Ioh. 4. Christ sat as a Iudge in her conscience and pinched her with that close imputation of adultery There was no dealing with Iob till the whirl-wind schooled Iob. him An vnhumbled sinner is as vnfit for Gods instruction as an vnbroken colt for the saddle and as the hard and clotty fallow ground not subdued by Ierem. 4. the plough is for the seede Who can weilde a mightie hard rocke but let it bee broken to fitters and stamped to dust the hand of the Artificer may worke it as he will When Isay Is 6. Acts 9. and Paul were tamed with the terrors of the Lord then Lord heere I am What wilt thou haue mee doe When the Lyons and Beares are meekned then a little childe may lead them Is 11. Hence those speeches The Lord shall direct the humble Humble Psalm 25. Mic. 6. 2. Chro. 30. 8. Ierem. 44. 10. thy selfe to walke with thy God Be not stiffe-necked but giue the hand to the Lord to be lead by him They are not humbled neither haue they walked in the wayes of the Lord. There is no more resistance in a bruised heart against the Lord then in soft waxe against the seale 5. To procure vs the sounder comfort Whole sores throb and rage Ease is by breaking The deeper the wound is searched and teinted and the sharper corrasiues be applied the sounder will the flesh be afterward The lower ebbe the higher tide The deeper our descent in Humiliation the higher our ascent in Consolation Therefore when Christ promiseth vs his spirit to be our Comforter he shewes this shall bee the first ground-worke of Comfort which hee shall lay the conuincing of our conscience of sinne I will send the Comforter and hee Ioh. 16. shall conuince the world of sinne A miserable Comforter one would thinke no but marke whether this Conuiction of sinne tends For it is added that he shall conuince them of righteousnesse After he hath soundly conuicted them of sinne in themselues vnto condemnation He shall to their comforts conuict their iudgements and perswade their hearts of righteousnesse in Christ vnto iustification So the Prophet sheweth how his peace was wrought out of his trouble When I heard my bellie Hab. 3. 16. trembled my lips shooke rottennesse entred into my bones and I trembled but marke the end of all this that I might rest in the day of trouble Surely after the most toylesome labour is the sweetest sleepe After the greatest tempests the stillest calmes Sanctified trouble establishes peace And the shaking of these windes makes the trees of Gods Eden take the deeper rooting 6. God heerein hath respect to his owne glory which he gaineth to himselfe in working thus by contraries ioy out of feare light out of darknesse heauen out of hell When he meant to blesse Iacob Gen. 32. he wrestled with him as an aduersary euen till hee lamed him When he meant to preferre Ioseph to the throne hee threw him downe into the dungeon to the golden chaine about the necke hee laded him with iron ones about his legges and caused the iron to Psal 105. enter into his soule When he meant to make a most beautifull and orderly world he makes first a vast gulfe a grosse Chaos wherein was nothing but darknesse and confusion and yet out of it he caused light to shine and out of it brought hee this goodly frame of heauen and earth which now wee see Euen so in the second creation which is by Regeneration first there is nothing but a hellish Chaos of darkenesse in the minde of Confusion in the heart and yet at length comes forth the goodliest creature that euer was the new creature in Christ The Vse of all this is 1. To discouer their errour who thinke they haue true Repentance when they haue only some legall qualmes of sorrow some stirrings and stingings of conscience which euen the fiends in hell haue who yet are vncapable of Repentance Indeed these are preparations to Contrition as wee heard in the Elect and are as the pricking of the needle before the thread But contrition it selfe is a further matter Christ biddes the heauy loaden come vnto him and learne of him to bee humble A man therefore may be heauy loaden and as yet not come to him nor truely humbled When those whom Peter pricked asked what they should doe to be eased of that paine hee prescribed them Repentance as the salue for that sore of a wounded conscience A man may haue a sore and feele it and yet want the salue that should heale it And yet the feeling of the sore is the first step to recouery For this makes vs enquire after the salue 2. To terrifie such as being stupefied in conscience and are wholly vnsensible of sinne can carry it away lightly as Sampson did the gates of the city and their backes neuer complaine of the burthen These blocks that neuer in their life were moued with Gods threatnings neuer