The Dejected Souls Cure, Sermon 2
SERMON II.
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 3 THe third Queſtion is this. But when may Gods people be ſaid to be caſt down too much for ſin. Indeed caſting down for ſin and humiliation for ſin, is good and neceſſary: but when may it be ſaid, that a child of How a man may know ſorrow for ſin is exceſſive.God is too much caſt down for ſin? David doth check himſelf, not that he is humbled for ſins, but that he is too much caſt down for ſin.
A child of God may be ſaid to be caſt down too much for ſin in theſe Nine particulars.
Firſt, a man is caſt down too much for ſin, when his humiliation maketh him to caſt off all hopes of pardon: when he ſhall ſo lie under the burden of his ſins, as that he ſhall not have any hopes to have it taken off. Then in this caſe it is too much when humiliation for ſin ſhall make you to ſay, Jer. 2. 25. that There is no hope, and that you are cut off: this is too much, too great a degree and meaſure, of humiliation. When good men ſhall ſay doubtingly, which wicked men will ſay ſcoffingly, that there ſins are ſo great, and their caſe is ſo deſperate, that there is no hope; no help for them in God; no ſalvation for them to be had; no way for them to get out and eſcape: this is too much caſting down for ſin: this is the way to cut of hopes. The Saints in heaven their hopes is cut off, but it is far different from this way. Their hopes are turned to full enjoyment of what they before hoped for: they have no hope becauſe they are above hope. But Saints on earth they are to carry their hopes ſtill above all diſcouragements, and to hope ſtrongly for pardon of ſin: better have the thread of our lives cut off, then the anchor cord of our hope: Deſpair is the cutting off of hope. But to be ſo caſt down under ſin as to have deſpairing thoughts without hope of Mercy, is exceſſive.
But Secondly, That man is caſt down for ſin too much when is ſo caſt down for ſin that he doth caſt off duty: when a man ſhall thus reaſon againſt himſelf, what need I pray? and what need I perform holy duties, I know God will not hear me? he will not hear my prayers let me pray as long as I can, and as often as I will. And ſo for confeſſion of ſin, what need I confeſſe ſin, I know God will not pardon my ſin? and what need I beg grace, I know God will not give me grace? and what need I hear ſermons, I know God will not hear me, nor accept of my duties, and I ſhall not get good by all I doe, and by all hear? Theſe reaſonings O man are very ſinful, and it argues a great degree of too much humiliation for ſin: As deſpair in any man cuts off hope; ſo alſo ſuch a ſinful frame cuts off endeavours. Fools go on (ſaith Solomon) and are confident; Pro. 14. 16.but ſometimes fools go on and are careleſſe: and for a man to be ſo caſt down for ſin as to be careleſs in diſcharge of duties, it argues too much dejection of ſpirit: Deſpair is the total eclipſe of the mind with the blackeſt fumes ariſing from the burning lake of fearful terrors.
Thirdly, Thy caſting down for ſin is too much when thou art ſo dejected and caſt down for ſin that it doth indiſpoſe thee for holy duties: good men have been ſo, and good men may be ſo overtaken. You have an inſtance in Aſaph Pſal. 77 4 Thou holdſt mine eyes waking: I am ſo ſore troubled that Pſal. 77 4.I cannot ſpeak. Aſaph prayed and his ſoul was ſo ſore troubled and overwhelmed that he could not ſpeak; as if he had ſaid. I would pray but I cannot pray, he was ſo troubled by reaſon of his ſin. Then indeed is thy humiliation too much when the ſight of thy ſins ſhall unfit thee for the doing of thy duty: this is not neceſſary but ſinful.
