Mans Active Obedience, Chapter 28
CHAP. XXVIII.
How they differ in all the parts of repentance ſeuerally conſidered in their ſorrow for ſinne, and the effects of it: where alſo is ſhewed the neceſſity of ſorrow in Repentance.
THey differ alſo in the parts and ſeuerall members of the whole, they being looked on, apart, and conſidered aſunder.
There is in true repentance a ſorrow for ſinne, which is the firſt occaſion of a mans repenting (for if a man had not his heart troubled for that he had done, he would neuer repent and change his couſe) then followeth a turning from ſinne, and a bearing out of fruits that may be worthy of amendment of life.
Our ſoules by ſweruing from God, and going out of the path of Gods Commandements, breed their owne ſorrow, and bring painfull griefe and vexation vponupon the heart, ſuch as many times hardly can bee endured; like bones that are broken, or out of ioynt, cauſe heauie dolours to the body, and paine intollerable, and the longer they abide ſo, not well ſet and put into ſocket againe, the more painfull is the aking that is felt therefrom: ſo is it with the wounds that doe pierce the ſoule, they will neuer leaue aking, till ſome good meanes be vſed for the well curing of them. Sinne (which is as a ſerpent) carrying his ſting in his taile, after it hath been once committed, leaueth ſuch a guilt in the conſcience, that is as painfull to be felt, as is the ſting of a Scorpion that is daſhed into the fleſh; or the biting of thoſe fierie ſerpents in the wilderneſſe, that did torment them with extreame paines, as if fier had been burning in their fleſh. Sinne is like a moſt venomous ſerpent, and draggeth a long taile of puniſhment after it where euer it becommeth: God hath tied together as with fetters of braſſe, the pleaſures of ſinne, and pains of puniſhments, and plagues for ſin: he that will hauehave one, muſt hauehave both; they that will ſowe iniquitie, ſhall be ſure to reape affliction; much ſmart, much griefe, much ſorrow of heart will alwaies follow after: the ſence of the guiltineſſe of ſinne cannot bee felt, but the heart will be made reſtleſſe, and it will diſquiet all the peace thereof, cauſing thoſe painfull daſhes and heauie compunctions in the tender ſoule, as hath forced out thoſe lamentable voices, and ſorrowfull outcries, Men and brethren, what ſhall we doe to be ſaued? And without ſuch bitter griefe and ſorrow of heart that may force vsus thus to cry out, yea to roare like beares, and mourne ſore like Iſa. 59. 11. 12.doues, we may doubt of our repentance, and can hauehave ſmall hope of obtaining any forgiueneſſe or pardon for our ſinne; as well as may any woman hope to get to bee deliuered of her child, while ſhe is a ſleep, or in a dreame, without euer enduring any further paines or trauell, vſuall to all women in their child-bearing, as for a ſinner to be freed and deliuered from his ſinnes, without the ſorrowes, the painfull throwes and pangs of thorow and vnfained repentance, whoſe working is many times felt ſo forcible vponupon the heart, as it is ready to ouercome it, and make it for a time vtterly to faint. Sinne will not be got away without a great deale of ſorrow and griefe, and that of ſuch ſort, as muſt breake and bruiſe the ſoule, and grind the very heart to duſt and to powder. Sinne ſticketh ſo faſt to, and is ſo baked on, as there muſt be rubbing hard to get it off. Wooll is as fit to wipe away pitch or birdlime, as an ouerly ſighing or ſlight ſaying, Lord hauehave merciemercy vponupon mee, will get ſinne done away: who ſo doth goe about by truely repenting and humbling of themſelues to doe away their ſinnes, ſhall find ſinne in their ſoules to bee like melancholike humours in their bodies, which are found to lie ſo low, and to be ſo hard to purge away, that they who by purging would ſeeke to bee rid of them, muſt almoſt bee purged to death, before ſuch humours wil euer be got out: So when any of Gods true children hauehave been drawne into ſome foule ſinne, and groſſe kind of offence, before they can get to be recouered by repentance againe, they are brought ſo low by ſorrowing deepely, and bitterly mourning for their ſinne, that they ſeeme not to bee worth the groundLeuit. 26. 