come vnto it Sometimes hauing laid his net he takes poles and thrusts and driues them along into the net The former way God tempts but onely this latter Sathan The meaning heere then is that Christ was led into the wildernesse to bee tempted that is to be perswaded to euill by Sathan Quest 2 2. Quest How could Christ who was so holy be tempted Answ Hee could not bee tempted inwardly How Christ-being so holy could bee tempted of himselfe being holy but outwardly by another he might So were Adam and Eue. And thus to be tempted that is to be perswaded to sinne by another whether Man or Angell is no sinne but a crosse so there be not the least yeelding to the motion no not in the least ticklings of the affection Sathans temptations against vs doe for the most part taint vs by reason of the simpathy betwixt our corruption and them But in Christ there was an antipathy against sinne as in the stomacke against some meates the which the more wee are vrged to eat of them the more we loath them Whereas in other meats that wee especially loue the very sight of them is perswasion enough to eat of them Christs heart to Sathans tentations was as a stone or brasse wall to an arrow repulsing them backe presently Our hearts are as a butt where they may easily fasten themselues Ours as a barrell of gun-powder to the fire Christs as water and therefore he sayd The Prince of this world is come and hath naught in me Ioh. 14. 3. Doct. Hence I gather that all temptations are not sins Ioh 14. 20. in the tempted for then Christ should haue sinned All temptations are not sinnes in the tempted This may comfort those that beeing vexed with fearefull suggestions of Sathan as to thinke amisse of God himselfe c. doe thereby thinke amisse of themselues as if they were therfore most vile wretches But they must remember that this is no more their sinne if they presently beat it backe then if a man like themselues should wish them to the like Sathan must answer for this himselfe Quest But How we may discerne the temptations of Sathan from those that proceed from our own corruption how shall I know that it is Sathan and not mine owne corruption Answ Temptations against the light of nature euen corrupted nature where there is no bait to entice corruption as for a man to kil his louing and beloued parents where there is no hope of gaine by it no matter of displeasure to prouoke these are meerly from Sathan And so are the blasphcmous thoughts against the Trinity Specially if such temptations come furiously and like the flashings of lightning suddenly wee not imagining how nor vpon what occasion we should conceiue such thoughts and withall haunt vs and will not be driuen away but the more we striue and beat them away the more like flies they come vpon vs and withall be contriued subtilly and artificially this is like the marching of Sathan as hee sayd This is like the marching of Iehu for he marcheth furiously 2. Kin. 2. Kings 9. 9. I thinke neuer doe temptations arise from the flesh but the Diuell interposes himselfe and speaks his good word for them being once set on foote by the flesh Therefore such temptarious called the messengers of Sathan 2. Cor. 12. and Ephes 4. 26. 27. 2. Cor. 12. Eph. 4. 26. 27. wee are sayd in anger to giue place to the Diuell And though commonly the flesh regratifie the Diuell and applaud and set forward his temptations yet it doth so fall out sometimes that the Diuell tempts alone and that so grossely that the very flesh is ashamed of it Quest 3 3. Quest How or in what manner was Christ tempted whether by inward suggestion as we or by Whether Christ was tempted by inward suggestion or by an audible voice an audible voyce the Diuell appearing in a visible shape Ans It is most likely to latter way First because it is sayd Then came the tempter vnto him Secondly because of that desire of his that he would fal down and worship him Yet I hold it not impossible that Christ might be tempted by suggestion For he was tempted before hee was hungry euen during the space of the forty dayes Luc. 4. 2. 3. And it seemes Luc. 4. 2. 3. that those temptations were rather by inward suggestion for that it is sayd Then namely after he was hungry came the tempter to wit in a bodily shape implying that before hee came not so So hee was tempted afterward also but yet nothing is read of any visible apparition Quest. 4 4. Quest Why was Christ tempted 1. Answ That wee might see the horrible rage Why Christ was tempted and senslesse madnesse of the Diuell against God and our saluation For though that before in Iordan and all his former miracles at his birth c. might haue cleared his Godhead to him yet malice blindes him that hee cannot or will not see and makes him to barke against the sunne and to fight against the heauens And so still is it with his wicked instruments 2. That wee should know how fit it is there should be trials of ministers before they enter into their functions 3. That ministers might know who will be their speciall aduersary they must conflict with in their ministry 4. That we might see how fit it is that ministers and men of great callings should be fitted and prepared for the good discharge of them by temptation and by their owne experience might learne to releeue others 2. Cor. 1. 4. 5. To giue vs warning to looke to our selues For if this were done to the greene tree what then shall bee done to the dry If Sathan durst set vpon Christ who was as greene wood and had abundance of moisture to quench the heate of his fire what then will hee doe to vs that are dry and quickly set on fire 6. To ouercome our temptation with his as he did our death with his For as death lost his sting lighting on Christ so also Sathans temptations and the foile he gaue Sathan was for vs. 7. That by suffring that which was the desert of our sinnes his loue towards vs might appeare the more If it were a vexation to the righteous soule of Lot to see and heare the wickednesse of the Sodomites who yet perswaded him not to doe the like how much more to our Lords soule to heare this cursed hell-hound vttering such filthy speeches perswading him to such vngodlinesse See we then in Christ suffring this for vs his loue our desart namely to be thus vexed and molested with Sathan and if we haue ease and deliuerance in tentation thanke we Christs trouble for our ease 8. That there might bee some answering to the Israelites being forty yeeres in the desert in many trials and temptations A day answearing a yeere As there was before in Christs going into Aegypt 9. That our
Euangelicall were naturally in Adam Repentance then belongs to the Gospell 1. Because properly it is commanded as is also iustifying faith in the Gospell Mark 1. 14. Christ preached the Gospell One might thinke what was that The next verse tels vs saying Repent and beleeue the Gospell 2. It is promised in the Gospell in the Couenant of grace Ezech. 36. 26. I will take away the stony heart out of your body and giue you an heart of flesh Which that it is a promise of the Gospell appeares plainely vers 22. I doe not this for your sakes but for mine owne names sake And so Ierem. 32. 40. I will make an euerlasting Couenant with them that I will neuer turne away from them to doe them good but I will put my feare in their hearts that they shall not depart from me And this is further euident because Repentance is sealed in the Sacraments of the Gospell For Baptisme is called the Baptisme of Repentance Luk. 3. 3. because it seals vp to vs Gods promise of Repentance 3. It is wrought in vs by the Ministery of the Gospell Galat. 3. 2. whilest it sets before our eyes Christ crucified and so causes vs to lament Ezech. 12. 10. Therfore Christ commanded that Repentance should be preached in his name who by his obedience hath merited it for vs as well as remission of sinnes Luc. 24. 46. 47. and in this regard is sayd to bee raised vp of his father to giue Repentance to the house of Israel Acts 5. 31. As for the Law it being the ministery of death 2. Cor. 3. how can it worke Repentance which is vnto life 2. Cor. 7. 10. Acts 11. 18. Repentance is required vnto the sense of mercy and forgiuenesse The Law then knowing no forgiuenesse neither knowes it any Repentance When the Law is broken it requires the suffering of the curse and not any Repentance for the auoyding of the curse It sends vs down to the dungeon of damnation and seales it vpon vs with an vnremoueable stone not giuing vs the least inckling of any recouery Nay the Law setting out vnto vs that most rigorous and precise Iustice of God and his infinite and implacable wrath against sin doth in a manner forbid all Repentance Telling vs t is in vaine to seeke by our teares and lamentations any mercy at his hands who is a consuming fire a God of pure eyes and cannot behold iniquity The Law then of it selfe leaues a man in vtter desperation then which what can be more contrary to sauing Repentance and is no otherwise a schoole-master vnto Christ then as the minister of the Gospell makes vse of it contrary to it owne nature to driue vs vnto Christ by shewing the sinner condemned in the Law that it were not best for him to trust any longer to the Law but to accept of the grace offered in the Gospell The Vse 1. If Repentance be a part of the Gospell then know we it is not so sowre and crabbed a thing as most thinke Indeed the Law is pure vineger But the Gospell is refreshing and suppling oyle euen the soueraigne balme of Gilead and of this Gospell the glad tidings of peace is Repentance a part Yea it is one of the legacies of the new Testament A rich treasure purchased with the bloud of Christ Luc. 24. 46. 47. Sorrow indeed is bitter and vnpleasant to our corrupt nature yet many things are wholsome that are not so toothsome The sheepe of Christ know that to feed vpon this salt marsh is the onely preseruatiue against the rot Therefore nothing is there they lesse repent themselues of then this Repentance nothing they reioyce more in then this sorrow and good reason It is a peece of that blessed Gospell 2. If the difficulty of Repentance discourage thee remember that the commandements of the Gospell haue grace annexed by reason the same things that are commanded in the Gospell are also promised and so this yoake is sweet and easie 3. If the weaknesse of thy Repentance trouble thee remember it is an Euangelicall grace and how little a mite will the Gospell accept euen a penny for a pound A desire to repent is Repentance heere and to grieue because wee cannot bee grieued goes currant for godly sorrow 3. In the description I adde further that it is a Wrought by the Spirit euen grace of the spirit to shew that the Spirit is the authour thereof as appeareth Ezech. 