The Souls Preparation for Christ, Treatise (5 of 5)
As it is with pocket dy…ls, a man may shake them this way and that way,The soule hath many shakings. but they are still northward by vertue of the loadstone; so there are many shakings in the soule, sometime it feareth God will not be mercifull, he sometimes hopes that he will; thus it is tossed to and fro, but still it is heaven-ward, & there is a hope that it may be otherwise: For the Lord holds the soule by a secret vertue to himselfe, and drawes the heart to seeke for mercy.
When the Prodigall child was brought to a desperate strait, he beganne to consider what he had done,Luke 15.18. whereas before he said; shall I ever be a slave in my fathers familie? but at last when all was spent, what doth he doe? he saith, It is true, I can looke for no help and favour, and I cannot tell whether my Father will receive me or no; yet my Fathers servants have bread enough, and I shall starve for hunger; O wretch that I am, I have left a kinde fathers house; yet, come what will, I will home to my father, and say, Father, I have sinned; Thus the soule thinkes with it selfe, Oh the many sweet and gratious cals that I have had! how often hath Christ come home to my heart, and desired entrance? and yet I shut the doore upon him: shall I now goe home to the Lord J…sus Christ? How justly may he reject me that have rejected him? he may damne me, and yet he may save me, & therefore I will wait upon him for mercy: thus the soule will not off from God, but it hath a secret hope wherewith the Lord keepes the heart to himselfe.
Reason 1.The first reason is, because unlesse the Lord should leave this hope in the heart, it would utterly be overthrowne with despaire: You that make nothing of your loose thoughts, and vaine speeches, I tell you, if God did set but one sinfull thought upon thy heart, thy soule would sinke under it, & the Lords wrath would drive thee to marvelous desperation: were it not that the Lord doth uphold thee with one hand, as he beats thee downe with the other, (I say) it were impossible but the soule should despaire, (as the proverb is,) But for hope the heart would breake, Who can stand under the Almighty hand of God, unlesse he doth uphold him: God hath broken off the sinner by this sorrow, but he will not throw him to hell: As the gardiner cuts off a graft to plant it into a new stocke, not to burne it: So the Lord cuts off a sinner from all abomination, but he wil not cast him into hell; and the Lord melts the heart of a poore sinner, but consumes him not, but as the goldsmith melts his gold, not to consume it all away, but to make it a better vessel: So the Lord melts a poore sinner to make him a vessell of glory: the Lord will fire those proud hearts of yours, and clip off those knotty lusts, but if you belong to him, he will leave a little remainder of hope, that you shall be formed and fashioned, not consumed.
It is the argument of the Lord by the Prophet, Esay. 57.16.He will come and dwell with, and refresh the broken soule, and he will not contend for ever, lest the Spirit should faile before him: If the Lord should let in but one scattering shot of his vengeance into the heart, it were enough to drive the soule to despaire, but God will lay no more upon us then will doe good to us.
Secondly,Reason. if the Lord did not leave this hope in the heart, a mans indeavours in the use of the meanes would be altogether killed: if there be no hope of good, then there is no care of using the meanes, whereby any good may be obtained. Good is the loadstone of all our endeavors, a man will not labour for nothing: therefore despaire killes a mans labours, and pluckes up the root of all his indeavours. If there be any good present, hope makes us labour to encrease it, if any good be to come, hope labours to attaine it: But good there must be.
So hope provokes the soule to use the meanes and to say, I am a damned man, but if there be any hope I will pray, and heare, and fast; who knowes but God may shew mercy to my poore soule?
Now gather up all: if without this secret hope the heart would faile, and if without it a mans indeavours would be utterly crusht and come to nothing, then it is no wonder that the Lord in his infinite mercy and wisedome, when he will doe good to the soule, leaveth some secret hope of mercy.
Vse 1.First, we may here take notice of the marvelous tenderness, and the loving nature of God in dealing with poore sinners; that in al his courses of justice remembers some mercy; and in all the potion of his wrath still he drops in some cordials of comfort: he deales not with us as he might; but so, as might be most comfortable every way, and usefull to worke upon our hearts, & to draw our soules home unto himself. Should the Lord come out against a poore sinner, and in his wrath let fly against him, his soule would sinke downe under him; but blessed be God, that he doth not deale with our hearts as we deserve, if he were as rigorous against us, as we have beene rebellious against him, we should sinke in sorrow and fall into despaire never to be recovered any more.
But as the Lord batters us, so he releeves us; as we may see in Saul, he had gotten letters to Damascus, and now he hoped,Acts 9. being generall of the field, to bind and to imprison all, and he would not spare the poore Christians a jot; but Christ meets him in the field, & threw him downe, and might have killed him too: but the Lord desired rather that he might be humbled then confounded: I cannot read that ever he shewed his letters, but layed all flat downe before the Lord, and so was accepted; the Lord shewed him his misery, yet he lets him not perish there, but gives him a little crevise of comfort.
When the Lord dealt with the children of Israel, he said, I will allure her and bring her into the wildernesse, Hosea ….15.and there I will give her the valley of Achor for the doore of hope; When Achan was stoned for stealing the wedge of gold, Ios.7.24.the Israelites called it the valley of Achor, and so it is called to this day.
The valley of Achor is the valley of trouble, of stoning, or consternation, so the Lord doth here; he draweth the soule into the wildernesse of sorrow for sinne, but doth he leave the soule there? no, there is the doore of hope also, and there the soule shall sing as in former times. And hereupon the soule saith, there is some hope that God will do good unto me for all this; there is hope the Lord is melting me, to make me a vessel of glory: that's a gloomy night when there is neither moone nor candle to be seen: so though the soule be marvelous gloomy and heavy, yet there is some crevise of light and consolation let into the heart, still chearing and refreshing it: the Lord knowes what metall we are made of, and remembers that we are but dust, Psal. 103.therefore he so corrects us, that he may leave an inkling of mercy and favour in our hearts.
O therefore let us admire and blesse this good God; and not quarrell with his ministers nor providence, and say, other men have comfort, and therefore why am I so troubled and disquieted? how now? It is endlesse mercy that thou livest, therefore downe with thy proud heart, and stifle those distempers of Spirit, and say, The Lord hath broken and wounded me, but blessed be his name, that I may come to Church, and that he hath not dealt with me as I have deserved but in goodnesse and mercy; I hope God in his season will doe good to my soule.
Vse 2.Secondly, let us be wise to nourish this same blessed worke in our hearts for ever; let us have our hearts more and more strengthened, because thereby our hearts will be more & more inabled to beare and undergoe any thing; if you have but a little glimpse of hope, cover it, and labour to maintaine it, and if ever God let in any glimpse of mercy into your hearts, let it not goe out; it is ever good to take that way that God takes; the Lord sustaines our hearts with hope; hope is the sinewes of the soule, therefore strengthen it.
As a marriner that is tost with a tempest in a darke night, when he sees no starres, he casts anchor, and that cheares him; this hope is the anchor of the soule, whereby it lookes out and expects mercy from God: the poore soule seeth no light nor comfort, nothing but the wrath of an angry God, and he saith, God is a just God, and a jealous God, even that God whose truth I have opposed, is displeased with me, then the soule is tossed and troubled, and runnes upon the rockes of despaire, how shall the soule be supported in this condition? you will finde this true one day, therefore looke to it before: you vile drunkards are now sayling in a faire gale of pleasure, and carnall delight, but when the Lords wrath shall seaze upō you, whē he shal let in the flashes of hel fire, then you are tossed, sometimes up to heaven, now downe to hell: therefore cast anchor now, and this hope will uphold you,Hebr. 6.19. for this hope is called the anchor of the soule. Thou dost not yet see the Lord refreshing of thee, but it may be otherwise. The people of Ninivīe said, Who knowe's but God may repent, Ionah 3.9.this upheld their hearts, and made them seeke to the Lord in the use of the meanes, and the Lord had mercy on them. If you belong unto the Lord, he will come against those drunken proud hearts, and rebellious hearts of yours, and dragge them downe to hell, and make them sorrow for their sinnes. And remember this against that day, Who knowes but the Lord may shew mercy? and therefore yet heare, and pray, and fast, and seeke unto him for mercy. We fence those parts of our bodies most that are most pretious, and the hurt whereof is most dangerous. Hope is called the helmes of salvation, 1. Thes. 5.8.and the assurance of Gods love is the head of a Christian, now take away a Christians head, and he is cleane gone: the devil ever labours for that, and saith, You come to heaven? prove it: Loe, you thinke God hath need of drunkards and adulterers in heaven? and will God provide a crowne of glory for his professed enemies? Hath God made heaven a hog-f…ie for such uncleane wretches as you are? No, no, there is no such expectation of mercy: this wounds the head of the soule, but hope is the helmet that covers the head of a Christian, makes him say, I confesse I am as bad as any man can say of me: heaven is a holy place, and and I have no goodnesse at all in me, yet there is hope the Lord may breake this proud heart of mine, and take away these distempers of Spirit: Now by this meanes the head of a Christian is kept sure.
