The Badges of Christianity, Book 3 · Chapter 18
Chap. 18. Of Repentance, the third part of examination.
THe next thing in this tryall to be considered is aRepentance from dead works required of al that come to the …, tablerepētance, which is, a renewing of the minde, a change of the heart, a turning of the soule, and a reformation of our life and affections. As knowledge is the beginning and as it were the forerunner of faith, like a messenger going before his maister to prepare for his comming: so repentance is an especiall fruit of faith, without which, whosoeuer draweth neere to the Lordes Table, prophaneth the Sacrament, and departeth without comfort.
For, it is an altering of our liues and conuersations to God, ioyned with a Godly sorrow and detestation of all sinne, together with an vnfained louelove and desire of righteousnesse. This appeareth in the change of the whole man, of our thoughtes, affections, meditations, and delightes: in al these the old man with his deceitful lusts must be put off, and the new man must be put on, bEphe. 4, 24which after God is created vntounto righteousnesse and true holinesse. This duty is taught in diuers places of the scripture. Herunto come the wordes of the Prophet Esaiah, When cEsay 1, 12ye come to appeare before me, who required this at your hands, to tread in my courtes? Bring no mo oblations in vaine: … is an abhomination vntounto me: I cannot suffer your new Moones, nor Sabbaths, nor solemne … (it is iniquity) nor assemblies. And when ye shall stretch out your handes, I will hide mine eies from you: and though ye make manie praiers, I will not heare, for your handes are ful of blood Wash you, make you cleane, take awaie the euil of your workes from before mine … to do euel, learne to do wel, &c. And Ch. 66. He that killeth a bullock, dEsay 66, 3is as if he … a man: he that sacrificeth a sheep, is as if he cut off a Dogges necke: he that offereth an oblation, as if he fered swines fleshe: he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idoll: yea they hauehave chosen their owne waies, and their soule delighteth … their abhominations. Whereby the prophet meaneth, that god accepteth no sacrifices without faith and repentance. This also was figured and shaddowed out, by washing the garments and changing the attire of such as came with eGen. 35, 2, 3their oblations vntounto God, and prepared themselues to his seruice. This Iacob commaunded, when he reformed his houshold, and went vp with them to Bethell the house of God, Thus Moses prepared the people, before the law was deliuered in Mount Sinas. And heereunto the prophet Dauid alludeth, Psal. 26. I will wash mine handes in innocency, O Lord, and compasse thine alter: as if he should say, I will indeauour to liue most vprightly toward thee and toward men, and so come and offer sacrifices at thine alter.
Wherefore, such as feele not themselues to hauehave penytent heartes, to be humbled and grieued for their sinnes, to sigh and grone vnderunder the burden of them, to tremble at Gods iudgementes, cannot come aright to this holy Supper, but eate and drinke certaine iudgement to themselues. The broken and contrite heart is the path way to heauen, f2 cor. 7, x, xiand an vnspeakeable companion of repentance. This the Apostle teacheth, 2 Cor. 7. Godly sorrow causeth repentance vntounto saluation, not to be repented off, but worldly sorrowe causeth death: but behold, this thing, that ye hauehave beene Godly sory, what great care it hath wrought in you: yea, what cleering of your selues: yea, what indignation: yea, what feare: yea, what desire: yea, what zeale: yea, what punishment.
