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 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
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
neuer thus yeeld nor relent toward God 6. It is further added so humbleth himselfe for It consisteth of two parts his sinne that he turnes from it to the Lord. In which words I set downe the two maine and essentiall parts of Repentance namely Contrition or Humiliation and Conuersion or Reformation That both these are required to repentance may appeare 1. By the very names which Repentance hath both in Hebrew Greeke and Latine In Hebrew it is called both Nacham and Teshubha the former 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying erking the latter turning Answerable in the Greeke Metameleia signifies after-griefe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or anxiety of minde after the doing of somewhat Metanoia after-wit or after-wisdome when 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seeing our errour or slip we are better aduised and change our minde So Poenitentia as the word imports the paine of griefe and Resipiscentia the mindes recouering of wisdome or becomming wiser after our folly This harmony of languages as touching the names of Repentance shewes plainely there must bee in it these two things griefe for that which is done amisse and a change of our minde from that it was before 2. By the phrases and manner of speech which the Scripture vseth touching Repentance Sometimes repenting for or of as vncleannesse 2. Cor. 12. 21. for idolatry Reuel 9. 20. which cannot otherwise be vnderstood then of griefe for the committing of such sinnes But sometimes we meet with Repentance from Repent from thy wickednesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 8. 22. And Repentance from dead workes Heb. 26. 2. which cannot in any congruity of speech note griefe but onely a change or departure from sinne 3. By the description of it in this sort in the Scripture when it cals men to repentance as Ioel 2. 11. Turne to the Lord with weeping Rend your hearts and turne to the Lord. That is in one word Repent So Iames 4. after that Psal 8. he had sayd Draw neere to God which is the generall or whole of Repentance afterward explaining it in the particulars he addeth first Clense your hearts and purge your hands There is Renouation or Reformation and then Psal 9. 10. Suffer affliction that is bee touched with smarting griefe for your sinnes as if you were in some grieuous outward affliction Let your laughter be turned into weeping humble your selues vnder the mighty hand of God There is the other part Contrition or Humiliation And 2. Chron. 7. 14. God promising mercy to his people vpon condition of their repentance hee thus describes their repentance If they shall humble themselues and turne from their euill wayes making repentance to stand in these two points in humbling themselues for and turning themselues from their sinnes Ob. 2 Cor. 7. 10. Godly sorrow worketh Repentance Heere sorrow is distinguished from repentance as the cause from the effect Answ Repentance as may appeare by that already spoken sometimes signifies onely one part of repentance sometimes onely the change and alteration of minde sometimes onely the touch of the affections An example of the former is the place obiected as also Ier. 18. If they repent it shall repent me of the euill I had thought that is I will alter my mind and repeale my threatnings And Acts 11. 18. where the Iewes hauing heard Peter relate the descents of the holy Ghost vpon the Gentiles in hearing his sermon conclude thereon Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted Repentance vnto life There was no mention made of any sorrow or humiliation but onely of the wonderfull descent of the holy Ghost causing them to speake strange tongues and to magnifie the name of God Which strange change of their mindes by the holy Ghost it seemeth they call repentance But there are examples of the latter also where repentance onely signifies sorrow and displeasure with our selues as Gen. 6. It repenteth me I made man Luc. 17. It repenteth me the speech of a trespasser crying him mercy whom hee hath offended And Acts 26. 20. That they should repent and turne to God Where Repentance being so plainely distinguished from Conuersion must needes be restrained to the signification of sorrow and humiliation But as from this place we may not gather that Repentance is not a turning to the Lord no more may we from that other 2. Cor. 7. that it is not a godly sorrow Ob. One part is not a cause of his fellow-part But sorrow is a cause of the change of mind 2. Cor. 7. 