Resolution to Return Unto God by Repentance, Part 5 – Part 6
Fifthly, of Confeſſion.
SAint Chryſoſtome ſaith, that nothing pleaſeth God more then Confeſſion, if it be ioyned with true contrition; and that it is a part of Humiliation, euer ioyned with true Repentance, becauſe they cannot bee truly humble & repent, who confeſſe not their ſins vntounto God: neither will he giuegive them pardon; for God couers when men vncouer and acknowledge; he iuſtifieth when men condemne themſelues, and flye vntounto him for mercy. If any plead vntounto God, Non eſt factum, and deny his deedes, and debts of ſinne; there is no reaſon why he ſhould hauehave the Acquittance of Grace. Therefore, ſaith Salomon, Prou. 28.He that hideth his ſins ſhal not proſper, but hee that confeſſeth them and forſaketh them, ſhall hauehave mercy.
If thou confeſſe them effectually, it wil cauſe thee to weepe like Mary Magdalen; wraſtle with God like Iacob; and poure forth flouds of teares, like Ezechia. Thou muſt cōfeſſe thē in this or ſuch like manner. First, yu muſt put vp an inditement againſt thy ſelfe, and accuſe thée before God; wherin thou muſt acknowledge both thy particular & vnknowne ſins, generally without any excuſe, extenuation or defence, in hiding the leaſt of them. An example thou maiſt finde in Dauid: I know my iniquity is euer before me.
Secondly, yu muſt wt griefe of heart (as a Judge vponupon ye Bench) giuegive ſentence againſt thy ſelf, acknowledging thy vnworthineſſe, by reaſon of thy ſinne, to hauehave deſerued euerlaſting damnation; as the Prodigall child did, who ſaid, Father I hauehave ſinned againſt heauen and before thee: Or the Publican, who ſtanding a far off, would not ſo much as caſt vp his eyes vntounto heauen, but ſmot his breaſt, crying: Lord bee mercifull vntounto me a ſinner.
Thou muſt alſo accuſe thy ſins, thy very conſcience muſt witneſſe againſt them, and thy heart conuince them; thou muſt accuſe them, firſt, as ſtrangers deiected; ſecondly, as aduerſaries conuicted; and thirdly, as enemies profeſſed.
In ſo doing, ſaith Auguſtine, when thou accuſeſt thy ſelfe by confeſſing thy ſins vntounto God, thou preuenteſt thereby the Diuell of his purpoſe, ſo that hee cannot accuſe thee at the day of Judgement. For, ſaith hee, thou blotteſt out all thy ſinnes by Repentance.
Where there is no accuſer, there is no crime produced for the Judge to cō demne: For Eius quod non eſt, non eſt poena: peccatum remiſſum, non eſt; ergo peccati remiſſi non eſt poena. That which is not, hath no puniſhment; forgiuen ſins are not; ergo forgiuen ſins hauehave no puniſhment. And ſo ſaith the Author to the Hebrewes, 10. 18. Leo ſaith, that thoſe ſins ſhall neuer bee condemned which are purged before with confeſſion and Repentance Neither is Jeſus Chriſt any longer thy Judge to condemne thee, but thy Aduocate to plead for thee, if yu accuſe thy ſelfe by confeſſion.
Therefore confeſſe thy ſins vntounto God without any excuſe or delay. For it is another manner of thing to repent then many take it for; It is not eueryevery ſob or ſigh, that brings Repentance; God is mercifull, &c. And thus lightly dawbe them ouer, as though Gods mercy were to be gained in a moment. Let no man deceiue himſelfe; it will coſt thée many a praier, and many a teare in thy confeſſion, before thou canſt hauehave pardon for thy ſins.
If thou diddeſt feele the ſmart of ſin but pricke in thy wounded conſcience, yu wouldſt neuer giuegive God any reſt; but like Dauid, crye vntounto God againe, & againe, vntill thou haſt found ſome comfortable perſwaſion of Gods mercy in Chriſt, for the forgiueneſſe of thy ſins.
