Two Treatises 2, Tract 1 · Chapter 17
CHAP. XVII. Of continued and renued Repentance.
THe ſecond degree, I call Continued repentance, 2. Continued Repentance.which is a going forward in the firſt repentance thoroughout the whole courſe of our liues; for Repentance is not onelyonly a turning, that is but the firſt degree, but it is alſo a returning. A man muſt neuer giuegive ouer till he be returned to that eſtate, wherein once he was, which is not done till our dying day. If yee will ſeeke, ſeeke, returne and Iſ. 21. 12.come. After turning our faces to God at our firſt repentance, there muſt be a daily comming forward to him by this continued Repentance. The Popiſh pennance is confined within the circle of a few daies, weekes, moneths or yeres, according to the prieſts diſcretion. But the true Repentance of a Chriſtian, is a continuall act, and a daily exerciſe: for the change of the heart is not wrought in vsus perfectly at the firſt, but there muſt bee proceeding on by degrees. The old man muſt bee crucified by repentance. Now crucifying is a lingring death. After we are conuerted, ſtill wee carry the body of ſinne about vsus, and many infirmities cleaue vntounto vsus, and breake from vsus continually. As therefore in a a leaking ſhip there muſt bee continuall pumping, and in a beggers coat continuall patching, ſo in our liues continuall repenting & repairing of our daily breaches. There is matter enough to hold our repentance worke all our life long. Many practiſe repentance by ſtarts, now, & then, when the mood and fit comes on them, but it muſt bee a continuall practiſe. For
1. We hauehave daily infirmities. 2. Wee had ſin before our birth, euen in our conception, euen originall ſinne which will hang vponupon vsus till our death. 3. After death our ſinnes will remaine in regard of the euill ſent corrupting others. 4. Many were our ſinnes before our calling, neuer to be forgotten, but often with bitterneſſe to be remembred as Paul did his perſecution. 5. By neglecting the daily practiſe of Repentance, we ſhall make the practiſe of it farre more difficult afterward. The houſe that is daily ſwept hath but little duſt, and is eaſily ſwept, but if it be ſeldome ſwept then it askes much ſcraping, rubbing, paring and waſhing, the dirt will be growen ſo hard to the floore. So in caſting of accounts, he that caſts them vp eueryevery day ſhall the eaſier caſt them vp at the weekes end, and he that caſts them vp eueryevery weeke, ſhall the eaſier caſt them vp at the yeeres end, but hee that lets them runne on from day to day, and from weeke to weeke, hee ſhall finde them ſo perplexe and intricate, as that they ſhall trouble his beſt braines to bring all ends together.
The practiſe of this continued repenatnce is,
1 Hearty confeſſion, and bewailing of our ſins to the Lord.
2 Carefull watchfulnes ouer our harts to keepe out all ſinne.
3. Strict examination of our ſelues at the dayes end, and ſo cenſuring our ſelues, for that we finde amiſſe, with earneſt calling on GOD for greater Grace.
3 The third degree is renued repentance. Repentance 3. Renued repentance. Where.is oftentimes diſcontinued, interrupted, or at leaſt, increaſes not ſo as it ſhould, therefore euer and anone it is in ſpeciall ſort to bee renued. Now here are two things to be conſidered: The practiſe and the times of this Repentance.
1 The practiſe of this repentance, what it is, 1. The practiſe.wherein it conſiſts? Anſ. 1. In performing the duties of Repentance, handled before in generall, in a greater meaſure, and a more powerfull manner. Acts 2. Corin. 7. 11. ſpeaking of this renewed repentance, which ſome call extraordinary repentance: Beholde ſaith the Apoſtle, what care, what cleering, &c. They had care before, but now a greater meaſure, and a more watchfull care. 2. In a more ſtrickt examination of our ſelues. Examination of our ſelues is to bee practiſed dayly, but now a ſtricter, and ſeuerer, and that ſpecially for our eſtate to godward. And therefore this narrow ſearch muſt diſcouer ſome ſecret infirmities before not found out. As in reading ouer our owne workes, or writings the ſecond or third time, wee eſpye that which we did not before. So in the ſecond reuiew of our liues by renued repentance we find out more ſinnes then before. 3. In a greater meaſure of contrition, and humiliation, as in thoſe Iſraelites drawing buckets of water, in a greater plenty of teares, deeper ſighes and ſobbes.