Quest. But some will say, how shall we maintaine this hope in our hearts, and by what meanes may we feed this hope?
Answ. The meanes are especially three. First, take notice of the Al-sufficiencie of God, as he hath revealed himselfe in his word;Meanes how to maintaine our hope, when God seemes to walke contrary to us. say not as many do, I cannot conceive it, or I cannot finde it, but what doth the word say? Is not God able to pardon thy sinnes? (away then with those, I cannot conceive it, and the like:) Is there any thing hard for me, saith God? Whatsoever thy estate is, there is nothing hard to him that hath hardnesse at command; when our Saviour said, It is as easie for a camell to goe through the eye of a needle, Mat. 15.24.as for a rich man to goe into heaven? Good Lord, said they, Who can be saved? But Christ said, with God all things are possible; if you looke unto man how he is glued to the world, so that all the ministers under heaven cannot pull him away, but still he will lie, and cozen: Reason and Judgement cannot conceive how this man should be saved, but with God all things are possible: See what the Apostle saith, Abraham above hope beleeved under hope, Rom. 4.18.21.that he should be the Father of many nations; this he did, because he knew he which had promised was able to performe it; and this did feed his hope, he did beleeve above hope in regard of the creature, under hope in regard of God. As if he had said, I have a dead body, but God is a living God; and Sarah hath a barren wombe, but God is a fruitfull God.
It may be thou sayest, Object. if any exhortatiō would have wrought upon me, then my heart might have beene brought to a better passe; but can this stubborne heart of mine be made to yeild? And can these strong corruptions of mine be subdued?
Howsoever thou canst not doe it, Answ. yet God can quicken thee, and although thou art a damned man, yet he is a mercifull God, this all-sufficiencie of God is a hooke, whereon our soules hang; when the Apostles had prayed that the minds of the Ephesians might be opened, and that they might be able to know the love of Christ; because some one might say, how shall we know that which is above knowledge, the text saith, Now to him that is able to doe abūdantly above all that we can thinke or aske, Ephes. 3.19.20.according to his mighty power that worketh in us, to him be glory: As though he had said, though you cannot thinke or aske as you should, yet God is able to doe exceeding abundantly more then we can thinke or aske, so then no more but this, we are not able of our selves to thinke a good thought, yet there is sufficient power in God, and though we are dead hearted and damned wretches, yet there is sufficient salvation in God. Let us hang the handle of hope on this hooke.
Secondly,Meanes 2. the freenesse of Gods promise marvelously lifts up the head above water; as the beggar saith. The doale is free, why may not I get it as well as another. This sometimes dasheth our hopes: when the soule begins to thinke what mercy is offered, he saith,
Object. Oh! many are they that have it; could I feare God as I should, and seeke for mercy as I ought, then there were some hope, but I have no heart to endeavour or desire after any mercy, and I cannot bring my soule, nor submit my will to yeild, and therefore shall I ever have any mercy?
Answ. Why not thou too? Doth God sell his mercy? No, he gives it freely, God keepes open house: Oh the freenesse of that mercy and goodnesse that is in God! he requires nothing of thee to procure it, but he shewes mercy because he will shew mercy; thou hast no will, but God hath a will: and his shewing of mercy depends not on thy wil, but upon his owne freewil: It is true, God will make a man will and break his heart, because no man otherwise can be saved, but it is as true, that Christ will give you brokennesse of heart as well as heaven and salvation. I will take away the heart of stone, and give you a heart of flesh, and cause you to walke in my wayes, Ezech. 36.26.saith the Lord: hold this truth in thy soule: As there is no worth in the soule that can deserve any thing at Gods hands: so there is no sinne (the sinne against the holy Ghost only excepted) that can hinder the freenes of Gods grace from saving of us: if thou belong to him, he will hale thee to heaven and pull thee from hell, he will make thee lie in the dust, and wait for mercy, & come groveling for his grace, and that freely, without any thing on thy part: Who is a God like to thee (saith Micah) who pardonest iniquity,Mich. 7.18. because mercy doth please thee?
The Lord sheweth mercy, not because thou canst please him, but because mercy pleaseth him. And in Esay he saith,Esay. 43.24.25: I am he that blotteth out thy offences, for my owne names sake.
But the soule may say, Object. they were Gods people that did humble themselves, and they had hearts to feare him.
Answ. See that in the twentie fourth verse,Thou hast brought me no corne, neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifice: but thou hast wearied me with thy transgressions, yet the Lord saith, I am he that pardoneth thy sinnes: Thou saiest, if thou couldest pray, and humble thy selfe, there were hope of mercy; the text doth not say, It is a sinner, but it is I, a God, that must doe it, this is the freenes of his grace.
But some may object, Object. Is it possible that a man should receive any mercy, & yet be so stubborne and rebellious? This makes way for drunkards to live as they list, and yet thinke to goe to heaven.
Answ. I answer, It is true, the Lord will pardon thē if they belong to him, but he will doe it with a witnesse: the Lord will dowze that soule of thine in the veine of his vengeance, but he will pardon thee too: God will pardon thy sinne in Christ, but he will make thee feele the bitternesse of sinne.
Lastly,Meane. consider the abundance of mercy and goodnesse that is in God, whereby he not only strives with us in the midst of all rebellions, but he is more mercifull then we are or can be rebellious; this helpes the heart of another thing that cuts it. For when the soule seeth all his sinnes for number, for nature, so many, and so abominable, he saith,
Object. Can mercy be shewed to such a wretch as I am?
Answ. Yes, for as God is al-sufficient, and his promise free, so he hath plenty of mercy for the worst, he exceeds in mercy all the sinnes that can be; (except that against the holy Ghost) and therefore the soule throwes it selfe upon this, the Apostle saith, Where sinne abounds, grace abounds much more: lest any man should say,Rom. 4.20. Let us sinne that grace may abound, the text saith in another place, whose damnation is just. This knockes off fingers, though a sinfull wretch abuse God and Grace, yet mercy will overcome the heart in this case, but it will cost him deare; though thou turnest the grace of God into wantonnesse, the Lord will turne that wantonnesse of thine into bitternesse; the Lord will sting that heart of thine one day, and make thee see whether it be good to forsake mercy when it is offered; it will be easier for Sodome then for thee, when thou shalt see a company of poore Sodomites frie in hell; howsoever God may bring thee to heaven, yet he will make thee frie in hell, and he will make thee thinke a Sodomite to be in a better condition for the present then thou art.
Object. But some will say, God cannot in justice save such a wretch as I am.
For answer to this, see what Saint Iames saith, Mercy rejoyceth, or triumpheth, over Iustice: howsoever Iustice saith, he must be plagued, yet Mercy saith, Christ hath made a plentifull satisfaction for him, then mercy triumpheth over judgement: so then if God be al-sufficient, and his promise free, and his mercy superabundant, then we may be stirred up to hope for mercy from God, our hearts may be supported herein for ever.
Now I come to some other particulars that are plainly exprest in our text.
First, they made a free and open confession of their sinnes, they did not stay till the Apostle went to their houses, but they went to him, and said, Men and brethren, you have spoken against the sinne of murder, and we confesse we are guilty of this sinne; they saw their sinnes and confessed them openly before the Apostles.
