spirit of bondage and worldly sorrow a repentance to be repented of But if thou hatest sin because God hateth it and resoluest not to doe it for his sake as Ioseph all is well 2. It will follow that the lopping and cutting off of some sins is not Repentance vnlesse the roots bee stocked and grubbed vp for this is not a change but a restraining of washboughs that will come againe Thou abstainest from swearing but doest thou feare an oath Thou actest not sin but doest thou hate it and put it away 3. That conquering of sin is not alwaies reformation turning from sin for one sin may conquer another Sathan may be cast out by Beelzebub Ambition may conquer couetousnesse hypocrisie may ouer-master many sins but this is far from Repentance For by the feare of the Lord a good man departeth from euill I set the Lord euer in my sight that I should not sin against him When grace and Gods feare thus conquereth sin it is a good signe 4. Euery change and reformation is not Repentance vnlesse the whole man be changed The whole man must turn both inward and outward in both all faculties and parts But with this caution that this change in euery part is but in part and imperfect as the Ayre in the dawning is light in euery part but in part and as luke-warme water heat is in euery part with cold Reason 1. The Scripture calleth for a through change and sanctification in the soule body and spirit 1. Thes. 5.25 The whole man must turne from the power of Sathan unto God The whole man must be made of an old a new man Ephes. 4.23 2. Else the remedy will bee short of the disease for the whole man is turned from God by sinne and Repentance must turne backe the whole man Deceiue not your selues in this great and weighty point some finde a change in their minde and haue some illumination and rest in that as Repentance But howeuer it is true that the first thing in Repentance is the change of the mind from darknesse to light yet Repentance is not the turning of the vnderstanding vnto truth vnlesse the will also be turned to God It is no repentance for a Papist to bee neuer so deuout humble charitable penitent if hee turne not his minde to the truth It is no repentance in a Protestant to imbrace the truth in iudgement and profession and liue vnreformed and vnanswerable vnto it for his will must be changed as well as his mind 5. Euery change of the whole man is not Repentance vnlesse it be from whole sin for Repentance turneth from all sin and continueth not any Obiect No Repentance can get away all sin in this life Answ. Not that it bee not but that it rage not The Iebusite will dwell within our borders but see he be subdued and commanded 1. That Repentance is not true which is not generall 2. To look backe vpon any sin is to turne the backe vpon God and to turne from one sin to another is not Repentance Herods reformation was farre from Repentance for howsoeuer hee did many things hee would not part with his Herodias Keep no bosome sin 6. Turning from all sin is not Repentance vnlesse thou turnest to God Ceasing from euill is not Repentance vnlesse thou learne to doe good nor casting off the old man vnlesse thou put on the new Now to turne to God is to get a sincere purpose desire and endeauour to walke according to all Gods commandements Try thy Repentance Hath thy sorrow bin deep and godly Hast thou got beyond ciuilitie Imbracest thou the grace thou didst trample before as a Swine vnder feet Hast thou changed thy soule thy whole man from whole sin to God CAP. 6. Rules concerning persons that must repent NOw in prosecuting the practice of Repentance I will confine my selfe within these bounds 1. Propound the rules and directions to guide vs in the duetie 2. The lots or chiefe impediments which hinder Repentance 3. The meanes and helpes for the happy performance of it 4. The signes and marks of a man truely repenting 5. The motiues or inducements to prouoke vs to Repentance 1. The rules or directions to guide vs in this duety concerne 1. The persons that must repent 2. the sinnes to bee repented of 3. the manner 4. the time The generall rule concerning the persons is That all and euerie man must repent The word in the Text is indefinite Except yee repent that is all of you Acts 17 30. But now admonisheth euery man euery where to repent The doctrine of Repentance is preached to all 1. All haue sinned and turned away from God all are depriued of the glory of God there is none that doth good no not one 1. Ioh. 1.8 If any man say hee hath not sinne he deceiueth himselfe and the truth is not in him Iam. 3.2 In many things we sin all therfore all haue need to repent All men are vnder sin Rom. 3.9 that is all men in respect of naturall corruption and actuall pollution are equally vnder the guilt and punishment of sin the sentence of the Law the curse of God A matter of such danger as a man had better bee vnder the weight of all the mountaines in the world than