more that we have fetched no more vertue from him and brought no more glory to him It should be our grief on our death-bed that our lives have had so many blanks and blots in them that our duties have been so fly-blown with sin that our obedience hath been so imperfect and we have gone so lame in the waies of God When the soul is going out of the body it should swim to Heaven in a Sea of tears CHAP. XIV The removing the Impediments of Repentance BEfore I lay down the Expedients and Means conducing to Repentance I shall first remove the Impediments In this great City when you want water you search the cause whether the Pipes are broken or stopped that the current of water is hindered So when no water of Repentance comes though we have the Conduit-pipes of Ordinances see what the cause is where is the stop that these penitential waters do not run There are ten Impediments of Repentance 1. Men do not apprehend that they need Repentance they thank God all is well with them and they know nothing they should repent of Rev. 3. 17. Thou sayest I am rich and have need of nothing He who apprehends not any distemper in his body will not take the Physick prescribed This is the mischief sin hath done it hath not only made us sick but senseless When the Lord bade the people return to him they answered stubbornly Wherein should we return Mal. 3. 7. So when God bids men repent they say wherefore should they repent they know nothing they have done amiss Surely no disease worse than that which is Apoplectical 2. People conceit it an easie thing to repent It is but saying a few prayers a sigh or a Lord have mercy and the work is done This conceit of the easiness of Repentance is a great hinderance to it That which makes a person bold and adventrous in sin must needs obstruct Repentance but this opinion doth make a person bold in sin The Angler can let out his line as far as he will and then pull it in again So when a man thinks he can lash out in sin as far as he will and then pull in by Repentance when he list this must needs imbolden him in wickedness But to take away this false conceit of the easiness of Repentance consider 1. A wicked man hath a mountain of guilt upon him and is it easie to rise up under such a weight Is salvation per saltum Can a man jump out of sin into Heaven Can he leap out of the Devils arms into Abrahams bosom 2. If all the power in a sinner be employed against Repentance then it is not easie All the faculties of a natural man joyn issue with sin Ier. 2. 25. I have loved strangers and after them will I go A sinner will rather lose Christ and Heaven than his lusts death which parts man and wife will not part a wicked man and his sins and is it so easie to repent The Angel rolled away the stone from the Sepulchre but no Angel only God himself can roll away the stone from the the heart 3. Presuming thoughts of Gods mercy Many suck poison from this sweet flower Christ who came into the world to save sinners 1 Tim. 1. 15. is accidentally the occasion of many a mans perishing Though to the Elect he is the bread of life yet to the wicked he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a stone of stumbling 1 Pet. 2. 7. * To some his blood is sweet wine to others the water of Marah Some are softned by this Sun of Righteousness others are hardned Oh saith one Christ hath died he hath done all for me therefore I may sit still and do nothing Thus they suck death from the Tree of Life and perish by a Saviour So I may say of Gods mercy it is accidentally the cause of many a ones ruine Because of mercy men presume and think they may go on in sin But should a Kings clemency make his subjects rebel The Psalmist saith there is mercy with God that he may be feared Psal. 130. 4. but not that we may sin Can men expect mercy by provoking justice God will hardly shew them mercy who sin because mercy abounds 4. A supine sluggish temper Repentance is looked upon as a tedious thing and such as requires much industry and men are settled upon their lees and care not to stir They had rather go sleeping to Hell than weeping to Heaven Prov. 19. 24. A slothful man hideth his hands in his bosom he will not be at the labour of smiting on his breast Many will rather lose Heaven than ply the oar and row thither upon the waters of Repentance We cannot have the world citra pulverem without labour and diligence and would we have that which is more excellent Sloth is the canker of the soul Prov. 19. 15. Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep It was a witty fiction of the Poets when Mercury had cast Argus into a sleep and with an inchanted Rod closed his eyes then he killed him When Satan hath by his witcheries lull'd men asleep in sloth then he destroyes them Some report while the Crockadil sleeps with his mouth open the Indian Rat gets into his belly and eats up his entrails So while men sleep in security they are devoured 5. Another obstruction of Repentance is the tickling pleasure of sin â—… Thes. 2. 