Two Treatises 2, Tract 1 · Chapter 16
CHAP. XVI. Of Initiall Repentance.
NOw after the definition thus explaned it reſteth The kinds of repentance.to ſee what diuiſion there is of Repentance. Into kindes it hath none, yet it hath certaine degrees:
Repentance therfore is eyther the firſt repentance, or the after Repentance: the after repentance is twofold. Firſt the continuation of the firſt in the daily courſe of our liues. Secondly, the renouation of the firſt in ſpeciall manner vponupon ſome ſpeciall occaſions. So then in al there be theſe three degrees of Repentance. Initiall, Continued, Renewed.
1 Initiall repeetance is that at our firſt calling, 1. Initiall. Hebr. 6.called repentance from dead workes: becauſe all the workes, euen the beſt workes before, were dead workes, comming from men wholly dead in their ſinnes. This is the repentance of which Paul ſpeaks when he wiſhes Timothy to inſtruct the contrarie minded, prouing if God at any time will giuegive them repentance.2. Tim. 2. 25.
Heere conſider two things.
1. The meaſure of this repentance.
2. The time of it.
1. The meaſure of it, how farre it doth extend. Anſ. It is in the very firſt beginnings but ſmall, but when once it comes to the birth, it breedes in vsus greater ſorrow then is in continued or renued repentance. Initiall repentance then is the greateſt in our ſenſe, and apprehenſion. Indeede ſometimes After-repentance is more bitter by reaſon of the greater fauors and mercies we hauehave receiued from God, but yet ordinarily the firſt repentance hath a greater meaſure of ſorrow.
1. Firſt at our firſt repentance our harts are harder then euer after beeing neuer before mollified with any former Repentance, and therefore the harder our hearts are, the harder wedges needes there to cleaue them.
2 Secondly, at our firſt repentance we hauehave to deale with all the ſinnes of our whole life: now the more ſinnes the more griefe.
3 Thirdly, in our firſt repentance more ſorrow and griefe, becauſe wee neuer yet had any ſenſe of Gods louelove before; whereas the former aſſurance of Gods louelove in after-repentance, doth ſome thing allay and ſweeten the bitterneſſe of our ſorrow: theſe bitter pills are ſugred in after-repentance.
2 The time of it, which muſt be conſidered two waies.
1 Generally. This life is the time of Repentance while we are in the way, for when our iourney is ended in death, no returning then. While it is day Iohn 9.we may worke, no working in the night, that is, after death. Then is the paying of wages. The day of iudgement is called the Lords day, becauſe hee then muſt reward eueryevery man according to his workes. This life onelyonly is our day, becauſe then we muſt worke. Manna was to bee gathered onelyonly in the ſixe dayes, none vponupon the Sabbath. The time Exod. 16. Vide Druſ. Ad…. pag. 1…0 …. Qui lab … poſt…die.after our life is a Sabbath from working the works of God. Now then in the ſixe dayes of our life is the Manna of Faith & Repentance to be gathered. Some went out to ſeeke Manna vponupon the Sabbath but found none. If once our Sabbath bee come, none ſhall finde nor eate Manna, that hath not gathered it before. As therefore wee are bidden to remember this weekely Sabbath, that our worldly buſineſſes be not deferred till then, but may be diſpatched in the ſixe daies before hand, ſo muſt wee alſo remember that eternall Sabath after this life, and diſpatch the ſpiritual buſineſſes of repentance, and not put them off till the working daies be paſt. The life to come is no time of repentance. It is the Nam in inferno inquit, quis cō fitebitur tibi? foreign Chryſ. ad Epheſ. hom vlt. Ier. 31. 9. Cum fl…tu & depr cationibus Iun. Reuel. 6. 2. Sam. 7. 2.time of Iudgement, not of Repentance. It is not a time of weeping and deprecations, but a time of weeping and imprecations, of weeping and gnaſhing of teeth. It is a time rather of howling vntounto the mountaines, then of lamenting after the Lord. But ſome will be ready to ſay, if this life be the time of repentance, then we will repent any time whileſt we liue, and it may ſerue the turne well enough, wee will repent in ould age, in our ſickeneſſe. &c. There is time enough before wee dye. Therefore for anſwer we muſt know that the time of repentance is to be conſidered in the ſecond place.
2. More ſpecially. This life is indeede the time of Repentance, yea any time of it, in regard of hope and poſsibility, both which are taken from vsus after death. So Paul ſets downe no certaine time, but prouing if God at any time will giuegive them repentance. But yet in regard of our duety to practiſe repentance the time preſent is the time. Euen this very 2. Tim. 2. 25.now wherein I ſpeake, if hitherto thou haſt not repented Hence it is that the Apoſtle ſo much beats 2. Cor. 6. 2. foreign.vponupon this now: Behold now the accepted time, behold now the day of ſaluation. He beats vponupon the very foreign, the time preſent, the very inſtant of the time preſent. So hee beats as much vponupon to day, to day if ye will heare his voice. To day is Gods voyce, To Heb. 3 and 4.morrow the Diuells. If our neighbour muſt not be put off till to morrow; ſay not to thy neighbour, goe Prou. 3 28.and come againe to morrow; Then how much leſſe muſt God? If ye will ſeeke, ſaies Iſay, namely after God by repentance, ſeeke out of hand without further delay, and enquire, returne and come. And againe, Iſay. 21. 12. Iſay 55. 6.ſeek the Lord while he may be found: when is that? while he is neer in the meanes of the word, and motions of the ſpirit to thy heart: Now hee is ready to be found, while he cals vponupon thee to ſeeke him. But the Diuell ſtill keepes his olde wont, and when Chriſt comes to caſt him out by Repentance he cries out, why art thou come to torment me before my time? Too many are like thoſe Iewes that ſaid, Matth. 8.The time was not yet come to build the houſe of the Lord. But againſt theſe delayes and prorogations of repentance we may conſider theſe arguments.Hagg. 1.
