sinne is in it selfe we may so conceive of it in our soules being guilty of it and this discovers it selfe in these two particulars First when we have a particular apprehension in our owne person that looke what we confesse to be in sinne in generall we confesse the same in our owne soules and that our sinnes are as bad as the sinnes of any this is the cursed distemper of our hearts howsoever we hold it to be truth in generall yet when we come to our owne sinnes the case is altered and we never come to the right seeing of them as they concerne our owne particular As the adulterer can easily confesse the danger and filthynesse of that sinne in others but he thinkes not his sinne to be so vile as the Wise man saith He that enters into the house of an harlot doth he ever returne againe doth he ever take hold of the path of life The Lord is pleased to set such a heavy stamp on this sinfull distemperature These are truths and a man in his cold blood wil easily confesse it in the generall that he never returnes againe Take the words as they are in the letter of them and howsoever they have some other interpretations yet in the letter it is thus read he is euer hardly recovered Howsoever it may be yet with much difficulty David had let his soule loose in that he did hardly recover himselfe againe scarce one of a thousand yet ever tooke hold of the way of life And the drunkard will confesse the danger of his sinne in generall when he sees his drunken mates lie grovelling in the dust he will be ashamed of it and say Now no adulterer or drunkard shall ever come into the kingdome of heaven but here is the wound of it when he comes to his owne particular drunkennesse and uncleannesse that he must looke into them then the sight of a mans knowledge hath not so much power as to judge himselfe rightly or to make a particular application to himselfe but he thinkes his adultery and drunkennesse is not like to another mans or else his knowledge is but weake or else he seeth as a man in the twylight when the sun is downe and the heavens begin to withdraw their light though a man can see to read abroad yet he cānot see to read in the house or in the chamber So it is with a weake knowledge and with a feeble understanding in a wicked man he is notable to see the vile nature of sinne in himselfe when he comes to read his owne closet sinnes and his bosome abominations then he hath not so much light as to perceive them so fully in himself as he thought to doe therefore the rule is this Arest thy soule in a speciall maner of those sinnes whereof thou standest guilty that phrase in Iob is to good purpose thou lookest narrowly to my pathes thou settest a print upon the heels of my feet so God followed Iob to the hard heeles and did narrowly observe his waies so deale thou with thy owne soule and set a print upon the heele of thy heart arest thy heart in particular for thy sins and I would have you perceive your owne particular sinnes and follow them to your hearts and make huy and cry after your sinnes and dragge your hearts before the Lord and say Is murther pride drunkennesse and uncleannesse such horrible sinnes and doth God thus fearefully plague them Lord it was my heart that was proud and vaine it was my tongue that did speake filthily blasphemously my hand hath wrought wickednesse my eye was wanton and my heart was uncleane and filthy Lord here they are it is my affections that are disorderly and it is I that doe delight too much in the world Thus bring thy heart before the Lord you shall observe the same in David so long as Nathan spake of sinne in generall he conceived of it truly and confessed the vilenes of it and the heart of this good King did rage against the man saying It is the Sonne of death but as soone as the prophet had said Thou art the man though he never saw his sinne kindly before yet now his heart yeelded and he began to see himselfe and his sinne in the naturall colours of it So the Apostle Iohn saith Hee that hateth his brother is a man-slayer and you know no man-slayer hath eternall life abiding in him Then play thou the part of Nathan and say I am the man it is this wretched heart of mine that hath hated the Saints of God and therefore if I be a murtherer will not my sinne keepe me from the kingdome of heaven as well as another mans Yes that it will if pride
and I would have a man to bind his heart hand and foote that they may not dare to have any brabling against the revealed will of God that so what ever truth is delivered though never so crosse and contrary to our corrupt nature the soule may be willing to be under the blow of it and let the strength of the word come full upon the heart And this will make us feelingly to understand our conditions as in Iob when God had taken downe his proud heart see how he submits himselfe Behold I am vile what shall I say I will lay my hand upoÌ„ my mouth I have sinned but I will go nâ— further as thogh he had reasoned thus with himselfe I have I confesse pleaded too much for my selfe I have made more shift for my selfe theÌ„ was needfull I have gainsaid thy word but now no more Now if any man seeme to quarrell take up armes against the truth of God let that man know he was never truly huÌ„bled for his sins It is a sinfull rebellious spirit that carries it selfe thus against God his word the shifts whereby the soule labours to beate backe the power of the word may be reduced to these three heads First the soule hath a slight apprehension of sin and thinketh that it is not so hainous and so dangerous as those hot spirited ministers beare men in hand this is usually the common conceit of all men naturally and even of us all more or lesse to make a slight account of sinne and that for these foure respects First in respect of the commonnesse of it because that every man is guilty of it we slight it what saith one Good now what then are not all sinners as well as we though we have many faylings yet we have many fellowes If we were drunkards or whoremongers then it were somewhat Thou sayest true indeed thou hast many fellowes in thy sinnes and thou shalt have share with many fellowes in the punishment to come there is roome enough in hell for thee and all thy fellowes hell hath opened her mouth wide nay the more companions thou hast had in thy sinnes the more shall be thy plagues Quest. O saith one all the world lies in sinne and we doe no more then the world doth Answ. But if the world lies in sin Christ never prayed for the world and he will never save the world What a senselesse thing is this to be such a 〈◊〉 as God hates Is this all thy pleasure that thou art a hater of God What ods is it for a man to be stabbed with a penknife or with a speare or for a man to be murdered in the streets or in his bed so though thy sinnes be not hydious blasphemies and the like yet if they be petty oathes they are enough to sinke thy soule It is not your great swearer but no swearer shall come into the Kingdome of heaven the text saith not no great liers shall enter into heaven but no liers shall enter into heaven What differeÌ„ce is there between a man that goes to hell for open rebellion and a man that goes to hell for civill profession and what difference is there betweene an open adulterer and a secret adulterer Quest. But some will say are not all sinfull by nature and are not some saved and why not I as well as others Answ. For answer I say no man is saved by nature but if any be saved the Lord opens his eyes and breakes his heart and so it must be with thee too if ever thou thinkest to receive any mercy from God Secondly there is also a naturalnesse in a sinfull course and they say it is my nature and infirmity and I am of a cholericke disposition I shall sometimes sweare when I am angry and