get not because they aske not or aske amisse Obiect But some man may obiect here what neede men aske and pray for repentance seeing God giueth it to many not asking as hee gaue it to Paul and others Answ I answere that this is no dispensation to free any man from this dutie It being a sinne for a man not to pray for the things which he is bound to haue though God then doe giue him them vndesired yet is hee to bee humbled in soule when he hath them for not praying for them And so no doubt they were that truly repented Besides Gods extraordinarie dealing is no rule for ordinarie things nor any warrant for a man to neglect ordinary meanes As it is no warrant for a man to neglect prouision for his life because the Lord extraordinarily fed the Prophet by rauens Yea rather men should thus inferre that if to them hee gaue it not seeking it and if hee was found of thē that sought him not how much more will he be found of those who seeke him and giue to those who aske it of him Vse 2. The second vse is to perswade men to vse this meanes by which they may thus obtaine repentance or renew it not onely to frequent the hearing of the word which is one meanes by which this may be wrought in them but feruently also to call vpon God who is powerfull by his word that it may be effectuall hereto and that hee would turne their hearts and doe that which is his proper glorious worke namely to drop into them his grace which may mollifie their stony hearts and to quicken their soules being cleane dead in sinne And this ought they to doe not seldome or coldly or negligently but often with vehemencie of affection and with all importunitie giuing no rest night nor day to themselues or to God till they haue obtained their desire For this importunitie how it will preuaile Christ sheweth in Saint Lukes Gospell by the parable of the vnrighteous Iudge Luke 18.5 which though hee feared not God nor reuerenced man yet because the widow troubled him by her importunitie hee would dee her right And to whet them on they ought to labour to see their want of it by reason of their owne sinfull and wretched estate together with their inabilitie to performe it of themselues who cannot make one haire white or blacke nor remooue any wrinkle from their faces much lesse change their soules They may be able to pray to God as Augustine did August Confess lib. 1. cap. 5. Augusta est domus animae meae que venias ad eam dilatetur abs te ruinesa est refice cam c. The house of my soule is very little how canst thou come vnto her doe thou therefore inlarge it It is very ruinous doe thou repaire it It hath many things which may offend thy holie eies I confesse and know it but who shall elense it or to whom rather should I pray then vnto thee Specially seeing the holy man Iob saith Iob 14.4 Who can make it cleane that commeth of an vncleane thing As if he said no man And yet Dauid saith to God Psalm 51.27 Wash me thorowlie from mine iniquitie and clense me from my sinne And againe Purge me with hyssope and I shall be cleane wash mee and I shall be whiter then snow And hee that shall thus pray shall obtaine hee that shall thus wrestle with God shall vndoubtedly ouercome For if men who are sillie wormes stand so much vpon their honour that they thinke it a disgrace that any man should say that hee had in vaine asked helpe at their hands as we reade of the Senators of Rome in old time Shall not God who is as able as the richest and as willing to giue as the frankest yea and hath as great care of his glorie as any man hath of his worldly worship and renowne thinke it a disgrace that any man should goe from him with this discomfort say I haue in vaine afflicted my soule humbled my selfe at his footstoole repaired to the place of his presence and called vpon him faithfully can get nothing And the rather shuld we thus frequently pray because God hath so often granted grace to men euen whilest they asked it and doth touch their hearts and soules by his spirit in the very instant while they are thus exercised in earnest prayer For as the Smith striketh the iron while it is hot or fit to receiue any forme or impression so God although hee could imprint his grace in the coldest and hardest heart or most flintie disposition yet hee rather doth it when the affections are stirred vp by hearing of the word publike praier or by some priuate Christian exercise of reading singing praying and such like and then chiefly sendeth hee his spirit and worketh and thereby conuaieth grace vnto men Therefore there should bee more care had in comming to the publike assemblies of the Church and praiers thereof and in stirring vp our affections to pray vnto God seeing at that time especially he giueth grace vnto men and if we be not wanting to our selues he will not be wanting vnto vs. He then that reiecteth these goeth on carelesly and negligently if God doe not giue him repentance but leaue him in the blindnes and hardnes of his owne hart he hath none to accuse but himselfe And thus much for the efficient causes of repentance whether principall or instrumentall without vs or within vs or from vs. The finall cause of repentance Gods glorie and a mans owne good Now we must proceed to the finall cause and end of repentance which is principally the glory of God and then the good of the repentant either temporall or spirituall either present or to come as the remoueall and preuenting of punishment or procuring of some good as earthly blessings and eternall happines I say all men ought to confesse their sinnes and humble themselues condēning all their waies in the sight of God and studie and labour for the mortification of the flesh and true regeneration that they may glorifie God by that change and new life and procure good to themselues spiritual and corporall temporall eternall Which is manifest by that in the book of Ioshua Ioshua 7.19 whē as Achan had sinned Ioshua biddeth him giue glorie to God confesse his sin And the Apostle Paul saith in the Epistle to the Romans Rom. 3.23 They haue all sinned and are depriued of the glorie of God as if he had said they are depriued of that by which God is glorified And if we consider of repentance as it is beneficial vnto mā S. Iohn saith Matth. 2.7 that repentance auoideth iudgements to come So they that heard Peter preach were such as by repētance did auoid the iudgement to come And our Sauiour Christ saith Luke 13.3.5 Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish where he noteth that
