“Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?”
Acts 2:37
In these words, there is shown a thorough wounding of the hearts of these men when they had heard of the greatness of their sin. Therefore observe that contrition in a new-born soul, is ordinarily in proportion to his former vanity. To whom much is forgiven, they love much. This is a fountain of evangelical repentance. As a traitor condemned to die, receiving a pardon, would wonderfully break his heart to think he should be so villainous, to so gracious a prince: so it is with a Christian that beholds God’s mercy to him.
Christians after their conversion, desire to see their sins to the utmost, with all the circumstances that make them hateful, such as the object, nature, person, time, etc. in which, or how they were done—so that they may be more humbled for them.
If it is not so (it may be otherwise, for God is a free agent, and is not tied to any proportion of sorrow) then such troubles as these usually seize on them:
First. They are often afflicted with this—that their conversion is not thorough and sound, and so do not
perform the duties of godliness with such heartiness and cheerfulness.
Second. They are many times haunted with listlessness and coldness in their progress in Christianity.
Third. They are visited with some cross or other, which sticks by them—to make them lay a greater load upon sin.
Fourth. They are more subject to be overtaken with their besetting sin, because they have sorrowed for it no more; for the less it is sorrowed over—the more it ensnares men.
Fifth. Some of them have been assaulted upon their death-bed with sorrowful and strong temptations. Not that men should think this is always the reason of it, for God has aims in all His works known only to Himself; but I have known some have so been troubled, and this may be in great mercy to make a weak conversion more strong. Lest any Christian should be troubled at it, note that in true contrition, there must be sorrow of heart because of sin: there must be a dislike of it in the will; there must be a strong reasoning in the mind out of the Word of God against sin—this is the sinew of repentance; there must be a resolution, and striving and watching against sin, like Job who made a covenant with his eyes, Job 31:1; there must be a grieving that he is not excelling in all these, and here he must make up what he lacks in the former. These are in some measure—in all
Christians. Some are more eminent in one part, some in another; as Joseph had little sorrow, but a strong resolution, because he had so strong a temptation, and withstood it; he had strong reasons beyond nature to resist sin, and resolve against it. So that it is not so much the measure—as the truth of every part that is required. But if they are not excelling in great sinners, they are to mourn for the lack of them.
To help here, observe these ‘ten degrees of repentance’—or rather ‘helps to humiliation’.
First help. A sight and survey, and full apprehension of all your vileness, iniquities, transgressions, and sins, the number and nature of them. For this purpose, take these two points:
I. Be acquainted with all the ways by which you can possibly analyze your sin:
1. Be perfect in the law of God, and look at yourself in the pure crystal looking-glass there: be thoroughly catechized in the commandments.
2. Take a survey of all the wrongs which we have offered to all things in heaven and earth. All things are the worse for a wicked man, so far as sin can add hurt unto them.
3. Take a perusal of yourself, from top to toe. For example, the sins of your eyes: each thing you look on, not making a holy use of them, is a sin of omission!
Consider then how many sins you commit every day by only your eyes—and if one part has so many sins—what a vast amount are there in the whole body!
4. Consider all the commissions and omissions, as you stand in several relationships: as a creature—how you have behaved to your Creator; as a husband—how you have behaved to your wife; as a father—how you have behaved to your children; as a master—how you have behaved to your employees; as a neighbor—how you have behaved to them about you, or to God’s children; as a subject, and so on. Take notice of all the failings in all these, relationships and you will find sufficient matter for a whole day of humiliation.
5. Labor to get (as I am persuaded every Christian has) two catalogues of your sins, before conversion and since conversion; of God’s mercies, spiritual and temporal.
II. Take note of the guilt of original sin. Now because a Christian may have his heart locked up more at one time than at another, let him in case of barrenness, consider these six quickening points:
1. Look to the seed, and sink, and natural inclination of your heart to all sorts of wickedness. For suppose by the mercy of God, you were able to say that you could not possibly find any actual sin within you; yet look back to the corrupt fountain, and there you shall find that you, and the most holy Christian on earth, while you live in
this house of flesh and tabernacle of clay—you have it in your nature to commit the greatest sins—and nothing hinders but God’s free mercy! This then, thoroughly considered, is sufficient matter to humble you! Consider with yourself, What a wretch am I yet, that I have this evil inclination to sin, still within me!
2. Consider and thoroughly weigh the circumstances of all your sins before salvation: at what time, in what place, with what scandal, etc.
3. In case of barrenness consider, we had our hands in the sin of Adam, and so brought all the sorrow, sin, and damnation, upon all men that are or shall be damned; and we are guilty of all the horrors of conscience. If we had not hearts of adamant, hewn out of a rock—or had not sucked the breast of wolves or tigers—we would be moved at this, which is able to break a thousand adamants. I speak advisedly; it is able to open a wide gap of penitent tears in the most flinty soul of the most hardened sinner.
4. Cut off all sin, both original and actual that you have taken notice of; and do but consider the imperfections in your best actions, the innumerable distractions of the most holy prayer that ever you made; your deadness, fruitlessness, etc. in holy duties.
5. Beyond all personal sins: yet consider how many ways we have had our hands in other’s sins, which, it may be, they have carried to hell with them. We have a world of
matter from which to break our hearts—for we may be guilty of others’ sins in thirteen ways. There is none but are guilty of some of these ways.
(1) By encouraging them in sin: as those prophets which cried “Peace! peace!” when there is no peace, when they are only so-called formal or polished preachers, those who sow pillows under men’s elbows, who heal the wounds of the people with fair words; when there is no real love towards them, but tumbling garments in blood, and vengeance, and devouring with fire (Isaiah 9:5: Jer. 14:14: Ezekiel 13:10).