I cannot but be drunke sometimes when I light into good company Quest. What would you have of us Saints on earth Answ. I either Saints or Devills never sanctified never saved never pâ—rged never glorified as the Apostle Saint Iohn saith He that hath this hope purgeth himselfe as he is pure he striveth with his whole endeauour to be pure and alwayes he hath a respect to all Gods commandemeÌ„ts And as the author to the Hebrewes saith pursue faith and holinesse without which no man can be saved If thou dost say if it were an honour to pray in my family if Gentlemen and Knights did it I would doe it I tell thee if holines doth seeme to fly away by disgrace persecution theÌ„ you must pursue it Nay dost thou say it is thy nature to sinne Then I say the greater is thy wickednesse if it be thy nature so to doe We hate not a man because he drinkes poyson but we hate a â—oad because it is of a poysonus nature therfore rather mourne the more for thy sinnes because it is thy cursed nature so to doe And say Lord did only temptations or the world allure me to this there were some hope that thou wouldest have mercy upon me but O Lord I have a cursed nature and though there were no Devills nor world no temptations outwardly yet this cursed nature of mine would sinne against thee They that have received Christ have a new nature and therefore if I have a carnall corrupt nature then my condition is most fearefull And say did temptations the world allure me then there were some hope of mercy but it is my nature to sinne and therefore my estate and condition is most miserable wretched Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death Thirdly many say words are but winde and all this winde shakes no corne And so when we presse men to the inward worke of the soule not onely to keepe men from the halter but to tell them they must pull downe their proud hearts and be humbled for their sinnes and the like then they reply thoughts flie away suddenly and thoughts are free To which I answer these words are such winde as will blow downe thy soule into the bottomlesse pit of hell It is not I that say so but our Saviour himselfe By thy words thou shalt be justisfied and by thy words thou shalt be condemned though you make nothing of your swearing and idle thoughts and revilings of Gods people yet the God of heaven will require them at your hands and you shall either receive acquittance from Christ of them or else vengeance for ever for them For the Lord commeth with thousands of his Saints in flaming fire to punish not onely murtherers and adulterers and the like but all ungodly ones the Lord will call thee to an accompt for all thy abominations nay for all thy speeches against the people of God upon thy ale-bench when thou diddest tosse theÌ„ too and fro and the Lord will set thy sinnes in order before thee nay he will call thee to an accompt for them for all thy thoughts though
would thinke this man to be in a miserable condition And yet all this is but a beame of Gods indignaâ—tion If the beames of Gods wrath be not hot what is the full sunne of his wrath when it shall sease upon the soule of a sinfull creature in full measure The third consideration is this Nay yet if thou thinkest to lift up thy self above al creatures and to beare more then they all then set before thine eyes the sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ he that creats the heavens and upholds the whole frame thereof when the wrath of God came upon him onely as a surety he cries out with his eyes full of teares and his heart full of sorrow and the heavens full of lamentations My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Oh thou poore creature if thou hast the heart of a man gird up the loines of thy mind and see what thou canst doe Doest thou thinke to beare that which the Lord Jesus Christ could not beare with so much sorrow Yet he did indure it without any sinne or weaknesse he had three sippes of the Cuppe and every one of them did sinke his soule and art thou a poore sinfull wretch able to beare the wrath of God for ever Now beloved seeing all objections are answered and the things made plaine labour to do that which you may have comfort in Submit your selves to the good word of the Lord and not only be willing and coâ—tent to be thus enlightned but labour for it that thou maiest prevent the Judgements deserved by the same Now that I may the better prevaile with you consider these three motives first it is the only old way to heaven for God never revealed any other but this way in the old law the only way for the leaper to be cleansed was to come out into the congregation and to cry I am uncleane I am uncleane This leaper was every sinner this meanes of curing was the sight of his sinne and as he did so must every sinner confesse his sin take shame to himselfe and say It is my proud heart and this my loose life c. This true sight of sinne is the only doore to life and salvation who would not goe that way which is the right the ready way if ever you receive mercy at the hands of the Lord it must be by this way or not at all I pray you take heed and doe not find a shorter cut to heaven the further you goe the contrary way the further you must returne back againe this hath cozened many a man more then he doth imagine As a traveller when he is loath to goe through some filthy lane he will breake through the fence and goe through the meadow that he may save the foule way at last when he hath gone up and downe and cannot get out againe he is forced with much losse of time to goe backe againe and goe through the lane So it is with many sinfull wretches in the world and this hath cost them deare They will not goe this way by sorrow for sinne to see the filthinesse thereof and their cursed abominations but they will have a new way to receive mercy comfort from God yet at last they are driven to a stand and then they will heare the minister of God and when he saith Christ came to seek and to save that which was lost that is those poore sinners that saw themselves lost and consider the plagues of their heart And when Christ workes savingly he opens the eye and awakens the conscience and a man must confesse before he can find mercy then the soule saith I never saw this worke upon my soule I was never lost No where broke you over then you would needs to heaven a new way you are like the thorny ground that would receive the word with joy Nay I le assure you you must come backe againe and see all those abominations which have been committed in secret by you and discover them or else there is no meanes to come unto life Let us search try our waies saith the Church you must not thinke that Christ will pardon all and you doe nothing No first see your sinnes and then you shall receive mercy pardon for them Secondly the worke by this meanes will bee much more easie then at another time If thou once get thy conscience convicted and thine eyes opened the worke will goe on clearely and easiâ—y Many of Gods people will strike in with you and many good Christians will pitty you and pray for you and you shall have many helps this way and therefore is it not better now to have your conscience awakened when you may have helpe then afterward when there is no remedy When any of Gods people fast or pray they will remember you what saith one Doe you know such a man yes very well what is he oh he was the most shamelesse drunkard that ever the sun did see or the earth beare Was he so oh but now God hath opened his eyes and awakened his conscience he was never so frolike before but now he is as much wounded now his heart is broken his conscience flies in his face It were good to remember him though he hath beene a wretch and a profest opposer of Gods people yet let us remember