The Practice of Repentance, Chapter 30 – Chapter 31
CAP. 30. Meanes of Repentance in respect of God.
2 IN regard of God, wee may many waies helpe forward our Repentance, if we consider, first, his word; secondly, his eye; thirdly, his hand; fourthly, his relation vntounto vsus.
1 Gods word in the reuerend vse, is a notable meanes of Repentance: for, first, the very knowledge of the word is a meanes in which GOD giueth Repentance. 2. Tim. 2.25. Instructing them, and waiting if God will giuegive Repentance: and ignorance of the Scripture is made by Christ, a chiefe cause of error, both in opinion and life, Math. 22▪29. Wee must therefore labour by diligent hearing, and reading of the Scripture, to come to know the Word. The Word reuealeth Gods will concerning our Repentance; who now admonisheth eueryevery one to come to Repentance, Acts 17. It sheweth Repentance to be aboue our owne power, and reach; and it is God that must giuegive Repentance. It directeth vsus to the meanes to attaine this gift, namely, prayer: we must goe to God to heale our nature, to change our disposition, to perfect his owne work. Ier. 31.18. Conuert mee, O Lord, and I shall be conuerted.
2 The seuerall parts of the Word in their seuerall offices, excellently conduce to this worke: first, the law is an hammer to beat an hard heart to pieces: the very reading of it priuately, made Iosiah's heart to melt, 2. King. 22.10. and much more when it is publikely preached and applied by Gods Ministers. This was the Ministry that pricked their hearts to conuersion, Acts 2. this is that whereby the heart is awakened, as Peters was by the Cocke crowing. The reading of the law, and threats of it, wrought a generall reformation and separation of Israel, from all that were mixed among them, Neh. 13.5.
2 The Gospell propoundeth Christ a good shepheard, laying downe his life for his sheepe: & intreateth the sinner in the name of Iesus Christ, to returne, and repent, and liue; with many promises of mercy and grace vponupon their returne: that if any cords of louelove can draw vsus, wee want them not.
To the furtherance of our Repentance therefore, we must doe two things concerning the Word:
1 Mingle the whole Word with faith, else it will be vnprofitable; beleeue it, credit it, without cauils, or questions to auoid it; subscribe to the holinesse and goodnesse of it, as a good heart doth, though it speake vnpleasing things to it. Ah…b will now say the word of God is not good: Michaiah neuer prophesieth good. But Hezekiah will say the word of God is good, in the most sharpe threatnings of it: as a good natured child wil bow at an angry word of his father.
2 Keepe the Word fast to vsus, that it may keep vsus. Dauid hid the Word in his heart, that he might not sinne. This is the sword of the spirit, of daily vse in this warfare against sinne; and wee must buckle it vntounto vsus.
2 Consider Gods eye is euer vponupon thee, and all things are naked vntounto him, with whom wee deale, Heb. 4.13. Would a fellon cut a purse, if hee thought the Iudge saw him? Moses knowing that an Egyptian saw him slay an Egyptian, feared, and fled, Exod. 2.14. Should not we feare, and flee those sinnes, which wee know God knoweth, and hath to lay to our charge? A theefe neuer so stout, if taken in the manner, will runne away afraid: But we are bold offendors, who though we cannot sinne, but bee taken in the manner, yet will stand it out. What a folly is it not to shame at our sins, which Gods eye is vponupon; while wee should shame to commit them if a childe of fiue yeeres old stood by? Were not that an vngracious childe, that durst commit folly, and fornication, not onelyonly in her fathers house, but before his face: so is our sinne
3 Consider Gods hand; first, of mercy; secondly, of iustice, and both are powerfull meanes to leade into Repentance.
1 Obserue his hand of mercy,
1 In spirituall motions,
2 In temporal excitements.
1 When the Spirit rappeth by any of his motions, open vntounto him: Quench not this Spirit, grieue him not, send him not away in displeasure. Now is an heauenly helpe offered of thy good, worke now with GOD; cherish any good motion, let not the world, or corruption, or delay, dead it; but thankefully apprehend the opportunity: if that be slipped, thou art not sure of another.
2 For temporall excitements, looke vponupon, first, Gods patience, how long he hath suffered thee, giuing thee space of Repentance, waiting for thy returne: this should hasten Repentance, Rom. 2.5.