10. Therefore sorrow and change of minde are not fellow-parts of Repentance Answ One part may bee a cause of his fellow-part As sanctification of the soule is the cause of the sanctification of the body And yet both are parts of sanctification Ob. Contrition seems to be a part of the change and alteration For what greater change then for a hard heart to turne soft and a stony to become fleshie And this is contrition or humiliation Therefore Humiliation and Alteration are not well distinguished Answ The Apostle plainely distinguisheth them when he saith Godly sorrow causeth Repentance that is the change of minde For though godly sorrow bee a part and peece of that passiue change which is wrought in vs at the first instant of our calling by God yet it is a cause of the actiue change whereby we change and alter the purpose and resolution of our harts before set on sinne and now turne them to the Lord. For were it not that we felt the bitternesse of our sinnes and were truly touched in conscience for them wee would neuer in good sadnesse forsake and abrenounce them Howsoeuer then some late Diuines take the word Repentance more restrainedly some onely for a godly sorrow others only for a turning from sinne to the Lord yet the truth is that Repentance accordingly as it is described in the Scripture is the connexion of them both Vse Heere then is the triall of our Repentance If humiliation and Reformation both meete together then is our Repentance accomplished But either of these single make but a halfe and a halting repentance An vnreformed sorrow is but deformed And a sorrowlesse reformation is but a very sorry one Humiliation without reformation is a foundation without a building And reformation without humiliation is a building without a foundation To lay a foundation and not to build on it is to no purpose but to expose our selues to laughter Luc. 14. This man began but could not finish To build without a foundation is to play the foolish builder Luc. 6. 48. for that building will soone fall and so all our labour will be lost Heere then is discouered a double errour in repentance 1. Of such hypocrites as make much adoe and seem to lay their sins much to heart yet stil continue in them bathing cherishing not drowning choaking them in their tears Such a one was Ahab who crept crouched put on sackcloath being threatned for his cruelty against Naboth
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
there are that doe ioy to make long and large accounts of their leaudnesse feeding their delights with their liues past as the dogge returneth to smell of his cast gorge and the horse to his doung yea when by Confession they haue disgorged their sinne they presently with the dogge licke vp their vomit againe Others there are that are fully set vpon sinne in confessing As those Israelites that said we haue sinned we will goe vp As much as to say wee haue Deut. 1 41. sinned we will sinne for God forbad them flatly to goe vp Others there are that as the Papists presume to sinne because of confession thinking by it to bee eased as the drunkard by vomiting And though some in their good moodes may seeme in confession verily to purpose amendment yet these are no sound no settled no sincere and honest purposes but sudden flashings conceiued by their deceitfull hearts rather to auoyd the iudgements felt or feared then truely to please God But wee in our confession must imitate that good Shecaniah who in confessing sinne entred into Couenant Ezra 10. 2. 3. with the Lord against the sinne confessed We haue sinned now therefore let vs enter into couenant with the Lord. Otherwise confession the remedy against sin is turned into sin The remedy encreaseth the disease Some of the Heathen in the daies of sacrifice to their Idols for health did riotously banquet to the preiudice of their health So to too many of vs in the very selfe same dayes we confesse our sins wee runne afresh to our sinnes And God in his iust iudgement punishes hypocriticall confession with a further greedinesse of sinning When the heart is not rent with the garments the rending of the garments sowes the sinne faster together when the heart and conscience is not knocked together with the brest that knocking will neuer batter sin but consolidate and compact it more firmely together Tundens pertus non corrigens vitia ea consolidat Aug. it will be as the knocking of a naile which driues it further in In the next place to Confession wee must ioyne 2. In Deprecation Deprecation with strong cries crauing pardon euen as the poore hunger-bitten begger does an almes or as the cast malefactour pleads for his life at the barre before the Iudge Thus did Dauid Haue mercy vpon me ô Lord according to the multitude of thy compassions Psal 51. c. And Daniel O Lord heare ô Lord Dan. 9. forgiue againe and againe repeating his cries In these penitentiall prayers we may note these two things First that they be deepely serious the guilty theefe pleading for his life goes not about to entertaine the Iudges eares with quaint phrases and fine words but he studies to shew the passion and affection of his heart There are some lusty beggars that in begging will keepe a flourishing in their Rhetoricke such as it is A wise man will neuer be moued to compassionate them Hee will thinke they are not throughly hungerbitten they would vse another kind of dialect then and leaue their fooleries and fall to humble and pittiful complaints and groanes As Salomon saies The poore man speaketh supplications so the repenting sinner Prou. 18. beeing poore in spirit speakes supplications The best flowers he can garnish his prayers with are his sighes his sobbes his groanes his cries This is the Rhetoricke of repentance in prayer The affectation of carnall eloquence in prayer shewes there is little repentance in such praiers 2 That oftentimes affection in them is so strong that wordes faile Rom. 8. 