The Doctrine and Practice of Mortification, Chapter 13
CAP. XIII. The ſecond degree of mortification which is more neare, is a broken and contrite heart.
THe ſecond and more near degree of mortification is a bleeding and contrite heart. It is called the ſacrifice of God, or a broken ſpirit,Pſal. 51.17 a broken and a contrite heart O Lord thou wilt not deſpiſe; all ſacrifices are included in this broken heart,Pſal. 57.16 the higheſt; heavens and the loweſt heart, are the two houſes where the Lord will take up his ſpeciall habitation; the Lord ſaith of the contrite heart,…ſ. 66.2. this is my houſe, here will I dwell to revive the ſpirit of the humble. Here I ſhall obſerve two maine things,
The nature and neceſſity of contrition.1. The nature of this contrition and brokenneſſe of heart.
2. The neceſſity of it.
Firſt, conſider the nature of contrition, and a broken heart for ſinne. This conſiſts in foure things.
The nature of it, and firſt godly ſorrow.1. A godly ſorrow and true remorſe for ſinne, a melting and tender heart,2 Cro. 34.27. which of all hearts is the beſt, that when as we ſhall heare the word, it will affect our hearts as the heart of Joſiah was; or when we commit any ſin, our hearts,1 Sam. 24.5. like that of David, will ſmite us ſpeedily; or when we ſee men diſhonour God, or breake his law,Pſal. 119.136. our eyes doe breake out with rivers of teares;Jer. 9.1. or at leaſt deſire that our heads were Wels of water, and our eyes were fountaines of teares. Or when wee want any good thing at the hands of our God, that wee finde the good ſpirit of God helping our infirmities with ſighes and groanes, ſuch a… cannot be expreſſed,Rom. 8.26. crying Abba Father! and when wee ſee our owne deformities and the plague of our owne hearts.1 King. 8.38. We doe bemoane our ſelves as Ephraim did, and ſmite our hands on our hearts and ſay, Lord! Jer. 31.18.what have I done, woe is me, I am a man of polluted lips, and dwell amongſt men of polluted lips: Eſ. 6.5…and indeed, as one hath well obſerved; hee that doth not bewaile his ſinnes, doth not perceive the wounds that ſume hath made in his ſoule.
Qui non planges p… oa…a, non ſouti… vulnera, n…e anims lect…nem. Ber.1. For the quantity of godly ſorrow, how grea… it muſt be; for the ſofter the heart is made by ſorrow, the more fit it is to bee caſt into what faſhion God would have it;2 Cor. 7.10 11, 12, 13. as the Fur… takes away the droſſe from the ſilver, ſo doth godly ſorrow worke ſtrange effects in the ſoule. Now although wee cannot ſe… unto you …ow deepe … ſhould b…e,… …eith…r…ea… wee ſay, as …od doth to the Sea, …ither to ſhall you goe and no f…ther;… yet may wee ſet downe ſome things in generall, which will be very neceſſary for … to know.…a…. 10.12. A… firſt it muſt be as gr…ut as worldly ſorrow;2 Cor. 35, 24 yea, as the greateſt worldly ſorrow, therefore it is compared to the bitter lamentation that is for an on…ly childe, and for a ma…s firſt horne, and like that healty mourning that there was for Joſiah in the valley of Megido…. Now look how you have ſe…ne at any time a diſconſolate Father bewaile the loſſe of his ſonne, … David did for Abſalon in that … complaint of his; O Abſolon my ſonne, my ſonne, or a diſtreſſed Mother mourning like R…hel for her children, becauſe they were not. Even ſuch ſhould be our ſorrow for our ſinnes, that our ſinnes have ſo deeply offended God. Therefore it is propheſied,Ezek. 7,16 that they ſhall bee on the mountaines, like Doves of the vallies, every one mourning for his iniquity. Now whereas ſome poore ſoule may bee troubled at this, and ſay; Alas! I never found any ſuch affection in the for ſinne, as I have found for ſuch a loſſe; therefore wee muſt diſtinguiſh betweene dolor ſenſitiv… & dolor apr…iativus; in reſpect of ſenſe, the body & paſſions may be more troubled at an outward loſ…s; becauſe the object is more ſenſible; and yet ſorrow for ſinne may be greater in reſpect of the price and worth of it: ſhallow waters often make the greateſt noyſe, whereas the deepe waters runne the more ſtill:Acts 2.37. ſo it is here, this ſenſitive ſorrow makes more noiſe, and yet this ſorrow for ſinne goes neerer to the heart,Jer. 4.3. and takes deeper impreſſion: there ſometimes an aking tooth, or ſome outward griefe doth vex and trouble a man more, then a burning Feaver on the Conſumption of the lungs, and yet the later is far more dangerous then the former; becauſe, the diſeaſe ſeaſeth on the more noble parts: ſo it is in this caſe, godly ſorrow keeping within the bounds of reaſon, though it may be more ſecret, yet it is more ſound, and every way as great or greater then the other.
