Two Treatises 2, Tract 1 · Chapter 18
CHAP. XVIII. Of the motiues to Repentance, from the euill it remooues.
HAuing thus abſolued the doctrine of Repentance, it will not bee amiſſe to cloſe vp this Treatiſe, with ſome perſwaſiues & motiues wherby men may be induced to the practiſe of it. Indeed the bare neceſſity of it might mooue, but ſuch is our dulneſſe, that euen in thoſe things are moſt neceſſary, and moſt neerely concerne vsus, we are moſt ſupine and ſecure, and neede the goades of the ſtrongeſt argument to pricke vsus forward. The motiues Two motiues to repentance.then that may perſwade vsus are of two ſorts. 1. From the benefits of Repentance. 2. From the euils of impenitency. Out of theſe two heads ſhall ſpring the motiues following.
1. For the benefits which come vntounto us by Repentance. 1. The benefits of Repentance. Which are Exod. 15.Repentance indeed is bitter, and many therefore diſtaſte it, as the Iſraelites did the bitter waters of Marah, But if we ſhall conſider the benefits that ſhall accrue vntounto vsus thereby, we ſhall find them as the tree which the Lord ſhewed vntounto Moſes, to ſweeten and alay the bitternes therof. Oh ſay ſome, this repentance is an heauy & a troubleſom matter: what good ſhall we get by our mourning & mortification, but depriue our ſelues of our pleaſures. Repentance is a very hell, or at leſt a Purgatory: well, be it that it be an hell, yet it is ſuch an hell, as muſt bring thee out of hell in the Kingdome of Chriſt. Repent (ſayth Iohn) for the Kingdome of Heauen is at hand. Our way to heauen, is to goe by this hell. And becauſe men aske like thoſe in the Prophet, What profit ſhall wee hauehave, and what Mal. 3.good, if we doe repent, wee will lay downe more particularly the benefits thereof. They therfore conſiſt principally in two things.
1. In remoouing of euill. 2. In bringing of Good. 1. In remoouing euill.The euils which are remooued by repentance, are either of ſinne, or of puniſhment. Repentance remooues 1. Of ſinne in regardthe euill of ſinne two wayes.
1. In regard of the ſting.1. Of the ſting.
2. In regard of the ſtaine.
1. In regard of the ſting. The ſting of ſinne is the guilt of ſinne in the conſcience, binding a man ouer to the wrath of God, and filling the conſcience full of terrour from the expectation of Gods vengeance. Now the repenting ſinner is freed from this guilt, and from the ſenſe of it in his conſcience, and hath the free and full remiſſion of all his ſinnes in the blood of Chriſt. At what time Zach. 13. 1.ſoeuer a ſinner ſhall repent him of his ſinne, I will blot out all his wickedneſſe out of my remembrance. The ſame thing teaches Zachary, In that day (namely, when (as it is in the former chapter) they ſhall mourne for their ſinnes, as for the loſſe of their firſt borne) ſhall a fountaine be opened for ſinne and vncleanneſſe. They whoſe heads are fountaines of teares to bathe Chriſts feet in, with Mary Magdalen ſhall hauehave Chriſts heart pierced to be a fountaine of blood to bathe their ſouls in, and to waſh away all their guiltineſſe. Theſe two fountaines muſt goe together, and when wee waſh our ſelues in the one, wee ſhall bee bathed in the other. Our mercy to our ſinnes breedes Gods ſeuerity, as Ahabs fooliſh pity to Benhadad was cruelty 1. King. 20.to himſelfe; but on the contrary our ſeuerity procures Gods mercy. Our mercy to our ſinnes, preuents Gods mercy to our ſelues, but if wee take reuenge vponupon our ſelues in our repentance, then will not God take reuenge vponupon vsus. The promiſes of remiſsion to repentance are very frequent in Scripture. So the Prophet Iſay promiſes pardon to the Penitent, Iſ. 1. 16. 17. 18.Waſh you, make you cleane, put away the euill of your workes from you, that is to ſay, Repent: And then followes, Though your ſinnes were as crimſon, they ſhall be made white as ſnow, &c. that is to ſay, you ſhall be pardoned and forgiuen. HaueHave mercy on mee (ſaith Pſal. 51. 