Aphorisms of Christian Religion, Chapter 12
CHAP. XII. Of Repentance: where alſo is intreated of the life of a Chriſtian, and of bearing the croſſe.
I. APHORISME.
SOmetime by the word Repentance in Greeke is ſignified & vnderſtood aMat. 21.29. & chap. 27.3.ſome ſorowing for any fact or deed done, whether a man be moued thereby to do well,bMath. 4.17. Act. 2.38. Ro. 2.4. 2. Cor. 7.9.10. 2. Tim. 1 25. or not moued: ſometimes alſo it ſignifieth (as the beſt Diuines hauehave noted) to return to a perfect and right vnderſtanding, or to waxe wiſe againe: we follow now this later ſignification.
II.
Repentance then is a aEzec 18.31 Ier. 4.1.3.4.chaunge of the minde, which is by nature wicked, and renewing of all faculties of the ſoule, proceeding from a ſincere and religious bIerem. 4.4. Act. 17.30. 2. Cor. 7.10.feare of God; whereby the mind is caried with an earneſt indeuour to do well, and to pleaſe God.
III.
Repentance doth conſiſt of two partes: ofaRo. 6.4 5.6 Ephe. 4 22.23.24. Col. 3.5.6.8.9.10. Pſal. 34 15. Eſa. 1.16.17. mortification of the fleſh, or of the old man, and in the quickening of the ſpirit.
IIII.
Repentance may alſo be diſtinguiſhed into ordinarie or common, and extraordinarie or ſpeciall.
V.
The ordinary and common repentance is that, which all men are bound to put in practiſe all the dayes of their life, becauſe of the corruption of nature.
VI.
A ſpecial a1. Cor. 5.5. 2. Cor. 12.21.repentance is that, which raiſeth as it were frō death, either thē which hauehave fallen ſhamefully, or in an vnbridled licentiouſneſſe hauehave giuen ouer thē ſelues to ſin, or hauehave ſhaken off the yoke of God in ſome ſpeciall apoſtaſie.
VII.
In an ordinary repentance it wil ſuffice that we confeſſe our ſelues vntounto aPſal. 31.5.God: but an extraordinary requireth confeſſion, bPſal. 51.ſorow, and deprecation before the c2. Cor. 2.7. &c 18.21.congregation, that the Church may be ſatisfied, and receiue againe the ſinner which is excommunicate, for any ſcandale.
VIII.
There is alſo an extraordinarie repentance of ſome one whole congregation, when fearing the Lords corrections to approch for ſome general ſinnes of the greateſt part of the people, they ſtriue by prayer, aIoel. 2.1….weeping and faſting, to turne away the wrath of God from them. They had alſo in this, in times paſt, in the Church of the Iewes, their bEſter. 4.3. Ierem. 6.26.ſackloth and aſhes.
IX.
The holy Ghoſt is the cauſe efficient, aAct. 11.18 2. Tim. 2.25.or the Lord which worketh in vsus vnfayned repentance.
X.
The aMath. 3.8.frute and effect which followeth true repentance, is a Chriſtian life: and this conſiſteth in forſaking and bLuke. ….…3denying our ſelues, in meditation of the life to come, and in the right vſe of all earthly bleſſings.
XI.
The forſaking of our ſelues, partly reſpecteth men, partly and principally it reſpecteth God.
XII.
The forſaking our ſelues which reſpecteth men, conſiſteth partly in aRom. 12.10. Philip. 2.3.reuerēcing them with all Chriſtian modeſtie, partly in doingb1. Cor. 13.4 &c. 1. Tim. 1.5. 1. Iohn 3.18. good to them with all ſincere affection of heart.
XIII.
That denying of our ſelues which reſpecteth God, frameth vsus with aPhil. 4.11. 1. Tim. 6.0.patience to reſt contented with that ſtate and condition of life, which the Lord ſhall giuegive vsus, and ſpecially to the bRom. 8.17.bearing of the croſſe.
XIIII.
