The Saints Humiliation, Sermon 6
PSALME 51.17.
The Sacrifices of God are a broken ſpirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not deſpiſe.
TIS a knowne Text, but fit to our occaſion and method. The Remedy that I am now teaching, and wee are all practiſing, is Prayer: But prayer muſt come from ſuch an heart as is fit to pray; God loues rather broken expreſſions, than expreſſions of Oratory, and they flow moſt rightly, moſt naturally from a broken heart; which was the reaſon of my choice of this, to ſhew how our hearts muſt be affected in our Supplications.
This Pſalme, for the matter of it, is foreign, Paenitentiall; for the frame of it, foreign, Precatiue. It containes a double petition. 1. For himſelfe. 2. For his Kingdome.
1. Davids petition for himſelfe; which hath two parts;
1. The petition it ſelfe, which is double;
1. That he might be reſtored to the ſtate of grace; for he had loſt much of his aſſurance, and at leaſt his actuall claime, by ſo foule a ſinne of filthineſſe and bloud. This from the beginning of the Pſalme to the eleventh verſe.
2. That he might be continued in the eſtate of grace, to which he deſires to be reſtored; that he might not be caſt from Gods preſence, but upheld with his free ſpirit. Ʋerſ. 11.12.
2. The promiſe of religious ſervice upon the granting of his petition; from verſ. 12. to verſ. 18. In which wee may obſerue.
1. What ſervice he promiſeth; that he would be ready to improue himſelfe in the ſervice of God; to teach others, and to ſing his prayſes. A Morall Service. Ʋerſ. 13.14.15.
2. Why he promiſeth ſuch ſervice rather then other; that for a double reaſon.
1. Becauſe, if not Morall, not acceptable; a Ceremoniall ſervice of Sacrifices and Burnt-offerings, as being more emptie ſhadowes; would not pleaſe God. Verſ. 16.
2. Becauſe, if Morall, he knew it would be accepted; as being the truth of other Sacrifices, and that Offring which God would not deſpiſe.
Wee hauehave found the Text, to be a reaſon of Davids promiſe of a Morall ſervice: and without other Diviſion, taking it ſeparated in it ſelfe, it hath theſe two parts;
1. The truth delivered; which is at leaſt double;
1. That a broken and contrite heart or ſpirit is Gods Sacrifice.
2. That ſuch a Sacrifice God will not deſpiſe.
2. The manner of delivering that truth, in the order of a meditation and ejaculation; firſt meditation, The Sacrifices of God are a broken heart: then ejaculation in a ſudden riſing upon that thought; Such, O God, thou wilt not deſpiſe.
1. We will begin with the truth delivered, which as it hath two parts, will afford them to us for doctrinall obſervations. The firſt is this;
That a broken and contrite heart or ſpirit is Gods Sacrifice.
This will appeare very uſefull, when we hauehave it explicated, confirmed, and applied.
1. Concerning the explication of it, three things are to be cleared.
1. What is the heart and ſpirit.
2. What it is to be broken or contrite.
2. What is a ſacrifice, or how this is called Gods ſacrifices.
1. The Text will not allow a large and Philoſophicall diſcourſe of the heart and Spirit, that were to wrong the intention of the place, and the time that I hauehave to ſpend; but for our preſent purpoſe it will bee needfull to know but thus much;
1, That the heart notes the Soveraigne power of the ſoule; it ſits with a ſcepter and commands the whole man; it not onelyonly ſets on worke, but ſeaſons all our workes, and therefore the rule is, that every worke hath tantum virtutis aut vitij, quantum voluntatis. And the very place of its reſidence ſhewes its government, being ſeated in the middle of the body; if at leaſt that conceit of a great Etymologist bee warrantable, that foreign the contract of foreign be derived of the hebrew word keneb, Medium.
2. The Spirit notes the actiue power of the ſoule, that which executes the reſolutions of the former; and therefore in our uſuall way of ſpeaking, we call an actiue man, a man of ſpirit. But here I thinke both words doe ſignifie one and the ſame thing, the ſoule of man, whether we conſider it organically, and ſo call it the heart; or in-organically, and ſo call it the ſpirit: but howſoever we expreſſe it, it is the ſoule of man which muſt bee fitted for Gods ſervice, to be ſuch a ſacrifice.
