The Dejected Souls Cure, Sermon 17
SERMON XVII.
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 other Rules, and they are to thoſe who complain, and ſay, The Lord help me, I am ſo far from being over diſquieted, that I do not find my heart diſquieted at all; I do not find my ſoul ſo much as troubled under the guilt of many evils that I am guilty of; touching this I ſhall proceed to give you rules directory and conſolatory.
Firſt, How a Child of God that doth not find his ſoul ſenſibly touch'd, and evangelically diſquieted under the ſenſe of ſin committed, how that ſoul may come to have his ſoul evangelically troubled under the guilt of ſin.
Firſt, Reſt not ſatisfied with a general and a confuſed fight of ſin, but labour to ſingle out the chiefeſt of thy corruptions, to have a particular and diſtinct view thereof; this is the courſe that God's people have taken, Acts 2. 37. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their hearts, and ſaid unto Peter and the reſt of the Apoſtles, Men and Brethren, what ſhall we do? Peter doth not tell them that they were ſinners in the general; but of all ſins he doth ſingle out one, Ye have crucified the Lord of glory; and when they heard that, they were pricked at the heart: They ſingled out that ſin to have their hearts brought to brokenneſs, and to contrition. When Chriſt would bring the Woman of Samaria to remorſe and trouble for ſin, Chriſt did ſingle John 4.out one ſin of all, and told her, Thou art an Harlot; and the Scripture gives you this hint, that the ſingling out that one ſin, made her ſee all other ſins, for ſaith the woman, Lo! Behold, the Man that hath told me of all that ever I have done; and yet Chriſt told her only of her Adultery. Do thou thus What is that Dallilah that thou playeſt withal in thy boſome? ſingle out that ſin, and that is the way to have a diſtinct view of all the evil; general and confuſed apprehenſions of ſin, doth but bring in a general humiliation; it hath been the undoing of a great many ſouls, to reſt ſatisfied with general apprehenſions of their guiltineſs, they have lived and died without any ſaving remorſe on their Conſciences. He that writes of Bellarmine, ſaith this of him, That when he came to die, (ſaith he) ſuch was the innocency of that man, that he could not tell one ſin in him that he was to make confeſſion for, it did not ariſe from the innocency of the man, but it ariſed from an indiſtinct ſight and obſervation of his ways. Beloved, this makes a man hard-hearted when he comes to die, that he hath not evangelical remorſe in him, becauſe he hath but a confuſed and a general view of ſin. You read of Ahimaz, that was running in poſt haſte to bring news what was done; David asked him, What news? ſaith Ahimaz, I ſaw the battel, and I heard a tumult, and a great noiſe, but I know not what it was, a Sam. 18. 29. Thus many men do with their ſins as he did with his intelligence, they are troubled for ſin, but they know nothing but in the general; they know not what the ſin is; juſt like Nebuchadnezzar, he called his Magicians and Inchanters together, ſaith he, Tell me the Interpretation of my dream, for I have dreamed, and I know not what it is. Some men ſay, they have ſinned; but they do not know what ſin they have committed, what particular ſin they have done.
The ſecond Rule is this, Look upon ſmall ſins cloathed with great aggravations; Beloved, this is the reaſon why men are not troubled, they look on their ſmall ſins as ſmall, but do not look on them as cloathed with many hainous circumſtances: Suppoſe thy ſin be a ſmall ſin, inviſible as to the world, yet if thou wouldſt cloath this ſin with aggravated circumſtances; it may be a ſin againſt conſcience; a ſin againſt much mercy; it may be it is a ſin committed after many purpoſes and vows. This courſe did Juſtin take in the ſecond book of his Confeſſions, chap. 4. about his robbing the Orchard: I did it, ſaith he, compelled neither by hunger nor poverty, but even through a cloyedneſs of well doing, and a pamperedneſs of iniquity; for I ſteal that of which I had enough of mine own, and much better, &c. and ſo he goeth to aggravate his ſin. Beloved, when you find your ſouls not troubled for ſin, cloath it with many hainous circumſtances; and this we read of one that he would aggravate his ſin, ſaith he, It is true, the Divels have ſinned, but they never ſinned againſt a Saviour as I have done; Adam ſinned, but he never ſinned againſt a Chriſt as I have done: Do thou thus aggravate a ſmall ſin, and this will bring humiliation.
