Mans Active Obedience, Chapter 27
CHAP. XXVII.
The deſcription of Repentance that is vntounto life; with the kinds of it: And how true beleeuers and hypocrites differ in them; as alſo in the whole body and frame of Repentance.
Queſtion.
SHew then (I pray you) what is that true repentance that may be truſted vntounto, and which is neuer to be repented of, which the Scripture calleth repentance vntounto life, and how it doth differ from the vnſound repentance of hypocrites; which how glorious ſoeuer it may bee in ſhew, yet when it is at the beſt, it is but (as you ſay) a repentance ſtill to be repented of, becauſe it is no better?
A. Repentance is an action and worke of grace, wherby a man that hath miſtaken himſelfe and gone out of the way (vponupon knowledge and perſwaſion of Gods mercifulneſſe, and readineſſe to receiue againe to fauour eueryevery ſinner that repenteth), doth againe recouer himſelfe our of his errings and dangerous waies wherein he hath gone aſtray, and by a kind of retractation of thoſe ill courſes he hath taken, be commeth changed in his mind, in his will, and his affections, and wholly altered in the waies of his life, and outward actions; eſchewing euill, and doing good, ſo bearing out the fruits worthy of amendment of life. All which ariſeth from the ſorrow of his heart, that hath been bred by the knowledge and ſenſe of ſuch ſinnes as he hath committed: which ſorrow is not onelyonly felt within, but alſo manifeſted outwardly, by agreeable actions, words, and geſtures. When ſuch repentance is wrought and found in any, then is repentance vntounto life (as the DiſciplesAct. 11. 18. called it) granted vntounto them. Such repenting is the recouerie of the ſoule, after, and out of ſome deadly diſeaſe fallen into. It may well be called the ſicke mans ſalue, or the ſinners ſalue; for it cureth all diſeaſes, and is an vniuerſall antidote againſt all plagues & puniſhments whatſoeuer. Of true repentance there are two ſorts: an ordinarie, and (as I may ſay) a common and daily repentance, which eueryevery Chriſtian is bound to vſe, and to practice all his life long, and eueryevery day of his life. The ſecond is, an extraordinary and ſpeciall repentance, vponupon ſome extraordinary and ſpeciall occaſion, either of obtaining ſome ſingular bleſſing, or getting to be either remoued, or kept away ſome heauie and grieuous plague. This kind of repentance may iuſtly be occaſioned, by a mans falling into ſome groſſe ſinne, after he hath been called to the participation of grace; the riſing againe from which ſinne, is a ſpeciall repentance: as Dauids riſing againe from his fall was. In the firſt we are all to walke, and that wee are to vſe and practice eueryevery day, it being no other, then the ſhewing forth of the efficacie and power of the death and the reſurrection of our bleſſed Sauiour, in vsus that are members of his body, while wee are ſeene daily to practice the mortification of the fleſh, and viuification of the ſpirit: the putting off the old man, and the putting on the new: the dying vntounto ſinne, and liuing vntounto righteouſneſſe, and the endeauouring daily to doe theſe things: for the repentance of the very beſt men is but a daily ſorrowing that they cannot be ſorrie enough, and repent no better: but as we are to walke in the daily practice of this firſt kind of repentance; ſo from ſome of the occaſions of the ſecond, and eſpecially any falling into groſſe ſinnes, we ſhould beſeech the Lord to preſerue vsus alwayes, if it might be poſſible by any meanes: if it cannot bee but through too much humaine frailty we ſhould find occaſions, not onelyonly to renew our ordinary daily repentance, but often to bring into vſe and practice, a ſpeciall and extraordinary kind of humbling our ſelues before the Lord, in a manner of repentance vſed more then ordinary for ſome ſpeciall ſinnes, or ſpeciall occaſions, our owne, or others; then is that courſe to bee carefully taken and vſed, which in the deſcription of true repentance was beforeſet downe. And ſuch kind of extraordinary repentance in humbling of themſelues vponupon extraordinary occaſions, is euer like to ſpeed the better at the hands of God, and to preuaile more with him, whenſoeuer, and by whomſoeuer it ſhall be performed in his ſight: if they that are ſo humbled, are knowne and found to bee of the number of them which walke and liue in the vſe and practice of daily humbling themſelues by ordinary repentance, for their daily ſlips, common frailties and infirmities. Whereas if it be otherwiſe done, by others that are not acquainted with the like courſe, and inured thereunto; the like reckoning cannot be made by them, neither is there the like hope for them to expect at Gods hands the like gracious acceptation.