2. The ſoule muſt bee broken and contrite; which though in a curious notion they may be diſtinguiſhed, yet I here conceiue them to expreſſe the ſame thing, the thorough humiliation of the inward man. You will all diſcerne that the words muſt not be taken properly, for none will imagine that that fleſhy part, the heart, muſt be divided or broken in peices or bruiſed, for that were to make a dead man, in ſtead of a living Sacrifice; wee muſt neceſſarily then underſtand the ſpeech to be figuratiue, and that David uſeth a metaphor; that the ſoule in reſpect of its humiliation before God, muſt bee as a thing bruiſed and broken into peices. Or it may farther ſignifie the degrees of humiliation; there muſt not onelyonly be a breaking, but a contriting a pounding unto duſt. The heart is naturally ſtony, proud, ſtiffe, and rebellious, but it muſt be beaten from its owne height, and layd levell and flat before Gods foot-ſtoole; it muſt be wounded and lie bleeding before God, it muſt ſhake and tremble at his preſence, and therefore the Italians hauehave a word that is apt to expreſſe this, Scheggiare, of Scheggia, a looſe leaſe, or a paper by it ſelfe when the booke is unbound. The ſoule muſt be as it were unbundeled, it muſt be ſhaken and looſe; a ſcattered and ſhivering thing before God.
3. The ſoule, when it is thus ſeparated into peice-meales, then it is Gods Sacrifice. Sacrifices were Gods ſervice in the Iewiſh manner of worſhip; they were divided and broken when they were offered; But theſe were Ceremoniall Services; the Morall ſervice that God now requires is rather a broken heart then a ſlaughtered Beaſt, yet there is a reſemblance in this unto that, and it is called Gods ſacrifice, becauſe it is ſuch a Service as is ſuiteable unto him. Offrings in the Law, were either Expiatory or Dedicatory, our true humiliation in ſome ſence is both, while wee weepe over Chriſt, who is our Expiation, and dedicate our ſelues to God in a full entire and ſincere ſervice. The inward man muſt be truely humble, and this is Gods ſervice, the Sacrifice that wee offer.
2. Having thus explained it, wee are to confirme it by Argument;
1. Such humiliation is, and is called Gods ſacrifice, becauſe God himſelfe is the Author of it, he onelyonly breaks us and fits us for his owne Altar. Tis true, that Croſſes may make us lye downe, they may humble us, but God muſt make us humble. Vnleſſe God ſanctifie the affliction, wee may be ſtubborne under the burthen, and fret againſt that hand which wee ſhould at once ſee and acknowledge with ſubmiſſion. Yee know the Story that a rocke guſhed forth waters, it was ſtrange, that waters ſhould flow out of an hard ſtony Rocke; but the rocke was ſmitten, and then it flowed. But could a ſtroake breake a Rocke? or could the Rod cauſe the dry ſtone to yeeld forth moyſture? Nay, the cauſe was Gods Command; God bid Moſes ſtrike and then the waters flow. When the power of God accompanies the affliction, and ſanctifies the ſuffering, then the heart of man breakes kindly; and that may well be called Gods, when he prepares his owne ſacrifice.
2. This humiliation is ſuiteable to God, and therefore both is Gods ſacrifice, and is ſo called.
1. Such ſervice is ſuiteable, becauſe it is ſincere, becauſe ſpirituall: The giving of the heart notes truth in the Offring, and that is it which God requires, which he taught the Iewes when he commanded them to giuegive him the fat and the intrals of Beaſts that were ſlaine. The heart notes unfainedneſſe; for the body may be perſonated in taking on a different ſhape, the heart cannot: a man may appeare to be another man by the varietie of his garments, but he is the ſame man inwardly in his heart and in truth what ever his habite ſpeake him. He that giues his heart, offers a fit Sacrifice; ſuiteable, becauſe both ſpirituall and unfained.
