so discompose body and mind that one is but in an ill posture at such a time to take care for his soul. In sickness a man is scarce fit to make his will much less to make his peace The Apostle saith Is any sick among you let him call for the Elders of the Church Iam. 5. 14. He doth not say is he sick let him pray but let him call for the Elders that they may pray over him A sick man is very unfit to pray or repent he is like to make but sick work of it When the body is out of tune the soul must needs jar in its devotion Upon a sick bed a person is more fit to exercise impatience than Repentance We read that at the pouring out of the fourth Vial when God did smite the Inhabitants and scorched them with fire They blasphemed the Name of God and repented not Rev. 16. 9. So when the Lord pours out his Vial and scorcheth the body with a Feaver the sinner is fitter to blaspheme than repent 4. How dost thou who puttest off all to a sick bed know that God will give thee in that very juncture of time grace to repent The Lord usually punisheth neglect of Repentance in time of health with hardness of heart in time of sickness Thou hast in thy life time repulsed the Spirit of God and art thou sure it will come at thy call Thou hast not taken the first season and perhaps thou shalt never see another spring-tyde of the Spirit more All this considered may hasten our Repentance Do not lay too much weight upon a sick-bed 2 Tim. 4. 21. Do thy diligence to come before winter There is a winter of sickness and death a coming therefore make haste to repent let thy work be ready before winter To day hear Gods voice Heb. 3. 7. CHAP. X. The Trial of our Repentance IF any shall say they have repented let me desire them to try themselves seriously by those seven Adjuncts or Effects of Repentance which the Apostle laies down 2 Cor. 7. 11. 1. Carefulness The Greek word signifies a solicitous diligence or careful shunning all temptations to sin The true penitentiary flies from sin as Moses did from the Serpent 2. Clearing of our selves The Greek word is Apology The sense is this though we have never so much care yet through strength of temptation we may slip into sin now in this case the repenting soul will not let sin lye festring in his conscience but doth judge himself for his sin he pours out tears before the Lord he begs mercy in the Name of Christ and never leaves till he hath gotten his pardon Here he is cleared of guilt in his conscience and is able to make an Apology for himself against Satan 3. Indignation He that repents of sin his spirit riseth against it as ones blood riseth at the sight of him whom he mortally hates Indignation is a being fretted at the heart with sin The penitent is vexed with himself David calls himself a fool and a beast Psal. 73. 22. God is never better pleased with us than when we fall out with our selves for sin 4. Fear A tender heart is ever a trembling heart The penitent hath felt sins bitterness this Hornet hath stung him and now having hopes that God is reconciled he is afraid to come near sin any more The repenting soul is full of fear he is afraid to lose Gods favour which is better than life he is afraid he should for want of diligence come short of salvation he is afraid lest after his heart hath been soft the waters of Repentance should freeze and he should harden in sin again Prov. 28. 14. Happy is he that fears alwaies A sinner is like the Leviathan who is made without fear Iob 41. 29. A repenting person fears and sins not a graceless person sins and fears not 5. Vehement desire Sowre sauce sharpens the appetite So the bitter herbs of Repentance sharpen desire But what doth the penitent desire he desires more power against sin and to be released from it 'T is true he hath got loose from Satan but he goes as a prisoner that hath broke Prison with a fetter on his leg he cannot walk with that freedom and swiftness in the waies of God he desires therefore to have the fetters of sin taken off he would be freed from corruption he cries out with Paul Who shall deliver me from this body of death Rom. 7. 24. In short he desires to be with Christ as every thing desires to be in its centre 6. Zeal Desire and zeal are fitly put together to shew that true desire puts forth it self in zealous endeavour How doth the penitent bestir himself in the business of salvation How doth he take the Kingdom of Heaven by force Matth. 11. 12. Zeal quickens the pursuit after glory Zeal encounters with difficulty is imboldened by opposition tramples upon danger Zeal makes a repenting soul persist in godly sorrow against all discouragements and oppositions whatsoever Zeal carries a man above himself for Gods glory Paul before conversion was mad against the Saints Act. 26. 