The Doctrine and Practice of Mortification, Chapter 14
CAP. XIV. Shewes thee other properties of Contrition, viz. ſhame, indignation, and revenge.
THe next thing in contrition,2 Of ſhame is to be aſhamed of our ſinnes, and to loath them; for the more the heart is broken for ſinne, the more it is aſhamed for it;Job. 42.6. as when Job ſaw himſelfe in his colours, then hee did abhorre himſelfe in duſt and aſhes,Ezeck. 36.31. and the Prophet ſhewes, that there ſhould come a time when the Lord would ſmite the hearts of men, that they ſhould remember their owne evill way and their doings that were not good, and ſhould loath themſelves in their owne ſight for their iniquities, and for all their abominations: and hence is that of the Apoſtle,Rom. 6.21. what profit have you in thoſe things whereof yee are now aſhamed… It is not the having of ſinne that bringeth ſhame, but the ſenſe of it; for when as wee ſhall have it cleere to our underſtanding, how bad a companion it is, and how much harme it hath done us, and how great danger it hath drawne us into it makes us aſhamed.
1 What will make a man aſhamed ſooner than the apprehenſion, and ſight of his owne nakedneſſe?Gen. 2.25. So ſoone as Adam ſaw his nakedneſſe hee even out of ſhame went and hid himſelfe in the garden among the buſhes, this was not ſo much becauſe of the nakedneſſe of his body, for ſo hee was before, but his ſinne, not for the want of apparell, as for the want of righteouſneſſe, that made him aſhamed.
Againe, when a man conſiders that hee is not onelyonly naked, but that ſinne hath defiled him, and made him a moſt defiled and monſtrous creature: this makes him the more aſtoniſhed at Gods great patience, that ſuffereth him to live, and to abhorre himſelfe as one of the moſt wretched & miſerable men under heaven.
3 When wee conſider the contempt that ſinne brings on us, that is not onelyonly a burden to us, but it makes us oftentimes odious to the ſight of men, and alwaies contemptible on the ſight of God: thence it was, that the Prophet ſetting out the vileneſſe of our naturall condition, ſets it out by ſuch an one as no eye pittied,Eph. 16. none looked with compaſſion on him, when hee lay polluted in his blood, hee was then caſt out into the open field, to the loathing of his perſon, ſo is it with every man by nature, when hee comes to ſee into what contempt and diſgrace hee hath brought himſelfe, both with God and man, will hee not be aſhamed, ſurely if there be any ſparke of grace, hee will abhorre himſelfe in duſt and aſhes,Iob. 42.5. and labour to buy of Chriſt white rayment, that the ſhame of his nakedneſſe may not appeare.Rev. 3. If any ſhall ſay, that men may be aſhamed of their ſinne, and yet the heart not broken; to which wee anſwer, that there is a large difference betweene them.
1 They differ in their objects, a man whoſe heart is truly ſenſible of that diſgrace, that lyeth upon him from God, this is that makes him aſhamed, as it was ſayd of Miriam, when ſhee was ſmitten with leproſie, and Moſes prayed unto the Lord,Nu. 12.14. that he would heale her, the Lord anſwered Moſes, ſaying, if her father had but ſpit in her face, ſhould ſhe not be aſhamed? & ſo ſay I, that when God powereth contempt on a man unto whom he hath beene gracious, and favourable, ſo as hee caſts out his petitions, and will not heare, nor anſwer them; hee caſts him into darkneſſe, and ſetteth his ſinnes in order before him, and ſuffers him to lye in the deepe,Eſa 6.5. as Ionah among the weedes: this makes a gracious man greatly aſhamed: but now the ſhame that a wicked man hath, it is moſt of all in reſpect of men; they thinke they ſhall eſcape the reproach from God well enough,Iob 22.13. were it ſo they could but eſcape thoſe diſgraces, and diſparagements that doe fall on them from men, they ſay, that heaven is ſo high that God cannot heare: can hee judge through the darke clouds? Thence it was Saul deſired to be honoured among the people,1 Sam. 13.30. though otherwiſe hee would have gloried in his ſhame:Ph. 3.19. in one word; where the ſhame of men doth more bridle us from ſin, than the feare of God, it is cleare to me, that we preferre our credit above our conſcience; I read of Paphnutius, a learned;Theatr. Hiſt. p. 533 and pious Biſhop, at the Councell of Nice, that being allured by a harlot to incontinencie, ſhe brings him into a very darke roome, hee looking fadly about him, ſaid: I am afraid that ſome body ſeeth, never doubt, ſaith ſhee, none but onelyonly God ſeeth us here, but (ſaith hee) if God doth ſee us, how dare we doe that in the ſight of God, that wee dare not doe in the ſight of men?