vnder the weight of sinne vpon his soule therefore euery man must repent 2. Euery man will say hee would haue his sins remitted therefore euery man must repent for Repentance and Remission of sins goe hand in hand Marke 1.9 Iohn preached the baptisme of Repentance for Remission of sins and the state of impenitency is a state of perdition Except ye repent ye shall perish for you are yet in your sins 3. Euery one will say hee would bee saued and come to heauen at last but without Repentance can be no saluation neither is there place in heauen for an impenitent person flesh and bloud shall not inherit the Kingdome of God Without shall be dogs and swine not washed from their filthinesse Consider the commandement Ier. 4.14 Wash thy heart from filthinesse that thou maiest be saued 2. The threatning If Christ wash thee not then thou hast no part in him 3 The appropriated onely to those that haue part in the first resurrection the second death shall haue no power ouer them 4 The folly of a man that aymeth at a high excellent end and neuer thinketh of the way and meanes to attayne that end so it is to thinke of heauen and not of Repentance the way and means to it Hence will follow 1 If all men then naturall and vnregenerate men be they neuer so ciuill must hasten their Repentance For 1 They are as clouds without water trees dead without fruit condemned persons without a pardon the law hath read an after sentence of death vpon them And a madnesse were it for a Fellon to looke to bee quit by that law that condemneth him that stare is nothing but death onely Faith and Repentance of the
vers 31. Then shall you remember your owne wickednesse and your deedes which were not good and iudge your selues worthy to be destroyed for your sinnes therefore shal the house of Israel be ashamed and confounded for your owne waies vers 31. 2 This remembrance of former sinnes though pardoned preserueth and bloweth vp the embers and keepeth aliue godly sorrow in the soule Zach. 12.10 The looking on him whom wee haue pierced exciteth all that haue receiued the spirit of grace and compassion to mourne for him as their first borne Peter remembring what himselfe had done and his master had said went out and wept bitterly Hereby our Repentance is renewed daily and the wound made bleed afresh 3 As it is our happinesse that God once pardoning our sinnes forgetteth them and neuer remembreth them more so it is a signe and way of our happinesse that our selues forget them not but hold them before the eye of our mindes to containe vs in constant humiliation for them 2 He will aggrauate his sin when he beholdeth it hee will excuse none extenuate none he will not mince nor hide any as Adam nor cast it off himselfe vpon others shoulders as Saul The people did it But he weigheth his sinnes in a true ballance which hath shewed none of them to be light he will put in so many weights as to bring him to a iust humiliation If his sins be of a bloudy dye his heart shall bleed with godly sorrow If they haue beene sinnes of knowledge and after illumination or after admonition or with vehemence or repetition or in hatefull manner with cursing and swearing as Peters was Oh this will bring backe bitter sorrow brinish teares here is cause to weepe bitterly If his sins haue beene old sins as old sores and festers long continued in and liued in till the eleuenth or twelfth houre the longer and more painefull will be the cure the more willing will hee be to open them and content to haue them handled If they haue beene committed in foule circumstances as to haue beene drunke or disordered on the Sabbaoth day to be rude or irreligiously disposed in the Church vnder the eye of God to run ryot against good counsell against the directions of the Word and motions of the spirit the fouler the sinne the deeper will be the sorrow But if they haue beene after Repentance vowes promises after fasting prayer now the weight increaseth marueilously vpon the soule A good heart will hardly thinke any Repentance enough for such sinne Farre from true Repentance is that false heart that is more ashamed to confesse sin than to commit it and in confession doth it in the grosse and lumpe with excuses and extenuations and in making shew of sorrow is as a cloud without raine soone blowne ouer he hath neuer a teare of godly sorrow for foulest sinnes or if any too soone dryed away He that can plead for his sin and defend bad actions with faire pretences as Saul saueth the fat against the commandement for sacrifice that can rob God and his Ministers of their right pretending a reach of wisedome or publike care beyond all others that can plead for their vsury a practise of charity as doing as they would be done to their iniustice and false arts in trading because they doe as others doe and else they cannot liue or their non-residency because of their charge or a way to preferment all these and all others that hold