in any straight of conscience neuer groaned vnder the burthen of Gods anger they haue not so much as entred into the porch of this house or lift the foote ouer the threshold of this schoole of Repentance In Dauids Repentance for numbring the people this is noted at the first step his heart smote him So in 2. Sam. 24. his Repentance for adultery hee notes this to bee the ground My sinne is euer before me The terrible Psal 51. image thereof affrights me continually But for these Brutes their sinne is euer behinde them Nothing is before them but their profits their pleasures their bagges their barnes And the delightfull image of these things so bewitches and besots them that they will neuer see the face of sinne till they feele the fire of hell And iust it is that such who will not see sinne heere by the light of Gods word should at last see it for euer by the light of the Diuels fire 3. To comfort such as are distressed in conscience in the apprehension of Gods wrath against their sinne It is a speciall worke of the spirit thus to discouer vnto them their misery and in the sight thereof to touch their heart Yee haue not againe receiued Rom. 8. 15. the spirit of bondage vnto feare saith Paul The word Receiued implieth that the trouble of conscience is to be accounted of as a gift and the word Spirit shewes the author of the gift Heere is comfort then thou art in the way to saluation thou hast receiued the first gift which the spirit bestoweth vpon all those whom it bringeth to Repentance in that thou seest thy bondage and tremblest Yea but poore comfort thou wilt say to behold and feele God as an enemy with his sword wounding me then with his naile continually raking in the wounds with his axe continually hewing and hacking mee yea and quite cutting me downe and laying me flat on the ground Silly man who seest not the depth of Gods wisedome Gods
neuer yet truely humbled for their sinnes 3 In not daring Masterly and Iudge-like to censure 3. In not censuring for the humbled sinner finds so much matter at home within himselfe that he hath no leysure to looke so much into others And therfore though seuere to himselfe yet more milde to others in meekenesse of minde esteeming euery man better then Phil 2. 3. himselfe And those faults he sees in others he takes notice of happily in himselfe or else of others as bad at least of the seedes and inclinations to those sinnes Therefore Iames after he had commanded vs to humble our selues hee addes speake not euill Aut sumus aut fuimus aut possumus esse quod hic est Iam. 4. 10 11. one of another For how doth hee humble and cast downe himselfe that goes about to cast downe others and trample them vnder his feete 4 In abasing and submitting our selues to the lowest and meanest offices of loue to our brethren 4. In submitting to lowest offices Thus the humbled sinner will make himselfe a seruant vnto all and according to the Apostles commandement will serue others by loue and bearing other 1. Cor 9. 19. Gal. 5. 13. Gal. 6 2. mens burdens so fulfills the law of Christ CHAP. IX Of the contraries to Humiliation Despaire and a seared Conscience HItherto of the grace of Humiliation it selfe Now to adde a worde or two of the contraries to it Contrary to godly humiliation or contrition are these two 1. Desperation 2. The blockish the seared and sencelesse Conscience that is past feeling Both these indeed must be auoyded but Ephes 4. yet the latter of the two is more vsuall and more dangerous more vsuall because it is more pleasing to our nature whereas Desperation is more distastefull in regard of the bitternesse And therfore Sathan wants that bait to bring men to despaire which he hath to bring men to senslesse security Therefore heere we may say as they sang of Saul and Dauid Desperation slayes thousands Security Sam. ten thousands euen as more die of intemperancy of diet then are killed by the Sword so though Despaire be more fearefull yet Security is more frequent More dangerous also because Desparation may be turned sooner to good for that the despairing person is touched with the sight of his sins feeles his owne misery But the senslesse conscience is nothing so it hath neither sight of sin nor sense of misery Both these extreames of Desperation and of Senslesnesse come from one cause and that is the neglect of the prickes and wounds of conscience It is a great mercy of God to giue vs so faire warning from a monitour within our owne bosomes The warnings others giue vs wee are ready to except against Wee cannot except against the warnings of our owne hearts But as when milder correction preuailes not with our children wee proceed to seuerer discipline so when Conscience her gentler