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
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
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
all Against both these errours oppose wee both these assertions and thus doe we maintaine them 1. I say There is no sinne so hainous or hideous but there is place for Repentance the sinne against the holy Ghost alwayes reserued of which it is sayd that it is impossible that euer the offendors therein should be renewed by Repentance Not that Hebr. 6. the Arme of Gods power is shortned or the bowels of his mercy so straightned as though any sinne could ouercome either but as of a Physician though otherwise able and willing to heale a Patient it may be sayd yet hee cannot heale him if he bee obstinately wilfull and will neither endure the Physician but spits in his face nor his Physick but spils it on the ground euen so the case is here Therefore cannot this sinne be pardoned this spirituall disease be cured because this is the nature of it to rage and raue desperatly both against the physicke and against the Physician to trample Heb. 10. 29. the bloud of Christ vnder feet and to despight the spirit of God the sprinckler of this bloud and not to endure him when he perswades to prepare the heart to Repentance for the receit of that Soueraigne medicines But as for all other sinne Christ sayes I came to call sinners without exception to Repentance though Publicans and Harlots Princes of Sodome and Gomorra that is such as matched the filthy Sodomites Is 10. 16. in wickednesse are yet bidden to wash themselues in this riuer The conspirators against Christ are called to kisse the sonne namely with the Psal 2. kisses of that repenting woman Luc. 7. who would haue thoght that euer the crucifiers of Christ who shed his bloud by murther should haue drunke his blood by faith and imbruing their hands in the matter Acts 2. should haue bathed their soules in the merit therof And yet euen these are bidden Repent This is to comfort such whom the multitude and hainousnesse of their sinnes discourages as though there were no accesse to mercy by Repentance Vnto these God sayes Come let vs reason together Is 1. 18. Stand not reasoning with your owne distrustfull hearts but hearke what I say to you If yee will wash and clense your selues by Repentance Though your sinnes were as red as crimson c. yet then shall they be as white as snow O but my sinnes are exceeding great and aboue the ordinary seize why so much the more neede hast thou to repent the more dangerous the disease is the more is physick vsed And if thy sinne bee so great as thou complainest what meanest thou to make it greater by not repenting The greatnesse of thy sinne troubles thee Repentance will make it lesse it is only impenitency that is the condemning sinne O but the greatnesse of my sinne hinders me from repenting say not so Remember that Christ is thy physician and Repentance is his physicke Mat. 9. The whole neede not a Physician but the sicke I came not to call the Righteous but sinners to Repentance Wilt thou now make him so weake and vnskilfull a Physician that he should be good onely at a cold or at the rheume or some such petty infirmity and not able to deale with a burning pestilentiall feuer Indeed bodily diseases sometimes so weaken that there is no ability to receiue much lesse the power in the physicke receiued to worke Many diseases are there that pose the best Physicians Ludibria Medicorum and are their shame and reproch not so here Neuer art thou so low brought but Christ is able to make thee take his receit of Repentance and when it is once taken neuer doubt of the working for there is no sinne no spirituall disease that exceedes the skill of our spirituall Physician Iesus Christ And therfore so many examples we haue of horrible sinners renewed by Repentance as Rahab an Harlot Abraham an Idolater Manasses a Tyrant Paul a Persecutour those Magicians called at the birth that debauched theefe called at the death of Christ This doctrine condemneth the rigour of the Nouatians denying Repentance to them that fell away through feare in time of persecution It answereth also that Question concerning Relapse or Recidiuation into some greeuous sinne after Repentance for it namely whether such relapsed persons may be recouered againe by new Repentance This doctrine shewes plainely they may Because no sinne is excluded from Repentance saue that one vnpardonable And heereto adde these reasons 1 Relapse into some one perticular grieuous offence after Repentance seemes not to bee more heynous then a generall and long continued reuolt of one eminent in the profession of the trueth from religion to idolatry from holinesse to filthinesse of life But euen such a reuolt may be holpen by repentance as in Salomons case Therefore a relapse also 2 Repentance is Christs Phisick for sicke sinners Matth. 