A third Rule, live in the meditation of pardoning mercy; it is true, wicked men make pardoning grace a means of preſumption; but pardoning grace rightly applied, is the moſt genuine way for the breaking and troubling of the ſoul; Beloved, lay thy ſelf in the arms of Chriſt, on the bed of his love, and that's the way to break thy flinty and ſtony heart. A child of God cannot chooſe but to bathe his ſins in the tears of contrition, that knoweth his ſins to be bathed in Chriſt's blood in a way of ſatisfaction. I now come to give you ſome conſolatory Rules, which are four: Is there comfort to a man that doth find his heart hard, that ſeldome or never findeth his ſoul diſquieted under the ſenſe of ſin?
Firſt, Be comforted, if what thou wanteſt in godly ſorrow for ſin, thou makeſt up in holy care and watchfulneſs againſt ſin; if a child of God hath not a weeping eye for ſin, yet if he have a watchful heart againſt ſin, that is pleaſing to God; if tears be not in thine eye for ſin, yet if weapons of defence be in thine hand to conteſt and conflict with corruptions, that is moſt pleaſing to God. The Captain of our ſalvation, Jeſus Chriſt, he had rather ſee a fighting weapon againſt ſin, then a weeping eye for ſin; that is one comfort.
A ſecond comfort is this, That the want of trouble of ſoul for ſin doth not always ariſe from a ſtupified conſcience, but from an ignorant mind; if Conſcience had an eye to ſee ſin, Conſcience would have a hand to ſmite for ſin; Conſcience doth therefore want a hand, becauſe man's judgement wanteth an eye to diſcern what is evil.
A third comfort is this, That though a good man may not for ſome time be troubled for ſin, yet at that time and in that caſe there is a great difference between him and a wicked man; he is not troubled, but he would be troubled; a wicked man is not diſquieted, and he would never be diſquieted; a godly man doth not mourn, but he would mourn, and would love that Miniſter that ſhould pierce his heart; a wicked man cannot endure him; there is a great difference between the one and the other: A good man dares not ſtitle the checks of Conſcience; a wicked man when Conſcience begins to trouble him, he doth what he can to ſtill the crys of Conſcience; when Conſcience doth arreſt a wicked man for debt they run not unto God, they make conſcience drunk with ſenſual pleaſures and vain delights, that ſo they may run away from Conſciences arreſt; but godly men dare not do thus, but they cry to conſcience, excuſe me when I do well, and accuſe me when I do ill; this is the behaviour of a godly man.
Laſtly, Take this for comfort, though thou haſt not ſo much trouble for ſin as thou doſt deſire, yet thou haſt ſo much as God doth accept; this is a true rule in Divinity, that the deſire of any grace is the grace it ſelf; for to believe, is faith; and true deſire to repent, is repentance; and true deſire to mourn for ſin, is a mourning for ſin; if thou doſt deſire a troubled heart, that is a holy trouble; this is a great mercy, that in Scripture account the deſire of any grace is the grace it ſelf: It is worthy your obſervation you read of Nehemiah, ch. 1. 11. O Lord, I beſeech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy ſervant, and to the prayer of thy ſervants, who deſire to fear thy Name; and proſper, &c. Compare that place with ch. 5. 15. But the former Governours that were before me, were chargable unto the people, 7 c. but ſo did not I, becauſe of the fear of the Lord. To note, that a deſire to fear God, is a fearing of God; a deſire to repent, is a repenting; a deſire to be troubled, is a holy trouble, provided it be a ſolemn, ſincere, and an inſatiable deſire after any grace: this we read of Abraham; when God comes to deal with Abraham, What ſaith God to him? Becauſe thou haſt done this deed, I will do ſo and ſo to thee; why he had not done this. Divines gather that in God's account the deſire and intent of doing a good thing, is the doing of it; therefore when Paul records Abraham's act, it is ſaid, by faith he did it. Beloved, it ſhould be a great diſcomfort to ungodly men, that the Scripture ſhould ſay thus to us, that a deſire to do a ſin, is the ſin; it is all one to God; therefore Chriſt telleth you Mat. 5. 28. He that looketh on a woman to luſt after her, hath committed adultery in his heart: The deſire and the act is all one to God though not to men; God looks on the luſt of the eye, to be as the uncleanneſs of the act; he that is angry with his brother, 1 John 3. 15. Whoſoever hateth his brother is a murtherer, and no murtherer hath eternal life abiding in him. God looketh on the deſire for to kill a man as if thou hadſt kill'd him; now on the other hand, it ſhould be a great comfort to godly men, that the deſire of grace, is grace it ſelf; I mention this to you that grieve becauſe you cannot grieve; that do not mourn, but would mourn. Thus much for the Conſolatory Rules. I ſhall only give you this Uſe Uſe. , and ſo I ſhall finiſh this doctrine about the diſquietings of the ſoul; and that is a uſe of caution, to perſwade you to take heed you do not run into falſe miſtakes touching ſoul-diſquiet for ſin; the Divel may paint that which is not grace, and which is not trouble of Conſcience, and diſquiet of mind for ſin like it; which is my caution to perſwade you that you would not be miſtaken in this matter.
