Resolution to Return Unto God by Repentance, Part 7
Laſtly, the time when to repent.
MAN hath no time of repentance certaine, no tearme of yeares but tearme of life, and that is moſt vncertaine.
Though God called Saul twice, Samuel thrice, his Spouſe foure times, the Nineuites forty dayes, and the Iewes forty yeares; yet hee giues vsus no time to repent, but to repent now.
The time of repētance is ye time preſent without delay, as ye holy Ghoſt teacheth: This day if you will heare his voice, harden not your hearts: for there is but one acceptable time, wt being neglected, is as a Bird eſcaped out of the hand, or a ſhaft ſhot out of a bow, not to be recalled. At what time (ſaith the Lord.) The Lord limits no time, if a man repent truly. The time of repentance is double; Firſt it muſt be done preſētly, without delay: Secondly, continually, eueryevery day. It muſt bee done ſpéedily without delay: for who knows whether this bee the acceptable time, which if thou neglect when God calls thée in thy youth, or in thy health, it may be he will not call thee hereafter in thy age or ſickneſſe; and the longer thou doeſt defer thy repentance, the harder it will be for thée to repent. Therefore if thou haſt ſuffered the bud of thy youth to be blaſted, thy flower to fade, thy leaues to dry vp, and thy boughes to wither, yet kéepe life in the roote, leſt the whole become fuell for hell fire.
Be not like thoſe wt begin not to liue vntil they be ready to dy, & then after a foes deſert, com to craue of God afrends enternainmēt. Nor thinke to ſnatch vp heauen in a moment, which the beſt can ſcarce attaine vntounto in many yeares: or iumpe from Diues diet to Lazarus Crowne; that is, from the ſeruice oſ Sathan, to the ſolace of Saints. O Beloued, Heauen is not to bée gained ſo eaſily.
The theefe indéede may be ſaued on the Croſſe, and mercy found at the laſt; but late repentance is ſeldome or neuer true repentance. For if a man repent when he can ſin no more, then hée leaues not ſinne, but ſinne leaues him.
Looke in the whole book of God, there is but onelyonly one, and that was that good thiefe, that truely repented at the houre of his death: and who knoweth whether hee had repented before or no, we reade nothing to the contrary (yet howſoeuer) Ille vt nullus deſperet, ſolus vt nullus praeſuma…, He is left vntounto vsus for an example that no man ſhold deſpaire, he only that no man ſhould preſume.
Oh therefore if thou wouldeſt bee free from this doubt, auoyd the vncertainty, repent whilſt thou art in good health, take time whilſt it is offered thee, for time and tyde ſtayeth for no man. Common experience teacheth vsus, that tempus eſt pretioſum, breue, et irreuocabile, time is precious, ſhort, and irreuocable, which can neuer bee redeemed: and withall conſider, Qui non eſt hodie, cras minus aptus erit, hee that is not ready to repent to day, will be leſſe ready to morrow: it may be God hath appointed this day to be the end of thy life. Oh therefore alwayes ſo liue, that thou bee euer prepared to dye: remember the ſaying of Chryſoſtom, The wicked (ſaith he) hauehave this puniſhment, in dying they forget themſelues, becauſe in their life time they forgate God.
And on thy death-bed (if thou ſhouldeſt deferre thy repentance vntill then) it may be thou wilt be wearied with dolour and paine, thy thoughts may bee amazed, and thy memory decayed.
But thy guiltie conſcience burthened with ſinne, that would continually accuſe thee, and the Deuill wt all his curſed caitiues, will bee there in a readineſſe to perſwade thee to deſpaire, with their vaſa furoris, their veſſels of fury, to attend & require their hire for their ſeruice, preſenting before thine eyes all thoſe ſinnes that they hauehave tempted thée to doe, alleadging that thus and thus they hauehave done for thee.
O what then wilt thou doe? What anſwer canſt thou make? Doeſt thou think that God whom thou neuer regardedſt to ſerue, will then ſend his Angels to deliuer thée out of his clawes? No, no. It is iuſt and right, that thou beeing dead ſhouldſt neuer want torment, that whilſt thou liuedſt wouldeſt neuer want ſinne.
According vntounto Chriſts owne ſaying, Quantum inReu. 18. 7. delitiis fuit, tantum dato illi tormentum: Looke how much they hauehave delighted in ſin, ſo much torment ſhal be laid vponupon them.
If all this will not moue thée to turne vntounto God by repentance; what wil moue thee then? Wouldeſt thou deferre thy repentance vntill thy laſt day? Oh! who knoweth whether the Lord will giuegive thee grace and ſpace to repent then or no? If he would, it were an vncertaine point, to hazard ſo great a Jewell as the ſaluation of thy ſoule vponupon.