12. Who take pleasure in unrighteousness Sin is a sugred draught but mixed with poison The sinner thinks there is danger in sin but there is delight and the danger doth not so terrifie him as the delight bewitcheth him Plato calls love of sin a great Devil Delighting in sin hardens the heart In true Repentance there must be a grieving for sin but how can one grieve for that which he loves He who delights in sin can hardly pray against it his heart is so inveagled with sin that he is afraid of leaving it too soon Sampson doted on Dalilahs beauty and her lap proved his grave When a man rolls iniquity as a Sugared lump under his tongue it infatuates him and is his death at last Delight in sin is a silken halter 2 Sam. 2. 26. Will it not be bitterness in the latter end 6. An opinion that Repentance will take away our joy but that is a mistake it doth not crucifie but clarifie our joy and take it off from the fulsom lees of sin What is all earthly joy it is but Hilaris insania a pleasant phrensy Falsa inter gaudia noctem 〈◊〉 Worldly mirth is but like a feigned laugh it hath sorrow following at the heels As the Magitians Rod it is instantly turned into a Serpent But divine Repentance like Sampsons Lion hath an hony-comb in it Gods Kingdom consists as well in joy as in righteousness Rom. 4. 17. None are so truly chearful as penitent ones Est quaedam flere
7. 13. 5. It is a breaking the heart of God Ezek. 6. 9. I am broken with your whorish heart as a loving husband is with the unchast carriage of his wife 6. Sin when acted to the height is a crucifying Christ afresh and putting him to open shame Heb. 6. 6. That is impudent sinners pierce Christ in his Saints and were he now upon earth they would crucifie him again in his person Behold the odious nature of sin 3. Look upon sin in its comparison and it appears ghastly Compare sin either with affliction or Hell and it is worse than both 1. Compare sin with Affliction sickness poverty death and it is worse than these There 's more malignity in a drop of sin than in a Sea of affliction For Sin is the cause of affliction and the cause is more than the effect The sword of Gods justice lies quiet in the scabbard â—…ill sin draws it out Affliction is good for us Psal. 119. 71. It is good for me that I was afflicted Affliction causeth Repentance 2 Chron. 33. 12. The Viper being stricken casts up its poison So Gods Rod striking us we spit away the poison of sin Affliction betters our grace Gold is purest and Juniper sweetest in the fire Affliction prevents damnation 1 Cor. 11. 32. Therefore Maurice the Emperour prayed to God to punish him in this life that he might not be punished hereafter So that affliction is many waies for our good but sin hath no good in it Manasseh's affliction brought him to humiliation but Iudas his sin brought him to desperation Affliction doth only reach the body but sin goes further it poisons the fancy disorders the affections Affliction is but corrective sin is destructive Affliction can but take away the life sin takes away the soul Luk. 12. 20. A man that is afflicted may have his conscience quiet When the Ark was tossed on the waves Noah could sing in the Ark. When the body is afflicted and tossed a Christian can make melody in his heart to the Lord Ephes. 5. 19. But when a man commits sin conscience is terrified witness Spira who upon his abjuring the Faith said he thought the damned spirits did not feel those torments which he inwardly endured In affliction one may have the love of God Rev. 3. 19. If a man should throw a bag of money at another and in throwing it should hurt him a little and raise the skin he would not take it unkindly but look upon it as a fruit of love So when the Lord bruiseth us with affliction it is to enrich us with the golden graces and comforts of his Spirit all is in love But when we commit sin God withdraws his love When David had sinned he felt nothing but displeasure from God Psal. 97. 2. Clouds and darkness are round about him David found it so he could see no Rainbow no Sun-beam nothing but clouds and darkness about Gods face That sin is worse than affliction is evident because the greatest judgement God laies upon a man in this life is to let him sin without controll When the Lords displeasure is most severely kindled against a person he doth not say I will bring the Sword and Plague on this man but I will let him sin on Psal. 81. 