the Land again and embowel it self in Church and State these call for it as loud as the hatangueing Prayers of Seditious Men and the Lord knows there are too many hands that would unsheath it if God do not interpose to hinder and well we have deserv'd he should But if we would endeavour to engage him by Repentance that will require the Afflicting of the Soul by some severities Do not mistake your selves Repentance as it cannot be wrought out amidst our courses that were contradiction to return and yet go on so also it will not be wrought out amidst the Comforts as we call the jollities of life Tertullian is very pleasant with those who did dislike that in their Penitencies they were by the Church prescrib'd to put off Mirth and put on Sackcloth and take Ashes for Bread Come says he reach that Bodkin there to braid my Hair and help me now to practise all those Arts that are in Mode to attire it give me the washes of that Glass the blushes of that Paper the foyles which that Box hath to beautifie and dress my Cheeks come and set out and dress my Table too let me have Fowl with costly forc'd and not a natural Fat or let me have cramb'd Fish and cram my Dishes also get me chearful Wine too and if any one ask why I do thus indulge my self Why I will tell him I have sin'd against my God and am in danger of Perdition and therefore I am in great trouble I macerate do you not see the signs of it and excruciate my self I take these fearful careful ways that I may reconcile God to me whom I have offended Alas to humble ones self thus in fulness and to afflict the Soul in chearful plenties is such a thing as none but he that sinks under the surfeit of those Plenties understands I 'm sure the Lord when he required his People to repent required them then to discipline and use severities upon themselves they were to fast or dye God took the execution for whatsoever Soul it be that shall not be Afflicted that same day shall be cut off from among his People Levit. xxiii 29. Even cut off by God himself And I do verily persuade my self that one great cause why men that have sometimes thought to reform their lives and do resolve against their Courses yet repent of their Repentance their resolutions untwist and become frail as threds of Cobweb the first assault of a temptation does break through them is they do not use mortifications to work their aversations high and strong against their sins and fix their resolutions The universal sense of the whole Primitive Church gives me confidence in this persuasion who for that very reason in their penitential Excommunications did inflict such severities as 't is almost incredible that Christians would submit to yet they beg'd to be censur'd into and those had S. Paul for their precedent But now Repentance are but dislikes little short unkindnesses at our sins and wouldings to do better On some moving occasion if Gods Hand or his Spirit lash it may be Tears will gush out of the Wound and we in angry sadness do intent against our Vices but when that fit is over and the Flesh by indulgences prepared to make or answer a temptation we fall again and then it may be shake the head and curse the sin but yet again commit it if the invitation be fair And then are very sorry account our selves unhappy who lie under such a violent infirmity but act it still Now if we consider how it comes to pass that we go round like men inchanted in a Circle of Repenting and of Sinning we shall find it is for want of Discipline upon our selves for had we strove to make our humiliations more low and full of pungent sorrow the Soul would start and fly at the first glance of that which cost it so much anguish but who would fear to act that sin which puts him to so little trouble to repent of as a sad thought a sigh a wish and a loose purpose thin intentions and that 's all Do not complain of the Infirmity of the Flesh for this and say thou wouldst live Spiritually but the frailty of thy sensual part betrays thee its stings and incitations make thee start from duty and goad and force thee into actions which otherwise thou neither shouldst or wouldst commit 'T is thou thy self that arm'st thy Flesh with all its stings thou givest it strengths whereby it does subdue the Spirit thou waterest thy desires with Wines thou feedest them with strong meat and teachest them to crave thou cocker'st them with thy indulgence and thou dost treat Temptations to sin dost invite wickedness and nourish the occasions of Ruin and then it is no wonder if thy resolutions be not strong enough there is no way but by Austerities to mortifie all inclinations that stir against the Spirit and by denying satisfactions to thy Appetite to calm and moderate thy affections to every thing below and then Temptations will have neither Aid nor Avenue But Secondly You shall Afflict your Souls cannot be meant only that ye shall Afflict your Bodies the Spirit also must be troubled and we must rent the Heart as well as Garments that is indeed a Sacrifice fit for a Propitiation day for it is such a one as God will not despise Psal. li. 17. and without which all others are but vain Oblations God may call fasting the Afflicting of the Soul because it is the most appropriate and natural means to work it but when he calls it so he does intend it should produce it Austerities are humilificandi hominis disciplina as Tertul. says Humiliation Discipline but yet they have not always that effect The Pharisee that fasted twice a week did not mortifie at all but his Humiliation made him lofty his emptiness filled him with wind and puft him up and the Publican was more justified than he And late experiences have taught us that Fasting does not always humble when it did gape for Sovereignty and did afflict then into Power only when there attended it a sacra fames an hunger after Holy things and such as all the relicts of old Sacriledg could not allay but it devoured Church and State and yet crav'd still And the throat of these fasting men was an open Sepulchre indeed open to bury and that could no more be satisfied than the Grave But 't is not only these demure impieties and those that are devout in wickedness and act it in Religion and the Fear of God I have to speak against But in the general If Fasting do not humble and those severities that wear the Flesh break not the heart too and make it contrite then they are lost upon us and do not profit us All these strictnesses of bodily and outward exercise as S. Paul calls it are acts of discipline prescribed to make the Sorrows of Repentance more severe and operative and so to