Or wouldeſt thou continue in thy ſinnes, and neuer repent, and yet thinke to hauehave eternall life? It is impoſſible. As ſoone thou maiſt driue God out of heauen: for Chriſt himſelfe ſaith; I tell you nay; Except ye repent, yee ſhall all likewiſe periſh. Or wouldeſt thou forgoe heauen, and eſcape hell too? It is as much impoſſible.
Wherefore to conclude, I beſeech thée gentle Reader, in the Name of Jeſus, and for Chriſt his ſake, to beware that thou deferre not thy repetance, leſt thou finde thy heart deepely wounded, when thou ſhalt finde many ſinnes committed and not repented, and many of thy promiſes made to God, but in little or no meaſure performed.
Therefore I beſaech thée, ſhake off thy ſinnes, baniſh thē, ſend thy darlings packing, and neuer more pitty them; for they ſéeke thy very ſoules deſtruction. If thou doeſt deferre thy Repentance vntil it be too late; Oh! then thou wouldeſt giuegive a thouſand worlds for one dayes repentance, or an houres contrition. Record therefore a decrée in thy heart, to kéepe all thy ſins in perpetuall exile, and neuer admit them againe in thy coaſts. Now followeth an excellent marke to know the childe of God which hath truly repented.
Hée that hath earneſtly repented, and is truly conuerted from his ſinnes, hath this ſpeciall marke in him; he is none of thoſe fruitles hearers, barren beléeuers, vnregenerate knowers, or verball Profeſſors: but hée is the faithfull doer of the will and Word of God.
(a1 Ioh. 2. 5) Whoſoeuer keepeth Gods word, in him verily is the louelove of God perfected: Hereby know wee that wee are in him: he that abideth in God, ought alſo to walke euen as he hath walked, that is, as S. Iohn ſheweth vsus, (b1 Ioh. 3. 3.) EueryEvery man that hath this hope in him, purifieth himſelfe, euen as he is pure.
For the regenerate man deſireth nothing ſo much, as hée deſireth God; therefore hée maketh himſelfe fit for him: (cRom. 4, 7 8.) Bleſſed, (dEſay 41. 8. Wiſedom. 7. 27. Ioh. 15. 14. 15.) the friend of God, (ePhil. 3. 8) and doe count all things but dung, that hee may winne Chriſt. Wherefore he doth (fCor. 11. 1) imitate the godly, (gPro. 4. 14) ſhun the wicked (hMat. 5. 6) embrace vertue, (i1. Pet. 3. 9) and flye ſinne.
For the Spirit of God aſſures no man pardon of his ſins, but ſuch as be hū bled for them, repent of …hē, confeſſe them to God, leaue and forſake them, & withall become a new creature, and walke in newneſſe of life.
Thoſe which walke in newneſſe of life, are theſe which Chriſt calleth (kMark. 3. 35.) his Mother, Siſter and Brother, (lRom. 6. 18.) his Seruants, (mIoh. 15. 14. 15.) his Friends, (nCant. 5, 1.) his Sons, (o) and his Spouſe. To conclude, thoſe be tearmes of louelove, and that from Chriſt himſelfe, to requite the regenerate man that returns vntounto him by vnfeigned repentance.
Non tam audire, quàm obedire, requir it Deus.
God regardeth more a faithfull heart, than an attentiue eare.
Now I hauehave ſhewed thée what Repentance is; how neceſſary it is; what benefits it brings; and whoſe gift it is; and alſo how it is attained; and now laſtly the time when it is to be taken in hand.
Oh repent, repent therfore, that thou and I, and al the Elect children of God may hauehave all our ſins freely forgiuen vsus, and bee with Chriſt Jeſus our Sauiour, who hath ſo deerely bought vsus: to whom with the Father and the holy Ghoſt, be all Honor, Power, Glory, and Dominion, both now and euer more. Amen.
FINIS.
The Booke to the Reader.
If that my lines could ſpeak with voice, Oh, then moſt loud ſtil ſhould they cry; He that might heare them wold reioice No doubt to buy me preſently.
A greater Booke of price more … Now maiſt thou hauehave, yet … Directions right, as I hauehave hee…, Repentance truly for to gaine.
Each line doth guide thee to rep… ▪ With phraſe moſt plaine vntounto thine Eſteeme me well, do not relent, (eares: Sweet is the fruit repentance beares.
Anagramma: Viveneranda ſones.
End of the text · John Andrewes, Resolution to Return Unto God by Repentance (1621)