Chap. 51 The former Use further prosecuted.
vers. Lord, why castest thou off my soul? Why hidest thou thy face from me? I am afflicted and ready to die (mark) from my youth up.
God was pleased to exercise him from a young man & it is a blessed thing when God begins with young ones, & makes them know what sin means, when they are young, as Heman did, from my youth up.
While I suffer thy terrors I am distracted.. Thy fierce wrath goeth over me, thy terrors even cut me off.
Well, who was this Heman? for this is not a Psalm of David; you shall see in the Title it was a Psalm of Heman, and you shall find, that he was one of the wisest men that lived upon the Earth,
•Kings, 4. 31. there he speaks of Heman, he was brought in, in the Story among the most wise men that lived upon the Earth, he is compared with Solomon; it is said of him, he was exceeding wise, and of excellent wisdom, More wise than the Children of the East
Country, for he was wiser than all men, than Heman; for he was one of the wisest of all, though Solomon excelled him; yet next him, he was one of the wisest: and how comes he to be thus wise?
It is like that was one means that caused him to be so wise, he was afflicted, and ready to die; from his youth up, he was troubled for sin all his days.
What is the folly of young people? They go up and down, and take liberty in wickedness and sin, and never feel the weight of sin; but if God please to begin with them, and make them to see the evil of sin rightly, this is the way for them to come to have true wisdom; if God train them up in trouble of conscience for sin, it is the way to make them wiser than their Teachers, train their Fore-fathers, and to bring them to the wisdom even of the most wise.
CHAP. LI.
The Former Use further prosecuted.
First, Against those that have slight thoughts of trouble of conscience, which ariseth either from gross Ignorance, or Atheism, or desperate slighting of God. Secondly, Trouble of conscience is the beginning of Eternal death. Thirdly, Those that have slight thoughts of trouble of conscience, can never prize Christ. Fourthly, Those that have slight thoughts of trouble of conscience now, shall one day alter their opinion. Fifthly, It were just with God to let those sink under the burden of conscience that have slight thoughts of it now. Sixthly, Those that have slight thoughts of trouble of conscience, those very thoughts do take away a chief restraint from sin. Seventhly, Slight thoughts of trouble of conscience for sin, are, 1
A high degree of Blasphemy. 2 And a degree towards the unpardonable sin.
WE have entered upon the Application of all that has been said concerning the evil of sin. And you may remember I have only named one Use that do arise from all that has been said about the evil of sin: and that we shall now prosecute.
The use is this, If there be so much evil in sin as you have heard opened unto you, beyond all the evil of any affliction, Hence then we see that the wounds and trouble of conscience for sin, certainly it is no melancholy conceit, it is not a fancy or imagination, as many in the world think of it. Many men have very slight thoughts about the trouble of conscience for sin; and when they hear of men or women troubled for their sin, they think, it is nothing but melancholy, or temptation, or some kind of frenzy, or madness, or folly, or weakness of spirit, or timorousness.
These be the thoughts men have of trouble of conscience, and according to their thoughts that they have of it, such are their Cures that they seek for it. I spoke some what of it in the last Chapter: but now certainly, if these things be true, as verily they are the truths of
God that have been delivered concerning the evil of sin; then we are not to wonder at men and women that have troubles of conscience for sin. I shewed by some examples, that trouble of conscience was not melancholy; especially in the example of Christ himself, that had the burden of sin, troubles of spirit; I cannot so properly call it trouble of conscience, for there is a substantial difference between the wrath upon his soul that he felt, and the wrath of God that others feel upon their consciences; but in effect, the wrath of God is the same, that was upon him by imputation of sin; and upon others by reason: of their own proper guilt: and it was not melancholy in him, nor in David, as I shewed in the last chapter.
Now to proceed. There be two things I desire to proceed in: And First, I have many things to say unto those that have slight thoughts of trouble of conscience for sin, somewhat to say to those; and if there be any in this place that have wondered at men and women that have been troubled in their conscience for sin; let them attend to what they read, I have divers things to say unto them.