him Yes that I will I know his burthen is great I have found it and I hope so long as I have a knee to kneele and a tongue to speake I shal remember him And then they pray for him and say Good Lord who can beare a wounded soule Good Lord thou hast humbled him and made him see himselfe vile and miserable let him see thy mercy in Christ. What a comfort is this to have a whole countrey pray for him in this maner Object But some will object and say This is something dangerous and drives men sometimes to a desperate stand and therefore is it not farre better to be as we are and not to awake this severe Lion A man cannot conjure downe his conscience when it is up once Answ. To this I answere you must see your sinnes that is the truth of it doe not thinke to put it off the Lyon will roare and that conscience will be awakened one day it is better to be awakened now then to have your eyes opened in hell when there is no remedy Thirdly set upon this worke the issue will be very successefull oh what a comfort will it be to a poore soule in the time of death when he shall come to render up his soule into the hands of God that all his sinnes are wiped out And then to heare those glad tidings from heaven Be of good comfort poore soule thou hast seen thy sinnes therefore I will not see them thou hast remembred them and mourned for them therefore I will never plague thee for them Who would not see his sinnes that Christ may cover them in that
day of accompts there was never sâ—nner broken hearted but God did bind him up and there was never any truly wounded for sinne but God did ever heale and comfort him and therefore labour to looke your face in the glasse of Gods Law and so see your owne spots I confesse this is tedious to your sinnes the plagues due to them but looke thou on them that God may not If an adversary offer meanes of agreement we use to say suffer it not to come to the publike triall for the case is naught I say it will be so with every wicked mans case the Lord hath a controversie with every wicked man and it must be tryed in the publike day of judgment or else you must make a private agreement betweene God and your owne soules If there be any drunkard or adulterer or unjust person that is guiltie of any sinne you had better take up the matter in private Doe not feare to looke upon your sins but bring theÌ„ all out before the Lord and see the ugly face of them and intreate the Lord to seale up unto you the pardon of them that you may never be called to an accompt for them I tell you it is the most comfortable course in the world The last use for instruction to all my fellow brethren let me speake a word to them and to my selfe too let us all take that course in dealing with the people and Gods ordinances which God himselfe takes up As the steward disposeth of every thing at his masters will and the Apothecary orders drugges as the Physitian appoints so let it be with us to we are but stewards and Apothecaries let us take that course and use those meanes that God hath appointed for his peoples good God saith you must see your sinnes and be humbled for them and therefore let us labour to make men see them as the Apostle saith I hope we were made manifest to your Consciences Did not your Consciences say so that you could not gaine-say it we must take up that course the Scripture hath revealed and which the faithfull servants of God have ever used and which God hath ever blessed nay it is our wisdome so to doe Mathew the seventh and the last Christ taught the people with authority not as the Scribes there is a kind of commanding power which the word ought to have upon mens Consciences if a man be a sinner it will reprove him and command reproofes to sease upon him and if he be in distresse of Conscience it will command comfort to take place in his heart Give me leave to speake my thoughts and it is my judgement too What doth it profit a man to scrape up a little Greek and Latine together and to leave the sense of the Scripture undiscovered and the Conscience no whit touched nor the heart stirred He that knowes any thing this way though he were but an ordinary schoole-boy that had but any skill in the tongues if he could not doe it he should be scourged by my consenâ— But let it be in case of Conscience a poore soule comes to anguish of spirit the onely way to â—et this man on foote againe is to answer all his objections and questions and resolve all his doubts and to make the way good and the case cleare Alas this course is not knowne amongst us And in the way of examination if a man come to examine a sinner he takes away all his cavils and all his carnall shifts that he hath to hinder the word and forces the soule to say It is Gods word though he will not entertaine it Let a man try this course and he shall finde a marvellous difficulty this is the reason why our ministery thrives not and the hearts of men are not wrought upon because we labour not the right way to shew men their sinnes and to convince their conscience that they may not flinch out from the ordinances of God Nay I take it to be the speciall cause why after all the pretious promises that God makes knowne no man receives good by them We offer salves to them that know not whether they have any sores or no And we offer Physicke to those that we know not whether they have any disease or no we speake of grace Christ but people thinke they have no need of theÌ„ suffer me to speake my mind herein freely That ministery which doth not ordinarily humble the soule breake the heart doth not convert and draw to Christ but that ministery that doth not inlighten the mind and convince the soule of sinne that never humbles ordinarily and therefore never doth draw home to Christ Now we come to shew the causes why and the meanes how sinners come to see their sinnes The Apostle speakes it to their faces You are they that have committed this sinne you have crucified the Lord of life this is your sinne The Doctrine from hence is this A speciall application of particular sinnes is a chiefe meanes to bring people to a sight of their sinnes and to a true sorrow for them The Apostle doth not generally propound their sins but he comes home to their hearts and it is not onely done in this place but it hath beene the practice of all Gods faithfull ministers heretofore As Iohn Baptist he goes not cunningly to worke secretly to intimate some truths but he deales roundly with them and saith O generation of vipers who fore warned you to flie from the wrath to come And he shewes them their sinnes in particular And when the publicans came to be baptised he saith Receive no more then is appointed for you and he saith to the souldiers Doe violence to no man and be content with your wages he was the minister of humiliation and preparation and therefore he deales thus plainely with them When Ahab had slaine Naboth the Prophet Elias came to him and sayes In the place where dogs lickt the blood of Naboth shall dogges licke thy blood Ahab said Hast thou found me out ô my emenie And he said I have found thee out because thou hast sould thy selfe to worke wickednesse in the sight of the Lord and the text saith When he heard this he put on sacke-cloth and went softly This was the power of a particular reproofe though he were a miserable wicked man Thus did Paul deale with Peter wheÌ„ he halted before the Jewes he did plainly reprove him to his face and that not secretly but because he had sinned openly therefore he reproves him openly so also our Saviour Christ shakes up the Scribes and Pharisees And this is the rule in generall as the Apostle saith Reprove theÌ„ sharply that they may be sound in the faith Oh! but some will say If I doe thus plainly deale with them I shall discourage them altogether Answ. Nay it will make them sound Christians indeed see what the Lord saith Plead with your mother the word
