Gospell maketh thee capable of mercy and pardon 2 Why is Repentance Preached to naturall men but that of old men they should be come new of Wolues they should become Sheepe of Christs fold of Ethiopians and strangers they shoud become of the houshold and family of God Such were they to whom Peter Preached Act. 2. when so many thousands were conuerted and in all ages we haue commission to instruct the contrary minded with meekenesse waiting when God will giue them Repentance 2. Tim. 2.15 3 Ciuill men haue most need be called to Repentance because they thinke of all other they least need repentance and seem to themselues not to be so farre from the Kingdome of God as indeed they be For hauing no sense of their misery they rest in pure naturals ciuill honesty externall vertues as in a good estate And indeed this conceit of their goodnesse leaueth them in a damnable condition that what our Lord saith of a rich man I may say of a ciuill man it is hard for him to come to heauen and often extreame flagitious sinners are sooner coÌ„uerted Publicans and Harlots that cannot haue that conceit of themselues goe often into heauen before them Let all such well consider what is all ciuill vpright honest carriage before God without Faith and Repentance Surely nothing but a shining sinne and beautifull abhomination And therefore the Apostle Paul though before his conuerâ—sion hee was beyond all ciuill men in respect of gifts vertues and righteousnesse of the Law yet he must vndoe all this and cast out all as dung in comparison of grace and begin all againe What better was the Pharisee for thanking God he was not as other vniust extortioner nor as the despised Publican when hee could not thanke God that hee was a Penitent or beleeuer What better art thou to say I thanke God I come to Church heare the Word receiue the Sacraments pay men their due giue almes to the poore when with a forme of Ciuility or Religion thou onely couerest thy corruption from thine owne eyes as a man in the darke but art an enemy to the power of godlinesse to the powerfull Preaching of the Word to godly Preachers a resister of Faith Repentance Mortification and holinesse in thy selfe and others without which thou shalt neuer see God Thanke God as much as thou wilt thou shalt neuer get thanke from God for all this 2 If all men then godly and regenerate men who haue already repented they must hold on their repentance For 1 Euen the best men after grace receiued haue sinne dwelling in them Rom. 7.14 The law is spirituall but I am carnall sold vnder sinne Paul was then long conuerted euen then did that he hated and hated what he did verse 15. And no man in earth so iust that sinneth not Eccl. 7.22 witnesse Noah Lot Abraham Dauid Petâ—r the Virgin Mary 〈…〉 they are out-straying Psal. 119.10 2 God will haue the best men trayned in Repentance by the daily sight of their sinnes in many burdens temptations corruptions sicknesses casualties and death it selfe for euen they by many afflictions must enter into heauen All fruits of sinne must be goades to Repentance 3 The best must daily repent because euen the best duties performed by the strength of grace are in themselues sinfull and defectiue the righteousnesse of the Christian is as a filthy clout How much cause haue they daily to bewaile their sinnes that must repent for their best duties 4 Our Lord hath taught his Disciples and the most regenerate to pray daily for forgiuenes of sinne which is an act of Repentance Neuer can a man bee free from Repentance till he be free from sinne whic◠〈◊〉 use the best can neuer 〈…〉 he must neuer lay 〈…〉 Repentance When thou hast attained a perfect image of God then farewell Repentance but that image which was lost in a moment cannot be repayred throughout the whole life for the repayring of which they must still retaine and renue Repentance 3 If all men then young men must repent Eccles. 12.1 Remember thy Creator in the daies of thy youth For 1 How is it for vs to take the corruption of nature in hand betimes for sinne fasteneth by continuance a sore the longer vncured the more incurable it is so in this corruption which is morbus naturae and habits grow into another nature which will not be repelled easily 2 The Grace of Repentance is a gift of God not in our owne power and must be taken while it is offered If God offer it now to thee a young man or maid refuse not this gracious offer but euen this day heare his voice and as young Samuel say Speake Lord thy seruant heareth 3 What a commendation and aduantage is it for youth to bee early graced and truely conuerted euen in the morning of their life Many sinnes are preuented in such a one whereby also much sorrow and accusation is cut off which doth often perplexe good men as Dauid prayeth often against the sinnes of his youth Besides such a one hath many opportunities of well doing and aboundeth in good duties to their abundant