The Blessedness of a Sound Spirit, Sermon 2
THE MISERIE OF A WOVNDED SPIRIT.
PROV. 18.14.
A wounded ſpirit who can beare?
Thus farre of a good Spirit: now to the bad.
A Wounded ſpirit is a burden intolerable; Doct. 2 before I proue the point, I muſt ſhew you that mans ſpirit is ſubiect to woūds of two ſorts: Firſt, of a friend. Secondly, of a ſoe. When God wounds as a friend (as often he doth afflict the ſpirit, as well as the body in louelove) he makes that wound tolerable, partly by qualifying, and mitigating the blow (for in wrath hee remembers mercy) and whereas thoſe inward wounds admit degrees (as pricking, breaking, opening the heart) he proceeds not to extremities with his children, partly by ſupporting with ſecret hopes and comforts, for his childrens peace is neuer quite taken away, faith neuer quite failes them: but when he ſmires as a foe, the wound proues vnſufferable to a creature, and ſuch as would ſoone ſwallow a man, did not the Lord ſuſtaine nature to beare it, he could not elſe ſtand vnderunder it. Indeed when God proceeds to wounding, the ſpirit would vtterly faile, did not either merciemercy or iuſtice in God vphold it in being.
Now that a wounded ſpirit is a burden intolerable, we will proue from teſtimony and Reaſon, Teſtimony: Firſt Diuine, here in the text, and elſe-where, All the dayes of the afflicted are cuilt: which if it be true of other, much more of this affliction that falls vponupon the ſoule, Pron. 15. 15. Secondly, other teſtimonies, namely, from thoſe that hauehave had experience of it: as 1. men, and there, Firſt, good men: How hauehave the ſtouteſt yeelded vnderunder this burden? How hath it ground them to duſt? Heare Dauid, Pſal. 32. and Pſal. 51. His bones were broken as it were: How made it Iob to wiſh death? Iob 6. to quarrell God; others to quake, Pſal. 77. to howle, Pſal. 102. nay ſome to attempt death, ſome (haply) to effect it.
Secondly, from bad men, how doth it terrifie them, Leuit. 26.ſo that they fly at a leafe; paine them, that they caſt vp all their ſhame; and how doth it depriue them not only of outward comfort, but of life, and cauſes them to caſt themſelues into hell to auoid it? How hauehave they wiſhed thouſands of yeares in hell, ſo that then they might bee eaſed?
Secondly, Deuills; they witneſſe this truth againſt their wills: Firſt, when (their conſciences being terrified at the fight of Chriſts God-head) they cry out, Art thou come to torment vsus before our time; and quake as priſoners when they ſee the Iudge comming. Secondly, When God purſues them, very anguiſh and ſorrow makes them madde, and to loſe all vſe of their large vnderſtandings; when they would ſting Gods creatures to death, and doe him and them the greateſt deſpight, they endeuour the troubles and terrours of conſcience, as well knowing this to be the moſt cruſhing and preſſing euill.
Thirdly of Chriſt Ieſus, who though free from ſinne inherent, yet endured the ſorrowes of death, and was broken not in body only, but in ſpirit alſo, when he cried out (My God, my God, why haft thou for ſaken mee?) and trembled, and ſweat, and bled, and groned vnderunder this ſtroake, which was ſo intolerable to Chriſt Ieſus, as that the Angels of heauen came to comfort him, and the Godhead was requiſite to ſupport him, who can ſtand vnderunder? In ſhort, wee hauehave heard of creatures that hauehave ſuffered the mangling of bodies, the ripping vp of bowels, racking of ioynts, burning of fleſh, boiling in oyle, and the like, without crying out (My God, my God, why haft thou for ſaken me) but neuer heard of a wounded ſpirit, but either it ſunke vnderunder deſpaire, or made pitious moane to God, or man, or both.
Firſt from the cauſes of this wound (as it is mingled with ſinne) mans ſelfe and Satan ioyne, Reaſon 1 and theſe be ſore enemies; Satan is a fiery Dragon, a ſtinging Serpent, a cunning deſpightfull Aduerſarie, and yet he is the leaſt: when a man is diuided againſt himſelfe, and wit, knowledge, memory, ſtrength, all the weapons of nature and the enlightning ſpirit, are turned againſt ones ſelfe, it muſt needs be tedious and bitter: but then as theſe wounds are fruits of Iuſtice, they are properly Gods ſtroakes; and ſo there is not Dauid and a Goliah, nor Dauid and a Saul, a King and a Flea oppoſed, but the Creator and creature. is God
Secondly, Reaſ. 2 from the effects, it diſableth, or diſcourageth a man from the meanes of comfort; of all diſeaſes, thoſe be worſt, which make one vncapable of Phyſicke, depriue one of Reaſon, or of ſtrength to take helpe: ſuch are theſe of the ſpirit; A man labouring vnderunder this burden, and inwardly bleeding, is afraid to pray, to communicate himſelfe, he thinks that he tempts God in it, that his phyſicke is his poiſon, at leaſt that it will be to no purpoſe.
