The Triumph of Mercy in the Chariot of Praise, Treatise · Chapter 10
CHAP. X. Repentance of Secret and Sudden Sins.
THE Divine Viſitation, by ſecret, ſudden, and unexpected Mercies, lays ſtrong Bonds and Obligations upon us to repentance and watchfulneſs againſt ſecret ſins. They are always in the light of Gods countenance to diſcern,Pſ. 90.8. and ought to be in the light of our Conſcience to prevent. David ſets a preſident to hide the word within our Hearts,Pſ. 119.11. to preſerve from hidden offences. Set up the ſtrict Judicature of Conſcience upon heart inquiries, to teſtifie both thy ſincerity and gratitude. He that always makes conſcience of ſecret duties and ſecret ſins, is a ſound and ſincere Chriſtian. A good conſcience is a continual feaſt, and makes a cheerful Chriſtian:Pr. 15.15. Pr. 15.13. Pr. 17.22. And a cheerful heart does good like a Medicine, and places a man in a Paradice of peace and delight. One of the moſt dreadful roarings in Hell will moſt probably flow from the neglect of the warning voice of conſcience upon earth. That's the Salamander which lives in perpetual Flames, and ſtings like a Scorpion both with head and tayl; looking backward upon ill-ſpent life, ſcorning the rebukes within, and forward upon endleſs and remedyleſs miſery. What makes men ſo fearful here at the noiſe and alarm of any temporal judgment without, but guilt within? As Juvenal mourned over the Varlets of Rome in his days,
Hi ſunt qui tripidant & ad omnia fulgura pallem
Cum tonat, examines primo quo que murmure coeli.
At every flaſh of lightning they wax pale,
When diſtant thunder rumbles villains quail.
O happy Man that makes peace betimes with that inward Viceroy,Sueton. lib. 6. c. 48. Commertar. Schild. before the thunderbolt overthrows the luxurious Table, and ſtrike the Cup out of his Hand, as it did to Nero! Obey the faithful counſel of Conſcience now, and he'll prove a faithful friend at death and judgment. Let him be thy preſent Counſellor, and he'll be thy future Comforter. He that's ſound at Coar needs fear no ſearching. Whoſo hath judg'd himſelf already, may with peace and comfort expect the judgment to come.1 Cor. 11.31. Upon ſincere ſcrutiny of thine own Spirit, thou mayeſt with ſome Holy Confidence lift up that gracious Prayer,Pſ. 139.23. Pſ. 19.12. Lord ſearch and try me, and cleanſe me from ſecret ſins. In the cloſe, renew holy covenants, purpoſes, and reſolutions with God,Col. 1.11. and in the might of his glorious power to perform. If thou find thy heart thus ſincerely ingaged in the Court of Conſcience, to condemn and arraign thy ſelf, to ponder and conſider thy ways; hence will ariſe a Fountain of unfeigned repentance under the Threſhold of this Tribunal, as in Ezekiels Viſion: hence thou mayeſt conclude that thy ſins are pardoned; and a Chriſtian may ſurely know it by theſe Signs.
1. If after deep Humiliation and ſerious care of Holineſs the Soul find ſome inward reliſh, and ſome lively ſweetneſs from the Hope of Pardon.
2. If he finds that the Spirit of God infuſes ſome ſweet inclinations to lay hold of the Covenant founded in Chriſt, and cloſes with him on Goſpel-foundations; that is, the meer grace and mercy of God in Chriſt to loſt Sinners coming weary and heavy laden to his Throne: That man is in the happieſt condition in the whole world. The conſequence will ſhine out moſt illuſtriouſly when God ſhall heal iniquity graciouſly,Pſ. 103.1. by pouring peace into the Conſcience, and ſubdue iniquity victoriouſly,Mic. 7.19. Pſ. 19.12. that no ſin ſhall have dominion over him.