2. As the heart is ſuiteable in regard of ſinceritie, ſo brokenneſſe is ſuiteable, in regard of the manifeſtation of humilitie: And it is convenient that wee ſhould fit our ſelues unto thoſe relations wherein wee conſider God, to come into the preſence of our Lord and Soveraigne bending, into the preſence of our Iudge, trembling; into the preſence of our juſtly-offended yet gratiouſly-accepting God, bleeding, wounded, broken.
3. For a third reaſon it may alſo be called Gods ſacrifice, becauſe it doth him ſpeciall honour; in a double reſpect.
1. What wee giuegive him; Our hearts, our ſpirits. Whom wee honour, wee preſent with gifts, and by the greater gift wee expreſſe the greater honor; and what greater preſent can wee giuegive him than our ſelues. The Chriſtian offers more to God, than the Iew was wont. It was no ſuch great matter to offer a Lamb, or a Ramme, or a Bullocke; they that were rich might ſpare them, the poore in many caſes were not enjoyned to it; but however they did but offer ſomewhat out of their fold; wee offer what is of greater price, and brings God more honor; The better part of our ſelues, our very ſelues, our hearts and ſpirits.
2. How wee giuegive them Broken. It is not ſo much the gift as louelove and eſteeme in the gift, that honours, now wee doe witneſſe our louelove by our ſorrow; and according to that diſtinction which the Schoole hath afforded us, wee expreſſe a twofold ſorrow, appretiatiue, and intenſiue.
1. Our Appretiatiue ſorrow diſcovers it ſelfe to the honour of God; when wee ſhew at what a rate wee ſet Gods favour, that to revenge our ſelues for loſing of it or loſing at leaſt our actuall apprehenſion of it by our ſinne; wee roughly and ſeverely handle our beſt part, and wrecke our diſpleaſure upon that which wee hold deare and precious.
2. The Intenſiueneſſe of our ſorrow honours him and is witneſſed; that wee not onelyonly afflict our hearts for the diſhonoring of our God, but doe afflict them with deep wounds, even to brokenneſſe and contrition.
I'le not longer ſtay upon Confirming of this truth, but deſcend eaſily to the Application.
1. Ʋſe. If the divided wounded ſpirit, the broken heart be Gods ſacrifice; wee learne a myſtery, That there is a Man-ſlaughter lawfull, not onelyonly lawfull but profitable, but convenient. Eſteeme it no Paradoxe, for I call not for ſelfe-murther, nor Preach like ſome of thoſe Romiſh Incendiaries for Bloud; but in this ſlaughter, there is no crueltie, no inhumanitie. I bid you not kill your ſelues, as that dreaming Platoniſt, or the more deſperate Pſeudo-Meſſiah in the parts of Tranſilvania; but call for that death whereby you may more comfortably liue. We muſt be ſo broken, in the apprehenſion of the breaking of Chriſts body for us, as if we were under the ſame wrath; this the Iewes learned, who were commanded to lay their hands upon the head of the Beaſt which was ſlaine, as a witneſſe that the deſert was theirs, and that in juſtice their owne bloud ſhould be drawne by the Sacrificers knife.