Heere be the gSigns wher by to examin our repentance.notes and tokens whereby we may try our repentance, whether it be sincere or not. It hath these signes to discerne it, a care to leaue that sinne into which wee are fallen, otherwise we hauehave not repented, as Act. 2. they which had crucified the Lord of life, and deliuered him into the handes of sinners, were pricked in their heartes, and sayed to Peter and to the other hAct 2, 37, 38Apostles, Men and bretheren, what shall wee doe? And Peter sayde vntounto them, Amend your liues, and saue your selues from this froward generation. The other signes of repentance are a confession of our sins to God, and a condemning our selues for them: an holy and inward anger against our selues for our carelesnesse in looking to our owne waies: a feare not so much of Gods iudgements, as least we fall into the same sins againe, and so offend our mercifull father: a desire, euer after to please God with all our hearts: and last of all a renewing and punishing of our owne soules for our offences cōmitted against him. Now to the end we may repent aright, and sit in iudgement of our selues, according to the forme of gods iustice: it shal be needful for vsus iIn examining our selues, we must follow the order of the cōmaundementes.to examine our selues by the ten words of the law, and out of the same to frame ten seueral enditements against our selues, whereby we shal find a great defect of righteousnes, a great spoile of obedience, a great accesse of disobedience, and a great heape of all kind of corruptions. This then may serue and suffice for the true examination of our selus. We must consider Command. 1and confesse that we hauehave not loued and feared God, we hauehave not beleeued and depended vponupon him in al estates as we ought, but hauehave oftentimes feared and loued the creature aboue him, we hauehave preferred a filthy pleasure before him: we hauehave doubted of his promises through vnbeleefe, and relyed vponupon an arme of flesh and blood, Wee hauehave beene carelesse in the worship of God, we hauehave not prayed Command. 2to him with stedfast assurance to be heard, we hauehave not serued him in spirit and in truth as he requireth of vsus, but hypocrisie hath crept into our best actions and meditations, we hauehave more laboured after the outward shewes and appearances of religion, then to expresse the power of Godlinesse: and hauehave more esteemed to seeme to others to bee true Christians then to bee such indeede. Wee hauehave not reuerenced the eternall Maiesty of God as is meete Command. 3to doe, who is infinite, inuisible, vnchangeable; we hauehave not blessed and praysed his name with thankes-giuing for all thinges, and at all times, as well for aduersity as prosperity: Wee hauehave not heard, reade, and meditated in his word with such affection, reuerence and zeale as is requisite: when occasion hath beene offered to speake of the workes of gods prouidence, we hauehave not acknowledged in them the greatnes of his wisedome, power, and goodnesse as we ought: nay rather the glorious and dredful name of god (which ought to be more deare vntounto vsus then our own liues) hath beene blasphemed, dishonored, and abused by vsus. Touching the sabboth, wee must consider and confesse Command. 4how we hauehave prophaned it: we hauehave bene more careful to follow our worldly workes and affaires, then to seeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnes, hauing had more care of the body then of the soule: we hauehave sent out our seruants to dispatch our busines on that day, and hauehave not suffered them to attend on the … of the Lord for the saluation of their soules: and our soules hauehave neglected the ministery of the word of god, hauehave defiled his sanctuary, and hauehave polluted that holy day with feasting, playing, sporting, drinking, idelnes, and other vanities. Wee hauehave not yealded reuerence to superiors for conscience sake, nor bin commaund. 