The Doctrine which ariseth from hence is this:Doctrine: When the heart is truly broken for sinne, it will be content to make open & free confession thereof, when a man is called thereunto: or thus, sound contrition brings forth bottome confession. Men and brethren, What shall we doe to be saved? as if they had said the truth is, we have heard of the feareful condition of such as have killed the Lord Jesus, and we confesse whatsoever you have said he was persecuted by us, and blasphemed by us, we are they that cryed Cucifie him, crucifie him, we would have eaten his flesh, and made dice of his bones; we plotted his death and gloried in it, these are our sinnes, and haply a thousand more that then they revealed; and this is remarkable, They goe to Peter and the other Apostles, they did not goe to the Scribes and Pharisees, and that cursed crew.
Note.Whence observe this by the way, when the soule is thus truly broken, generally it will never repaire to such as are carnall and wicked men: for these people knew that the Scribes and Pharisees had their hands as deeply imbrued in Christs blood as themselves; and besides they knew them to be such naughty packes, that they would rather incourage them in their sinnes, then any way ease them and recover them from the same: therefore they went to the Disciples, because they were holy and gratious persons, and willing to succour them; and it is certaine, that soule was never truly broken for sinne, that goes for helpe to such as are guilty of the same; it is suspitious that these men goe only to stoppe the mouth of conscience, but never to have conscience awakened. You see our converts here went to the Apostles, not to the Scribes and fellow-murtherers; but this by the way only: I goe on in the former point.
A broken hearted sinner knowes more by himselfe then any man can doe, when a man is pinched with famine or drought, he will open his wants fully and freely, and so a man that is sicke and hath some heavy disease upon him, will tell of more paines and gripings then any Physitian can doe: So it is with the soule that is deadly sicke in the …ight of his sinnes and abominations.
Quest. But now a question will grow from hence; May not a wicked man that never was truly broken-hearted make a large and open confession of his sinnes?
Answ. I confesse that in the horrour of conscience he may doe it, with the dogge returning to his vomit, and with the Sow to her wallowing in the mire; now the hogge that is kept in a cleane meadow, will looke somewhat white, but if he comes from thence, h… will lie downe in the first durty puddle he comes at; so there are some sinners that have beene well trained up, and live in a good familie, they are a little cleansed; but when they come to live among wicked cōpanions, they grow as prophane as the rest; and yet all this while they are hogges, and will murmur at others that are more holy then themselves; Now the dogge is he that hath had his eyes opened, and his conscience awakened, and some horrour laid upon his soule, and this doth make him disgorge himselfe for a while, to ease him of his horrour; but when that man returnes to his sinnes, he will snarle and bite too, and fall heavily upon Gods people, so much the more because he hath confest his sinnes; thus it was with Iudas, he swallowed downe his thirtie pence, but God made him come and acknowledge his sinne, and take shame to himselfe, and yet a Judas, a devil, & at this day in hell: I tell you, this his confession out-bide most people in our generation; the fish is contēt to nibble at the bait, and so is taken with the hooke, and when it hath the hooke and bait too, it would be ridde of both: so when horrour of conscience hath fastened upon the soule of a man because of sinne, he could be content to vomit his sinne and all up, and yet he is a very beast.
Quest. Againe, this question may arise here, doth confession argue true contrition?
Answ. I answere, there is a kinde of confession which no man attaines unto, but he hath a broken heart; Iudas nor no carnall heart under heaven comes to this, and you must know, there is no word spoken by the one but may be spoken by the other, and therefore the difference is not frō the words, but from the inward frame of the heart, and for the opening of this truth I will propound and shew these two things.
First, the confession of a poore broken hearted sinner.
Secondly, I will shew you when the Saints of God are called to confesse.
Difference betwixt true and false confession of sinnes.For the first, the difference betweene the true and the false confessiō is discovered in these three particulars.
First, they differ in the end, a broken hearted sinner confesseth his sins that he may take shame to himselfe, and glorifie God, this is the frame of the soule that truly confesseth his sins, he doth it to honour the Gospel which he hath so much dishonoured, to discover the vilenesse of his person and of his sinne, that he hath so much set up; he is willingly content that the glory of it may be Gods, and the shame his owne. Consider that passage of the good Thiefe upon the Crosse, Luke 23.40.when the reprobate was going to be executed for his sinne,Note. he railed upon Christ, (whence observe this by the way, a wicked man will be a wretch though he should goe to hell presently;) now when he was railing, see what the Good thiefe replies; Fearest thou not God? we have sinned and are justly punished for our sinnes, to die and goe to hell too▪ if God be not the more mercifull; this man, you see, was content to fal out with himselfe, and his sinnes, and to honour the justice and holinesse of God in condemning of him.
So in Ezekiel, Ezek. 16.16.the text saith, They shall remember their waies that were not good, and shall be ashamed. that is, they shall take shame to themselves, they shall not shrinke for the same; a gracious heart cannot tell what to doe to make sinne and it selfe base enough before God; that his soule and sin may fall out one with another. As in the example of Zacheus, Luke 19.28.whereas the confession of a carnall hypocrite comes not so currantly off, it sticketh in his teeth, he begins to confesse something, and then he stands; he saith something, and cals it backe againe, and is loath to take any shame for the evill committed▪ and therefore haply he will come when he is called, and goe away and confesse nothing at all; Nay, if a minister heare any thing of him, he will hide it and tell a flat lie, rather then take shame to himselfe for it; it is true, a carnall hypocrite may confesse sometimes to give the minister content, as commonly such doe; he may confesse, to get inward with a man, and to get commendations, nay, he may confesse, to sinne more freely without suspition; for charitie beleeves this, that when a man hath confessed his sinne, he will never sinne in that kinde againe, nay sometimes he doth it to stop the mouth of conscience, and therefore when conscience is full of horror, to quiet conscience and to stil the clamor thereof, he is content to reveale his sinne, that so he may have some secret peace for his sinne: thus far they differ in their ends.
Secondly, they differ in their grounds: the cause and ground of a broken hearted sinner, it is from the loathsomnesse and vilenesse that the heart seeth in sinn…, and therefore it confesseth to free it selfe from that sin, and to let out all those abominations that are so loathsome and tedious to him; as the sinner that is truly burthened is to confesse all his sinnes, so especially those that are most loathsome and secret, even those sins whereby the heart hath bin most estranged from God: for as before the soule did confesse sinne freely, because he was content to take shame to himself, so now he doth it to ridde himselfe of the same. Then a man feeles sinne kindly, when it goeth to the very inwards of the soule; it is in this case with a broken hearted sinner, as it is with that part of a mans body that is impostumed, or the like; whē the impostume is ripe, if it be laūced to the quicke, the very coare and all comes out; b…t if it be pricked with a pinne, there may some corrupt matter come out, but the coare remaines yet in it still: so it is with an impostumed heart, when a man is truly pierced with his abominations, he is content to lay open the most inward corruptions of all, that there may be a perfect killing of all: nay, it labours to sweepe out the most secret sinnes of all, without any ifs, or ands, and he saith, Oh this proud, wretched, adul…erous heart of mine, hath bin my bane, & it wil be my destructiō for ever, if God be not more merciful, now the coare and all comes out; whereas the hypocrite that feeles only the feare, and horror, and punishment of sinne, executed or threatned, he confesseth no more then may procure his case, he desires not so much to have his corruptions removed, as to be freed from horrour;The hollow hearted confessions of hypocrites. And therefore a hypocrite will scumme over all his confessions, his talke will be a hundred miles from his sinnes, he never comes to that maine sinne which keepes his heart from God; and it is remarkable, one man complaines he is troubled with wandring thoughts in hearing the word, and his soule is takē aside with strange distempers; but follow that soule home, and you shall commonly finde some base corruptions that take up his heart; and another man complaines of his hard heart, it stirres not at the word of God, and Gods Judgements doe not melt him, when yet in the meane time he nourisheth that pride, and selfe-uncleannesse, that is the cause thereof, and there are many besides these: as it is with a dogge, he doth not gorge up his meat because he loathes it, but because his stomacke is troubled with it, and therefore when his paine is over, he takes it with greedinesse againe; so it is with an hypocrite, his heart is burthened with extreame sorrow, and therefore he throwes out so much as did trouble and gal his conscience, and may worke him some ease; but afterwards he returnes to it againe; and this is the cause why we have so many revolters, and backesliders, after such open confessions; they confesse only to ease themselves of the horror, and therefore when the horror is gone, they fall to their old sinne againe, wheras a sound Christian doth confesse his sinne, onelyonly from the loathsomnesse of it.