Special motiues to beare the croſſe patiently are theſe following. 1. Becauſe this is the good aHeb. 12.5.will and pleaſure of our heauenly Father, to exerciſe his children in this maner, as it were, to make good triall of them. 2. For that bHeb. 5.8. & chap 12 2. 1. Pet. 2.21.Chriſt himſelfe was to learne obedience by the things which he ſuffered, and we muſt be made cRom. 8.29.conformable vntounto him. 3. For that if we be dRom. 8.17. 2. Tim. 2.12.partakers with Chriſt in his paſſions, we ſhall be partakers alſo with him of his glorious reſurrection. 4. For that it is needfull and good for vsus alwayes to hauehave ſome croſſe, that hauing experience of our own weakneſſe and frailtie, we may be truly ePſal. 119.71humbled: that ſo being humbled, wee may learne to call for f2. Cor. 1.9.ſtrength from God, that ſo we may hauehave experience of his gRom. 5.4.preſence, and that by this experience we may receiue h2. Cor 1.10 Rom. 5.4.confirmation of our hope. 5. For that we hauehave need to learne the obedience iPſal. 119.71we owe to God, that the rage of our corrupt nature be ſubdued and bridled, and that the ſinnes we hauehave commited, may be puniſhed, leſt we be k1. Cor. 11.32.damned with the world. 6. For that when we ſuffer perſecution for righteouſneſſe ſake, and ſpecially for defence of the Goſpell, we are not only not miſerable, but alſo bleſſed and happie, by the lMath. 5.10. 1. Pet. 3.14.teſtimonie of Chriſt himſelfe. All theſe reaſons, as the matter requireth, are ſpeciall ſtrong motiues vntounto patience vnderunder the croſſe.
XV.
True patience is not to want either ſenſe aIoh. 16.20. &c. 21.18. foreign.or naturall affection, and ſo to be voyde of all griefe and ſorow: but herein appeareth it, when the ſeruaunt of Chriſt, is much b2. Cor. 4.8.9prouoked, and yet by Gods feare is ſo bridled, that he breakes forth into no rage nor cPſal. 39.murmuring, but rather reſteth, (albeit ſmitten with griefe & ſorow,) d2. Cor. 6.10ſpiritually comforting himſelfe in the Lord his God: not without meditations alſo of Gods iuſtice, equitie and clemencie in our chaſtiſements, but ſpecially of the fatherly counſell eRom. 8.28. 1. Cor. 11.32.of God for our ſaluation, ſo caring for it on this manner.
XVI.
Now the meditatiō of the life to come, which is the ſecond part of a Chriſtiā life, is ſuch, that it carieth with it a contempt and a lothing of this aPhil. 1.23. 2. Cor. 5.2. Rom. 7.24.preſent life, according to the meaſure of illumination and knowledge, which God hath giuen vntounto vsus, both of the bEccle. 1.1.vanitie of this preſent life by our continualcGene. 47.9 miſeries, and of the corruption dRom. 7.24.of our nature by our dayly tranſgreſſions, and according to the meaſure of taſt, which the holy Ghoſt hath giuē vsus of the glory and eRom. 14.17ioyes of the life to come.
XVII.
And yet we muſt not hate this preſent life, becauſe it is one of Gods aExo. 20.12bleſſings, and ordained of God for our ſaluation: partly for that herein the Lord giueth vsus a bPſal. 34.9.taſt of his goodneſſe by manifold bleſſings, partly for that by many tēptations he prepareth vsus for the cTim 4.8. 2. Theſ. 1.67. Act. 14.22.crowne of the celeſtiall glory.
XVIII.
The laſt point is, that the right vſe of earthly bleſſings (which is the third part of Chriſtian life) conſiſteth herein. Firſt, that we vſe this a1. Cor. 7.29 30.31.world as if we vſed it not: vſing and receiuing the bleſſings of God for the ſuſtentation and bPſal. 104.15refreſhing of our bodies, but with ſobrietie cRom. 13.14and d1. Tim. 4.3 4.5.thankes giuing. Next, that we beare patiently and ePhil. 4.12.thankefully the penurie and wants of earthly things: and that we euer thinke of this, that we muſt render fLuke. 16.2. Rom. 14.10. and 12. 2. Cor. 5.10.an account vntounto God, of the diſpenſation or charge cō mitted vntounto vsus, and therefore that we vſe the good bleſſings of God temperatly, modeſtly, ſoberly, diſtributing to the neceſſitie of our poore brethren liberally: & laſtly that we containe & keepe our ſelues g1. Pet. 4.15 1. Cor. 7.17. 1. Theſſ. 4.11within the limites of our calling.