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A96622
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Cor concussum & contritum: or, A present for Jehova; shewing the [brace] nature, excellency, acts, [brace] of a broken heart; [brace] and also the marks to know, and means to procure a broken and contrite heart. / by George Willington ...
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Willington, George.
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1670
(1670)
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Wing W2801; ESTC R186605
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15,028
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33
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the people had repented for taking strange Wives they resolved saying Let us make a Covenant with our God to put away all the Wives and such as are born of them So Hos 14.8 Ephraim shall say What have I to do any more with Idols What was the saying of Elihu in Job Is the Language of every man and woman who has a broken and contrite Heart Job 34.32 That which I see not teach thou me If I have done Iniquity I will do no more Ephes John 8.11 4.28 Let him that stole steal no more Act. 8 Finally This broken and contrite Heart consists in an unfeigned weeping of the tears of the eyes caused by the sorrow of the heart for sin All the Night wash I my Bed and water my Couch with my teares Psal 6.6 Ezek. 7.16 It 's said of the Remnant whom God will save They shall mourn like the Doves of the Vallies every one for his Iniquity And Peter when he remembred the words of Christ and his own denial went out and wept bitterly Mat. 26. ult Question Quest But how shall I know that I have this broken and contrite Heart Answer Answ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tentate probate Examine prove the Apostles Counsel 2 Cor. 13.5 For if a man think himself to be something when he is nothing he deceives himself As the Church of Loadicea (x) Revel 3.17 who said she was Rich and increased with Goods and had need of nothing When she was wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked But let every one prove his own works c. Gal. 6. vers 3.4 I therefore come in the next place to lay down the most infallible Marks and Signs of a broken and contrite Heart by the sight of which you may know whether you have such hearts or no. Oh that there were in us such Hearts A broken and contrite Heart doth repress censoriousness Marks of a broken Heart A truly broken and contrite Heart is most sensible of it's own sin knows most evil by it self judgeth it's own sin greatest and it 's own state saddest Hath neither list nor leisure to censure others The Apostle's Caution and Counsel Rom. 14.13 runs thus Let us not judge one another but judge this rather that no man put a stumbling Block or AN OCC ASION to fall in his Brothers way What an excellent instance have we in Joseph who is called a Just man for his Labour He had look'd upon Mary formerly as a Godly gracious Woman and she being now with Child he knew not what to think of it but having a purpose to leave her being formerly contracted to her that he might not bring Reproach upon himself and to put her away privately that the World might not take notice of any such thing that so he might not bring Reproach upon her Mat. 1.19 Joseph her Husband being a just man and not willing to make her a publique Example was minded to put her away privily That was his Care his Honesty his Righteousness But where shall we find the like Righteousness or Tenderness now a dayes to conceal the Failings and to save the Credit of our Brethren We are glad if we have any thing to paradigmatize them for and say as they did of Jeremy the Lord's Prophet (y) Jer. 20.10 Psal 50. vers 20.21 Report and we will report it That Godly Emperour Constantine was quite of another mind as I find him (z) z Omnis nestra sides pendet ab Historia Owens Epigrams lib. 12. ch 2. upon Record who was wont to say If he should find a Christian-Bishop or Pastor overtaken in any Infamous act He would pull off his Purple Robe to throw upon him to cover him rather then that any should come by his means to hear of it to the scandal of Religion I am sure this is most like to the Example of Christ who casts his Purple Robe upon us that our sins should not be taken notice of 2. A broken is a Praying heart We read Luk. 15. concerning the (a) Vers 17. Prodigal Son that when once he had an humbled Heart and