The Dejected Souls Cure, Sermon 15
SERMON XV.
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.
Queſtion 5 A Fifth Quaery in order is this, When may God's people be ſaid to be exceſſively or too much diſquieted in ſoul for ſin?
There are ſeven particulars to reſolve this; four of them I ſhall gather from one Pſalm; Pſal. 77. 2, 3, 4. In the day of 7. Parti. Trouble of mind for ſin when exceſſive.my trouble, I ſought the Lord; my ſore ran in the night, and ceaſed not; my ſoul refuſed to be comforted. I remembred God, and was troubled; I complained, and my ſpirit was overwhelmed. Thou holdeſt my eyes waking; I am ſo troubled that I cannot ſpeak.
Here are four diſcoveries laid down when a man's diſquiet and trouble of ſoul for ſin is immoderate and exceſſive.
Firſt, When a man is ſo diſquieted under the guilt of ſin, that he is not only unable to receive comfort, but he is unwilling to receive that comfort that belongs to him, v. 2. my ſoul refuſed to be comforted. This was his ſin, I prove it by the 10. v. And I ſaid, This is mine infirmity. It was an infirmity in Aſaph, when he was under trouble of mind, for to refuſe comfort: God intends trouble for ſin to be an exerciſe of grace, not to obliterate the evidence of our graces; when trouble for ſin proves an eclipſe of grace, not a ſpur to grace, it is exceſſive.
Secondly, When the amiable and glorious attributes of God are repreſented unto the ſoul of a godly man, under a formidable and a dreadful notion; this is laid down in v. 3. I remembred God, and was troubled; I complained, and my ſpirit was overwhelmed. The thoughts of God ſhould comfort a ſoul in trouble of mind; but when a man in trouble of mind, ſhall make the Attributes of God to trouble him, then it is exceſſive; Job 23. 15. Therefore am I troubled at his preſence; when I conſider, I am affraid of him.
Adam after he fell, What doth he do? he went and hid himſelf from the preſence of God, Gen. 3. 8, 10. And they heard the voice of the Lord walking in the garden, in the cool of the day; and they hid themſelves, for they were affraid. Beloved, when thou canſt not think of a God, but the thoughts of a God troubles thee; this is exceſſive trouble in a godly man.
Thirdly, When a man is ſo diſquieted in ſoul for ſin, that a man doth abridge himſelf in the uſe of thoſe natural comforts that God doth allow him to enjoy; when he cannot eat, nor drink, nor ſleep; this is laid down in the 4. v. of this Pſalm, Thou holdeſt mine eyes waking; I am ſo troubled that I cannot ſleep. His meaning is, I am ſo troubled in conſcience under the guilt of my ſin, that I cannot ſleep at night when I lie down in my bed; I cannot eat, nor ſleep; I cannot enjoy thoſe natural comforts and ſleep; which the Lord allows me to enjoy; as worldly care is deſcribed in covetous men, Eccleſ. 5. 12. The ſleep of a labouring man is Eccleſ. 5. 12.ſweet, whether be eat little or much; but the abundance of the rich will not ſuffer him to ſleep. That is an argument of exceſſive worldly care and trouble in a man for the world, when he is ſo puzzled and glutted with the world, that he cannot take his reſt at night.
A fourth diſcovery in this Pſalm is, When diſquiet of ſoul under the guilt of ſin doth either diſcourage a man, or unfit a man for religious duties, then they are exceſſive and inordinate; this is laid down in the 4. v. I am ſo troubled, I cannot ſpeak. He was ſo overwhelmed with fears and troubles in his ſpirit, that it did either diſcourage him from praying, or unfit him for the uſe of prayer; now to make it appear, put them together, v. 10. I ſaid this is ruine infirmity: It follows, that all thoſe troubles that be ſo inordinate, to make him refuſe comfort, and troubled at the thoughts of God, and to make him likewiſe that he could not ſleep, and he could not pray, all this was his infirmity: Theſe are the four diſcoveries taken from that one Pſalm.