Thirdly, the soule that is truly broken, makes confession with an inward resolution never to meddle with sinne any more; yet all this while the soule is full of feare and suspition, for feare of falling into those sinnes againe, therefore it desires rather to discover it selfe by desires and wishes, then any confidence in it selfe; and therefore the soule saith, O that the Lord would once give me power against these corruptions; oh how happy should I be, but alas I have no power of my selfe; the soule is willing to fling it selfe into the armes of Gods mercy, and to commit himselfe wholly to the meanes of grace, that God may get himselfe honour by him; only he desires him to be good unto him by giving of him power against his corruptions.
Whereas the hypocrite that is in feare of some judgements, and the wrath of God hath seazed upon his soule; that he may get ease, will promise any thing, and be marvelous open, and yet confident in himselfe, and say, if God would give me health, and raise me up againe, all the world shall see I will be a new man, and they shall see how holy, and how carefull, and how exact I will be: yet, poore soule, when he is out of his trouble, he returnes to his vomit, & is worse then before, and so much the worse, because he hath made an open confession. As it is with a debtor, an honest man comes freely, & doth acknowledge his deb…, and desires the creditor to satisfie himselfe with his body and goods, he desires he may be no loser by him, hee suspects hee shall not be able to pay him, but he hopes, so farre as hee is able, to give him content: but another cunning mate promiseth to pay all, if he will give him further day, but intends no such matter. Just so it is with a soule that is truly broken for sinne, he layes himselfe in Gods presence, and referres himselfe into Gods hands, and saith, The truth is, Lord, I know, this proud corrupt heart of mine will not yeeld, it wil deceive me: I am afraid I shal not be able to walk holily: take this heart of mine, and doe what thou wilt with it, only purge out my sinne and corruption: this is the manner of his confession.
But some man may say, Object. Is every man bound, thus freely and openly to confesse his sinnes? I answer, The doctrine saith, When he is called to it. But you will say, When is a man bound and called to make confession?
Answ. For the answer, I will shew it in foure conclusions. First,When a man is bound to confesse his sinnes. when the soule ha…h had a true sight of sinne, & hath confessed it to the Lord abundantly, & through Gods mercy hath gotten some assurance of the pardon thereof: then he need not looke to men for pardon, because the end of confession is accomplished already. A man therefore confesseth his sinne, that he may finde some help against it: not that a Minister can absolve or pardon any (as the popish shavelings imagine) but that he may have the direction, help and prayers of a godly Minister.
Secondly, if wee have wronged any body that wee have conversed withall; though God hath pardoned the sinne, yet we are to confesse it, that we may make peace, & pray one for another; this is the meaning of that place, Confesse your sins one to another, Iames 5. 16.and pray one for another.
Thirdly, if a man have used all meanes ordinary and extraordinary, and hath fasted, & prayed, and sought the Lord for pardon of sin, & strength against it, and yet his conscience remaines troubled, and he sinks under the burden of his corruptions, in this case a man is called to confesse his sinnes to a faithfull Minister. Indeed a man may confesse them to a faithfull Christian, but it is Gods ordinance to confesse them to a faithful minister, not that a Minister can pardon his sinnes, but onelyonly to declare when he is fitted, and to apply mercy accordingly. It is not a matter of complement, but a duty commanded: it is in this case with the soule; as it is with a mans body; he that is able by his owne skil and his kitchin-physick to …ure himselfe, hath no need to seeke to the Physitian: but if it be beyond his owne skill, and if kitchin-physick will doe no good, then he is bound to seeke out to a Physi…ian, unlesse he will be his owne murderer. It is just so with the soule of a man that is sorrowfull for sin: when he hath conscionably used all means, and yet his closset prayers, and his closset fastings will not doe the deed, then he is bound to seeke out to a faithfull Minister, for he is the physitian that God hath appointed, wherby all the sicknesses of the soule may be eased and cured.
Lastly, if a man have beene guilty of common open sinnes, and it is knowne abroad that he hath beene an open swearer and adulterer, if God hath broken his heart thorowly for his sins, and he lies (it may be) upon his death-bed, and now enjoyes the company of a faithfull Minister, or some holy Christian, he is bound to acknowledge his sinnes, that as God hath beene dishonoured by him, so now hee may honour God, and shame himselfe, and discourage the hearts of those wicked wretches that have shared with him in the sin: if ever he be truly broken, and if God throw him on his sicke-bed, and these things be layed to his charge, he will cry out of himselfe, and say, Oh I have hated the light of Gods truth, I did persecute the cause of godlinesse, I was a persecutor and blasphemer, saith Paul: so it will be with your proud and rebellious hearts, if ever God open your eyes and awaken your consciences, as they must be eyth…r here or in hell.
Therfore when your companions come about you, cry shame of your selves, and say, The Lord knowes, and all the country knowes, that I have beene a drunkard, and an adulterer; it is the gall of my heart. Now if God had not beene mercifull unto me, I had drunk, and drunk my last: it hath cost me deare, and so it will be with you too. It is strange to see how God throwes some upon their death-beds, and fils their consciences full of horrour, & yet a man cannot wrest a word from thē. Nay, though all their drunken companions come about them, they have not a word to say to thē, I doe not thinke that the heart of any Christian wil endure it, if ever God break his heart kindly.
Thus you see when a man is bound to confesse his sin, this is farre enough from the tyrannicall confession of that strange popish doctrine of auricular confession: they hold, all men are bound, whatsoever their condition be, whether their sins be pardoned or unpardoned, they are bound to confesse all their mortall sinnes, and to expect their pardon authoritatively from the Priests hand,Popish confession, wha… upon the paine of great matters. The aime of the papists herein is, first, to snare mens consci…nces; and secondly, to picke mens purses: for when a man hath confessed his mortall sinnes, his conscience is snared, and then they must give so much money for the pardon of them agreeable to the offence. Now we bind no man upon paine to come necessarily, but if hee can get pardon from God in the use of the meanes, and get power against his corruptions, in this case we injoyne no man to confesse; but when the Saints doe come, it is not because we wil or can sel pardōs, but only to fit them for mercy. And this is the truth, and that our Church holds.
This falls marvelous heavy and foule upon those,Vse 1. that are so farre from this duty, that they are opposite against it, and account it a matter of madnesse and childishnesse, to acknowledge their offences to any man. Men would be comforted in regard of the sorrow they feele, but they would not be content to open their sinnes, and take shame to themselves: This harbours in the hearts of many carnall wretches, and so they are deprived of the fruit of the Gospell: They thinke it all their cunning, to shift, and shelter, and mince their sinnes, and to keepe them close from the knowledge of the Minister.
It may be, the wife is sicke, and the husband saith, I pray you shew her some comfort. Why, saith the Minister, what needs …hee any comfort, seeing shee was never in distresse? Oh! saith hee, shee hath lived an honest quiet woman: and so by this meanes wee heare of nothing, but good. I would faine wrest this madnesse out of the hearts of carnall wretches. When the Lord hath them upon the racke, then their consciences are full of horrour, and they know not which way to take; yet they scorne to acknowledge any thing: shall they be (convicted of their sins, and) such babies, to cry their sinnes at the marketcrosse? they have a better course then so: for (say they) who knowes it? and, let him prove it, or the like. What if no man ever yet knew it? thy owne conscience, and God, knowes it.
