The Practice of Repentance, Chapter 16
CAP. 16. Lets of Satan by temptations to despaire of Gods mercy.
2 IF our naturall estate content vsus not, Sathan windeth about to bring vsus to such a degree of discontent, as to drowne vsus vtterly in the gulfe of despair. And this looketh three waies;
1 If we looke to God, hee would hauehave vsus despaire of his mercy.
2 If to our selues, to despaire of our owne estates.
3 If to Repentance, to despair of that as vtterly
Impossible,
Vnprofitable.
1 To bring vsus to despaire of mercy, he will set before the sinner, the greatnesse, foulenesse, and hainousnesse of his sinnes, which as before they were done, he made seeme as a mote, now he maketh them swell to the magnitude of a mountaine.
Seest thou not how numberlesse thy sins are, and of deepe dye? hath not God giuen thee ouer so long, to commit such outragious sinne…, so scandalous against such meanes, often against thy knowledge, and since thou supposedst thy selfe called? and is it not now in vaine to repent of them? Seeke Repentance and Grace with teares, as Esau, thou shalt not finde it, God being iustice it selfe.
To helpe our selues against this great iniurie, thus frame our answer:
1 If I looke all on Gods iustice, or my owne iniustice, I were indeed altogether hopelesse; or if I looke onelyonly on the law of God, the rule of all iustice, that knoweth no mercy, no Repentance: But God in great mercy hath set a meane betweene his iustice and my iniustice, and that is the Gospell of his Sonne, which Preacheth Repentance, and proclaimeth a pardon; so as now if the law cast and condemne me by my owne demerits, the Gospell offereth me free saluatiō by the al-sufficient merit of Christ: and now as I behold the curse of the law, due to my sinnes to humble me; so also I lay hold vponupon Christ, on whom that curse was laid, to iustifie me: For he was made a curse, not for himselfe, but for vsus, that the blessing of Abraham might come vponupon us.
2 I grant all thy premises: My sins are as great, as hainous, as numberlesse, as thou speakest, and against great meanes; but shall I conclude with thee, that either I must not turne to God, or that God will not returne to me? God forbid: Nay, first, the greater my sinnes are, the more need hauehave I to repent; the more deadly my disease is, the more need hauehave I of the Physitian: the more my sinnes be in number, I hauehave more need to lessen them by Repentance, rather than by impenitency to make them both greater and heauier: the longer I hauehave continued in them, the more need hauehave I to hasten out of them.
The more dangerous and festered my wound is, the more hast I must make to the Surgeon. If a bone were broken in my body, I would not beleeue him that should tell mee it were too late to get it set againe.
The greatnesse of my sinne therefore shall neuer hinder, but further my Repentance: and were I not so great a sinner, I should not see so much need of Gods mercy, or Christs merits; but now being so heauy laden, I hauehave more need to come to Christ to be eased. Hee came to call sinners to Repentance: and this Physitian is not so weake or vnskilfull, but he can cure deadly diseases, as well as infirmities: he cured him that was 38 yeares diseased, Io…. 8.2. Or shall think▪ the Lord hath forgotten to bee mercifull, and will not returne, as thou suggestest? For,
1 Can hee forget his nature and cease to bee God, mercifull, gracious, aboundant in mercy and truth, reseruing mercy for thousands, forgiuing iniquitie, transgression and sinne, Exod. 34.6.7. Who is a God like vntounto him, passing by the transgression of his people, and not retaining wrath for euer? for mercy pledeth him. Micah 7.18. Or can he forget his promise, and deny himselfe? Isa. 55.7. Let the wicked forsake his way, and returne, and he will hauehave mercy, for he is ready to forgiue; and Math. 18.21. hath he commanded vsus to forgiue our brethren offending seuenty seuen times, and will not hee forgiue vsus our offences? the scope of that parable. Is not hee rich in mercy to forgiue ten thousand talents, yea the vttermost farthing?
I will therefore, hearing that the King of Israel is a mercifull King, submit my selfe as B…nhadad, 1, King. 20. It may be Ahab will spare thy life; assuredly the God of Israel will spare thy humbled soule, who cannot forget his own glory, whose mercy and grace is more magnified, as the sinner is greater that layeth hold vponupon it. I will resolue as Hester ▪ to goe in to the King▪ If I perish, I perish. My sinnes are so great, I dare not adde a greater of despaire; Plus pe…cauit Iudas desperando, quam prodendo Christum.
3 I neuer read that the greatest sinnes could make true Repentance vaine: I finde sinnes red as scarlet and crimson, made white as snow, Isay. 1.18. I see Harlots, Idolaters, Persecutors, Witches, Theeues, by Repentance, acquitted and accepted to highest grace. I see murtherers of the Sonne of God, who shed his bloud, drinke his bloud by faith; and vponupon their Faith and Repentance were conuerted and saued, Acts 2.
Can there be greater sin than to blaspheme and persecute the Church of God? yet Paul obtained mercy for this, that hee might be an example to others to come, that should beleeue vntounto euerlasting life, 1. Tim. 1.16. Could there be a greater sinne than Peters, after so many warnings and vowes, to deny and forsweare his Master, and curse himselfe; and this againe and againe? and yet our Lord mercifully looked backe vponupon him, and gaue him both Repentance and mercy.
4 I hauehave learned not to cast both mine eyes vponupon my sinne, but reserue one to behold the remedy.
Doe I see, (as Dauid, Psal. 51.) a multitude of sinnes, yet with the other, I behold a multude of mercies; I see sinne abounding in mee, but grace abounding more. I see a sea of rebellions ready to drowne me, but withall, a bottomlesse sea of compassions to drowne all them, Micah 7.19. I behold, mourning, a number of wounds and soares on my soule; but withall, a balme to cure all my wounds. I hauehave a million of debts, and not a farthing to pay: but I hauehave a good surbey, a good Samaritane vndertaking to pay all; a mercifull Creditor saying to me, HaueHave not forgiuen thee all? I hauehave deserued a million of deaths by my bloudy sinnes, but I see an infinite vertue and merit in the bloud of Christ, that cleanseth all sinnes; this was shed not onelyonly for small sinnes, and is neuer dry. I heare many menaces, and threats for many sins, but I reade of as many promises of mercy, and all they indefinite, excluding none, whose impenitency and infidelity excludeth not themselues. I see the nature and measure of my sins vtterly separating me from God: but I see that the Lord measureth not the sinnes of his according to their nature and measure, but according to the affection of the sinner; and therefore the foulest sinnes, being heartily bewailed, carefully resisted, by godly sorrow cast out, that sinner shall get his suite of pardon, at the throne of grace. I see eueryevery sin deseruing damnation; but I see also that no sin shall condemne, but the lying and continuing in it: and therefore I must repent. I see the miserie and loathsomenesse of my disease; but because I see the Physitian is not so much offended with the loathsomnesse of the disease, as the contempt of his physicke in the Patient, I will not reiect the physicke, because I expect cure.