11. And after conversion he was judged mad for Christs sake Act. 26. 4. Paul thou art besides thy self But it was Zeal not Phrenzy Zeal doth spirit and animate duty it causeth fervency in Religion which is as fire to the sacrifice Rom. 12. 11. As fear is a bridle to sin so Zeal is a spur to duty 7. Revenge A true Penetentiary pursues his sins with an holy malice he seeks the death of them As Sampson was avenged on the Philistines for his two eyes He useth his sins as the Jews used Christ he gives them gall and vinegar to drink he crucifies his lusts Gal. 5. 24. A true child of God seeks to be revenged most of those sins which have dishonoured God most Cranmer who had with his right hand subscribed the Popish Articles was revenged on himself he put his right hand first in the fire David did by sin defile his bed after by Repentance he watered his bed with tears Israel had sinned by Idolatry and afterwards they did offer disgrace to their Idols 1 Sam. 30. 22. Ye shall defile the covering of thy graven Images of silver Mary Magdalen had before sinned in her eye by adulterous glances and now she will be revenged on her eyes she washeth Christs feet with her tears she had sinned in her hair it had intangled her Lovers now she will be revenged on her hair she wipes Christs feet with it The Israelitish women who had been dressing themselves by the hour and had abused their Looking-glasses to pride afterwards by way of revenge as well as zeal offered their Looking-glasses to the use and service of Gods Tabernacle Exod. 38. 8. So those Conjurers who used curious Arts oâ—… Magick as it is in the Syriack when once they
may leave sin for fear as in a storm the Plate and Jewels are cast over-board but the nauseating and loathing of sin argues a detestation of it Christ is never loved till sin be loathed Heaven is never longed for till sin be loathed When the soul sees an issue of blood runing he cries out Lord when shall I be freed from this body of death When shall I put off these filthy garments of sin and have the fair mitre of glory set upon my head Let all our self-love be turned into self-loathing We are never more precious in Gods eyes than when we are lepers in our own 2. There is an hatred of Enmity There is no better way to discover life than by motion The eye moves the pulse beats So to discover Repentance there is no better sign than by an holy antipathy against sin Hatred saith Cicero is anger boiled up to an inveteracy Sound Repentance begins in the love of God and ends in the hatred of sin But how may true hatred of sin be known 1. When a mans spirit is set against sin The tongue doth not only inveigh against sin but the heart abhors it So that let sin be never so curiously painted it is odious As we abhor the picture of one whom we mortally hate though it be exactly drawn Non amo te Sabidi Suppose a dish be finely cooked and the sauce good yet if a man hath an antipathy against the meat he will not taste it So let the Devil cook and dress sin with pleasure and profit yet a true penitent having a secret abhorrency of it doth disgust it and will not meddle with it 2. True hatred of sin is universal and that two waies In respect 1. Of the Faculties 2. Of the Object 1. Hatred is universal in respect of the Faculties That is there is a dislike of sin not only in the judgement but in the will and affections For many an one is convinced that sin is a vile thing and in his judgement hath an aversation from it but yet he tasts sweetness and hath a secret complacency in it Here is a disliking sin in the judgement and an embracing it in the affections Whereas in true Repentance the hatred of sin is in all the faculties not only in the intellectual part but chiefly in the will Rom. 7. 15. What I hate that do I. Paul was not free from sin yet his will was against it 2. Hatred is universal in respect of the Object He that hates one sin hates all Aristotle saith hatred is against the whole kind He that hates a Serpent hates all Serpents Psal. 119. 104. I hate every false way Hypocrites will hate some sins which do ecclipse their credit but a true convert hates all sins gainful sins complexion-sins the very stirrings of corruption Paul hated the motions of sin Rom. 7. 23. 3. True hatred is against sin quatenus sin An holy heart detests sin for its intâ—…nsick pollution Sin leaves aâ—…ain upon the soul. A regenerate person abhors sin not only for the curse but the contagion He hates this Serpent not only for its sâ—…ing but its poison He hates sin not only for Hell but as Hell 4. True hatred is implacable it will never be reconciled to sin any more Anger may be reconciled hatred cannot Sin is that Amalek which is never to be taken into favour again The war between a child of God and sin is like the war between those two Princes 1 King 14. 