The Signs of the Wicked Man, Chapter 6
CHAP. VI.
Shewing how true humiliation may be attained.
THVS of faith: In the next place he muſt labor for true and ſound humiliation for his ſinnes: and to this end hee muſt diſtinctly ſtriue to get formed in him two things: 1. Pouerty of ſpirit, 2. godly ſorrow, for to theſe two belong all the branches of true humiliation.
For the attaining of ſpirituall1. Gather a Catalogue of thy ſins, either▪ by memory, pouerty, theſe rules are of great vſe:
Firſt, make a Catalogue of thy ſinnes, which thou maiſt do either by memory or by booke: By memory thus: Goe aſide, ſet thy ſoule before the Lord, as if thou we reſt preſently to be iudged of him; call to minde particularly, whatſoeuer thou canſt remember by thy ſelfe; conſider thy wants, thy Omiſſions, and Commiſſions of euill, in youth or riper age: in heart, or life, in things that concerne God, or men, or thy owne ſoule, and diſpoſition, thoughts, affections, words, or deedes. Thou maiſt then ſee an Army of rebellious euils thou haſt beene guilty of. By bookOr by booke. thus? Procure thee the labour of ſome reuerend Diuine, that hath briefely gathered the ſins of eueryevery Commandement, and from thence gather out ſo many ſins, as thou knoweſt by thy ſelfe that thou haſt beene guilty of: Lay thoſe ſins dayly before thy conſcience, and conſider how many wayes thou haſt made thy ſelfe guilty.
Secondly, conſider then2. conſider Gods▪ Iuſtice. the Iuſtice of God, how he hateth all ſinne, which thou maiſt be aſſured of, if thou remember how hee plagued our firſt Parents, the old World, Sodome, & Gomorrha: how fearefully he neglected the Gentiles, caſt off the Iewes, yea how he ſpared not his owne Son Ieſus Chriſt, when he became a ſurety for other mens ſinnes.
Thirdly, thinke of the3. Thinke of his threatnings. terrible woes, and threatnings, and curſes which are denounced eueryevery where in Scripture againſt ſuch offences as thou art guilty of.
Fourthly, force vponupon4. Remember thy latter end. thy ſelfe the remembrance of thy latter end, and thy appearance before the tribunall ſcate of Chriſt, to receiue according to all that thou haſt done in thy fleſh.
Fifthly, obſerue with5. Obſerue Gods Iudgements vponupon the wicked. what iudgements the Lord eueryevery day fights againſt wicked men, in all parts of the world, ſometimes by common Plagues, ſometimes by ſpeciall and particular calamities.
Sixtly, aboue all things,6. Eſpecially Gods goodneſſe to thee. marke with all thy heart Gods goodneſſe to thee in particular; in during all this at thy hands, his bleſſings of all ſorts dayly beſtowed vponupon thee, chiefely his mercy offered to thee in Ieſus Chriſt, that can be content to forgiue thee all thy debts, ſo thou be ſorry, and weary of offending. Nothing can more breake thy heart, then to obſerue how God dealeth with thee, euen with thee in particular, that haſt deſerued ſo much euill at his hands.
Seuenthly, try thy ſelfe7. Try thy ſelf by the ſignes. by a particular examination of thy owne eſtate, by eueryevery particular of the ſignes of Gods children, and then thou maiſt ſee, what a poore creature thou art, what ſhew ſoeuer thou makeſt in the world, and what naturall gifts or praiſes ſoeuer thou haſt; for then thou ſhalt finde, how exceeding empty thy heart is of ſollid gifts, and the beſt graces, and that many a poore creature, that maketh little ſhew in the world, hath a heart better graced by farre then thine.
Eighthly, thou muſt beg8. Beg an humble heart of God. heartily an humble heart of God, and a greater diſcerning of thine own vileneſſe. The Lord will bee ſought vntounto, & he is ready to be foūd, if thou ſeek him conſtantly and diligently: It is not a ſmall worke to breake the pride and ſtonineſſe of thy heart. It needes power from aboue.
Ninthly, prouide to liue,9. Liue vnderunder a ſearching miniſtery. if it may be, vnderunder a forceable miniſtry: where thou maiſt heare ſuch doctrine dayly, as will ſearch thy heart, & ranſacke thy life; where thou maiſt feele the Word of God goe downe into thy heart and reines.
Tenthly, marke what10. Watch againſt the things thou art naturally proud of. things they are, which by nature thou art proud of, and labour ſeriouſly both by arguments & reſtraint, to alienate thy affections from them: In particular, take heed of the ſnare that is in gay clothes, delicious fare, worldly titles, and the like.
Eleuenthly, ſhun and auoide11. Auoide the flatterer. with deteſtation the flatterer, and ſeeke vntounto thee a righteous companion, that may ſmite thee for thy faylings, and reprooue thee, and not hate thee in his heart.
Twelfthly, labour to12. Thinke ſtill of ſom of thy worſt fruits. keepe in thy memory and thoughts, 6. or 8. or more, or fewer of thy faults, that thou wouldſt bee more aſhamed off, and thou haſt more offended in, & compel thy ſelf daily to remember them: this will wonderfully do thee good▪ and tame thy pride, and make thee more meeke & more tractable, and mercifull, all the day after thou haſt duely thought of them.
