vnto themselues againe whereby two things are intimated First that such as sinne against God in so doing depart from him Secondly that such as doe truely repent them of their sinnes they doe turne from their wickednesse and euill wayes So that true Repentance is a turning from sinne and wickednesse yea onely such as truely repent are in their right mindes all others are out of their wits mad and franticke For the vnderstanding of this Point these foure things are to be considered First the nature of it Secondly the reasons to moue vs vnto it Thirdly the meanes whereby to attaine it Fourthly the signes whereby it may be discerned The nature of it may be the better conceiued The nature of our turning by comparing it to the conuersion of earthly bodies in the Scriptures as the Sunne is turned into darknesse so men shining in this world must be ashamed and confounded because of their sinnes as the Moone sometimes encreaseth at other times decreaseth alwayes changing so must a sinner be alwayes decreasing in sinne increasing in grace as a rocke is turned into water so must our hard hearts into plenty of teares as a stone is turned into copper and giueth a sound so when we are touched by the spirit of God then must the voyce of our confession sound as the Sea is dried vp so must our bitternesse of sinne be turned into the drouth of repentance as the sparkles of fire ascend when the body being mixed with earth cannot so although our bodies as yet cannot ascend yet we send our sparkles and teares vnto the Lord as fire doth mollifie the hardest Iron so must our hard hearts by Gods spirit This fire is kept vnder the ashes of humility and the remembrance of the day of death whose feare doth conserue the fire of Gods grace in the heart of a penitent sinner Briefly this conuersion is a turning from sinne yea from euery sinne Heb 12.1 Let vs lay aside enery weight and sinne saith the Apostle which doth so easily beset vs. Let eueâ—y one turne from his euill way Ionah 3.8 and from the wickednesse that is in their hands It is a ready and speedy turning for by delay we endanger our owne saluation The Reasons which may moue vs to turne are these 1. The Reasons why we should turne The Necessity 2 The Equity 3. The Vtility The Necessity if either we consider God our selues our euill wayes or the reward due vnto them God who is displeased with vs whilst we goe from him which doth earnestly exhort vs and absolutely command vs to returne vnto him our selues poore silly wretched creatures which may easily be deceiued led headlong vnto destruction our euill waies euill in themselues abhominable in Gods sight hatefull vnto good men leading vnto euerlasting condemnation the reward due vnto them death and euerlasting torments in the fire of hell The Equity whether it is more equall that we should obey God or the diuell the motions of Gods spirit or our owne corrupted natures hath God beene so kinde and gracious vnto vs it is most iust and equall that we also should become obedient vnto him The Vtility as those which runne on in wickednesse are in the way of destruction and in danger of destruction so also such as doe returne and forsake their former wayes shall certainly be saued The meanes whereby we may attaine vnto this conuersion and it may be effected in vs are these First The meanes whereby we may be moued to turne we must haue the knowledge of the Law of God in our vnderstanding Secondly we must know what our sinnes and transgressions are which we doe commit against the Law Thirdly we must know the guilt of sinne cleauing vnto the action it selfe Fourthly we must know the iudgements and wrath of God which doe sease vpon such as breake this Law Those points being throughly marked in the next place the sinner is to apply the same vnto the conscience after this manner which may be called the practicall Syllogisme of the conscience Euery one which breaketh the Law of God is guiltie of eternall death saith the minde But I am a breaker of the Law of God saith the Conscience as an accuser Therefore I am guiltie of eternall death saith the Conscience as an vpright and iust Iudge condemning The meditation hereof turneth the minde from sinne to godlinesse The signes by which our conuersion may be discerned are these The signes by which our conuersion may be discerned though thy flesh be not altogether subdued though thou doest not alwayes mourne and shed teares for thy sinnes committed though thou canst not wholly forsake sinne yet if thou doest earnestly desire vnfained Repentance if thou doest by all meanes abandon and forsake sinne if thou doest endeauour to serue God thine endeauour is accepted of God Doest thou finde the power of sinne weakned within thee doe thy relapses in sinne beget in thee feare and humiliation doest thou continue in prayer that the spirit be not ouercome assure thy selfe that sense and feeling within thee is an euident token that thou art not subdued by sinne but in the end shall become victorious ouer