temporarie repentance arising from a temporarie faith and a sauing repentance from a sauing faith Such as the faith is sitch is the repentance Ob. 2. Againe some will say that Repentance vseth first to be preached as the course of the Scripture and the tenor held by all Preachers of all times doth shew who haue first called for it and then for faith Ans To cleere this doubt we must consider three things 1. the order of nature 2. the time 3. the manifestation of them In order of nature faith goeth before in the manifestation of them repentance is first in time they are both ioyntly together For by order of nature first a mans conscience must in some sort be setled touching his recoÌ„ciliation with God by Christ before hee can repent As Ambrose saith Nemo rectè possit poenitentiam agere nisi qui sperauerit indulgentiam Ambros de poenit lib. 1. cap. 1. No man can rightly repent vnlesse he hope for pardon So that first Gods fauour is apprehended and remission of sinnes beleeued then vpon that commeth repentance alteration of life and conuersion But for manifestation repentance both to a mans selfe and to another goes before faith for it is sooner discerned then faith Iustification is like the sap hid within the barke when as repentance as the bud speedily sheweth it selfe before leafe blossome or fruit Lastly if we respect the time neither of them is one before the other but are begotten in a man both at one instant for faith is not begotten to day and repentance to morrow or some daies after but he that beleeues instantly repented though it be not so perceiued no not of him that possesseth both As the thunder crack and lightning are both at one and the same time yet is one discerned before the other All that this sheweth or we would prooue by is is this that none can seriouslie and trulie repent but he that knowes he is Gods none can know this but he that hath his grace and this faith Ob. 3. Further it may be some will obiect that many a man by the terror of his conscience is subdued and brought to obedience long before he hath faith or grace or hath tasted of it and so it ariseth not from thence Ans I answere this is no other then that which may come of nature from the knowledge of good and euill by that conscience of sinne which remaineth in man since his fall being but a seruill seare of punishment and of the anger of God which though it he not a proper worke of Gods sanctifying spirit nor any part of regeneration yet is it a step towards it and to bee nourished because it is as the needle to the thread for it makes way for the true feere of God Vse 1. The first vse of this is to confute those who thinke repentance goeth before saith which opinion by the grounds that haue been alreadie laied is manifestly false Besides it is certaine that repentance is the worke of a liuing man of him that is spirituallie liuing no dead man can repent But he that is with out faith though he haue a name to liue yet is dead for Habac. 2.4 The iust shall liue by his faith No life then without faith and no repeÌ„tance without life so not without faith seeing repentance is the worke of a liuing not a dead man There may be an outward reformation of actions worde an inlightning of the mind and vnderstanding a changing of the will and affections from vice to vertâ—… but no change of the heart from sinfulnes to holines That a naturall man may haue this onely a spirituall that a dead man may performe this onely a liuing man Finally repentance is a purifying of the heart a mortifying and crucifying of the flesh and what shall purifie the heart is it not faith for whom will a man crucifie his beloued sinnes inortifie his flesh and affections will he do it for any but for him of whose loue he is specially assured Then can it not be before but must needes follow after faith Vse 2. 2. This conuinceth the of error who thinke that faith is a part of repeÌ„tance but it cannot be that the roote and the fruit should be both one thing or one a part of the other The strongest reason they haue is that faith and repentance are euer loyned together without faith there can be no repentance But if this reason haue any strength then is faith a part of the Sacrament seeing it is as vnprofitable without it and conioyned they must be where any fruit and comfort will be had Againe if coniunction make it a part why should not the soule be a part of the bodie which is not a bodie but a carcase without it why not the light a part of the heate in the sunne why not faith part of hope and charitie seeing they are not nor cannot be in this life without it though charity may be and is without them in the life to come Besides the scripture hath made them directly distinct Mark 1.15 Repent and beleeue the Gospell And Paul saith Act. 20.21 he preached Repentance towards God and faith in the Lord Iesus Then can it be no part of it but the roote and beginning of it whence it procee deth For when the mind of a man hath once by faith imbâ—aced the goodnes of God and remission of sinnes by Iesus Christ then in liew of thank fulnes to God he will addresse himselfe to the alteration and change of his life to the putting off the old man and putting on the new they are then not as parts one of another but as cause and effect faith the true cause and repentance the necessarie effect Vse 3. 