Two Treatises 2, Tract 1 · Chapter 4
CHAP. IV. Of the meaſure of Humiliation.
THe next point is touching the meaſure of Humiliation or Sorrow for ſinne. Where I 2. The meaſure of it.propound three rules.
1. Rule. Of all other ſorrowes, ſorrow for ſin muſt be the greateſt.
Reaſon. 1. Griefe is founded in louelove. According as our louelove is, ſo is our griefe. But our louelove of God, and his fauour is the greateſt louelove, and therfore our griefe for his offence by ſinne, the greateſt griefe. Therefore as Dauid ſaies, Thou haſt giuen me Pſalm. 4.more ioy in the light of thy countenance, then they hauehave had when their corne & oile abounded: So on the contrary muſt eueryevery Chriſtian ſay, I hauehave had more griefe in procuring thy diſpleaſure by ſinne, then the worldlings hauehave had in the miſcarriage of their corne and oyle. 2. According to the greatneſſe of the Euill muſt ſorrow be proportioned. Now of the two Euils, the Euill of ſinne is farre greater then the Euill of puniſhment. For it is onelyonly ſinne that grieues the ſpirit of God, and depriues vsus of the fauour of God. Affliction and Gods ſpirit can agree very well. Therefore Dauid deſcribing true bleſſedneſſe remooues nothing from it but ſinne, as being that which onelyonly makes vsus miſerable. Surely they [the bleſſed men] worke no iniquity. And not, ſurely they ſuffer no aduerſitie. Pſal. 119. 3.Sinne therefore being the greateſt Euill, craues the greateſt ſorrow. 3. The precepts and examples in the Scripture ſhew as much. Though in worldly ſorrow baldneſſe was forbidden the Iewes, yet in ſorrow for ſinne it was commanded them. The Lord calleth vntounto mourning, &c. and vntounto baldneſſe, Iſay 22. 13.ſaith Eſay. A plaine argument of a greater ſorrow expected for ſinne, then they ought to hauehave for any outward worldly croſſe whatſoeuer. Dauid ſayes, his eyes guſhed out with riuers of water for other mens Pſal. 1 19.ſinnes. What then did they for his owne? Great is that Hyperbole, and it argueth an hyperbolicall and exceſſiue ſorrow; I cauſed my bed eueryevery night to ſwim, Pſal. 6. 6.and not only ſo, but water my pallet that lies beneath my bed, with my teares. Implying, that if his head could containe ſo much water, the griefe of his heart could furniſh it. In the ſame ſenſe doe ſome take that of the repenting Iſraelites, that they drew 1. Sam. 7.water, and powred it out before the Lord. And thus doth Zacharie deſcribe the ſorrow of true Repentants, that euen after plenty of teares and lamentations Zach. 12.in publique, yet the fountaine ſhall runne ſtill in priuate, and flow from the Church to the priuate cloſet, eueryevery ſoule mourning in ſecret by himſelfe. And which is ſtrange, that the lamentations of one poore woman weeping ſolitary in her cloſet, ſhall equall that great mourning of the whole multitude in the valley of Megiddo for the death of Ioſiah.
Farre then are they from Repentance, who though they can cry and howle on their beddes when their money, their houſes, their lands are gone, what ſpeake I of ſo great matters? The death of a cowe, or the loſſe of a few pigges will pinch them ſore. And yet their maine, and fearefull ſins could neuer yet draw ſo much as one teare from their eyes, or fetch one ſigh from their hearts.
Queſt. 1. Are Teares neceſſarily required in this ſorrow.
Anſw. 1. Sometimes want of teares proceeds from abundance of griefe, ſo oppreſſing the minde that it cannot eaſe it ſelfe by weeping. As in him that weeping at the death of his friend, could not yet weepe at the death of his owne ſonne.
2. Sometimes the conſtitution of the body will yeeld no teares. The triall heere is the ſame, as in the matter of memory. If a man hauehave a naturall defect in his memory, which is the cauſe hee can remember but very little of a ſermon, then neither will hee remember much of a tale, of a play, of worldly matters. So if the conſtitution or complexion deny teares in ſorrow for ſinne, neither will it affoord them in worldly ſorrow. But as thy ability to remember worldly matters, when thou haſt none to remember Gods, argues no naturall infirmity, but a ſinnefull corruption of memory, ſo is it heere. If thou can weepe plentifully for worldly loſſes, and yet hauehave dry cheekes for thy ſins, this is from the corruption of thy heart, not from the conſtitution of thy body.