prickings are neglected shee falles to deeper wounding and cutting when rods will do no good God puts Scorpions into her hands to scourge vs to death Euery little prick of an accusation fetches as it were some blood from thy soule Now if presently with a repenting heart thou wouldest craue the bloud of Christ to be applyed to thy soule the bleeding would be stayed But because thou neglectest the bleeding and thinkest to stay it by base medicines of thine owne therefore the wound bleedes still and thou shalt dye of it And thus we see how desperation comes from the neglect of the pricks of Conscience But againe and that more commonly the Conscience growes seared and past feeling so that a man may now sinne freely and that without controule of Conscience after that hee hath once begunne to despise the admonitions and accusations thereof So we see the Father giues ouer correcting his vnhappy child when hee growes worse for all his correcting of him Thus many mens consciences deale with them speaking in a manner vnto them as God speakes to the Iewes Why should we smite you any more since ye fall away more and more you set light by our warning we will euen giue ouer Isay 1. 5. Conscience is Gods officer and it is set by God to doe the best office that can bee to vs. But when God sees his officer not regarded hee will discharge him of his office When a wound is not taken in time the flesh festers and growes dead and rotten so also it fares with the wounds of Conscience A wounding Conscience neglected will grow a dead Conscience O then howsoeuer thou mayst set light by the checkes and rebukes of men and mayst shake off them yet neuer reiect or con-contemne the checks of Conscience In any case take heed of that for either it will continually ring such a loud peale in thine eares as shall make them to tingle and thine heart to tremble or else that which is worse it shall for euer after hold its peace Doe wee then feele the priuy nippes and secret snibs and pulls of our consciences Let vs giue ear to so wholsome a rebuker Let vs seeke presently to the Lord for mercy and forgiuenesse Let vs humble our soules before him in confession Let vs put Conscience out of office no otherwise then thus that as Conscience hath accused vs to our selues so now we will goe and accuse our selues to our God For if Consciences roddes and checks cannot driue thee to Repentance whose should Many there are that in regard of their places are free from the rods and the cheekes of men as Kings and great ones Who dare checke them None may smite them yet God in mercy towards them will 2. Sam. 24. 10. haue their Conscience to smite them as Dauids heart smote him though a King Conscience takes no notice of Kingship Therefore all euen great States and they of all others must most listen to and heede the voice of Conscience lest otherwise it fare with vs as with those whom great and violent noises continually herd at length make deafe as in those that dwell by the fall of the riuer Nilus Or as it doth with vnlucky boyes who beeing vsed to the rodde at length harden themselues and regard it not CHAP. X. Of the names whereby the second part of Repentance viz. change of heart is set out in Scripture HItherto of the former part of Repentance 2. The second part of Repentance Conuersion where Mourning Humiliation or Contrition The second followeth Turning Reformation or Conuersion where consider wee 1. The Names 2. The Nature 3. The Practise of it 1. For the names they are more especially two 1. The names of it 1. An Hebrew name signifying Turning or Conuersion 2. A Greeke name signifying After-wit or wisdome The first name is a metaphor drawen from trauellers who hauing gone out of their way must come backe againe and returne into the right way if euer they meane to arriue vnto the intended period
Now the hard knotty wood must haue a hard wedge An angry word or looke workes more vpon a softly then an hundred blows would vpon a crosse and sturdy spirit Both these reasons hold also in S. Paul that Prince of the Apostles ordained of God to bee a worthier instrument then the rest being a man of great parts singular learning and withall as it should seeme by the story of a fierce and fiery spirit So great personages whose high places puffe them vp that they may truely repent had need to be taken down throughly with a deep sense of the legall terrors For euen we poore worms that haue nothing almost either in regard of our parts or places to make vs swell see yet what a do we haue to be humbled and what neede wee haue of the wedge of the Law and afflictions to be driuen in throughly into our hearts Quest 3. To what end and purpose doth the Lord thus exercise his children whom hee brings to repentance Answ There are more especially sixe reasons of Gods proceeding in this manner 1. To vrge them to seeke vnto Christ as the hunted beast flies to his den and the pursued malefactour to the hornes of the altar and as vnder the Law the chased man-killer to his city of refuge Thus Agar confounded with the sense of his owne brutishnesse fled vnto Ithiel and Vcal that is Christ Iesus Prou. 30. 