The Practice of Repentance, Chapter 12
CAP. 12. Lets of Repentance from the world.
THe second sort of Lets of Repentance, are from the world, which is a perillous sea, wherein some Christians escape drowning, but none danger; some escape shipwracke, but none hazzard. And the greater and more dangerous is this enemy, because, shee betrayeth vsus as Iudas with a kisse; not comming in hostile manner, being alwaies an enemy, but sometimes as a friend: sometimes hyring vsus to sin with great wages, as Balaam was carried with wages of vnrighteousnesse, to curse the people of God: sometimes inticeth vsus to sin, holding before our eye, an apple faire to the eye, as Eue: or a wedge of gold, as Achan.
2 Our selues without great watch, yea with it, are easily carried away, because of the league that is betweene the world, and our corrupt nature; all our affections and thoughts, & courses, naturally tending world-ward: further than they are weighed vp with much strength of grace.
3 Yea, we see men of much grace cast backe by the world, and the very Disciples themselues shall stand sometimes striuing for superiority, and to bee somewhat in the world, when they should hauehave minded other businesse: And why doth the world cast such a number of lets to hinder Repentance, and reach at those that are at the side of Christ, but because in eueryevery one that repenteth, shee loseth a limbe or member?
Now the Lord seeing our danger by this masked enemy, hath charged vsus, that whatsoeuer louelove the world maketh to vsus, we must not bestow our louelove vponupon it: for then the louelove of the Father cannot bee in vsus, 1. Ioh. 2.11. but arme our selues against it, as an arch-enemy to vsus in the way of grace, and stand out against it vntounto victory, and that in the strength of our head, who hath bidden vsus be of good comfort, because he hath ouercome the world, both for himselfe, and all vsus his members.
There be foure great impediments cast in our way by the world to hinder Repentance, and the exercise of godlinesse.
First, feare of contempt and reproach from the world: secondly, a forsaking of friends; thirdly, fewnesse of sound godly men; fourthly, multitude of contrary examples.
1 The great rubbe of all from the world, is that generall contempt powred vponupon Professors and practises of piety, which is a generall Let: insomuch as our Sauiour pronounced that man blessed, that is not offended in him; and once asked his Disciples, if they would also goe away with others.
2 This was a strong Let and stumbling blocke; which layed in the way, hindered many Rulers from following Christ, and from professing that, whereof their conscience was conuinced, Ioh. 12.43. Because they feared contempt from their consorts, and loued the praise of men, more than the praise of GOD. What else hindered and deferred the Repentance of Nichodemus, and cast his comming to Christ into the night?
3 It striketh at that which nature is very tender ouer: for who would willingly cast himselfe into so contemptible a condition, as that of men forward in Religion? who would be pointed at for singularity? who would not shun the nick-names cast vponupon godlinesse? or who but would be loath to be thought of the Preciser sort? who would be at such a passe, to hauehave his Religion iudged hypocrisie; his christian prudence, censured as crafty policy; his godly simplicity, esteemed sillinesse & folly: his zeale, madnesse; his frugality, couetousness; his bounty, wastfulnesse; his resolute obedience to Gods law, no better than rebellion to the Princes; his contempt of the world▪ a silly carelesnesse; his godly sorrow, melancholy? how hard is it to be so misconstrued in eueryevery thing?
Now for remouing of this Let,
1 Looke to Christ, and thou shalt finde Christ and his Crosse inseparable.
2 It were strange if the world that hateth Christ himselfe, should not hate his Disciples. Ioh. 15.18. If the world hated you, it hated me before you.
3 Cannot the wisedome, innocencie, & holinesse of Christ, fence him from the scornes and mockes of the world, and can thine fence thee▪ Did they deale thus with the greene tree, and will they not with the dry? Durst they call the master Be…lzebub, and will the seruant looke to be better than his master?
4 How base and vile was hee content to be for thee?
2 Looke to the world, and consider that it were strange if the world should not hate those that are called out of the world: Is it a strange thing that they speake euill of them, that will not into the same excesse of ryot with them?
3 Looke at thy selfe, and consider
Whether if thy person and waies please God, the world will not be displeased with both.
2▪ What fence hast thou aboue other of the Lords holy ones? were not the Prophets reputed Rebels, to States and Princes? was not the happy tidings of saluation in the Apostles mouthes▪ counted seditious doctrine and nouelties? was not Iohn Baptists abstinence and sober manner of liuing, esteemed melancholike; yea, diuelish austerity? was not Maries louelove and bounty to Christ, counted wastfulnesse? nay, our Lords gentlenesse and meekenesse with sinners, was it not called boone companionship, and himselfe for it a glutton, a companion of sinners?
3 Looke at thine owne secret worth, that art an humble Christian, and comfort thy selfe in it for the time. A Prince in a strange Country vnknowne, is content with homely vsage: for he knoweth his owne worth, so doe not they: And a secret rich man is well pleased with his wealth, and willingly concealeth it from others: So the godly and humble soule may be well contented, that hee is rich in God, and rich in Grace, and in an honourable and happy estate, though all men take no notice of it.
Though the world iudge according to the outward appearance, because it knoweth not the Father, nor yet the louelove of God: Neither is this the time when they must appeare what they are: yet mis-iudge not thine owne happinesse for the present, though it appeare not; for did the honour of the Saints appeare, all the sheaues would bow to theirs; and all the Nobility, and glory of the earth, were but vanishing shadowes, and as Ionas his withering Gourd before them: Yea, I suppose, the glory of the least Beleeuer, when it shall appeare, shall darken the glory of the Sunne.