39. they goe vponupon, by pining away for their iniquities, and by ſuch ſorrowing for them vntounto repentance, leſt they ſhould pine away for them by puniſhment, becauſe they did not repent at all. Repentance then cannot be without much ſorrow of heart; where that is, there will be found mournfull heauineſſe, and great dolour and griefe for ſinne, that hath been committed. And this ſorrowing and mourning is ſo neceſſarie to all ſound repenting, as the latter can neuer be found, where the former hath wholly beene wanting. But where ſorrowing and mourning is perceiued, and found to bee for ſome offence that hath been done, there we conclude is a kind of repenting: for when men are ſaid to repent, we vnderſtand by and by, that they are grieued, and are ſorrie for that they hauehave done; ſo as they would faine, if it were poſſible, hauehave it vndone againe. And as ſorrow is neceſſarie vntounto repentance, ſo it muſt be very effectuall, and thorow ſorrow indeede that muſt cauſe ſuch repentance as ſhall be ſound: the heart muſt be contrite, and ground to duſt, as is pepper in a morter, or corne in a mill: the bowels muſt ſound like a harpe with ſighing Iſai. 16. 9. 11.and ſobbing for the offence done. There muſt be weeping with the weeping of Iaazer, and Elealah is to bee made drunke with teares by daily lamentation. If corne come whole out of the mill, what is it better for hauing been put to grinding? If men come from vnderunder repentance not bruiſed and contrite-hearted, it will profit them nothing. God (I know) commendeth vntounto men the preſeruation of their health; but yet hee will not that wee tender ſo our health, that wee may not breake our hearts with ſorrow after God for our ſinne. They that are ſo ſmyrck and ſo ſmug, that being old, hauehave yet ſo young faces, and ſo few wrinckles vponupon them, no paleneſſe or leaneneſſe to bee ſeene, it is to bee thought, that if euer they hauehave come where true repentance had growne, they would hauehave loſt ſome of their colour by this time: it is dangerous for men to be ouer-quiet with themſelues after they hauehave once ſinned: for it is well obſerued, that the way to draw ſinnes on with cart-ropes is, not to be grieued for ſinne; and the refuſing and caſting off temporall griefe, is the way to bee brought to eternall griefe: they that driue ſorrow away from their hearts, worke their owne ſorrow, and procure to themſelues the greater woe; for afterwards wee ſurely doe know and feele much more earthly ſorrow then wee ſhould, becauſe we will not diſquiet our owne ſoules, nor trouble our ſelues with that godly ſorrow that is required. Too much merrineſſe (vnleſſe the mirth be the better ſanctified, ariſing from the ioy and peace of a good conſcience) doth not well. It is hard for any to bring two ends together, that will not meete: to thinke to flie to heauen with pleaſant wings, to dance with the world all day, and looke to ſup with God at night. They that hauehave their hearts thorowly ſtung with the conſcience, and guilt of their ſinne, and feele the biting of that worme that lieth at the heart, nibbling and nipping it thorow, and gnawing and grating vponupon it with endleſſe vexation, and caſting the coales of hell euer in their face, they can eaſily lay aſide their vaine mirth, and liſten to the counſell of Iames, who willeth ſuch to ſorrow and mourne, to let their Iames 4. 9.laughter be turned into weeping, and all their merrines into mournefull lamentation: they can eaſily be drawne to goe and hang vp their harpes with the poore captiues, vponupon the Pſal. 137. 1. 2.willow trees, and ſitting by the riuer bankes, goe weepe with them their bellies full. Dauid, how many excellent Pſalmes did he compoſe and make? for how pleaſant tunes did he make thoſe ditties, which he ſo diuinely did frame and deuiſe? he was worthily ſtiled the ſweete ſinger of Iſrael: 2. Sam. 23. 1.but Dauid himſelfe, when he had ſo long fallen in ſinne, ſo long as he had a wolfe in his owne breaſt, he could bee no Phyſitian to other men, he left of making Pſalmes, till he had ſoundly recouered himſelf by true repentance, and had gotten reſtored to him againe the ioy he was wont to find; till then he left off his ſinging, and fell to weeping, and that in ſo great abundance, and with ſo long continuance, as he made his bed to ſwimme, and watered his couch Pſal. 6. 6. 7.with teares, and his eies did grow dimme, and waxed old with weeping. As for ſuch as louelove to be ſo iocund, and to be all of the hoigh, that cannot abide to heare of this repenting, and of hauing their hearts to be broken with this ſorrowing for their ſin, they may put away Preachers, and keepe fooles to make them merry with: but let ſuch feare what will be the end. Godlineſſe will not dwell but in a broken Iohn. 7. 