Englands Preservation, License
IT is this day Ordered by the Commons now Aſſembled in Parliament that Maſter Harris, and Mr. Obadiah Sedgwicke, who this day, being the day of the publike Faſt, at the intreaty of the ſaid Commons; preached at Saint Margaret Weſtminſter, ſhall have thankes returned them, for the great and worthy paines they have taken, and that they bee deſired to print their Sermons, and that no man preſume to print them, but ſuch as they ſhall appoint, till the Houſe ſhall take further Order.
H. Elſyng Cler. Parl. D. Com.
I appoint Samuell Gellibrand to print my Sermon.
Obadiah Sedgwick.
A Sermon Preached at the late Fast, to the Commons Houſe OF PARLIAMENT.
JEREM. 4. 3.
Thus ſaith the Lord to the men of Judah and Jeruſalem, breake up your fallow ground, and ſow not among Thornes.
THere is a learned writer who ſpeakes of foure dayes for a ſinner.Bernard.
The firſt is Dies Faetoris, A day of loathſomeneſſe, 4. Dayes incident to man.and this is the time when the ſinner lies rotting in the grave of ſin. 2. The ſecond Dies Timoris, a day of anguiſh, and this is the time when Conſcience begins to bee awakened with the ſight and ſenſe of ſinne; 3. The third is Dies Doloris, a day of mourning, and this is the time when the heart begins to melt into Teares for ſinning; The fourth is Dies Laboris, a day of Combat, and this is the time when the penitent and converted ſoule ſets it ſelfe againſt the temptations of ſin.
The firſt of theſe is the worſt of our dayes, and yet too common (the dead in this ſenſe are more than the living.) The ſecond of theſe is a bitter and turbulent day, and yet it may prove happie and cheerefull (there being more hope of a ſore Conſcience then of a ſeared Conſcience) The two laſt are (like precious Jewels) very good, but very Rare: It is an eaſie thing to finde ſinners, but it is not an eaſie thing to finde mourning ſinners, and penitent ſinners.
So blinde is the minde of man, ſo perverſe is the will of a ſinner, ſo prevalent is the love of ſinne, ſo deſperate is the reſolution of an hardned heart, that neither the Golden Scepter, nor the Iron Rod, neither the ſweeteſt mercies, nor the ſharpeſt miſeries will eaſily prevaile with ſinning man, to become a penitent man; But though God be leaving, though mercies be ſetting, though wrath be approaching, though life be ſhort, though hell be fearefull, yet it is a thouſand to one, but the ſinner remaines (under all theſe) conſtantly wicked, or onelyonly deceitfully good.
A cleare inſtance whereof, you have in the Iewes in this Chapter, who notwithſtanding they had almoſt ſinned away their God, their Country, their lives, their helpes, their hopes; And notwithſtanding all their warnings by variety of Prophets, and all their ſufferings by variety of puniſhments, and all their threatnings in variety of Judgments, though there was but a ſtep twixt them and death, only one mercy twixt them & utter deſtruction by the enemy, yet either they totally neglected the worke, or would not bee perſwaded throughly to act the duty of Repentance.
The Lord ſaw this dangerous obſtinacy and pitties it, and ſtrives with them to ſave their ſoules, that they might (by this meanes) ſave their Countrey. The way he ſpreads before them is expreſſed,
Partly in verſe 1. [If thou wilt Returne, O Iſrael! ſaith the Lord, Returne unto me, and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my ſight, then thou ſhalt not Remove:] q. d. leave thy ſinnes and ſave all. Thou haſt made many overtures and ſemblances thereof by Faſtings, by confeſſings, by prayings. Adde now one thing more, Repent in good earneſt. This will bee life to your ſolemnities and ſafetie to your Nation.
Partly in ver. 3. [Break up your fallow ground and ſow not among thornes.] q. d. If you do not Repent, you are undone, if you doe repent, but not throughly, you wil be undone too: hypocriſie in good duties, as well as profaneneſſe in bad wayes may ruine a perſon and Nation; A man may as ſurely be drowned in a ſhip that hath a leake, as when he hath no ſhip at all.
