The Dejected Souls Cure, Sermon 16
SERMON XVI.
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 Now come to give you ſome practical inſtructions by way of Rules.
My work for this morning ſhall be to preſcribe ſome Theological rules to thoſe who are greatly troubled and diſquieted in ſoul under the guilt of ſin: rules of two ſorts; there are Directory rules and Conſolatory rules; rules by way of Direction, and rules by way of Conſolation.
I begin with the firſt directory Rules; there are eight 8. Directory Rules.Rules what they might doe to allay trouble and diſquiet of Conſcience when it is exceſſive and inordinate.
Firſt, When thou art exceſſively troubled under the guilt 1. Rule. Rules to prevent and cure inordinate ſorrow for ſin.of ſin take this Rule, what troubled thoughts thou haſt about the guilt of ſin, ſpend them upon the power of ſin within thee; this is a holy diverſion, to be always converſant about the power of ſin; it is an evangelical and a gracious temper; if Chriſtians were more troubled about the power of ſin, they would be leſſe troubled about the guil of ſin; the Divel doth not care if Profeſſors of Religion be terrified Chriſtians, ſo they be not mortified Chriſtians.
Secondly, Keep conſcience clear, that thou do not add guilt to guilt; adding guilt to guilt, is the way to add horror to horror, and terror to terror upon the conſcience; guilt in the conſcience doth contract diſmal fear, amazement and conſternation of ſoul; if conſcience doth not ſhut ſin out of doors, why ſin will ſhut peace of conſcience out of doors: It is a rule that Bernard gives, Conſcience is to be comforted, but firſt it is to be purified and made clean; this rule is laid down by Eliphaz, if I miſtake not, Job 11. 14. If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away; and let not wickedneſs dwell in thy Tabernacles. Beloved, that is the way to keep cut fear, to keep out guilt; if conſcience be not a ſwept and a cleansed room, it will gaul, diſquiet and vex thy ſoul; to have conſcience pacified, when it is not purified, is but to skin over an old ſore, which before it be healed, will break out again; peace ſaith Bernard, in many men is worſe then a ſpiritual conflict; ſuch a peace for a man to have peace in his conſcience, when he indulgeth guilt in his conſcience; expect not trouble of conſcience to be allayed, if thy conſcience be not purified; Prov. 29. 6. In the Prov. 29. 6.tranſgreſſion of an evill man, there is a ſnare; but the righteous doth ſing and rejoyce. By ſnare, Solomon there means horror of conſcience, it appears by the oppoſition; Interpreters give this rule, that in the Proverbs of Solomon, that one oppoſition doth explain the other; why here the righteous ſhall ſing and rejoyce in his grace; but the wicked ſhall have a ſnare in his ſin; he ſhall have horror and dread of conſcience in the ſight of ſin; Prov. 15. 15. A good and a clear conſcience doth keep holy day every day of his life, though he hath hardly any thing elſe to feed upon; guilt on the conſcience, is the way to cauſe a reſurrection of thy fears and doubts, and to bring all thy ſpiritual hopes to the grave.
A third Rule is this, Take heed thou doſt not go about to allay the diſquiet of thy ſoul for ſin, by ſin, that is a third Rule; to run to vain pleaſures, and to ſenſual delights to ſtop and quell the voice of conſcience, what is this but to go to the Divel for a plaiſter to heal the wounds of thy ſoul: Beloved, theſe men that go to allay trouble of mind for ſin, by ſin, they go the way to make conſcience recoyl and turn upon them with more fierceneſſe, and more ſavage cruelty: It is juſt as a man that is a thirſt, he will drink a draught of poyſon to quench his thirſt; O! when thou art ſcorcht with God's wrath, and to allay this, doſt drink a draught of ſin? what doſt thou but drink ſo much poyſon? Many men when they are under trouble of mind, they will go to ſin for a ſhelter, and there a Serpent puts them to more pain.
A fourth Rule is this, Fix your thoughts on the evidences of your graces, when your hearts are overmuch diſquieted in the ſight of ſin; as trouble of conſcience in the ſight of ſin, will keep a man that he ſhall not be proud in the ſight of his grace; ſo the evidence or ſight of grace, will keep a man that he ſhall not be exceſſively troubled in the ſight of ſin.
