A TREATISE ON FASTING.

2 CHRON. 20: 3.

And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.

 THE exercise of fasting is a special means to move God to bestow blessings upon us, and to deliver us out of all afflictions and dangers. And how powerful this ordinance has been;. First, for obtaining some special good see in Nehem. 1: 4, 11, Ezra 8: 21, Esth. 4: 16, Acts 13: 3, and 14: 23. Secondly, for removing the evil of sin; in Acts 9: 9, 11, 1 Sam. 7: 6, Ezra 9: 3, 6, and 10: 6, Jud. 20: 26, Nehem. 9: 12. And thirdly, for re-moving the evil of punishment:. 1. Imminent;; in Isaiah 22: 12, Jonah 3: 5, 6, 2 Chron. 20: 3. 2. Present; as, famine, in Joel 1: 14, and 2: 12, 15. The sword, in Josh. vii. 6, Judg. 20: Captivity, in Dan. 9: 3. Sickness, in 2 Sam. 12: 16, Psal. xxxv. 13; and pestilence, in 1 Kings‑

 

viii. 37, 38, 2 Sam. 24.

 

 But before I proceed farther in this point, let. me-observe to you, in the first place, the general character of Jehoshaphat, as it is recorded chap. 17: 3, 4, " And the Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David, and sought not unto Baalim; but sought to the Lord God of his fathers, and walked in his commandments, and not after the doings of Israel." Yet notwithstanding this, we find him in great distress, by means of the Moabites and Ammonites, who were about to invade his land. From whence we may learn, that the people of God may fall into great extremities, and to the eye of reason, desperate and irrecoverable straits. Deepest troubles are many times the portion of God's dearest children. It is a decree of heaven, resolved upon, and ratified by the Lord our GOD, confirmed by the experience of all the patriarchs and prophets, of the apostles and professors of CHRIST, of all his saints and servants, nay, of the Son of God himself, that " we must through many tribulations enter into the kingdom of GOD," Acts 14: 22.

 

 Now there are two general ends of afflictions, in those who are fruitfully exercised therewith. 1. To mortify, purge, and scour out of us corruptions and sins: and 2. To try, refine, and increase all graces in us. As, first, faith is much strengthened by afflictions; because, they drive us with more reverence and feeling unto the means, which are wont to quicken and confirm our faith. Now faith is both in the mind and in the heart; and as it is discerned by the change of both, so it receives further growth in both. The fire, of affliction gives great light unto the understanding; and as sharp eye-salves, though for the present they dazzle the sight, yet after, they singularly clear the eyes of the mind to see spiritual things, and discern the ways of God. When a man is drunken with worldly prosperity, or cast into a dead sleep of security, the sensual heart sends up, as it were, earthly fumes into the head, which infatuate the understanding. But when by a fast of afflictions we are freed from this surfeit, and that long abstinence has worn out the intoxicating fumes of worldly vanities, then do we recover our understanding, whereby we are enabled to judge and discern more clearly of the ways of GOD, and great mystery of grace.

 

 Again, afflictions put faith to the exercise of all its vigor and powers, and make it try and employ the utmost of its spiritual abilities every way; and that makes it grow more strong and victorious. without encounter and assault, faith languishes, and lies hid; but in storms, it stirs up itself, gathers its powers together, and seeks for assistance by prayer, meditation upon special promises, and experimental recording former mercies. Faith grows at such times, both in respect of a more fresh, affectionate, and sweet survey, and embracement of its objects; which arc, 1: The merits of CHRIST: 2. The promises of God: and 3. The providence of God. And also in respect of quickening with more life these parts of itself which chew themselves in the heart; which are desires, extreme longings after pardon of all past and present sins in the blood of CHRIST: and repose and resting in the bleeding bosom of JESUS CHRIST.

 

 And when the eye of faith looks through the clouds and storms of afflictions, upon such places as these, 1 Thess. 3: 3, Acts 14: 22, Heb. 12: 7, 8; it is more cleared and strengthened in itself, and conveys unto the heart more light and assurance of a person's adoption. For afflictions attended with true humiliation, prayer, and a sincere purpose to profit by them, are comfortable marks of God's special favor. The stones and timber; which the mason and carpenter hew, smooth, polish, and square, are certainly chosen for building; but that which they neglect and pass by, is to be thrown as rubbish into the highways, or to be brunt in the fires. It is so in this case; whom the Lord cdoes polish by afflictions, he singles out to be stones in his spiritual temple; but those which he lets he quiet in the mire of the world, are fattening against the day of slaughter.

 

 And as faith, the parent of other saving graces, is notably strengthened by afflictions; so by consequence, all her blessed brood receive proportionable strength. 1. Our spiritual hope is in the full tide, when our worldly hopes are at the greatest ebb. 2. Our love is more won unto God by his weaning us from the world with the wormwood of afflictions; neither can many waters of affliction quench it, nor whole floods drown it; but rather, being cast upon it, do (like the water in the forge) add much heat to this holy affection. 3. Fear under God's visiting hand recovers that life which it lost in the time of prosperity and ease. 4. Our humility is increased. For afflictions are as a true glass, wherein we may see our own vileness and unworthiness, frailty and infirmities; and so humbly throw down ourselves with all lowliness before God's Almightiness and glorious wisdom. 5. Patience is the very nurse- child of tribulation. It groweth under the burden, and by variety of crosses. Job was an unparalleled pattern for afflictions, and so a matchless mirror for patience. And therefore the chorea confesses, " That it is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth," Lam. 3: 27. Proportionably spiritual joy, peace of conscience, and other such sacred perfumes, are en-lightened and,refreshed with the fire of affliction. And, 6. Repentance- is much furthered by afflictions. First, Repentance for old sins is revived and renewed thereby; as you may see, Job 13: 26, Dan. 4: Ezra 9: 6, Nell. 9: 6, and in other parts of Scripture. And, secondly, that for present sins is enlarged. For upon serious search we may find out some special sins, which we never took much to heart before.

 

 Know, for this purpose, that it is not enough when we are pressed with afflictions, to look with sorrow upon our iniquities in general, as the causes of them; but also upon such occasion to search out some special sins, which may at that time move God principally to afflict us. And for direction herein, let us by the way take notice of some rules to know when the Lord correcteth a particular sin. They are such as these: 1: When upon examination we find that in the Scriptures such a punishment is denounced against such a sin. As when affiance in the arm of flesh

 

is punished with its failing to help us; or pride, with dejection and contempt. 2. When God punisheth by way of retaliation, or like for like; as, when we having dishonored him with scandalous sins, he casts dishonor upon us; when, we having been disobedient to our parents, our children neglect their duties towards us; and having wronged our inferiors, our superiors oppress us; or having been lavish of our tongues against others, are paid home with the scourge of tongues. 3. When we are taken in the very act, and seized upon when we are sinning. So Jonas fleeing, was followed with a tempest. The Israelites murmuring for flesh, were plagued with the wrath of GOD, while it was yet between their teeth, Num. 11: 33. So Jeroboam's hand stretched out against the prophet, dried up, 1 Kings 13: 4. A flax-woman at Kinstat, in France, dressing her flax upon the sabbath, was burnt with her flax and two children. At Paris-garden at a bear-baiting, Anna 1583, eight persons were slain, and many hurt, by the breaking of a scaffold. 4. When our sin in its own nature brings forth such a punishment, as a cursed fruit. So idleness, or wastefulness begets want: drunkenness, dropsies, or some painful distempers: the sin of uncleanness, weakness, and filthy diseases. 5. That which you art most does to hear of, and that which most hinders the resignation and sub-mission of thy soul and body to the will of God. 6. That which you first feelest the smart of; which thy conscience chiefly checks thee for, and seizeth upon, of its own accord, as the only Achan and author of thy present misery. So Joseph's brethren, in their present troubles, call to mind their past cruelty towards their brother.

 

 Moreover new obedience also is quickened and enlarged by afflictions. For you must know, that by them, that fundamental principle of Christianity, " To forsake all, and deny ourselves," the sure ground-work of all sincere and acceptable obedience, is better learned and more boldly practiced. Let a man never talk of being a Chris-tian, except he be content for CHRIST's sake to deny him-self, his worldly wisdom, passions, pleasures, friends, ease, estate, liberty, and even his life, and constantly endure the hate and oppositions, though of dearest friends, the reproaches and revilings of men. Now sanctified crosses are wont to add resolution to self-denial, for in them we see and find by experience, that no created power can comfort us; and therefore we are readier to resign up ourselves, renouncing the arm of flesh unto the rock of eternity.

 

Thus far of the ends for which God afflicts his people. I shall, in the next place, take notice of Jehoshaphat's carriage in the great distress he was brought into, by means of his enemies: " He feared and set himself to seek the Lord." Whence we should learn, in all our distresses and dangers, if we would be delivered out of them, to renounce our sins, the true cause of all our crosses, and have recourse to God. For he has ever the principal hand in all manner of visitations and vexations for sin. Therefore recovery from our troubles depends altogether upon our recourse and reconcilement to him.