vp bucklers for their sins neuer yet knew what Repentance meant In a word he that can please himselfe in the remembrance of his sinne that can glory how he hath ouer-reached his brother which is ordinary in trading that can reioyce in the pleasure or profit gotten by sinne is farre from Repentance A good heart the more pleasing or profitable any sinne hath beene wil lament so much the more 3 He hateth and shunneth all sinne euery where This indignation and bitter hatred against sinne is made a fruit and note of true repentance 2. Cor. 7.11 Can. 5.4 See how the Church rated her selfe for her folly and vnkindnesse against Christ and no maruaile For 1 If we look at God he hateth all sin with a deadly hatred and all that loue the Lord must hate all that is euill And the more a man conceiueth God his friend the lesse friendly can he be to his sin and the more fauour a man expecteth from God the lesse can he fauour any sin 2. If hee looke at his sin he seeth it a serpent and hateth it though the sting be gone by a spirituall and gracious Antipathy And now the league being broken he will neuer be friends any more with it but in anger as Ephraim to his Idols say Get thee hence what baue I more to do with you 3. If he looke on sinne in the euills it hath formerly wrapped him in he cannot but shunne feare and fly it A burnt childe dreadeth the fire A man once stung with an Adder will fly from all Serpents A man that hath felt the paines of broken bones by his fals will feare to fall and looke better to his feet An impenitent person may forbeare to sweare but a true conuert feareth an oath Eccles. 9 So he feareth to breake the Sabbath is affraid of couetousnes worldlinesse drunkennesse profanenesse and other sins and this not in respect of his owne skin only but in respect of God now reconciled vnto him Euen as a deare Wife feareth to offend her louing Husband to whom she was lately married 4. Hee resisteth and holdeth fight against all sin euen those that he cannot conquer he combateth against As Iacob said of the people of the â—and after the slaughter of the Sichâ—mites Now will they hate vs and therfore will raise their powers against vs to destroy vs euen so a godly heart hating sin will rayse all his power against it to destroy the whole bodie of sin wil reuenge vpon it as his capitall enemie A Subiect that hath taken vp armes against his Prince and Countrey and gone out in rebellion with rebels and traytors if once hee come to see his offence on the one side and the Princes clemencie on the other pardoning his offence and sauing his life cannot chuse but hold himselfe extraordinarily bound to resist all such rebels euen while he liueth This is the case of euery Christian who hauing run with his rebellious lusts fighting against the crown and dignitie of Iesus Christ but now graciously pardoned cannot but stand stoutly against them And this cannot be other but where flesh is and spirit the spirit will bee lusting against the flesh Wheresoeuer these twins are conceaued this Iacob and Esau will struggle in the wombe and Rebecca shall feele the striuing within her whereas the barren and fruitlesse wombe which neuer receiued the seed of God feeleth no such strugling 5. Hee relinquisheth his sin in true endeauour and neuer returneth to it any more for true Repentance is neuer repented
custody of their Watch and therefore though sometimes he may nod sleepe yet his heart waketh Cant. 5.3 2 He strengtheneth himselfe with a diligent care to prosper in grace and grow daily to perfection Phil. 3.12 Hee hath not yet attained but striueth To which end 1 He listeneth heedfully to the silent and secret motions of the spirit to cherish and foster them 2 Hee waiteth vpon the meanes and ministery as Mary sitteth downe at the feet of Christ with humility and constancy as that gesture implyeth and seeketh and apprehendeth all occasions of good 3 He obserueth and carefully vndertaketh good duties to which he is directed and indeauoureth to performe them in an holy manner with cheerefulnesse and wisedome and to a good end sincerely ayming at Gods glory and the saluation of himselfe and others And as hee must needs thriue who in a gainefull trade is diligent to apprehend all good opportunities so in this gainfull trade of godlinesse it is the diligent hand that maketh rich and in euery labour is abundance whereas the idle person quickly wasteth his stock and commeth to nothing 3 He strengtheneth himselfe with spirituall armour and weapons of Gods making against temptations assaults persecutions stormes and all kinde of resistances he knoweth the enemies are many their malice restlesse and inappeasable and therfore he hath need to stand as the Iewes in building the wall of Ierusalem with the trowell in the one hand and the sword of the spirit in the other And 2 Hauing had experience of the safety and strength in this armour of proofe he is carefull to