those things to his minde the plagues due thereunto so that he cannot escape the dint therof It is the nature of our own hearts that we are loath to read our owne destiny which will be our bane and confusion meditation calls over the thoughts of a man tells him the reasons are good the arguments found the Scripture plaine thy sinnes evident Conscience you know it therefore heart you must doe it saith meditation take heed of drunkennesse saith meditation you heard what the minister said these sinnes are against God and the wrath of God is gone out against you for these sinnes these will be your bane and will bring you to everlasting destruction And when meditation doth thus yawle at the heart the minde still musing and the heart still pondering of sin at last it is weary therefore unburdened therewith the issue of the argumēts is this if meditation brings in sin more powerful more plainely to the soule if it be that which binds and fastneth it and setleth it upon the soule then the point is cleare that serious meditation of sinne is a special meanes to bring a soule to the sight and sorrow for sinne The uses are three the third is the maine we will presse on unto it If it be so that meditation is thus powerfull and profitable both for contrition of the heart and to bring in consolation to the heart then what shall we thinke of those men that are unwilling to practice this dutie nay what shall we thinke of that untowardnesse of heart which is in us against the command of this duty It is a word of reproofe against this practice and it falls marvelous heavy upon us all more or lesse in this kinde for we are marvelous guiltie in this kinde that we are tardy in this duty a man had as good bring a Beare to the stake as a carnall heart to the consideration of his owne wayes much more loath is he to ponder seriously and meditate continually upon his sinnes no men are so farre from musing of their sinnes that they disdaine this practice and scoffe at it what say they if all were of your minde what should become of us shall we alwayes be poring on our corruptions so we may hap to runne mad if we were of your opinion thus we slight and put it off and trample on this duty which is so profitable the poore will not meditate on his sinnes he hath no time the rich they need it not the wicked dare not and so no man will in this case What shall a man set his soule on a continuall racke say they shall a man drive himselfe to a desperate stand and trouble himselfe unprofitably cannot men keepe themselves when they are well this is the course and frame of the world and wee may complaine of this carelesse and heedlesse age as Ieremiah did of his time Ier. 8.6 No man repenteth him of his wickednesse saying What have I done there is no questioning nor searching no musing no man saith What have I done no man saith these are my sinnes these are my wayes no man lookes over his course and conversation he doth not apprehend his sinne and that is the reason we heare of no humbling of no repenting but every man runneth into sinne as the horse rusheth into the battell hence it is that there are so māy uncleane beasts in the Arke In the old Law if there were any beasts that chewed not the cud he was counted uncleane the chewing of the cud is serious meditation of the mercies of God to comfort us and of our sinnes to humble us there are many ungodly persons in the bosome of the Church that muse not of their sinfull wayes the Prophet Ieremiah saith Were they ashamed when they had committed abominatiōs nay they were not at all ashamed neither could they blush he adds a reason in the eleventh verse They could not be ashamed why because they cry peace peace let the minister speake what he can and denounce what judgement he will they promise thēselves peace quietnes they consider not their wayes and therefore their hearts are not distempered therewith nor troubled at the consideration thereof nay there are many that count it an excellencie a cunning skill if they can drive away and shake off the sight of sinne if they can put off the meditation of any thing the word reveales they make it a marvelous excellent piece of skill and what they doe themselves they would have others doe also but they that now will not see nor consider nor meditate of their sinnes the truth is they shall see them as the Lord saith by Esay 26.11 When thy hand is lifted up they will not see but they shall see and be ashamed So I say you that will not see your sins but say What needs all this stirre let the minister say what hee will shall we be mad men to be troubled and shall we be fooles to be disquieted with the consideration of our sinnes well you will not muse upon your sinnes now but the time will come that the Lord will set all your sinnes in order before you and you shall not be able to looke off them And hence it is that when a man hath lived wickedly all his dayes and comes to lye on his death bed then all his sinnes come to his remembrance and then conscience flies in his face and sayes here is a cup for a drunkard and for an adulterer now he seeth nothing but sinne and hell and damnation due to him for his sinne and then he cries out he is damned You might have seene something before then if you had seene them to be humbled for them you should never have seene them to be damned for them If there be but any occasion of basenesse offered to the view of the drunkard which way doth he not use to compasse his carnall delights and shall the drunkard and prophane wretch be so eager in lingering after sinne that he may commit it and be damned for it and shall not a man so labour to see his iniquities that he may be humbled for them before God and receive mercy from God in the pardon of the same Shall the reprobate hale judgements on their soules and bend all their meditations that way and shall not they that desire to see God in glory doe the same The Second use is for instruction from the former doctrine delivered we may collect that loose vaine joviall company is the greatest hindrance to preparatiō for Christ and the greatest obstacle to the worke of grace that can be possible this is not forced but followeth clearly from the former truth in this manner thus I reason That course which takes away the minde from musing and the understanding from meditating on his evill way that course is the greatest hindrance why the heart is not humbled and fitted for the Lord for meditation brings in contrition and that prepares the heart for Christ but