Thus of the way how to get thy ſpirit to bee truely poore and humble.
Queſt. The next queſtion is, what a man ſhould doe to get a ſoft heart, and true godly ſorrow, that hee might bee able to mourne for his ſinnes, before God.
Anſ. 1. He muſt firſt conſider1. Cōſider Gods promiſe about a ſoft hart. of Gods promiſes, who hath bound himſelfe by couenant to take away the ſtony heart, & giuegive a heart of fleſh vntounto them that ſeek vntounto him for it, Ez. 36. 26, 32.
2. He muſt dayly in the beſt words he can, keepe a2. Dayly confeſſe thy ſins to God, conſtant courſe in the confeſſion of his ſinnes before God, begging of God with al importunity this mercy,And beg ſorrow. that hee would melt, and ſoften his heart, & reſolue, that he would neuer ſtand before the Lord, but hee would remember this petition, alwayes iudging himſelfe, giuing glory to God: It may bee the Lord will heare at the firſt, or ſecond time of prayer, but if he do not, thou muſt reſolue to watch and pray ſtill, without limiting God to the time of effecting thy deſire, as knowing that it ought not to ſeeme grieuous vntounto thee, that the LORD doth not preſently worke what thou prayeſt for, conſidering how long the Lord hath called vponupon thee, and thou didſt not anſwere, and withall the Lord is well pleaſed with theſe preparations in thy heart, and accepts thy endeuour to mourn becauſe thou canſt not mourne.
3. Hee muſt obſerue3. Be thākfull for eueryevery mercy in prayer. how the Lord deales with him in prayer, and be ſure with all thankefulneſſe to acknowledge any mercy God ſhewes him in prayer, as if hee make him willing to pray, or giuegive him words in prayer, or let him feele any ioy in the time of prayer, or that he finde his heart in any degree to melt, hee ſhould bee wonderfull thankefull, if he can get but one teare in prayer, or that he find his heart in any degree to melt: and this obſeruation of Gods goodneſſe letting him know, that hee regards his particular requeſts, will melt his heart indeed further, and perhaps ſet him all on a flame in deſires to praiſe God, and to abaſe himſelfe euen to the duſt before the Lord, Hoſh. 3. 5. 1. Theſſ. 5.
4. That Rule of the4. Acknowlege thy faults to others. Apoſtle Iames is ſometimes of ſingular vſe in this caſe of breeding ſoftneſſe of heart, and that is acknowledging your ſinnes one to another, when in ſecret we make our moanes to wiſe & mercifull Chriſtians, and ſhame our ſelues for our ſpeciall offences, it many times hath melting of heart ioyned with it: ſo as that heart, that before ſeemed hardened and dry, now eaſily diſſolues into teares, Iam. 5.
5. To go into the houſe 5. Go into the houſe of mourning.of mourning may bee in this caſe profitable: reſort to ſuch as be in ſorrow for the hand of GOD vponupon them, eſpecially ſuch as mourne through the affliction of their Spirits: Conuerſe with humble & tender-hearted Chriſtians, Eccleſ. 7.
6. In all the ſeruices of6. Take heed of diſtraction in Gods ſeruice. God be ſure to draw neere to God, and keep thy minde from diſtraction and hypocriſie: The Sunne cannot hauehave ſuch force to melt the waxe, as the beames of Gods preſence hauehave to melt the heart, Iam. 4. 6, 7.
7. The Apoſtle Paul being7. Studie the tenth Commandement. a ſturdy Phariſe, had his heart beaten to powder with the feare of the tenth Commandement, that told him, hee muſt not luſt: The knowledge and conſideration of the aboundance of ſinne-guiltineſſe hee had drawne vponupon himſelfe, by the inward fruits of his euill nature, kil'd him out-right, brake his pride, and mortified him, as hee at large repeates, Rom. 7.
8. Remember the Paſſion8. Remember the ſorrowes of Chriſt for thy ſin. of thy Sauiour, the pouerty, baniſhment, ignominy, temptations; the apprehenſion, forſaking, arraignement, condemning, and cruell death, which hee ſuffered for thy ſinnes: Looke vponupon him that was pierced for thy ſake, Zach. 12. 12.
9. If of thy ſelfe thou9. Get others to pray for thee. canſt not yet attaine vntounto ſorrow for thy ſinnes, get ſome godly Chriſtian, that is endued with the gift of prayer, to ioyne with thee in priuate, that ſo the Lord may bee pleaſed to grant in heauen, what we of him doe aske on earth.
10. Laſtly, If al other means10. Vſe faſting. faile, then ſet a day apart by faſting; for the day of a faſt was called the day of afflicting, or humbling the ſoule, Leu. 16. both becauſe it was the maine duety to bee ſtriuen after on that day, and beſides, becauſe the Lord vſually did bleſſe his owne Ordinance ſo, as he gaue an humbled heart to thoſe, that ſought it of him.