Two Treatises 2, Tract 1 · Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII. Of the properties of Conuerſion.
BVt becauſe many will yet deceiue themſelues 2. The properties of it which are 3.thinking they hauehave repentance when they hauehave none, and ſome againe will bee ſo terrified with this doctrine of the change which repentance workes; that they will thinke they hauehave no repentance when indeede they hauehave, wee will therefore further proceed to ſpeake of three properties of this change or turning of the heart in Repentance. By the two former whereof wee ſhall terrifie the firſt kinde of ſelfe-deceiuers, and by the third ſhall comfort the ſecond kind of doubters.
1. Properly. This change then muſt be an orderly change, beginning in the ſoule, euen in the 1. It is orderlyvery marrow and ſpirit thereof, and ſo proceeding to the outward man, and the actions thereof. This orderly change the Apoſtle teacheth when firſt he bids vsus be renued in the ſpirits of our mindes, and then Eph. 4. 23. 24let him that ſtole ſteale no more. O Ieruſalem waſh thine Ieremy 4.heart. But alas how many are there that ſet the cart before the horſe, and begin to change their liues before their hearts. Some indeede aduiſe vsus ſo to doe, but as I thinke not aduiſedly. It is the onelyonly way to hypocriſie to doe that outwardly which is not firſt begunne in wardly. And beſides it is idle, and to no purpoſe to purge the channell when the fountaine is corrupt, and to apply remedies to the head, when the headach is cauſed from the impurity of the ſtomacke. Miſerable experience ſhewes how ſuch diſordered beginnings of Repentance often come to a miſerable end. Content not then thy ſelfe with leauing ſinne outwardly, but ſee you loath it inwardly, content not thy ſelfe to loppe off the boughes, but lay the axe to the roote of the Tree.
2. Properly. It muſt be a thorough change. The 2. It is thoroughly.Lord ſanctifie you throughout, that your whole ſpirit and ſoule and body may bee blameleſſe. Many in their repentance giuegive but the halfe turne, Acts 1. thoſe 1. Theſſ. 5. 23.that turne from one ſinne to another, as from couetouſneſſe to prodigality, from Atheiſme, or Iudaiſme, to Popery. This is as if the mouſe eſcaping the trappe, ſhould fall into the pawes of the cat. It is iuſt like the turning of the wind from one point of the North vntounto the other, from North-eaſt to North-weſt, but yet ſtill it is in the North, and as far from the South as before. So theſe men turne, but yet in their ſinne ſtill, and as farre from God as before. Secondly, thoſe that turne their vnderſtandings from errour to truth, but not their wills from euill to good, as thoſe that of Papiſts turne looſe and vnreformed Proteſtants. Thirdly, thoſe that turne from many ſinnes and with Herod doe many things, but yet they remaine vnturned from ſome one ſpeciall ſinne. Some indeede there are whoſe change makes them like Aethiopians, white onelyonly in teeth, eueryevery where elſe cole-black. I meane our verball profeſſours that hauehave onelyonly a change from the teeth outward, a change of their wordes, can ſpeake well, and that is all. But others there are that goe further, and doe much, and yet not enough, becauſe though they ſeeme to turne from ſinne, and to looke towards God, yet hauehave a leering eye, and a ſquint reſpect vntounto their ſins, with Lots wife caſting a longing looke after their olde Sodome. And they turne, as if a man whoſe face is towards the Weſt, ſhould turne to the North, or South: for ſo turning hee may looke both waies, both to the Weſt whereon his face was ſet, and to the Eaſt whereon his backe was turned. So many turne from their ſinnes to God, not directly, but ſide-waies, ſo that with one eye they may looke to God, and with the other to ſome ſinne. But as hee whoſe face is turned directly to the Eaſt cannot ſee the Weſt, ſo he who indeed looks directly to God, cannot looke to his ſinnes, but he muſt needs hauehave them behind his backe. Repentance if it be true, is generall: It ſtrippes vsus ſtarke naked of all the garments of old Adam, and leaues not ſo much as the ſhirt behind. In this rotten building it leaues not a ſtone vponupon a ſtone. As the flood drowned Noahs owne friends and ſeruants, ſo muſt the floud of repenting teares drowne euen our ſweeteſt and moſt profitable ſinnes. Moſt true is that ſaying of Thomas Aquinas, That all ſinnes are coupled together, though not in regard of conuerſion to temporall good, for ſome looke to the good of gaine, ſome of glory, ſome of pleaſure, &c. Yet in regard of auerſion from eternall good, that is God. So that hee that lookes but toward one ſinne, is as much auerted and turned backe from God, as if he looked to all. In which reſpect S. Iames ſayes, he that offends in one, is guilty of all. Repentance is a thorough change of the whole man, of the whole life: it refines eueryevery part, not ſo much but vanity and lightneſſe in apparell. The Lord ſhall waſh (ſaith Iſaiah) the filthines of the daughters of Zion, that is, that proud brauery, and affected meanes of apparell mentioned in the third Iſay 4. 4. opened.chapter, by the ſpirit of iudgement, that is of Repentance, whereby they ſhall iudge themſelues for that ſinne, and condemne that for naſtineſſe which before they accounted neateneſſe, and that for filthineſſe, which before they accounted fineneſse.
3. Property. It is yet an vnperfect change. Perfect it is in regard of parts, as a childe is a perfect 3. It is vnperfect.man, but imperfect in degrees. It is like the change of the ayre from darke to light in the dawning of the day, which proceedes by degrees, or as the change and turning of water from could to hot, which is firſt luke-warme. This I note for the comfort of ſuch poore ſoules, that when they heare repentance is ſuch a change of the minde, and feele ſo little change in themſelues, but their olde ſinnes to be ſo ſtrong and liuely, are driuen to doubts. But for their comforte they muſt know that this is a change, that with greefe they feele, and complaine euen of thoſe ſecret infirmities which were wont neuer to trouble them. The riſing of the heart againſt ſinne, the antipathy, and ſecret grudging, and murmuring of the ſpirit againſt it, euen then when it is foyled by it, is an argument of a bleſſed change begunne, which ſhall bee perfected in time.