3. This may confute that point of Poperie and popish schoolemen who haue distinguished attrition and contrition coyning both namea things after their owne fâ—ncie without Scriâ—ture Now attrition they say cannot merit but contrition if it be fall doth merit remission of sinne and iustification But this must needs be salfe because no contrition or repentance can be good vnlesse it come from faith if it be without it it is sinne and how should sinne merit It is sinne for saith our Sauiour Christ Matth. 7.17 A good tree brings fâ—orth good fruit and a corrupt tree â—…ings foorth euill fruit And againe Luk. 6.45 A goodman out of the good treasure of his â—…art bringeth forth good and an euill man out of the euill treasure of his heart bringeth forth euill So that contrition though it be good in it selfe yet comming froÌ„ a bad tree which euery man is who is not sanctified made good by faith it must needs be euill and sinne specially seeing our Sauiour saith Iohn 3.6 That which is borne of the flesh is flash Which is true both of men and their actions whosoeuer is borne and whatsoeuer is done of a naturall man is corrupt So contrition if
as warie in the manner as he can For example if thou hast deceiued thy brother secretly and vnknowne to him which was sinne in thee thou maist make him restitution againe vnknowne to him and that be a righteous thing in thee Yet more particularly in one instance for the rest Thou art a trades man and the partie iniured trades with thee still restore him that thou defraudest him of either by weight measure or price or howsoeuer in the same kinde secretly as Iosephs steward put Iacobs sonnes monie in their bagges and sacks and doe this at times by little and little till thy conscience which checked thee before tell thee thou hast done him right and restored him all But take this caueat with thee beware thou flatter not thy selfe and restore not all because no man knoweth whether thou doest or not for he that is the searcher of the heart knoweth all But if thou wantest opportunitie to doe it secretly rather then it should not be done thou must do it publikely and that vpon no lesse penaltie then damnation For the contrarie must needes be to that of Christ to Zacheus That no restitution excludes saluation out of thy house and heart For as Augustine saith Non remittetur peccatum nisi restituatur ablatum sed cùm restitui potest August ibid. the sinne shall not be remitted if that which is taken away be not restored when a man hath abilitie to restore For if it deserue damnation to take any thing from a man wrongfully as doubtlesse it doth then is it as dangerous to keepe it being taken Thinke it not then in these cases of iniustice enough that when thou humblest thy selfe before God thou shead teares for them or fast and performe such things vnlesse also thou make recompence for the wrong The parts of repentance Hauing spoken of the description of repentance wee must proceede to the parts of it and as Augustine saith in another thing Aliud est adiutorium sine quo aliquid non fit aliud est adiutorium quo aliquid fit Aug. de corrupt gratia There are some helps without which a thing is not and some by which it is So I may say there are some things which may bee called the part of another without which it cannot bee and others by which it is and of which it consisteth Of the former kinde are faith and the knowledge of a mans selfe and the inward and outward humiliation spoken of which may in a generall sense bee called parts because it cannot bee without them though most of them may bee without it of the latter are these two mortification of the flesh and viuification of the spirit called by the Prophets leauing of euill and doing of good of which it consisteth and which wholly make it of which in their order I will now speake The first part of repentance mortification Mortification is the first part of repentance whereby the repentant doth not onely change and take away sinne from the eies of men which yet hee doth but also purgeth the heart crucifieth the flesh with the corruptions of it and taketh away sinne from the eies of God Hence is that of Dauid Psalm 34.14 Eschew euill that is the first part of repentance and doe good that is the second part Salomon also saith He that Prou. 28.13 hideth his sinnes shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall haue mercie And the Lord saith to the people by his Prophet Esay Esay 1.16 Wash you make you cleane put away the euill of your works from before mine eyes cease to doe euill learne to doe well c. On which place Chrysostome speakes thus Hom. 5. de poenit What neede all this copie of words Had it not been enough to haue said Purge your selues or take euill from your selues Why then doth he adde Take away the euill from before mine eyes Hee answers That it is because Gods eyes look otherwise then mans do who lookes but into the face but God into the heart And so denies that to bee true repentance which is for ostentation in the outward man but would haue it to be approoued in his sight which searcheth the hart and raines and consequently a purging of the inward man Hence are those exhortations in the new Testament as first that of S. Paul who saith Galath 5.24 They