2 They differ in their continuance, for the longer that a wicked man lives, the harder his heart growes, and the leſſe ſinne and ſhame hath hee of his ſinnes. Hazael could not thinke that ever he ſhould prove ſo bad and ſo bold a ſinner as was prophecied of him, no man is the worſt,2 King. 8.13. at firſt: but growes to it by degrees, Domitius Nero for the firſt five yeares of his raigne; he was ſo faire, and ſo favourable, as it was called Neronis Quinquennium. But after hee broke forth into ſuch foule, and bloody ſinnes, as made him both hatefull to God, and man. But now on the other ſide, the longer a good man lives, the more is his ſenſe, and ſorrow for his ſinnes, and the more hee is aſhamed of them: there ever the burthen of them is the more heavie,Iob. 13.26. and the memory is the more grievous unto him, yea the ſinnes of his youth: thou writeſt bitter things againſt mee; and makeſt mee to poſſeſſe the ſinnes of my youth.
Briefly, that I may end this point, if you can ſtep over thoſe ſinnes, now without remorſe or ſhame that before time would have made you aſhamed, you may well ſuſpect your ſelves to be let looſe to hardneſſe of your owne hearts, and given over to reprobate ſenſe; but if on the contrary, you feele a ſtronger diſtaſt of ſinne, ſo as it is not committed without griefe, nor thought upon without bluſhing, if you be thus aſhamed of your ſinnes, God will not be aſhamed of you at the laſt day.
3 They differ in theſe operations, and manner of working, for though a wicked man may, when he hath ſinned, and he is under the guilt, and puniſhment of ſome hainous offence, ſometime be humbled for it, and bluſh at the remembrance of it; yet it workes no change in him, it doth not alter him to any purpoſe, it may do, peradventure, as the Angell unto Balaam for the time, turne him aſide, or ſtop him a little while,Prov. 5.22. Nune pr… mam adverte ſp…nſae verecundiam, eſt expugnatrix mal… rum, pr…pugnatrix puritatis innat…, ſpecialis gl…ria, conſcientia fama ouſtos, vitae decus, virtutis ſedes, virtutum primitia, naturae laus, & inſignetotius honeſti. Ber. in Serm. 86. Cant. but not long; he goeth on ſtill, till hee periſh by the wages of iniquity, and be taken in the cords of his owne ſins. On the other ſide, he that is truly baſh full for his ſins, he hath taken ſuch a diſtaſte againſt them, as that neither the flattering baits of the fleſh, nor the golden ſhowers of the mammon of iniquity, can perſwade with him, to take pleaſure in ſinne, any more, yea this holy baſhfulneſſe is like the flaming ſword that kept the gate of Paradiſe that fallen man could not make any entry, for when we are aſhamed of our ſinnes, it wards the gates of our hearts, and keeps us in that we ruſh not into ſinne again, for when God ſmites the conſcience, and reproves it ſavingly for its ſinnes; it makes Iob's reply, Behold I am vile, what ſhall I anſwer thee: I will lay my hand upon my mouth, Iob 40.4.5.once have I ſpoken, but I will not anſwer, yea twice, but I will proceed no further.
3 Now come wee to the third property of a broken,3 Indignation. and bleeding heart: that is, where there is a hearty,2 Cor. 7.11. and holy indignation againſt ſin. The Apoſtle ſpeaking of godly ſorrow: Loe, ſaith hee, what indignation hath it wrought: there is a twofold indignation, the former is ira ſubita, a ſudden anger, that is, when men are ſoone angry, and ſoone pleaſed: as it was with David, what a pelting chafe was he in, againſt Nabal, what big words doth he breake into, while hee is going downe the hill, how doth hee upbraid his Churliſh behaviour; and tels what havocke hee will make amongſt them before the next morning; yet by & by, when Abigail meets him with a ſmall guift, with a few ſoft words ſhe turnes away his wrath, and all is well agains: ſo is it in this caſe do you not ſee many a man that when ſinne gauls him, O how bitter, and boiſterous hee is againſt his luſts, But now when as this corrupt heart of ours, ſhall but decke her ſelfe with ſome faire and plauſible excuſe, and bring ſome preſent in her hand of gaine or pleaſure, the matter is taken up, and the contention is at an end, and luſt and hee are growne good friends.
2 But now there is another indignation, that is called ira permanens, that doth continue, and remaineth with a man, ſo as it is with ſome men, that when they are once out and angry with a man they are never pleaſed againe. This kind is no way good but againſt ſinne, and then it is exceeding good; we are charged not to let the ſuune goe downe upon our wrath, neither to give place to the devill,Eph. 4.26. but in this caſe wee muſt ſuffer the ſunne to goe down upon this indignation againſt this body of ſinne, or elſe wee give place to the devill.2 King. 13.18. When Eliſha bid Joaſh King of Iſrael to ſmite the ground with his arrowes; The text ſaith, he ſmote the ground thrice, and ſtayed, which if hee had done five or ſixe times, hee had utterly conſumed his enemies. It is ſo in this caſe, ſome men will bee angry ſometimes with their ſinnes, it may be twice or thrice in their lives, but if they would continue their indignation, and ſmite on, they would at laſt utterly confound their ſinnes, and ſubdue them. The way to avoid the anger of God, is to be angry with our ſelves, for if we judge our ſelves wee ſhall not be judged of God at the laſt, and great day, this is our comfort that are angry with our luſt: we can never be angry too much, you cannot hate them more than they doe deſerve: but as the Iſraelites were never to make pleace with Amalecke, ſo no more muſt wee with our ſinnes.4 Revenge.
