theeues being entred into thy house if thou shouldest let but one of them alone vnsearched and vndiscouered hee would serue the turne to cut thy throat and steale thy treasure Thou must then powre out thy whole heart as water as the Prophet Lam. 2. 19. opened speaketh which some of the Ancient haue interpreted of a full confession when nothing is left out As in powring out of water euery drop goes out not so in powring out of oyle Yet in some cases the omission of some perticular sinnes is excusable As first in want of knowledge and memorie Heere to cry out with Dauid Psal 19. Who knoweth the errors of his life Clense me from my secret sinnes shall be accepted Secondly in want of leysure as when a man is suddenly preuented by the hand of God as the theefe on the crosse or by extreame and violent sicknesse Heere to remember thy chiefe sinnes as he his stealing and for the rest to confesse generally is accepted in mercy of the Lord. The second part of confession is the iudging of 2. Iudging our selues Iob. 39. 37. Prou. 30. 2. 2. Sam. 24. our selues First for the nature or quality of our sinnes wherein wee must bee most seuere against our selues so was Iob. I am vile Agar I am not a man I haue not the vnderstanding of a man in me Dauid I haue done exceeding foolishly Though before he thought he had done exceeding wisely So Paul iudges himselfe the head of sinners the least of the 1. Tim. 1. 15. 1. Cor. 15 9. Apostles yea of Saints yea lesse then the least He giues himselfe the highest place among sinners the lowest among Saints Secondly for the desert of our sinnes Heere wee must passe the sentence of the Law adiudging our selues to death so stand before Gods tribunall as guilty persons with ropes about our necks Ezech. 36. 31. Then shall ye iudge your selues worthy to bee cut off Daniel 9. Shame belongs to vs. Luk. 15. I am not woorthy to be called thy sonne These be the parts of Confession the manner followes 2. Manner of it in 6. things wherein sixe things are required 1. Confession must be in Faith of Gods mercy 1 In Faith for forgiuenesse of and helpe against the sinne confessed Wee must confesse not as the conuicted malefactor to the Iudge as Achan to Ioshua who assures himselfe of certaine death and lookes for no fauour but as the sicke man to the Phisition that hath hope to be cured by him And here our faith is surer a great deale For we cannot so assure our selues eyther of the will or skill of the Physitian to heale vs as of Gods neither that in the matter of shame he will be so faithfull to vs as God Wicked men confesse as Iudas I haue sinned but despaire swallows them vp When they acknowledge their fault they seeke not Gods mercie as the Prophet excellently bringeth in God coupling these Hos 5. 15. two together Till they acknowledge their fault and seeke mee So did Daniel yet there is mercy and forgiuenesse Dan 9. Ezr. 10. 2. And Shecaniah wee haue sinned yet there is hope in Israel concerning this 2. It must be in shame with annihilated deiected and confounded spirits as Esra O my God I am ashamed 2. In shame Ezra 9. and confounded to lift vp mine eies to Heauen for though faith bee confident yet not impudent Though Esra had faith and called God his God yet was hee ashamed with his sinne though not with the shame of a condemned malefactor yet of a good Sonne or Subiect offending his Father or Soueraigne The wickeds presumptuous faith is a shamelesse faith it makes them shamelesse in sinning and their shame is a faithlesse and desperate shame They cannot in their shame call God their God with Ezra But both these must goe together Many in confessing begge mercy with the Publicane but their eyes are not cast downe in godly shame as his were They are not touched with any serious sense of their owne vilenesse to thinke with Iob dust and ashes good enough for them I haue sinned saith Saul yet I pray thee honour mee in the sight of the people Lo a proud and high mind in 1. Sam. 15. 30. confession where our intent principally should be to shame and abase our selues 3. In sorrow with a bleeding and melting hart 3. In sorrow as Dauid Psalm 51. In confessing euery sinne confessed should be felt as a dagger pricking vs at the heart Else the confession of sinne is worse then the sinne confessed the remedy is worse then the disease and after such confessions wee had need to reconfesse our selues for our confessions It would more anger vs to see those that haue wronged vs confesse their wrong with an impudent forehead without relenting then the wrong it selfe did which they confesse 4. With a free-heart not extorted by the paine 4. With a free heart of the wracke as Pharaohs was who when hee was of the wracke bit in his confession againe and recanted not wrung nor wrested from vs by the dint of argument as Sauls was by the force of Samuels reasons Our owne hearts must smite vs with Dauid before Gad the seer come to smite vs and they 2. Sam. 24. must vrge vs out of loue to our God offended to come and confesse God loues a cheerefull confessor who needs not to bee laboured vpon by his minister friends or neighbours nor to be haled and pulled to confession by sicknesse or such like extremity for the vilest hypocrite will stoope then Balaam when hee saw the Angells naked sword could say then I haue sinned Num 22. 34. 5. With an angry heart 5. With an angrie and impatient heart against sin and our selues for sinne The repenting sinner though hee bee the most patient to God yet the most impatient to himselfe and full of indignation to his sinnes Thus was it with Dauid befooling himselfe in his confession 1. Sam. 24. 10. and calling himselfe beast in confessing his distrust in Gods prouidence Thus was it with Iob abhorring himselfe Iob. 42. 6. in his confession and with the Publican knocking himselfe shewing what mind he carried to his sinne euen to doe the like to it and with Ephraim Ier. 31. 9. in anger smiting himselfe on the thigh This is the way to fall in with God to fall out with our selues to bee friends with God to bee enemies with our selues 6. It must be with an honest heart in confessing 6. With an honest heart of sinne forsaking the sinne confessed He that confesseth and forsaketh his sinne c. Confession and confusion Prou. 28. of sinne must goe together Heere many errors in Confession are discouered First many confesse their sinnes in a brauery as Paul did his religion I confesse saith hee that after Acts 24. 14. the way they call heresie so worship I the God of my Fathers So many gracelesse men
out of Satans snare but yet so as the prisoner out of prison with the bolt on his legge and so he can goe but slowly yet in his desire hee flies and wishes euery step twenty Wee are still fettered with many infirmities that presse vs so downeward that we cannot runne vp Gods hill and therefore this encreases the vehemency of our desires This is a great comfort to euery true Repentant heart Thou that hast these desires it is an argument of the truth of thy repentance whereby hauing turned thy face towards God thou hast gotten sight of his face and therfore doest so long after him and desire to draw neerer and neerer vnto him A repenting heart is neuer without these earnest desires Blessed saith our Sauiour are they Matth. 5. 3. 6. which are poore in spirit and then hee addes Blessed are they which hunger and thirst after righteousnesse where-euer there is a poore there is a thirsting spirit and these hungring and thirsting desires are euidences of a repenting hearts 6. Duety is Zeale which is a compounded affection 6. Zeale of Loue and Anger There may bee deceit and often is in our desires Euery one pretends they desire Gods commandements but there is no zeale in their desires they are lazie and sluggish desires therefore is Zeale added next to Desire to shewe what kinde of desires these must bee to wit they should be feruent and zealous desires The Desire of the sloathfull slayes him for his hands refuse to worke Prou. 21. 25. But true desire hath zeale ioyned with it which causes vs eagerly to pursue the thing desired and to ouercome all impediments hindring our desires We see in nature how the irascible faculties backes the concupiscible And as fire hath lightnesse whereby it aspires to the highest place so it hath also heat to consume that which should hinder his ascent In the like manner hath the true desire of a repenting sinner the grace of zeale to second it when one had vttered that affectionate speech Blessed are Luc. 14. 