1. 3.Dauid) ô Lord, now what is his argument to mooue God to mercy? For I know mine iniquities, and my ſin is euer before me. If we acknowledge our ſinnes, that is, if men repent, he is faithfull and iuſt to forgiue vsus our 1. Ioh. 1. 9.ſinnes. Not that Repentance merits remiſsion, nor that it apprehends it, for ſo onelyonly fath brings remiſſion, but as it is a neceſſary attendant of faith in apprehending remiſſion. For when wee hold out the hand of faith to receiue Gods mercy, wee doe it as beggers, crying and lamenting our miſeries. And Faith lookes vponupon Chriſt with a weeping and a repenting eye. And therefore though it bee faith that doth apprehend mercy and pardon, yet becauſe this faith is a repenting faith, yea, euen then moſt of all repenting, when it moſt of all apprehends mercy, therefore it is that that the promiſe of pardon is made to repentance. Hence Repentance and Remiſsion of ſinne are ioyned together by our Sauiour, Luk. 24. 47.No Repentance, no Remiſſion. Except yee Luk. 13. 3.repent, yee ſhall all likewiſe periſh: ſo if Repentance, then Remiſſion. Be it true Repentance, though it be neuer ſo ſmall, there is Remiſſion, and ſo life eternall. Hence Repentance is called Repentance Acts 11. 18.vntounto life. The Repenting ſinner then is in a moſt happy caſe, for hee hath his ſinnes pardoned, and ſo title to Heauen. So that if a man dies in Repentance, he dies in the ſtate of ſaluation, and ſo goes to heauen. For looke what way wee are turned when we dye, thither goe wee, as the tree fals that way wherto it inclined & bowed, when it ſtood on the ground, Now Repentance, as we hauehave ſeene, is the turning of the heart to God: ſo that if a man die with his face turned to God-ward, to God hee goes. But if he die in his irrepentance, with his face turned from God, to God he can neuer come. Let this then perſwade eueryevery one, as euer hee lookes to be ſaued, to breake off his ſinnes by Repentance. The Papiſts lye when they teach vsus, that there are two wayes to Heauen; The way of innocency, and the way of penitency. No, there is but this one way of penitency, by which euen the moſt holy muſt go, for all hauehave ſinned; and onelyonly the repenting ſinners ſhall be ſaued. And againe, here is both exceeding great comfort to the repenting, and terror to the impenitent ſinner. Are thy ſinnes many and greeuous? If they were as red as Scarlet, yet if thou repent they ſhall bee made white as ſnow. It is onelyonly impenitency that damnes thee, not murther, not adultery, not inceſt. If thou canſt repent of theſe theſe ſinnes thou art ſafe: when the ſtreame of thy ſinnes, and the ſtreame of Gods wrath fot thy ſins. come againſt thy ſoule, let the ſtreame of that water which iſſued out of Chriſts heart, together with that ſtreame which iſſueth out of thy repenting eyes meet it, and they ſhall turne away the current of it away from thee. The Phyſician is not ſo much offended with the loathſomneſſe of the diſeaſe, as with the contempt of his phyſick, which he knows being taken would heale the diſeaſe. Nor God ſo much with thy moſt odious ſins, as with this, that thy impenitent heart refuſes his phyſicke. This is Ioh. 3. 19.the condemnation, that light being come into the world, men loued darkneſſe rather then light. Not darkneſſe ſimply that condemnes, but obſlinate continuance in darkneſſe, with louelove of it, and delight in it, after that light is ſent to helpe vsus out of darkneſſe. On the contrary then, if thou repent not, though thy ſinnes were neuer ſo ſmall, they hauehave waight enough to preſſe thee downe to hell. Impenitencie makes ſmall ſinnes great and heauy. But Repentance makes great ſinnes no ſinnes, in regard of diuine imputation. The greateſt ſinnes are pardonable to the penitent, as the ſmalleſt vnpardonable to the impenitent.