Five Miſtakes I ſhall give you Cautions to take heed of:Cautions.
Firſt, Take heed you do not miſtake a natural Melancholy, and take that to be a godly ſorrow and trouble of mind for ſin; many people whoſe tempers are ſad, heavy, and dumpiſh, they apprehend Melancholy to be a godly ſorrow; there is a great difference between natural Melancholy, and between ſpiritual trouble. Firſt, natural Melancholy hath many apprehenſions in the fancy, in the imaginations; but ſpiritual trouble ariſeth from the Conſcience, upon the ſenſe of God's wrath, and the frowns of the Almighty, and the greatneſs of ſin, and the evil thereof. Secondly, Melancholy is cured by Phyſick, Gallen is a proper help for a melancholy man; but all the Phyſick in the world cannot allay the diſquiet of a godly man's ſoul. Thirdly, Melancholy maketh a man ſad, but he cannot tell for what; but a man under ſpiritual trouble ſaith thus, It is this ſin gauls my Conſcience, and ſuch a failing grieves my ſoul; which a Melancholy man cannot do, he cannot tell that it is ſuch a corruption I am guilty of. Fourthly, Melancholy is diſcerned by his natural complexion, a heavy eye, a grizly look; but ſpiritual trouble on the Conſcience may be in the man that is of a merry, pleaſant, amiable Countenance; therefore Divines obſerve of David, the Scripture telleth you he was a man of a ruddy complexion; the effect thereof is to be merry and pleaſant; yet he did grieve and roar under diſquietneſs of ſoul for ſin. Again, Melancholy doth impare the health of the body; but ſorrow for ſin doth not ſo. Again, A Melancholy man cannot delight in God nor in duty; whereas a man under trouble of mind, though he be troubled for ſin, yet he can rejoyce in God and delight in duty; Godly ſorrow and ſpiritual joy are no way contradictory each to other, but rather ſubſervient each to other.
Secondly, take this Caution, Do not miſtake that to be trouble of mind for ſin, which is onelyonly a trouble for ſome outward diſtaſter in the World; when a man is troubled for the loſs of a Child, or for the loſs of an eſtate, many men deceive themſelves, and take their worldly ſorrow for ſpiritual trouble; which if this were true, Achitophel ſhould be a troubled man for ſin; he came home ſad and hanged himſelf. Then Haman ſhould have godly ſorrow, for he was troubled for croſſes in the World; he came home ſad, and told all his friends what had befallen him. Beloved, you muſt not look upon worldly trouble to be ſpiritual trouble: but thus do when you find the heart overwhelmed with worldly trouble; O Labour to direct it into ſpiritual trouble, to ſhed tears for ſin, when thou ſheddeſt tears for the loſs of an eſtate; why turn that flood of tears to weep for ſin, to turn the Mill of godly ſorrow, to grind thy heart to powder in the ſenſe of ſin; it is a debaſement to tears to be ſhed for every tride: Beloved, to ſhed tears for worldly things, it is to be prodigal of your tears.
