Of Fundamentals, Treatise · Chapter 18
CHAP. XVIII. Of the Miſtakes concerning Repentance.
§. 1. ONE ſort of doctrines more I cannot but annex here, though I have elſewhere already inſiſted on them, and thoſe are the miſtakes in the Doctrine of Repentance.
Of Repentance▪§. 2. Repentance, whatever that word ſignifies, (and that is certainly a ſincere change, and renovation of minde, a converſion of the ſinner to God in a new life, repentance from dead works, Heb. 6.1.) is queſtionleſs it to which, on purpoſe, Chriſt came to call ſinners, His whole Embaſſie from his Fathers boſome was projected and deſigned for this grand work, and ſo certainly all the preachings of all the Apoſtles were of the ſame making, that the Goſpel tells us the firſt-fruits were, Repent &c. And therefore it will concern us neerly, not to be miſlead in this matter,Dangerouſneſs of miſtakes in it▪ For ſhould we content our ſelves with ſomewhat elſe under the title, or diſguiſe of Repentance, which is either not-repentance at all, or but an imperfect, unſufficient part of repentance, and by conſequence, perſwade our ſelves, that by performing of this, we ſhall have fully anſwered Chriſt's call, done all that he came from heaven to require of us, 'tis viſible what an obſtacle this is to the rearing that ſuperſtructure which was deſigned to be erected on this foundation.
§. 3. Now to this head will be referred thoſe that from the miſunderſtanding of Rom. 7. (not obſerving) the cuſtome of that Apoſtle foreign,Miſunderſtanding Rom. 7. figuratively to tranſferre to himſelf, in the firſt perſon, what belongs to others) have made it reconcileable with regeneration, or repentance (for thoſe two words certainly ſignifie one and the ſame thing in Scripture) to be in that ſtate which is there deſcribed, i. e. to doe what a man allows not, but hates, v. 15. the evil which he would not v. 19. to be brought into capeivity to the law of ſin, the law in the members, warring againſt the law of the minde, v. 23. and, upon the ſame account, even to be carnal, and ſold under ſin, v. 14. all which muſt equally belong to the perſon which is there repreſented, of whom equally in the firſt perſon they are all affirm'd.
§. 4. That that chapter is really a repreſentation of one, which hath only the knowledge, not practiſe of his duty, and conſequently, to the ſinnes, which he commits, hath the aggravation ſuperadded of committing them againſt knowledge, againſt conſcience, againſt ſight of the contrary law, is manifeſt from the context, and hath †Annot: in Rom: 7.elſewhere more ſeaſonably been evidenced, And of this I need not many words to declare, how farr it is from being ſo much as any part of Repentance, any one of the ingredients in it (being indeed no more then either the work of natural conſcience, or, farther, of the minde inſtructed by the Law of Moſes, but that not of force to work the leaſt obedience in the man, but ſuppoſed in that text to be joyn'd with all cuſtomary diſobedience, and captivity to ſin) and conſequently that if this be miſtaken for that, which it is ſo farre removed from being natural or legal knowledge of duty, deſpiſed and tranſgreſt, for ſincere obedience to all the commandments of God and the former of theſe, by ſo abſurd, irrational a conceſſion, be deemed ſufficient to render his eſtate ſafe, whoſoever hath arrived to this, this muſt needs annull, and caſſate all the force of all the Articles of the Creed (although never ſo firmly and explicitly believed) toward bringing forth good life, i. e. Repentance, truly underſtood, this ſuppoſititious no-repentance being once contentedly received, and eſpouſed in exchange for it.
§. 5. For who will ever take the pains to maintain a painful, Dangers of it.ungrateful, perhaps bloody fight againſt the Law of ſin that is in his members (foreign & foreign, which are the works of the penitentiary, on neglect of which, the valianteſt combatant may prove a reprobate, 1 Cor. 9.27.) if ſo much leſſe then a foreign or beating the aire, v. 26. a bare diſlike, or diſpleaſure of the law of the minde, without ever coming into the field, will ſerve the turn, to ſecure him of the crown?