And further, although our ſinnes were pardoned and forgiuen, yet can we hauehave no aſſurance that they are ſo, & the promiſes of remiſſion belong to vsus; It is preſumption to ſnatch at the promiſe, before wee hauehave the condition. And though thou hadſt pardon, yet canſt thou hauehave no peace till thou haſt come to God by Repentance. For God holds the ſame rule with vsus in forgiuing vsus, which hee preſcribes to vsus in the forgiuenes of our brethren. For though our brother come not to vsus, and humble himſelfe vntounto vsus, yet are we bound to forgiue him, but yet wee are not bound to goe to him, to tell him that wee forgiue him, but hee is to come and ſay, It repenteth mee. Euen ſo deales God with vsus, he may happily hauehave forgiuen vsus, yet vnleſſe wee turne and come againe vntounto him, and ſay, It repenteth vsus, hee will not tell vsus, neither ſhall his ſpirit Luc. 17. 4.aſſure and witneſſe it to our hearts, that he hath pardoned vsus. Now if there bee aſſurance as well as pardon, thou ſhalt bee perplexed and turmoiled as much in the want of aſſurance as of pardon. God often deales with his children, as Ioſeph did with his brethren, hee would not at firſt make himſelfe knowen vntounto them, but ſpake roughly vntounto them, and threatned them the priſon, and afterward hee telles them, I am Ioſeph your brother. So till wee are prepared by Repentance, neither Gen. 45.will God make himſelfe, nor our pardon knowen vntounto vsus, but will rather ſpeake roughly, and threten the priſon of hell; but if once we come with broken, 1. Pet. 3. 19.and with bleeding hearts vntounto him, then can he no more refraine himſelfe, then Ioſeph could, but will ſay to our conſciences, I am your father, Bee of good comfort, your ſinnes are pardoned. And when we hauehave by repentance filled Gods bottle with tears, then will hee fill our hearts with this ſoueraigne balme, and will annoynt our hearts with the oyle of gladneſſe and the vnſpeakable ioy of the holy Ghoſt. Then ſhall the former feares, ſtings and horrors of the accuſing conſcience be baniſhed, all ſhall be peace and ioy. Repentance charmes the windes and the bluſtring ſtormes of the accuſing conſcience, and makes the hauen of thine heart to bee calme and cleere. So that we may ſay of Repentance, as they of our Sauiour, What kinde of grace is this, that the Pſal. 32.windes and ſea obey it? euen the ſea of a helliſh and a raging conſcience. For the experience of all Gods children that hauehave had any experience of Repentance in themſelues, can witneſſe thus much, that they hauehave no ſooner ſet themſelues to prayer, confeſſion, and renewing of their couenants with God, but though at firſt they brought an hell in their conſcience, yet they hauehave preſently felt hell turned into heauen; and in ſteed of the pricke of conſcience, the vnconceiueble peace of God, cheering and comforting them. It is Dauids owne experiment, I ſayd I would confeſſe, and thou forgaueſt mee, that is, thou tookeſt hell out of my conſcience, and ſhedſt the ſenſe of thy forgiuenes into mine heart. Hence it is that in diuerſe of the Pſalmes, ſpecially the penitentiall ones, the Prophet beginning in Pſal. 6. & 13.much heauineſſe and anguiſh of ſpirit, ends in much ioy and aſſurance. This is the firſt euill which Repentance remooues.