Secondly, I am to shew you some difference between melancholy distempers, and trouble of conscience for sin
First, These thoughts of thine, they certainly come from either abundance of Ignorance; or, Atheism; or, Desperate slighting of God: One of these three Causes 1 Ordinarily these thoughts that men have of trouble of conscience, to be no greater matter than such melancholy conceits, they do come from gross Ignorance: thou knowest not God, thou knowest not what it is for a soul to have to deal with an infinite Deity; thou never yet hadest a real sight of an infinite Deity, with whom thou hast to deal: And it is a sad thing to think, that men and women should live a long time, and never in all their lives come to have a real sight of that infinite Majesty and Deity, with whom we have to do.
It comes from ignorance of the nature of sin; thou dost not know what sin is, God has yet blinded thine eyes that thou shouldest sin, but not know what sin is. Certainly thou dost not know the Law of God, the Spiritualness of it, and the dreadfulness of the wrath of God revealed against sin: thou dost not know what Eternity means, thou dost not apprehend what it is for a soul to be in hazard of miscarrying to all Eternity. It was the Speech of Francis Spira (as I opened in the former Chapter) I shall make use of that example further, because a notable example: Oh said he, If I might endure the heavy wrath of God, but for twenty thousand years I should not think it much; but it must be Eternally, Eternally; I must endure the Eternal wrath of God: that lay heavy upon his spirit. Let any man or woman in the world, the stoutest, proudest spirit that lives upon the face of the Earth, think what it is to miscarry to Eternity, and this will make his spirit be troubled. Therefore its gross Ignorance in men, that makes many have such slight thoughts of trouble of conscience for sin.
2 Again, If not from Ignorance, yet from Atheism: For many men that seem to have excellent Parts, and are not ignorant Sots, and yet have slight thoughts of trouble of conscience for sin. It is not so much to be wondered at, to see a company of ignorant Sots, that know nothing of God, and the Principles of Religion, that they should have such slight thoughts, and wonder what men mean to be troubled for sin: But men, that have good Parts, perhaps men of great Gifts, and pregnant Wit, and great Scholars, and yet they have slight thoughts of trouble of conscience for sin.
Now in them, usually the cause is Atheism, or slighting of God.
Woeful desperate Atheism is in the hearts of many great Scholars, many pregnant Wits, many that will speak much of Religion, yet they are desperate Atheists in their hearts, therefore from thence it comes. Therefore when you see learned men, understanding men, go on in such and such sinful ways, and slight all that is said concerning the evil of sin, do not wonder at it; for woeful desperate
Atheism lies under abundance of Knowledge, a great deal of
knowledge, learning, wit, and parts; and yet slight sin: this is the Cause, the Atheism in their spirits. Compare these two Scriptures together, Psalm, 14. 1. The fool has said in his heart, there is no God: and in Prov. 14. 9. Fools make a mock of sin: that is, those fools that do say in their hearts, there is no God, those fools make a mock of sin, and they think lightly of all that has been said of the evil of sin: and what need so much ado about the evil of sin? they can slight it, and make light of it; well, it is such that make a mock of sin, as say in their hearts, there is no God; or otherwise, it comes from desperate wickedness, slighting of God: Perhaps men are not grown so far, to be plain, downright Atheists, yet they have slight thoughts of God: Oh what slighting the Majesty of God is this, for any man or woman, to think it a light matter to sin against God? or for trouble of conscience for sin, to be a slight matter: thus it will appear to spring from some of these Causes. Perhaps if thou thy self beest but crossed in any thing, or any thing come cross to thy will, thou thinkest it a great thing, and art troubled woefully, and art in a rage; when thou art crossed, thou thinkest it intolerable, it must not be born or suffered, that any should cross you: but when it comes to cross God, and sin against him; thou hast slight thoughts of it, and it is a matter of nothing to cross God, or sin against God is a slight matter: to cross you, or to do any evil against you is insufferable; what a slighting of God is this, that if you be crossed in your will, it is so insufferable; and yet to have such slight thoughts of sinning against God. This is the First.
Secondly, Thou that hast slight thoughts concerning troubles of conscience, consider that what thou hast slight thoughts of, In it self, in its own Nature, it is no other but the very beginnings of Eternal death, of the second death, the very beginnings of Hell. The principal torments of Hell, lie in the perfection of that trouble now, that for the present, is upon conscience; and yet this thou makest nothing of, as if it were but melancholy, as if the wrath of God that shall lie upon the damned in Hell to all Eternity, were but a frenzy.
