yet was a reprobate These may be necessary partes of Discipline enioyned to sinners to testifie their repentance as in ancient times but the essentiall parts of repentance are perpetually mortification of the olde man and viuification of the new If you shall desire to know the maner how God works repentance vnderstand that first by preaching of the Law and sometimes by crosses punishments c. the conscience is terrified for sinne and is sorrowfull but in a worldly manner for feare of wrath for the Law can worke no otherwise Then by the promise of the Gospel the conscience is chéered through the gift of GOD in assurance of mercy the sense whereof bréeds an other sorrow different from that wrought by the Law called godly Sorrow which is when we are grieued for sinne not so much because of the wrath following as because thereby we haue offended so gratious a father and then followes repentance which is a changing of the heart and purpose vnto a continuall care and indeuour to hate all euill 2. Cor. 7.10 and to auoyd it to loue all goodnes and to follow it So that repentance properly is the effect of the Gospel not of the Law though the Law be necessary to prepare vs thereunto And hence we say it is an effect of Faith which purifies the heart Concerning the practise of repentance Sée the Booke called the Nature and Practise of Repentance written by our worthy Maister Perkins Vse 1. Beware of a wonderfull subtilty of the Diuell whereby he carries multitudes to hell which is when men and women are perswaded that if they can sigh sorrow and wéep for their sins that then they truly repent When Ahab and Iudas did thus much and yet frie in hell There is a sorrow caused by the Lawe which may bee in a Reprobate whose sorrow is like vnto the sorrow of a thiefe and whose teares are whoorish teares for as these being taken in the maner many times hang downe their heads and wéepe and waile for feare of the present punishment which when it is ouer they returne to their former courses their hearts not being changed so many grieue by the preaching of the Lawe and yet their hearts remaine as corrupt and as willing if it were not for the Lawe to sinne as euer before whereas the Godly Sorrow which commeth from the Gospel changeth the very inclination and purpose of the heart to hate sinne and loue goodnes and to continue increasing in such grace though there were no Law to condemne nor hell to torment 2. Cor. 7.11 c. Examine then thy repentance hereby and by the notes Vse 2. Remember that the summe of of a Christians duty is to Eschew euill Psal 34.14 Esa 1.16.17 and to do good and deceiue not thy selfe with those same halfe Christians whose furthest obedience is to kéepe themselues not vnspotted for they regard not spots but vndetected of grosse euils such for the which men are carried to the Iayle who though they abound with small faults as they tearme them hauing prophane hearts and destitute of loue to the truth and do no good thinke themselues among the forwardest of such who shall be saued But soft the first step to heauen in the practise of obedience is to depart from euill but he that sets but one step and that an ill-fauoured one too is neuer like to come there mend that step and depart from all euill and step againe doing the good and so walk on then the reward is thine If thou holdest not vp thy hands to any strange God but if thou worshippest not the true God thou canst not be saued If thou plowest not and goest not to cart on the Sabaoth day it is well but if thou doest not the duties of the Sabaoth in the publique and priuate worship of God thou maist be damned As therefore we doe not content our selues that no wéeds be in our Gardens vnlesse there bée good Hearbes and Flowers so we must not onely be void of euill but filled also with the fruits of righteousnesse Phil. 3.11 being not priuatiue onely but positiue Christians But alasse what then shall become of them which haue not yet learned to set the first stép to leaue their Drunkennesse Swearing Lying Whooredome how farre are these from true Christians How farre from Heauen How néere to Hell c. Vse 3. Note that Repentance and true conuersion is a worke of great difficulty for sinne cleaues so fast vnto vs sitting as close as our skinne and is so familiar to our nature that till God perswade the heart by the worke of his Spirit it is as easie a matter to perswade a man to leaue his sinnes as to get him to endure his eyes to be pluckt out of his head and his limbes to be torne from his body Therefore called Mortification and crucifying the flesh with the lusts c. It is not a sigh and away and now and then a few sorrowfull words will serue the turne No sinne is impudent and will neuer out till it be kild and cast out If thou makest account that Repentance is an easie worke thou hast not yet repented as thou shouldst do Go to Remember thou must mortifie sinne and destroy it It is a Serpent in thy bosome kill or be kild if thou kilst not it it will kill thée euen thy Soule c. Q. What is the measure of sanctification which we attaine to in this life Ans This grace is not perfectly finished in this life Rom. 7.18 19. 