1. Conſider the vncertainty of thy life, which is ſuch as thou canſt hauehave no aſſurance of it, no not for a minute. True it is at the twelfth houre, euen in thine olde age thou mayeſt repent, but how knoweſt thou that thou ſhalt ſee the twelfth houre? God hath promiſed pardon to him that repenteth, but hath not promiſed the morrow to him that defers. The whole time of Repentance is but a day, oh that Paenitentiae indulgentiam, ſed dilationi d…m craſtinum non promiſit, Amb. Luc. 19.in this thy day, but yet it is not in this as in other dayes: for after them followes ſuch a night as hath a day returning again. After this day coms an eternall night. And againe, in other dayes the time is determined for the end, but it is not ſo in this day, wee cannot ſay of this day that there are twelue houres in it. How many are there whoſe ſunne hath Itaque ſic agendus omnis dies tanquam agmen agat, & expleat, ac conſummet vitam Qui dicit vixi, quotidie ſurgit ad lucrum. Seneca.ſet at noone-day? who in the prime and floure of their dayes hauehave beene taken away? yea, whoſe ſunne hath ſet in the very riſing? Therefore bee yee prepared alſo, for ye know not at what houre the Sonne of man will come. Thou ſayeſt thou wilt repent at thy death, well I take that thou granteſt. Euen this day for ought thou knoweſt is the day of thy death. Out of thine owne mouth then will I iudge thee thou euill ſeruant. An tibi quoque concedet? Concedet fortaſſe, inquis. Quid a…, fortaſſe, & interdum, & ſaepe? In mentem tibi veniat, ſe de anima taa conſilium inire. Contrarium etiam pone, &c. Chryſost. ad 2 Cor. 13. hom. 22.Thou art to account eueryevery day the day of thy death, why then doeſt thou not repent to day, ſince thou art to looke for death to day? I but, ſayes our youngſter, I hauehave knowen many liue till their old age, and hauehave repented then: Well, what then, ſayth Chryſoſtome, Art thou ſure that God will grant the ſame to thee? Thou ſayeſt, Peraduenture he will: what ſayeſt thou peraduenture, and ſometimes, and oftentimes. Bethinke thy ſelfe, that the buſineſſe thou haſt in hand concernes thy ſoule. Therefore ſuppoſe the contrary, and thinke with thy ſelfe, what if God ſhould not grant it me. Who would be ſo madde to put his ſoule to the aduenture, vponupon a Peraduenture? Peraduenture thou mayeſt liue till thou bee olde, and why not as well, Peraduenture thou mayeſt die both in thy youth, and ſo ſodaine a death, as thou ſhalt not hauehave time to ſpeake, much leſſe to repent. In other matters, in the things of the world we can number our daies in this manner, as to ſumme them vp, and ſo apply our hearts to worldly wiſdome. Wee can make our wils in our health, let ſlip no opportunity of furthering our eſtate, becauſe wee thinke I may die too morrow. Oh that wee could ſo number our dayes, as to apply them to the ſpirituall and heauenly wiſdome of Repentance. Enimuero quū ad bellum proficiſceris non dicis minime neceſſe eſt teſtamentum condere, fortaſſe revertar. nec cum de ineundo matrimonio, conſultas, dicis, vxorum egentē accipiam, multi enim praeter opinionem ad opes ita pervenerunt. At verò non de anima. Id. ibid. Luke 12.When thou goeſt to warre, ſaies the ſame Father in the ſame place, thou doeſt not ſay, I neede not make any will, peraduenture I ſhall returne again, neither when thou goeſt about thy marriage buſineſſe, doeſt thou ſay, I will marry a poore wife, for I hauehave known many beyond their expectation to hauehave growen rich that hauehave done ſo, and yet when the matter concernes thy ſoule, thou putteſt it vponupon theſe vncertainties, and peraduentures. Take heede. Euen whileſt thou art thus reaſoning what thou wilt do hereafter, euen in the very thoghts of future Repentance may death ſmite thee, as that foole in his worldly thoughts. And that ſo much the rather becauſe thy preſumption is greater then his. He promiſed the time to come to himſelfe, as if he had beene Lord of time, but thou doeſt not onelyonly ſo, but promiſeſt thy ſelfe alſo the grace of Repentance, as though thou hadſt Repentance alſo at thy command. Whereas both the Grace and the Space of Repentance are in the hands of God. The Grace is in his hand, proouing if at any time God 2 Tim. 2. 25.will giuegive them repentance, and ſo is the ſpace, I gaue her ſpace to repent, and ſhee repented not,Renel. 2. 1.