26. Dauid when Nathan had wounded him cryed out I haue sinned Why will some say did he not go on and craue pardon his inward griefe was such that hee could not in wordes in desire of heart hee did his heart was full and the seedes of the 51. Psalme were then in his breast So the Publicane said no more but Lord be mercifull to me a sinner yet there was affection Luke 18. meditation enough to haue spent a whole day in prayer and not onely to furnish that one short sentence Lord be mercifull Some haue more words then matter in their prayers but humbled repentants haue more matter then wordes and so are streighted as great throngs of people pressing out at some narrow passage sticke fast and cannot goe forward but very slowly Some are very short in praier for want of matter and affection but repenting sinners are short because of the aboundance of matter and affection being as full vessells that doe not runne presently at the first piercing or as the flesh that in deeper wounds bleeds not presently Thus was it with the repenting prodigall he purposed to speake thus and thus to his Father Luc. 15. Namely Father I haue sinned c. make mee but as one of thy hired seruants Now this last clause he leaues out when he comes to his Father by reason his heart was so surcharged with griefe his passions drunke vp his speech as wee see how Christs teares made his speech broken and imperfect Luk. 19 41. And fit it is indeede there should bee this sweete harmony betwixt the repenting sinners heart and tongue his broken heart and his broken prayers The vse Seeing the practise of true humiliation consisteth in these exercises of Confession and deprecation let vs in Gods feare buckle to the serious practise of them Hast thou sinned Suffer not sinne to lye vpon thy conscience Cast vp thy confession suffer not the impostumation any longer to paine thee with the swelling but giue a vent to the humor and so get ease Dauid professeth that neither in silence nor in roaring hee could finde any ease till he came to confession But I thought I would confesse and then thou forgauest Among men indeede Psal 32 Deo peccatum dicere sufficit et solicitur In hominibus vero contrarium peniâ—us cum peccatores confessi fuerint tunc magis puniuÌ„tur Chrysost ad pop Ant. hom 3. 1. Iohn 1. 2. Sam. 24. in their Courts confession brings no such priuilege there confesse and bee hanged after confession followes condemnation but here confession and iustification goe together If we confesse God is faithfull to forgiue it must needs be some special seruice which God promiseth so great a reward vnto Dauid after his sinne of numbring the people proueth himselfe to be Gods seruant because he confessed it Take away the trespasse of thy seruant yea but how darest thou call thy selfe Gods seruant who hast so lately and so grieuously sinned He answers for I haue done foolishly Though I am not his seruant in playing the foole yet in confessing my folly I am his seruant Iob among many fruits of obedience as Iustice Mercy Chastity whereby hee would proue himselfe Gods seruant reckons also this of Iob 31. confession If I haue hid my sinne as did Adam equalling the confession of his sinnes with the best of his vertues For as hee onely can
the euill that I thought to bring vpon them Thus the Nineuites repentance wrought repentance in God God saw their workes that they turned from their euill wayes and God repented of the euill that hee Ion 3. 10. had said he would doe vnto them and he did it not Thus by their repentance was the threatned sentence reuersed A strange thing as Chrysostome hath noted that the condemned Malefactors repentance should repeale the Iudges sentence and a thing altogether vnvsuall in the Courts of men yet in Gods court repentance doth not onely frustrate Gods owne casting sentence but turnes it into an acquitting sentence doth not onely turne backe the euills to be expected but brings the contrary blessings which could neuer bee expected That murtherous and adulterous marriage betwixt Dauid and Bathsheba how many heauy curses did it threaten yet they seriously repenting all curses turned into blessings Christ came of this marriage and Salomon the eldest sonne thereof was the most eminent man for gifts that euer was and in his posteritie did the kingdome continue for many generations Loe how Repentance was more powerfull to draw downe blessings then murther and adulterie both together with their vnited forces to bring downe curses For this is a certaine rule in all vnlawfull entrances into any Calling that After-Repentance is counteruayleable to a lawfull entrance and both keeps backe the punishments due to vnlawfull entrance and sometimes brings greater blessings of God then a lawfull entrance Wouldest thou then keep backe those plagues thy sinnes haue deserued the way is to repent Repent of thy sinne and God will repent of his plagues Gods anger is often in Scripture compared to fire now looke what power the elementary water hath against fire to quench it when it is beginning to flame and burst out the same vertue is in the water of the teares of Repentance to keep the fire of Gods wrath from breaking out vpon vs in his punishments This is the water that can only preuent the burning of this fire 2 Because sometimes notwithstanding our Repentance 2. Remouing God sees it fit to lay some chastisements vpon vs for the furtherance and increase of our repentance to shew his hatred of sinne and for the example of others as in Dauid punished with the losse of his child after his Repentance for his adulterie and in Ionah throwen into the sea after his repentance for his disobedience therefore though the power of repentance appeare not in keeping backe the affliction that it touch vs not yet appeares the power of it in the taking away of the affliction in due time If my people saith the Lord 2. Chro 7. 