the same for our Repentance is not onely to put out sinne but to assure vs of the life of grace and that Gods power is made perfect in our weaknesse so that we may euen be comforted in our fallings and moued to labour for perfection that we may liue the life of grace whereby we dye daily and may ouercome Sathan and haue peace both with God and man for being Iustified by Faith Rom. 5.1 wee haue peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ The Vses of this point are these For Reprehension vnto all such as bragge and boast of their Repentance Vse 1 and yet haue no change or alteration wrought within them they haue not yet returned from their euill way nay rather goe further on in wickednesse and with more eagernesse then formerly For Exhortation vnto euery one of vs to turne to be conuerted Vse 2 many meanes are vsed for thy conuersion many motiues may incite thee to endeauour for it great benefits shall besall vnto such as haue it O then turne testifie thy conuersion by thy Repentance thy Repentance by thy returning Thus of the 1. Point For the 2. The Persons which are exhorted to turne 2. Point Yee are all and euery one of vs Turne yee This dutie is required both of rich and poore of Pastors and people of superiors inferiors of euery one of vs all of vs must turne and no wonder because all are out of the way there is none righteous Rom. 3.10 we were all conceiued and borne in sin and therefore haue neede to returne This serueth for Exhortation vnto euery one of vs Vse to consider our miserable estate by nature that so we may returne if our eyes were opened we might plainly see how farre we are out of the way whereas now
many seales of thy pardon as thou hast shed teares sighs sobs and art warned inwardly for thy sinnes and transgressions Secondly Reas 2 As it is the word of God which hardneth the heart so it is the word of God which softneth the same Hence it may be demanded Quest How doth it stand with Gods Iustice to punish men for not repenting if he deny them Repentance and how can men be condemned for an hard heart seeing God hardneth the same Answ I anwer An hard he art and a bad life doe not simply condemne a man but continuall delight in euill without once praying to be deliuered God men haue had bad hard hearts but haue lamented so haue euill men but reioyce in it though God harden the heart he doth not bestow an euill heart the heart is hardned that we may acknowledge that a soft heart commeth from God Wouldst thou know then if God hath wrought vpon thine heart marke how thou louest sinne how thou art pleased with the hardnesse of thine heart dost thou loue them thine heart is damnable dost thou loath them thine estate is comfortable The Vses of this point are twofold For Exhortation Vse 1 Seeing the Lord worketh Repentance then let vs pray diligently vnto the Lord for the same let vs all say Lam. 5.21 Turne vs vnto thee O Lord. Dost thou finde heauinesse in thy heart dulnesse in thy soule in performing of good and readinesse vnto euill then pray vnto the Lord for thy conuersion for thine estate of life is worse then death Dost thou liue without Repentance there is but a little space betwixt thee and death betwixt thee and hell yet notwithstanding I dare say that of all suits preferred before God this especially was neuer denyed Dost thou liue a prophane life and yet hearing some Sermons of death and Iudgement defirest to doe better stay not here but conferre with thine owne conscience and pray vnto the Lord that thou maiest doe his will and that hee would be pleased to strengthen thee that thou maiest performe that which he commandeth Pray both in publike and priuate pray continually then I assure thee drunkennesse shall not drowne thee couetousnesse shall not ouer-rule thee pride shall not deface thee whoredome shall not vndoe thee stealing shall not shame thee the world shall not deceiue thee nor thy selfe condemne thee For Instruction If Repentance be the speciall gift of God Vse 2 and we are to craue Repentance from him then we are to take notice of our sinnes for which we ought to repent and vnlesse first we know them we cannot truely repent them To this end we must come with a generall confession before God and also particularly lay open our sinnes in his sight we must daily vse those meanes by which we may attaine vnto a knowledge of them Gods word the Law of God our owne consciences our brethren the Church euen our enemies that we may know our sinnes we must count them as an Vsurer doth his mony behold them as an husbandman doth his ground condemne them as a Iudge doth a thiefe pray against them as a Mariner doth to remoue a storme fight against them as a Souldier doth against his enemie accuse them as a Lawyer doth one which is guiltie if we once get a knowledge of them then their number will appeare infinite their reward damnation their power execrable their presence intollerable then a drop of mercy is worth all the world then we shall pray against them if we pray against