we be ashamed to confesse our sinnes that he may pardon them doth God therefore command them to bee confessed that after the manner of men he might punish vs he doth it not to punish vs but that he might pardon vs. Then here is life and death set before you saluation and destruction put forth your hand and take whether you will But if there be any loue to your foules if any desire of saluation on if any feare of condemnation both of bodies and soules then lay hold of this first part of humiliation confesse and acknowledge your sins and iudge your selues that you be not iudged of the Lord. And thus much of outward humiliation in word which is confession Now secondly outward humiliation or reall humiliation consisteth first in mourning tearea Secondly in the abstaining from the vse of all outward and earthly pleasures which cherish the body and transport the mind out of it selfe as gay apparrell pleasant companie liberall diet c. Thirdly in giuing satisfaction or restitution Reall humiliation in mourning abstinence and restitution Reall humiliation then consisting in teares abstinence and restitution is ioyned with repentance They who repent haue these though a man may haue them and not repent for teares that of Ioel Ioel 2.12 Turne you vnto me saith the Lord with fasting and with weeping and with mourning And that of Isaiah Isaiah 22.12 And in that day did the Lord God of hostes call vnto weeping and mourning and to baldner and to girding with seekâ—lâ—th Example here of we haue in the Israelites who when they repented are said 1. Sam. 7.6 to draw water and ports it out before the Lord meaning that they wept in abundance as if a man had drawne water out of a well and powred it out before the Lord so they drow reares from their eies So Mary Mâ—…dalen washed our Sauiour Christs feet with her teares So of the Apostle Peter it is said that he wept bitterly If wee admit the conceit of some men that thinke they know somewhat in nature they say they were scalding teares not as some men shed for ioy that goe warme downe the cheekes but they were scalding and sharpe teares such as come from griefe and sorrow For that which standeth in abstinence from the vse of outward pleasures and earthly delights as gay apparrell pleasant companie liberall diet and such like that of Ioel is fit Ioel 2.16 Let the bridogroome goe forth of his chamber and the bride out of her bride chamber Now there must be a proportion betwixt publike and priuate repentance Hence is that of Paul 1. Cor. 7.5 who wilseth the maried folks at no time one to deâ—…d another vnlesse it be with consent for that time wherein they are to giue themselues to abstinence and 〈◊〉 Hence the Prophets when they â—…d the people to humiliation called for fasting And so Dauid did 2. Sam. 12.17 when he was reprooued by Nathan he humbled himselfe and refused to eate meate with the Elders of his house So the people of Niniuie when Ionah threatned destruction Ionah 3. they gaue themselues to fasting put on sackcloth and meane apparrell euen from the King that sat on the throne to the meanest of the people Lastly for restitution which is to be performed in some cases consider that the Lord after he had taught the people how to repent telleth them that they had not truely done it because Micha 6.8.10 The treasures of wickednes were in the house of the wicked That is those riches which they had gotten by sinne by oppression by deceit or vsurie they were still remaining in their houses and not restored And our Sauiour Christ saith Matth. 5.23,24 If thou commest to offer an offering to the Lord and then remembers that they brother hath ought against thee first reconcile thy selfe to thy brother and then come and offer thine offering that is if thou hast offended him in wond goe and confesse thy faults vnto him if in deed restore to him that thou hast wrongfullie taken from him Thersore Zacheus to testifie his true repentance in imbracing Christ standeth forth and saith Luke 19.8 The halfe of my goods I giue to the poore and if I haue done wrong to any man I restore him fourefold which was a true note that Christ and saluation was come vnto his house So then by all these it is manifest that true humiliation ioyned with true repentance hath alwaies these teares this abstinence restraint and restitution Now the reasons which further confirme this truth are these Reason 1. 