put it on and keepe it on being well assured that he cannot be hurt but onely in the want or carelesse vse of it 4 He prepareth himselfe by daily exercise of Repentance for Christs appearing Acts 17.31 God admonisheth euery man to repent because he hath appointed a day And this exercise is in these things 1 Hee looketh for his head and in the meane time comforteth himself as a member which must be of the same nature and qualities if the head be a liuing spirituall holy gratious head so must the member Our head admitteth no rotten gangrenous and incurable member 2 He feareth God because of the great day of his wrath which commeth Reuel 14.7 Being stricken with a reuerend feare he shunneth euery sinne yea euery idle word whereof he must giue account 3 He cleareth himselfe from sin daily because as the day of death leaueth him so that day of iudgement findeth him he prepareth himselfe by doing that daily which he would be found doing on his dying day his care is not onely to bee found blamelesse but wel-doing Blessed is that seruant whom his Master â—indeth so doing 4 He getteth and keepeth a good conscience before God and all men thus he prepareth an Arke for himselfe to sit safe in Well he knoweth that the sentence of the great Iudge at that day shall concurre with the sentence of this little inward Iudge 5 Because the sentence of that day shall be passed according to the soundnesse of faith and fruits his daily care is to get oyle into his lampe and light of shining and sauing graces and holy duties which onely admit him into the Bridegroome chamber Thus he prepareth his reckoning daily and fitteth his account that he may giue it vp with ioy 6 He longeth and sigheth and waiteth to put off all corruption of sinne and misery and put on fulnesse of grace ioy and glory Rom. 8.23 we sigh in our selues 2. Cor 5.4 We sigh and are burdened to be cloathed vpon and loue to remoue out of the body and to dwell with the Lord chap. 8.2 The Spirit saith come and the Bride saith come Reuel 22.17 These are the true characters of sound Repentance which euery Beleeuer shall finde in himselfe in some comfortable measure CAP. 38. Motiues to Repentance first from the necessity of it THe fifth and last generall is the motiues to excite vs to this so necessary a duty of Repentance The first of these motiues shal be out of the Text which inforceth the necessitie of RepentaÌ„ce Except yee Repent yee shall perish This will appeare if we looke on sinne vnrepented 1 In the nature of euery one being first a worke of the flesh which to doe is to dye The wages of sin is death Rom. 6.23 If ye liue after the flesh ye shall dye Rom. 8.13 And the end of these things is death Rom. 6.21 And when we were in the flesh the motions of sin which were by the law had force in our meÌ„bers to bring forth fruit vnto death Rom. 7.5 2 Euery sinne separateth from God the fountaine of life and so slayeth vs holdeth all good things from vs Isay. 59.2 3 Euery sinne vnrepented fighteth against the soule 1. Pet. 2.11 Lusts warre against the soule and wound it with many deadly gashes Paul telleth Timothy that they drowne the soule in perdition 1. Tim. 6.9 4 Euery sinne putteth vs vnder the power of the diuell and so in state of perdition 1. Ioh. 3.8 He that committeth sinne is of the diuell and maketh vs resemble the diuell and the impenitent person is said to be in the snare of the diuell taken at his will 2. Tim. 2.10 5 Euery sinne vnrepented shutteth heauen Gal. 3. â—2 They that doe shoh things shall not inherit the kingdome of heauen and God hath sworne that neuer an impenitent sinner shall enter into his rest 2 Looke on sinne in the inseparable companions and effects of it 1 The wrath of God as a fire kindled burning to the bottome of hell Psal. 7.12 God is angry with the wicked euery day and raineth downe on the head of the sinner stormes and haile and shooteth all the arrowes of reuenge out of his quiuer How did he lay about him and cast out his curses as thicke as haâ—le vpon the first sinne committed against the serpent the woman the man the earth and all about him 2 This wrath hath linked as with an iron chaine sinne and punishment together which goe inseparably as the cause and the effect as the body and the shadow as the worke and the wages as the parent and the childe one begetting another heauy and smart is the rod that is prepared for the fooles backe and thou canst not goe on in sin but vnto punishment 3d. Effect Gods iustice requireth that as a man soweth so he must reape Gal. 6.7 Sinne is the seed of wrath and the haruest of the sinner is proportioned to his seed time Iob 4.8 I haue seene that they that plow iniquity sow wickednesse reape the same If thou sowest iniquity thou must reape affliction Pro. 22.8 He that soweth to the flesh must reape corruption Look not to reape wheate if thou sowest tares euery seed bringeth vp his owne kinde sow the winde and reape the whirlewinde Hos. 8.7 4 There is no way in the world to auoid this wrath and iustice but Repentance for first to