(2) By provoking them to sin: as Job’s wife said to him, “Curse God and die!” (Job 2:9). So, “Fathers, provoke not your children to wrath,” (Ephesians 6:4), for they then are guilty of their sins.
(3) By familiarity with sinners, with company keeping. If you go with ale-house haunters, ungodly persons, idolaters, and to God’s enemies; look for that sharp check which the prophet gave to Jehoshaphat for associating himself with wicked Ahab, saying, “Why should you help the wicked—and love those who hate the Lord! What you have done has brought the Lord’s wrath against you!” Or, as Psalm 50:18, “When you see a thief, you help him; and you spend your time with adulterers!” Therefore, as Moses said to the people, “Separate yourselves from the tents of Korah, lest you perish with them!” and, “Come out of Babylon, my people, have no communion with that whore, lest you
perish in her sins, and be destroyed with her plagues!” (Revelation 18:4). David says, “I have not dwelt with vain persons, nor will I have fellowship with the ungodly.” But for dealings in your own business calling, such as buying, selling, correspondence etc., we must have these—or we must out of this world (1 Corinthians 5:1, 11).
(4) By participation: “Your princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves” (Isaiah 1:2.3). Just so, magistrates who execute not their office with justice, are guilty of all the sins which the people commit within the compass of the term of their government, and they are all set down on their score.
(5) By silence: when you hear a holy man being slandered, and say nothing—you are dumb dogs. Their silence is the cause of all many iniquities—and all these things which others do amiss, whether by swearing, ale-house haunting, etc. all are set on their score. Just so are all those who are faint and cowardly for God’s glory and truth.
(6) By defending: “Woe to those who call darkness light, and light darkness!” (Isaiah 5:20. Therefore if any by quickness of wit will labor to maintain usury, bribery, etc. they are all guilty of those sins.
(7) By counseling: as Jezebel counseled her husband to kill Naboth, I Kings 21:7.
(8) By commanding: as David commanded Uriah to be set in the forefront of the battle, and was therefore guilty of his death (2 Sam. 11:15).
(9) By commending: as those who commended Herod for his oration, saying, “It is the voice of a god!” (Acts 12:22). They were guilty of his sin in taking honor from God.
(10) By connivance: as Eli winked at his sons (1 Sam. 3:13), for which you may see what a fearful judgment fell upon that house! If we had no other sins in a day of humiliation, it were able to break the hardest heart; but especially for parents, who wink at their children sins. If these are not guilty of the former sins, yet they are guilty in not praying with them, and bringing them to holy duties.
(11) By consenting: as Paul bewailed that he had carried the clothes of those who slew Stephen when he was stoned (Acts 22:20).
(12) By not sorrowing for them. David shows what Christians ought to do (Psalm 119:139, Mark 3:5).
(13) By not praying against them for the suppression of them.
6. Consider the sins of the times. David’s eyes gushed out with tears, to see men transgress the holy law of God! (Psalm 119:136). So Lot’s heart was vexed daily with the
sins of the people among whom he lived (2 Peter 2:8). And “Blessed are those who mourn” (Matt. 5:4). Observe these several branches well, and you shall find sins enough to mourn for.
Second help. A right apprehension of God’s wrath and fiery indignation, and the pure eye of God against sin! The Christian often complains that he cannot grasp God’s wrath sufficiently. Let him take these helps.
1. The severity of God’s judgments against sin, for which,
1. He threw down the angels from heaven to be devils forever, who might have done Him abundance of glory.
2. For but eating forbidden fruit, which some count a small fault, He cast Adam out of Paradise, and sent a world of misery upon him and his posterity.
3. He drowned the world (Genesis 7), which shows the infinite purity in God, not to abide sin.
4. He burnt Sodom for those very sins now reigning among us (Ezekiel 16:49, 50).
5. He rejected the Jews, who were His most dear people: for they so provoked God, and His wrath has so fiercely seized on them, that they have wandered as exiles in the earth for centuries.
6. He has created horror of conscience, which is a hell upon earth, for the punishment of sin.
7. But above all, consider the torments of hell, that woeful place and state prepared for the wicked, where the greater part of the world shall be howling forever.
2. Consider how hard a thing it is to get pardon for sin, in that the justice of God was hard to be satisfied. Imagine that all the world was turned into a mass or lump of gold, the stones of the streets into precious pearls, and the sea and rivers all flowing with liquid streams of most pure gold—they would not satisfy the wrath of God for the least sin (Mic. 6:7). If all the angels and creatures in heaven and earth had joined together, and made one fervent prayer for man’s sin; even if they had offered themselves to have been annihilated, it could never have been effected. Nay, if the Son of God Himself should have supplicated His Father with most earnest entreaties, He could not have been heard unless He had taken our flesh upon Him, and suffered all that devils and men could imagine to inflict upon Him. Which, well considered, is infinite cause to bring us to a sense of God’s wrath—that He should lay such infinite torments to be on Jesus, that He cried out unto God, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me!” Though He loved Him infinitely as Himself, yet He would have His justice satisfied.
3. The irresistible coming of God against sinners, though He is wonderfully ready and easy to be entreated
while He grants a day of visitation; but if men will withstand the day, then He comes in devouring rage, and His wrath being once kindled shall burn to the bottom of hell, then “his arrows shall drink blood and eat flesh,” then will He meet them as a bear robbed of her whelps, and tear in pieces when there is none to help (Hos. 1.3:53; Psalm 72; and in Isaiah 66:15), is set down the manner of His coming, with chariots like a whirlwind.
4. God’s holiness, which opposes sin, and is contrary to it, so that He looks not on the least sin with the least allowance.
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