The Practice of Repentance, Chapter 15
CAP. 15. Lets from Satan lulling vsus in securitie.
3. FRom the World we come to the encombrances and rubbes cast in the way of our repentance, by Satan the god of this world.
And he hath reason to bestirre himselfe, especially against our repentance, because he knoweth that only this grace fetcheth vsus out of his power, 2. Tim. 2.25.
To this purpose he suggesteth three …orts of Temptations,
1 To lull vsus asleepe in the securitie of our present naturall estate.
2 If our naturall estate content vsus not, hee vrgeth to despaire.
3 If he cannot do that, he wil enforce the other extreame of presumption of Gods mercy, though we slacke or slip our repentance.
1 To hold vsus in our present securitie, hee will perswade vsus of the louelove of God towards vsus in our estate of nature. For, hath he not made vsus men, not beasts, or serpents? hath he not preserued vsus, and prospered vsus in our estate, and lifted vsus vp in earthly mercies? yea, are wee not members of the Church, enioy the Word and Sacraments? and seeing God hath beene so free in his louelove and care, what need we trouble our selues with such penslue precisenesse, and spend our time in feares and cares, which requireth rather comfort and cheerfulnesse in our condition?
Against this Temptation, consider▪
1 How dangerous, and deceiueable a thing it is, for a man to blesse himself in cursed estate. As the wicked man, who couenanteth with death, and maketh an agreement with hell; whose wilfull ignorance hideth all the danger near him; who, as the silly Bird, feedeth securely on the bayte, while it is within the compasse of the net. Oh what a delusion is it for a naturall man to assure himselfe of Gods louelove? Can iustice louelove wickednesse? Can the Lord doe any other than hate a rebell against him? Is a childe of wrath the obiect of our fathers louelove? Can a vessell of wrath looke to bee filled with any thing but wrath?
2 Looke what deceit and fallacie lyeth in all his arguments of louelove:
1 God created him a man, not a beast: Why, did not GOD create the Angels that sinned too? and yet are not they shut vp in chaynes of blacke darkenesse for euer? Little comfort that God loueth thee as a creature, vnlesse as a Father in Iesus Christ: better it were, thou haddest beene a beast.
2 God hath outwardly blessed and prospered him in the world, and therefore loueth him.
Answ. No man knoweth louelove or hatred by any thing afore him, Eccles… 9.1. Temporall blessings are common to good and bad, and the worst men enioy common mercies, more than other, Iob 21.13. He speaketh of wicked men flourishing in all wealth and prosperity: who say to the Almighty, Depart from vsus; who is the almighty? And it is said of Antiochus Epiphanes, that mad and furious horne against the Church, who cast downe some of the hoast of heauen, and the starres, and extolled himselfe against the Prince of the hoast, and tooke away the daily sacrifice, and cast downe the place of the Sanctuary; the text addes, Thus he shall doe and prosper, Dan. 8.13. Who was more outwardly prosperous, Caine or Abel; Esau or Iacob, who durst not looke his Lord Esau in the face, nor come neare him till he had bowed seauen times?
3 They are seazed with a kind of spirituall prosperity: they liue in the bosome of the Church, and enioy Word and Sacraments, therefore are loued of God.
Answ. But many are in the Church, that are not of the Church; yea, the wickedest of men, enioy the outward ordinances of Word and Sacraments, as well as other; as Esau, Saul, Iudas, Simon Magus, and are so much the mote hated, as their sinne was against the glorious meanes: what louelove can a malefactor gather, when the sentence of death is read against him, as in the Word?
What louelove when the Lords Table is made snares to him; and his sinne casteth poyson into the Lords cup? When his Baptisme is but a broken vow, and all his profession a vizzard of hypocrisie?
4 Wouldest thou finde true euidences of Gods louelove, which come from God, not as God, but as from a father bestowed on sonnes, but not on bond children? find it in other gifts.
1 Hath he giuen thee Christ▪ God so loued the world, Ioh. 3.16. hath he giuen thee a sonne-ship? Ioh. 1.3. & 1. Behold what great louelove the Father hath giuen vsus, to be called the Sonnes of God: Hath he giuen thee faith? oh there is a precious gift of louelove: hast thou louelove? God loueth not thee, vnlesse thou louelove him: what obedience hast thou? Keeping his commandements, is a signe of his louelove, Ioh. 14.23.24.
The Scripture which knoweth the best assurances of Gods louelove, pulleth our eyes from gazing on earthly dignities & prerogatives, which wee are euer poring vponupon, as with Hawkes eyes, and would hauehave vsus behold Gods louelove in other things, than these, namely, in the inward notes and markes of Gods children. See thou what faith, what hope, what repentance, what holinesse, what fruits of faith and holinesse thou hast attained: this argueth our iustification, and so assureth vsus of our election; and consequently, of his eternall and vnchangeable louelove: this is the inheritance which is giuen to sonnes of promise, while the bond children are sent away with mou…ables.
2 To hold vsus in the security of our naturall estate, he perswadeth vsus wee cannot bee Saints here, and why should we not doe as others, rather than tyre our selues in vaine by pursuing impossibilities?
To answer this temptation, consider; none are Saints in heauen; but saints in earth.
1 True it is in their sense, none can be saints here, that is, absolutely perfect; but must we be therefore wholly flesh, because we cannot be wholly spirit? Because we cannot get quite out of the law of flesh, must we not serue the law of God in our spirits? Because we cannot doe all the good we would, must not we doe all the good we can? Because we cannot attaine the haruest of holinesse, must we not hauehave the first fruits?
2 Sense of imperfection hath sundry other more fruitfull vses, than to settle vsus in our security. For,
1 It ought to humble vsus, and driue vsus to Repentance, and not pull vsus from it.
2 To striue against imperfection, and not to rest contented in it.
3 To awaken vsus, and driue vsus out of our selues to get perfection in Iesus Christ: for our sense of weaknesse in our selues, must force vsus to get our strength in him.
3 We are not now vnderunder the law, which requireth perfect and personall righteousnesse and holinesse, yet we are vnderunder the Gospell, which requireth Euangelicall perfection, which standeth in true and sincere indeauours, in mortification and spirituall combate, and bindeth vsus to the daily subduing of that, which wee cannot at once vanquish; and though wee cannot but sin daily, yet wee must not please our selues in our sins, but daily bewaile them, as our Sauiour taught vsus to pray for daily forgiuenesse of sins.
4 Thou canst not expect to attaine any thing of thy selfe but expect strength from Christ: Thou hast, or mayest hauehave a good helper: I can doe all things by Christ, strengthening mee; his grace shall be sufficient.
2 If thou feelest neuer so small a measure, if true, the Lord cherisheth that least degree of goodnesse.
3 No Saint, not Paul himselfe can doe as hee would, nor can conquer all corruptions: but yet, first, is not carried away to grosse sin, though not so pure as an Angell: secondly, hee giueth not vp all, but striueth hard to the marke and high prize.
3 Is not contented with, but complaining and combating with it, he gets ground.