14. they that eate bread in the Kingdome of God see how Christ presently entertaines it with the Parable of the ghuests who being inuited to the supper had euery one their excuses from their farmes oxen and wiues whereby Christ seemes to giue a checke to the counterfet desires of many and seemes to insinuate thus much oh you indeede make as if you had a desire to come but you doe but counterfet you meane it not for when God calles you to this supper yee are ready to shuffle off his inuitation with one worldly excuse or another and so are your desires zeale-lesse desires They are so colde so heartlesse and so heatlesse that they cannot leap ouer the least blocke that lyes in their wayes Thus wee see then how fitly zeale followes desire And indeede a true penitentiary cannot but be zealous Zeale must needes be ioyned with repentance for these reasons 1. Repentance is a turning vnto God and a returning into our way out of which we had wandred by our sinnes Now the more way and time a man hath lost the more earnest and zealous he is in the redemption of both A man that hath rid out of his way when once he perceiues it will spurre the harder and gallop the faster till he hath recouered so farre as he might haue beene if hee had kept his way in a good reasonable pace So when the Repentant considers how much knowledge and experience hee might haue gained if the good time which he hath mispent in his sins had beene spent vpon better things when he considers how much of his life is past in sin and knows not how little he hath to come wherin he may walk in obedience he layes the more zealousty about him that what he wants in time he may redeem with his zeale And this is that which Peter vrges That henceforward we should liue as much time as remaines in the body not after 1. Pet. 4. 2. 3. the lusts of men for it is sufficient for vs that we haue spent the time past after the lusts of the Gentiles The longer wee haue beene stragling the more quicke should be our speed in our returne And the same thing doth Paul vrge the Romanes withall As yee haue giuen your members seruants to Rom. 6. 19. Qui per poenitentiam resurgunt magna charitato resplendent saepe maiori quā illi qui nunquā cecidernut Chry. vncleannesse and iniquitie to commit iniquity so now giue your members seruants vnto righteousnesse in holinesse The Repentant will be no lesse zealous in the wayes of grace then hee was in the wayes of sinne and the more zealous will hee bee in the seruice of righteousnesse because hee spent so much of his time and strength in the seruice of iniquity 2. Before repentance wee are blind and cannot see God nor the sweete beauty of his face for indeed our faces are turned from him but in repentance wee turne our faces to God and then seeing him his bounty our crowne and recompence of reward wee arc so rauished and enamoured vpon him as that with Paul in an holy zeale wee forget that which is behind endeuouring our selues to that Phil. 3. 13. 14. which is before and following hard toward the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus 3. The Repentant considers the vnconceiuable loue of God towards him in the pardon of his sins that howsoeuer hee was running headlong into hell to cast away himselfe and his soule yet the Lord stayd him and was mercifull vnto him in the remission of all his offences The meditation of which sweete goodnesse and loue of God constraines 2. Cor. 5. him to bee zealous for the glory of so gracious a God This loue of God in Christ to him constrains him and inflames and fires his heart with an earnest zeale to glorifie the Lord. That whereas before by his sinnes hee had wounded Gods glory now the loue of God who hath had mercy vppon him in plucking him out of the iawes of Sathan makes him now zelous of his glory and carefully to labour to heale these wounds which before his sins had made This we may see in that repenting woman who because much was forgiuen her therefore Luke 7. she loued much that is zelously She had not beene so zelous before in following her filthy and vnclean loues as now she was zelous in following her holy and spirituall loue Now this zeale in repentance shewes it selfe in these properties 1. Property It ouerlookes all difficulties and ouercomes all impediments Much water cannot Cant. 8. quench loue nay it kindles rather and the more water the more loue Zeale dampes at no bogges quagmires hilles or mountaines it is an affection that will wing a man and mount him ouer all It is not a Lyon in the way no nor yet Legions of Deuils in the way can coole it's courage Michols scoffs
commeth yea and in humility attending vpon him and waiting for his comming in the exercises of the Word and prayer as they Acts 1. 4. 14. But how many may be charged as they Acts 7. 51. Yee stiffe-necked and of vncircumcised hearts and eares yee haue alwaies resisted the holy Ghost And therefore are ye so hard hearted and stiffe-necked because you haue resisted the holy Ghost when he would haue bowe your neckes and softened your heart 4. It is said to be a grace of the sanctifying spirit The sanctifying Spirit to distinguish it from the legall repentance that is sometime in the reprobate hauing receiued the spirit of bondage vnto feare for this repentance is a fruit of an effectuall calling Ier. 31. 19. After I was conuerted I repented and so is peculiar to the regenerate And heereby also is it differenced from that blush and neere resemblance of Repentance which is in such reprobates as haue receiued the enlightning spirit 5. It followeth in the description whereby the In order of nature it is after Faith beleeuing sinner I make the subiect of Repentance to be a sinner for so doth Christ Matth. 9. shewing that such as are perfect neede Repentance no more then whole men do physick But withall I cal this sinner a beleeuing sinner to shew that faith must goe before Repentance as the ground and root thereof In time Faith and Repentance are both together but in the order of nature faith is first Reasons 1. Repentance and griefe for displeasing God by sinne necessarily argue the loue of God for a man would neuer grieue but rather reioyce at the offence of him whom he hates When Christ wept for Lazarus the Iewes sayd Loe how he loued him Ioh. 11. and Christ imputes the repenting teares of that sinnefull woman Luc. 7. to loue Much is forgiuen her for she loued much And wheras Acts 20. 21. Paul makes Faith and Repentance the summe of the Gospell the same Apostle 2. Tim. 1. 13. makes faith and loue the summe of it which shewes plainely that Repentance comes from loue and so consequently from faith because faith works by loue Gal. 5. 6. and it is impossible wee should euer loue God till by faith wee know our selues loued of God 2. Repentance beeing vnto life must needes bee drawen out of Christ the fountaine of all spirituall life and quickning grace So that a man must first receiue Christ before he can receiue Repentance or any grace from Christ Now faith is that which receiues Christ Ioh. 1. 12. 3. Repentance being the softning of our hearts and the changing of our natures how shall our stony harts bee molten but in Christs bloud and what can bathe them in that blood but faith And how shall such wilde oliue branches as wee be changed but by being engrafted into Christ as into the naturall Oliue And what can ingraft vs into him but faith 4. It is impossible that a man apprehending nothing in God but rigour and seuerity should euer relent toward him or come in and submit himselfe No there is mercy with thee ô Lord that thou mightest be feared Psal 130. This is it that brings in the sinner creeping and crouching before God as the Syrians to Ahab because they had heard the Kings of Israel were mercifull Christs 1. Kin. 20. 31. gracious aspect cast on Peter drew foorth the tears Gods gracious reuealing of himselfe not to the ear onely but eye also of Iob made him abhorre himselfe and repent Iob 42. 6. hence the exhortations to Repentance are founded commonly vpon the mercy of God in the Gospell as Ier. 3. 14. O yee disobedient children returne for I am your Lord. So Matt. 3. Repent for the Kingdome of Heauen is at hand in which Christ is ready to dispense mercy and forgiuenesse to the repenting sinner so Os 6. 1. Ioel 2. 13. Rom. 12. 1. 2. Cor. 7. 1. There must be faith then to apprehend at least some hope possibility of mercy or else the sinner will harden his heart and enrage his affections grow furiously desperate against the Lord. 5. As the legall Repentance cannot be without Faith beleeuing the threats of the Law so neither by like proportion can the Euangelicall Repentance bee without faith in the promises of the Gospell going before Ob. Mar. 1. 15. Repent and beleeue Repentance is set first and so Acts 20. 21. Answ 1. The order of placing things in Scripture is not alwayes according to the order of nature But sometimes one thing is set first which in order of nature is last as the effect before the cause and then the cause comes after to shew how wee should obtaine the effect As faith is set after a good conscience and pure heart 1 Tim. 1. 5. when yet it is faith that purifieth the heart Acts 15. So heere first repent and then that yee may repent beleeue 2. Things in Scripture are often propounded according to the order of our sense and feeling Now though faith in order of nature be first and the act of Faith before the Act of Repentance yet it is not so liuely and strong and so not so sensible to vs till after Repentance for the promises are made onely to repenting sinners Ob. Matth. 21. 