 

 I now proceed, in the third place, to consider the particular means which Jehoshaphat here singles out, and sets upon, for prevailing with God for deliverance out of his danger; which is, fasting and prayer: " He proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah." The ordinary prayers of God's people prevail much. As you may see Acts 12: 5. What wonders then will extraordinary prayer, edged with fasting, work Some kind of devils will not be cast out except by prayer and fasting, Matt. 17: 21; that is, a most fervent kind of prayer sharpened with fasting. Some sins will not be so comfortably mastered, some fiery darts repelled, some fierce temptations conquered, some blessings obtained, without this extraordinary means; which, upon such occasions sincerely under-taken, has prevailed extraordinarily.

 

 And here, by the way, observe, that an holy fast is, " A religious abstinence, undertaken upon some special occasion; wherein we forbear not only food, and other comforts of this life, but also bodily labors, and worldly business, so far as mercy and necessity will give leave; that we may thereby be extraordinarily humbled before GOD, and quickened with extraordinary fervency of prayer, for the obtaining of our suit at God's hand." It is religious, or is a solemn exercise of religion, and an ordinance of GOD, enjoined in the second commandment; as it is a means to help us in the worship of GOD, and in the duty of prayer, upon any extraordinary occasion; and in the fourth also; as the time of a fast is a Sabbath of humiliation, wherein we are to profess our humiliation, and testify our repentance before God. The morality of this duty appears both in the Old Testament: (for though the circumstances of the time, and certain habits and gestures, Lev. 16: 29, and 23: 27, 29, Zech. 7: 5, and 8: 19, Isa. lix. 5, 1 Kings 21: 27, 2 Sam. 12: 2O, Est. 4: 1, 3, Ezra 9: 3, Dan. 9: 3, and 10: 3, were temporary to the Jews; yet the substance of the fast, which is the humbling of our souls by abstinence, is a moral duty, belonging to all nations, in all ages:) and in the New also see Matt. 6: 16. For prescribing the manner how to fast, he pre-supposed the duty that we are to fast. He makes also a gracious promise, verse IS, that our " Father which seeth in secret shall reward us openly." Of this matter more may be seen also Matt. 9: 14, and 17: 21, Luke 2: 37, Acts 13: 3, and 14: 23. It is said to be observed on some special occasion: as, for the obtaining of some special good,. for the removing the evil of sin, for the preventing of affliction imminent, for removing affliction present; as famine, sword, captivity, sickness, and pestilence. We must abstain and forbear from food wholly, from sleep in part, (as on such a day we must sleep less, and rise sooner;) from ornaments and better attire, from matrimonial benevolence, from bodily labor, and worldly business, from all pleasant and delightful things. This

 

must be done as mercy permitteth. Total abstinence from meat and drink is not so strictly required, but in case of real weakness, a man may refresh himself.

 

 In this duty of fasting, we consider, 1. The bodily outward abstinence. 2. The inward and spiritual exercise. Of the first we have spoken briefly before, and shall speak more fully hereafter. The second is an humbling of ourselves in a solemn exercise of prayer, joined with repentance, furthered and testified by the outward fast. And herein care must be taken that prayer be attended with, 1. Fervency of desire; and, 2. with assurance of faith: and, that repentance have its two parts; 1. Humiliation in respect of sins past; and 2. An unfeigned purpose of amending our lives for the time to come.

 

 This may justly bring a great deal of confusion and terror upon the consciences, and shame upon the faces of all those, who know in their own hearts that they have no acquaintance at all with this heavenly exercise. And let every sincere Christian be quickened extraordinarily, and with singular zeal to the exercise of this duty. Shall CHRIST fast for us, and shall not we for ourselves Shall the pharisees fast twice a week in hypocrisy, and we not oftener in sincerity Can we willingly undertake any diet or abstinence for our bodily health, and shall we not now and then set a day apart for the welfare of our souls Can worldlings fast a whole day for a good market, and cannot Christians abstain from a meal or two, to enjoy a more near communion with God Shall Turks fast and cry mightily unto their cursed Maholnet; and shall not we humble ourselves, to seek the face of our dearest Savior More especially since the benefit and profit which accrues unto the Christian by this duty, is singular and extraordinary many ways.

 

 For, 1. If we want public or private benefits; fasting, joined with prayer, is the means whereby God. will have them sought and obtained. 2. If we are in danger of public or personal judgments; this is the way to divert them. By this means Esther saved her people from the destruction designed them by Haman. Thus Nineveh was preserved. And, 3. If we undertake any great affair, public or private, this is the way to prepare and prevail. This course did Nehemiah take, chap. 1: 4. And Ezra, to seek the right way home, chap. 8: 21. When Paul and Barnabas were separated to the ministry, the prophets and teachers fasted and prayed, Acts 13: 3. CHRIST him-self spent a whole night in fasting and prayer before he chose his disciples, Luke 6: 12, 13.

 

 Now we must make conscience of fasting three ways. 1. In secret. Sometimes a private person alone is to set a day apart for this purpose, as we have examples and prescriptions, 2 Sam. 3: 35, 12: 16, Neh. 1: 4, Est. 4: 3, Dan. 9: 3, Acts 9: 9, 11, Psa. xxxv. 13, Matt. 6: 17. Private Christians, in all times of the church, may have many occasions to humble themselves in secret; as, before they enter into any office, ministry, magistracy, or into marriage; in times of temptation, desertion, extraordinary deadness of heart; after ensnarement in some secret sin; declination from our first love; when we are followed with guilty horror of one or more sins, or haunted with furious enticements to some new sin, or frighted with some of SATAN's extraordinary fiery darts; when a man's wife is in very long travail; when a child is dangerously sick; before the communion; and before the baptising of a child.

 

 2. In private: and that undertaken, 1. Either between man and wife, 1 Cor. 7: 5; to whom many occasions may be offered in this kind; as, when they first enter upon the government of a family; to remove some distempers, which hinder their peaceable and loving living together; for children, in case of barrenness; when the wife draws near her time of delivery; when children grow wicked, and are ensnared in ill courses, or have taken up with lewd and wicked companions. Or, 2. By the whole family, Zech. 12: 12. In time of some special mortality amongst them; when any notorious sin has been corn-mitted by any of them; in times of the church's misery; when some heavy judgment lies upon the land; or when some weighty affair is on foot; if at such times public fasts be not proclaimed.

 

 3. In public. The public fast is that which being upon public cause, by public authority proclaimed before the Lord, is both publicly and privately to be sanctified of all, as a Sabbath of humiliation unto the Lord. Such a day is to be observed, and sanctified as a Sabbath of humiliation; not only by outward abstinence and rest, but also by using the means, and doing the works of sanctification, both publicly and privately; spending the whole day (beside the public sanctification, and the time which is to be spent in our preparation before, and in our meditation afterwards,) in the private means of sanctification; as reading, meditation, prayer; and in the private works of sanctification; as the duties of repentance towards GOD, and the works of charity and mercy towards our brethren. Which course soever a man shall take in sanctifying a fast unto the Lord, he shall be sure to obtain at the hands of GOD, either that particular request for which he is a suitor, or that which is better; the Lord always hearing his children thus suing unto him, and granting their requests as shall be most for his glory, and their good.

 

 In every one of these fasts, whether secret, private, or public, we ought seriously, humbly, and unfeignedly to have respect unto, make conscience of, and fruitfully practice, 1. The outward abstinence; and 2. The inward exercise. For the first, outward abstinence; we ought to abstain from our particular calling, all commodities, and all comforts of this life. We must abstain: 1. From food wholly. And yet this total abstinence from meat and drink is not so strictly required, but that they, whose health cannot bear it, may, in case of real necessity, take some little refreshing, lest otherwise they hazard or hurt their health, and unfit themselves for spiritual exercises. But here we must beware that we use not this liberty as an occasion to the flesh, pretending we cannot abstain, when the reason is, we will not. Though we have no example of this case propounded in Scripture, yet we have a sufficient ground for it, Hos. 6: 6, Matt. 12: 7; " I will have mercy, rather than sacrifice." To fast, is not more than to sacrifice; to succor the body, according to the need thereof, is mercy. 2. Not only from exercise, but we must also cut off some of our ordinary sleep; (yet not so much as that the want,thereof will be an hinderance to us in the worship of God.) On such a day (as has been before observed) we must sleep less and rise sooner, that so we may watch to prayer. 3. From matrimonial benevolence; from that society which God has sanctified by his Word to married persons, 1 Cor. 7: 5, Joel 2: 16. 4. From bodily labors and worldly businesses; according as it is prescribed, Joel 1: 14, 2: 15, Lev. 16: 29, 31, 23: 32. For there is the same reason of the extraordinary Sabbath of humiliation and of the ordinary. The law of the weekly Sabbath is to be ex-tended to other extraordinary Sabbaths: but on the weekly Sabbath we may do no work; therefore not on this. 5. And generally, from all the pleasures of this life, Joel 2: 16, 1 Cor. 7: 5. So from all pleasant and delightful things. David and Daniel did not anoint them-selves at such times; as you may find 2 Sam. 12: 2O, Dan. 10: 3. Whereupon (says Jerome) " Fasting is to abstain not only from meats, but also from all pleasures." And Austin thus: "The Scripture teacheth a general fast; not from the concupiscence of meat only, but also from all pleasures of temporal delights."

