The Practice of Repentance, Chapter 18 – Chapter 20
CAP. 18. Lets from Sathan by Temptations to despaire of our Repentance from
Impossibilitie,
Difficultie.
3. IF Sathan cannot preuaile to make vsus despaire, neither of Gods merciemercy, nor our owne estates, then he assayeth to bring vsus to despaire of our repentance.
And this in three respects,
1. of impossibilitie,
2. vnprofitablenesse,
3. of relapses, or relinquishing Repentance.
1. What an impossible thing dost thou attempt? dost thou euer thinke to master thy sinnes, which are so inbred, so neare, so necessary, so profitable as eyes, hands, yea, as ayre, fire, or water? wilt thou striue against the streame, where it is so impossible to ouercome, and forsake them?
How often hast thou purposed, promised, vowed, and resolued to enter the way of Repentance, but couldst neuer attaine to goe through against any one sin?
2. Thou shalt finde another manner of taske in Repentance, than thou dreamest off: it calleth for more paines, sorrow, mortification, difficultie, prickings of heart, than euer thou lookest for, or art able to indure: and therefore neuer goe about it, vnlesse thou hadst more hope to attaine it.
Answ. Thus the diuell, like churlish Laban, neuer persecuted Iacob so much, as when hee was departing from him: and our owne sloathfull corruption saith, A Lyon is in the way, Prou. 20. and the sluggard saith, It is too cold, he dareth not goe forth to plow, Pro. 29.
But to the first, concerning the multitude, masterfulnesse, and necessarinesse of thy sinnes, answer thus:
1 I discerne indeed an huge army of sinnes, and sweet lusts to encounter: and these sonnes of Zeruiah are too strong for mee, and it is impossible for mee to ouercome them, if I looke at my selfe or my owne strength; but as Dauid against Goliah; I come against these Gyants, in the name and strength of the Lord, by whom I shall behead them: It is he that teacheth my hands to warre, and my fingers to fight: It is his battaile, and hee will giuegive the victory, and close my enemies in my hand.
2 I discerne many enemies against me, & I cānot stand before them, but the Lord hath opened mine eyes with Elish…'s seruant, 2. King. 6. that I see more now with me, ready to fight on my side, than they that are against me thou wouldest deceiue me, in carrying both mine eyes in things against me, but I behold the Lord neare mee with grace sufficient. I see what spirituall helpe and succour he is ready to supply me with, while I constantly cleaue to his helpe.
3 Though I be to deale with many and mighty sins, yet they are already conquered enemies; spoyled of their power by the victory of Iesus Christ my Lord; so as I hauehave nothing to doe, but follow the chase and spoyle of vanquished forces.
4 Though they were neuer so deare, and beloued sinnes, yet must I heare the voice of God, saying as to Abraham; Take thy sonne Isaac, whom thou louest, and offer to mee in sacrifice: though indeed what euer they pretend, such is their louelove, as if I kill not them, they will kill me; and therefore though I hauehave sometimes vowed, resolued, and purposed Repentance in vaine; now by the grace of God I will make a new onset to better purpose.
A Souldier though hee hauehave once turned his backe, will fight againe, and wounded the second time, will seeke cure againe.
A Merchant brought behind hand, will trade againe more cautelously: a Mariner that hath suffered shipwracke, will to sea againe, and trafficke againe: and I will neuer be such a slaue, as though I be preuented againe and againe, yet I will seeke my liberty still.
2 But whereas thou obiectest the difficulty, sorrow, paine, and vnconquerable labour of Repentance: I answer,
1 Were the worke of Repentance so painefull as thou sayest, first, what paine would a man sustaine to auoid sicknesse of body, losse of goods, pouerty, shame? and shall not I be at paines to auoid eternal shame, losse of soule, and saluation?
2 What infinite paines and sorrowes indured Christ for my saluation? and what was his ayme in all that, but to make rough waies smooth? Esa. 42. and shall not I be at some paines for my selfe? and what paines hauehave the Saints beene at in taking of the Kingdome by violence, and apprehending life eternall through fire and water, and infinite deaths and torments? Is it not worth so much to mee, as them?
3 Is there no paines in going to hell, in the diuels commandements, in the seruice of sinne? is there not more paines in committing, than forsaking any sin? See it in one sinne of vncleanenesse, is there not more paines in contriuing his sinne, wasting his body, consuming his goods, exposing himselfe to the shame of men, to the punishment of the Magistrate, to the iustice & curse of God in body and soule, than in forsaking his sinne? and so in the rest.
