The Drunkards Character, Section 150 – Section 151
§ 150.
SEcondly,What to repe… and bel eve, & how we may know whether we have or not. that thou hast not repented, nor doest yet believe, is plaine; for as faith is a gift of God, whereby the elect soule is sirmly perswaded, not only that the whole word of God is true, but that Christ, and all his benefit doe belong unto her: so it is an honourable, and an operative grace, alwayes accompanied with other graces, over bearing fruit: and repentance, being a fruit of faith, is a whole change of the mind, and a very sore displeasure against a mans selfe for sinne, as it is sin, and a breach of God's holy Lawes, and for offending so good a God, so mercifull a Father, with a setled purpose of hateing and for sakeing all sinne, and yeilding universall obedience for the time to come: wherefore, hast thou a true, lively, and a justifying faith? it will manifest it selfe, by a holy life. For, as fire may bee decerned by heat, and life by motion: so a mans faith may bee decerned by his workes: for, though faith alone justifieth, yet, justifying faith is never alone, but ever accompanied with good workes, and other saving graces: as the Queene, though in her state and office shee be alone, yet shee goeth not without her Maids of honour, Tttus 3. 8. spirituall graces, the beauties of the soule, and good workes, the beauty of graces: and our justification is to bee proved by the fruits of our sanctification: faith and workes are as inseparable, as the root and the sap, the Sun and its light; and wheresoever they are not both present, they are both absent, I am. 2. 17. 24. faith purifies the heart, Act. 15. 9. worketh by love, Galath. 5. 6. and sanctifieth the whole man throughout, 1 Thes. 5. 23. Act. 26. 18. for as if our repentance bee sound, it will make us grieve for sins of all sorts, secret, as well as known; originall, as well as actuall; of omission, as of commission; lesser (viz. thoughts) as well as greater; yea, as well for the evill, which cleaves to our best workes, as for the evill workes. Rom. 7. 21. and as heartily and unfainedly desire, that we may never commit it, as that God should never impute it, 2. Tim. 2. 19.
Againe, it will worke tendernesse of conscience, and such a true filiall feare of God, that we shall feare to displease him; not so much because hee is just, to punish us, as for his mercy and goodnesse sake; and more feare the breach of the Law, then the curse: which we may know, by asking our owne hearts these questions. Whether we would refuse a booty, if we had as fit an opportunity to take it, and no man perceive the same, as Achan had? Whether wee would refuse a bribe, like Elisha, though wee should meet with one, which were as willing and able to give it as Naaman? Whether we would not deceive, though we were in such an of fice as the false Steward, whose Master referred all unto him, and knew not when he kept any thing backe? Whether wee would not yeeld, in case it should be said unto us, as the Divell said to Christ, all this will I give thee, if thou wilt commit such a sinne? Whether we have a Spirit without guile? Psa. 32. 2. and be the same in Closet and Market, as being no lesse seene in the one, then in the other? Whether we more love to be, then seeme, or be thought good, as Plato spake of his friend Phocion, and seeke more the power of godlinesse, then the shew of it, Iob 1. 1. For Christians should be like Aples of gold with Pictures of silver, whose inside is better then their outside, but both good: and hee serveth God best who serveth him most out of sight; that wheresoever hee is keepes a narrower watch over his very thoughts, then any other can doe of his actions; and no mans censure troubles him more then his owne.
Againe, whether wee are as carefull to avoide the occasions of sinne, as sinne it selfe, and not now and then, but continually? Whether we seare our own corruptions, as well as Sathans temptations? Whether we esteem the Word, as if God immediately spake to us in particular? &c. So likewise if our saith be true, our obedience is constant, like the fire of the Temple, which never went out, Rev. 21. 7 and universall, making conscience of all Gods Commandements, one, as well as another; the first table, as well as the second; and the second, as well as the first; Matth. 5. 19. for a regenerate minde cannot consist with a determination to continue in any one sin; as when Christ cast out one divell, we read that he cast out all, even the whole Legion, Marke 5. 12. God loves those best, that stick closest to his Word in every tittle: and as Parents most affect those children, that most resemble them: so doth God.
It is true (saith Saint Augustine,) God gives us Commandements impossible to nature, that wee may the rather seeke unto him for grace: and corruption will mix with our purest devotions, imperfection swayes in all the weake dispatches of our palsied soules.
In all we do, we something doe amiss:
And our perfection, imperfection is.
Neither is it to any man given,Corruption wilmix with our purest devotion. to be absolute in any thing: yea, the very best of us, have not done one action Legally justifiable all our dayes; so, that we are as farre from perfection, as the center of the earth is from the circumference, which semediameter or space is judged, by the most expert, to bee three thousand five hundred miles.
What then, because we cannot obey in all, shall we obey in nothing? if we cannot performe our duty, as we ought; let us do our good will, and endeavour what wee can: for it is better to hault in the right way, then runne in the wrong; especially, when God expects no more then wee can do, and accepts of what we are willing to doe; for if we purpose before hand not to sin, and in the act doe strive against sinne, and after the act be sorry for the sinne, sin shall never bee laid to our charge; if wee hate our corruptions, and strive against them, they shall not be counted ours. It is not I, saith Paul, but sin that dwelleth in me for what displeaseth us, shal never hurt us; and wee shall bee esteemed of God to be, what we love, and desire, and labour to be.