If thou goest to a Physitian thou wilt lay opē all thy soares & all thy paines to him, or else thou expectest no help from him; and canst thou looke for any comfort from a minister, and never discover thy sinnes, whereby thou art hindered in a good course; men would be comforted, and yet never knew why they were afflicted;
You that keepe your sinnes so close, and maintaine them so tenderly, the God of heaven will plucke those sweet morsels from your mouthes, and lay them upon you, when you would be rid of them; As a man that is sicke, he will not send to the Physitian, because he thinks he is able to beare it out, till at last the disease begins to fester inwardly, & all the Physitians under heaven cannot cure him; if he had sent in time, he might have beene eased; so it is with many sinfull creatures, out of a sturdy stoutnesse of heart, they scorne to confesse their corruptions; well, now God opens their eyes, and they begin to say, this is not well, and that is not well; but you will not send for the minister all this while, if it be horrour of conscience, you will beare it; well, at last you come to your death beds, and the Lord layes his heavy hand upon you, and then you cry for the minister and all; oh saith one, woe to me because of this adulterous heart, this drunkennesse, and this malice, and this madnesse against God and his people; I was a cunning persecutor, and with such a woman I committed adultery, and at last, when he hath ended his confession, he sinks and dies. Now the minister comes too late; yee will beare the check of conscience, & in time the wound growes soare, and your soule sinks into irrecoverable misery; Oh, woe to that soule, this is all because he would not have his heart launced; well, if thou wilt not, then take that cursed heart of thine, and expect Gods wrath with it, if thou repent not. See how God deales with a sinner in this kinde; the text saith, His bones are full of the sinnes of his youth, Iob. 10.11.12.which shal ly with him in the dust: Although sin be sweet in his mouth, though he spare it, and keepe it close as sugar under his tongue, it is as the gall of aspes within them; take heed how you keepe your sins close, when conscience and horrour cals upon you to confesse them, and God hath you upon the racke, and saith, these sinnes you have committed in secret, either confesse them, or they shall turne to the gall of aspes; if still you will have your sins, remember that the God of heaven beares witnesse this day against that soule, that will not come off, but hides his sinne; take heed that God say not Amen, when thou art going the way of all flesh; Then thou wilt cry for mercy, but then the Lord will say, remember, that impostumed heart of thine might have been launced and cured; but thou wouldest needs keepe thy lusts and corruptions still.
For the Lord Jesus Christs sake now pitty your selves, if you desire your everlasting comfort, now take shame to your selves, that you may be for ever glorified; O now launce those proud rebellious hearts of yours, that you may finde some ease; teare now in pieces those wretched hearts, that the coare being let out, the cure may be good & sound.
Vse 2.Secondly, this reproves the cunning hypocrit, howsoever he is content to be ashamed for his sinne and to shew the foulnesse of it, yet it is admirable to consider what sly passages and trickes he will have before he comes to open any thing; sometimes he sends for a faithfull minister, and it is his entendment to confesse his folly, and yet he goes backe againe and confesseth nothing at all; but if the Lord follow the close hearted hypocrit and let in some more of his indignation, and make his wrath to seaze upon his soule, then he sets downe a resolution to confesse all; and yet there is such dawbing & such secret acknowledgment of sinne; it stickes in his teeth, something he will say that may be every man can say against him, and then he speakes of hardnesse of heart, and of wandering thoughts, and that which even the best of Gods people are troubled withall; but he never comes to those sinfull lusts that lie heavyest upon his soule.
If a man that is sicke have a foule stomacke, but yet is unfit to vomit, it may be he casts the uppermost up, but the spawne of it remaines; so it is with the hypocrite, he saith something, and now and then a word fals from him, & he would faine bite it in againe if he could, but there is a witnesse within that must not be seene.
When Rachel had stolne her Father Labans Idolls, he followed after Iacob for them: and searched among the stuffe, but Rachel being something foolishly addicted that way, sate still upon them, and Laban must not search there: So it is with the close hearted hypocrite, he is content to confesse that which all the world cryes shame of him for, but there is some Idoll lust, as secret uncleannes, or private theft, that he will not confesse.
Now for the terrour of all such gracelesse persons, I desire to discover two things in the point. First, that this is a marvelous fearfull sinne: Secondly, it is a dangerous sinne.
First, me thinkes the sinne it selfe is like the sinne of Ananias and Saphyra: Acts 5.3. opened.hee sold all that he had, and as the Lord moved him, and commanded him, he gave way to it that it should be given to the poore: But when it was sold, he kept backe one part of it: and when Peter said, Did you sell it for so much? Is this all the price? Yes, saith he.To hide our sins, a fearefull sinne. Now mark what Peter saith, Why hath Satan filled thy heart, that thou hast not lyed to man, but to God. Satan many times steps into the heart; but when he is said to fill the heart, he shuts out the worke of judgement and reason, and the Word, and Spirit, and all good Resolutions in those particular occasions, which concerne a man.
As if Sathan should say, Knowledge shall not direct him, the Spirit shall not perswade him, & the word shall not prevaile with his heart: but I will take possession of him in despite of all these; this is Sathans filling of the heart.
Thus it is with the Hypocrite: his conscience is awakened, and saith, Thou must confesse thy sinnes, or else thou shalt be damned for them: the word commands thee, and the Spirit perswades thee to confesse thy sinne; and hereupon thou saist, This is my condition, and there is no ease nor comfort to be had in private means, and therefore I must goe to some faithfull Minister, and reveale my selfe to him: and when thou hast done, thou keepest backe halfe from him, and thou lyest against Conscience, the Word, and Spirit, and all: and when the Minister saith, Is this the bottome of thy sinne? Diddest thou not commit such and such a sinne? Oh! no; I was never guilty of any such matter: and yet thou lyest. Marke what I say, this is to have Satan fill thy heart, thou givest up thy heart into the possession of the Devill: Knowledge directs thee not, the Spirit perswades not, and the Word prevailes not; but the Devill crowds into every corner of thy heart, and thou wilt cover thy sins, and so perish for them everlastingly.
But secondly, as the sinne is vile and odious, so it is as dangerous; Hee that hideth his sinnes, shall not prosper, Prov. 28.13.saith the Wiseman. Howsoever thy heart may be still for a while, yet thou shalt not prosper in thy Family, nor in the Word and Sacraments, but all meanes are accursed to thee, thou shalt receive no▪ mercy at all: hee that confesseth and forsaketh his sinnes, shall finde mercy; but he that confesseth not his sinnes, shall not finde mercy.
As wee use to have a neast egge to breed upon, so it is the Devils cunning to leave a neast egge, some bosome lust or other in thy soule, and the Devill sits upon this same, as upon a neast egge: and when the Devill is cast out by a slight overly confession of your sinnes, yet there is some secret lust still left in the heart, and that will breed a thousand abominations more in you. For (I beseech you take notice of this) the Devill returnes and brings seven Devils more then himselfe, and he hatcheth seven times more uncleannesses then there was before: therefore as you desire that Satan may not fill your hearts, and as you desire to have any meanes blessed to you; come off kindly and currantly, eyther not confesse at all, or else confesse currantly, that you may finde mercy in the time of need.
The second Use is for Instruction,Vse 2▪ to shew us, that a broken hearted sinner is easily convicted of his sinnes, and willing to under-goe any reproofe; hee that will confesse his sinnes freely of himselfe, will easily yeeld when hee is called upon to doe it. If the word lay any thing to his charge, he will not deny it, a man need not bring any witnesses against him: he will never seeke to cover his sinne, but if any occasionall passage of speech come, that may discover his sinne, he takes it presently, and yeelds to it, and saith, I am the man, I confesse, this is my sinne and my folly: he doth not fence his heart against the truth.
To whom shall I looke (saith God) even to a man that hath a contrite heart, Esay 66.2.and trembles at my word: this is the root, and this is the fruit: the heart must be contrite and broken by the hammer of Gods Law, before it can shake at the hearing of the word; A broken heart comes not to flout at the minister (nay, that is a sturdy heart) but a broken heart shakes at the word of God; if there come a promise, a broken heart trembles lest he hath no share in it; and if there be any command, he trembles lest he should not be able to obey it, but if the Lord meet with some maine lust, as secret malice against the Saints of God, and secret uncleannesse; or the like: if the Lord give a wipe at these things in the word, thē this broken heart hath enough, he hath his load, and longs to be private, he remembers that truth; and the wound being fresh bleeds againe, and he mournes againe, and laies hold on his heart, and saith, Good Lord, I was this malicious wretch, I intended this mischiefe to thy Saints, and (if it had beene in my power) I could have sucked their blood, I was that uncleane wretch; shall all these sinnes be pardoned? and shall all these cursed abominations be removed? Can these corruptions be subdued?
Brethren (yee cannot be ignorant how) a wounded heart is affected with every touch, you that have broken hearts you know it, I shall not need to tell you: Therefore when ever the Lord comes to rake in those filthy and drunken hearts of yours, they will shake within you, and you will say, this is my sinne, and these are my abominations, whereby God hath beene so much dishonored.