§. 6. So again they that, like the popular Prince, Wiſhes of repentance.are unwilling to diſmiſſe any man without his requeſt, and therefore, when they finde not a man penitent, if they can but obtain of him, to wiſh that he were penitent, or to grieve, Sorrow that they doe not wiſh.that he cannot aſcend ſo high as that wiſh, are content to accept that wiſh, or that grief for that Repentance, which alone is the condition required by Chriſt to reſcue from periſhing, What doe theſe again, but wilfully miſtake that for Repentance, nay is by them that affirm it is, preſumed and ſuppoſed not to be; For if there had been any thing, that could have approved it ſelf to be Repentance, they had never deſcended to thoſe low enquiries, after the wiſh, and the grief, Nay the wiſh they had Repentance, is founded in the preſumption they have it not, and the grief that they have not the wiſh, is again a conceſſion that they have not ſo much as that; And if they may be capable of comfort, who are ſo farre from being true penitents, reform'd, new livers, that the utmoſt they are arrived to toward it, is but an empty, ineffectual wiſh that they were ſuch (without conſidering the price, that muſt be payd, the pleaſant, eſpouſed ſins, that muſt be parted with, if their wiſh were granted) then what need all that Chriſtian life, thoſe many years of ſevere devotion, and profitable ſervice that the Apoſtles meant, and all Miniſters endevour to ſuperſtruct on this foundation?
§. 7. So that frequent practiſe, Deferring Repentance to Death-bed.though not doctrine of the many, of ſecure ſpending in ſin the youth, and riper age, and even all the remainder (till the forerunners of death and hell make their cloſe approaches to them) and never doubt but the whole condition required by Chriſt, the Repentance he came to preach, will in that laſt ſcene of their laſt act, immediatly before the exit, be as opportunely and acceptably performed, as at any other point of their lives, What doe theſe but evacuate the whole force of the Chriſtian faith, and abſolutely reſolve againſt building of Chriſtian life upon it.
§. 8. The unreaſonableneſs, and preſumption, the danger, and deſperate inſecurity of thoſe, that thus project, and in ſtead of that whole age of vital actions, which are all little enough, be they never ſo liberally diſpenſed, and never ſo duly perform'd, (vaſtly diſproportionable to that eternal Crown, which we know is adjudged, a reward to every man, according to his works) have not ſo much as a thought or deſigne all their lives long (nor till thoſe laſt, fearful ſummons extort it from them) to advance ſo farre as attrition and contrition, ſorrow, and reſolution of amendment, and then have no means to ſecure them of the truth, and ſincerity of theſe, The unreaſonableneſs, I ſay, and danger of theſe is †Of Death-bed Repentance.elſewhere largely inſiſted on, but never ſufficiently lamented, being that which is the debauching all parts of the world, a preſumption, that ingages in all ſin, and ruine, aſcertains the life to be wholly unprofitable, and hath the luck among all profeſſions of Chriſtians to have aides and officers diligent to offer it ſome encouragements; The Romaniſts have many, formerly named, and their extreme Ʋnction, adminiſtred as the dying mans viaticum (which S. James mention'd as the ceremony of his recovery) may be added to the Catalogue, And others of ſeverall perſwaſions have made them other tenders of kindneſſe, and being unwilling to diſcourage ſuch cunctators, alwaies keep them up in good hope, that if they are not yet called (for that is the ſtyle to expreſſe any impenitent, obdurate ſinner) they may yet with the thief be brought in at the laſt hour, and ſo (to omit the deſperate gulf they are by theſe vain hopes, if God ſhew not miracle, moſt ſadly plunged in) are aſcertain'd never to ſuperſtruct any vital action, on that Divine foundation, ſo fitly prepared for it.
§. 9. If there be any,Miſtake of Sorrow for Repentance. that miſtake ſorrow for ſin, foreign, (which it is very ordinary to finde in thoſe who carry it to hell with them, and which continues in that ſtate of woe, as Charity doth in heaven) and confound it with repentance foreign, which is never leſſe then a converſion, and change of minde, theſe by obtruding an unſufficient part for the whole, the beginning of a change for the entire work of new life, will fall under the former guilt of obſtructing this ſuperſtructure, and ſo, in a word, will all they, that either through indulgence to others, or fondneſs to any ſinne in themſelves, ſubſtitute for Repentance any thing that is leſſe, then a ſincere, uniform Reſolution of New obedience, attended with faithful endevour, and foreign, meet, proportionable, worthy fruits of this change forever after. The ſeveral, of ſuch poſſible, or real miſtakes in the ret…il, are not here proper to be inſiſted on.