any service any Sacrifice yea it is all Sacrifice God will not despise but own and honour a contrite Spirit because it is very gracious and amiable Tricameratum it is Avicenna's word wherein you have not the three Persons personally but the Love of the Father the Grace of the Son and the Renovation of the holy Ghost mystically Hence Cor Pauli Cor Christi Chrysost the Heart of Paul is the Heart of Christ This broken contrite Spirit in the purpose and preparation of it is Amor Dei the Love of God in the inspiration and infusion of it it is Donum Dei the Gift of God in the comforts of it it is Osculum Dei the Kiss of God It is no chance-Gift inter missilia Fortunae as that Excellent Prelate speaks D. B. B. E. but God's choice Gift In other blessings God kisseth us sleeping we know not how we come by them but this is given non dormientibus sed vigilantibus not to them that sleep but to those that watch and weep cry and wait for it But more particularly The broken contrite Spirit is gracious and very amiable For You have in it all the lineaments of the new Creature the new Birth the Divine Nature 1. Conviction 2. Compunction 3. Conversion See all drawn to the life in Primitiis Evangelii in the first famous Conversion wrought by the Apostles in the Christian Church the Pattern and great Exemplar of all Conversions to the World's end There was Conviction 2. Acts 36. Therefore let all the House of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus whom ye have crucified both Lord and Christ Compunction 37. v. And when they heard this they were prickt at their heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if the points of so many poisoned daggers or scorpions stings had been struck into every part of their hearts at once in the cruellest manner imaginable so the word imports Conversion 38. For they Repented and were Baptized c. The Hebrew calls Repentance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and we Conversion the main joynt of Repentance which implyes not only an aversion from sin a dying to it in the passions of the mind Fear Grief and Hatred but a turn in the Will to God Not only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a grief for what is past but a change of mind for the time to come not grief of mind only so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is sometimes taken but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which implyes a grief for sin mixt with Faith which is repentance to Salvation never to be repented of 2 Cor 7.10 Whose rise is godly sorrow whose nature is a purpose to sin no more whose fruit is amendment of life A Contrite spirit is gratious Lastly because there is in it the Evidence of God's immediate Omnis potent and Efficacious working upon the Soul not in a way of Providence or Justice but in a way of Grace Vis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 regenerationis as the Renown'd Mead hath it 36. Eze. 26. I will take away the heart of stone and I will give a heart of flesh 1. A very stone made flesh A Monster of Vice a Miracle of Virtue Monstrum vitii Miraculum virtutis This is modus rei 2. I will do it this is modus dicti I will take away the heart of stone stupid senseless rebellious and I will give a heart of flesh tender pliable flexiible to every good word and work Hitherto you have had these Sacrifices naked and open 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the skin pul'd of and the Intrails expos'd to open view I now come to the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 2.15 His rightly dividing the word and giving every one their due General discourses are like the beams of the Sun dispers't in the air which may warm us a little and that 's all but close application is like the Burning glass which gathers all the Beams into one point or Centre fastens them on the Soul and so Verba not inflantia but inflammantia kindle and enflame Then learn here from this Doctrine of a Broken and contrite Spirit What the issue of sin in the end will be It may be sweet in thy Mouth but it will be bitter in thy Bowels The little pleasure sin brings thee in if it be not thy bane thou must vomit it up again and that may tear and torture thy very Soul 2. Jer. 19. It is an evil thing and bitter to provoke the Lord. Extrema gaudii luctus occupat the end of that mirth is mourning If ever God save any of your Souls it will be by brokenness and Contrition If ever God by his Grace come to dwell in any of your hearts he will make a forcible entrance Consider how dreadful the condition of despair is if these whom God intends Mercy Grace and Peace to be so broken and beaten so bruis'd and ground to powder what are their racks and tortures their Tribulation and Anguish Whom God strikes and wounds with the sight and sence of his wrath as most deserved and due to them as most unavoidable and unsupportable by them These racks and tortures are Primitiae infernalis flammae the first fruits