5affraid to offend them as god hath commaunded: we hauehave not alwaies spoken of them and their gouernment as wee should: wee hauehave not had such a reuerent opinon and perswasion of our pastors & teachers as we ought, which hauehave the charge of our soules, and labor among vsus in the lord. Againe we hauehave not beene careful to teach and instruct such as are vnderunder vsus, as our Children, seruantes, and whole famylie as wee are bound, praying with them in our houses, exorting them in all wisedome, conferring with them in all gentlenesse, and furthering them in all the waies of Godlynesse. Touching the sixt Commaundement, we hauehave not loued our Neighbours as our selues, procuring commaund. 6their good as our own, we hauehave broken out through debate, contention, chiding, reuiling, brauling, quarrelling, and reuenging: we hauehave not reioyced at the good and prosperity of our brethren, but when Gods eie hath beene good towarde them in blessing them, we hauehave repined and grudged at it. We hauehave not possessed the vessels of our bodies in holines and honour, as the Temples of the Holyeghost, commaund. 7knowing we are bought with a price: we hauehave not tamed and brought into subiection this flesh as we should, Command. 7to make it in all respectes subiecte and obedient vntounto the spirit: wee hauehave not made a couenant with our eies, with our eares, with our tongues, to turne them from all vncleane sights, wanton words, and filthy communication, but hauehave suffered them to wander after vnlawful lust and concupisence: neither hauehave we vsed such sobriety, abstinence, and temperancy, as hath bene fit to keepe vnderunder our affections, but riotousnes, excesse in apparrell, surfetting, slouthfulnes, idlenes, pride, and fulnesse of breade (which were the sinnes of Sodome. Ezek. 16) are vsed in many places: as for drunkennes, it hath taken away the hearts, and euen washed a way the braines of many. Wee must confesse, that our dealinges with our neighbours in buying, selling, bargaining, and contracting, hauehave not bin Command. 8with such vprightnes, soundenes, iustice, sincerity, and truth as God requireth: we hauehave bene giuen to oppreffion, couetousnes and hard dealing one toward another, & not considered that godlines is great gaine, if a man be contented with that he hath, that if we hauehave food and raiment we must be content, and can carry nothing with vsus out of this world, we hauehave not at all times beene giuen to mercy and compassion to ward the poor, for the maintenance of them and their families, especially in times of famine, dearth, pestilence, sickenesse, and other mortalities and necessities.
Wee must acknowledge, that we hauehave not loued the Command 9truth in the inward partes, neither maintained the credire and good name of men as wee ought, but hauehave beene addicted to lying, enuying, backebiting, flattering, or defaming one of another, and to heare others with comforte and delight to do the like: we hauehave not bene couragious and constant to confesse and defend the truth against the enimies thereof, but hauehave bene ashamed to set our selues against lies, errours, and slaunders: we hauehave kindled the coales of contention by false surmises, carrying of tales, and publishing of infirmities to the hurt and hinderance of our brethren.
Lastly, we must remember to shut vppe this confession, that our whole narure is vile and wretched, the heart of Command. …man is deceitfull aboue all things and past finding out: we are sinfull as an euill tree which can bring foorth nothinge but euil fruit, our thoughts are vaine and corrupt, our first motions and immaginations are euill against the lawe of God that saith, kExod. xx, 1Thou shalt not lust, requiring a pure heart to ward our neighbors, holy cogitations of the spirit, and a continuall conflict against euil affections and lusts of the flesh.
Thus must eueryevery one of vsus arraigne and endite our selus. Thus we must accuse our selues, and condemne our owne workes. Thus we must search our owne waies, confessinge that if l1 Ioh. 3,our owne heartes accuse vsus, God is greater then our hearts and knoweth all things. Then let vsus appeale to the throne of grace, let vsus desire saluation in Christ for his mercies sake, let vsus cast al out comfort vponupon him, couering our faces through shame of our sinnes that are past, humbling our selues through greefe of them that are present, and working out our saluation with a feare of that which may come heereafter.
