not prosper in a good way It is possible that the Church of God that hath God and Christ and the truth and all on their sides and yet not to have victorie for to censure men by this you may by the same reason censure Christ and the Church of old and by the same reason you might justifie the Turk and Pope and condemn Christ if you should passe your censure by the victory and prevailing party for enemies have much prevailed against the Church do not censure because of success and that you may free your selves from this unjust censure take this consideration It is a Metaphor drawn from the Trees the one applyed to Christ the other to Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon in Daniel 4. 22. from verse 4. to 12. mention is made of this vision where the King saw a Tree It was in the midst of the Earth and the height thereof was great ver 10. The Tree grew and was strong and the height thereof reached to Heaven and the sight thereof unto the end of all the Earth the leaves thereof fair and the fruit thereof much and in it was meâ—t for all the beasts of the field had shadow under it and the fowls of the Heaven did dwell in the shadow of it and all flesh was fed of it This is to be understood of Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon of his Kingdom which did spread over all the earth Now again it is spoken of Christ in Isa 53. 2 3 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant and as a root out of a dry ground he hath no form nor coneliness in him and when we shall see him no beauty that we should desire him This is the Testimony of this Tree this is meant of Jesus Christ and yet this Tree there is no form or beauty that we should desire it this Tree was nothing comparable to the Kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar for power and greatness and riches in the world and yet Jesus Christ must be a desoised plant So likewise when you see the men of the world for to prosper and to live in prosperity in the world do not censure them that are as low plants in the world poor and low if you doe you must condemn Jesus Christ and the Church of God and the generation of the just Secondly Do not justifie the wicked though they do prosper in the world you must not therefore judge their cause good because they prosper The Papists make their prosperity and successes to be an argument of the truth of their Church and their prosperity to be an argument of their being in the right way Many men make this to be a standing mark and upon all occasions will be ready to justifie evil actions with this Do you not see them prosper all breach of Covenant and all wickednesse and sinful actions they are ready to justifie them because they prosper and none to lift up a hand against them and because they carry all before them this is as bad an action as the Papists they make prosperity to be an argument of the goodnesse of the cause and the truth of their Church When Dionysius had robbed the Church and carried all away that they had he could then say to justifie his action Behold how the Gods favour us he made his prosperity to be an argument to justifie his sacriledge When men have full gales of wind in the prosperity of the World and when they do prosper in an evil course and none to disturbe them and all is well with them and the World at will then can they laugh in their sleeve and think that the God of Heaven doth justifie them in all their actions they have Armies on their side and strength and powers of the World on their side but we have truth on our side and God on our side and though the Church and People of God may be in the dust may be trampled under foot by wicked men yet the time shall come that the Church and People of God shall prevail therefore do not justifie the wicked in an evil way Thirdly Labour to abound in grace as you doe in blessings We read of an Altar made by Moses and also we read of an Altar made by Solomon and that which he made was four times bigger then that which Moses made because Solomon had more riches then Moses had and more peace Moses's was made in the Wildernesse Solomon's in Canaan I may allude to this You that God hath bestowed much riches and caused you to prosper in the World whose estates in the World are four times bigger then others are now God doth require four times more service from you then he doth from others You whose estates are great and come upon you yearly without pains and labour God doth expect that you should imploy your selves to his glory to bring God glory answerable to what is required of you more then he doth expect from handy-craft tradesmen in the world though they must serve God in the performance of those duties which God requires of them they must sequester so much time from their callings and rob their back to serve God and pinch their bellies to do their duties but this is a good exchange to rob their bodies to save their souls It was said of the Athenians the best Land and the best Laws fruntentis uterentur legibus nequaquam they made use of their Land but neglected their Laws take heed