4 Is there no sorrow, nor burden in the consequents of sinne? is it no paines to hauehave a selfe-secret accusation, a biting conscience, a gnawing and vndying worme, a sound of terror euer in the eares, feare and flight when none pursue? is there no basenesse in sinne to be a seruant, and slaue …o …usts? & is there any slaue to the sinner, that is ruled and hurried by the will of the diuell? No Galley slaue but would breake from his chaines▪ vijs & modis.
5 Were the pains of Repentance so difficult as thou sayest, and intolerable, yet the priuiledges and recompences of that pain, are as great: what sick man would not displease his tast with a bitter potion, to recouer health, and retaine his life? the sufferings of this present life are not worthy the glory that shall be reuealed; the moment any af…tions of this life, cause a weight of eternall glory.
Resolue therefore of this paines, and doe it betimes: for if it be hard and difficult now, will it be easier by delaying, by despairing, when thy sinne is stronger, and thy selfe weaker? An ague, the more fits, the more incurable; a Beast, the elder, the more vntameable▪ and sinne is a leauen, the elder, the sow…er and stronger. Make not thy selfe more labour by sufferance of sin: make an onset with courage, as the hearty, spyes, Caleb▪ Numb. 13.31. and Ioshu…, Numb. 14.19. they are but bred for vsus.
2 But indeed the worke of Repentance is not so painefull and sorrowfull as thou pretendest; for, is it not Christs yoke? and is not Christs yoke easie and sweet? and there be other things that make it sweet and easie, being an Euangelicall commandement.
1 The presence of grace, which conquereth difficulties▪ foyleth temptations, 1. Ioh. 5. He that is borne of God, ouercommeth the world, for hee hath a grace sufficient for him. I must not fixe mine eyes onelyonly vponupon mine owne resistance, but on Gods assistance, by whom I shall bee able to leape ouer all walles, and impediments. Psal. 119. I will run the way of thy commandements when thou hast inlarged my heart.
2 The promise and donation of the spirit, that we may walke in the way of Gods Commandements. Ezek. 11.19▪20. And I will put a new spirit in their bowels, and take the stony heart away, and giuegive them an heart of flesh, that they may walke in my statutes, and keepe my iudgements, &c. 1. Cor. 3. Where the spirit of GOD is, there is liberty.
3 LoueLove of grace, and louelove of God maketh eueryevery thing sweet. 1. Ioh. 5▪ and 8. This is the louelove of God, that we keepe his commandements, & his commandements are not grieuous: Da amā tem & sentit quid dico. Aug. LoueLove of gaine maketh the Merchant refuse no aduentures of sea.
LoueLove of God makes Abraham offer his onelyonly Isaac; a difficult commandement: Iacob loued Rachel, and the seuen hard yeers of labour, seemed to him a few daye…. The mother loueth the child, and swalloweth all paines, watchings, and difficulties, vnweariably.
Gods louelove for vsus, made him vndertake many worse torments, and sorrowes; louelove of Christ made the Martyres passe fire and flames, and most exquisite torments▪ with sweetnesse and pleasure, as if they had been in beds of roses: LoueLove of God is vnconquerable, much water cannot drowne it.
Now is Sathan fully answered; get Gods grace neare thee, the presence of the spirit, and louelove of grace, and downe shall all the barres and impediments; & the most difficult commandements shall be made easie.
CAP. 19. Lets from Satans temptations from the vnprofitablenesse of our Repentance.
2 TO bring vsus to despaire of our Repentance, to the impossibility or difficulty, he will vrge the vnprofitablenesse of it: What can thy Repentance doe, being so slight, so sinfull, so vnworthy? thou canst not looke to be perfect, and how can God accept that which is so vnworthy and imperfect? Besides, dost not thou see many wicked men, as Saul, Esau, Iudas, gone farre beyond thee in bitter sorrow, and shed farre more signes of Repentance, than thou, and yet all in vaine, for they were reiected and damned?
Answ. This is a dangorous dart, and must be wisely repelled.
1 I grant my Repentance to be weake and vnworthy, but I am taught in Gods Booke
1 That it is neither my Repentance, nor worthinesse of it selfe, that washeth away my sin, or can satisfie Gods iustice; for then it were indeed as thou sayest: but it is the bloud of Iesus Christ that washeth away all sinne, 1. Ioh. 1.7▪ and that reconciliation with God, dependeth not vponupon the quantity or merit of my Repentance, but vponupon the merit and vertue of Iesus Christ, whom I, a repentant sinner, lay hold on for saluation. My Repentance, were it neuer so perfect, can neither satisfie God, nor iustifie me before God, but onelyonly testifie that I am a beleeuer prepared to receiue Christ, and thankefully to accept him with his merits, by ceasing to sinne against him.