9. Now if temporall Physicke doe help relapses into the same diseases why may not repentance relieue relapses into the same sinnes 3 Christ commands vs to forgiue our brother vnto 70. times 7. times in one day if hee repent Now that which God bids vs doe in some measure Matth. 18. 22. we doe it and that good which we doe and haue we haue it from God and doe it by his helpe All our goodnesse and mercy is but a little particle out of his fulnesse a drop out of his Sea Therefore if there be such mercy in vs to forgiue those that after their repentance for some iniuries done vs offend againe in the same kind much more then in God the Father and fountaine of mercies 4 Neither want wee altogether example of Scripture Abrahams example Gen. 12. 19. hazarding his wiues chastity by a slippery pollicie and againe Genesis 20. 2. dashing his foote at the same stone is alleaged by some To the which wee may also adde that of Iohn worshipping the Angell the second time after the Angells rebuke for his former errour But in these examples there is no mention made of repentance after the first slip Though in all likelihood the rebuke of an Angell should preuaile with Iohn and of a heathen man with Abraham specially when hee saw Gods rebuke in the the danger he was in Besides that these seeme rather to bee examples of infirmities then of more grieuous offences whereof the question is made As for Peters dissimulation in his Iudaizing Gal. 2. it was nothing of that nature that his dissimulation was in denying Christ And therefore it cannot be counted such a Relapse as now we speake of The example of Ionas seemes fitter for this purpose his sinne was grieuous to runne away from God and forsake his ambassage to Niniueh and for it being grieuously punished in the whales belly hee there heartily repented as appeares Ionas 2. yet for all this when God spared Niniueh he was angry with him and iustified his former sinne and wished hee had neuer come thither which in effect
all this The Prophet therfore qualifies the matter saying If yee consent and verse 19. obey that is If ye consent to obedience in the sound and serious purposes and thoughts of your hearts ye shall eat the good things of the Land Though you cannot so thoroughly wash you yet consent to it and agree to it and it shall be accepted The second Care followes vpon this purpose the former Care ended when a man hath purposed and set downe with himselfe to do ought then he takes Care how to bring this purpose to passe The Repentant considers with himselfe that though now he be turned into the right way yet if he haue not his eyes in his head hee may easily lose it againe Hee is not ignorant how many impediments will encounter him in the way how many stumbling blockes will bee layd by Sathan besides that the olde Sepent will be behinde him nibbling at his heeles and assaying him to plucke him backe Now then these thoughts runne in his head I haue resolued to enter into this course alas how shall I be able to goe thorough it like the wise Luc. 14. builder he casts his accounts afore hand considers the weightinesse of Christianity and bethinkes himselfe how hee shall bee able to performe that which he hath vndertaken He obiects to himselfe resoluing to serue God as once Ioshua to the people saying We will serue the Lord Nay but yee cannot serue the Lord for he is an holy God hee is a iealous God Iosh 24 28. 19. c. So our Repentant in his first turning informs himselfe of the great difficulties that are in walking on in that way whereinto his feet are turning He considers that he is raised out of the graue of sinne but yet like Lazarus bound with napkins so Ioh. 11. is he still hampered with the bonds of many infirmities wich will quickely make him weary and faint And therefore now all his care is how hee may hold out and compasse that which hee hath propounded to himselfe Now this second Care he shewes in the practise of these duties 1. Because he knowes that in this building there are many enemies as once in the building of the wals of Ierusalem hee therefore shewes his Care in Nehem. 4 furnishing himselfe with spirituall weapons working with one hand and holding the sword of the spirit in the other 2. Being thus armed and prouided hee hath a vigilant and a watchfull eye against all occasions and meanes of sinne and hath a Care to auoyde them He is watchfull and carefull against the very first motions and whisperings of the olde Serpent saying vnto himselfe secretly as before Gods spirit did This is the way turne into it againe 3. Hee is carefull to doe all good duties both in his generall and in his speciall calling as to pray reade meditate instruct admonish Heare ô Israel Deut. 6. 