them as neither the old World did Mâ—r. 9.24 The Father of the possessed Child cryed with teares when hee saw his Son rent of the Devil when as yet the possessed himselfe was not greatly sensible of the same Appoplexies Palsies and Lethargies be dangerous yet sencelesse and as Cancers and other filthy Ulcers do more disaffect the eyes of the beholders then they do the men themselves in whom they are Even so it is here So that the truâ—h hereof is not to be measured by the sorrow of the world for Christ said the World would rejoyce though woe unto it for that and Esa 22.12 13. But it must be measured by that it should be and would be if it did truly and fully apprehend the present evils and future misery Vse So then hence we may learne how these last times of the World are to be passed of the godly to wit in sorrow for the iniquities and miseries therâ—of and not in pampering the lusts of the flesh and earnall delights whereby the mind is made drunke and made to forget its duty and office Neither is it to be passed in seeking great things as Ieremy from God reproved Baruch Jer. 45. But seeing these are the times wherein Scandals are and will wax rise as Christ foretold let us remember this lamentable evill wherein woe and all the World are enwrapped That being affected with sorrow according to God we may aâ—oid these evils and be counted worthy to stand before the Son of man or may find favour and lift up our heads when the day of our Redemption shall come No doubt Christ that wept in compassion for Ierusalem did not utter this lamentable Prophecy without great griefe of heart Neither is any man so yronie which should with sound and open eyes behold the face of miseries which is in the World through Scandals that can refraine his eyes from teares What the will of Scandall 〈◊〉 And thus wee see what the sorrow ought to bee but let us see the evill and wee shall know the sorrow the better This evill of Scandall as touching the effect of it is an aversion of men from God through the fraud of the Divell to impiety to the destruction of their soules and of their bodies And as touching the number of these which are taken with these Scandals as with the traps of Satan they are not a few but the whole World that is the greatest part of the World that the whole World may seeme to perish by this fraud Now in both these regards this evill is most heavy and fearfull for the Salvation of one man is more worth then the whole World for all the riches of it will not pay the ransome of one soule and what ought to be more sought for by us of God then that wee dayly aske That his Kingdome may come and his will be done but when wee see the whole World to be carryed away from God through Scandals what is lesse done then that wee desire yea the contrary is daily practised how much vexation then must needs come to 〈◊〉 godly mind which alone desires the glory of God and the Salvation of its brethren Now if thou desirest to see how farre and wide this evill spreads there needs no arguments to prove it Looke onely on the times and manners of men and thou maist read it too too plainly whither canst thou turne thy eyes or what order and condition of men is there among whom Scandals reigne not I would the Active Scandala magnatum were not rifer then the Passive How great long agone have the Scandals of Religion been evill examples of the Truth despised Religion so farre observed as the estimation thereof serves our turne for advantage and preferment have not many Consciences suffered shipwracke against this stone in whom the love of truth waxes cold through others example Zeale decayes Charity waxes cold and no regard had of the Consciences of men Onely a counterfeit of Religion and shadow remaines I speake for practise how doth the name of God waxe vile through blasphemies Saint John hath reduced these Scandals to three heads ☞ 1 Iohn 2.16 First the concupiscence of the flesh lusts of eyes and â—â—â—de of life to pleasures and riches with the beholding and enjoying whereof the eye is never satisfyed And for pride in Honours Ambitions great Traines Gorgeous apparell strange fashions Hath not this Gangreene ceazed on many members of the Church Who sees not how most follow the pleasures of Eating and drinking lying soft lofty buildings filthy lusts defiling their bodies which should be Temples of the Holy Ghost while Spirituall pleasures are counted base and are distastfull in comparison of these Who sees not how all gape after profit by hooke and crooke right and wrong our lives are short our desires unsatiable So pride of life bewrayes it selfe in all sorts by the contempt of others in excesse of Apparell for matter and forme In comparison