 

 Thus in a word: we are not only to abridge our taste of meats, but also to refrain our eyes from beholding pleasures; our ears from hearing mirth or music; our smelling from pleasant odours; our other sense from the lawful use of the marriage-bed. For all these are quite contrary to humiliation. And all these are to be done, 1. Partly, as helps of our humiliation, in renouncing the hinderances thereof. 2. Partly, as signs of our humiliation, whereby we acknowledge ourselves unworthy of these delights. 3. Partly as evidences of our repentance; in that bye-way of godly revenge, (because all our senses have sinned) we deprive them of their several delights. And as we are to make our senses thus to fast, so our minds are not to meddle with any recreations; which would not only hinder our humiliation, but also distract us from better meditations in sanctifying the fast.

 

 By such abstinences as these, we profess ourselves unworthy of all the benefits of this life, and that we are worthy to be as far under the earth as we are above it; yea, that we are worthy to be cast into the bottom of hell; which the holy fathers, in times past, did signify, by putting ashes upon their heads: the truth whereof remaineth still, though the ceremony be not used. And so God's children aforetime, at such times, confessed themselves; 1. By abstinence from meat and drink, as unworthy so much as of a crumb of bread, or drop of water. 2. By putting on sackcloth, unworthy the worst rag to cover their shame with. 3. By abstaining from matrimonial fellowship, unworthy of any posterity or remembrance on the earth. 4. By shortening their ordinary sleep, unworthy of any rest. And 5. By dust and ashes, worthy to be as far under the ground, as they were above it.

 

 The usual time of a fast, is the space of a natural day; that is from even to even, or from supper to supper. For as it was the time appointed for the ordinary Sabbath, so also for the extraordinary. " From even to even shall you sanctify your Sabbath." See Lev. 23: 32, Judges 20: 26, 2 Sam. 1: 12, Josh. 7: 6, 2 Sam. 3: 35. But the children of GOD, when they have been pressed with more urgent occasion, have sometimes continued this exercise for several days together. See Esth. 4: 16, 17, - Acts 9: 9, 1 Sam. xxxi. 13, Dan. 10: 2, 3.

 

 When the fast is continued for several days together, upon some great occasion; (as, when a man of great use is struck with a dangerous sickness, and lies between hope and fear.; when a man's wife lies longer than ordinary in Iabour; when his child is sick; when a city is besieged; or on some such occasion; the issue being uncertain, the friends of such sick persons, earnestly desirous of their life, or the citizens of such city longing for the welfare thereof, continue to fast and pray every day, till they see what issue the Lord will give:) a man is not able to for-bear all manner of sustenance all the time; and then he may take some nourishment in the days of his fast; which may be one meal every day in the evening. In such a case we should even at those times content our-selves with a spare diet, in respect of the quantity; and mean, in respect of the quality; according to the example of Daniel, chap. 10: 3. But when our fast is once dissolved, whether it be at the end of one day or of more, we may freely use our ordinary diet, observing always the rules of temperance and sobriety.

 

 But let me here observe to you, that the last meal which is taken before a fast ought to be very moderate and sparing: so moderate, as that, so soon as it is taken, we may without heaviness, drowsiness, and dullness, set ourselves to examination, meditation, conference, reading, prayer, and such like religious exercises in private, as a preparation unto the more solemn exercises to be per-formed in a fast. Most meet it is that this preparation be in the evening, and the fast then to begin. " Frow even to even (says the law) shall ye celebrate your Sabbath:" meaning a fast. So that immediately after a spare supper, all servile works of our calling being laid aside, the forenamed preparation is to begin and continue so long as we can convenieutly sit up, even longer and later than on other days we use to go to bed. Then after some sleep taken, the next morning rising sooner than ordinarily we use to do, after some renewing of our preparation, the rest of the time, even till the four and twenty hours, from the beginning of our evening preparation, be ended, is to be spent in the solemn exercises of religion appertaining to a fast. If a fast be continued (as has been before set down) two whole clays, it is as much as our weak nature can well endure, without impairing the health and strength of our body. In the primitive church I find, that in the beginning, they fasted till six o'clock in the afternoon, or till sun-setting, which in common estimation is about six o'clock. For that is the most indifferent time to measure the evening by, and the most proportionable to the whole year, and most answerable to the custom of God's people in the Old Testament. And therefore the most equal time to measure the end of the day, and the sun-setting by, for all year, is six o'clock. And that I take to have been the usual time when both the Jews and the ancient Christians did break off their fasts.

 

 Thus much concerning outward abstinence. Now follows the second thing that we ought to have respect unto in days of humiliation and fasting; namely, the inward spiritual exercise. And herein let us take notice, and fruitfully perform these following particulars, all which concern the duty of humiliation: First, let us exercise our souls seriously in a right survey, and full comprehension of all our vkleness, iniquities, transgressions and sins; this whole body of death that encompasses us; that guiltiness we incurred by Adam's fall. 2. Let us get a right apprehension of God's dreadful wrath and flaming vengeance against sin. 3. A feeling sense of our own unspeakable, inconceivable misery by reason thereof. 4. A vile and base esteem of ourselves, abhorring our-selves in dust and ashes. 5. An inward sorrow, rending of the heart, and bleeding of the soul. G. Let us outwardly bewail, with a plentiful and heart-piercing confession, all our sins before God. 7. Let us acquire a resolute hatred, dislike, and aversion. 8. An impregnable resolution; 9. A constant endeavor and watchful opposition, against all sin. And 1O. An hearty grieving that we cannot per-form all these more heartily and sincerely.

 

 Now for the quickening of our hearts with a more feeling and fruitful exercise in these several points, consider such means and motives as these: To help us in the first, let us keep in a readiness and often exercise some special ways of summing up the number, and taking a right estimate of the nature and notoriousness of our sins. 1. By inspection into the pure crystal of God's righteous law, with a clear, impartial eye. 2. By a thorough perusal of ourselves from top to toe, as it were; I mean, all those sins which are any way incident to any part, or power, or passage of body, spirit,. soul, or calling. 3. By often recounting with ourselves all the omissions and transgressions of all those duties, which we owe unto others, by reason of those relations which we hold unto them. As for instance, a master of a family has the first relation to GOD, as his Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier: then to his wife, to his family, to his neighbors, to his kindred, to his pastor, to strangers, to the king and all inferior magistrates, to those that are without, and to God's people. 4. By a diligent revising of our two catalogues of sins: I mean of our unregenerate time, and since our conversion.

 

 In case of barrenness in this discovery, and when we begin to please ourselves, in that we find not so many notorious sins in our lives before conversion, or such scandalous relapses since, as we may see in others; let us fall upon some special points for quickening our hearts, and with a serious search insist upon, 1. That original sink, and inbred inclination to sin, naturally inherent in our bowels; as, to atheism, killing of CHRIST, despairing of God's mercy, and such like. 2. The circumstances of our old sins, which may make a little sin to be exceeding great and heinous, and to exceed the sins of others;. which, it may be, for their outward act, were more notorious. 3. The innumerable infirmities, wants, and wanderings, that cleave unto our best performances. 4. How many ways we may be guilty of, or accessary to other men's sins. 5. The many crying and horrible sins of the time. (Holy David fetched much matter of mourning from this fountain, as you may see Psa. cxix. 136.) And 6. Let us especially examine ourselves by the first and lastcommandments; for the first forbids the first motions of our hearts against GOD, and the last forbids the first motions of our hearts against our neighbor, though there be no consent to do the evil which we think.

 

 The first main duty then to be performed is examination. When any needful blessing is withheld, or with-drawn, or any judgment to be prevented or removed, it is very requisite to search whether there be not some special sin in us, which may damp or disannul our prayers. " If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me," says the psalmist. That which the Lord said of the army of Israel, in Joshua's time, may be applied to particular persons; namely, that if they did not search and find out, and take away the accursed thing, the Lord would not be with them any more, Josh. 7: 11, 12. This the saints well knew, and there-fore were wont, in the days of their fast, to enter into a solemn examination of their own and of others sins, as may be seen Ezra 9: 6, Nell. 9:16.

 

 For this first part of the inward spiritual exercise, I mentioned divers ways of summing up the number, and taking a right estimate of the nature and notoriousness of our sins; 1. By inspection into the pure crystal of God's righteous law, with a clear and impartial eye. To this purpose collect an exact catalogue of all ways of sinning out of the best expounders of the commandments. In this way of examination, begin with Adam's sin, which, in respect of us, divines call original sin imputed; and if we had no inherent sin of our own, this imputed sin were enough to damn us.* Our first sin is the participation both of Adam's transgression and guiltiness; 1, whereby in his sin all his posterity sinned, Rom. 5: 12, 19. The reason is, Adam was not then a private man, but represented all mankind. When Adam offended, his posterity was in his loins, and therefore take part of the guiltiness with him, even as Levi paid tythes in Abraham, Heb. 8: 9, 1O. Out of the former transgression arises another, which I call original sin inherent; which is, corruption engendered in our first conception; whereby every part and faculty of soul and body is empoisoned with a proneness and disposition to evil. See Psal. 2: 5; Gen. 6: 5, Tit. 3: 3. Or thus: This original sin is that natural corruption which is come into the world by the apostasy of our first parents, derived from them by natural propagation into all mankind, infecting all parts of men; so as before grace and regeneration a man has no strength to move or incline to any good, but to evil only; and therefore also he is subject to the first and second death, till he be freed by grace and faith in JESUS CHRIST. It is come in the place of original righteousness, and so is a privation of that, and also an evil habit in the soul. All Adam's posterity are equally partakers of this corruption. The reason why it shows not itself equally in all is, because, 1. Some have the Spirit of sanctification. 2. Some the spirit only to bridle corruption. 3. Some have neither. And, 4. In some, God stirs lip the principles of nature; whence it is many do shine in excellent moral virtues.

