The Dejected Souls Cure, Sermon 14
SERMON XIV.
Pſal. 42. 11.
Why art thou caſt down, O my ſoul? and why art thou diſquieted within me? hope thou in God, for I ſhall yet praiſe him—The health of my Countenance, and my God.
I Have laid down ſix Differences already of that diſquiet that doth ariſe from a natural Conſcience in wicked men under the guilt of conſcience for ſin, and between that holy diſquiet of ſoul for ſin found in the godly.
The ſeventh Difference in orders is this, Wicked men are diſquieted for ſin, but it is as cauſing outward afflictions rather then as cauſing inward and ſpiritual withdrawings of Gods face, I may allude to that in Job. 41. 25. When he raiſeth Job 41. 25.up himſelf, the mighty are affraid: by reaſon of breakings they purifie themſelves. When God breaks them by outward afflictions, then they be think themſelves what evil they have done, and how they muſt amend and better their days; but it is more becauſe of danger of death then out of love of purity; this makes men ſay, I muſt purifie my ſelf not becauſe ſin is impure, but becauſe it breaks my body, and breaks my outward comforts from me: it ſin did not afflict the body, it ſhould never afflict the ſoul of a wicked man by his will. Wicked men are like that man that was in a deep conſumption of his Lungs, and complained to a Phyſician of a Whitloe upon his finger. Men are troubled at afflictions that are but trivial and toyes; but when they do conſume in their graces, and neer unto an eternal death, (ſin and the conſumption of grace) that doth not trouble them; men that are thus diſquieted more becauſe of affliction then the inward withdrawings of God's face from them, they are fitly ſet out by Ducks in a Pond of Water; let a little Peble ſtone be caſt into the Water and the Ducks will dive; but let it Thunder in the Heavens, the Ducks are not affraid. I may make this Uſe of it, Wicked men are like Ducks; let God but give them a blow on their outward man, afflict their bodies, this will make them dive, croutch, tremble and make them affraid; but let the Heavens be lowring, let God's face be eclipſed, if ſin did not trouble the body, it ſhould never trouble the conſcience: A godly man is troubled at affliction for ſin-ſake, but a wicked man is troubled at ſin for affliction-ſake; it is affliction makes him troubled at ſin. But now a godly man is of a far different temper, he is diſquieted at ſin more becauſe of the inward withdrawings of God's face, then becauſe of the outward afflictions of the body. Pſal. 30. 7. Lord by thy favour thou haſt made my mountain to ſtand ſtrong; Thou didſt hide thy face, and I was troubled. David had trouble in the Kingdome at that time, had troubles on his Perſon; but all this did not go ſo near his heart as the hiding of God's face; the heavieſt ſtroke of God's hand did not ſo much diſquiet David as the Eclips of God's countenance: Outward troubles they were to David but as the ſcratch with a Pin in the fleſh; but the withdrawings of Gods face did trouble him as a Sword in his bones; this is a ſeventh Difference between the one and the other.