Queſt. 2. May not the childe of God feele more griefe for ſome worldly croſſes, then he doth for his ſinnes.
Anſw. 1. Sorrow may be conſidered either as it is in the will, and ſo it is nothing but the diſpleaſure and diſlike of that which the vnderſtanding apprehendeth as euill. Or as it is in the ſenſitiue faculty of the ſoule, common with vsus to the beaſts. In the former way Gods children feele greateſt Thom. ſupplem. qu. 4 art. 1. Bellar. de poen. l. 2. c. 11.ſorrow for ſinne. Their will ſanctified and directed by the ſpirit deteſts, abhors nothing more then to ſinne againſt God. But yet all the children of God doe not feele ſuch a ſenſible ſtinging ſmarting griefe for their ſinne in the ſenſitiue faculty, as they doe for diuers outward afflictions. For the more corporall a thing is, the neerer is it, and more familiar to the ſenſitiue faculty, and ſo pinches more there. For example: in extremity of toothach, or in the burning of ones finger, there is a more ſenſible griefe felt, then in a lingring feuer, or then is ſometimes in death it ſelfe. And yet the will guided by right reaſon diſlikes the feuer and death far more then the tooth-ach.
2. Greatneſſe of griefe may be meaſured either by the violent intenſion, or by the conſtant continuance and duration. Now that which is wanting to the griefe of Gods children for their ſinnes the former way, is recompenced, and made vp in the latter. Their griefe for ſinne is not ſo extreamely violent, becauſe of the ioy and comfort of the holy Ghoſt, which they feele in the middeſt of their heauineſſe: and yet this ioy doth not any way leſſen the diſpleaſure of our wils againſt ſinne (though it qualifie the ſenſible ſmart) nay rather it encreaſes it. For as ioy and delight in learning makes the ſcholler learne the better, ſo delight in godly ſorrow ſets vsus forward in it, but yet as we ſayd it mirigates the extremity of paſſion ſo, that oftentimes the children of God are for the time more violently tormented for their croſſes, then for their ſinnes. As Dauid cried out vehemently, O Abſalom, Abſalom, but not O Vriah, Vriah. Yet his griefe for Vriahs death was a more ſetled & conſtant griefe, as oftentimes the ſtilleſt waters are deepeſt. My ſinne is euer before me, ſo was not Abſolons death. That was ſoon ouer. Iob ſayes, that he poſſeſſed the ſins of his youth, Iob. 13. 26.euen in his olde age: but he ſayes not that he poſſeſſed the afflictions of his youth. Time had worne away thoſe ſorrowes: for they are but like a ſudden daſhing tempeſt, but ſorrow for ſinne is like the ſtill, ſoft, but ſoaking raines that wets to the very rootes. The one is like a mighty torrent or land-flood, ſoone dried vp, or a blaze of thornes ſoone extinct, the other like a little ſpring alwayes running, or a conſtant fire holding out the whole day.
Ob. Wee are bidden reioyce alwayes, how then can wee ſorrow alwaies for our ſinnes.
Anſw. 1. Theſe two may well ſtand together, becauſe godly ſorrow miniſters matter to vsus of ioy. Let the Repentant alwaies ſorrow and reioice Semper doleat poenitens, & de dolore gaudeat. Pro. 14.in, and for his ſorrow, ſaith Auſtin. As in prophane ioy, euen in laughing the heart is ſorrowfull, ſo in godly ſorrow, euen in weeping the heart is light and cheerefull. Though ſinne grieue vsus, yet our grieuing for ſinne pleaſes vsus. As when wee ſee a good man wronged, we greeue at his wrong, but reioyce in his goodneſſe. 2. Though actuall ſorrowing and reioycing may ſeeme not ſo well to agree, yet habituall may. Yea, habituall ſorrow may ſtand with actuall ioy; and contrarily; now when we ſay, A Repentant muſt alwayes be ſorrowfull, we meane habitually, in regard of the preparation of heart, ſo that hee doe nothing contrary to this ſorrow, which ſhould take away the diſpoſition of his heart thereto, but alwaies maintaine a purpoſe to diſlike, and be diſpleaſed with ſinne. And thus are all thoſe precepts, of reioycing, praying, giuing thankes alwaies to be vnderſtood.