 

 Let us take motives to humble our souls under the sense of this inherent original pollution and body of death, from such considerations as these:—Consider, 1. The prime excellency, sweetness, and peace of our souls, of which this is a privation. 2. The universality of corruption, in respect both to the subject and object. Mark but the infinite omissions of the eye, which should, especially on the Lord's-day, like a bee upon a variety of flowers, from every creature it looks upon, collect matter of heavenly meditation for magnifying the Creator; and how every glance thereof brings some matter of lust or sin, one way or other, into the heart, 3. Consider the vast and horrible degeneration from the law of nature it draws unto; such as the vile idolatry of those who worship the devil. The horrid deed of that monster of Milian, who, (as Bodin reporteth,) when he had surprised on the sudden one whom he mortally hated, he presently overthrew him; and setting his dagger to his breast, told him, he would certainly have his blood, except he would abjure, and blaspheme the God of heaven. Which when that fearful man, greedy of a miserable life, had done in a most horrible manner, he immediately despatched him as soon as the blasphemies were out of his mouth; and in a bloody triumph added, " This is heroical revenge, which cdoes not only deprive the body of life, but brings the never-dying soul unto everlasting flames." Witness also Mahomet the Great, who (as the story reports,) was in his time the death of eight hundred thousand men. Witness that man with whom Mr. Cartwright conversed on his despairing bed, who answered him, "that since he was to go to hell himself, he would have his wife, children, and all the world, damned with him." 4. Consider the extreme difficulty to weaken and waste this body of sin. How many a holy man strives mightily, and wrestles many a year with.some passion, and yet cannot master it under a long time.'# Sometimes a sincere man sets himself against anger,f laboring thoroughly to mortify it, perhaps for ten or twenty years; and yet, after all that time, and for all the pains and means used against it, he is sometimes upon the sudden, surprised and foiled with it. And did not God accept in JESUS CHRIST our striving, grieving, and hating that sin we are so haled to against our wills, and the hearty desire of our souls, how could we have any comfort

 

After original sin, actual sin comes into consideration, which is, that which a man does commit from that time wherein he knows to exercise his reason. And it is either a thought, word, or work contrary to God's law; or an omission of a thought, word, or work, commanded in that law. Or, in a word, *, a transgression of the law, 1 John 3: 4. Take motives to abominate and abandon from the heart, and to the bottom of hell, all thy actual sins, from such considerations as these:

 

 Consider, 1. That sin is infinitely hateful. It is the only object both of God's infinite hatred and anger. His love is carried upon a variety of objects. He loves his own blessed self infinitely; his own Son, which is called, the Son of his love; his angels, his children, his creatures. But all his infinite hatred doth, with all its force and detestation, light upon sin. Suppose, an idle word, vain thought, or officious he pass from thee, the least of all these is accompanied with God's infinite hatred and indignation. 2. It is fouler than the devil himself. If any of you should have the devil appear to him in his foulest shape, he would be strangely affrighted. The least sin you committest, I say, is far more loathsome, vile, and odious than the foulest fiend in hell. 3. It is most infectious. It has a pestilential property, that spreads in-finitely, and pollutes every thing it comes near. It is therefore compared in Scripture to things of the most diffusive nature. The first sin has polluted all the sons and daughters of Adam that were ever since, or shall be: it made the whole creation subject to vanity. And if but one sin he lurking in a man's heart unrepented of, it sours and empoisons all his thoughts, affections, words, and actions, and that of all sorts, natural, civil, and religious. It infects all that is in him, or comes from him, or that is about him. 4. That it is full of all fearful effects and cursed consequences; bringing upon us the worst of evils, both privative and positive. As for privative evils: It deprives us of God's favors; of our portion in the blood of CHRIST, (if the sin be committed with delight,) one drop whereof is incomparably more worth than heaven and earth, men and angels; of the fatherly protection, care and providence of the blessed Trinity; the glorious guard of angels; the comfortable communion of the blessed saints, and all the contentments that follow thence; of the joy and tranquility of a good conscience, a jewel of far more worth than the whole world; and of all the heavenly illuminations and comforts wherewith the Holy Ghost is wont to refresh the hearts of holy men. And lastly, of a crown of life, and the unspeakable and endless joys of heaven. Then, for positive evils; it brings upon us infinite sorrows, plagues, miseries, and most fearful judgments, blindness of mind, hardness of heart, deadness of spirit, a reprobate sense, horror of conscience, anguish of soul, bondage under SATAN, banishment from GOD, and mischiefs more than either tongue can tell, or heart can think.

 

 Again, consider that sin, can never be purged but by the blood of CHRIST; and that so many sins as you cornmittest willingly, so many thorns dost you fasten upon his head; so many nails dost you drive into his hands and feet; so many spears dost you thrust into his heart; so oft (merciless villain! let me speak so, for the love of my dear Redeemer!) dost you embrue thy wicked hands in his precious blood, and with prodigious profaneness trample it under thy feet! So that it may justly be said unto thee, as Peter said to the Jews, "You have crucified the Lord of life; you have murdered the King of Glory, the Son of the everlasting GOD, CHRIST JESUS, that Just and Holy One;" and preferred, not Barabbas, but thine own sinful lusts,—nay, the devil himself, before our blessed Redeemer. Let these and the like considerations serve to aggravate our actual sins, and so move us to suffer our hearts to be wounded and broken in pieces for them.

 

 Proceed now, and peruse seriously the soundest exposition upon the commandments, and lay thy life to this holy rule and line. To give an entrance into this, let us consider, 1. How we have villanously struck at the pure eye of God the Father's glory all our life long, with many

 

filthy thoughts, abominable lusts, and fearful provocations. How we have shamefully abused the riches of his goodness, forbearance and long-suffering, which should have led us to repentance. How cruelly we have neglected so great salvation, by not Offering ourselves to his gracious embracements, stretching out his arms unto us ever since we were born. 2. How fearfully we have dishonored his dear Son, by despising him in his ministry, persecuting him in his members, and shedding his blood in the sacrament. 3. What execrable indignity we have offered to the blessed Spirit of GOD, by grieving, quenching, if not doing despite to him, by accursedly rejecting his many holy motions, or smothering them by worldliness, lust, or some sensual rebellion; by withstanding that light which stood against us like an armed mart when we went about sin; nay, and it may be by scoffing at religion, (horrible villany!) and railing against purity and the ways of God. 4. How wretchedly we have wronged these heavenly creatures, the angels of GOD, by robbing them -a long time of that joy they would have conceived at our conversion, Luke 15: 7. By making choice of the damned fiends (who continually roared about us like so many greedy lions to swallow us up quick,- 1 Pct. 5: 8,) to be our attendants; whereas the other blessed and glorious spirits tendered their attendance, and would gladly have been our guardians. 5. How we have unworthily abused all the creatures, by adding, so much as in us lies, burden unto their bondage, and grievousness unto the groans which they make for deliverance out of that vanity to which our sins have made them snbject; and by want of conscience and care to have them sanctified unto us by the Word and prayer. 6. How we have abused many seasonable afflictions and visitations laid upon us for our good. 7. How abominably we have abandoned our bodies to serve SATAN, and all the parts and members thereof as instruments of unrighteousness to sin; our eyes to wicked wandering, wantonness, adulteries, covetousness, and idle gazings. 

 

 They ought, all the days of our life, to have gathered from the creatures, and all the works of GOD, abundance of sweet matter for Divine meditation upon the goodness, greatness, excellency and perfections of our blessed Creator. But they have wickedly served us, as windows set wide open to let in a world of wild-fire to inflame our already naughty hearts, with lust, speculative filth, and many vicious and vile affections. Our ears, to delight in idle talk, nay, filthy jests, slanderous reports, and other unsavoury communications. They might have served to have done God a great deal of service. All which we heard should have fallen through our ears into our hearts, as seeds of prayer or praise, or some other profitable employment of some holy affection; but in many companies they have drank in false accusations, slanders, and whis‑

 

perings, as matter of unnecessary suspicions, ill-will, and heart-burning, if not revenge.

 

 Our tongues, "to set on fire the course of nature:" besides a world of other iniquity, to blaspheme (prodigious villany!) the glorious name of the mighty Lord of heaven and earth, and to wound the good name of others. Here then punctually peruse, with a broken heart and bleeding affections, those many kinds of the sins of the tongue, whereof every one of us, no doubt, at one time or other, have been deeply guilty.