Set God before thee as a louing father dealing with an vngracious childe, often admonishing, sometimes correcting, often conniuing, neuer dealing extreamely, loth to loose him, and cast him off.
2 Consider Gods bountifulnesse vntounto thee: he neuer ceaseth to supply thy wants, but hath bountifully prouided, and heaped vp fatherly kindnesse on thy head, and all to draw thee, were it possible. The Apostle ioyneth both these motiues together, Rom. 2.5. Despisest thou the bountifulnesse of God, his patience and long suffering, not knowing that they should leade thee to Repentance?
The bounty of Iosephs Master, kept Ioseph from sinning against him; and the Prodigall returning, mourned that he had runne from a kinde father. Is there not mercy with the Lord, that hee may be feared?
Obiect. God forbeareth mee, saith the sinner, and therefore I may, and will sinne.
Answ. Gods forbearance, argueth his goodnesse, not mans innocency: it is the exercise of his mercy, not the abolishing of his iustice: and it is made the note of a wicked man, Not to Repent, when mercy is shewed to him, Isay. 26.
2 Consider his hand of iustice; marke and lay vp the stroakes of Gods hand, sensible and insensible, in soule & body, on thy selfe and on others: Amend by them, and feare him the more.
1 Make vse of corrections on thy selfe: heare the rod. The not regarding of warnings, causeth God to giuegive ouer such a party, as the Physitian doth a desperate Patient. Isay. 1.5. Why should I smite you any more, seeing yee fall backe more and more?
2 Sleight not the corrections inflicted on others, whether nearer or more remote. When God commeth neare thee in thy friend, family, say God warneth thee to Repent: the sinne of Belshazer, Dan. 5.22. was when hee knew all those things, that came on his father Nabuchadnezar, yet he humbled not his heart. A fearefull thing it is, not to profit by example. Hee that will not take example, shall make an example.
3 Consider the iudgements recorded in Scripture, past, present, and to come.
1 Those that are past in former ages; the Angels that sinned, the old world, these on whom the Tower of Siloam fell; and all the Writs of execution recorded in the Scripture; and say of them, as 1. Cor. 10.11. All these are examples to vsus, all our Monitors, all of them so many Sumners, so many Sermons to perswade vsus to Repentance.
2 Consider the examples of Gods iustice in our owne age; so many, and remarkeable, as neuer more; vponupon Blasphemers, Drunkards, Adulterers, and enemies of grace. A man might make as large a volume, as that in the fifth of Zachary, written within and without, with examples of such, as into whose houses and hearts the curse is come. Let the fight of the Angell with a drawn sword, (which made Balaams Asse to feare) make vsus feare and tremble.
3 Consider the dreadfull iudgement to come, the day of which shall be as an Ouen, and all impenitent persons as stubble before this terrible burning. Acts 17.30. He admonisheth all men to Repent, because hee hath appointed a day wherein to iudge the world. When heathenish Felix heard of the iudgement to come, he trembled: happy were it for Christians, who repeat it as an Article of faith, that they did so. Wee will end this point with that exhortation, 2. Pet. 3.14. Considering these terrours of the Lord, what manner of men ought wee to be? &c.
4 Consider in God our relation, which will be a meanes to further our Repentance.
1 Looke vponupon him, as our Lord, and our selues as seruants: as a Lord he hath hyred vsus into his seruice, and hath freed vsus from the seruice of all other creatures, that we should onelyonly serue himselfe: But alas, who can serue him according to his holinesse and greatnesse? and when we hauehave done all that we can, how vnprofitable seruants are we? We hauehave wasted our Masters goods, and cannot shew our talents againe: and therfore we hauehave need to humble our selues in Repentance, and pray with Dauid, Psal. 119.124. Deale with thy seruant according to thy mercy, and enter not into iudgement with thy seruants, O Lord. A sorry seruant is he that can neither doe what is agreeable to his Masters wi…l, nor yet be grieued for fayling in the euill he doth, or leauing vndone the good he should doe.
