Concerning Repentance, Part 7
Ʋse of tryal,
Whether thy repentance be true. Many things look like gold, that are not so: so many seemingly repent, that are in hell.
Tryals of Repentance, are:
1. True repentance strikes at the darling-sin; as earthly-mindedness, pride, revenge, lying, &c. both in confessions, Psal. 51.14. Deliver me from blood-guiltiness; and also in reformation. Carnal confidence in Assyria, had been the Israelites sin; now they say, Ashur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses, Hos. 14.3. Though repentance looks at the destruction of the whole body of death as the root, and all other sins as the branches; yet because the darling-sin is stronglier fixed to this root, hence true converts fight against this.
2. It appeares we repent, when we are oft thinking of our sins: Psal. 51.3. My sin is ever before me; not in respect of guilt, as if it were not pardoned; but in respect of shame and abasement, Ezek. 20.43. Ye shall remember your waies, and all your doings wherein you have been defiled. It is with sins in the soul as with thornes and bryars: when they are in the midst of a Garden, they are hurtful, and hinder herbs and plants from growing, but being put in the hedge, they are profitable to preserve them. So sin unpardoned lying on the conscience, is hurtful and comfortless; but being pardoned, and yet remaining in the memory, it helps to humble. How oft doth Paul name some of his grossest sins, as blasphemy, persecution! which though the tongue name them not, yet if the heart particularize them in prayer, the heart melts in the thought of them. Hence the people say, 1 Sam. 12.18. We have sinned in asking us a King: and David, Psal. 25.7. Remember not the sins of my youth.
3. True repentance is seen by our hatred of sin; whether in others, Psal. 101.3. I hate the works of them that fall away. Psal. 26.4, 5. I have hated the Congregation of evil doers: or whether it be in himself; and and this either the body of death, Rom. 7.15. The evil that I hate, that do I, or whether fruits flowing from it; as vaine thoughts, Psal. 119.13. wicked words, Psal. 26.5. or wicked works, Levit. 11.10.
Properties of hatred of sin, are,
1. Its carryed against the being of a thing: so he that hates sin, hates the very being of sin. Many leave sin, out of a listles indisposition thereto; but few out of an hatred thereof: but this is our duty, Ezek. 20.43. though for the present we do commit a sin, yet if we do not hate it with as great an hatred as we were wont, we are apt to fall into it againe. That is right hatred, when a man is not content without the destruction of the thing which he hates.
2. It is proportionable to the greatness of the evil, Psal. 139.21. I hate them (speaking of wicked men whom he hated for wickedness) with a perfect hatred.
3. Its universal, against the whole kind: he that hates a Toad, hates all the Toads in the world; and especially if it be in his house: so he that hates sin, hates all sin, in whomsoever, of what kind soever, Psal. 119.104, 128. I hate every false way; but especially in his own heart.
4. He that hates sin, will be glad of all means which are or may be destructive to his lusts; whether it be promise, threatning, or commandment. When the children of the Prophets saw poisonous herbes put into the pottage, they said death was in the pot; and they were glad when the Prophet healed them, 2 Kings 4.40, 41. so if there be a poisonous herb in thy heart, thou wilt give thanks for any victory over it, Rom. 7.24. O wretched man, who shall deliver me! — thanks be to God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
5. When our repentance rises from the love of God, rather then from his terror and indignation. See this, 1. In humiliation, Luk. 7.38. compared with verse 47. She washed Christ his feet, and wiped them with her hair. Whence arose this sorrow? even from love: She loved much, vers. 47.
See it in reformation, Joh. 15.10. If ye love me, keep my commandments. See, if we keep Christs Commandments, it must flow from love to God: Till we obey on this ground, the things which God commands, we do them onelyonly as morall men. Hence Staupicius taught, that that was true repentance, which begins from the love of God and righteousness: which sentence so stuck in the mind of Luther, that there was nothing more sweet to him then repentance, whenas before there was nothing in the Scripture more bitter to him.
5. When we groan under the burthen of indwelling corruption: Rom. 7.23. Paul cryes out like a man under a burthen, O wretched man that I am! 2 Cor. 5.4. VVe groan, being burthened. Many wicked men find sin to be a burthen; as Cain, Gen. 4.13. and Judas, Mat. 27.4. Now the burthen of the ungodly is onelyonly in regard of unpardoned guilt; whereas the godly groane under the staine and defilement of sin. This groaning under the staine of sin, declares our repentance, or a change of heart, because the same sinful courses he now groans under, were wont to be pastime and pleasure to him: Prov. 14.9. Fools make a mock of sin. Prov. 10.23. Its a sport to a fool to do mischief. So that as he the mouth feeds upon meats, so the hearts of fools feed on foolishness. Prov. 15.14. Now when former carnal courses that were pleasant, and full of delight, become burthens; then it is an evidence of repentance; and the more burthensome, the more evidential to the soul.