2. Repentance remooues the euill of ſinne in regard 2. Of the ſtaine.of the ſtaine, the blurre, and ignominy. For euen this alſo it takes away. It ſo heals the wound, that not ſo much as the skarre remaines. When Oneſimus had once repented, the ſtaine and ignominy of his theft was taken away, Once vnprofitable, but now profitable; to bee receiued, not as a theefe, Philem. 11.but as a brother. But as long as a man remaines impenitent, ſo long the ſtaine ſtickes in the ſoule in ſuch ſort, as if hee were ſtill in the act of ſinning, euen as dirt doth in the face till it bee waſhed out. All (ſaith our Sauiour) before me are theeues and Ioh. 10. 8.robbers. Why ſayd he not, They were theeues in aſmuch as they were dead and gone. The reaſon may bee becauſe they died impenitently, in that their ſinnes and impenitency ſeems to continue the ſinne though the act bee paſt. Hence it is that a man may ſay of Cain ſtill, that hee is a murtherer, but not of Dauid that hee is an adulterer, the ſtaine being waſhed out by repentance, and hee beeing made cleere and cleane as the picked glaſſe. Becauſe you ſay, ſaies Chriſt to the Phariſies, you ſee, Ioh. 9.that is, remaine obſtinate in your blindneſſe, therfore your ſinne remaines, that is the blot and ſtaine of it. Sinne caſts dirt in our faces, and beſmeares, and befoules vsus, but after Repentance may a man ſay as Nebuchadnezzer did of himſelfe after his Dan. 4. 33.reſtoring, At the ſame time was my glory and my beauty reſtored vntounto me, ſo at the time of our Repentance the ſhame and the deformity which ſinne brought vponupon vsus is takenaway, and our glory, and our beauty is reſtored vntounto vsus, which wee had before wee ſinned. The ſame thing God promiſes to the Gentiles in their conuerſion, Then will I change in the people Zeph. 3. 9. 11.their lips, that it may be pure (ſo Iunius reads it) with the which all may call vponupon the name of the Lord, that is, I will call them to repentance, and then followes a promiſe of taking away the ſtaine, In that day ſhalt thou not be aſhamed for all thy works, &c. Thus doth repentance take away the ſhame and the ſtaine of ſinne. But impenitency ſets a very brand-marke of ſhame vponupon the fore-head of the ſinner, and makes him as foule after, as in his ſinne. A man turning from the ſunne, remaines ſo till hee turne him towards it again, ſo in ſin turning away from God, he remaines ſo, till by a freſh act of Repentance he turne himſelfe to God againe. The wicked ſinner may not thinke that his ſinne paſſed away with the acte which preſently vaniſhed. No, but as the workes of the Repentant follow them to Apoc. 14.the graue, ſo alſo of the wicked; That as the one being dead may be ſtill called iuſt and holy, ſo the other ſtill wicked and impure. A leſſon for impenitent perſons, your skarres, your wounds, your deformities, your filthineſſe in which you lie down ſhall all riſe vp againe with you, and with theſe ſhall you appeare in Gods ſight at the day of iudgment.
Now Repentance takes away the ſtaine and ignominy Which is taken away in regardof ſinne, both in regard of God, and in regard of man.
1. In regard of God: and that appeares by theſe 1. Of God.two things.
1. In that he receiues repenting ſinners into former fauour and grace againe, without vpbraiding Iam. 1.them with their ſinnes: Yea, heere the prouerbe is true, The falling out of louers, is the renewing of louelove. And as bones out of ioynt, ioynted againe, are ſtronger then before, ſo when God and wee, are ioynted together againe by Repentance, his affections are ſtronger to vsus then before. The repenting prodigall receiued greater tokens of fauour, Luk. 15.then his elder brother that neuer brake out into that riot, neither doe we finde his father, girding, and reproaching him with his riotous courſes, nay he rather anſwers the elder brother diſgracing him with them. So Chriſt firſt appeared to Mary Magdalen, Mark: 16.out of whom he had caſt ſeauen deuills, for all her former ſeauen deuills, hee honors her with his firſt appearance. The like honour did he to Peter, Goe your wayes ſaith the Angell, and tell his Diſciples, and Peter, that he will go before you into Galile. Why Dicit ſpecialiter, & Petro, quia ſe indignū indicanit diſcipulatu, cum ter …egauit magiſtrum. Sed peccata praeterita non nocent quando non placent. Hieronymus in hunc locum.is Peter more eſpecially named then any of the reſt of the Diſciples? Not to giuegive Peter any primacie aboue the reſt, but that they might know that how ſoeuer Peter had greeuouſly offended in his threefold deniall, yet becauſe he had wept bitterly, and had thoroughly repented, he had blotted away that ſtaine, and receiued him to his former ſauour againe. Though Peter ſinned aboue the reſt, yet repenting, he is named aboue the reſt. The huſbandman loues that ground, which hauing abounded in weedes, doth yet afterward by good culture abound with good fruits, better then that ground which as it was neuer abundant in weedes, ſo neither extraordinarily in good fruit. And the Captaine makes more of that Souldier, which hauing fled, yet after returning doth valiant exploits vponupon the enemies, then of him that euer kept his ſtation, but did no ſpeciall extraordinary ſeruice.