2 Looke vponupon him as our shepheard, & ourselues as sheep, but wandred from the fold. Oh the misery of a lost sheepe! It is without the flocke, and fold, without a certaine pasture, and food, without a keeper, or shepheard, without God and Christ, without protection and safety, subiect to all annoyances, and becommeth a prey to all rauening beasts, neuer able of it selfe to returne. And this is the state of eueryevery man, and no man can reckon vp the errours and wandrings of his life. All this should helpe vsus to returne to the shepheard of our soules, 1. Pet. 2.10. to seek to him betimes, and pray him to seeke vsus, as Dauid Psal. 119.10.
3 Looke vponupon him as our father, and our selues as his sons and children. A Father that hath giuen his deare Sonne to death for vsus; the dearest thing and price, that was in heauen or earth. A Father that hath reserued for vsus an inheritance immortall and vndefiled among the Saints in light.
Is not this a strong inducement to loath and leaue sinne? will not the louelove of a father, make thee hate sin the more? can any stripes worke so powerfully vponupon an ingenuous nature, as to see his louing father offended? A poore mans sonne, who cannot be much hurt, or helped by his father, will be grieued that hee hath iustly offended his father▪ Awaken thy selfe to Repentance, and say to thy soule, as Moses to Israel, Deut. 32.2. Doe you so reward the Lord, O foolish people? Is not hee thy father that bought thee, that made thee, and proportioned thee? What else gaue hope to the Prodigall to returne, but the sight of louelove lurking in his father? and therefore resolued, I will returne to my father.
CAP. 31. Meanes of Repentance, in respect of Iesus Christ.
3 A Third sort of meanes to helpe forward our Repentance, is to looke vponupon Iesus Christ. Zach. 12.10. They shall looke on him whom they hauehave pierced, and mourne. The effect of beholding Christ, whom by their sinnes they hauehave crucified, is great sorrow for sinne: and indeed among them all, there is no meanes so auaileable to the working of the heart, to due and deepe sorrow for sinne, as the serious consideration of Christs death and passion. If we consider the person who suffered; the eternall Sonne of God; the beloued Sonne in the bosome of the Father; the most innocent lambe of God.
The things hee suffered: that this person was so abased, and plagued, with the curse of the Law, the wrath of his father, shame, sorrowes, of first and second death; such hard and heauie things as would hauehave crushed all men and angels.
And for whom hee suffred all this, euen for our sins in speciall, while we were yet vngodly, sinners, enemies, the iust suffred for the vniust: hee was cursed, that we might be blessed, wounded, that wee might bee healed, hee endured torments of hell, that we might partake of heauenly ioyes. Oh then, shall this chiefe of ten thousand, the worthiest of men and Angels, bee murthered, not by the treachery of others, but by thy hands, thy sins, for which else thou hadst beene euerlastingly damned? and doth not this wound thy heart? shall the earth tremble at this; and shall not our hearts feare? shal the Sun be darkned, and the Heauens couered with mourning; and shall not wee mourne, and be ashamed to show our heads? shal the stones rend asunder, & earth tremble, and all senslesse creatures suffer at the suffring of the Lord of glorie, at the death of the Lord of life; and shal not our stony hearts bee rent with sorrow, who were the occasion of so execrable a passion, to so honourable a person?
Surely, if there be a drop of spiritual life & grace in vsus, we must needs loathe those sins of ours, that brought such woful miserie on the Son of God: And it will make our hearts bleed, as a man would do at the sight of a knife or instrument, whereby (vnawares) he had slaine his childe, wife, or dearest friend in the world.
Thus the Gospell sheweth the hainousnesse of sinne aboue all the curses of the Law. Wouldst thou see the execration of sinne? see it not in the dreadful curse of the Law, but in the blood of the Gospell.
The most ougly visage of sin, is not in the death of the world of sinners: but in the death of the Son of God, no sinner. the most dreadful spectacle of Gods wrath that euer was.
And although the menaces of the Law prepare the sinner to Repentance, yet it is the sight of sinne in the Gospel, both in the transcendence of the remedie, and infinitenesse of Christs suffrings, that sheweth the true face of sin, and indeed worketh Repentance. The Faith of the Gospel, is that internall meanes that turneth a man round about, and causeth him to s…t his face vponupon God, and Iesus Christ, and leaue his sins, Acts 15.9. This putteth a difference between vsus and others, who are yet in their sins.