Vse 3.The third use is for exhortation, if you know these things (as I am perswaded you doe) then be intreated in the name of the Lord Jesus to walke in that way which God hath revealed; this is the basenesse of our hearts, we are loath to unbuckle our vile and secret distempers, they are shamefull themselves, and yet we are loath to take shame for them. Therefore deale openly & freely with your soules, confesse your sins freely, that God may deale comfortably with you; hath the Lord at any time let in this horrour into thy soule; and is thy heart now troubled at the word; and after all thy teares, and paines, and meanes using with uprightnesse, doe thy corruptions still remaine? are they not yet subdued as they might be? canst thou not get any assurance of the pardon of them? I say then, cast away thy shamefull hiding and concealing of sinne, and do not say, what will the world, and ministers say of me? away with these shifts, God cals thee to confession, the Saints have done it, and thou must, nay, thou wilt doe it, (if ever thy heart be kindly broken, as it should be,) in some measure pleasing unto God, and profitable to thy selfe.
Object. But some will say, how may we doe it.
Answ. For answere thereunto, I will first give some direction how to doe it; Secondly, I will give some motives to worke our hearts to the same.
First, be wise in chusing the party, to whom you must confesse your sinnes,To whom wee should lay opē our sins by confession. for every wide mouthed vessel is not fit to receive pretious liquor; so this confession is not to be opened to every carnall wretch, that will blaze it abroad; the minister to whom you confesse, ought to have these three graces.
First, hee must be a skilfull and able Minister of God,A skillfull minister. one that is trained up, and is master of his Art, and so experienced, that hee may be able in some measure to finde out the nature of the disease: (Not that any Minister under heaven can be so wife and holy, as to give pardon to a poore sinner: but onelyonly hee is able ministerially to doe it under God) Hee must be able to approve himselfe the Minister of God: hee must have the tongue of the learned, and be able to breake the heart, and prepare the soule for Christ; and then to apply the cooling promises of the Gospell to him.
There are many, who in stead of curing of the soule, kill it, and by popping the Sacrament into a mans mouth, thinke to send him to heaven: but in conclusion send him to hell.
Secondly, hee must be a mercifull Physitian, one that will pitty a poore soule; they that have experience of trouble and misery in themselves, are most compassionate to others in distresse:A mercifull Physitian. he that hath beene tossed in the sea will pitty others that have beene in the same danger. If these people had gone to the Scribes and Pharisies, they had beene well holpen. No, but they went to Peter, and therefore found helpe: when Iudas had sinned, and betrayed his Master, and his soule was full of horrour, he went to the Pharisies and confessed his sinnes, but what succour found he? they answered him, what is that to us? Mat. 27.4.Hast thou sinned, then beare it, and looke to it thy selfe; so it is with carnall wretches, what comfort yeild they to a poore distressed conscience? they adde sorrow to sorrow, and say, it is nothing but melancholy, & he hath gotten this by hearing some fiery hot minister, or by reading too much in some bookes of election, and reprobation.
Lastly, he must be a faithfull minister, one that will not fit mens humors, nor answere the desires of their hearts,A faithfull minister and how knowne. in speaking what they would have him; but his faithfulnesse must appeare in two things.
First, in dealing plainely with every one, though a man be his patron, or of what place or condition soever he be, if he have a proud heart he must labour to humble him.
And Secondly, as he must apply a salve fitting for the sore, so he must be faithfull in keeping secret the sinne that is laid open to him, that nothing may fly abroad, no not after his death, except it be in some cases.
Now what remaines,Motives to confesse our sins. but that you all be moved to take up this duty, and provoke your hearts freely to confesse your evill waies; to which purpose let me give you three motives.
First, because it is a very honourable thing, & will exceedingly promote the cause of a Christian; you will hardly yeild to this on the sudden; a man doth thinke, that if the minister knowes his vilenesse, he will abhorre him for it.
But (I assure you brethren) there is nothing that doth more set forth the honour of a Christian, and winne the love of a minister, then this. Indeed it is a shame to commit sinne, but no shame to confesse it upon good grounds; Nay, when the heart comes kindly off, it is admirable to see how a faithfull minister will approve of such persons, his love is so great towards them; O, saith the minister, it did me good to heare that man confesse so freely, I hope the Lord hath wrought kindly in him, certainely now he is in the way to life and happinesse; oh how I love him, I could even be content to put that man in my bosome.
Whereas this overly, and loose dealing of yours, is loathsome to us; doe you thinke we perceive it not? Yes, we may feele it with our fingers, and (when you are gone, I tell you what we thinke) surely that man is an hypocrite, he hath a hollow heart, he is not willing to take shame to himselfe for his sinne, his confession never comes to the bottome.
Motive 2.Secondly, confession is a matter of great safety; I take this to be the only cause, why many a man goes troubled, and gets neither comfort in the pardon of the sinne, nor strength against it, because he comes not off kindly in this worke of confession.
When you doe nakedly open your sinnes to a faithfull minister, you goe out in battaile against sinne, and you have a second in the field to stand by you: but especially there is comfort in this particular, for the minister will discover the lusts and deceits, and corruptions, that you could not finde out, and he will lay open all those holds of Sathan, and that meanes of comfort that you never knew: I am able to speake it by experience, this hath broke the necke of many a soule, even because he would goe out in single combate against Sathan, and (doe what he could,) not revealing himselfe to others for help, was overthrowne for ever.
As it is with the impostumed part of a mans body, when a man lets out some of the corrupt matter, and so skins it, never healing it to the bottome; at last it cankers inwardly, and comes to a gangrene, and the part must be cut off, or else a man is in danger of his life; so when you let out some corruptions by an overly confession, but suffer some bosome lust to remaine still, as malice, or uncleannesse, &c. Then the soule cankers, and Sathan takes possession of it, and the soule is carried into fearefull abominations.
Many have fallen fouly, and lived long in their sinnes, and all because they would not confesse freely; therefore as you desire to finde out the deceitfulnesse of your corruptions, confesse them from the bottome of your soules.
Thirdly,Motive 3. this open and free confession, may maintaine the secrecy of the soule; for the onl… way to have a mans sinnes covered, is to confesse them, that so they may not be brought upon the stage before all the world.
Object. Oh, saith one, this is contrary to common reason; we are affraid to have our sinnes knowne, that is our trouble, we keepe our sinnes close, because we would preserve our honour.
Answ. I say, the only way for secrecie, is to reveal our sinnes to some faithfull Minister; for if we confesse our sinnes, God will cover them; if you take shame to your selves, God will honour you; but if you will not confesse your sinnes, God will breake open the doore of your hearts, and let in the light of his truth, and the convicting power of his Spirit, and make it knowen to men and Angels, to the shame of your persons for ever.
If Iudas had taken notice of his sinne, and yeilded to Christs accusation, and desired some conference with Christ privately, (and said, Good Lord, I am that Iudas, and that hell-hound that have received mercy from thee in the outward meanes, and have been entertayned among thy people, yet it is I that have taken the thirtie pence, Lord pardon this sinne, and never let this iniquity be laid to my charge;) I doubt not but though Iudas his soule could not be saved (because that now wee know Gods decree of him) yet God would have saved him from the publike shame that was cast upon him for it: but he did not doe so, but hidde his malice in his heart, and professed great matters of love to Christ, and kissed him, and thus he thought to cover his sin wisely: but what became of that? the Lord forced him to come and to indite himselfe in the high priests hall, before the temporall and spirituall counsell.
So you that keepe your sinnes as sugar under your tongues, and will be loose, and malitious, and covetous still; well, you will have your thirtie pence still, and they are layed up safe, as Achans wedge of gold was; remember this, God will one day open the clossets of your hearts, and lay you upon your death beds, and then haply yee will prove mad, and vomit up all: were it not better to confesse your sinnes to some faithfull minister now?
If you will not give the Lord his glory, he will distraine for it, & have it from your heart blood, as Iulian the apostata said, when the arrow was shot into his heart, he plucked it out, and cried saying, thou Galilean, thou hast overcome me, the Lord distrained for his glory, and had it out of his heart blood.
Now I come to the second fruit of contrition, which is here plainly expressed, and it is this, A restlesse dislike of themselves and their sinnes: as if they had said, Men and brethren, we care not what we doe against those evils of ours, whereby the Lord hath beene so much dishonoured, and we indangered, command us what you will, we must not rest thus, so loathsome are our sinnes that we will doe any thing rather then be as we are.
