Pauls preaching So the Apostle Peter saith 1. Pet. 1.23 Being borneanew not of mortall seed but of immortall by the word of God c. Like wise Saint Iames saith Iames 1.18 Of his own wil begat be vs with the word of truth And S. Paul saith to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 4.15 That in Christ Iesus he begot them through the Gospell And the Lord saith by his prophet Ieremy Ierem. 23.29 That his word was like a fire and like a hammer that breaketh the stone Al which places doe prooue that the word is the ordinarie instrumentall eause of a mans repentance and conuersion as also these reasons consirme it Reason 1. First because it is so powerfull and pearcing as the author to the Hebrues saith Heb. 4.12 That it is liuely mighty in operation sharper thē any two edged sword c. Which power it hath not from any inherent qualitie in it selfe or from man that preacheth it but because of the supernaturall power of God who as the Apostle saith to the Galathians Galath 2.8 was mightie by Peter in the Apostleship ouer the Circumcision and was mighty by him also toward the Gentiles Noting that when men are conuerted by the preaching of the word and it is powerfull to that purpose it hath it not of it self but from God but howsoeuer it is indeed powerfull Psalm 19.7 and doth conuert the soule Reason 2. The second reason is because faith is one immediate cause and beginning of repentance Now faith is begotten by the word therefore repentance also must needes come by the word As touching faith the Apostle to the Romans saith Rom. 10.17 Faith is by hearing and hearing by the word of God Therefore preaching the word being the cause of faith it must needs be the cause of repentance Causa causae causa causati Reason 3. The third reason is Because the conuersion of men is the seale and only miracle that the Gospell now hath And it is vsuall with the Lord in working miracles to shadow them by outward meanes that he might conceale his owne worke specially from vnbeleeuers As Salomon saith Prou. 25.1 The glorie of God is to conceale a thing secret Then it is his glory to couer this miracle by this outward meanes 1. Cor. 1.21 and by so foolish and base a thing as preaching is in the eies of the world to worke this great wonder and to saue men designed by Satan to destruction And when I say the word is the instrumentall cause of repentance I exclude not the law as that which helpeth to this though properly it worke it not for by bringing men to the sight and knowledge of their sinnes and miseries it prepareth them for the receiuing of that grace and mercie which is propounded in the Gospel as an eating corasiue which maketh way for a healing medicine But the Gospell is the message of glad tidings and mairing the promises of pardon ◅dre◅sission of fumes is that which especially worketh it or that which doth throughly worke it in men Vse 1. Now for to make vse of this truth vnto our selues First This may teach vs that their case is fearefull that are without the preaching of the word because they are without the ordinarie meanes and so without hope to come to repentance as Iewes Turkes and Infidels that are depriued of the word and they that liue in corners where the sound of it is not heard It was a fearefull curse when Christ said vnto his Apostles Matth. 10.5 Goe not into the way of the Gentiles and into the cities of the Samaritans enter ye not And now that some haue found mercy which sought it not and others are still left in their darkenes and horrible blindnes it is no lesse fearefull when God denieth still the ministerie of the word vnto them and saith as it were vnto his ministers preach not there for it is as if he had said I will not haue these conuerted as Augustine saith Quoniam vt crederent non erat ijs datum etiam vnde crederent est negatum Aug. de bono perseuerantiae God hath denied vnto men the meanes whereby they should beleeue because hee hath no purpose that they should beleeue And so God hath denied to men that by which they should be conuerted because he hath not purposed their conuersion Then wheresoeuer men want it either by the iudgement of God denying it to them or by their owne peeuishnesse withdrawing themselues from hearing the word or else not harkning to it hauing eares not boared but giuen to drowsines and sleepinesse and so they want it though they liue in the middest of it such an estate is a fearefull signe as if God had no purpose they should hee conuerted Vse 2. 