them we shall obtaine Repentance yea we shall mourne that we cannot repent as we would and if we doe repent then our sinnes shall be pardoned and in stead of sorrow the Lord will bestow vpon vs vnspeakable ioyes Thus of the 3. Reason And so much for the Reasons whereby our Prophet exhorteth the Iewes vnto Repentance laid downe in these words Therefore now also thus saith the Lord. I come now to speake of the Dutie whereunto he doth exhort them and that is vnto true and vnfained Repentance for the vnderstanding of which two things are to be obserued in Generall First That God doth not respect our miseries vnlesse we doe repent Secondly that without the preaching of Gods word iudgements cannot amend vs. Concerning the first God doth not respect our crosses and calamities except true Repentance be ioyned therewith Doct. Isa 58. This the Prophet Isaiah confirmeth testifying that the Lord did not regard the outward fasting of the Iewes because they did not truely repent We may haue sicknesse indure pouerty yea we may dye and yet neuer the neerer God except we haue repentance the ornament of a Christian Quest It may be demanded seeing the Lord doth punish vs and our sufferings are the punishments of sinne Why the Lord is not pleased and pacified with vs for it may seeme extreame dealing both to punish vs in this life Answ and in the life to come I answer That though we suffer for our sinnes yet our suffering is not satisfaction for sinne for the reward of sinne is death euerlasting and also all the miseries of this life and therefore we must not excuse our selues for any crosse or calamitie for we may haue all those troubles and yet vnlesse we repent we shall neuer see the kingdome of heauen nor the glory thereof The Reasons hereof are these two Reason 1 First Because all the sufferings of this life are but the beginnings of sorrowes they are not the tenth part of that vengeance which the Lord wil poure vpon vs for our sinnes vnlesse we repent to haue sicknesse to want appetite to meate to be grieued with the Ague Feuer Palsie they are nothing but the beginnings of sorrow and if it were possible that one man or one woman could endure all these torments yet he might goe to hell fire wanting true conuersion in the time of his trouble Secondly Reason 2 because the troubles of this life are common both to the wicked and the godly this the Prophet Ezechiel witnesseth Thou shalt be broken in the midst of the vncircumcised Ezek. 32.38 and shalt lye with them which are slaine with the sword though God correcteth euery one whom he loueth yet he loueth not euery one whom he correcteth Note Christ was crucified the Apostles martyred yet beloued of God Herod was eaten of wormes and yet out of the fauour of God his misery in this life doth not better his estate in hell Iosiah a good King and Ahab a wicked King died both in warres yet the estate of the one was not the better because he died as a good man did neither the estate of the other worse because he died as an euill man died In one and the same fire Gold glistereth and drosse smoaketh so by Tribulation good men become purged whereas euill men become worse The Vses of this Doctrine are these two First seeing our affliction cannot moue God to pittie vs Vse 1 vnlesse we repent therefore let vs learne
God comforting our selfe in Christ relying vpon his promises by faith aboue all sense and feeling whatsoeuer 3. By paying our vowes vnto the Lord fearing our selfe in our best actions and Satans readines to set vpon vs approouing our selfe by striuing against corruption liuing in spirituall duties louing one another waiting for our end 4. We must watch ouer the outward man 5. Wee must moderate our liberty in respect of time place and person our guide must bee in this loue and wisedome For the fourth wee may entertaine the motions of Gods Spirit in our hearts How we may entertaine the motions of Gods Spirit 1. By discerning and esteeming of them 2. By reioycing in them as in our chiefest treasure 3. By putting them in practise and praising God for the same For the fifth we may discerne of the security and drousines of our hearts by these rules How we may find out the drousines of our hearts 1. If there be within vs a loathing of holy duties 2. If our consciences are continually turmoiled with great tetrors 3. If we finde but little or no comfort when we haue performed holy duties 4. If wee finde much contentment in our willingnesse to sinne and vnwillingnesse to die then our hearts are cast into a drousines and security For the sixt How our hearts may bee roused vp our hearts may bee awakened and roused vp from this security 1. By the powerfull ministery of the word 2. By strong cryes vnto God 3. By crauing the prayers of the faithfull 4. By a resolution to become more carefull 5. By endeauouring more constantly for the conuersion of others 6. By exercising a daily course of Repentance in respect of daily sinne 7. By priuate and publike humiliation and fasting before God