hold on any noble part take in some Nerve or Artery then he must cut the thread of Life that cuts it off So he must rent my heart indeed that tears my pleasures from me Life it self does seem to have so little salisfaction without them that it is a death to me to part with them Or else hath the Old Man no Soul is he all Flesh and hath Iniquity debas'd the whole of him so that his very Spirit is become Body of Sin so as that Wickedness should be our very Being be all one with us and I and my corruptions prove denominations of one importance signifie the very same so it is indeed Besides the carnal part that is sold under sin and consequently does deserve the Cross that punishment of Slaves the part also that is in the quite opposite extream that lusts against the flesh that must be made away Be ye 〈◊〉 ansform'd by the renewing of your mind Rom. xii 2. And if there be any sublimer and more deâ—â—â—cated past in that it must submit to the same Fate 〈…〉 in the spirit of your mind Ephes. iv 23. Corruption hath invaded that To 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the diviner ruling part is grown a slave to the Beast part of him it hath debauch'd its notions whereby it should discriminate good from evll so that now it can discern no natural difference between them but does measure both meerly by his present inclinations and concerns and the eternal Laws of Honesty are blotted our and principles of interest and irreligion rais'd there in the place and buttress'd by false reasonings and Discourses Now all these Fortresses of Vice that maintain and secure a man in sin must be demolish'd all such imaginations cast down and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledg of God and every thought brought into Captivity to the obedience of Christ That Spirit of the mind must be destroyed and we transformed into persons of new notions and reasonings But above all the remaining part of Man his own Will must be mortified which besides its natural 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by perverse inclinings to sollicitations of flesh is most corrupted and most dangerous in that which way soever it inclines it draws the whole Man after it If any thing in us be crucified in a Conformity to Christ it must be this for in that death wherein Christ offered up himself upon the Cross where although the Divine Nature gave the value 't was onely the Humane Nature made the Offering there it was the crucifying his own Will that above all other the ingredients made his Death a Sacrifice and the price of our Redemption God that had given him his Blood and Life might call for it again when and how he saw good and being due it was not properly a price that could be given him for sin but his free voluntary choice his being willing to endure the Agonies and Contempts of the Cross his stabbing his own natural desires with a resolute determination Not my will but thine be done This his own Will was his own Offering and such is ours if we be Crucified with Christ made conformable to his death if we present our selves a Sacrifice acceptable to the Lord for our will is not given up to him till it do perfectly comport with his but that it cannot do till we renounce our own desires till we have brought our selves to an indifference in outward things to such a resignation as she is storied to have had who being in her Sickness bid to choose whether she rather would have Health or Death made answer Vehementissimè desidero ut non facias voluntatem meam Domine this above all I desire that thou wilt not do my will I would have thee not do what I desire and would have So that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the whole of us the Spirit Soul and Flesh go to make up this Person and the body of Sin is the Old man entire I whole I am nothing but a mass of guilts my Senses are the bands of wickedness that procure for my evil inclinations my members are the weapons of unrighteousness my Body is a Body of Sin and Death and the affections of my Soul are Lusts its faculties are the powers of Sin yea and the Spirit of my mind that Breath of God is putrefied that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Angel-part of me is fall'n and turn'd Apostate and however I be partly Son of Man and partly Son of God yet I am wholly Child of Wrath and so fit to be Crucified Which calls me to the next Enquiry to the nature of the duty here intended I am Crucified What is design'd by it S. Paul does perfectly declare Rom. vi 6. Our old man is crucified with Christ that the body of Sin might be destroyed that we should no longer serve sin So that it means a through Repentance and abandoning of former evil Courses A Duty which there are few men but in some instants of their life think absolutely necessary and persuade themselves they do perform it At some time or other they are forc'd to recollect and grow displeas'd and angry at their sins and have some sad reflections on them beg for mercy and forgiveness and do think of leaving them and when they have return'd to them again they shake the head and chafe and curse at their own weakness and renew their purposes it may be and do this as oft as such a Season as this is or other like occasions suggest it to or move them And with this they satisfie themselves and hope if God do please to take them hence in some such muddy gloomy fit of their Repentance all 's well Now shall we call this being Crucified are there Racks and Tortures in this discipline hath a Spear prick'd them to the heart and no blood nor no water no tears gush out thence hath it made no issue for some hearty Sorrow to purle out Indeed I must confess the Scripture does sometimes word the performance of this Duty in expressions that are not so sower but of an easier importance as first put off the Old Man as if all were but Garment put it off I say not as they strip'd our Saviour in order to his Scourgings and his Cross but intimating to us what an easie thing it is to cast off Sin for them who do begin with it betimes before it get too close to the heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. saith Theophyl even as easie as putting off thy Cloaths and thy Repentance is but as thy Shift thy change of life like changing thy Apparel But alas for all the easiness which this expression hints where the sins also lie in the Attire as besides emulation pride vainglory great uncharitableness and inhumanity cruel injustice and oppression often do when many are undone through want of those dues which do furnish other men with the excesses of this