that are Christs haue crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof And the same Apostle to the Colossians saith Coloss 3.5 Mortifie your members which are on the earth fornication vncleannesse the inordinate affection euill concupiscence and couetousnes which is idolaetrie Again hee counselleth Timothie 2. Tim. 2.22 to flee from the lusts of youth and to follow after righteousnes faith loue and peace with them that call on the Lord with pure heart Hereupon repentance is called an escaping out of the snares of the diuell 2. Tim. 2.25.26 Instruct them that are contrarie minded prouing if God at any time will giue them repentance that they may know the truth and that they may come to amendment out of the snare of the diuell c. And the author to the the Hebrewes calles it Heb. 6.1 Repentance from dead workes that is to say from al workes which bring death And so touching the inward corruption S. Paul willeth the Ephesians Ephes 4.21.22 to cast off concerning the conuersation in times past the old man that is corrupt through deceiueable lusts So that the first essentiall part of repentance is mortification of the flesh which is further proued by these reasons Reason 1. 1. Because euery true repentant is partaker of Christ and hath embraced him by faith and by it is ingrafted into him which he cannot be but he must partake of his death and the power of it which will worke in him the death of sin he applying it vnto himselfe by his faith it wil be like the plaisters of Surgians which mortifie the members for the more easie cutting them off Reason 2. 2. Because els he can neuer be renewed or brought to new and true obedience to God seeing the affections and corruptions of the flesh are an enemie against God As the Apostle Paul saith Rom. 8.7 The wisdome of the flesh is enmity against God That is saith Ambrose the corrupt lusts of men are at enmity with God called wisdom because men that haue these corrupt affections thinke themselues the only wife men of the world The whole corrupt nature is not an enemie but enmitie it selfe with God and against him for as an enemie it is euer contrarie to the will of God and cannot consent to it Then the first entrance of obedience must be the taking away of these and the mortifying of this corruption But it must bee vnderstood that when I say the repentant mortifies sinne I speake of all sins not whole sinne for euery sinne must bee in part
vntamed calfe conuert thou me and I shall be conuerted c. And Ieremie prayeth in his Lamentation for himselfe and his people thus Lament 5.21 Turne thou vs vnto thee O Lord and we shall bee turned renew our daies as of old By all which places it is apparent that prayer is a meanes by which repentance is obtained from God and that men of old haue sought it from him And reason they had to doe so Reason 1. First because it is Gods gift now his gifts hee giueth to men who desire them and so seeke for them by feruent prayer for defire will make them aske and that with earnestnes For most commonly where the heart affecteth there as one saith the hand toucheth and the tongue talketh yea and that with earnestnes and intention Seeing then God giues repentance but not vndesired desire and prayer must needs be a special means to come by it Reason 2. Secondly because God workes this in men by his spirit it affecting mouing and changing mens hearts and therefore it is called the spirit of regeneration and sanctification by S. Paul to Titus Titus 3.5 He saued vs by the washing of the new birth and the renuing of the holie Ghost Now this is to be obtained by prayer as our Sauiour Christ in the Gospell of S. Luke saith Luke 11.13 If ye that are euill can giue good gifts vnto your ohildren how much more shall your heaueuly father giue the holy Ghost to them that desire him Hence is that prayer of Dauid Psalm 51.12 Restore to me the ioy of thy saluation and stablish me with thy free spirit The spirit then is Gods finger to work repentance the meanes to obtaine the spirit is prayer therefore is inuocation of God a special meanes to obtaine repentance Obiect Here may some obiect If prayer be a meanes by which men come to repentance how should an impenitent sinner pray or pray that he may be accepted and so at all or any time be conuerted Answ I answere that an impenitent man is either such as neuer repented or such as hauing repented is relapsed and fallen into some sin This latter though he haue diminished his graces hath not vtterly lost them by his fall and so hauing them though in smaller measure hee may pray for the renewing thereof The other sort of impenitents is double either the Heathen and Infidels who indeed cannot pray in faith knowing not the Gospel of whom is that spoken by S. Paul to the Romans Rom. 10.14 How shall they call on him in whom they haue not beleeued and how shall they beleeue in him of whom they haue not heard c. Or they are young and new borne Christrans who may be indued with some knowledge and may pray though not as they ought nor as the faithfull of better vnderstanding doe I say they may haue some generall faith though not a speciall expresse distinct faith by which they may be able to pray as Carnelius did who prayed and so had faith as Augustine saith Cuius acceptae sunt eleemosynae exanditae orationes antequam credidisset in Christum nec tamen sine aliqua side donabat orabat Nam quomodo inuocabat in quem nō crediderat August de praedest Sanct. lib. 1. cap. 7. His almes were receiued and his prayers heard before he beleeued in Christ yet did he not giue and pray without some faith For saith he else how did be call vpon him on whom he had not beleeued Meaning that hee had a faith