Two Treatises 2, Tract 1 · Chapter 3
CHAP. III. Of the properties of Humiliation.
HAuing ſeene the order how Humiliation is 2. The properties,wrought, in the next place we muſt conſider of the properties thereof; which though they bee many, yet may be comprized all vnderunder that one of Pauls, 2. Cor. 7. 10. Godly ſorrow.
For this ſorrow or humiliation may bee called It is godly in foure reſpects.Godly in diuers reſpects.
1. Becauſe it makes vsus grieue for the offence of 1. It grieues for the offence.God by our ſinne, and not ſo much for the offence of our fleſh by the puniſhment. For Paul oppoſeth it to worldly ſorrow which is for croſſes and puniſhments. The repenting Iſraelites ſorrow is thus deſcribed by Ezechiel, They ſhall remember mee becauſe Ezech. 6. 9.I am grieued for their whoriſh hearts, &c. and they ſhal be diſpleaſed in themſelues for all their abominations. The ground of their griefe was that they had grieued God with ſinning, and not that God had grieued them with puniſhing.
By this we may iudge of our ſorrow. For godly ſorrow laments after the Lord; as it is noted in thoſe Iſraelites, 1. Sam. 7. 1. not after our own eaſe and freedome from paine. Godly ſorrow ſayes with Dauid; Take away the treſpaſſe, not with Pharaoh, 2. Sam. 24.the plague. Nay, it ſubmits it ſelfe to any puniſhment, ſo the ſinne may be pardoned. Let thy hand be vponupon me, and my fathers houſe. And though there were no puniſhment, yet it would grieue in kindneſſe towards ſo mercifull and forgiuing a father, that is offended. The humiliation of the wicked is not ſo. If there were no ſparkes of fire in hell, there would bee no drops of water in their eyes. Their humiliation is wrung from them onelyonly by the ſting and guilt of conſcience, which may enforce them to let goe their hold of ſinne, and wiſh for the time to bee rid of it. The diſtemper and paine of the dogges ſtomacke, not the diſlike of the meat in it makes him caſt vp his gorge. For afterward he returnes to his vomit. And ſo doth the humbled hypocrite to his ſinne. Which ſhewes he fell not out with his ſinne, but with his affliction; whereas godly humiliation in true Penitentiaries proceedes from the louelove of God their good father, and ſo from the hatred of that ſinne that hath diſpleaſed him. As it was the ſent of the mirrhe Chriſt had dropped vponupon the barre that wakened Cant. 5. 4. 5.the drouſie ſpouſe, and made her bowels to fret within her in godly indignation. And the ſweeter that mirrhe did ſmell, the more filthy was the ſent of her ſinne in her noſtrils.
2. Becauſe where the leaſt ſeede of it is, it driues 2. It driues to God.vsus to God in our greateſt extremities, to ſeeke eaſe and remedy of him. The Reprobate in their ſorrow runne away from God, euen as a dogge from him that whippeth him. Iudas in his terrors ranne to the high Prieſts the enemies of Chriſt, and to the halter. Cain to building of cities. Saul to muſicke, to a witch, and at laſt to his ſword. But the godly they euen out of the deepes with Dauid, and Pſal. 130. 1.out of the belly of hell with Ionas call vponupon God. Euen when wounded by God they goe to him to Ion. 2. 2.be healed. Come let vsus returne to the Lord, hee hath Hoſ. 6. 1.wounded vsus, and he will heale vsus. The Reprobate in hell weepe and waile, and yet no godly ſorrow there, becauſe they cannot crie to God. Excellently Luther, Hell were no hell if the leaſt whiſpering vntounto God could bee heard there. Deſpaire ſtops the mouth of the Reprobate, that they cannot ſpeake one word to God in their deiections, ſo as the godly do. As Ionas complaining of God in the whales belly, complaines yet to God, Thou haſt caſt me out. Whereas a Reprobate as Caluin notes, would hauehave ſayd, He hath caſt me away, in the third perſon.
Heere then is further triall of our ſorrow and Repentance, if as Paul ſpeakes in another caſe, Wee mourne not without hope, if as the Lord inuites vsus, we 1. Theſſ. 4. Iſ. 1. 18. Mar. 1. 15.can come, and reaſon with him, if as Chriſt commands wee repent, and in repenting beleeue, that as our ſinne, ſo alſo Gods mercy be euer before vsus. The wicked as they beleeue without repenting, their faith being preſumption, ſo they repent without beleeuing, their repentance is deſperation. And therfore they mutter and murmure, like the chaffe which when it is ſhaken, flutters in the face of the fanner, as angry with him. But the Godly are good wheat falling downe at the feete of the fanner, as thoſe conuerts that humbled themſelues and ſought for eaſe of him that pricked them, Men Acts 2.and brethren what ſhall we doe? And the reaſon is, becauſe they hauehave faith ſupporting them, that they ſincke not in the Deepes of Deſperation. As in Dauid in the 51. Pſalme; when begging mercy, his wounded conſcience obiected, the greatneſſe of his ſinnes, faith oppoſeth the greatneſſe and multitude of Gods mercies. According to the multitudes of thy compaſsions. And againe to that obiection of the deepe rooting of his ſinne, becauſe hee had lien in it three quarters of a yeere, Faith anſwers, Waſh me throughly. There is no ſtaine ſo deep, but thy hand can fetch it out. Heere Dauids faith plucked him out of the mire, and made him come to the Lord clinging and claſping about him.