11. So I gave them up to their own hearts lusts Now if the giving a man up to his sins in the account of God himself is the most dreadful evil then sin is far worse than affliction and if it be so then how should it be hated by us 2. Compare sin with Hell and you shall see that sin is worse Torment hath its emphasis in Hell yet nothing there is of so bad an aspect as sin 1. Hell is of Gods making but sin is none of his making Sin is the Devils creature 2. The torments of Hell are a burden only to the sinner but sin is a burden to God Amos 2. 13. I am pressed under you as a Cart is pressed with sheaves 3. In the torments of Hell there is something that is good namely the execution of divine justice There is justice to be found in Hell but sin is a piece of the highest injustice it would rob God of his glory Christ of his purchase the soul of its happiness Judge then if sin be not a most hateful thing that is worse than affliction or Hell 4. Look upon sin in the issue and consequence and it will appear hateful Sin reacheth the body it hath exposed it to variety of miseries We come into the world with a â—…ry and go out with a groan which made the Thracians weep on their childrens birth-day to consider the calamities they were to undergo in the world Sin is the Trojan Horse out of which come a whole Army of troubles I need not name them because almost every one feels them While we suck the hony we are pricked with the briar Sin gives a dash in the wine of our comforts it digs our grave Rom. 5. 12. Sin reacheth the soul By sin we have lost the Image of God wherein did consist both our sanctity and majesty Adam in his pristine glory was like an Herald that hath his Coat of Arms upon him all reverence him because he carries the Kings Coat of Arms but pull this Coat off and no man regards him Sin hath done this disgrace to us it hath plucked off our Coat of Innocency but that is not all this bearded arrow of sin would strike yet deeper it would for ever separate us from the beatifical vision of God in whose presence is fulness of joy If sin then be so hyperbolically sinful it may swell our spleen and stir up our implacable indignation against it As Ammons hatred of Tamar was greater than the love wherewith he had loved her 2 Sam. 13. 15. So we should hate sin infinitely more than ever we loved it SECT VI. 6. THE sixth Ingredient in Repentance is turning from sin Reformation is left last to bring up the rear of Repentance What though one could with Niobe weep himself into a stone if he did not weep out sin True Repentance like aqua fortis eats asunder the Iron chain of sin therefore weeping and turning are put together Ioel 2. 12. After the cloud of sorrow hath dropped in tears the firmament of the soul is clearer Ezek. 14. 6. Repent and turn your selves from your Idols and turn away your faces from all your abominations This turning from sin is called a forsaking of sin Isa. 55. 7. As a man forsakes the company of a thief or forcerer 'T is called a putting sin far away Iob 11. 14. As Paul put away the Viper and shook it into the fire Act. 28. 5. Dying to sin is the life of Repentance That very day a Christian turns from sin he must enjoyn himself a Perpetual Fast. The eye must fast from impure glances the ear must fast
her solemn engagements she played fast and loose with God and ran after her Idols We see by experience when a person is on his sick-bed what protestations will he make if God recover him again yet he is as bad as ever He shews his old heart in a new temptation Resolution against sin may arise 1. From present extremity not because sin is sinful but because it is painful This Resolution will vanish 2. Resolution against sin may arise from fear of future evil an apprehension of death and Hell Rev. 6. 8. I looked and behold a pale horse and his name that sate on him was death and Hell followed after him What will not a sinner do what vows will he not make when he knows he must die and stand before the Judgement seat Self-love raiseth a sick-bed vow and love of sin will prevail against it Trust not to a passionate resolution it is raised in a storm and will die in a calm 3. The third Deceit about Repentance is the leaving many sinful courses 'T is a great matter I confess to leave sin So dear is sin to a man that he will rather part with a child than a lust Micah 6. 