1. 2. 3. Paul likewise when so followed by the Law that being almost out of breath he cried out Miserable man that I am hides himselfe in the hole of this rocke euen in the wounds of Christ I thanke God through Iesus Christ Rom. 7. Thus the destroying Angell droue the Israelites into their chambers and made them lurke there Exod. 12. 32. Is 26. 20. and Dauids deepes made him send foorth many a deepe sigh and strong cry to the throne of grace Psal 130. 1. as Christ himselfe did in the like case Hebr. 5. 2. To bring their tastes into better rellish with Christ Thirst makes vs rellish our drinke Hunger our meat The full stomacke of a Pharisie surcharged with the superfluities of his owne merits will loath the hony-combe of Christs righteousnesse Their heart is fat as grease saith Dauid but I delight in thy Law By the opposition shewing that Psal 119. 70. it is onely the leane heart pined and pinched with spirituall famine that feeles delight in the promises This was it which made that young Prodigall to rellish euen seruants fare though before wanton when full fed at home Nothing more vnsauoury to a senselesse brawny heart then Christs bloud No more rellish feeles hee in it then in a chip But ô how acceptable is the fountaine of liuing waters to the chased Hart panting and braying The bloud of Christ to the weary and tired soule to the thirsty conscience scorched with the sense of Gods wrath He that presents him with it how welcome is he euen as a speciall choyce man one of a thousand The deeper is the sense of misery Iob 33. 19. 23. the sweeter is the sense of mercy The traytour layd downe on the blocke is more sensible of his Soueraignes mercy in pardoning then he who is not yet attached Therefore cxcellently S. Paul God hath shut vp all vnder sinne that hee might haue mercy on all As though hee could not shew mercy without shewing iustice because wee cannot taste the sweet of his mercy vnlesse before our mouths be imbittered with the wormewood of his iustice With thee the father lee shall finde mercy saith repenting Hos 14. 4. Israel When a man is brought into the straits of a poore desolate shiftlesse orphane then is hee fit for mercy Sweetly Bernard God poures not the Deus non infundit oleum misericordiae nisi in vas contritum oyle of his mercy saue into a broken vessell For indeed whole vessels are full vessels And so Gods precious oyle would runne ouer and be spilt on the ground if powred into them Therefore first must they be emptied of their euill liquour and that they cannot vnlesse Gods hand shake tumble batter and breake them and then will they be capable of that oyle 3. To worke a more perfect cure of their sins For the cure of the stone in the heart is like that of the stone in the bladder God must vse sharpe incision and come with his pulling and plucking instruments and rend the heart in peeces ere that sin can be got out of it Euen as a tree that is deepely rooted in the earth cannot be pluckt vp by the very roots but the earth though firme before must be broke vp And as in a lethargie it is needefull the patient should be cast into a burning feuer because the senses are benummed and this will wake them and dry vp the besotting humors so in our dead security before our conuersion God is faine to let the Law Sinne Conscience and Sathan loose vpon vs and to kindle the very fire of hell in our soules that so wee might bee roused Our sinnes sticke close vnto vs as the prisoners bolt and wee are shut vp vnder them as in a strong prison and therefore vnlesse as once in Paul and Silas their case an earth-quake so heere there come a mighty heart-quake violently breaking open the prison doores and shaking of our fetters neuer shall wee get our liberty We goe on resolutely and stoutly in our sinnes and vnlesse wee bee scared as once Balaam in his couetousnesse by the naked sword of the Lord threatning destruction wee will neuer turne backe How violently did Sathan driue Paul in the way of persecution Would he euer haue giuen ouer if a contrary winde had not encountred him and blew him off his horse and smit him down to the ground dead and blinde But then hee had his lesson giuen him for euer persecuting more How now Paul is it good persecuting how now vnhappy venturous childe is it good