12. 10. I will powre the spirit of grace vpon the house of Iudah and then they shall lament Before we can powre out one teare into Gods bottle God must powre the water of his spirit vpon the dry and heathy ground of our hearts Rom. 8. 26. Wee cannot breath out so much as a sigh but the spirit must first breath it in We cannot suspirare vnlesse God doe first inspirare That we may truely say heere with Dauid in euery repenting sigh sob teare Of thine owne Lord haue we giuen thee Wee powre out because thou hast first powred in Peter weepes but first Christ looked on him The waters flow but then specially when the winde blowes Psal 147. 18. Oh to how low an ebbe will the waters of repenting teares come if this blessed winde of the Spirit blow not It is the fire of the Spirit in our hearts like as in a Still that sendeth vp those dewes of repenting teares into our heads that droppe foorth of our eyes Vse Let no man thinke Repentance in his own power and so that hee may repent when hee will Can any man melt a stone or turne it into flesh By repentance we breake the strong snares of Sathan wherein we are hampered And what power shall 2. Tim. 2. 26. enable vs to doe that but that which is stronger then Sathan euen the power of the spirit Man is like a wild Asses colt Iob 11. 12. will he euer be tame of himselfe no it is the spirit that must tame and humble him by conuincing his conscience of sin Ioh. 16. 8. Man is like a silly lost wandring sheep Will hee euer be able to get into the high way of himselfe No he must heare the voice of his sheepheard crying behinde him This is the way walke in it Is 30. 21. Else he will wander in the wrong way irreturneably Therefore while that voyce soundeth in our hearts while we are called vpon by it to day harden wee not our hearts While the Spirit stirs in thy heart as once the Angell in the poole Ioh. 5. take the opportunity The Spirit who is the worker of repentance is not at thy beck Thou canst not set him on worke when thou wouldest suffer him then to worke when he would If wee could humble our selues we should neuer be humble foreuen this power of humbling our selues would make vs proud God therefore hath reserued it to himselfe and his owne Spirit that so we might be humble indeed yeelding our selues to be wrought vpon by him when he
But without any true reformation for presently after he fell to as bad cruelty against the holy Prophet Micaiah Iudas was grieued for murthering Christ yet no change ensued hee fell to murthering of himselfe The Israelites being threatned by God when as they meditated a returne into Aegypt wept and howled And yet at the same time being commanded not to goe the next way to Canaan but to fetch a compasse about they disobeyed But these men sorrow not aright because they sorrow not as the Corinthians did vnto a transmentation vnto a change of their thoughts and purposes from euill to good It is not possible a man should truely grieue and be displeased for his sins and yet continue in them without a change For as one very well sayes vnlesse sinne be made a wanton it will not stay It likes no grimme entertainement The sad countenance the weeping eyes the frowning forehead dash it quite out of countenance It is not able to stand before them The teares of true Repentance haue a purging and a raising vertue therfore the Prophet exhorting to Repentance sayes Wash yee make yee cleane These teares therefore Is 1. 16. are washing and cleansing teares where they fall they make cleane worke scouring away the filthinesse of our sinnes The abundance of naturall raine maketh the waies fowle that before were faire But contrarily the more abundantly this raine falleth the cleaner and fairer are the wayes of our hearts and fitter for the feet of the Lord to walke in For this is that same preparing of the way Matth. 3. of the Lord which the Baptist requires Worldly sorrow workes a change in the body it brings gray haires on the head and furrowes and wrinckles in the face It turnes youth into olde age and strength into weaknesse and so causeth death But the change of godly sorrow is quite contrary It turnes olde age into youth and a weaknesse and sicknesse into health and strength No distillations of waters heale our bodily diseases so as this water doth our spirituall This salt brine takes away all our raw humours and makes vs sauory meate for the Lord. This raine dissolues the clowds of our iniquities and ô what a pure cleerenesse is there in the heauen of our hearts And therfore iustly may wee suspect their repentance whose sorrow brings not with it this happy change 2. So also may we theirs whose change and alteration proceedes not from godly sorrow and touch of conscience for sinne Let it not suffice vs that in many things wee haue reformed our wayes For so did Herod Iudas and many other temporary beleeuers But alas this reformation was not grounded vpon true humiliation and so at length it came to nought as an vnfounded building And therefore by humiliation first digge wee deepe in our hearts and cast out the rotten and vnsound ground and so build wee Excellent is the counsell of Christ to luke-warme Laodicea be zealous that is reforme the fault of thy luke-warmnesse Reuel 3. but withall he addes and Repent namely of thy lukewarmnesse let the reformation of thy fault be grounded on sound sorrow for it So may I say to the couetous be liberall and repent to the vncleane be chaste and repent to the neglecter of Gods worship frequent the Church and exercises of Religion and repent Many Professours haue made a goodly flourish and of couetous haue turned liberall and of prophane deuout and who so forward as they But when they turned religious they did not heartily repent and repine at their former prophanesse grieuing and grudging at the seruice which formerly they did Sathan They sowed not the seed of their obedience in tears nay with the stony ground they beganne in ioy and therefore end in sorrow Before haruest comes all is withered and they become vnfruitfull They beganne not in humility and therefore end not in glory Nay they beganne in pride and therefore end in shame They beganne in impenitency and therefore end in despaire And thus haue we opened the definition of Repentance CHAP. II. In what order Humiliation is wrought REpentance then consisting of those two parts Humiliation and Reformation let vs speake of them both seuerally And first of Humiliation where consider first the grace it selfe And secondly the contraries to it In the grace it selfe foure things are to be considered 1. The Nature 2. The Measure 3. The Vse and Excellency 4. The Practise 1. For the nature two poynts must bee considered 1. The nature of Humiliation in two things 1. In what order it is wrought 2. What are the qualities and propeties of it being wrought For the former it is thus to be considered 1. The spirit by the shrill trumpet of the Law arouseth the sinners drousie conscience setteth his 1. The order of it sinnes in order before him and presenteth him with that fearefull spectacle of eternall death and condemnation And that so that the poore sinner selfe-conuict and selfe-condemned holding vp his guilty hands before Gods Tribunall and receiuing the sentence of death doth not onely see hell with a wide and gaping mouth ready to deuoure him but euen in a manner feeleth himselfe in hell already the terrours of God fighting against him and the envenomed arrowes of the Almighty sticking in his ribbes so that in this perplexity being brought downe to the very gate of hell and feeling the very flashings of hell fire in his conscience he cries out Miserable man that I am who shall deliuer me Who shall descend into this deepe to Rom. 7. helpe me out of the myre wherein I sticke so fast A man in this case is like a rocke which with some mighty shaking is made to tremble but yet still retaines his hardnesse or as an iron vessell which with some violent stroakes is broken into peeces but these peeces remaine whole and hard and are not yet molten by the fire Now vnto humiliation there is required not onely a broken but also a contrite spirit And Contrition is when all is stamped to very dust and ground as it were to powder so that there is a through dissolution of that which before was firmely hardened and compacted together But the Law of it selfe cannot dissolue and soften the hard heart of man Therefore the sinner though neuer so violently shaken and battred with the thunderbolts of the Law is not as yet truely humbled but onely prepared for and in the way vnto humiliation As when a thing is torne and broken though into great and solide lumps it is neerer to dissolution then when it was whole and entire 2. Therefore the spirit by the hammer of the Law hauing broken vs doth in the next place by the fire of the Gospell melt vs. For the word of God Ierem. 23. 9. is both a hammer breaking the rockes and a fire A hammer in the Law A fire in the Gospell which with the heat of Gods loue in Christ doth melt mollifie and dissolue our hearts
Christian say I haue had more griefe in procuring thy displeasure by sinne then the worldlings haue had in the miscarriage of their corne and oyle 2. According to the greatnesse of the Euill must sorrow be proportioned Now of the two Euils the Euill of sinne is farre greater then the Euill of punishment For it is onely sinne that grieues the spirit of God and depriues vs of the fauour of God Affliction and Gods spirit can agree very well Therefore Dauid describing true blessednesse remooues nothing from it but sinne as being that which onely makes vs miserable Surely they the blessed men worke no iniquity And not surely they suffer no aduersitie Psal 119. 3. Sinne therefore being the greatest Euill craues the greatest sorrow 3. The precepts and examples in the Scripture shew as much Though in worldly sorrow baldnesse was forbidden the Iewes yet in sorrow for sinne it was commanded them The Lord calleth vnto mourning c. and vnto baldnesse Isay 22. 13. saith Esay A plaine argument of a greater sorrow expected for sinne then they ought to haue for any outward worldly crosse whatsoeuer Dauid sayes his eyes gushed out with riuers of water for other mens Psal 1 19. sinnes What then did they for his owne Great is that Hyperbole and it argueth an hyperbolicall and excessiue sorrow I caused my bed euery night to swim Psal 6. 