of the infernal flame the greatest part of the torment of the damn'd in Hell where the worm never dies and the fire never goes out Quid patientur quos reprobet si sic cruciantur quos amat saith Gregor If David's bones were so broken for his adultery what furious reflexions What a Hell was in Achitophels conscience for his Perjury Treachery and Treason How did his sorrow rise into horror and that horror into despair God grant that both you and I may know what this despair is rather by relation then experience See the blessed estate of those whose hearts and Spirits are broken and Contrite They will be preserved from sin and the sad effects of it and inabled to perform all duties acceptably 31. Jer. 18. I have heard Ephraim bemoaning himself c. I have surely heard i. e. hearing I have heard heard attentively so as to regard c. This will make the soul patient under the greatest affliction and thankful for the least mercy glad with the woman of Canaan for a Crum taste with the Church a little honey in an Ocean of Gall Lamen 3.22 It it the Lords mercies we are not consumed Their Obedience will be highest when their Condition is lowest and their hearts lowest when their condition in the world is highest This brokenness and Contrition will make the heart the only fit soyl for the word of God to take root in and bring forth thirty sixty and a hundred fold The hearts of the Corinthians were first tables of flesh then written upon by the spirit of God and so declared to be the Epistle commendatory of Christ seen and read of all men 2 Cor. 3.3 I might here demonstrate the Vast odds betwixt
most rare and excellent For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Such God will not despise The phrase is low yet hath a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in it as 1 Thes 5.20 Despise not Prophecie Heb. 12.5 Despise not the chastening of the Lord. And so imports God's choicest way of Acceptation the third step of Honour in the Text. * Dr W. Sacrifices Sacrifices of God and the Sacrifices of God which he will not despise but own delights in puts the highest price upon The result of all is That a broken and contrite Spirit is the Sacrifice of God which he will own accept and honour For as such a Heart is grateful to the Penitent himself so to Angels to the Mediator to his Ministers and so to the Almighties 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to God himself 1. To the Penitent for having this heavenly grace wrought in his heart by the holy Ghost and thereby coming to the sensible knowledge of his sins and the displeasure of God he doth earnestly grieve but by faith in Christ the Surety of his debt and duty his Sacrifice and Mediator he is raised again to comfort And then Sicut post vehementes imbres aeris tranquillitas sequitur As after vehement showers there follows a tranquillity of air so post lacrymarum pluvias mentis serenitas after flouds of tears the Penitent finds such a serenity all over his Soul that he weeps for joy that he hath wept de peccato dolet de dolore gaudet Est flendi voluntas so S. Ambrose he wills to weep For such tears leave behind them a sweet tast and relish upon the Soul the immediate reward of this brokenness and contrition yea God's secret testimony that the Penitent hath herein pleased God and then no wonder he is so pleased with himself that he praies Evermore give me this bread for fletus est cibus animae refectio mentis Godly sorrow is the Soul's food and the mind's refection Psal 80.5 Cibâsti eos pane lacrymarum propinâsti eis lacrymas in mensura Vatab. Thou feedest them with the bread of tears and givest them plenteousness of tears to drink In Penitential tears there is meat and drink Hence that late Penitent of Waterford in Ireland weeping abundantly cried Oh that there were in me a well of this Living water that streams might continually run down my cheeks that in these streams I might be wafted over into another world and till then that they might not be dried up 2. As this broken contrite Heart is grateful to the Penitent so to the good Angels Domestici Dei Cives Coeli Principes Paradisi those Domesticks of God Citizens of Heaven Princes of Paradise This is their banquet Luke 15.7 I say to you that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repents more then over ninety nine just persons that need no repentance Ver. 10. There is joy in the presence of the Angels of God over one sinner that repenteth c. Angelorum deliciae Poenitentium lacrymae Bernard Those tears which drop from a broken contrite Spirit are the Angels delicacies Peter weeping gives Angels wine in heaven and they to requite him send him a Cup of Consolation upon earth Mark 16.7 Goe tell his Disciples and Peter that he goes before you into Galilee Tell it Petro gravissimè vulnerato acerbissimè dolenti to Peter deeply wounded and bitterly weeping En solicitudinem Angeli behold the solicitude of an Angel for a broken and contrite Spirit