Evangelical Repentance Unto Salvation, Preface
THE PREFACE TO THE READER.
IT may ſeem unſeaſonable, and moroſe, to deny the value of any kind of Repentance, in ſuch an Age as this; wherein there is a Generation ariſen, Oh how lofty are their Eyes, and their Eye-lids lifted up with Scorn and Diſdain of all Religion! An Age ſo irreligious, that it ſeems neceſſary to gather up all the Fragments, tho but of a ſeeming Piety, and make the most of them, rather than to call things to ſo ſtrict a Ballance: A thinner, and more dilute Repentance, than would formerly have admitted a Man into a viſible Church, may at ſuch a time as this, hope for Heaven.
To all this I muſt anſwer, Firſt, The Looſeneſs of an Age does not ſlacken or diſſolve Eternal Laws; Wiſdom abates nothing of its price, of that timely and early ſearch after it, whether Men think good to give it, or whether they will forbear. It hath no meaner Eſteem of it ſelf, becauſe Folly, that is, ſimple, and knoweth nothing, ſitteth upon the high places of the City, full of Noiſe and Clamor, and entices to its Entertainments the Multitude, and Grandeur of the World.
All the Severities of Scripture, that make the way to Heaven narrow, and the Gate ſtrait, ſtand like a Rock, from Generation to Generation, alike in all times. Nothing that is prodigally looſed on Earth, in compliance with a licentious Age, will be therefore looſed in Heaven.
The goodly price of a Death-Bed Repentance, at which God is priz'd by Men, even then, when Religion is at the lowest, is rejected ofteſt with Indignation, and the everlaſting State purchaſed by it, may be ſadly called an Aceldama, a Field of Blood.
If this Severity of Divine Truth offend any one, The Reſolution is that of our Saviour.†Mat. 15.17. Every Plant, whether Perſon or Thing, that our Heavenly Father hath not planted, ſhall be rooted up.
2. It is no improbable way of Conteſting against Atheiſm, and general Irreligion, by the ſtrict Doctrins of Chriſtianity, as well as by Arguments of Reaſon: Nay, Authoritative Applications of the Truth of God, often ſtrike the Conſcience within the Reaſon, ſooner and quicker than induſtrious Attempts upon the Reaſon: as Lightning melts the Steel, and neglects the Scabbard. Preſſings of Faith, Repentance, Holineſs, Eternal Judgment make Men (even Ʋnbelievers) fall down upon their faces, when the Secrets of their Hearts are diſcovered, and confeſs God is there
For the Soul of Man is more eaſily wrought upon by thoſe domeſtick Rebukes, God gives it by his Word, than by more ſolemn Treaties.
Eſpecially, corrupted Reaſon takes upon it ſelf to be a lawful Authority, when an honourable War is commenced againſt it by the better Reaſon on the other ſide; It contemns Laws of Diſcourſe, as precarious, and makes account, it gives Reaſon for Reaſon. But the Rod of God ſhaken over it makes it tremble, and confeſs it ſelf a Slave: Thus the Slaves in the Story were more eaſily reduced by the ſervile Chaſtiſements they were acquainted with, than by the force of Armies. Atheiſm grows the prouder generally for being reaſoned with: It does but diſſemble, while it pretends its diſeaſe to be in the Head, which it knows indeed to be in the ſenſual Heart. And therefore is pleaſed to be ſtruck in the Head; but cannot endure to be wounded in the Heart, which the Word of God eſpecially aims at.
Not, but that it is indeed a moſt generous and honourable Atchievement to ſhew Religion to be the higheſt Reaſon; and to detect thoſe pretending Sons of Reaſon, of the greateſt Irrationality. But it is ſtill to be acknowledged, the plain preaching of the Goſpel, which the Apoſtle calls the Fooliſhneſs and Weakneſs of God, is alone wiſer and ſtronger than Men: The Reaſon of that, couched under an Heavenly Authority of Truth, carries thoſe foreign, thoſe mighty Weapons, whereby every high Imagination and Reaſoning is to be ſubdued, that lifts up it ſelf againſt God.
Ʋpon this occaſion, I cannot, but bewail thoſe unhappy Diviſions, that have ſeparated the Preachers of the Goſpel one from another, and thereby opened a Lane for that Black Troop to advance in, and made the Trumpet of the Goſpel to ſound ſo incertainly, that it hath rather ſcattered Men, than prepared them to the Battel.
Our Saviour foreſeeing the Conſequences hereof, according to that great Maxim of his,‖Mat. 12.25. Every Kingdom divided againſt it ſelf is brought to Deſolation, did ſo earneſtly command Ʋnity and Love of one another to his Diſciples in general, and more particularly to the Miniſters of his Word, as the moſt effectual Demonſtration;†Joh. 17.21. He was ſent from God, and his Doctrin from Heaven. From whence it follows, where ever this Ʋnion is broken, Chriſtianity is liable to the Imputations of being a great Cheat and Fraud. Ʋpon which advantage loathſome Irreligion enters, and ſpreads it ſelf in thoſe empty ſpaces, begotten by our Diſtances, and removes from one another: All diviſions in Chriſtianity are Scandals to it, and weaken it. This we ſee verified in our days; the differences in Religion, and the prophane ſcorn or ſtupid neglect of it, being alike viſible, and notorious throughout the Nation.