Certainly that which the Lord will at the last torment the souls of the Damned withal to all Eternity, it is the principal of that, it is of
the very same Nature with the wounds and horrors of conscience in this world: It is true, that God does indeed often times bless the horrors of conscience to the saving of the soul, to bring the soul to Christ; but horrors of conscience in their own Nature (I say) are the beginnings of the second death: as pains, and sicknesses of the body of a man or woman, are the beginnings of the first death; so wounds and horrors of conscience are the beginnings of the second death.
The Soul of Man is a Subject of more large Capacity for torments than the Body can be: Now the principal way that God has to torment the Soul, that we know of, in Hell it self, it is by the horrors and wounds of conscience. I remember therefore it was the Speech of Francis Spira, said he, I feel in me the wrath of God, as the torments of Hell; and he was not mistaken, for they be the beginnings of the torments of Hell: and therefore God many times, to keep men from being swallowed up in those torments, he makes them feel these torments, they have some sparks of these torments of Hell upon their souls now, that they may be delivered from the flames of Hell to all Eternity. Troubles of conscience for sin, is nothing else, but God's letting out some sparks of Hell upon the Soul. Now what a mistake is this, Thou thinkest this but melancholy, when the truth is it is nothing else but the sparks of Hell upon the soul. This is the Second.
Thirdly, Thou thinkest this a melancholy conceit: Certainly, It is impossible for such a man or woman, ever, so long as they thus continue, to prize Christ, or love Christ: I say, whosoever thou art that has such conceits, if this abide in thee, I dare as from the Lord charge thee, That, thou didest never yet in all thy life prize Jesus
Christ, and love Jesus Christ.
But how does this appear?
Thus: Thou didest never prize Christ, and love Christ aright, if thou hast this conceit, Because thou canst never know what Christ suffered for thee. The principal thing Christ suffered for sinners, was The bearing of the Wrath of the Father upon his Soul, his Soul
sufferings were more than his Bodily sufferings. Thou hearest sometimes of Christ's shedding his precious Blood for thee, and dying upon the Cross; but the death of his body, shedding of his blood, was not the principal thing Christ suffered for thee if thou ever beest saved; but the sufferings of the Wrath of God upon his
Soul, when his Soul was troubled, when he cried out, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? and yet thou hast slight thoughts of these Sufferings.
If you see a man or woman in tortures in their body, in some disease, thou thinkest, there is some reality in that, but for the sufferings of the soul, thou hast poor thoughts of these, and canst not imagine what they should mean when they speak of the wrath of God to be upon the Soul.
Now if thou hast slight thoughts of the wrath of God upon the soul, it is impossible thou shouldest price Christ, because thou knowest not what he suffered. But a man or woman that has felt the wrath of God upon their souls, in the wounds of conscience for sin, such a one has a little intimation of what things the Lord Christ endured for them, such a one can tell what Christ endured, and so can price
Christ, and love Christ, such a one can Reason thus, What? is one spark of the wrath of God upon the soul so terrible? and the tortures so sore? What then did the flame of God's wrath that was let out upon the soul of Jesus Christ? For so it was.
If thou hast a little trouble of soul under the sense of sin now; know it is but as a spark of that fire that did blaze out upon Christ; if thou hast one drop upon thee, it is but as one drop of those flood gates let out upon the soul of Jesus Christ; the flood gates of God's displeasure were let out upon the soul of Christ.
This certainly is one Reason, why God will have sinners that be saved eternally, to feel trouble of soul for sin, that they may know how to prize Christ, and love Christ more, and understand what the sufferings of the soul of Christ were for sin. As (brethren) Christ did
suffer in his soul, that he might be a merciful high Priest, and have compassion upon us, and help us, when we need, as tis a comfort to one that suffers in soul, that Christ suffered in his soul, and so knows how to compassionate such: So, on the other side, God causeth poor souls to suffer trouble, that they might be sensible of Christ's sufferings, and so praise and love him the more.