comfort both here and in their reckoning 4 Young persons may dye they haue no lease of their liues youth is as fickle as age time and tide stayeth not perhaps the Gospell will not stay with thee perhaps thou art not to stay in the world Know thy day and time of visitation 4 If all men then old men must hasten their Repentance while yet their glasse runneth 1 If young men must not deferre their Repentance because they may dye old men must much more because they must dye 2 Thou art an old man whose time in the likely course of nature cannot be long hast thou deferred thy repentance till the 11. or 12. houre and yet is it too soone to repent Was not Iesabel in state fearefull enough before God by her fornication and filthinesse but that God gaue her space to repent and the repented not This is the very height of sinne and heapeth vp a terrible damnation Is it not damnation enough to be a sinner before God but an old sinner an old drunkard swearer fornicator lyer cousner an old foxe and an old barking dogge against all goodnesse 3 Consider how the lees and dregs of profanenesse be most sowre and stinking in old men what a filthy sent leaueth an old sinner when he is gone he was an old gracelesse man enemy of God to death only his sinne was strong and youthfull in him to the last 5 If all then women must repent too if they will not perish 1 Gods Schoole is as well open for women as for men and the Scriptures and the Ministery belong as well to women as to men and these are commanded to learne the doctrine of Faith and Repentance as men and to professe the feare of God 1 Tim. 2.15 2 Women were made to the image of GOD as well as men Gen. 1.27 and were first
because hee hath appointed a day wherein to iudge the world When heathenish Felix heard of the iudgement to come he trembled happy were it for Christians who repeat it as an Article of faith that they did so Wee will end this point with that exhortation 2. Pet. 3.14 Considering these terrours of the Lord what manner of men ought wee to be c. 4 Consider in God our relation which will be a meanes to further our Repentance 1 Looke vpon him as our Lord and our selues as seruants as a Lord he hath hyred vs into his seruice and hath freed vs from the seruice of all other creatures that we should onely serue himselfe But alas who can serue him according to his holinesse and greatnesse and when we haue done all that we can how vnprofitable seruants are we We haue wasted our Masters goods and cannot shew our talents againe and therfore we haue need to humble our selues in Repentance and pray with Dauid Psal. 119.124 Deale with thy seruant according to thy mercy and enter not into iudgement with thy seruants O Lord. A sorry seruant is he that can neither doe what is agreeable to his Masters wiâ—l nor yet be grieued for fayling in the euill he doth or leauing vndone the good he should doe 2 Looke vpon him as our shepheard ourselues as sheep but wandred from the fold Oh the misery of a lost sheepe It is without the flocke and fold without a certaine pasture and food without a keeper or shepheard without God and Christ without protection and safety subiect to all annoyances and becommeth a prey to all rauening beasts neuer able of it selfe to returne And this is the state of euery man and no man can reckon vp the errours and wandrings of his life All this should helpe vs to returne to the shepheard of our soules 1. Pet. 2.10 to seek to him betimes and pray him to seeke vs as Dauid Psal. 119.10 3 Looke vpon him as our father and our selues as his sons and children A Father that hath giuen his deare Sonne to death for vs the dearest thing and price that was in heauen or earth A Father that hath reserued for vs an inheritance immortall and vndefiled among the Saints in light Is not this a strong inducement to loath and leaue sinne will not the loue of a father make thee hate sin the more can any stripes worke so powerfully vpon an ingenuous nature as to see his louing father offended A poore mans sonne who cannot be much hurt or helped by his father will be grieued that hee hath iustly offended his father Awaken thy selfe to Repentance and say to thy soule as Moses to Israel Deut. 32.2 Doe you so reward the Lord O foolish people Is not hee thy father that bought thee that made thee and proportioned thee What else gaue hope to the Prodigall to returne but the sight of loue lurking in his father and therefore resolued I will returne to my father CAP. 31. Meanes of Repentance in respect of Iesus Christ. 