2. In that hee reſtores vntounto them their former gifts and graces loſt, and that with increaſe and aduantage. Dauid all the while he lay in his ſinne had his heart altogether out of tune to compoſe any Pſalmes, but after his Repentance was he in a more excellent manner, a ſweet ſinger of Iſrael. Zecharie by ſinne loſt his ſpeech, but by repentance, he regained not onelyonly his ſpeech, but propheticall ſpeech. Repenting Sampſon was ſtronger then before; Luk: 1.and did a more valiant act then euer. So Salomon and Noah recouered the ſpirit of prophecie after their repentance. And Peter the ſpirit of confidence aboue that he had before, that he who formerly was faine to ſpeake to Chriſt by Iohn, afterward durſt ſpeake, and aske himſelfe concerning Ioh: 21.Iohn. This is the admirable vertue of Repentance, that with the Eagle it cauſes vsus to renew our youth, Pſal: 103.and with the Snake to be freſher, and liuelyer, after the caſting of our old skin. When ſinne hath impayred, and infeebled, and made vsus olde, and withered creatures, Repentance reviues vsus, and puts young ſpirits into vsus. So hearty, and ſo cordiall is this phyſicke of Repentance. Other phyſick may take away our bodily infirmities, but yet ſo, that it brings ſome weakneſſe to nature; but repentance addes ſtrength to our ſpirituall and renewed nature. In this regard that repentance recouers the loſſe of grace, it may be ſaid alſo that it recouers the loſſe of time; in that recouering grace, it makes vsus by double diligence redeeme the time; and ſo we may allegorically apply to repentance, that of Ioel, I will giuegive you the yeeres, which the Caterpiller hath deuoured.Ioel 2.
2. Repentance takes away the ignominie, and 2. of man. …ſtaine of ſinne, in regard of men, and the Church, who are to admit eueryevery repenting ſinner into their ſocietie, and familiaritie as before, yea into thoſe former offices, and dignities, and credit, which before they had amongſt vsus. Hence it is that Salomon Cartm. in eccl. f. 46.in the booke of his Repentance, prefers the title of Eccleſiaſtes, that is, a ſoule reconciled to the Church, or, a ſoule ſpeaking and making confeſſion, in the Church, before the title of the ſonne of Dauid King in Ieruſalem, as that which would procure more grace to his worke, and more credit to his perſon. He ſeeks more credit in his repentance, then his crowne. His repentance had more power to reſtore him to the fellowſhip of the Church, then his ſcepter. Thus was repenting Ionah reſtored to his propheticall office, Peter to his Apoſtleſhip, Nebucadnezzar to his kingdom. As if a Traytor ſhould not onelyonly hauehave his life, and his lands, but with them his honors and his offices in the Common-wealth reſtored him by his Prince. True it is that if the children of God fall into any ſcandalous ſinne, let them repent neuer ſo much they are like for euer after to heare of it through both their eares, and alwaies to hauehave it laid in their diſh. But this doctrine, as it muſt correct the malice of the world, reproching the repenting ſinner, whom God honors, and raking vp the carcaſes of their ſins, which God hath buried, ſo muſt it comfort the Repentant, when they ſhal remember, My ſin is as if it had neuer been, and therefore may they ſay to the Deuill, and the world reproching them, Tell me not what I hauehave been, but what I am, and will be. And thus doth Repentance remooue the euill of ſinne.
2. It alſo remones the euill of puniſhment. And 2 of puniſhment. Bythat it doth three wayes. 1. by keeping backe afflictions. 2. by taking them away. 3. by ſanctifying, and ſweetning of them.