2. Conſider of ſorrow, either intenſive or extenſive, either in reſpect of the preſent force and intention of it, and ſo worldly ſorrow may be greater; or elſe in reſpect of the conſtant duration, and extent of it, and ſo godly ſorrow is greater; water that is dammed up in a pond, if you ſet open the water-gate, it will runne more for a ſhort time, then the ſpring that feeds and filleth it; ſo may worldly ſorrow runne faſter for a preſent guſh, and yet not comparable to the other in reſpect of continuance: a pregnant example hereof wee have in David, how did hee bewaile the immature and untimely death of his ſonne Abſalon. O Abſalon my ſonne, my ſonne, this was heavie for the preſent, and yet his ſinne that he had committed was heavier unto him in reſpect of continuance, and therefore he ſaith, that his ſinne was ever before him, Pſal. 51.he doth not ſay ſo of the loſſe of Abſalon; when Moſes had ſmitten the Rocke, the people dranke of the Rocke, it followed them. It is thought by Divines that this water followed them through the wilderneſſe till they came where there was plenty of water: ſo if our hearts bee truely ſmitten with the rod of Gods word, this ſorrow will continue till we attaine to the viſion of peace.
2. Our ſorrow muſt bee according to our apprehenſion, and the greater that wee apprehend our ſinnes to bee, the greater ſhould bee the proportion of our ſorrow for them; David had greatly ſinned,Pſal. 3 2.4. and therefore when he came to the ſight of it, he did waſh his bed, and water his couch with teares, and his moiſture was turned into the drought of Summer, and when Peter had greatly offended; bee went out and wept bitterly. A great wound muſt have a large plaiſter, and a ſtrong diſeaſe muſt have a ſtrong potion; ſo foraſmuch as ſorrow is the meanes to cure ſin, and acceptable to God above all ſacrifices; where ſinne hath been great, the ſorrow ſhould bee great alſo, neither are …ſſer ſinnes to be neglected,Peccatum quod non pae…itentia dilus, tipſop…ndere in aliud peccatum trahit. Greg. …or there is no ſinne ſo little, but if it bee knowne, it muſt bee repented of; for if it be not grieved for; then it will grow, yea, and bring Gods judgement on us too: did not Eve bring all that miſery on her ſelfe and us, by eating of an Apple, and was not Lots wiſe turned into a Pillar of Salt, for a look backe unto her City: did not Vzzah loſe his life by onelyonly touching the Arke of God: nimis offici…ſa ſeduli…as, for too much diligence,2 Sam. 6.6. as it were, therefore make not any ſinne ſmall, but bewaile and leave them. If it ſhall be ſaid that there are many ſinnes a man cannot know, or if they be knowne, yet peradventure we doe not conceive of them as we ought: for anſwer hereunto; firſt, if that ignorance be not affected ignorance, but after a ſort invincible, becauſe uſing all good meanes to know it and yet it is not cleere to him, in this caſe bewailing his knowne and unknowne ſinnes will ſuffice; and ſecondly, for the other I anſwer, that wee muſt know that how great ſoever we can conceive our ſinnes to bee ſo great they are and greater; according to thy feare,Pſ. 90.11. ſo is thy wrath, that is, what feare you can conceive of Gods diſpleaſure for ſinne, ſo it is; that if your apprehenſion would ſwell higher, you would ſtill apprehend ſinne to bee fouler and more ugly and odious in the ſight of God: and therefore meaſure out your ſorrow according to t… he hither proportion rather then otherwiſe; If it bee ſaid how may this proportion be found out: to this I anſwer that then there is ſome proportion when as wee are as deeply affected with ſorrow for ſinne as wee were raiſed and taken with the pleaſure wee had in ſin, as it was ſaid of the ſeven yeeres of plenty that was in the land of Egypt, Gen. 41.31that it ſhould be forgotten by reaſon of the famine that was at the heeles of it; ſo all the pleaſure that a man hath taken in ſinne is forgotten in regard of the griefe and ſorrow of heart that we feele, nay when hee takes as much pleaſure now in mortification of ſinne, and his mourning for ſinne; as he tooke pleaſure in ſin it ſelfe; nay he counts it all joy when he fals into troubles as theſe are, becauſe that hee knew after his ſowing in teares, hee ſhall reape in joy, ſemper dolet, & de dolere gandet, Ber.whereas his former pleaſures would have beene the occaſion of his future woe and miſery,Audacior qui cum uno peccato dermit, quam qui cum ſeptem hoſtibus Aug. therefore that ſpeech was very good of him that ſaid it, that he was a more bold man that durſt ſleepe with one ſinne (unrepented of) then with ſeven enemies.