Secret tears for ſecret ſins are an excellent ſign of an Holy Heart, and a Healing Balſam for broken Spirits. God well underſtands the Language of half words interrupted with ſighs, and interprets them as the Steems and breathings of a broken Heart. My groaning, ſays David, Pſ. 38.9. Pſ. 69.5. Pſ. 69.6.20.is not hid from thee. And as all our fooliſhneſs is before him to cover it, ſo is all our heavineſs to eaſe it; and therefore ſhall our Souls praiſe and pleaſe him more than a Bullock with young Horns and Hoofs upon his Altar.Bochart. de animal. vol. 1. col. 944. Holy mourning keeps out carnal ſorrow, and produces ſpiritual Joy. It ſtirs up the Heart of a Saint to beg preventing grace, which no falſe heart can perform without ſecret reſerves. This inward ſorrow prevents open ſhame. God will never give up ſuch a ſoul to be trampled on by ſpiritual Enemies, who are already humbled by themſelves. In Saints humiliation there's a door opened for ſecret hope, becauſe of the precious promiſes that are plighted to it, and eſpecially of preventing future Sin by ſtrengthning grace.Jam. 4.6. For as the Love of God is the Fountain of all true repentance, ſo 'tis the attractive of more incomes of divine Love to the Soul. According to our Love ſo is our Faith and Truſt in God, and according to our truſt ſuch is our freedom at the Throne of Grace. Truſt in him,Pſ. 62.8. and pour out your hearts before him, pour them out like water in joyful tears. For when the ſtone in the heart is melted by mercy, the eyes will iſſue like a fountain of tears. foreign, Good men have melting Spirits. 'Tis a branch of the Covenant,Ezek. 36.26. and a fruit of the effuſion of the Spirit of Grace. It's aſſerted by the Learned in Chymiſtry, that no Menſtruums are ſo powerful as Sulfureous and Oily Liquors to melt down the hardeſt Minerals: To be ſure there's nothing like the Oil of Mercy ſo potent a Solvent for an Iron Heart.
A true Holy Soul takes up his time within, and begs the preſence and aſſiſtance of the Spirit: He principally labours at inward corruptions, to hack down that curſed thorn and ſtub it up by the Roots. He judges himſelf for ſecret iniquities, becauſe God being a Spirit, has a ſpecial eye upon the frame of Spirits. Not the iſſues of the Tongue and vaunting of High Attainments is pleaſing in his Sight, but the Spiritual iſſues of a humble Heart. God abhors that perſon who wallows in hearts defilements, and much more if he has a Golden Tongue tipt with Hypocritical Eloquence. The numbers of heart ſins as to their kinds, are many; as to their acts innumerable. Yet an Iſraelite indeed is continually bending his Bow, and ſhooting forked Arrows into their bowels. Such are inward anger, pride, envy, revenge, earthineſs, ſloth of Spirit, ſecurity, unthankfulneſs, unpreparings of heart for Holy Communion, and the like. I might ſpread forth the odiouſneſs of ſome of theſe inward Sins, and lay open the ſources and ſprings of many outward enormities, which break out into the life, but ſhall ſurrender that Province to Moral Philoſophy, or rather the Divine Ethicks of Solomon, to cure theſe inward corruptions; and adviſe all Chriſtians to beware of the firſt motions and conceptions of the Heart, to ſet a guard againſt ſudden Tentations, and to ſtartle at the firſt occaſions to ſin.
A gracious perſon may be ſurprized and fall ſuddenly among Thieves that lurk behind the Buſhes.Occaſions. Nay, very holy men, unleſs wonderful wary, may be quickly tript up by ſudden Queſtions and unexpected Emergencies. Who knows the ſubtilty of ſin, and the deceitfulneſs of his own heart? Take heed of anſwering quickly, and ſend up ſudden Ejaculations to Heaven before you reply to a weighty and doubtful motion.Pſ. 106.33. Abraham fell twice in the caſe of Sarah. Moſes ſpake unadviſedly with his Lips at the Waters of Meribah. Aſa was too quick with the Prophet; and Jonah was inflamed by ſudden anger when the Sun ſcorch'd his head, and the Worm his Gourd; fretful paſſion burnt his heart into aduſt choler. Good Hezekiah was ſuddenly lifted up after a humbling ſickneſs: And holy Joſiah was too precipitant in the caſe of Pharaoh Nechoh. Slippery places may fling up the heels of great Gyants, and little tentations may overthrow well-grown Chriſtians. A ſudden ſhort Guſt in a chopping Sea may overſet a ſtately Ship when all her Top-Gallants are out, if not very well Ballaſted.
