The Application of Redemption, Book 9
The Ninth Book.
ISAIAH, 57. 15.
Thus saith He that is the High, and the Lofty One that inhabiteth Eternity, whose Name is Holy; I dwell in the High and the Holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble Spirit.
THe Work of Preparation having Two Parts:
First, The Lords manner of Dispensation as he is pleased to deal with the Soul, for the setting up the praise of his Rich and Glorious Grace: and therefore with a holy kind of Violence he plucks the … from his sins unto himself, and his Christ. This hath been dispatched already in the former Discourse.
The Second now follows: And that is the Frame and Disposition which is wrought in the Hearts of such as the Lord hath purposed to save, and to whom he hath dispensed himself in that gracious Work of his.
Contrition,
Humiliation.
This Disposition consists especially in Two Things
That so I may follow the Phrase of Scripture, and retain the Lords own Words in the Text, where the Lord saith, that he dwels with him that is of an humble and contrite Heart.
To omit al manner of Coherence, and other Circumstances, we will pass all the other Specials in the Verse, and point at that Particular which will suit our proceeding, and may afford ground to the following Discourse, that we may go no further than we see the Pillar of Fire, the Lord in his Truth to go before us. We shal fasten then upon the last words only, as those that fit our Intendment.
To make way for our selves in short, there is one word alone to be opened, that so the Point may be better fitted for our Application; we must know what it is to dwel, or how God is said … dwell in a contrite and humble heart?
I Answer, To Dwell implies Three Things.
First, That the Lord owns such as those in whom he hath an especial interest, and claims a special propriety, as though he left all the rest of man-kind to lie wast as a Common, that the World, and the Devil, and Sin may …, and use at their pleasure, reserving the Honor of his Justice, which by a strong hand he will exact as a Tribute due to himself out of all things in Heaven and Earth, and Hell and all; but persons whom he thus fits, he reserves for his own special Improvement. As Princes and Persons of place and quality, do lease out, and let some Forrests and Commons to the Inhabitants bordering thereabout, reserving some acknowledgment of Fealty and Royalty to themselves, but the choyce and best Pallaces or Granges of greatest worth, and profit, they reserve for their own peculiar to inhabit in. So here, the Lord leaseth out the World, and the wicked in it to the Devil and his Angels, and Instruments, reserving a Royalty and Prerogative to himself, as that he will have his Homage and Acknowledgment of dependance upon himself; but his broken-hearted ones are his own for his own Improvement, Deut. 32. 8, 9. When the most High divided to the Nations their Inheritance. and separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of his People according to the number of the Children of Israel, for the Lords Portion is his People Israel, the Lot of his Inheritance: Ye are the Temple of the Living God; 2 Cor. 6. 16. Yea, to them the Lord himself saies, Ye are my People, and they shall say, thou art my God, Zach. 13. last. Therefore he professeth, that though in the course of his Providence he goes on progress over all the world, yet he takes up his dwelling and abode amongst his own People. For,
Secondly, Where a man dwels, as he owns the house, so he takes up his abode there, it is the place of his residence; we say any may know where to seek men, or where to find them, at home, at their own house: That's the difference between Inning and Dwelling; we Inn at a place in our passing by, when we take repast only, and bait, but depart presently, intending not to stay; but where we dwel, we settle our abode, we take up our stand there, and stir no further. So the Lord is said then to dwel in the Soul, when he vouchsafes the constant expression of his peculiar presence and assistance to the soul. True it is that the Lord fills Heaven and Earth with his presence, yea, the Heaven of Heavens is not able to contain him, Jer. 23. 24. His infinite Being is every where, and one and the same every where in regard of himself; because his being is most simple, and not subject to any shadow of change, being all one with himself. Yet he is said to take up his abode in a special manner, when he doth put forth the peculiar expression of his Work; as in Heaven he dwels, because he puts forth the constant expression of his Glory, and that in the full brightness of it without any alteration and change. Here in this Spiritual Temple, the Souls of his Saints, he puts forth the peculiar expression of the constant assistance of his blessed Spirit. I will pray the Father, and he shall send you another Comforter, who shall abide with you for ever, John 14. 16. 1 Joh. 2. 23. Ye have received an anointing which abideth in you.