 

 

 

1. Blasphemy.

 

2. Murmuring.

 

3. Defense of sin.

 

4. Perjury and swearing.

 

5. Lying, equivocation, and mental reserving.

 

6. Slandering, tale-telling, and raising of rumours.

 

7. Flattery and double-tongued. ness.

 

8. Cursing, railing, and reviling.

 

9. Brawling and scolding.

 

1O. Scoffing, mocking, deriding, scurrility and foolish jesting.

 

11. Giving ill counsel.

 

12. Sowing seeds of discord among neighbors.

 

13. Boasting, loquacity, and talkativeness.

 

14. Discovering of secrets.

 

15. Hasty and indiscreet threat-. ening.

 

16. Rash promises and vows.

 

17. Idle words and filthy talking.

 

18. Sinful silence.

 

19. Rash censuring, malicious iuf'orming and whispering.

 

 

 

 Thus go on; and more particularly and exactly survey the several sins of every other part. 8. Consider how wofully we have wronged (which is worst of all,) our own poor, immortal souls, by misemploying all the powers and faculties thereof to serve SATAN and ourselves, by fastening upon them, with self-destroying cruelty, so many mortal wounds, that without hasing in the bloody wounds of JESUS CHRIST, will bleed to everlasting death. Our minds might very well have been by this time as full as the moon with spiritual understanding in the mystery of CHRIST, and plentifully enriched with much saving knowledge. But a long time they lay in the darkest midnight of ignorance, in respect of any such sacred skill, and gave us light only to do ill, and grow wise in wickedness. Nay, and since they have been something enlightened, we have been extremely slothful in furnishing them, with that excellence, and variety of knowledge, which if we had improved all means, and blessed opportunities, they might have happily attained. Our memories might have been rich and royal treasures of many spiritual and divine lessons, comfortable cordials, holy experiences, heavenly pearls; but in our vain days we filled them full of impertinent stuff, idle jests, foolish conceits, unnumbered notions of vanity and folly. Nay, and since they were in some measure sanctified, we have found in them, which is a grievous thing, more aptness and strength to receive and keep matters of this world, than affairs of heaven, and the most material concernments of our own souls. Our hearts, whose only object should have been things honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report, have been em-poisoned, restless fountains of all ill, the source and nurseries of innumerable, vain, and vile thoughts and affections: in regard of malicious thoughts, very slaughter-houses; in regard of unclean lusts, very stews; in regard of the heat of boiling concupiscence, as the prophet speaks, like a baker's oven. Nay, and since they have been habitations of the Holy Ghost, we may be soreashamed to consider the want of watchfulness, purity, and heavenly-mindedness, which ought to have attended such a glorious guest; and which is yet more the assaults of lust, passion, and many loathsome intrusions of most unworthy thoughts.

 

 All our affections have been most notorious and stirring agents for the devil. Every one transported in every thing the wrong way. Our sorrow, which should have wholly been spent upon sin, has been mispent upon earthly losses, about things of this life, and when we have been crossed in our sensual desires, which are no fit matter for mourning. Nay, whereas since conversion, that commandment lies upon us, " Rejoice evermore," 1 Thess. 5: 16. We have basely suffered our hearts to be unnecessarily dejected with false fears and distrusts. Our joy should have been in Jehovah, blessed for ever, in his name, his Word, his works, and ways. It should have been exercised upon everlasting heavenly objects, which would have enlarged it to that which is unspeakable and glorious. The matter of it should have been, 1. GOD, through our Lord JESUS CHRIST. 2. Our own salvation. 3. The prosperity of the church. 4. The sufferings of CHRIST. 5. All the gifts of God. But in all our sinful and sensual time, it was unhappily spent upon froth and folly; at the best, upon corn, and wine, and oil, things fading and transitory; so that, in the heat and height of it, we might truly have said of it, as Solomon of laughter, " It is mad." Nay, since we have been translated into God's marvelous light, we have sinned in suffering it to be damped upon the approach of any little trouble, and in not exersising and enlarging it with more exaltation, sweetness, and refreshing about the things of GOD, and assurance of our salvation. Our love, which should have warmed our hearts with an holy flame towards GOD, (who, of his own free mercy, has sealed unto us, by the blood of his Son, all the prerogatives of his saints upon earth, and the blessed inheritance of the everlasting kingdom of heaven, a sense of which should make us to prefer his glory before life itself;) in out' wicked days was wholly employed in providing sensually for ourselves. And ever since, by the mighty working of CHRIST's Spirit, we have in some measure, set our love aright, we cannot, without a great deal of grief and shame, think upon the faintness, inconstancy, and coldness of it towards GOD, CHRIST, his Word, works, creatures, sabbaths, sacraments, ministers, services,children,presence, corrections, and coming. Our hatred, which all should have been spent upon sin, has been bent against the best things in the world; even against holiness itself, as though it were hypocrisy; against godliness, as though it were a sect; against God's faithful ministers, as though they were the troublers of the state, messengers of evil things, and our enemies. Our consciences, which should have been registers and remembrancers unto us of many heavenly thoughts, gracious speeches, godly actions, sanctified sabbaths, holy prayers, Divine meditations, Christian conferences, days of humiliation, righteous dealing with our brethren, works of justice, mercy, and truth, a sincere respect to all God's commandments, a careful performance of all spiritual duties, a seasonable exercise of every grace, hatred of all false ways, and hearty and invincible love unto GOD, and all things that he loves. Instead of such comfortable provision against the evil day, naturally we hoard up in them, scourges, stings, and scorpions, infinite matter of unspeakable horror; I mean, consciousness of many villanies, vanities, and lies, oaths, whoredoms, revellings, matches, false-hoods, idle talk, scoffs, and railings. Now all these, except, by timely repentance, we confess and forsake them, lurk in the bosom of our guilty consciences, like so many sleeping lions, gathering hellish poison and power, that hereafter they may sting with everlasting horror and endless torment.

 

 3. Let us diligently revise our whole life, and carefully peruse our two catalogues of sin; I mean those of our unregenerate time, and those committed since our con-version: such are, 1. All the abominations of the days of our vanity. 2. Our failings in our translation from darkness to light. 3. Our relapses, falls, and frailties since. To prepare our hearts with quickening matter for penitent remorse and sound humiliation; for the first of these, let us take notice of, 1. Our omissions in that graceless time, which were as large as the duties enjoined in God's blessed laws. Now what grievous amazements may it breed in our hearts, if truly penitent, to think seriously, that for all the time of our unregeneration, which perhaps was twenty or thirty years, having so great and good a God in heaven, we yet, for all that time, should do him no service at all, neither perform any duty unto him, (or but so, that it was abominable in his sight,) of all those which he required in his blessed book, and which we did infinitely owe, being his creatures, and bound unto him besides by infinite obligations, every moment. For instance: we may now acknowledge, by the present sweetness and preciousness of the spirit of prayer, what an horrible neglect it was of so long a time, not to offer up any one acceptable sacrifice in that kind. We may conceive by our high esteem of the Lord's day, by that sweet communion we have at such times with his holy Majesty, and JESUS CHRIST, through the secret working of the blessed Spirit, and exercise of faith in the ordinances, what accursed creatures we were, and what an horrible sin it was, to have continued wilful strangers to every duty of such heavenly days, so many years together; nay, to have desperately profaned them by works of our calling, pastimes, or idleness. Go on thus, and aggravate all other omissions. Omission of the duties of charity, kindness, and love to the brethren of CHRIST, without any more sin, justly merits that dreadful doom, Matt. 25: 41, and is able of itself to damn thee for ever.

 

 2. All our actual sins committed in thought, word, or deed, seriously and sensibly searching out, with an impartial, eager pursuit, their heinousness and number. And in this penitent survey, let us consider which way the current of our thoughts have been principally carried; whether upon lust, ambition, or pride: whereupon principally our words have been wickedly wasted; whether in lying, swearing, slandering, filthy talking, or jesting: what sinful courses we have followed most; whether drunkenness, whoredom, gaming, sabbath-breaking, revellings, or the like. Thus let us mark wherein we have had our hearts, tongues, and hands deepest in hell, and done SATAN the most service, that we may mourn proportionably, and fortify ourselves for the time to come, with answerable watchfulness and industry.