Strength of grace and powerful aſſiſtance are known by ſudden onſets. To ſave credit, or ſtop a loſs, or divert an inquiſitive temper, puts many a good heart to a venture. If God withdraw, and guards be aſleep, we may be blown down by the breath of a ſilly Maid: As poor Peter fell ſorely, and broke his face upon the Pavement in Cajaphas's Hall. They do ill that put ſnaring queſtions and interrogatories; but they do worſe who watch not a trapping tongue. Deliver a Saint from ſudden exigencies, and he'll do well enough ordinarily as to any deliberate ſin. Our Mother Eve was catch'd by a queſtion, loſt a whole Paradiſe of Fruit trees by a tempting Apple. David by an inchanting glance at Jeruſalem kindled a flame, which had almoſt blown up his Kingdom: And what ſtraits he was in at Maon, and Engedi, and Ziglag, his trembling Harp does tune it in mournful ditties. Had not Joſeph been ſtrongly ſupported, his black Egyptian Miſtreſs had ſmutted his Soul and ſlain his chaſtity. We are too ready for ſudden fear to joyn iſſue, and betray our Souls before we can recover our Spirits.
Bleſſed is the Man who feareth always,Pr. 28.14. and treads gently that he may walk ſecurely. Can a man take Fire in his boſom and not be burnt? Take heed of ſparks, to avoid flames▪ Beg pardoning grace for former ſlips; renewing, ſtrengthning, and preventing grace againſt future invaſions. Take heed of ſecurity after proſperous victories. Cyrus the Perſian, and Harold the Saxon, loſt their lives in a new Battel after a late Victory. Upon great ſucceſs ſound your Trumpets in the Valley of Humility. God never ſeals aſſurance upon a proud Spirit;Iſ. 66.2. he looks ſmile-ingly on the humble, and the contrite Soul that trembles at his word. Maintain ſecret communion, and heavenly ſtrength will maintain your ground. The brighter the light of communion ſhines into the Soul, the clearer will a Saint ſee into the dark corners of a filthy heart, and keep his garments pure, and waſh off his daily ſpots in the Laver of repentance. Every prayer muſt have its ſighs, becauſe every day we contract ſome blemiſhes. Delay eſtranges God, and makes a Spot to ſink the deeper.
Aſclepiades the great Phyſician of Bithynia ſaid, It was the Doctors duty,Celſ. de r…med. l. 3. c. 4. [Ʋt tutò, celeriter, & jucundè curet;] To cure his Patients ſafely, ſuddenly, and pleaſantly. Celſus adds, [Ferè periculoſum eſt nimium, & feſtinatio, & voluptas;] That haſte and pleaſantneſs are moſtly dangerous. Repentance, if ſound, is never too ſwift; and the more bitter its potion, the more pleaſant in Iſſue. Repentance that's hurried muſt be repented over. Much filth requires ſoaking ſhowers. To ſet a Bone too haſtily, may induce a Callus, and doubles the ſorrow to break it again for a right placing. Be not earneſt in time of affliction to uſe inordinate means to ſpeed deliverance. Jacob was too nimble in bending his Knees for his Fathers Bleſſing, it coſt him 20 years exile, and a ſhrunk Sinew before he obtained it fully from the Angel. Stay Gods time, and the Mercy will ripen more kindly. Somer Fruit will rot before Winter, and ſuch as are green gathered are windy and griping. Beaſts that ſtruggle in the Net are more intangled, and impatient Birds by fluttering in the Twigs, Birdlime all their Feathers and ſtick the faſter. It's no wiſdom to eat the Iron Bars with Aquafortis, and break Priſon unadviſedly; he may leap to the Neck in the Caſtle-ditch and ſink in the Mire, or bruiſe his Bones in the Foundation-jettings for an Almanack in his old Age.Pſ. 6.2. Though David found ſome marrow in his vexed Bones, yet upon change of weather the aches brought Sin to remembrance. Our troubles will end more auſpiciouſly when Angels are ſent from Heaven to open the Iron Gate as they did to Peter, and lead him to the houſe of prayer. Thou mayeſt know when God intends a Salvation, the Shackles will fall off eaſily, and the Gates will fly open at night; and ſtrange opportunities ſhall ſet thee in the Churches State,Pſ. 126.1. who was like them that dream, when God turn'd her captivity like ſtreams in the Sandy South.
Let every gracious Soul wipe off his ſliding Tears with the hand of Hope.Rev. 18.5. Pſ. 56.8. Pſ. 108.4. Though his Sins have ſeem'd to reach to Heaven, yet his repentant tricklings are laid up in bottles within the Heavens, and the Divine Mercies are infinitely above the Heavens of Heavens. Let thy grateful returns kneel before the Throne of of Grace in ſecret, firm Reſolutions againſt Secret Sins, to prevent them, for the Honour of his Holy Name, who now lades us with Secret, and will crown us with Open, Mercies.