For the seuenth we are to take notice of the chiefest sinnes of our heart whereby we may chiefly conquer them How we may find out the chiefest sins of our heart which being vanquished in time we shall ouercome the rest for from the purity or impurity of the fountaine the streames flow accordingly this we may doe 1. By diligent hearing of Gods word which will meet euen with our most secret corruptions 2. By a diligent and carefull obseruation of our thoughts words and actions by which the vsurer shall finde that couetousnesse the adulterer that vncleannes c. are their dearest darlings the chiefest sinnes of their heart out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh 3. By a generall and vniuersall reformation and mortification of our lusts in the performance wherof we shall meet with the greatest resistance from those our chiefest sinnes 4. By an examination of our selfe if we might retaine some sinnes which we would chiefly retaine those are our chiefe sinnes The vses of the former doctrine are threefold For instruction there can bee no true Repentance vnlesse the whole heart be changed it is not onely outward in words or in practise but inward in the affection of the mind and therefore our Sauiour saith First cleanse that which is within Our memory must be changed by remembring God our vnderstanding by knowing God our will by beleeuing God our affections by louing desiring meditating and reioycing in things heauenly All must concurre together else it is not with the whole heart Some haue knowledge but want true faith some haue will but want memory all which must bee amended we must conferre often to get memory reade much to get knowledge heare much to obtaine faith pray alwayes whereby we shall get good effections Seeing God doth require the whole heart and our imperfections are exceeding great we must euen pray with S. Augustine Da quod iubes iube quod â—is Aug. Lord giue vs power to do what thou commandest and command what thou willest For reprehension vnto such as either delay to returne vnto the Lord Vse 2 or turning vnto him but not with their whole heart Some turne but in hypocrisie their outward actions and inward affections goe not together This is abomination in the sight of God God will either haue the whole heart or none of it Seeing I say that the Lord doth require of vs to returne vnto him wholly and totally this excludeth 1. Euery hypocriticall conuersion when there wanteth sincerity 2. Euery conuersion from good vnto euil as from being a Protestant to become a Papist or from euill to euill as of a Prodigall to become a couetous miser 3. Euery false conuersion as when sinne turneth from vs not we from it when we doe not turne from sinne till the strength of nature be decayed when for some by-respects we forsake sinne as the drunkard le ueth his drunkennes in respect of want of meanes or the weaknes of his stomacke 4. Euery halfe turning or imperfect conuersion when we turne from many sinnes not from all as Herod who although he did many things well yet would not forsake Herodias his brother Philips wife Mar. 6.20 Hos 6.4 This is as a morning cloude as the dew of the morning For exhortation vnto vs all to draw nigh vnto God with a pure heart Vse 3 for thus wee are most fitting for him In old times there must bee no blemish either in the Priest or in the sacrifice our hearts now are both and therefore we ought to draw nigh with a pure heart in full assurance of faith hauing our hearts sprinkled from an euill conscience and our bodies washed with pure water Heb. 10.22 As the sacrifice of Cain was reiected so are the prayers of the wicked as hauing their hearts corrupted The heart rules the life purge the heart of ignorance pride and dissimulation and all things which may disquiet the conscience when thou commest before the Lord and the oftner thou doest come the more thou shalt be changed Pray that the Lord may cast thee in a new mould or thou shalt be for thy negligence cast into hell fire Let vs watch ouer our hearts ouer that part which is vnsound for there is no man but hath some wound in the soule We must doe with sinne as the Apostle counselleth to doe with anger Eph. 4.25 Let not the sunne goe downe thereon Doest thou delay to returne thou abusest the mercy of God if thou loue any thing aboue God thou denyest him the more thou delayest truely to repent the further art thou separated from God and the nigher and faster thou hastest vnto thine owne destruction Thus of the fourth point And so much for the inward forme of Repentance layd downe in these words Turne ye euen vnto mee with all your heart Now I come to speake of the outward forme of repentance which concerneth action consisting of three parts 1. Fasting 2. Weeping 3. Mourning The former was to bee internall in the affection this externall and in action whence this generall obseruation doth arise that Both outward and inward repentance must bee ioyned together Doct. Thus Peter to expresse his repentance wept bitterly