The eighth Difference is this, Wicked men under diſquiet for ſin, they do more complain of God then they do complain to God; but Good men more complain to God then of God, when they are diſquieted for ſin; wicked men more complain of God than to God. It is the uſual behaviour of the wicked to complain wretchedly againſt God, but not humbly to God, when they are in horror of conſcience under the diſquiet of ſin, Revel. 16. 9. And men were ſcorched with great beat, and blaſphemed the Name of God. It is ſaid of the followers of Antichriſt, they were ſcorched with heat, and blaſphemed the Name of God. When God doth let the fire of his wrath ſcorch the conſciences of men with rage againſt the Church, this doth but make them Blaſpheme God; As thus in Iſa. 8. 21. It ſhall come to paſs, that when they ſhall be hungry, they ſhall fret themſelves, and curſe their King, & their God, and look upward; They curſed their God, and their King. Wicked men complain of God, that he is a hard Maſter, that he loves to inflict cruel and ſevere judgements upon his creatures: the horror of conſcience makes them to expoſtulate with the moſt high as if he were unrighteous; they complain of him, that his decrees are partial, that his mercy is defective, that his juſtice is ſevere; but they never humbly complain to God under the diſquiet and trouble of the ſoul. A notable text to Characterize a wicked man, in Job 15. 24, 25, 26. verſes, Trouble and anguiſh ſhall make him afraid, they ſhall Job 15. 24, 25, 26.prevail againſt him as a King ready to battel. For he ſtretcheth cut his hand againſt God, and ſtrengthens himſelf againſt the Almighty. He runneth vponupon him, even upon his neck, upon the thick boſſes of his buckler. It is ſpoken by Eliphaz, in a warlike phraſe. When a man is angry, he will run at another man to doe him a miſchief; a wicked man in the horror and trouble of his ſoul will arme himſelf againſt God, even in complaints; this is the temper of wicked men, even in horror of conſcience to think ill of God, to complain of him, but not to him: but a godly man, when God lets him be troubled for ſin, his temper is to complain to God, Lament. 1. 18. The Lord is righteous, for I have rebelled againſt him: hear, I pray you, all people, and behold my ſorrow: my virgins and my young men are gone into captivity. There is a complaining to God but not of him; thou are righteous, but I have ſinned; Pſal. 51. 4. Againſt thee onelyonly have I ſinned, and done this evil in thy ſight, that thou maieſt be juſtified when thou ſpeakeſt, and be clear when thou judgeſt. As if he ſhould have ſaid, I will blame my ſelf, and I will judge my ſelf now my conſcience flies in my face, but I will clear God, and will not judge God; this is the temper of a gracious man under trouble of mind for ſin, he complains to God but never of him.
The ninth Difference is this, Wicked men in diſquiet of ſoul for ſin, they are more apt to complain to men of their trouble than to God; Thus Judas when had had betrayed Jeſus Chriſt his Maſter, it is ſaid, that Judas came to the high Prieſt, and the Scribes and Phariſees, and ſaid unto them, I have ſinned in betraying innocent blood. But we never read that Judas went to the Lord and ſaid, I have betrayd thy Son, I have ſinned in betraying the innocent blood. Thus Haman was troubled when he could not get Mordecai's knee, why, He told his wife and friends what had befell him, but never went to God. Thus Saul when he was troubled, and vext in ſpirit, It is ſaid, Saul told his ſervants an evil ſpirit troubled him; but we never read that Saul went to God to allay the trouble and diſquiet of his heart; this is the Character of a wicked man, ſin dogs him, conſcience flies in his face; thus to men he can complain but never goeth to God, to complain to him; my ſoul is troubled, my conſcience is gauled, he can never go to God pouring out his complaints. But godly men do more complain to God than to men, it may be in ſome immergent caſes to ſatisfie doubts; but God ſhall hear their moans and complaints in private. The Pſalmiſt doth expreſs this notably, Pſal. 61. 2. From the end of thē earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher then I. Jonah 2. 7. When my ſoul fainted Jonah 2. 7.within me, then I remembred the Lord, and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy Temple. There was Jonah's trouble for his ſin, my ſoul fainted within me; but I remember the Lord and my prayer came to him. When Jonah was under ſoul-trouble, why ſaith he, I remembred the Lord; he would commplain more to God than to men when he was under trouble.
Tenthly, The wicked are diſquieted for ſin, but it doth not put them upon conſciencious and effectual endeavours for the effectually mortifying of thoſe ſins they are troubled for; they are more troubled about the guilt of ſin, then about the power of ſin; if they can remove the guilt, they never care for the power and dominion of ſin: this is the character of a wicked man. Thus Pharach, the guilt might trouble him that God did puniſh him, but the power of his hard heart never troubled him. Thus it is in wicked men, there diſquiet of ſin never makes them put upon effectual endeavours for the ſubduing and mortifying of ſin. But godly men are of a different temper, they work more to mortifie ſin, then to pacifie conſcience; more to ſubdue the power of ſin, then to remove the guilt of ſin; he knows he muſt either kill or be kill'd; if he kills not ſin, ſin will kill him; therefore his work is to purifie the conſcience, as well as pacific the conſcience; to remove the power thence as well as the guilt.