6. and not only so but water my pallet that lies beneath my bed with my teares Implying that if his head could containe so much water the griefe of his heart could furnish it In the same sense doe some take that of the repenting Israelites that they drew 1. Sam. 7. water and powred it out before the Lord. And thus doth Zacharie describe the sorrow of true Repentants that euen after plenty of teares and lamentations Zach. 12. in publique yet the fountaine shall runne still in priuate and flow from the Church to the priuate closet euery soule mourning in secret by himselfe And which is strange that the lamentations of one poore woman weeping solitary in her closet shall equall that great mourning of the whole multitude in the valley of Megiddo for the death of Iosiah Farre then are they from Repentance who though they can cry and howle on their beddes when their money their houses their lands are gone what speake I of so great matters The death of a cowe or the losse of a few pigges will pinch them sore And yet their maine and fearefull sins could neuer yet draw so much as one teare from their eyes or fetch one sigh from their hearts Quest 1. Are Teares necessarily required in this sorrow Answ 1. Sometimes want of teares proceeds from abundance of griefe so oppressing the minde that it cannot ease it selfe by weeping As in him that weeping at the death of his friend could not yet weepe at the death of his owne sonne 2. Sometimes the constitution of the body will yeeld no teares The triall heere is the same as in the matter of memory If a man haue a naturall defect in his memory which is the cause hee can remember but very little of a sermon then neither will hee remember much of a tale of a play of worldly matters So if the constitution or complexion deny teares in sorrow for sinne neither will it affoord them in worldly sorrow But as thy ability to remember worldly matters when thou hast none to remember Gods argues no naturall infirmity but a sinnefull corruption of memory so is it heere If thou can weepe plentifully for worldly losses and yet haue dry cheekes for thy sins this is from the corruption of thy heart not from the constitution of thy body Quest 2. May not the childe of God feele more griefe for some worldly crosses then he doth for his sinnes Answ 1. Sorrow may be considered either as it is in the will and so it is nothing but the displeasure and dislike of that which the vnderstanding apprehendeth as euill Or as it is in the sensitiue faculty of the soule common with vs to the beasts In the former way Gods children feele greatest Thom. supplem qu. 4 art 1. Bellar. de poen l. 2. c. 11. sorrow for sinne Their will sanctified and directed by the spirit detests abhors nothing more then to sinne against God But yet all the children of God doe not feele such a sensible stinging smarting griefe for their sinne in the sensitiue faculty as they doe for diuers outward afflictions For the more corporall a thing is the neerer is it and more familiar to the sensitiue faculty and so pinches more there For example in extremity of tooth-ach or in the burning of ones finger there is a more sensible griefe felt then in a lingring feuer or then is sometimes in death it selfe And yet the will guided by right reason dislikes the feuer and death far more then the tooth-ach 2. Greatnesse of griefe may be measured either by the violent intension or by the constant continuance and duration Now that which is wanting to the griefe of Gods children for their sinnes the former way is recompenced and made vp in the latter Their griefe for sinne is not so extreamely violent because of the ioy and comfort of the holy Ghost which they feele in the middest of their heauinesse and yet this ioy doth not any way lessen the displeasure of our wils against sinne though it qualifie the sensible smart nay rather it encreases it For as ioy and delight in learning makes the scholler learne the better so delight in godly sorrow sets vs forward in it but yet as we sayd it mirigates the extremity of passion so that oftentimes the children of God are for the time more violently tormented for their crosses then for their sinnes As Dauid cried out vehemently O Absalom Absalom but not O Vriah Vriah Yet his griefe for Vriahs death was a more setled constant griefe as oftentimes the stillest waters are deepest My sinne is euer before me so was not Absolons death That was soon ouer Iob sayes that he possessed the sins of his youth Iob. 13. 26. euen in his olde age but he sayes not that he possessed the afflictions of his youth Time had worne away those sorrowes for they are but like a sudden dashing tempest but sorrow for sinne is like the still soft but soaking raines that wets to the very rootes The one is like a mighty torrent or land-flood soone dried vp or a blaze of thornes soone extinct the other like a little spring alwayes running or a constant fire holding out the whole day Ob. Wee are bidden reioyce alwayes how then can wee sorrow alwaies for our sinnes Answ 1. These two may well stand together because godly sorrow ministers matter to vs of ioy Let the Repentant alwaies sorrow and reioice Semper doleat poenitens de dolore gaudeat Pro. 14. in and for his sorrow saith Austin As in prophane ioy euen in
Of Mercy where the patience prouidence 2. Of mercy bounty and kindnesse of the Lord is seriously to be recognized of vs knowing as the Apostle speaketh that it leadeth vs to repentance But heere specially Rom. 2. excelleth the meditation of the death and passion of Christ wherein thou shalt see both the infinitenesse of thy sinne and Gods loue And heere consider thy sinnes as the Iudas that betrayed the souldiers that apprehended bound smote and wounded thy Sauiour as the gall and vineger in his mouth spittle in his face thorns on his head nailes in his hands speare in his side Surely if a man but vnwittingly should kill though the silliest and basest man that is it could not yet but be a great trouble vnto him What then should this be to vs that we haue wilfully murthered the Lord of glory the sonne of God himselfe Behold also Gods infinite loue and see Christ doing the same to thy sinnes which they to him and in suffering death at their hands inflicting death on them and all other thy spirituall enemies for God doth that to his enemies to make vs relent which he bids vs doe to ours If thine enemie hunger giue him meat if he thirst giue him drinke Nay Rom. 12. 20. when we Gods enemies were dead hee gaue vs life and that by the death of his owne sonne and so hath heaped coales of fire on our heads to melt our harts in godly sorrow The way then to pierce our hearts with sorrow for sin is to behold Christ pierced with nailes on the crosse Then shall they looke on mee whom they haue pierced and lament Ezech. 12. And this is the consideration both of our own and Gods wayes required as an incentiue and prouokement of godly sorrow The which shall bee farre more effectuall if we keepe iournals or day-bookes of them both both of our speciall sinnes and Gods speciall mercies for then in the exercises of Repentance may we the more easily set our sinnes in order before our eyes and for the better affecting of our hearts may we spread the catalogue of our sinnes before the Lord as Ezekiah did Rabsakehs 2. Kin. 19. 14. blasphemous letter This course holy Bradford tooke and some thinke Iob did so because of that speech Not one of a thousand CHAP. VII Of Confession and Deprecation HVmiliation wrought in the heart must bee expressed outwardly both in word action 2. Outward expressing it in word In word by his Confession of sinne and Deprecation In Confession consider 1. Parts 1. In Confession In it 1. parts which are 2. 2. Manner The parts of confession are two 1. Accusing of our selues 2. Iudging of our selues Both these are necessary duties For by accusing 1. Accusation In which our selues we preuent Sathan by iudging our selues we preuent God When we haue accused our selues what can Sathan that accuser of the brethen say which wee haue not sayd before so his mouth is stopt Hee comes too late wee being Accusers God is our Discharger and what then shall Sathan be but a Slanderer By iudging of our selues doe wee likewise put God out of office for he will say loe how this man iudgeth himselfe I will not therefore iudge him If in Ahabs hypocryticall iudging seest thou not 1. Kin. 21. 29 how Ahab humbleth himselfe I will not therefore humble him how much more in the sincere and seuere iudging of the Godly Indeed in iudging of others Iudge not least ye be iudged but in iudging Matth. 7. 1. of our selues iudge that ye be not iudged 1. Cor. 11. Now for the former namely the accusing of our Three things selues there must be these three things therein 1. A particularizing of our sinnes In an accusation 1. Particularizing of sinne it is not enough to accuse in generall but we must come to particulars and charge the accused with this or that crime How can the Physitian helpe him that saies he is not well and will not tell him where Many deale with God in the confession of their sinnes as Nebuchadnezar with his Inchanters Dan. 2. about his dreame that hee had dreamed hee told them and desired an interpretation but what his dreame was he could not tell So many confesse themselues sinners and desire pardon But wherein they haue sinned and what their sinnes are they cannot or will not tell Generall Confessions and in grosse are too too grosse No they must be particularly remembred and ranked and sorted together in order 2. And beeing thus set in order some of thy chiefest sinnes must be culled out which haue bin 2. Calling out the chiefe most dishonourable to God and discomfortable to thine owne soule Thus Paul in his confession insists specially in that grand and capitall sinne of persecution I persecuted the Church of God And so those Israelites Besides all other our sinnes wee haue 1. Tim. 1. 13. 1. Sam. 12. 19. sinned in asking a King For he that truely and seriously repents of one sinne specially his deerest and sweetest sinne will much more repent of his other lesser sinnes Hee that will shake off his greatest friends will much more forsake the meaner and lesse respected And indeed vsually Repentance is first occasioned by some one speciall hainous sinne layd to heart The Apostles Acts 2. doe specially presse the murther of Christ vpon the Iewes and Acts 17. Ignorance vpon the Athenians Christ adultery vpon the woman of Samaria calling her to repentance As in battels though they fight against the whole Army yet specially against the Head and Generall as Fight neither against great 1. Kin. 22. nor small but against the King of Israel so specially we must set our selues in our confession against our Master sinnes the King being caught the rest will neuer stand out 3. Though we must specially dwell vpon some of our most speciall sinnes yet the rest must not be 3. Yet not neglecting the rest neglected for as Confession must be particular so also must it be full And our more greeuous offences must bring the rest to our remembrance As Dauids murther and adultery brought euen his birth-sinne to his minde And that sin of strange Psal 51. wiues many other sinnes to Esraes minde As we in correcting our children for one fault thereupon Esr 9. remember them of and reckon with them for many other before and as in accusation when a man is endited of some speciall crime his enemies vpon that occasion bring in whatsoeuer else they can get against him further to disgrace him so heere in accusing our selues nothing willingly must bee omitted Take wee heede of spirituall guile in hiding ought Thou mayest hide God from thy selfe thy selfe from God thou canst not To the Physician thou wilt discouer euen thy most shamefull diseases the fruites of thy filthy wickednesse If thou shouldest conceale but one circumstance of such a disease it might kill thee And sixe