running neer the fire the water when thy father shall take thee vp by the heeles and scorch thee and drench thee and almost let thee quite fall in How now Lot is it good staying in Sodome when fire and brimstone are comming about thine eares If Dauid like of his broken bones let him fall againe to murther and adultery If thou like the sowre sawce of a guilty hellish conscience fall to the sweet meat of thy sin and eat vnto surfet But this sowre sawce makes the Elect of God loath their meat though neuer so sweete When they see they cannot retaine their right hands eyes and feet without such aches such tortures yea and danger of the ouerthrow of the whole body then they yeelde them to the cutting and mortifying hand of the Surgeon Then farwell profit farwell pleasure treasure and all rather then I will endure such a racke such a hell in my conscience 4. To make vs the more pliable to Gods will How refractary was the woman of Samaria till
1. out of the belly of hell with Ionas call vpon God Euen when wounded by God they goe to him to Ion. 2. 2. be healed Come let vs returne to the Lord hee hath Hos 6. 1. wounded vs and he will heale vs. The Reprobate in hell weepe and waile and yet no godly sorrow there because they cannot crie to God Excellently Luther Hell were no hell if the least whispering vnto God could bee heard there Despaire stops the mouth of the Reprobate that they cannot speake one word to God in their deiections so as the godly do As Ionas complaining of God in the whales belly complaines yet to God Thou hast cast me out Whereas a Reprobate as Caluin notes would haue sayd He hath cast me away in the third person Heere then is further triall of our sorrow and Repentance if as Paul speakes in another case Wee mourne not without hope if as the Lord inuites vs we 1. Thess 4. Is 1. 18. Mar. 1. 15. can come and reason with him if as Christ commands wee repent and in repenting beleeue that as our sinne so also Gods mercy be euer before vs. The wicked as they beleeue without repenting their faith being presumption so they repent without beleeuing their repentance is desperation And therfore they mutter and murmure like the chaffe which when it is shaken flutters in the face of the fanner as angry with him But the Godly are good wheat falling downe at the feete of the fanner as those conuerts that humbled themselues and sought for ease of him that pricked them Men Acts 2. and brethren what shall we doe And the reason is because they haue faith supporting them that they sincke not in the Deepes of Desperation As in Dauid in the 51. Psalme when begging mercy his wounded conscience obiected the greatnesse of his sinnes faith opposeth the greatnesse and multitude of Gods mercies According to the multitudes of thy compassions And againe to that obiection of the deepe rooting of his sinne because hee had lien in it three quarters of a yeere Faith answers Wash me throughly There is no staine so deep but thy hand can fetch it out Heere Dauids faith plucked him out of the mire and made him come to the Lord clinging and clasping about him 3. Because it is offered vp to God as a seruice 3. It is voluntary and sacrifice and that with a free and voluntary spirit Psal 51. The sacrifices of God are a broken and contrite spirit The Godly are Agents in their sorrow For because it is mingled with the sense of ioy in the apprehension of Gods loue by faith they take delight therein and their teares become their meat Psal 42. This voluntarinesse of sorrow in the Godly appeares in two things 1. In the Vse of all good incentiues and prouokements thereof They worke and labour their hearts what they can thereto according to that commandement Iames 4. Suffer affliction And nothing grieues them more then that they cannot grieue But the wicked are meere patients in their sorrow because wanting faith to temper the cup they drinke nothing but pure gall yea deadly poison Hence those strugglings those wrastlings with and murmurings against God With the sturdy horse they irefully champ the bit and desire nothing more then to haue the deadly arrow fall out of our side Hence those so many sleights of their feasting musicke mirth pastime to driue away this so vnwelcome a ghuest Which the Godly haue both inuited and welcommed with sacke cloth ashes fasting going into the house of mourning rending of cloathes and powring foorth whole buckets of water as some expound that 1. Sam. 7. 6. 