1. Because howsoeuer that is true that bodily exercises profit little 1. Tim. 4.8 in respect of themselues yet seeing they helpe to other good things as to stirre vp the affections or beate downe the flesh and bring it in subiection to make mens prayers more feruent or their humiliation more faithfull or confession and repentance more feeling they are lawfull and necessarie to be performed Reason 2. Because Christ sweat water and bloud and shed his precious bloud for their sinnes it is reason that meÌ„ should shead teares and weepe for their own offences Reason 3. Because braue and costlie apparrell doth lightly puffe vp the mind with pride and tickle it with vaine and foolish pleasures whereas meane apparrell putteth a man in minde of that meane and wofull estate wherein he standeth and so humbleth him Reason 4. Because a daintie and full diet as at the first entrance by heating the bodie it inflameth the soule stirring within it excessiue ioy pleasure boldnes confidence and presumption So after it putteth it into a new temper lulling it asleepe in senslesse security and euen drowning it in a drowsie forgetfulnes both of God and of it selfe which Christ well knew when hee gaue such a caueat saying Luke 21.34 Take heede to your selues lest at any time your harts be ouercome with surfetting and drunkennes As if he should say Take heede you giue not your selues to a full diet for that will cause you to forget your end and so the day come on you vnawares when this then makes a man to forget God and himselfe he must needes bee farre from that humiliation that he ought to haue So that in reason he that would bee humbled should haue a restraint in diet Reason 5. 5. Because without restitution the sinne is not forsaken left it is but not forsaken and repented of and so is no repentance but as Augustine saith Non agitur poenitentia sed fingitur Aug. epist. 54. Macedo They dissemble repentance but doe not repent for if it be a sinne to take then is it a sinne to keepe And because this will argue a man to bee humbled when he is content to lay open his shame thus and to incurre ignominie withmen and thus to abiect himselfe his credit and estimation at their feete with whom hee hath continuall emulation for credit This I
yet it cannot see it self or some parts of the bodie which are neerest vnto it So the mind of man compassing the whole world sometimes the heauens and things aboue it and in it sometime the earth the bottome of it and things vnder it yet is it ignorant of it owne estate like many Gentlemen trauellers who know diuers strange and forraine countries and yet are ignorant of their owne euery one being better conceited of himselfe then there is cause neither finding his defects nor discerning his corruptions which procee deth from self-self-loue which maketh a man too well affected to himselfe and so iudgement following affection hee neuer discerneth rightly of his estate but thinking hee hath no need of any change neuer goeth about it But by the particulars this will more appeare For many cannot be perswaded that they are so corrupt dynature but their nature seemes to them to be pure beautiful and glorious thinking it no more corrupt then it was created by God and then it was in Adam during the time of his innocencie Hence are those opinions of perfect inherent righteousnes iustification by works and merit of works of the power of pure naturals free will and such like which Papists and other heretiks haue inuented and maintained out of the naturall or affected ignorance of mans estate Againe for outward actions they thinke that those works which haue any shew of goodnes although they bee neuer so imperfect corrupt and hypocriticall yet they are good and may be meritorious to deserue earthly and heauenlie blessings Further for meane and ordinarie sinnes they thinke them veniall and light offences not to bee accounted of or auoided they thinke their good meaning to be as good as perfect holines their owne righteousnes perfect and absolute so that they say in effect Reuel 3.17 I am rich and increased with goods and haue need of nothing The Church hath many of these as also as many who are without the sense of sin â—…o perswade themselues there is no such punishment for sinners such curses as are spoken of neither is God so prouoked to anger to inflict punishment vpon offenders as the ministers tell them hee is which they falselie ground vpon the patience of God which he generally vseth towardsall who although they go on in all mancâ— of disobedience and wilfull breaking of his commandements adding one hainous sinne to another and shewing open contempt of him and of his word yet they estape vnpunished and liue as merilie in the world as the holiest man doth and at death die as peaceablie as he that liued best so the patience of God that should leade them to repentance they make as a meanes to keepe them backe from repentance But say they haue the sight and sense of sinne yet are they perswaded that they can and are able at their owne pleasure to purge themselues both from their naturall corruption and outward act of sinne and so the sicknesse which a man can cure himselfe of is nothing so grieuous vnto him And for the punishment they thinke they are able to escape it either by their cunning conueying and couering of their sinne or by the great mercie of God who delighteth not in the miserie of man and his confusion but in their saluation and so will be eafilie intreated