Two Treatises 2, Tract 1 · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI. Of the the examination of our hearts by the Law.
THe laſt point followeth, and that the chiefeſt 4. The practiſe of Humiliation in two things.of all, namely the practiſe of Humiliation.
And it conſiſteth in two points
1. In the inward working of it in the heart.1. Inward working.
2. In the outward expreſſing of it when it is wrought.
In the inward working of it two ſpciall dueties muſt be practiſed.1. In conſideration of our owne wayes.
1. Conſideration of our owne wayes to God.
2. Of Gods wayes to vsus.
1. For the firſt; There will bee no ſorrow for an euill not knowen. Sinne muſt bee ſeene, before it can bee ſorrowed for, I agnize my ſinne (ſaith Pſal. 38. 18.Dauid) and am ſorry for mine iniquity. OnelyOnly ſinners, that is, ſuch as know and feele themſelues to bee Matth. 9.ſinners, are called to Repentance. Ieremie calling Ierem. 3. 13.the Church to Repentance, firſt biddes her know her iniquity. After Chriſt had diſcouered to Laodicea Reuel. 3.her miſerable eſtate of pouerty, blindneſſe, nakedneſſe, he bids her repent.
Now vntounto a true ſight of ſinnne, there is required a narrow ſearch after it, and ſerious conſideration of it. Man ſuffers for ſinne, ſaies the Prophet: But how ſhall we know for what ſinnes? The next Lam. 3. 39. 40.words ſhew, Let vsus ſearch and try our waies, and turn to the Lord. The heart is deepe and deceitfull, and (as in ſuch houſes where malefactors are hid) many Ierem. 17 9.ſecret lurking holes are there for ſinne, vneſpied, vnleſſe a more through ſearch bee vſed. There fore the Prophet exhorting to this dutie, ſayes, Gather your ſelues, that is, gather your wits together, that diſperſed and wandred about vanities, and intentiuely Hagg. 2. 1.fixe them vponupon the conſideration of your owne eſtate. Indeed in the examination of a cloſe and cunning companion, the Iudge had need hauehave his eyes in his head. In the practiſe of Repentance wee ſit as Iudges vponupon our ſelues, and our ſinnes, and therefore in the examination and triall of them had neede hauehave our wits about vsus. And therefore the Prophet bids vsus examine our hearts on our beds, in the ſtill ſilence of the night, when there Pſal. 4.is nothing to diſtract vsus, and when after our firſt ſleepe our wits are freſheſt.
And this he preſcribeth as the only way to true humiliation. Tremble, and ſin not. There is humiliation. And that ye may do ſo, ſpeake in your ſelues, commune with your own hearts, examine your reines,
This is the firſt thing noted in that Prodigals Repentance. He came to himſelfe (ſaith Chriſt) and ſayd &c. By his ſinne, as he wandred from God, ſo Luc. 15. 17.from himſelfe, hee was a ſtranger at home in his owne ſoule. He was as it were a mad man, beſides himſelfe, he had not the vſe of his reaſon, to conſider his owne eſtate, and therefore now beginning to bethinke himſelfe of his doings, he is ſayd to come to himſelfe. A phraſe of the ſame nature is that of Salomons concerning the Repentance of the Iſraelites, When they ſhall turne to their owne hearts and returne. 1 King. 8. 47.The beginning of returning to God, is this turning to, or vponupon our owne hearts, and taking notice how matters goe there. The minde hath many motions and turnings about: but the beſt is, when in this graue and ſad conſideration it turns and reflects vponupon it ſelfe. Elſe what is it for her to mount vp into the heauens, to compaſſe about the whole earth, to flie ouer the ſeas, to deſcend downe into the bottome of the Deepe, if whiles thus buſie abroad, ſhe be idle at home, & knowing other things remaine ignorant of her ſelfe?