Eleventhly, Wicked men in diſquiet of ſoul for ſin, they are prodigal and free in promiſing to leave ſin whilſt trouble is upon them, but when trouble is over, they run into thoſe ſins for which they were troubled with more vehement eagerneſſe and deſire: This is expreſſed unto you in Deut. 5. 27, 28. verſes. Go thou neer, and hear all that the Lord our Deut. 5. 27, 28.God ſhall ſay, and ſpeak thou unto us, and all that the Lord our God ſhall ſay unto thee, we will hear, and do it. And the Lord heard the voice of your words, and the Lord ſaid unto me, I have heard the voice of the words of this people, they have wel ſaid of which they have ſtoken. When the people heard the terrible manner of God's delivering of the Law, in thundrings and lightnings, they made Moſes a large promise, What ever God commands us by thee, we will obſerve to do it. But ſaith God in v. 29. O that there were ſuch an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandements always, that it might be well with them and their Children for ever. And it is obſervable that when his trouble was a little over, the people were worſe then ever they were before, they fell to murmuring after, and murmured ten times againſt that God that had delivered them. This is the character of wicked men, that when trouble of conſcience diſquiets them, their ſins remain on them, O how they will promiſe, what men they will be! they will turn a new life, and they will never be as they have been; and yet let their trouble be allayed, and you ſhall ſee that this reſtraint of their conſciences, ſhall put them on more eagerneſſe to commit ſin, then ever they did in all their life time before: Mens ſins are compared to an Oven, Heſea 7. Fire diſperſt into the Air doth not burn ſo fierce, but in an Oven it burns fierce. Wicked men, when ſin is kept in their hearts, through diſquiet of ſoul for ſin, when this fire hath vent it will burn with more fierceneſſe and more rage; when conſcience ſhall dam up a ſin, that trouble is over, and conſcience is gotten over the dam, ſin doth prevail on the ſoul with more eagerneſſe and more prevalency. In a godly man it is otherwiſe; when diſquiet of ſoul is over for ſin, a godly man detains an awe of running into that ſin again; though trouble be over, yet he remembers how he was troubled; I confeſſe I do remember what it is to lie under the weight and burthen, and guilt of ſin; therefore this puts an awe upon conſcience, that he dares not venture on ſin (to wit) as in former time.
Twelfthly, The wicked under diſquiet of ſoul for ſin, they are more apt to apply the comforting part of the Word, then to apply the threatning and commanding part of the Word; when they were troubled by the Miniſtry of the Word, Deut. 29. 19. And it come to paſſe when be beareth the Deut. 29. 29. 19.words of this curſe, that he bleſſe himſelf in his heart, ſaying, I ſhall have peace though I walk after the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenneſſe to thirſt. Say they, we ſhall have peace, though we do walk according to the imaginations of our own hearts, to add drunkenneſſe to thirſt; they could apply peace, but they would not apply threatnings, though they did walk in the imaginations of their own hearts. Wicked men under horror of conſcience, they are more apt to apply comforts, though groundleſſe, then to apply threatnings, though their portion. Jer. 3. 4, 5. Will Jer. 3. 45.thou not for this cry unto my Father, thou art the guide of my youth? Will be reſerve his anger for ever, will be keep it unto the end? Behold, thou haſt ſpoken and done evill things as thou couldeſt. They did evill as much as they could, yet they would preſume to ſay, God was their Father; they claimed intereſt in God: This is the character of a wicked man, to apply the comforting part of the world, not the threatning part of the world: But good men are more apt to apply the threatning part of the Word, then the promiſing part of the Word, Pſal. 77. 2. In the day of my trouble, I ſought the Lord; my ſore van in the night, and ceaſed not; my ſoul Pſal. 77. 2.refuſed to be comforted. Aſaph could apply terrour, but he would refuſe comfort: Thus by dayly experience look upon a conſciencious man under the diſquiet of ſoul for ſin, you ſhall ſee that man, all the threatnings, all the terrible parts of the Scripture that may work againſt him, he will remember them all; but apply no promiſe that may allay diſquiet of ſoul for ſin.
Thirteenthly, Wicked men under trouble of mind for ſin, they go to ſinful ſhifts and means to allay and pacifie the diſquiet of their ſouls for conſcience; therefore they uſe four ſinful ſhifts which godly men dare not do.