7. Shall I give the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul But sin may be parted with yet no Repentance 1. A man may part with some sins and keep other As Herod reformed many things amiss but could not leave his incest 2. An old sin may be left to entertain a new As you put off an old servant to take another This is to exchange a sin Sin may be exchanged and the heart not changed He who was a Prodigal in his youth turns an Usurer in his old age A slave is sold to a Jew the Jew sells him to a Turk here is the Master changed but he is a slave still So a man removes from one vice to another but he is a sinner still 3. A sin may be left not so much from strength of grace as from moral grounds A man sees that though such a sin be for his Tooth yet it is not for his interest It will ecclipse his credit prejudice his health impair his estate therefore upon prudential reasons he gives it a dismiss The true leaving of sin is when the acts of sin cease from the infusion of a principle of grace As the air ceaseth to be dark from the infusion of light CHAP. IV. Opening the Nature of True Repentance I Shall next come to shew what Gospel-Repentance is Repentance is a grace of Gods Spirit whereby a sinner is inwardly humbled and visibly reformed For a further amplification of Repentance know that Repentance is a spiritual medicine made up of six special Ingredients if any one be left out it loseth its vertue 1. Sight of Sin 2. Sorrow for Sin 3. Confession of Sin 4. Shame for Sin 5. Hatred for Sin 6. Turning from Sin SECTION I. 1. THE first Ingredient in Repentance is Sight of Sin The first part of Christs Physick is Eye-salve Act. 26. 18. 'T is the great thing noted in the Prodigals Repentance Luk. 15. 17. He came to himself He saw himself a sinner and nothing but a sinner Before a man can come to Christ he must come to himself Solomon in his description of Repentance puts this in as the first Ingredient 1 King 8. 47. If they shall bethink themselves A man must first recognize and consider what his sin is and know the plague of his heart ere he can be duly humbled for it The first creature God made was Light So the first thing in a penitent is illumination Ephes. 5. 8. Now ye are light in the Lord. The eye is made both for seeing and weeping Sin must first be seen before it can be wept for Hence I infer where there is no sight of sin there can be no Repentance Many who can spy faults in others see none in themselves They cry they have good hearts Were it not strange that two should live together and eat and drink together yet not know one another Such is the case of a sinner his body and soul live together walk together yet he is unacquainted with himself He knows not his own heart nor what an Hell he carries about him Under a vail a deformed face is hid Persons are vailed over with ignorance and self-love therefore see not what deformed souls they have The Devil doth with them as the Faulkner with the Hawk blinds them and carries them hooded to Hell Zach. 11. 17. The sword shall be upon his right eye Men have insight enough into worldly matters but the eye of their mind is smitten they see not any evil in sin The sword is upon their right eye SECT II. 2. THE second Ingredient into Repentance is Sorrow for Sin Psal. 38. 18. I will be sorry for my sin Ambrose calls sorrow the imbittering of the soul. The Hebrew word to be sorrowful signifies to have the soul as it were crucified* This must be in true Repentance Zach. 12. 10. They shall look upon me whom they have pierced and â—…ourn As if they did feel the nails of the Cross sticking in their sides A woman may as well expect to have a child without pangs as one can have Repentance without sorrow He that can believe without doubting suspect his faith and he that can repent without sorrowing suspect his Repentance Martyrs shed blood for Christ and penitents shed tears for sin Luk. 7. 38. She stood at Iesus feet weeping See how this limbeck dropped the sorrow of her heart ran out at her eye The brazen lavor for the Priests to wash in Exod. 30. 18. did tipifie a double lavor The lavor of Christs blood we must wash in by Faith and the lavor of tears we must wash in by Repentance A true Penitentiary labours to work his heart into a sorrowing frame he blesseth God when he can weep he is glad of a rainy-day He knows 't is a Repentance he shall have no cause to repent of Though the bread of sorrow be bitter to the taste yet it strengthens the heart This sorrow for sin is not facil It is an holy Agony 'T is called in Scripture a breaking of the heart Psal. 51. 17. The Sacrifices of God are a broken heart And a rending of the heart Ioel 2. 13. Rend your hearts* The expressions of smiting of the thigh Ier. 31. 19. knocking on the breast Lâ—…k 18. 13. putting on of sackcloth Isa. 22. 12. plucking off the hair Ezra 9. 3. What are all these but outward signs of inward sorrow This sorrow must be 1. To make Christ precious O how desirable is a Saviour to a troubled soul Now Christ is Christ indeed and mercy is mercy indeed Till the heart be full of compunction it is not fit for Christ How welcome is a Chyrurgion to