6. We may know our repentance, by our nimbleness in Gods wayes, Psal. 119.32. when God hath enlarged the heart, then the soul runs in Gods wayes. Rom. 6.13. Yeeld your selves to God, as those that are alive from the dead: indeed all converts have not the like nimbleness; but all have some. As soon as Lydia was converted, how earnest was she to have Paul come into her house? so the jaylour no sooner he repented, but he washed Pauls stripes, and set meat before him.
7. When the bent of our heart is for God, Joel 2.13. Turn to me with all your heart; that is, with every purpose. Wicked sinners, though they were called to the most High, yet none at all would exalt him, Hos. 11.7. that is, they would not give God, but their lusts, the pre-eminence in their hearts. When God would prove the inhabitants of Judah in Iosiah's time to be hypocrites, he brings this reason, That they turned not unto him with the whole heart, Jer. 3.10.
Wicked men are described by this, that their hearts walk after detestable things, and abominations: Ezek. 11.19. Ezek. 33.31. they heard Ezekiel, but their hearts went after their covetousness. It matters not what way thy outward man, if thy heart close with wickednes. Hosea, chap. 7.16. compares such men to a deceitful bow, which though it be held against the white, yet will not go to it, because the bent of it is some other way: so impenitent men seem to take their level for God and Christ, yet where some raigning lust hath got the bent of their heart, they do not turn to the Lord.
8. We may know our repentance is true, by the change of heart which is wrought in repentant Persons.
Properties of this change are,
1. It is a great and wonderful change, as if a man were to change one sute of apparel for another, to put off the old man and to put on the new, Eph. 4.23, 24. or as when ayre is changed from darkness to light, Eph. 5.8. This is in the Understanding; and in the Will there is a marvellous change, as when a stone is turned into flesh; I will take away the stony heart, and give you an heart of flesh, Ezek. 36.26. so that the repentant soul doth not frequent his old company, nor use his old wonts and wayes.
2. It is a visible change: all that were before acquainted with this man, wonder to see how he is changed. It must needs be visible, because it is from one contrary to another. Hence, 1 Pet. 4.4. wicked men thinke it strange you run not with them to the same excess of ryot.
3. It is a sensible change: he findes he is not the same man he was, Tit. 3.3. We our selves were sometimes foolish, serving divers lusts; q.d. now it is otherwise: look as a man when he is recovering out of his disease, is sensible of the decrease of his disease, and of the new state of health whereto he is come: or as a man that hath been in a dark dungeon, and now comes out to see the light, he is sensible of the change; so is it in the work of the new creature, Col. 1.12. only the work of grace being often by decrees, we cannot usually tell the day or Sermon of our conversions; for for the seed grew up, the husbandman not knowing how, Mar. 4.14. but the soul can say, Whereas I was blind, now I see, Joh. 9. Its hard to point out a precise time or method of Gods working upon our hearts to conversion; the breathings of the Spirit being of so diverse kinds, so that some have been wrought upon by proposing the joyes of heaven, others by seeing the danger of an unregenerate estate; some by proposal of the beauty of Christ; some by reading some by hearing, some by godly conference. So that the wind of the Spirit bloweth where it listeth, Joh. 3.9.
4. It is from one contrary to another: Rom. 6.17. Ye were the the Servants of sin but now have you obeyed from the heart (not some particular commands onelyonly but) the whole form of doctrine. 1 Cor. 6.10, 11. Such were some of you; but now are you washed, now are you cleansed. Now in all Contrary motions, there is a going further and further contrary, till a man come to the utmost point of contrariety: so a true convert doth not onelyonly turn from prophaneness to civility, or from civility to formality; but from formality to the power of godliness in some measure; and from the power of godliness in a less measure, to the power of godliness in a greater measure, Phil. 3.13, 14. Forgetting the things behind, we press on. 2 Cor. 4.16. The inward man is every day renewing. Joh. 5.2. Christ purges his branches, to bring forth more fruit.
5. It is universal: 1. in the subject, 1 Thes. 5.23. the Conscience formerly benummed, is now tender; the Heart formerly hard, now melts in prayer; the Tounge formerly set on fire of hell, now speaks savory language, Iam. 3.6. Col. 4.6. the Ears formerly listening after uncleanness and slander, now listens to hear what God will speak. Psal. 85.8. 2. In the object; a repentant soul looks upon every object in another manner then formerly: he was wont to dote on riches, and pleasures, and honours; now he sees no perfection like an obedient self-denying heart, Psal. 119.96. he was wont to plot how to make his children great; now he strives now to bring them up, that in time to come they may be plants for Gods orchard.