2. Ʋſe. If the Broken heart be Gods Sacrifice, it condemnes the unbroken in heart as being no fit Offerings. There are many that come unto theſe buſineſſes of our publique faſting and humiliation, that bring not their hearts with them; for if the heart were preſent there would be affections preſent with the heart, ſuiteable to the buſineſſe wee hauehave in hand. Where men hauehave no ſence of their miſery, no ſorrow for their ſinne, no hungring after pardon; it is an argument their hearts are not preſent. If your hearts were here, there would be moyſture in your eyes, tenderneſſe in your Conſciences, zeale in your prayers. Where is your ſenſibleneſſe, your ſorrow, your ſighing, your zeale, nay where are your hearts? If ſuch as bring not broken hearts are condemned, much more ſuch as bring not their hearts at all; ſuch onelyonly come for company, and fill the Church with dead Carcaſſes, that hauehave no life in their ſervice, no heart unto the worke that they performe. Will yee mocke the holy preſence? Will yee come to Gods Altar without an Offering, without a Sacrifice in your hands? As if while Aaron were killing a Beaſt, the people ſhould throng about him, and gaze on meerely for Curioſitie. So yee deale when yee preſſe hither, if yee bring not your hearts with you, yee hauehave nothing to doe here; either bring Offrings or croud not the Altar. But I meant not to deale purpoſely with theſe, but with ſuch as if they doe bring their hearts, yet unbroken, ſo it Reproues;
1. Such as are inſenſible of ſinne, that though many blowes are layd upon them, yet feele them not, but remaine ſtill hard and unbroken, like Anvils that endure the Hammer. When wee diſcover ſinne, and denounce judgements againſt the ſinnes that wee diſcover; wee beſtow our blowes upon the Conſciences of offenders, and purpoſely that wee might Hammer them to another ſhape; but there are many though they lye under the ſtroake, and are directly under the reprehenſion, yet are not made ſenſible that thoſe ſinnes are theirs, that thoſe threatnings are to them, that they are the men. If men were broken, they would be ſenſible, as Ioſiah was when he heard Shaphan reade the Booke of the Law which the Prieſt Hilkiah gaue him; he rent his Clothes, ſent his Courtiers to enquire the farther declaration of the Writing, becauſe he ſaw that great was the wrath of the Lord.
2. Such as are not open to Confeſſion of ſinnes argue that there is no breach made upon their ſpirits. You know, a Veſſell though it be full of liquour, yet if there be no breach it lets none run forth, but if it be broacht it hath a free vent. Man is a veſſell that containes much, and is fild with a filthy pudled poyſonous water; ſome of that remaines in ſuch as are ſanctified and waſhed by regeneration, therefore it is their continuall care to emptie themſelues, and make wide leakings that they may freely powre themſelues forth before the Lord. But I feare I may too juſtly accuſe you; who is it that in private can lay out his ſinne in the preſence of God? Confeſſions come hardly from men in the publique; wee that are your mouths in theſe more common ſolemne duties cannot freely enough confeſſe your and our ſinnes enough to the ſhaming of our ſelues, doing it as if wee would rather ſhew our memories in the Catalogues of ſinnes, and our wit and Oratory in painting them; then our true and unfained Contrition in being affected with them; But if ſometimes wee ſpend a larger time upon this neceſſary and neglected duetie, you ſoon grow weary of our length, and by your carriage diſcover that you thinke us tedious, and that leſſe time might hauehave beene ſpent with more profit. Ah! Beloved, how juſtly may our private devotions be ſuſpected, when wee dare ſhew our ſelues weary in the publique? Which of us is wont to ſpend an houre or more upon our knees in the acknowledgement of thoſe many corruptions which wee might eaſily acquaint our ſelues withall, when there is no witneſſe to obſerue it but the eye of God? I call your Chambers, your Cloſets, your beds to witneſſe againſt you, your unbroken hearts. For if wee were truely broken, there would be vent both frequent and forcible; ſo David powrd himſelfe out in this Pſalme, when the ſence of his double ſinne had made a Breach upon his ſpirit.
3. Laſtly ſuch, as, though Broken, yet are not contrite, not ſhivered into peices. Men may be bruiſed and yet not ſo divided that one peice is taken from another, that the frame is diſſolved. The Devils may beleeue and tremble: Iam. 2.19. And wicked men hauehave often trembled; So did Pharaoh, ſo did Baltaſar, ſo did Faelix; but the frame of their evill hearts was not taken aſunder; they returnd againe after the fit to be the ſame men that they were before, Pharaoh returnd againe to his rebellion, Baltaſar to his Cups, Faelix to his fingring of Bribes; they were tough and remaind whole ſtill. Some men are ſometimes ſtartled at a Sermon, when wee ſpeake judgement, and lay it home cloſe to the Conſcience, they wake and begin to looke up; but like men halfe aſleepe and halfe awake, they ſoone fall againe to their ſlumber. A Drunkard that upon ſuch an occaſion as this, heares the odiouſneſſe of that ſinne layd open, together with the danger; may for the preſent begin to bethinke himſelfe, what a courſe he runne, and whither it is like to leade him, upon this he ſtartles, and begins to reſolue, He will follow that ſinne no longer. The reſolution it may be holds as long as the faſt holds, or it may be till the next day or longer; but then he meets with ſome knowne Companion, falls to his ſinne againe, forgets that he was yeſterday at a faſt, or that he ever heard that Drunkenneſſe was a ſinne. Here was a little breaking, but no ſhattering of the heart; the frame of the ſinne was not broken; the peices, the joynts, were not taken aſunder from one another; and therefore he eaſily returnes to what he was, and is after the Sermon, after the Faſt, juſt ſuch a one as he was before it. Theſe all come under the ſecond application, the reproofe of ſuch as are not broken-hearted.