3. Becauſe it is offered vp to God as a ſeruice 3. It is voluntary.and ſacrifice, and that with a free and voluntary ſpirit, Pſal. 51. The ſacrifices of God are a broken and contrite ſpirit. The Godly are Agents in their ſorrow. For becauſe it is mingled with the ſenſe of ioy in the apprehenſion of Gods louelove by faith, they take delight therein, and their teares become their meat, Pſal. 42. This voluntarineſſe of ſorrow in the Godly appeares in two things.
1. In the Vſe of all good incentiues and prouokements thereof. They worke and labour their hearts what they can thereto: according to that commandement Iames 4. Suffer affliction. And nothing grieues them more then that they cannot grieue. But the wicked are meere patients in their ſorrow, becauſe wanting faith to temper the cup they drinke nothing but pure gall, yea, deadly poiſon. Hence thoſe ſtrugglings, thoſe wraſtlings with, and murmurings againſt God. With the ſturdy horſe they irefully champ the bit, and deſire nothing more then to hauehave the deadly arrow fall out of our ſide. Hence thoſe ſo many ſleights of their feaſting, muſicke, mirth, paſtime to driue away this ſo vnwelcome a ghueſt. Which the Godly hauehave both inuited and welcommed with ſacke cloth, aſhes, faſting, going into the houſe of mourning, rending of cloathes, and powring foorth whole buckets of water, as ſome expound that 1. Sam. 7. 6.
2. In turning eueryevery thing vntounto ſorrow, worldly not onelyonly griefes, but euen ioyes alſo. According to that of Iames, Let your laughter be turned into weeping: that is, let your laughter be made the matter of your weeping. Let it bee the fuell to feede that fire. So doth repenting Salomon Eccl 2. out of the hony of his abuſed pleaſures hee gathers gall, contrary to the Bee, ſucking ſweetneſſe out of bitterneſſe. The pleaſant witted man will turne euerie thing to a leſt, euen ſad and ſerious: but the touched ſinner eueryevery thing vntounto ſorrow, euen ſweete and ioyfull. The practiſe of Bradford that worthy M. Samſons preface to his Sermon of Repentance.Repentant in this kind was very memorable: who to this purpoſe booked eueryevery notable accident each day that paſſed; and that ſo, that in the penning a man might ſee the ſignes of his ſmitten heart. For if he did ſee or heare any good in any man; by that ſight he found and noted the want thereof in himſelfe, crauing mercy and grace to amend. If he did ſee or heare any plague and miſery, he noted it as a thing procured by his owne ſinnes, and ſtill added, Lord hauehave mercy on me.
4. Becauſe it keeps our hearts in a bleſſed frame 4. It fits for holy duties.of godlineſſe; fitting them for prayer, meditation, reading, hearing, conference, admonition, or any other ſpirituall duty. Worldly ſorrow is a heauy leaden thing, making a man fitter to ſleepe then to pray, as we ſee in Ionas, and the Diſciples. But godly ſorrow in the ſenſe of Gods louelove is freſh and liuely and full of ſpirits. We neuer pray or performe any Chriſtian duty better, then when our hearts are fulleſt of this ſorrow.
Againe, it makes the heart exceeding ſoft and tender, and ſo ſenſible euen of the leaſt ſinnes. As Dauids heart ſmote him for cutting off but the lap of Sauls coate, and for the entertainement of euill motions, Why art thou diſquieted, why fretteſt thou my Pſal. 42.ſoule. It makes the heart like the eye that will feele the leaſt mote, or like a ſtraight ſhooe that cannot endure the leaſt pebble ſtone, which in a wide one would neuer be perceiued.
And thus we ſee the properties of true Sorrow or Contrition, that it is both a louing Sorrow, proceeding from the louelove and affection of our hearts towards the Lord, and a beleeuing Sorrow, comming to God, and faſtening vponupon his mercy, and a willing and voluntary Sorrow, delightfully bathing it ſelfe in her teares, and laſtly, a ſoft and tenderhearted Sorrow, working a diſpoſition vntounto deuotion. And therefore woorthily called godly Sorrow. And of the nature of humiliation ſo much.