Dauid though a King, and had many things to thinke vponupon, yet neglected not this. I hauehave conſidered Pſal. 119. 59.my wayes, ſaith he. And what followed? VponUpon conſideration lamenting them, I turned my feet into the wayes of thy teſtimonies. It is impoſſible the ſtraying traueller ſhould returne into the way, that markes not, nor mindes not his way, that thinkes not with himſelfe, Am I in the right? When God will bring the wandring loſt ſinner home, he puts ſuch thoughts as theſe into his heart, God hath placed thee heere in this world, made thee after his image, endued thee with reaſon and vnderſtanding; ſurely, to doe ſome thing more then bruite beaſts doe, who minde onelyonly things preſent; euen to ſeeke and ſerue him according to his Word. But tell me now ô my ſoule, doeſt thou anſwer this end of thy creation? doeſt thou ſet God before thine eyes? nay rather, doeſt thou not the cleane contrary? ſo Ezechiel deſcribes the Repentance of the Iſraelites, Then ſhall yee remember your owne waies and Ezek. 16. 61. Ezek. 18. 28.courſes, and be aſhamed. And againe, Becauſe hee conſidereth, and turneth away from his tranſgreſsions. For this Conſideration inſtructs a man throughly in the knowledge of his eſtate. And after I was thus inſtructed, I repented, ſaith Ephraim. We ſee in nature Ier. 31. 18. 19.there is the ſame inſtrument of ſeeing and weeping, to ſhew that weeping depends vponupon ſeeing. Hee that ſees well, weeps well. Hee that ſees his ſinnes throughly, will bewaile them heartily.
Loe then the cauſe of that great hardneſſe of heart, and ſenſleſneſſe that raigneth this day in the world; Euen that brutiſh in conſideration, that men go on, walking raſhly, and minde not what they Leuit. 26.do, or in what caſe they ſtand to Godward. No man repented, ſaith Ieremie, but why? no man ſayd, What Ierem. 8. 6.hauehave I done? But as the horſe ruſheth into the battell, ſo they into their ſinnes, bleſſing and flattering themſelues therein; and putting away all ſuch thoughts as ſhould but once offer to make their courſes queſtionable. Bankerouts will not endure the ſight of the counting-booke, nor fowle faces of the looking glaſſe. Guilty Rahels will bee loath to riſe when ſearching Laban comes. Nay, Elephants out of the conſcience of their owne deformity, will be troubling the waters.
But if indeed we deſire to worke our hearts vntounto godly ſorrow, wee muſt then deale faithfully with them, and truly enforme them of their eſtate. And to this purpoſe an Inquiſition muſt be erected, an Audit muſt bee kept in them. Many a man prayes, and confeſſes his ſinnes, and performes Matth. 6.ſuch like outward exerciſes of Repentance, yet without any inward touch, becauſe they doe not as Chriſt counſelleth, enter into the cloſet, and ſecret parlour of their hearts, and there behold their many, and greeuous ſinnes; the ſight whereof would make them pray with greeued & troubled ſpirits, and euen poure out their ſoules vntounto the Lord in the teares of Repentance.
It were to be wiſhed that we had the fore-wit to conſult of that wee doe before hand, and to ſay, what am I a doing? But if heere we be inconſiderate, we muſt yet at the leaſt hauehave the after-wit, to examine that which is done, and to ſay, what is this we hauehave done. In the creation when God reviewed at the end of eueryevery day, the worke of the day, and at the end of the ſixe dayes, the whole and all the parts, and ſeeing all to bee good, and very good, how thinke we was hee cheered? The repenting ſinner when hee ſhall recount his dayes paſt, and take a ſuruay of his ſeuerall actions therein, and finde all naught,, and very naught, how can ſo ruefull a ſpectacle, but worke much griefe, and penſiueneſſe of minde.
A dead carkaſſe when whole, ſends foorth a filthy ſtench; much more when it is cut vp and opened. Sinne conſidered in groſſe is odious and vgly enough. But when by examination it ſhall bee anatomized, and eueryevery particular thereof diſcouered, ô how terrible muſt ſuch a ſight bee, and how auaileable to a through humiliation.
But of the neceſſity and vſe of thy Examination & ſearch of hart, and life in the practiſe of true contrition, there is no queſtion. All the difficulty is, how we ſhould examine.
For our direction therefore heerein know that in this ſearch wee muſt labour to finde out two things.
1. Our ſinne.
2. Our miſery by reaſon of ſinne.
In the ſearch of ſinne, both Originall and Actuall ſinne muſt be found out.