Fifthly, It is then inordinate, when a man is ſo diſquieted under the ſight of ſin, that he hath no mind to follow his particular calling where in God hath ſet him in, in the world, that he can take no comfort in Wife or Children, eſtate or comforts; when a man ſhall be ſo perplexed, that he cannot follow his trade; then it is ſinful, there is his reaſon for it, becauſe God injoyns no duty belonging to our general calling, as Chriſtians, that ſhould claſh with, or juſtle out our particular callings, as Men: and herein the Divels policy lies, that if he in trouble of mind can keep a man out of his calling, he hath the better way to work upon an idle man.
Sixthly, When trouble and diſquiet of ſoul for ſin is prejudicial to the health of our bodies; I hate robbery for a burnt offering; ſo that's not God's ſacrifice, that is prejudicial to bodily health; God hates us not for a burnt offering; this was an infirmity in Heman, one troubled deeply in mind, Pſal. 88. 3. My ſoul is full of troubles; and my life draweth nigh to the grave. Heman's trouble of ſoul was ſo great, that it did weaken his body, and bring him to nothing but skin and bones: So you read of trouble, Pſal. 31. 9, 10. Have mercy upon me, Lord, for I am in trouble; my eyes is conſumed, with grief, &c. For my life is ſpent, with grief, and my years with ſighing; my ſtrength faileth becauſe of any iniquity. Here was a mixture of weakneſſe in this, though it was for ſin; yet, to conſume the bones, and to ſpend the ſtrength, God doth not require that.
Laſtly, When a man ſhall be ſo diſquieted under the guilt of ſin, that he ſhall be uttenly diſcouraged from venturing to lay hold on Jeſus Chriſt; when they ſay doubtingly, what the enemies ſay ſcoffingly, where is no help for him in God; when the kinde or degree of trouble of mind is ſo much, that it ſhall impugn the end of it, it is then exceſſive; What is the end of trouble of mind for ſin? the end is, to imbitter ſin, and to provoke a ſoul to look out after Jeſus Chriſt: And thus I have given you but the heads of this particular.
Queſtion 6 Sixth Quaery, You will ask me, If it be ſo that godly men are ſo much diſquieted in ſoul under the guilt of ſin, then what is the reaſon that wicked men can live ſo jocondly under ſuch heavy loads of guilt, yet never have a troubled thought, nor diſquieted heart all their days? that they do not come into trouble as other men? What is the reaſon of all this? It is a very fruitful Queſtion, and well to be conſidered.
There are 10. General Cauſes.
Firſt, It proceeds partly from the malice and ſubtilty of Sin why no trouble to wicked men.the Divel, that thoſe ſouls that he hopes to damn when they die, he will not diſquiet them for ſin whilſt they are alive; this is hinted to you, Luke 11. 21. When a ſtrong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace. The ſtrong man is meant the Divel; the pallace, is meant the heart of a wicked man, the goods, to be at peace is meant, that the thoughts of a wicked man is at peace; and nothing troubles him, when the Divel doth poſſeſſe a wicked man's heart, he labours to keep all his thoughts quiet and calm, and at peace with him: Steila, although a Popiſh Author, yet hath a good note, Unum eſt hic obſervandum: we are to obſerve this one thing here, the great cunning of the Divel, that ſoul that he hath a poſſeſſion of, he would not have him trouble his conſcience; it is his labour (ſaith he) ut ne ullum conſcientiae ſtimulum patiatur; that he ſhould not endure one prick of conſcience; the Divel doth with wicked men, as the Babylonians did with the Jews in captivity, they would make them ſing ſongs; when the Divel hath got wicked men captive, the Divel would fain have them ſing ſongs, and be ſecure, and to have nothing for to trouble them all their days.