The house that was only swept and garnished Satan entred into Luke 11. 26. This was the emblem of a moral man who is swept by civility and garnished with common gifts but is not washed by true Repentance the unclean spirit enters into such an one If civility were sufficient to salvation Christ needed not to have died The Civilian hath a fair Lamp but it wants the oyl of grace 5. Repentance is needful for Hypocrites I mean such as allow themselves in the sin Hypocrisie is the counterfeiting of sanctity The Hypocrite or stage-player is gotten a step beyond the moralist and doth dress himself in the gâ—…rb of Religion he pretends to a form of godliness but denies the power 2 Tim. 3. 5. The Hypocrite is a Saint in jest he makes a majestick shew like an Ape clothed in Ermyn or Purple The Hypocrite is like an house with a beautiful frontispiece but every room within is dark he is a rotten post fairly gilded under his mask of profession he hides his plague-sores The Hypocrite is against painting of faces but he paints holiness he is seemingly good that he may be really bad In Samuels mantle he plaies the Devil therefore the same word in the original signifies to use Hypocrisie and to be prophane * The Hypocrite seems to have his eyes nailed to Heaven but his heart is full of impure lustings he lives in secret sin against his conscience he can be as his company is and act both the Dove and the Vulture he hears the word but is all ear he is for Temple-devotion where others may look upon him and admire him but he neglects family and closet prayer Indeed if prayer doth not make a man leave sin sin will make him leave prayer The Hypocrite feigns humility but it is that he may rise in the world he is a pretender to faith but he makes use of it rather for a cloak than a shield he carries his Bible under his arm but not in his heart his whole Religion is a demure lye Hos. 11. 12. But is there such a generation of men to be found the Lord forgive them their holiness Hypocrites are in the gall of bitterness Act. 8. 23. O how had they need humble themselves in the dust they are far gone with the rot and if any thing cure them it must be feeding upon the salt Marshes of Repentance Let me speak my mind freely none will find it more difficult to repent than Hypocrites they have so jugled in Religion that their treacherous hearts know not how to repent Hypocrisie is harder to cure than Phrensie The Hypocrites Imposthume in his heart seldom breaks If it be not too late seek yet to God for mercy Such as are guilty of prevailing Hypocrisie let them fear and tremble their condition is sinful and sad 1. Sinful because they do not embrace Religion out of choice but design they do not love it only paint it 2. Sad and that upon a double account 1. Because this art of deceit cannot hold long He who hangs out a sign but hath not the commodity of grace in his heart must needs break at last 2. Because Gods anger will fall heavier upon Hypocrites they dishonour God more and take away the Gospels good name therefore the Lord reserves the most deadly Arrows in his quiver to shoot at them If Heathens be damned Hypocrites shall be double-damned Hell is called the place of Hypocrites Mat. 14. 5. 1. As if it were chiefly prepared for them and were to be settled upon them in feâ—…simple 6. Repentance is necessary for Gods own people who have a real work of grace and are Israelites indeed they must offer up a daily sacrifice of tears The Antinomians hold that when any come to be Believers they have a Writ of Ease and there remains nothing for them now to do but to rejoyce Yes they have something else to do and that is to repent Repentance is a continued act The issue of godly sorrow must not be quite stopp'd till death Hierom writing in an Epistle to Laeta tells her that her life must be a life of Repentance Repentance is called a crucifying the old man which is not done on a sudden but leisurely it will be doing all our life And is there not a great deal of cause why Gods own people should go into the weeping bath 2 Chron. 28. 10. Are there not with you even with you sins against the Lord Have not you sins of daily incursion Though you are Diamonds have you no flaws Do we not read of the spots of Gods children Search with the Candle of the Word into your hearts and see if you can find no matter of Repentance there 1. Repent of your rash censuring instead of praying for others you are ready to passe a Verdict upon them 'T is true the Saints shall judge the world 1 Cor. 6. 2. But stay your time remember the Apostles caution 1 Cor. 4. 5. Iudge nothing before the time till the Lord come 2. Repent of your vain thoughts These swarm in your minds as the Flies did in King Pharaohs Court What beweildrings are there in the imagination If Satan doth not possess your bodies he doth your fancies Ier. 4. 