though not a distinct faith as afterward he had by the preaching of Peter Now prayer from these or the first kind of men who neede repentance may obtaine and preuaile with God for this gift And now I passe to the vses of this point Vse 1. The first whereof is That if prayer bee a meanes to beget repentance then may we see hereby whence it is in part that many men neuer repent nor turne to God but goe on still in their wicked and wandring courses namelie because they neuer once pray for it As therefore S. Iames saith Iames 4.2 Yee get nothing because yee aske not fo may be said of these men they obtaine not because they aske not nor seeke it Many other things they may be heard asking of God and sometimes a little coldlie the remission of their sins and more earnestlie the remoouing of a punishment or iudgement but they neuer desire or pray heartilie for repentance Which ariseth either from the blindnes of their minds or the corruption of their affections sometime from the one and sometime from the other Some men happilie thinke so well of themselues that they need it not and where there is no need or no neede felt and discerned there will bee no seeking not desiring No man desireth that which he alreadie inioyeth Now to haue and not to want Nemo appetit quod habet differ not much and what is prayer but a desire and seeking to haue that we want which want they not discerning they pray not and praying not it prooues they discerne not their need Whosoeuer saith Bernard Quisquis non ardenter desideret poenitentiam videtur operibus dicere non indigere se poenitentia Bernard in Vigil natiu Dom. serm 2. doth not earnestly desire repentance hee seemeth to say by his practise that hee hath no need of it Some againe though they discerne they need it yet they thinke they can repent when they list and that it is a thing in their owne power Now he that hath need of any thing and can supplie his owne want or is so perswaded hee can doe it when it shal be fitting for him he will neuer aske it or seeke it elsewhere And this is that conceit which possesseth most men and so maketh them neuer seeke nor pray for repentance Some againe are so corrupted in their affections and in such loue with their sinne that they aske not this because they are loth to part with that or if they pray it is coldly and careleslie to teach God to denie As a little before we heard Augustine confesse of himselfe that whilest he was in his sinnes being loth to part with them hee prayed God to giue him chastitie but desired it not in his heart but was affraid lest God would heare him too soone because hee would liue in sinne still to fulfil the lusts of his flesh So these men haue many sins of pleasure profit or delight and they pray to God to giue them repentance but they desire it not in their harts because they are loth to part with their sinnes Or admit they goe about to make a change yet as Augustine saith of himselfe Non placet ire per istas angustias August Confess lib. 8. cap. 1. They are loth to goe such a strait narrow and painefull way by crucifying the flesh and mortifying the members And so they pray not or they
denie him in word but beleeue on him in their hearts of whom we may say that Vicit eos poena non auertit perfidia negarunt semel sed quotidie confitentur negarunt sermone sed confitentur gemitibus eiulatibus fletibus liberis non coactis vocibus Ambros de Poenit. cap. 1.4 the punishment ouercame them it was not trecherie that turned them aside they denied him once but they confessed him daily they denied him in word but they confessed him by their sighes groanes and teares yea they confessed him freely and not by compulsion as they denied him Then no reason they should bee reiected and not receiued Nonne ita istud est ac si quis captiuum victa vrbis populum abducat Captiuus abducitur sed inuitus qui in alienas terras necessitate contendat intimo tamen non migret affectu patriam secum animo vebat quaerat copiam quemadmodum reuertatur c. Ambros ibid. For is not this as when an enemie taketh a citie and leadeth the people captiue They are led captiue but against their willes by force they goe towards another land but 〈◊〉 affection they neuer remoue frō their own they carrie their countrie in their hearts and they seeke opportunitie how they may returne What then when such shall returne is there any who will not perswade to entertaine them though with lesse honour yet with more propension and alacritie lest the enemie should haue wherein to insult and triumph If thou pardon an armed mā who could not resist wouldst thou not pardon him in whom onely faith doth fight Vse 2. The second vse which is more proper to the doctrine may serue for a matter of comfort to those who make conscience of sinne who yet after they haue repented fall into diuers sinues and sometime into the same againe and again and then are in doubt with themselues whether they may be renewed again by repentance for them and for their instruction and consolation are these things written That repentance is for the regenerate who both ought and may repent which thing presupposeth a fall And therfore hath God set downe the fall and rising of many that others may gaine by them saith Chrysostome namely Chrysost hom 4. de Poenit. that looking vpon their falles who were more excellent they themselues may be made more warie and looke better to their standing and by view of their falles and rising againe they may gather comfort that they also may be restored to their former estate For though sometimes in the bodilie diseases a man beholding the sicke may participate in their infirmitie will he nill he as by looking vpon those who haue sore eies