So from hence the doctrine is this,Doctrine: The soule that is truly pierced for sinne, is carried against it with a restlesse dislike and distaste of it: or thus, Sound contrition of heart, ever brings a thorow detestation of sinne; this they professedly proclaime before the Apostles. As if they had said thus much in more words;
You say we are they that have crucified the Lord of life, and we confesse it, oh happy had it beene for us if we had never listened to the plots of the Scribes and Pharisies, but that which is past cannot be undone or recalled.
What must now be done? if we rest here, we perish forever: can nothing be done against these our sinnes, that have done so much against the Lord Jesus? we must loath ourselves, and our sinnes, and we must get out of this e…ate, or else we are undone for ever.
Now for the further opening of this point, I will discover these three things.
First, I will shew what a distaste and dislike this is.
Secondly, wherein this hatred and dislike of sinne consists.
Thirdly, I will shew the reason, why it must be so.
For the first, namely what dislike this is; for the clearing of which you must looke backe to that which I spake before of godly sorrow. For of the very same stampe and nature, is this dislike and hatred of sinne; and it is thus much in effect. First,Dislike and hatred of sinne what it is. there is a hatred in preparation, and secondly, a hatred in …sanctification; both are saving workes, but both are not sanctifying workes: vocation is a saving worke, but not a sanctifying worke: they are two distinct workes.
This hatred in preparation, is that which the Lord workes upon the soule, and smites upon the soule, and thereby puts this kinde of turning into the heart; not that the heart hath any powerfull inward principle of grace before, (for this is the first that the Lord workes) so that as before the soule was forced to see sinne, and to feel the burthen of it; so the heart is now brought to dislike sinne; this is a worke wrought upon the soule, rather then any thing done by the soule; the Lord is now fitting and preparing the soule for the presence of his blessed Spirit.
And in this great worke of preparation the Lord workes these three things.How the soule is prepared for Christ.
First, he stoppes the soule from going on any longer in sinne.
Secondly he wearieth the soule with the burthen of sinne.
Thirdly, by hatred the soule is brought to goe away from those carnall lusts and corruptions, with a secret dislike of those sinnes which he hath been wearied withall.
In all these, the soule is a patient, and undergoes the worke of humbling, and breaking, rather then (it is any way) active and operative.
Thus the heart is turned away from sinne, and set against those corruptions which heretofore it was burthened with; as it is with wheels of a clocke, when the wheeles have runne wrong, before a man can set them right againe, he must stop it, and turne it to its right place, and all these are meerly wrought upon the wheele, by the hand of the workeman; for of it selfe it hath no poise nor weight to runne right; but when the clocke-master puts to his plummets, then it is able to runne of it selfe, though the workemans hand be not there.
So the will and affections of a man which are the great wheels of this curious clock of the soule these wheels do naturally of thēselves run all helward, and sin-ward, and devil-ward: now before the soule can receive a new principle of grace, first, the Lord unmaskes a man, and makes him come to a stand, and makes him see hell gaping for him; thus the heart is at a maze.
Secondly, the Lord laies the weight of sinne and corruption upon him, and that doth sincke the soule with the horrour, and vexation, and loathsomnesse of his sinnes.
Thirdly, then the soule is carried away from sinne by hatred and dislike; and saith, Is this the fruit of sin that delighteth me? oh then no more malice, no more drunkennesse, thus the heart is turned away: but after the soule is once brought on to God by faith, and goes to God, & receives the spirit of sanctification, (of which we shall speake afterwards) this is a new principle of life, and out of this gratious disposition the soule is now growne to hate sinne freely, and to knocke off the fingers from corruptions, and beat downe his lusts, and to love God freely; out of that power of grace which the Lord hath put into the soule.
Now you must know, that all this while I speake of the first worke, when the soule is turned by the spirit against his sinne, being formerly burthened with the same sinne: This doth ever accompany a heart truly broken for sinne.
Difference betwixt sorrow for sinne, and hatred of sin.There is this difference betweene sorrow and hatred; sorrow feeles the burthen, but hatred flings it away; sorrow loosneth the heart, but hatred lets out the corruption; sorrow saith, doth sinne thus pinch the soule? and hatred saith, no more sinne then; thus the Lord by his Spirit prepares the soule.
For the proofe of this point, see what the Prophet saith,Ezek. 30.31. You shall consider your waies, and your doings that were not good, and shall loath your selves. A poore Christian would teare his heart in pieces in the apprehension of his owne vilenesse, and saith, Good Lord, shall I ever be plagued and annoyed with this sturdy malitious heart? and shal I ever carry this vile heart about me, that wil one day carry me to hell, if thou be not the more mercifull? this makes a man even fall out with himselfe. Againe, see what the Apostle saith, for this thing you have had godly sorrow, but what hath it wrought in you? doth it worke a holy indignation and revenge against your sinfull courses? that when thy soule seeth his filthy abominations rising, swelling, and bubling within thy heart, it takes on exceedingly, and wil scarce owne it self; but lookes away from sinne, and is weary of it selfe, in regard of the same; Nay, (if it were possible) that thou couldest be content to live without a heart, even to forgoe thy selfe, that so thou maiest not be troubled with that vile heart of thine, and so dishonour God no longer. I beseech you observe it, when a man is brought thus farre, oh he cries to God, and saith, Lord was there ever any poore sinner thus pestered with a vile heart? Oh that this heart should ever be so opposite against the Lord? Lord, except I had a better heart, I would I had none at all: thus the heart loathes it selfe, and in what measure the soule is carried with a restlesse dislike of sinne, as it is sinne, in the same degree it is most violent against those sinnes, whereby he hath most dishonoured God;Luke 19.8. as you may see in Zacheus, his heart did most rise against his master sinne; so the Lord having humbled the repentant Church, Esay 30.21.22.thou shalt defile thy graven Images of silver, and the ornaments of thy golden Images, thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth, and say, get you hence. They hated all sinne, but especially their Idolatrous courses; so it will be with the heart that is truly broken, he will cast away with hatred all his pleasing and profitable sinnes: thus much of the first passage.
Quest. 2 The second passage is this, Wherein doth this true hatred consist, that a man may know whether he have sinne or no?
Answ. Answere, this hatred or dislike consists in these foure particulars.
Wherein a true dislike of sinne consists.First, if the soule doth truly hate sin, then it is very willing to make search for it in every corner of the heart. And any sinne that he cannot know himselfe, he is willing that any Christian, or any friend should make them knowne unto him; A King that hates a traitor that would kill him, and a man that hates a thiefe that would robbe him, they are willing that any man should discover that traitor or thiefe,He desires to have his sinne discovered. and they will entertaine him kindly, and reward him for it.
When the Ziphites came to Saul, 1. Sam. 25.20.21.and told him where David was, mark what he saith, Oh blessed be yee of the Lord, for you have had compassion upon me. Just so it is with a broken bleeding heart, that hath an open hatred against his corruptions; if any Minister or Christian will make knowne some base lusts that lurke in his soule, he will not flye out, and say, What is that to you? Every tub must stand upon his owne bottome, and if I sinne I must answer for it: Nay, hee will blesse the Lord for it, and say, Blessed be the Lord, and blessed be such a Minister, & blessed be such a neighbour, for they have shewed mee my sinne, and had compassion upon my soule.
Secondly, as the soule desires to have sinne revealed, so it desires to have sinne killed, and it makes no matter how it be killed, or by whom, so it be killed at all.
Hence it comes to passe, that the soule which truly hates sinne, is ever seeking to those meanes, that are most able to give strength to him, and to over come his corruptions; and is well pleased that any minister should meet with the base haunts of his heart;He labours to have his sinne killed. and if the word hit & wound that master-sinne of his, hee is marvelous content therewith, hee cares not from whom the help comes. The sharpest and keenest reproofes, that will shake his very heart, and draw blood out of sinne, and the most powerfull deliverer of Gods word, that divides betweene the marrow and the bones, hee likes best.