4. How long shall vain thoughts lodge within thee A man may think himself into Hell O ye Saints be humbled for this lightness in your head 3. Repent of your vain fashions 'T is strange that the garments which God hath given to cover shame should discover pride The godly are bid not to be conformed to this world Rom. 12. 2. People of the world are garish and light in their dresses It is in fashion now adaies to go to Hell but whatever others do yet let not Iudah offend Hos. 4. 15. The Apostle hath set down what upper garment Christians must wear 1 Tim. 2. 9. Modest apparel and what under-garment 1 Pet. 5. 5. Be ye clothed with humility 4. Repent of your decaies in grace Rev. 2. 4. Thou hast left thy first love Christians how often is it Low-water in your souls how often doth your cold fit come upon you where are those flames of affection those sweet meltings of spirit as once you had I fear they are melted away O repent for leaving your first love 5. Repent of your non-improvement of Talents Health is a talent estate is a talent wit and parts are talents and these God hath intrusted you with to improve for his glory He hath sent you into the world as a Merchant sends his Factor beyond the Seas to trade for his Masters advantage But you have not done the good you might Can you say Lord thy pound hath gained five pounds Luk. 19. 18. Oh mourn at the burial of your talents Let it grieve you that so much of your age hath not been time lived but time lost that you have fill'd up
repented brought their Books and by way of revenge burned them Act. 19. 19. These are the blessed fruits and products of Repentance and if we can find these in our souls we have arrived at that Repentance which is never to be repented of CHAP. XI A necessary Caution inserted SUch as have solemnly repented of their sins let me speak to them 1. By way of Caution Though Repentance be so necessary and excellent as you have heard yet take heed that you do not ascribe too much to Repentance The Papists are guilty of a double errour 1. They make Repentance a Sacrament Christ never made it so and who may institute Sacraments but he who can give vertue to them Repentance can be no Sacrament because it wants an outward sign A Sacrament cannot properly be without a sign 2. The Papists make Repentance meritorious they say it doth ex congruo merit pardon this is a gross errour Indeed Repentance fits us for mercy As the Plough when it breaks up the ground fits it for the seed So when the heart is broken up by Repentance it is fitted for remission but it doth not merit it God will not save us without Repentance nor yet for it Repentance is a qualification not a cause I grant repenting tears are precious they are as Gregory saith the fat of the sacrifice And as Basil saith the medicine of the soul. And as Bernard the wine of Angels but yet tears are not satisfactory for sin We drop sin with our tears therefore they cannot satisfie Austin saith well I have read of Peters tears but no man ever read of Peters satisfaction Christs blood only can merit pardon We please God by Repentance but we do not satisfie him by it To trust to our Repentance is to make it a Saviour Though Repentance helps to purge out the filth of sin yet it is Christs blood washeth away the guilt of sin therefore do not idolize Repentance Do not rest upon this that your heart hath been wounded for sin but rather that your Saviour hath been wounded for sin When you have wept say as he Lord Iesus wash my tears in thy blood CHAP. XII Comfort to the Repenting Sinner 2. LET me in the next place speak by way of comfort Christian hath God given thee a repenting heart know these three things for thy everlasting comfort 1. Thy sins are pardoned Pardon of sin circumscribes blessedness within it Psal. 32. 1. Whom God pardons he crowns Psal. 1â—…3 4. Who forgiveth thy iniquities who crowneth thee with loving kindness A repenting condition is a pardoned condition Christ said to that weeping woman Thy sins which are many are forgiven Luk. 7. 47. Pardons are sealed upon soft hearts O thou whose head hath been a fountain to weep for sin Christs side will be a fountain to wash away sin Zach. 13. 1. Hast thou repented God looks upon thee as if thou hadst not offended he becomes a friend a father he will now bring forth the best Robe and put it on thee God is pacified towards thee and will with the Father of the Prodigal fall upon thy neck and kiss thee Sin in Scripture is compared to a cloud Isa. 44. 22. No sooner is this cloud scattered by Repentance but pardoning love shines forth Paul after his Repentance obtained mercy 1 Tim. 1. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I was all bestrowed with mercy When a spring of Repentance is open in the heart a spring of mercy is open in Heaven 2. God will pass an Act of Oblivion he so forgives sin as he forgets Ier. 31. 34. I will remember their sin no more Hast thou been penitentially humbled the Lord will never upbraid thee with thy former sins After Peter wept we never read that Christ upbraidâ—…d him with his denial of him God hath cast thy sins into the depth of the Sea Micah 7. 19. How not as Cork but as Lead The Lord will never in a judicial way account for them God when he pardons doth as a Creditor that blots the debt out of his Book Isa. 43. 25. * Some move the question whether the sins of the godly shall be mentioned at the last day The Lord saith he will not remember them and he is blotting them out So that if their sins be mentioned it shall not be to their prejudice for the debt-book is crossed 3. Conscience will now speak peace O the musick of conscience Conscience is turned into a paradise and there a Christian doth sweetly solace himself and pluck the flowers of joy 2 Cor. 1. 12. The repenting sinner can go to God with boldness in prayer and look upon him not as a Judge but a Father He is born of God and is heir to a Kingdom Luk. 6. 20. He is incircled with Promises he no sooner shakes the tree of the Promise but some fruit falls To conclude the true penitentiary may look on death with comfort his life hath been a life of tears and now at death all tears shall be wiped away Death shall not be a destruction but a Gaol-delivery Thus you see what great comfort remains for repenting sinners Luther said before his conversion he could not endure that bitter word Repentance but afterwards he found much sweetness in it CHAP. XIII The resolving of a Question SOme may propound a question Whether must our Repentance and sorrow be alwaies alike A. Though Repentance must be alwaies kept alive in the soul yet there are two special times wherein we must renew our Repentance in an extraordinary manner 1. Before the receiving of the Lords Supper This spiritual Passeover is to be eaten with bitter herbs Now our eyes should be fresh broached with tears and the stream of sorrow overflow A repenting frame is a sacramental frame A broken heart and a broken Christ do well agree The more bitterness we taste in sin the more sweetness we shall taste in Christ. When Iacob wept he found God And he called the name of the place Peniel for I have seen God face to face Gen. 32 30. The way to find Christ comfortably in the Sacrament is to go weeping thither Christ will say to an humble penitent as to Thomas Reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side and let those bleeding wounds of mine heal thee Another time of extraordinary Repentance is at the hour of death This should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a weeping season Now is our last work to be done for Heaven and our best wine of tears should be kept against such a time We should repent now that we have sinned so much and wept so little that Gods bag hath been so full and his bottle so empty We should repent now that we repented no sooner that the garrisons of our hearts held out so long against God ere they were levelled by Repentance We should repent now that we have loved Christ no
away the heart from God The sinner takes his leave of God he bids farewel to Christ and mercy Every step forward in sin is a step backward from God Isa. 1. 4. They have forsaken the Lord they are gone away backward The further one goes from the Sun the nearer he approacheth to darkness the further the soul goes from God the nearer it approach to misery 2. Sin is a walking contrary to God Levit. 26. 27. The same word in the Hebrew * signifies both to commit sin and to rebel Sin is Gods opposite If God be of one mind sin will be of another If God saith sanctifie the Sabbath sin saith prophane it Sin strikes at Gods very being If sin could help it God should be no longer God Isa. 30. 11. Cause the holy One of Israel to cease from before us What an horrible thing is this for a piece of proud dust to rise up in defiance against its maker 3. Sin is an injury to God For 1. It violates his Laws here is crimen laesae majestatis What greater injury can be offered to a Prince than to trample upon his royal edicts A sinner offers contempt to the Statute-Laws of Heaven Nehem. 9. 26. They have cast thy Law behind their back as if they scorned to look upon it 2. Sin robs God of his due You injure a man when you do not give him his due The soul belongs to God he laies a double claim to it it is his by creation and purchase now sin steals the soul from God and gives the Devil that which of right belongs to God 4. Sin is profound ignorance The School-men say All sin is founded in ignorance did men know God in his purity and justice they durst not go on in a course of sinning Ier. 9. 