Dwelling, if it be attributed to the chiefest Inhabitant and Owner of the House, it implies also the ruling and ordering of the occasions that come under hand there, the exercising of the Government of the house and family where the Owner is, and dwels. He that lodgeth at a House as a stranger, comes to an Inn as a Passenger, he takes what he finds, hath what he can receive of kindness and courtesie; but the Owner is the Commander of the House where he dwels, and the orderer of all the Affairs that appertain thereunto. So doth the Lord with a broken Heart. Thus we are said to live in the Spirit, and to walk in the Spirit, Gal. 5. 25. And it's that which follows by Inference upon this ground, John 15. 4. 5. If I abide in you, and you abide in me, you shal bring forth much fruit; and therefore its added also in this place, that the Lord dwels in the contrite and humble heart to receive the Spirit of the contrite ones, they yeeld themselves to be acted by him, and they shall be acted and quickened by him to Eternal Life.
So that the full meaning is, The contrite and humble heart is such to whom the Lord vouchsafes acceptance, special presence and abode, and peculiar guidance; he owns him, abides with him, and rules in him for ever.
True, it is said Christ dwels in our Hearts by Faith, Eph. 3. 17. and as many as beleeve in him, they receive him, John 1. 12. That is done as by the next and immediate hand, by which we say hold on Christ, and give entertainment to him; but unless the heart be broken and humbled, we cannot receive Faith, that we may receive Christ. And while the soul is thus breaking and humbling, Faith also is coming in a right sense, rightly understood; whereof we shal speak somwhat largely, if the Lord give us leave to come to that place.
The Words thus opened, the Point is the very letter of the Text, which looks full upon every Hearer or Reader that will look upon the Text.
The Heart must be broken and humbled, beforeDoct. the Lord will own it as His, take up his abode with it, and rule in it.
There must be Contrition and Humiliation before the Lord comes to take possession; the House must be aired and fitted before it comes to be inhabited, swept by brokenness and emptiness of Spirit, before the Lord will come to set up his abode in it. This was typified in the passage of the Children of Israel towards the promised Land; they must come into, and go through a vast and a roaring Wilderness, where they must be bruised with many pressures, humbled under many overbearing difficulties, they were to meet withal before they could possess that good Land which abounded with all prosperity, flowed with Milk and Honey. The Truth of this Type, the Prophet Hosea explains, and expresseth at large in the Lords dealing with his People in regard of their Spiritual Condition, Hos. 2. 14, 15. I will lead … into the wilderness, and break her heart with many bruising Miseries, and then I will speak kindly to her heart, and will give her the Valley of Achor for a door of hope; the story you may recal out of Jos. 7. 28. when Achan had offended in the execrable thing, and the hearts of the Israelites were discomfited and failed, like water spilt upon the ground, because they had caused the Lord to depart away from them, the Text saies, they having found out the offender by lot, they stoned him, and they said thou hast troubled Israel, we will trouble thee, and they called it the Valley of Achor, and after that God supported their hearts with hope, and encouraged them with success, both in prevailing over their Enemies, and in possessing the Land. So it shall be Spiritually, the Valley of Consternation, perplexity of Spirit, and brokenness of heart, is the very gale and entrance of any sound hope, and assured expectation of good. This I take to be the true meaning and intendment of the place, and part of the description of a good Hearer, Luke 8. 15. Who with an honest and good heart receives the Word, and keeps it, by strong hand, and brings forth fruit with patience; the fruit is Obedience, Patience is part of Sanctification, and the holy disposition of heart, that must be in the heart, that brings and bears such fruit, that which makes the heart good is Faith in Vocation, which enables the soul to lay hold upon Christ in the Word, and from him to receive that lively vertue of Patience, and readiness to every holy word and work. And an honest heart is a contrite and humble heart, so rightly prepared that Faith is infused, and the soul thereby carried unto Christ, and quickened with patience to persevere in good Duties. As we say of Grounds before we cast in Seed; there is two things to be attended there, It must be a fit ground, and a fat ground; the ground is fit when the weeds and green sword are plowed up, and the soyl there, and made mould: And this is done in … and Humiliation; then it must be a fat ground, the soyl must have heart, we say the ground is plowed well, and lies well, but it's worn out, it's out of heart: Now Faith fats the soyl, furnisheth the soul with ability to fasten upon Christ, and so to receive the Seed of the Word, and the Graces of Sanctification, and thence it produceth good … in Obedience: Upon this condition Gods favor is promised, Psal. 34. 18. The Lord is nigh to them that be of a contrite spirit, and saveth them that be of a broken heart. Isay 61. 3. He gives the Garment of praise to those that have had the spirit of heaviness; it will suit none, fit none, it's prepared for none but such, it's their Livery only. Upon this condition it is obtained, Mat. 18. 3. Unless ye be converted, and become as little Children, ye can in no wise enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. 2 Chron. 33. 12. It's said of Mannasseh, he humbled himself greatly, and made supplication, and the Lord was intreated of him; such persons and services are highly accepted, Psal. 51. 17. A broken and contrite heart O God, thou wilt not despise, nay, he wil undoubtedly accept of it.