1. Repentance doth keepe backe, and preuent 1. preuenting.Gods iudgments, and many of his plagues hanging ouer our heads, and ready to ſeaze vponupon vsus. When ſinne, that is, the puniſhment, lyes before the dore. Gen: 4.ready to enter in, and make hauocke, yet if Cain doe well, and repent him of his former hypocriſie, and turne in truth vntounto the Lord, ſhall he not be accepted? When Rabſakeh lay before the doores of Ieruſalem, and before that the Ammonites, how did the repentance of Iehoſhaphat, and Hezekiah driue them back? 2. Chron: 20. 2. Chron: 32.And it is a certaine rule ſet downe by God himſelf, when I hauehave ſpoken againſt a nation to deſtroy them, and Ier: 18. 7. 8.to root them out, if they repent of their ſinnes, I will repent of the euill that I thought to bring vponupon them. Thus the Nineuites repentance wrought repentance in God. God ſaw their workes, that they turned from their euill wayes, and God repented of the euill that hee Ion: 3. 10.had ſaid he would doe vntounto them, and he did it not. Thus by their repentance was the threatned ſentence reuerſed. A ſtrange thing, as Chryſostome hath noted, that the condemned Malefactors repentance ſhould repeale the Iudges ſentence, and a thing altogether vnvſuall in the Courts of men; yet in Gods court repentance doth not onelyonly fruſtrate Gods owne caſting ſentence, but turnes it into an acquitting ſentence, doth not onelyonly turne backe the euills to be expected, but brings the contrary bleſſings which could neuer bee expected. That murtherous and adulterous marriage betwixt Dauid and Bathſheba, how many heauy curſes did it threaten? yet they ſeriouſly repenting, all curſes turned into bleſſings. Chriſt came of this marriage, and Salomon the eldeſt ſonne thereof, was the moſt eminent man for gifts that euer was, and in his poſteritie did the kingdome continue for many generations. Loe how Repentance was more powerfull to draw downe bleſſings, then murther and adulterie both together with their vnited forces to bring downe curſes. For this is a certaine rule in all vnlawfull entrances into any Calling, that After-Repentance is counteruayleable to a lawfull entrance, and both keeps backe the puniſhments due to vnlawfull entrance, and ſometimes brings greater bleſſings of God then a lawfull entrance. Wouldeſt thou then keep backe thoſe plagues thy ſinnes hauehave deſerued, the way is to repent. Repent of thy ſinne, and God will repent of his plagues. Gods anger is often in Scripture compared to fire, now looke what power the elementary water hath againſt fire to quench it when it is beginning to flame, and burſt out, the ſame vertue is in the water of the teares of Repentance, to keep the fire of Gods wrath from breaking out vponupon vsus in his puniſhments. This is the water that can only preuent the burning of this fire.
2 Becauſe ſometimes, notwithſtanding our Repentance, 2. Remouing.God ſees it fit to lay ſome chaſtiſements vponupon vsus for the furtherance, and increaſe of our repentance, to ſhew his hatred of ſinne, and for the example of others, as in Dauid puniſhed with the loſſe of his child after his Repentance for his adulterie, and in Ionah, throwen into the ſea after his repentance for his diſobedience, therefore though the power of repentance appeare not in keeping backe the affliction that it touch vsus not, yet appeares the power of it in the taking away of the affliction in due time. If my people, ſaith the Lord, 2. Chro 7. 14.vponupon whom my name is called, doe humble themſelues, and pray, and ſeeke my preſence, and turne from their 2. Chron. 33.wicked wayes, then will I heare in heauen, and be mercifull to their ſinne, and will heale their land. After Manaſſehs repentance had broken the fetters of Sathan, and his ſinnes, it alſo broke the yrons he was held in, in priſon. And repentance was the ſame to him, that the Angell was to Peter, which opened Act. 12.the priſon, and looſed his fetters. Loe the Angelicall vertue of repentance. So Ionahs repentance was as a powerfull vomit to the Whale, and made him caſt him vp ſafe vponupon the land. Ionah his repentance, was as powerfull as the three childrens faith. It ouercame the fire of the whales belly, as well as their faith the fire of Nebucadnezzars furnace. yea, it did not ouercome the fire onelyonly, but the water alſo in the Seas, that they could not drowne him. So Iob repenting, recouered all his loſſes, and receiued double riches, and poſſeſſions.