3. They proceed from evil to evil and know not me saith the Lord. Therefore ignorance and lust are joyned together 1 Pet. 1. 14. Ignorance is the womb of lust Vapours arise most in the night The black vapours of sin arise most in a dark ignorant soul. Satan casts a mist before a sinner that he sees not the flaming sword of Gods wrath The Eagle first rolls himself in the sand and then flies at the Stagg and by fluttering his wings so bedusts the Staggs eyes that he cannot see and then he strikes him with his tallons So Satan that Eagle or Prince of the Air first blinds men with ignorance and then wounds them with his darts of temptation Is sin ignorance there 's great cause to repent of ignorance 5. Sin is a piece of desperateness In every transgression a man runs an apparent hazard of his soul he treads upon the brink of the bottomless pit Foolish sinner thou never committest a sin but thou dost that which may undo thy soul for ever He who drinks poison it is a wonder if it doth not cost him his life One taste of the forbidden tree lost Adam Paradise One sin of the Angels lost them Heaven One sin of Saul lost him his Kingdom The next sin thou committest God may clap thee up prisoner among the damned Thou that gallopest on in sin it is a question whether God will spare thy life a day longer or give thee an heart to repent so that thou art desperate even to phrensy 6. Sin is a befilthying thing it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 filthiness Iam. 1. 21. The Greek word signifies the putrid matter of ulcers Sin is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an abomination Deut. 7. 25. Nay in the plural abominations* Deut. 20. 18. This filthiness in sin is inward a spot in the face may easily be wiped off but to have the liver and lungs tainted is far worse Such a pollution is sin it hath gotten into the mind and conscience Tit. 1. 15. 'T is compared to a menstruous cloth Isa. 30. 22. The most unclean thing under the Law A sinners heart is like a field spread with dung Some think sin an ornament it is rather an excrement So doth sin befilthy a person that God cannot abide the sight of him Zach. 11. 8. My soul loathed them 7. In sin is odious ingratitude God hath â—…ed thee O sinner with Angels food he hath crowned thee with variety of mercies yet dost thou go on in sin As David said of Nabal in vain have I kept this mans sheep 1 Sam. 25. 21 So in vain hath God done so much for the sinner All Gods mercies may upbraid yea accuse the ungrateful person May God say I gave thee wit health riches and thou hast imployed all these against me Hos. 2. 8. I gave them corn and wine and oyl and multiplied their silver and gold which they prepared for Baal I sent in provisions and they served their Idols with them The Snake in the fable which was frozen stung him that brought it to the fire and gave it warmth So a sinner goes about to sting God with his own mercies Is this thy kindness to thy friend Did God give thee life to sin Did he give thee wages to serve the Devil 8. Sin is a debasing thing it degrades a person of his honour Nahum 1. 14. I will make thy grave for thou art vile This was spoken of a King he was not vile by birth but by sin Sin blots our name taints our blood nothing doth so change a mans glory into shame as sin doth 'T is said of Naaman He was a great man and honourable but he was a leper 2 Kin. 5. 1. Let a man be never so great with worldly Pomp yet if he be wicked he is a leper in Gods eye To boast of sin is to boast of that which is our infamy as if a Prisoner should boast of his fetters or be proud of his halter 9. Sin is a damage In every sin there is infinite loss Never did any thrive by grazing on this Common What doth one lose he loseth God he loseth his peace he loseth his soul. The soul is a divine spark lighted from Heaven it is the glory of the Creation and what can countervail this loss Matth. 16. 26. If the soul be gone the treasure is gone so that in sin there is infinite loss Sin is such a trade that whosoever follows it is sure to break 10. Sin is a burthen Psal. 38. 4. My iniquities are gone over my head as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me The sinner goes with his weights and fetters on him The burden of sin is ever worst when it is least felt Sin is a burden where-ever it comes Sin burdens God Amos 2. 3. I am pressed with your sins as a Cart is pressed under the sheaves Sin burdens the soul what a weight did Spira feel how was Iudas his conscience burdened insomuch that he hanged himself to quiet his conscience They that know what sin is will repent that they carry such