Yet upon juſt Accounts: the Irreligion conſequent upon Diviſions in Religion, turns to the advantage of Chriſtianity, that thus it muſt be, elſe how ſhould the Scriptures be fulfilled? But this abates nothing of the Sinfulneſs and Ʋnhappineſs, or Neceſſity of Amendment.
To guide us then into that; It is very obſervable, the venom of this Diſtemper falls not ſo much upon the ſeveral Parties in Religion, as upon Religion it ſelf; while we wound one another, Religion is the Martyr, lies a bleeding, and even dying. And while good Men lament it, the Enemies of it make merry and ſend †Rev. 11.10.gifts one to another, in token of Triumph.
The method of Cure therefore, is not, for every Party to weigh up it ſelf, and preſs down others, but to buoy up Religion it ſelf; and that is beſt done, by Preaching and living the very Thing, without diſtinction of Names. If we did but yield it its own Integrity and Ʋniverſal Goodneſs, it would ſoon riſe into that Honour it hath loſt, by being captivated to Opinions.
For as our human Nature would be much more beautiful and happy, if cemented by that Philanthropy, or general love of Mankind, ſo indearingly charged upon us by our Saviour; who demonſtrated, that he embraced within his own Immenſity, the whole latitude of our Nature, without contracting it into the narrowneſs of a human Perſon, by the great care he took; That this Nature ſhould not be diſhonoured, abuſed, and torn by it ſelf through that bitter Cenſoriouſneſs, Revenge, and Contempt, Men exerciſe upon one another, even there where Chriſt is profeſſed.
So would our Chriſtianity, that is now evil ſpoken of, appear, as it is in it ſelf, Acceptable to God, and approved of Men, if we could unite in thoſe comprehenſive Intereſts of Righteouſneſs, Peace, Joy in the Holy-Ghoſt, that ſubſtantial Chriſtianity; Thoſe healing Wings of the Sun of Righteouſneſs, in the Rays of which our little differences about Meat and Drink would play up and down, as ſmalleſt Motes of Human Frailty, eaſily obtaining a mutual Pardon; and that black and moſt abhorred Vapor of Irreligion, be forced to diſlodge at ſo Illuſtrious a Preſence.
If there be any Intereſt to keep afoot theſe Diviſions, it is an Intereſt of Diſhonour, that dares not name it ſelf; it is not only, foreign; but foreign. It is not barely to ſerve an Opinion, (much leſs the Lord Jeſus) but the Belly.
3. But to return from whence I have digreſſed, upon ſo great a Cauſe. Laſtly, we may find, in the very Notion of a Death-Bed Repentance, enough to defend the ſeaſonableneſs of this Diſcourſe, notwithſtanding ſpreading Irreligion. For it imports a deſign to Dye well: and we ſee very Few, and thoſe Few deprived of the common Modeſty and Sobriety of Mankind; and who thereupon become an horrid Story, but dye at leaſt in a fair and calm Temper towards Religion. Now if we join to this, that of many Millions for one, every one dies as he lives, not only as the Tree falls, ſo it lies; but as it hath inclined along its growth, ſo it falls. How great is the neceſſity then of living well, that we may dye well! For this Death-Bed Repentance, that riſes and ſets at the ſame time, generally proves but a falling Star. That Repentance only wheels orderly into a higher Orb, that hath given proof; it was a true Light, by ſhining here for ſome conſiderable ſpace.
A good Death receives Being from a holy Life, elſe there is not ſuch a thing in Nature, no not in Grace, except by Miracle of Grace.
Thus far I have made Apology for the Seaſonableneſs of this Diſcourſe. In the Diſcourſe it ſelf, I am not conſcious of having wandred from the Ʋniverſal Doctrin of Divines in this Point; except it ſhould ſeem too high a ſtrain to place this Repentance, (when true) among Miracles. To juſtifie that, I have the warrant of Sacred Story, the Dying Convert, which being the only Example of ſuch a one in Holy Writ, was in the days of the Meſſias, that great Period of Miracles, ſingled out upon that greateſt occaſion, viz. To diſplay the power of the dying Mediator, to forgive Sins, not only upon Earth, but in his loweſt Humiliation, his very deſcent into Hell; which argues it a very great Miracle.
Yet I have not trusted the weight of the Diſcourſe to any thing that looks like a private Opinion; but to moſt avowed Principles, and have therefore reſerved my particular Senſe as the Concluſion of the whole.
I have only to add, there is a National late Repentance, as appears by the Ʋnſuccesfulneſs of that unparallell'd†2 Kings 23.26. and 24.3, 4. Reformation of Joſiah; ſincere indeed in him, and of full Effect: but not in the Body of the Jewiſh Nation, as appeared by their Relapſes under the following Kings; and therefore, notwithstanding that ſeeming Return, the Lord turned not from the Fierceneſs of his Wrath, wherewith his Anger was kindled against Judah, for its guilt in the Sins of Manaſſeh; which the Lord would not Pardon, and therefore would not give a true Repentance of thoſe Evils, they had ſo long continued in, against all the early Admonitions of the Prophets: This is the juſt Parallel of a Death-Bed Repentance.
The due Application of all theſe Conſiderations, to every one, into whoſe hands they may fall, is the earnest and affectionate Prayer of,
T. B.