 

 Again, Let us divide that dark and miserable time into its portions and periods, according to the several places, conditions, and callings, wherein We have passed it: thus, so much time spent at home in our father's house; so much in service or apprenticeship; so much at school; so much at the university; so much at the inns of court; so much in the country; so much in single life; so much in the marriage state; so much privately; so much in, this or that office; so much in this town or parish; so much in that. And let us well weigh the several corruptions, vices, and sinful pleasures; to which we were most given, in those distinct places, times, callings, and conditions of life; that so we may proceed in better order to break our hearts before God for them: beginning with the first actual sin, to which our now awakened memory, and the spirit of repentance, can lead us. Nay, and to help us herein, let us take from our mothers or nurses, what they can report unto us of that time, wherein we cannot remember ourselves to have lived; and also conjecture, from the froward behavior of other infants, which we now observe, how untoward our own carriage was at that age. And then let us proceed to enumerate' all the circumstances of our old sins, to aggravate and=Hake them as odious and loathsome in our eyes as we can, for a more thorough humbling of our souls. Suppose, in the time of thy darkness, you wast a drunkard, weigh well, besides the beastly sin of drunkenness itself, such circumstances as these; 1. How you grievedst thy parents and friends, (or wife and children, if you livedst in the married estate.) 2. How you didst mis-spend thy precious time in ale-houses, the nurseries of the devil, for one moment whereof any damned soul in hell would give ten thousand worlds. 3. How you didst meet there a company of sons of Belial, thy brethren in iniquity, and madest them every time., so much as in thee lay, more the children of hell than they were before. 4. How wickedly you didst waste God's good creatures, for which many thousands were ready to starve. 5. How you didst wickedly cast away that money, by which you might have maintained thy family, provided for thy children, and relieved the poor. 6. How before you parted, you didst put thyself out of the rank of man-kind, by turning beast. 7: How you swore, blasphemed God's name, railed upon good men; perhaps roared, and played the bedlamites. 8. That when towards bed-time you should have prostrated thyself amidst thy people, to have offered up an evening sacrifice of prayer and praise, you laidst all along like a filthy hog, wallowing in thine own vomit, offering up thy body and soul a cursed sacrifice to the devil. 

 

 Again, Let us consider how many we have, not only like wolves undone, so much as in us lay, in their out-ward estate; but even like devils drawn them to hell, and held them fast in a damned estate: how many ways we have been guilty of or accessary to other men's sins; whether, 1. By commanding, as David did Joab; or 2. By commending; 3. By consenting; 4. By accompanying; 5. By conniving; 6. By counselling; 7. By defending; 8. By encouraging; 9. By provoking; or, 1O. By participating with others in their wickedness. Above all, let us spend much time and many tears in pressing upon our consciences, the infinite outrages, excesses, and tyrannies of our bosom sin; which reigned and raged in us far more than any of the rest. It was the devil's viceroy, to keep in a miserable slavery all the faculties of the soul, all the thoughts of the heart,. the heat of our affections, the strength of our wit, for his more notorious service. I know not whether this sometimes, by reason of its vile nature, universal domineering, and giving life and motion to a world of wicked means, ways, and cir cumstances, may not hold scale against all our other sins. And therefore we have the more need of strict examination to discover it; of more brokenness of heart to lament it; of CHRIST's dearest blood to pardon it; and of the Holy Spirit's mightiest work to mortify and subdue it.

 

 Secondly, In order to get matter of humiliation for the second kind of sins, that is, our failings in our translation from darkness to light; let us call to mind and consider, 1. Our loathness to leave SATAN's service, and to submit to the sceptre of CHRIST; our extreme cruelty, even to our poor immortal souls, in withstanding, so much as in us lay, the very work of grace, and our everlasting good, the ministry, holy motions, and all other means, set on foot by God's Spirit, to lead us out of hell; our listening, even when CHRIST called, to the subtle suggestions and cries of our own corruptions, the devil, and our old companions. 2. The great disproportion between the notorious wickedness of our former life, and bewailing it; between the number of our sins, and fewness of our tears; the heinousness of our rebellions, and little measure of our humiliation. And what a fresh spring of new penitent sorrow may this create, tt7 consider that we have been far greater sinners than some others, yet have passed through the new birth with far less trouble of mind than they 3. All the dishonors offered to the free grace of GOD, CHRIST's invaluable bloodshed; and all the blessed promises in God's Book; in that, on theone hand, when we saw ourselves coming_out of the hands of SATAN, and from his cursed slavery, we made no more haste out of that wretched,. desperate estate; and on the other hand, in that, when we had JESUS CHRIST, and all the glorious pleasures of his kingdom so seasonably revealed, and freely offered to us, we did not entertain and embrace them with more eagerness and joy, quickness and despatch. 4. Fourthly, Let us take notice how infinitely we have been wanting in thank-fulness, for that most glorious work of our conversion; (a greater work than the making of the whole world,) with infinite mercy, with infinite merit, with infinite might. A serious contemplation of the greatness of this benefit is sufficient to overwhelm the largest capacity, human or angelical, with everlasting admiration. Oh! the depth of the goodness of God! If all the hearts and tongues of all the men and angels in heaven and in earth were industriously set on work to extol and magnify this happy change of ours, they would come infinitely short of that which it deserved.

 

Thus much shall suffice, for the discovery of the abominations of the days of our vanity, and our failings in our translation from darkness to light, to suggest unto us further matter for our deeper humiliation. It remains now, to say somewhat of the third and last kind of sins; that is, our relapses, falls, and frailties, since we have been so translated: and this will afford us, (had we time to unfold them,) most ample matter of humiliation, above all the rest. Now, in the review of our relapses, and falls, and frailties, let us consider the multitude, and then the aggravations of them.

 

 First, The multitude of them will appear by these considerations: 1. It will be needful to consider what sins we have been most inclined to since our calling. And we may easily call to mind how our pleasing sin in former times has broken in upon us in latter times. 2. We may consider what our constitutions have led unto; whether or not some inordinate affection, or distempered passion; if we observe the daily stirrings of these, my will add greatly to the matter of our humiliation. 3. We are to remember our manifold confessions, and daily prayers and promises made in them; how often we have confessed the same sins to GOD, and prayed against them; which argues many relapses and backslidings into them. 4. We may recount the wanderings and distractions of our hearts in holy duties; the coldness and deadness of our prayers; unprofitableness under the means of grace, especially our worldly thoughts, idle or earthly talk upon the Lord's day, and divers other ways of uncomfortably mispending, at least some part of it. 5. We may consider how innumerable sins pass by us daily, that we take no notice of. All these meditations will bring tidings of the multitudes of our relapses and infirmities.

 

 Secondly, For the aggravation of them, they are very fearful; 1. Because they are committed against more knowledge than we had in our unregenerate state. 2. Because there is a greater ingratitude in all relapses, in neglecting or abusing the good gifts of GOD, and turning his grace into wantonness. 3. Because there is in these relapses a breach of covenant with God in a heinous manner, when we have bound our hearts, yea, entered into an oath, to keep the commandments of the Lord, at the receiving of the sacrament,. and in divers cases of extremity; now, by our revolting, we break all such bonds asunder. And besides the transgressing of God's covenant, we break our covenant with him, so that he may justly avenge the quarrel of his covenant. 4. Be-cause there is ever in these sins a great grieving of the Spirit of God. Alas! if we grieve our Comforter, where shall we find, comfort 5. Because there is many times a great wrong that by our falls we do unto the blessed name of GOD, his Word, religion, and the profession of godliness; they make the name of God to be blasphemed. 6. Because such backsliding breeds great hardness of heart, besides the disturbing of our peace. As iron that has been heated in the fire grows harder when it is taken out, so- it is with an heart that has been onceheated by the grace of God's good Spirit. 7. If we have laid long in our backsliding, our condition is the more grievous. When a man falls into a sin, and immediately rises again, he may more easily recover himself, than if he continue long in his lapsed state. An arm or a leg that is out of joint must quickly be set again; if it be long disjointed, it will cause unspeakable torment to set it, and knit the joints together again.

 

 Out of all that has been said, I may well draw this conclusion, that in case of relapses, all the duties of repentance, as examination, contrition and confession, are to be practiced in a greater measure, and in a more powerful manner. So that, in this case, there must be a more strict examination of our hearts and lives; and that especially for our estate to Godward. Besides, there must be a more severe judging of ourselves, and a greater measure of contrition; as judges use to deal more roughly against malefactors that are twice taken in the same offence. In our confession we must be more particular, and free, and large in aggravating the circumstances of these kinds of sins, and be more earnest in prayer with GOD, both for the pardoning and healing of these maladies; that our latter end be not worse than our be-ginning; yea, that we do not expose our poor souls to the unclean spirit, to make a re-entry into them with seven worse than himself.

 

 It now to help us in the second thing, wherein the spiritual exercise of fasting consisteth; to wit, a sense of God's infinite wrath and most holy indignation against sin: let us consider, 1. The severity of God's judgments and punishment upon sin. For which purpose, look upon the destruction of the angels; the curse that fell upon Adam and all his posterity; the confusions which came upon the first world by the flood; the burning of Sodom with fire and brimstone from heaven; the horrors of a guilty conscience, which is an hell upon earth; the everlasting fire, which is prepared for reprobate men and angels. 2. That no satisfaction would suffice, but the blood of God's own Son. Had all the blessed angels prostrated themselves at the foot of their Creator, with one strong united cry; yet in the point of expiation of sin, not any, nor all of these, could have done any good at all. Nay, if the Son of God himself, blessed for ever, should have supplicated and solicited (I mean, without suffering,) the Father of all mercies, yet he could not have prevailed; either the Son of God must die, or never could any sin have been pardoned, nor any soul saved.

