The Spiritual Chemist, Meditations · Meditation 60
Meditation LX. Ʋpon the Natural Heat, and the Radical Moiſture.
THere is a Regiment of Health in the Soul, as well as in the Body; in the inward Man as well as in the outward Man; they being both ſubjects incident to diſtempers, and that from a defect, or exceſs in thoſe qualities, which when duely regulated are the Principle, and Baſis of life and ſtrength. What preſerves and maintaines the Natural life, but the juſt temperament of the Radicall Moisture, and the innate heat? and what again endangers and deſtroyes it, but the heat devouring the moiſture, or the moiſture impairing the heat? When either of theſe prevail againſt each other, diſeaſes do ſuddenly follow. And is it not thus in the Soul, and Inward Man? In it thoſe two ſignal Graces of Faith and Repentance, do keep up and cheriſh the Spiritual life of a Chriſtian; Faith being like Calor innatus, the Natural heat; and Repentance like Humidum Radicale, the Radical moiſture. If then any by believing ſhould exerciſe Repentance leſs, or in Repenting ſhould leſſen their Believing, they would ſoon fall into one of thoſe moſt dangerous extreams, either to be ſwallowed up of Sorrow and deſpair, or elſe to be puffed up with ſecurity and preſumption. Is it not then matter of Complaint that theſe two Evangelicall Duties (as ſome Divines have called them) which in the practiſe of Chriſtians ſhould never be ſeparated, ſhould be lookt upon by many to oppoſe, rather then to promote each other in their operations: Some out of weakneſs cannot apprehend what conſiſtency there can be between Faith and Repentance, whoſe effects ſeem to be contrary, the one working Peace and Joy, the other trouble and ſorrow; the one Confidence, the other fear; the one Shame, the other boldneſs. Now ſuch as theſe, when touched with the ſenſe of their ſin, judge it their duty rather to mourn, then to believe, and to feel the bitterneſs of ſin, then to taſte the ſweetneſs of a Promiſe, and put away comfort from them, leaſt it ſhould check and abate the over-flowings of their ſorrow. Others again, whether out of heedleſsneſs, or wilfullneſs, I will not determine, when they behold the fullneſs of Grace, in the blotting out of ſin, the freeneſs of Grace in the healing of Backſlidings, they ſee ſo little neceſſity of Repentance, as they think it below (as they ſo ſpeak) a Goſpel Spirit to be troubled for that which Chriſt hath ſatisfied for. It is not Repentance that they ſhould now exerciſe, but Faith; Sorrow ſeems interpretatively to be a jealouſie of the truth of Gods Promiſe in forgiving, and of the ſufficiency of Chriſts Diſcharge, who was the ſurety, who hath not left one ſingle Mite of the Debt for believers to Pay. Sorrow therefore ſeems to them as unſeaſonable, as it would be for a Priſoner to mourn, when the Priſon door is opened, and himſelf ſet free from debt and bondage.
Thus this pair of Graces and duties, concerning which I may ſay as God did of Adam, it is not good that either of them ſhould be alone: are yet divided often times in the practiſe, though indiſſolubly linked together in the Precept. Fain would I therefore evidence to the weak the concord of theſe two graces, in reſpect of Comfort: and to the wilfull the neceſſity of them both, in order unto Pardon.
Unto the weak therefore I ſay, That the Agreement between Faith and Repentance, doth not lie in the immediate impreſſions, which they make upon the Soul, which are in ſome reſpects oppoſite to each other; but in the Principle from which they ariſe, which is the ſame, the Grace of Chriſt; and in the end which is the ſame, the ſalvation of Man, and in habitude and ſubordination that they have one to another; for Repentance is never more kindly then when it diſpoſeth us to the exerciſe and actings of Faith; whoſe comforts of joy, Peace, and Serenity of heart, are as Gold which is beſt laid upon ſad and dark colours; or as the Poliſhed Diamond, that receiveth an addition of luſtre from the watering of it. Gods Promiſe is, that the Believing Jewes, who look upon Chriſt by an eye of Faith, ſhall be alſo great Mourners, They ſhall mourn for him as one mourneth for his onelyonly ſon, and ſhall be in bitterneſs for him, as one that is in bitterneſs for his firſt borne.
Unto the careleſs, or wilfull, I alſo ſay, That God never forgiveth ſin, but where alſo he giveth a Penitent and Relenting Heart; So that though Faith hath a peculiar nature in the receiving of pardon, applying it by way of Inſtrument which no other grace doth; yet Repentance is the expreſs formal qualification that fits for pardon, not by way of cauſality or merit, but by way of means, as well as of command, which ariſeth from a Condecency 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. Never dream then of ſuch free grace, or Goſpel mercy, as doth ſupercede a broken and a contrite heart, or take off the neceſſity of ſorrowing for ſin. For Chriſt did never undertake to ſatisfie Gods wrath in an abſolute and illimited manner, but in a well ordered and meet way, viz. the way of Faith and Repentance. How elſe ſhould we ever come to taſte the bitterneſs of ſin, or the ſweetneſs of grace? How to prize and eſteem the Phyſician if not ſenſible of our diſeaſe? How to adore the love of Chriſt, who redeemed us from the Curſe of the Law, by being made a Curſe for us, if not burdened with the weight of our Iniquities? Yea, how ſhould we ever give God the glory of his Juſtice, in acknowledging our ſelves worthy of death, if we do not in a way of repentance judge our ſelves, as the Apoſtle bids us? Was not this that David did in that ſolemn Confeſſion of his? In which he cries out, Againſt thee, thee only have I ſinned, and done this evil in thy ſight, that thou mightſt be juſtified when thou ſpeakeſt, and clear when thou judgeſt. Can I therefore wiſh a better wiſh to ſuch who are unſenſible of their ſins, than Bernard did, to him whom he thought not heedful enough about the judgments of God, who writing to him, inſtead of the common Salutation, wiſhing him, Salutem plurimam, much health, ſaid, Timorem plurimum, much fear; that ſo their confidence may have an allay of trembling? Sure I am that it is a mercy that I had need to pray for on my own behalf, and I do, Lord, make it my requeſt, that my faith for the pardon of ſin may be accompanied with my ſorrow for ſin, and that I may have a weeping eye, as well as a believing heart, that I may mourn for the evils that I have done againſt my Saviour, as well as rejoyce in the fulneſs of mercy that he hath ſhewed to me in a glorious Salvation.
FINIS.
End of the text · William Spurstowe, The Spiritual Chemist (1666)