32. Yee repented not that yee might beleeue Answ Sometimes then name of Repentance is giuen to the first preparatory beginnings and introductions thereof Now the preparations to Repentance are those legall fits of feare and terrour which are both in nature and time to before Faith The Vse 1. Against the Popish Repentance which is made to goe before mercy and forgiuenesse as a meritorious procurer thereof But as we haue seene Repentance is caused by the taste of Gods mercy by faith Therefore the Baptist exhorteth to repentance not that the Kingdome of Heauen may come as earned out by the sweat of pennance but because the Kingdome of Heauen is come Againe there cannot possibly bee any true repentance in Popery because repentance springeth from the particular apprehension of Gods mercy by faith which Popery cannot endure 2. Against the Libertines abusing Gods mercy and easinesse to forgiue vnto wantonnesse As the grace that Kings vse to shew against Parliaments makes many theeues But indeed they are beasts and no men that sin because of Gods mercy and it is an argument that they neuer by Faith tasted of Gods mercy in the pardon of their owne sinnes For they that feele much forgiuenesse loue much Luc. 7. If a man should tell a condemned Traytour that his Soueraigne would forgiue all his treasons and restore him to all his former dignities would not such mercy make his heart euen to melt and knit him faster in loue and duety then euer 3. Heere is comfort to all true Repentants that mourne for their sinnes and purpose a new course This repentance of theirs is an euident argument of their faith that hath tasted of the sweetnesse of Gods mercy or else their hearts would
into the teares of godly sorrow For after that in the Law we haue seene our miserable and desperate estate in our selues we should presently raue and rage against the Lord did hee not in this our extremity giue vs some hope and inckling of mercy presenting vnto our eye the infinite merits of Christ the indefinite promises of the Gospell calling all without exception to the fruition of those merits excluding none but such as exclude themselues and despise the grace that is offered them But when once mercy is tendred to vs that stand condemned in the Law and that onely vpon condition of our humble submissiue embracing of it Oh then the working of our bowels the stirring of our affections the melting relenting of our repenting hearts reasoning thus with themselues And is it so indeed hath the Lord giuen his owne Son to the death to saue sinners doth hee offer vs the benefit therof who hauing been such desperate Rebels against him stand cast and condemned euen in the sentence of our own consciences What marble brest what oaken heart is there whom such kindnes would not affect How can we chuse but out of loue and affection towards so sweet and gracious a God grieue that euer we haue so grieued him And now hath Contrition it perfect worke in vs when the bloud of the Lambe hath melted the Adamant and the Sun-shine of Gods loue in Christ hath thawen the ice of our hearts For before it was the feare of hell and so indeed self-selfe-loue and in a manner pride that humbled vs because we would not be miserable But now it is the loue of God that humbleth vs because of the wrong wee haue done him who hath done vs so much good Before it was the hatred onely of punishment that made vs to grieue but now it is the hatred of sin that brings the punishment and that specially because displeasing to the Lord our good God that causes all the trouble And thus we see in what order and by what degrees Contrition is wrought But heere certaine questions may be mooued Quest 1. Whether the sole threatnings and curses of the Law are not of themselues auaileable vnto true contrition forasmuch as Iosiahs heart melted in godly sorrow vpon the hearing of the 2. Chro. 34. 27 threatnings Answ Those threatnings were not meerely Legall but such as were qualified with some tincture of mercy in the Gospell Afflictions soften our hearts but how no otherwise then as we apprehend Gods mercy in them So did Iosiah apprehend mercy in those threatnings that they proceeded from Gods loue and so accounted them as the wounds of a friend and thence came the melting of his heart Dauid relented euen at Shemeies bitter reuilings but it was through the sense of Gods sweet mercy in them Quest 2. Whether God keepe the order spoken of constantly in humbling his children so that none can truely be grieued for sinne till they haue beene cast downe with legall terrours Answ 1. Many may haue the first degree of humiliation by the Law which neuer come to the second by the Gospell As Iudas Caine and other Reprobates vtterly ouerwhelmed with the terrors of the Law as children sometimes in the trauell are killed with the paines thereof before they can be borne But as there can bee no birth without the paines of the trauell going before so neither no true Repentance without some terrours of the Law and streights of conscience None can haue the second degree without the first The Reason is plaine None can haue Repentance but such as Christ cals to Repentance Now he cals onely sinners to Repentance Matth. 9. 13. euen sinners heauy laden with the sense of Gods wrath against sinne Math. 11. 29. He comes only to saue the lost sheep that is such sheep as feele themselues lost in themselues and know not how to find the way to the folde Rom. 8. 15. Yee haue not againe receiued the spirit of bondage vnto feare which shews that once they did receiue it namely in the very first preparation vnto conuersion that then the spirit of God in the Law did so beare witnesse vnto them of their bondage and miserable slauery that it made them to tremble Now there vnder the person of the Romans the Apostle speaks to all beleeuers and so shewes that it is euery Christians common case 2. Yet all are not handled alike Though none wholly scape yet some haue gentler fits then others and some are but sprinkled in this baptisme wherein others are euen doused ouer head and eares and some doe but sippe of that cuppe wherof others drinke to the very dregges It is with the trauell of a sinner in his Repentance as with a womans in child-birth None trauels heere without paine yet some are like those Hebrew women Exod. 1. and haue a farre quicker dispatch then many others Those conuerts Acts 2. in their Repentance had some grudgings and prickes of conscience but yet they had none of Iobs nor Dauids fits which held them many dayes together For the same Peter that wounded presently healed them and being filled with the ioy of the holy Ghost they comfortably conuersed with the Christians Matthew as it is thought at his first conuersion entertained Christ with a feast and so did Lydia the Apostles which they could not haue done if they had beene in any extremities of the agonies of conscience God applies himselfe heere to the seuerall natures conditions and dispositions of his children 1. Some haue beene more hainous sinners and of longer standing then the rest Now the more festred and dangerous the wound is the sharper must be the cure Some sores will as easily bee let out with the pricking of a pinne as others with the Surgeons launching The more viscous and glutinous the humour is the stronger must the purge be The greater the burthen is the greater will bee the paine of the backe Hence it was that Paul being a more hainous offender then the rest of the Apostles as being a malicious persecutor whereas they had beene honest and sober fishermen hence it was I say that hee tasted deeper of this cup then they as we see Acts 9. insomuch that he sayes the Law slew him Rom. 7. Hence also it is that such who in their tender yeeres by meanes of religious nurture haue beene seasoned with the grace of God dropping by little and little into them before any grosser defilement of actuall transgression doe not behold that grim and seuere countenance of the Law which those commonly see who stand idle to the twelfth houre 2. God meanes to employ some in more worthy seruices For the which hee sees it fit to prepare them by the deepest humiliation For the higher and greater the building is the deeper must the foundation be layd in the earth 3. Some are of greater places and parts then others some naturally of a more crabbed crooked disposition some more stout bold hardy then others
