The True Doctrine of Justification Asserted and Vindicated, Lecture 19
LECTURE XIX.
MAT. 6.12.
And forgive us our debts.
IT hath been ſhewed, That there is an happy accord between Gods grace in pardoning, and our duty in repenting. In bounding of which you have heard the Scripture excludes all merit and cauſality from our repentance, and gives the glory of all to Gods grace, and Chriſts bloud.
Before I leave this point,Practical Objections concerning repentance. it will be neceſſary to anſwer ſome practical Objections, for there is a great miſcarriage in many about this very duty of repentance. If they be aſked, How they hope to be ſaved? they will reply, by their repentance. Thus they make that their Ark and city of refuge; they look upon that as the brazen ſerpent, and not Jeſus Chriſt. And it is no wonder, if this be ſo among ignorant people, when the moſt learned amongſt the Papiſts, do give ſuch power and merit unto repentance. Inſomuch that Vaſques ſaith, He wonders at thoſe Catholikes, who have ſuch low and deſpicable thoughts of the righteouſneſſe in us, as that it ſhould not exclude ſin, without any new favour or pardon of God: as if the enabling us to repent, did expel the guilt of ſin, as fire doth water, by a natural neceſſity.
The firſt Objection therefore may be, To what purpoſe doth God require Repentance, ſeeing it is no cauſe of pardon? Object. 1. Of what uſe repentance may be.Why may not God forgive ſin, as well without this ſorrow of ours; for if it have no efficacy of it ſelf, to deliver from the guilt of ſin, then ſin might be pardoned, as well without it as with it; for if the Spirit of God prepareth us for pardon, by exciting and ſtirring up Repentance, this Repentance muſt have ſome reſpect of cauſality to pardon, or elſe to what purpoſe it is wrought? It is hard therefore to ſee the neceſſity of Repentance, unleſſe it have ſuch effects. Inſiſte fortitèr poenitentiae, inhaere tanquam naufragus tabulae, ſaid Ambroſe; And this efficacy all are pron… to give to Repentance.
Anſw. 1.Now to anſwer this, lay firſt this foundation, That God doth indiſpenſably require repentance of all, Act. 17.30. where not only the command of repentance is made known, but the goodneſſe of God in preſſing this duty: for whereas God hath neglected and paſſed over the former times of ignorance, by not revealing any ſuch command unto them, now by the general ſpreading of the Goſpel he doth. For howſoever we tranſlate it (winked at) as alſo Beza doth, yet Dieu upon the place ſheweth more probably, that it ſignifieth Gods anger, and indignation to them, and therefore hid the means of ſalvation from them. This grace is alſo required of the godly ſinning, 2 Cor. 7.9, 1O. Revel. 2.16. Tertullian ſubtilly, but not ſolidly ſaith, God firſt dedicated repentance in his▪ own ſelf; for before God ſaid, It repenteth me that I have made man, the name of repentance was not heard. But we know that God cannot in a proper ſenſe be ſaid to repent, becauſe there is no ignorance in his underſtanding, or mutability in his will. But to anſwer, Why God doth require it; this in the firſt place might be enough, Becauſe it is his will and command, Bonum eſt poenitere, an non, quid revolvis? Deus praecipit, ſaid Tertul…ian: Is it good to repent, or not? Why doubteſt thou? Hath not God commanded it? It is Gods will, to joyn pardon and repentance together. Though there were no more connexion between theſe two, then by that meer appointment of God, we were bound up to do it. As we ſee in the Sacraments, God hath promiſed ſuch ſpirituall grace in the holy uſe and application of ſuch outward ſigns, where there is no naturall connexion at all between the grace and the ſign; but the union comes by the meer inſtitution and command of God. Although the conjoyning of pardon with repentance, be more then from a meer poſitive command, there is an aptneſſe and fitneſſe in the thing it ſelf. Now God in commanding of this, doth not becauſe he needed it, or as if he could not do otherwiſe; for if a man may forgive another, that hath injured him, although he do not grieve or be troubled for ſuch an offence, why may not God, if we ſpeak of abſolute power? Thy tears therefore and thy repentance, they make not God more happy; neither are they required for Gods good, but for thy own good. Neither doth God require them, as if they ſhould make up any defect or inſufficiency in Chriſts bloud; for alas, if Chriſts bloud be not able to cleanſe away thy ſin, how ſhall thy tears do it? Hence its no leſſe then blaſphemy, which Rivet reporteth of Panigirolla the Papiſt, who cals it fooliſhneſſe, and a grievous ſin to put confidence wholly in Chriſts bloud. Although therefore God puts up thy tears in his bottle, yet if he do not alſo take notice of the bloud of Chriſt, thy ſoul muſt ſtill remain filthy. Do not therefore magnifie thy tears, and undervalue Chriſts bloud. The bloud of the Sacrifice, which repreſented Chriſts bloud, was to be ſprinkled upon the poſts of the door, but not on the threſhold, it was not to be trampled upon or deſpiſed, no more is Chriſts bloud.