of these Piety feare of God Conscience â—are of furthering the truth are banished for the worldly lusts and carnall affections doe as mighty prisons detaine Gods sacred Truth in unrighteousnesse to the provoking of his wrath from Heaven and Scandals rainging who almost stumble not at them to the inducing of Athisme And as if we were not miserable enough by our own naturall wickednesse the Divell doth outwardly minister Scandals by all our senses that whithersoever we turne our eyes eares or whatsoever we do we incurre some grievous Scandall either given or taken So that by this we may see in part how great an evill is on the World Vse Hence we learne not to live by Example to which our nature is prone 1 Sam. 8.5 For every one thinkes that is done by good right which is done by example But our eyes are to be directed to the Word of God and thence to fetch the rule of life and with so much the more earnest care by how much there are the more Scandals in greatest darknesse there is the greatest light needfull in the greatest dangers there is need of the greatest guard Now the Word is a light to our feet and a powerfull instrument of God not onely for our defence but also to east down strong holds 2 Cor. 10.3 So that if ever there was need of diligent reading Preaching Praying Meditation and Christian society dayly exhortations use of Sacraments and all exercises of Religion It is now if ever there was need of the conferences of the holy and the company of the godly whereby our minds drooping through evill Examples might be awaked Our staggering and weake hearts established our coldnesse warmed and so wee edifyed in all godlinesse J say if ever there was need it is now so that all endeavour must be given of all those who with inoffensive course desire to go on in the way to Salvation that they fall not away nor be plucked away note the violence from their own stedfastnesse through the errour of the wicked And
born Eunuches or so made of men even so is it for any to enter this holy Calling without some furniture How dangerous is a Ship without tackling how venturous is that Souldier that leads an Army without Armour or Weapons no lesse dangerous is the case of these men It behoves therefore those who under Christ are appointed for Ordination to looke diligently unto this Lastly Christ contents not himself to mention his gifts but he doth also adjoyn Ordination For these two be required and must go together The first without the second is not sufficient For God is not the God of confusion The second without the first is nothing worth it is but as a shadow or Ceremony without substance as an outward seale to a blanke and hence it is that neither Iohn Baptist entred his Calling till he was appointed by God Luke 3. at the beginning Nor Christ till he had been solemnly Consecrated Text. To Preach the Gospell Wee have heard who and what manner of one he is that was sent as also the sending it self Now followes the end why he was sent to wit to reconcile Mankind fallen through sin from God and that he might restore him to a better estate then he had at first Now this Office and benefit is described First as it is in it self in the 18. verse Second this shewed what manner of one it uses to be in those in whom it uses to be effectuall and in whose hearts it works verse 19. And that for our three-fold Necessity is three-fold every one whereof is to be considered For the first He was sent to Preach glad-tydings to the Poore where these two things are to be handled First what is our misery intimated in the word Poore For without the knowledge of this we cannot conceive the benefit and second what is the benefit which is signified by the word Gospell or glad-tydings For the first Our misery is here called poverty or beggery The first degree of our misery is beggery Not of the outward estate but of the soule but as in other things the Spirit of God doth bring us to the knowledge of Spirituall things by comparing them with earthly so here for all knowing what outward Beggery is how reproachfull how miserable especially where the estate hath been good and the change hath been wilfully made through misdemeanour and ryot as also it is our case Simile So then as they are sayd to be poore as touching the flesh who are destitute of all necessary succours for Life as food apparell house maintenance so they are called Beggars as touching the Spirit who are destitute of all things needfull to Salvation such as are the true knowledge of God Faith Hope Patience Love Holinesse c. with the meanes thereof These are the Spirituall riches which who so wants he is deprived of the meanes of Salvation and of the sound hope thereof Now all men that ever have been are or shall bee are such poore men Adam and Eve were enriched of God with these riches we have spoken of for in these things consisted the Image of God Ephes 4.24 But after Adam and Eve had disobeyed they lost these riches from themselves and their posterity they were cast into extreame Poverty and out of the Berry-steed of Gods great Mannour and in stead of these holy and rich graces lost there are come many foule evils which hath ceazed on all the powers of the soule and parts of the body This wofull estate of Man called here Beggery is set out also Ezech. 