the 2. The procurer of grace 1 Pet. 5. humble For all the grace that God giues is obtained by prayer But proud Pharisies that feele no wants well may they giue thankes but pray they will not Luc. 18. 10. 11. The rich are too stout to begge onely the poore speake with supplications Prou. 18. saith Salomon Onely the poore in spirit that mourne in the sense of their hunger and thirst wil open their mouthes wide in the cries of hearty prayer and therefore they onely shall bee filled with good things when the rich shall bee sent empty away Therefore Christ calling sinners to him in the first place biddes them to be humble and Matth. 11. meeke For meeknesse fits vs to conuerse sweetely with men but humility first prepares vs to receiue those graces of God which makes our conuersing with men sweete and amiable The Lord is neere Psal 34. saith Dauid to the contrite in spirit God is high aboue all but loe a mysterie saith Austin The lower a Christian is the neerer is he to this high God For the Lord hath two palaces as it is in Isay one of glory and that 's in Heauen Heauen is my throne c. Another of grace heere on earth and that 's Is 66. 1. 2. the heart of a contrite sinner 3. Humiliation is the preseruer of grace procured 3. The Preseruer of grace And therefore compared to a strong foundation vpholding the building against the force of winde and weather Onely those streames of grace hold out that flow out of the troubled fountaine of a bruised spirit An vnhumbled professor quickly starts back euen as an vnbroken egge or chesnut leapes out of the fire Grace is no where safe but in a sound and honest heart Now onely the humble heart is the honest heart Onely a rent and Non est cor integrum nisi sit scissum broken heart is a whole and sound heart The drosse cannot be purged out of the gold but by melting Crooked things cannot bee straightned but by wringing Now humiliation is that which wrings and melts vs and makes vs of drossie pure of crooked straight and vpright and so sound durable and perseuering Christians 4. Humiliation is that which commends all our 4. The Commander of our seruices seruices making them both profitable to our selues to our brethren and acceptable to the LORD Christ preferred the teares of that repenting woman before all the delicates of the Pharisies table Bottles hath he for the least drops So precious are they with him A little of this soueraigne baulme water is worth in Gods account more then a whole poole of the mudde of confused distempered worldly sorrow The Sacrifices of God are a broken and contrite spirit The plurall number is in Psal 51. steed of the superlatiue degree with the Hebrewes and so notes the excellency of this sacrifice as being the salt that seasons all other sacrifices To him Is 66. 2. 3. will I looke saith the Lord that is poore and of a contrite spirit He that killeth a bullocke namely without this contrite heart whereby hee must first kill his owne corruption is as if he slew a man or blessed an Idoll In effect thus much now He that receiueth the Communion without Humiliation is as if hee went to the Masse For though God would not haue his Altar couered with the teares of worldly sorrow Mal. 2. 13. yet hee would of spirituall as not rellishing any sacrifice without them What good does all our hearing doe vs as long as wee want Iosiahs melting hart no more then the strokes of the hammer doe the anuile All our prayers what are they but idle prattle if they be not piercingly darted out of the Publicanes smitten heart no prayer strikes Gods eares but his whose heart was first stricken with Gods hand Neither commonly doe any exhortations preuaile with others which proceed not from an affected heart Origen Sanctorum enim non tantum verba sed ipsi aspectus spiritali gratia pleni sunt Chrysost after his fall reading for his text that Psal 50. What hast thou to doe to take my word into thy mouth c. and not able to speake for teares set all the Congregation a crying So effectuall is the very silence of a touched heart See the example of the woman of Samaria Ioh. 4. 39. mightily preuailing with her neighbours Christ hauing before humbled her 5. Humiliation is the way to true exaltation 5. The way to exaltation Godly sorrow is the mother of true ioy for it giues a vent to sinne that lies heauy vpon the conscience as lead and so the heart eased of that burthen is light Blessed are they that mourne saith Matth. 5. Christ for they shall bee comforted But woe bee to you that laugh for yee shall weepe Because the fire of Gods mercy and loue could not make you weepe heere the fire of hell shall heereafter Blessed are they that weepe heere where there are wiping hand-kerchers in the hands of Christ Els they shall weepe heereafter euen when they shall see all the teares of the mourners in this life wiped away Happy art thou if thou weepe heere where thy teares may be water to quench the fire of thine own concupiscence Else shalt thou weep where thy teares shall bee oyle to feede those eternall flames Happy art thou if in godly indignation thou gnashest thy teeth at thy sinnes heere Else shalt thou in a desperate murmuring gnash them in hell at thy punishment and gnaw out thy very tongue for sorrow Miserable is that mourning in hell where the Diuell the tormentor is at hand with his Scorpions But happy is the mourning heere where the Spirit the Comforter is at hand with his oyle to supple thy wounds Repenting teares are the wine of God and his Angels Well mayest thou expect from them the oyle of their comfort when thou hast giuen them the wine of thy teares CHAP. VI. Of the the examination of our hearts by the Law THe last point followeth and that the chiefest 4. The practise of Humiliation in two things of all namely the practise of Humiliation And it consisteth in two points 1. In the inward working of it in the heart 1. Inward working 2. In the outward expressing of it when it is wrought In the inward working of it two spciall dueties must be practised 1. In consideration of our owne wayes 1. Consideration of our owne wayes to God 2. Of Gods wayes to vs. 1. For the first There will bee no sorrow for an euill not knowen Sinne must bee seene before it can bee sorrowed for I agnize my sinne saith Psal 38. 18. Dauid and am sorry for mine iniquity Onely sinners that is such as know and feele themselues to bee Matth. 9. sinners are called to Repentance Ieremie calling Ierem. 3. 13. the Church to Repentance first biddes her know her iniquity After Christ had
that thy impenitent heart refuses his physicke This is Ioh. 3. 19. the condemnation that light being come into the world men loued darknesse rather then light Not darknesse simply that condemnes but obslinate continuance in darknesse with loue of it and delight in it after that light is sent to helpe vs out of darknesse On the contrary then if thou repent not though thy sinnes were neuer so small they haue waight enough to presse thee downe to hell Impenitencie makes small sinnes great and heauy But Repentance makes great sinnes no sinnes in regard of diuine imputation The greatest sinnes are pardonable to the penitent as the smallest vnpardonable to the impenitent And further although our sinnes were pardoned and forgiuen yet can we haue no assurance that they are so the promises of remission belong to vs It is presumption to snatch at the promise before wee haue the condition And though thou hadst pardon yet canst thou haue no peace till thou hast come to God by Repentance For God holds the same rule with vs in forgiuing vs which hee prescribes to vs in the forgiuenes of our brethren For though our brother come not to vs and humble himselfe vnto vs yet are we bound to forgiue him but yet wee are not bound to goe to him to tell him that wee forgiue him but hee is to come and say It repenteth mee Euen so deales God with vs he may happily haue forgiuen vs yet vnlesse wee turne and come againe vnto him and say It repenteth vs hee will not tell vs neither shall his spirit Luc. 17. 4. assure and witnesse it to our hearts that he hath pardoned vs. Now if there bee assurance as well as pardon thou shalt bee perplexed and turmoiled as much in the want of assurance as of pardon God often deales with his children as Ioseph did with his brethren hee would not at first make himselfe knowen vnto them but spake roughly vnto them and threatned them the prison and afterward hee telles them I am Ioseph your brother So till wee are prepared by Repentance neither Gen. 45. will God make himselfe nor our pardon knowen vnto vs but will rather speake roughly and threten the prison of hell but if once we come with broken 1. Pet. 3. 19. and with bleeding hearts vnto him then can he no more refraine himselfe then Ioseph could but will say to our consciences I am your father Bee of good comfort your sinnes are pardoned And when we haue by repentance filled Gods bottle with tears then will hee fill our hearts with this soueraigne balme and will annoynt our hearts with the oyle of gladnesse and the vnspeakable ioy of the holy Ghost Then shall the former feares stings and horrors of the accusing conscience be banished all shall be peace and ioy Repentance charmes the windes and the blustring stormes of the accusing conscience and makes the hauen of thine heart to bee calme and cleere So that we may say of Repentance as they of our Sauiour What kinde of grace is this that the Psal 32. windes and sea obey it euen the sea of a hellish and a raging conscience For the experience of all Gods children that haue had any experience of Repentance in themselues can witnesse thus much that they haue no sooner set themselues to prayer confession and renewing of their couenants with God but though at first they brought an hell in their conscience yet they haue presently felt hell turned into heauen and in steed of the pricke of conscience the vnconceiueble peace of God cheering and comforting them It is Dauids owne experiment I sayd I would confesse and thou forgauest mee that is thou tookest hell out of my conscience and shedst the sense of thy forgiuenes into mine heart Hence it is that in diuerse of the Psalmes specially the penitentiall ones the Prophet beginning in Psal 6. 