First his eye is ever upon it his mouth is ever speaking of it and he is alwaies complaining against it and he is readily content to take shame to himselfe for it If a man have a sore place in his body his eye and his finger will ever be upon it so it is with the soule As the people when they apprehended the hideous wrath of God against them they entreated Samuel to pray for them for say they We have added to all our sinnes this specially in asking of us a King As it is with a man that hath the stone in the reines or some stitch in his side or where ever his paine or trouble is there he complaines most and when the PhysitiaÌ„ comes to feele on his body he saith is it here no â—â—ith he is it here and wheÌ„ he commeth to the right place he saith there it is cut there and launce there So it is with a man that is stung with the vile nature of sinne when he comes to complaine of sinne he doth not altogether complaine of his horrour nor of death but he saith O! that chambring and wantonnesse that pride and stubbornnesse and rebellion of heart O! that ryoting and malice against the Saints of God The soule seeth this complaines of it and takes shame to himselfe for it as Paul deales with himselfe which argues a heart truly weary of corruption I was a persecutor and a blasphemer and the like and I was received to mercy he doth not say I was in horrour or in trouble but I was a persecutor he doth not say I was thus and thus plagued but I was an injurious person to Gods Church there he was weary and there he would be eased if it were possible Let all vile wretches tremble at it for God hath enough for all Pharoes and Nymrods Away therefore with all these Lapwing cries and complaints it is the nature of that bird to cry flutter most when she is farthest from her neast because by this meanes she would cozen passengers and have her young ones So it is with an hypocrite he will complaine a great way off of his sinne and have some secret turning It is admirable to see how hard it is for a man to lay open his sinnes before God it is a signe that he is never weary of sinne that he is not willing truly to confesse his sinne when he is lawfully called to it and when he pretends 〈◊〉 it is true sometimes God will accept of a confession made to him in secret if it be in truth but when God will have a man unbowell himselfe and all his abominations and when a man commeth and desires comfort in this kinde then for a man to cover his sinne and to complaine a farre off of some ordinary corruption which every poore child of God is troubled with and that particular lust whereof he is guilty for shame he is not willing to acknowledge this argueth that the heart is naught and never sound this wearisomnesse of sinne I know that the best heart under heaven will have many windings and turnings but the Lord will never leave the heart in this case till he come to deale plainly and say these are my sinnes and this is my uncleannes and this is my secret theft and thus he openeth himselfe at large to that man whom God hath appointed for that end but some are content to confesse and complaine of their sinnes when God hath them upon the racke and Judas did but marke his punishment is the greatest cause of his complaint and hell is his greatest feare he 〈◊〉 weary of sinne because of the plague and punishment due to it but he never regards the vilenesse of sinne in this respect because it makes a separation betweene God and his soule Secondly as the soule complaines of the vile nature of sin and desires to have his face covered with shame for it is so in the second place it will never meddle with nor give way to any thing that is sinfull so farre as it is revealed so to be setting aside sudden passions and violent temptations but when a man is come to himselfe againe his conscience is awakened this is sure the soule will not dare to tamper with any thing that is sinful why becaus it hath bin wearied with the burthen of it before It is the practice of the lamenting Church in Hosea Ashur shall not save us we will not ride on horses neither will we say to the workes of our hands Ye are our Gods for with thee the fatherles finde mercy That is we wil meddle no more with any thing that is sinfull whâ—reby we have dishonoureâ— God heretofore for they had trusted in their horses made Idols and relyed upon them but now they cast them cleane off The reason is because when the soule seeth sin as it is sinne and that it is burthen to the soule and the heart is now weary of it it will lay no more weight upon it because now the heart is weary enough already The blasphemer feares an oath the adulterer shakes to see his quean and he trembles to see the place where his abominations have beene committed and now his heart loathes all these If a man hath beene once at deaths doore by drinking deadly poyson he will never tast of it more Nay he will not endure the sight of that cup he wil rather fare hardly and rather starve then eate and drinke that which shall kill him so saith the soule it is sin that hath made a separation betweene me and my God this pride or this uncleannesse had been the death of me if God had not beene mercifull unto me and therefore I will rather sinke and die then meddle with these sinnes any more And hence it is that if any thing come under the colour of corruption the soule that is truly weary of sinne saith Omitting of this duty is evill and therefore I will not omit it the doing of this action is sinfull and therefore I will not doe it because the sinne is worse then the plague he will take the lesse evill of the two as we use to doe in other matters if a man hate his sinne for the plague then so soone as that is removed he returnes to his sinne againe the blow was but weake This was the fault in Judas his sorrow he did see and confesse his sinnes and bewaile them and did more then many will doe now a daies tooke shame to himselfe buâ— though he confessed and complained of his sinne yet he would rather commit murther upon himselfe then under-goe the horrour of sinne if he had beene weary of sin because of the loathsomenesse of it he would not have layed violent hands upon himselfe These two passages are every where where true saving grace is Now in the third place if God should deprive a sinner of his judgement and horrour of conscience yet if his heart be truely apprehensive
Object Oh! many are they that have it could I feare God as I should and seeke for mercy as I ought then there were some hope but I have no heart to endeavour or desire after any mercy and I cannot bring my soule nor submit my will to yeild and therefore shall I ever have any mercy Answ. Why not thou too Doth God sell his mercy No he gives it freely God keepes open house Oh the freenesse of that mercy and goodnesse that is in God! he requires nothing of thee to procure it but he shewes mercy because he will shew mercy thou hast no will but God hath a will and his shewing of mercy depends not on thy wil but upon his owne freewil It is true God will make a man will and break his heart because no man otherwise can be saved but it is as true that Christ will give you brokennesse of heart as well as heaven and salvation I will take away the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh and cause you to walke in my wayes saith the Lord hold this truth in thy soule As there is no worth in the soule that can deserve any thing at Gods hands so there is no sinne the sinne against the holy Ghost only excepted that can hinder the freenes of Gods grace from saving of us if thou belong to him he will hale thee to heaven and pull thee from hell he will make thee lie in the dust and wait for mercy come groveling for his grace and that freely without any thing on thy part Who is a God like to thee saith Micah who pardonest iniquity because mercy doth please thee The Lord sheweth mercy not because thou canst please him but because mercy pleaseth him And in Esay he saith I am he that blotteth out thy offences for my owne names sake But the soule may say Object they were Gods people that did humble themselves and they had hearts to feare him Answ. See that in the twentie fourth verse Thou hast brought me no corne neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifice but thou hast wearied me with thy transgressions yet the Lord saith I am he that pardoneth thy sinnes Thou saiest if thou couldest pray and humble thy selfe there were hope of mercy the text doth not say It is a sinner but it is I a God that must doe it this is the freenes of his grace But some may object Object Is it possible that a man should receive any mercy yet be so stubborne and rebellious This makes way for drunkards to live as they list and yet thinke to goe to heaven Answ. I answer It is true the Lord will pardon thē if they belong to him but he will doe it with a witnesse the Lord will dowze that soule of thine in the veine of his vengeance but