1. For Originall ſinne, we muſt know that in it are two things.
1. The Guilt of the firſt ſinne of Adam, in eating the forbidden fruit. For in Adam as the roote of all mankinde we all ſinned. And if wee had no inherent ſinne of our owne, this imputed ſinne of Rom. 5.his were enough to damne vsus.
2. That which neceſſarily followeth vponupon the former; The generall corruption, and deprauation of our whole nature: and it conſiſts in theſe two points.
1. The whole man is in Euill. EueryEvery part and power of ſoule and body is infected with this leproſie: from the Crowne of the head to the ſoales of the feet, there is nothing but boiles and botches.
2. Whole euill is in man; that is to ſay, the ſeeds of, and ſo a fitneſſe to all ſinnes, euen the moſt odious. As the Chaos at the firſt creation had the ſeeds Gen. 1. 2.of all creatures, and wanted onelyonly the ſpirits motion to bring them foorth: ſo this Chaos and maſſe of ſinne hath the ſeedes of all ſinnes, and wants but the powerfull motion of Sathan, and warmth of his temptations to hatch euen Cockatrices, and ſuch like poyſoned monſters. O how ſhould this humble vsus to thinke what venomed natures wee hauehave, ſo that neuer was there any villany committed by any forlorne Miſcreant wherunto we hauehave not a diſpoſition in our ſelues. We cry out of Cain, Iudas, Iulian, the Sodomites. Why, we carry them all in our own boſoms. They are but glaſſes to ſee our Prou. 27. 19.faces in: as in the water, face anſwereth to face, ſo doth the heart of man to man, ſaith Salomon. As there is a full agreement twixt the liuing face, and the repreſentation in the water, ſo twixt Iudas his heart, and any other mans: as there is the ſame nature of all lyons, ſo of all men.
Let then the ſchoole-men goe and teach that Thom. in ſupple.Contrition is not for Originall, but onelyonly Actuall, and thoſe mortall ſinnes. But he that ſhall in ſearching ſee what a bottomleſſe gulfe, what a filthie ſincke it is, ſhall ſee what cauſe he hath to bewaile it with Paul, and with Dauid.Rom. 7. Pſal. 51.
II. For Actuall ſinnes, we muſt ſearch out what we can.
1. The number.
2. The hainouſneſſe of them.
1. As touching the number, diuers directions for ſearch may be giuen.
A man may conſider himſelfe according to thoſe diuers relations wherein he ſtands bound to God, to himſelfe, to his brethren, either in the Church as a Miniſter, in the Common-wealth as a Magiſtrate, in the family as father, mother, childe, maſter, ſeruant, husband, wife. Now a man ſhould carry himſelfe along through all theſe conſiderations, and examine himſelfe of the diſcharge of his duty, and in eueryevery one of them.
Or elſe he may deuide his time according to the ſeuerall places and conditions, wherein hee hath paſſed it. So much time ſpent in my Parents family: ſo much in apprentiſhippe: ſo much in ſingle life: ſo much in marriage: ſo much priuately: ſo much in this or that publique calling: ſo much in this towne, ſo much in that: ſo much in this houſe, ſo much in that. And heere he muſt examine himſelfe how he hath filled vp the empty ſpaces of his houres; what good he hath done in theſe ſeuerall portions of time.
But the beſt way of examination is by the Law of the ten commandement truely vnderſtood, and applied. For many will acknowledge themſelues ſinners in groſſe, but come to the particulars of the Law, and then they are innocent, they neuer brake either the firſt, or ſecond, or third &c. commandement. Like as if a man ſaying he were ſicke, and being thereupon asked where, and led a long from his head to the feete, ſhould yet then be well in eueryevery particular part. The reaſon is, becauſe the Law is not vnderſtood by them; For by the Law Rom 3.(vnderſtood) comes the knowledge of ſinne.