3 A Third sort of meanes to helpe forward our Repentance is to looke vpon Iesus Christ. Zach. 12.10 They shall looke on him whom they haue pierced and mourne The effect of beholding Christ whom by their sinnes they haue crucified is great sorrow for sinne and indeed among them all there is no meanes so auaileable to the working of the heart to due and deepe sorrow for sinne as the serious consideration of Christs death and passion If we consider the person who suffered the eternall Sonne of God the beloued Sonne in the bosome of the Father the most innocent lambe of God The things hee suffered that this person was so abased and plagued with the curse of the Law the wrath of his father shame sorrowes of first and second death such hard and heauie things as would haue crushed all men and angels And for whom hee suffred all this euen for our sins in speciall while we were yet vngodly sinners enemies the iust suffred for the vniust hee was cursed that we might be blessed wounded that wee might bee healed hee endured torments of hell that we might partake of heauenly ioyes Oh then shall this chiefe of ten thousand the worthiest of men and Angels bee murthered not by the treachery of others but by thy hands thy sins for which else thou hadst beene euerlastingly damned and doth not this wound thy heart shall the earth tremble at this and shall not our hearts feare shal the Sun be darkned and the Heauens couered with mourning and shall not wee mourne and be ashamed to show our heads shal the stones rend asunder earth tremble and all senslesse creatures suffer at the suffring of the Lord of glorie at the death of the Lord of life and shal not our stony hearts bee rent with sorrow who were the occasion of so execrable a passion to so honourable a person Surely if there be a drop of spiritual life grace in vs we must needs loathe those sins of ours that brought such woful miserie on the Son of God And it will make our hearts bleed as a man would do at the sight of a knife or instrument whereby vnawares he had slaine his childe wife or dearest friend in the world Thus the Gospell sheweth the hainousnesse of sinne aboue all the curses of the Law Wouldst thou see the execration of sinne see it not in the dreadful curse of the Law but in the blood of the Gospell The most ougly visage of sin is not in the death of the world of sinners but in the death of the Son of God no sinner the most dreadful spectacle of Gods wrath that euer was And although the menaces of the Law prepare the sinner to Repentance yet it is the sight of sinne in the Gospel both in the transcendence of the remedie and infinitenesse of Christs suffrings that sheweth the true face of sin and indeed worketh Repentance The Faith of the Gospel is that internall meanes that turneth a man round about and causeth him to sâ—t his face vpon God and Iesus Christ and leaue his sins Acts 15.9 This putteth a difference between vs and others who are yet in their sins CAP. 32. Meanes of Repentance in regard of ones selfe 3. IN thy selfe for the helping forward of Repentance keep a continuall audit and take account of thy selfe and estate A speciall way and meanes to bring the Prodigall back to Repentance was that he returned and came into himselfe And Dauid Psal. 119.59 I considered my waies and turned my feet To which purpose for further direction consider in thy selfe foure things 1. Take notice of thy heart and disposition of it in the desires and affections of it both in what they haue beene and what they ought to be 1. Consider how thou hast loued thy sins what a deale of poison and hatred thou hast had of grace how thou hast beene wedded to the lusts of the flesh how hand-fasted to the world how
custody of their Watch and therefore though sometimes he may nod sleepe yet his heart waketh Cant. 5.3 2 He strengtheneth himselfe with a diligent care to prosper in grace and grow daily to perfection Phil. 3.12 Hee hath not yet attained but striueth To which end 1 He listeneth heedfully to the silent and secret motions of the spirit to cherish and foster them 2 Hee waiteth vpon the meanes and ministery as Mary sitteth downe at the feet of Christ with humility and constancy as that gesture implyeth and seeketh and apprehendeth all occasions of good 3 He obserueth and carefully vndertaketh good duties to which he is directed and indeauoureth to performe them in an holy manner with cheerefulnesse and wisedome and to a good end sincerely ayming at Gods glory and the saluation of himselfe and others And as hee must needs thriue who in a gainefull trade is diligent to apprehend all good opportunities so in this gainfull trade of godlinesse it is the diligent hand that maketh rich and in euery labour is abundance whereas the idle person quickly wasteth his stock and commeth to nothing 3 He strengtheneth himselfe with spirituall armour and weapons of Gods making against temptations assaults persecutions stormes and all kinde of resistances he knoweth the enemies are many their malice restlesse and inappeasable and therfore he hath need to stand as the Iewes in building the wall of Ierusalem with the trowell in the one hand and the sword of the spirit in the other And 2 Hauing had experience of the safety and strength in this armour of proofe he is carefull to put