VeR. 13G.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 433
of profane, carnal persons. Would a man willingly put himself upon occasions of grief ? Are you like Lot, whose soul was vexed day by day ? Do but consider how much your temper differs from theirs, David saith, Ps, cxix. 115, ' Depart from me, ye evil-doers.' Others there are that by censures and bitter invectives seek to make the sinner, rather than the sin, more odious. This is to exercise malice and pride, not Christian affection. We should not censure, but mourn. Tears flow from charity, censures from pride ; and by this means you lose a duty for a sin, which is a sad exchange. Others again are apt to laugh at them, and to make sport with the sins of others, but do not mourn. This is a vile abuse, and yet we are many times guilty of it. Men laugh at drunkenness, and make the slips of others matter of boasting and vain talk. This should rather set our hearts a-bleeding and mourning. lie were a monster, rather than a man, that could see a man take a fall, even to the breaking of his back or neck, and turn it into a jest; or a man wound himself, and he make a sport of it. And shall we be moi-e kind to the bodies than to the souls of men ? Oh ! consider the danger of these practices. As much as in him lieth he hath put himself into hell, and wilt thou laugh at it ?
Use 2. Trial. Are we so tenderly affected ? I know every one is not of a like tender constitution, and cannot weep rivers of tears ; but tell me — or rather, tell God — I cite thy conscience to make answer to God — when thou didst ever go aside into thy closet, or some secret place, to lay to heart the dishonour done to God, or the affronts put upon his grace ? Do not tell me thou hast declaimed against the sin of the times, that thou hast not cried up a confederacy with them that cry up a con- federacy against God. There may be somewhat of faction and interest and obstinacy in those things; but when hast thou mourned, and wept sore in secret places ? Do not tell me that thou hast joined in public fasts : hasty and transient sighs do not wound the heart. Hast thou ever done it in secret ? or hast thou often done it ? It may be thou hast resented injuries, and spread them before God; and so there is a spirit of self-love and revenge that breathes into thy prayers. Men will be hot in their own cause ; but what hast thou done in this duty? It is a plain question, and therefore I hope it will have the more force upon the conscience. True zeal for injuries done to God would ease itself by tears rather than anger. True penitents will not satisfy themselves only with public humiliation, to which law, custom, and example may draw them ; but will make conscience of this duty in their families, yea, in secret, where no eye seeth them but God's ; mourn apart, Zecli. xii. 12-14, and bring home public provocations to their own doors, Jer. xi. 17.
Use 3. To exhort you to get this practice, and to get this disposition of the saints.
There is a great deal of need to practise it now, whether we look upon the sins or dangers of the nation ; the sins, such horrid blasphe- mies and reproaches cast upon God's servants, his ways, truths, doctrines according to godliness. I think, in the wisest judgment that a man can make, never was there such a dangerous KpLcra and temper of any nation as of ours at this time. Never were sins boiled up to such a height and consistency as now, such snarling at reforma- tion, that was hopefully begun. Now sin walketh in the streets with a
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434 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. Clill.
bold face, drunkenness, swearhif^, and profaneness seem to triumph ; and with the more pretence, because the stricter sort have so much dishonoured God and reHgion. Cliurch aifairs are much out of order. And for our dangers, we hear again of wars and rumours of wars, and God knoweth what may bo the issue and effect of them : Acts xiii. 41, * Behokl, ye despisers, and wonder, and perisli ; for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man should tell you of it.' The danger of a nation doth not lie in out- ward ])robabiIities so much as in the threatenings of the word. He alludeth to the horrible devastation of Judea by the Chaldeans, and applieth it to the despising of the gospel. Would any believe that the temple and city should be destroyed, and the people of God carried captive, that not one should remain ? yet this came. In the time of Noah, when they abounded in all things, who would have thought of a flood? Many would say, as that nobleman, If the windows of heaven were opened, how could this be ? Who would have believed the horrible dissolution by the Eomans ? or thirty years agone that which is now fallen out in Germany ? Never think tbat our armies and forces are so strong as to withstand the threatenings of the gospel ; for our horrible contempt, God may blow upon all these props in an in- stant. Therefore weep and mourn for the pride and rebellion of the daughter of your people. So for our private place. What sins are there among us ! Some have withstood the ways of God ; though they have had convictions, yet held out against them. Some are profane, many defects in all orders. Paul was mightily troubled be- cause the church of Corinth was so much out of order ; he bewailed it with many tears : 2 Cor. ii. 4, ' Out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears.' So may I speak, and you think of these things : It is time to mourn. By way of motive, consider —