Secondly, it multiplies feares, creates feares, euer doubts more is behinde that which is alreadie felt.
Thirdly, drawes matter of diſcouragement and feare from all things, as we finde in all ſtories; if God feed, it is but to fat him for the knife; if he preſerue, it is but for further iudgement; and ſo of the reſt.
Thirdly, from the ſubiect, the ſpirit is the life of all: as the light of the eye is the light of the hand, of the foot, and of all the parts of the bodie, ſo the ſpirit is the life of all; no life in wealth, friends, eſtare, &c. without this; this runnes thorow all; wound this, wound all, yea this is the pillar that beares vp all; as when the ſtomacke failes, legs, armes, and all parts faile; ſo when the ſpirit failes, all failes: and as in a houſe where is but one getter, iſ he ſinkes, all ſinke: ſo here, it is the ſpirit that purueyes and brings in all, if this pipe be ſtopped, no comfort ſtreams toward vsus.
Firſt, Vſe 1 this diſcouers the miſerable folly and wickedneſſe of moſt men, who of all burdens ſeare and feele this leaſt. A wounded eſtate, a wounded name, a wounded body is ſomething with them; but a wounded ſpirit they know not what it meanes; hence this laſt is neuer feared, when the other worke trembling, nay hence conſcience receiues wounds on the inſide, that the ourſide may be ſaued: men will ſteale to preuent pouertie; lye, to get out of debt; conſult with Wizards, to eſcape ſickneſſe; they will giuegive their ſoules a thouſand gaſhes to faue the skinne. Oh intolerable folly; this is to pricke the hand for the ſauing of the gloue, nay to hazard ones head, for the ſauing of a hat, of a feather: of all enemies God is the foreſt; of all wounds his the deepeſt; of all parts, the conſcience and ſpirit the tendereſt: ſo long as there is peace within, peace with the conſcience, peace in our affections, peace with God, with Angels, with creatures, with the Word, ſo long a mans burden (be it what it will be) is tolerable; but when God fights againſt vsus, and there is a pitcht field within vsus, that our owne eyes, and mouthes, and hands, and wits, and ſpirits be againſt vsus; Oh then who can beare it? a wounded name, a wounded eſtate, a wounded legge, a wounded arme may be borne; but when God breakes the bones within, when our owne thoughts and dreames amaze vsus, and wee be a terrour to our ſelues, and our conſciences be wounded, what is then left to comfort vsus? whileſt a man hath ſome friend, there is ſome comfort; whileſt ſome meanes of comfort (ſome parts and places whole) there is ſome refreſhing, but when no one part is well, no one place can eaſe him, no one minute is free, no one friend ſtands for him, no one creature is comfortable to him: who will not pitie ſuch a ones eſtate? This the ſtate of the wounded ſpirit; this wound as it is piercing, ſo ſpreading, it goes thorow all the man, head, heart, ſide, backe, all parts ake and ſweat whileſt the ſpirit is racked; the eye ſees no comfort, the tongue taſtes no comfort, the eare receiues no comfort; all is bitter, bitter to the whole man, and the ſtouteſt man in few dayes is but a liuing carcaſſe or skelleton; as there is no eaſe within, ſo no comfort without, no place (nor bed, nor boord, nor houſe, nor Church) no creature (nor mear, nor drinke, nor friend, nor wife, nor childe) will afford any comfort. All aboue vsus, all below vsus, all about vsus, all vponupon vsus, all within vsus, makes then for terror and miſery, nothing at all for eaſe and comfort. Oh conſider this, you that make nothing, or but a ieſt of Conſcience, and care not what yee ſay, what yee doe, how many Sabbaths you breake, how many lyes you tell, how many oathes you ſweare, how many men you couſin, how many ſinnes you ſwallow, ſo you may preuent outward miſeries; know, there is a wound of Conſcience beyond all wounds, a miſery of ſpirit beyond all miſeries, a breach of the ſoule beyond all breaches, and either wound your ſelues with ſhame and ſorrow for theſe wounds, which you hauehave giuen your ſoules, and condemne your ſelues for fearing debt, or ſhame, or any trouble more than conſcience, or elſe know that the ſleepieſt conſcience ſhall be once awakened, the hardeſt heart once broken, and brawnieſt ſpirit once ſoftned; and then you ſhall finde a weight beyond the weight of mountaines lying vponupon you, and wiſh that you had beene rather famiſhed, or ſterued, or burnt, or ſtrangled long before, than euer you ſhould liue to know what a wounded ſpirit meanes; beleeue it, beleeue it, howſoeuer you finde for the preſent an euill conſcience no burden, yet before you and it part, you ſhall finde Salomons words true; A wounded ſpirit who can beare?