he will pardon thee too God will pardon thy sinne in Christ but he will make thee feele the bitternesse of sinne Lastly consider the abundance of mercy and goodnesse that is in God whereby he not only strives with us in the midst of all rebellions but he is more mercifull then we are or can be rebellious this helpes the heart of another thing that cuts it For when the soule seeth all his sinnes for number for nature so many and so abominable he saith Object Can mercy be shewed to such a wretch as I am Answ. Yes for as God is al-sufficient and his promise free so he hath plenty of mercy for the worst he exceeds in mercy all the sinnes that can be except that against the holy Ghost and therefore the soule throwes it selfe upon this the Apostle saith Where sinne abounds grace abounds much more lest any man should say Let us sinne that grace may abound the text saith in another place whose damnation is just This knockes off fingers though a sinfull wretch abuse God and Grace yet mercy will overcome the heart in this case but it will cost him deare though thou turnest the grace of God into wantonnesse the Lord will turne that wantonnesse of thine into bitternesse the Lord will sting that heart of thine one day and make thee see whether it be good to forsake mercy when it is offered it will be easier for Sodome then for thee when thou shalt see a company of poore Sodomites frie in hell howsoever God may bring thee to heaven yet he will make thee frie in hell and he will make thee thinke a Sodomite to be in a better condition for the present then thou art Object But some will say God cannot in justice save such a wretch as I am For answer to this see what Saint Iames saith Mercy rejoyceth or triumpheth over Iustice howsoever Iustice saith he must be plagued yet Mercy saith Christ hath made a plentifull satisfaction for him then mercy triumpheth over judgement so then if God be al-sufficient and his promise free and his mercy superabundant then we may be stirred up to hope for mercy from God our hearts may be supported herein for ever Now I come to some other particulars that are plainly exprest in our text First they made a free and open confession of their sinnes they did not stay till the Apostle went to their houses but they went to him and said Men and brethren you have spoken against the sinne of murder and we confesse we are guilty of this sinne they saw their sinnes and confessed them openly before the Apostles The Doctrine which ariseth from hence is this When the heart is truly broken for sinne it will be content to make open free confession thereof when a man is called thereunto or thus sound contrition brings forth bottome confession Men and brethren What shall we doe to be saved as if they had said the truth is we have heard of the feareful condition of such as have killed the Lord Jesus and we confesse whatsoever you have said he was persecuted by us and blasphemed by us we are they that cryed Cucifie him crucifie him we would have eaten his flesh and made dice of his bones we plotted his death and gloried in it these are our sinnes and haply a thousand more that then they revealed and this is remarkable They goe to Peter and the other Apostles they did not goe to the Scribes and Pharisees and that cursed crew Whence observe this by the way when the soule is thus truly broken generally it will never repaire to such as are carnall and wicked men for these people knew that the Scribes and Pharisees had their hands as deeply imbrued in Christs blood as themselves and besides they knew them to be such naughty packes that they would rather incourage them in their sinnes then any way ease them and recover them from the same therefore they went to the Disciples because they were holy and gratious persons and willing to succour them and it is certaine that soule was never truly broken for sinne
broken heart comes not to flout at the minister nay that is a sturdy heart but a broken heart shakes at the word of God if there come a promise a broken heart trembles lest he hath no share in it and if there be any command he trembles lest he should not be able to obey it but if the Lord meet with some maine lust as secret malice against the Saints of God and secret uncleannesse or the like if the Lord give a wipe at these things in the word thē this broken heart hath enough he hath his load and longs to be private he remembers that truth and the wound being fresh bleeds againe and he mournes againe and laies hold on his heart and saith Good Lord I was this malicious wretch I intended this mischiefe to thy Saints and if it had beene in my power I could have sucked their blood I was that uncleane wretch shall all these sinnes be pardoned and shall all these cursed abominations be removed Can these corruptions be subdued Brethren yee cannot be ignorant how a wounded heart is affected with every touch you that have broken hearts you know it I shall not need to tell you Therefore when ever the Lord comes to rake in those filthy and drunken hearts of yours they will shake within you and you will say this is my sinne and these are my abominations whereby God hath beene so much dishonored The third use is for exhortation if you know these things as I am perswaded you doe then be intreated in the name of the Lord Jesus to walke in that way which God hath revealed this is the basenesse of our hearts we are loath to unbuckle our vile and secret distempers they are shamefull themselves and yet we are loath to take shame for them Therefore deale openly freely with your soules confesse your sins freely that God may deale comfortably with you hath the Lord at any time let in this horrour into thy soule and is thy heart now troubled at the word and after all thy teares and paines and meanes using with uprightnesse doe thy corruptions still remaine are they not yet subdued as they might be canst thou not get any assurance of the pardon of them I say then cast away thy shamefull hiding and concealing of sinne and do not say what will the world and ministers say of me away with these shifts God cals thee to confession the Saints have done it and thou must nay thou wilt doe it if ever thy heart be kindly broken as it should be in some measure pleasing unto God and profitable to thy selfe Object But some will say how may we doe it Answ. For answere thereunto I will first give some direction how to doe it Secondly I will give some motives to worke our hearts to the same First be wise in chusing the party to whom you must confesse your sinnes for every wide mouthed vessel is not fit to receive pretious liquor so this confession is not to be opened to every carnall wretch that will blaze it abroad the minister to whom you confesse ought to have these three graces First hee must be a skilfull and able Minister of God one that is trained up and is master of his Art and so experienced that hee may be able in some measure to finde out the nature of the disease Not that any Minister under heaven can be so wife and holy as to give pardon to a poore sinner but onely hee is able ministerially to doe it under God Hee must be able to approve himselfe the Minister of God hee must have the tongue of the learned and be able to breake the heart and prepare the soule for Christ and then to apply the cooling promises of the Gospell to him There are many who in stead of curing of the soule kill it and by popping the Sacrament into a mans mouth thinke to send him to heaven but in conclusion send him to hell Secondly hee must be a mercifull Physitian one that will pitty a poore soule they that have experience of trouble and misery in themselves are most compassionate to others in distresse he that hath beene tossed in the sea will pitty others that have beene in the same