2. In turning euery thing vnto sorrow worldly not onely griefes but euen ioyes also According to that of Iames Let your laughter be turned into weeping that is let your laughter be made the matter of your weeping Let it bee the fuell to feede that fire So doth repenting Salomon Eccl 2. out of the hony of his abused pleasures hee gathers gall contrary to the Bee sucking sweetnesse out of bitternesse The pleasant witted man will turne euerie thing to a lest euen sad and serious but the touched sinner euery thing vnto sorrow euen sweete and ioyfull The practise of Bradford that worthy M. Samsons preface to his Sermon of Repentance Repentant in this kind was very memorable who to this purpose booked euery notable accident each day that passed and that so that in the penning a man might see the signes of his smitten heart For if he did see or heare any good in any man by that sight he found and noted the want thereof in himselfe crauing mercy and grace to amend If he did see or heare any plague and misery he noted it as a thing procured by his owne sinnes and still added Lord haue mercy on me 4. Because it keeps our hearts in a blessed frame 4. It fits for holy duties of godlinesse fitting them for prayer meditation reading hearing conference admonition or any other spirituall duty Worldly sorrow is a heauy leaden thing making a man fitter to sleepe then to pray as we see in Ionas and the Disciples But godly sorrow in the sense of Gods loue is fresh and liuely and full of spirits We neuer pray or performe any Christian duty better then when our hearts are fullest of this sorrow Againe it makes the heart exceeding soft and tender and so sensible euen of the least sinnes As Dauids heart smote him for cutting off but the lap of Sauls coate and for the entertainement of euill motions Why art thou disquieted why frettest thou my Psal 42. soule It makes the heart like the eye that will feele the least mote or like a straight shooe that cannot endure the least pebble stone which in a wide one would neuer be perceiued And thus we see the properties of true Sorrow or Contrition that it is both a louing Sorrow proceeding from the loue and affection of our hearts towards the Lord and a beleeuing Sorrow comming to God and fastening vpon his mercy and a willing and voluntary Sorrow delightfully bathing it selfe in her teares and lastly a soft and tender-hearted Sorrow working a disposition vnto deuotion And therefore woorthily called godly Sorrow And of the nature of humiliation so much CHAP. IV. Of the measure of Humiliation THe next point is touching the measure of Humiliation or Sorrow for sinne Where I 2. The measure of it propound three rules 1. Rule Of all other sorrowes sorrow for sin must be the greatest Reason 1. Griefe is founded in loue According as our loue is so is our griefe But our loue of God and his fauour is the greatest loue and therfore our griefe for his offence by sinne the greatest griefe Therefore as Dauid saies Thou hast giuen me Psalm 4. more ioy in the light of thy countenance then they haue had when their corne oile abounded So on the contrary must euery
that thy impenitent heart refuses his physicke This is Ioh. 3. 19. the condemnation that light being come into the world men loued darknesse rather then light Not darknesse simply that condemnes but obslinate continuance in darknesse with loue of it and delight in it after that light is sent to helpe vs out of darknesse On the contrary then if thou repent not though thy sinnes were neuer so small they haue waight enough to presse thee downe to hell Impenitencie makes small sinnes great and heauy But Repentance makes great sinnes no sinnes in regard of diuine imputation The greatest sinnes are pardonable to the penitent as the smallest vnpardonable to the impenitent And further although our sinnes were pardoned and forgiuen yet can we haue no assurance that they are so the promises of remission belong to vs It is presumption to snatch at the promise before wee haue the condition And though thou hadst pardon yet canst thou haue no peace till thou hast come to God by Repentance For God holds the same rule with vs in forgiuing vs which hee prescribes to vs in the forgiuenes of our brethren For though our brother come not to vs and humble himselfe vnto vs yet are we bound to forgiue him but yet wee are not bound to goe to him to tell him that wee forgiue him but hee is to come and say It repenteth mee Euen so deales God with vs he may happily haue forgiuen vs yet vnlesse wee turne and come againe vnto him and say It repenteth vs hee will not tell vs neither shall his spirit Luc. 17. 4. assure and witnesse it to our hearts that he hath pardoned vs. Now if there bee assurance as well as pardon thou shalt bee perplexed and turmoiled as much in the want of assurance as of pardon God often deales with his children as Ioseph did with his brethren hee would not at first make himselfe knowen vnto them but spake roughly vnto them and threatned them the prison and afterward hee telles them I am Ioseph your brother So till wee are prepared by Repentance neither Gen. 45. will God make himselfe nor our pardon knowen vnto vs but will rather speake roughly and threten the prison of hell but if once we come with broken 1. Pet. 3. 