13. much heauinesse and anguish of spirit ends in much ioy and assurance This is the first euill which Repentance remooues 2. Repentance remooues the euill of sinne in regard 2. Of the staine of the staine the blurre and ignominy For euen this also it takes away It so heals the wound that not so much as the skarre remaines When Onesimus had once repented the staine and ignominy of his theft was taken away Once vnprofitable but now profitable to bee receiued not as a theefe Philem. 11. but as a brother But as long as a man remaines impenitent so long the staine stickes in the soule in such sort as if hee were still in the act of sinning euen as dirt doth in the face till it bee washed out All saith our Sauiour before me are theeues and Ioh. 10. 8. robbers Why sayd he not They were theeues in asmuch as they were dead and gone The reason may bee because they died impenitently in that their sinnes and impenitency seems to continue the sinne though the act bee past Hence it is that a man may say of Cain still that hee is a murtherer but not of Dauid that hee is an adulterer the staine being washed out by repentance and hee beeing made cleere and cleane as the picked glasse Because you say saies Christ to the Pharisies you see Ioh. 9. that is remaine obstinate in your blindnesse therfore your sinne remaines that is the blot and staine of it Sinne casts dirt in our faces and besmeares and befoules vs but after Repentance may a man say as Nebuchadnezzer did of himselfe after his Dan. 4. 33. restoring At the same time was my glory and my beauty restored vnto me so at the time of our Repentance the shame and the deformity which sinne brought vpon vs is takenaway and our glory and our beauty is restored vnto vs which wee had before wee sinned The same thing God promises to the Gentiles in their conuersion Then will I change in the people Zeph. 3. 9. 11. their lips that it may be pure so Iunius reads it with the which all may call vpon the name of the Lord that is I will call them to repentance and then followes a promise of taking away the staine In that day shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy works c. Thus doth repentance take away the shame and the staine of sinne But impenitency sets a very brand-marke of shame vpon the fore-head of the sinner and makes him as foule after as in his sinne A man turning from the sunne remaines so till hee turne him towards it again so in sin turning away from God he remaines so till by a fresh act of Repentance he turne himselfe to God againe The wicked sinner may not thinke that his sinne passed away with the acte which presently vanished No but as the workes of the Repentant follow them to Apoc. 14. the graue so also of the wicked That as the one being dead may be still called iust and holy so the other still wicked and impure A lesson for
1. out of the belly of hell with Ionas call vpon God Euen when wounded by God they goe to him to Ion. 2. 2. be healed Come let vs returne to the Lord hee hath Hos 6. 1. wounded vs and he will heale vs. The Reprobate in hell weepe and waile and yet no godly sorrow there because they cannot crie to God Excellently Luther Hell were no hell if the least whispering vnto God could bee heard there Despaire stops the mouth of the Reprobate that they cannot speake one word to God in their deiections so as the godly do As Ionas complaining of God in the whales belly complaines yet to God Thou hast cast me out Whereas a Reprobate as Caluin notes would haue sayd He hath cast me away in the third person Heere then is further triall of our sorrow and Repentance if as Paul speakes in another case Wee mourne not without hope if as the Lord inuites vs we 1. Thess 4. Is 1. 18. Mar. 1. 15. can come and reason with him if as Christ commands wee repent and in repenting beleeue that as our sinne so also Gods mercy be euer before vs. The wicked as they beleeue without repenting their faith being presumption so they repent without beleeuing their repentance is desperation And therfore they mutter and murmure like the chaffe which when it is shaken flutters in the face of the fanner as angry with him But the Godly are good wheat falling downe at the feete of the fanner as those conuerts that humbled themselues and sought for ease of him that pricked them Men Acts 2. and brethren what shall we doe And the reason is because they haue faith supporting them that they sincke not in the Deepes of Desperation As in Dauid in the 51. Psalme when begging mercy his wounded conscience obiected the greatnesse of his sinnes faith opposeth the greatnesse and multitude of Gods mercies According to the multitudes of thy compassions And againe to that obiection of the deepe rooting of his sinne because hee had lien in it three quarters of a yeere Faith answers Wash me throughly There is no staine so deep but thy hand can fetch it out Heere Dauids faith plucked him out of the mire and made him come to the Lord clinging and clasping about him 3. Because it is offered vp to God as a seruice 3. It is voluntary and sacrifice and that with a free and voluntary spirit Psal 51. The sacrifices of God are a broken and contrite spirit The Godly are Agents in their sorrow For because it is mingled with the sense of ioy in the apprehension of Gods loue by faith they take delight therein and their teares become their meat Psal 42. This voluntarinesse of sorrow in the Godly appeares in two things 1. In the Vse of all good incentiues and prouokements thereof They worke and labour their hearts what they can thereto according to that commandement Iames 4. Suffer affliction And nothing grieues them more then that they cannot grieue But the wicked are meere patients in their sorrow because wanting faith to temper the cup they drinke nothing but pure gall yea deadly poison Hence those strugglings those wrastlings with and murmurings against God With the sturdy horse they irefully champ the bit and desire nothing more then to haue the deadly arrow fall out of our side Hence those so many sleights of their feasting musicke mirth pastime to driue away this so vnwelcome a ghuest Which the Godly haue both inuited and welcommed with sacke cloth ashes fasting going into the house of mourning rending of cloathes and powring foorth whole buckets of water as some expound that 1. Sam. 7. 6. 2. In turning euery thing vnto sorrow worldly not onely griefes but euen ioyes also According to that of Iames Let your laughter be turned into weeping that is let your laughter be made the matter of your weeping Let it bee the fuell to feede that fire So doth repenting Salomon Eccl 2. out of the hony of his abused pleasures hee gathers gall contrary to the Bee sucking sweetnesse out of bitternesse The pleasant witted man will turne euerie thing to a lest euen sad and serious but the touched sinner euery thing vnto sorrow euen sweete and ioyfull The practise of Bradford that worthy M. Samsons preface to his Sermon of Repentance Repentant in this kind was very memorable who to this purpose booked euery notable accident each day that passed and that so that in the penning a man might see the signes of his smitten heart For if he did see or heare any good in any man by that sight he found and noted the want thereof in himselfe crauing mercy and grace to amend If he did see or heare any plague and misery he noted it as a thing procured by his owne sinnes and still added Lord haue mercy on me 4. Because it keeps our hearts in a blessed frame 4. It fits for holy duties of godlinesse fitting them for prayer meditation reading hearing conference admonition or any other spirituall duty Worldly sorrow is a heauy leaden thing making a man fitter to sleepe then to pray as we see in Ionas and the Disciples But godly sorrow in the sense of Gods loue is fresh and liuely and full of spirits We neuer pray or performe any Christian duty better then when our hearts are fullest of this sorrow Againe it makes the heart exceeding soft and tender and so sensible euen of the least sinnes As Dauids heart smote him for cutting off but the lap of Sauls coate and for the entertainement of euill motions Why art thou disquieted why frettest thou my Psal 42. soule It makes the heart like the eye that will feele the least mote or like a straight shooe that cannot endure the least pebble stone which in a wide one would neuer be perceiued And thus we see the properties of true Sorrow or Contrition that it is both a louing Sorrow proceeding from the loue and affection of our hearts towards the Lord and a beleeuing Sorrow comming to God and fastening vpon his mercy and a willing and voluntary Sorrow delightfully bathing it selfe in her teares and lastly a soft and tender-hearted Sorrow working a disposition vnto deuotion And therefore woorthily called godly Sorrow And of the nature of humiliation so much CHAP. IV. Of the measure of Humiliation THe next point is touching the measure of Humiliation or Sorrow for sinne Where I 2. The measure of it propound three rules 1. Rule Of all other sorrowes sorrow for sin must be the greatest Reason 1. Griefe is founded in loue According as our loue is so is our griefe But our loue of God and his fauour is the greatest loue and therfore our griefe for his offence by sinne the greatest griefe Therefore as Dauid saies Thou hast giuen me Psalm 4. more ioy in the light of thy countenance then they haue had when their corne oile abounded So on the contrary must euery