16. Luke 15. In the prodigall Sonne and is figured by the wounded man Luke 10. And by the Creeple that lay by the Poole of Bethesda Yea all outward defects and diseases as Blindnesse deafnesse lamenesse leprosie which were cured by Christ are but shadowes and figures of this our inward misery which in it selfe is much worse then the outward by how much Heavenly good things exceed Earthly Spirituall surmount Carnall and the soule excell the body The one also being easily apprehended the other hardly Object But it will be said hath not Christ said That the poore in Spirit are blessed Math. 5. Answ To which answer must be made that there is a two-fold Spirituall poverty First sort of poore One of those who being poore yet perceive it not nor acknowledge it But as some in the World being poore yet do as Solomon observed boast of great riches So here as is seene Revel 3.17 They of Laodicea These are not the poore in Spirit to whom Christ was sent Math. 9.13 Second sort of poore There is another sort of Spirituall poore men to wit such as feele and confesse their poverty that they are beggers in Grace and great debters besides These are called Babes Math. 11.26 And weary and heavy laden Math. 11.28 Such as was the sinfull woman Luke 7. And the Publican Luke 18. And to these was Christ sent Psal 25.8 and Psal 9. Doct. The Instruction is That hence the common condition of all men is to be known that they are bare of those things that tend to Salvation and so miserable No outward worldly condition nor riches can take away this poverty Though one abound with gold and precious stones goodly houses great Revenues gorgeous Apparell great attendants yet hee is poore in soule Neither is any furnished with such excellency of humane knowledge and wisdome sharpnesse of wit exactnesse of judgement but for all these he remaines Poore For as he that is diseased in body and all ulcerous though it be outwardly covered yet is in it selfe no lesse it may bee more dangerous by concealment And as the riches of the mind doth not help the outward meanes of estate So much lesse doth the outward riches lessen the soules Poverty Vse The use whereof is to take down the crest of all worldly glory What dost thou boast of thy glittering garments sumptuous buildings noble parentage beauty when as in the meane while they are stain'd with the loathsome Leprosie of sin and therefore as one would chuse to be borne of poore Parents so they be cleane and sound Simile then of the greatest Nobility diseased and leprous So much lesse can any truly boast of any worldly thing being borne defiled and attainted of Treason before God what will thy dainty meats do thy body good when thy soule wants bread and water ☞ What will thy large possessions help thee if thou canst not have so much as a corner in heaven wherein thy soule may lay her head O take heed of that saying passed on the rich worldling Luke 12. Thus it is when one is rich in the world and is not so with God What will thy great attendants do thee good as Lord of all when as yet thou art subject to Man Divels and slave to many sins Let us therefore acknowledge our poverty not in words only but in true sense and humility of heart that we may find true riches let us cease from this our wisdome
6. Esay 54.9 10. If the World shall not be drowned againe because God hath said it no more shall an afflicted Soule be cast away Yea Ier. 31. at the end Ier. 33. If Gods Covenant with Day and Night and with Sunne Moone and Starres can be broken then may the truth of Gods promises faile Nay they shall not though Heaven and Earth passe 2 Salve is Christ Iesus bloud The second Soveraigne Salve that Christ cures withall is the plaister of his own heart bloud He doth not only help by promising but he performes it it-selfe He doth not only give the Receits but he makes it and affords the Ingredients which grow alone in his garden Hereby Christ takes away the guiltinesse of sin and eases the Conscience and heart of that burden that did crush it Esa 53.3 4 5. 