Firſt of all, They do ſhun a ſoul-ſearching, and a ſin reproving Miniſtry; this you ſee in Felix, Acts 24. 25. And as be reaſoned of righteouſneſſe, temperance, and judgement to come, Acts 24. 25.Felix trembled and anſwered, Go thy way for this time, when I have a convenient ſeaſon I will ſend for thee. Paul told him of two ſins that he was moſt guilty of, (to wit) Drunkenneſs, and In juſtice; when he had thus dealt with him roundly, made his conſcience tremble, and his heart troubled: Felix ſaid, get thee gone, I will hear thee ſome other time; Paul had gauled him and troubled him, why Felix. ſhuns the continuance of the rebuke and reproof of the word: But a godly man dares not do thus; a godly man loves that word that moſt ranſackles his conſcience; and loves that man that ſhall awaken a ſecure conſcience; obſerve that difference between Felix in the Acts, and between the Converts in the Acts; Felix bids Paul go from him, ſhuns the reproof of the word when it gauled his conſcience; but when the Converts were troubled for ſin, and were pricked in the heart for killing Jeſus Chriſt; they loved the Apoſtles and clave to them, and laid their poſſeſſions at the Apoſtles feet: the Apoſtles might command all they had they loved them ſo well; good men dare not doe as wicked men doe in that particular.
Secondly, Wicked men to allay diſquiet of Conſcience, they allay it by running into a crowd of ſecular imployments; thus you read of Cam, Gen. 4. 17. After Cain was gone out from the preſence of the Lord by reaſon of his ſin, he to ſtifle his conſcience went and builded a City. God's people dare not doe thus, they dare not go to the World for to allay diſquiet of conſcience; but they go to God's word, they retire into a corner, and they ſearch the Word to ſee what God's word ſpeaks to them in the day of their trouble, Prov. 12. 25. Heavineſs in the heart of man maketh it ſtoop; but a Prov. 12. 25.good word maketh it glad. I ſtoop under heavineſſe and trouble, but a good word only from God can comfort me.
Thirdly, Wicked men under trouble uſe this ſinful ſhift, to go to carnal pleaſure and ſenſuality to allay diſquiet of mind; Saul called for Inſtruments of Muſique, 1 Sam. 16. 14. to allay the troubles of his ſpirit, as the Iſraelites that offered their children to Moloch drowned the cry of their Children with a noiſe of Drums and Tabrets; ſo wicked men doe with their Conſciences. God's people dare not doe this; they know that ſenſual pleaſures can no more pacifie a diſquieted Conſcience then a ſilken ſtocking can cure a gowty Leg; they dare not wallow and ſwim in ſinful pleaſures, but they go to the promiſe, and in that they take their delight.
Fourthly wicked men they go to bad company, to merry company to ſee if that can make them forget their troubles; thus Herod did, Mark 6. 18. For John ſaid unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brothers wife.
Immediately after John had troubled his conſcience for having his brother Philip's wife, then to allay this trouble of John's reproof; Herod then calls for his merry company, his Nobles and his Souldiers about him, that ſo he might forget the diſquiet of ſpirit; but godly men go to good men and to God in a corner, Pſal. 61. ver. 2. From the end of the Earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is over whelmed: lead Pſal. 61. 2.me unto the rock that is higher then I. This is the carriage and behaviour of ungodly men.
Again, Wicked men look more after comfort then after duty, if God give them eaſe and peace they never care for grace; but God's people look after duty more then comfort in diſquiet of conſcience; when the Converts were troubled in mind they cry'd not after comfort, but after duty; they cry'd Men and Brethren What ſhall we doe? what ſhall we doe to be ſaved?
Thus I have diſpatched to you the third Querie, the Differences in theſe fourteen Particulars between the diſquiet of ſoul for ſin that may be found in wicked men, & that Evangelical holy trouble of ſoul for ſin which is found in the godly?
The fourth Querie is, But why are God's people ſo much diſquieted 4 Queſtion.for ſin, that they are more troubled for ſin then they are comforted in the ſight of their graces? ſin ſhall damn their ſouls, Why then doth ſin ſo much diſquiet their conſciences.
There are five Reaſons.
