Direct. 4. Furthermore, Let us converse tvith those that are better than ourselves ; for the image and likeness of God is seen in his children. It is the custom of many men to converse with the worst company, that they may appear to be the best ; and thus do they increase an overweening self- conceit in themselves.
Direct. 5. Let us also ?<s<? to go to places visited with God's corrections ; for seeing misery, the conscience retires to itself, considering of the ways of sin, and how the devil pays those that serve him. And this use we ought to make of objects of misery, to see God's correcting hand, else do
* That is, ' transference.' — G. j Qu- ' learn, as to desire . . . so '? &c. — Ed.
AN EXPOSITION UPON PSALM CXXX.
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we provoke God, Isa. i. 3-5, ' wlio curseth such ;' Jer. v. 3, and brand- ing them with the brand of king Ahaz, ' this is Ahaz.' And while we delight ourselves with pleasing worldly objects, our eyes shut against sin, but corrections and punishments makes them see and discern. All Christ's admonitions could not make Judas see his sin of covetousness, which the weight of a burdened conscience afterward so wrought, as could not be pacified. Let us look therefore on the afflictions of other men, of our own persons and estates, and know the least crosses comes not without a just cause.
Direct. 6. Lastly, Let us jnrtij to God to give tis tender hearts ; not to deliver us up to a hard impenetrable heart, and to spiritual judgments, but to keep us continually sensible of our sins and least infirmities.
Doct. 7. In the next place, out of the manner of delivery of this speech, we may gather thus much, that sin once truly felt is ever iinsupportahle, none can stand under it. There are three impotencies in sinners : first, they cannot see sin : Ps. xix. 12, * Who can understand his errors.' Secondly, when the Lord causes them to see their sins, they cannot justify themselves ; and then, in the third place, they cannot bear the burden of them ; for death, the wages thereof, none can bear or endure ; nay, God himself cannot endure sin, Amos ii. 13 — nay, the wounded conscience, which is but a part of the wages thereof in this life, none can endure — but is ' pressed under them as a cart loaden with sheaves.' Christ he could not endure them, but had such sense of them as if he had been quite forsaken : ' My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me ?' And angels could not bear the burden, but were thrown down to hell thereb}^ and so angels of light became angels of infernal darkness. Adam could not endure it, till Christ raised him up by the promise of the blessed seed ; and therefore much less can we since the fall, as it appears in Cain, Saul, Ahithophel, Judas. The earth could not bear Korah and his company, and neither would it bear us if we had our due. Sin is a debt we cannot answer : Job ix. 3, * We cannot answer one of a thousand.'
Use 1. This therefore confutes the papists, who say that Christ hath endured the great p)'^<-nishments ; hut there are other lighter punishments, tvhich we also must tmdergo, as purgatory and the like ; to whom we say the wages of the least sin is death. That which the angels could not satisfy for, how shall we weak creatures.
Use 2. Secondly, Tliis mag put a just defence into the mouths of careful Christians. Let others term them by what names of scorn they list, such have good ground for what they do. They know what sin is, and have felt the sting thereof ; and what they do, they do it in love to their souls. As for them that scorn, they know there is more cause to pity them than envy their estate. Though they can outswagger and outface sin now, which none could undergo heretofore, and though they can with a grace and authority, as they think, censure those that are careful, and themselves BVi'ear and profane the holy name of God, shewing thereby a heart full of unbelief and of unreverence, — which is more odious than the sin of swearing, ■ — yet there is a time coming, when God will set their sins in order before them, in such manner that they shall melt away in the sense of the multi- tude and greatness of them, without hope of relief; when they shall see nothing but vengeance and death before their eyes, and without all manner of hope they shall die.
Quest. But how comes it to pass, will some say, that many nevertheless seem to bear their sins well enough, and live and die without tears ? ^
Ans. I answer, The estate of such may be dangerous, for Christ is not
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THE SAINT S COMFORTS :
sweet till sin bo bitter. But God is infinite in wisdom, not presently bur- dening every sinner, nor comforting those that shall desire it. For thca who would not bo good, and who would bo ill ? And if evermore comforts were present, what need were there of faith ? And therefore, this is most especially true at the day of judgment, when the wicked shall be blown away as chaff, Ps. i. 4-G ; when there will be a guilty conscience, watch- ing devils, and an angry God. Where shall the wicked then appear? And there must be a hell hereafter, that men may then feel what now they will not beHeve.