Compoſedneſſe of ſpirit aright for humiliation for ſin, it is ſo far from unfitting the ſoul for duty and prayer, that it doth diſpoſe and fit the ſoul for prayer to God, Hoſ. 12. 4. Jer. 3. 21. Nebem. 9. 1. 4. Therefore it is ſaid, that the people of Iſrael did weep and make ſupplication, and they offered ſacrifice, Judges 2. 4. 5. When thy ſight of ſin and the Judges 2. 4, 5.ſenſe of ſin and humiliation for ſin, doth fill thy heart with matter fit for prayer, that is neceſſary and good: but when by this the ſoul is unfitted for prayer and ſupplication, then it is ſinful: In Exodus 6. 9. it is ſaid there, that they hearkned not Exodus 6. 9.unto Moſes, when he ſpake unto them, for the anguiſh of their ſpirits: or as it is in the Hebrew foreign *foreignfrom the ſtraightneſſe of ſpirit (or ſhortneſſe of ſpirit) they were ſo troubled in mind that they could not hear Gods word, Pſal. 77. 4. Homan ſaid, this is my infirmity: if it hinder, it is no ſacrifice that God commands.
Fourthly, Then a man is too much caſt down for ſin where there is an unaptneſſe, unwillingneſſe in the mind to receive and apply comfortable counſels that are laid down in the Word, and which do appertain to him in that condition; if there be great aptneſſe in thee to entertain ſuch terrible threatnings and denunciations of judgements againſt ſin, rather then to receive any good proofs laid down in the Goſpel, and clear promiſes to quiet and comfort thy troubled ſpirit: when you are more apt to trouble your ſelves for ſin, then to comfort your ſelves againſt this diſquietneſs of mind upon and under the ſight of ſin; in this caſe you are caſt down too much for ſin. In Pſal. 47. it is ſpoken of Aſaph, that he refuſed to be comforted; as bad ſtomachs in children had rather feed on chalk and dirt, then wholeſome food. So, if ſo be that when comforts are propounded and laid before you by the Miniſters of the Goſpel, and comforts ſhall be ſuted to thy condition, and you not apply them but lay them all aſide; be confident that thou art too much caſt down for ſin. In Pro. 12. 25. Heavineſs in the heart of man maketh it ſtoop: but a good word maketh it glad. Now when heavineſs for ſin Pro. 12. 25.ſhall ſo oppreſſe thee, that all the good words that can be given thee out of the Goſpel will doe thee no good, adminiſter thee no comfort: then is thy caſting down for ſin too much. In Mark 9. 50. Have ſalt in your ſelves, and have peace one with another. Maintain good doctrine; therefore Mark 9. 50.ſaid Chriſt, ye are the ſalt of the earth. If you ſee a pot boyling, and if it boyle too faſt, if you take ſalt and caſt into it, it will alay the boyling ſo faſt. So if your paſſions do grow ſo faſt that all the doctrines of the goſpel, precious comforts that are therein, cannot allay this paſſion, and pacifie the conſcience, and comfort the ſoul, and ſupport the ſpirit; then is thy caſting down for ſin too much, becauſe there is no ſpiritual diſeaſe ſo dark to the ſoul, but there is comfort enough in the Goſpel to ſupport the ſoul under it. When God ſhall call to thee and ſay, Come to me all ye that are weary, and heavy laden, and I will eaſe you, Mat. 11. 28. And you to refuſe to come to Jeſus Chriſt, and refuſe, and put off comfort from you; you are then too much caſt down for ſin.
Fifthly, Then is a man caſt down too much for ſin under the waight, and ſenſe, and ſight of ſin, when that ſorrow for ſin ſhall be an occaſion to wrong, and hurt, and to diſturbe the body by diſeaſes: and thus melancholy men are ſubjected too much to this diſtemper, and herein they are too much to blame: Many there are who make their tears their meat and drink; ſo fill'd with tears that they cannot eat their bread with comfort. There are many godly ſouls ſo troubled with ſorrow for ſin, that they have no comfort and joy of heart: in Job 20. 25. It is drawn, and commeth our of the body: the gliſtering ſword commeth cut of his gall, terrours are upon him. Many men lie in the bitterneſs of their ſouls, that they cannot eat one morſell of bread with joy, Job 21. 25. Now God doth not require ſo much ſorrow for ſin as to eat out the comforts of a mans life, and to diſturbe the comforts of thy daies as to be ſo troubled and diſquieted that they cannot ſleep by night, and not to take comfort in the day. As it is ſaid concerning Aſaph, Pſal. 77. 4. Thou holdeſt mine eyes waking: I am ſo troubled I cannot ſpeak. When it is thus with you that Pſal. 77. 4.you are ſo ſore troubled ſo over much caſt down it is exceſſive. The Lord hath bid thee mourn not to wrack and crucifie thy body, but thy luſts: he calls thee to weep out thy ſins ſtrength and life, not thy bodies ſtrength and life; God doth never require nor expect that any man ſhould kill his body to ſave his ſoul through humiliation and ſorrow for ſin.