Therefore to helpe vsus in examining our hearts by the Law, theſe rules of interpretation muſt bee remembred. 1. VnderUnder the negatiue, the affirmatiue is comprehended. When euill is forbidden, the contrary, good is commanded. 2. VnderUnder one good or euill action, all of the ſame kinde or nature are comprehended, yea, all occaſions and meanes leading thereto. 3. The Law is ſpirituall, and bindes euen the heart and thoughts thereof. 4. The Law requires not onelyonly our obſeruation, but preſeruation, that is, that we doe not only keep it our ſelues, but cauſe others alſo what in vsus lieth to keep it. And therefore it forbids not only the doing of euill our ſelues, but helping, or any way furthering of others, though but by ſilence, conniuence, or ſlight reproofe, as that of Eli to his ſonnes. This rule is gathered out of the fourth commandement; Thou, thy ſonne &c. which by proportion muſt be applied to all the reſt. 5. That ſpecially wee muſt ſearch our ſelues by the firſt and laſt commandement: for that they pierce deeper then the reſt, euen to thoughts not conſented to.
Thus conceiuing of the Law lay it to thy heart, and try thy ſelfe by it, and loe with Ezekiel ſtill ſhalt thou ſee new, and freſh abhominations
1. Command. Thou ſhalt hauehave no other Gods but mee.
Thou wilt ſay, I beleeue that there is onelyonly one true God, maker of heauen and earth, and I defie all the Idols of the Heathen.
Anſw. Yea, but the Law is ſpirituall, and claimes the heart, the affections, the thoughts. In the which looke how many ſinnes are cheriſhed, ſo many falſe gods are there choſen, as it were Barrabaſſes rather then Chriſt. Looke how many creatures thou inordinately loueſt, feareſt, truſteſt, reioyceſt in, ſo many new gods haſt thou coyned: and wilt thou then plead not guilty this commandement arraigning thee?
2. Command. Thou ſhalt not make any grauen image.
O ſayes one, I abhorre the Popiſh images, and the idolatry of the maſſe. Yea, but vnderunder the negatiue, the affirmatiue is comprehended. Doeſt thou louelove the true worſhip of God, as thou hateſt the falſe. Thou deteſteſt Popiſh faſting; loueſt thou true faſts? Thou loatheſt the maſſe: Delighteſt thou in the ſupper of the Lord? Thou deſpiſeſt the Prieſts of Antichriſt: Reuerenceſt thou the miniſters of Chriſt? Theſe interrogatories will poſe and pulſe many.
3. Command. Take not Gods name in vaine.
I heare thee ſaying; I cannot away with ſwearing. Yea, but doeſt thou reprooue others ſwearing, Leu. 5. 1. for the Law muſt be preſerued, not obſerued onelyonly. Againe, vnderunder Gods name is comprehended his word, workes, and whatſoeuer it is whereby he makes himſelfe knowen, According to the rule, vnderunder one kinde &c. And diddeſt thou neuer heare ſermons vnpreparedly, irreuerently? &c.
4. Command. Keepe holy the Sabaoth.
Why we worke not; we trauell not. Wee come to Church. Yea, but the Law is ſpirituall, and requireth euen the reſt of thy heart from worldly thoughts, much more of thy tongue from worldly ſpeeches. And how often haſt thou here offended.
5. Command. Honour thy father &c.
O I ſhould be vnnaturall if I did not ſo. Yea, but thy Magiſtrate, thy Miniſter, thy Husband, thy Maſter, thy Superiours are thy Fathers alſo. And haſt thou no way failed in performance of honour to all theſe? And thou that art any of theſe fathers haſt thou preſerued this Law? or rather by an vnbeſeeming carriage haſt thou not inuited thy inferiours to contemne thee?
6. Command. Thou ſhalt not kill.
Heere thou thinkeſt thy ſelfe innocent indeede. Yea, but there is a murther of the heart, hatred, wrath &c. Perhaps by greeuing the heart of thy brother vniuſtly thou haſt ſhortned his dayes. Or if free from bodily murther, yet haply thou haſt murthered his ſoule by thy negligence, by thy euill example.
7. Command. Againſt Adultery.
Here alſo the luſt of the heart, yea, the vſe of any prouokements thereof, as idleneſſe, drunkenneſſe, gluttony, wanton bookes, lookes, pictures, dances, ſpeeches, veſture, geſture are ſufficient to make thee guilty before God: yea, winking at it in others.
8. Command. Againſt ſtealing.
Heere euen Couetouſneſſe is a Pick-purſe before God. Yea, and not to vphold the eſtate of our brother is ſtealing, for the poore are made owners of part of our goods. Prou. 3.