The Reasons of the Point are taken, partly in regard of the heart, which without these will neither be fitted nor enabled to act upon God in Christ for any good; partly in regard of God, all his Ordinances and Dispensations will be unprofitable, and unable to do that good which he intends, and we need.
To the first in regard of our Hearts; those Lets andReas. impediments which put a kind of incapability, yea, and impossibility upon the soul, whereby the coming of Faith into the Heart, and so the entrance and residence of the Spirit are hindred, are by this disposition wrought, and removed. These Impediments are two:
The … which stops the way and work of Faith is, a setled kind of contentedness in our corrupt condition, and the blind, yet bold and presumptuous confidence that a natural man hath, and would maintain of his good condition. Each man sits down willingly, well apaid with his own estate and portion, sees no need of any change, and therefore not willing to hear of it. Each man is so full of self-love that he is loth to pass a sentence against his own soul, to become a judg and selfcondemner, and consequently an executioner of all his hopes and comforts at once, and so put his happiness and help out of his own hand. Besides, we are Naturally afraid (out of the privy, yet direful guilt of our own Consciences) to profess the wretchedness of our own miserable and damnable Condition, as to put it upon a peremptory conclusion, and that beyond question, I am undone, I am a damned man, in the Gall of bitterness, in the bonds of iniquity, lest they should stir such horrors, which they are neither able to quiet, nor yet able to bear. And therefore out of the presumption of their own hearts, they would easily perswade and delude themselves, they have no cause to alter their condition, and therfore they should not endeavor it. Hence the carnal heart is said to bear up himself against all the assaults of the Word, Deut. 29. 19. When all the Curses of the Law were denounced with never so much evidence, yet the presumptuous sinner blesseth himself, promiseth all good to himself, and secretly feeds himself with vain hopes that he shal attain it, therfore he wil not stir to seek for a better estate, nor yet receive it if offered, Job, 22. 17. They say unto the Almighty, depart from us, we desire not the knowledg of his waies: do Ministers press them, do others perswade them to a more serious and narrow search, to get more grounded assurance of their estate in Grace, they profess they bid them to their loss, they think they need not be better, nor do they desire to be other. It is impossible upon these terms that ever the soul should be carried by Faith unto God.
For to be contented and quieted with our condition, as that which best pleaseth, and yet to seek out for another, are things contradictory. And yet this Faith doth, For he that is in Christ, is a new Creature, behold all things are become new, 2 Cor. 5. 17. he must have new comforts, new desires, new hopes, … … heart must be broken to pieces under the weight of the evil of sin, and the Curses due to the old condition, before this wil part; for that the word here used with great elegancy and pregnancy implies, viz. by an oppressing weight to be pashed to pouder and dust. … the Psalmist useth it, Psal. 90. 3. Thou turnest man to pouder, to the dust of death: when a … composition is dissolved, and the body returned again into its first principle; so the word here by way of resemblance, implies that the soul should find his corruption his greatest oppression, so that the composition betwixt sin and his soul should be dissolved and taken down, and the nature of man return to his first principles, and primitive disposition, that he sees an absolute necessity to change, and then he will seek and be willing to receive a change: The … need no Physitian, and therefore will not seek; but the sick that need, will be content to receive; The issue is, If the soul be contented with its sinful condition, and would not have a change, then it cannot be under the power of Faith, or receive that which will bring a change; but before the soul be broken under the pressure of sin, it would not have a change, therefore so long it cannot be under the power of Faith.
