Directions for a Godly Life, Chapter 7
Chap: VII. The Examination of our repentance.
THus of our information in matters, which wee ought to knowe. As for our reconciliation, wee are to examine our ſelues in thoſe things, which concerne either God or our Neighbours; becauſe wee hauehave and doe often offend both.
Thoſe, which concerne God, are principally 2. 1 Repentance whereby wee teſtifie our harty ſorrow for offending him, with a deſire of amendment. 2 Faith; whereby wee take hold on his mercy, for the pardon and forgiueneſſe of them.
Firſt, wee are to try whether wee hauehave attained to a competent meaſure of Repentance. And indeede, if wee truely looke into our ſelues, and conſider that wee muſt one day giuegive an account for every idle word, wee ſhal finde matter enough for Repentance, if our hearts bee not hardned in ſinne. Now, that it is neceſſary to examine our ſelues herein, appeares from this, becauſe without it wee hauehave noe ground at all for any comfort in CHRIST IESVS; for hee, which is ſtuft with his ſinnes, is noe more fit to receiue Chriſt, than a glutted ſtomake it's meate: and againe, vntounto them that are defiled, there is nothing pure. Tit. 1.15. that is, if through vnbelief, they remaine in their pollutions; but vntounto the pure all things are pure; and if wee cleanſe our hands and purifie our hearts and ſo draw nigh vntounto God, hee will draw nigh vntounto vsus. Iam. 4.8. as many as walke according to this rule, peace bee vponupon them. Gal. 6. 16. Let vsus then ſearch and trye our waies and turne vntounto the Lord. Lament. 3.40. and put on Davids reſolution before wee come to the Lord's Table; I will waſh my hands in innocencie, O Lord, and ſoe will I goe to thy Altar. Pſalme 26.6. In this examination of our Repentance wee muſt hauehave reſpect both vntounto the time paſt and to come.
In reſpect of the time paſt, wee are to performe 3. dueties.
1 Carefully ſearch our hearts to finde out our owne corruptions; that knowing them wee may the better avoyd them which is moſt neceſſary to bee done & that in the firſt place; becauſe it is impoſſible that he ſhould ſeeke to goe into the right way, which doth not firſt ſee his errour: and thus much wee muſt knowe, that hee that will not ſet his ſinnes before him here to his converſion, ſhall hauehave them ſet before him hereafter to his confuſion, if wee will needs cover and hide ſinnes, let vsus in louelove and charity cover the ſinnes of others; for, LoueLove covereth a multitude of ſinne. 1. Pet. 4.8. that is, layeth them not open before men to their diſgrace, who hauehave committed them; as many doe, who delight to heare other mens faults ript vp to the quicke, but cannot endure to heare of their owne: wee ſhould not ſo much exclayme againſt other mens ſinnes, but rather bee humbled for our owne, and lay them fully open before our ſelues, that ſoe wee may come to a more ſerious repentance for them. Which I thinke, wee cannot but doe (except wee hauehave more than ſtony hearts) when wee conſider the torments which CHRIST ſuffred for our ſinnes; and ſee our owne miſery, what wee are in our ſelues: for this muſt needes driue vsus vntounto God, as a deſperate diſeaſe vntounto the Phyſitian; and make vsus vtterly to accuſe our ſelues and ſay Pſalme 51.3. I acknowledge my fault, and my ſinne is ever before mee.