2. Secondly this teacheth vs to acknowledge the happie condition of that people or that nation or place wheresoeuer God hath vouchsafed the preaching of the word to wit that it is a mauifest proofe hee hath a people there that hee would conuert and hath a desire to saue them As he said to Paul in the Acts when he was at Corinth Acts 18.18 Feare not but speake for I haue much people in this place Arguing that he had a people there whom hee meant to saue and therefore hee sent his word to them So whersoeuer God sendeth his word and giueth his ministers gifts and conscience to preach the word vnto any nation or people it is a signe hee fauoureth them and that he would haue them conuerted and be saued though not euery one that heareth it for many haue this but to make them more inexcusable and to increase their iudgement but only those to whom he giueth hearts and eares open vnto it which if it be so great a fauour from God then are wee to acknowledge the mercie of God that hath sent his Gospell amongst vs and giuen gifts vnto men to preach the same vnto vs. For wherefore hath God giuen his Ministers knowledge to preach the word is it only for themselues No verily for as they are men they could bee saued with as little knowledge as others But God hath giuen them gifts for the gathering together of his Church and for the conuersion of others And here we are to be stirred vp to walke worthie of this benefit lest it be remoued taken from vs and giuen to a nation that will bring forth better fruit For though we may be alreadie conuerted by the benefit of the ministery hitherto inioyed yet what shal become of our posterity euē of so many thousand infants or sucklings if they may not haue the means by which they may be conuerted If thē we haue any loue vnto thē that as they are our children by nature so they may be the children of God by grace let vs labour to walke worthie of this mercie that we may leaue it to our posteritie as our sathers left it to
would were it not some follie for a man to sinne because he hath a remedie But seeing it is not in his owne power but in the hand of God who must needes hate him for his sinne committed against him with a high hand and for his hardnes of heart who will not repent when hee calleth him to it but will goe on in his presumptuous sinning against him what can it bee but a double and treble follie And howsoeuer hee accounteth others fooles who make all their life a continuall practise of repentance yet indeede is there no foole to him and one day hee shall know that he deceiued himselfe with a vaine hope sinning with purpose of repentance hereafter and not indeed repenting or seeking it then when God called him to it but delaying still off thinking that the last day of his life or the last houre of that day would be time enough for his repentance Obiect Some will here say that the Scripture is plaine that at what time soeuer a man repenteth God will accept it Answ But know that a sinner cannot repent when he would If thou hadst the power of repentance in thine own hand it were somewhat but it being not in thy custodie but in Gods to dispose of and to giue when and to whom it pleaseth him in this case for thee still to liue and dwell in sinne it is but a delusion of Satan whereby he would bring thee to damnation so leading thee on in a fooles paradise vntill hee haue brought thee to hell Was it not a folly for the fiue wise virgins to slumber hauing their oyle readie at command knowing not how soone the bridegrome would come But were not the fiue foolish virgins thrice fooles that hauing no oyle fell asleepe and neglected it till the bridegrome came and then they would haue bought and knew not where to get it So if a man had the oyle of repentance to forsake sinne and to turne vnto God in his owne power it were somewhat lesse folly to deferre it but whereas hee hath it not what folly and madnes were it for him to deferre it till Christ come or death come when hee would bee glad to buy it with a thousand worlds if he had them and shall not know where to haue it or how to obtaine it Obiect But thou wilt say God is mercifull and so will giue me repentance when I seeke for it Answ I answere thee with asking thee how thou knowest God is mercifull I know thy answere the Scripture euery where telles vs that God is mercifull And doth it not also tell thee that he is iust Seest thou what makes with thee and not what is against thee Is it the mercie of God to giue repentance to them that seeke it and is it not the iustice of God to denie it them that contemne it Therefore as thou findest God is mercifull so thou shalt find the same God iust who in his iustice will denie thee repentance when thou seekest it because thou regardest it not when he offered it Art thou acquainted with those Scriptures which declare the mercies of God by calling thee to repentance and doest thou not know that place of the iustice of God which saith Prou. 2.14 Because I called ye refused I haue stretched out my hand and none would regard 26. I will also laughut your destruction and mock when your feare commeth 28. Then shall they call vpon me but