theeues being entred into thy house if thou shouldest let but one of them alone vnsearched and vndiscouered hee would serue the turne to cut thy throat and steale thy treasure Thou must then powre out thy whole heart as water as the Prophet Lam. 2. 19. opened speaketh which some of the Ancient haue interpreted of a full confession when nothing is left out As in powring out of water euery drop goes out not so in powring out of oyle Yet in some cases the omission of some perticular sinnes is excusable As first in want of knowledge and memorie Heere to cry out with Dauid Psal 19. Who knoweth the errors of his life Clense me from my secret sinnes shall be accepted Secondly in want of leysure as when a man is suddenly preuented by the hand of God as the theefe on the crosse or by extreame and violent sicknesse Heere to remember thy chiefe sinnes as he his stealing and for the rest to confesse generally is accepted in mercy of the Lord. The second part of confession is the iudging of 2. Iudging our selues Iob. 39. 37. Prou. 30. 2. 2. Sam. 24. our selues First for the nature or quality of our sinnes wherein wee must bee most seuere against our selues so was Iob. I am vile Agar I am not a man I haue not the vnderstanding of a man in me Dauid I haue done exceeding foolishly Though before he thought he had done exceeding wisely So Paul iudges himselfe the head of sinners the least of the 1. Tim. 1. 15. 1. Cor. 15 9. Apostles yea of Saints yea lesse then the least He giues himselfe the highest place among sinners the lowest among Saints Secondly for the desert of our sinnes Heere wee must passe the sentence of the Law adiudging our selues to death so stand before Gods tribunall as guilty persons with ropes about our necks Ezech. 36. 31. Then shall ye iudge your selues worthy to bee cut off Daniel 9. Shame belongs to vs. Luk. 15. I am not woorthy to be called thy sonne These be the parts of Confession the manner followes 2. Manner of it in 6. things wherein sixe things are required 1. Confession must be in Faith of Gods mercy 1 In Faith for forgiuenesse of and helpe against the sinne confessed Wee must confesse not as the conuicted malefactor to the Iudge as Achan to Ioshua who assures himselfe of certaine death and lookes for no fauour but as the sicke man to the Phisition that hath hope to be cured by him And here our faith is surer a great deale For we cannot so assure our selues eyther of the will or skill of the Physitian to heale vs as of Gods neither that in the matter of shame he will be so faithfull to vs as God Wicked men confesse as Iudas I haue sinned but despaire swallows them vp When they acknowledge their fault they seeke not Gods mercie as the Prophet excellently bringeth in God coupling these Hos 5. 15. two together Till they acknowledge their fault and seeke mee So did Daniel yet there is mercy and forgiuenesse Dan 9. Ezr. 10. 2. And Shecaniah wee haue sinned yet there is hope in Israel concerning this 2. It must be in shame with annihilated deiected and confounded spirits as Esra O my God I am ashamed 2. In shame Ezra 9. and confounded to lift vp mine eies to Heauen for though faith bee confident yet not impudent Though Esra had faith and called God his God yet was hee ashamed with his sinne though not with the shame of a condemned malefactor yet of a good Sonne or Subiect offending his Father or Soueraigne The wickeds presumptuous faith is a shamelesse faith it makes them shamelesse in sinning and their shame is a faithlesse and desperate shame They cannot in their shame call God their God with Ezra But both these must goe together Many in confessing begge mercy with the Publicane but their eyes are not cast downe in godly shame as his were They are not touched with any serious sense of their owne vilenesse to thinke with Iob dust and ashes good enough for them I haue sinned saith Saul yet I pray thee honour mee in the sight of the people Lo a proud and high mind in 1. Sam. 15. 30. confession where our intent principally should be to shame and abase our selues 3. In sorrow with a bleeding and melting hart 3. In sorrow as Dauid Psalm 51. In confessing euery sinne confessed should be felt as a dagger pricking vs at the heart Else the confession of sinne is worse then the sinne confessed the remedy is worse then the disease and after such confessions wee had need to reconfesse our selues for our confessions It would more anger vs to see those that haue wronged vs confesse their wrong with an impudent forehead without relenting then the wrong it selfe did which they confesse 4. With a free-heart not extorted by the paine 4. With a free heart of the wracke as Pharaohs was who when hee was of the wracke bit in his confession againe and recanted not wrung nor wrested from vs by the dint of argument as Sauls was by the force of Samuels reasons Our owne hearts must smite vs with Dauid before Gad the seer come to smite vs and they 2. Sam. 24. must vrge vs out of loue to our God offended to come and confesse God loues a cheerefull confessor who needs not to bee laboured vpon by his minister friends or neighbours nor to be haled and pulled to confession by sicknesse or such like extremity for the vilest hypocrite will stoope then Balaam when hee saw the Angells naked sword could say then I haue sinned Num 22. 34. 5. With an angry heart 5. With an angrie and impatient heart against sin and our selues for sinne The repenting sinner though hee bee the most patient to God yet the most impatient to himselfe and full of indignation to his sinnes Thus was it with Dauid befooling himselfe in his confession 1. Sam. 24. 10. and calling himselfe beast in confessing his distrust in Gods prouidence Thus was it with Iob abhorring himselfe Iob. 42. 6. in his confession and with the Publican knocking himselfe shewing what mind he carried to his sinne euen to doe the like to it and with Ephraim Ier. 31. 9. in anger smiting himselfe on the thigh This is the way to fall in with God to fall out with our selues to bee friends with God to bee enemies with our selues 6. It must be with an honest heart in confessing 6. With an honest heart of sinne forsaking the sinne confessed He that confesseth and forsaketh his sinne c. Confession and confusion Prou. 28. of sinne must goe together Heere many errors in Confession are discouered First many confesse their sinnes in a brauery as Paul did his religion I confesse saith hee that after Acts 24. 14. the way they call heresie so worship I the God of my Fathers So many gracelesse men
all Against both these errours oppose wee both these assertions and thus doe we maintaine them 1. I say There is no sinne so hainous or hideous but there is place for Repentance the sinne against the holy Ghost alwayes reserued of which it is sayd that it is impossible that euer the offendors therein should be renewed by Repentance Not that Hebr. 6. the Arme of Gods power is shortned or the bowels of his mercy so straightned as though any sinne could ouercome either but as of a Physician though otherwise able and willing to heale a Patient it may be sayd yet hee cannot heale him if he bee obstinately wilfull and will neither endure the Physician but spits in his face nor his Physick but spils it on the ground euen so the case is here Therefore cannot this sinne be pardoned this spirituall disease be cured because this is the nature of it to rage and raue desperatly both against the physicke and against the Physician to trample Heb. 10. 29. the bloud of Christ vnder feet and to despight the spirit of God the sprinckler of this bloud and not to endure him when he perswades to prepare the heart to Repentance for the receit of that Soueraigne medicines But as for all other sinne Christ sayes I came to call sinners without exception to Repentance though Publicans and Harlots Princes of Sodome and Gomorra that is such as matched the filthy Sodomites Is 10. 16. in wickednesse are yet bidden to wash themselues in this riuer The conspirators against Christ are called to kisse the sonne namely with the Psal 2. kisses of that repenting woman Luc. 7. who would haue thoght that euer the crucifiers of Christ who shed his bloud by murther should haue drunke his blood by faith and imbruing their hands in the matter Acts 2. should haue bathed their soules in the merit therof And yet euen these are bidden Repent This is to comfort such whom the multitude and hainousnesse of their sinnes discourages as though there were no accesse to mercy by Repentance Vnto these God sayes Come let vs reason together Is 1. 