The True Doctrine of Justification Asserted and Vindicated, Lecture 18
LECTURE XVIII.
MAT. 6.12.
And forgive us our debts.
How our duty of repentance conſiſts with Gods free grace in remitting.YOu have heard, Pardon of ſin is Gods work only, as alſo his manner of doing it, is not by infuſing grace into us, which takes away the guilt of ſin, but beſides grace ſanctifying, there is alſo an act on Gods part repealing the ſentence of condemnation againſt us. Now becauſe this may ſeem to overthrow the duty of repentance: and becauſe this is the rock many have been ſplit upon, not being able to reconcile our duty of repentance, with Gods gracious favour of pardoning. I ſhall ſpeak, though not all, yet as much as relateth to my purpoſe in hand, concerning the duty and neceſſity of repentance, although there be no cauſality or merit in it, to take away ſin, and this may rightly inform us about the true efficacy of our ſorrow for ſin.
To open this Truth, conſider theſe Propoſitions:
Propoſ. 1.Firſt, That God doth never remit or forgive ſin, but where alſo he giveth a mollified and ſoftened heart to repent.
The Scripture doth abudantly confirm this by precepts and examples. It is indeed diſputed by the Schoolmen (as you have heard) whether God by his abſolute power might not forgive ſin without Sanctification of our natures, and the grace of Repentance; for ſeeing they are two diſtinct mercies, why may not God ſeparate the one from the other? But it is a vain thing to diſpute what God might do, when he hath revealed what he will do. And although we cannot ſay, That there is a natural neceſſity between Juſtification and Sanctification, ſuch as is between the light and heat in the fire; yet this conjoyning of them together by Gods will and appointment, ariſeth from a condecency and fitneſſe both to God himſelf, who is an holy God, and to the nature of the mercy, which is the taking and removing of ſin away.
2.Propoſ. 2. Although the Scripture attribute pardon of ſin to many qualifications in a man, yet Repentance is the moſt expreſſe and proper duty.
The Scripture ſometimes makes forgiving of others a neceſſary diſpoſition, ſometimes confeſſing and forſaking of them, ſometimes believing (though that hath a peculiar nature in receiving of pardon, which other graces have not; and therefore faith obtaineth pardon by way of an inſtrument applying, which other graces do not) But if we ſpeak of the expreſſe formall qualification, it is repentance of our ſins, not repentance as it is a meer bare terrour upon thy heart, but as it is ſweetned with Evangelical conſiderations. Luther ſaid, There was no word ſo terrible unto him, and which his ſoul did more hate, then that (Repent.) But it was becauſe he underſtood not Goſpel-grounds. We read then of ſome places of Scripture, which make God to be the only Author of blotting out and pardoning ſin. And again we reade of other places, where God doth this for none, but the broken and contrite heart. Now both theſe places muſt not be oppoſed to each other: neither may we ſo dwell upon the one, as to neglect the other; ſo to look upon it as Gods act, as if there were nothing required in us: and again, ſo to look upon that which we do, as if God were not to be acknowledged.
3.Propoſ. 3. None may believe or conclude that their ſins are pardoned before they have repented.
To this I ſhall ſpeak more particularly, when I handle the Doctrine of Juſtification before Faith. As for the Aſſertion it ſelf, it is plain by all thoſe places of Scripture, which make repentance requiſite to pardon, Ezek. 14.6. Ezek. 18.30. Mat. 3.2. Luk. 13.3. The learned Dr Twiſſe, Vind. grat. p. 18. confeſſeth, that there are Arguments on both ſides in the Scripture: Sometimes he ſaith, Pardon of ſin is ſubjoyned to confeſſion and repentance, of which ſort he confeſſeth there are more frequent and expreſſe places; but yet ſometimes remiſſion of ſin already obtained, is made an argument to move to repentance, and he inſtanceth in David and Mary Magdalen, who did abundantly and plentifully break out into tears, upon the ſenſe of pardon. But theſe inſtances are not to the purpoſe, for David repented of his wicked▪neſs before Nathan told him, That his ſin was taken away; and his penitential Pſalm was not made ſo much for the firſt pardon of his ſin, as the confirming and aſſuring of him in his pardon. Thus it was alſo with Mary Magdalen. But more of this in time.
Propoſ. 4.4. There is a neceſſity of Repentance if we would have pardon, both by a neceſſity of precept or command; as alſo by a neceſſity of means and a way.