Therefore pretend Repentance no longer, but act it, and when you doe act it, act it not ſlightly but exactly; become good, and do good to purpoſe: If you regard and follow this Counſell, Then (as in ver. 1.) you ſhall not remove; but if you will not hearken unto it, then (as in ver. 4.) My fury ſhall come forth like fire, and burne that none can quench it, becauſe of the evill of your doings.
The words of my Text containe in them the principall works of this day, which are two,
1. A ſerious humiliation, unto which the Iewes are exhorted in theſe words [Break up your Fallow ground]
2. A dextrous Reformation, delivered unto them by way of caution [And ſow not among thornes:]
There muſt bee not a little raſing, but a breaking, nor a meere breaking, but a breaking up, and when that is done, there muſt bee a ſowing too, but every ſowing muſt not ſerve the turne, It muſt bee ſuch a ſowing, as may come to ſomething, It muſt not be a ſowing among thornes.
The field which I am at this time to worke upon and goe over (you ſee) is very large, there is much more ground in it then I can conveniently breake up and ſow, I ſhall though (by that Gods aſſiſtance who only is the Maker and breaker of hearts) ſet upon the whole worke, and Hee (in tender mercy) ſo accompany, and water and proſper His truths this day, that all our Fallow grounds may bee broken up, and then ſo graciouſly ſowne in righteouſneſſe, that wee and all the land may ſhortly Reape in mercy!
I begin with the firſt part [Breake up your Fallow ground.]
That theſe words are to be underſtood, not literally but metaphorically, I make no queſtion, that any who heares me, doth queſtion: Interpreters (though) do vary ſomething in their conjectures. Tertullian by fallow ground underſtands the old Law, which hee Adverſus Iudaeos. c. 3.ſaith is to be broken up by the new Law (he meanes the Goſpel,) an expoſition much impertinent, and too wide.
Caſsianus underſtands by it, the Heathens and Pagans, and other ſecular perſons, nor is this conjecture apt to the Text.
Cyprian drawes nearer to the ſenſe, who by fallow ground, underſtands (Mores popuſi) the converſations of the Iewes; and Cyril of Alexandria who by it underſtands, (Animum ſylveſcentem) an heart like the wilderneſſe, wilde and deſtitute of all pious culture, and Chryſoſtome yet more exactly by fallow ground underſtands (cordis profundum) the very Core and depths of a ſinfull heart.
So then (to ſtop all quotations) the fallow ground The Fallow ground is the ſinfull heart.is nothing elſe but the ſinfull eſtate of a perſon or Nation; And it is very aptly ſo deſcribed by reaſon of that conſimilitude which the one hath with the other, For;
Firſt, Fallow ground is a barren piece of earth: a Tohu and Bohu as at the firſt, voyd of all excellency and beauty: There is not one graine of good ſeed So reſembled in three rein it, nor any one delightfull flower; ſuch a deſart is mans ſinfull heart: It is a very (Inane & Nihilum) vanity and vanity, no divine excellency is to be found there; Not any one effect, nor any one ſeed of ſpirituall inclination: For this, It may anſwer as the depth did for wiſedome, It is not in me.Iob 28. 14.
Secondly, Fallow ground is (uſually) an indigeſted Thicket, lumbred all over with weedes, and Briars, and Thornes, and Thiſtles, (that originall curſe which befell the Earth for mans tranſgreſſion:) And ſuch a piece alſo is mans ſinfull heart Though it bee but a barren Wilderneſſe for any good, yet it is an ample Ocean for all that is evill, and hurtfull. The upper part of his field hath in it an abundance of thornes (unprofitable thoughts, hurtfull cares, wounding errors;) and the lower part of his field is as full of ſtinking weedes (vile affections as the Apoſtle calls them:) the beſt fruits of him are but as a briar to ſcratch himſelfe, and to catch and intangle others with ſin.
Laſtly, Fallow ground is an hardned part of earth, extreamly compacted by the influences of the ſun and windes, and by its owne native inclination; ſo that it is not an eaſie thing to ſever it, and diſpoſe it for a better uſe: juſt ſo is a naturall, or ſinfull heart; It is ſo troden, and ſeared & obdurated, partly by the frequent repetition of ſinful acts, and partly by the intenſion of ſinfull delights, that it is not only defective of good, but alſo very active againſt it, unyeelding, reſiſting, and fighting againſt all heavenly counſels and motions. The man is evill, and will be ſo, he is not good, nor will he be ſo, unleſſe God by an inſuperable vertue of his own ſpirit makes him to be ſo.