Fifthly, Ponder in your meditations the comfortable promiſes of the Goſpel, rather then the threats of the Law; if I were to ſpeak to a ſecure ſinner, I would give him a quite contrary rule, that he ſhould rather ponder on the threats of the Law, then the promiſes of the Goſpel; but to a ſinner greatly preſt under the weight of God's wrath, he muſt take this word rather to ponder on, the promiſing part of the word, then on the threatning part of the word, Prov. 25. 12. As an ear-ring of gold, and as an ornament of fine gold, ſo is a wiſe reprover to an obedient ear. The good word of a Prov. 25. 12.promiſe, makes glad a poor ſoul that ſtoops in heavineſſe under the guilt of ſin: A Pot when it boyls over the fire, and boyls too faſt, caſt a handful of Salt, and it will allay the boyling of the Pot; when thy ſoul boyls, and is restleſſe in diſquiet for trouble of ſin, and boyling too faſt, caſt in a handful of Salt, a handful of the Promiſes of the Goſpel, this will allay the exceſſive trouble and diſquiet of thy ſoul. The Promiſes are called by one, the Inſtruments of a Chriſtan's peace; they are called God's proclamations of pardon to a poor creature; they are the character wherein he may read all his Priviledges: O ſtudy them well.
A ſixth Rule, Compare the guilt of you ſins, with the merits of Chriſt's righteousneſſe, and you will find that there is more in Chriſt's righteouſneſſe to ſave, then is in ſin to damn; Chriſt's righteouſneſſe is imputed to a believer, that the guilt of ſin might not be charged on him; as Chriſt's Perſon is above thy perſon, ſo Chriſt's righteouſneſſe is above thy righteouſneſſe; this the Apoſtle layeth down, Rom. 5. 15. The gift by grace hath abounded to many. The gift doth Rom. 5. 15.exceed the ſin exceed the offence; compare but them in thy thoughts, and that will be a means to al…ay the trouble o… thy heart.
Seventhly, Diſcloſe and reveal that ſin, the guilt whereof doth ſo much diſquiet thy ſoul, unto ſome judicious compaſſionate and experienced Chriſtian; giving vent to your own ſorrows by complaints, is a great way to eaſe the mind▪ If in Innocency God thought fit that Adam ſhould not be alone, but ſhould have a helper; much more now in a ſtate of defection ſince the fall, do we need others help as well as our own; if Jeſus Chriſt when in an agony, God thought fit to ſend an Angel to comfort him; O then do not believers need much more, when they are in their ſpiritual agony and conflicts, and temptations, do they need ſome to comfort them: The Apoſtle on this ground bids Chriſtians to comfort one another, 1 Theſ. 4. laſt v. Comfort you one another, &c. 1 Epiſtle 5. …4. Comfort the ſeeble minded, ſupport the weak, be patient toward all men. God doth enjoyn Chriſtians this mutual act of love, comfort ye one another: As it is in an Arch, it is ſo artificially built, that though the ſtones of the Arch do all hang downwards, yet one ſtone doth ſupport another that they do not fall. O beloved Chriſtians, that are lively ſtones in Chriſt's ſpiritual building, you ſhould be as the ſtones of an Arch, that though one ſtone doth hang downward, yet the ſtones next it ſhould bear it up; this makes Solomon ſay, two is better then one, for if one fall, the other ſhould help him up.
In this there are three Cautions to be obſerved:3. Cautions.
Firſt, You are not to reveal that ſin for which your conſcience troubles you to every man, but to a man that is experienced: Judas, when he was troubled in conſcience for betraying Jeſus Chriſt, it is ſaid that he went to the high Prieſt, and to the Phariſees, and confeſt to them, I have ſinned in betraying innocent blood; why, they did not compaſſionate him: So ſhouldſt thou go to ſome men and complain to them, they would jeer at thee, and ſend thee away with a flout and a ſcoff; go to thoſe that are more compaſſionate, moſt judicious, moſt acquainted with the ſpiritual ſtate of a Chriſtian. Beloved, in our bodily infirmities, when a man is ſick, he doth not tell every neighbour he is ſick, and reveal his infirmity to all, but to a Doctor; A man in trouble of mind, it is not for him to go to every one, to men that wants bowels and experience, and wants wiſedom to ſpeak a word in due ſeaſon to a wearied heart; Many men are like a company of Deer, when one Deer is ſhot, all the reſt of the head of Deer runs away from the wounded Deer, and leaves it to ſhift for its life; when a man is wounded in conſcience, the arrows of the Almighty ſticking in him, they think it is a melancholy wound in him, and they are ſhie of him, they run away from him; O go to thoſe that can ſhew moſt bowels of compaſſion towards you.