In the ſecond place,Anſw. 2. There are many reaſons of congruity and fitneſſe, why a man ſhould repent, Six Reaſons of congruity betwixt repentance and remiſſion.though it procure not pardon as a cauſe. Though God cauſe the Sunne to ſhine, and the rain to fall upon the wicked as well as the righteous, yet pardon and reconciliation is not vouchſafed to the impenitent, as well as the penitent.
The firſt reaſon of Congruity is,Reaſ. 1. Becauſe hereby a man ſhall experimentally know the bitterneſſe of ſin, as well as the ſweetneſſe of it; For as God, though Chriſt hath fully ſatisfied his juſtice to take away all puniſhment, doth yet heavily afflict his own people for ſin, that ſo they may in their own ſenſe apprehend what wormwood and gall is in ſin; ſo the Lord, though pardon come wholly by Chriſt, yet will give it to none, but to thoſe that repent, that ſo according to their delight in ſin, may alſo be their bitterneſſe for it, Jer. 2.19. Ariſtotle ſaid, Homo eſt magis ſenſus quam intellectus, much more is he ſenſus then fides, more ſenſe then faith, and what he experimentally doth moſt feel, in that he is moſt affected.
2. Another Congruity is this, Hereby we ſhall come to prize pardon the more, and to eſteem the grace of God in forgiving. Reaſ. 2.The ſick eſteem the Phyſician. The broken bones make a man cry out for eaſe. The famiſhed Prodigal would be glad of crums. It is therefore fit, that a mans ſins ſhould be a burden, and an heavy trouble to him, that ſo pardon may be the ſweeter, and Gods love the more welcome. When Joſephs brethren were put in fear, and dealt with roughly as ſpies: after this to know that Joſeph was their reconciled brother, did work the greater joy. Again, we ſhall hereby judge the better of Chriſts love to us, his ſufferings in his ſoul were more exquiſite then thoſe in his body, when he cried: My God, why hast thou forſaken me? in this was the height of his Agony. Now thou that in thy repentance feeleſt Gods diſpleaſure, art ready to cry out, Why doſt thou forſake me? By theſe throbs and agonies in thy own ſoul, thou maieſt have ſome ſcantling of what Chriſt had in his ſoul: and certainly to think that Chriſt was thus tempted, thus under Gods diſpleaſure for thee, will more indear Chriſt to thee, then that he was made poor, a worm and no man, yea crucified for thee.
Reaſ. 3.3. Hereby we ſhall give God the glory of his Juſtice, that he might damn us, if he did enter into ſtrict judgement with us. In repentance we judge our ſelves, 1 Cor. 11. that is, we condemn our ſelves, acknowledge ſuch ſins to be committed by us, for which God might ſhew no mercy, for which he might ſay, Depart ye curſed into everlaſting fire; and by this means, God is highly honoured, and we debaſed. See this notably in David, Pſal. 51.4. Againſt thee have I ſinned, that thou mighteſt be juſtified, when thou ſpeakeſt, and clear when thou judgeſt. By this expreſſion, David doth acknowledge, that all the afflictions laid upon him for ſin, were juſt, and therefore God was to be cleared howſoever. Thus in repentance a man comes to know himſelf, how low and vile he is, and that if he be ſaved from wrath and hell, it is meerly from Gods good pleaſure; and therefore repentance is a kinde of a revenge upon a mans ſelf, 2 Cor. 7.10. The Lord is ſet up in his greatneſs and ſoveraignty, we are made wholly proſtrate.