Fourthly, Thou that hast slight thoughts of trouble of conscience for sin; certainly whosoever thou art, this is a most certain truth, These thoughts of thy heart shall certainly be altered one day, though they be slight now: This I dare affirm of every one that have slight thoughts of sin, and the trouble for it; these thoughts of their hearts shall be altered. You must come to know sin in another manner than now you do; you must come to feel what sin is, in another manner than now you do.
I remember I once heard a credible Relation of a Scholar, that was in jovial Company, and very merry, and yet one that had some enlightenings of conscience, and being very profane, there was occasionally, one in the Company, speaking of a wounded conscience, he presently claps his hand upon his breast, Well, said he, One day this breast of mine must know what a wounded conscience means: He being Conscious to himself of abundance of guilt in him, for he had light, and yet was profane, and his conscience told him, though now he was merry, yet one day that breast of mine, must know what a wounded Spirit means.
So I say to you, is there any profane person this day before the Lord, that has had, or still has, slight thoughts of the evil of sin, and trouble of conscience for sin: Well, Go thy ways, and lay thy hand upon thy breast, and say to thy self, One day this breast of mine must know what a wounded Spirit is, and must have other manner of thoughts about a troubled conscience for sin.
If thy heart be not yet troubled for sin, if thou feelest not the weight of sin now, it is a dangerous sign, that thou art reserved to feel the
weight of sin in torment, to know what the meaning of sin is, in the burden of it in torment. If now thou hast slight thoughts concerning trouble for sin; I say, take it as from the Lord this day as spoken to thee, it is a fearful sign, a brand upon thee, that thou art reserved to feel trouble for sin eternally.
God has time enough to trouble you for sin hereafter, and therefore it may be he lets you go on in these slight thoughts for the present, and you do bless yourselves in your own conceits; and God does not now convince you, because he has time enough hereafter.
A Fifth thing I would say to those that have slight thoughts about trouble for sin, is this, That if ever God should in this world come to awaken your conscience, and lay the weight of sin upon your souls: it were just with God then to let you sink under the burden. I say it were just with God so to wound you for sin, as to see you sweltering in your wounds, and deny compassion. Why? Because you have had slight thoughts of such a wound.
Certainly brethren (observe what I say unto you) the very Reason why men and women are so long in anguish of Spirit for their sin, and under such sore troubles, and distress of conscience, by reason of their sin, and can have no comfort; it is because heretofore they have had such slight thoughts of trouble of conscience. Perhaps when they were in their jollity and mirth, they made a mock of it, made nothing of it; heard dreadful threats against sin, and made light of it, and thought people were troubled more than needs. Well, you once had such slight thoughts of trouble of conscience for sin; now God comes upon you for it, and this hand of God lies upon you, and it is just with God you should feel it to purpose, that you should have smart enough; that God might instruct you, and convince you, of your error, and might now come and teach you after another manner.
What do you think now of trouble of conscience for sin? you had such and such thoughts of it heretofore, what be your thoughts of it
now?
I remember there was one not far from the place where I ordinarily lived, and it was a young Maid, hearing of many troubled in conscience for sin, she in a kind of scorn and contempt of it, would feign her self troubled in conscience for sin, and ô, she was mightily troubled, and in scorn of the Ministers, Oh these and these
Ministers must be sent for to comfort her, merely out of contempt and scorn; but afterward God laid on in good earnest upon her conscience, and then she was troubled to purpose; and so, that she was at the very brink of making away her self, and it was very much feared by al her friends; indeed she would have made away her self, and attempted it many ways, if God had not wonderfully hindered it.
So those that have light thoughts of perplexities of conscience for sin, when it comes indeed, it may be just with God it should be so heavy, that they should not be able to bear it, but sink under it; then it will be so strange a thing, to such as have slight thoughts of it, that the very strangeness of trouble of conscience for sin, will amaze them, that they, will not know what in the world to do. This is a Fifth thing, When trouble comes upon them, God may justly leave them under trouble.
A Sixth thing, I would say to such that have slight thoughts about trouble of conscience for sin, is this. These thoughts of yours do take away a chief restraint of sin, and causes you to disregard all the Authority of the Word: There be these Two fearful Evils that do, follow upon your slight thoughts of trouble of conscience, for sin.