Sixthly, Men are then caſt down for ſin too much-when a man is ſo far and ſo much caſt down under the ſight, and ſenſe of ſin, that he hath no mind at all to follow his particular calling: now this is a ſinful ſorrow. Sorrow for ſin is not only ſinful when it taketh you off from duties of godlineſs and Religion; but when it taketh you off from your calling in the world: and the reaſon is this, as all Divines ſay, That God doth never require any duty which belongs to our general calling as Chriſtians, to be inconſiſtent with our particular callings as Men: Therefore if ſo be that your trouble of mind for ſin hath been ſuch as that it doth make you not to regard your particular calling as men in the world: this is not accounted in Scripture a ſorrow of ſin neceſſary; but immoderate and too much caſting down for ſin.
Seventhly, They are too much caſt down for ſin when the amiable, and admirable and comforting attributes of God are formidable and terrible to ſuch men, when we ſo think of ſin as not to think on the divine attributes of God, of the mercy of God, of the goodneſſe of God, of the patience of God, of the long-ſuffering of God, of the faithfulneſs of God: when men ſhall think ſo of God as if he were all juſtice, all wrath without mercy: good men have been overtaken with this fault, Job was ſo, Job 23. 15. Therefore am I troubled at his preſence: when I conſider, I am afraid of him. Here Job Job 23. 15.tells you of the trouble of mind that he lay under, that it made him afraid of God, & to be troubled at his preſence, and when he thought of him, he was troubled at him: One would think that to think on God is a comfort; for a man to think that God is merciful to pardon my& slong;in faithful to keep Covenant with his people, bountiful in God to ſupply his people, ſtrength in power to defend his people; He is able to ſave them to the utmoſt: one would think it ſhould comfort one to think ſo on God. But that preſence that Moſes could not endure to be without, that preſence Job could not endure to ſee; and the reaſon was, becauſe of his guilt, and his fears and doubting within him which caſt him down too much: And this was Aſaph his caſe, I remembred God, and I was troubled. Pſal. 77. 3.Pſal. 77. 3. What the thoughts of God to trouble Aſaph? yes, I remembred God, and I was troubled: I complained, and my ſpirit was overwhelmed. He might reaſon thus with himſelf, I think that this God is a glorious and a terrible God, a ſin-revenging God, and he ſeeth me, and he marketh all my ſteps, and he knoweth all my waies, and he will reward all my doings: therefore when I thought on God, I was troubled at him.
O but the thoughts of God comforted Davids ſoul: when I thought on thy name, I was comforted (ſaid holy David) Pſal. 99. 14. I but ſaid Aſaph, when I thought on God, I was troubled; and Job, when I thought on God, on the Almighty, I was afraid of him. When the attributes of God ſhall trouble men to think of them, and not encourage them and comfort them; then is this ſorrow too much caſting down for ſin.
But then Eighthly, When under this ſorrow for ſin thou canſt not look to God, and bleſſe God for common mercies, or ſpecial grace: God gives thee mercies, great mercies that thou maieſt be rich; and follows thee with mercies and bleſſings, and loving kindneſſes daily, and his faithfulneſſe is towards thee every moment, and gives thee the world at will; and yet for all this, God not to have glory from thee, ſhews thou art too much caſt down for ſin.