They that have their tongues and want their charity are Messengers of no value sounding brass and tinckling Cymbals inanis futilis garrulitas as Drusius interprets it 3. As this broken contrite Spirit is grateful to the Angels so to the Mediator who is Angelorum caput It is his office to swath broken bones sweeten imbittered spirits and wipe off tears Felices lacrymae quas benignae manus Mediatoris abstergunt saith Bernard Happy tears which his blessed hands wipe off Luke 4.18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me to heal the broken-hearted c. Non infundit oleum misericordiae nisi in vas contritum Bern. He pours not the oil of mercy but into the broken vessel The tender Mother in S. Bernard Quem aegrotantem novit filium takes her weak weeping child sets it most on her lap laies it oftnest in her bosome magìs sovet saepius complectitur Thus Christ For Peter had incurr'd a great and infamous scandal given a notorious offence to the whole Church of God solas the Censorious person cries Call him no more Peter a Rock a chief Pillar of the Church but Reuben unstable as water one that hath lost his excellency But our Saviour knowing his Heart broken and his Spirit contrite for his sin sends him a personal message by an Angel and that Angel by Magdalene to intimate to him that he who had cast seven Devils out of her could pardon three denials to him And this message is directed to him under the name of Peter an Apostolical name Mark 16.7 Goe tell his Disciples and Peter Petro summè scandaloso whereby our Saviour doth at once comfort his conscience and cure his credit restore him to his Discipleship and his Apostleship So the late excellent Bishop of Excester D. Br. O magnitudinem misericordiae Christi O the greatness of the mercy of this good Samaritane who not onely dresseth the wound and pours in Wine and Oil to cleanse ease and heal but takes order for the Cure that not onely prevents with grace but continually supplies with the necessary increases of it that the broken heart may persevere and be saved 4. As this broken contrite Spirit is grateful to the Mediator so to his Ministers It is their office to declare and pronounce to the Penitent the Absolution and Remission of their sins to feed his Lambs for his sake hence the Syriast addes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Text John 21.15 Feed my Lambs mihi feed them for me Propter te Domine propter te is the Ministers Motto and the Rabbins Proverb Non vult Christus ut parvi pendas quos ipse minimè parvi pendit Christ would not have those slighted whom he tenders No better sign of Grace then for a Minister in imitation of Christ to own and cherish the broken in heart This is S. Paul's trial of a spiritual man Gal. 6.1 If any man be overtaken in a fault 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Erratum Laesio errante manu admissa and that fault not proceeding from malice but mis-information and mis-understanding of things as our late Soveraign of eternal memory speaks you that are spiritual restore such a one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is a bone out of joynt set him in his place it may cost tears and pain yet the bone well knit will be the firmer Nihil adeò spiritualem virum demonstrat ac alieni peccati tractatio S. Augustine Nothing doth so demonstrate a spiritual
Minister as his handling another mans sin Esay 50.4 The Lord hath given me Linguam Eruditorum the tongue of the Learned What to doe To dispute Controversies tie and untie knots in Divinity No but that I should know how to speak a word in season sitibundo lasso to him that is weary Lastly It is grateful to the Almighties 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to God himself though he will not own divisum dispersum Cor a heart and a heart yet he will accept and honour confractum contritum Cor a broken and contrite Spirit For 1. He preferres this alone to all typical ceremonial Sacrifices ver 16. Thou desirest not Sacrifice elsè would I give it thee thou delightest not in burnt-offerings Indeed we find not exprest any Sacrifice for Murther Adultery or any Capital crime therefore God desires them not 1. simply for themselves nor 2. comparativè in comparison of the inward Sacrifice of a contrite Spirit or of the all-sufficient Sacrifice of Christ upon the Cross Nihil ergò offeremus saith S. Augustine Sic veniemus ad Deum Unde illum placabimus Shall we then offer nothing to God shall we come empty to him how then shall we appease him Habes in te quod offeras saith the same Author thou hast in thy self the Beast that thou maiest sacrifice and the Incense that thou maiest offer In me sunt Deus vota tua That O God is in me thou callest for from me 2. God preferres this before all Moral and Pharisaical perfections Hence the Publican is preferr'd before the Pharisee Luke 18.10 15. The Pharisee is on his tip-toes stands alone seorsim proud and censorious as that famous and great Divine D. Hammond