We have found what the fallow ground is, let us in the next place inquire, what the breaking of it up The breaking up: what?is? Then the Fallow ground is broken up, when the Husbandman comes with his Plow, and enters that plow into it, deepely enters it, even into the Bowels of the ground, and then rents and teares it, and turns it upſide downe: Not in one Furrow, but in every Furrow, once, twice, perhaps thrice if need ſo requires.
Even ſo the ſinfull heart is broken up when the Almighty and gracious God (whom Chriſt calls the Husbandman) comes with his Word and Spirit, and (Alta voce as St. Austine ſpeaks, or virtute magnifica Iohn 15. 1.as Ber. ſpeaks) enters into the heart or ſoule of a ſinner by irreſiſtable convincings, and by efficacious humblings (wch are as rentings and tearings to the ground) and by rooting up the dominion and love of all ſins.
The Scriptures ſometimes call this worke, a touching, ſometimes a pricking, ſometimes a troubling, Acts 2. 37. 1 Sam. 1. 5. Pſal. 34. 18. Prov. 18. 14. Iſa. 42. 3. Ioel 2. 13. 2 King. 22. 19.ſometimes a wounding, ſometimes a bruiſing, ſometimes a breaking, ſometimes a renting, ſometimes a killing, and ſometimes an humbling and melting of the heart.
And this is it which God calls for in the Text from the Iewes as a meanes to prevent their utter deſtruction by the ſword of the Caldeans; whence the propoſition (which I ſhall in the firſt place inſiſt on) is this,
Doctr. 1 That the breaking up of ſinfull hearts, Is a ſingular meanes to prevent the breaking downe of a ſinfull Nation.
THere are three things unto which I ſhall ſpeake for the explication of this aſſertion, Namely
1. What the right breaking of a ſinfull heart is, which is ſo availeable to prevent the breaking downe of a ſinfull Nation?
2. Some demonſtrations that it is a preventing meanes.
3. The Reaſons why it is ſo?
For the firſt quaere, what the right breaking up of a Queſt. 1.a ſinfull heart is? Be pleaſed to know that there is a twofold Breaking of a ſinners heart.Sol.
1. One is ſpecious only and formall (ſuperſicie tenus The heart broken for ſin 2 Wayes 1. Formally.as Saint Bernard ſpeakes) as Artificiall Juglars ſeem to wound themſelves, but do not; or as Players ſeeme to thruſt themſelves through their bodies, but the ſword paſſeth only through their clothes: There is ſomething done about ſins, but nothing is done againſt ſins; peccata raduntur ſed non eradicantur, as the ſame Auhor ſpeaketh, which he truely calls a Fiction and vanity; As when men onelyonly lop the Trees, which thereupon in time grow the faſter and thicker. Againſt this breaking the Prophet of old much complained; They in Iſaiah hung downe their heads and afflicted their ſoules for a day, but for all that they Eſa. 58. 5, & 3ſtill afflicted their poore brethren; And they in Hoſea, did howle, but yet they did ſtill rebell againſt the Hoſea 7. 14.Lord; And they in Malachy did cry out, and cover Malach. 2. 13. & 11.the Altar with Teares, and yet for all their pretended contrition, they did profane the holineſſe of their God: And though the Phariſees did aſſume unto themſelves a moſt mortified garbe of humbling (eſpecially in their dayes of Faſting disfiguring their faces as Chriſt reports of them) yet their hearts were as looſe, as full of pride, and covetouſneſſe, and envie, Matth. 6. 16.and oppoſition of Chriſt, as ever.
2. Another is ſerious and Reall; which is acted moſt in the hidden man, and pierceth like the word, (Hebr. 4. 12.) even to the dividing of ſoule and ſpirit, of which likewiſe there are two kindes, one is ſtiled Attrition, and the other is ſtyled Contrition by the Schoolemen; the former (by our Caſuiſts) is called a legall breaking, and the latter an Evangelicall breaking.