2. The nature of true ſorrow may bee diſcerned in the qualities and properties of it: as,
1. Is that that makes men looke about them, it makes them to ſeeke for helpe, as thoſe that were pricked in their hearts, they ſaid, men and brethren what ſhall we doe to be ſaved; Acts 2.37.as it was with thoſe Lepers that lay at the gate of Samaria, 2. King. 7.3 How was S. Aug. weakned after his heart was broken for ſin, how doth hee ſeeke out for help, he goes to Alipius his friend, hee goes up & downe and cannot bee freed withal his great words againſt himſelfe, quibus ſententiarums verberibus me flagitavi. Yet never was at reſt, but dryed out, quam diu, quam diu, cras, cras quare non modo quare non hac hora ſini sturpitudinis mea? &c. Aug. Lib. 8.when there was famine within, and foode without, but in the Campe of the enemies, theſe men are now in a ſad condition, if they ſtay there or tu…e into the City they die of the famine; if they betake themſelves into the Campe of the enemy, it may bee they may live, it may bee not; yet in a caſe of this nature, there is more wiſedome to caſt themſelves upon a way wherein there is moſt hopes, and ſo they ſaved their lives by it, and are the meſſengers of good newes to all the City: It is juſt thus with a broken heart and a ſorrowfull ſpirit ſometimes. If I turne backe to my former condition, then I ſhall but adde ſinne unto ſin; if I ſtay here, and remaine in this condition, then ſhall I certainely periſh, and therefore though as yet I know not whether God will have merciemercy on mee, and hold out his golden Septer unto ſuch a vile ſinner as I am, yet will I goe venture my ſelfe, and if I periſh I periſh; beleeve it, if you ſeeke thus you ſhall finde; if you knocke thus it ſhall bee opened unto you; for if there be any hope in a mercileſſe enemy,Matth. 7. there is more hope in a mercifull God: on the other ſide ſecurity is a certain ſigne of impenitencie and of an unmortified nature;1 Theſ. 5.3. men are never nearer danger, then when they are moſt ſecure; while they cry peace,Jer. 48.11 Luke 17.27.28. and are ſettled on their lees, dreading of no danger, then comes it upon them: but now that which makes a man mourne for ſinne puts him upon uſe of all good meanes to deſtroy this enemy and to favour no ſinne, though it bee never ſo deare unto us, that we may follow the counſell of our Saviour; that if our right hand doe offend us wee muſt cut it off and caſt it from us; yea, and wee muſt ſpare nothing that wee may ſpare our ſoules.
Nulli parcas ut ſoli parcas animae crudelitas illa pietas. Heir.2. This ſorrow turnes all other ſorrow into its owne nature, as all the freſh rivers, though they runne with forcible, and ſtrong currents into the Sea, yet when they come there they are immediately turned into Salt; ſo is it in this caſe, all other ſorrowes when they fall on a ſanctified and a broken heart for ſin, he can turne them all into this channell, and here they all change their qualities: ſuppoſe hee finde loſſes in his eſtate by ſome bad ſervant or bad debtor or any caſualty by Sea or Land; the broken heart is not ſo much troubled at the loſſe it ſelfe, nor at the perſons that might occaſion it as at his ſinne which might bee the ground of it, and ſo it was with David when Shimei curſed …im,2 Sem. 16.10. behold he looked at himſelfe, and a… his ſin, and humbled himſelfe before God, becauſe he knew that the Lord had ſent him; ſo we ſee it was with Job, that when Sathans malice was made manifeſt to the ful, yet ſo as Iob looks hither, & in concluſion ſaith, God gives and God takes; whereas if he had looked lower, hee might have ſaid, God hath given, and the Devill hath taken, but the humble ſpirit deſires not to bee troubled with what the Devill or man can doe unto him, becauſe he knowes that they are but inſtruments and rods in Gods hand to correct his children withall; therefore he falleth downe before God, and kiſſeth his rod, and cals upon his name; and then the Lord harkens, and heares, and puts his teares into his bottle, and in his good time will heale his ſoule. In one word, as it is ſaid of the Philoſophers ſtone, that what metall ſoever it toucheth, it turnes it into gold, ſo is it with this ſorrow that what croſſe or diſaſter ſoever it doth meete withall it makes it an occaſion to worke in him godly ſorrow to repentance, never to be repented of.