I will not answer They shall seeke me early but they shall not find mee Then maist thou haue time and space to repent yea and teares to shed for it and yet neuer obtaine it For although Esau liued many a long day after hee had sold his birthright and sought it againe with teares yet he neuer obtained it There is but one acceptable time which being neglected is as a bird escaped out of the hand or a shaft shot out of the bow not to be recalled againe Do not then neglect it It may bee this euen this is the acceptable time this is the day of saluation if thou neglect it and as it were contemne God when he calleth thee now in the time of thy health it shal be iust with him to contemue thee whē thou art sicke and when thou callest to him in thy necessitie to stop his eares against thee Therfore doe not deceiue thy selfe to put off thy repentance as it is the practise of many thousands to their own destruction Augustine saith Sperādo desperando pereunt homines sperando malè in vita desperando peiùs in morte August hom 2. inter 50 By hoping and despairing many men perish by hoping ill in their liues and despairing worse in their deaths promising to themselues health that all shall be wel with them and that there is no feare nor neede as yet to repent or to seeke for it and so they are led on till they come to die when they find nothing but despaire Or if they die quietly in their beds and as it were goe singing to hell what then haue they gained by it To conclude and shut vp this point as I began it the onely worker of this grace in our hearts is the God of grace and not we our selues Cor curare solus potest qui finxit sigillatim corda nostra Chrysost hom 4. de Poenitent He only can cure our hearts which did frame and fashion them one by one Therfore to him must wee looke and suffer him to worke vpon our hearts yea we must pray instantly vnto him that as hee hath giuen vsspace to repent and calleth vs continually to it hee would work it in our harts and make vs able to do that which he requireth that so we may escape that he threatneth and enioy the good he hath promised The instrumentall cause of repentance The next thing to be considered of is the instrumental cause by which God worketh repentance in the hearts of men And that is either outward or inward The outward is the ministerie of the word The word is the instrumentall cause So then the doctrine is that God worketh repentance and conuersion in the harts of men by the preaching of the word ordinarily The preaching of the word the outward instrumentall cause of repentance I say ordinarily for he somtimes when it pleaseth him worketh it by some other meanes or without any meanes at all That this is the ordinary means is proued by Pauls words vnto Timothie 2. Tim. 2.25 who exhorteth him to Instruct them with meeknes that were contrarie minded prouing if at any time God would giue them repentance Noting that the author and giuer of it is God but the meanes by which hee doth worke it is the ministery of the word After this maner Acts 16.14 The Lord opened the heart of Lydia at the preaching of Paul that she attended vnto the things which Paul spake and so she was conuerted by
not ashamed but comming to the light and seeing them he blusheth and is ashamed and accounts himselfe not fit for mens companie for now his eies are altogether vpon his spots or the rents of his garments and such like So is it with this repentant for now his eies are fullie bent on his owne sinnes hee hath fresh remembrance of them and of all the circumstances aggrauating the hainousnesse of them so that none can be so feuere a Iudge of him as himselfe And hence it is that many men liue a long time some 20. some 30. some 40. or 50. yeeres and take themselues to be very honest men but when once they â—…e out of their securitie and are made to see their estate they are ashamed of themselues and thinke none more deformed and vile then they so that thus it appeareth that shame and true repentance goe together Reason 2. 2. Because else he wil neuer change and forsake his sinne at least as hee ought that is not ashamed of it nor sorrowfull for it whereas if hee bee ashamed and sorrowfull hee will put it away with indignation euen as the Iewes were commanded Isai 30.22 to cast away the couerings os siluer and the rich ornaments of their Images of gold as a menstruous cloth saying vnto it Get thee hence and as Ammon did Tamer 2. Sam. 13.15 whose hatred was greater then his loue wherewith hee had loued her and said vnto her Get thee hence Reason 3. 3 Because if he haue not feare his change will not be constant seeing how willing soeuer the spirit is yet the flesh is weake and not so weak as wilfull which being but a seruant and like to an vnchast wife must be subdued by the feare of the rod and kept from folly for feare of after-claps We see the doctrine we must now consider what vse we are to make of it Vse 1. 