They difference them thus, partly,
1. By their objects. Penall evill is the object on which Attrition doth worke, and ſinfull evill is the object on which Contrition worketh; the one is converſant about paſſive evill (that is) the evill which wee ſuffer, but the other is converſant about Active evill (that is) the evill which wee have done; For ſinne hath in it two qualities, one, to make us unhappie, and this Attrition lookes at; another to make us unholy, and at this doth contrition look.
2. By their cauſes, legall Attrition is onelyonly the pinching of ſervile feare and deſpaire, for it ſeeth nothing but Sea, all that will teare and diſtract the Conſcience; but Evangelicall contrition is the melting and lamenting of filiall Love, and Hope: The frownes of a Revenging Judge cauſeth that; but the ſmiles of a gracious Father raiſeth this; In the one the heart is ſhivered by the flaſhes of Hell, In the other the heart is melted by the beames of Heaven; A ſtroke from guilt brake Judas's heart into deſpaire, but a looke from CHRIST brake Peters heart into teares.
3. By their effects, an Attrite heart may (for that ſpace of time whiles the Conſcience burnes and flames with wrath) become negatively penitent, Non proponit peccare, It doth not purpoſe to ſin; the ſenſible anguiſh for former ſinnings may ſuſpend delightfull intentions for future ſins; but the contrite heart (out of a contrariety of nature) becomes poſitively holy, proponit non peccare, It doth Cordially purpoſe not to ſin any more; All which (if I miſtake not) is the ſame that Cajetan aimes at, when hee ſaith, that Attrition produceth (velleitatem) an imperfect motion of the will, but contrition produceth (voluntatem) a compleat and direct will againſt ſin:
But this diſcourſe (I feare) is too ſpeculative for this dayes worke, give mee leave therefore to open the nature of this penitentiall heart breaking in a more practicall and profitable way: There are ſeverall workings which ordinarily concurre to the full conſtituting of this heart-breaking worke, whereof ſome are Antecedent, ſome are formally ingredient, and ſome are inſeparably conſequent.
1. The Antecedent workings are ſuch as previouſly lead the way to the Evangelicall breaking as Antecedents to heart breaking three.the Needle doth to the threed, and the breaking by the hammer doth to the melting by the fire, by way of order only and not by cauſality: Theſe are (principally) three.
1. A Notionall Irradiation: The Lord never breakes a ſinners heart before hee hath opened a ſinners 1. Irradiationeyes: the day breakes before the heart breakes: light breakes to elevate the ſoule, thus far to diſcerne and diſtinguiſh of evill; till then, ſin is no burden to the Conſcience, nor trouble to the affections: As no good wrapt up in darkeneſſe excites deſire, ſo no evill ſwath'd up in Ignorance ſtrikes any trouble or ſorrow: unknowne things, have not motive faculty becauſe they are as (non entia) no things at all: And therefore God ever keepes this method, to make ſin appeare to be ſin, and afterwards to humble and break our hearts for it.
2. A practicall conviction, which is nothing elſe but a perſonall application of guilt & wrath, without 2. Convictionwhich the notion of ſin would be no trouble: let me open my minde thus unto you: That drunkenneſſe, or ſwearing, or whoredome, or murder, or Sabbath breaking, &c. are ſins; And that ſuch perſons who are guilty of them, (without Repentance) ſhall not inherit the kingdome of God, All this the ſinner knowes already▪ and yet is not troubled, for as long as light reſts in a bare Notion, it is only an addition to his underſtanding, It is no burden at all to his heart: But when this light ſlips downe, and chargeth this ſinne and this wrath upon this very perſon, and ſhines ſo clearely in this charge, that the perſon cannot for his life deny it, thou art a drunkard, thou art this ſwearer, &c. And hereupon in the name of God arreſts him with that wrath which God hath threatned unto that ſinne and ſinner, now the ſinner begins to conſider, and tremble, and breake.