9. Command. Againſt falſe witneſſe bearing.
Where lying, flattering, detracting, liſtning to tales, yea, not giuing teſtimony to thy brothers name, and commending Gods grace in him, makes thee guilty.
10. Command. Cuts to the very quicke, condemning the very firſt motions of ſinnes ſpringing out of our hearts, though reiected preſently.
Well then, this filthy dunghill, how euer vnſtirred it did not annoy vsus, yer after this raking in it the ſtench will bee intollerable. Though in our blindneſſe wee might pleaſe our ſelues, yet when our eyes are opened to looke in this glaſſe, ô what vgly creatures ſhall wee thinke our ſelues then? Though in the darke ſeeing no danger, wee were feareleſſe, yet by this light diſcerning not onelyonly the beames, but euen the leaſt moates, and ſeeing ſo infinite a ſwarme of ſinnes, yea, an army of iniquities incompaſſing vsus, how can we chuſe but be confounded in our ſelues, and forced to cry out with Iob, Not one of a thouſand: and with Dauid, If thou markeſt what is done amiſſe, who ſhall abide it.Pſal. 130. 3.
2. Beſides the number of our ſinnes, their hainouſneſſe muſt alſo be found out. A ſore which at firſt ſeemes nothing, by reaſon of the ſmall quantity of skin that is broken, afterward being ſearched, and launched, and the dead fleſh taken out, the hole is much greater then before. So ſinnes which ſeeme ſmall and petty ſinnes to carnall ciuill men, ſuch as they thinke may eaſily be waſhed away with a few formall curſory prayers, when once they begin to ſearch them by the Law, they appeare out of meaſure ſinnefull.
There is no greater hinderer of ſerious humiliation, then that tricke of extenuation, whereby men deale with their ſinnes, as the ſteward with his maſters debts, for an hundred, he ſet downe fifty. But Luc. 16.if wee would make our hearts bleede in godly ſorrow, wee muſt ſtrictly preſſe eueryevery circumſtance, whereby it may be aggrauated. It is noted in Peters weeping that he firſt weighed his ſinne, and conſidered the heightning circumſtances, the perſon Mar. 14. 72.denied, Ieſus Chriſt, the Lord of glory, his owne perſon that denied, a Diſciple of Chriſt, the means hee had to hauehave kept him, Chriſts admonition, the manner, with ſwearing and curſing, and that not once but often. So doth Dauid amplifie his ſinne by his knowledge, Pſalm. 51. Thou haſt taught mee wiſdome in my ſecret parts. I cannot plead ignorance, Pſal. 51. 6.thou haſt moſt familiarly and fully acquainted mee with thy will.
In this ſearch alſo the place where, and the time when the ſinne was committed would bee inquired after. Drunkenneſſe on the Sabaoth, ſwearing in the Church-aſſembly, receiue increaſe of filthineſſe from the holineſſe of the time and place. Hoſea thus brands the drunkenneſſe of the Nobles. In the day of the King, wherein either his birth or Hoſ. 7. 5.coronation was ſolemnized, which craued Prayers rather then Cups, euen then they made themſelues drunke with flagons of wine.
Inquire alſo whether the ſinne hauehave been repeated often, and ſpecially after Repentance, and how long it hath beene continued in: for cuſtome and daily practiſe ripens ſin. Idleneſſe to the twelfth houre is greater then to the ſixt. And this is the ſearch we muſt make for our ſinnes.
2. As our ſinne, ſo our miſery procured by ſin muſt be conſidered and beheld in the Law. Euen the curſe of God begun heere, and to bee perfited heerafter in torments eaſeleſſe and endleſſe. Curſed is eueryevery one that abideth not in all the things written in Deut. 27. 26.this booke. And this curſe muſt be applyed to eueryevery particular Commandement, and not to the whole Law onelyonly.
When thus wee ſhall know our eſtate, our nature to bee poyſoned, our liues laden with innumerable, & thoſe hainous and horrible rebellions, bringing vsus into the ſtate of condemnation, on our parts wholly vnauoydable; when a man ſhall know all this, what flinty breſt is there that cannot be mooued? Strike the rocke of thy heart, with the rod of the Law, diſcouering thy ſinne, thy miſery, and riuers of water will guſh foorth.