Secondly, Thou muſt not diſcloſe thy particular ſin on every ſlight trouble, unleſſe thy trouble be very urgent and vexatious in the ſoul: Beloved, you do not go to the Chirurgeon for every aking finger, and for every ſlight wound; it is not for every ſlight trouble of mind to diſcloſe thy particular ſins; conſeſſion to another man ſhould never be, but when all means thou haſt uſed thy ſelf nothing can comfort thee, when thy ſpirit is troubled with great bitterneſſe; only in a caſe of urgent neceſſity muſt you open your ſelves to another man.
Thirdly, Following this rule, take heed when thou revealſt thy mind to any, do not deal doubly with that man. Men will come ſometimes to a Miniſter, and tell him they are troubled in mind, but they will not tell what it is that puts a ſting into conſcience, but will open ſome other thing that is ſlight and trivial, but not open the real thing that doth trouble them: the Lapwing will not cry neer her neſt, but afar off: Many men carry themſelves ſo that you ſhall not find out their neſts; their beloved ſins they wil not reveal and diſcloſe them.
The eight Rule is this, When thou art diſquieted for ſin, then go to God through Chriſt in prayer to pacifie thy Conſcience and ſpeak peace to thy ſoul when thou art troubled; we can ſpeak peace, but it is God that gives peace: this is one prerogative aſcribed to God that he is a God that conſorts them that are eaſt down, 2 Cor. 7. 6. Nivertheleſs, God that comforteth thoſe that are caſt down, comforted us by the comming of Titus. He is a God that creates peace out of nothing. It is very obſervable in Iſa. 8. 11. For the Lord ſpake thus to me with a ſtrong hand, and inſtructed me that I ſhould not work in the way of this people. That when God would comfort the Prophets againſt the accuſations and combinations of the enemies againſt the Church of God, he ſpake to them with a ſtrong hand; the tongue is the inſtrument of ſpeech, not the hand; we ſpeak with our tongues, we can ſpeak to a man comfortable words, but we cannot make you believe them; But the Scripture ſaith, God ſpeaks with his hand, becauſe he can doe what he ſpeaks; his Word is like Chriſt's Word in the 9. chap. of Mark, Chriſt ſpake to the Winds, and to they were ſtill and there was a great calm. Beloved, God's word it hath a hand in it, it can doe what it ſpeaks: O then go to God through Chriſt in prayer and in having recourſe to God; There are two Things you are to beg of God in prayer if you would have the trouble of ſoul allay'd.
Firſt, Beg of God to have a ſhare in the blood of Chriſt that merits thy peace, and to have a ſhare in the Spirit of Chriſt that works thy peace; Theſe are the two main things in prayer to allay the trouble of ſoul for the guilt of ſin.
Firſt, Beg a ſhare in the blood of Chriſt that merits thy peace, Coloſ. 1. 20. And (having made peace through the blood of his Croſs) by him to reconcile all things to himſelf, whether things in Earth or things in Heaven. There is peace with God and a peace in thy conſcience; peace with God and peace in thy conſcience, it is the certain iſſue of Chriſt's Perſonal treaty with God the Father in Heaven. As it was typed under the Law, Exod. 12. 23. For the Lord will paſs through to ſpoil the Egyptians: and when he ſeeth the blood upon the lintell, and on the two ſide poſts, the Lord will paſs over the door, and not ſuffer the deſtroyer to ſmite you. The blood of the Paſchal Lamb that did beſprinkle the poſts of the door of any houſe, it was a pledge that there was peace and ſafety in that houſe: If thou haſt the blood of this Paſchal Lamb Jeſus Chriſt ſprinkled on the door poſts of thy Conſcience, this will be a ſign that there ſhall be peace and ſafety in thy houſe; the deſtroying Angel ſhall paſs over.