38.heart, the waters of life that muſt fill the belly, till they flow thence againe, euen the manifold graces of Gods ſpirit muſt enter through thoſe paſſages into the heart of a man; that is to ſay, through the holes and cliftes of the brokenneſſe of a mans heart; for God will giuegive grace to the humble, and them will he teach his way. Neither is it when men be called to weeping and mourning, to baldneſſe and Iſai. 22. 12.ſackcloth, and ſorrowing for their ſinne, that then the way is taken to depriue men of ſound comfort, and take all true ioy cleane away from them, but thereby they are prepared for the obtaining more ſweeter comfort then euer they yet felt, and to hauehave their ioy now more to abound, then euer before it did, euen ſo to abound vntill it be made full; as our Sauiour hath ſpoken, for they that mourne thus, theyMat. 5. 9. are promiſed to be comforted; and ſuch godly ſorrowings as theſe are, doe euer end in contentments, and are turned into the beſt, and the moſt laſting ioyes; yea, there wanteth not ſome comfort and ſweetneſſe of ioy in the midſt of moſt bitter mourning, and greateſt lamentation that is made for ſinne, when the heart is beſt humbled, and moſt broken for the ſame: for men are deceiued if they do not beleeue, that the very teares for ſinne be much more pleaſant to deuout and holy men, then be to wicked men their laughings, mockings, ieſtings and ſcoffings which they delight ſo much in; and if they doe not thinke faſting to be ſweeter to the one, then feaſting is to the other, though they ſhould fare neuer ſo daintily, fed with Plouers, Quailes Pheaſants, and ſuch other coſtly meats, and moſt daintie diſhes.
Now as there be ſome that cannot abide to bee called to this ſorrowing, and to heare of ſuch mourning for their ſinne, there be others that would ſorrow more abundantly, and mourne more thorowly, and in farre greater meaſure, if they knew how: it is the griefe of their hearts that they cannot bee grieued enough, they are ſtill complaining of the hardnes of their hearts, becauſe they relent no better, & are not more broken aſunder; they complaine of the drineſſe of their eyes, and of the dulneſſe and deadnes of their affections, that are not more moued for their ſinnes, to open themſelues as ſo many freſh ſprings of ſorrow abounding ſo in the heart, that the head might be filled with water, and the eyes made a fountaine of teares to weepe day and night, for all their offences and things they hauehave done amiſſe. They ſigh and are ſorrowfull in their very ſoules, to perceiue what ſoftneſſe and tenderneſſe they find in their hearts, readily to bee moued for any worldly matter, falling out any thing croſſely with them. And on the other ſide, how ſtony and flinty their hearts are felt to be, when they would ſorrow moſt for their ſin, and faineſt get their hearts to melt with greateſt remorſe for the ſame. True it is (as one hath well obſerued it) were it to grieue at earthly occaſions in things wherein we are croſſed in the world, here our affections will come to vsus, before we ſent for them, but to ſorrow godly, that is not ſo ready with vsus, we hauehave not our affections at command in that caſe, our fooliſh hearts louelove not holy mourning, our hard hearts (till God hath better ſoftned them) are farre from relenting. How beit, let ſuch know this for their comfort, if they doe mourne for the hardneſſe of their hearts, if they bee truly grieued, becauſe they cannot bee better grieued, and deſire yet more to be grieued, and further to be humbled, there is doubtleſſe comfort and hope in ſuch an eſtate: for what is this but the ſmoake of true repentance, whoſe ſparkes are now new kindled in ſuch a heart; and though the fier thereof hath not yet gotten ſuch ſtrength, as to flame forth with that hot burning and lightſome ſhining as may bee hoped for it will doe afterward in the due time; yet hath our Sauiour promiſed, hee will not for the preſent quench, nor ſuffer to be put out Mat. 12. 20.ſuch ſmoake as this, but nouriſh it, and cheriſh it, and neuer leaue it, till he hath made it to blaze out with a ſtronger burning. And ſo much may bee enough to hauehave ſpoken about the making cleare of this point, that it is abſolutely needefull for eueryevery one that would be brought to repent for his ſinne, that he ſpecially labour for the humbling of his heart, to get it much broken and contrite with deepe ſorrow for the ſame.