3. Vſe. If the broken-heart be Gods Sacrifice, let us be exhorted to this labour, to labour for broken and contrite hearts. The people of God hauehave beene of ſuch a temper, to omit other examples ſee one, in the Prophet Ieremiah, and in his owne words: Mine heart within mee is broken; becauſe of the Prophets all my bones ſhake; I am like a drunken man, and like a man whom wine hath overcome; becauſe of the Lord, and becauſe of the words of his holineſſe; for the Land is full of Adulteries: Ier. 23.9. If Ieremiah in the apprehenſion of the ſinnes of others, were ſo tender, that he did ſhake with horror, and ſtaggered as not able to retaine his ſtrength; how ought wee to be moved with the conſideration of our offences againſt almightie God? Let us witneſſe to our ſelues the unfainedneſſe of our humiliation, by the intenſneſſe of our ſorrow, by the breaking of our hearts; which that wee may the better be guided in, I ſhall ſet before you the ſeverall Metaphors which without ſtraining wee may conceiue the minde of David may be applyed unto; The breaking up of ground, the breaking of ſtones to duſt, the dividing of their Sacrifices.
1. The phraſe of a Broken heart, may referre to the breaking up of a ſtiffe ground, and the Harrowing of it for the bruiſing of the Clods. Let us plow up our hearts, according to that of the Prophet; Breake up your fallow ground, and ſow not among thornes: Iere. 4.3. And according to the ſame of another Prophet; Sow to your ſelues in Righteouſneſſe, reape in mercy, breake up your fallow ground. Hoſ. 10.12. Let us uſe good Husbandry upon our ſelues, and beſtow Tillage, that wee may bring forth fruit to God. Wee are naturally ſtiffe ground, and full of ſtones; barren and unfruitfull. Beloved, there is a neceſſitie of this Husbandry, for yee cannot be profitable hearers of Gods Word, unleſſe yee be broken-hearted. If a man ſhould throw abroad his ſeed, before the plow hath made furrowes to receiue it, he ſhould looſe all that he doth ſcatter; if the ground be hard the ſeed enters not, but lyes open to be pecked by every bird. Men are deafe to Gods Commands, till their hearts be opened. Pharaoh had a ſtiffe diſpoſition, and though ſo many judgements came in a throng, he was not broken by any of them, and therefore hearkens not to the meſſage of the Lord, but peremptorily rejects it, Who is the Lord that I ſhould obey him? But the Broken heart hath an open eare; which wee obſerue in men in their ſeverall conditions: While a man frolicks away his time and life in a pleaſant way, enjoying health and vigour, not being acquainted with ſickneſſe or other infirmities; he puts off the thought of death and an account that muſt be made, and thinkes that ſuch ſad meditations and admonitions are not fit for a man of his activitie and reſolution; but when God caſts him upon his bed, and makes him begin to apprehend that he is a man, a poore, weake, fraile, ſickly man; and that he now at length ſees what it is that followes upon ſinfull pleaſure, but eſpecially when he lookes into the graue where he feares himſelfe muſt ſhortly be layd, and ſees under the graue Hell and Torment; then he breakes, and now he can finde an eare; if Miniſters, if religious friends diſcourſe unto him, he hearkens, and begins to learne what thoſe new and unthought-of myſteries meane. This is liuely in the example of the converted Iaylour; Act. 16.29.30. When God had broken his heart; Then he called for a light and ſprang in, and came trembling, and fell downe before Paul and Sylas; and brought them out, and ſayd, Sirs, what muſt I doe to be ſaved? It is likely that the Iaylour if he had not been a rough man in his naturall temper, yet his very calling might make him rough; before that time Paul might ſpeake long enough and he not regard him, Paul and Sylas might ſing in the priſon and he take no notice, unleſſe to threaten them and command their ſilence; but now that God had ſhaken him with the Earthquake; he is now greedie of inſtruction. His minde did not formerly run upon it, how he might come to Heaven; but now haſtily, violently, tremblingly, he enquires it, What ſhall I doe to be