Be it granted that the soul finds sin as a plague, and therefore would be preserved from the evil of it: the second impediment which wholly keeps out Faith is this, When the sinner expects supply and … from its own sufficiency, either outward excellencies, abilities of Nature, or common Graces, or the beauty of some performances which issue from any of these: For this is Natural to all men ever since Innocency, That since the staff was put into his own hand, and then needed not, nay should not deny their own strength, … to this day this practice of old Adam remain still in all his posterity, they will scramble for their own Comforts and try the utmost of their own strength, to help themselves rather than be … to another to help them: Hence in cases of Conscience and trouble, men are so ready to resolve, so apt and free to promise and profess amendment, what they will do, and others shall see it as well as … … it, and so alas it comes to nothing in … …, either they fall back unto their base courses, when horror and fear is over, or else wasting … into a … formality, and so perish in their Hypocrisie. This is an apparent bar to faith, which is the going out of the soul to fetch all life and power from …. Now wholly to be in our selves, and to stay upon our own ability, and yet to go out of himself … …, and receive all from his sufficiency, are things which … stand together, I came not to call the …, …. 9. 13. While they sought to establish … own …, they did not submit to the Righteousness of God.
Hence t … the second work of Humiliation is required, … God plucks away all his props, and … him wholly of what he hath or seemeth to have. For pride (unto which Humiliation is opposite) is but the rankness of praise, and praise is a fruit of a cause by counsel, that hath power to do or not to do this or that, as he sees … Humiliation is the utter nothingness of the soul, that we have no power, it's not in our choyce to dispose of our selves, not yet to dispose of that which another gives, nor yet safe to repine at his dispose: In a word, as in a Scion before it be ingrafted into another stock, it must be cut osf srom the old, and pared, and then implanted. In Contrition we are cut off; in Humiliation pared, and so sit to be implanted into Christ by Faith.
In regard of God, without this disposition his WordReas. will not, nay cannot take any place in us, or prevail with us for our good: Counsels, and Commands, and Comforts, or whatever Dispensations, they fal as water upon a Rock, when administred to a hard heart, they enter not, prevail not, profit not at all. As Christ told the Jews, John, 8. 37. 'My Word takes no place in you, and Zach. 7. 11, 12. They hardened their hearts as an Adamant, &c.
A word of terror to dash the hopes, and sink the heartsUse, 1. of all haughty and hard hearted sinners, God owns not such, will never vouchsafe his gracious presence with them, or his Blessing upon them for good; be where they will, dwell where they will, the Lord is not with them, nor will dwel in them, by his comforting, quickening, saving presence: Hear and fear then all you stouthearted, stubborn, and rebellious Creatures, whose consciences can evidence that the day is yet to dawn, the hour yet to come, that ever you found your sins a pressure to you, they have been your past-time and delight in which you have pleased your selves, so far from being troubled for your evils that it is your only trouble you may not commit them with content, and without controul, you are troubled with Admonitions, and Counsels, and Commands, and Threatnings that cross you in your sins. You were never broken-hearted here for your abominations, know assuredly that you wil burn for them one day; your proud hearts were never abased, and laid in the dust, the Lord will ruinate both you and them. Never expect a good look from God, set your heart at rest for that, you may draw the Eyes of others after you, make many of your deluded followers and Favorites to look upon you, but the Lord will not come neer, nor once cast a loving look towards you, Psal. 138. 6. Though the Lord be high, he hath respect to the lowly, but he knows the proud afar off. Nay, the great God of Heaven and Earth is up in Arms against thee, he is upon the March to work thy destruction, James, 4. 6. The Lord resists the proud, but he gives Grace to the humble; all Grace is in his gift, and he doles it only to the bruised and abased; but there is no thought nor expectation that thou shalt receive any Grace, nay, that Grace that thy rebellious and proud heart hath opposed and resisted, will work thy own ruine. Thou art the mark of Gods direful indignation and vengeance, he plants all his Forces against thee; If all the Wisdom in Heaven can contrive thy confusion, all the Power in Heaven work it, all the Justice there determine it, it shall be done. God is nigh to them that are of a contrite heart, he saveth such as be of a broken spirit, Psal. 34. 18. true, and mark it, Of such, but such thou … not, such thou deridest, scornest, whose hearts fail them under the weight of their abominations, thou lookest at them as mopish, silly, despicable men, well, such you shall see saved for ever, when such untamed, …, proud wretches as thou art shall be turned into Hell.