by their pitifull moaning to pardon their sinnes and if not to bestow on them the crowne of glorie yet to remit them the punishment deserued or at the worst that may fall they can free themselues by their works of mercie and other satiffactions and so say there is no feare but blesse themselues in their hearts saying Deut. 29.19 Wee shall haue peace although wee walke according to the stubbâ—enâ—sse of our owne hearts Many thousands there are who are thus ignorant of their estates either in some of these or in all neither are willing to come our of this ignorance but in time of health and prosperitie spurne against the plaine ministerie of the Word as â—hâ— which would giue them a view of themselues crying against the Ministers as the woman against the Prophet 1. King 17.18 What haue I to do with thee Art thou come vnto me to call my sinne to remembrance and to stay way sonne So what haue we to doe with you are you come to call our sinnes to remembrance and to slay our souâ—… And against the word as a salse glasse that as she â—…loohed her selfe in â—…glasse and appeared to her selfe no more deformed their 〈◊〉 was yet more then she was â—…nceited of her selfe broke it and 〈◊〉 vnder foote so spurne they against the glasse of the word as if it made them more deformed then they are indeed All these vnder 〈◊〉 are in the state of impenitechcie and so in the state of perishing because they cannot or they will not see themselues and know their estate that they might bee brought to repentance Vse 2. 2 This may perswade men who would repent that they may flie from and escape the vengeance to come to labour for this knowledge of their estate The Philosophers knowing that men are all together ignorant of themselues vsed to set this precept Kâ—…s thy selfe in the beginning of their morall â—…utions They are worth the inâ—s 〈◊〉 that euery Minister should 〈◊〉 and euery Christian should learne to know himselfe and his estate in the things before spoken of And this must he do by looking into the law of God whereby he may see himselfe to be a most vile and filthie leper defiled in nature in soule and bodie in minde will and affections in thought word and all his actions with all manner of sin so that he may crie out with the leper I am vncleane I am vncleane But if he will doe it as hee should hee must not only looke to the letter of the law which expresseth only capitall sinnes from which he happily will cleere himselfe and wash his hands but he must seeke into the spirituall meaning of it set downe by Christ Mat. 5. and other the Prophets and Apostles whereby hee shall see 〈◊〉 his originall sinne and his 〈◊〉 transgressions his inward corrupâ—… 〈◊〉 the filthie vncleane and disley aâ— motions of his mind wil and affection and his outward his vaine foolish and filthie talke his leaud behauiour dishonorable to God and iniurious â—… men his sinnes of ignorance and wilfull rebellions hi◠〈◊〉 of youth 〈◊〉 riper yeeres h◠〈◊〉 â—ns and 〈◊〉 commissions yeaâ—… best 〈◊〉 culpable either quoâ—…tem or 〈◊〉 finem in respect of the fountaine that they proceeded not from faith or in respect of the ende that they were done more for his owne glorie and gaine then for the glorie of God and good of his brother which when he shal once discerne the same law will shew him the blacke tayle of sinne all the curses that are due vnto it and no lesse make him perceiue that he is not able to free himselfe from the guilt or the punishment
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
they Peter 1.2.2 As new borne babes would desire the sincere milke of the word as if he said Are ye indeed new borne by repentance and regenerated then desire the milke of the word as the child desireth the breast This also is manifest in the Canticles where is expressed what a desire the spouse of Christ had vnto her husband Draw me saith she Cantic 1.3 and we will runne after thee the king hath brought me into his chambers we will reioyce and be glad in thee we will remember thee more than wine c. And Dauid saith Psalm 19.97 O how loue I thy law it is my meditation continually See in all these and by all this how this desire and repentance haue and must goe hand in hand yea and that also with good reason Reason 1. 