The Practice of Repentance, Chapter 29
CAP. 29. Of the meanes of Repentance: and first in respect of sin.
HAuing spent much time and labour in setting downe
1. The rules to direct vsus in the practice of Repentance; and
2. The lets and hinderances of it, which we hauehave remoued: now
3. Wee are to proceed in the third Generall propounded, namely, To point out the principall meanes which eueryevery one must carefully make vse of, who meane to goe through the comfortable dispatch of this so waighty and vrgent a duty.
The chiefe meanes may bee ranked vnderunder fiue heads.
1. In respect of sin, 2. of God, 3. of Christ, 4. of our selues, 5. of others. Wisedome to all great ends aduiseth of meanes.
1. In respect of sinne there must bee a serious humiliation, which the Apostle calleth godly sorrow, which bringeth Repentance neuer to bee repented of: For
1. A proud person puffed vp as a bladder with selfe conceit, or windy presumption, is not capable of Repentance, till hee be pricked with the sharpe needle of the Law, pricking his heart: Neuer till then did the Conuerts say, Men and brethen, what shall we do? Acts 2.37.
2. God giueth no grace but to the humble, Iam. 4.6. but especially the grace of faith (without which is no true Repentance:) excludes all boasting in our selues, that we may be all wee are in Christ, in whom wee beleeue for righteousnesse and reconciliation.
3. Christ, and his sauing Grace is receiued into the heart, as seed is into the ground, Luke 8.12. And therefore the heart being like stony and fallow ground, must first be broken vp, and made full of furrowes by the helpe of legall humiliation, Ier. 4.5.
4. Repentance is a walking with God, as being made friends. Now no proud man can walke with God: for he dwelleth onelyonly with an humble and contrite spirit, Isay 57.15▪ and Micah 6.8. Hee hath showed thee, O man, what is good, to do iustly, to louelove merciemercy, to humble thy selfe, and walke with thy God.
The meanes therefore to attaine true Repentaince, is,
1. To get a cleare sight of our sins, and miserie by them, and by the curse due to them temporall and eternall: for how can a man be humbled for those sinnes or iudgements, which he neuer saw, nor knew off? Hence are wee called to a through search and tryall of our waies, to finde out distinctly in what particulars wee hauehave gone astray, Lam. 3.40. and then turn to the Lord. And Ier. 31.19. the Church saith, After I was conuerted, I repented. But to show that conuersion nor repentance, is or can be before this search; he addeth, After I was instructed, or as the Hebrew word signifieth, After I was made knowne to my selfe, that is, After in the glasse of the Law I discerned mine owne sinfull and wofull estate, then I repented: for who can otherwise see his need of merciemercy, but in the sense of his miserie? Tremelius. Post quam ostensum fuerit mihi.
2. True sense and sorrow for sin: as pangs and throwes before the birth, with shame of face, griefe of heart, and horror of soule in the apprehension of our guiltinesse by sin, the curse of the law, and Gods infinite anger; & all this represented in the law, in a most terrible maner. As holy Paul by the dart of the Law professed himselfe killed, and slaine, and made so wretched in the sense of his owne guiltinesse and vncleanenesse, that hee desired to be dissolued, to be ridde of it.
This is the true touch of sin wrought by the spirit, when we most grieue & afflict our hearts with that which hurteth vsus most.
It is not losse of mony, goods, estate, libertie, or life it selfe, that hurteth vsus so much as the losse of Christ, of grace, of saluation.
3. To get to an holy despair in our selues, as being out of all hope of deliuerance, by any power, pollicy, or goodnesse of our owne, or of any creature: that the case be with vsus as with Paul and his fellowes, distressed on the sea, who are said to bee past all hope of beeing saued from drowning, Acts 27▪20. And as the woman with the bloody issue, hauing spent all her strength and meanes in physick without cure, was out of hope to be recouered by any secundarie meanes, Mark 5.26.
All this maketh vsus to seek for a remedie; and feeling the need, and extreame want of whatsoeuer the Gospell offreth, yea, and pinched with hunger, thirst, pouertie and beggarie, doe long after, seeke, and begge earnestly for helpe and pardon.
Let this admonish eueryevery man that would proceed in Repentance, which is a continued act, to be conuersant still in the Law of God, and especially to be wel acquainted with the Moral Law, by which, is the knowledge of sinne, Rom. 7.7. that thereby seeing their owne sins daily and the miserie due to them, they may bee kept humble, and low in their owne eyes. What meane men to cast off the whole vse of the Law vnderunder the Gospell, and they must heare of nothing but Gospell?
For 1. Is not the Conuert lyable to sinne? and how can he know what is sin, or what is not sin, but by the Law? how can he discerne the nature of sin, to be an irrectitude and crookednesse, but by the straightnesse of the Law? how can he discouer the danger of his sinne, to awaken him out of it, but by the Law? The office of which is as of Pauls kinsman, to detect the treason of the Iewes: and Pauls danger, that he might auoide it, Acts 23.16.
3 Though the regenerate man bee free from the raigning act and power of sinne, yet hee is not from the roote of euill; which eueryevery one can find fruitfull, and euer shuting as in a perpetuall May: How necessary is it then, alwaies to hauehave by vsus, this sharpe axe of the law which striketh at the roote of sinne? which else would grow … and insolent; that as a seruant, it may be kept vnderunder, with blowes and feare: wherein the spirit worketh, it being his office as well still to conuict, as to conuert, Ioh. 16.8.
3 Though the maine armies of sinne be defeated in the godly, and those masterfull commanders be suppressed, and subdued by grace, yet there be stragling troopes of smaller euils and infirmities, which daily assaile, and should warre against the law of the minde: now by what other glasse shall a man see these spots in his face, than by the law? for as we see the little motes discouered by the light of the Sun, so it is the light of Gods law that detecteth the smallest euils against God or men: without which, we should neuer come to a distinct notice or Repentance of them; and so consequently, could neuer prize the grace or offers of the Gospell. That wee may magnifie the Gospell, let vsus prize the law as a perpetuall scourge to driue vsus out of our selues to Iesus Christ.
So long as we hauehave any thing found with vsus, which must bee either forgiuen by mercy, or repented, or reformed by grace; let vsus faithfully heare, and reade the law to this purpose: That we may daily conquer the pride of our hearts, and walke humbly before God, let vsus take with vsus the vse of the law.
I cannot maruaile at the intolerable pride of these Antinomists, and Perfectists, because they neuer came to see their sinnes aright; and this they doe not, because they reiect the law, the proper glasse of sins discouery.