When Peter cloſed with the Jewes, and convinced Acts 2. 36, 37.them that they (in particular▪ crucified Ieſus Chriſt, Now their h…ts were pricked: and when Nathan drawes his parable out of the cloud, and unclothes his Meſſage to David, ſaying, Thou art the man, Now 2 Sam. 12. 7. Pſalme 51.Davids's heart begins to breake and take on; O ſee! the ſubtile heart of man will endure and beare all the Hiſtorical Notions of ſin (as we can the names and natures of diſeaſes and medicines) without any aking and ſickneſſe; But when the Lord brings downe ſin from being a notion, to be an obligation, and enters an action againſt the ſoule within the ſoule, now (and not before) the heart-workings, and heart-breakings doe begin.
3. A Conſcience affliction: which in reſpect of 3. Affliction.degrees and quantity, is, in ſome more, and in others leſſe: for Gods Spirit is an Arbitrary agent in the Graduall effects of bondage as well as in thoſe gracious effects of Adoption; Nevertheleſſe though the degrees of working be different, yet the worke it ſelfe is certaine; The heart will never bee rightly broken for ſin, till Conſcience (which Saint Bernard calls Accuſer, Witneſſe, Judge, and Tormentor) begins to be awakened and quickned: And believe it if The terrible workings of conſcience.Conſcience which hath been ſo much ſtirred begins to ſtirre, if Conſcience which hath beene ſo often wounded begins to wound, the ſpirit of man will eftſoone faile and breake within him; O ſaith Conſcience! What haſt thou done, thus and thus to provoke the Holy and Righteous and Great God. I know the ſeverall acts of thy ſinnings, and times, and places, and perſons, and circumſtances; and I have ſad newes to tell thee, that great God (againſt whom thou haſt ſo much and ſo often ſinned) hath commanded and deputed me not only to ſpeake no peace, but alſo to ſpeake His wrath and diſpleaſure unto thee, and in His Name I charge upon thee all thy ſins and all his juſt wrath revealed againſt them.
And now the proud and ſtout heart of a ſinner begins to throb and feare and tremble: He thinkes that every threatning which he reades, is a Cloud of Tempeſts againſt him, hee thinkes that every judgment hee heares of another, is a Sword drawne to cut him off alſo; He thinkes that all the hell and torments thereof mentioned in the Scriptures, will ere long bee his portion; whereupon his diſtracted ſoule cries out, ô that I had never beene! ô that I had never ſinned! ô that I might never bee! If I ſhould now dye, good Lord! what will become of mee? If I ſhould yet live, will the Lord ever bee mercifull to me? The ſins which I ſee are many, the wrath which I feele is great, and that which I feare is infinite: If I live, I ſee I am an accurſed creature, and if I dye (ô let me not yet dye!) I feare I ſhall bee for ever (ô my ſoule breakes at that endleſſe word of miſery, for ever!) a damned ſinner: But yet cries out this ſinner, Lord! Lord! Is there no mercy, nor hope of any mercy for mee, a moſt vile ſinner?
With theſe minde racking-breaking thoughts away haſtens this burdened, broken ſinner unto his Cloſet, and ſhuts the doore, and downe hee fals on his knees, and with much confuſion of thoughts and feares hee ſpreads all his ſinnings before God, confeſſing one, and then another, and then with fervent agonies begges of the Lord (more than for his life) Mercy Lord! mercy, mercy for a loſt, for an heinous, for an undone ſinner! Canſt thou pardon me? Wilt thou pardon me? O Lord pardon mee! O Lord bee reconciled unto mee! O that I might have any hopes, the leaſt hopes, that thou wouldeſt be mercifull unto me!
And now up riſeth this ſinner with theſe or the like thoughts, well! I will reade the Bible, I will heare ſuch a Miniſter, I will open my condition unto him, and conferre, and inquire whither there bee no balme in Gilead: whither there be a mercy Seate, a Citie of refuge to entertaine ſuch a ſinner as I am; and after a while upon carefull ſearch, he findes that yet there is hope, that there is an immeaſurable ſufficiencie in the bloud of Chriſt, & an Ocean of ful and free grace in God, and that God (notwithſtanding all his former ſinnings againſt him) is moſt willing and ready to accept of him into mercy, if ſo bee, hee bee willing to forſake his ſinnes and imbrace a Mediator.