4ç0 of Conver¡:en,arTurning until Gad= Sac T. IX. To open it therefore, confider, Firfl, That the Scripture hath other equivalent Other eguiva- expreffions tothùin the Text : That which is here called A rentheart, in other the places is called Abro en heart, yea, A contriteheart, Pfal: I. AWounded irit lent in the P k Y S 7 fP scripture. y9 tender meltingheart, An heart ofReis, Afoft heart, Ezek.32: All whichhare, their peculiar efficacy, to demonftrate this graciouswork ofGod. A brokenheart, is taken from a broken veflel,or brokenbones : Now this doth imply, what pain, what grief, yeaand mifery a manundergoeth, whilehe is in turning unto God. Davideapreffeth his broken heart, by broken bones : Oh think not then, that thou who haft lived with an heart full ofcafe, mirth, and carnal jollity, that ever thouhaft attained to this duty : No, this is thatthou art afraid of ; As Luther laid, his foul hated the word Repent, becaufe heappre- hended it a word of bitternefs, gall andwormwood, and at that time knew no- thingof Chri(t, and the Gofpel that might fweeten{his bitternefs : Thus the hearts ofmany wicked men, doeven hate and abhor the very name and thoughts ofabroken and rent heart for fin : They would not be put out of thofe plea- fures and jolly fecurity in lin, uponany terms. Again, asthe refire!, when broken, bath prefently all thatwas init difcover- ed and laid open : Thus it is with an heart in converfionto God, thebreaking of it, makesall that wickednefs and ungodlinefs appear, which formerly was hid and covered : Then he wallowed in fuèh foul and noifom ways, and never took any noticeof it; thenhealways bleffed and flattered himfelf, Rill laying, I hope in God, I trufl in God, I have a goodheart, dc. O butwhen oncethe fpineof Codbreaksthat hollow and hypocritical heart of thine, then Owhat depthsof iniquity appear !What fwarms ofloft ¡hew themfelves!Thenthon art moutier, and abominable in thy own eyes ; then thou canft no longer indure thy felt, thouwilt be no longer a ftranger, and unknown to thy fell. The hea- thens commended that fentence, as fallen down from heaven, Nolte teipfum, Know thy felf : But (alas) they hadonely candle light, or moon light,not the light of theSun, the Scripture, to difcover themfelves, and to judge of them - felves by it. The other phrafe is AContrite heart, and that is more then broken ; for this is to be bruited orpounced into (mall duff : So that this doth excellently denote, what a rent heart is ; viz;. Anheart that is beaten into fmall pieces, that doth not retain the outward form or fhape that once it had ; it is wholly changed and Mitered. Take anearthen veffel, and let it be pounced into dull, and there re- maineth nothing of its old beauty or figure : So it is here, when the heart is thus contrite, Oh it lathnothing of its old fecurity, of its but becomes and jollity, bath nothingof its old falle peace and felf-flattering, g oat to anotherhue. The phrafe likewife of A wokndedfpirit, doth fully let forth this Rent heart. The body wounded, is fubjedtomuch grief and pain, but a fpirit wounded to much more ; therefore faith theWife man, Awoundedfpirit Whocan bear? Pro. 1.8.14. If thy heart beever wounded for fin, it will be the heaviefl burthen in thewocld to bear: Oh then thou wilt think poverty,outward torments, bodily pain, nothingto a wounded foul : Oh but when fhall we, like'that goodSamari- tan, meet with fuck perlons that liewounded for their fins, that we maypour oyl into their wounds I when null the twoedged Swordof the word give fuch heart-wounds I Asfor a Soft,tender melting heart: Thefe come much to the fame fenfe; for be' fore our converfion, every mans heart is of(tone, and adamantine, like cold iron, will receive no impreflìon ; Dothnot experience teach it? Why is it, that after fo many mercies, fò many judgements, fo many aéfiifiions, fo many fermons,men 4Vhar is im- are as prone and ready to fin as ever, but from the hardnefsof their heart? plycd in the Secondly, Let us confider, What this phrafe implyeth, Rent your hearts; and then phrafe, Rent on>yearü: the negative, Notyour garments: And Firlt
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