danger If these people had gone to the Scribes and Pharisies they had beene well holpen No but they went to Peter and therefore found helpe when Iudas had sinned and betrayed his Master and his soule was full of horrour he went to the Pharisies and confessed his sinnes but what succour found he they answered him what is that to us Hast thou sinned then beare it and looke to it thy selfe so it is with carnall wretches what comfort yeild they to a poore distressed conscience they adde sorrow to sorrow and say it is nothing but melancholy he hath gotten this by hearing some fiery hot minister or by reading too much in some bookes of election and reprobation Lastly he must be a faithfull minister one that will not fit mens humors nor answere the desires of their hearts in speaking what they would have him but his faithfulnesse must appeare in two things First in dealing plainely with every one though a man be his patron or of what place or condition soever he be if he have a proud heart he must labour to humble him And Secondly as he must apply a salve fitting for the sore so he must be faithfull in keeping secret the sinne that is laid open to him that nothing may fly abroad no not after his death except it be in some cases Now what remaines but that you all be moved to take up this duty and provoke your hearts freely to confesse your evill waies to which purpose let me give you three motives First because it is a very honourable thing will exceedingly promote the cause of a Christian you will hardly yeild to this on the sudden a man doth thinke that if the minister knowes his vilenesse he will abhorre him for it But I assure you brethren there is nothing that doth more set forth the honour of a Christian and winne the love of a minister then this Indeed it is a shame to commit sinne but no shame to confesse it upon good grounds Nay when the heart comes kindly off it is admirable to see how a faithfull minister will approve of such persons his love is so great towards them O saith the minister it did me good to heare that man confesse so freely I hope the Lord hath wrought kindly in him certainely now he is in the way to life and happinesse oh how I love him I could even be content to put that man in my bosome Whereas this overly and loose dealing of yours is loathsome to us doe you thinke we perceive it not Yes we may feele it with our fingers and when you are gone I tell you what we thinke surely that man is an hypocrite he hath a hollow heart he is not willing to
take shame to himselfe for his sinne his confession never comes to the bottome Secondly confession is a matter of great safety I take this to be the only cause why many a man goes troubled and gets neither comfort in the pardon of the sinne nor strength against it because he comes not off kindly in this worke of confession When you doe nakedly open your sinnes to a faithfull minister you goe out in battaile against sinne and you have a second in the field to stand by you but especially there is comfort in this particular for the minister will discover the lusts and deceits and corruptions that you could not finde out and he will lay open all those holds of Sathan and that meanes of comfort that you never knew I am able to speake it by experience this hath broke the necke of many a soule even because he would goe out in single combate against Sathan and doe what he could not revealing himselfe to others for help was overthrowne for ever As it is with the impostumed part of a mans body when a man lets out some of the corrupt matter and so skins it never healing it to the bottome at last it cankers inwardly and comes to a gangrene and the part must be cut off or else a man is in danger of his life so when you let out some corruptions by an overly confession but suffer some bosome lust to remaine still as malice or uncleannesse c. Then the soule cankers and Sathan takes possession of it and the soule is carried into fearefull abominations Many have fallen fouly and lived long in their sinnes and all because they would not confesse freely therefore as you desire to finde out the deceitfulnesse of your corruptions confesse them from the bottome of your soules Thirdly this open and free confession may maintaine the secrecy of the soule for the onlâ— way to have a mans sinnes covered is to confesse them that so they may not be brought upon the stage before all the world Object Oh saith one this is contrary to common reason we are affraid to have our sinnes knowne that is our trouble we keepe our sinnes close because we would preserve our honour Answ. I say the only way for secrecie is to reveal our sinnes to some faithfull Minister for if we confesse our sinnes God will cover them if you take shame to your selves God will honour you but if you will not confesse your sinnes God will breake open the doore of your hearts and let in the light of his truth and the convicting power of his Spirit and make it knowen to men and Angels to the shame of your persons for ever If Iudas had taken notice of his sinne and yeilded to Christs accusation and desired some conference with Christ privately and said Good Lord I am that Iudas and that hell-hound that have received mercy from thee in the outward meanes and have been entertayned among thy people yet it is I that have taken the thirtie pence Lord pardon this sinne and never let this iniquity be laid to my charge I doubt not but though Iudas his soule could not be saved because that now wee know Gods decree of him yet God would have saved him from the publike shame that was cast upon him for it but he did not doe so but hidde his malice in his heart and professed great matters of love to Christ and kissed him and thus he thought to cover his sin wisely but what became of that the Lord forced him to come and to indite himselfe in the high priests hall before the temporall and spirituall counsell So you that keepe your sinnes as sugar under your tongues and will be loose and malitious and covetous still well you will have your thirtie pence still and they are layed up safe as Achans wedge of gold was remember this God will one day open the clossets of your hearts and lay you upon your death beds and then haply yee will prove mad and vomit up all were it not better to confesse your sinnes to some faithfull minister now If you will not give the Lord his glory he will distraine for it have it from your heart blood as Iulian the apostata said when the arrow was shot into his heart he plucked it out and cried saying thou Galilean thou hast overcome me the Lord distrained for his glory and had it out of his heart blood Now I come to the second fruit of contrition which is here plainly expressed and it is this A restlesse dislike of themselves and their sinnes as if they had said Men and brethren we care not what we doe against those evils of ours whereby the Lord hath beene so much dishonoured and we indangered command us what you will we must not rest thus so loathsome are our sinnes that we will doe any thing rather then be as we are So from hence the doctrine is this The soule that is truly pierced for sinne is carried against it with a restlesse dislike and distaste of it or thus Sound contrition of heart ever brings a thorow detestation of sinne this they professedly proclaime before the Apostles As if they had said thus much in more words You say we are they that have crucified the Lord of life and we confesse it oh happy had it beene for us if we had never listened to the plots of the Scribes and Pharisies but that which is past cannot be undone or recalled What must now be done if we rest here we perish forever can nothing be done against these our sinnes that have done so much against the Lord Jesus we must loath ourselves and