Whatſoever is neceſſary, Neceſſitate medii, by a neceſſity of means or a way; is alſo neceſſary by a neceſſity of command, though not è contra. That repentance is neceſſary by way of a command, is plain by the places fore-quoted, and in innumerable other places. I do not handle the caſe, Whether an actual or explicite repentance be neceſſary to ſalvation of every ſinner; but I ſpeak in the general. It is diſputed, Whether it be a natural precept, or a meer poſitive command; and if it be a natural or moral command, to which command it is reduced? Thoſe that would have it under the command of, Thou ſhalt not kill, as if there were commanded a care of our ſouls, that they ſhould not be damned, are ignorant of the true limits and bounds of the ſeveral Commandments. Its diſputed alſo, When this time of repentance doth binde? It is a wonder that ſome ſhould limit it only to times of danger and fear of death. Certainly this command binds as ſoon as ever a man hath ſinned, Venenata inducias non patiuntur, A man that hath ſwallowed down poiſon, is not to linger, but preſently to expell it. And one that is wounded, who lieth bleeding, doth preſently diſpatch with all readineſſe for Phyſitians, to have his bloud ſtopt: and thus ought men to take the firſt opportunity. Hence in that famous miracle wrought at the pool of Betheſda, not the ſecond or third, but he that ſtept firſt into it was the only man that was healed. As repentance is thus neceſſary by way of command, ſo alſo by way of means: for the Spirit of God worketh this in a man, to qualifie him for this pardon; So that although there be no cauſality, condignity or merit in our repentance, yet it is of that nature, that God doth ordain and appoint it a way for pardon: So that the command for repentance is not like thoſe poſitive commands of the Sacraments, wherein the will of the Law-giver is meerly the ground of the duty; but there is alſo a fitneſſe in the thing it ſhould be ſo: even as among men, nature teacheth, That the injurious perſon ſhould be ſorry, and ask forgiveneſſe before he be pardoned.
5. Concerning this duty of repentance,5 Two great practical miſtakes concerning repentance obſerved. there are two extream practical miſtakes; the one is of the prophane, ſecure man, who makes every empty and heartleſſe invocation of mercy, to be the repentance ſpoken of in the Scripture, whereas repentance is a duty compounded of many ingredients,The firſt of the prophane man. and ſo many things go to the very eſſence, yea the loweſt degree of godly ſorrow, that by Scripture-rules we may ſay, Repentance is rarely to be ſeen any where; for if you do regard the nature of it, it is a broken and a contrite heart. Now how little of the heart is in moſt mens humiliations? Men being Humiliati magis quam humiles, as Bernard ſaid, humbled and brought low by the hand of God, rather then humble and lowly in their own ſouls. Again, if you conſider the efficient cauſe, it is from the Spirit of God, the ſpring of ſorrow muſt ariſe from this hill, Zech. 12. Rom. 8. Further, if you conſider the motive, it muſt be becauſe God is diſpleaſed and offended, becauſe ſin is againſt an holy law, and ſo of a ſtaining and polluting nature.
Laſtly, If you conſider the effect and fruit of repentance, it is an adviſed forſaking and utter abandoning of all thoſe luſts and iniquities, in whoſe fetters they were before chained: ſo that a man repenting and turned unto God, differs as much from himſelf once a ſinner, as a Lazarus raiſed up and walking, differs from himſelf dead and putrifying in the grave. Do not thou then whoſe heart is not contrite, who doſt continually lick up the vomit of thy ſin, promiſe to thy ſelf repentance: No, thou art far from this duty as yet.
The ſecond of the godly.On the other ſide, There is a contrary miſtake, and that is ſometimes by the godly ſoul, and ſuch as truly fear God, They think not repentance enough, unleſſe it be enlarged to ſuch a meaſure and quantity of ſorrow: as alſo extended to ſuch a ſpace of time; and by this means, becauſe they cannot tell, when they have ſorrowed enough, or when their hearts are broken as they ſhould be, they are kept in perpetual labyrinths, and often through impatience do with Luther in ſuch a temptation, Wiſh they never had been made men, but any creatures rather, becauſe of the doubts, yea the hell they feel within themſelves. Now although it be moſt profitable bitterly to bewail our ſins, and to limit no time, yet a Chriſtian is not to think, Pardon doth not belong to him, becauſe his ſorrow is not ſo great and ſenſible for ſin as he deſireth it. David indeed doth not only in his ſoul, but even bodily expreſſe many tears, yea rivers, becauſe of his ſin, and other mens ſins; yet it is a good rule, That the people of God, if they have ſorrow in the chiefeſt manner appretiativè, though not intenſivè, by way of judgment and eſteem, ſo that they had rather any affliction ſhould befall them, then to ſin againſt God, if this be in them, though they have not ſuch ſenſible intenſe affections, they may be comforted. When the Apoſtle John makes this argument, He that loveth not his brother whom he hath ſeen, how ſhall he love God, whom he hath not ſeen? implieth, That things of ſenſe do more move us, then matter of faith. David made a bitter out-cry upon the death of Abſolom, with ſad expreſſions, Would to God I had died for thee, O Abſolom, my ſon, my ſon, &c. But when Nathan told him of his Adultery and Murder, though he confeſſed his ſin, yet we reade not that he made ſuch ſenſible lamentation. Thus Hierom writeth of a godly woman Paula, that at the death of her children, would be ſo dejected, that ſhe did hardly eſcape death; yet it is not reported that ſhe found ſuch grief for her ſins. So that as in corporal things, a man would chooſe the tooth-ach, rather then a peſtilent feaver, yet a man is more afflicted and pained at the tooth-ach, or burning of his finger, then at a feaver: So it may be here, a godly man would rather chooſe the loſſe of his children, or deareſt relations, then loſe the favour of God by his ſinne; yet it may be have more painfull grief in the one then the other. Again, it is to be obſerved, That the Scripture requiring ſorrow or repentance for ſin, doth not limit ſuch a degree, or ſuch a length of time, which if neceſſary, would certainly have been preſcribed.
