The Practice of Repentance, Chapter 17
CAP. 17. Lets from Sathan by temptations to despaire of our selues, and of our owne estate.
2. IF Sathan cannot preuaile to make vsus despaire in regard of Gods mercy, he will assay to bring vsus to despair of our selues, and our owne estates: that although the Lord hauehave mercy in the full sea and ocean of it, yet thou art vnworthy of the least drop of it. Mercy is for vessels of merciemercy; but thou art a vessel of wrath, a grieuous sinner, and eueryevery day addeth to thy sinne; and Gods iustice treasureth wrath as fast against the soule. It is in vaine for thee to repent: God will be found of his owne children, not of such as thou art.
Ans. He that would deceiue, will hide himselfe in generalls: So Sathan here layeth load vponupon the fearfull soule, to hold it from Repentance. But resolue this Temptation into the particular branches, and see the strength and consequence of it.
Here are wrapped vp foure seuerall reasons to driue the sinner from repentance: 1. because he is vnworthy of mercy: 2. because hee hath incurred the iustice of God: 3. hee is a grieuous sinner, and is no child of God: 4. hee daily addeth to his sin and prouocation; which Gods childe doth not.
1. I am vnworthy of merciemercy or louelove; and therefore must not seeke it.
Ans. 1. God neuer loued any man for his own worthinesse, or any thing in any man causing his louelove: and all the worthiness in the most, and best worthy, is but an effect of Gods louelove, but no cause at all. For, what worthinesse was in vsus before wee were, that moued him to elect vsus to saluation? what worthinesse in vsus being yet sinners and enemies, that he should with so deare a price redeeme vsus? nay, Rom. 5.8. herein God set out his louelove, in that, while we were enemies, hee reconciled vsus by the death of his Sonne. Say as the Centurion, Luke 7.6.
2 The best and dearest vntounto God, durst neuer appeare in their owne worthinesse. Paul, himselfe, regenerate, would not be found hauing his owne righteousnesse, but that which was by faith in Christ, Phil. 3. Iacob must come to his father for a blessing, in the garment of his elder brother: Wee must cast off our owne ragges, before we can put on the wedding garment.
Neuer any of the Saints were capable of merciemercy, but by an holy despaire of themselues and of their owne worthinesse: and therefore did seeke, and finde a worthinesse elsewhere; because they could finde none in themselues. Let whosoeuer will, with Papists ascribe any thing to their owne merits; they detract so much from Christ, and his free grace; they cast themselues off from Christ, and are fallen from grace.
3 The tenure of our saluation, is not by a Couenant of Workes, but by a Couenant of Grace, which is a most full, a most free, and eueryevery way grace, founded not in our worthinesse, but in the grace and good pleasure of God. And this is sutable to God, whose honour is to bee first in goodnesse: Hee loued vsus first, 1 Iohn 4.19.
4 By this reason, no flesh should be saued, all being alike dead in sin; not sicke only: all the children of wrath by nature, and I am as worthy as any child of wrath can be: and if any as vnworthy as my selfe come to saluation, why not I by the same way of repenting, and bewayling my owne vnworthinesse, and slying out of my self to Christ, who alone is worthy?
5 Why should I despaire now, seeing God hath made me worthy in Christ, and hath loued me while I was an enemie, and hath out of his louelove called me, in some measure purged me from corruption, and not onelyonly quickned me with his spirit, but endued mee with some measure of grace; but that he will continue his louelove, and worke in me to the end? Iohn 13.1.
2 Because God is a iust and a seuere reuenger of sin: therefore I must not repent and seeke merciemercy.
Ans. But the conclusion and argument of Scripture is cleane contrary. Is God iust, and a righteous iudge? we must therfore iudge our selues, if wee would not bee iudged of the Lord, 1. Cor. 11. Hath hee appointed a day to iudge the world by the man Christ? therfore let all men bee admonished eueryevery where to repent, Acts 17.31. Will God bring eueryevery secret into iudgement? therefore let vsus feare God and keepe his commandements. There is no straighter tye to Repentance, and Obedience, than consideration of Gods iustice.
2 God is iust: and therefore when he hath made mee of vniust iust, and righteous in Christ, hee will for euer repute me so. Nay euen his iustice cannot but bestow mercy and grace on mee a beleeuer, because in Christ I hauehave fully satisfied his iustice, and in Christ deserued his louelove.
3 God is iust; and this is a strong motiue to repent, and beleeue in Christ, for his iustice will not suffer him to punish one sinne twice; nor to demand a debt once paid, the second time. Nay, his iustice assureth mee of mercy. 1. Iohn, 1.9. If wee acknowledge our sins, he is faithfull and iust to forgiue our sins: his iustice assureth repentance of mercy.
3 Because I am a grieuous sinner, I am no childe of God; and so all my Repentance is in vaine.
Ans. 1. Why, are not all grieuous sinners before they repent? what was Adam, Dauid, Peter, Paul? or what be grieuous sins, if poligamie, adulterie, murder, lying, denying and forswearing Christ, blasphemy, persecution, breathing slaughter, and threatning against the Church, bee not?
Doe not all, euen the regenerate, pray daily, Forgiue vsus our trespasses?
2 Am I a grieuous sinner? I must therefore so much more carefully and earnestly repent. I want not encouragement, I see that woman who was called a great sinner, a notorious adultresse, Luke 7. & 37. seeeking mercy from Christ, receiue that comfortable answer, Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee. 48. Thy faith hath saued thee, Go in peace. 50. I see that poor Canaanite whom Christ calleth a dogge, yet earnestly seeking mercy; gathered some crummes that fel from the Table. Gods mercy shall bee more manifested in restoring great sinners: his power more magnified in raising dead and rotten sinners: my louelove more footed; as that woman▪ Luke 7.47. Many sins were forgiuen her, for she loued much.
4 Because I sin daily against God, I am none of his, & in vain seeke for fauour.
Ans. 1. Our Sauiour teacheth vsus to say, Our father, and yet to pray daily, Forgiue vsus our trespasses: Therefore hee that sins daily, may call God father.
2 Paul was a child of God, being regenerate; yet had a body of death, and a law of sinne about him daily, Rom. 7.24.
3 I sinne daily, but I repent daily. The wicked reioyce in it. I sinne, and yet resist sinne, and striue against it daily: I do hatefull things, but I hate that I doe: I breake the law, but yet I louelove the law as holy, iust, good: flesh is in me, but I am not in the flesh.
Now tell mee Sathan, canst thou gather such sigs of thistles, or grapes of thornes? who euer heard a childe of hell repent?
Ob. No? did not Esau, Iudas?
Ans. To repent, is not onelyonly to know and confesse what is bad and naught, as they, and as the Gentiles, Rom. 2.19. but a change of the heart, seene in an earnest affection and strife to loathe the bad, and embrace the good. And this had not, did not they.
Howsoeuer therefore I confesse my naturall disease discouereth it selfe in daily issues and symptomes: yet this sicknesse is not vntounto death, but that God may bee glorified in raising mee vp by his mighty power. I am not … so low, not so long in the graue of sin, but his mighty word can, and will call mee forth to life.