 

 III. To help us in the third part of this spiritual exercise, to wit, an impartial acknowledgment, and sensible feeling of our own unspeakable misery by reason of sin, let us look back, 1. Upon the time past: with regard to which consider, that all the sins you have heretofore committed at any time, in any place, or with any company, are upon record, written as it were, with the point of a diamond, in the book of thy conscience, by the hand of God's justice, and that whensoever hereafter it shall please GOD, effectually to awaken thy conscience, (if by timely repentance you prevent not the wrath to come,) they will torment thee with inexplicable horror, and tear thy soul in pieces, when there is none to help.—We see many times one little sin, in the world's esteem, put a guilty conscience into a very hell upon earth. As I have heard of, and known in’many, one for a short, sudden imprecation; another for an unworthy thought conceived of God; another for covetously keeping a thing found, and not restoring it, or inquiring after the owner; thinking upon these things in cold blood, God putting particular stings into these several sins, they were so afflicted in con-science, that their very bones were broken; strange tremblings seized upon their bodies; they had no delight in any earthly thing; they have been ready to despair of their salvation, and make away with themselves. If the guilty sense then of one sin, when God sets it on, draw so many fiery points of stinging scorpions after it; what tearing of heart, gnawing of conscience, and hellish rage, will the whole black and bloody catalogue of all thy sins, mustered up together at once, bring upon thy soul, when the time of God's heavy visitation shall come upon thee, as travail upon a woman with child When all thy sins together, all thy lies, all thy oaths, all thy railings, all thy passions and filthy thoughts, jovial meetings, and ale-house hauntings, all the wrongs you have done, all the time you have mispent, thy profanation of every sabbath, thy crucifying of CHRIST at every sacrament, thy non-proficiency at every sermon, thy ignorance, thy unbelief, thy worldliness, thy covetousness, thy pride, thy malice, thy lust, thy lukewarmness, impatiency, discontentedness, vain glory, self-love, the innumerable swarms of idle, wandering, and wicked imaginations; in a word, all the pollutions, distempers, estrangedness from GOD, in the inward parts; all the vanities and rebellions of thy whole life:—I say, when all these shall be charged upon thy impenitent soul, by the unquenchable indignation of that just GOD, whose mercy and long-suffering you have abused; whose anger you have provoked all thy life long; what an hell wilt you feel in thy conscience What an unquenchable fire will be kindled there No mortal heart can comprehend it; no angel's tongue can express a thousandth part of that woeful horror.

 

 Consider, 2. How heretofore you have had thy hand in drawing’many towards hell, and have been a murderer of other men's souls. For so far as you have been a means to make others to sin, so much as in thee lies, have you damned them for ever. What a miserable man art you then, who have the cry of many souls bleeding to eternal death yelling loud in thine ears Even of all those whom you have any ways inticed to any sin, to drunkenness, to whoredom, or any kind of uncleanness, to sabbath-breaking, to profane sports, to lying, swearing, to idleness, gaming, or wanton dancing; or, in a word, to any service of SATAN. Nay, it may be, the soul of thine own wife, (if you have one,) that lies in thy bosom, lies bleeding also to eternal death under thy bloody and merciless hand, because you live not with her as a man of knowledge. Knowledge, perhaps, you have enough to thrive in the world; but no understanding to tell her one foot of the right way to heaven. Or, it may be, thine own dear children are already in the path that leads to endless perdition, by thy default; and the bloody knife of thine unconscionable negligence sticks deep in their souls, and stops all hope of cure, because you dost not catechise then, call them to account upon the sabbath, prepare them for the sacrament; because you dost not restrain them from ill company, idle sports, and profaning the sabbath. Nay, and perhaps besides, because you art in thine own family a cursed precedent of sin. To conclude this point, and press this upon thine heart, know assuredly, that all those, in whose damnation you have had an hand, (and you have done thy part to damn all them to whom you have been any cause to sin,) will hereafter, in that hellish dungeon, fly in thy face with horrible and hideous curses, crying, Woe, that ever they saw thy face; that ever they had thee to their husband, father, or master; a miserable and wretched man, that wouldst never be warned, before you hadst damned thy own soul, and undone many more for ever.

 

 Consider, 3. How long you have been thus SATAN's bond-slave, the devil's drudge. Many a grievous sin have you committed at his bidding. You have told many a lie, uttered many a rotten word, and filthy jest; perhaps been many times drunk. At his suggestion you have harboured many an unclean, proud, covetous, malicious, disdainful, unkind, impatient, angry, and revengeful thought. And assuredly, if you wilt not leave the devil's colours, under which you have marched furiously thus long, and come under the banner of CHRIST, to which you have been called with cries of blood all thy life long,you wilt shortly be paid home for all thy cursed service to the powers of hell, with everlasting plagues.

 

2. Look upon thy present estate, and therein consider, 1. Thy hurtfulness, whilst you continuest a natural man. There is nothing in the world but you hurtest or vexest one way or other. You fearfully dishonorest God the Father, by a stubborn disobedience to his Word. You tramplest under foot the precious blood of CHRIST, by thy wilfully going on in sin. You grievest God's blessed Spirit, by smothering those holy motions which he stirs up in thy heart. You displeasest, so much as in thee lies, the blessed angels, and bereavest them of that joy which they would conceive at thy conversion. You pollutest all the creatures you meddlest with, because they are not sanctified unto thee by the Word of God and prayer. And perhaps, as you enjoyest them by usurpation, so sometimes you exercisest merciless tyranny over them. " A righteous man," says Solomon, " regardeth the life of his beast, but the mercies of the wicked are cruel," Prov. 12: 1O. As for thy brethren in iniquity, you fearfully hardenest them, and encouragest them in the Way to hell; others you empoisonest with thy example, and infectious company. Neither in doing mischief, dost you spare thy own family. You drawest after thee thy sons and servants with the cords of vanity, and cart-ropes of iniquity, as fast and forcibly as you can, into the same damnation of hell. In the mean time, every hour you so continuest, you treasurest up to thyself wrath against the day of wrath; and when the measure. and the number of thy sins are full, perhaps in the brightest sunshine of thy worldly happiness, " the Lord will suddenly rain upon thee snares, fire, and brim-stone, and an horrible. tempest: and will laugh at thy destruction, and mock when thy fear comes."

 

 Consider, 2. That if you now be cut off by the stroke of death, you art certainly miserable for ever. And how many ways mayst you die any day Besides the many diseases that, insensibly breeding in thy body, may kill thee suddenly, thy house is subject to fire, robbery, ternpestuous winds, thunders, and other wasting calamities. If you put from shore in a ship, or boat, there is but a foot's breadth between thee and death. If you get on horseback, one stumble may take away thy life. What protection have thou What assurance, be you never so strong or young, to see the sun rise the next morning; since many have gone well to bed, and before morning it has become their grave If then there be so many ways to take thee out of this life, and you may be cut off so suddenly, and if you die as you art, art certainly damned, what a miserable man art thou!

 

 3. Look forward upon the time to come. And herein consider, 1. Death, through which you must shortly pass. 2. The dreadful tribunal of the ever-living GOD, before which you must shortly appear. 3. That fiery lake, wherein you must live for ever, unless you sincerely and heartily repent thee of thy wicked life, and believe in the Lord JESUS CHRIST.

 

 IV. To help in the fourth part of spiritual exercise in fasting, to wit, to get into thy heart a contempt of thy-self, most worthy to be abhorred in dust and ashes; do You, that art yet in thy natural state, consider, 1. Hadst you seen that man in Luke 8: out of whom CHRIST JESUS cast so many devils, that for their number, their name was called Legion, ver. 3O. If you hadst looked upon him all naked, as he was, haunting the graves, tearing in pieces his chains, wherewith he was bound, and hurried often by the devil into the wilderness, you wouldst have accounted him a spectacle of extreme misery. Now you thyself, in thy natural state, art a thousand times more miserable; nay, hadst you in thy body, for his legion, a million of devils, yet should you be less miserable than thy many unpardoned and unrepented sins do make thee. My reasons are these: 1. Every sin is fouler than the foulest fiend in hell; as you have seen before. 2. The devils may possess and have power over the bodies of the saints, when God givesthem leave. They had over CHRIST's, Matt. 4: 5. But such sins as thine, unpardoned and unrepented of, cannot possibly be found in any sanctified man. 3. Were all the devils in hell in thy body, yet if thou`heartily hatedst all sin, and didst cleave to CHRIST, and his truth, they could not all do thee a pin's worth of hurt about the salvation of thy soul: but one known sin, loved and de-lighted in, will destroy thy soul for ever. 2. Consider what a wretch all You, that one way or other wrongest all the world, God and man; and makest every creature in heaven and earth the worse for thee, Jer. 2: 12, 4: 2S, 13: 1O, Psalm cvii. 34, Gen. xix. 25, Exod. 17: 7. Yet by the way let me tell thee, upon repentance, all this inexplicable misery shall be turned into inconceivable felicity.