yet not so in the soule especially when a man is troubled and distracted for his owne wants and infirmities but he is rather cured by this sight of others mens falles Thesemust know then that though they hauefallen after their repentance and regeneration yet they may rise againe by the same meanes Therfore let them looke to Abraham often falling into a lie and yet rising againe Let them consider Dauid a man after Gods owne heart who hauing abundance of his spirit yet fell and that groslie from one sin to another from a second to a third and so from one sin to another vntill he had eleuen sins ioyned together I accuse not the iust but I glorifie God saith Basil Non accuso iustos sed Deum glorifico Basil mug serm de Poenit. I adde to him I would comfort the weake And out of him I say further Let them aske Christ wherefore hee came vnto vs and he will tell vs he came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance make them sinners and he came for them Now none hath benefit of Christ but by repentance Againe Aske him what hee carrieth vpon his shoulders hee will tell thee the lost sheepe Aske him for whose sake they reioyce in heauen and he will tell thee at the conuersion of a sinner The Angels will reioyce and God wil embrace them with ioy why then should any forbid them to seeke vnto Christ by repentance or they discourage themselues But more pregnant is the parable of the prodigall sonne vrged also by Basil A man had two sons they were two and both sons Were they sons then thou canst not say it was the returning of a man that was neuer called The younger of them hauing his portion spent it in riotousnes amongst harlots yet he returned againe to his father and was receiued to fauour See there a son falling yet see a son rising againe and his father embracing him before euer he could speake a word So that if thou doest but consider of these thou wiltneuer cast off hope of thy renewing againe by repentance or of being receiued againe Thus euery man should labour to comfort himselfe and to make this benefit by the infirmities of others But now these men that are in this doubt haue these following obiections against this truth and themselues The author to the Hebrewes saith Heb. 6.4.5.6 For it is impossible that they who were once lightned c. if they fal away should be renewed againe by repentance And againe Heb. 10.26 If wee sinne willingly after wee haue receiued the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin Hereupon they inferre that a man falling after he is called is not to be renewed againe Ansvv To this I answere that it is true which the Apostle saith that a man that hath bin inlightned and hath tasted of the good word of God if hee fall away it is not possible he should be renewed again by repentance But the meaning of the words is that which must stay and comfort a man Ambrose would thus interpret them Ambros de Poenit. That it is not possible that is to say with men but with God it is But the words will not carrie that meaning The Rhemists they interpret it and say the Apostle doth not speake of a thing that cannot be but to terrifie and affect men withall and to make them take heede of falling he telleth them it is not so easie a thing to be renewed but they must indure a while the penance of the Church A ridiculous thing it is that they should inuent such things to establish their owne fansies as if the spirit of God did want words to expresse himselfe But these words are vnderstood of the sinne against the holy Ghost not of a man falling only willingly or presumptuouslie but of a man falling vtterly away and that obstinately contemptuouslie against Christ and against the truth For if we looke diligentlie into the place we shall see it so Verse 6. If they fall away they shal not be renewed seeing they crucifie to themselues again the Sonne of God and make a mocke of him Now he that so sinneth and hath such a downfall as that he maketh a mocke of the sufferings
zealous of good workes That is the ende why God gaue so great a price as the blood of his owne sonne that we might be a peculiar people zealous vnto him Then they that know this in liew of that mercie will grow zealous and think that they cannot be too zealous for him that hath paid so great a price for them Vse 1. Now by this truth for the vse of it we may first condemne our age as that which promiseth or performeth little repentance because there is so little zeale amongst vs for seeing repentance bringeth forth zeale where there is little zeale there is little repentance and where no zeale there no repentance And that I may iustly challenge our age of want of this zeale appeareth thus because it is growne to that in our times that nothing is so much condemned as the zeale here spoken of Zeale for any thing and any person saue for God and his truth is reputed commendable and in any course saue in the way of pietie They are commended who are zealous so their prince and his crowne and accounted good subiects so they who are zealous for their captaine and his honour and esteemed good souldiers so they who are zealous for their father and master and his credit and are reckoned good sonnes or seruants but if they bee zealous for God and his glorie or seruice they shall be reuiled and derided yea Papists if they be deuout and zealous in their superstitious vanities are commended of many and yet Protestants if they bee zealous and forward in the way of truth and godlines they are scorned and mocked as Isaac was of Ismael euen of those who liue in the same kingdome citie Church and house The people condemne thir Minister as too zealous and on the contrarie the Minister the people as too forward