acontrite Spirit he fell to Prayer presently Vers 21. The Son said unto him Father I have sinned against Heaven and (b) Psal 71.4 in thy sight and am no more worthy to be called thy Son And Christ Heb. 5.7 In the dayes of his Flesh offered up Prayers and Supplications with strong cries and tears And Rom. 8.26 We read of sighs and groans that cannot be uttered or expressed Now Where are those Prayers Where are those Cryes Where are those Tears Where are those Sighs Where are those Groans Where are those (c) Jer. 31.18 Moans Thou hast liv'd a great while in the World but oh When hast thou wept with (d) Jer. 9.1 Lam. 1.16 Jeremy for the sins of the times and thine own Transgressions When hast thou poured out thy Soul to the Lord I fear thou art so far from this that thy heart is hardened and if so the Lord will one day break thy heart with the fury of his wrath and hot displeasure that burns to the lowest Hell 3. Mark 3 A broken Heart is an humble low heart Oh very low it can cast it self in the Dust at the feet of Christ and think any thing on this side Hell to be rich Mercy He is (e) Mat 5.3 poor and (f) Mat. 5 7 meek in Spirit You know how Abraham (g) Gen. 18.27 treated with God and pleased him when he addressed himself to him with an Acknowledgment of his Vileness Behold Now I have taken upon me to speak to the great God who am but Dust and Ashes You know Christ lay (h) Mat. 26.39 Mark 14.35 grovelling on the ground all Night I abhor (i) Job 42.6 my self and repent in Dust and Ashes said Job If then thou hast a broken Heart thou hast a low heart thou art little and low in thine own eyes vile and base in thine own sight Psal 34.6 This poor man crieth and the Lord heareth him Give this poor man something before he go away he is such a low Spirit that he is one ready to sink to Hell were it not for the Mercies of God the Merits of Jesus Christ and the sweet Promises of the Gospel Yea remember the Woman of Canaan (k) Mat. 15. vers 23. c. she was called Dog and yet would take no repulse but cried saying Lord I do begg one drop of Mercy one crumb of Comfort One crumb of the bread of Life one drop of the water of Life to satisfie a poor languishing Soul sweet Jesu for thy Mercies sake some drops of the blood of Christ to soften my hard heart and to break it throughly Signe 4 4. If thou hast this broken and contrite Heart that is so acceptable to God thou dost mourn 1. For thine own Sin 2. For the Sins of others 1. For thine own Sins David did so in this Psalm he did
might have said there 's a consuming fire there are everlasting burnings There 's a Hell an endless Damnation a place of the Damned and that must be your Eternal estate and condition the portion of your Cup if you present not your bodies a living Sacrifices to God But he doth adjure them and conjure them by the mercies of God to perform it What if Christ were here and said to thee Oh! Sinner come lay thy Heart in my lap and I will bind up the Wounds of thy Soul I will welcome thee and I will save thee Would not this ravish our hearts to hear a tender Saviour so lovingly inviting us so graciously promising us There 's nothing can break a Soul more in an Evangelical way than the sight * 2 Cor. 7.10 Zach. 12 10. and sense of God's mercy in Jesus Christ As Naturallists observe That the warm Blood of a Goat doth soften an Adamant-Stone so doth the serious consideration of the warm Blood of Jesus Christ our scape-goate soften an Adamant-heart But more of this amongst the means and directions * Direction the sixth for getting a broken Heart Reason 2 Secondly Of all Services and Sacrifices presented to God a broken and contrite Heart is most pleasing and acceptable because 't is a Believing Sacrifice Faith and Repentance like Hypocrates Twins are born and bred together in the sacred Womb of a sanctified Soul Zach. 12.10 It was promised concerning Evangelical Converts I will pour upon the House of David and up the Inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and of supplication and they shall look on me whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his only Son and shall be in bitterness for him as one is in bitterness for his first-born Isa 42.1 Christ is called Him in whom the Father delights God proclaimed him from Heaven to be his only beloved Son in whom he is well pleased Mat. 3. ult Mat. 17.5 not only pleased with him but also pleased in him with all broken-hearted Sinners they must needs then be the delight of the Lord also Thus I have