Nay, though the great Cannons roare, and Gods ordinances worke mightily upon his heart; so that his corruptions may bee killed and subdued, hee blesseth the Lord, and saith, Blessed be the Lord, I have had a good day of it, the Lord layed battery against this wretched heart of mine; I blesse God for these reproofes and judgements threatned; my heart is in some measure broken under them, I hope my corruptions have gotten their deaths wound this day.
Thirdly, as hee desires to see sinne killed in himselfe,He hates sin in others. so hee is not able to see sinne in others, but so farre as God hath put authority and opportunity into his hands, he pursues it with deadly indignation.
As a man that hates a murderer, hee will not onelyonly keepe him from his owne house, but hee pursues him even to the place of Justice: So the Soule that truly hates sinne, will not onelyonly keepe sinne from his owne heart, but hee will plucke it from the hearts of others, so farre as possibly he may.
When Haman had a spleene against Mordecai, hee was not onelyonly desirous to kill him, but hee would kill all the nation of the Iewes, this was hatred indeed: so it is with a broken heart. If a broken hearted father have had a proud heart, and hath beene wearyed with it, hee labours to kill all the brood of those cursed distempers in his children.
Lastly, hee labours to crosse and undermine all those occasions and meanes that have given any succour to his corruptions of heart: the soule hath such a secret grudge against the thriving of sinne,He hates all occasions and meanes of sinning. that it lothes all occasions that may maintaine his sinne: as the drunkard and adulterer hate the place where they went in to commit sinne.
As in warre, haply they cannot take the enemy, but they will drive him out of the Country, and burne downe all his Forts, and fill up all his Trenches, that hee may finde no provision: so the heart that truly hates sinne, and hath beene truly broken for it, will hate all occasions and whatsoever may be any meanes to strengthen it. Even all these proud and whorish lockes, and these Spanish cuts, & all these wanton and garish attires, and light behaviours, which were nothing else but the Tent wherein his vaine filthy light heart hath lodged.
Thus it was with Mary Magdalen: & the reason why it is so,Luke 7.38. is this: because the heart that hath beene broken for sinne, and burdened with the evill of it, hath now found by wofull experience, that sinne is the greatest evill of all others: and therefore (for the preservation of it selfe) it will hate that sinne which separates betweene God and the Soule, and with which the safety of the soule cannot stand.
Every thing in reason desires the safety and preservation of it selfe; the soule knowes sinne to be the greatest enemy, and therefore it is most invenomed with violence against sinne, and …aith, Whence come all these miseries? and what is the mint out of which all these plagues and Judgements come? Is it not my sinne? It is not povertie, it is not sicknesse, nor disgrace that pincheth mee, but my sinne first caused all these.
It is the poyson of sinne in povertie, and the poyson of sinne in shame, and the wrath of God in all these by reason of my sinne. These evills were not evill to mee, but that my sinnes make them so.
Had I a heart to feare GOD, and to love him, and depend upon him, in poverty God would inrich mee, and in shame hee would honour mee, and in misery hee would comfort mee: It is not povertie, nor shame, that doth hurt mee; but sinne lyes, and venomes my soule.
And therefore the soule now cryes, Men and Brethren, What shall I doe to bee freed from these corruptions? Great are the evills that I have found, and marvellous are the plagues that I have felt, by reason of my sinnes: but farre worse will that portion bee, that I shall have in hell, in endlesse torments hereafter: this will bee the perfection of all misery; let it bee any thing rather then this: it is better here now to be plagued, then everlastingly damned.
Vse 1.The first Use is a ground of admirable comfort, and strong consolation to all such as have found this dislike and hatred of sinne: hee may be sure his heart hath beene broken for sinne, and so consequently, hee shall certainly have Christ and grace.
I doubt not but every soule is perswaded of this,Object. and saith, Indeed if I could finde my soule greeving within me for my rebellions, and sinnes, then I did not doubt it; but how shall I know whether my soule hath beene ever as yet truely wounded for sinne, as sinne.
Answ. I answer, if thou hast this hatred, and thy heart is carried against thy sinnes with an utter indignation against them, then certainely thy soule hath been truly broken; indeed, sometimes a man doth hate his sinnes, more then ever he hath been burthened with them; but thus it is commonly, if thy hatred be good, thy sorrow hath been sincere; for how can thy heart goe against sinne,How to know that your soules are truly broken for sin. except thou have found some evill in it? and how canst thou be an enemy to corruption, except thy heart hath beene wounded with it? therefore let me advise all those that desire to have an evidēce of the worke of grace in their soules, to goe in secret, and examine their hearts, whether they can make hue and cry after their corruptions; can you be content that all your sinfull distempers, (even those that would affect you most) should be made knowne either in publique by the ministry of the word, or in private by some faithfull Christian? and can you be content that he should come home to your hearts, and dragge out your corruptions before the world? then you have beene wounded for sinne, and are enemies against it, (as David saith) Trie me O Lord, and examine me, and prove my heart, and my reines; Psal. 39.24▪ opened.and see if there be any wickednesse in me. He deales like a good subject that lockes all the doores, and bids the officers search if there be any traitor in his house, if any one hide the traitor, he is a traitor himselfe in so doing; so David as it were sets open the doore of his heart, and saith, Good Lord, if there any wickednesse in me, yet not discovered, Lord let that word, that Spirit, and that messenger of thine, finde it out; reprove me, convince me Lord, and discover my hypocrisie, and pride of heart, This is an honest heart certainly.
Secondly, when thou hast found out thy sinne by the help of the minister, then here thou must not rest; but thou huntest for the blood of thy corruptions, and thou canst not be quiet till thou seest the death of them; the soule can doe little of it selfe, but it would have the Lord doe all for it: so though thou have not sanctifying grace, & hast not power of thy selfe to kill thy corruptions, yet thou makest all thy friends thou hast to use all meanes to sinke thy enemies that else would sinke thee.
As it is amongst men, when a man hath found his enemy, he followes the law hotly, and he will have his life or else it shall cost him a fall, he pursues him from one court to another, and makes all the friends that he can, that he may plague him; and if all the law in the land will doe it, he will have him hanged; this is a right hatred indeed; so the soule can doe little of it selfe, yet it indeavours, and makes a levy of forces, and prayers, and will not leave sin with life, it pursues sin hotly, and if all Gods words and all the promises, and if the grace of Christ will doe the deed, it will not rest til it see the decay of sinne, and therfore it will even dragge sinne before the Lords tribunall, and there cry for judgement, and say, Lord kill this proud malitious heart of mine, these are thy enemies, & the enemies of thy grace; Lord they sought my blood, let me have their blood; blood for blood, tooth for tooth, O let me see their destruction.
The second use is a word of instruction;Vse 2. Is this contrition? and doth it bring forth such fruits? thē true brokē godly sorrow is rare in the world, and there are few that have it even amongst those that thinke themselves some body in the bosome of the Church; therefore save me a labour, and cast your eyes abroad in the world and enquire in the houses and villages where you dwell, and knocke at your neighbours hearts, and say, is there any broken hearts here? it will appeare, there are but few broken hearts here to be found amongst the professors of the Gospell; and so, few shall be saved.
If this true hatred be a true evidence of broken heartednesse, what wil become of a world of prophane persons, that are caried on with the pursuit of sin, from which they will not be pulcked; the drunkard will have his cups, and the adulterer his queanes, and the chapman his false weights; they are so farre from this dislike of sinne, that they hate every thing save sinne; they hate the godly magistrate that would punish them; nay, they hate the Lord himselfe, and say, it was pitty there was such a law made to punish sinne, what shall we doe? let us doe any thing rather then be hindered in our pleasures; what shall we do that we may not be checked and reproved? get you downe to hell, and there you shall have elbow roome enough, there you may be as wicked and as prophane as you will, and that will be your portion, unlesse the Lord be mercifull unto you. Consider what the wise man speaks,Prov. 28.29. and doe not thinke, a little humbling of your soules before God, and a few prayers will serve your turne, No, no, then shall they cry (saith the text) But I will not answer, Prov. 1.28.they shall seeke me earely, but shall not finde me, because they hated knowledge, & did not seek the feare of the Lord. Oh how feareful is the doom, and how certaine is the desolation of such poore wretches!
Now the Lord, for his mercies sake, settle these truthes in every one of your hearts, Amen.
FINIS.
End of the text · Thomas Hooker, The Souls Preparation for Christ (1632)