2. The times and occaſions of this renued repentance: 2. The times.They are fiue,
1. When wee are to performe ſpeciall ſeruices to God, becauſe then wee may feare leaſt our former negligences may come vp in account againſt vsus, therefore we muſt in ſpeciall ſort renue our repentance, and ſo ſeeke vntounto God. Thus before the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Paul commands a 1. Cor. 11. 31. Gen. 35. 1. 2. &c.renuing of our repentance, and a freſh iudging and condemning our ſelues. Thus Iakob renued his repentance before he went vp to Bethell, and purged his family of the idolls. This God alſo firſt cals for, before our approching into his preſence, in the duties of his worſhip, waſh you, make you cleane, and then Iſay. 1. 16. 18.Come and let vsus reaſon together. So oft then as an holy ſeruice is to bee performed to God, wee muſt renue our Repentance.
2. When wee ſeeke for any ſpeciall bleſſing at the hands of God. Becauſe then our ſinnes may interpoſe themſelues, and ſo intercept the bleſſing deſired, then are wee eſpecially to renue our repentance. As when our aduerſaries renue the battell againſt vsus, wee are to renew our preparation againſt them, ſo muſt we doe heere. Thus Iſaac when he Gen. 24. Gen. 32. 9.ſought the bleſſing of a good wife, went out into the fields into ſome ſecret corner or other, to pray Acts. 1.in ſpeciall manner vntounto the Lord. So did Iakob when he ſought the mercy of deliuerance from his brother Eſau. So the election of miniſters in the Primitiue Church was done with prayer.
3 In ſpeciall afflictions, when God corrects our dulneſſe, and by them as by whetſtones ſeemes to ſharpen our repentance, and to put an edge vppon our prayers. So did Dauid in the rebellion of his ſon 2. Sam. 15. 26. 30. 2. Chron. 20.Abſolom, and Iehoſhaphat when the Moabites and Ammonites came vp againſt him. And this is that which the Prophet calls for, Search your ſelues, Zeph. 2. 1.ſearch your ſelues, before the decree come foorth, &c. wiſhing them in that ſpeciall affliction to enter into a ſpeciall examination, and ſearch of all their waies.
4 In, and after our ſpeciall falls and ſinnes, whether groſſe and more palpable, or more ſecret, ſuch as are dulneſſe, coldneſſe, ſecurity. Thus Dauid after his two ſinnes of adultery and murther, in a moſt ſpeciall ſort renued his repentance in his priuate confeſſion to Nathan and his publique confeſſion 2. Sam. 12. 13. Pſal. 51.to the whole Church. Peter after his deniall went out and wept bitterly. So when the Church of Epheſus was fallen into coldneſſe and ſecurity, the Lord calls vppon her to remember from whence Reuel. 2. 5.ſhee was fallen, to repent and doe her firſt workes.
5. At the time of death. Then becauſe the children of God take their farewell of repentance, they take alſo their fill of it: they thinke with themſelues, this is the laſt act of my repentance, it ſhall be therfore the beſt. And in death Sathans temptations, and conſciences accuſations will be ſtrongeſt, and therefore our preparation againſt them muſt bee more then ordinary. On the ſixt day the Iſraelites gathered double Manna, becauſe none was to bee gathered by the day following, the day of reſt. So becauſe the time after death, is a time of reſt, and Sabbath from repentance, therefore then ſhould there bee a double portion of Repentance. EueryEvery motion is the ſwifteſt towards the center.
It is good indeed to ſee men ioyfull and comfortable in their death, but yet withall, if we ſee them not humbled and penitent, wee may iuſtly ſuſpect their ioy. Euen the holy Martyrs who exceeded in ſpirituall ioy, and had the greateſt cauſe of ioy that might bee, were yet great in their repentance at their death. Hezekiah receiuing the ſentence of death, turned to the wall and prayed, and wept ſore.2. King. 20.
Here mark the prepoſterous courſe of the world, that make death the time of beginning repentance, whereas it is indeed onelyonly the time of renuing repentance begunne, and practiſed before in our life-time. Obiect. But the thiefe on the croſſe began to repent, but at his death. Anſ. It was a miracle with the glory whereof our Sauiour would honor the ignominy of the croſſe. We may almoſt as well expect a ſecond crucifying of Chriſt, as ſuch a ſecond thiefe. Chriſt then triumphing on the croſſe did as Princes doe in the triumph of entring into their kingdomes, they pardon groſſe offences before committed, ſuch as they pardon not afterwards.