our sinnes and we must get out of this eâ—â—ate or else we are undone for ever Now for the further opening of this point I will discover these three things First I will shew what a distaste and dislike this is Secondly wherein this hatred and dislike of sinne consists Thirdly I will shew the reason why it must be so For the first namely what dislike this is for the clearing of which you must looke backe to that which I spake before of godly sorrow For of the very same stampe and nature is this dislike and hatred of sinne and it is thus much in effect First there is a hatred in preparation and secondly a hatred in â—sanctification both are saving workes but both are not sanctifying workes vocation is a saving worke but not a sanctifying worke they are two distinct workes This hatred in preparation is that which the Lord workes upon the soule and smites upon the soule and thereby puts this kinde of turning into the heart not that the heart hath any powerfull inward principle of grace before for this is the first that the Lord workes so that as before the soule was forced to see sinne and to feel the burthen of it so the heart is now brought to dislike sinne this is a worke wrought upon the soule rather then any
well pleased that any minister should meet with the base haunts of his heart and if the word hit wound that master-sinne of his hee is marvelous content therewith hee cares not from whom the help comes The sharpest and keenest reproofes that will shake his very heart and draw blood out of sinne and the most powerfull deliverer of Gods word that divides betweene the marrow and the bones hee likes best Nay though the great Cannons roare and Gods ordinances worke mightily upon his heart so that his corruptions may bee killed and subdued hee blesseth the Lord and saith Blessed be the Lord I have had a good day of it the Lord layed battery against this wretched heart of mine I blesse God for these reproofes and judgements threatned my heart is in some measure broken under them I hope my corruptions have gotten their deaths wound this day Thirdly as hee desires to see sinne killed in himselfe so hee is not able to see sinne in others but so farre as God hath put authority and opportunity into his hands he pursues it with deadly indignation As a man that hates a murderer hee will not onely keepe him from his owne house but hee pursues him even to the place of Justice So the Soule that truly hates sinne will not onely keepe sinne from his owne heart but hee will plucke it from the hearts of others so farre as possibly he may When Haman had a spleene against Mordecai hee was not onely desirous to kill him but hee would kill all the nation of the Iewes this was hatred indeed so it is with a broken heart If a broken hearted father have had a proud heart and hath beene wearyed with it hee labours to kill all the brood of those cursed distempers in his children Lastly hee labours to crosse and undermine all those occasions and meanes that have given any succour to his corruptions of heart the soule hath such a secret grudge against the thriving of sinne that it lothes all occasions that may maintaine his sinne as the drunkard and adulterer hate the place where they went in to commit sinne As in warre haply they cannot take the enemy but they will drive him out of the Country and burne downe all his Forts and fill up all his Trenches that hee may finde no provision so the heart that truly hates sinne and hath beene truly broken for it will hate all occasions and whatsoever may be any meanes to strengthen it Even all these proud and whorish lockes and these Spanish cuts all these wanton and garish attires and light behaviours which were nothing else but the Tent wherein his vaine filthy light heart hath lodged Thus it was with Mary Magdalen the reason why it is so is this because the heart that hath beene broken for sinne and burdened with the evill of it hath now found by wofull experience that sinne is the greatest evill of all others and therefore for the preservation of it selfe it will hate that sinne which separates betweene God and the Soule and with which the safety of the soule cannot stand Every thing in reason desires the safety and preservation of it selfe the soule knowes sinne to be the greatest enemy and therefore it is most invenomed with violence against sinne and â—aith Whence come all these miseries and what is the mint out of which all these plagues and Judgements come Is it not my sinne It is not povertie it is not sicknesse nor disgrace that pincheth mee but my sinne first caused all these It is the poyson of sinne in povertie and the poyson of sinne in shame and the wrath of God in all these by reason of my sinne These evills were not evill to mee but that my sinnes make them so Had I a heart to feare GOD and to love him and depend upon him in poverty God would inrich mee and in shame hee would honour mee and in misery hee would comfort mee It is not povertie nor shame that doth hurt mee but sinne lyes and venomes my soule And therefore the soule now cryes Men and Brethren What shall I doe to bee freed from these corruptions Great are the evills that I have found and marvellous are the plagues that I have felt by reason of my sinnes but farre worse will that portion bee that I shall have in hell in endlesse torments hereafter this will bee the perfection of all misery let it bee any thing rather then this it is better here now to be plagued then everlastingly damned The first Use is a ground of admirable comfort and strong consolation to all such as have found this dislike and hatred of sinne hee may be sure his heart hath beene broken for sinne and so consequently hee shall certainly have Christ and grace I doubt not but every soule is perswaded of this and saith Indeed if I could finde my soule greeving within me for my rebellions and sinnes then I did not doubt it but how shall I know whether my soule hath beene ever as yet truely wounded for sinne as sinne Answ. I answer if thou hast this hatred and thy heart is carried against thy sinnes with an utter indignation against them then certainely thy soule hath been truly broken indeed sometimes a man doth hate his sinnes more then ever he hath been burthened with them but thus it is commonly if thy hatred be good thy sorrow hath been sincere for how can thy heart goe against sinne except thou have found some evill in it and how canst thou be an enemy to corruption except thy heart hath beene wounded with it therefore let me advise all those that desire to have an evideÌ„ce of the worke of grace in their soules to goe in secret and examine their hearts whether they can make hue and cry after their corruptions can you be content that all your sinfull distempers even those that would affect you most should be made knowne either in publique by the ministry of the word or in private by some faithfull Christian and can you be content that he should come home to your hearts and dragge out your corruptions before the world then you have beene wounded for sinne and are enemies against it as David saith Trie me O Lord and examine me and prove my heart and my reines and see if there be any wickednesse in me He deales like a good subject that lockes all the doores and bids the officers search if there be any traitor in his house if any one hide the traitor he is a traitor himselfe in so doing so David as it were sets open the doore of his heart and saith Good Lord if there any wickednesse in me yet not discovered Lord let that word that Spirit and that messenger of thine finde it out reprove me convince me Lord and discover my hypocrisie and pride of heart This is an honest heart certainly Secondly when thou hast found out thy sinne by the help of the minister then