Of Mercy where the patience prouidence 2. Of mercy bounty and kindnesse of the Lord is seriously to be recognized of vs knowing as the Apostle speaketh that it leadeth vs to repentance But heere specially Rom. 2. excelleth the meditation of the death and passion of Christ wherein thou shalt see both the infinitenesse of thy sinne and Gods loue And heere consider thy sinnes as the Iudas that betrayed the souldiers that apprehended bound smote and wounded thy Sauiour as the gall and vineger in his mouth spittle in his face thorns on his head nailes in his hands speare in his side Surely if a man but vnwittingly should kill though the silliest and basest man that is it could not yet but be a great trouble vnto him What then should this be to vs that we haue wilfully murthered the Lord of glory the sonne of God himselfe Behold also Gods infinite loue and see Christ doing the same to thy sinnes which they to him and in suffering death at their hands inflicting death on them and all other thy spirituall enemies for God doth that to his enemies to make vs relent which he bids vs doe to ours If thine enemie hunger giue him meat if he thirst giue him drinke Nay Rom. 12. 20. when we Gods enemies were dead hee gaue vs life and that by the death of his owne sonne and so hath heaped coales of fire on our heads to melt our harts in godly sorrow The way then to pierce our hearts with sorrow for sin is to behold Christ pierced with nailes on the crosse Then shall they looke on mee whom they haue pierced and lament Ezech. 12. And this is the consideration both of our own and Gods wayes required as an incentiue and prouokement of godly sorrow The which shall bee farre more effectuall if we keepe iournals or day-bookes of them both both of our speciall sinnes and Gods speciall mercies for then in the exercises of Repentance may we the more easily set our sinnes in order before our eyes and for the better affecting of our hearts may we spread the catalogue of our sinnes before the Lord as Ezekiah did Rabsakehs 2. Kin. 19. 14. blasphemous letter This course holy Bradford tooke and some thinke Iob did so because of that speech Not one of a thousand CHAP. VII Of Confession and Deprecation HVmiliation wrought in the heart must bee expressed outwardly both in word action 2. Outward expressing it in word In word by his Confession of sinne and Deprecation In Confession consider 1. Parts 1. In Confession In it 1. parts which are 2. 2. Manner The parts of confession are two 1. Accusing of our selues 2. Iudging of our selues Both these are necessary duties For by accusing 1. Accusation In which our selues we preuent Sathan by iudging our selues we preuent God When we haue accused our selues what can Sathan that accuser of the brethen say which wee haue not sayd before so his mouth is stopt Hee comes too late wee being Accusers God is our Discharger and what then shall Sathan be but a Slanderer By iudging of our selues doe wee likewise put God out of office for he will say loe how this man iudgeth himselfe I will not therefore iudge him If in Ahabs hypocryticall iudging seest thou not 1. Kin. 21. 29 how Ahab humbleth himselfe I will not therefore humble him how much more in the sincere and seuere iudging of the Godly Indeed in iudging of others Iudge not least ye be iudged but in iudging Matth. 7. 1. of our selues iudge that ye be not iudged 1. Cor. 11. Now for the former namely the accusing of our Three things selues there must be these three things therein 1. A particularizing of our sinnes In an accusation 1. Particularizing of sinne it is not enough to accuse in generall but we must come to particulars and charge the accused with this or that crime How can the Physitian helpe him that saies he is not well and will not tell him where Many deale with God in the confession of their sinnes as Nebuchadnezar with his Inchanters Dan. 2. about his dreame that hee had dreamed hee told them and desired an interpretation but what his dreame was he could not tell So many confesse themselues sinners and desire pardon But wherein they haue sinned and what their sinnes are they cannot or will not tell Generall Confessions and in grosse are too too grosse No they must be particularly remembred and ranked and sorted together in order 2. And beeing thus set in order some of thy chiefest sinnes must be culled out which haue bin 2. Calling out the chiefe most dishonourable to God and discomfortable to thine owne soule Thus Paul in his confession insists specially in that grand and capitall sinne of persecution I persecuted the Church of God And so those Israelites Besides all other our sinnes wee haue 1. Tim. 1. 13. 1. Sam. 12. 19. sinned in asking a King For he that truely and seriously repents of one sinne specially his deerest and sweetest sinne will much more repent of his other lesser sinnes Hee that will shake off his greatest friends will much more forsake the meaner and lesse respected And indeed vsually Repentance is first occasioned by some one speciall hainous sinne layd to heart The Apostles Acts 2. doe specially presse the murther of Christ vpon the Iewes and Acts 17. Ignorance vpon the Athenians Christ adultery vpon the woman of Samaria calling her to repentance As in battels though they fight against the whole Army yet specially against the Head and Generall as Fight neither against great 1. Kin. 22. nor small but against the King of Israel so specially we must set our selues in our confession against our Master sinnes the King being caught the rest will neuer stand out 3. Though we must specially dwell vpon some of our most speciall sinnes yet the rest must not be 3. Yet not neglecting the rest neglected for as Confession must be particular so also must it be full And our more greeuous offences must bring the rest to our remembrance As Dauids murther and adultery brought euen his birth-sinne to his minde And that sin of strange Psal 51. wiues many other sinnes to Esraes minde As we in correcting our children for one fault thereupon Esr 9. remember them of and reckon with them for many other before and as in accusation when a man is endited of some speciall crime his enemies vpon that occasion bring in whatsoeuer else they can get against him further to disgrace him so heere in accusing our selues nothing willingly must bee omitted Take wee heede of spirituall guile in hiding ought Thou mayest hide God from thy selfe thy selfe from God thou canst not To the Physician thou wilt discouer euen thy most shamefull diseases the fruites of thy filthy wickednesse If thou shouldest conceale but one circumstance of such a disease it might kill thee And sixe
and before Ionas 4. 1. 2. God was all one as to haue committed that sinne againe the second time Heere is comfort then euen for relapsed persons that are intangled againe in the same offences whereout formerly they were deliuered by repentance And yet this comfort belongs onely to poore troubled consciences not to presumptuous sinners It is not to encourage any that stands to fall or that is fallen to lye still but onely him that is fallen and feeles himselfe fallen and begins to despaire of recouery to striue to get vp on foote by putting him in hope of a possibility of rising vp againe by helpe of that stone which is Luke 2. set as for the fall so and that much more for the rising againe of many But as for lesser slippes whose experience doth not tell him that euen after repentance he is again and againe hampered in the same snares of anger techinesse lust negligence secret pride hypocrisie vaine-glory c. Though yet the fruit of serious repentance before will appeare in our falling againe that we shall presently catch our selues tardie Therefore we must not be ouer much perplexed in such cases to thinke our former repentance vnsound For repentance doth not wholly take away sinne but onely weakens it lessens and impayres it And as he truely runned who afterward sitteth downe so hee may truely repent of some sin who afterward is foyled by it againe 2 Consectary is that there is no sinne so small but it needes repentance The world thinkes that repentance is onely for more grieuous sinnes as murther adultery oppression blasphemy as for lesser matters they hope they may bee dispensed withall Heere our ciuill men are to bee nipped who put away repentance from themselues because free from grosse scandall Surely though they had no vnbeleefe or prophanenesse of heart which indeede are as heynous sinnes as any yet haue they cause enough to repent if it were but for the very least idle thoughts or wordes they euer thought or spoke The children of GOD whose heart God hath softned by the touch of his spirit will be troubled euen for the least sinnes account ting no sinne little which is committed against so great a God Iohn Husse that good Martyr in his Foxe Martyrol in Epist Hess imprisonment repented for his playing at Chesse because of the losse of time and prouocation vnto anger So Bradford and Ridley for their negligences and secret infirmities euen in good actions as is to bee seene in their letters When Dauids hand did touch but the lap of Sauls garment that touch of his hand cost him blowes and stroaks of heart Euery thing is laid to heart by Gods children such things the world neuer sticks at sinnes of omission as wel as of comission Ephesus is called to Reuel 2. 