4 What an happy seruice is it if thy dishonour can bring any honour to God and his truth. As Luther of Moses body, so I say of thy name, Let it dye and bee buried, stinke, and rot, and let no man know where it lyeth, so as the name of Christ may be magnified by thy life or death.
Be content then if the sonnes of men turne thy glory into shame: if it be vile to be humble before and for the Lord, bee yet more vile.
5 Consider whether the work of grace get strength in thee, whereby thou art crucified to the world & the world to thee. whether canst thou cōtemn the contempt of the world, & despise the glory of it, esteeming it in comparison of Christ dung and drosse? A man that is dead, or crucified, is in such an estate as he careth not for all the pompe and glory of the world, neyther doth he feare that the world can iudge him lower than hee is: so a man crucified with Christ is dead to the world, & the world cannot cast him lower than hee hath cast himselfe.
4 Consider that the scorne and reproach for Christ, which is causelesse, is indeed the present crowne of glory, set vponupon the head of a Christian. And though the world knoweth not Christ if hee come not with a crowne of gold, yet faith spieth more honour in the crowne of thornes, both on his owne, and on the heads of his members; and reioiceth more in the crosse of Christ, than in all the world besides. Christ crucified is a Christians only glory, Gal. 6.19.
5 Seeing there is no man but must be contemned, let vsus chuse rather the contempt for well-doing, than the contempt for sinne. A man must eyther be cōtemned here of the world, or hereafter of God. Now whether is more eligible, to be reiected of euill men, or of the Son of God? Surely nothing can cast such dung in the face of a man as his sinne vnrepented, vnpardoned. This maketh him contemptible to God, to good Angels, good men euen here; and there abideth an eternal contempt for sin and sinners hereafter, as it is Dan. 12.
Whereas if godlinesse draw on the hatred of wicked men, this is abundantly recompenced with the louelove of God and of the Saints; which is not temporary, as is their hatred, but euerlasting and endlesse. And what need a wise man to care for the hatred of abiect scullions, & base gally-slaues, if he can retaine the fauour of the Prince, the Nobles and best men in the land?
A second great let of Repentance from the world, is that of him Luke 9.61. who would faine follow Christ, but hee must first bidde them farewell that are at his house; and this is so long a doing, that we heare no more of him: So eueryevery naturall man hath many friends in the world, many welwillers, and sundry to whom he is ingaged and much beholding, and he is loth to part companies, and bid them farewell. Now if hee begin to repent, hee must bid a number of these friēds adieu, & farewel much of that wch formerly he called good fellowship and merry company▪ these will not go in his way, and he must not goe in theirs.
Ans. To this let, first, If the businesse of Repentance breake off that fellowship, which wicked men make works of darkenesse, and pleasures of sinne, such as is drunkennesse, swearing, revelling, stage-playes, masking, may-games, carding, dicing, frothy or foule communication and the like; what can be a higher praise of godlinesse, than to cut off such vngodly fellowship, of which sinne is the only knot and band?
But as for Christian fellowship in lawfull and ioyfull meetings in the feare of God; as the ancient Christians beleeued, conuersed, eate, and dranke, and reioyced together, Acts 2. Godlinesse and pietie establisheth such, so it rectifieth and sweetneth society, and maketh it truly fruitfull and profitable. It only forbiddeth that merriment which is not in the Lord, & the mirth which Salomon calleth madnesse, when men are neuer so merry as when God is farthest off, as mad men sing when their bands increase.
2 To walke in the way of repentance, is not to lose friends; for let a mans wayes please the Lord, hee maketh his very enemies become his friends, Pro. 16.7. This is the way to get and keepe sound friends, and friendship: It is hee alone that can contemper iron and clay to a mixture; he can make the wolfe and the lambe, the Beare & the Calfe, the Lyon and the Oxe feed peaceably together; Esa 11. For as hee that is confederate with a King, is at peace with all his subiects, so he that confederateth and entreth league with God, shall so farre forth finde men friēdly as may stand 1. with Gods wisedome, 2. with exception of the crosse, 3. with promotion of his owne saluation.
And what wise man would chuse to liue out of Gods fauour for mans, yea for wicked mens? As Elkanah said to Hannah, Am I not better than ten sonnes? so may the Lord, Am not I better than ten thousand friends?
3 To walke humbly before God, is not to lose friends, but to exchange those that are couert enemies vnderunder the habite of friends, for true friends indeed: and to breake from such friends is to get God thy friend and father, Christ thy friend and brother, the Angels thy friends and guardians, the godly thy friends and fellow members, thine own conscience thy friend, yea as a thousand friends and witnesses for thee: And these are friends worth hauing. As for other friends, who draw thee aside from obedience to God, say to them as Christ to Peter, disswading him from suffering, Get thee behinde me Sathan: and as Dauid, Away yee wicked, for I will keepe the commandements of my God, Psal. 119.115.
4 Grace teacheth a godly man to hauehave the same friends and enemies that God hath, because of the couenant and league now stricken betweene them. Psal. 139.31. But
1 See the hatred be carried against vices not persons, lest we sinne against the precept of louing our neighbour.
2 See to the puritie of our affections, that they bee not priuate, but set vponupon Gods glorie; nor as they be our enemies, but Gods.
3 Let no relation betweene any man and vsus, neyther in high nor low place, cause vsus to betray Gods cause and truth; but let it be dearer to vsus than our owne peace, profit, yea our liues themselues.