The Doctrine and Practice of Mortification, Chapter 15
CAP. XV. Shewing the great neceſſity of contrition, which is fourefold.
1 A neceſſity of th… precept.2 THe ſecond thing is, the neceſſity of a broken heart. In point of mortification there is neceſſitas precepti, of Gods command, hee hath commanded us to doe this duty, hee hath commanded us to mourne, they ſhould weepe as a Virgin girded with ſackcloth, for the husband of her youth, and ſo turne to the Lord:Ioel 1.8. where there is the greateſt love there ſhould be the greateſt ſorrow, now the firſt love is the greateſt love, and therefore the firſt loſſe doth require the greateſt ſorrow. 1 Which doth ſhew unto us, that nothing ſhould be more grievous to us, than our ſins, ſeeing God hath commanded it as a thing neceſſary to this worke, why ſhould wee not do it? Againe, we are enjoyned ſhame, thence it was in the Law, that when they had tranſgreſſed the Commandements of the Lord,Neh. 9.1. they uſed to put ſackcloth on their loynes,Ier. 4….…7. and powre aſhes on their heads, being tokens of ſhame and ſorrow. Againe,Pſal 39.3. we are commanded to before diſpleaſed with our ſinnes. Davids heart was hot within him: and the heart of Ioſ…ah was melted at the abominations of thoſe times, and the great tranſgreſſion againſt Gods Law: this is that the Lord doth require; Laſtly, that there ſhould be a holy revenge, I ſuppoſe that vow of of the Nazarite; that he ſhould abſtaine from wines, and from the huskes of the grapes, was chiefly ordained, as holy revenge upon occaſion of the abuſe of the good creature of God. Now whatſoever God commandeth us, that is neceſſary, but you ſee that God hath commanded us to labour for a contrite and a bleeding heart, therefore it is neceſſary, as the ſervant of Naaman the Syrian ſaid unto him,2 King… 5.…3. If the Prophet had bid thee doe ſome great thing, wouldeſt thou not have done it, how much more then, when he ſaith to thee, waſh and be cleane: ſo ſay I, if God ſhould command you ſome great thing, for the mortification of your ſinnes, and the ſalvation of your ſoules; ſuppoſe it were to goe bare-foot to Jeruſalem, or to beſtow all your goods on the poore, or give the firſt borne of your body for the ſinne of your ſoule, would you not do it, how much rather then,Pſal. 51.17 when hee ſaith onelyonly this, that a broken and a contrite heart ſhall ſtand inſtead of all theſe.
2 There is neceſſitas medii, a neceſſity of the meanes,2 Of the meanes. it is a ſpeciall meanes, that this body of ſinne may be ſubdued, for as it is with water, when it overflowes the ground, it drives out moles, and wormes, and other ſuch creatures,2 Cor. 7.11. as do infeſt, and annoy the ground, and eate up the rootes of plants fit to become food for man: ſo it is with true contrition, it doth ſo overflow the heart with godly ſorrow, as that it drives out theſe troubleſome Inhabitants that doe annoy our ſpirits, and would ſpoyle thoſe good beginnings of grace in us, therefore put wee our ſelves on the meanes, and ſtand not like the hand that is ſet up to guide us the way, and yet moves not it ſelfe. But if wee know theſe things bleſſed are wee if wee doe them; if you ſay, that to doe thus is troubleſome to fleſh and blood, I anſwer, it may be ſo, but as we ſay that, ſometimes the things that are not the moſt toothſome, are very wholſome and good, ſo howſoever they may be ſome trouble, yet ſo long as this trouble doth free us from a greater trouble, all is well; it is better to mourn here wher wee have comfort, than to mourn and burn in hell, where wee can neither have eaſe nor remedy. Againe, our comfort will recompence our trouble; for every houre of grief ſhal be recompenced with thouſands of yeares of joy and conſolation; when a man hath beene ten thouſand yeares in heaven, and then ſhall looke backe and conſider what a ſhort time of ſorrow it was that he endured, and withall how many millions of yeares are behind, which can never expire; I conceive, it will not repent him, that he hath repented, nor grieve him, that hee hath mourned. In one word, this neceſſity is confirmed by the practice of ſuch, as are gone to heaven already, as Saint Paul that did ſtruggle with his corruption, and beat downe his body,Num. 7.27. and Saint Peter, and David, and the reſt.1 Cor. 9. And it is propheſied of the people of God, that they ſhould goe weeping to ſeeke the Lord,Ier. 51.4.5. and ſhould aske the way to Sion, with their faces thitherward, ſaying, come let us joyne our ſelves to the Lord in a perpetuall covenant that ſhall not be forgotten Comfort your ſelves therefore in the uſe of good meanes for your paſſage through the valley of Baca, Pſal. 84.6.7or valley of mourning, is to meet the Lord in Sion.