not that hee will to heauen with the formost but no repentance no heauen no other gate of heauen nor passage but by Repentance Men are well pleased so long as wee speake of heauen happinesse saluation eternall life but when we speake of repentance it is an hard saying an vnpleasing doctrine a duety which will not down If they could get to heauen by any thing else than by leauing their sins were it thousands of Rams or ten thousand Riuers of oyle if by giuing their first borne or fruits of body for the sin of their soules these they would exchange but to mortifie lusts that the hypocrite cannot yeeld But 1. Thou must come to heauen by no meanes but GODS owne 2. There is but one way and that a narrow and straight way of Repentance and to dreame of heauen without Repentance is to dreame to passe ouer a deep and broad Riuer without bridge or barge Thou mayst poast and wander vp and down and tyre thy selfe in coasting euery way to auoyde the stoninesse roughnesse and straightnesse of the way but if thou meanest to come to thy iournies end thou must passe this narrow lane and there is no way in the world to shift it CAP. 40. Motiues to Repentance in respect of Christ. THe third Motiue in respect of Christ in whom we see 1. Surpassing loue aboue the loue of women hee loued vs better than himselfe than his life when we were no better than rebels and enemies Shall I loue my sinne better than him who loued my soule better than his own life Oh let this coard of loue draw vs to Repentance He came to call sinners to Repentance 2. Looke vpon his bitter passion and therein see the merit and desert of the least sin for which God must shed his blood and pay the greatest price that heauen or earth contained Consider the end of his suffering Hee dyed that sin might dye in me and shall I put life in it againe and frustrate the death of Christ The fountaine was opened in his side and streames of blood issued out that my soule should be cleansed from the filthinesse of sin and shall I wallow in the puddle still Consider that Christ was crucified for none in whom sin is not crucified None haue part in his death but such as are dead to sin none haue the benefit of his death but such as feele the vertue of it in themselues Isay 59.20 Hee is a Redeemer of none but such as turne from transgression in Iacob Consider in whomsoeuer there is sound application of Christs death there is a similitude of his death As he dyed for sin so here is a dying vnto sin Rom. 6.5 Wee are grafted with him to the similitude of his death As Christs body was nayled to the Crosse so must wee nayle our sins to his Crosse. As his body and strength was infeebled and weakned vpon the Crosse till he dyed so must our body of sin bee daily weakned and subdued till it be wholly dead in vs. As Christ spared no part of himselfe but gaue himselfe wholly in all parts and members to death for vs so must we not spare any sin or lust but put them all to paine mortifying one as well as another And as Christ after death was raysed to life and dyed no more so wee hauing dyed to sinne by mortification must rise againe by daily renewing our Repentance neuer to returne vnder the power of sin and death any more This is the similitude of CHRIST'S death 3. Looke vpon Christ as our head and there is no member of that head but the true penitent he admits no rotten or stinking member 2. Cor. 5.17 If any man be in Christ he is a new creature Truth of Christianitie is discerned by truth of Repentance Without faith vnfained is no vnion with Christ and all that faith is fained and false which worketh not in Repentance This grace discerneth vs from hypocrites and wicked men CAP. 41. Motiues to Repentance from ones selfe THe fourth Motiue to Repentance may be drawne from thy selfe And here looke on thy person and thy selfe both whole and parts will call on thy selfe to hasten thy Repentance 1. Thy soule Was it redeemed with gold siluer or any corruptible thing or rather with the precious bloud of Iesus Christ and wilt thou basely sell it again for gold or siluer or corruptible things or any sinfull pleasure will the winning of the whole world recompence the losse of thy soule 2. Thy bodie is or should be a Temple of the holy Ghost else art thou none of Christs and wilt thou prophane thy body with filthy sins and lusts to vexe the spirit and make him weary of his lodging Is it nothing to prophane a Temple to turne it into a Tap-house by drunkennesse into a stewes by vncleanenesse Is it nothing to make thy fathers house a den of theeues by vniustice falshood 3 Thy selfe was a slaue and vassall of Satan and sinne and set free by Iesus Christ wilt thou runne into bondage againe Art thou now a Christian then thou art in vnion with Christ the Spouse of Christ and wilt thou behaue thy selfe as a