* Query, Is tliis an alhision to the Sultan — tTie 'raging Turk' of the Puritans — in his anguish at the siege of Scodra? Cf. among others Trapp on Ezra ix. 3. — G.
THE ART OF MOURNING. 61
expression and j'et to have no inward grief. Tiiis is but acting of humilia- tion, when we hang down the head like a bulrush, and the heart is not sound. But outward expressions are good when the heart is grieved to purpose ; when they proceed from inward humiliation.
Quest. And why ought this to be ?
Ans. Because both body and soul have a part in the action of sin. Therefore it is needful that they should be joined in humiliation for sin. There is no sin of the body but the soul hath part in it, nor any sin in the soul but the body hath part in it. Therefore both body and soul should be humbled together. Labour then to have outward expressions and shows of sorrow come from a true sorrowful heart. There be two things in the religious actions of men.
1. There is the outward action or expression.
2. There is the inward, which gives life to the other.
The outward is easy, and subject to hypocrisy. It is an easy matter to rend clothes and to force tears, but it is a hard matter to afflict the soul. The heart of man taketh the easiest ways, and lets the hardest alone, thinking to please God wdth that. But God will not be served so ; for he must have the inward affections, or else he doth abhor the outward actions. Therefore let us as well labour for humble hearts as humble gestures. We must rend our hearts and not our clothes, when we come into the presence of God. We must labour, as to shew humilitj', so to have humility, that so ■we be not like hypocrites, who make show of a great deal of devotion in carriage, but yet have none in heart ; a great deal of outward humiliation, whenas they have none within.
The papists are wicked and erroneous in all their devotions, especially in the point of justification, and in other points of the worship of God ; for is it not a superstitious error, to think to please God with outward observations, when they do not come from inward truth ? Their religion is all an outside, consisting merely of outward performances. But true devotion, the Scrip- ture teacheth, eometh from a heart judicially understanding the case of its own self; considering what a great God it hath to deal withal, a God full of glory and majesty. Doth God love blind sacrifices ? No. Devotion must come from the heart, and spread itself from thence into the counte- nance and carriage. For then it is true, when the outward expression doth shew the inward disposition.
Use. This reproves the negligence of jyeople in these times. "WTiere is their inward humiliation ? Nay, where is their outward humiliation ? In popery, there is an acting of humiliation. They whip themselves in their bodies, and other such outward fooleries and gestures they have in their hypocri- tical devotions. Thus do they in some sort humble themselves. But how few are there amongst us that humble themselves in apprehension of their own misery, who yet, if they look to their own persons, have cause enough ! Yea, and how few are there that are humbled for the miseries of the church abroad ! Where shall we find a mourning soul ?
Well, seeing it is not a custom amongst us to rend our clothes, yet let us make conscience of being proud in apparel ; for it is a wicked and a fearful thing when men will regard some wicked and foolish fashion, and set more by it than by God's favour, threatenings, and judgments abroad. Many there are that, instead of rending their clothes, come into God's house to shew their bravery ; to see and to be seen. Where they should most of all humble themselves, there they come to shew their pride, even before God. Whereas they should come to hear the voice of the great God
62 THE ART OF MOURNING.
of heaven, and stand in his presence, who is a ' consuming fire.' Before whom the very angels cover their faces and the earth trembles, they, contrari- wise, come to outface and provoke him with their pride. We see Josiah, though he were a king, he rent his clothes, forgot all his bravery, and considers himself not so much a king over the people, over whom God had set him, as a subject to God. Wherefore, though, as I said, the custom of rending of clothes be not used in our church, yet let us ever make con- science of rending our hearts, and so to make our peace with God, as this good king did. It follows ; —
* And weptest before me.'
In which words is set down the second outward expression of Josialis inward hiimiUation, which is ' weeping.' This came nearer to him than rend- ing of clothes, for it touched his body. Hence, in a word, observe,
Doct. 1. lliat thchodtj and soul mnst join together in the action of humilia- tion, for the soul and body go together in the acting of sin, therefore they must go together in humiliation. As they were both made by God, and redeemed by Christ, so they sin and practise good together. Now I will shew three ways wherein the soul and body have communion one with another, whereby it may appear how reasonable and fitting a thing it is they should be both humbled together.