Whereas trouble and humiliation for ſin if it be moderate and right, it adminiſters occaſions to ſerve God, and it doth occaſion thee to bleſſe God, and to give him glory for common mercies and ſpecial grace, it doth occaſion thee to glorifie God, and draweth out the heart to ſerve God, and to bleſſe him for the receit of mercies: and when mercies have not this effect upon thee, and when ſorrow for ſin worketh not this way, it is immoderate ſorrow, and too much caſting down for ſin. When God gives thee grace to aſſiſt thee againſt manifold temptations, and to keep thee from the committing of manifold ſins, and to help thee againſt thy corruptions, and to give thee grace to eſtabliſh thy heart; and yet not to bring up thy heart under thy ſorrow to bleſs God: this is a ſinful ſorrow. If a man be upon his knees he may ſee heaven above, and the earth beneath: but for a man to lie flat upon his face, he cannot ſee neither the heaven above nor any creature, but only the earth below him. So when God brings thee to thy knees for ſin, then you can ſee a gracious God, a faithful God, a merciful God, a pittiful Father; and then you can ſee thoſe bleſſings that God beſtoweth upon you, and bleſſe and glorifie God: but when you throw your ſelves on the ground by a faithful ſorrow, and lie on your faces for ſin, to be too much humbled under the ſight and ſenſe of it; in this caſe, God hath neither glory, nor you have no comfort.
But Ninthly, When your ſins do diſcourage your ſouls from laying hold on Jeſus Chriſt, then art thou caſt down too much for ſin: that man ſurely is ſick to death when his diſeaſe will not let him ſend for a Phyſitian. Troubled ones often ſay doubtingly what the wicked ſay ſcoffingly, there is no help for me in God: this is ſinful ſorrow.
Whereas true ſorrow and Goſpel humiliation for ſin, it is ſuch a meaſure and degree of ſorrow, that inſtead of diſcouraging the ſoul to goe away from Chriſt, it doth encourage the ſoul to come to Chriſt, and to lay hold on Chriſt, and to prize Jeſus Chriſt above all the world. But that is a ſinful ſorrow when it drives the ſoul off from Chriſt, and diſcourageth the ſoul from comming to him, and from ſetting a high eſtimation and price upon him; nor can the ſoul in ſuch a condition venture it ſelf upon him. As we muſt not with the Antinomiſt ſo fix our eyes upon free grace and mercy, that …e have …o eye to look upon ſin; So ſhould we not with doubting, and deſpairing Chriſtians ſo look upon ſin, as never to caſt an eye upon Jeſus Chriſt. And thus I have laid do…n …n theſe Nine particulars when it may be ſaid that a man may be too much caſt down for ſin.
Firſt, What ſort of men God doth caſt down for ſin.
And then Secondly, When Gods people may be ſaid to be caſt down for ſin too much.
I now come to the Uſe, and that is 1. For Comfort, and 2. For Caution.
Uſe 1 Firſt of all it may be for comfort, if it be ſo that Gods people may be caſt down too much for ſin, under the ſenſe & ſight of ſin, then the firſt comfortable obſervation to the people of God is this, That God will never caſt off his people, although he doth and may many times caſt down his people: though thou be caſt down, yet comfort thy ſelf. Thou ſhalt never be caſt off, Pſ. 94 14 The Lord will not caſt off his people, neither will he forſake his inheritance. Caſt down he will his people for ſin, but caſt off his people he will not This made the Apoſtle come with a God forbid, hath God caſt off his people? God forbid. God hath not caſt off his people, whom he foreknew, Rom. 11. 1, 2.
Secondly, It is true, Gods people may be caſt off ſeemingly, Rom. 11. 1, 2.when they are not caſt off really: it is with them as it was with Chriſt when he met the two Diſciples, in the laſt of Luke he ſeemed to go away from them, as though he would Luke 24, 28.have gone further: but Jeſus Chriſt did not intend to goe from them. So may God doe to thy ſoul, he may ſeem to goe from thy ſoul, but God will never leave thy ſoul; he may ſeem to withdraw his face, but he will never really withdraw from thy ſoul. So in Pſal. 74. 1. O God, why haſt thou caſt us off for ever? why doth thine anger ſmoak againſt the ſheep of thy Pſal. 74. 1.paſture? So Pſalm 7. 7. Will the Lord caſt us off for ever? Pſal. 89. 38. Levit. 26. 44. Now this was not really ſo, but it was only ſeemingly ſo; God did not caſt his people off, though he caſt them down: the Church apprehended that God had caſt them off, but God did not ſo really. Auguſtin hath a good obſervation on Job. 14 45 Whither I go ye know, and the way ye know: But Thomas ſaid, we know not whither thou goeſt: and how can we know the way? Here is a ſeeming contradiction between Chriſt, and Thomas. Now Auguſtin hath a good note on theſe words, They ſaid, they did not know, and Chriſt ſaid, they did know: Now how ſhall this be reconciled? Now the meaning is this, The Diſciples and Thomas, did not know their own knowledge, and they had more grace and knowledge then they knew of themſelves. It may be ſo with thee, God may caſt thee of ſeemingly, when thou maiſt think it really: but God doth not really caſt off his people; therefore let this comfort thee.