Now the chiefeſt meanes, which wee can vſe to come to the knowledge of our ſinns, are theſe 2. 1 A conntinuall meditation in the Word of GOD, wherein (as in a glaſſe) wee ſhall plainly ſee all our deformities. 2 A ſeaſonable conference and converſation with ſuch as are themſelues touched with their ſinnes, both which are excellent meanes: and therefore wee ought ſincere- to love the Word of God, becauſe it doth diſcover our ſins vntounto vsus; and diligently read, & excerciſe our ſelues in it, that ſoe wee may come to a full knowledge of it; & alſo hartily effect and louelove thoſe whom we ſe to be thus affected. when wee hauehave thus conſidered, that wee ought, and how wee may diſcover our ſinnes; let vsus examine our ſelues whether wee hauehave thus done in our life paſt or no, giuing thankes to GOD that hee hath at any time diſcovered ſuch or ſuch ſinnes vntounto vsus: if wee finde that wee hauehave not thus done (as GOD knowes, wee are all too ſlacke herein) let vsus ſeaſonably repent vsus of this neglect; and bee ſorry that wee hauehave no ſooner repented; deſiring GOD that hee will bee pleaſed ever more and more to diſcover our ſins vntounto vsus, that ſoe wee may the better forſake them and ſerue him, as wee ought. Having thus vnfolded our ſinnes before our eyes, let vsus in the ſecond place examine; how in ſorrow wee hauehave humbled our ſelues to GOD for them; for this is that, even our ſorrow, which muſt moue God to compaſſion; and wee knowe that God is nigh vntounto them that are of a contrite heart, & will ſaue ſuch as bee of an humble ſpirit: Pſal. 34.18. and therefore David, being preſſed downe with the burden of his ſinnes, comforted himſelfe in this ſaying: The Sacrifice of God is a troubled ſpirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God ſhalt thou not deſpiſe Pſal. 51.17. Whereas on the contrary, if wee hauehave no true ſorrow, if our ſoules be not wounded within vsus for our ſinnes, wee cannot expect that either wee or our prayers ſhould be accepted of God; or, that wee ſhall with the Sacrament receiue any comfort to our ſoules if we come not to it with ſorrow for our former tranſgreſſions.
Now there is a twofold ſorrow: 1 Servile; when wee are ſorry for our ſinnes (as ſome ſervants are, when they hauehave offended their Maiſters) not becauſe we hauehave ſinned againſt ſuch a Maſter, but becauſe wee hauehave thereby made our ſelues ſubiect to the puniſhment due vntounto our offence: this is not that ſorrow, which God expecteth of vsus; for it rather driveth vsus to diſpaire, than to any pious meditations. 2 Filiall; when (like naturall children) wee grieue for our ſinnes; not ſo much in reſpect of the puniſhment due vntounto vsus, as that wee hauehave ſinned againſt ſo mercifull and louing a Father. This is that true ſorrow, with which wee ought to bee affected: which wee may obtayne two wayes. Firſt by our ſelues. Secondly, by the helpe of others alſo.
By our ſelues; and ſoe by the conſideration eſpecially of two things: Firſt who it is that wee hauehave offended; even GOD himſelfe, who in tender mercy towards vsus, gaue his onelyonly begotten Sonne to die for our ſinnes: the conſideration of which cannot but worke in vsus a true ſorrow, that wee ſhould offend ſo mercifull a God; for what ſonne is there (if he hauehave in him the affection of a ſonne) but would grieue that hee ſhould offend a Father, which hath been ever loving & kinde vntounto him?
2. The grievouſneſſe of our ſinnes, which wee hauehave committed; which will plainly appeare, if wee conſider them either in reſpect of our ſelues, how deadly they wound the conſcience; or with reference to others, how infectious they hauehave beene to them; whom we hauehave often drawne into the ſame faults, which wee our ſelues hauehave committed; and ſo hauehave made them guilty of our ſinnes, and our ſelues of theirs.
The next meanes, to attaine this ſorrow, is the helpe of other men, who are themſelues touched with a feeling in this kinde; with whom wee ought to accompany our ſelues, and patiently to accept of their admonitions, ſtill accounting them our trueſt frends, which moſt faithfully and roundly put vsus in minde of our faults. The hypocrite may eſteeme ſuch as deſire thus to expreſſe their louelove, buſie-bodies or the like; but Davids wiſh was that the righteous might ſmite him friendly & reprooue him. Pſal. 141.5. and whoſoever is a ſound-hearted Chriſtian will ever ſtriue to make the beſt vſe of ſuch, as hee canne. Let vsus therefore examine our ſelues, whether wee hauehave made good vſe of thoſe meanes or not: if we hauehave not, wee ought to humble our ſelues before GOD for this neglect alſo; earneſtly beſeeching him that hee will worke in vsus true ſorrow for our ſinnes paſt, with deſire of amendment. Wherevnto that wee may the better moue him, wee are in the next place to lay open and confeſſe our ſinnes vntounto GOD; which is the third thing required in our Repentance. Confeſſion is ſo neceſſary, that without it wee canne expect not pardon at God's hands, but rather ſome judgement or other; and therefore Solomon ſayth. Hee, that covereth his ſinnes, ſhall not proſper, but who ſo confeſſeth and forſaketh them ſhall hauehave merciemercy: and Saint Iohn perſwadeth vsus herevnto by the mercies of GOD, ſaying; If we confeſſe our ſinnes, hee is faithfull and iust to forgiue vsus our ſinnes, and to cleanſe vsus from all vnrighteouſneſſe. 1. Ioh. 1.9.