Secondly, Vſe 2 if conſcience be wounded, make forth to hauehave it healed; we ſeek skill in ſore eyes, and mouthes, and the like, let vsus labour for skill alſo to heale conſcience.
To this end, Firſt, know the time of cure, viz. preſently: greene wounds are ſooneſt cured; as therefore the Toad poiſoned runnes to her medicine, and each creature to his; ſo let him that hath his conſcience wounded, get a healing potion preſently.
Secondly, know the medicines and meanes of cure. foreign, &c. Ignat. ad Polyc. &c.Satan is a Mountebancke, as appeares by his Apothecaries: ſome preſcribe poyſons, as if Similia ſimilibus, as Papiſts heale a conſcience with treaſons: ſome preſcribe toyes, as outward things, drinkes, muſicke, and the like; ſome thinke to out-wraſtle conſcience, as they doe ſickneſſe, but this diſeaſe will not be oppoſed, neither will any medicines cure it, but onelyonly Gods, and they in briefe are theſe, Faith, Repentance, and (in ſome caſes) Satisfaction; for this know, as when an officer is wounded, two things muſt be done; firſt, Authoritie and the State muſt be pacified; ſecondly, the wound cured: euen ſo here, Conſcience is an officer, firſt cure that; ſecondly, God and man too (ſometimes) are treſpaſſed, they muſt be ſatisfied. Now the way to ſatisfie the offended, is, firſt, ſubmiſſion, ſecondly, either ſubſtitution or reſtitution.
In ſinnes immediately againſt God, we muſt firſt get a Suretie, Chriſt Ieſus, ſet him betweene God and vsus: and there muſt come in faith, Ioh. 8. till wee beleeue, wee bee in our ſinnes: Iohn 8.ſecondly, we muſt ſubmit, firſt confeſſe our ſinnes, take ſhame to our ſelues, reſtore Gods glory; ſecondly, reſigne our ſelues, and humble our ſelues vnderunder his hand, Iames 4.Iames 4 lay our neckes on the blocke, and here comes in Repentance and Reſtitution.
Secondly, in ſinnes that immediately concerne man, the ſame path muſt be trod, firſt ſubmiſſion in diuers caſes (goe to thy brother if he hauehave ought againſt thee) and ſecondly Reſtitution, as in Numb. 5. Numb. 5.If thou haſt runne away with this good name, reſtore; if with his goods, bring them backe againe: and here note, that the nearer the tye is, the worſe the treſpaſſe; therefore the childe that robs his father, is a greater theeſe (cater is paribus) than he that robs by the high-way: ſo the wife (howſoeuer nature giues an intereſt in goods for proper vſe, and contract more according to particulars agreed vponupon, and ſomething may be preſumed vponupon where is no exception) yet for wiues to giuegive where is no need, againſt husbands minde, beyond his eſtate, and ſo forth, is vtterly vnlawfull.
Thirdly, conſider the method & order of cure, ſtill we muſt to God, he is offended, he only can worke peace, therefore we muſt looke to Chriſt the Braſen Serpent, and weepe ouer him; but yet if man be treſpaſſed, wee muſt firſt to him: God would hauehave his worke tarry, till there be a purpoſe (at leaſt) of being reconciled to man: therefore be firſt reconciled; ſecondly, deſire his prayers, Iob laſt.as Iobs friends did his. Thirdly, apply to conſcience, as hath beene ſaid, firſt plucking forth the ſting of ſinne, then waſhing in Chriſts bloud; and for the future, keepe the heart aboue all keepings, as yee doe the eye in the middeſt of chaſſe and duſt; for as the eye is ſubiect to infinite diſtempers, ſo is the conſcience and ſpirit.
Firſt, there is a diſquieting of the ſpirit, which vſually proceeds from vnwatchfulneſſe, and that in three caſes; Firſt, when a man guards not the heart againſt eueryevery ſinne, for ſinne hath a diſquieting nature, and is fretting like poiſon. Secondly, when hee neglects meanes of comfort (as the ſtomacke is troubled with ouer-faſting) or elſe, thirdly, vſes them ſleightly and formally: ſo the ſpirit waxeth firſt dull, ſecondly ſad, thirdly ſorrowfull, as the Apoſtle implies in his Epiſtles; therefore watchfulneſſe muſt be vſed in things ſinfull, lawfull, and indifferent.