2. Conſider with the vncertainty of thy life, the vncertainty of Gods grace. Say thou hadſt with Hezekiah a leaſe of thy life, and that thou wert ſure to liue as long as Methuſhelah, yet what aſſurance haſt thou to repent in thy latter end, who haſt refuſed grace before when it was offered? Gods ſpirit Gen. 6.will not alwayes ſtriue with wicked reſiſters of his grace. The chicken that will not come when the hen clucks, may be well caught by the Kite. The ſicke men that came not into the water when the Ioh. 5.Angell mooued, were not healed. It is not with the tydes of Gods grace, as in the tydes of water, which come certainely at ſet time, ſo that hee that miſſes the morning tide, may hauehave the euening tide. No, it is tide too day, and now it is tide. Now take it if thou bee wiſe, thou knoweſt not whether in all thy life time the like grace will be offered thee againe. Behold, ſaies our Sauiour, I ſtand at the doore Reuel 3. 20.and knocke, if any man will open, viz. when I knocke, then I will come in, elſe not. Thou mayeſt well feare that, becauſe thou waſt deafe at Gods call, God will bee both dumbe neuer to call thee heereafter againe, and alſo deafe not to heare thee calling on Prou. 1. 28.him.
3. Though Gods Grace in outward meanes may ſtil be offred, yethow knoweſt thou whether he wil giuegive thee the inwarde grace with the outwarde meanes of grace. Nay, delayes are dangerous. The longer thou putteſt off, the further off art thou and the more incapable of Repentance. For ſtill thou heapeſt vp ſinne vponupon ſinne, and eueryevery new ſin is a new ſtroake with an hammer that driues the naile in further. So that Repentance will bee more difficult afterward then now, ſinne will hauehave gotten ſuch an intereſt, and confirmed a ſtrength by continuance of time. And this is that which the Apoſtle ſpeakes of, Leſt your hearts be hardned thorough Hebr. 3. 13.the deceitfulneſſe of ſinne. Wee thinke to ſhake off our ſinnes afterward, but the longer they tarry, the faſter they cleaue. A twigge may bee eaſily bowed, but let it grow to a confirmed tree, & then there is no dealing with it. And thus hauehave we ſeen with theſe delayers of Repentance, that hauehave ſayd at firſt, It is too ſoone, wee will repent heereafter, when their heereafter hath beene come, then hauehave they ſayd, It is too late, the ſeaſon is paſt, our hearts are ſo hardned that now we cannot repent. Wee muſt not ſay to our neighbour that comes for his owne good, goe and come againe too morrowe, how much leſſe to God, who comes and craues not for his, but our good: who if wee doe our endeauour in asking of him, will giuegive that which he askes of vsus. If thou deny him too day, he will deny to aske of thee too morrow.
4. Death is no fit time to beginne to learne Repentance. It is abſurd for a ſouldier to ſeeke his armour when the battle is begunne. The Apprentice will not be to learne his trade, when his time is going out. Repentance ſhould rather be an introduction to Death, then Death to Repentance. Beſides at the time of death, the body is ſo poſſeſſed with payns, & the ſoule ſo taken vp with feare of death, that a man is altogether vnfitte for ſo great and waighty a worke as Repentance is: yea, we ſee that men vponupon their death-beds are not fit to meddle with ordinary matters of the world, and ſhall wee thinke that when we are vnfit for the baſeſt things of the earth, that wee can bee fit for the great and weighty buſineſſes of Heauen?
5. Repentance at death is ſeldome ſound. For it may ſeeme rather to ariſe from feare of iudgement, & an horror of hell, then from any griefe for ſin. And many ſeeming to repent affectionately in dangerous ſickneſſe, when they hauehave recouered, hauehave beene rather woorſe then before. It is true, that true Repentance is neuer too late, but late Repentance is ſeldome true: for heere our ſinnes rather Poenitentia nunquam ſera ſiſerir, ſed ſera. raro ſerta Vae illis qui tunc habuerunt terminum luxuriae cum vitae.leaues vsus, then wee them, as Ambroſe ſayes, And as he addes, Woe be vntounto them whoſe ſinne and life end together.
Let vsus therefore no longer foreſlow our Repentance till death, ſickneſſe and old age, let God hauehave the beſt of our dayes. If we reſerue the dregges of our dayes for him, he will reſerue the dregges of the cuppe of his fierce wrath for vsus. Let vsus account it a greater ſhame to be to beginne Gods learning in our old age, then to bee to beginne any humane learning. And yet euen there it is a ſhameful thing. What a ſhamefull and ridiculous thing were it to ſee a man with a gray beard goe to the Grammer-ſchoole, or to ſit among children learning his Turpis et ridicula res elementarius ſenex. Senec.A. B. C. Repentance is the A. B. C. of religion, bee as much aſhamed to learne that in thine olde age, as thou wouldeſt be to be amongeſt children and ſchoole-boyes.