Now in our confeſſion wee are to obſerue eſpecially three things. Firſt what wee are to confeſſe. Secondly to whom. Thirdly how.
As for the firſt, there is a twofold confeſſion. 1 Landis, or of Thankfulneſſe; of which David ſpeaks Pſal. 89.1. With my mouth will I ever be ſhewing thy truth; yea every day will I giuegive thankes to thee & praiſe thy name. Pſ. 145.2. Which we are alſo daily to practiſe according to his example: but this is not that cōfeſſion, which is ſo properly meant here in the matter of Repentance. There is therefore another, called Confeſſio fraudis, a confeſſion of ſinne; and this wee are to make, if we will truely repent: which ought to bee, not of ſome ſinnes onelyonly, but of all as farre as wee can call them to minde; and eſpecially of thoſe beloved and boſome-ſinnes to which wee are moſt addicted: which that wee may the better doe, wee ought dayly to renewe the memory of them in our ſelues; that ſo wee may bee the better able faithfully to confeſſe the ſame, as often as occaſion requires.
2. Wee are to confeſſe our ſinnes, not vntounto men or Angels, but vntounto GOD, who is the ſupreame Iudge of all. There is indeede a time wherein wee may make confeſſion before men; either in publike, before a whole congregation by way of pennance, being by the Church therevnto commanded; or elſe in private; and that, either, for ſatiſfaction, to our Neighbour, whom wee hauehave wronged; or for conſolation, to the Miniſter, when our conſciences are troubled. But that confeſſion, which is a part of our Repentance for our ſinnes paſt againſt God, and wherein wee deſire full pardon for the ſame, wee are to make to God alone: for hee it is, who is offended, and hee alone, that canne forgiue our ſinnes.
3. Our Confeſſion muſt not bee of the heart onelyonly, but of the mouth alſo; for God, who made both, expecteth to bee honoured by both; & as both hauehave bin vncleane before him; ſoe they ought both alſo to acknowledge the ſame, that hee may cleanſe and purifie both them, & with them the whole man.
Againe our confeſſion muſt proceed frō a twofold ground. 1 Hatred of ſinne becauſe by it wee diſhonour GOD 2. Hope of mercy, which is that wee ayme at in our confeſſion; and it muſt further bee qualified with ſincerity, with ſhame and ſorrow that wee hauehave offended ſoe gratious a GOD, leaſt GOD reiect vsus as hypocriticall. Let vsus therefore hencefoorth leaue off cenſuring the faults of other men, and beginne to aggravate our owne; and eſpecially before wee preſume to come to the Supper of the LORD: Let vsus take ſome time vntounto our ſelues, wherein wee may bee moſt private; and ſhut our ſelues vp in our cloſets, and there humbly on our knees lay open before God thoſe ſinnes, which wee hauehave committed in our life paſt: and that fully and faithfully; neither diminiſhing the number of them, nor mincing the haynouſneſſe of them for God will not bee mocked. Theſe are things, which wee are to performe in reſpect of the time paſt: as for the time to come, we muſt know, that hee which will truely repent, muſt not only turne from Euill, but alſo turne vntounto Good; & therefore, hauing confeſſed our ſins paſt with ſorrow for them, we muſt (if wee expect pardon) conſtantly purpoſe for euer after, by Gods grace, to amend & reforme our liues; reſoluing (as much as in vsus lieth) to avoide all occaſions, which may draw vsus into the like ſinnes againe, and to make better vſe of thoſe meanes which God hath affoorded vsus, than wee hauehave done heretofore; and that by ſo much the more, by how much we hauehave offended ſo gracious a Father. But of this reſolution of amendment, more in the 12 Chapter.