your mercies do not make you forget your duties Fourthly Admire not the prosperity of wicked men Haec bona ne putentur mala dantur bonis rursus no putentur summa bona dantur malis Aug Epist 70. these good things that they might not be accounted evil are given to good men and lest they should be thought the onely good are given to wicked men If there be any thing better then other the worst men shall never have them Now grace is the best good in all the World therefore the best men shall have it Now the riches of the World is the worst riches therefore wicked men shall prosper therein Prosperity is not the best good because it is that which God usually doth deny his beloved people and his dear children and bestoweth it on them that are the worst men Now when he shall deny it to his sons and bestow it on slaves it is an argument it is not the best good and thus much for the first Head for which Gods people are apt to be cast down SERMON X. Psal 42. 11. Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him The health of my Countenance and my God Particular 1 I Now come to the Second Particular for which the people of God are cast down and that is because of the calamitous condition of the Church and people of God here in the World However some would hold us in hand that the
not walk in the way of this people They speak peace when indeed they were in trouble Jer. 23. 13 14. verses And I have seen folly in the Prophets of Samaria they prophesied in Baal and caused my people to err I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing they have committed adultery and walk in lyes they strengthen also the hands of evil doers that none doth return from his wickedness they are all of them unto me as Sodom and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorah The ninth General cause They have a fulnesse of outward prosperity and blessing in the world it may be refer'd to soul trouble as well as to bodily trouble that prosperity in the world doth mightily keep off a man from having his soul trouble him under the guilt of sin Hos 12. 8. And Ephraim said Yet I am become rich I have found me put substance in all my labours they shall find none iniquity in me that were sin They were a wicked people and yet their prosperity in an evil way did harden their hearts in a way of sin The instance of Pharaoh there was nothing in the world did more harden his heart then his prosperity God lifting him up to be a King did harden his heart when men are glutted with prosperity that they have not an open ear to the screaks of conscience 2 Chron. 33. 10. And the Lord spake to Manasseh and to his people but they would not hearken In prosperity he would not hearken to the checks of conscience till God laid him in fetters then he hearkened Lastly Men are not disquieted in soul for sin Why so Because of an inconsideratenesse of the omnipotency and all-seeing eye of God though men be not doctrinal Atheists to hold this opinion that God doth not see all things yet men are practical Atheists to live and continue so in an evil way as if God did not see them we read in Job 28. 13 14. And thou sayst How can the Lord know can he judge through the dark clouds Thick clouds are a covering to him that he seeth not and he walketh in the circuit of Heaven The Lord doth not see nor doth the holy one regard is there not a cloud between him and us the Psalmist hath a passage the wicked doth make a tush of sin tush say they The Lord regards it not What is the reason men make but a tush of sin why they do not think that God regards sin sin doth not trouble them and doth not disquiet them Because they think God doth not behold them they are inconsiderate of the omnipotency of God I shall now only give you a short use of what you have heard touching godly mens disquiet under the guilt of sin only this use Use It shall be by way of trial or examination you have heard much concerning that trouble and disquiet of soul that may be found in reprobates Now the Use shall be to put you upon trial how you may be satisfied in conscience that that disquiet of soul that is in you under the guilt of sin is an evangelical and a gracious trouble for sin and not such a trouble that doth arise from a natural conscience in wicked men and to satisfie you herein I shall name six particulars First Dost thou find this within thee that thy trouble of soul is more for the evil of the fact thou hast done then for the danger thou mayst incur My meaning is this when thou art troubled more for the sin then thou art troubled for the penalty of that sin thou hast incurr'd by the commission of it when thou art troubled for sin more because it robs God of his glory then because it will keep thee from glory this is an evangelical grace Secondly When thou art more troubled for the sin of nature then for the sins that break out in thy life when the sin of nature doth disquiet thee as well as the sins of thy practise We never find in all the Scripture that a wicked man hath any remorse of spirit at all for the sin of nature thou that canst say sins of nature