strumpet and be led away with euery alluring harlot to the dishonour and high displeasure of so louing a husband 2 Cast thine eyes vpon thy sinnes and see it high time by Repentance to renounce them As 1 How hatefull euery sinne is to God as for which he abhorreth his most excellent creatures Angels and men nay so perfectly hated by God as hee could not chuse but punish it in his deare Sonne while he sustained our persons and bare our sins 2 What an extreame folly sinne is who but a foole hauing light sight and reason would walke vpon rockes and quick-sands and bolt on into pits and ponds being warned of the danger for all these cannot threaten such danger to the body as sinne doth to the soule Who but a foole being warned that theeues and murtherers lye in such a way and such and such they haue robbed slaine and that they lye in waite for himselfe and if he goe on hee cannot auoid present death yet will be bold and foole-hardy to goe on after such warning But thy sinnes are so many theeues and robbers that lye in wait to destroy thee and if thou goest on in that way thou canst not auoid euerlasting perdition Who but a mad man would stirre vp the wrath of the King against him and run daily into the lurch of the Law as the sinner doth who maketh God his enemy stirreth vp a Lyon against himselfe maketh the Law of God but a cobweb as if no execution waited the transgressor What a folly is it to offend and not seeke to satisfie nay a frenzie farre beyond that for a traytor going to execution and hauing a pardon brought him for accepting scorneth the pardon breaketh the seales tramples the writing reuiles the Prince the messenger and iustifieth his treasonable practices still The
know their appointed time Ierem. 8.7 and should not grace teach men to repent while they liue Obiect Yes God forbid but we should but when dying day commeth c. Answ. Wouldest thou repent on thy dying day why then not euery day of thy life seeing euery day may be thy dying day and why doth thy folly not esteeme it so 1. Pet. 1.17 2 The time of necessity is the whole time of our life the whole life being but one day of Repentance and ought to bee begun continued and concluded with Repentance This Generall we will take asunder into these propositions 1 The first thing a Christian must doe is to Repent 1 Looke at God his commandement is First seeke the Kingdome of God To day heare his voyce Psal. 95.7 Exhort one another while it is called to day Heb. 3.13 Eccles. 12.1 2 His spirit will bee more grieued to morrow and stand further from our helpe and comfort and the more he is grieued the hardlier will he be intreated 3 His patience is more abused by refusing the meanes of our Repentance this day by slighting his voyce calling vs his stretching out his hand this day offering grace and by not listening to the knockes and raps at the doore of our hearts 4 His wrath will be more increased by the increase of our sin this day before to morrow and being prouoked may iustly giue vp the sinner to a heart that cannot repent Were it not iust that seeing he calleth and they will not heare that either hee should be dumbe and neuer call hereafter or God deafe neuer to heare thee call If thou that wilt not repent at Gods call and command should not finde Repentance to bee at thy call and command liue forgetfull of God and dye forgetfull of thy selfe 2 Looke at our selues and see if Repentance had not need bee thy first taske For 1 Before Repentance a man is an euill tree and an euill tree can bring no good fruit thou canst not pray nor be heard in prayer thou canst not heare nor receiue Sacraments but to damnation nor performe any duty of piety or charity acceptably till thou hast repented If thou hast any thing to doe with God or any expectation from him thou must first wash and cleanse thy selfe and then come and reason with him Isa. 1. 2 If thou beest not apt or willing to repent to day thou wilt be lesse apt to morrow for the heart will be more hardened the conscience more seared the will more crooked the conuersion more difficult corruption more rooted by continuance the nayle haâ—der driuen in the soule more deadly stung thy selfe furre weaker to get out of silme in all which regards thou canst not vndertake Repentance too soon 3 Look vpon sin and whether we had not need deale with it at first for sinne is like fire set into our house to burne vs vp who but a mad man would not bestir himself with all speed to quench it in the first sparke or breaking out before it be increased to a great slame should we not be as carefull for our soules as for out houses It is morbus natura wee are wise to take our bodily diseases in hand betime because the medicine is prepared too late when the disease hath preuailed by continuance It is the plague of the soule for which the Physitians prescribe 2 Sin by continuance groweth more in number and more in strength it is still ingendring