A Christian Library, Section 37 – Section 39
Sect. XXXVII.
Loose Libertine. But is there any hope for one so wicked as I? who have turned the grace of God into wantonesse; applying Christs passion as a warrant for my licenciousnesse, not as a remedy; and taking his death as a licence to sin, his cross as a Letters pattent to do mischief. As if a man should head his drum of rebellion, with his pardon. For I have most spitefully, and maliciously, taken up arms against my Maker, and fought against my Redeemer all my daies.
Convert. Do but unfeignedly repent you of your sins, and forsake your former evil waies, and lay hold upon Christ by a true, and lively faith: my soul for yours, God is very ready to forgive them, be they never so many, and innumerable for multitude; never so hainous, for quality and magnitude. Yea, I can shew you your pardon from the great King of Heaven for all that is past: the which you may read at large Isa. 55.7. Ezek. 18.21. to 29. and 33.11. Ioel 2.12, 13, 14. Yea read 1 Cor. 6.10, 11. together with the story of Manasses, Mary Magdelen, the Thief, and the Prodigal Son: and you shall see presidents thereof. Yea the very murtherers of the Son of God, upon their serious and unfeigned repentance, and stedfast believing in him; received pardon and salvation. And indeed despair, is a sin which never knew Iesus. True, every sin deserves damnation: but no sin shall condemn, but the lying and continuing in it. True Repentance, is ever blest with forgiveness. And know this, that Gods mercy is greater than thy sin, whatever it be: you cannot be so infinite in sinning, as he is infinite in pardoning, if you repent: yea sins upon repentance are so remitted; as if they had never been committed. I will put away thy transgressions as a cloud, and thy sins as a mist, Isa. 44.22. And what by corruption hath been done, by repentance is undone. As the former examples witnesse. Come and let us reason together, saith the Lord, though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow, Isa. 1.18. Yea whiter than snow. For the Prophet David laying open his blood-gui…inesse, and his original impurity, useth these words: Purge me with hysop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow, Psal. 51.7. And in reason, did Christ come to call sinners to repentance? and shall be not shew mercy to the penitent? Or who would not cast his burthen upon him, that desires to give ease? As I live saith the Lord, I would not the death of a sinner, Ezek. 18.32. and 33.11.
Only, apply not this salve before the ulcer be searched to the bottom: Lay not hold upon mercy, untill you be throughly humbled. The only way to become good; is first to believe that you are evil: and by accusing our selves, we prevent Satan: By judging our selves, we prevent God.
Are we as sick of sorrow, as we are of sin; then may we hopefully go to the Physician of our souls, who came into the world only to cure the sick, and to give light to them only, who sit in darknesse, and in the shadow of death. God does not pour the oyl of grace, but into a broken, and contrite heart.
Wouldst thou get out of the miserab… … of nature, into the blessed estate of grace? and of Satans bondsla… me the child of God, and a very sensible how evil and wicked it is? that so thou maist have a more humble conceit of thy self? lay to heart these three particulars: 1 The corruption of our nature, by reason of Original Sin. 2. Our manifold breach of Gods righteous Law, by actual sin. 3. The guilt and punishment due to us for them both. This being done, thou wilt see and find, thy necessity of a Redeemer. And it is thirst only that makes us relish our drink; hunger our meat. The full stomach of a Pharisee, surcharged with the superfluities of his own merits, will loath the honey-comb of Christs righteousnesse. This was it, which made the young Prodigal, to relish even servants fare; though before wanton, when full fed at home. No more relish feels the Pharisaical heart, in Christs blood, than in a chip, But O how acceptable, is the fountain of living waters, to the chased hart panting and braying. The blood of Christ, to the weary and tyred soul; to the thirsty conscience scorched with the sense of Gods wrath: he that presents him with it, how welcome is he? even as a special choice man, one of a thousand. And the deeper the sense of misery is, the sweeter the sense of mercy is.
Sect. XXXVIII.
