The Practice of Repentance, Chapter 26
CAP. 26. Obiections against Repentance of some that seeme not to repent, yet liue and dye honestly; and others that doe dye as fearefully.
2. NOw to the instances of men. 1. Some repent not, and yet liue and dy, honestly and peaceably.
Ans. 1. All things fall alike to all for outward thing, Eccles. 9.2. As is the good, so is the sinner in death. And the iudgement of a man is not to bee fetched from his outward death: but from his life, and faith, and fruits.
2. A wicked man may bee quiet and peaceable in death, because,
1. Their blinde presumption of a good estate in death, as in their life, assuring themselues of heauen & … though they neuer …
2 Satans … knowing then to be his … not onelyonly to hold … in th… snare, but their companion that outliue them: left they see…g the terror and perplexities of their death, should be mooued to change their liues.
3 Gods iustice on them, who leaueth them to dye, as they liued; not allotting them vnderstanding, sense, memory to remember themselues, who hauehave all their liues forgotten sinne. But this iustice of God on them, should make vsus rather hasten our Repentance betimes, while our season lasteth, and our vnderstanding, health, and senses, than longer to defer it.
1 Others made shew of Repentance, and strict walking, but very vniust, deceitfull; in a word, the worst of men in their dealing.
Answ. This is for the most part an vngrounded clamor against holinesse, and is a parcell of that poysoned sloud cast out of the Dragon, Reu. 12.
2 But sometimes hath grounds in the neglected liues of Professors. Oh remember the woe pronounced on them by whom offences come: Why takest thou the Law into thy mouth, and hatest to bee reformed? how darest thou call on the name of the Lord, and not depart from iniquity?
3 But how vnhappy art thou that stumblest on this rocke, to cast thy selfe headlong from thine owne saluation? thou shouldest bring thy selfe to the Rule, and see thy worke bee straight, and not scandalize thy selfe by cro…ked and faulty examples.
4 In temporall things, thou wouldest not wrong thy selfe on these silly grounds. Who euer refused to goe in a right way, because some in that way hauehave fallen and miscarried? But the right way to heauen is Repentance.
Would a man refuse wholesome physicke because some dye that take physicke? The proper physicke of a diseased soule is Repentance. Would we thinke that man in his wits that would disclayme and wilfully refuse good and wholesome meate, because some surfeit and cast vp all againe? Where shall we finde a Trader, or dealer in the world, that will refuse to meddle with all money and gold, because there is some clipt and counterfeit? or will therefore cast off all trading, because some of the same trade breake and deceiue? and much lesse the most gainefull trade of godlinesse.
3 Some others that hauehave very busily followed the worke of Repentance, hauehave found as little peace and comfort in their death as any. Some of them hauehave dyed despairing, some blaspheming; perhaps some on their owne hand.
Answ. The way of dying well, is the way of Repentance, and in this way, none can dye ill: But precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of all such, whatsoeuer it seeme, Psal. 116.
2 Gods children may want sense of comfort, but this argueth not, but he might hauehave formerly the presence of sound comfort, and the true ground of it present still. A tree in winter liueth, but seemeth dead: present paine and sicknesse of body, argue not it had neuer health.
3 Gods child may want sense of faith, and in death seeme to be in the gulfe of despaire, and yet passe to heauen by the gates of hell, as Christ did.
4 Gods childe may hauehave rauings, blasphemies, fierce actions against themselues and others, which are the effects of diseases; melancholy, frenzy, burning agues, pestilence; from which they are not freed; but howsoeuer diseases may depriue the childe of GOD of health, sense, comfort, and life it selfe, it cannot depriue him of saluation. Rom. 8. I am perswaded that neither life nor death, &c.
5 Christian wisedome iudgeth not of a man by the strangenesse of his death, but by the goodnesse of his life; and no kind of death is euill to him, that is in Christ, for he is freed from the curse of the law.