and groweth more fruitfull one sin is a linke to another drawing that and one sin must maintaine another Ahab must maintaine his couetousnesse by murther Gehesiâ— one by another Dauid his adultery by murther Solomon from carnall whoredome to spirituall Herod maintaining incest must cut off Iohns head Sinne groweth stronger after the birth and as a plant of the diuels planting Take it when it is new set it may be plucked vp easily but let it grow to a tree no strugling can plucke it vp nor many blowes strike it downe Sin is strong in the cogitation stronger in affection most in action and heart 4 Looke vpon Repentance and there is a twofold Repentance that is seldome true 1 Late Repentance for then commonly sin leaueth vs not we sin and when Repentance liueth not with vs commonly it dyeth with vs and what thanke is it to leaue the world when the world leaueth him and casteth him off When weakenesse hindereth him to sinne wee must thanke his weakenesse not him saith Basil. 2 Forced Repentance when men in distresse of body or mind or feare of death pretend a Repentance will promise pray vow or doe any thing but the feare is scarce ouer but so is their Repentance then returneth the vncleane spirits with seauen worse than himselfe and now running from God God is gone further off than before and a thousand to one neuer returneth againe O therefore is the delay so dangerous is neither the day of thy life nor the day of grace certaine is the present day late enough may the next day be too late how darest thou cast thy Repentance into thy last accounts which ought to be the first worke of euery Christian how darest thou deferre it beyond this day and hazzard to lose that in one moment which can neuer be hoped or gayned afterward Let euery eye behold Christ mourning ouer him as ouer Ierusalem Oh that thou haddest in this day knowne the things of thy peace but these things are hid from thine eyes A wise man may slippe or fall into a pit but he is a mad man that will not rise out againe 2 As Repentance must be the first so it must be the constant and daily exercise of euery Christian who must esteeme his whole life a continuall Repentance We sweepe our houses euery day but the houses of our hearts haue more need because of the soyle and dust of our daily infirmities Our hands haue daily need of washing our hearts much more 2 As the bloud runneth through all the veines and is necessary to carry life and spirit through all the parts so Repentance must run through all the occasions of the day all which call vs to repent For 1 We are bound to the daily sacrifice and seruice of God which cannot be performed without Repentance Come before God without Repentance all is one as if thou cut off a dogs head or offer swines flesh 2 Our daily failing cals vs to daily repentance we goe ouer daily frailties many yeelding to temptations many rouing thoughts idle speeches many sinfull actions of bad and scandalous examples many secret sins not easily found out many sinfull defects cleauing to our best duties euery one of these call vs to a constant practise of Repentance in examination confession watchfulnesse mortification c. 3 Many are the daily troubles of our callings many afflictions meete vs many crosses befall vs in our family in our estate in our friends many afflictions vpon the Church and land we heare of euery of
windy presumption is not capable of Repentance till hee be pricked with the sharpe needle of the Law pricking his heart Neuer till then did the Conuerts say Men and brethen what shall we do Acts 2.37 2. God giueth no grace but to the humble Iam. 4.6 but especially the grace of faith without which is no true Repentance excludes all boasting in our selues that we may be all wee are in Christ in whom wee beleeue for righteousnesse and reconciliation 3. Christ and his sauing Grace is receiued into the heart as seed is into the ground Luke 8.12 And therefore the heart being like stony and fallow ground must first be broken vp and made full of furrowes by the helpe of legall humiliation Ier. 4.5 4. Repentance is a walking with God as being made friends Now no proud man can walke with God for he dwelleth onely with an humble and contrite spirit Isay 57.15 and Micah 6.8 Hee hath showed thee O man what is good to do iustly to loue mercie to humble thy selfe and walke with thy God The meanes therefore to attaine true Repentaince is 1. To get a cleare sight of our sins and miserie by them and by the curse due to them temporall and eternall for how can a man be humbled for those sinnes or iudgements which he neuer saw nor knew off Hence are wee called to a through search and tryall of our waies to finde out distinctly in what particulars wee haue gone astray Lam. 3.40 and then turn to the Lord. And Ier. 31.19 the Church saith After I was conuerted I repented But to show that conuersion nor repentance is or can be before this search he addeth After