14. vpon whom my name is called doe humble themselues and pray and seeke my presence and turne from their 2. Chron. 33. wicked wayes then will I heare in heauen and be mercifull to their sinne and will heale their land After Manassehs repentance had broken the fetters of Sathan and his sinnes it also broke the yrons he was held in in prison And repentance was the same to him that the Angell was to Peter which opened Act. 12. the prison and loosed his fetters Loe the Angelicall vertue of repentance So Ionahs repentance was as a powerfull vomit to the Whale and made him cast him vp safe vpon the land Ionah his repentance was as powerfull as the three childrens faith It ouercame the fire of the whales belly as well as their faith the fire of Nebucadnezzars furnace yea it did not ouercome the fire onely but the water also in the Seas that they could not drowne him So Iob repenting recouered all his losses and receiued double riches and possessions 3. If afflictions still abide with vs and we cannot 3. Sweetning and sanctifying as yet be deliuered yet Repentance is a sweet comforter and so brings a mitigation of our afflictions If it cannot plucke out the poyson yet it shall turne it to wholsome food so that affliction shall be as no affliction and according to the Apostles counsell we shall weep as if we wept not If a man feele 1. Cor. 7. the grace of Repentance in his afflictions so that he can go to God and confesse and bewayle his sinnes calling vpon him for mercy and renewing his couenant with him his affliction shall not so much grieue him as this his repentance shall cheere and reioyce him For to say the truth in all our afflictions it is more our sinne then the affliction that pinches vs. Sinne is a thorne in the flesh which makes but the touch of the finger painfull whereas if that thorne were not the stroake of the whole hand might be endured without any paine Now repentance takes away that thorne that is sinne and so makes our afflictions both easy and comfortable None so meeke quiet patient silent and cheerefull in affliction as the Repentant sinner The more repentance the more ease in afflictions Onely the impaenitent are impatient He that hath two burdens on his backe at once must needs feele more trouble then he that hath onely one Now the impenitent sinner hath two burdens his affliction and his sinne which addes weight to his affliction and layes as it were the hand to presse it downe vpon vs. But the penitent sinner hath but one burden his affliction as for sinne the other burden his repentance hath eased him of it Therefore Dauid prayes Looke on my affliction and trauell and forgiue me my sinne Then is Psal 25. 18. our affliction eased when our sinne is forgiuen which cannot be without repentance for it is sinne onely that exasperates affliction and is as salt and vineger to a sore it is sinne that makes it smart Thus did Dauids repentance ease and sweeten the 2. Sam. 12. affliction of his childes death when by prayer fasting and such like exercises of Repentance he had remooued the cause of affliction his sinne his affliction was not bitter and burdensome but his Repentance inabled him cheerefully to rise vp and refresh himselfe And this is the reason why the children of God as hath been shewed haue alwaies in their afflictions afresh renewed their Repentance that they might if not wholy free themselues from their affliction yet from the stinge and torment of it and might gaine if not deliuerance from yet patience and comfort in it for this is the admirable power of Repentance that it turnes euen crosses into comforts losses into gaines and aduantages as contrarily impaenitent lying in sinne turnes comforts into crosses and helps into hinderances Ionah while he went on impaenitently in his disobedience the ship could not saue him nor all the skill of the Marriners but when he once repented then neither the waters could drowne him nor the heat of the fishes maw consume him When he was in his sinne then the windes the seas and all were against him when in repentance all for and with him the Sea and the Whales belly kept him safer then
say The Scripture is a dumbe iudge The Church must interpret it Christ the head of the Church and the authour of the Scripture though by the power he had he might haue interpreted this Scripture yet hee would not that hee might giue vs an example how to cleere the Scriptures when any doubts arise namely diligently to confer one place with another Therefore must the whole Scripture be read that with attention with obseruation Doct. 4 4. That the Scriptures must be read with the spirit of application This appeares by the manner of Christs alledging this text for in Deuteronomy it is in The Scripture must be read with the spirit of applicatiō the plurall yee shall not tempt heere it is in the singular spoken to euery one in particular and so to Christ Thou shalt not tempt It is the fashiō of men to take that which is spoken generally to all to be spoken to none or rather to others then to themselues and therfore in hearing and reading the word they put it off from themselues But heere we see Christ applyed that ro himselfe which was spoken generally to the whole body of the Israelites So Psal 40. It is written of