trouble thee as well as sins of practise this is an argument of evangelical trouble of soul for sin David discovered grace herein when he made that penitential Psalm 51. for the sin of adultery with Bathsheba David doth not only bewail the unclean act but he bewails also the unclean nature Thirdly Thou mayst be satisfied if thou art as much disquieted in soul in the sight and apprehension of the power of sin as of the guilt of sin I am troubled not only that sin is so dangerous but also that sin is so strong within me Fourthly The disquiet for sin is evangelical when the measure and degree of thy trouble of mind for sin is subservient to and promoting of the end of trouble of mind the end of trouble of mind I told you was to imbitter sin and indeer Christ when thou hast so much of the measure and degree of trouble of mind as to imbitter sin to thee and to indeer Jesus Christ to thee this is the true evangelical humiliation that the Gospel calls for Fifthly Thou mayst be sure that it is an evangelical trouble of mind when thou art troubled for sin as well because it is against a good God as well as because it is against a just God a wicked man may be troubled for sin against a just God because justice will be avenged on sin and on the sinner but now a godly man saith God loads me with mercies thou that canst grieve and be troubled for sin this is evangelical they shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days Hos 3. 5. I may apply that Fable that Plutarch hath in his Morals of the Sun and the mind contending which should make a Traveller put off his Cloak O Beloved storms and blustering tempests of God's wrath may make a wicked man leave sin and be troubled for sin but when the Son of God's love shall melt the heart and sweetly insinuate into thy soul and that make thee uncloath thy self of the rags of sin that is an argument of evangelical trouble Lastly It is an evangelical sorrow and trouble of soul for sin when thou canst be as truly troubled for sin committed when thou knowest it is pardoned as if thou hadst not known thy sin to be pardoned to be a troubled and a pardoned Christian it is evangelical trouble a pardoned sin shall fill thy heart with trouble when thou art of this temper that thou wilt bathe that sin in thy tears in a way of contrition which thou knowest to be bathed in Christ's blood in a way of remission thou hast a gracious temper of heart engraven upon thee SERMON XVI Psal 42. 11. Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him The health of my Countenance and my God I
art a burden to thy self Beloved it is an argument that the Divel is a casting off and sin is casting out O comfort thy self I hear the noise of Conscience every day I hear my Conscience suggest this guilt to me and that to me O blessed be God I hear my Conscience to roar and howl why the more hopes I have that the Divel is throwing out and sin is casting out that is a fifth Consideration Sixthly and lastly Take this for thy comfort that there are more promises of the Gospel made to men in this condition then to any other sort of men in the world I could give you multitudes of promises to men in this case Matth. 11. 28. Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest So in Isa 54. 10 11. ch 35. 4. ch 57. 15. Many other Texts I could give you where God maketh abundant promises to men under disquiet of soul under the guilt of sin when Children are well they shall have it may be but pebble stones to play withal but if there be one sick Child in the house the Mother goeth to the Cabinet and looketh out fine things to quiet the Child O Beloved it may be healthful Christians shall go on comfortably and shall have now and then smiles of God's face towards them but God's rich Cabinet of promises are open to them when they are sick when a poor sinner suspects that he is not pardoned then God comes with a promise to comfort him that he is pardoned The well children in the house is beloved by the Parents but the sick Child is dandled on the knees the well Child may have bread and butter but the sick Child hath the comfortable things to comfort it Beloved God's sick Children that are sick with sin that are greatly troubled in Conscience God provides for them the promises to allay and pacifie the troubled spirit O let these words of comfort sinke into your hearts SERMON XVII Psal 42. 11. Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him The health of my Countenance and my God I Now come to give you some other Rules and they are to those who complain and say The Lord help me I am so far from being over disquieted that I do not find my heart disquieted at all I do not find my soul so much as troubled under the guilt of many evils that I am guilty of touching this I shall proceed to give you rules directory and consolatory First How a Child of God that doth not find his soul sensibly touch'd and evangelically disquieted under the sense of sin committed how that soul may come to have his soul evangelically troubled under the guilt of sin First Rest not satisfied with a general and a confused fight of sin but labour to single out the chiefest of thy corruptions to have a particular and distinct view thereof this is the course that God's people have taken Acts 2. 