2 I find in the Scripture, that as no man is accepted for his perfect Repentance, so none is reiected for the imperfection of his Repentance, if it be sound and vnfained: for then it is a certain fruit of a liuely faith, and so of the presence of Christ, and of the life of God; euen as the least bud or blossome appearing, is a certaine demonstration of life in the roote. God careth not how great, but how true and sound our Repentance is; not how much, but how good; he accepteth not for quantity, but for quality: yet where grace is found, and right in quality, it will euer striue to increase, and abound still.
3 Notwithstanding my Repentance be weake, yet being an Euangelicall grace, a mite is accepted: a grayne hath his due weight: a desire to repent; a will for the deed; a ready minde for performance; a sorrow because I cannot sorrow: these goe for godly sorrow, and my faith getteth Christ to supply the rest. Thus the Christian is to be fortified against the weakenesse of his Repentance.
2 Thou sayest, many wicked men hauehave gone farre in desperate sorrowes. I care not how far they goe beyond me therein: but that is farre from godly sorrow, both in the nature of it, and in the acceptance of it. My sorrow is for God offended, for God loued for himselfe; my sorrow is from God, and goeth to God againe: theirs was not a seeking of God, but of themselues: my teares of sorrow, hauehave a washing and cleansing vertue, so not theirs: my sorrow is as a soaking raine, which hath wet the very rootes of my heart, so not theirs. And for acceptance, they hauehave no promise to be accepted in their desperate sorrow: but I hauehave a promise, that my humiliation, ioyned with faith and reformation, shall bee accepted in Christ, in whom my person is accepted.
CAP. 20. Lets from Satans temptation from our relapses.
3 BVt seest thou not that for all thy Repentance, thou fallest againe into the same sins, which hadst thou truely repented▪ thou shouldest neuer hauehave done? what good doth thy washing, who forgettest that thou wast washed? True repentance is a Repentance neuer to bee repented of; as thine is.
Ans. To turn to sin as a dogge to the vomit, and as a swine to the wallowing after washing, is a dangerous case, but not hopelesse and desperate.
And howsoeuer it is not ordinary for the child of God to fall diuers times into the same grieuous sins; yet notwithstanding, some comfort here belongs to troubled consciences: But let no presumptuous sinners meddle with it.
1. Godly men are the same men after sinne and repentance, that they were before; beset with the same infirmities, and no more priuiledged from error than before.
2. Experience sheweth, not only subiect to the same infirmities daily; but often taken in the same snares: as, wandring thoughts, idle speeches, distractions in prayer, negligence, and too much vnprofitablenesse in hearing, rash anger, with many daily omissions; whereof, who can cleare himselfe, so long as he carrieth the causes of daily fayling about him? as
1. Ignorance. Many know not many sins to bee sins: as the Patriarches knew not Poligamy to be sinne.
2. Weakenesse of grace. A childe of God for weakenesse may get many fals to day, and rise againe, and as many to morrow, and rise againe: yea, and if he hurt himselfe, and cannot rise himselfe, his father will help him vp.
3. Inconsideratenesse, and not attending his way & watch. A man in haste may take diuers fals, and many slips; so as if often falling into the same sin did exclude from Grace, or barred vsus of pardon, we were all hopelesse.
3. Relapse doth not alwaies argue former Repentance to bee vnsound: because 1. Repentance is an effectuall instrument to seale vp forgiuenesse of former transgressions; but not a fence from all force of sin for time to come: 2. soundest Repentance of all doth not wholly abolish and take away sin; but abateth, weakeneth, and lesseneth it.
4. The article of remission of sins excepteth not relapses, because the promise of remission doth not except them; neither is the vertue of Christs merit to bee restrained to sins once committed, but to all sinnes truly repented.
5. Many examples of Saints in Scripture raised from relapses, giuegive comfort in this Temptation. Lot was twice ouercome with wine: Marie the Virgin twice checkt of Christ for curiositie: Iohn twice worshipped the Angell.
6. True it is, that relapse into a disease is more dangerous than the first assault; yet proper physicke seasonably applied may cure the relapse as well as the first disease.
Repentance is Christs Physicke, and so soueraigne, as cannot be foyled by relapses into the same disease. Whence wee are commanded to renew our Repentance daily, as we renew our sins: and the Physitian is as able to cure the same disease as he was before. And yet we hold the rule of Isidore, Non poenitens est, qui adhuc agit, quod poenitet; id est, if hee doe it both actu and proposito: but if hee sincerely purpose against all sin, and keepe aliue his zeale & hatred against that hee doth, this preiudiceth not his former Repentance. But as he did truly run that now sitteth down; so did hee truely repent that sinneth againe against his purpose, and sincere intention of his heart.