Secondly, there is a perplexing of the ſpirit, and that ariſeth from ignorance, and that in three caſes: Firſt, when a man hath no knowledge in the Word, darkneſſe makes one fearefull, and cauſes errour. Secondly, when his conſcience ſeemes to be greater than his knowledge, as in ſcrupuloſities. Thirdly, when hee cannot put a difference betweene himſelfe and Satan in his temptations and abhorred ſuggeſtions; Of this ſee notes on Iames 4.hence come horrours perplexities, theſe muſt be preuented, Firſt, by ſticking only to the Word which ſets our bounds; Secondly, by getting knowledge in the Word, Philip. 1.and a diſcerning ſpirit.
Thirdly, there is wounding of the Spirit, that is vſually done by ſinnes againſt light and knowledge: there is a threefold light belonging to Gods children: Firſt, one of nature which is implanted, ſinnes againſt this ſting, as vnnaturall luſts, murders, & the like. Secondly, one of Scripture, and acquired (rather reuealed) light, ſinnes againſt this wound ſo much the more, by how much the more cleare the euidence is; the moſt euident truths are the firſt principles (which proue, but need no proofe) thus, firſt, it is a ſtinging ſinne to deny the Scripture; ſecondly, to reuege expreſſe truths therein contained, or to diſobey things daily vrged: thirdly, of grace or infuſed light. Thus when a man ſinnes againſt knowledge, purpoſe, vow, grace receiued; this is fearfull, and makes many thinke, that their ſinnes are vnpardonable and againſt the Holy Ghoſt.
Fourthly, there is deading and ſearing of the ſpirit: as the body is ſubiect to two kinds of diſeaſes and maimes, ſome that affect and afflict ſenſe, ſome that depriue of ſenſe, as violent blowes, palſies, &c, ſo is the ſpirit alſo. Now this is the moſt fearfull caſe of all, and comes to paſſe three wayes: Firſt, when men commit ſome horrible ſinne which ſtrikes out the eye, or layes one for dead, like a blow on the head. Secondly, when they ſhunne all meanes of awakening conſcience, runne from the Word, from Saints that admoniſh, from thoughts of death, &c. Thirdly, when they force conſcience, and vſe all meanes to ſtop its mouth, and to cruſh it for euer: this is as ſearing after cutting, when a man neuer meanes to hauehave the part againe, but to take away all ſenſe; feare theſe diſeaſes aboue all.
Thirdly, Vſe 3 this may be for comfort to thoſe whoſe conſciences are not wounded.
Queſt. What is the difference betweene a ſpirit healed, and a ſpirit deaded or deluded?
Anſ. 1. Looke to the meanes and medicines healing, whether our peace ariſe from faith, repentance, the word. 2. A healed conſcience is pure and cleare throughout, the other ſpirits make no conſcience at all, or onelyonly of ſome things. 1 Pet. 3.21.3. A healed conſcience makes interrogatories to God, firſt if doubts ariſe, it ſaith as Rebecca, Gen. 26.Why am I thus? and prayes to God; the reſt are ſtiffe, and ſhun all queſtions. 4. A healed ſpirit pities others; in this caſe the dead heart cannot abide the name of conſcience, but ſaith (as Pilate, what is truth? ſo) what is conſcience? the deluded ſpirit is fierce towards all but thoſe that be of his minde, as all Heretickes and Schiſmatikes proue. Now if our pulſe beat right, and we hauehave the comfort of a ſanctified conſcience, keepe it, by two meanes: Firſt, by ſelfe deniall, a man muſt deny himſelfe in his meanes (riches, friends, &c.) Secondly, in his hopes and owne worth; firſt, be nothing in himſelfe; ſecondly, expect all from Chriſt; thirdly, in his ſenſe and feeling, he muſt winke and put himſelfe into Gods hands, that is, liue by faith, as Luther did, reſt on the naked Word without any pawne, as Abraham did.
Pitie the wounded ſpirit; Vſe 4 if we heare that a man hath broken his leg or arme, we pitie him, how much more ſhould we bleed with the broken heart and bleeding ſpirit; and furniſh our ſelues, firſt with wiſdome, that ſo we may be able: ſecondly, with louelove, that ſo we may bee willing to ſuccour ſuch, See notes on Pſalm. 43.Rom. 15. but more of this elſewhere: therefore here an end.
FINIS.
End of the text · Robert Harris, The Blessedness of a Sound Spirit (1628)