The Whole Duty of Divine Meditation, Part 2 · Meditation 3 – Meditation 4
MED. III. Of the Fruits of Repentance.
Mat. iii. 8.
Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance.
THE Foundation of a Holy Life, is True Repentance; and where that is acquired, Remission of Sins, and Eternal Life succeeds. Why then do we deferr our Repentance, and procrastinate it from day to day? To Morrow is not in our possession; and to Repent sincerely, is not in our power; but when the Judgment-Day is approach'd, we must render an Account not only for one Day, but for our whole Lives.
II. ACKNOWLEDGE and bewail thy Sins, so shalt thou find God in Christ appeased towards thee. I, even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions, saith the Lord, Isa. 43. 25. inferring our Sins are enrolled in the Court of Heaven. Turn away thy face from my sins, begs the Royal Prophet, Psal. 51. 9. Demonstating that our Iniquities are in God's sight. Be converted unto us, O God, prayeth Moses: therefore our sins do separate us from God, Isa. 59. 2. Our sins have answered us, complaineth Isaiah, ver. 12. and do accuse us before God's Tribunal. Cleanse me from my sins, is the Psalmist's Petition, Psal. 51. 2. Concluding, our Sins, in appearance, are sordid in the Eye of the Almighty.
III. SIN is the Distemper of the Soul: which moved David to cry out, Heal my soul, for I have sinned against thee, Psal. 41. 4. It is for Sin, that we are blotted out of the Book of Life. So said the Eternal, Whosoever shall sin against me, I will blot him out of my book, Exod. 32. 32. We are cast off by the Almighty for our Sins: which made David deprecate, Cast me not away from thy presence, Psal. 51. 11. Sin torments the Mind, and dries up the Moisture, as the Psalmist experienc'd, Restore me to the joy of thy salvation, Psal. 47. 12.
IV. Sin is infectious, says the ProPrphet, Isa. 24. 5. The earth is defiled by the inhabitants thereof, which have transgressed the law. Our Sins press us down to Hell, else the Psalmist had not broke out, saying, Out of the deep have I cried to thee, O Lord; Lord, hear my voice. 130. 1. Sin is the spiritual Death of the Soul. So says the Apostle, We were sometimes dead in our sins, Ephes. 2. 1. By mortal Sin, Man loseth his Creator, who is the infinite and Incomprehensible Good: therefore, to be deprived of him, is an infinite and incomprehensible Evil. And as the Almighty is the chiefest Good, so Sin is the chiefest Evil.
V. CALAMITIES and Punishments are not absolutely Evil; for many times from them Good is extracted: Nay, they may properly be called Good; because they are God's Messengers, and proceed from him who is the Fountain of all Goodness. Moreover, they lead us unto the chiefest Good, even Life Everlasting. Christ, by his Passion, entered into his Glory, Luk. 24. 26. And Christians, by Tribulations, enter into Life Eternal, Act. 14. 22. And consequently, Sin is the chiefest Evil, because it draws us from the chiefest Good.
VI. THE Sinner is accused by his Conscience, which he hath defiled; by his Creator, whom he hath offended; by the Sins he hath committed; by the Creatures he hath abused; and by the Devil, who hath seduced him. How saving then is Repentance, which frees us from such Accusations! Let us haste then with speed to such a soveraign Catholicon. If thou deferr thy Repentance till Death, thou do'st not forsake thy Sins, but they forsake thee; and it is very difficult to trace out an Example of sincere Repentance at the Hour of Death, except that of the Thief upon the Cross.
VII. FOVRTEEN years have I served thee, (said Iacob to Laban,) it is time now that I should provide for my own house, Gen. 31. 41. And if thou hast pursued the World, and chased after the Vanities of it so many Years, it is now high time to provide for thy Soul. Every Day, nay, every Hour and Minute, we accumulate Sin; Oh, let the Spirit, every Moment, wash it away with Tears of Repentance. The Almighty infuses not the Oyl of Mercy, but into the Vessel of a contrite Heart: He first mortifies us by Contrition, and then quickens us by his Spirit of Consolation: He leads us into a deep abyss of Grief, and brings us back by his Restraining Grace.
VIII. Elias first heard a vehement Wind, overturning Mountains, and cleaving Rocks; and after the Wind, an Earthquake; and after the Earthquake, Fire, 1 King. 19. 11. At length there followed a still, small Voice, ver. 12. From whence we may inferr, That Terrour is the precursor of the Love of Omnipotency, and Sorrow precedes Comfort. God binds not up any Wounds that are laid open by Confession: He Pardons and Justifies none, except they Acknowledge and Condemn themselves: He Comforts not, unless they first Despond. And this is the sincere Repentance which God, by his Holy Spirit, operates in us.
MED. IV. Of Man's Salvation.
Tit. ii. 11.
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation, hath appeared unto all men.
WHY art thou perplexed, O my Soul? and why art thou dubious of the Mercy of God? Remember thy Creator, who created thee without thy Assistance; who formed thee in secret, in the lower parts of the earth, Psal. 139. 15. He who took care of thee before thou wer't born: Will his Providence neglect thee, now thou art fashioned after his own Image? To Thee, the Great Creator, does thy unworthy Creature address himself: Though my Nature is infected by Satan, and wounded by Thieves, which are my sinful Corruptions; yet my Creator liveth.
II. HE which made me, can renew me: He that created me without any Evil, can chase all Evil from me; whatsoever hath gain'd admittance by the Devil's Suggestions, Adam's Prevarication, or my own Actions; yea, though it hath over-spread my whole Substance. The Almighty never hated his own Workmanship: We are before him, like Clay in the Hands of the Potter. Had he hated me, certainly he would never have created me when I was nothing: He is the Saviour of all men, but especially of them that believe, 1 Tim. 3. 10. He created me wonderfully, and redeemed me miraculously; but his Love was never so highly expressed, than in his Wounds and Passion.
III. SURELY we were indulgently belov'd, for whose sakes the only begotten Son of God is sent from the Bosom of his Father. Dear was the Price of our Redemption, and great was the Mercy of our Redeemer: To make us Rich, he embraced Poverty; for he had not where to lay his head, Mat. 8. 20. To make us the Sons of the Most High, he condescends to become Man; and doth not, after he had accomplish'd our Redemption, neglect us, but still intercedeth for us, Rom. 8. 34.
IV. LET my Sins, Satan, and all the Powers of Darkness accuse me, in Jesus my Mediator will I trust, who is Greater than my Accusers. Let my Weakness affright me, yet in his Strength will I glory. For the Sufficiency of my Merit I am familiarly acquainted, my Merits is not sufficient; it suffices me, that he is propitious against whom I have sinned; and whatsoever he hath decreed not to impute, will be perform'd; and all Guilt, with the Price of his most precious Blood, shall be done away.
V. LET it not then perplex me, that my Sins, though many, and of such a magnitud… discomfort me: For were I not oppress'd, and heavy laden with Sins, what need I earnestly request Christ's Righteousness? Had I no Distemper, I had no necessity to implore the Physician's Help: but I am spiritually sick; and He who is the Lord our Righteousness, is both our Saviour and Physician. Lord, I am Sick, a Sinner, and Condemned; and upon the Grand Inquest of my Conscience, pronounce my self Guilty: but have Mercy on me, O my Physician, my Saviour, and my Righteousness!