30. There was war between Rehoboam and Ieroboam all their daies 5. Where there is a real hatred we do not only oppose sin in our selves but in others The Church of Ephesus could not bear with them that were evil Rev. 2. 2. Paul sharply censured Peter for his dissimulation though he were an Apostle Christ in an holy displacency whipt the money-changers out of the Temple Ioh. 2. 15. He would not suffer the Temple to be made an Exchange Nehemiah rebuked the Nobles for their Usury Neh. 5. 7. And their Sabbath-prophanation Neh. 13. 7. A sin-hater will not endure wickedness in his family Psal. 101. 7. He that worketh deceit shall not dwell in my house What a shame is it when Magistrates can shew height of spirit in their passions but no heroick spirit in suppressing vice Such as have no antipathy against sin are strangers to Repentance Sin is in them as poison in a Serpent which being natural is delightful 1. How far are they from Repentance who instead of hating sin love sin To the godly sin is as a thorn in the eye to the wicked it is as a crown on the head Ier. 11. 15. When thou dost evil then thou rejoycest Loving of sin is worse than committing it A good man may run into a sinful action unawares but to love sin is desperate What is it makes a Swine but loving to tumble in the mire What is it makes a Devil but loving that which opposeth God To love sin shews that the will is in sin and the more of the will in a sin the greater the sin Wilfulness makes it a sin not to be purged by sacrifice Heb. 10. 26. O how many are there that love the forbidden fruit They love their oaths and adulteries they love the sin and hate the reproof Solomon speaks of a generation of men Eccles. 9. 3. Madness is in their heart while they live So for men to love sin to hug that which will be their death to sport with damnation Madness is in their heart It perswades us to shew our Repentance by a bitter hatred of sin There is 〈◊〉 deadly antipathy between the Scorpion and the Crocodile such should there â—…e between the heart and sin What is there in sin that may make a peâ—…itent hate it Sin is the cursed thing* the most mis-shapen Monster The Apostle useth a very emphatical word to express it Rom. 7. 13. That sin might become exceeding sinful or as it is in the Greek hyperbolically sinful Now that sin is an hyperbolical mischief and deserves hatred will appear if we look upon sin in a fourfold notion 1. Look upon sin in the original of it whence it comes it fetcheth its pedigree from Hell 1 Ioh. 3. 8. He that commiteth sin is of the Devil for the Devil sinneth from the beginning Sin is the Devils proper work 'T is true God hath a hand in ordering sin but Satan hath an hand in acting it Now how hateful is it to be doing that which is the peculiar work of the Devil nay which makes men Devils Ioh. 6. 7. 2. Look upon sin in its nature and it will appear very hateful See how the Scripture hath pensiled it out 1. Sin is a dishonouring of God Rom. 2. 23. 2. Sin is a despising of God 1 Sam. 2. 30. 3. It is a fretting of God Ezek. 16. 43. 4. It is a wearying of God Isa.
shall be to die and the sweeter death will be He that hath wrought hard at his day-labour is willing to go to rest at night Such as have been honouring God all their lives how sweetly will they sleep in the grave The more work we do for God the greater will our reward be He whose pound had gained ten pounds Christ did not only commend him but advance him Luk. 19. 17. Have thou authority over ten Cities By late Repentance though we do not lose our Crown yet we make it lighter 4. It is of dangerous consequence to put off Repentance longer Mora trahit periculum It is dangerous If we consider what sin is Sin is a poison it is dangerous to let poison lye long in the body Sin is a bruise if a bruise be not soon cured it gangrenes and kills If sin be not soon cured by Repentance it festers the conscience and damns Why should any love to dwell in the tents of wickedness They are under the power of Satan Act. 26. 18. And it is dangerous to stay long in the enemies quarters It is dangerous to procrastinate Repentance because the longer any go on in sin the harder they will find the work of Repentance Delay strengthens sin and hardens the heart and gives the Devil fuller possession A plant at first may be easily plucked up but when it hath spread its roots deep in the earth a whole team cannot remove it 'T is hard to remove sin when once it comes to be rooted The longer the Ice freezeth the harder it is to be broken the longer a man freezeth in security the harder it will be to have his heart broken the longer any travel with iniquity the sharper pangs they must expect in the new birth When sin hath got an haunt it is not easily shaken off Sin comes to a sinner as the elder Brother came to his Father Luk. 15. 