it on and keepe it on being well assured that he cannot be hurt but onely in the want or carelesse vse of it 4 He prepareth himselfe by daily exercise of Repentance for Christs appearing Acts 17.31 God admonisheth euery man to repent because he hath appointed a day And this exercise is in these things 1 Hee looketh for his head and in the meane time comforteth himself as a member which must be of the same nature and qualities if the head be a liuing spirituall holy gratious head so must the member Our head admitteth no rotten gangrenous and incurable member 2 He feareth God because of the great day of his wrath which commeth Reuel 14.7 Being stricken with a reuerend feare he shunneth euery sinne yea euery idle word whereof he must giue account 3 He cleareth himselfe from sin daily because as the day of death leaueth him so that day of iudgement findeth him he prepareth himselfe by doing that daily which he would be found doing on his dying day his care is not onely to bee found blamelesse but wel-doing Blessed is that seruant whom his Master â—indeth so doing 4 He getteth and keepeth a good conscience before God and all men thus he prepareth an Arke for himselfe to sit safe in Well he knoweth that the sentence of the great Iudge at that day shall concurre with the sentence of this little inward Iudge 5 Because the sentence of that day shall be passed according to the soundnesse of faith and fruits his daily care is to get oyle into his lampe and light of shining and sauing graces and holy duties which onely admit him into the Bridegroome chamber Thus he prepareth his reckoning daily and fitteth his account that he may giue it vp with ioy 6 He longeth and sigheth and waiteth to put off all corruption of sinne and misery and put on fulnesse of grace ioy and glory Rom. 8.23 we sigh in our selues 2. Cor 5.4 We sigh and are burdened to be cloathed vpon and loue to remoue out of the body and to dwell with the Lord chap. 8.2 The Spirit saith come and the Bride saith come Reuel 22.17 These are the true characters of sound Repentance which euery Beleeuer shall finde in himselfe in some comfortable measure CAP. 38. Motiues to Repentance first from the necessity of it THe fifth and last generall is the motiues to excite vs to this so necessary a duty of Repentance The first of these motiues shal be out of the Text which inforceth the necessitie of RepentaÌ„ce Except yee Repent yee shall perish This will appeare if we looke on sinne vnrepented 1 In the nature of euery one being first a worke of the flesh which to doe is to dye The wages of sin is death Rom. 6.23 If ye liue after the flesh ye shall dye Rom. 8.13 And the end of these things is death Rom. 6.21 And when we were in the flesh the motions of sin which were by the law had force in our meÌ„bers to bring forth fruit vnto death Rom. 7.5 2 Euery sinne separateth from God the fountaine of life and so slayeth vs holdeth all good things from vs Isay. 59.2 3 Euery sinne vnrepented fighteth against the soule 1. Pet. 2.11 Lusts warre against the soule and wound it with many deadly gashes Paul telleth Timothy that they drowne the soule in perdition 1. Tim. 6.9 4 Euery sinne putteth vs vnder the power of the diuell and so in state of perdition 1. Ioh. 3.8 He that committeth sinne is of the diuell and maketh vs resemble the diuell and the impenitent person is said to be in the snare of the diuell taken at his will 2. Tim. 2.10 5 Euery sinne vnrepented shutteth heauen Gal. 3. â—2 They that doe shoh things shall not inherit the kingdome of heauen and God hath sworne that neuer an impenitent sinner shall enter into his rest 2 Looke on sinne in the inseparable companions and effects of it 1 The wrath of God as a fire kindled burning to the bottome of hell Psal. 7.12 God is angry with the wicked euery day and raineth downe on the head of the sinner stormes and haile and shooteth all the arrowes of reuenge out of his quiuer How did he lay about him and cast out his curses as thicke as haâ—le vpon the first sinne committed against the serpent the woman the man the earth and all about him 2 This wrath hath linked as with an iron chaine sinne and punishment together which goe inseparably as the cause and the effect as the body and the shadow as the worke and the wages as the parent and the childe one begetting another heauy and smart is the rod that is prepared for the fooles backe and thou canst not goe on in sin but vnto punishment 3d. Effect Gods iustice requireth that as a man soweth so he must reape Gal. 6.7 Sinne is the seed of wrath and the haruest of the sinner is proportioned to his seed time Iob 4.8 I haue seene that they that plow iniquity sow wickednesse reape the same If thou sowest iniquity thou must reape affliction Pro. 22.8 He that soweth to the flesh must reape corruption Look not to reape wheate if thou sowest tares euery seed bringeth vp his owne kinde sow the winde and reape the whirlewinde Hos. 8.7 4 There is no way in the world to auoid this wrath and iustice but Repentance for first to