Thirdly, take this Caution, Do not conceive that to be trouble for ſin that cauſeth ſhame among men; many reprobates are troubled for ſin, but why? It is not becauſe God receives diſhonour by ſin; but becauſe they ſhall receive ſhame for their ſin; This is not Evangelical trouble. Many men are like Judah, Geneſis 38. 23. And Judah ſaid, Let her take it to her, leſt we be aſhamed; behold, I ſend this kid, and thou haſt not found her. As if he ſhould have ſaid, if the woman ſhould tell that I have committed Adultery with her, I ſhould be aſhamed, let her alone: Thus do men cry out, they would have Conſcience let them alone, and they would let ſin alone, leſt they ſhould be aſhamed; If ſo be that the concealing of a ſin, can conceal their ſhame, they care not; why Heathens went beyond this. It is a ſaying of Seneca, If I did know ſaith he, that all the men of the world ſhould be ignorant of what ſin I had done, yet I would not ſin, becauſe of the filthineſſe of ſin. Tully hath a notable paſſage, and it is to be wondred at, that a Heathen ſhould go ſo far; ſaith he, That if I thought that all my ſins could be concealed from all the world, yet we muſt do nothing covetouſly, nothing incontinently, nothing un juſtly, we muſt do no evil though the world ſhould never ſee us. Many men are more grieved for ſin becauſe it is a ſhame to them; this is not a gracious and an evangelical trouble for ſin.
Fourthly, Account not that to be a right trouble for ſin, which is rather for the puniſhment of ſin, then for the evil nature of ſin; more becauſe there is a Hell for ſin, then that there is a Hell in ſin. Cain was more troubled for the puniſhment, then for the ſin; he cryed out, My puniſhment is more then I can bear; but Cain did not cry out, My ſin is greater that I have committed.
Fifthly, Account not that to be a right diſquiet and trouble of ſoul for ſin, that is only for great and groſſe acts of ſin, without having any remorſe for ſecret and leſſer evils: many men if one ſtares them in the face, though all their other ſins never trouble them, they conclude this to be godly ſorrow and evangelical remorſe in them. Alas, Beloved, Judas was troubled for one ſin, but not for another ſin; he was troubled for ill gotten goods: but to be troubled for one ſin, and not for all ſins, is no Goſpel ſorrow; he that is not troubled for every ſin that he knoweth that he is guilty of, he is troubled for no ſin. Look upon wicked men, you ſhall ſee them many times troubled for great evils, but never troubled for ſmaller evils; thoſe ſins that diſquiet a godly mans heart, ſhall not break a nap of ſleep from him; he can go merrily and joeundly under the guilt of thoſe ſins which troubleth the ſoul and breaketh the peace of a godly conſciencious man all his days; thoſe ſins that are ornaments to wicked men, that they can wear them as a chain of Gold about their necks; they wear their pride, and ſhew their pride; they account ſin their ornaments. I, but that which is one mans ornament, is another mans torment; his pride, his luſt, and his complemental oaths is his delight, but it is a torment to a godly man; therefore do not account that a diſquiet of ſoul, to be a godly diſquiet.
Again, Do not account that to be an evangelical trouble for ſin, when it is not for Original ſin, as well as actual ſin. Mr. Bolton telleth you of a Germain in his time, that was a great proſeſſor of Religion, and he was once overtaken in drink; I went to this man to ſhew him the evill of drunkenneſſe, to let him ſee what a beaſt-like ſin it was, what a ſwiniſh ſin it was; I laboured to ſhew him what this was; I laboured to make him ſee the evill of a drunken nature; but he would yield to me that drunkenneſs was a bad ſin, but he would not yield to the wickedneſs of nature; this man did bewail the act of drunkenneſs, and fell to other ſins; yet at laſt God troubled this man again, and being perplexed he ſent for the ſame man again, and ſaith he, Now I believe your words; I find an unclean heart, an adulterous heart, a drunken heart; I ſee it is now worſe then a drunken act; and afterwards he never fell to thoſe ſins again.
Thus I have in ſeventeen Sermons gone over the diſtreſſes the Pſalmiſt here complains of; Why art thou caſt down, O my ſoul? and why art thou diſquieted within me?
FINIS.
End of the text · Christopher Love, The Dejected Souls Cure (1657)