mee saith Dauid in the volum of thy Psal 40. booke that I should doe thy will No where is it so written of Dauid by name But the generall commandements giuen to men of his place hee applied particularly to himself We must apply those things that are spokē in the Scriptures to our selues as Paul applies that to the Hebrewes Heb. 13. which was spoken by name to Ioshua I will not faile thee Iosh 1. Heb. 13. So Peter applies that of Gods patience written by Iosh 1. Paul to the Romanes Rom. 2. vnto the Iewes As Rom. 2. our beloued brother Paul wrote to you 1. Pet. 3. This particular application is that which incorporats the 2. Pet. 3. word into vs And as it must bee in the commandements so likewise in the promises as we saw in the former verse and in the threatnings also The Papists say where is it said by name to any man Thou Peter or Iohn shalt be saued I aske where is sayd to any by name Doe thou this or that sweare not sanctifie the Sabboth and yet commandements belong to vs why then by the same reason also doe not the promises though not spoken to vs by name The second poynt The Scripture Christ doth alledge 2. The particular Scripture alledged by Christ Mal. 3. 10. Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God It containes a prohibition of tempting God Obiect Mal. 3. 10. God bids vs prooue him For whereas to tempt God is to proue or try some property or properties in him to see whether he bee so powerfull patient iust wise and mercifull as hee hath reuealed himselfe in his word it is impossible wee should liue in the world and conuerse in our callings without hauing this triall Answ A thing is tried either when there is no other end in the vse but to try it or when vsed for some other purposes As an horse is tried both when I ride him for no other end but to trie him and when I ride about necessary businesse Now it is the former trying and tempting of God that is condemned which is a needlesse trying And it is twofold Mixt and Simple Mixt tempting 1. Mixt tempting is that which is compounded of infidelity and presumption And this tempting of God is in euery sinne that is committed against the cleere light and checke of conscience For first thorough infidelity in such sinnes men try 1. Gods knowledge whether he know their sinne or no. 2. His iustice in case he know it 3. The truth of his threatnings 4. His power in case he be iust and true Secondly thorough presumption they trie his mercy and patience In which regard such sinnes are called presumptuous sinnes Psal 19. 13. This shewes the Psal 19. 13. hainousnesse of such sinnes as are committed against knowledge Therfore such sinners are called proud sinners Mal. 3. 11. and tempters of God So likewise Numb 14. 22. those that were disobedient Mal. 3. 11. Numb 14. 22. notwithstanding they had seene Gods glory and miracles in Aegypt are sayd to tempt God So Ananias and Sapphiraes hypocrisie is called tempting of God in this regard Acts 5. 9. Acts 5. 9. Simple Tempting is twofold 2. Simple tempting 1. Of infidelity 2. Of presumption 1. Of Infidelity When not content with that 1. Of Infidelity God hath done already to settle our faith wee prescribe him meanes of our owne Examples Exod. 17. Exod. 17. 7. 7. God must shew his presence by giuing them water at that time or else not amongst them So Ps 78. Psal 78 41. 41. These two ioyned together They tempted they limited the Holy one of Israel Thus did they Luc. 11. Luc. 11. tempt Christ in demanding a signe and so heere the diuell We must take heed of this The Diuell will bee ready to put such thoughts as these into our mindes If God bee our God and so as the word saies let him shew it by doing this or that This is horrible tempting of God 2. Of Presumption When we in the vaine expectation 2. Of Presumption of Gods helpe and grace either doe that we ought not or omit that we should doe There are three maine particulars of this 1. When without any iust calling from God we rush our selues into danger whether certaine or ineuitable 1. When without iust calling we rush into any danger or very probable When God cals vs then we haue reason to expect his helpe according to his promise Examples heereof are first in things temporall as to rush into houses infected or possessed by Satan to set open the doores in the night to ride thorough doubtfull places and in dangerous times without weapons which besides the tempting of God is a tempting of man oftentimes So to runne to the aduersaries of the truth and to put our selues into the Lyons mouth Heere certaine heroicall examples of some carried by an extraordinary spirit are to be excepted Secondly in things spirituall to goe into dangerous places and companies where we are likely to be corrupted to goe see the masse with Peter to goe into Caiaphas hall to marry with idolaters and prophane persons to entertaine prophane companions and seruants to reade Popish bookes not being first grounded in religion and without praying vnto God that thou mayst not be led into temptation reading also in filthy play-bookes and raking in such filthy dung-hils venturing the beeing poysoned with the stench for the hope of finding some conceited iewell in a word when we cast our selues vpon temptations and dangerous occasions of sinne that wee might well enough auoyd wee tempt God This was Salomons sinne Eccles 2. in following his pleasures and delights as if a man should put his finger into the fire