not that hee will to heauen with the formost but no repentance no heauen no other gate of heauen nor passage but by Repentance Men are well pleased so long as wee speake of heauen happinesse saluation eternall life but when we speake of repentance it is an hard saying an vnpleasing doctrine a duety which will not down If they could get to heauen by any thing else than by leauing their sins were it thousands of Rams or ten thousand Riuers of oyle if by giuing their first borne or fruits of body for the sin of their soules these they would exchange but to mortifie lusts that the hypocrite cannot yeeld But 1. Thou must come to heauen by no meanes but GODS owne 2. There is but one way and that a narrow and straight way of Repentance and to dreame of heauen without Repentance is to dreame to passe ouer a deep and broad Riuer without bridge or barge Thou mayst poast and wander vp and down and tyre thy selfe in coasting euery way to auoyde the stoninesse roughnesse and straightnesse of the way but if thou meanest to come to thy iournies end thou must passe this narrow lane and there is no way in the world to shift it CAP. 40. Motiues to Repentance in respect of Christ. THe third Motiue in respect of Christ in whom we see 1. Surpassing loue aboue the loue of women hee loued vs better than himselfe than his life when we were no better than rebels and enemies Shall I loue my sinne better than him who loued my soule better than his own life Oh let this coard of loue draw vs to Repentance He came to call sinners to Repentance 2. Looke vpon his bitter passion and therein see the merit and desert of the least sin for which God must shed his blood and pay the greatest price that heauen or earth contained Consider the end of his suffering Hee dyed that sin might dye in me and shall I put life in it againe and frustrate the death of Christ The fountaine was opened in his side and streames of blood issued out that my soule should be cleansed from the filthinesse of sin and shall I wallow in the puddle still Consider that Christ was crucified for none in whom sin is not crucified None haue part in his death but such as are dead to sin none haue the benefit of his death but such as feele the vertue of it in themselues Isay 59.20 Hee is a Redeemer of none but such as turne from transgression in Iacob Consider in whomsoeuer there is sound application of Christs death there is a similitude of his death As he dyed for sin so here is a dying vnto sin Rom. 6.5 Wee are grafted with him to the similitude of his death As Christs body was nayled to the Crosse so must wee nayle our sins to his Crosse. As his body and strength was infeebled and weakned vpon the Crosse till he dyed so must our body of sin bee daily weakned and subdued till it be wholly dead in vs. As Christ spared no part of himselfe but gaue himselfe wholly in all parts and members to death for vs so must we not spare any sin or lust but put them all to paine mortifying one as well as another And as Christ after death was raysed to life and dyed no more so wee hauing dyed to sinne by mortification must rise againe by daily renewing our Repentance neuer to returne vnder the power of sin and death any more This is the similitude of CHRIST'S death 3. Looke vpon Christ as our head and there is no member of that head but the true penitent he admits no rotten or stinking member 2. Cor. 5.17 If any man be in Christ he is a new creature Truth of Christianitie is discerned by truth of Repentance Without faith vnfained is no vnion with Christ and all that faith is fained and false which worketh not in Repentance This grace discerneth vs from hypocrites and wicked men CAP. 41. Motiues to Repentance from ones selfe THe fourth Motiue to Repentance may be drawne from thy selfe And here looke on thy person and thy selfe both whole and parts will call on thy selfe to hasten thy Repentance 1. Thy soule Was it redeemed with gold siluer or any corruptible thing or rather with the precious bloud of Iesus Christ and wilt thou basely sell it again for gold or siluer or corruptible things or any sinfull pleasure will the winning of the whole world recompence the losse of thy soule 2. Thy bodie is or should be a Temple of the holy Ghost else art thou none of Christs and wilt thou prophane thy body with filthy sins and lusts to vexe the spirit and make him weary of his lodging Is it nothing to prophane a Temple to turne it into a Tap-house by drunkennesse into a stewes by vncleanenesse Is it nothing to make thy fathers house a den of theeues by vniustice falshood 3 Thy selfe was a slaue and vassall of Satan and sinne and set free by Iesus Christ wilt thou runne into bondage againe Art thou now a Christian then thou art in vnion with Christ the Spouse of Christ and wilt thou behaue