6. It cannot be denied,Propoſ. 6. but that the ancient Fathers have ſpoken hyperbolically of tears and repentance; which phraſes were the occaſion of that corrupt doctrine in Popery. Chryſoſtom compareth repentance to the fire, which taketh away all ruſt of ſin in us. Baſil cals it, The medicine of the ſoul, yea thoſe things which God properly doth, are attributed to tears and ſorrow; as if the water of the eyes, were as ſatisfactory as the bloud of Chriſt; his bloud is clean enough to purge us, but our very tears need waſhing. It is true indeed, we reade of a promiſe made to thoſe who turn from their evil wayes, Ezek. 18.27. he ſhall ſave his ſoul alive; but this is not the fruit of his repentance, but the gift of God, by promiſe: It qualifieth the ſubject, it hath no influence upon the priviledge: Even as a man doth by the power of nature diſpoſe and prepare the body to receive the ſoul, but it is the work of God immediately to infuſe it.
7. Though therefore repentance be neceſſary to qualifie the ſubject, yet we run into falſhood, Propoſ. 7.when we make it a cauſe of pardon of ſinne. And thus ignorant and erroneous people do: Ask why they hope to be ſaved or juſtified, why they hope to have their ſins pardoned; they return this anſwer, Becauſe they have repented, and becauſe they lead a godly life: Thus they put their truſt and confidence in what they have done. But the Scripture, though it doth indiſpenſably command repentance in every one, yet the efficient cauſe of pardon is Gods grace, and the meritorious is Chriſts bloud: And if repentance come under the name of a cauſe, it can be only of the material, which doth qualifie the ſubject, but hath no influence into the mercy it ſelf. We reade Luk. 7. that Mary Magdalen had many ſins pardoned her, becauſe ſhe loved much: But the Parable of a Creditor which forgave debts, that is brought by our Saviour to aggravate her kindneſſe, doth plainly ſhew, That he ſpeaks not of a love, that was the cauſe of pardon of her ſin, but which was the effect of it, Gods love melting her heart, even as the Sun doth ſnow. The higheſt expreſſions that we meet with in Scripture, where pardon of ſinne ſeemeth to be aſcribed to godlineſſe, as a cauſe, is Dan. 4.27. Break off thy iniquities by ſhewing mercy to the poor. Here we would think, that if a man would on purpoſe hold, that doing of a good work, would be a proper cauſe to remove ſin, he would uſe no other expreſſion. But firſt it appeareth by the context, that Daniel giveth not this counſel in reference to Juſtification, and the pardon of his ſin, ſo as to be accepted with God, but to prolong and keep off that temporall judgement, which was revealed in the viſion, as appeareth by thoſe words [If there may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity.] And we have the like inſtance in Ahab, who prorogued his calamity by an external humiliation. Again, although the Vulgar tranſlate it, Redeem thy ſins, yet the Hebrew word doth properly ſignifie, To break a thing, as we tranſlate it, and although by a metaphor it be applied to redeem and deliver, yet that is alwayes of men and perſons, not things, eſpecially it would be ridiculous to ſay, Redeem thy ſins: ſo that the meaning is, That whereas before Nebuchadnezzar had by injuſtice and oppreſſion done much rapine and violence; now Daniel counſelleth him to break off ſuch wicked wayes, by the contrary expreſſions of love and chaſtity: So that this place giveth not any ſpiritual mercy to repentance, as the proper cauſe thereof.