1 Pet. 2. at the end Iohn 1. The Lamb of God Heb. 9. How much more shall the bloud of Christ c. Yea whereas there are three great wounds and running sores in Man First guiltinesse of Adams sin Second Corruption of Nature Third actuall disobedience Christ the heavenly Physitian doth cure all those ☞ The first by his Death The second by the holinesse of his Nature imputed The third by his obedience to the Law 3 Is the working of the spirit The third Plaister Christ afford and provides is the effectuall worke of his Spirit which is as a defensive and disperser and consumer of all the Corrupt humours that they grow not to a head These takes away the dominion of Sin and eats out the Core of Corruption drying up the filthy streames of sin and opening a new spring for Holinesse and Sanctification This Plaister is taught Rom. 6.2 3 4. Phil. 3.10 Heb. 9.14 4 The Intercession of Christ The fourth and last effectuall Remedy is the Intercession of Christ for whereas there are two things which are ready to cause the sore to breake out againe being healed To wit our daily sins and our failings and coldnesse in our best actions The Intercession of Christ doth help both these For he doth thereby daily remember his death to God his Father that it may be effectuall for 〈◊〉 our siâ—s past and to come and he doth forthwith as the great high Priest take his Censer and step into the gap when at any time we have made a breach And for our Prayers he doth perfume them with his sweet Incense Revel 8.4 5. Vse To reach us whither to run in all our miseries not to the deceitfull confections of the Romish Church which are like the Plaister and Salves of many dishonest Surgeons They do but venome and cause the sore to rankle But let 〈…〉 to Christ who is able and willing hâ—â—ever excluded any comming to him for bodily 〈…〉 in the â—â—guish of sâ—â—â—â— he hath said He would not breake the broken Reed nor quench the smoaking Flax. O then let us beseech him with David to heale us and he will restore us Psal 38. How ready is he to imbrace heale the widest gaping wounds as of Manasseh the sinfull Woman the prodigall Child yea many of the murtherers of himselfe whereby they murthered themselves in Soule hee healed Secondly Let it teach us thankefulnesse How is the bodily Physitian honoured and rewarded Much more the healer of thy Soule Psal 103. Luke 17. Remember the Leaper that was clensed he requires no other gift He shewed great love to thee and all Man-kind that he stayed not for sending but he came to visit us Which is strange in the World to see the Physitian seek to the Patient and not the Patient rather to the Physitian O then should we not love our Physitian should wee not follow his direction which is being healed Goe thy way and Sin no more And seeing Christ hath made his Minister the Apothecary to temper and administer these Heavenly Physicks how should wee seeke to their Shops the places of Gods worship how should all that are diseased come and lye down at this Poole of Bethesda wayting till the Lord effect our cure there God opens his Schoole of Physicke and Surgery Examine what comes from thee what thy Pulse is Observe thy heart if any Lust of uncleannesse Ambition or Covetousnesse like a Plurisie vex thee here mayst thou have a veyne opened If any Fever of malice vex thee it may be abated If any swelling of Pride and Vain-glory it may be taken away Doth any Vitall part wast in thee or any Spirituall Consumption ceaze on thee as if any defect in thy Liver that the Word turne not to good nourishment or if thy Lungs be naught that thou growest cold and feeble in Prayer here mayst thou have remedy Doth the Palsie Lethargie Apoplexie or such stupifying diseases creepe on thee heere mayst thou have those grosse and tough humors expelled Doth loathsome Leprosie begin to rise up in botches here it may be cured O then seeing there is such Soveraigne confections why is not the sore of my daughter healed Let it not be said of Israel as it was of Babell We would have cured her and she would not be cured Least the Physick of the Word not prevailing God send his scaring Iron and make Incisions Yea excisions which God for bid Vse Lastly Ministers and Spirituall Physitians are admonished how and whom they heale to wit the Broken and not the whole Ezec. 34.16 Wee must take heed how we draw a dead skin over the wound before it be thoroughly searched For as we may not wound and gall the wounded with sharpe wine of threats and rebukes so neither may we power in Oyle into festered sores and daâ—be with untempered Morter ☞ wee must take heed we sley not the Soules which we should revive and quicken those we should kill Ezech. 