Thirdly, It is not the meaſure of humiliations for ſin, but the truth of humiliation for ſin, to which grace is annexed: the promiſes are made to grace, not as ſtrong grace, but as true grace; not to humiliation as to the meaſure of it, and the length of it; but to the truth of it: the Scripture doth not entaile a promiſe to faith as ſtrong faith; but to weak faith, to little faith, to faith that is ſmall (if true) though it be but as a grain of muſtard ſeed; and the greateſt promiſes is entailed to the leaſt meaſure of faith: It may be O Chriſtian, thou haſt not a great meaſure of faith, but haſt thou little faith, not ſtrong faith? haſt thou weak faith? O comfort thy ſelf, all the promiſes are entailed to that beginnings of faith: it may be thou haſt not faith like to an ear of where but is it like to a grain of maſtard ſeed? there is promiſes for that. It may be thou haſt not rivers of tears, but haſt thou any tears for ſin? any ſorrow for ſin, God accepts of that: God doth hold open his bottle to thoſe whoſe eyes diſtil…e few drops of tears, as well as to thoſe that make their heads fountains of water, and their eyes rivers of tears. Though that be falſe of Libertiues, and Antinomiſt that ſay, promiſes are made to ſinners, as ſinners: ſo it is falſe too, to hold that they are made only to ſinners juſt ſo far; and thus deeply troubled. For total want of grace many a ſoal hath periſhed but never was any man damned for want of degrees. Promiſes are made to grace, to its truth; and not to ſuch a degree of grace: grace true, though it be weak, is looked upon by God as having Intereſt in the promiſes; therefore this ſhould comfort thee.
Fourthly, Let this comfort thee, that God hath made promiſes not only to humiliation, but alſo for humiliation: haſt thou a hard heart? God hath made promiſes that he will break thy hard heart: God hath promiſed to take away thy Ezekiel 11. 19.heart of ſtone, and give thee a heart of fleſh: God hath promiſed to take away thy old heart, and give thee a new heart; both theſe you have laid down, Ezek. 11. 19. I will give them one heart, and I will put a new Spirit within you: and I will take their ſtony heart out of their fleſh, and I will give them a heart of fleſh; And thus much for comfort. I now come to the Uſe of Caution.
In the treating on this doctrine that Gods people may be caſt down under the ſight and ſenſe of ſin, I would not ſo Uſe of caution.treat on this doctrine as many Libertines doe, to lay aſide all manner of humiliation for ſin; becauſe ſome men are caſt down too much, they will not be caſt-down at all for ſin: Uſe 1 Not to proſecute ſuch a principle, it is the way for to run into all manner of Licencious libertie, and to be all upon the extremes.
Secondly, labour to order the affections and paſſions of thy mind ſo, that when ſoever you are humbled and in ſorrow for ſin, you take heed that you doe not caſt off ſorrow for ſin: be ſure that you have ſuch a degree of humiliation for ſin, that it may make thee to lie at Chriſts feet, and no lower: Chriſt would have you to be ſo humble as to lie at his feet in the ſight and ſenſe of ſin: but the Divel would have you to be ſo low in your humiliations for ſin as to lie in hell: Jeſus Chriſt would have thee to be ſorrowful for ſin. that thou mighteſt recover out of ſin: but the Divel would have thee to lie ſo low in thy humiliations for ſin, that thou mighteſt never recover. O take heed of ſuch a ſinful ſorrow for ſin; doe not be humbled ſo much as the Divel and thy own evil heart would have thee: and thus much for the third Queſtion.