8. As repentance is thus neceſſary, but not as a cauſe of pardon: ſo neither is it required, as that whereby we appeaſe and ſatisfie God; and this all Popery goeth upon, yea and all Phariſaical ſpirits, in their humiliation, that by thoſe afflictions and debaſements of their ſouls, they ſhall ſatisfie God, and make him amends. But this is ſo groſſe, that the more learned of the Papiſts are fain to mitigate the matter, and ſay, That ſatisfaction cannot be properly made to God by any thing we do, becauſe all we have and do is from God, and therefore there muſt be an acceptation or covenant by way of gift interpoſed, whereby we may be able to ſatisfie. And then further they ſay, There cannot be ſatisfaction made to gain the friendſhip of God, which ſin hath violated, but to take away ſome thing of temporall puniſhment that belongs to ſinne.The ſcope of the whole.
So that by all this which hath been delivered, we may give repentance thoſe juſt and true bounds, which Gods Word doth aſſign to it, and yet not give more then Gods Word doth. Neither may we think it a nicety or ſubtilty to make a difference between a qualification, and a cauſe; for if we do not, we take off the due glory that belongs to Chriſt and his merits, and give it to the works we do, and we do make Chriſt and his ſufferings imperfect and inſufficient; and by this we may ſee, in what ſenſe grace inherent or ſanctification doth expel ſin; for if we ſpeak of the filth and pollution of ſin, ſo ſanctifying grace expels it, as light doth darkneſſe, heat doth cold, by a reall mutation and change: So that God in ſanctifying doth no more to expel the ſin, in the filth of it, afterwards; even as the Phyſitian needs to do no more to the removing of the leproſie, then by producing a ſound health in the body. But when we ſpeak of the guilt of ſin, it is not grace ſanctifying within us that doth remove the guilt, but grace juſtifying without us. Inſomuch that although a man after ſin committed were perfectly ſanctified, yet that would not take off the guilt his ſin had brought upon him: So that although that man, needed in ſuch a caſe no further grace of ſanctification to make him holy, yet he needed the grace of remiſſion to take away this guilt. So that the guilt of ſin doth not ceaſe by a natural neceſſity, upon the removing of the nature of the ſin, but upon a diſtinct and new act of Gods favour in forgiving; for if this were ſo, then Gods mercy in giving a repenting heart, and his mercy in pardoning ſhould not be two diſtinct mercies (which yet are evidently diſtinguiſhed by the Scripture) but the ſame entire mercy. Now although this be true, yet how few do reform their judgements in this point? and thereupon they come to put that upon their grace within them, which belongs to grace without them.
Uſe of Inſtruction,Ʋſe 1. That there may be an happy reconciliation and accord between Gods grace in forgiving, and mans duty in repenting, one need not be preached to juſtle out the other. All error is an extremity of ſome truth, and therefore it is hard to diſcover truth, becauſe its difficult to find out where the bounds are, that truth parts from error. Let not therefore a Chriſtian ſo relie upon his repentance, as if there were no Covenant of grace, no bloud of Chriſt to procure an atonement: ſo neither let him extol theſe cauſes to the extinguiſhing of his duties.
Ʋſe 2.To ſtir up to this duty of repentance, as that without which pardon of ſin cannot be obtained. There is no ſuch free grace nor Goſpel-mercy that doth ſuperſede a broken and contrite heart. Chriſt was broken for thy ſins, yet that will not excuſe thee from a broken heart for them alſo. Chriſt was wounded, and a man of ſorrow for thy ſins, yet that will not take of… thy wounds and ſorrow alſo. Indeed if theſe were able to ſatisfie Gods wrath, or to make an atonement, then Chriſt was wounded, and became a man of ſorrows in vain, for God doth not require a two-fold ſatisfaction: but we are wounded for ſin upon other grounds then Chriſt was: we mourn for other cauſes then he did: and conſider, thou that art afraid to grieve here for ſin, how little is this to that which thou ſhalt be forced to grieve for hereafter! Thou art unwilling to be burdened here; but oh how eaſie is that to the load thou muſt ſtand under hereafter! This Bernard urged, When, ſaith he, we urge men to repent, they ſay, this is durus ſermo, an hard ſpeech, who can bear it? But you are deceived, when God ſhall ſay, Depart ye curſed into everlaſting fire. This is indeed an hard ſpeech. And account that repentance is as much as the bringing of a man to his wits and minde again. All the while thy ſins are not a burden to thee, thou art in blindeneſſe: even as the childe as long as it is in the dark womb, weeps not, but as ſoon as ever it cometh into the light, then it crieth. As long as thou lieſt in the womb of darkneſſe and ignorance, thou mourneſt not, but when God ſhall open thy eyes to ſee thy eſtate, and the aggravation of thy ſins, then thou wilt burſt out into ſorrow.