18. Stand not reasoning with your owne distrustfull hearts but hearke what I say to you If yee will wash and clense your selues by Repentance Though your sinnes were as red as crimson c. yet then shall they be as white as snow O but my sinnes are exceeding great and aboue the ordinary seize why so much the more neede hast thou to repent the more dangerous the disease is the more is physick vsed And if thy sinne bee so great as thou complainest what meanest thou to make it greater by not repenting The greatnesse of thy sinne troubles thee Repentance will make it lesse it is only impenitency that is the condemning sinne O but the greatnesse of my sinne hinders me from repenting say not so Remember that Christ is thy physician and Repentance is his physicke Mat. 9. The whole neede not a Physician but the sicke I came not to call the Righteous but sinners to Repentance Wilt thou now make him so weake and vnskilfull a Physician that he should be good onely at a cold or at the rheume or some such petty infirmity and not able to deale with a burning pestilentiall feuer Indeed bodily diseases sometimes so weaken that there is no ability to receiue much lesse the power in the physicke receiued to worke Many diseases are there that pose the best Physicians Ludibria Medicorum and are their shame and reproch not so here Neuer art thou so low brought but Christ is able to make thee take his receit of Repentance and when it is once taken neuer doubt of the working for there is no sinne no spirituall disease that exceedes the skill of our spirituall Physician Iesus Christ And therfore so many examples we haue of horrible sinners renewed by Repentance as Rahab an Harlot Abraham an Idolater Manasses a Tyrant Paul a Persecutour those Magicians called at the birth that debauched theefe called at the death of Christ This doctrine condemneth the rigour of the Nouatians denying Repentance to them that fell away through feare in time of persecution It answereth also that Question concerning Relapse or Recidiuation into some greeuous sinne after Repentance for it namely whether such relapsed persons may be recouered againe by new Repentance This doctrine shewes plainely they may Because no sinne is excluded from Repentance saue that one vnpardonable And heereto adde these reasons 1 Relapse into some one perticular grieuous offence after Repentance seemes not to bee more heynous then a generall and long continued reuolt of one eminent in the profession of the trueth from religion to idolatry from holinesse to filthinesse of life But euen such a reuolt may be holpen by repentance as in Salomons case Therefore a relapse also 2 Repentance is Christs Phisick for sicke sinners Matth. 9. Now if temporall Physicke doe help relapses into the same diseases why may not repentance relieue relapses into the same sinnes 3 Christ commands vs to forgiue our brother vnto 70. times 7. times in one day if hee repent Now that which God bids vs doe in some measure Matth. 18. 22. we doe it and that good which we doe and haue we haue it from God and doe it by his helpe All our goodnesse and mercy is but a little particle out of his fulnesse a drop out of his Sea Therefore if there be such mercy in vs to forgiue those that after their repentance for some iniuries done vs offend againe in the same kind much more then in God the Father and fountaine of mercies 4 Neither want wee altogether example of Scripture Abrahams example Gen. 12. 19. hazarding his wiues chastity by a slippery pollicie and againe Genesis 20. 2. dashing his foote at the same stone is alleaged by some To the which wee may also adde that of Iohn worshipping the Angell the second time after the Angells rebuke for his former errour But in these examples there is no mention made of repentance after the first slip Though in all likelihood the rebuke of an Angell should preuaile with Iohn and of a heathen man with Abraham specially when hee saw Gods rebuke in the the danger he was in Besides that these seeme rather to bee examples of infirmities then of more grieuous offences whereof the question is made As for Peters dissimulation in his Iudaizing Gal. 2. it was nothing of that nature that his dissimulation was in denying Christ And therefore it cannot be counted such a Relapse as now we speake of The example of Ionas seemes fitter for this purpose his sinne was grieuous to runne away from God and forsake his ambassage to Niniueh and for it being grieuously punished in the whales belly hee there heartily repented as appeares Ionas 2. yet for all this when God spared Niniueh he was angry with him and iustified his former sinne and wished hee had neuer come thither which in effect
When Sathan accuses yea and begins to iudge add condemne vs heere is our Apology here is our Defence and our answer ready God hath graciously forgiuen me The bookes and bonds are cancelled Sathan goe not beyond thine office as Bradford sweetly speakes God is the iudge thou hast not to meddle with his office Loe the Iudge hath cleered me Accuse now as long as thou wilt So long as a man hath the iudges acquitting sentence he needs not feare the clamours of any malicious accusers And heere we may obserue a notable difference betweene the repentant sinner and the impenitent The wicked wretch so he can shift off by any meanes the accusation hee neuer cares nor labours for the Iudges absolution who in his time will take notice of his sinne though neuer any accusation should be profered All his care is for the present to put off the accuser the sergeant the officer Well thou riddest thy selfe by some deuise to day but he comes to thee againe to morrow Where is thy defence thy protection against him Alas thou hast prouided none Now the true repentant he considers that it is to no purpose to put away the accuser when as yet the iudge remaines vnpacified who will againe and againe set this accuser on our backes till we haue pacified him And therfore his chiefe dealing is with the iudge himselfe to get his fauour and grace and so hee getting the Iudges absolution regards not a whit the officers accusation In a worde the wicked when Conscience accuses haue no other care then to stop the mouth of Conscience and to choake it for the present that it may not accuse The godly further as they would not haue it accuse so neyther further would they haue it a silent and a sencelesse Conscience but they would turne accusing conscience into an excusing and clearing Conscience The wickeds care is only to stoppe and damme vp this violent floud but the godly for that they see it is to little purpose thus to doe because within a little while it will ouerflow and rage more violently then euer it did before they haue therefore a further care to turne the streame and current the other way to make Conscience sing another note and in stead of terrors to speake peace 3. Duty Indignation namely against our sins 3. Indignation and so against our selues for our sinnes For though we haue gotten Gods defence against our sins yet may we not remain frends with them nay so much the more bitter and deadly ought our enmity to be against them because of Gods loue in giuing vs the defence of his merciful pardon in Christ against them As if I had gotten the Iudges absolution and so a discharge from mine enemies that sought my life will I not then so much the more set my selfe in hatred against those wicked enemies Some when they haue sinned will seeme to labor for the former cleering they will confesse their sinnes and craue Gods mercy but yet that league and friendshippe which they still entertaine with their sinnes shews they haue not so cleered themselues as they should for if they would cleere their consciences from accusing they must also cleare their harts from louing their sinnes Euery wicked man hath his clearing his apologie and defence against the damage of his sins ready at hand namely the death of Christ But what followes on this Doe they hate and detest their sinne Doe they grind their teeth at it in anger No but rather make their protection and defence against sinne to bee as it were a licence of sinning still But the fruit of true repentance is indignation and bitter anger against our sins Hereupon Isay brings in the repenting Church throwing away idolatrous ornaments as in a chafe as one that throwes away a menstruous cloath sayes fie get thee Is 30. 22. hence So Hosea brings in Ephraim in a like angry māner saying What haue I to doe any more with idols So Hos 14. 9. Peter not only wept but wept bitterly the bitter gall Matth 26. 75. of this godly indignation beeing mingled with his salt teares Thus the Church when she had shamefully neglected Christs cal her hart fretted within her Cant. 5. 4. Visceribus frementibus as Iunius reades it we can fret and chafe at little defects in others and are tetchie for trifles True repentance turns all tetchinesse with others into this holy tetchinesse and fretfulnesse with our selues for our sinnes The Idolater frets himselfe and curses Is 8. 21. his Gods but the Repentants fretting reaches not to God him he blesses when he frets at himselfe nor yet to man to whom the humility of his heart makes him patient but to himselfe onely and to his owne sinnes Thus Dauid fretted in a manner at himselfe when seeing how much he was deceiued and offended at the wickeds prosperity hee at length befooles himselfe and be-beasts himselfe too So foolish was I and so ignorant euen as a beast before Psal 73. 22. thee In the like moode was hee with himselfe when he had numbred the people I haue sinned exceedingly 2. Sam. 24 10. I haue done very foolishly This is that Anger which Salomon preferres before all carnall merriment Eccles 7. 5. and laughter Anger is better then laughter Then is God well pleased with vs when in an holy anger wee are displeased with our selues then is he ready toturne from his fierce indignation against our selues when he sees vs forward in holy indignation against our sinnes 4. Duty Feare which must follow indignation A strange coniunction of Anger and Feare for 4. Feare when men are angry they feare least and grow more fierce then fearefull Men commonly feare nothing in their anger but heere it is otherwise indignation breedes feare that indignation against sinne past which is not attended and followed with feare of sinne to come is not good and therefore is feare added to indignation And this is another excellent part of the practise of Repentance for the burnt childe must needs dread the fire and the Repentant sinner hauing once been bitten and stung by his sinnes cannot but feare to come neere them againe He that after a dangerous straying is returned into the way will bee afrayd of losing it againe for before we saw one maine duety of Repentance was Care now Feare alwayes waites vpon Care and besides that the Repentant being now turned to God and seeing how great a good hee is cannot but exceedingly loue him and out of his loue feare the losse of him for loue in this sense is exceeding fearefull euen as the wife reconciled to Res est solliciti plena timoris amor her louing husband offended feares againe to offend and lose his fauour Againe in Repentance and in turning to God the heart was softned and made pliable to the hand of God and therefore now being made a tender heart of an hard and stony it will the