A ſecond Reaſon is this, It proceeds from that groſſe ignorance that is in a wicked man's mind or underſtanding, whereby he doth not ſee the evill nature of ſin, and the aggravation of it; a blind mind, and a dumb conſcience, they both go hand in hand together; if the underſtanding of a man wants an eye to ſee the evill of a ſin diſtinctly, the conſcience will want a hand to ſmite for ſin effectually; if ſin were more in mens eyes, ſorrow for ſin would be more in mens hearts: It is worth your notice, the comparing of two Scriptures together, Pſal. 51. 3. I acknowledged my tranſgreſſion, and my ſin is ever before me. And Pſal. 38. 17. Pſal. 38. 17.For I am ready to halt, and my ſorrow is ever before me. How came the Pſalmiſt to have ſorrow for ſin continually, but by having the fight of ſin continually? he had the ſight of ſin continually before him, he had then the ſorrow of ſin before him; it is the ſight of ſin that is an inlet to ſorrow and trouble of mind for ſin: What is the Reaſon that a man that ſeeth a Lion in the Wilderneſſe, it maketh him affraid? but if that man ſeeth a Lion painted on the wall, he is not troubled? the reaſon is. becauſe he knows the Lion in the Wilderneſſe is of a ſierce and cruel nature; therefore fears that; but he knows no ſuch evil in a painted Lion; therefore he is not troubled at that. Beloved, if wicked men could look upon ſin as a looſe Lion in the Wilderneſſe, that would fly in their faces, why the ſight of ſin would make them affraid then; but they look upon ſin as a painted Lion, they do not ſee ſin to be ſo odious and aggravated; this is the great cauſe why men are ſo little diſquieted in ſoul under the guilt of ſin.
Thirdly, It proceeds from a judicial hardneſſe in the heart, and from a cauterizedneſſe to ſcaredneſſe in the conſcience, Rom. 2. 5. But after thy hard and impenitent heart, Rom. 2. 5.treaſureſt up unto thy ſelf wrath againſt the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgements of God. To let you know that it is from hardneſſe of heart, and ſcaredneſſe of conſcience, that a man cannot repent, cannot confeſſe and be troubled for the evils he hath done, and the guilt he lies under; ſcared fleſh is ſenſible of no touch with a Pin, it is your raw fleſh that is ſenſible; mens conſciences are cauterized and ſcared, that makes that ſin is not as a ſword in the fleſh.
Fourthly, It proceeds from a continued cuſtome in a courſe of ſin; Cuſtome in ſin doth harden the heart, and doth fear the conſcience; it is in this caſe as with a man when he firſt comes to be an Apprentice to an Artificer or Handy-crafts-man; he comes with a tender hand to the work, and when he begins to work with hard Inſtruments he cannot work but he gauls his hand and bliſters his hand; but when he hath been many years at work, by continual labour at the work, his hand doth then harden, that ſo he can uſe it and never bliſter his hand. It is juſt thus with a ſinner, before a man be accuſtomed to an evil way, conſcience is tender and full of remorſe; I, but a continued cuſtome and making a trade of ſin, it doth make the conſcience to be hard and brawny, and to feel nothing; as in a Smith's houſe, a Dog that comes newly in, cannot endure the fiery ſparks to fly about his ears; but when the Dog is uſed to it, he ſleeps quietly. Let wicked men be long uſed to ſin, to the Divels work-houſe, to be ſlaves and vaſſals to ſin, the ſparks of Hell fire may fly about their ears, and this never troubles them; and all this ariſeth from a continued cuſtome in a courſe of evil.
The fifth Cauſe is, that a wicked man is not diſquieted for ſin, it ariſeth from this, From a wicked man's ſtifling the checks and ebukes of his own conſcience; as quenching the ſpirit in its holy motions to doe good, doth cauſe God to withdraw the holy motions of his Spirit: So ſtifling the conſcience, it provokes God that conſcience ſhall not trouble thee more, but ſhall be given up to a ſottiſh ſtupidity, and to a ſenſeleſs ſtupidity of conſcience.
Sixthly, It ariſeth from a miſtake and a miſapprehenſion that wicked men maintain that trouble of conſcience for ſin it is an utter enemy to all worldly joy, and if a man comes once to be troubled in conſcience for ſin, he ſhall never have a merry day more, but muſt hang down his head in penfiveneſs, and lead a melancholy ſad life. Beloved, wicked mens vailing holy diſquiet with theſe prejudices, is a ſpecial reaſon why they are no more troubled for ſin then they are; this is hinted to us in the ſaying of Solomon, Eccleſ. 7. 4. The heart of the wiſe, is in the houſe of mourning: but the heart of fools in the houſe of mirth. The wicked are affraid to be in the houſe of mourning, to mourn and grieve for evils they have done, leſt they ſhould never have glad and comfortable days in the World: Thus the Papiſts did entertain this prejudice againſt the Proteſtant religion, that ſpiritus Calvinianus eſt ſpiritus melancholicus. Beloved, the way to have a well compoſed and ordered joy and comfort in the World, is, to have a gracious ſorrow and an Evangelical grief for the evils thou haſt done in the World.