Reaſ. 4.4. As there is a Congruity; So repentance floweth by naturall conſequence from a regenerated and ſanctified heart: For ſeeing regeneration is taking away the heart of ſtone, and giving an heart of fleſh, thereby alſo is given a flexibleneſſe and tenderneſſe, and aptneſſe to relent, becauſe God is diſhonoured. As there is in children a natural impreſſion to mourn and relent, when a father is diſpleaſed, ſo that this godly ſorrow floweth from a gracious heart; as a ſtream from the fountain, as fruit from the tree. From this inward principle David doth ſo heartily mourn and pray; from this Peter goeth out, and weeps bitterly. It is therefore a vain Queſtion to ask, Why a godly man is humbled for ſinne, it is as if you ſhould ask, Why a childe mourneth for the death of his father? That love of God within him, which doth abundantly prevail, and reign there, is like fire that doth melt and ſoften. So that as naturall forms are the principles of actions, which flow from them: Thus is a ſupernatural principle of grace within, the ground of all ſpiritual actions that iſſue thencefrom, but although it flow as a fruit, yet many times this ſtream is obſtructed or dried up.
5. There is in godly ſorrow an aptneſſe or fitneſſe, Reaſ. 5.to be made the means or way wherein pardon may be obtained. And this is the higheſt our godly ſorrow can attain unto, in reference to pardon of ſinne, viz. an ordinability of it to be ſuch a way, wherein we may finde mercy. And thus we cannot ſay of impenitency, or any other ſin: That God may forgive a man living in his impieties and wicked wayes, for they have no aptitude or condecency in their natures, to be referred to ſuch an end. We grant therefore that when the Spirit of God doth humble and ſoften a mans heart for ſin, that it works that in a man, which hath a fitneſſe to be uſed, as the means whereby mercy is obtained; yet that hath no merit or condignity in it to purchaſe ſalvation. Hence it is that we may not ſay, It is all one whether a man doth repent or not; or that repentance is in a man, as a ſign only that God hath pardoned; but we muſt go further, and ſay, it is the means and way which God hath a…pointed antecedently to pardon, ſo that where this goeth before, the other cometh after.
6. There is a Congruency in repentance for ſin,The ſixt Reaſon two …old. Though it be not expiatory or ſatisfactory; If we do regard the juſtice of God, or the mercy and grace of God. The juſtice of God:1. In regard of Gods juſtice. For if he ſhould pardon ſinfull, impenitent men, though they wallow in all mire and filth, that deſpiſe his grace and mercy, how could his juſtice bear it? Though therefore repentance doth not ſatisfie his juſtice, yet ſins unrepented of cannot be pardoned without injuſtice; and therefore Chriſt did not undertake to ſatisfie the wrath of God in an abſolute illimited manner, but in an ordered way, viz. in the way of faith and repentance.
2▪ In regard of his grace and mercy.Again, It is not beſeeming the grace of God, to give pardon without repentance, for hereby a floud-gate would be opened to all prophaneneſſe and impiety; and then what ſenſe or taſte could men have of the grace of God, if it were thus expoſed to all impenitent, as well as repenting? who would magnifie grace? who would deſire it? So that you ſee, its neither agreeing with the mercy or the juſtice of God, to forgive ſin before, or without repentance.
Object. 2. Whether repentance of it ſelf may not take away the guilt of ſin.A ſecond Objection may be, Why repentance wrought by the Spirit of God is not enough to remove ſin in the guilt of it? What neceſſity is there, that beſides this there ſhould be a ſpecial and gracious act of God to pardon?