more easily feare and tremble at a danger whence comes that opposition betwixt feare and hardnesse of heart as Blessed is that man Prou. 28. 14. that feareth alwayes but hee that hardneth his heart shall fall into euill and that of the Prophet why hast Is 63. 87. thou hardned our hearts from thy feare Now this feare is of excellent vse in the practise of Repentance for it is as a bridle to order guide and keepe vs in the way whereinto Repentance Prou. 28. 14. turnes our feet Blessed is the man that feareth alwaies but he that in desperate boldnesse hardens his heart shall surely fall into euill Therefore by the force of the opposition he implies that he that feares shall be kept from euill and that heerein his blessednesse consisteth which he more plainly auouches elsewhere The feare of the Lord is a well-spring of life to Prou 14. auoyd the snares of death for more particularly it thus keeps thus First it makes vs to quake at the very first risings of euill and sinnefull motions in our hearts and so to dash sinne in the shell Tremble sayes Dauid and sinne not Psal 4 4. Secondly when strong and violent tentations assault vs it strengthens vs and withholds our assent for the repenting sinner being now turned to God he alwayes sees God and knowes that God sees him and therefore the awefull reuerence hee carries to his presence restraines him This vpheld Ioseph How can I saith he doe this and sinne against Gen. 39. 9. God This strengthened him against the powerfull and adulterous follicitations of his Mistresse The times was fit his master was absent and the place fit priuate and remote yet though time and place gaue him leaue Gods feare would not so powerfull was it against her powerfull perswasions to folly So Isaac though naturall affection would haue carried him to haue reuersed Iaakobs blessing specially when he was importuned by the howlings of Esau yet hee did not and what was the bridle that held him backe He feared an exceeding great feare Gen. 27. 33. which is mentioned afterward The feare of my father Isaac sayes Iaakob swearing by God whose feare Gen. 31. 42. opened possessing Isaac his father kept him from passing away the blessing to Esau Thirdly it keepes from such sinnes where the feare of man restraines not euen from secret and vnknowen sinnes to the world Thou shalt not saith Leuit. 19. 14. the Lord curse the deafe why what should hinder he cannot heare vs if we doe Thou shalt not lay a stumbling blocke before the blinde why what should let vs hee cannot see vs if wee doe Marke the words following Thou shalt feare the Lord who both heares thy curses and sees thy stumbling blockes Fourthly In the whole course of our life it makes vs worke out our saluation with fearing and trembling euen reioycing in feare and feasting in feare knowing Phil. 2. Psal 2. Iude 12. that there is then the greatest danger when to our eyes there is the least appearance of it In these and such like respects is this feare so necessary in the practise of repentance for Repentance is a continuall returning towards God and drawing neerer still to him To the which how soeuer that hellish and slauish feare bee a let for it driues a man backe from God and turnes away the face from sinne yet not this louing and filiall feare for it driues from sinne and keepes vs from forsaking God I will put my feare sayes the Lord Ier. 32. 40. in their hearts that they shall not depart from mee Out of this feare arises that notable duety which some Repentants in the more serious exercise of their Repentance in the Scriptures haue practised Namely that entring into Couenant with God binding our selues by solemne oath vnto him This was Dauids practise I haue sworne and I will performe it that I will keepe thy righteous iudgements Psal 119. 106. The same duty we finde practised in the bookes of Ezra and Nehemiah Now this practise arises out Ezr 10. Neh. 10. of this feare and iealousie which we haue of our deceitfull hearts As when wee feare the faith and honest dealing of men wee will not trust to their bare words but we will haue it vnder their hands and seales The contrary to this feare is bold venturousnesse when we rush desperately into all manner of sinne and in boldnes of face and hardnes of heart worke out our owne damnation Now by this may wee try the truth of our Repentance What doe we feare to sinne when we see sinne following vs doe we runne from it as the chicken seeing the Kite come flies vnder the wings of the hen Art thou now afrayd of an oath Hast thou beene a couetous vsurer a swinish drunkard Eccles 9. 2. an vncleane adulterer a godlesse Sabaoth-breaker And art thou now afrayd of these sinnes tremblest thou at the thoughts of them then hast thou good euidence of the truth of thy Repentance But this giues the most the lie that bragge of their Repentance because as it is sayd of those deceiuers that they feast without all feare feeding themselues So it Iude 12. may be sayd of them that they follow their sinnes with all greedinesse without feare or wit So farre from feare that they doe desire the occasions of sinne and euen harden their hearts against this feare These may well feare that they neuer knew what Repentance meant CHAP. XV. Of three other duties wherein conuersion is practised 5. DVty is Desire That which we feare wee 5. Desire desire to bee freed from and to enioy the contrary So hee that feares death desires life and he that truely feares sinne desires to be freed from sinne and to enioy the presence of God euery day more and more This desire then of Gods grace and his presence to deliuer vs from the cumber and the burden and body of death is another affection of a repentant heart for when by Repentance we are turned to God and see the sweete beauty of his face wee are exceedingly rauished withall and therefore in strong and earnest desires we make towards him faine would we bee at the end of our iourney that we might be with him graspe him with our armes and satiate our selues with his sweetnes Hence it is that the children of God desire death and dissolution with Paul because Phil. 1. 23. till then they cannot be with Christ These desires are so much the stronger because of our infirmity in approaching towards God which is such that we goe but as it were creeping This greeues vs and makes vs desire that wee were rid of these infirmities which so clogge vs and hang as lead at our heeles This makes vs cry with the Church Draw me and we will runne after thee and with Dauid Oh Cant. 1. 3. that my wayes were directed By Repentance indeed Psal 119. 5. we are escaped
Kite The sicke men that came not into the water when the Ioh. 5. Angell mooued were not healed It is not with the tydes of Gods grace as in the tydes of water which come certainely at set time so that hee that misses the morning tide may haue the euening tide No it is tide too day and now it is tide Now take it if thou bee wise thou knowest not whether in all thy life time the like grace will be offered thee againe Behold saies our Sauiour I stand at the doore Reuel 3. 20. and knocke if any man will open viz. when I knocke then I will come in else not Thou mayest well feare that because thou wast deafe at Gods call God will bee both dumbe neuer to call thee heereafter againe and also deafe not to heare thee calling on Prou. 1. 28. him 3. Though Gods Grace in outward meanes may stil be offred yethow knowest thou whether he wil giue thee the inwarde grace with the outwarde meanes of grace Nay delayes are dangerous The longer thou puttest off the further off art thou and the more incapable of Repentance For still thou heapest vp sinne vpon sinne and euery new sin is a new stroake with an hammer that driues the naile in further So that Repentance will bee more difficult afterward then now sinne will haue gotten such an interest and confirmed a strength by continuance of time And this is that which the Apostle speakes of Lest your hearts be hardned thorough Hebr. 3. 13. the deceitfulnesse of sinne Wee thinke to shake off our sinnes afterward but the longer they tarry the faster they cleaue A twigge may bee easily bowed but let it grow to a confirmed tree then there is no dealing with it And thus haue we seen with these delayers of Repentance that haue sayd at first It is too soone wee will repent heereafter when their heereafter hath beene come then haue they sayd It is too late the season is past our hearts are so hardned that now we cannot repent Wee must not say to our neighbour that comes for his owne good goe and come againe too morrowe how much lesse to God who comes and craues not for his but our good who if wee doe our endeauour in asking of him will giue that which he askes of vs. If thou deny him too day he will deny to aske of thee too morrow 4. Death is no fit time to beginne to learne Repentance It is absurd for a souldier to seeke his armour when the battle is begunne The Apprentice will not be to learne his trade when his time is going out Repentance should rather be an introduction to Death then Death to Repentance Besides at the time of death the body is so possessed with payns the soule so taken vp with feare of death that a man is altogether vnfitte for so great and waighty a worke as Repentance is yea we see that men vpon their death-beds are not fit to meddle with ordinary matters of the world and shall wee thinke that when we are vnfit for the basest things of the earth that wee can bee fit for the great and weighty businesses of Heauen 5. Repentance at death is seldome sound For it may seeme rather to arise from feare of iudgement an horror of hell then from any griefe for sin And many seeming to repent affectionately in dangerous sicknesse when they haue recouered haue beene rather woorse then before It is true that true Repentance is neuer too late but late Repentance is seldome true for heere our sinnes rather Poenitentia nunquam sera siserir sed sera raro serta Vae illis qui tunc habuerunt terminum luxuriae cum vitae leaues vs then wee them as Ambrose sayes And as he addes Woe be vnto them whose sinne and life end together Let vs therefore no longer foreslow our Repentance till death sicknesse and old age let God haue the best of our dayes If we reserue the dregges of our dayes for him he will reserue the dregges of the cuppe of his fierce wrath for vs. Let vs account it a greater shame to be to beginne Gods learning in our old age then to bee to beginne any humane learning And yet euen there it is a shameful thing What a shamefull and ridiculous thing were it to see a man with a gray beard goe to the Grammer-schoole or to sit among children learning his Turpis et ridicula res elementarius senex Senec. A. B. C. Repentance is the A. B. C. of religion bee as much ashamed to learne that in thine olde age as thou wouldest be to be amongest children and schoole-boyes CHAP. XVII Of continued and renued Repentance THe second degree I call Continued repentance 2. Continued Repentance which is a going forward in the first repentance thoroughout the whole course of our liues for Repentance is not onely a turning that is but the first degree but it is also a returning A man must neuer giue ouer till he be returned to that estate wherein once he was which is not done till our dying day If yee will seeke seeke returne and Is 21. 