The Practice of Repentance, Chapter 21
CAP. 21. From Sathans Temptation to presumption that our sinnes are not many nor great.
3. IF Sathan cannot driue men off Repentance by engines of despaire, he assayeth if he can make them presumptuous of merciemercy, without serious Repentance. He knoweth the truth of that of Augustine, Tam sperando, quam desperando, pereunt homines: and that despaire hath slain his thousands, but presumption his ten thousands. And eueryevery deceitfull heart, is like a deceiuing Prophet, that cryeth Peace, peace, when sword and danger is the nearest.
For this purpose he vseth three maine arguments:
1. Perswadeth the sinner his sins are not many, nor great.
2. But if they bee, Christ hath dyed for the sins of the world.
3. God is so mercifull as hee will not condemne them for them.
1. It is a wonder, that a man looking vponupon his sins should presume; but that such must be giuen vp to strong delusions, to beleeue lyes, that will not receiue the truth in the louelove of it; and lye vnderunder that heauie stroak of Gods iustice, to bee giuen vp to the waies of his owne heart; which is, to wander in the paths of death.
But against this Temptation, know, that there is not a more certaine propertie of a wicked man, to know himselfe by, than by allowing himselfe in the lessening and mincing of his sinne: for it is an issue of the louelove of sin, that will not bee warned of the deceitfulnesse; neither of sin nor of his own heart.
1. Here is a man wofully deluded by the Diuell, who hath turned the wrong end of the prospectiue to his eye: wherin things as huge as mountaines & castles, seeme as small as molehils. And is it not iust, seeing he will not beleeue God who telleth him that the least sin separateth, and is a partition wall betweene God and him? maketh him the child of wrath, shutteth heauen, openeth hell, killeth soule and bodie? What perswasion could make this man beleeue that a stab at heart would not kil him? because a small pricke.
2 A man is befooled by himselfe, who neither knoweth Gods waies, nor desireth to know them; but entertaineth wilfull obiections against the meanes of knowledge, and couereth himselfe with questions, whether his sins be sinnes. You hauehave not yet proued (saith hee) my vsury to bee sin, nor fashions of apparrell to be sin, nor drinking healths to excesse and inflammation to be sin, nor to doe this and that on the Sabboth in ciuilitie to bee sinne: all this while the sinne is kept close and warme, and is none of the greatest, because they are not resolued. But are not these of the number of those, of whom Peter speaketh, they are willingly ignorant, yea wilfully ignorant? as those that will not bee ruled and guided by their teachers, affraid to be resolued. As the beggars that will not hauehave their soares cured, because they are a couer for their ease and idleness, and now and then get many a penny by them; and are affraid of none so much as the Surgeon. Thus hee sends among Salomons simples, that are friends of sinne, but enemies to their own soules.
3. Here is a man branded with an high wickednesse by the spirit of God. Psal. 36.1. & 2. Wickednesse saith to the wicked man, there is no feare of God before his eyes, for he blesseth and flattereth himselfe in his sinne, euen while his owne heart findeth his wickednesse. There is no grace.
LoueLove would not displease a friend in the least discourtesie: So the louelove of God. A chast wife will rule her selfe, not to show the least looke, or behauiour to offend her husband. Holinesse would abhorre all sinne; repentance would feare all, euen the least.