First, After the Lord hath greatly humbled the hearts of his people, a•d broken them for sin, then doth he usually give in most assurance of a mans effectual calling, and of the happiness of his future condition. When you can say as David did, Psal. •8.3, There is no rest in my bones, by reason of my sin. When you can say as the Psalmist doth Psal. 51.8. Let the bones which thou hast broken rejoice. Then is the time for God to make you break forth with joy, when he hath broken your hearts with sorrow. God had broken Davids heart under the sense of that uncleanness he had committed: O saith David, Thou hast broken my heart, now let my broken spirit rejoice; and God gave him comfort, and did restore the joy of his salvation to him. You have a phrase, Psal. 34.18. The Lord is nigh to them that are of a broken heart, to save them that are of a contrite spirit. The Lord is nigh to them. Nigh, what to do? not only to give them deliverance from outward trouble, but from inward sorrows; to give them inward joy, and inward comforts, that the bones which he hath broken might rejoice. The Lord is nigh to them that are of a broken spirit, to give them comfort. Luke 4.18. It's said there, that the Spirit of the Lord was upon Christ, what to do? It was to bind up the broken in heart, and to comfort those that mourn. So Esa. 61.1, 2, 3. To those that mourn, he should preach comfort, and bind up the broken-hearted. When the Lord hath broken you under sin, and humbled you under the sight of your evils, then is the time when God will break in upon you with great joy. Mat. 11.28. Come unto me all you that are weary, and heavy laden, and I will give you rest; Rest, there hath not only reference to our rest in heaven, that we shall rest there from sin, and rest there from sorrow, and rest there from temptation, but I will give you rest; it hath reference also to a promise in this life, that if you are heavy laden, that you count your iniquities a burden too heavy ⟨p. 119⟩for you to bear, Christ hath promised you peace, inward peace in your own consciences, in the assurance of your everlasting estate, in assurance that you are called to a state of grace, and shall come to a state of glory. You know when the ground is ploughed, the clods are broken, and the breaking of the clods makes way for the deeper rooting of the corn, and that it may spring up with greater increase.
First, After the Lord hath greatly humbled the hearts of his people, a•d broken them for sin, then doth he usualy give in most assurance of a mans effectual calling, and of the happinesse of his future condition. When you can say as David did, Psal. •8.3, There is no rest in my bones, by reason of my sinne. When you can say as the Psalmist doth Psal. 51.8. Let the bones which thou hast broken rejoyce. Then is the time for God to make you break forth with joy, when he hath broken your hearts with sorrow. God had broken Davids heart under the sense of that uncleannesse he had committed: O saith David, Thou hast broken my heart, now let my broken spirit rejoyce; and God gave him comfort, and did restore the joy of his salvation to him. You have a phrase, Psal. 34.18. The Lord is nigh to them that are of a broken heart, to save them that are of a contrite spirit. The Lord is nigh to them. Nigh, what to do? not onely to give them deliverance from outward trouble, but from inward sorrows; to give them inward joy, and inward comforts, that the bones which he hath broken might rejoyce. The Lord is nigh to them that are of a broken spirit, to give them comfort. Luke 4.18. It's said there, that the Spirit of the Lord was upon Christ, what to do? It was to binde up the broken in heart, and to comfort those that mourn. So Esa. 61.1, 2, 3. To those that mourn, he should preach comfort, and binde up the broken-hearted. When the Lord hath broken you under sin, and humbled you under the sight of your evils, then is the time when God will break in upon you with great joy. Mat. 11.28. Come unto me all you that are weary, and heavy laden, and I will give you rest; Rest, there hath not onely reference to our rest in heaven, that we shall rest there from sin, and rest there from sorrow, and rest there from temptation, but I will give you rest; it hath reference also to a promise in this life, that if you are heavy laden, that you count your iniquities a burden too heavy ⟨p. 119⟩for you to bear, Christ hath promised you peace, inward peace in your own consciences, in the assurance of your everlasting estate, in assurance that you are called to a state of grace, and shall come to a state of glory. You know when the ground is plowed, the clods are broken, and the breaking of the clods makes way for the deeper rooting of the corn, and that it may spring up with greater increase.