13.18.19 20 21 22. For so to doe brings death and was a cause of destruction to the old people of God Lament 2.13 14. O the misery of a Land through foolish and flattering Physitians And thus much of the second Metaphor declaring our misery with the remedy correspondent Vers 28. Recovering of sight to the Blind This is the third comparison or Metaphor expressing our misery by a word fetched from the defect of bodily sight and applyed to the Mind This shall not need much to be insisted in because partly it hath been handled before as a branch of our Spirituall Captivity Yet because the Scripture is most frequent in the use of this as much delighting in it it shall be profitable a little to view the Spirituall blindnesse by that of the body the understanding is the eye of the Soule and the informer and director to the Will affections and so to all our actions now therefore for it to be bâ—ind who sees not the great inconveniences thereof For if the eye be darknesse how great is that darknesse and if the blind lead the blind both shall fall into the ditch now the Scripture doth exceedingly beat of the minds
blindnesse true it is that in things pertaining to this life there is some conceits as also in Morall and Civill actions and Vertues But in the chief to wit in things Spirituall iâ— is starke blind 1 Cor. 2.11 12. Where the reason is given because the things of God cannot be discerned but by the Spirit of God as none can know what is in man but the Spirit of man and in the 14 verse of the same chapter he shewes that the naturall man discernes not the things of the Spirit of God yea they are folly to him So that as a Beast is starke blind in things to be apprehended by reason neither can they be made so plaine that he can conceive them because he wants reason Even so things Heavenly and Spirituall cannot be comprehended by the depth of reason The truth of this doth further appeare by the estate of men both within and without the Church at such time as Christ came into the flesh and the Gospell began to flourish In the Church was many learned Scribes and Pharises and yet they could not see Christ that was the Sunne of righteousnesse and how ignorant did Nicodemus shew himselfe yea indocâ—ble in the point of Regeneration Ioh 3. For others out of the Church the University of Athens then flourished but how did they entertaine the Truth delivered by Paul Acts 17. Eloquent Tully alive a little before But learned and Divine Seneca and learned and modest Plinie lived in the times of the Gospell but favoured it not ☞ And the whole state of the World that it was almost three hundred yeeres before Religion was countenanced in the World is a Testimony sufficient of the World blindnesse So then for the true manner of Gods Worship and the right way to Salvation with all things subordinate to these Man in his best wisdome cannot conceive Now to say no more hereby may appeare That this is a great misery These bodily defects may be supplyed by others if thou beest blind thou mayst be guided But here every man must have an eye for himselfe anothers knowledge will doe thee no good if thou remaine blind thy selfe Now as bodily blindnesse to any whatsoever is very uncomfortable and disadvantageous For the blind eat many a Fly and can hardly discerne Poyson fâ—om wholsome meats yet for some men of some speciall condition to be blind is very prejudicious As first For a Travailer who can take never a step forward but is either ready to stumble or to fall into some ditch or to go out of his way So that if some be not adjoyned that guide him which is here denyed he must needs perish by one misfortune or other running into the mouths of wild devouring beasts while he straggles the Forrest of this World Secondly For a watchman to be blind is most heavie and miserable for he can foresee nothing nor discover evils approaching Thirdly for a a Souldier because he must needs be wounded not knowing which way to decline the battery against him Fourthly for an overseer and keeper of precious Jewels and such like Now all these are our conditions we are Travailers in the unbeaten and strait way to Heaven We are all and ought to be Watch-men to foresee the Iudgements of God we are all Souldiers in the Lords Battle we are all keepers of our own Soules and what other precious Jewels we have from God Which the Divell lyes in wayt for How miserable then needs must the condition of Man be by reason of this blindnesse Vse This serves to teach us to take notice of the Worlds misery and to bewayle it both in our selves and others We can take it for a great Iudgement for any to be borne blind in body Yet we never bewayle our selves being such in Soule Second Hence may we learne a reason of the Worlds boldnesse in going on in Sin as that of the Proverb Who so bold as