speaks full of self-righteousness worldly confidence and earthly adherence Lord I thank thee I am not as other men or as this Publican The Publican in the sight and sense of his sin and the unreasonableness of it is ashamed dares not lift up his head but smites upon his breast with God be merciful to me a sinner I tell you saith Christ this man went down to his house justified rather then the other so our Translation but not the other Impropria est comparatio so Master Calvin And the weeping Prodigal before his insulting hypocritical elder brother Luke 15. For though he justles him and thrusts him away will not so much as own him for his brother but speaking to his Father saith this thy son v. 30. who hath devoured thy living with Harlots c. yet the Father tells him for all this he is his brother v. 32. This thy brother was dead and is alive again c. If I be thy Father he is thy Brother It is meet we should make merry and be glad Yea he preferres him for he receives embraces and kisses him clothes and adorns him feeds and feasts him In allusion to this Parable the now Arch-angel of this Church of England His Grace of Canterbury in whom expertus loquor Indulgentia Christi solicitudo Angeli officium Episcopi The Indulgence of Christ the solicitude of an Angel the office of Primitive Evangelical Catholick Episcopacy do verily meet I say he in the Chappel-Royal in a publick Sermon since printed told his Majesty whose mind is alwaies watered with the mild dews of meekness and moderation That it became him as a publick Father to look upon all his Subjects as Sons but upon his Prodigals with more kindness and tenderness when they once come to themselves and acknowledge their Error yea when he sees them returning though afarre off to meet them caress them call for the Ring and the Robe to set some mark of favour upon them more then ordinary that may give assurance to them and to the World that his Promises made and performed were not the effects of Necessity but the fruits of a gracious Princely minde inviolably resolved to out-doe all his Promises and Engagements And I hope saith that grave and religious Prelate the now Lord Bishop of Winchester Dr Mor. in the Epistle to his Coronation-Sermon That your Majesty herein will find a happy success in doing not onely as your Grand-father Henry the fourth of France did but as God himself doeth As Henry the fourth of France did who pardoned those Rebellious Subjects that came in to him how much soever they had before offended and to secure them from their fears and oblige them to his service he honoured some of them with Titles of quality and Places of Trust and I finde not saith that excellent Bishop that any of them ever gave him cause to repent But in doing as God himself doeth who receives the Prodigal yea and makes as much of him as if he had never offended though the elder Brother repine at it methinks this should bespeak those who would be called the sons of these spiritual Fathers to walk in their steps to goe and doe likewise Lastly God owns and honours the broken contrite Spirit for this is the especial grace he promises to his Church by which all other blessings are qualified and sanctified and without which they are nothing worth Ezek. 36.21 God opens the treasures of his mercy at the 24. verse he promiseth to take his People from amongst the Heathen gather them out of all Countries bring them to their own Land c. And yet as if all this were nothing unless a broken and contrite Spirit were vouchsafed them God promiseth at the 26. verse I will take away the heart of stone and I will give a heart of flesh first as an Antidote against sin secondly as a spiritual Potion to kill the worms of temptation which might lead them into Evil and thirdly as a preservative from Lamentation Mourning and future Woe And to speak to our own condition Though God hath brought us out of the dangers of tumultuous clamours and schismatical terrors given us our Religion and Laws our Properties and Immunities and which is the summe of all our King and Church yea though we have had many fair mornings after a black day though our Candle gives a clear light and we sleep in the arms of Peace yet if God break us not for our Sins and from them if he give not a broken contrite Spirit a worm may yet breed out of our Corruption and consume our Gourd But why will not God despise but so accept and honour a broken contrite Spirit that is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Because it is a spiritual Sacrifice First the Sacrifice is the Spirit secondly the Spirit as broken 1. The Sacrifice is the Spirit that is the best of man Prov. 23.26 My son give me thy heart 2. The Spirit as broken and that is the best of the Spirit When we beat hard things into powder we call that powder the flour of it Brokenness and Contrition is * Dr W. flos Cordis the finest of the heart The finer the flour the fitter offering for God A contrite Spirit is fit for