thy selfe as a strumpet and be led away with euery alluring harlot to the dishonour and high displeasure of so louing a husband 2 Cast thine eyes vpon thy sinnes and see it high time by Repentance to renounce them As 1 How hatefull euery sinne is to God as for which he abhorreth his most excellent creatures Angels and men nay so perfectly hated by God as hee could not chuse but punish it in his deare Sonne while he sustained our persons and bare our sins 2 What an extreame folly sinne is who but a foole hauing light sight and reason would walke vpon rockes and quick-sands and bolt on into pits and ponds being warned of the danger for all these cannot threaten such danger to the body as sinne doth to the soule Who but a foole being warned that theeues and murtherers lye in such a way and such and such they haue robbed slaine and that they lye in waite for himselfe and if he goe on hee cannot auoid present death yet will be bold and foole-hardy to goe on after such warning But thy sinnes are so many theeues and robbers that lye in wait to destroy thee and if thou goest on in that way thou canst not auoid euerlasting perdition Who but a mad man would stirre vp the wrath of the King against him and run daily into the lurch of the Law as the sinner doth who maketh God his enemy stirreth vp a Lyon against himselfe maketh the Law of God but a cobweb as if no execution waited the transgressor What a folly is it to offend and not seeke to satisfie nay a frenzie farre beyond that for a traytor going to execution and hauing a pardon brought him for accepting scorneth the pardon breaketh the seales tramples the writing reuiles the Prince the messenger and iustifieth his treasonable practices still The
spirit of bondage and worldly sorrow a repentance to be repented of But if thou hatest sin because God hateth it and resoluest not to doe it for his sake as Ioseph all is well 2. It will follow that the lopping and cutting off of some sins is not Repentance vnlesse the roots bee stocked and grubbed vp for this is not a change but a restraining of washboughs that will come againe Thou abstainest from swearing but doest thou feare an oath Thou actest not sin but doest thou hate it and put it away 3. That conquering of sin is not alwaies reformation turning from sin for one sin may conquer another Sathan may be cast out by Beelzebub Ambition may conquer couetousnesse hypocrisie may ouer-master many sins but this is far from Repentance For by the feare of the Lord a good man departeth from euill I set the Lord euer in my sight that I should not sin against him When grace and Gods feare thus conquereth sin it is a good signe 4. Euery change and reformation is not Repentance vnlesse the whole man be changed The whole man must turn both inward and outward in both all faculties and parts But with this caution that this change in euery part is but in part and imperfect as the Ayre in the dawning is light in euery part but in part and as luke-warme water heat is in euery part with cold Reason 1. The Scripture calleth for a through change and sanctification in the soule body and spirit 1. Thes. 5.25 The whole man must turne from the power of Sathan unto God The whole man must be made of an old a new man Ephes. 4.23 2. Else the remedy will bee short of the disease for the whole man is turned from God by sinne and Repentance must turne backe the whole man Deceiue not your selues in this great and weighty point some finde a change in their minde and haue some illumination and rest in that as Repentance But howeuer it is true that the first thing in Repentance is the change of the mind from darknesse to light yet Repentance is not the turning of the vnderstanding vnto truth vnlesse the will also be turned to God It is no repentance for a Papist to bee neuer so deuout humble charitable penitent if hee turne not his minde to the truth It is no repentance in a Protestant to imbrace the truth in iudgement and profession and liue vnreformed and vnanswerable vnto it for his will must be changed as well as his mind 5. Euery change of the whole man is not Repentance vnlesse it be from whole sin for Repentance turneth from all sin and continueth not any Obiect No Repentance can get away all sin in this life Answ. Not that it bee not but that it rage not The Iebusite will dwell within our borders but see he be subdued and commanded 1. That Repentance is not true which is not generall 2. To look backe vpon any sin is to turne the backe vpon God and to turne from one sin to another is not Repentance Herods reformation was farre from Repentance for howsoeuer hee did many things hee would not part with his Herodias Keep no bosome sin 6. Turning from all sin is not Repentance vnlesse thou turnest to God Ceasing from euill is not Repentance vnlesse thou learne to doe good nor casting off the old man vnlesse thou put on the new Now to turne to God is to get