4. 5. Repentance for leauing her first loue Euen not to increase in grace according to the good meanes and occasions we enioy is a matter that craues repentance fauouring our selues though in neuer so small sinnes cannot stand with repentance which turnes the backe vpon all sinnes whatsoeuer bee they great or be they small CHAP. XII Of the second part of Conuersion Turning to the Lord. THe second part of Turning is turning to the 2. Conuersion to God Lord. In sinne our backs are turned to him In repentance our faces are turned towards him For it is not enough to cease from sinne but withall we must turne to the Lord and set our hearts towards him and his kingdome O Israel if you returne returne vnto me saith the Lord. And let him that stole Ier. 4. 1. steale no more but let him labour and giue to him that Eph. 4. 28. needes For euery tree that brings not forth good fruit shall be hewen downe and cast into the fire Many lead Mat. 3. 10. a ciuill and an honest life not spotted with grosse sinnes yet for all this they haue prophane hearts turned to the world-ward not sauouring or affecting the things of God But here is the very pith of repentance The turning of the heart vpward to Heauen and fixing the eye vpon God and so making towards him with the foote that so it may be said of euery true repentant that his behauiour is as of one that is going vp to the heauenly Ierusalem Luke 9. as it was saide of Christ going to the earthly Ierusalem Oh this one thing showes how little repentance there is in this world when the shame of our affections carries vs downeward to the earth A plaine argument the heart is turned to God For in this regard a Christians conuersation is in heauen because by repentance his eye is now turned to heauen and his feete are carrying him thether apace Phil. 3. 2. This then ministers exceeding great comfort to the poore repenting sinner discouraged with his manifold slippes and infirmities and is brought to doubt of the truth of his repentance by the sense of his many and daily frailties Such an one may remember that repentance consists in a turning of the heart and affections to God not in walking in a way without a stumbling foote Repentance takes not away stumbling it takes not away slipping and sliding of the foote It keepes the face from turning from God and the foote from walking from God It fares with a repentant as with a man going vp an hill who though he may haue many fals and slippes yet still is said to bee going vp the hill because his face is toward the toppe of the hill So it is with the penitent sinner he is turning to God though he haue many falls because his face is set and the maine current of his affections is bent vpon God This therefore be thy comfort thou wentest not out to meete and to welcome sinne but it came vpon thee at vnawares and like a coward comming behind thee strooke vp thine heeles thy feet indeed slid a little downeward but thy face was still vpward But the maine point that heere is to bee insisted vpon is this that repentance alwaies brings with it a wonderfull and a palpable change and alteration of the heart and life When our affections like wilde madde horses are violently galloping to hell the spirit of God by repentance as by a bridle suddenly giues a ierke and turnes them and sets them a going as fast the other way So that those our companions in the broad way stand maruelling at vs that wee breake off company and doe not still continue running out with them into the same excesse of ryot 1. Pet. 4 4. So great is the change that not onely our selues but others also may discerne it as to maruell at it It is compared to the change of darkenesse into Eph. 5. 8. light which who sees it not yea vnto the change of a stone into flesh I will take away the stony heart and giue you a heart of flesh Why doth Sathan bid Ezek. 26. 26. Christ
come vnto it Sometimes hauing laid his net he takes poles and thrusts and driues them along into the net The former way God tempts but onely this latter Sathan The meaning heere then is that Christ was led into the wildernesse to bee tempted that is to be perswaded to euill by Sathan Quest 2 2. Quest How could Christ who was so holy be tempted Answ Hee could not bee tempted inwardly How Christ-being so holy could bee tempted of himselfe being holy but outwardly by another he might So were Adam and Eue. And thus to be tempted that is to be perswaded to sinne by another whether Man or Angell is no sinne but a crosse so there be not the least yeelding to the motion no not in the least ticklings of the affection Sathans temptations against vs doe for the most part taint vs by reason of the simpathy betwixt our corruption and them But in Christ there was an antipathy against sinne as in the stomacke against some meates the which the more wee are vrged to eat of them the more we loath them Whereas in other meats that wee especially loue the very sight of them is perswasion enough to eat of them Christs heart to Sathans tentations was as a stone or brasse wall to an arrow repulsing them backe presently Our hearts are as a butt where they may easily fasten themselues Ours as a barrell of gun-powder to the fire Christs as water and therefore he sayd The Prince of this world is come and hath naught in me Ioh. 14. 3. Doct. Hence I gather that all temptations are not sins Ioh 14. 20. in the tempted for then Christ should haue sinned All temptations are not sinnes in the tempted This may comfort those that beeing vexed with fearefull suggestions of Sathan as to thinke amisse of God himselfe c. doe thereby thinke amisse of themselues as if they were therfore most vile wretches But they must remember that this is no more their sinne if they presently beat it backe then if a man like themselues should wish them to the like Sathan must answer for this himselfe Quest But How we may discerne the temptations of Sathan from those that proceed from our own corruption how shall I know that it is Sathan and not mine owne corruption Answ Temptations against the light of nature euen corrupted nature where there is no bait to entice corruption as for a man to kil his louing and beloued parents where there is no hope of gaine by it no matter of displeasure to prouoke these are meerly from Sathan And so are the blasphcmous thoughts against the Trinity Specially if such temptations come furiously and like the flashings of lightning suddenly wee not imagining how nor vpon what occasion we should conceiue such thoughts and withall haunt vs and will not be driuen away but the more we striue and beat them away the more like flies they come vpon vs and withall be contriued subtilly and artificially this is like the marching of Sathan as hee sayd This is like the marching of Iehu for he marcheth furiously 2. Kin. 2. Kings 9. 9. I thinke neuer doe temptations arise from the flesh but the Diuell interposes himselfe and speaks his good word for them being once set on foote by the flesh Therefore such temptarious called the messengers of Sathan 2. Cor. 12. and Ephes 4. 26. 27. 2. Cor. 12. Eph. 4. 26. 27. wee are sayd in anger to giue place to the Diuell And though commonly the flesh regratifie the Diuell and applaud and set forward his temptations yet it doth so fall out sometimes that the Diuell tempts alone and that so grossely that the very flesh is ashamed of it Quest 3 3. Quest How or in what manner was Christ tempted whether by inward suggestion as we or by Whether Christ was tempted by inward suggestion or by an audible voice an audible voyce the Diuell appearing in a visible shape Ans It is most likely to latter way First because it is sayd Then came the tempter vnto him Secondly because of that desire of his that he would fal down and worship him Yet I hold it not impossible that Christ might be tempted by suggestion For he was tempted before hee was hungry euen during the space of the forty dayes Luc. 4. 2. 3. And it seemes Luc. 4. 2. 