A Golden Chain, Chapter 9 – Chapter 10
CHAP. IX. Of motiues Euangelicall.
EVangelicall Motiues are two especially: The first is taken from the consideration of mans redemption. He that redeemed mankind is God himselfe: as Paul saith,2. Cor. 5.19. that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himselfe. Mans sinne is so vile and haynous in the eyes of God, that no Angel nor creature whatsoeuer was able to appease the wrath of God for the least offence. But the sonne of God himselfe must come downe from heauen, and take mans nature on him: and not onelyonly that, but he must also suffer the most accused death of the crosse, and shed his most pretious heart bloode to satisfie the iustice of his Father in our behalfe. If a father should be sicke of such a disease, that nothing would heale him but the heart bloode of his owne child, he would presently iudge his owne case to be dangerous; and would also vow if euer he recouered, to vse all meanes whereby he might auoid that disease. So likewise, seeing nothing could cure the deadly wound of our sinne, but a plaister made of the heart blood of Christ; it must make vsus acknowledge our pitifull …ase, and the haynousnesse of the least of our sinnes; and stirre vsus vp to newnes of life.
Againe, considering the end of the redemption wrought by Christ, was to deliuer vsus from our euill conuersation in sinne and vnrighteousnes, we are not to continue and as it were lie bathing our selues in sinne; for that were, as if a prisoner, after that he had bin ransomed and had his bolts taken off, and were put out of the prison to goe whither he would, should returne againe, and desire to lie in the dungeon still.
The second motiue is, that God hath made a promise to such as truly repent. I. Of remission of sinnes,Isa. 1. 16, 18 Wash you, make you cleane, take away the euill of your workes from before mine eyes: cease to doe euill, &c. Though your sinnes were as crimson, they shall be made as white as snow: though they were red like scarlet, they shall be as wooll. And,Isa. 55. 6, 8. Seeke the Lord while he may be found, call vponupon him while he is neere. Let the wicked forsake his waies, and the vnrighteous his owne imaginations, and returne vntounto the Lord, and he will hauehave merciemercy on him, for he is very plentifull in forgiuing. II. Of life euerlasting.Ezech. 18. I will not the death of a sinner, but rather that he repent and liue. And,Amos 5. 4. Thus saith the Lord vntounto the house of Israel, Seeke ye me, and ye shall liue. III. Of mitigating or remoouing temporall calamities.Ier. 26.3. Stand in the court of the Lords house and speake vntounto all the cities of Iudah, &c. If so be they will hearken and turne eueryevery man from his euill way, that I may repent me of the plague which I hauehave determined to bring vponupon them, because of the wickednes of their workes. And,1. cor. 11.31. If we would iudge our selues, we should not be iudged, that is, afflicted with temporall punishments.
I ioyne with the remoouing of temporall calamities the mitigating of thē: because they are not alwaies taken away when the partie repenteth. After Dauids repentance the childe dieth,2. Sam. 12. 14. and the sworde departes not from his house. And the Prophet Micha brings in the people humbling themselues before God vnderunder a temporall punishment, saying, I will beare thy wrath, because I hauehave sinned against thee. Mich. 7.9.And it is Gods pleasure that the chastisement shall remaine after the partie is reconciled to him, that he may by that mearies be admonished of his sinne, and be an example to others.
As God hath made these mercifull promises to penitent sinners, so he hath faithfully performed them, so soone as they hauehave but begun to repent. Example of Dauid.1. Sam. 12. 12. Then Dauid said vntounto Nathan, I hauehave sinned against the Lord, And Nathan said to Dauid, Thy sin is forgiuen thee. Of Manasses,2. Chr. 33. 12. When he was in tribulation he praied vntounto the Lord his God, and humbled himselfe greatly before the Lord God of his fathers, and praied vntounto him: and God was intreated of him, and heard his praier. Of the Publicane,Luk. 18. 13. The Publicane, &c. smote his breast, saying, O God be mercifull to me a sinner: I tell you, this man departed iustified to his house, rather thē the other. Of the thiefe,Luk. 23. 42, 43. He said vntounto Iesus, Lord, remember me, when thou commest to thy kingdome. Then Iesus said vntounto him, Verily, I say vntounto thee, to day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
Hauing such notable promises made to Repentance, no man is to drawe backe from the practise of it, because of the multitude of his sinnes, but rather to do it. The Pharises said to Christs disciples, Why eates your master with Publicans and sinners? When Iesus heard it, he said vntounto them, The whole neede not the phisition, but they that are sicke. Mat. 9.12.And, I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. And,Mat. 21.31. Verily I say vntounto you, that Publicanes and harlots shall goe before you into the kingdome of God.
CHAP. X. Of the time of Repentance.
THe time of repentance is the time present, without any delay at all: as the holy Ghost saith,Heb. 3.7,13. To daie if ye will heare his voice. And, Exhort one another daily, while it is called to day: least any of you be hardened through the deceitfulnes of sinne. Reasons hereof are these. I. Life is vncertaine: for no man knowes at what houre or moment, and after what manner he shall goe foorth of this world.Luk. 12. 40. Be ye also prepared therefore, for the sonne of man will come at an houre when ye think not. This one thing should make a man to hasten his repentance; and the rather, because many are dead, who purposed with themselues to repent in time to come; but were preuented by death, and shall neuer repent. II. The longer a man liues in any sinne, the greater danger: because by practise sinne gets heart and strength. Custome is of such force, that that which men vse to doe in their life time, the same they doe and speake when they are dying. One had three poundes owing him to bee paid three seuerall yeares, when he was dying nothing could be got of him but three yeres, three poūds. Againe,Rom. 2.5. by deferring repentance, men treasure vp wrath against the daie of wrath. If a malefactor for his punishment, should be appointed eueryevery daie to carrie a sticke of woode to an heap to burne him twentie yeares after: it must needs be an exceeding great punishment and miserie: and this is the case of euerie sinner: who neglecting repentance from daie to daie, doth thereby imploy himselfe in heaping vp the coles of Gods wrath to burn his soule in hell, when the daie of death comes. III. The more the time is prolonged, the harder it is to repent: the longer a man goes in his sicknesse without phisicke, the harder is the recouerie. And where the deuill dwels long he will hardly be remooued. The best waie to kill a serpent is, to crush it in the head when it is young. IV. It is as meat and drinke to the deuil to see men liue in their sinnes, deferring repentance: as on the contrary, there is great ioy among the angels of God in heauen, when a sinner doth repent. V. Late repentance is seldome or neuer true repentance. For if a man repent when he can not sinne as in former time, as namely in death: then hee leaues not sinne, but sinne leaues him: wherefore the repentance which men frame to themselues when they are dying, it is to be feared least it die with thē. And it is verie iust, that he should bee contemned of God in his death, who contemned God in his life. Chrysostom saith, that the wicked man hath this punishment on him, that in dying hee should forget himselfe, who when he was liuing did forget God. VI. We are with Abel to giuegive vntounto God in sacrifice euen the fat of our flocke: nowe they which deferre repentance to the ende doe the contrarie. Late repenters offer the slower of their youth to the deuill: and they bring the lame & broken sacrifice of their old age to God.