I was instructed or as the Hebrew word signifieth After I was made knowne to my selfe that is After in the glasse of the Law I discerned mine owne sinfull and wofull estate then I repented for who can otherwise see his need of mercie but in the sense of his miserie Tremelius Post quam ostensum fuerit mihi 2. True sense and sorrow for sin as pangs and throwes before the birth with shame of face griefe of heart and horror of soule in the apprehension of our guiltinesse by sin the curse of the law and Gods infinite anger all this represented in the law in a most terrible maner As holy Paul by the dart of the Law professed himselfe killed and slaine and made so wretched in the sense of his owne guiltinesse and vncleanenesse that hee desired to be dissolued to be ridde of it This is the true touch of sin wrought by the spirit when we most grieue afflict our hearts with that which hurteth vs most It is not losse of mony goods estate libertie or life it selfe that hurteth vs so much as the losse of Christ of grace of saluation 3. To get to an holy despair in our selues as being out of all hope of deliuerance by any power pollicy or goodnesse of our owne or of any creature that the case be with vs as with Paul and his fellowes distressed on the sea who are said to bee past all hope of beeing saued from drowning Acts 27 20. And as the woman with the bloody issue hauing spent all her strength and meanes in physick without cure was out of hope to be recouered by any secundarie meanes Mark 5.26 All this maketh vs to seek for a remedie and feeling the need and extreame want of whatsoeuer the Gospell offreth yea and pinched with hunger thirst pouertie and beggarie doe long after seeke and begge earnestly for helpe and pardon Let this admonish euery man that would proceed in Repentance which is a continued act to be conuersant still in the Law of God and especially to be wel acquainted with the Moral Law by which is the knowledge of sinne Rom. 7.7 that thereby seeing their owne sins daily and the miserie due to them they may bee kept humble and low in their owne eyes What meane men to cast off the whole vse of the Law vnder the Gospell and they must heare of nothing but Gospell For 1. Is not the Conuert lyable to sinne and how can he know what is sin or what is not sin but by the Law how can he discerne the nature of sin to be an irrectitude and crookednesse but by the straightnesse of the Law how can he discouer the danger of his sinne to awaken him out of it but by the Law The office of which is as of Pauls kinsman to detect the treason of the Iewes and Pauls danger that he might auoide it Acts 23.16 3 Though the regenerate man bee free from the raigning act and power of sinne yet hee is not from the roote of euill which euery one can find fruitfull and euer shuting as in a perpetuall May How necessary is it then alwaies to haue by vs this sharpe axe of the law which striketh at the roote of sinne which else would grow 〈◊〉 and insolent that as a seruant it may be kept vnder with blowes and feare wherein the spirit worketh it being his office as well still to conuict as to conuert Ioh. 16.8 3 Though the maine armies of sinne be defeated in the godly and those masterfull commanders be suppressed and subdued by grace yet there be stragling troopes of smaller euils and infirmities which daily assaile and should warre against the law of the minde now by what other glasse shall a man see these spots in his face than by the law for as we see the little motes discouered by the light of the Sun so it is the light of Gods law that detecteth the smallest euils against God or men without which we should neuer come to a distinct notice or Repentance of them and so consequently could neuer prize the grace or offers of the Gospell That wee may magnifie the Gospell let vs prize the law as a perpetuall scourge to driue vs out of our selues to Iesus Christ. So long as we haue any thing found with vs which must bee either forgiuen by mercy or repented or reformed by grace let vs faithfully heare and reade the law to this purpose That we may daily conquer the pride of our hearts and walke humbly before God let vs take with vs the vse of the law I cannot maruaile at the intolerable pride of these Antinomists and Perfectists because they neuer came to see their sinnes aright and this they doe not because they reiect the law the proper glasse of sins discouery CAP. 30. Meanes of Repentance in respect of God 2 IN regard of God wee may many waies helpe forward our Repentance if we consider first his word secondly his eye thirdly his hand fourthly his relation vnto vs. 1 Gods word in the reuerend vse is a notable meanes of Repentance for first the very knowledge of the word is a meanes in which GOD giueth Repentance 2. Tim. 2.25 Instructing them and waiting if God will giue Repentance and ignorance of the Scripture is made by Christ a chiefe cause of error both