1 They take away that which is the chief Restraint of sin. There are many outward restraints to keep men and women from sin, but all outward restraints from sin are nothing to the restraints of conscience; a man that has a tender conscience, has the greatest restraint of sin that can be, no restraint like to that; but one that is so far from a tender conscience; that he thinks trouble of conscience is a melancholy conceit, such a man has no restraint (to purpose)
from sin: he may have restraints from outward and gross sins, but from close, secret sins, he has none. Now it is a great evil to a man, that the hindrances to secret sins be taken away, and he gives himself liberty in secret sins.
2 And then for the Authority of the Word: It is a great mercy for men and women, to be in such a condition, that their heart should be continually under the authority of the Word; howsoever you think it a brave thing that you can get your hearts above the Word: but certainly it is one of the greatest mercies of God upon the earth, for God to keep the hearts of men and women under the authority of the Word. But that man or woman that thinks lightly of troubles of conscience, such a one can slight the Word, regards it not, let what will be spoken, he can easily put it off, because the main hold that the Word has, upon the heart of a man or woman, it is upon their conscience, the Word takes hold upon their conscience, and brings down the heart under the power of it: but if the Word take not hold upon conscience, it takes not hold at all. But let a man or woman come to know what trouble of conscience for sin is, and what the power and authority of the word is, and how then does the soul prize the word? no man or woman ever comes to prize the word tell they have felt the power of the word troubling their conscience; then they come to prize the word.
You have a famous place for this, Job 33. 16. Then he opens the, ears of man, and seals their instruction. That is, God coming upon men, in times of affliction, opens their ears, and seals their instructions; that is, makes the word come with power and authority. As a thing sealed, comes with more authority, than a blank, or a writing not sealed; Sealed, that is when the word comes with power; That, I may with-draw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man: That is, Having Sealed instruction, •he humbles the heart.
First, he causeth the word to come with power, and then he humbles the heart, He keepeth back his, soul from the pit, and his
life from perishing, he is chastened also with pain upon his bed, and the multitude of his bones with strong pains, (and so forth) And in vers. 23. If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to shew unto man his uprightness: Then he is gracious unto him, and said, Deliver him from going down unto the pit. That is, when God comes to •deal Instruction, and to humble the heart, •and to cause pains to be upon the man, and so make them sensible of their sin; then let a messenger, an Interpreter be found▪ one of a thousand: such a one does account a Messenger and Interpreter that shall be able to declare the way of Righteousness, and shew him a ransom how to be delivered from sin; he accounts him a man of a thousand; Oh he is a man of a thousand: whereas, if he should come thus before, •he were no body, and the Word nothing, a mere silly business; but now he is a man of a thousand,
Oh such a Messenger, let such a one come and welcome:
And therefore you shall have many men slight a conscientious Minister in their health, and prize those that preach slightly; but in their sickness, when conscience is open, they will not send to a slight vain Minister, that preach and never touch conscience; but they will have those that have preached most to conscience, they shall be most prized by them upon their sick and death beds; when conscience is awake, such a one will be one of a thousand then. This is the Sixth.
Seventhly and lastly, and indeed one of the Principallest; and I desire all those that have had slight thoughts of trouble of conscience for sin to attend to it; & it is this: Those slight thoughts of thine about trouble of conscience for sin, they are a high degree of blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. If I make this plain, that they be guilty of a high degree of Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost,
(this should •…we the hearts of men and women, and make them take heed• what they do, in giving way to these vain thoughts, about trouble of conscience) yea, such a degree I will not say it reaches the highest degree of blasphemy, yet I shall make it out to you, that they come near it.
It is a high degree of blasphemy against the Holy Ghost: it appeareth thus; Because trouble of conscience for sin, it is an especial work of the Spirit of God upon the Soul of a man or woman, wheresoever it is: such a work of the Spirit of God, as from thence, the Spirit of God, the Holy Ghost, has the denomination, so as he is called the Spirit of Bondage: no, God has no denomination from any light and slight work, there must be some especial, and great work of God, in which God does much glory, that he has a denomination from it; now Rom. 8. 15. the Spirit of God has this denomination, it is called the Spirit of Bondage: For you have not received the Spirit of Bondage again to fear; but you have received the Spirit of Adoption, crying Abba Father: Ye have not received the Spirit of Bondage again to fear; as if the Holy Ghost should say, there was a time when you had the Spirit of Bondage; and what was this Spirit of Bondage? It was no other but the Spirit of God, discovering unto, and setting upon the heart of a man or woman, that bondage that they be in under the Law, and corruption, and Satan.
