The Nature and Practice of Repentance, Title page – Errata
TWO TREATISES.
I. Of the nature and practise of repentance.
II. Of the combat of the flesh and spirit.
Printed by IOHN LEGATE Printer to the Vniversitie of Cambridge. 1593. And are to be sold at the signe of the Sunne in Paules Church-yard in London.
TO THE READER whosoever.
GOD hath bestowedon vsus great prosperitie and peace with plenty of all temporall blessings that heart can wish for many yeres in this land.
Prosperity abused hath bin the occasion of many grievous sinnes against the first and secondtable: specially of Atheisme, neglect of Gods worship, contempt of the word, prophanation of the Sabbath, abuse of the Sacraments, &c.
These and such like sinnes have long called downe for iudgements from heaven upon us: & the rather, because the preaching of the worde hath litle prevailed to bring vsus to any amendment of life.
Whereupon God hath now begun to cause his iudgements to seaze upon vsus, specially by plague and pestilence: & that even in the very principall part of this land: whereby he him selfe doth (as Iob saith) round us in the eare, Iob. 36. 15.and preach repentance to vsus.
Wherfore it stands vsus now in hand if ever, to looke about vsus: and if we have not repented to begin to repent: if we have in former time repented, to doe it more earnestly.
If so be that we shall harden our hearts both against his word and iudgements, & put farre from vsus the evill day: undoubtedly we must needs looke for iudgements far more terrible then ever we felt as yet; if not eternall destruction. Let vsus be advised by the old world, who made light of Noahs warning, and were drowned in the flood: by Lots sonnes in law, whoGen. 19. 14. tooke their fathers counsell for mockage and were burnt with fire and brimstone from heaven: by the foolish virgins, who were sleeping when they should have bene furnishing their lampes, and were shut from the mariage of the lambe.
And to direct thee somwhat in the practise of repentance, I hauehave penned this small treatise: vse it for thy benefite, and see thou be a doer of it: vnlesse thou wilt be a wilfull murderer & shed the blood of thine owne soule.
And whereas there have bin published here to fore in English two sermons of Repentance, one by M. Bradford Martyr, the other by M. Arthur Dent: sermons indeed which hauehave done much good: my meaning is not to adde thereunto, or to teach any other doctrine, but only to renew & revive the memory of that which they have taught.
Neither let it trouble thee that the principall divines of this age, whom in this treatise I follow, may seeme to be at difference in treating of repentance. For some make it a fruite of faith containing two parts, mortification, & vivification: some make faith a part of it, by deviding it into contrition, faith, new obedience. The difference is not in the substance of doctrine, but in the logicall maner of handling it. And the difference of handling ariseth of the divers acception of repentance. It is taken two wayes generally & particularly. Generally for the whole conversion of a sinner, and so it may containe contrition, faith, and nevv obedience under it. It is taken particularly for the renovation of the life and behavicur: and so it is a fruite of faith. And this only sense do I follovv in this treatise.
I have added hereto a fevv lines of the combat betvvene the flesh and the spirit: because repentance and this combat are ioyned togither, & the one is not practised vvithout the other, as appeares by resolving Psalme 51.
Spirit.
HaueHave mercy on me, O God, accordingvers. 1. to thy louing kindnes.
Flesh.
Yea, but this thine adultery comprehends infinite sinnes: therfore looke for no pardon.
Spirit.
According to the multitude of thy compassions put away mine iniquities.
Flesh.
This sinne hath taken such deepe place in thee: that it will be hardly pardoned.
Spirit.
Wash me throughly from minevers. 2. iniquity, and clense me from my sinne.
Flesh.
Thy speciall trespasse is against man.
Spirit.
Against thee, against thee, only hauehavevers. 4. I sinned, &c.
Flesh.
Except this one sinne, thy life is unblameable.
Spirit.
Behold I was borne in iniquity, &c.vers. 5.
Yea, the best man that is, in the practise of godlinesse often appeares to be unlike himselfe: the cause is this spirituall combat. The flesh other whiles makes him waile and mourne and goe drooping: presently after the spirit puts into him (as we say) the heart of grasse, and makes him triumph against the flesh, the devill the world. Moses was couragious at theExod. 14. 13. Num. 20. 11, 12. Iob. 1. 21. & 3. 1. Psalm, 6. 1, 8. & 10. 17. & 41. 9, 10, 11. red sea; but he failed at the waters of strife. Iob first praiseth God, and after blasphemeth. David is often fainting in miserie, yet by and by revived. Wherefore there is good cause why the consideration of repentance and the combat should go togither: that no man, after he hath begun to repent, might dreame of ease to his flesh; as though we should goe to heaven in beds of downe: but rather that we might be resolved, that when we begin to doe any thing pleasing unto God, then wee must looke for nothing but continuall molestations from our vile and wicked natures.
Written Anno 1593. the 17. of November, which is the Coronation day of our dread Soveraigne Queene ELIZABETH; whose raigne God long continue. William Perkins.
Faults amended.
Pag. 73. lin. 16. for, this first, read, this sense. p. 75. l. 3. speake. p. 83. in marg. place Zach. 7. 11. with Eph. 4. 19. p. 87. l. 23. for, and yet, read, and the.