12. come After turning our faces to God at our first repentance there must be a daily comming forward to him by this continued Repentance The Popish pennance is confined within the circle of a few daies weekes moneths or yeres according to the priests discretion But the true Repentance of a Christian is a continuall act and a daily exercise for the change of the heart is not wrought in vs perfectly at the first but there must bee proceeding on by degrees The old man must bee crucified by repentance Now crucifying is a lingring death After we are conuerted still wee carry the body of sinne about vs and many infirmities cleaue vnto vs and breake from vs continually As therefore in a a leaking ship there must bee continuall pumping and in a beggers coat continuall patching so in our liues continuall repenting repairing of our daily breaches There is matter enough to hold our repentance worke all our life long Many practise repentance by starts now then when the mood and fit comes on them but it must bee a continuall practise For 1. We haue daily infirmities 2. Wee had sin before our birth euen in our conception euen originall sinne which will hang vpon vs till our death 3. After death our sinnes will remaine in regard of the euill sent corrupting others 4. Many were our sinnes before our calling neuer to be forgotten but often with bitternesse to be remembred as Paul did his persecution 5. By neglecting the daily practise of Repentance we shall make the practise of it farre more difficult afterward The house that is daily swept hath but little dust and is easily swept but if it be seldome swept then it askes much scraping rubbing paring and washing the dirt will be growen so hard to the floore So in casting of accounts he that
the euill that I thought to bring vpon them Thus the Nineuites repentance wrought repentance in God God saw their workes that they turned from their euill wayes and God repented of the euill that hee Ion 3. 10. had said he would doe vnto them and he did it not Thus by their repentance was the threatned sentence reuersed A strange thing as Chrysostome hath noted that the condemned Malefactors repentance should repeale the Iudges sentence and a thing altogether vnvsuall in the Courts of men yet in Gods court repentance doth not onely frustrate Gods owne casting sentence but turnes it into an acquitting sentence doth not onely turne backe the euills to be expected but brings the contrary blessings which could neuer bee expected That murtherous and adulterous marriage betwixt Dauid and Bathsheba how many heauy curses did it threaten yet they seriously repenting all curses turned into blessings Christ came of this marriage and Salomon the eldest sonne thereof was the most eminent man for gifts that euer was and in his posteritie did the kingdome continue for many generations Loe how Repentance was more powerfull to draw downe blessings then murther and adulterie both together with their vnited forces to bring downe curses For this is a certaine rule in all vnlawfull entrances into any Calling that After-Repentance is counteruayleable to a lawfull entrance and both keeps backe the punishments due to vnlawfull entrance and sometimes brings greater blessings of God then a lawfull entrance Wouldest thou then keep backe those plagues thy sinnes haue deserued the way is to repent Repent of thy sinne and God will repent of his plagues Gods anger is often in Scripture compared to fire now looke what power the elementary water hath against fire to quench it when it is beginning to flame and burst out the same vertue is in the water of the teares of Repentance to keep the fire of Gods wrath from breaking out vpon vs in his punishments This is the water that can only preuent the burning of this fire 2 Because sometimes notwithstanding our Repentance 2. Remouing God sees it fit to lay some chastisements vpon vs for the furtherance and increase of our repentance to shew his hatred of sinne and for the example of others as in Dauid punished with the losse of his child after his Repentance for his adulterie and in Ionah throwen into the sea after his repentance for his disobedience therefore though the power of repentance appeare not in keeping backe the affliction that it touch vs not yet appeares the power of it in the taking away of the affliction in due time If my people saith the Lord 2. Chro 7. 14. vpon whom my name is called doe humble themselues and pray and seeke my presence and turne from their 2. Chron. 33. wicked wayes then will I heare in heauen and be mercifull to their sinne and will heale their land After Manassehs repentance had broken the fetters of Sathan and his sinnes it also broke the yrons he was held in in prison And repentance was the same to him that the Angell was to Peter which opened Act. 12. the prison and loosed his fetters Loe the Angelicall vertue of repentance So Ionahs repentance was as a powerfull vomit to the Whale and made him cast him vp safe vpon the land Ionah his repentance was as powerfull as the three childrens faith It ouercame the fire of the whales belly as well as their faith the fire of Nebucadnezzars furnace yea it did not ouercome the fire onely but the water also in the Seas that they could not drowne him So Iob repenting recouered all his losses and receiued double riches and possessions 3. If afflictions still abide with vs and we cannot 3. Sweetning and sanctifying as yet be deliuered yet Repentance is a sweet comforter and so brings a mitigation of our afflictions If it cannot plucke out the poyson yet it shall turne it to wholsome food so that affliction shall be as no affliction and according to the Apostles counsell we shall weep as if we wept not If a man feele 1. Cor. 7. the grace of Repentance in his afflictions so that he can go to God and confesse and bewayle his sinnes calling vpon him for mercy and renewing his couenant with him his affliction shall not so much grieue him as this his repentance shall cheere and reioyce him For to say the truth in all our afflictions it is more our sinne then the affliction that pinches vs. Sinne is a thorne in the flesh which makes but the touch of the finger painfull whereas if that thorne were not the stroake of the whole hand might be endured without any paine Now repentance takes away that thorne that is sinne and so makes our afflictions both easy and comfortable None so meeke quiet patient silent and cheerefull in affliction as the Repentant sinner The more repentance the more ease in afflictions Onely the impaenitent are impatient He that hath two burdens on his backe at once must needs feele more trouble then he that hath onely one Now the impenitent sinner hath two burdens his affliction and his sinne which addes weight to his affliction and layes as it were the hand to presse it downe vpon vs. But the penitent sinner hath but one burden his affliction as for sinne the other burden his repentance hath eased him of it Therefore Dauid prayes Looke on my affliction and trauell and forgiue me my sinne Then is Psal 25. 18. our affliction eased when our sinne is forgiuen which cannot be without repentance for it is sinne onely that exasperates affliction and is as salt and vineger to a sore it is sinne that makes it smart Thus did Dauids repentance ease and sweeten the 2. Sam. 12. affliction of his childes death when by prayer fasting and such like exercises of Repentance he had remooued the cause of affliction his sinne his affliction was not bitter and burdensome but his Repentance inabled him cheerefully to rise vp and refresh himselfe And this is the reason why the children of God as hath been shewed haue alwaies in their afflictions afresh renewed their Repentance that they might if not wholy free themselues from their affliction yet from the stinge and torment of it and might gaine if not deliuerance from yet patience and comfort in it for this is the admirable power of Repentance that it turnes euen crosses into comforts losses into gaines and aduantages as contrarily impaenitent lying in sinne turnes comforts into crosses and helps into hinderances Ionah while he went on impaenitently in his disobedience the ship could not saue him nor all the skill of the Marriners but when he once repented then neither the waters could drowne him nor the heat of the fishes maw consume him When he was in his sinne then the windes the seas and all were against him when in repentance all for and with him the Sea and the Whales belly kept him safer then
Lord might the better know how to pitty and tender and releeue vs with comforts when we are in temptation They pitty vs most in our sicknesses that haue felt the same themselues So Heb. 2. 18. For in that hee suffred and was tempted hee is able to succour them that are tempted And Heb. 4. 15. 16. We haue not an high Priest which cannot bee touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all things tempted in like sort yet without sinne Let vs therefore goe boldly vnto the throne of grace that wee may receiue mercy and finde Grace to helpe in the time of neede Quest 5 5. Quest By whom was he tempted By whom Christ was tempted Answ Luke sayes by the deuill Matthew saies by the tempter Quest There are many euill spirits who is this here called the deuill Ans It should seeme to be the prince of them the head of that Apostasie as Matt 25. the Diuell and his Angells Quest 6 6. Quest Why is he called the Deuill Answ The word signifies a slanderer or accuser And he Why the tempter is called the deuill accuseth 1. To God 2. To man 1. To God he accuseth man hence called the accuser of the brethren Reuel 12. And thus he accused Iob Iob. 1. 2. 