the truest friends to their native soil ; they are the chariots and horse- men of Israel. Those that plead with God stand in the gap, keep ofT judgments, and have the most public spirit ; therefore the least they can do is to sigh for it and to plead with wicked men ; as TertuUian, Si non vis tibi par cere, parce Carthagini — if thou wilt go on with thy soul-destroying course, and wilt not spare thyself, yet spare Carthage. This will be bitterness in the issue. The children of God are always of a public spirit. David fasted for his enemies, Ps. xxxv. Abraham prayed to God for Sodom, a neighbour country. The godly Israelites were good friends to Babylon in their captivity: Jer. xxix. 11, ' Seek the peace of the city, whither I have caused you to be carried captive, and pray unto the Lord for it ; for in the peace thereof ye shall have peace : ' if nothing but their interest and share in the common rest and quietness. Passengers are concerned in the welfare of the vessel wherein they are embarked. Babylon fared the better for the Jews' prayers. Now more especially are their hearts carried out with a respect to their native soil and dearest comforts ; therefore this melteth them to see the land defiled with sins and ready for judgments.
SEKMON CLII.
Rivers oficater run down mine eyes, because they keep not tliy laio. —
Ver. 136.
Use 1. For reproof of two sorts of persons: —
1. Those that do not lay to heart their own sins. Usually men make their affections to prescribe to their judgment, and cavil at the fervorous exercises of religion, because unpleasant to flesh and blood ; to humble ourselves before the Lord with a pressing sorrow, seriously and indeed to rend our hearts and not our garments. In this wanton and delicate age, men are ajit to think I speak of a theme obsolete and out of date, as calculated for former times, when men were more tender- hearted. If we could awaken some of the old godly professors out of their graves, as the prophet calleth up Kachel to weep in Kamali for her children, Jer. xxxi. 15, then we might hope to prevail. Alas ! to plead now for mourning over the sins of others, when men think it a crime to mourn for their own, this is like to be lost labour. Were this the humour only of ungodly wretches, it might be borne with silence and patience ; but those that would be taken for Christians of the highest form are altogether prejudiced against such doctrines as this. Men would be honeyed and oiled with grace, and distaste the whole- some discipline of repentance as too severe. They cry out, We are legal. How may the poor ministers of the gospel go to God, and say, as Moses did, Exod. vi. 12, ' The children of Israel have not hearkened unto me, how then shall Pharaoh hear me ? ' The professors of religion will not brook such doctrine, and how shall we hope to prevail with the poor, blind, carnal world ? To scoff at doctrines of repentance and humiliation was once a badge of profaneness ; many now adopt it into their religion. But be not deceived ; the gospel doth not take
432 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SkK. CLII.
uway the conscience of sin. Jt nia}^ lake away the fear of hell and dam nation upon right terms. The lieart of flesh is a promise, and the spiiil of grace is a promise, or mourning apart is a promise. You that say that justified persons must no more mourn for sin, you may as well say they shall no longer have a heart of flesh or a spirit of grace and supi)lications, that they shall no longer have a tender con- science. Be not deceived ; there must he some time to weep for your ■own sins, as Peter went out and wept bitterly. Sorrow must have its turn in the Christian life. I would press it upon you by this argument: You cannot be sorrowful for others' sins unless you be first sorrowful for your own sins. Gi'ief must begin at home, there where you have the advantage of conscience and inward remorse. It is hypocrisy to pitch upon other men's sins and neglect your own ; as some will zeal- ously declaim against public disorders, yet neglect their own hearts ; as the crafty lapwing will go up and down fluttering and crying to draw the fowler from her own nest. We have a nest of sin of -our own, and we are loath it should be rifled and exposed to public view.
2. It re})rovetli them that in times of public defection never take -care to mourn over God's dishonour. We complain and murmur under our judgments, but do not weep over our sins, every person and family apart. Whether it be out of negligence and carnal security, or out of distaste and displeasure against the conduct of i)re- sent affairs, we seem to have lost our public affections, and can only wonder at the children of God in former times, since they were so broken and tender. To many that would now go for professors, this doctrine seemetli a riddle, a mere strain of wit and fancy, like a pre- cept wire-drawn, or elevated beyond its pitch and tenor. But in the fear of God consider what hath been spoken. There are many abuses in our reflections upon the sins of others. Wicked men are quite otherwise disposed : they do not only do evil themselves, but take pleasure in those that do so, Eom. i. 32 ; would be glad that sin were more common, that it might be less odious, and then there would bo none to put them to the blush : Prov. ii. 14, it is said ' they rejoice to do evil, and delight in the frovvardness of the wicked.' So the prophet speaks of some corrupt men in the priesthood : ' They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity,' Hosea iv. 8. God had appointed those that served at the altar should live of the altar, have a proportion of those offerings ; now they flattered them in their sins, so they might have meat, and get a portion of the sacrifices. Many that would be accounted ministers care not for the sins of the people, but think the less serious men are in religion the better they can work them to their private advantages, and have more respect among them. Then there are some that scolf at the mourners in Zion ; they count it melancholy and mopishness to be so often and seriously humbling themselves before the Lord. The world deals perversely with the people of God ; they provoke their sorrow, and then upbraid them with it. You should bear them company, mourn with them, pine in consort with those doves of the valleys. Better be a mourner than a mocker and scoffer. Others there are that yet can make a shift to hold out some profession of religion, yet can delight in the company