29. Lo these many years have I served thee neither at any time transgressed I thy Commandment and wilt thou cast me off now what in mine old age after thou hast had so much pleasure by me See how sin pleads custom and that is a Leopards spot Ier. 13. 23. It is dangerous to prorogue and delay Repentance because there are three daies may soon expire 1. The day of the Gospel may expire this is a sun-shiny-day it is sweet but swift Ierusalem had a day but lost it Luk. 19. 42. But now they are hid from thine eyes The Asian Churches had a day but at last the Golden Candlestick was removed It would be a sad time in England see to the glory departed With what hearts could we follow the Gospel to the grave To lose the Gospel were far worse than to have our City Charter taken from us Gray hairs are here and there Hos. 7. 9. I will not say the Sun of the Gospel is set in England but I am sure it is under a cloud That was a sad speech Matth. 21. 43. The Kingdom of God shall be taken from you therefore it is dangerous to delay Repentance lest the market of the Gospel should remove and the vision cease A mans personal day of grace may expire What if that time should come wherein God should say the Means of Grace shall do no good Ordinances shall have a miscarrying womb and dry breasts Were it not sad to adjourn Repentance till such a decree came forth 'T is true no man can justly tell that his day of grace is past but there are two shrewd signs by which he may fear it 1. When conscience hath done preaching Conscience is a bosom-Preacher sometimes it convinceth sometimes it reproves It saith as Nathan to David Thou art the man But men imprison this Preacher and God saith to conscience preach no more He that is filthy let him be filthy still This is a fatal sign a mans day of grace is past 2. When a person is in such a spiritual â—…ethargy that nothing will work upon him or make him sensible There is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the spirit of a deep sleep poured on him Isa. 29. 10. This is a sad presage his day of grace is past How dangerous then is it to delay Repentance when the day of grace may so soon expire 3. The day of life may expire what security have we that we shall live another day We are marching apace out of the world we are going off the stage our life is a taper soon blown out Mans life is compared to the flower of the field Psal. 103. 15. which withers sooner than the grass Our age is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as nothing Psal. 39. 5. Life is but a flying shadow The body is like a vesâ—…el tunned with a little breath sickness broacheth this vessel death draws it out O how soon may the scene alter Many a Virgin hath been dressed the same day in her bride-apparel and her winding-sheet How dangerous then is it to adjourn repenting when death may so suddenly make a thrust at us Say not you will repent to morrow Remember that speech of Aquinas God who pardons him that repents hath not promised to give him to morrow to repent in I have read of Archias a Lacedemonian who being among his cups one delivered him a Letter and desired him to read the Letter presently being of serious business he replyed seria cras I will mind serious things to morrow and that day he was slain Thus while men think to spin out their silver thred death cuâ—…s it Olaus Magnus observes of the Birds of Norway that they fly faster than the Birds of any other Country not that their wings are swifter than others but by an instinct of nature they knowing the daies in that climate to be very short not above three hours long do therefore make the more haste to their nests So we knowing the shortness of our lives and how quickly we may be called away by death should fly so much the faster on the wing of Repentance to Heaven But me-thinks I hear some say they do not fear a sudden surprizal they will repent upon their sick-bed I do not so well like a sick-bed Repentance He runs a desperate hazard who will venture his salvation within the circle of a few short minutes Thou that puttest off Repentance till sickness answer me to these four queries 1. How dost thou know thou shalt have a time of sickness Death doth not alwaies shoot its warning-piece by a lingring consumption some it arrests suddenly What if God should presently send thee a summons to surrender thy life 2. Suppose thou shouldest have a time of sickness how dost thou know thou shalt have the use of thy senses Many are distracted on their sick-bed 3. Suppose thou shouldest have thy senses yet how dost thou know thy mind will be in frame for such a work as Repentance Sickness doth