Now let this point bee argued in the Court of the conscience (for although others may give a shrewd guesse, yet the mother knowes best, whether the child bee like the Father or no?)
Say, whether thou art guilty of these graces, or not guilty? He who makes not conscience of sin, hath no true faith; and the true method of grace is, first, cease to do evill, then, learne to do well, Isa. 1. 16. 17 for, as we die to nature, ere we live to glory: so we must dye to sin, ere we can live to righteousnesse; there can be no fellowship, between light, and darknesse, Christ and Belial, the Arke and Dagon cannot lodge under one roof; the house must first be cleansed, ere it can be garnished; in a payre of Tables nothing may well bee written, before the blots and blurs be wiped out; the good husbandman first stubs up the thorns, and puls up the weeds, then soweth the good seed: if the wax receive a new image the old doth cease: at least, as the increase of light, makes a decrease of darknesse (it being impossible, that two things of contrary natures should bee together in one subject, the one not expelling the other, either wholly or in part) so it is betweene grace and corruption. In a word, if thou canst say, I deprecate all sin, I repent heartily of that is done, I abhor to commit it, I earnestly pray against it, I strive, with all my power, to avoid it, I thirst for more grace, I am ready to all good works, I rest wholly and onelyonly on my Saviours merits, thou mayest goe on, and say, I therefore rightly believe, I believe, and therefore am justified; I am justified, therefore called; I am called, therfore elected; I am elected, therefore I shal be glorified. Otherwise, if thou beest, as it were, a dead man, continuing under the burthen of notorious crimes, without forrow, or feare, or remorse, or care of amendment, Ephes. 2. 1. If thou art a drunkard, if thou art frequent in the language of hell, viz. swearing, cursing, &6, without feare, or sorrow, or striving to leave it; if thou delightest to boast of sinne, and mischiefe, or seekest to defend it, Psal …2. 1 if thou art of a reprobate judgement, touching actions and persons, esteeming good evill, and evil good: if the divell hath so bewitched thee, that thou preferrest hell to heaven, and blamest those that do otherwise: if thou imitatest a bad stomack in turning every thing to an evil construction, so making a temptation of every thing Titus 1. 15. if, Ishmael like, thou mockest, or, Cham-like, thou scoffest at the religious, or usest bitter jests against them, Psal. 1. 1. Ephesians 5. 4. if thou raisest slanders of them, or furtherest them, being raised, Psalme 4. 2, and 31. 18. and 35. 20. as the red Dragon, Revelation 12. cast a flood of water out of his mouth, after the woman, when hee could not reach her with his clawes, verse 15. or any way opposest them (for the opposition of goodnesse, gives thee the title of wickednesse, which alone is the enemy thereof, and shewes thou art a souldier of the great Dragon, who goes out to make warre with that blessed seed, that keepe the Commandements of God, Revel. 12. 17.) these or any one of these, especially the last, shew that thou never camest where regeneration, repentance, and faith grew; that thy soule (like Venus Altar in the Ile Paphos) was never yet rained upon by grace from above, for if the Image of God by faith were repaired in thee, thou couldest not but bee delighted with those that are like thy selfe, thou couldest not but love the godly, because they are godly; for the very first part of conversion is, to love them that love God, 1 Iohn 3. 10. And in vaine shall a mans heart absolve him, that is condemned by his actions: for vertue and vice are both Prophets, forewarning us of things to come; the one, of certaine good; the other, of paine, or penitence.
§ 151.
BUt behold an other starting hole. For if the evill spirit sees thee convinc'd of the necessity of repentance; he will perswade thee to deferre it untill hereafter,But he can repent when sicknes comes. knowing that if he can prevaile therein, it is all one, as if thou hadst never purposed to repent at all; for as experience may informe us, not one of a thousand, which take this course, ever attaine unto it; for either they adjourne the time prefixt, from next yeare to next yeare, &c. or else they attaine not to that repentance which is true and sound. But see the particulars laid open.
Thou promisest thine owne soule that thou wilt repent, when thou art sicke, (though indeed the farthest end of all thy thoughts, is the thought of thy end; and to make thy reckoning at the last day,Death may be sudden, and give … ma… no lea…e to be sick…. the last and least thing thou makest reckoning of.) But hark in thine eare: Oh secular man, thy life is but a puff of breath in thy nosthrils, and there is no trusting to it; yea, the least of a thousand things can kill thee, and give thee no leasure to be sicke.
Surges may rise on suddaine ere wee think,
And whiles we swim secure, compel us sink.
S…ul being minded to aske counsell of the Lord, concerning the Philistins, was prevented for want of time, 1 Samuel 14. 19. And commonly wee never have so much cause to fe…re, as when we feare nothing. When Sampson was sporting w…th his Dal lah, he little thought that the Philistins were in the chamber, lying in waite for his life, Ind 16. Full little doe sinners know how neare their jollity is to perdition; judgement is often at the threshold, while drunkennesse and surfeit are at the table.