done with Confirmation and come in the last place to Application Use Let us labour to get and keep to attain and maintain such a heart all our dayes And here for Methods sake and your better Understanding I shall endeavour to shew you these three things 1. The particular Acts of a broken and contrite Heart 2. The most infallible marks and signs of a broken and contrite Heart 3. The most probable means both to attain and maintain such a heart all your dayes That your end may be blessed 1. The Acts of a broken and contrite Heart There are eight acts of a broken contrite Heart First A powerful conviction of the heart and conscience of our sinful estate and miserable condition caused by the preaching of the Word outwardly and by the working of the Spirit inwardly when God sets our sins in order before us and makes us know our Abominations Psal 50.21 How many are mine Iniquities and my sins make me to know mine Iniquity and my sins Job 13.23 Act. 2 Secondly an in ward sorrow of the heart in the sight and sense of sin when the eye doth affect the heart Lam. 3.51 when upon the Discoveries of sin the heart is prick'd with compunction and godly contrition Acts 2.37 There is not the least sin we have committed but will fetch a tear from our eyes and a sigh from our hearts if we weigh and consider it as we ought It grieves the Holy Spirit of God it procured the Death of Christ Let us therefore look upon him whom we have pierced by our sins and weep over him Zech. 12.10 Act. 3 Thirdly Humiliation of the inward man in the sight and sense of sin O Lord I am but dust and * Gen. 18 27 ashes said Father Abraham I am less (r) Gen. 32.10 than the least of all thy Mercies said the Patriarch Jacob. I am not worthy to be called thy Son said (s) Luke 15.19 the Prodigal I am not worthy (t) John 1.27 to stoope down and unloose his shooes Latchet said John the Baptist concerning our blessed Saviour Blessed are the Poor in spirit For theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 5.3 Oh! How vile and base doth a broken-hearted sinner (v) Job 40.4 42.6 Prov. 30 2. Luke 1.48 seem in his own eyes To such will God be gracious He gives grace to the humble 1 Pet. 5.5 Act. 4 Fourthly An Holy anger and Indignation both against our sins and against our selves for our sins A pregnant place to this purpose is that in Ezek. 6.9 They that escaped of you shall remember me among the Nations whither they shall be carried Captive because I am broken with their Whorish heart which hath departed from me and with their eyes which go a Whoring after their Idols and they shall (w) Be displeased with themselves loath themselves for the Evils which they have committed in all their Abominations And the Apostle speaks of godly sorrow and of the qualities of it amongst the rest he mentions Indignation against sin Indignations 2 Cor. 7.11 What Indignations Such as was in Ephraim bemoaning himself and lamenting his sin who smote upon his Thigh scil in token of Indignation and an Holy Anger against his sin and himself for his sin Jer. 31.18 19. Fifthly Act. 5 An Holy shame of the Soul when the Soul doth blush upon the inward sight and sense of sin A pregnant place to this purpose Ezra 9.6 where that Holy man in his Confession thus speaks O my God I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee my God For our Iniquities are increased over our heads and our Trespasses are grown up to the very Heavens Note Another pregnant Scripture to this purpose is Jer. 31. vers 19. I have heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus surely * Mark the Phrase after I was turned I repented and after I was instructed I smote upon my Thigh I was ashamed yea even confounded because I did bear the Reproach of my Youth Ezek. 16.61 Then shalt thou remember thy wayes and be ashamed Act. 6 Sixthly An inward Loathing and Detestation of sin both in our selves and others We read of Amnon that after he had Ravished his Sister Tamar the hatred with which he hated her was more than the Love wherewith he loved her before 2 Sam. 13.15 So doth the broken hearted-sinner hate sin more than ever he loved it in times past He hates it with an exceeding bitter hatred I hate and abhor Lying Psal 119.163 I hate every false way vers 104. Yee that love the Lord see that ye hate the thing which is Evil Psal 97.10 Abhor that which is Evil c. Rom. 12.9 Act. 7 Seventhly A most strict and firm resolution against all manner of sin for time to come A pregnant Text Ezra 10. vers 2.3 when