so the master the father the husband condemne the seruant the child and the wife and these againe the other How may wee thinke then that they are zealous themselues verily if they were they would not condemne zeale in others nay they could not For though a man in his hypocrisie may condemne that euill in another which he allowes in himselfe yet can hee not condemne the good hee is indued withall for good cannot but reloyce and delite in her like Therfore to prooue these voide of zeale we neede no further proofe or euidence then their condemning of zeale in others When then we haue so many condemners of zeale wee must needs haue many voide of zeale Few we haue who can say as Iehu when he met with Iehonadab saying vnto him when he took him vp into his chariot 2. King 10.15.16 Is thy heart vpright as mine is towards thine then giue me thy hand and come and see the zeale that I haue for the Lord of hosts Few I say that can take others into their houses chambers and companie and shew them how zealous they are for God and his glorie in reading and conferring of the scripture in prayer and other practise of pietie nay they can rather shew them how zealous and feruent they are for their pleasure and profit for themselues and their owne states But the zeale for the Lord of hosts they condemne in others and therfore cannot haue it in themselues and so cannot haue true repentance Vse 2. 2. By this may euery one trie whether they haue repentance or not euen whether they haue fire or no by this heate If they be not cold nor luke-warme but striue to bee hot and zealous in Gods seruice and in the way of piety respecting rather what God calleth for then fearing what men condemne Obiect But there may well be zeale without repentance neither is al zeale good for there is a bad as well as a good zeale how will zeale prooue it then Answ I answere it is true that as the sea water and the raine water agree in the matter yet they differ by diuers qualities and properties as sweet and salt thicke and thin light and heauie So a good zeale and bad are both affections but they differ in many seueral things And first as the Moralist speaketh of other affections that they are so farre good as they are guided by wisdome and kept within the bounds limited by it and on the contrarie they are euill when they passe those bounds So in this zeale it is so farre good as it is gouerned by true knowledge and faith and so far bad as it is depriued of this As the Apostle Paul saith of the Iewes Rom. 10.2 I beare them witnes that they haue the zeale of God but not according to knowledge that is their zeale was not ruled by reason nor grounded vpon the word of God but according to their owne fancie teaching vs thereby what is good and what is bad zeale Zeale is then euill and bad when it will not be nor is ruled by true knowledge that is not subiect to the word but by custome tradition our own affections and wils and of this may be said as before Rom. 10.2 that such haue zeale but not according to knowledge and they may be prayed for as Christ prayed for the Iewes Luke 23.34 Father forgiue them for they know not what they doe And this zeale argueth no repentance but that which is according to knowledge submitted to the word of God is good and wil prooue a man to haue repentance Againe zeale consisteth of two affections loue and sorrow loue for the glorie of God and his seruice sorrow when it is not performed May wee compare spirituall things with earthly things wheresoeuer there is this loue it is speedie for the compassing of that it desireth Therefore wee reade when Shechim loued Dinah Iacobs daughter Genes 34.19 he was speedie in compassing that by which he might obtaine her though the thing was very sore and grieuous which he was to doe so where there is this affection in the heart of man it maketh a man forward and speedie to procure the glorie of God and to accomplish his seruice Secondly loue hath another propertie wheresoeuer it is notwithstanding all difficulties discouragements or dangers yet will that man goe forward for the procuring of that hee loueth and dreadeth not for any feare or discouragement so he may obtaine the thing hee affecteth So it is said of Iacob he serued seuen yeeres for Rachel and being deceiued by her father in giuing vnto him Leah in stead of Rachel hee was content to serue seuen yeeres more Gen. 29 20. and yet those yeeres seemed vnto him but a few daies hauing borne the cold of the winter the heate of the summer the chilling of the Moone and the burning of the Sunne the dangers both by night and day and all this was because he loued her So if there be this loue of God in men it will neuer shrinke for all difficulties that may be he that hath it will not faint nor be hindred with
all lets and impediments which may fall out as the reproches and indignities which men Satans complices wil be readie to cast vpon him neither will he thinke the time long nor the labour too much for it but goe thorow and thorow trauell and paine that he may procure the glorie of God and aduance his worship and seruice Therfore whereas men pretend zeale let them examine themselues according to this affection and trie whether there bee this loue in the heart or not Thirdly he that hath true zeale he hath this affection of sorrow mourning when he cannot obtaine or procure the glorie of God as he would We haue begun to compare heauenly things with earthly and spiritual with carnal may we once more proceed It is written of Ammon that when he could not inioy Tamar whom hee loued 2. Sam. 13.2.4 hee was sore vexed and fell sicke and grew leane day by day because hee could not enioy her these effects had his