Untill thou doe thus, thou ſhalt neuer finde any quietneſſe in thy conſcience, nor any ſound comfort of Gods Spirit in thee.
Dauid could neuer repent vntill God ſent Nathan vntounto him; to reprooue him for his ſin: but ſo ſoone as hee ſaw his ſin, and that it was not onelyonly cōmitted againſt Vriah, but alſo againſt God it preſently ſo woundes his conſcience, killed his poore heart, and ſo grieued his ſoule, that hée cryed out in his conſcience; Againſt thee O Lord, againſt thee hauehave I ſinned, &c.
As if he would hauehave ſaid, Oh my God, it grieues me exceedingly, and wounds my very ſoule, that euer I was ſo vile a ſinner as to ſinne againſt thee, O my moſt gracious and merciful God.
Therefore the only way to repent, is, from the bottome of thy heart, in thy conſcience to grieue for thy ſin; eſpecially for that it is againſt God, and cauſeth thee to breake his Lawes; for if thou couldſt bee ſorry for thy ſin, becauſe it is againſt God, more then for fear of puniſhment it were a good ſigne that thou wert in the ready way of Repentance.
Wherefore if there were no ſhame nor puniſhment, no Hell nor damnation, yet thou oughteſt to repent, becauſe thou haſt ſinned againſt ſo good and gracious a God, who hath created and redeemed thee.
Sixthly, Faith is the ground or roote of Repentance.
FAith may be added vntounto Repentance, not as a part, but as the ground or roote thereof; for it cannot bée, that the roote and the fruit ſhould bée both one thing: and without Faith there can neuer be any true Repentance, therefore they are ſtill ioyned together.
To cleare this doubt, thou muſt conſider three things: Firſt, the order of Nature; ſecondly, the time; thirdly, the manifeſtation of them both.
In order of nature, faith goeth before Repentance: in manifeſtation of them, repentance is firſt; in time, they are both ioyned together.
By order of nature, firſt a mās cōſcience muſt in ſome ſort bée ſetled, touching his reconciliation with God in Chriſt, before he can truely repent.
As S. Ambroſe ſaith, No man can rightly repent, vnleſſe he hope for pardon. So that remiſſion of ſins is beleeued, then vponupon that comes Repentance.
By manifeſtation Repentāce goeth before faith, for it is ſooner deſcried then faith.
Regeneration is like the ſap of a trée, hid within the barke, when as Repentance is like the bud, that spéedily ſheweth it ſelfe.
If wee reſpect the time, neither of them are one before the other, but are begotten both in an inſtant. So ſoone as there is fire, ſo ſoone it is hot: and ſo ſoone as a man is regenerate, ſo ſoone hee repents: for he that beleeues, inſtantly repents. Therefore none can truly repent, except hee beleeues that he is Gods. And none can hauehave beleefe, but hee that hath his grace, and faith in him.
Furthermore, none can repēt vnleſſe they hate ſin; and faith cauſeth a man to hate ſin: now none can hate ſin, except he be ſanctified; and none can be ſanctified, without hee be iuſtified; and this cannot be without faith; for faith comprehendeth iuſtification.
Againe, the inward or inſtrumentall cauſe of Repentance, is faith, which may be called the mother of repētance, becauſe it brings it forth, as the Word is the begetter; and ſo may hauehave the name of a Father: for he that is without faith is dead. No life without faith; no repētance without life: & therfore neither ye Phariſies Prayer, the Harlots vow, the Traitors kiſſe, the Sacrifice of Caine, the Faſt of Iezabell, the Oblation of Ananias, nor the Teares of Eſau, could bee accepted of God, becauſe they were not truly deuoted from a liuely faith.
Laſtly, the efficiēt or principall working cauſe of faith in thy repentance, is God, wherby, by faith eueryevery true beleeuer receiueth Chriſt for himſelfe, as giuen for him, borne for him, dying for him, and roſe againe for him: for hee dyed for his ſins, and roſe againe for his iuſtification.
And to conclude, repentance ſeparated from faith in Chriſt, is no true Repentance.
And thus much concerning Faith.