The Practice of Repentance, Chapter 4
Cap. 4. The tearmes of Repentance:
1 Whence,
2 Whither.
4 THE tearmes from whence, and whither a man must turne, are, first, from all sinne: secondly, vntounto God.
1 The Scripture noteth Repentance to be a turning from wickednesse. Act. 8.22. Repent if so be the wickednesse of thy heart may be forgiuen; and from dead workes, Heb. 6.2. It is called a ceasing to doe euill, Isa. 1.
The obiect of Repentance, is all sinne; not one, or many, but all sins. The reasons are these:
1 God calleth for repentance of all sinnes. Colos. 3.8. Put away all these things.
2 He hath shewed his readinesse to forgiue all sins, except that against the holy Ghost, but vponupon this condition.
3 We desire God to forgiue all iniquity, and not leaue one vnforgiuen, and therefore wee must leaue none vnforsaken.
4 One sinne separateth from God, as well as many; one poyson killeth as well as many; one hole sinketh the ship.
5 Christ suffered for all sins, as well as one; he is the lambe of God that taketh away all the sinnes of the world: if hee pay not the vttermost farthing, wee neuer get out of prison.
6 Mortification killeth all sinne, and the vertue of Christs death in vsus, setteth vsus against all sinne, as well as any sinne: and sanctification reduceth eueryevery faculty to the first image, one as well as another; in which the whole man must be blamelesse, for whatsoeuer is old must bee renewed.
7 A day commeth when eueryevery sinne shall be set in the open light, & if any one be vnrepented of, that shall bee found with vsus, and laid vponupon vsus eternally.
Whence it must follow that eueryevery true penitent,
1 Setteth himselfe against great sinnes, sinnes as red as scarlet, of a deepe dye, which eueryevery one thinketh to repent of.
2 Small sinnes, defects, and omissions, common frailties, secret euils: Dauids cutting Sauls garment; Iohn Hus his playing at Chesse for losse of his time, and prouocation vntounto anger.
3 Sweet and friendly sins. This streame of repentance is as the floud that drowned Noahs neere friends and seruants; so it drowneth our nearest and most friendly sinnes.
And hereby thou hast a good note of sincerity, Psal. 119.3. the vpright in the way doe no iniquity; sincerity hateth all waies of falshood: An hypocrite will strayne at comming into the common hall vponupon the Preparation day, but not at shedding the bloud of Christ.
2 Euer true Repentance carrieth a tender conscience, which is as a tender eye, that will water, and finde the trouble of the least moate; as a strait shooe cannot indure the least stone within it, but will make him shrinke.
The second tearme, [to God:] for this we hauehave sundry
1 Commandements. Ioel 2.12. Turne to the Lord, Ier. 3.12. turn to me, O disobedient Children, Ier. 4.1. if thou returne, then returne to me, saith the Lord.
2 Examples, Dauid; Against thee, against thee, &c. Ps. 51. The Prodigall will returne to his Father.
3 Reasons, first, because wee hauehave sinned against him, and turned not onelyonly from him, but against him, Hos. 6.1. Sinne is a turning away from the chiefe good; Repentance is a returning to the chiefe good.
2 He will onelyonly pardon sinne on this condition: sinne is a running from God, and into the hatred of God, only Repentance is a returning into fauour, and friendship with him.
3 He is our first husband, therefore let vsus returne vntounto him our first husband; for at that time it was better than now, Hos. 2.7. It is the aduancement of our estate, and a returning to our first innocency.
From hence it followeth,
1 That it is not enough to cease to doe euill, vnlesse wee learne to doe well. Esa. the first. It is not enough to put off the old man, vnlesse we put on the new man, Ephes. 4.22.
Not onelyonly we must turn from the power of Sathan, but to God, not onelyonly returne from our wandring, but to the Shepheard of our soules, 1. Pet. 2.10. True Repentance is not only a ceasing from vnrighteousnesse, but an exercise of righteousnesse. Hee that doth righteousnesse, is righteous: both are required fugere prohibita, & praecepta face…e.
2 That true repentance carrieth God all along in his eye; and it is the consecrating of a mans selfe wholly to God: so the Apostle describeth it, 1. Thes. 19. A turning from Idols, to serue the liuing God.
1 The scope and ayme of it is not the sauing of himselfe, but the seruice of God; it bringeth not onelyonly from the ignorance of God, but to the knowledge of God; not onelyonly from the hatred of God, but to the louelove of God; not only from contempt of God, but to the feare of God: not onelyonly from louelove of sinne, but to hatred of sinne; not onelyonly from practise of sinne, but to the practise of piety: And there is no man but may try his estate by this marke.
2 He will still conceiue that hee hath alwaies to deale with God. If hee sin, he will seeke chiefly to cleare himselfe to God: Hee will accuse himselfe to God, he wil not lye from God, till he hauehave made vp his peace, and gotten a discharge.
3 His affections will bee after GOD; his soule panteth after God: his soule thirsteth for God, euen the louing God, Psal. 42.1 2. because he hath tasted of God.
4 His dependance is vponupon God for counsell and direction: he will know, and inquire of Gods word, and seruants, what to doe to be saued, Acts 2. and Acts 16.