loue in him So when there is true loue to God and his glorie there if men cannot further it as much as they would if they cannot enioy his word if they see him dishonoured and false worship established they will pine and grieue and fall away As it is said Psalm 69.9 The zeale of thy house hath eaten mee And as Elias said 1. King 19.10 I haue been very zealous for the Lord of hosts Hee was so stricken with sorrow that he was readie to die because he saw not the glorie of God go forward so that where there is true zeale there is also this affection of sorrow and mourning Then let euery man examine himselfe by these three rules whether he haue this affection within him or no and so whether he haue repented if he haue not this affection at the best he is but lukewarme and euen such an one whom God wil spue out of his mouth and cast out of his house but hauing it truly in himselfe he may be assured he hath truly repented and so is regenerate and holy and shall both abide in the house of God all his life and be afterwards receiued into his euerlasting tabernacles The seuenth signe or fruit of repentance is punishment The seuenth signe or fruit of repentance is reuenge or punishment yea what punishment which some restraine particularlie to the Corinthians 2. Cor. 7.11 as they did the former effect indignation vnderstanding it of that punishment which they inflicted vpon the incestuous person that whereas as before they spared him now admonished they executed the censure of the Church against him and excommunicated him Which admit it bee true that it may be so vnderstood yet it carrieth with it another generall sense seeing al sinne is to be punished wheresoeuer it is found and speciallie should men begin with themselues This being then a signe or fruit of repentance it must begin and bee in a mans selfe It differs from indignation because that is in the affection this is in the action that is a iust conceiued anger towards himselfe for his sinne and hatred of the sinne this the punishment of himselfe for those sinnes and a taking as it were a iustreuenge of himselfe for them Which is when men haue offended in yeelding too much to their owne desires pleasures delights and profits then for the freeing of themselues from the euill of sin they denie some things to themselues which otherwise they might lawfullie vse for their comfort which if they doe not they shall in the punishment which God shall bring vpon them taste the bitternes of that that seemed sweete vnto them The point then is this Punishment is the seuenth signe of repentance True repentance bringeth forth punishment or reuenge That is he that is trulie penitent doth holilie and iustly punish himselfe and is reuenged of himselfe for his sinnes Which as it is manifest in this place so also in diuers other places as first some doe not vnfitly applie to this purpose that place of S. Paul to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 11.31 If wee would iudge our selues we should not bee iudged Which though in the generall it be spoken of the whole conuersion and of the whole act of repentance with al the appurtenances yet the whole will carrie this particular Thus Dauid repenting 2. Sam. 12.16.17 punished himselfe in his humiliation for his child and his sinne who besought the Lord and fasted and lay a whole night vpon the earth and would not for that time receiue any meate for his refreshing Likewise another example in the same man may be seene when in giuing way vnto his lust 1. Chron. 11.18.19 he had desired the waters of Bethlehem and after did see it was brought with the liues of his three Worthies to take a holie reuenge of himselfe hee would not drinke of it but powred it vpon the ground for a sacrifice to the Lord. Likewise we haue the example of the woman Luke 7.38 that shewed the fruit of her repentance hauing before abused her eies to vncleannes and her haire to vanitie by laying it out to the inticing of youth to follie when she had repented she tooke a holy reuenge of her selfe and vsed her eies as a spring to yeeld water to wash Christs feete and her haire to be as a towell to wipe them So likewise those cunning men that were Necromancers Acts 19.19 being conuerted by the preaching of the word to repentance would burne those bookes that were before deare vnto them for a reuenge vpon themselues for their sinne shewing both an indignation in the affection and a iust reuenge in the action Thus then and in these and such like hath repentance brought foorth this reuenge or punishment and reason it should Reason 1. 1. Because the repentant now discerneth two things which he saw not before 1. Gods loue to him 2. His dislike and hatred of his sinne Now then for his loue he taketh punishment and an holie reuenge of himselfe It is necessarie saith Ambrose Necesse est vt quis vindicet eum cuius erga se sentit assectum Am bros in hunc locum that euerie one should take reuenge and punishment for him whose loue and affection hee perceiueth to bee towards him For so shall he shew loue againe Reason 2. 2. Because by this he may preuent Gods punishment of it For the Apostle Paul saith 1. Cor. 11.37 Iudge your selues and yee shall not be iudged As if hee should say iudge not your selues and yee shall bee iudged of God but take this reuenge on your selues and iudge your selues and God shall not iudge you He doth not speake this as if it were any redemption or satisfaction for the punishment but because it was Gods counsell and purpose by chastening and correcting of them to shake them from their security that being put in minde of his anger they might bee more warie afterward Which man doing by this voluntarie reuenge