19. and with bleeding hearts vnto him then can he no more refraine himselfe then Ioseph could but will say to our consciences I am your father Bee of good comfort your sinnes are pardoned And when we haue by repentance filled Gods bottle with tears then will hee fill our hearts with this soueraigne balme and will annoynt our hearts with the oyle of gladnesse and the vnspeakable ioy of the holy Ghost Then shall the former feares stings and horrors of the accusing conscience be banished all shall be peace and ioy Repentance charmes the windes and the blustring stormes of the accusing conscience and makes the hauen of thine heart to bee calme and cleere So that we may say of Repentance as they of our Sauiour What kinde of grace is this that the Psal 32. windes and sea obey it euen the sea of a hellish and a raging conscience For the experience of all Gods children that haue had any experience of Repentance in themselues can witnesse thus much that they haue no sooner set themselues to prayer confession and renewing of their couenants with God but though at first they brought an hell in their conscience yet they haue presently felt hell turned into heauen and in steed of the pricke of conscience the vnconceiueble peace of God cheering and comforting them It is Dauids owne experiment I sayd I would confesse and thou forgauest mee that is thou tookest hell out of my conscience and shedst the sense of thy forgiuenes into mine heart Hence it is that in diuerse of the Psalmes specially the penitentiall ones the Prophet beginning in Psal 6. 13. much heauinesse and anguish of spirit ends in much ioy and assurance This is the first euill which Repentance remooues 2. Repentance remooues the euill of sinne in regard 2. Of the staine of the staine the blurre and ignominy For euen this also it takes away It so heals the wound that not so much as the skarre remaines When Onesimus had once repented the staine and ignominy of his theft was taken away Once vnprofitable but now profitable to bee receiued not as a theefe Philem. 11. but as a brother But as long as a man remaines impenitent so long the staine stickes in the soule in such sort as if hee were still in the act of sinning euen as dirt doth in the face till it bee washed out All saith our Sauiour before me are theeues and Ioh. 10. 8. robbers Why sayd he not They were theeues in asmuch as they were dead and gone The reason may bee because they died impenitently in that their sinnes and impenitency seems to continue the sinne though the act bee past Hence it is that a man may say of Cain still that hee is a murtherer but not of Dauid that hee is an adulterer the staine being washed out by repentance and hee beeing made cleere and cleane as the picked glasse Because you say saies Christ to the Pharisies you see Ioh. 9. that is remaine obstinate in your blindnesse therfore your sinne remaines that is the blot and staine of it Sinne casts dirt in our faces and besmeares and befoules vs but after Repentance may a man say as Nebuchadnezzer did of himselfe after his Dan. 4. 33. restoring At the same time was my glory and my beauty restored vnto me so at the time of our Repentance the shame and the deformity which sinne brought vpon vs is takenaway and our glory and our beauty is restored vnto vs which wee had before wee sinned The same thing God promises to the Gentiles in their conuersion Then will I change in the people Zeph. 3. 9. 11. their lips that it may be pure so Iunius reads it with the which all may call vpon the name of the Lord that is I will call them to repentance and then followes a promise of taking away the staine In that day shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy works c. Thus doth repentance take away the shame and the staine of sinne But impenitency sets a very brand-marke of shame vpon the fore-head of the sinner and makes him as foule after as in his sinne A man turning from the sunne remaines so till hee turne him towards it again so in sin turning away from God he remaines so till by a fresh act of Repentance he turne himselfe to God againe The wicked sinner may not thinke that his sinne passed away with the acte which presently vanished No but as the workes of the Repentant follow them to Apoc. 14. the graue so also of the wicked That as the one being dead may be still called iust and holy so the other still wicked and impure A lesson for