ſaved? Naturall men care not for preaching, they wonder that people ſhould goe ſo much to Sermons, ſhould be ſo much in Conference; but when they come to be broken, to be wounded in their Conſciences, Then, Oh what inſtruction? What comfort can yee giuegive us? Let this be our care, to ſtirre the earth, and let the Harrow follow the plow, breake the ſtiffe clods, the proud thoughts that are built againſt the Kingdome of Chriſt; then yee are fit for ſeed. Wee are Gods ſeedeſmen, and when wee preach wee ſcatter the ſeed upon a Congregation; but wee loſe our labour where we meet with ſtony hard ground: plow up your hearts, that the Word may the better fructifie.
2. The ſecond Metaphor may be from the breaking of Stones, and pounding them to duſt, to make a plaiſtry worke. A man cannot alter the faſhion of an hard ſtone with his hand; but when it is made into plaiſter the Maſon can make it into any frame. Wee hauehave ſeene the ſhape of a Lyon, or an Horſe, or Beare, or any thing elſe made of ſtone, when it hath beene firſt broken and made and tempered into a ſoft Morter. Wee are naturally ſtony, men of ſtony hearts, and are not pliant to the Image of grace, till broken into ſmall peices, and grounded unto ſmall powder. But, ſayth Ieremy, My heart is broken within mee; and then he was fit to lament for ſinne. Wee muſt uſe Maſonry as well as Husbandry, wee muſt be ſoft for impreſſion. A man cannot make the print of his Seale if he ſet it upon an hard wall; but the ſtamp leaues it ſelfe upon a peice of Waxe: Now wee muſt be Waxe in the hand of God, and Waxe you know is Ductible; if I held a round flint, I could not by cruſhing it with my hand make it flat or ſquare, or draw it out unto a length; but a peice of ſoft Waxe might be moulded to any faſhion, made round or flat, or ſquare, or drawne out to any length. If ever wee hauehave Comfort, wee muſt be of ductible, following diſpoſitions, to be ſuch as Gods dealing is towards us, to be faſhioned by his rod unto humilitie and ſubmiſſion, by his mercy unto thankfulneſſe and prayſes; To be, not what wee are, or of our ſelues would be, but willingly what he will hauehave us be.
3. But laſtly, The phraſe in the Text doth principally allude to the Breaking of the Sacrifice; and we may find the Metaphor in taking notice of two Offrings.
1. The Offring of Incenſe, where the Command was that the Ingredients ſhould be beaten to powder, Exod. 30.36. A perfume ſmells ſweeteſt when 'tis bruiſed or cruſht; and when wee are ſtamped before God in the ſence before declared, wee yeeld a pleaſant ſavour to his Noſthrills.
2. The Sacrifice of Burnt-Offring; the Beaſt was cut in peices and burnt unto aſhes. There muſt be a dividing of the heart, as we reade of Abraham, Gen. 15.10. That he divided the Sacrifices and layd one peice over againſt another. Our ſervice of humiliation muſt be open and ſincere, that nothing may be hid from God, as the Beaſt though wee cannot ſee it within, while it is undevided, but when cut aſunder wee may perceiue all the intralls and the heart and the liver, and all the ſecreter bowells, whether the Sacrifice be ſound. Oh let us manifeſt our ſelues ſo truely humbled, that the bloud of our Sacrifices may be powred out before God, ſuch a ſacrifice was that Congregation, Act. 2.37. of whom the Story witneſſeth, that they were Compuncti cordibus, pricked in their hearts: Peter had preached unto them Chriſt Crucified; Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their hearts and ſaid, Men and brethren what ſhall wee doe? Sinne runs freely in the veines of every man, too abundantly freely in them that are of a plethoricke ſtate, and therefore Bloud-letting cannot but be profitable. Let me preſcribe you that Phyſicke now, and what ever Phyſitians will tell you of the extreame heate of this preſent weather, and of the ſigne, yet take the word of a Divine for the preſcription, who dares warrant eaſe unto your ſoules in this courſe. I hauehave done with the firſt Doctrine that I propounded, That a broken heart and contrite Spirit is Gods Sacrifice: The ſecond is this:
That ſuch a Sacrifice of a Broken-heart,
God will not deſpiſe.