4 The laſt property of a broken and a bleeding heart is a holy revenge; now a revenge is a dealing in like manner with ſinne, as it hath dealt with us; for as much as luſts are thoſe enemies that warre againſt our ſoules, we muſt be couragious to warre againſt them, that thereby we may revenge our ſelves of our ſins, and then doe we doe this great worke.
1 When wee doe abſtaine from the uſe of thoſe things that are in themſelves lawfull,2 Cor. 7.11. when wee have unlawfully abuſed them; as ſuppoſe we, a man that hath beene an immoderate drinker of wine, whereby hee hath not onelyonly abuſed the creature of God, but made himſelfe for the time, of a reaſonable man, like unto an unreaſonable beaſt, or ſuppoſe wee another, that hath beene given to immoderate gaming, as hunting, hawking, bouling, and hath made theſe which were for his recreation to become, as it were, his vocation. In ſuch a caſe as this, if it might not tend to the too much loſſe of his health, or danger of his life, it were good for a man to abſtaine altogether from them, at leaſt for ſome time, as a revenge of his former abuſe of them. Againe, if that theſe, or the like immoderate recreations have kept us from the ſervice of God, either in the publique aſſembly, or in our private cloſets, it ſhould be our care and endeavour to recompence, our ſlothfulneſſe with double diligence.
A man that would avenge himſelfe of his luſts, hee muſt purſue them, as the avenger of blood did the man ſlayer, or malefactor, that unleſſe hee was gotten into the city of refuge, hee was ſurely ſlaine; ſo muſt wee doe, hunt them out, let them not reſt in any corner of our hearts, for if ſinne may but find any little reſting place in our ſoules, it will not out, and as long as ſin reſts in us, Chriſt will not reſt, therefore you muſt not ceaſe till you have driven it out of your bounds. It was a good ſpeech of Sarah, Gen. 21.9.10.Caſt out (ſaith ſhe) the bond woman and her ſonne; for hee ſhall not be heire with my ſonne: ſo ſay I to you,Eſa. 2.20. caſt away your tranſgreſſions, for theſe two, Chriſt and ſinne; grace and luſt will not inhabit together.
3 The laſt thing in revenge is, that wee ſhould ſhew no pitty or compaſſion on our luſts: when a man ſhall neither ſpare great nor ſmall ſinnes.Deut. 33.9. It was the bleſſing that Moſes gave to the Tribe of Levy, that he ſhould ſay to his father and mother, I have not ſeene him, neither did he acknowledge his brethren: nor knew his owne children, ſo it ſhould be here, that wee ſhould regard no luſt, though it might be ſo deare as a mans Parents, or children to him, yet ſhould hee have no pitty. Saint Hierome gives the reaſon why we ſhould be ſo void of pitty,Hier. Ep. ad Heliodor. Licet parvulus ex collo pendeat nepos, licet ſparſe crine, ſciſiis veſtibus ubera, quibus te nutriit, mater oſtondat, licet in limine pater jaceat, percalcatum perge Patrē ſiccis ocults ad v…icillum crucis: evola ſolum p…etatis genus, in hac re eſt eſſe crudelem. Hier. ibid. Ecce adverſarius in pectore tuo, qui Chriſtum conatur occidere: behold there is an enemy within you, that doth endeavour to ſlay Chriſt, therefore ſaith hee, neither father nor mother, nor kinſman ſhould prevaile with us to keepe us in our ſinnes, but wee ſhould ſhake off all; and follow Chriſt, though it be to the loſſe of all things elſe, for this kinde of cruelty, is the height & top of true piety.
The righteous ſhall rejoyce, when he ſeeth the vengeance; and waſh his feete in the blood of the wicked, Pſalm. 58.10. And how great joy will that bee when as a Chriſtian ſhall ſee the revenge upon his ſinnes, that they that were his enemies are fallen before him: it is hard unto fleſh and blood to be thus cruell, eſpecially againſt himſelfe, as to turne his mirth into mourning; his howers of recreation into times of devotion: to beate downe his body, by faſting; and to afflict his ſoule with ſhame and ſorrow. This I ſay is difficult, but yet,1 Sam. 6.10. if you would overcome nature, you muſt become in this thing unnaturall, as it was ſaid of thoſe two Kine that had their calves taken from them, that were appointed to draw the arke of God; they went along the high way lowing as they went, untill they came to the coaſts of Iſrael, a ſtrange thing it was, and it may ſeeme to be unnaturall, that they ſhould leave their calves, and do thus; yet they did it becauſe it was Gods worke; ſo I may ſay, that though this may ſeeme unnaturall, and a kind of cruelty, yet we muſt ſet upon it becauſe it is Gods worke;Pſ. 137.9. happy is that man that takes theſe brats of Babilon & daſhes their heads againſt the ſtones, for in not pittying of them, he pittieth his ſoule.