37. Now when they heard this they were pricked in their hearts and said unto Peter and the rest of the Apostles Men and Brethren what shall we do Peter doth not tell them that they were sinners in the general but of all sins he doth single out one Ye have crucified the Lord of glory and when they heard that they were pricked at the heart They singled out that sin to have their hearts brought to brokenness and to contrition When Christ would bring the Woman of Samaria to remorse and trouble for sin Christ did single out one sin of all and told her Thou art an Harlot and the Scripture gives you this hint that the singling out that one sin made her see all other sins for saith the woman Lo Behold the Man that hath told me of all that ever I have done and yet Christ told her only of her Adultery Do thou thus What is that Dallilah that thou playest withal in thy bosome single out that sin and that is the way to have a distinct view of all the evil general and confused apprehensions of sin doth but bring in a general humiliation it hath been the undoing of a great many souls to rest satisfied with general apprehensions of their guiltiness they have lived and died without any saving remorse on their Consciences He that writes of Bellarmine saith this of him That when he came to die saith he such was the innocency of that man that he could not tell one sin in him that he was to make confession for it did not arise from the innocency of the man but it arised from an indistinct sight and observation of his ways Beloved this makes a man hard-hearted when he comes to die that he hath not evangelical remorse in him because he hath but a confused and a general view of sin You read of Ahimaz that was running in post haste to bring news what was done David asked him What news saith Ahimaz I saw the battel and I heard a tumult and a great noise but I know not what it was a Sam. 18. 29. Thus many men do with their sins as he did with his intelligence they are troubled for sin but they know nothing but in the general they know not what the sin is just like Nebuchadnezzar he called his Magicians and Inchanters together saith he Tell me the Interpretation of my dream for I have dreamed and I know not what it is Some men say they have sinned but they do not know what sin they have committed what particular sin they have done The second Rule is this Look upon small sins cloathed with great aggravations Beloved this is the reason why men are not troubled they look on their small sins as small but do not look on them as cloathed with many hainous circumstances Suppose thy sin be a small sin invisible as to the world yet if thou wouldst cloath this sin with aggravated circumstances it may be a sin against conscience a sin against much mercy it may be it is a sin committed after many purposes and vows This course did Justin take in the second book of his Confessions chap. 4. about his robbing the Orchard I did it saith he compelled neither by hunger nor poverty but even through a cloyedness of well doing and a pamperedness of iniquity for I steal that of which I had enough of mine own and much better c. and so he goeth to aggravate his sin Beloved when you find your souls not troubled for sin cloath it with many hainous circumstances and this we read of one that he would aggravate his sin saith he It is true the Divels have sinned but they never sinned against a Saviour as I have done Adam sinned but he never sinned against a Christ as I have done Do thou thus aggravate a small sin and this will bring humiliation A third Rule live in the meditation of pardoning mercy it is true
Divines observe of David the Scripture telleth you he was a man of a ruddy complexion the effect thereof is to be merry and pleasant yet he did grieve and roar under disquietness of soul for sin Again Melancholy doth impare the health of the body but sorrow for sin doth not so Again A Melancholy man cannot delight in God nor in duty whereas a man under trouble of mind though he be troubled for sin yet he can rejoyce in God and delight in duty Godly sorrow and spiritual joy are no way contradictory each to other but rather subservient each to other Secondly take this Caution Do not mistake that to be trouble of mind for sin which is onely a trouble for some outward distaster in the World when a man is troubled for the loss of a Child or for the loss of an estate many men deceive themselves and take their worldly sorrow for spiritual trouble which if this were true Achitophel should be a troubled man for sin he came home sad and hanged himself Then Haman should have godly sorrow for he was troubled for crosses in the World he came home sad and told all his friends what had befallen him Beloved you must not look upon worldly trouble to be spiritual trouble but thus do when you find the heart overwhelmed with worldly trouble O Labour to direct it into spiritual trouble to shed tears for sin when thou sheddest tears for the loss of an estate why turn that flood of tears to weep for sin to turn the Mill of godly sorrow to grind thy heart to powder in the sense of sin it is a debasement to tears to be shed for every tride Beloved to shed tears for worldly things it is to be prodigal of your tears Thirdly take this Caution Do not conceive that to be trouble for sin that causeth shame among men many reprobates are troubled for sin but why It is not because God receives dishonour by sin but because they shall receive shame for their sin This is not Evangelical trouble Many men are like Judah Genesis 38. 