blind Bayard The blind man because he sees no danger he fears none That which the eye sees not the heart rues not One plodding through a desart of wild beasts in the night though continually there is but a step twixt him and death he feares nothing but if the Light arise and he see in what danger he is he is at his wits end for feare So is it with blind ignorant men Now whither this Ignorance be simple or affected whither in the mind or in the restraining of the knowledge through perverse violentnesse of affections or selfe-conceit the danger is alike yea greater to these latter as is seene in the Church of Laodicea Vse Lastly hence may wee learne the reason why after so long teaching and diligence there is great Ignorance It comes from the blindnesse of mans mind and heart which is so habuated and hath so hardned mans heart that the Seed fals as on the high-way and the fowles that is Satan devoures it and thus much of the misery Now followes the supply Vers 18. Recovery of sight We read of Christ giving sight to many blind in body all which were shadowes of this great work of Spirituall Illumination this benefit is in generall the grace of Sanctification or more especially of Illumination and Christian wisdome and prudence whereby wee may be made to discerne twixt things that differ How great and necessary this benefit is may appeare both by Pauls earnest Prayer unto God in the behalfe of the Ephesians Ephes 1.18 19 20. and Ephes 3. and 18 19 20. And his putting them in mind of it having received it Yee were darknesse but now yee are Light and so also his earnest Thanksgiving for it in all his Epistles as Ephes 1.8 Colos 1.3 4 5 and 12. verses Phil. 1.3 4. And so in both his Epistles to the Thessalonians Wee may see it also by the earnest Prayers of David Psal 119. And by that serious counsell that Christ gives to the Church of Laodicea Now for the manner how Christ doth performe this we must know that there are three things required to good Sight First a cleere Object Second a right Organ or Instrument the eyes Third the Medium or meanes of transporting the Object to the eye Now in all these regards Christ doth help the sight For first for the Eye it selfe the Mind he doth cause the thicke scales to fall off and doth take away all inward disturbances and annoyances and fits it for the right performing of his action he settles the eye that it be not distorted Secondly Christ helpes the sight by cleering the Object and making it neerer to our view For if the thing to be seene with the bodily eye be either darke or too remote it is not discernable Such were heavenly things they were too darke and hard for us they were too farre off too small God hath given us Spectacles to make them seeme bigger the Word is made more easie and cleere in the face of Christ 2 Cor. 3. The vaile is taken away and we all behold with
order the third degree of mans Misery and doth adde weight to the former For to be poore and destitute of necessaries is heavy but if that any disease or torment be added the burden is heavier But if to these two there come a third affliction that the same should be taken Captive carryed into a strange Countrey bee evill entreated farre from all friends and acquaintance without any hope of returne Where this is what is wanting to the perfection of misery yet so it is with man And all this is caused by one and the same thing namely Sin for as in regard of Spirituall riches it being poverty and as it lookes unto the Law it wounds the Consciences and breakes the heart as is after shewed So as it respects Satan it is the very spheare under which we are sold the chaines wherewith we are bound and by which we are carryed farre from God Esa 59.2 It is that by which we cease fighting against Satan and throwing away our weapons of defence and offence we even fly into his Campe. So that Sin in divers respects doth worke the divers degrees of our Misery And this the Scripture teaches plentifully Iohn 8.44 Rom. 6.16 And that by nature we can do nothing but Sinne. Ier. 13.23 1 Kings 8.46 Prov. 20.9 Eccles 7.21 So that by Sin men are made the Divels Captives and we must know that men are not judged what they are by their stock whence they are borne nor by the place wherein they live nor by the like circumstances but by their studies and actions as if one an English man by Nation Noble by birth a Courtier yet in mind and heart be wholly a Spaniard bewraying our Counsels to them and helping theirs whose Servant would such a one be counted sure not of our Prince but even a secret and close factor and Servant of Spayne So it is with us it little availes to be borne in the Church or of Christian Parents to professe