Sin Stigmatized, Part 1 · 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 firmly perſwaded, not only that the whole word of God is true, but that Chriſt, and all his benefits doe belong unto her: ſo it is an honourable, and an operative grace, alwayes accompanied with other graces, ever 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 forſakeing 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, Titus 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, Iam. 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 office 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 vevy 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 feare 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 faith 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 ſomthing doe amiſs:
And our perfection, imperfection is.
Neither is it to any man given, Corruption wil mix 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 thy 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 ſorrow, 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, &c, without feare, or ſorrow, or ſtriving to leave it: if thou delighteſt to boaſt of ſinne, and miſchiefe, or ſeekeſt to defend it, Pſal 52.1 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 …ery 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 ſi…knes 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 a manne leaſure to be ſicke.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.
Saul 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 feare, as when we feare nothing. When Sampſon was ſporting with his Dalilah, he little thought that the Philiſtins were in the chamber, lying in waite for his life, Iud 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.