The Vſe. This giues a checke to the ſlightneſſe of our ſorrow for ſinne. A ſigh and away, no, but we muſt feede and nouriſh this ſorrow, neuer ſatiſfie our ſelues, but wiſh with the Prophet, that our heads were continuall, vnemptiable fountaines of teares. Ierem 9.Mine eye droppeth without ſtay, ſaith the repenting Church of Iſrael. But how ſoone are our teares dryed vp? If this plaiſter of ſorrow begin to ſmart a little, preſently we plucke it off, and thinke tis enough: whereas we ſhould let it lie on till the ſore be throughly healed, which is not till death, when as all teares, and ſo theſe of godly ſorrow ſhall bee wiped away. Paul in the height of his Chriſtianity ſtill continued mourning, I am carnall, &c. Miſerable Rom. 7.man, &c. Euen the beſt of vsus carry about vsus the matter of our humiliation, the poyſoned root of ſinne, which is continually branching foorth ſome corruption or other. Our hearts are continuall fountaines of ſinne, and therefore our heads alſo muſt be continuall fountaines of ſorrow, to allay in ſome meaſure the ſtench of that filthy puddle. Peter after his bitter teares was yet thrice pinched with that nipping queſtion, Symon loueſt thou me? that he might yet be more ſeriouſly humbled. And to the ſame Ioh. 21.purpoſe would God needes ſpeake the ſecond time out of the whirle-winde, to Iob though repenting at the firſt ſpeaking. So repenting Ionas muſt bee Iob 40.throwen into the ſea, and humbled, Dauid muſt be further humbled with the loſſe of his childe, with the treaſons and villanies of Abſolon. God would neuer hauehave the wounds of godly ſorrow ſo skinned vp, but that they may bee ready to bleede a freſh vponupon eueryevery occaſion. Yea, he would hauehave a continuall iſſue kept in them. Dauid mourned at Nathans rebuke: but that mourning could not content him. He goes to it a freſh in the 51. Pſalme, and euen ſoakes and ſouſes himſelfe in this brine. It is a deep and piercing ſorrow that God requires. Euen ſuch a one that ſhould drowne all other ſorrowes. As when the ſtone and gout meet together, the paine of the ſtone beeing the more greeuous, takes away the ſenſe of the gout: euen ſo ſhould it be with vsus heere. When ſinne and affliction Cumque ſit exilium, magis eſt mihi culpa dolori. Eſt que pati poenam, quam merniſſe minus.are both vponupon vsus at once, the deſert of the puniſhment ſhould ſo grieue vsus, that the puniſhment it ſelfe ſhould not bee heeded. But it is contrary: Worldly ſorrow blunts the edge of Godly.
2. Rule. Though this ſorrow muſt be the chiefeſt, yet it muſt be moderated, for though we cannot exceed in the diſpleaſure of our willes againſt ſinnne; yet we may in the teſtification of this diſpleaſure in weeping, faſting, pining, and macerating the body. Beſides that in the beſt there is a mixture of the Legall humiliation with the Euangelicall; and it is one of Sathans wiles to draw vsus from godly ſorrow to deſperation. Whereupon Paul willeth the Corinthians to looke that the inceſtuous perſon ſhould not be ſwallowed vp of too much heauineſſe. 2 Cor. 2 7. 8 11.For as too much hony is not good, ſo neither too much wormewood. That weeping is not good which blindes the eye of our faith, but only that which quickens it.
3. Rule. Sorrow muſt be proportioned to our Quam magna deliquimus tangranditer defleamus. Cypr.ſinnes. The greater our ſinne the fuller muſt bee our ſorrow. Dauid was not ſo much afflicted for his other leſſer infirmities, as for his murther and adultery. The medicine muſt bee anſwerable to the malady. The antidote to the poyſon.