four daies together and neglected all their husbandry resolving not to till their land or to provide for life when they had once determin'd thus to die Upon this Petronius undertakes to write to Caesar and dissuade him from the enterprise but Caius answers that his letter with another which commands Petronius for the punishment of his not executing his commands to kill himself resolving also to exterminate the Nation but before his letter came to Syria to Petronius the notice of the death of Caius came Thus God did then preserve both him and them tho at that time a Nation guilty of the death of Christ yet in a cause wherein they were resolv'd to suffer any thing rather then disobey Gods Law so grossly he was pleas'd to spare them and continue to preserve them As for the Christians I might instance in the care God took soon after most expressely and miraculously to call them all out of Jerusalem when the Romans were preparing to sit down before it and destroi'd it utterly and in all the persecutions particularly that of Diocletian when that destruction that was level'd at and falling on all Christianity was in a trice return'd upon the Designers and on Heathenism It might be a more parallel instance to the genius of these later ages should I name that of the Arrians men that were the first that ever drew the sword of persecution against their fellow Christians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was their petition to Constantius a copy which the Church of Rome hath long writ after with the bloud of those that differ from them And indeed the Arrian persecutions were most barbarous yet when had don all he could had made the Universe saith St Jerome all Arrian by having banisht almost all the Catholic Bishops of the world then very quickly God restores them even by a Julian an Apostate and then when shortly after Valens the same again himself repenting of it did revoke them lastly Theodosius restor'd them and establisht all And tho afterwards God let the Goths continue both the heresy and somtimes the persecution for above two Ages in our western world yet since that for the last thousand years the name of Arrian hath scarce bin heard But I have said enough to shew such is the ordinary method of Gods Providential workings when Sion is in that condition provided that the Church have not deprav'd it self as 't is a Church model'd it self by worldly principles and powers and adopted rules or doctrines which are not consistent with those of Christ. There are few instances to be produc'd I think where any Church hath bin destroi'd whole constitution hath preserv'd this temper tho her wicked and ungracious members may be cut off at last as St Peter tells after it hath suffer'd a while he will strengthen stablish settle it And if we look upon the low condition of our Sion together with these instances of Gods procedure may we not take confidence to hope that the appointed time is come For is it not time for Thee to arise O Lord when thy resting place is destroying And thou O Christ who art the Rock on which the Church is built is it not time for thee to awake to rise rebuke the Tempests break the waves that break into thy Church and threaten as if they would swallow all that 's built on Thee the Rock of Ages It is most certainly provided we have those affections which the text sets down here as the diagnostics of that time of which in the last place The first is this thy servants think upon her stones with sorrow and sincere acknowledgment that their demerits call'd this state upon her and they therefore willingly receive accept of Gods dealing with them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they take pleasure in it It is observ'd that this was the express condition upon which God covenanted to shew mercy on his People Levit. 26. From v. 14. to the end we find that if they should arrive at that height to abhor Gods Statutes break all his Commandments merit all his curses and he should inflict them and yet they go on still to walk contrary to him and he overtake them still with plagues yea and this thro all the stages both of sin and punishment and each stage of punishment seven times multiplied v. 18 21 24 28. so as to leave no more place for access yet if then they confess their iniquity and their uncircumcized hearts be humbled if then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they accpt of willingly contentedly receive the punishment of their iniquity v. 41. I will not case them away neither will I abhor them to destroy them utterly and to break my Covenant with them v. 44. but will remember my Covenant and I will remember the Land v. 42. and remember Sion also if we have the like sentiments for Sion if her low condition if her stones in the dust truly humble us into that dust and make us from the heart acknowledg Thou O Lord art just in all that is come upon and hovers over us for thou hast don right but we have don very wickedly for we have walkt unworthy of the opportunities thou hast afforded us have bin unfruitful under the whole latitude of all thy working methods the Kingdom of God hath had no Obedience nothing but Rebellion from us and t is just it should be taken from us be given to a Nation bringing forth the fruits thereof and have our candlestic remov'd since we hate light our deeds are so evil 'T is just that we who heapt our selves Teachers according to our factions and lusts should be given up to strong delusions have a lying Spirit in the mouth of our Prophets Prophets that should daub with untemper'd mortar such as never will cement the stones of Sion or build up a Church that we who have debaucht the Reformation should quite loose it The present time does certainly suggest the practice which is set aside for great humiliation and the occasion does require it both the commands and the necessities too of the Church expect it God also calls for mourning for stricter applications to him on behalf of Sion and then they that do not answer all these calls by doing somthing more then ordinary do not think upon the stones of Sion neither does it pity them to see her in the dust 't is certainly not time for God to arise in their behalf they are sufficient to divert his preparations for her No O Lord we will put our hands upon our mouths and our mouths into the dust and acknowledg righteousness belongeth unto thee but to us confusion of face as at this day and we resolve to humble our selves under thy correcting hand how sharp soever and take pleasure in it too thus far that dost shew by thy castising us thou hast not given us over as incorrgible but hast taken us into thy care and discipline and managery and on