Anſw. 1.1. The Anſwer is from many grounds: Firſt, The Scripture makes theſe two diſtinct mercies, and therefore ought not to be confounded. God promiſeth to turn the heart unto him, and he will turn to it, in the way of pardon. So that a man abſolved at the throne of grace, hath two diſtinct benefits, for which he is to give God thanks; the one is, that he makes him to ſee his ſins, and be humbled for them: The other, that being thus humbled, God giveth him pardon; for although God hath ordered it ſo, that where the one goeth before, the other ſhall infallibly follow, yet all this is of Gods goodneſſe. He might have commanded repentance in a deep and broken manner, and when we had done all, yet might have had no pardon, and therefore it is no thanks to thy repentance, but to Gods grace that thou doeſt meet with forgiveneſſe.
Anſw. 2.2. Our repentance is infirm and weak needing another repentance. Lava, Domine, lachrymas meas, ſaith he, O Lord, waſh my tears. That is only true of Chriſts bloud, which Ambroſe ſpake in commendations of water, Quae lavas ownia, nec lavaris, which waſheſt all things, and art not waſhed thy ſelf. So that repentance cannot be the remedy to lean upon, for alas that needeth another remedy, which is the bloud of Chriſt. If therefore when asked, How doſt thou hope to have thy ſins pardoned? thou anſwer, becauſe thou repenteſt and humbleſt thy ſelf for thy ſins. It will be further demanded, But how doeſt thou hope to have thy ſins of thy repentance taken away? Here all muſt neceſſarily be reſolved into the bloud of Chriſt: Take heed then after ſin, of truſting in thy own ſorrow. It is a moſt ſubtil ſinne, unleſſe a man be much acquainted with the Goſpel-way, and his own ſelf-emptineſſe, its impoſſible but that he ſhould look upon his repentance, as that which maketh God amends.
3. If it were poſſible that our repentance were perfect and without ſpot, Anſw. 3.yet that could not take away the guilt of ſin committed, becauſe ſinne is an infinite offence and diſhonour to God, and therefore can never be made up by any man, though he ſhould be made as holy as Angels; for if man had committed one ſinne onelyonly, if the ſame man ſhould preſently be made perfectly holy; or if he had the holineſſe of Angels and Saints communicated to him, all this could not take off the guilt of ſin, neither would all that holineſſe have as much ſatisfied God, as ſinne diſpleaſed and diſhonoured him. Hence God ſent Chriſt into the world to make a reparation, and to bring a greater good, then ſinne could evil. Oh therefore how low muſt this lay thee in the duſt, after ſinne committed! O Lord, Could I repent to the higheſt degree, Could I bring the holineſſe of men and Angels, it could not make up the breach ſinne hath made upon me; what then ſhall I think of my ſelf, whoſe graces may be much perfected and bettered then they are?
But you may ſay,Why repentance bears not the proportion in▪ ſatisfaction that ſin does in the offence. Why ſhould not repentance be as great a good, and as much honour God, as ſinne is an evil? For when you ſay, ſinne hath an infinite evil in it; it is meant only objectivè, becauſe God againſt whom it is committed, is an infinite God; Now then if ſinne be called infinite, becauſe it turneth from an infinite God, why ſhould not repentance be ſaid to be infinite, becauſe it turneth to an infinite God? This hath much puzled ſome, and hath made them hold that repentance hath as much infinite worth in it, becauſe of God, to whom a man is turned by it, as ſinne hath infinite evil in it. But there is a vaſt difference, becauſe it is enough for ſinne to have an infinite evil in it, becauſe the offence is done againſt an infinite God, and ſo the nature of an offence is according to the object againſt whom it is. As an offence againſt a King or Emperour is more then againſt a private man; ſo that ſtill offences are more or leſſe as the perſons againſt whom they are, be of greater or leſſe dignity: but now it is otherwiſe in good things that are done by way of ſatisfaction, that ariſeth from the ſubject, not the object: as now repentance, though it be a turning to God, who is infinite, yet that cannot have infinite ſatisfaction, becauſe the ſubject which doth repent is finite: Therefore this cleareth the difficulty: offences ariſe according to the object, but ſatisfaction encreaſeth according to the ſubject. Hence it is, That Chriſt only could ſatisfie, becauſe he only was an infinite perſon. Otherwiſe if grace or holineſſe could have done it, Angels might have wrought our redemption. Beſides, our repentance And turning to God, cannot be as meritorious of good, as ſinne is of puniſhment, becauſe of that true rule, Malum meum & purè malum eſt, & meum eſt: bonum meum, neque purè est, neque meum eſt. Our ſins are altogether, and onelyonly ſins, and they are truly ours: but our good things are neither purely good things, nor yet ours, but the gifts of God.