3. If afflictions ſtill abide with vsus, and we cannot 3. Sweetning and ſanctifying.as yet be deliuered, yet Repentance is a ſweet comforter, and ſo brings a mitigation of our afflictions If it cannot plucke out the poyſon, yet it ſhall turne it to wholſome food, ſo that affliction ſhall be as no affliction, and according to the Apoſtles counſell, we ſhall weep as if we wept not. If a man feele 1. Cor. 7.the grace of Repentance in his afflictions, ſo that he can go to God, and confeſſe, and bewayle his ſinnes, calling vponupon him for mercy, and renewing his couenant with him, his affliction ſhall not ſo much grieue him, as this his repentance ſhall cheere, and reioyce him. For to ſay the truth, in all our afflictions it is more our ſinne, then the affliction, that pinches vsus. Sinne is a thorne in the fleſh which makes but the touch of the finger painfull, whereas if that thorne were not, the ſtroake of the whole hand might be endured without any paine. Now repentance takes away that thorne, that is ſinne, and ſo makes our afflictions, both eaſy, and comfortable. None ſo meeke, quiet, patient, ſilent, and cheerefull in affliction, as the Repentant ſinner. The more repentance, the more eaſe in afflictions. OnelyOnly the impaenitent are impatient. He that hath two burdens on his backe at once, muſt needs feele more trouble, then he that hath onelyonly one. Now the impenitent ſinner hath two burdens, his affliction, and his ſinne, which addes weight to his affliction, and layes as it were the hand to preſſe it downe vponupon vsus. But the penitent ſinner hath but one burden, his affliction; as for ſinne, the other burden, his repentance hath eaſed him of it. Therefore Dauid prayes, Looke on my affliction and trauell, and forgiue me my ſinne. Then is Pſal. 25. 18.our affliction eaſed, when our ſinne is forgiuen, which cannot be without repentance; for it is ſinne onelyonly that exaſperates affliction, and is as ſalt and vineger to a ſore; it is ſinne that makes it ſmart. Thus did Dauids repentance eaſe, and ſweeten the 2. Sam. 12.affliction of his childes death: when by prayer, faſting, and ſuch like exerciſes of Repentance, he had remooued the cauſe of affliction, his ſinne: his affliction was not bitter, and burdenſome, but his Repentance inabled him cheerefully to riſe vp, and refreſh himſelfe. And this is the reaſon why the children of God, as hath been ſhewed, hauehave alwaies in their afflictions afreſh renewed their Repentance, that they might, if not wholy free themſelues from their affliction, yet from the ſtinge and torment of it, and might gaine, if not deliuerance from, yet patience, and comfort in it. for this is the admirable power of Repentance, that it turnes euen croſſes into comforts, loſſes into gaines and aduantages; as contrarily, impaenitent lying in ſinne, turnes comforts into croſſes, and helps into hinderances. Ionah while he went on impaenitently in his diſobedience, the ſhip could not ſaue him, nor all the skill of the Marriners: but when he once repented, then neither the waters could drowne him, nor the heat of the fiſhes maw conſume him. When he was in his ſinne, then the windes, the ſeas, and all were againſt him; when in repentance, all for, and with him: the Sea, and the Whales belly kept him ſafer then any ſhip, the Nineuites became obedient, and humbled themſelues at his preaching. So then afflictions may come, and may abide with vsus, but ſhall not conſume vsus, no nor yet much diſeaſe vsus, if we hauehave once eaſed our backes of the burdens of our ſinnes by Repentance. This turnes all curſes into a bleſſing, God hath raiſed vp his ſonne Ieſus, ſaith Peter, and him he hath ſent to bleſſe you in turning eueryevery one of you from your iniquities. So that turning from ſinne is a bleſsing that turnes all croſſes and curſes into bleſsings. And thus we ſee how Repentance remooues euill both of ſinne, and puniſhment.