3. It mends all, it make up all breaches,Eſa. 1.16.18. waſh you, make you cleane, take away the evill of your doing, (which is done by this worke of mortification and mourning for ſinne; and then ſaith God, let us reaſon together, and then though your ſinnes were as red as crimſon, I will make them as white as wooll (herein is the excellencie of godly ſorrow) if you have loſſes in your eſtate or croſſes by your children, or injuries by evill men, you may fit downe and ſorrow till you can weepe no more; but now halfe of this, were it godly ſorrow, though your ſinnes be as blacke as hell, yet God will make them as white as ſnow; if a man bee old the skill of all the Phyſitians cannot make him young againe; but a man that is truely humbled for ſinne, the Lord Chriſt redeemes his life from death,Ʋerus penitens ſimper eſt in labore & dolere delet de prateritis; laborat pro futuris cavendis. Ber. and renewes his youth like the Eagles, that as they report of the Eagle, that when ſhee growes old and cannot eate for the length of her bill, with much adoe ſhee gets it broken, and then fals to her meate as if ſhe were young againe; ſo it is in this caſe when wee have caſt away all our abominations and our doings that were not good, though with much adoe, then ſhall we renew our lives as the Eagle, and be made fit to ſit among Chriſts gueſts, at the marriage feaſt when he makes us a feaſt of fat things,Iſa. 25.6. and wine when the lees are well refined.
3. The third thing in this ſorrow is how long it ſhould continue, to this we anſwer; that as we ſinne daily, ſo wee muſt ſorrow daily, and becauſe all ſinne is not of one magnitude or proportion, therefore it doth admit of degrees, but if we ſpeake of initiall mortification, which is the thing chiefely in hand, the firſt work that is begunne in the ſoule: then I ſay,
1. Wee muſt mourne till the generall frame of ſinne be diſſolved, till the regiments of ſinne be taken downe:Judg. 14.17. Sampſons wiſe did never ceaſe weeping untill ſhee knew his riddle; ſo ſhould wee never ceaſe till we know-that our ſinnes are diſſolved and purged out: Alaſſe! what comfort can a man receive ſo long as hee remaines a ſlave to his huſt,2 Sam. 12 20. and is under the Prince of darkeneſſe, but now ſinne is ſlaine in us, and dead in us; then we doe as David did when his child was dead, hee then at oft from the earth, and wa…nt and ano…hed him…lfe, and changed his apparell, and came into, the houſe of the Lord, and worſhipped, and then came into his own houſe and are bread, when we find that this child that wee have begotten by our ſinne, is dead, we ſhould doe the like, then cheare up your hearts and worſhip God that hath given you victory againſt it. It was comfortable neves that was brought by the Angel unto Ioſeph. Mat. 2.20.Returne into the land Iſrael, for they are dead that ſought the young childs life, ſo ſay … it will be a great ſtay to our ſoules, to heare that the body of death is dead within us, that ſought how to deſtroy our ſoules.
2. We muſt mourne till he that hath wounded us ſhall come and heale us,Hoſ. 6.1. come ſay they, let us returne to the Lord, for he hath borne us, and he will heal us, he hath ſmitten us, and ….
It … an eaſie matter to wound, but not ſo eaſie to cure and heale again; it is the prerogative in this caſe, that belongeth chiefely to God, the fleſh can vex us, and Sathan can teare, and trouble us, and wound us, but none of theſe can cure us againe; but now God can as well heale as wound; here is one thing further to be obſerved, that the Prophet doth not ſay that ſinne or Sathan hath wounded us, and God will heale us; but he hath wounded us, and he will heale us, and bind us up; for a man may have theſe wounds by ſinne and Sathan, and yet no true our…, the cure that theſe Phyſitians can give us are of no value; is either to caſt a man into a deepe, or rather a dead ſleepe of ſecurity and harneſſe of heart, or to ſuffer him, to fall into deſpaire, and ha… his owns and by an untimely death, as Iudas and Iuli… did: but where God once by his ſpirit ſmites the heart with true remorſe for ſinne, then he is moved by the ſame ſhirit to ſeeke unto God for the cure of that wound as it was with Eliſha, 1 King. 19 19.that after the Prophet Elia had put his mantle upon him, he preſently comes after him; ſo, whereas the Lord ſhall be pleaſed to works in us a true ſight of our miſery, he never doth it without ſome hope of mercy, that when we ſeele our burden we might likewiſe come unto him for caſe and comfort;Pſal. 103.13. theſe are thoſe comfortable ſpeeches, that as a father pittieth his owne children, Mat. 12.20ſo the Lord pittith them that feare him, and that promiſe hee will not breake the bruiſed Reede, nor quench the ſmoaking Flax, &c. and that exhortation,Mat. 11.28 come unto me all yee that are weary and heavie laden and I will eaſe you.