But we do see our …, and have had many girds andObj. galls of Conscience for them.
True, It may be there hath … some blows uponAns. thine heart, Conscience it hath … thee, the … of the Word, it hath laid … …, but it … not broken thy heart to this day; … that is thus … (to go no further now than the very expression of the Text.)
If thy soul be beaten to … with this oppression of thy distempers (for so this brokenness of heart was opened before) then as it is with the hardest flints, when they are broken to dust, they are easily …, and give way to take the impression of the hand, or whatever is laid upon them: The stone which out of its hardness before, opposed and started aside from the strongest … … was laid; now its turned into dust the least and easiest touch leaves a print and impression upon it; so it is expounded, as appears in this opposition, 2 Chron: 30. 8. Be not stiff-necked, but yield your selves. Observe then, is it so? when the power of the Word comes, the Scriptures are pregnant, Arguments …, … sweet, … sharp and …, yet … heart shifts and starts aside, and hits back the Authority of the truth, which thou canst not gain-say. The heart may be battered, but it was never broken, it may be over powred and awed; but it was néver humbled to this day. Its that of Prov. 3. 32. The froward in heart is an abomination to the Lord, but the upright, he that lies level, and bows to the Truth, are his delight. A froward man, that is, he that turns off from the Authority of the Truth: Is this thy temper? thy heart was never broken to dust to this day, but frampful and froward, know thou art an abomination to the Lord. If thou shouldst go to Heaven to dwel there, truly God would go out of Heaven, he would not dwell with thee.
Pharaoh is the pattern of all proud Hearts, he hardened himself in his wickedness against the Word of the Lord. But a broken and humble heart, either lies right, or will come right, it will come to that bent of the … that is revealed: Hard things makes that which is … soft to assimilate to them; easie and yielding things assimilate to whatever they close: so Water in a round Vessel … that form, in a three square Vessel, takes that. … ….
…, To teach us to delight in such, to desireUse, the … of such as are … and humble men', to dwel there where God dwels; seem their persons never so mean, their conditions never so base, their estates never so low, themselves never so despitable, yet if they be men of broken Spirits, God is with them. Go into their Societies as men that resolve to go to the Court; for where the King is, the Court is; and where God is, Heaven is: the Lord hath two Thrones; the one of Glory in Heaven, where he is all in all to his; another here on Earth, an humble heart, where he doth all only of himself, and for himself. Therefore as they in Zachary, 8. last, Ten men shall lay hold on the skirt of a Jew, and they shall say, we will go with you, for we have … God is with you. Much more here, for the Lord is not only with humble hearts, but he dwels in them; we should therfore entertain such Servants into our Families, such Inhabitants into Plantations, and such Members into Congregations, for so you entertain God himself; Resolve as Ruth to Naomi, Entreat me not to forsake thee, for where thou …, I will live, thy people shall be my people, thy God my God, where thou diest I will die, and there will I be buried, and nothing but death shall part thee and me. Nay go further, ye blessed Spirits (say) death shall not part us, I will be broken-hearted with you, and humble with you, and God shall dwel in us, and we shal dwel with him in Heaven for ever. Oh now ye are right, keep here, and be happy here for ever.
Exhortation, To perswade us all, and to prevail withUse, 3. us to take the right way to enjoy Gods presence, not only to seek for mercy, but seek it in Gods Order, not only to covet Gods presence, but in Gods …; labor to be humble and broken-hearted Christians: then expect we may that the Lord will manifest the presence of his Grace and Spirit with us, and in us, but not else: Every man catcheth at Christ, and Mercy, and Comfort, but not in a right Method, and therefore they lose him, and their labor also. This is Gods order: First be humble and broken, and then he will revive your Spirits with his presence, 2. Cor. 6. 19. Come out from among them, and touch no unclean thing; then I will receive you, and be a Father to you. In a word, strive to enter in at the straight Gate of Contrition and Humiliation, and then you will hit the right way to Christ and eternal Life.