1. It ariſeth partly from that ſoftneſs of heart, & that tenderneſs 5 Reaſons.of Conſcience that is implanted in God's people by God; the eye it is troubled at a mote when the hand is not troubled at a greater thing; the eye is the tendereſt part of the body. Why beloved, God's people they have tender conſciences; ſin on their conſciences is as a mote in their eye that greatly troubles them. It is worth your notice that as God doth make a promiſe that he will keep his people as the apple of his eye, Deut. 32. 10. He found him in the deſart land, and in a waſte bowling wilderneſs: he led him about, he inſtructed him, he kept him as the Apple of his eye. So Gods people are ſaid to keep his law as the apple of their eye; Prov. 7. 2. Keep my Commandements and live, and my Law as the apple of thy eye. Beloved, a blow on the eye offends the eye; you muſt keep the Law as the Apple of the eye; the apple of the eye is the tendereſt part of the eye: one breach of the Law by ſin will as much diſquiet thee as a blow on thine eye if thou keepeſt the Law as the apple of thine eye.
A ſecond cauſe or reaſon is this, God's people are troubled for ſin, becauſe God's people ſeeing themſelves that they are more in ſinning againſt God then they are in obeying God; therefore ſin troubles them and diſquiets them more: grace is as the gleaning of the Vintage, and ſin is as the full harveſt; Job 15. 16. How much more abominable & filthy is man which drinketh iniquity like water. God's people ſee their ſins like Mountains, and their graces like Mole-hils; my luſts burn like a flame, but my graces like a glowing coal; my ſins at full tide, but my graces at a low ebb; that makes God's people to be ſo much troubled for ſin: diſquiet of ſoul is more incident to the godly as the moth is ordinarily in the fineſt Cloth, and the worm in the Roſe ſooner then the Briar.
A third Reaſon is this, Becauſe ſin is more viſible and manifeſt to the ſoul then their graces are; therefore they are more troubled for ſin. You read in Galatians 5. 19. Now the works of the fleſh are manifeſt, which are theſe, adultery, fornication, uncleanneſs, laſciviouſneſs, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, …riance, emulations, wrath, ſtrife, &c. But when the Apoſtle gives you the liſt of the graces of the Spirit, he doth not ſay that the fruits of the Spirit are manifeſt, but the fruits of the fleſh are manifeſt: to ſhew as one obſerves well, that a man may more eaſily diſcern and have a ſight of his ſin, then a godly man can have in the ſight of his grace.
A fourth Reaſon is drawn from a Conſideration, that Chriſt's ſoul was troubled for ſin; Chriſt's ſoul was troubled for ſin as imputed to him, though he had no ſin inherent in him; Now is my ſoul troubled ſaith Chriſt: Chriſt did not only ſuffer in his body upon the Croſſe, but likewiſe in his ſoul in the Garden, John 12. 9.
His ſoul was not troubled for his own ſin, for there was no guile found in his mouth; but it was for our ſins he was troubled. Now Beloved, O! Chriſt was troubled for thy wounds, for thy ſins; and this makes a godly man reflect, ſhall Chriſt's ſoul be troubled for my ſin that was imputed to him? and ſhall not I be troubled for ſin that is inherent in me?
A fifth Reaſon is this, That the People of God might taſte and ſee the evil and the bitterneſſe of ſin the more in the courſe of their lives, and may be more put in awe to commit ſin for time to come; this is a reaſon that Solomon gives, why godly men are troubled in mind for ſin, Eccleſ. 7. 25, 26. I applied mine heart to know, and to ſearch, and to ſeek out wiſedom, and the reaſon of things, and to know the wickedneſſe of folly, even of fooliſhneſs and madneſs. And I find more bitter then death, the woman whoſe heart is ſnares and nets. That is, to know the evil of ſin, folly and madneſſe, is meant ſin in Solomon's Dialect; and ſaith he, I find it to be more bitter then death; Solomon by experience ſpeaks this, I find ſin to be worſe to me then death. Beloved, this is God's end why he will make a man to find out the wickedneſſe of ſin; to be troubled in conſcience for ſin, is that thou mighteſt find ſin to be more bitter to thee then death, that ſo thou mighteſt avoid thoſe ſins, and ſhun them for which thou haſt ſmarted ſo much. And thus I have finiſhed the fourth Quaery.