Object. 3. What harm to God in ſin.The laſt Objection is, Why ſhould there be ſuch preſſing of mourning and repenting for ſin, and that becauſe it is ſuch an offence to God. For ſeeing God is all-ſufficient and happy enough in himſelf, our ſins do not hurt him, or make him miſerable, no more then our graces adde to his happineſſe, but as he is above our graces, ſo he is alſo above our ſins: ſeeing therefore God is incapable of any injury from man, why ſhould ſin be ſuch an offence?
Anſw. By diſtinguiſhing Gods Attributes.The Anſwer is eaſie, If you conſider the internall Attributes of God, as Juſtice, Wiſdom, Glory and Happineſſe: So God can have no loſſe or injury, for he is alwayes the ſame happy and immutable glorious God: but if you do conſider the …nall good things that are due to him from men, as Honour, Praiſe, Reverence, &c. Theſe may be taken away from God by the perverſe wils and lives of men, and ſo God have leſſe of this eternal Honour and Glory then he hath. And although this external Honour and Reverence do not make to the internal Happineſſe of God, yet he is pleaſed with this, and commands it of men, and threatens to puniſh where it is denied him: and certainly we may not think the Scripture doth aggravate ſin…e under this title, as an injury to him, as that which offends him, and is diſobedience unto him, if ſo be there were not ſome Reality. Beſides the Neceſſity of Chriſts death by way of ſatisfaction, doth neceſſarily argue, That ſinne is a reall offence and diſhonour to him. And laſtly, a ſinner as much as lieth in him, depriveth God of all his inward happineſſe and glory; inſomuch that if it were poſſible God would be made leſſe happy by our ſins. It is no thanks to a ſinner that he is not, but it ariſeth from his infinite Perfection that he cannot.
Let the firſt Uſe be,Ʋſe 1. To commend Repentance in the neceſſity of it, if ever we would have pardon. God hath appointed no other way for thy healing. Never perſwade thy ſelf of the pardon of ſinne, where ſinne it ſelf hath not been bitter to thee. Beſides, where godly ſorrow is, there will be earneſt prayer and heavenly aſcenſions of the ſoul unto God, for his pardon. Hence, Zech. 12. The ſpirit of Prayer and Mourning is put together, and Rom. 8. Prayer and groans unutterable. As the fowls of the Heaven were at firſt created out of the water; ſo do thy heavenly breathings after God, ariſe from thy humbled, and broken ſoul. It is preſumption to expect pardon for that ſinne, which hath not either actually or habitually been humbled for by thee. If a man ſhould expect health and life, yet never eat or drink, would you not ſay, he tempted God, and was a murderer of himſelf? So if a man hope for pardon, and yet never debaſe or loath himſelf repenting of his ſins, will you not …y, he is a murderer of his ſoul? And be encouraged to it, becauſe God hath annexed ſuch a gracious Promiſe to it. He might have filled thee with ſorrow here and hereafter. It might be with thee, as the damned Angels, who have neither the grace of repentance, nor the mercy of pardon.
Ʋſe 2.2. Not to truſt in repentance, but after all thy humiliations ſtill to depend only upon Chriſt. Though Chriſt died, and was crucified, yet he did not loſe his ſtrength and efficacy. This was repreſented in that paſſage of Gods providence, That a bone of his was a broken; Relie therefore upon Chriſt wounded for ſinne, not upon thy own heart that is wounded, uſe this, but truſt only in Chriſt. Dependance upon Evangelical graces doth evacuate Chriſt, as well as confidence in the Law. A man may not only preach the Law, and the duties thereof to the prejudice of Chriſts glory; but alſo the duties and graces of the Goſpel. If a man relieth upon his repentance and believing, he maketh Juſtification and Salvation to be of works, though it be of faith; for he makes his faith a work, and gives that glory which belongs to Chriſt, to his own repentance.