a sincere purpose desire and endeauour to walke according to all Gods commandements Try thy Repentance Hath thy sorrow bin deep and godly Hast thou got beyond ciuilitie Imbracest thou the grace thou didst trample before as a Swine vnder feet Hast thou changed thy soule thy whole man from whole sin to God CAP. 6. Rules concerning persons that must repent NOw in prosecuting the practice of Repentance I will confine my selfe within these bounds 1. Propound the rules and directions to guide vs in the duetie 2. The lots or chiefe impediments which hinder Repentance 3. The meanes and helpes for the happy performance of it 4. The signes and marks of a man truely repenting 5. The motiues or inducements to prouoke vs to Repentance 1. The rules or directions to guide vs in this duety concerne 1. The persons that must repent 2. the sinnes to bee repented of 3. the manner 4. the time The generall rule concerning the persons is That all and euerie man must repent The word in the Text is indefinite Except yee repent that is all of you Acts 17 30. But now admonisheth euery man euery where to repent The doctrine of Repentance is preached to all 1. All haue sinned and turned away from God all are depriued of the glory of God there is none that doth good no not one 1. Ioh. 1.8 If any man say hee hath not sinne he deceiueth himselfe and the truth is not in him Iam. 3.2 In many things we sin all therfore all haue need to repent All men are vnder sin Rom. 3.9 that is all men in respect of naturall corruption and actuall pollution are equally vnder the guilt and punishment of sin the sentence of the Law the curse of God A matter of such danger as a man had better bee vnder the weight of all the mountaines in the world than vnder the weight of sinne vpon his soule therefore euery man must repent 2. Euery man will say hee would haue his sins remitted therefore euery man must repent for Repentance and Remission of sins goe hand in hand Marke 1.9 Iohn preached the baptisme of Repentance for Remission of sins and the state of impenitency is a state of perdition Except ye repent ye shall perish for you are yet in your sins 3. Euery one will say hee would bee saued and come to heauen at last but without Repentance can be no saluation neither is there place in heauen for an impenitent person flesh and bloud shall not inherit the Kingdome of God Without shall be dogs and swine not washed from their filthinesse Consider the commandement Ier. 4.14 Wash thy heart from filthinesse that thou maiest be saued 2. The threatning If Christ wash thee not then thou hast no part in him 3 The appropriated onely to those that haue part in the first resurrection the second death shall haue no power ouer them 4 The folly of a man that aymeth at a high excellent end and neuer thinketh of the way and meanes to attayne that end so it is to thinke of heauen and not of Repentance the way and means to it Hence will follow 1 If all men then naturall and vnregenerate men be they neuer so ciuill must hasten their Repentance For 1 They are as clouds without water trees dead without fruit condemned persons without a pardon the law hath read an after sentence of death vpon them And a madnesse were it for a Fellon to looke to bee quit by that law that condemneth him that stare is nothing but death onely Faith and Repentance of the
way to heauen is Repentance Would a man refuse wholesome physicke because some dye that take physicke The proper physicke of a diseased soule is Repentance Would we thinke that man in his wits that would disclayme and wilfully refuse good and wholesome meate because some surfeit and cast vp all againe Where shall we finde a Trader or dealer in the world that will refuse to meddle with all money and gold because there is some clipt and counterfeit or will therefore cast off all trading because some of the same trade breake and deceiue and much lesse the most gainefull trade of godlinesse 3 Some others that haue very busily followed the worke of Repentance haue found as little peace and comfort in their death as any Some of them haue dyed despairing some blaspheming perhaps some on their owne hand Answ. The way of dying well is the way of Repentance and in this way none can dye ill But precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of all such whatsoeuer it seeme Psal. 116. 