3. and obserue to doe it saith Moses to the Israelites So heere is his care in that he obserues to doe all good duties 4. He is carefull to doe them in that holy manner which God requires Hee is not ignorant of Sathans wilinesse how he labours to interest and insinuate himselfe into our best actions Heere then is his Care that he goe with an euen foot and an vpright heart not out of a desire to bee seene of men and to haue praise from them Take heed how you giue your almes He obserues not onely that hee doe but how he doth good duties 5. Hee is carefull to apprehend all occasions of Good whatsoeuer are offered hee markes when God sends such men vnto him of whom hee may receiue further comfort and knowledge hee also markes when God puts such into his hands to whom hee may performe any good office and withall hee markes the season and opportunity When any accident of Gods speciall workes either of mercy or iudgement fals out in the world hee makes good vse of it as the Lord noted how Abraham vppon occasion of his iudgement on Sodom Gen. 18. 18. would thereby prouoke himselfe and his to a more carefull keeping of his Lawes By this now may we trye our selues whether we repent or no. Repentance we see is a very carefull thing fills our heads with many serious thoughts in things spirituall But alas with Martha we busie our heads with many things but in the meane time that one thing which is needfull is the least part of our care we lye secure in our sinnes and if any thought Luke 10. 41. be taken it is how to fulfill the lusts of the flesh Wee are like those women in Isay Arise ye women that sit Rom. 13. 14. at ease we eat drinke play and sleepe but as for our soules let God take care if he will wee list not to trouble our selues with such a burden Who is there almost who in the morning at his first arising entertaines these thoughts Oh how may I passe and bring about this day well How may I auoid Sathans snares restrain my owne corruption And as we looke not backe to say what haue I done so neither looke we forward to say what shall we doe Now we walk rashly hand ouerhead The repentant sinner is turned toward God and sees his great and awfull maiesty and therefore is exceeding carefull and respectiue of his carriage that he may not offend walking now in the eye of so great and withall so good a God Children when their Gouernours backes are turned vppon them play reakes but if once they see them then are they carefull of their behauiour 2. Duety is clearing Such is our owne weakenesse 2. Clearing and Sathans malice that be we neuer so carefull and watchfull ouer our waies yet wee shall oftentimes be ouertaken with heauinesse and drowsinesse and then is the enuious mans time to sow his tares and darnell for sinne to steale vpon vs Loe then what a repenting sinner will do in such a case If contrary to his purpose and carefull endeuor he ouer shoot himselfe and fall into some offence will he lye in his sinne and suffer his sinne to lye on his conscience vnquestioned No He cannot endure such guests hee knowes full well by deere bought experience what they are he will neuer be at quiet till they haue cleered his conscience of the guilt and defilement of the sinne He gets him presently into some corner with Peter and there not able to endure conscience to accuse him hee falls of accusing himselfe to God earnestly crauing his mercy neuer giuing ouer rapping at his gate till hee haue gotten Gods acquittance sealed for the pardon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of his sin This is the Apologie or Defence here spoken of the getting of Gods pardon signed and sealed with the bloud of his sonne that so when Sathan and Conscience shall come to dragge vs by the throats to hell we may plucke this pardon out of our bosomes and so chase them away
casts them vp euery day shall the easier cast them vp at the weekes end and he that casts them vp euery weeke shall the easier cast them vp at the yeeres end but hee that lets them runne on from day to day and from weeke to weeke hee shall finde them so perplexe and intricate as that they shall trouble his best braines to bring all ends together The practise of this continued repenatnce is 1 Hearty confession and bewailing of our sins to the Lord. 2 Carefull watchfulnes ouer our harts to keepe out all sinne 3. Strict examination of our selues at the dayes end and so censuring our selues for that we finde amisse with earnest calling on GOD for greater Grace 3 The third degree is renued repentance Repentance 3. Renued repentance Where is oftentimes discontinued interrupted or at least increases not so as it should therefore euer and anone it is in speciall sort to bee renued Now here are two things to be considered The practise and the times of this Repentance 1 The practise of this repentance what it is 1. The practise wherein it consists Ans 1. In performing the duties of Repentance handled before in generall in a greater measure and a more powerfull manner Acts 2. Corin. 7. 