2. To man He accuses first God himselfe as to our first parents as enuying their felicitie and ouer-hardly dealing with them in their restraint of that fruit and so still he doth in the matter of Reprobation and the commandements of the Law Secondly he accuses or slanders the graces of God he brings an ill name vpon them to discredit them with vs. Thus he slanders zeale to be rashnes iustice to be crueltie wisdome to be craft mercy to be fond softnes humilitie to be basenesse 3. He slanders the seruants of God that they are hot fiery furious factious enemies to Caesar curious proud c. 4. His neighbours and such with whom he hath to deale by suggesting false suspitions and surmises against them 5. His own selfe by inraging his conscience against him Now Sathan especially is an accuser in accusing vs to God and our owne consciences And hee doth this specially 1. after the committing of some grieuous sinne which he tempted vs vnto Before he seemed our friend and put vpon sinne a goodly vizour but now he pluckes it of and vrges vs to desperation 2. In some more grieuous tryall and specially at the houre of death 3. At the day of iudgment Vse 1 1. Vse It being the diuells office to be an accuser or slanderer let vs take heed of doing such ill offices Let the diuell haue his owne office let vs not go about to take it out of his hands 2. Since the deuill is an accuser it must make vs warie ouer our wayes as wee are warie in our worldly estates of the promoter of picke-thankes and tale-bearers He will accuse falsely when there is no cause much more then will he accuse when we giue him cause by our sinnes Howbeit euen here will he be a false accuser and slanderer by making that to be treason which is but petty larceney and sinnes of infirmitie to be the impardonable sin against the Holy Ghost The Fathers doe excellently describe how the deuill at the last day will stand forth at the barre and like an eloquent Tertullus plead against sinners Iudge O righteous Iudge that which is equall Iudge him mine that would be none of thine After his abrenouncing of me all that is mine in baptisme what had he to doe with anger wantonnesse vncleannesse couetousnesse and pride and the rest of my things He would needs be mine He lusted after these things of mine Adiudge him therefore to me as mine c. so Augustine And Cyprian brings him in thus I neuer suffred either blowes on the face or thornes on mine head or scourges on my sides or crosse on my backe I neuer shed my blood for them nor yet did I euer promise them an heauenly kingdome and yet haue they wholly deuoted themselues and all to mee Oh let vs stop the mouth of this so greedy a curre that snatches so eagerly at euery thing And howsoeuer as I said in regard of accusing others wee may not put him out of office yet in accusing of our selues we should Let vs accuse our selues before he come to accuse vs that so he may come too late Doctrin 1 And so much of the name that Luke giues him The diuell The name that Matthew giues him is the Tempter Then came the tempter vnto him See what is the diuells profession and his trade He is The diuells profession and trade is to be a tempter not only an accuser but also a tempter And therefore he doth this last that he may doe the first he therefore playes the tempter that he may play the diuell He tempts vs to no other end but that he might accuse vs. Herevpon the Scripture elsewhere giues him this name 1. Cor. 7. 5. 1. Thess 3. 5. wee see by it whence are our temptations to lust to anger to couetousnes they are but casts of the diuels office they are from him whose profession and occupation is to tempt The more vnwelcom should they be vnto vs and reiected with the greater distaste and dislike Can any good thing come out of Nazaret said Nathanael Ioh 1. 46. but more truely may we say Can any good thing come from hell what euer hee pretend can the deuill intend any good to thee It were argument sufficient against the temptation if it would be remembred that he that tempts is the deuill and as sure as before the sinne we finde him a tempter so sure after the sinne we shall finde him a deuill Againe this shewes whose iourney men they are and of what company they are free that sollicite men to sinne They are free of Sathans trade they are his factours and iourneymen and therefore our Sauiour calls Peter being instrumentall to Sathan Sathan himselfe Matt. 16. 23. Come behinde me Sathan They that will haue his trade shall haue his name too Doctr. 2 2. D. This phrase signifies his assiduitie in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 trade for it is in the participle of the present tense implying a continuall action as one that is neuer The deuill is very diligent in his tempting out of his worke The deuill is not idle nor lazie at his businesse but as Latimer speakes of him he is the onely diligent Bishop in his Diocesse for 1. There is no person whom he tempts not Indeed 1 He tempts all persons the deuils are many there was a whole legion in one man and yet though so many yet in such a multitude of men as are in the world one would thinke some might escape his assaults yet such is his diligence and so bestirres he himselfe that not a day passes ouer our heads wherein any of vs escape his frequent assaults 2. There is no place
really and indeede Ans I thinke the Diuell carried his body really and indeed Reasons 1. The literall sense not contraried by the Scripture or the analogy of faith is to be followed Now this is the literall sense and nothing against it Ob. Obiect Yes before it was sayd that Christ was led into the desert to be tempted The desert then was the place of his temptations not the Temple Answ Answ It is sufficient to make good that speech that he was there tempted in the 40. daies and that the first temptation of the three wherein was a preparation to the other following was there perfected 2. If his carriage were onely in vision then either Christ inwardly in his minde knew that it was Sathans iugling and no such matter as it seemed to his sense or else as his outward senses so his minde also was deceiued and he thought it was so indeede as it seemed to his senses If the first then it was no temptation for Christ knew hee was in no danger he knew that hee stood vpon firme ground in the wildernes and so he should but haue abused the Scripture hee alledged for himselfe The latter seemes to offer a far greater disgrace to the mind of Christ in the apprehension of errour for truth then the Diuels carrying of him doth to his body Quest 2 2. Quest Whether was Christ carried by the diuell thorough the aire or went on his feet Ans The word that here Matthew vseth doth not necessarily imply that hee was carried as neither Lukes word that hee went on foot But yet nothing hinders but that Christ might in body be thus carried by Sathan as he was afterward apprehended bound and crucified by that cursed crue And as he gaue them death it selfe power ouer his body so might he the diuell Christ came in the state of humiliation stood in our steed He could haue confounded the diuell and haue smitten him as he did those officers Ioh. 18. but as there so here he willingly Ioh. 18. yeelded himselfe And since he yeelded his body to be set on the pinacle by the diuell why not Doct. Sathan his instruments may haue power ouer the bodies of Gods childrē Luke 13. also to be carried Sathan and so his instruments may haue power ouer the bodies of Gods children As he had ouer Iob in his vlcers ouer his children in their death ouer Mary Magdalen that was possessed ouer that daughter of Abraham Luc. 13. for to this the best are subiect yet so that Satan is restrained curbed by God so that he cannot do what he would And this greeuous affliction is sweetned and sanctified to Gods children so that the more power hee hath ouer their bodies the lesse hee shall haue ouer their soules Yea his possession of the body is turned to bee a meanes of his dispossession out of the soule In which regard it is sayd Numb 23. 22. 23. There is no sorcery against Iaakob nor south-saying against Israel because God was an Vnicorne to take Num. 23. 22. 23. away the poyson and venome and sting of it as he doth of all other afflictions yea and of death it selfe to his Israel Waters when the Vnicorns horn hath been in them are no longer poisonable but healthfull A waspe when his sting is out cannot be hurtfull in stinging but may be profitable in his buzzing to awaken vs So are all these outward afflictions euen witching and possessing by Sathan So that that which Christ sayd of the Diuels instruments they can kill the body but not the soule the same may we say of Sathan himselfe concerning his possession He may possesse the bodies but the soules of Gods children he cannot Here he had some power ouer the blessed body of our head Iesus Christ but not the least power ouer his soule In the wicked his special power is ouer their soules When he was sent to Ahab he was sent to go and be a lying spirit to deceiue him But when he was sent to Iob it 1. Reg. 22. it was but to afflict his body with vlcers Againe this power which he hath ouer the bodies of Gods children that we now speake of is such as that they are meerely patients as in Christ in this place Otherwise for Christ to haue gone and idlely without cause to haue endangered himselfe on the pinnacle had beene to tempt God But now it is the Diuels sinne not his So in those that are possessed all those forced and violent motions though not onely vaine and idle but euen horribly sinnefull as when hee speakes railingly on God his truth and his children these are all the Diuels owne sinnes And therefore he desired not to possesse Iob because his intent was to draw Iob himselfe to blaspheme But now wicked men though they are free vsually from this possessiue power of Sathan yet Sathan hath a farre greater power in the voluntary motions of their bodies such a power as that they shall bee agents in that they doe and guilty of sinne Hee carries them not against their will as heere our Sauiour to the top of a pinnacle nor as him in the Gospell into the fire and water hee offers not that violence to their bodies but he carries them willingly and driues them as free horses that neede onely the shaking of the hand to the tauerne to the stewes to the theater to this or that euill company He makes them abuse their eyes to wantonnesse their mouthes to filthinesse and he makes their feete swift to shed blood So that as Paul beeing guided by the good Spirit of God could say I liue not but Christ liues in mee Gal. Gal. 2. 20. 2. So they wee liue not but the Diuell liues in vs. This possession of soule and body together is the more fearefull and yet the more ordinary and yet no maruell made of it because it is not discerned The place whither he is carried Ierusalem is called the holy City because of the Temple and Gods worship there though otherwise there were horrible abuses in doctrine discipline and manners Doct. Mans wickednesse cannot ouercome nor ouerthrow Gods goodnesse Against such it makes first Mans wickednesse cannot ouerthrow Gods goodnesse with whom a little euill either in whole Churches or in particular men preuailes more to make them speake euill of them then much good can doe to make them speake well of them It is the sinne of the Brownists Secondly it is a comfort for Gods children If there bee an altar for God in the heart though the suburbes of the city bee filthy and as Golgotha yet God will account of thee by his and not by thine owne Though thy wheate bee mixed with much chaffe thy wine with much water yet God giues the denomination from the better part Lastly it is instruction for vs all what account to make of such places where the meanes of sanctification are Such are holy places to them should