Secondly, Next to this beg a ſhare in the Spirit of Chriſt that works thy peace; therefore it is that the Spirit is called the Comforter as well as the holy Ghoſt: He is called the holy Ghoſt, to ſhew, that it is one part of his Office to work holineſs in us; and called the Comforter, to ſhew, that it is one part of his Office to comfort his people; and thus I have run haſtily over the Directory rules to allay exceſſive diſquiet of ſoul under the guilt of ſin.
2. I now come to lay down ſome Conſolatory rules, what rules may be giuen to comfort a godly man that is grievously Conſolatory Rules.vext and diſquieted under the guilt of ſin; I beſeech you follow me a while; There are ſix Conſolatory rules to be laid down for to comfort a godly man that is diſquieted in 6. Rules.ſoul under the guilt of ſin.
Firſt, Take this Rule for to comfort thee; if the power of thy ſin do not prevail over thee, thou maieſt be ſure the guilt of thy ſin ſhall never damn thee; why then think if ſin hath not a domineering power in the filth of, it ſhall never have a damning power in the guilt of it. O thou mortified Chriſtian, it may be thou art troubled at what thou haſt do…e when thou waſt a child; but haſt thou mortified thoſe ſins? then my ſoul for thine thoſe ſins thou haſt deſtroyed ſhall never damn thee: it may be thou art troubled about the guilt when thou haſt deſtroyed the power. O lift up thy head the guilt ſhall never damn thee when the power doth not prevail over thee.
Secondly, It is better for a Chriſtian to have a ſoul troubled too much for ſin then too little or nothing at all for ſin; It is better to have a troubled and a terrified conſcience then to have a ſtupified conſcience; better to have a ſore then a ſeared conſcience, better to have the conſcience raw and gauled then to have it benumbed and no way ſenſible of the evil of ſin. Why beloved, there is more hope of a ſoul in a ſpiritual Feaver, that is in diſquiet, that is raging by reaſon of the accuſation of conſcience, that is lying under trouble and diſquietneſs of his own apprehenſion, then of him that lies under a ſpiritual Lethargy, ſleeping and ſnorting in his ſins, which doth never trouble him; a wound that hath raw and quick fleſh in it, it will eaſier be heal'd then a wound that hath proud and dead fleſh in it: if thy Conſcience be dead fleſh, thou art not ſo neer healing as when thy Conſcience is raw and gauled fleſh; it was one mark of Leproſie that was unclean, if there was dead fleſh in the ſore; noting a benumbed and a ſtupified Conſcience argues an unclean Leper, one in a ſtate of nature; It is better to have God's Officer conſcience to be over buſie, to be too much checking and curbing thee, then to have no office of Conſcience ſtirring in thee: This is another conſideration for the comforting of an afflicted ſoul.
Thirdly, Obſerve this Rule for the comforting of thy ſoul under trouble of mind, conſider that God's mercy and Chriſt's merits in the pardoning the guilt of thy ſin thou haſt committed, is far greater then the greatneſſe of thine own guilt; Rom. 5. 15. But not as the offence, ſo is the free gift; for if through the offence of one many be dead; much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, by one man Jeſus Chriſt, hath abounded to many. The meaning is, That that gift Jeſus Chriſt, the value and worth of man, did far exceed the guilt and evil of ſin; it is expreſſed in Pſal. 32. he that truſteth on the Lord, mercy ſhall compaſſe him round about. My own fault is very great, but God's grace and mercy is far greater; God when he is ſaid to pardon ſin, in Micah 7. 18. Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and paſſeth by the tranſgreſſions of his people? he retaineth not anger, becauſe be delighteth in mercy. He is ſaid to throw them into the bottom of the Sea; the red Sea could as eaſily drown Pharaoh and his hoſt, as well as one ſingle man: Beloved, the red Sea of Chriſt's blood can as well cover an Army, an Hoſt of ſins, as well as one ſingle ſin; the Sea can as well cover the Whale, as leſſer fiſhes; the Sea of Chriſt's blood can cover great ſins as well as ſmall; David makes it an argument, Pſal. 25. 11. For thy name ſake, O Lord, pardon mine Pſal. 25. 11.iniquity, for it is great: Pardon my ſin, for it is great: That is, although it is great, and ſo you have often the particle uſed in Scripture, the Lord would not puniſh man, for the imaginations of his heart is evil; that is, though his heart be evil. It is obſerved that the Ark wherein the moral Law was kept, the mercy ſeat covered the whole Ark wherein the Law was kept; to note Beloved, that Jeſus Chriſt, the mercy of God and merits of Chriſt, it provides a propitiation, a covering of all the breach of the Law, the mercy ſeat is broad, and large enough to cover all; therefore let this be of great comfort.