11. speaking of this renewed repentance which some call extraordinary repentance Beholde saith the Apostle what care what cleering c. They had care before but now a greater measure and a more watchfull care 2. In a more strickt examination of our selues Examination of our selues is to bee practised dayly but now a stricter and seuerer and that specially for our estate to godward And therefore this narrow search must discouer some secret infirmities before not found out As in reading ouer our owne workes or writings the second or third time wee espye that which we did not before So in the second reuiew of our liues by renued repentance we find out more sinnes then before 3. In a greater measure of contrition and humiliation as in those Israelites drawing buckets of water in a greater plenty of teares deeper sighes and sobbes 2. The times and occasions of this renued repentance 2. The times They are fiue 1. When wee are to performe speciall seruices to God because then wee may feare least our former negligences may come vp in account against vs therefore we must in speciall sort renue our repentance and so seeke vnto God Thus before the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Paul commands a 1. Cor. 11. 31. Gen. 35. 1. 2. c. renuing of our repentance and a fresh iudging and condemning our selues Thus Iakob renued his repentance before he went vp to Bethell and purged his family of the idolls This God also first cals for before our approching into his presence in the duties of his worship wash you make you cleane and then Isay 1. 16. 18. Come and let vs reason together So oft then as an holy seruice is to bee performed to God wee must renue our Repentance 2. When wee seeke for any speciall blessing at the hands of God Because then our sinnes may interpose themselues and so intercept the blessing desired then are wee especially to renue our repentance As when our aduersaries renue the battell against vs wee are to renew our preparation against them so must we doe heere Thus Isaac when he Gen. 24. Gen. 32. 9. sought the blessing of a good wife went out into the fields into some secret corner or other to pray Acts. 1. in speciall manner vnto the Lord. So did Iakob when he sought the mercy of deliuerance from his brother Esau So the election of ministers in the Primitiue Church was done with prayer 3 In speciall afflictions when God corrects our dulnesse and by them as by whetstones seemes to sharpen our repentance and to put an edge vppon our prayers So did Dauid in the rebellion of his son 2. Sam. 15. 26. 30. 2. Chron. 20. Absolom and Iehoshaphat when the Moabites and Ammonites came vp against him And this is that which the Prophet calls for Search your selues Zeph. 2. 1. search your selues before the decree come foorth c. wishing them in that speciall affliction to enter into a speciall examination and search of all their waies 4 In and after our speciall falls and sinnes whether grosse and more palpable or more secret such as are dulnesse coldnesse security Thus Dauid after his two sinnes of adultery and murther in a most speciall sort renued his repentance in his priuate confession to Nathan and his publique confession 2. Sam. 12. 13. Psal 51. to the whole Church Peter after his deniall went out and wept bitterly So when the Church of Ephesus was fallen into coldnesse and security the Lord calls vppon her to remember from whence Reuel 2. 5. shee was fallen to repent and doe her first workes 5. At the time of death Then because the children of God take their farewell of repentance they take also their fill of it they thinke with themselues this is the last act of my repentance it shall be therfore the best And in death Sathans temptations and consciences accusations will be strongest and therefore our preparation against them must bee more then ordinary On the sixt day the Israelites gathered double Manna because none was to bee gathered by the day following the day of rest So because the time after death is a time of rest and Sabbath from repentance therefore then should there bee a double portion of Repentance Euery motion is the swiftest towards the center It is good indeed to see men ioyfull and comfortable in their death but yet withall if we see them not humbled and penitent wee may iustly suspect their ioy Euen the holy Martyrs who exceeded in spirituall ioy and had the greatest cause of ioy that might bee were yet great in their repentance at their death Hezekiah receiuing the sentence of death turned to the wall and prayed and wept sore 2. King 20. Here mark the preposterous course of the world that make death the time of beginning repentance whereas it is indeed onely the time of renuing repentance begunne and practised before in our life-time Obiect But the thiefe on the crosse began to repent but at his death Ans It was a miracle with the glory whereof our Sauiour would honor the ignominy of the crosse We may almost as well expect a second crucifying of Christ as such a second thiefe Christ then triumphing on the crosse did as Princes doe in the triumph of entring into their kingdomes they pardon grosse offences before committed such as they pardon not afterwards CHAP. XVIII Of the motiues to Repentance from the euill it remooues HAuing thus absolued the doctrine of Repentance it will not bee amisse to close vp this Treatise with some perswasiues motiues wherby men may be induced to the practise of it Indeed the bare necessity of it might mooue but such is our dulnesse that