Then if you would be satisfied for time to come, whether your Repentance, and conversion be true and sound; these particulars will infallibly inform you. If you shall persevere, (when this trouble for sin is over) in doing that which now you purpose, it is an infallible sign, your repentance is sound, otherwise not. If thou dost call to mind, the Vow which thou madst in Baptism, and dost thy endeavour to perform that, which then thou didst promise: If thou dost square thy life, according to the rule of Gods Word; and not after the rudiments of the world: If thou art willing to forsake all sin, without reserving one: (for otherwise that one sin may prove the bane of all thy graces: even as Gideon had seventy Sons, and but one Bastard: and yet that Bastard, destroyed all the rest that were Legitimate, Judg 9.5.) Sin is like the Ivy in the wall, cut off bough, branch, body, stump, yet some strings or other will sprout out again: Till the root be pluck't up, or the wall be pulled down and ruined, it will never utterly die.
Regeneration, or new birth, is a creation of new qualities in the soul, as being by nature only evil disposed. Gods children are known by this mark, they walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit, Rom. 8.1. If Christ have called you to his service, your life will appear more spiritual, and excellent than others.
As for your fails, 'tis a sign that sin hath not gained your consent, but committed a rape upon your soul; when you cry out to God. If the ravished Virgin under the Law cried out she was pronounced guiltlesse. A sheep may fall into the mire, but a swine delights to wallow in the mire. Great difference between a woman that is forced, though she cries out and strives, and an alluring Adulteresse.
Again, The thoughts of the godly are godly, of the wicked, worldly; and by these, good and evil men are best and truliest differenced one from another. Would we know our own hearts, and whether they be changed by a new birth? Examine we our thoughts, words, actions, passions; especially, our thoughts will inform us; for these cannot be subject to hypo…risie, as words and deeds are.
Sect. XXXIX.
Then by way of caution know; that a child may as soon create it self, a man in the state of Nature regenerate himself. We cannot act in the leas… unlesse God bestows upon us daily privative grace, to defend us from evil and daily positive grace, inabling us to do good. And those that are of Christ teaching, know both from the word, and by experience, that of themselve they are not only weak, but even dead to what is good; moving no mor… than they are moved: that their best works are faulty, all their sins dead…ly, all their natures corrupted originally. You hath he quickned, that wer… dead in trespasses and sins, Ephes. 2.1. Yea, we are altogether so dead in sin… that we cannot stir the least joynt, no not so much as feel our own deadness nor desire life, except God be pleased to raise and restore our souls from the death of sin, and grave of long custom, to the life of grace. Apt we ar… to all evil, but reprobate and indisposed to all grace and goodness; yea… to all the meanes thereof.
My powers are all corrupt, corrupt my will:
Marble to good, but wax to what is ill.
Insomuch, that we are not sufficient of our selves to think, much lesse … speak, least of all to do that which is good, 2 Cor. 3.5. Joh. 15.4, 5. I we have power to choose or refuse the object; to do these well we have no power. We have ability, we have will enough to undo our selves, scop… enough hell-ward; but neither motion, nor will to do good: that must b… put into us by him that gives both power and will, and power to will.
Finally, Each sanctified heart feels this, but no words are able sufficiently to expresse, what impotent wretches we are, when we are not sustain…ed. So that we have no merit, but the mercy of God to save us: nothin… but the blood of Christ, and his mediation to cleanse and redeem us: nothin… but his obedience to inrich us. As for our good works, we are altogether be… holding to God for them, not God to us; nor we to our selves: becaus… they are only his works in us.
Whatsoever thou art, thou owest to him that made thee: whatever tho… hast, thou owest to him that Redeemed thee. Therefore if we do any thin… amisse, let us accuse our selves: if any thing well, let us give all the praise … God. And indeed this is the test of a true or false Religion: that which teacheth us to exalt God most, and most to depresse our selves is the true that which doth most prank up our selves, and detract from God, is th… false. As Bonaventure well notes.