Religion to be present at the Word and Sacraments if our wils doe serve the Divell Vse Is That wee learne to abhorre Sin even for this cause that it doth bring us into bondage Who loves not and from his heart desires liberty Wherefore are Lawes but that we may live freely whence are warres but to recover lost liberty for which many have jeoparded lives and livings And shall we so much esteeme the liberty of the Body and neglect it for the Soule which is so much the more excellent by how much the Soule excels the body What do we then by Sinning Surely this we cast away our Liberty Aegypt was a figure of Hell Pharoah of the Divell The yron Furnace of death the Clay workes of Sin whereby Satan holds us bound Now how were they delivered Sure by Christ alone and that by his Bloud and that war figured two wayes First the Paschall Lamb was to be slain with the bloud whereof the doore-posts were to be sprinkled and so free from the destroying Angell This was a Figure of Christ who by his Bloud shed destroyed the first borne of death even by his power and strength and this was the first degree of our Redemption The second degree and absolute was the Drowning of them all in the Red Sea Now that was a figure of Christ which did open the way of safety to the Jsraelites and brought utter destruction to the enemies So that we see a double Deliverance in this shadow first a Killing of the chief strength and darlings of the enemies but yet not a freedome from the pursuing of the enemies The second was wherein all Perished not one escaped So it is with us The sprinkling of the bloud of Christ hath cut the nerves of Satan and Hell But when by Death wee shall bee drenched into the Sea of his bloud we shall be free from all assaults of enemies A second Type was in Ioshua whose Victories were lively shadowes of Christ For as by the blowing of Rammes hornes the Wals of Jericho fell so by the Preaching of the death of Christ the horne of Christ the Ramme Sacrificed being blown it caused the pillars of Satans Kingdome to shake and the doores to open Vse To strengthen our Faith against that horrour wherewith Satan seekes to shake our Consciences He devises what hee can to afflict us sets the griesly face of Death before our eyes cals to mind the filthinesse of our Sins hee opens even Hell it self makes us to behold it he proclaimes the severity of Gods justice Now true it is we are not able in our own strength to stand against the least of these but in the power of Christ we shall be more then Conquerers and dare boldly behold the same Vse Second know that true Liberty consists in being freed out of the bondage of these cruell Enemies and therefore not so to live as that we suffer our selves to be entangled againe By the Broken heart is not meant a heart lightly bruised or somewhat broken but a heart broken into the smallest pieces as Corne is broken twixt the Milstones or as any thing is beaten to powder in a Morter Now the heavy Milstones and the strong Pestle or Hammer that doth this is the Law of God with the Attendants The sight of Sin the apprehension of the Curse the wrath of God the feare of Hell Death Damnation and the Divell Seeing Christ cures such onely it much concernes us to stirre up this sense of Sin in us and to avoid all such things whereby it may be deaded and wee lulled asleep and to this end Christ diligently warnes us of two things Luke 21.34 The first is Surfetting and all wanton and riotous Pleasures and delights For this takes out of the heart all sense and feare of Sin Curse Death Hell Esa 22.115 Amos 6.3 For how can any Godly sorrow take place amidst all voluptuous delights the like is shewed Esa 57.4 5 6 7 11 verses For when day and night is spent in devising and musing of outward and Carnall pleasures what roome is left for holy Meditations examinations and considerations which was the meanes that made David turne to Gods testimonies So that if we regard our Soules health wee must avoid the excesse of Carnall delights and thinke it much better to sorrow heere a while and to be comforted hereafter then for transitory delight to incurre Eternall torment So for the second the cares of this World is a manifest hinderer for they choke the Word it cannot have it perfit worke this is seen in Dives this is seene Luke 14.18 In the refusall of the Invited guests This also is observed Amos 8.4 5. They thought the Saboth long because their minds were after their Covetousnesse Vse Second Let all those receive Comfort that groanes under their Sinnes for Christ is ready to heale such of all Afflictions there is none to that of the wounded Conscience for such may and doe complaine as the people of God Lament 1.12 13 14. But