1. Then is this a hard saying for many for it excludeth them out of the number of repentants when hardly any of these three is to be found in them whereas all must bee or else they cannot be truely penitent For many men may wee vpbraid as the Prophet doth the people of God saying vnto them Ier. 3.3 Thou hast a whores forhead thou wouldest not be ashamed Such defending excusing and lessening of sin is practised among meÌ„ And if they happen to be ashamed of some notorious sins condeÌ„ned of al yet neuer of ordinarie sinnes which are customable with themselues or daily seene amongst men Or if sometimes before men because their presence is more sensible yet not in respect of God and his Angels who do more abhorre sinne and the filthines of it than any man can because they are more holle and pure Besides sorrow they haue none if any it is but as some men laugh from the teeth outward if it come to any bitternes of the heart then is it but worldly sorrow soone cured by worldly meanes and neuer godly sorrow or sorrow according to God for the sin which appeareth because they cannot endure to haue that sore rubbed on or to haue that scarre shewed vnto them And therefore they loath the pure and plaine preaching of the law as the Elephant doth the cleare waters being priuie of his deformities in his face And as much doe they abhorre the preaching of iudgement because they would not bee wakened and feared And therefore when the ministers by the preaching of the word come neere vnto their consciences and laie open their sinnes they then crie out that they driue them to despaire when it is not they but their owne sins neither commeth it from the word but from their corruptions So that these men while they cannot endure the law by which they may be made fee their sinnes and sorrow for them they are men in a miserable case withunto humilation and so impenitent and consequently in thestate of damnation Vse 2. Moreouer this may teach vs what to iudge of these men whom wee see smitten with sorrow and feare humbled vnder the hand of God hauing in them the sting of conscience or the compunction of heart which they had at the preaching of Peter Acts 2.37 crying Men and brethren what shall wee doe to be saâ—ed that we must not iudge them as 〈◊〉 men doe who haue no fense of these things as men subiect to foolish and me ancholilee passions but rather bothinke them not farre from repentance if they haue it not alreache We cannot happilie iudge infalliblie because we cannot discerne of the it sorrow and feare the cause being hid 〈◊〉 so may be deceiued when we thinke it is godly sorrow and is not But if we can finde no reason to the contrarie to iudge otherwise then know that by this meanes God is beginning to work repentance in them and to make them new men And howsoeuer it may seeme strange to those who haue had no experience therof yet how should it be otherwise but that mortall and weake man at the sight of his owne sinnes and the apprehension of the wrath of God due vnto them I say how should it bee but hee must needs be troubled with sorrow and feare seeing our Sauiour Christ who was a man without sinne and standing but in our stead and apprehending and feeling the wrath of God but for our sinnes was so troubled and grieued that hee sweat water and bloud and cried out My God â—…y God why hast thou forsaken me If he I say was thus dish essed then thinke it not strange that weake mortall man when he seeth his sine and feele hithe wrath of God due vnto them should be smitten with sorrow and feare And know it is not any mans part to triumph other them as commonly men do and make a mocke of them which is the practise not only of profane men but of those that professe ciuill honestie telling vs apparently that they neuer felt any such thing for if they had they would lay to their helping hand to comfort them Vse 3. Lastly this may teach euerie man to labour for this humiliation euen this which is inward If it bee but such sorrow and griefe as the wicked may haue and so may be without true repentance yet it is a meanes to let in the other but if it be true sorrow sorrow according to God it is as certaine a companion of true repentance as the heate is with the light in the Sunne being as needfull to saluation as it is often needfull for the preseruation of the bodily life that the patient bee by detraction of bloud brought to a swound and euen to deathes dore so it is needfull and much more that this repentant for the procuring of this spirituall life of the soule bee by sorrow and feare cast downe euen to the gates of hell as being forlorne and in a most wretched estate Example hereof we haue in Ezra who was so farre humbled for the sinnes of