The Practice of Repentance, Chapter 5
CAP. 5. What Repentance is not.
A Right rule is the measure of it selfe, and a crooked: and this description sheweth as well, what Repentance is not, as what it is▪ Many things are like Repentance, but are not it; and this definition wil find out much counterfeit Repentance, which goeth commonly for currant; and seldome is the deceit found, till it be too late.
1 Many mistake Ciuility, for Repentance sufficient, but it is not; for first, It is not sauing grace of the spirit, but common.
2 No proper fruit of the gospell, but groweth amongst heathens.
3 A man may hauehave it without Christ, without Faith; yea, hauehave it, and goe to hell. Except your righteousnesse exceede the righteousnesse of the Scribes & Pharisees, ye shall not enter, &c.
4 Ciuility is no change, nor turning; it may couer sinne, it cannot cure it: it wrappeth a clout on the wound, but layeth no plaister: it may loppe some branches of sinne, but it striketh not the roote: it layeth a false finger on some sin or other.
5 It looketh all at men, mens lawes, mens approbation, mens pleasing, more than God: and desireth rather to seeme good, than be good; in all which it falleth short of Repentance. A Christian must hauehave that in his Repentance, which no hypocrite hath.
2 EueryEvery sorrow for sinne is not Repentance, no, nor eueryevery deepe sorrow for sinne. Cain had deepe sorrow in respect of punishment: Pharaoh howled, but it was for the thunders & haile, when it was ouer, so was his Repentance: Esau wept for the losse of the blessing, seeing some inconuenience to himself, more than the sin against God. Saul deeply sorrowed, but it was because hee had heard the Lord say, he had cast him off from being King, 1. Sam. 15.24. Ahab was much humbled, but it was after he had heard euill denounced (against him) to cut off his posterity: All this is no Repentance.
Quest. How may I know my sorrow to be a part of true Repentance?
Answ. 1. When it is godly sorrow, or repentance toward God, Acts 20.21. or sorrow according to God; when the sorrow is more for the offence of God, than any shame, punishment, feare, or hell it selfe: for it looketh more on the offence of the great maiesty of God offended, than vponupon the desert of his offences.
Reason.For true sorrow is from louelove of God, and the louelove of God must bee more than of my selfe, or my owne saluation. Here is the iust cause of griefe that Christ is wounded. Zach. 12.10. They shall looke on him whom they have pierced. The waters of Repentance issue, when the rocke of the heart is smitten, not with the rodde of the Law, but the staffe of the Gospell. Acts 2. When they heard this, they were pricked.
2. When it driueth vntounto God. Ier 4.1. If thou wilt return, returne vntounto mee. If thy sorrow for sinne driueth thee from God, it is not godly sorrow; as if it hinder Faith, Hearing, Reading, Prayer. The Prodigals sorrow driueth him to his Father. True Repentance is not the hauing of a wound, but the obtaining of a cure. There is not only the feeling of a burthen, but the getting it off the backe, which is by obeying the call of Christ, Come vntounto mee, &c.
3. When it is continuall, and constant: as good neuer washed with these waters, as become filthy after washing. The sorrow of Repentance is not a fit, or qualme of sicknesse, but a sound cure: whereas the hypocrite forgeth that he was purged.
Try now thy sorrow, whether thou hast taken a Purge, or a Preparatiue. What ease hast thou after thy paine? Whether thou sufferest the smarting plaister to lye on to the full cure, or like a froward patient, hast pluckt it off, when it was but new laid.
3. EueryEvery leauing of sinne is not Repentance, vnlesse there be a turning, a change, and reformation. For Repentance is such a turning and change, as maketh a man cleane contrary vntounto himselfe. Whence it followes, That
1. Abstinence from sins outwardly, is not reformation; for a man sometimes abstaineth from sinne, because hee cannot commit it: and now his sin turneth from him, not hee from it. Sometimes feare, or shame, or other sinister respects, may cause a man to forbeare, and yet not be contrary to himselfe: his heart and minde may be as foule and filthy as before. A pil…erer in the Cage cannot steale, because hee is restrained; but hee hath his pilfering minde still: Here is a change in the condition, but Repentance is a change of the person. Iudas, no question, thus far left his sin; He was sorry, he would doe so no more, and perhaps, would faine hauehave vndone that which he had done against Christ.