23. And Judah said Let her take it to her lest we be ashamed behold I send this kid and thou hast not found her As if he should have said if the woman should tell that I have committed Adultery with her I should be ashamed let her alone Thus do men cry out they would have Conscience let them alone and they would let sin alone lest they should be ashamed If so be that the concealing of a sin can conceal their shame they care not why Heathens went beyond this It is a saying of Seneca If I did know saith he that all the men of the world should be ignorant of what sin I had done yet I would not sin because of the filthinesse of sin Tully hath a notable passage and it is to be wondred at that a Heathen should go so far saith he That if I thought that all my sins could be concealed from all the world yet we must do nothing covetously nothing incontinently nothing un justly we must do no evil though the world should never see us Many men are more grieved for sin because it is a shame to them this is not a gracious and an evangelical trouble for sin Fourthly Account not that to be a right trouble for sin which is rather for the punishment of sin then for the evil nature of sin more because there is a Hell for sin then that there is a Hell in sin Cain was more troubled for the punishment then for the sin he cryed out My punishment is more then I can bear but Cain did not cry out My sin is greater that I have committed Fifthly Account not that to be a right disquiet and trouble of soul for sin that is only for great and grosse acts of sin without having any remorse for secret and lesser evils many men if one stares them in the face though all their other sins never trouble them they conclude this to be godly sorrow and evangelical remorse in them Alas Beloved Judas was troubled for one sin but not for another sin he was troubled for ill gotten goods but to be troubled for one sin and not for all sins is no Gospel sorrow he that is not troubled for every sin that he knoweth that he is guilty of he is troubled for no sin Look upon wicked men you shall see them many times troubled for great evils but never troubled for smaller evils those sins that disquiet a godly mans heart shall not break a nap of sleep from him he can go merrily and joeundly under the guilt of those sins which troubleth the soul and breaketh the peace of a godly consciencious man all his days those sins that are ornaments to wicked men that they can wear them as a chain of Gold about their necks they wear their pride and shew their pride they account sin their ornaments I but that which is one mans ornament is another mans torment his pride his lust and his complemental oaths is his delight but it is a torment to a godly man therefore do not account that a disquiet of soul to be a godly disquiet Again Do not account that to be an evangelical trouble for sin when it is not for Original sin as well as actual sin Mr. Bolton telleth you of a Germain in his time that was a great prosessor of Religion and he was once overtaken in drink I went to this man to shew him the evill of drunkennesse to let him see what a beast-like sin it was what a swinish sin it was I laboured to shew him what this was I laboured to make him see the evill of a drunken nature but he would yield to me that drunkenness was a bad sin but he would not yield to the wickedness of nature this man did bewail the act of drunkenness and fell to other sins yet at last God troubled this man again and being perplexed he sent for the same man again and saith he Now I believe your words I find an unclean heart an adulterous heart a drunken heart I see it is now worse then a drunken act and afterwards he never fell to those sins again Thus I have in seventeen Sermons gone over the distresses the Psalmist here complains of Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me FINIS Li. de script Eccles Tom. 1. Ezek. 34. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Sam. 15. 4. a There is this difference between a Dialogue a Soliloquie a Dialogue is a conference between two or moretogether A Soliloquie is the speaking of a person to himself per Apostrophen ad seipsum convertens here the Psalmist by a Prosopopeia brings in two persons Psal 103. 1. Psal 107. Prov. 12. 25. Quanquam bellum cum SatanaÌ„ mundo gerit non tamen directâ— vel aperte cum illis constigit sed seipsum potâ—ùs ditigit antagoni stam teâ—tè haec optima