If thus we iudge our selues, God will acquite vsus: if thus we condemne our selues, God wil iustifie vsus: if we accuse our selues, hee wil discharge vsus: if we be displeased with our selues for our sinnes, God wil be wel pleased with vsus, and cloath vsus with the righteousnes of Christ. But if we stande vponupon our owne righteousnesse and worthines, if we say we hauehave need of nothing, if we flatter and deceiue our selus, comparing our selues with our selues or with others, and not with the rule of Gods word: God wil examin vsus, and sit in iudgement vppon vsus. If hee enter into mPsal. 130, 3iudgement with vsus, no flesh shall bee iustified in his sight: for if thou, O Lorde, streightly markest iniquities, O Lorde who shal stande? He wil bee reuenged of our sinnes, and … many plagues vponupon vsus: he will send sundry diseases vponupon our bodies, and a troubled spirit vponupon our soules, he will adde one punishment to another, vntill we repent, as he teacheth by many examples in the scriptures. The Apostle 1 cor, saith, he that eateth and drinketh vnworthily, eateth and drinketh n1 Cor, 11. 29 30, 32.iudgement to himselfe. For this cause many are weak, and sick among you, and many sleep: for if we would iudge our selues, we should not be iudged. But when we are iudged, we are chastned of the Lord, because we should not be condemned with the world. So the Israelites, being myraculously fed by the Lords own hand, lusted and became vnthankeful, and therefore while the meat was yet in their mouths, oPsa. 78. 30 31The wrath of God fell dovvne vppon them, and sle vv the strongest of them and smote dovvne the chosen men of Israel. Iudas, chosen to be one of the twelue, pIohn 13, 27comming vnworthily to the Passeouer, Satan entered further into him, wrought in him his owne confusion, and brought vponupon him swift damnation. The ghest in the gospell, qMat. 22. 22, 13that pressed vntounto the supper without his weddinge garment, was taken speechlesse, bound hand and foot, and cast in to vtter darkenes, where shalbe weeping and gnashing of teeth. Let no man therefore put off, and deferre his repentance from day to day, least he draw vppon himselfe finall destruction of soule and body, and find his hart exceedly hardned through continuance in sinne: but while r2 cor, 6. 2the acceptable time is, let vsus both purpose and endeuour to forsake our euil waies, our wicked works, and all knowne sinnes reueled vntounto vsus by the sacred oracle of the Word of God.
And, because we hauehave daily wants, and do commit dayly and new sinnes through infirmity of the flesh, sRenewed faith, and renewed repentance required of vsus.we must hauehave renewed faith and renewed repentance, tLuke 22. 32because eueryevery new sinne requireth a new act of repentanee, and appealing to Christ by faith. Then we are aright disposed to the lords table, when we are liuely touched with a sence and feeling of our corrupt dispositions and daily failings in our faith and obedience. For the repentance of eueryevery faithfull man must be doble, first general, repenting of original and actuall sinnes generally, receiuing power of God to change ourminds, wils, and affections, uMat. 3. 1whereof Ioh. bap tist saith, Repent, for the kingdome of heauen is at hand. This is giuen and granted vntounto vsus at that time, when firste we receiue to beleeue, it maketh an alteration in vsus, slayth the old man, quickneth the life of the new man beginneth in weaknes, continueth in greater strength, and groweth more and more vntounto perfection. Secondly speciall, for speciall sinnes and continuall failings into which we fall, which we must practise to the end of our dayes.
Now, as we said in the former chapter, that no man for the feeblenes of his faith is to absent himself from this supper, so must we remember touching our repentance, thogh it be in great weakenes and frailty: yet if it be a sound and sincere hatred of all sinne not a for saking of some sinnes onelyonly, as Saul, herod, and Iudus did, keeping other in themselues to their owne confusion our imperfections shal be couered, our wants shall be supplied, our weaknes shal be remitted by the death of Christ, who was annointed and sent to preach aLuke, 4. 18the gospell to the poore, to heale the broken hearted, to publish deliuerance to the captiues, recouering of sight to the blind, and to set at liberty them that are brused. And hepronounceth such bMath. 5. 3,blessed as are poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdome of heauen. Wherfore, if thou feele in thy selfe great defectes of faith, of …, of sanctification, pray to God earnestly that hee will vouchsafe to increase his giftes, let vsus confesse with Dauid, c2 Sam. 12 13wee hauehave find; let vsus weep with Pet. dLuk. 22. 62 & 7, 38.and the sinful woman: let vsus acknowledge our vnworthines, and say with the Centurion, Lord, eMath, 8, 8We are not worthy that thou shouldst come vnderunder our roofe, Let vsus cry out with the Publican, fLuk. 8, xiiiO God, be merciful to me a sinner. This is the way to make vsus worthy: this is the means to fit vsus to the Lords table: this is to be practised of such as will be his ghuests.