Fourthly, Obſerve this, That the more trouble of mind thou doſt lie under for the preſent in the ſenſe of ſin, the leſſe trouble thou ſhalt have in the future: God doth with his People, as Land-Lords do with their Tenants; if a Land-Lord take a great Fine at the firſt coming into the houſe, he doth take the leſs yearly rent for the future: God takes of you a great Fine at the firſt; he maketh ſin coſt thee many a tear, many a nights trouble, many a days diſquiet; the greater Fine God taketh of thee, the leſs yearly rent he expects of thee; the more thou art troubled for the preſent, the leſs fear and torment ſhall be thy portion hereafter; am I troubled now? it is that I might have more peace when I come to die, that in the reſidue of my days I might have joy and peace in believing: O think then if God upon thy firſt coming into Chriſt, maketh thee pay dear for thy ſin, and maketh thee ſmart for it, why there is leſs ſorrow and trouble for thee in the time to come.
Fifthly, Art thou troubled in ſoul for ſin? take this comfort, that the more thou art troubled for ſin, why thou art the neerer getting out from the Divel, when the Divel maketh Conſcience howl, it is an argument the Divel is thrown out, & ſin is thrown out. When the Divel had a long continuance in the Child, the Divel did not trouble the Child ſo much; Marke 9. 26. And the ſpirit cryed, and rent him ſore, and came out of him, and he was as one dead, inſomuch that many ſaid, He is dead. It is ſaid that when the Divel came out of the Child, then the Divel rent him ſore, and laid him down for dead. O Beloved, when the Divel is in a man, when the ſtrong man hath a full poſſeſſion of a man, the Divel doth not trouble him then: As Stella ſaith, The Divel would not have him ſuffer one touch of Conſcience then; but when the Divel is going out, and ſin is thrown out, then the Divel rends a man, and lays a man for dead; this is the property of the Divel. Gregory in his Comment upon the Book of Job, hath a notable ſaying, ſaith he, Therefore the Divel doth more vehemently ſtir up fears and doubts in the heart, becauſe ſin is thrown out of the heart. O let this comfort thee, Doth the Divel trouble thee more then ordinarily? doth thy Conſcience terrifie thee, that thou art a burden to thy ſelf? Beloved, it is an argument that the Divel is a caſting off, and ſin is caſting out; O comfort thy ſelf, I hear the noiſe of Conſcience every day; I hear my Conſcience ſuggeſt this guilt to me, and that to me; O bleſſed be God I hear my Conſcience to roar and howl; why the more hopes I have that the Divel is throwing out, and ſin is caſting out; that is a fifth Conſideration.
Sixthly and laſtly, Take this for thy comfort, that there are more promiſes of the Goſpel made to men in this condition, then to any other ſort of men in the world; I could give you multitudes of promiſes to men in this caſe, Matth. 11. 28. Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you reſt. So in Iſa. 54. 10, 11. ch. 35. 4. ch. 57. 15. Many other Texts I could give you where God maketh abundant Iſa. 54. 10, 11. & 35. 4. & 57. 15.promiſes to men under diſquiet of ſoul, under the guilt of ſin; when Children are well, they ſhall have it may be but pebble ſtones to play withal; but if there be one ſick Child in the houſe, the Mother goeth to the Cabinet, and looketh out fine things to quiet the Child: O Beloved, it may be healthful Chriſtians ſhall go on comfortably, and ſhall have now and then ſmiles of God's face towards them, but God's rich Cabinet of promiſes are open to them when they are ſick, when a poor ſinner ſuſpects that he is not pardoned, then God comes with a promiſe to comfort him that he is pardoned. The well children in the houſe is beloved by the Parents, but the ſick Child is dandled on the knees; the well Child may have bread and butter, but the ſick Child hath the comfortable things to comfort it. Beloved God's ſick Children, that are ſick with ſin, that are greatly troubled in Conſcience, God provides for them the promiſes to allay and pacifie the troubled ſpirit. O let theſe words of comfort ſinke into your hearts.