There is more in that phraſe than the words ſeeme to deliver, God will not deſpiſe, that is, God will accept. He is pleaſed with ſuch a bruiſed Offring, as wee hauehave it confirmed in a comfortable promiſe in the place before alleaged concerning the Incenſe; The pure and holy perfume muſt be beat very ſmall, and put before the Teſtimony in the Tabernacle of the Congregation, where, ſayth God, I will meet with thee: Exod: 30.36. The Septuagint reads it, Whence I will be knowne to thee; And the Chaldee Paraphraſe thus; Where I will appoint my Word unto thee. Both ſetting out Gods gracious acceptation of ſuch a Service. Beſides, the Word of the Text doth enough confirme it; The broken heart is called Gods Sacrifices, the conſtruction is better in Divinitie than in Grammar, a word of the Plurall is uſed, as if he would ſhew us, that this contrition and humiliation is in ſtead of all other legall Sacrifices. Will yee ſee it yet clearer in a word of promiſe; Ioel 2.13. Rent your hearts and not your garments, and turne unto the Lord your God, for he is gratious and mercifull, who knoweth if he will returne and repent, and leaue a bleſſing behind him. But if this leaue it doubtfull, that of the Prophet Eſaiah will remoue our feares; To this man will I looke ſayth the Lord, even to him that is poore and of a contrite ſpirit, that trembleth at my Word. Eſa. 66.2. They are happie upon whom God lookes, where he beſtowes the eye of his favour. That great God who beholds the proud afarre off, as if he knew them not; he lookes after the Contrite, or lookes to him, (as the word is in the Prophet) he affords acquaintance and hath reſpect unto his ſtate. And becauſe the Broken-hearted are caſt downe and diſmayed in themſelues; therefore another promiſe is expreſſe; For thus ſayth the High and loftie one that inhabiteth eternitie, whoſe name is holy, I dwell in the high and holy place, with him alſo that is of a contrite and humble ſpirit, to reviue the ſpirit of the contrite ones. Eſai. 57.15. The teares of Magdalen were received and prayſed; The Publicans humble ſtriking of his breaſt was obſerved at the dore of the Temple; The bitter weeping of Peter after his ſinne was remembred; God deſpiſeth not ſuch; did he accept the poſſeſſed Magdalen, the notorious Publican, Peter the denier, when they were now blubbered, and had no other beautie, but that beautie which their teares gaue them? And will he reject us? Will he reject us when wee come in the ſame poſture? Nay he will not deſpiſe ſuch Sacrifices, ſuch Sacrificers. It needs not a farther proofe, I haſten to a briefe Application.
1. Ʋſe. It learnes us how God and the world differ in paſſing their Cenſure and affection. Carnall men make ſport at the broken-hearted, and deride their contrition. While David mourned like a Doue on the houſe-top, you may heare himſelfe complaining how he was abuſed; Pſal. 69.10.11.12. And in another Pſalme, he pictures forth in his owne caſe the very liuely image of a man mortified; That he was powred out like water, and all his bones were out of joynt, that his heart like Waxe was melted in the midſt of his bowells, his ſtrength was dryed up, and his tongue cleaved unto his jawes; he was ſo macerated that they might tell all his bones. Now he was a ſpectacle for gazing worldlings; as he was his own torment, he was their wonder, they knew not what to make of him; They looke and ſtare upon mee, ſaith David; and when he was now downe, they were readie to devoure him, and gaped upon him with their mouths, with words both of ſcorne and threatnings. But in this caſe, God otherwiſe eſteemes him, as himſelfe profeſſeth it; He hath not deſpiſed nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, neither hath he hid his face from him, but when he cryed unto him, he heard. Pſal. 22.14.15.17.24. God deales not as a falſe friend who hides away his face from his brothers extremitie, or is deafe to his Complaints when he is brought low: but favourably reſpects and cheriſhes thoſe that walke ſadly in the apprehenſion of their ſinne.
