The Practice of Repentance, Chapter 9
CAP. 9. Concerning the wise proceeding in Repentance.
2 THe wise proceeding in Repentance, standeth in these things.
1 To begin the worke within, with cleansing the heart. Ezek. 18.31. Cast away your transgressions, and make you a new heart, & a new spirit. For,
1 The heart is the fountaine of actions; as that is, so are they: Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh, the hand acteth: If the heart bee a fusty vessell, the Lord will powre none of his gracious liquor into it: As that is, so is the whole man; If the roote be naught, so are the branches, so are the fruits.
2 This is the most compendious way: Wash the inside first, saith Christ, & all shall be cleane. A vaine and lost labour it is to offer to stoppe the current of a streame, if you goe not to the fountaine: a vaine thing in a Gardener to cut off the toppes of weedes, and leaue the root, which fasteneth it selfe so much the deeper: And therefore the Prophet Dauid praying for the grace of Repentance, Psal. 51. Wash me, purge me; hee telleth the Lord where he would hauehave him begin, Create in me a new heart, and renew a right spirit.
2 Comming outwardly, begin with those master sins that are most rooted, and hauehave most foyled vsus: for as in an army, if the Generals and Captaines bee cut off, the common souldiers are easily routed: so if our chiefest sins, which hauehave been Commanders, and borne most sway and rule in vsus, be mortified and killed, the lesser sins will bee more easily subdued and chased▪ 1. Sam. 17.51. When the Philistim… saw their Champion Goliah was dead, they fled. Blast and plucke vp the roote, the branches and succours withers of themselues: Cut off the right hand, right eye. Herod had bin in a faire way of Repentance, if he could hauehave begun with Herodias.
2. It is obseruable in the Scripture of most true penitents, that they begun with the strongest sins. Dauid beginneth with his Bathsabeh, and testifieth a notable Repentance, Psal. 51. Saul once mastering his fury and rage in persecuting, hee shall quickly become a zealous Preacher. If we could see some men lay aside their malice and hatred of good men (which is a strong snare of the deuill) wee would hope to see them forward and louing, and ioyne themselues with such as walke in the waies of God.
Zacheus once mastering his pilling, and polling, and couetous catching after the world, becometh a notable example of a true penitent. So could we see a worldling, an vsurer, an oppressour, once giuegive vp his couetousnesse, wee should expect any good thing from them. Wee should hope to see them diligent in Gods house, which now, in the weeke day, they thinke a losse of time. Wee should see them restoring as fast as they fetched in; we should see them as liberall to Gods worship, and good vses, as they hauehave beene basely griple. Wee should see them as mercifull, and charitable, as they hauehave beene cruell, and vnmercifull. We should see with Couetousnesse, the roote of all euill, all the boughes and branches fall.
Till this bee done, neuer say thou hast repented of any sin: for he neuer repented of any sin, whose master-sin is alone, is spared, and vnrepented.
3. In wise proceeding, when thou hast begun with any sin, go through stitch with it; not only to the shaking of the root, but to the vnrooting, and casting it out of the ground: for
1. In all true Repentance, there is a clearing of ones selfe, 1. Cor. 7.11. in our rotten frame and building, it will not leaue a stone vponupon a stone.
2. To finde mercy there must bee confessing and forsaking, Pro 28.
3. The profession of euerie true penitent must bee that of Paul, I was a blasphemer, I was an oppressour, but now God hath shewed mercy. I am no such man now.
Now all this will not be done, but by earnest endeauour: slighting and slubbring of this businesse, leaueth men in the suddes they were in before: as
Some dally with their sins, and semble a repentance as men that ioyne, doe a fight. Perhaps they will this time of yeare come to confession, and seeme very penitent; and hauing confessed, thinke themselues eased: but it is as a drunkard, by vomiting, that hee may drinke more: so these to go fresh to drinke in sin againe.
Some will sweare and curse, and say, God forgiue mee, you make mee sweare; and sweare as fast by and by again. But these roots of sin remaine.
Some pressed by Gods hand, force a Repentance, and make many confessions and promises; but after returne, are as fresh to sin, as a dogge to vomit, or the horse to the smell of his dung. Here is no parting with sinne: Well may hee say, I was a swearer, drunkard, a tippler, an hater of God, and so am I still for all my dissembling Repentance. I was neuer other, nor like to be.
4. In this wise proceeding, rest not in the rooting out of sin, till thou seest the rooting, and growth of the contrary grace: for in all true Repentance, is a change in the iudgement from errour to truth, in the will from euill to good, in the whole man from darknesse to light. Thou canst show no Repentance, if thou canst not show this change.
True Repentance maketh a man cleane contrary vntounto himselfe, and changeth him into a cleane other man. His whole nature is changed from a corrupt and carnall, into a spirituall nature. In nature an Aethiopian cannot change his colour, but grace changeth nature: of a bramble, he becometh a vine, of a thorne, a fig tree, of a wilde, a naturall oliue, of a lyon, a lambe, of a dogge vnderunder boord, a son sitting at table, of a Saul, a Paul. He is changed in all his parts and members; they were, as swords and speares, weapons of vnrighteousnesse and fiercenesse against God, and good men, now are turned into sythes and mattocks, weapons of grace, and instruments of common good in time of peace.
His whole course is changed; of a louer of sin, hee is be come a loather of sin, and louer of grace: of a receiuer and deceiuer, it maketh Zacheus a restorer, and charitable destributer. Of one thirsting after the bloud of Saints, it maketh Saul thirst now after their saluation. Of a waster of the Lords talent, it maketh him increase it.
Let not thy soule deceiue thee in thy Repentance, except it hauehave brought thee thus farre to expresse the contrary grace. Solomon could not satisfie himselfe with his Repentance of those fowle sins of lust, till hee had written his booke of Repentance: nor Augustine, till hee had written his book of Retractations: nor Cranmer, till he had burned his vnworthy right hand.
Trust not thy Repentance for wantonnesse and vncleannesse, vnlesse as the woman, Luke 7. who had abused her eyes, her haire and lippes to folly, shee gaue her lippes to kisse his feete, her eyes to wash them, and her haire to dry them. Thou must expresse Humility, Modesty, and Repentance, in members most abused. Dauid polluting his bed, washeth it with teares.
Trust not thy Repentance for couetousnesse, vsury, briberie, without restitution, as Zacheus, without expression of charitie, mercifulnesse to the poore, and without free, and liberall dispensing to pious and godly vses.
Hath thine house been a profane house, a gaming house, an house of swearing, riot, and disorder? thou hast not repented, though these things bee left, if thou hast not reformed it vntounto a house of prayer. Hast thou bin an enemie, or no friend to Gods seruants, and seruice? thou hast not repented in putting off thy malice, vnlesse thou hast put on louing affections, and expressest louelove aboue the former hatred.
Hast thou sinned in disgracing and reuiling the seruants of God, and professors of the Gospell, casting on them the com…mon termes of hypocrites, puritans? thou hast neuer repented, if thou dost not iustifie, and defend them, and right them in their names, and godly practices: and so in all others sins. True Repentance will not only vndoe what is ill done, but will set vp with both hands what it hath plucked downe; it will now see God hauehave his glorie, and men their right. I conclude with 1. Iohn 3.7. Let none deceiue you, let none deceiue himselfe, hee that doth righteousnesse, is righteous, as he is righteous.