3. that those temptations were rather by inward suggestion for that it is sayd Then namely after he was hungry came the tempter to wit in a bodily shape implying that before hee came not so So hee was tempted afterward also but yet nothing is read of any visible apparition Quest. 4 4. Quest Why was Christ tempted 1. Answ That wee might see the horrible rage Why Christ was tempted and senslesse madnesse of the Diuell against God and our saluation For though that before in Iordan and all his former miracles at his birth c. might haue cleared his Godhead to him yet malice blindes him that hee cannot or will not see and makes him to barke against the sunne and to fight against the heauens And so still is it with his wicked instruments 2. That wee should know how fit it is there should be trials of ministers before they enter into their functions 3. That ministers might know who will be their speciall aduersary they must conflict with in their ministry 4. That we might see how fit it is that ministers and men of great callings should be fitted and prepared for the good discharge of them by temptation and by their owne experience might learne to releeue others 2. Cor. 1. 4. 5. To giue vs warning to looke to our selues For if this were done to the greene tree what then shall bee done to the dry If Sathan durst set vpon Christ who was as greene wood and had abundance of moisture to quench the heate of his fire what then will hee doe to vs that are dry and quickly set on fire 6. To ouercome our temptation with his as he did our death with his For as death lost his sting lighting on Christ so also Sathans temptations and the foile he gaue Sathan was for vs. 7. That by suffring that which was the desert of our sinnes his loue towards vs might appeare the more If it were a vexation to the righteous soule of Lot to see and heare the wickednesse of the Sodomites who yet perswaded him not to doe the like how much more to our Lords soule to heare this cursed hell-hound vttering such filthy speeches perswading him to such vngodlinesse See we then in Christ suffring this for vs his loue our desart namely to be thus vexed and molested with Sathan and if we haue ease and deliuerance in tentation thanke we Christs trouble for our ease 8. That there might bee some answering to the Israelites being forty yeeres in the desert in many trials and temptations A day answearing a yeere As there was before in Christs going into Aegypt 9. That our
But without any true reformation for presently after he fell to as bad cruelty against the holy Prophet Micaiah Iudas was grieued for murthering Christ yet no change ensued hee fell to murthering of himselfe The Israelites being threatned by God when as they meditated a returne into Aegypt wept and howled And yet at the same time being commanded not to goe the next way to Canaan but to fetch a compasse about they disobeyed But these men sorrow not aright because they sorrow not as the Corinthians did vnto a transmentation vnto a change of their thoughts and purposes from euill to good It is not possible a man should truely grieue and be displeased for his sins and yet continue in them without a change For as one very well sayes vnlesse sinne be made a wanton it will not stay It likes no grimme entertainement The sad countenance the weeping eyes the frowning forehead dash it quite out of countenance It is not able to stand before them The teares of true Repentance haue a purging and a raising vertue therfore the Prophet exhorting to Repentance sayes Wash yee make yee cleane These teares therefore Is 1. 16. are washing and cleansing teares where they fall they make cleane worke scouring away the filthinesse of our sinnes The abundance of naturall raine maketh the waies fowle that before were faire But contrarily the more abundantly this raine falleth the cleaner and fairer are the wayes of our hearts and fitter for the feet of the Lord to walke in For this is that same preparing of the way Matth. 3. of the Lord which the Baptist requires Worldly sorrow workes a change in the body it brings gray haires on the head and furrowes and wrinckles in the face It turnes youth into olde age and strength into weaknesse and so causeth death But the change of godly sorrow is quite contrary It turnes olde age into youth and a weaknesse and sicknesse into health and strength No distillations of waters heale our bodily diseases so as this water doth our spirituall This salt brine takes away all our raw humours and makes vs sauory meate for the Lord. This raine dissolues the clowds of our iniquities and ô what a pure cleerenesse is there in the heauen of our hearts And therfore iustly may wee suspect their repentance whose sorrow brings not with it this happy change 2. So also may we theirs whose change and alteration proceedes not from godly sorrow and touch of conscience for sinne Let it not suffice vs that in many things wee haue reformed our wayes For so did Herod Iudas and many other temporary beleeuers But alas this reformation was not grounded vpon true humiliation and so at length it came to nought as an vnfounded building And therefore by humiliation first digge wee deepe in our hearts and cast out the rotten and vnsound ground and so build wee Excellent is the counsell of Christ to luke-warme Laodicea be zealous that is reforme the fault of thy luke-warmnesse Reuel 3. but withall he addes and Repent namely of thy lukewarmnesse let the reformation of thy fault be grounded on sound sorrow for it So may I say to the couetous be liberall and repent to the vncleane be chaste and repent to the neglecter of Gods worship frequent the Church and exercises of Religion and repent Many Professours haue made a goodly flourish and of couetous haue turned liberall and of prophane deuout and who so forward as they But when they turned religious they did not heartily repent and repine at their former prophanesse grieuing and grudging at the seruice which formerly they did Sathan They sowed not the seed of their obedience in tears nay with the stony ground they beganne in ioy and therefore end in sorrow Before haruest comes all is withered and they become vnfruitfull They beganne not in humility and therefore end not in glory Nay they beganne in pride and therefore end in shame They beganne in impenitency and therefore end in despaire And thus haue we opened the definition of Repentance CHAP. II. In what order Humiliation is wrought REpentance then consisting of those two parts Humiliation and Reformation let vs speake of them both seuerally And first of Humiliation where consider first the grace it selfe And secondly the contraries to it In the grace it selfe foure things are to be considered 1. The Nature 2. The Measure 3. The Vse and Excellency 4. The Practise 1. For the nature two poynts must bee considered 1. The nature of Humiliation in two things 1. In what order it is wrought 2. What are the qualities and propeties of it being wrought For the former it is thus to be considered 1. The spirit by the shrill trumpet of the Law arouseth the sinners drousie conscience setteth his 1. The order of it sinnes in order before him and presenteth him with that fearefull spectacle of eternall death and condemnation And that so that the poore sinner selfe-conuict and selfe-condemned holding vp his guilty hands before Gods Tribunall and receiuing the sentence of death doth not onely see hell with a wide and gaping mouth ready to deuoure him but euen in a manner feeleth himselfe in hell already the terrours of God fighting against him and the envenomed arrowes of the Almighty sticking in his ribbes so that in this perplexity being brought downe to the very gate of hell and feeling the very flashings of hell fire in his conscience he cries out Miserable man that I am who shall deliuer me Who shall descend into this deepe to Rom. 7. helpe me out of the myre wherein I sticke so fast A man in this case is like a rocke which with some mighty shaking is made to tremble but yet still retaines his hardnesse or as an iron vessell which with some violent stroakes is broken into peeces but these peeces remaine whole and hard and are not yet molten by the fire Now vnto humiliation there is required not onely a broken but also a contrite spirit And Contrition is when all is stamped to very dust and ground as it were to powder so that there is a through dissolution of that which before was firmely hardened and compacted together But the Law of it selfe cannot dissolue and soften the hard heart of man Therefore the sinner though neuer so violently shaken and battred with the thunderbolts of the Law is not as yet truely humbled but onely prepared for and in the way vnto humiliation As when a thing is torne and broken though into great and solide lumps it is neerer to dissolution then when it was whole and entire 2. Therefore the spirit by the hammer of the Law hauing broken vs doth in the next place by the fire of the Gospell melt vs. For the word of God Ierem. 23. 9. is both a hammer breaking the rockes and a fire A hammer in the Law A fire in the Gospell which with the heat of Gods loue in Christ doth melt mollifie and dissolue our hearts