3 Of our actions.3 It's neceſſary in reſpect of all our actions, that they may be right, it is neceſſary that they ſhould come from ſuch a heart as hateth ſinne.Pſal. 66.1…. For if I regard wickedneſſe in my beart the Lord will not heare my prayer: now a man is ſaid to regard wickedneſſe, when the parting with it is grievous unto him, as it was when Abraham was bidden by Sarah to caſt out Iſmael, Gen. 21.the matter was very grievous unto him, becauſe he did regard and love him: ſo it is, when we reſpect and love our ſinnes, wee will be loath to part with them, and then know that what action ſoever you doe,Luk. 16.15. you cannot pleaſe God. The reaſon is, becauſe God hee judgeth of a mans actions according to his heart, which if that bee unſound, then will all the actions bee no better. Thence i… the complaint made by the Prophet;Eſ. 33.31. they come unto thee as the people commeth, and they ſit before thee as my people, they heare my words but they will not doe them, for with their mouth they ſhew much love, but their hearts go after their covetouſneſſe; while men deale thus with God, and behave themſelves no better in his ſervice, they may not unfitly bee compared to the Water-man, that while he roweth one way, he lookes another; waſh your hands therefore yee ſinners, and cleanſe your hearts, Jam. 4.8.yee double minded men; waſh your hands by reformation, (and your hearts by true contrition) otherwiſe you are but foreign double minded;Mat. 12.33 therefore make the tree good and the fruit will be good, therefore now if your heart be good, ſo will your actions be; for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth ſpeaketh, the hand worketh, the eare hearkneth, and the whole man moveth: Therefore there muſt be great need of contrition to the end.
4. Of the way that is made for Chriſt.4. There is a neceſſity of it in this regard, in as much as it makes way for Chriſt to dwell in our hearts:Eſa. 5.7.15 Luk. 14.15 when our bleſſed Saviour tels his Diſciples whither they ſhould goe, and where hee would eate the Paſſe over; you ſhall finde (ſaith he) an upper roome furniſhed and prepared, there make ready for us; ſo it is alſo in this caſe, into what heart Chriſt intends to come, and to make it his Chamber of preſence;Eph. 3.17. it muſt be prepared for him by true humility and contrition of ſpirit; waſh you, make you cleane, &c. Eſa. 1.16.18.and then come, ſaith God, and let us reaſon together, till then you are not fit to draw neare unto God. When the people of Iſreal had committed the great ſinne in the making of a Calſe, the Lord tels them,Exod. 3 3. that ſo long as they kept their ornaments on them, it was in vaine to make ſuite unto him; put off therefore (ſaith he) your ornaments,Eph. 4.22. that I may know what to doe unto you: ſo muſt we, if we expect Chriſt to come into our hearts, put off the old man which is corrupt by deceitfull luſts, ſo long as luſt rules and raignes in the heart, ſo long Chriſt is kept out; but now when by true contrition we caſt away our tranſgreſſions, and baniſh out the old inhabitants, then Chriſt he will enter in and dwell there; but firſt he will caſt out buyers and ſellers, and money changers, they ſhall not neaſt and reſt themſelves in his Temple, he will caſt out and overcome the world, and our ſtrong corruption, and make us to abhorre and avenge our ſelves of our ſins; then he will ſay, this is my houſe, here will I dwell, and I will eſtabliſh it on ſuch a foundation, as the gates of hell cannot prevaile againſt.