6. It is unvaluable; a repentant soul prizes this change whereto God hath brought him, above all the things in the world, and all the mercies that ever God bestowed on him, Col. 1.12, 13. He would not for all the world be in such a condition as he was formerly. Shall Philosophers give thanks that they were men, and not women; and Philosophers, and not common men, as some of them have done? Shall Pharisees prize civility, Luk. 18.12. God I thank thee, &c. and shall not Christians prize this mercy of changing their hearts?
7. It is habitual: Many persons change their actions from uncleanness, drunkenness; but their habits are naught. So many have actions of liberality and humility, whose habits are for pride and covetousness. Jehu did some acts against Idolatry, in destroying Baal; but his heart was habitually for calve-worship. If there be not a change of your habits, as well as of your acts, your change is not true. Sometimes a covetous man may do a liberal act, yet his unwillingness in doing it, shows there is no habit whence this act flows, but it springs from some outward motion of credit or profit.
8. Its powerful, both in demolishing the old building of corruption, and in setting up a body of created graces: every changed heart hath one eye upon the beating down the prevalent body of death, and another in setting up the image of God consisting in righteousness and holiness. Eph. 4.24. persons that have no power against their old lusts, but are led captive by them; nor any power for holy actions, but still are hindred from them, what change is there in such men?
9. Its assimilating. He that changes his course, would have others to change with him: if a man change a principle or practice, he would have all the world to change with him. The reason is, because every man in changing, when it is done willingly, thinks he changes for the better; so, if thou be changed from a life of sin, thou wilt endeavour what in thee lies, that there may be the same change in others, 2 Chron. 33.16. As the element of fire and other elements strive to make other things like themselves, so should Christians. Act. 26.29. I would to God that not onelyonly thou, but also all that hear me this day, were not only almost, but altogether such as I am. The occasion of his speech, was his speaking of God converting of him; and the change from whence, vers. 10, 11. and the change whereto, vers. 19. if carnal courses will be deadly to thee, they will be so to thy children and servants. As soon as the thief on the Cross was changed, he laboured to change his fellow-thief: So the woman of Samaria being converted, she endeavours to convert her fellow-citizens John 4.28. hence as corruption, 1 Cor. 5.5. is compared to leaven that leavens the whole lump, and tends to make it like it self, 1 Cor. 5.6. even so doth grace; the tendency thereof is to make not onelyonly those wherein it remaines gracious, but also others to become a new lump.
10 He that truly repents of his sin, turns to God with a sovereign love, preferring him before any lust or any enjoyment; so that the soul saith, God forbid that I should rejoyce in any thing save the Lord, Gal. 6.14. when Pauls heart was changed, Act. 9.6. he saith, Lord what wilt thou have me to do? Now the soul and Christ are married; hence must he beloved soveraignly as a husband, every creature subordinately as a friend, and every lust hated as an enemy.
When once a soul repents, God hath the soveraign powers of the soul at his command. When God bids the soul go, it goes; or stay, it stayes: let the passage be safe or dangerous, pleasant or difficult, sutable to time or place, or opposite, Gen. 12.1. compared with Heb. 11.8. Abraham converted, obeyed, and went, not knowing whither he went; in opposition to which God, if a lust formerly as dear as a right hand calls him, he dares not upon deliberation go.
Object. But we finde many poor souls complaine they cannot finde any change of heart in them.
A. Gods people may be to seek concerning a right knowledge of their estate, in six cases.
1. When they are onelyonly babes in Christ: an infant knows not that he lives; but when he is grown to any stature, he knows it: so a Christian newly converted.
. In case of desertion, when God withdraws the sense of his presence: so some of Gods people have been much stumbled, and given strange judgement of themselves, Psal. 31.22. Psal. 77.7 8 9. as when the Sun leaves our Horizon, there is nothing but black darkness; but in the darkest night we comfort our selves, the Sun will rise againe: so should we comfort our selves, that though the Sun of righteousness withdraw, he will return, Mal. 4.2.
3. In case of melancholy: some have been so strongly possest therewith, that they have thought themselves dead: but the actions of life may convince them of their mistake.
So some Christians when under a cloud of melancoly, are apt to think all they have done is but in hypocrisie; yet when the cloud is over, he can call the Lord his God, Psal. 43.5.
4. In case of committing scandalous sins, especially against light, Psal. 51.10, 11. David, by his adultery and murther, was like a man in a swound, that feels no life.
5. Presumptuous getting out of trouble by unlawful means; as Peter, Mat. 26.51. compared with vers. 75.
6. Unevenness or crookedness in walking; when Christians are off and on, this causes hands to hang down, Heb. 12.12, 13.
Setting aside these and such-like cases, a Christian, by the forementioned grounds, may finde his Estate to Godward.