Now wherein art thou beyond him? not a whit if thou retainest thy disposition to sin, thy affection, and louelove to euill. If thou couldest doe it safely from mans eye, and securely without the hazzarding of thy selfe on the wrath of God, wouldest thou doe it againe? All is deceit and the spirit of bondage, and worldly sorrow, a repentance to be repented of. But if thou hatest sin, because God hateth it, and resoluest not to doe it, for his sake, as Ioseph, all is well.
2. It will follow, that the lopping and cutting off of some sins, is not Repentance, vnlesse the roots bee stocked and grubbed vp; for this is not a change, but a restraining of washboughs, that will come againe.
Thou abstainest from swearing, but doest thou feare an oath? Thou actest not sin, but doest thou hate it, and put it away?
3. That conquering of sin is not alwaies reformation, & turning from sin: for one sin may conquer another; Sathan may be cast out by Beelzebub. Ambition may conquer couetousnesse, hypocrisie may ouer-master many sins, but this is far from Repentance: For by the feare of the Lord a good man departeth from euill. I set the Lord euer in my sight, that I should not sin against him. When grace and Gods feare thus conquereth sin, it is a good signe.
4. EueryEvery change and reformation is not Repentance, vnlesse the whole man be changed. The whole man must turn, both inward and outward, in both, all faculties and parts: But with this caution, that this change in eueryevery part, is but in part, and imperfect, as the Ayre in the dawning, is light in eueryevery part, but in part; and as luke-warme water, heat is in eueryevery part, with cold.
Reason 1. The Scripture calleth for a through change and sanctification in the soule, body, and spirit, 1. Thes. 5.25. The whole man must turne from the power of Sathan unto God. The whole man must be made of an old, a new man, Ephes. 4.23.
2. Else the remedy will bee short of the disease; for the whole man is turned from God by sinne, and Repentance must turne backe the whole man.
Deceiue not your selues in this great and weighty point; some finde a change in their minde, and hauehave some illumination, and rest in that as Repentance. But howeuer it is true, that the first thing in Repentance, is the change of the mind from darknesse to light, yet Repentance is not the turning of the vnderstanding vntounto truth, vnlesse the will also be turned to God.
It is no repentance for a Papist to bee neuer so deuout, humble, charitable, penitent, if hee turne not his minde to the truth.
It is no repentance in a Protestant to imbrace the truth in iudgement, and profession, and liue vnreformed, and vnanswerable vntounto it; for his will must be changed, as well as his mind.
5. EueryEvery change of the whole man is not Repentance, vnlesse it be from whole sin; for Repentance turneth from all sin, and continueth not any.
Obiect. No Repentance can get away all sin in this life.
Answ. Not that it bee not, but that it rage not. The Iebusite will dwell within our borders, but see he be subdued and commanded.
1. That Repentance is not true, which is not generall.
2. To look backe vponupon any sin, is to turne the backe vponupon God; and to turne from one sin to another, is not Repentance. Herods reformation was farre from Repentance; for howsoeuer hee did many things, hee would not part with his Herodias. Keep no bosome sin.
6. Turning from all sin is not Repentance, vnlesse thou turnest to God.Deut. 5 Ceasing from euill is not Repentance, vnlesse thou learne to doe good; nor casting off the old man, vnlesse thou put on the new.
Now to turne to God, is to get a sincere purpose, desire, and endeauour to walke according to all Gods commandements.
Try thy Repentance: Hath thy sorrow bin deep and godly? Hast thou got beyond ciuilitie? Imbracest thou the grace thou didst trample before, as a Swine, vnderunder feet? Hast thou changed thy soule, thy whole man, from whole sin to God?