 

 V. To help in the fifth part of this spiritual exercise, to wit, to make thy heart to break and bleed within thee for the sins of thy soul; before I propound the helps, consider, that the end of our examination is this afflicting of our souls, (as the Scripture calls it,) or the humbling and casting down of our souls before the Lord. The prophet Joel calls it, the rending of our hearts. For therefore do we abstain for a time from meat, that we may have a quick sense and feeling of our own unworthiness. Therefore we bring down the body, that the mind might also be brought down, and our hearts broken and rent in sunder. Now this humiliation for sin must be especially for the vileness of our sins, rather than for the punishments that are either felt or feared. Though the people of God ought to be humbled for God's judgments, yet that is neither the only, nor the chief cause of their humiliation; but their sins do most of all affect them. As it was with David, Psalm xxxviii. 18, " I will declare mine iniquity, and be sorry for my sin." This we had need look very carefully unto, because otherwise all our labor will be lost; and the Lord will account no better of that other worldly sorrow, than he does of the roaring of a wild bull in a net; whereas the sorrow for the evil of sin, as it is the joy of angels, so it is the delight of our heavenly Father. This is for the duty and manner of it. Now to help thee in it, consider,

 

 1. How that heart of thine has been the forge wherein all thy sins were first hammered out; all thy filthy thoughts, raging passions, wicked purposes, and rebellious actions have sprung from that den of darkness, and dungeon of iniquity. That bottomless sink has sent out continually empoisoned streams of abominable thoughts, words, and deeds, all thy life long. Then great reason have you to make that heart, for the time to come, a fountain of godly sorrow, of penitent tears, of mourning, lamenting, and bewailing thy sins all the days of thy life. If CHRIST JESUS vouchsafe to open upon thy soul a fountain of his own blood for sins and for uncleanness, you art a guilty wretch and cruel enemy to thy soul's comfort, if you dost not endeavor to keep open in thine heart a counter-well, as it were, of weeping over him whom you have pierced, and for those sins which have put the Son of God to death.

 

 2. Consider, that the heart of the dear, innocent, only Son of GOD, for thy sake was pierced through, and filled with that singularity of spiritual heaviness, anguish of spirit, and affliction, that I am persuaded, were all the several sorrows of all the sons and daughters of Adam, from the creation to the world's end, collected and inflicted upon one heart, they would come short. The fierceness of his Father's wrath did press him so sore, and he so heavy upon him, that it wrung out of his blessed body even drops of blood, and from his heart that rueful cry, a My GOD, my GOD, why have you forsaken me" Now, shall the precious heart of God's own Son, (infinitely free from sin,) fall asunder in his breast, like drops of water for thy sins, and shall not thy sinful heart groan and sigh at all Shall it not mourn and melt for the infinite abominations of thine own heart and life Oh horrible hardness! Prodigious in-gratitude!

 

 3. Be assured, that if that heart of thine be not wounded in this day of thy visitation, while it is called to-day, it will and must hereafter be filled with that horror, which would burst a thousand to think upon it; and abide the whole and unquenchable wrath of GOD, flaming upon it with extreme anguish, world without end. Must the Son of God himself he bleeding upon the cross; and thinkest you to go to heaven upon a bed of down, and be saved without trouble of conscience for sin Assure thyself it will never be. It is infinitely more impossible than for thee to reach the heaven with thine hand. Either therefore let thy heart break under the hammer of the Word, while it is to-day, and make it the subject of godly sorrow; or, as sure as thy heart is in thy body, it will hereafter become the object upon which the fierce wrath of GOD, and fiercest torments in hell, shall be exercised with extremity and everlastingness. But if. you get a truly broken heart into thy bosom, you presently gettest right to and interest in all the purchases of CHRIST's passion.

 

 6. To help in the sixth spiritual duty of fasting, to wit, to quicken and stir up thy heart to a particular and impartial confession of sins, and to sincere acknowledgments of, and expressions of inward grief for, the same; consider, 1. The practice of the saints. 2. In case of outward troubles, people are wont to wring their hands, beat their breasts, sometimes to tear their hair, and weep immeasurably: now assuredly, if the concurrence of all Job's outward miseries upon one man would require one watery tear; the least sin of thy soul might justly challenge at thine hand a whole torrent of bloody tears. If you wouldst spend one sigh for the death of thy son, the groaning out of the last drop of thy dearest blood were far too little for the death of thy soul. If you wouldst wring thine hands for the loss of thine husband, well might you wail all the days of thy life, for the loss of communion with CHRIST JESUS. If you wouldst, beat thy breast for the burning of thine house, justly might you break thine heart in pieces for the sinful consumption of thy soul. For doubtless, Grace ought to raise our affections as high about heavenly things, as nature about earthly. 3. Weigh well this Scripture, " He that covereth his sins shall not prosper; but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy," Prov. 28: 13.

 

 7. To help in the seventh spiritual exercise, to wit, to get a hatred of sin, consider, 1. The foulness, 2. Infectiousness, 3. Perniciousness of sin. It is the only object of God's extremest hatred. It is fouler than the foulest fiend in hell. It is of that pestilential infectious property, that it pollutes every thing it comes near. It is full of fearful and pernicious effects; of which I spoke largely before. All which, well weighed, might be sufficient to provoke an utter hatred of it.

 

 Thus far you have heard of those several duties required in the spiritual exercise of fasting, all which concern our humiliation; with the means and motives thereunto. But farther, in a true spiritual fast, there must be fasting from sin, or the forsaking of all our sins. For whilst we abstain from lawful things, we are admonished much more to abstain from all things that are unlawful, at all times. If we abstain from meats and drinks, which at other times we may use, we ought especially to renounce all our sins, which should never be used. He that fasts from meat, and abstains not from sin, is like the devil and the spirits of darkness, which neither eat nor drink, and yet do nothing else but dishonor God; and so the fast of drunkards, whoremongers, and whosoever lives in any known sin, is no better than a devilish fast. Therefore ye shall ever find it the practice of the faithful, that at their fasts, immediately they forsook those sins for which they mourned. Likewise the Word and prayer must be added. We find the Word preached and read at such times, Nell. 9: 3; they read in the book of the law one fourth part of the day, and together with their reading, they expounded the Word, Neb. 8: 6.

 

 So we always find in holy Scripture, that fasting is joined with prayer, as in the fore-named places. Now, forasmuch as prayer is a daily and ordinary exercise of God's children, it is manifest, that by prayer, which is coupled with fasting, is understood a special kind of prayer, wherein two things are requisite; 1. Fervency of desire. This, indeed, is required always in our prayers, but especially upon such days of humiliation. For then we must not only pray, but cry unto the Lord, Joel 1: 14, whereby vehement prayer is signified; yea, as the Ninevites speak, Jonah 3: 2, " We are to cry mightily unto him." For the use of outward abstinence is but the wing of prayer, wherewith it might more-easily fly up to heaven. And, 2. In such a prayer, there should be an assurance of faith that we shall obtain our request; the Lord having made a gracious promise in many places to this ordinance, Joel 2: 16, 19, 2 Chron. 7: 14, Isaiah lviii. 8, 13. And let all the fasts of the churches of God and godly men recounted in Scripture, both in the Old and New Testament, be looked into, and it shall be seen that the end of their fast was a feast; and the issue of their mourning great rejoicing. And, moreover, works of mercy must be added in this case. " Is not this the fast that I have chosen, to loose the bands of wickedness, to deal thy bread unto the hungry, to bring the poor that are cast out into thy house, and when you seest the naked to cover them" Isaiah lviii. 6, 7. In a word then, both in our public and private fasts, this must always be observed, that the poor may have the gain of our fasting, and not our own purses: if their loins and bowels shall bless us, as Isaiah speaks, " The Lord will also bless us abundantly."

 

Yet farther, we must ever, in these days of humiliation, after we have humbled our souls before the Lord, renew our covenant with him; and not only unfeignedly purpose, but faithfully promise amendment, in performing the duties we heretofore have omitted, and eschewing those sins we heretofore used to commit: we must make a sure covenant with our GOD, to part with all sin, and to cleave to him for ever. And when we have entered into, or renewed this covenant, we must take heed of breaking it. To this purpose, it may be necessary for the better settling of our resolution, to bind ourselves by a solemn vow, as the Jews did, Neh. 9: 38, " They rnade a sure covenant, and put their seals to it;" and the substance and mariner of their covenant is set down, Neh. 10: 29. They entered into an oath to walk in God's law, and to observe and do all his commandments. The necessity of this unfeigned purpose required in this exercise is evident, because without it we remain in our impenitency, and being impenitent sinners, the Lord will not hear us. Besides, our hearts are exceeding fickle, and all good motions and purposes presently die in them: therefore they had need be bound to their good behavior by solemn vows and resolutions.

 

 Lastly, When all this is done, we must take heed above all things of inward pride, and resting in the performance. It was the case of the proud Pharisee, and it is also of the Papists at this day, who will needs merit heaven by such exercises as these. If the devil can but prevail to make thee self-conceited with thine enlargements, and to trust to that service you have done, he will deprive thee of all the benefits and blessings of thy humiliation. Labor, therefore, as much as possible you can, to humble thyself with a thorough view of thy failings in the best of thy performances; and the consideration of the fountain of all thy enlargements, which is not any ability of thine own, but the good Spirit of GOD, breathing where and when it listeth, and letting out thy strait heart, which otherwise would be utterly shut up. Therefore let him have the glory of all thy abilities and enlargements, who has given thee his grace, and has said, that he will not give his glory to another.