This is the Spirit of Bondage; when God's Spirit shall come to enlighten a man, and convince the conscience, and so lay this upon the conscience of any man or woman; thou art by reason of sin, a bond-slave to the Devil; under bondage of all the Curses of the Law, by reason of sin; yea, a bond-slave to thy Lusts: this the Spirit discovering, and making the Soul sensible of this bondage, is that which causeth this denomination to the Spirit of God, to be called the Spirit of Bondage.
Now for thee to attribute that to foolish melancholy conceits, that is one of the especial works of the HOLY GHOST in the SOUL, and is the Spirit of Bondage: Is not this Blasphemy against God? This is
God's work, and it is a work of God's glory; for all the works of God be his glory; and that which the Spirit of God glories in, as that work proper to him, thou saiest it is but folly, and melancholy conceits, and the like; is not this blasphemy and reproach to the Spirit God?
Certainly it is no other but reproach and blasphemy against the
Holy Ghost, in attributing the trouble of conscience to these conceits.
2 Nay further, It is a great degree towards the unpardonable sin, if ye do it out of malice and knowledge, by it you come to the unpardonable sin; Take for that this one place of Scripture, Mark 3. compare the 22. verse with the 24. 30. Verse 22. when Christ cast out Devils, the Text said of the Scribes and Pharisees that came from Jerusalem, that they said, he has Beelzebub; and by the Prince of the Devils, casts he out Devils: they attributed the work of Christ casting out Devils, to the power of the Devil; he casts out Devils by the Devil. But now it was by the Finger of God.
Well, Christ calls them to him, and said, How can Satan cast out Satan? There he convinces them, Satan could not cast out Satan; and told them it was by the Spirit of God they were cast out: Mark how he goeth on in the 28. verse, Verily I say unto you, all sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and Blasphemies, wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost, has never forgiveness, but is in danger of Eternal
Damnation.
Because they said, he has an unclean Spirit, Christ tells them, other blasphemies shall be forgiven, but the blasphemies against the Spirit of God shall never be forgiven.
Why does Christ speak of this, how comes it in? (Mark) the Text said, Christ spoke it, because they said he has an unclean Spirit:
Mark, Christ casting out Devils, the Scribes and the Pharisees attribute this to an unclean Spirit, and therefore they sinned against the Holy Ghost, merely because they attributed that which Christ did by the Finger of God, to an unclean Spirit; and therefore Christ tells them they sinned against the Holy Ghost, and they shall never be forgiven.
Now Brethren, see how near you come to this sin, for the Scribes and Pharisees saw Christ cast out Devils; they did it out of malice, they could not but know, and yet they say it was by the Devil. You see one troubled in conscience, which is by the Holy Ghost, and you say it is a foolish and a mad spirit, and sometimes. 'tis an unclean spirit; but it is worse when you say it is a foolish and melancholy spirit, you do more blaspheme the Holy Ghost, and come nearer this sin.
Oh take heed, and be humbled, your condition is dangerous, that have had, or have any such low thoughts about trouble of conscience for sin.
Object. But we see by experience men and women troubled for sin, be very melancholy, and heavy.
Answ. To speak to this: True, sometimes God may be pleased to sanctify, even that humor of melancholy, so as to further such a work as this; yea, God may cause a work on conscience to be furthered by melancholy, and yet a great deal of difference between melancholy and this.
1 As first, God may make use of melancholy to bring in trouble of conscience: as thus; If it be not too prevailing, to besot men and women, as sometimes it does; but if it be no more prevailing but thus, to make men seriously consider, and ponder, and weigh things, then God makes use of a degree of melancholy, to make men and women to know themselves; and sin, and the things of their
Eternal Estate, and such a melancholy is a blessed melancholy, and you have cause to bless God for it.
Melancholy in some inferior things is very useful; and the Philosophers say, That the most Eminent men in the world for great matters, were melancholy, because they were serious in their thoughts; whereas other men be of slight, vain, frothy Spirits. Many that never had melancholy, they conceive of things, and it passer,