2 Gods children may want sense of comfort but this argueth not but he might haue formerly the presence of sound comfort and the true ground of it present still A tree in winter liueth but seemeth dead present paine and sicknesse of body argue not it had neuer health 3 Gods child may want sense of faith and in death seeme to be in the gulfe of despaire and yet passe to heauen by the gates of hell as Christ did 4 Gods childe may haue rauings blasphemies fierce actions against themselues and others which are the effects of diseases melancholy frenzy burning agues pestilence from which they are not freed but howsoeuer diseases may depriue the childe of GOD of health sense comfort and life it selfe it cannot depriue him of saluation Rom. 8. I am perswaded that neither life nor death c. 5 Christian wisedome iudgeth not of a man by the strangenesse of his death but by the goodnesse of his life and no kind of death is euill to him that is in Christ for he is freed from the curse of the law CAP. 27. Obiections from the conceit of the easinesse of Repentance Obiect OThers conceiue Repentance so easie a thing and soone done as needeth no such care or time A Lord haue mercy at death and what need a man martyr himselfe all his life Answ. 1. These men that so sleight the remedy neuer saw the danger of the disease Is the disease but a little languishing of nature as the Papists would make vs beleeue or rising out of a few sleight veniall sinnes cured by a a Creed or Aue or a knocke on the breast They deale with their Proselites as the mother with an infant if it hurt the finger the mother bloweth it and these babies beleeue presently the blowing hath soundly healed it But he that measureth either the disease by the remedy or the remedy by the disease shall find it mortall enough being the foulest and most contagious and incurable disease that appertaineth to man compared in the law to the leprosie which was not cured so easily but required an infinite toyle to goe through the cure according to the law often proued inuincible and incurable Naaman cured by miracle must yet wash seuen times to know the difficultie of the cure 2 The whole power of nature cannot doe it and yet a naturall man thinketh it easie Is it easie for an Ethiopian to be washed white or a Leopard to part with his spots So easie is it for him to doe good that is accustomed to euill Ier. 13.23 Is it easie for an old man to become young againe and so easie is it in nature for an old sinner to be renued by Repentance Is it easie for a dead man to be raised to life it cost Christ himselfe teares and groanes to raise Lazarus not because it was hard to him but to shew the impossibility in Lazarus and is it easie for a dead man to raise himselfe and so easie is it for a man dead in sins trespasses to raise himselfe to Repentance Ephes. 2.1 3 Is it so easie which the whole power of grace cannot conquer while we are here below All the grace in the world cannot cleane fetch out the soyle of sinne while wee are here Is it easie to wash out a scarlet or crimson to become white which was dyed both in wooll and cloath nay the cloath will be torne to pieces first and so easie is it euen to get out by Repentance the deepe dye of our scarlet sinnes of our nature and practice 4 Didst thou euer try how easie it was to turne away from some outward act of sinne to which thou wast addicted and yet a hypocrite by some restraining grace can doe it he can for some reasons forbeare some acts of adultery swearing But this is another thing it is the killing and mortifying of inward affections lusts as deare as members Col. 3.5 Mortifie your earthly members this is not the cutting off a washbow of sinne but the stocking vp the roots which is another manner of taske A naturall man would offer any thing to God but his beloued sin he would rather come before the Lord with riuers of oyle and offer the fruits of his body than any one lust and therefore it is not so easie as many conceit 5 Is it so easie what maketh wicked men take on so at godly Preachers when they cal them to Repentance dealing with them as some distempered patient who feeling the smart of a drawing plaister and corasiue driueth away the Surgeon with rayling speeches and casting bedstaues at him when he commeth to touch and to cure his wound Canst thou not abide a drawing playster to driue away corrupt bloud and humours much lesse wilt thou finde ease in cutting off ioynts and members and putting out eyes which Repentance must doe Thinke on these things and then tell mee what an easie thing Repentance is CAP. 28. Obiections from the vnseasonablenesse of Repentance that it is yet too soone or else it is now too late 4 OThers obiect against themselues the vnseasonablenesse of their Repentāce And this hath two branches some conceiue it is yet too soone others that it is too late 1 It is yet too soone I may inioy my sweet sinne a while for sinne is like his father is loath to bee tormented before his time Answ. 1. No man will reason so senselesly for his body I haue a wound or gash but it is not yet time to looke to it I will let it rot and gangrene and then I will looke to it but then it is too late and incurable Or I haue a thorne in my foot it is not yet time to pull it out We know all delayes in bodily diseases dangerous much more in the soule neither will a man be so void of common reason for his goods My house is on fire but it is not yet time to quench it why should this be admitted for