2. Ʋſe. It affords us great incouragement to draw neare with our Offering, when we know that God will not deſpiſe it. Wee are now equalled with the Richeſt who can bring moſt into Gods Treaſury, and are able to bring the fayreſt and fatteſt Sacrifice to Gods Altar, theirs ſhall be but accepted, and ours which is the ſame priviledge, ſhall not be deſpiſed. He that hath nothing to giuegive but himſelfe, if he giuegive himſelfe, giues what God requires of him: for he calls for the Heart, and the Apoſtle hath told us what wee may preſent; Rom. 12.1. I beſeech you that yee preſent your bodies a living Sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reaſonable ſervice. But chiefly this Offering is acceptable, when the heart is contrite, for ſaith the Lord, to him that is poore will I looke. Let not our unworthineſſe diſcourage us, to maintaine theſe or the like Scruples: Will God looke upon ſuch poore abject worthleſſe Wretches? If I ſhould offer any Service, would he not contemne both it and me? If I were more worthy, I would then draw neare him: as I am I dare neither ſue for entertainment nor expect it. Away with ſuch proud reaſonings, ſuch ſhewes of humilitie: would wee be challengers rather than beggars? But if wee truely ſee our ſelues vile, and are as low in our conceits as our words pretend; wee ſhall hauehave the ſpeedieſt acceſſe; and ſhall ſooneſt receiue becauſe wee beg. Thus much of the firſt part of the Text, The truth delivered. The time calls mee off, that I can adde but a few words of the ſecond; which alſo if I had time, would not naturally afford many.
2. The manner of delivering of that truth.
1. In a Meditation; The Sacrifices of God are a broken heart.
2. In an Ejaculation; A broken and contrite ſpirit, O God, thou wilt not deſpiſe.
He contemplates a comfortable paſſage, and then rayſeth up himſelfe in a quicke and ſpeedy recourſe to God. Let us ſo learne to Reade, to Heare, then wee ſhall reade and heare with profit, and not more with profit than with comfort. Reade and Breath toward heaven; God hath breathed on the Scripture, if wee would be acquainted with the divine will, wee muſt breath againe to God. Our ejaculatory prayer may hauehave a conſtant and ſpeedy entercourſe betweene God and his revealed will; when wee heare a Meſſage from heaven in our ordinary attendance upon Preaching, wee may ſpeed to God in the very Act of Hearing, that God would cleare ſuch a myſtery, faſten ſuch a notion, lay neare ſuch an application. When wee reade the Scriptures, let us meditate, and pray, that what wee meet with which may be ſuiteable to our condition, may be cloſely applyed and made ours. Methinkes it fits the ſtate and life of a Chriſtian to be much in meditation, and as much in prayer, ſpecially in this uſe of it, The darting of the thoughts, for it argues acquaintance. The ſolemne prayer may be for a forme onelyonly, and ſo wee may deceiue our ſelues in exerciſing of it; but this ſhewes wee are acquainted with Heaven, when our recourſe thither is familiar and frequent. When wee are to deale with ſtrangers, our Negotiation is attended with Ceremony of behaviour and ſpeech; But upon all occaſions wee can viſite and ſpeake to an intimate friend. I would not hauehave reverend and trembling demeanour neglected in our moſt private Acceſſes to the infinite Majeſtie; yet let us uſe our priviledge, to be often with God, to liue much in Heaven, to be ſparkling upward; winging up our ſoules in an heavenly converſation, at once beſtowing our thoughts upon what is holy, and our prayers to the Holy One.