The Cause and Cure of a Wounded Conscience, Dialogue 6
VI. Dialogue. That in some cases more Repentance must be preached to a wounded Conscience.
Tim.
SO much for the Maladie, now for the Remedy. Suppos… you come to a wounded Conscience, what counsell will you prescribe him?
Phil.
If after hearty prayer to God for his direction, he appeareth unto me, as yet, not truely penitent, in the first place I will presse a deeper degree of Repentance upon him.
Tim
O miserable Comforter! more sorrow still! Take heed your eyes be not put out with that smoking Flax, you seeke to quench, and your fingers wounded with the splinters of that bruised Reed you goe about to breake.
Phil.
Understand me Sir. Better were my tongue spit out of my mouth, then to utter a word of griefe to drive them to despaire, who are truly contrite. But on the other side, I shall betray my trust, and be found an unfaithfull dispencer of Divine mysteries, to apply comfort to him who is not ripe and ready for it.
Tim.
What harme wol…d it doe?
Phil.
Raise him for the present, and ruine him, without Gods greater mercy for the future. For comfort dawbed on, on a foule soule, will not stick long upon it: And instead of pouring in, I shall spill the precious oyle of Gods mercy. Yea I may justly bring a Wounded Conscience upon my selfe, for dealing deceitfully in my stewardship.
Tim.
Is it possible one may not be …oundly humbled, and yet have a wounde… Conscience?
Phil.
Most possible: For a wounded Conscience is often inflicted as a punishment for lacke of true Repentance: great is the difference betwixt a mans being frighted at, and humbled for his sinnes. One may passively be cast downe by Gods terrours, and yet not willingly throw himselfe downe, as he ought, at Gods foot-stoole.
Tim.
Seeing his pain is so pittifull as you have formerly proved; why would you adde more griefe unto him?
Phil.
I would not adde griefe to him, but alter griefe in him; making his …orrow, not greater, but better. I would endeavour to change his dismall, dolefull dejection, his hid…s, and horrible heavines, his bitter exclamations, which seeme to me much mixed in him, with Pride, impatience, and impen…tence, into a willing submission to Gods pleasure, and into a kindly, gentle, tender Gospell-repentance, for his sinnes.
Tim.
But there are some now adayes who maintaine that a Child of God after his first conversion, needeth not any new repentance for sinne all the dayes of his life.
Phil.
They derend a grievous and dangerous errour. Consider what two petitions Christ coupleth together in his Prayer: When my Body which every day is hungry, can live without Gods giving it daily Bread, then and no sooner shall I believe, that my Soule, which daily sinneth, can spiritually live, without Gods forgiving it its Trespasses.
Tim.
But such alledge, in proof of their opinion, that a man hath his person justified before God, not by pieces and parcels, but at once and for ever in his conversion.
Phil.
This being granted doth not favour their errour. We confesse God finished the Creation of the world, and all therein in six dayes, and then rested from that worke, yet so, that his daily preserving of all things by his providence, may …till be accounted a constant and continued Creation. We acknowlege in like manner, a Child of God justified at once in his conversion, when he is fully and freely estated in Gods favour. And yet seeing every daily sinne by him committed, is an aversion from God, and his daily Repentance a conversion to God, his justification in this respect, may be conceived intrirely continued all the dayes of his life.
Tim.
What is the difference betwixt the first Repentance, and this renewed Repentance?
Phil.
The former is as it were the putting of life into a dead man, the latter the recovering of a sicke man from a dangerous swound; by the former, sight to the blind is simply restored, and eyes given him; in the latter, only a filme is removed, drawn over their eyes, and hindering their actuall sight. By the first we have a right title to the Kingdome of Heaven: by our second repentance, we have a new claime to Heaven, by vertue of our old title. Thus these two kinds of repentance may be differenced and distinguished, though otherwise they meet and agree in generall qualities: both having sinne for their Cause, sorrow for their Companion, duplicate page duplicate page and pardon for their consequent and effect.
Tim.
But are not Gods Children after committing of grievous sinnes, and before their renewing their repentance remaine still heires of Heav…, married to Christ, and citizens of the new Hierusalem?
Phil.
Heires of Heaven, they are, but disinheritable for their m…demeanour. Married still to Christ, but deserving to be divorced for their adulteri…. Citizens of Heaven, but yet outlawed, so that they can recover no right, and receive no benefit, till their out-lawry be reversed.
Tim.
Where doth God in Scripture injoyne this second Repentance on his owne Children?
Phil.
In severall places. He threatneth the*Rev. 2. 5. Church of Ephesus (the best of the seaven) wich removing the Candlesticke from them, except they repent: and Christ telleth his own disciples, true converts before, but then guilty of Ambitious thoughts, that*Mat. 18. 3 except yee be converted yee shall not enter into the Kingdome of Heaven. Here is conversion after conversion, being a solemne turning from some particular sinne; in relation to which it is not absurd to say, that there is justification after justification; the latter as following in time, so flowing from the former.