1. Because the repentant hath tasted of God and his word his goodnes and the sweetnes of it wherein he can find no satietie at all he can neuer haue enough he is neuer satiffied but the more he hath the more hee may and the more he desireth still As Augustine cōfessed after his calling when he had repented and begun once to taste how good the Lord was that he tasted too late of him Serò te amaui pulchritudo tam antiqua tam noua serô te amaui August Confes lib. 10. cap. 27. I haue loued thee too late O thou beautie most ancient yet euer new and fresh I haue loued thee too late So questiōles he thought he had tasted too little and so shall all thinke who haue once truly begun to taste of God for there is no satietie and a man cannot haue his full apprehension of God and his word till hee come to enioy him face to face and til he come where hee shall hunger no more If any one obiect that of our Sauiour Christ which he spake Iohn 4.14 Whosoeuer shall drink of the water that I shall giue him shall neuer bee more athirst Therefore there is satietie of these spirituall things I answere he meaneth not that a man should haue such satietie in them as that hee should desire them no more but that while he tasteth of them he should thirst after no other As a man whose palate tasteth of that meate or liquor which delites it desireth no other but yet thirsteth and hungreth after that still so he that drinks of Christs water shall find that contentment in it that hee doth not desire any other though he thirsteth still for this Reason 2. 2. Because the true repentant is inlightned with some knowledge more then hee had of God and his word Now as a man increaseth in knowledge so hee doth in loue for by his knowledge he apprehends more causes of loue in the thing loued Then as men are hardlie drawne to loue without cause so where they see cause they loue and where there are more causes they loue more And hence it is that the repentant hath more loue to God and his word because he seeth now more causes why hee should desire and loue them then he did before when hee liued in ignorance Now from this point we may learne these things Vse 1. 1. That it is no wonder that there is so little loue and desire to be found in our age toward God and his word and of spirituall things seeing the doctrine and practise of repentance is so little knowne and vsed yea and that it is so this will prooue it 1. Because all the desire of most men is set vpon the world Now you know in a Conduit the more water goeth by one pipe the lesse must needs goe by another yea as Christ saith that a man cannot loue both God and Mammon so not the word and the world Againe they mightily and miserablie complaine of too much preaching and teaching thinking the labourers too many which Christ thought too few or else that they are too diligent murmuring as it were against God that he hath in some sort and some places fulfilled his word that he spoke by Isaiah Esay 11.9 The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters that couer the sea meaning the meanes of knowledge Which must needs argue that these complainers are no louers of God and his word but haue soules loathing this light foode Manna and so though it grieue me to speake it more then I know it wil them to heare it yet I must tell them that this little loue to the word nay this loathing of it doth manifestly conuince them to be without true repentance and so to be in the state of damnation and in the snare of the Diuell which hath taken them at his will Vse 2. 2. This will leade vs to a fit marke and note whereby euery man may know whether hee hath true repentance Thou knowest thine owne hart so doe not I but God knoweth it and iudgeth Then canst thou not deceiue him Therefore examine thine owne heart whether thou hast this desire in thee or not whether as a new borne babe thou desirest the sincere milke of the word and hunger after spiritual things as after spirituall treasure and riches Doest thou in some measure follow Dauid whose loue to the word of God was not onely a wonder to others but to himself saying Psalm 1 19. Lord how loue I thy law Or if thou canst not find this desire in thee then doest thou dislike thy selfe and bewaile thy dull affections after spirituall things Bee thou then comforted in it that it is some token that thou art partaker of repentance But thou wilt demaund how thou shalt know whether thou hast this desire or no seeing euery man is apt to challenge this vnto himself who hath nothing lesse Answ I answer thee that thou shalt know it by this if thou findest no satietie in heauenly things but the more thou tastest of them the more thou desirest for as the truth and the word of God is not vnfitlie compared to the waters of the sea which the deeper thou drawest from the bottome the sweeter thou shalt find them so the more knowledge a man hath in spirituall things the more delightfull will they be to him though in the beginning to the taste of a naturall man they are bitter and vnpleasant till he be changed So againe may they be compared to the same waters of the sea which the more a man drinkes of them the more hee desires still So the more a man truly tasteth of the word of God the more he shall desire it still hee will neuer bee satisfied and hee thinkes hee can neuer haue enough Hee then that findeth this in himselfe may bee assured that hee hath repented for this desire being present godly sorrow cannot bee absent and wanting But alas many men are like the woman of Samaria who when Christ had said Iohn 4.15 Whosoeuer drinketh of the water that I shall giue him shall neuer