Seventhly, It proceeds from a groundleſs and a preſumptuous perſwaſion that wicked men have of pardoning grace; tuſh, ſaith a wicked man, if I have hopes of Heaven when I die, what need ſin trouble me; I hope it ſhall not damn my ſoul; and therefore it ſhall not diſquiet me, I will not lay ſin to my heart; for God will not lay ſin to my charge. I ſhall go to Heaven when I die; what need I break my peace while I live? This was the great reaſon of thoſe that were no more troubled for ſin: Deut. 29. 19. And it come to paſs when he heard the words of this curſe, that he bleſſed himſelf in his heart, and ſaid, I ſhall have peace though I walk in the imaginations of my heart. God doth not bleſs them, but they will bleſs themſelves; they preſume of mercy, and they preſume of Heaven, they will preſume of bleſſing; why, this makes them that they are not troubled for adding drunkenneſs to thirſt; they can add ſin to ſin, but not add ſorrow to ſorrow for ſin.
The eight Cauſe is this, Men contenting themſelves under a daubing and a flattering Miniſtry: Men that under pretence of preaching free-grace, the love of God, and the merits of Chriſt, all their Sermons are comfortable ſtrains, when indeed they are but the making the Way to Heaven wider then God makes it; This reaſon is given by God himſelf, Iſa. 8. 11. For the Lord ſpake thus to me with a ſtrong hand, and inſtructed me, that I ſhould not walk in the way of this people. They ſpeak peace when indeed they were in trouble, Jer. 23. 13, 14. verſes, And I have ſeen folly in the Prophets of Samaria, they propheſied in Baal, and cauſed my people to err. I have ſeen alſo in the prophets of Jeruſalem an horrible thing, they have committed adultery, and walk in lyes; they ſtrengthen alſo the hands of evil doers, that none doth return from his wickedneſs; they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorah.
The ninth General cauſe, They have a fulneſſe of outward proſperity and bleſſing in the world; it may be refer'd to ſoul trouble, as well as to bodily trouble; that proſperity in the world, doth mightily keep off a man from having his ſoul trouble him under the guilt of ſin; Hoſ. 12. 8. And Ephraim ſaid, Yet I am become rich, I have found me put ſubſtance; in all my labours they ſhall find none iniquity in me, that were ſin. They were a wicked people, and yet their proſperity in an evil way did harden their hearts in a way of ſin. The inſtance of Pharaoh, there was nothing in the world did more harden his heart, then his proſperity; God lifting him up to be a King, did harden his heart; when men are glutted with proſperity, that they have not an open ear to the ſcreaks of conſcience; 2 Chron. 33. 10. And the Lord ſpake to Manaſſeh, and to his people; but they would not hearken. In proſperity he would not hearken to the checks of conſcience, till God laid him in fetters, then he hearkened.
Laſtly, Men are not diſquieted in ſoul for ſin; Why ſo? Becauſe of an inconſiderateneſſe of the omnipotency and all-ſeeing eye of God; though men be not doctrinal Atheiſts, to hold this opinion, that God doth not ſee all things; yet men are practical Atheiſts, to live and continue ſo in an evil way, as if God did not ſee them; we read in Job 28. 13, 14. And thou ſayſt, How can the Lord know? can he judge through the dark clouds? Thick clouds are a covering to him that he ſeeth not, and he walketh in the circuit of Heaven. The Lord doth not ſee, nor doth the holy one regard; is there not a cloud between him and us? the Pſalmiſt hath a paſſage, the wicked doth make a tuſh of ſin; tuſh, ſay they, The Lord regards it not: What is the reaſon men make but a tuſh of ſin? why, they do not think that God regards ſin; ſin doth not trouble them, and doth not diſquiet them, Becauſe they think God doth not behold them; they are inconſiderate of the omnipotency of God.
