The Practice of Repentance, Chapter 38
CAP. 38. Motiues to Repentance, first, from the necessity of it.
THe fifth and last generall is, the motiues to excite vsus to this so necessary a duty of Repentance.
The first of these motiues shal be out of the Text, which inforceth the necessitie of Repentāce: Except yee Repent, yee shall perish.
This will appeare, if we looke on sinne vnrepented.
1 In the nature of eueryevery one, being, first, a worke of the flesh, which to doe is to dye: The wages of sin is death, Rom. 6.23. If ye liue after the flesh, ye shall dye, Rom. 8.13. And the end of these things is death, Rom. 6.21. And when we were in the flesh, the motions of sin, which were by the law, had force in our mēbers to bring forth fruit vntounto death, Rom. 7.5.
2 EueryEvery sinne separateth from God, the fountaine of life, and so slayeth vsus, & holdeth all good things from vsus, Isay. 59.2.
3 EueryEvery sinne vnrepented, fighteth against the soule. 1. Pet. 2.11. Lusts warre against the soule, and wound it with many deadly gashes. Paul telleth Timothy, that they drowne the soule in perdition▪ 1. Tim. 6.9.
4 EueryEvery sinne putteth vsus vnderunder the power of the diuell, and so in state of perdition. 1. Ioh. 3.8. He that committeth sinne is of the diuell, and maketh vsus resemble the diuell: and the impenitent person is said to be in the snare of the diuell, taken at his will, 2. Tim. 2.10.
5 EueryEvery sinne vnrepented, shutteth heauen. Gal. 3.…2. They that doe shoh things, shall not inherit the kingdome of heauen, and God hath sworne, that neuer an impenitent sinner shall enter into his rest.
2 Looke on sinne in the inseparable companions and effects of it.
1 The wrath of God as a fire kindled, burning to the bottome of hell: Psal. 7.12. God is angry with the wicked eueryevery day, and raineth downe on the head of the sinner, stormes and haile, and shooteth all the arrowes of reuenge out of his quiuer. How did he lay about him, and cast out his curses as thicke as ha…le vponupon the first sinne committed, against the serpent, the woman, the man, the earth, and all about him?
2 This wrath hath linked, as with an iron chaine, sinne and punishment together, which goe inseparably, as the cause and the effect, as the body and the shadow; as the worke and the wages, as the parent and the childe one begetting another: heauy and smart is the rod that is prepared for the fooles backe: and thou canst not goe on in sin, but vntounto punishment.
3d. Effect: Gods iustice requireth, that as a man soweth, so he must reape. Gal. 6.7. Sinne is the seed of wrath, and the haruest of the sinner is proportioned to his seed time. Iob 4.8. I hauehave seene that they that plow iniquity, & sow wickednesse reape the same. If thou sowest iniquity, thou must reape affliction. Pro. 22.8. He that soweth to the flesh, must reape corruption. Look not to reape wheate, if thou sowest tares: eueryevery seed bringeth vp his owne kinde; sow the winde, and reape the whirlewinde, Hos. 8.7.
4 There is no way in the world to auoid this wrath and iustice, but Repentance: for, first, to remoue the crosse, wee must remoue sinne; remoue the cause, the effect will cease: a folly it is to thinke that fire will dye of it selfe, while it lurketh in matter combustible; no more can the fire of Gods wrath kindled in such seuerity: secondly, no Repentance, no remission; no forsaking of sinne, no forgiuenesse of sin. God can powre none of his mercy into thee, till thou by conuersion become a vessell of mercy: and therfore let me perswade, …s Ezek. 18.30. Returne, and cause others to returne from all iniquities, if you would not hauehave iniquity to be your destruction. No waters but of Repentance can quench the fire of wrath kindled; no other fountaine is opened to Ierusalem for sinne, Zach. 12.1.