And this is the firſt duty for prouoking of godly ſorrow the conſideration of our owne wayes.2. In Conſideration of God wayes of
The ſecond followeth, the conſideration of Gods wayes, both of
Iuſtice.
Mercy.1. Iuſtice, And Lam. 3.
1. Of Iuſtice: It worketh much vponupon the heart, when a man conſiders how the Lord hath met with him in his ſinne, and hath ſhaped anſwerable puniſhments. My ſoule hath them (namely the gall and wormewood of my afflictions) in remembrance, & is humbled within me, ſaith the repenting Church. So Haggay prouoking the Iewes to Repentance. Hagg. 1. 6.Conſider (ſaith he) your wayes in your hearts: but ſo, that withall yee conſider Gods wayes proportionable in the puniſhment, to yours in the ſinne. Yee hauehave ſowen much, and hauehave reaped little, yee hauehave eaten and hauehave not beene filled, drunken, and not ſatisfied, &c. marke the long taile of puniſhments your ſinnes hauehave drawen after them.
So the Church of Epheſus being called to Repentance, is firſt bidden to remember from whence ſhee is Reuel. 2. 5.fallen by her ſinne, what ſhe had loſt thereby, viz. the preſence of the ſpirit, boldneſſe of faith, peace of conſcience, ioy in the holy Ghoſt, free acceſſe vntounto God in praier. Such loſſes throughly thoght vponupon will pierce the heart with godly ſorrow, and make the fallen Chriſtian ſay with Iob, Oh that it Iob 29.were with me as in times paſt, and with Dauid, When I remember theſe things my ſoule is powred out within Pſal. 42.mee.
2. Of Mercy; where the patience, prouidence, 2. Of mercy.bounty, and kindneſſe of the Lord is ſeriouſly to be recognized of vsus; knowing as the Apoſtle ſpeaketh, that it leadeth vsus to repentance. But heere ſpecially Rom. 2.excelleth the meditation of the death and paſſion of Chriſt; wherein thou ſhalt ſee both the infiniteneſſe of thy ſinne, and Gods louelove. And heere conſider thy ſinnes as the Iudas that betrayed, the ſouldiers that apprehended, bound, ſmote and wounded thy Sauiour, as the gall and vineger in his mouth, ſpittle in his face, thorns on his head, nailes in his hands, ſpeare in his ſide. Surely, if a man but vnwittingly ſhould kill, though the ſillieſt and baſeſt man that is, it could not yet but be a great trouble vntounto him. What then ſhould this be to vsus, that we hauehave wilfully murthered the Lord of glory, the ſonne of God himſelfe?
Behold alſo Gods infinite louelove, and ſee Chriſt doing the ſame to thy ſinnes, which they to him, and in ſuffering death at their hands, inflicting death on them, and all other thy ſpirituall enemies: for God doth that to his enemies to make vsus relent, which he bids vsus doe to ours: If thine enemie hunger giuegive him meat, if he thirſt giuegive him drinke. Nay, Rom. 12. 20.when we Gods enemies were dead hee gaue vsus life, and that by the death of his owne ſonne, and ſo hath heaped coales of fire on our heads, to melt our harts in godly ſorrow. The way then to pierce our hearts with ſorrow for ſin, is to behold Chriſt pierced with nailes on the croſſe. Then ſhall they looke on mee whom they hauehave pierced, and lament.Ezech. 12.
And this is the conſideration both of our own, and Gods wayes, required as an incentiue and prouokement of godly ſorrow. The which ſhall bee farre more effectuall, if we keepe iournals or day-bookes of them both, both of our ſpeciall ſinnes, and Gods ſpeciall mercies: for then in the exerciſes of Repentance may we the more eaſily ſet our ſinnes in order before our eyes, and for the better affecting of our hearts, may we ſpread the catalogue of our ſinnes before the Lord, as Ezekiah did Rabſakehs 2. Kin. 19. 14.blaſphemous letter. This courſe holy Bradford tooke, and ſome thinke Iob did ſo, becauſe of that ſpeech, Not one of a thouſand.