I ſhall now only give you a ſhort uſe of what you have heard, touching godly mens diſquiet under the guilt of ſin; only this uſe.
Uſe. It ſhall be by way of trial or examination; you have heard much concerning that trouble and diſquiet of ſoul that may be found in reprobates.
Now the Uſe ſhall be to put you upon trial how you may be ſatisfied in conſcience, that that diſquiet of ſoul that is in you under the guilt of ſin, is an evangelical and a gracious trouble for ſin, and not ſuch a trouble that doth ariſe from a natural conſcience in wicked men; and to ſatisfie you herein, I ſhall name ſix particulars.
Firſt, Doſt thou find this within thee, that thy trouble of ſoul is more for the evil of the fact thou haſt done, then for the danger thou mayſt incur? My meaning is this, when thou art troubled more for the ſin, then thou art troubled for the penalty of that ſin thou haſt incurr'd by the commiſſion of it; when thou art troubled for ſin more becauſe it robs God of his glory, then becauſe it will keep thee from glory; this is an evangelical grace.
Secondly, When thou art more troubled for the ſin of nature, then for the ſins that break out in thy life; when the ſin of nature doth diſquiet thee, as well as the ſins of thy practiſe: We never find in all the Scripture, that a wicked man hath any remorſe of ſpirit at all for the ſin of nature; thou that canſt ſay, ſins of nature trouble thee as well as ſins of practiſe, this is an argument of evangelical trouble of ſoul for ſin. David diſcovered grace herein, when he made that penitential Pſalm 51. for the ſin of adultery with Bathſheba, David doth not only bewail the unclean act, but he bewails alſo the unclean nature.
Thirdly, Thou mayſt be ſatisfied, if thou art as much diſquieted in ſoul in the ſight and apprehenſion of the power of ſin, as of the guilt of ſin; I am troubled not only that ſin is ſo dangerous, but alſo that ſin is ſo ſtrong within me.
Fourthly, The diſquiet for ſin is evangelical, when the meaſure and degree of thy trouble of mind for ſin is ſubſervient to and promoting of the end of trouble of mind; the end of trouble of mind, I told you, was to imbitter ſin, and indeer Chriſt; when thou haſt ſo much of the meaſure and degree of trouble of mind, as to imbitter ſin to thee, and to indeer Jeſus Chriſt to thee, this is the true evangelical humiliation that the Goſpel calls for.
Fifthly, Thou mayſt be ſure that it is an evangelical trouble of mind, when thou art troubled for ſin as well becauſe it is againſt a good God, as well as becauſe it is againſt a juſt God; a wicked man may be troubled for ſin againſt a juſt God, becauſe juſtice will be avenged on ſin, and on the ſinner; but now a godly man ſaith, God loads me with mercies; thou that canſt grieve and be troubled for ſin, this is evangelical; they ſhall fear the Lord, and his goodneſs in the latter days, Hoſ. 3. 5. I may apply that Fable that Plutarch hath in his Morals, of the Sun and the mind, contending which ſhould make a Traveller put off his Cloak: O Beloved, ſtorms and bluſtering tempeſts of God's wrath may make a wicked man leave ſin, and be troubled for ſin; but when the Son of God's love ſhall melt the heart, and ſweetly inſinuate into thy ſoul, and that make thee uncloath thy ſelf of the rags of ſin, that is an argument of evangelical trouble.
Laſtly, It is an evangelical ſorrow and trouble of ſoul for ſin, when thou canſt be as truly troubled for ſin committed, when thou knoweſt it is pardoned, as if thou hadſt not known thy ſin to be pardoned; to be a troubled and a pardoned Chriſtian, it is evangelical trouble; a pardoned ſin ſhall fill thy heart with trouble, when thou art of this temper, that thou wilt bathe that ſin in thy tears, in a way of contrition, which thou knoweſt to be bathed in Chriſt's blood in a way of remiſſion, thou haſt a gracious temper of heart engraven upon thee.