Hypocrites they hauehave little to doe with the firſt of theſe two kinds of repentance, they ſcarce know what it meaneth, and are little acquainted with it: it is not their cuſtome nor manner ordinarily to humble themſelues before God, for their daily infirmities and ſinnes, to make conſcience of their waies, as being deſirous to pleaſe God better, by going about daily to reforme their liues: it is well for them if any iudgement and plague doe come, then to be heard howling vponupon their beds, and to aſſemble themſelues for corne and wine, though they ſtill rebell: then it is for them to fall a rending their garments, though they keepe whole their hearts, if guilt of ſome hainous wickedneſſe committed, like thoſe fiery ſerpents in the wilderneſſe, doe ſting and bite their conſcience; then is it time for them to cry and roare out with Cain and Eſau, and to fall a repenting with Iudas, and confeſſing their ſinne, with like ſatisfaction as was made by him. If the Angell of Gods vengeance poure out the viall of Iſa. 8.his wrath, ſo as men are plagued for their ſinnes, then is itApoc. 16. time for them to fret and vexe themſelues, and gnaw their tongues for the paines and ſores that are vponupon them; and then make triall what their formall, ceremoniall, and alwaies extraordinary repentance (becauſe ordinary they vſe none) can preuaile with, and for them. To ſhew then1. Difference of repentance. ſome differences betweene the repentance of true conuerts, and of them that are but coloured counterfeits: firſt, this is a maine difference euidently to bee diſcerned, that there is one degree or kind of true repentance, more in the one, then can be found in the other; which is ſo much miſſing with them, that many of them doe neuer meddle with a daily and ordinary humbling of themſelues all their life time, but deferre it to their end, and thinke it time enough to begin, when they ſhall lie a dying: the other hauing their vſe and practice of it al the dayes of their life; and therefore the extraordinary repentance of hypocrites, with whom the ordinarie is euer wanting; eſpecially▪ that alſo being ſickly and faulty (as it euer is) is like to ſtand them in very little ſtead; which can no way bee allowed to be repentance vntounto life: which were ſafe for any to truſt vntounto.
Againe, the repentance of a true conuert, differeth from that of an hypocrite, in the whole body of repentance and frame of it, as it is compact and made vp together, and in the ſeuerall ioynt parts and members if it, if they be a part conſidered and ſo taken aſunder; they differ in the obiect, which either of them doe moſt reſpect, and are moſt occupied about; they differ in the effect which they worke, and which either of them doe bring forth▪ they differ in that which cauſeth either, and in that which is cauſed by either.
The words for repentance vſed in the new Teſtament, are two; the one is foreign, which commeth of a word that ſignifieth as much, as for one to come to his right mind, to be wiſe, at the leaſt after ſome ouerſight to recouer ones ſelfe, it is after-wit, or after-wiſedome; ſo called, becauſe the children of God take warning by the Spirit of God to be wiſer, after they hauehave once been ouerſeene and beguiled through the deceitfulneſſe of ſinne: this hath in it a godly ſorrow, with hope of Gods mercy, truly and wiſely conuerting all the powers of the ſoule; and cauſing a through change in the whole man, from ſinne to righteouſneſſe, and ſo it becommeth repentance vntounto life. And this is properly the repentance of true beleeuers, and of all ſuch as ſhall be ſaued; for it is ſound repentance, and hath the perfection of parts in it, though not of degrees.
The other word vſed in the new Teſtament, to ſet out repentance by, is, foreign, comming of a word that ſignifieth to bee ſorrie after a fact committed, to bee heauie and penſiue, to be vexed and grieued for it: it is aftergriefe, becauſe ſorrow and griefe, penſiueneſſe, and heauineſſe of heart, vexation and trouble of conſcience vſually doe follow vponupon the committing of ſome hainous ſinne. This may be without any conuerſion or change of a man to make him better; this after-griefe may be without that after-wiſdome, which brings a man to his right mind againe: but the other is neuer without this, but hath it alwaies included in it; for it is ſound, and hath the perfection of all parts in it. This may bee alone without the other, which yet is the chiefeſt part of true repentance; and therefore it is vnſound and vnperfect repentance, and ſo, vnprofitable and vnauailable eueryevery way to ſaluation: and this is indeed properly the repentance of hypocrites, and may be the repentance of all manner of reprobates. This is that repentance that Iudas had; for the Scripture ſaith of him, that he repented; but with thisMat. 27. 3. foreign repentance, he went to the halter, and ſo from thence vntounto hell fier.
Thus the repentance of true beleeuers, doth differ from the repentance of hypocrites, in the whole frame and body of repentance, when all of it is taken and conſidered together.