1. Cor. 13.9.12 Phil. 3.13 but here it is only in part Expl. There are two sorts of benefites which we receiue by Christ One of such which are out of our selues as Redemption Iustification Another of such which are in vs as Sanctification Conuersion The first sort are perfected in this life as Now we are the sonnes of God So now wee are elected 1. Ioh. 3.1.2 iustified redeemed The second are not perfected in all their degrées but onely begun Wee are perfectly redeemed vnderstand in regard of the price for we looke for the redemption of our bodies We are perfectly iustified in regard of Christs righteousnesse and the sentence for we pray for more féeling of it and these shall bée more fully declared at the last day We are imperfectly sanctified there remaining euen in the best a great deale of corruption which lusteth against the Spirit and often maketh them bitterly to mourne as in the example of Paul Vse 1. Our sanctification cannot iustifie vs Rom. 7. because imperfect Vse 2. The life of a godly man is a continuall repenting to his dying day As a man that buyes an old house is alwayes mending so the true Christian because he discouers alwaies new corruptions is alwaies mourning repairing and mending somwhat Do with thy conscience as women do in dressing vp their houses they swéepe and rub and brush euery day because euery thing gathereth dust and euer and anon they are renewing
particulars contained in it Sixtly None can dispence against this Law but God onely either in whole or in part Vse 1. First we are to praise God for giuing the Law without the which wee could neuer attaine to the knowledge of sinne and so of our wretchednes thereby for by the Law comes the knowledge of sinne Of the which Rom. 3.20.7.7.8 so long as wee are ignorant we neuer séeke for remedy by Iesus Christ euen as that man neuer séekes the Physition which knoweth not that he is sicke Many thinke aswell of themselues as the Pharise till the Law come and then they appeare as blacke as hell Therefore when the pride of thine heart discouereth it selfe by any vaine conceit of thy owne worthinesse Looke thy selfe in the true glasse of the law that thou maist be humbled Vse 2. With all reuerence heare and with all care obey this Law for if the gining of it were so terrible how terrible shall the reuenging of the transgressions thereof be thinke you Vse 3. From the number of the Precepts being tenne we may profitably remember that as they are not many but few not confused but orderly and distinct not long and tedious but excéeding short that we should in no wise be ignorant of them the Lord hauing framed them so that they may be carried in minde as readily as the number of our fingers and toes Vse 4. In asmuch as the Lord forbiddeth all transgressions vnder the names of the greatest sinnes of that kinde as all oppression vnder the name of Murther all deceit vnder the name of Theft c. We are carefully to auoyde all euen the least sinnes euen sinfull thoughts for whatsoeuer we thinke no sinne is little but in the account of God euen vniust anger is murder Extenuate not therefore nor minse thy sinnes saying Oh this is a trifle I would no body did doe worse I hope I am neither whoore nor thiefe c. for all vnchaste and wanton lookes speaches c. is whoredome all couetousnesse deceit and griping in bargaining c. is theft in the sight of God But rather be humbled for them by true repentance that they may be forgiuen For the least euill thought shall damne a man without Christ according to the tenour of this law Gal. 3.10 Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things written in the Law to doe them Quest But is not this Morall Lawe abrogated by Christ Ans Not as it is a rule of our life for so it is eternall not to be abolished eyther heere or in the life to come Math. 5.17 18. but in regard of the appurtenances of it as the Threatnings and Curse Rom. 6.15 and 7.6 Galat. 3.13 and 4.5 and the seuere exaction of obedience in our persons vnto Iustification it is abolished to the children of God Explic. There are thrée voyces of the law The first is Thou shalt doe this and auoyde that This is neuer to be at an end but the law this way as it is a doctrine commaunding good and forbidding euill shall by vs be most perfectly fulfilled in heauen where we shall most perfectly loue God and our neighbour which is the whole law and Saint Paul saith 1. Cor. 13.8 That loue neuer is to be abolished The 2d voice of the lawis if thou dost this in thine own person thou shalt liue The third If thou doest it not or doest the coutrary thou arte accursed Now the Morall law is abrogated and the mouth thereof stopped to the children of God in these two last respects The Gospel teaching life and saluation by another which is Christ who also hath for vs and in our stead borne the curse of the law but of the vngodly the law still exacteth their personall obedience and thundreth out the plagues and iudgements of God against them for the want thereof Vse 1. Christ hath purchased thée liberty but not of the flesh that thou shouldest liue as thou list without a law but onely from the necessity of Iustification by the law and from the curse thereof But to the obedience thou art bound to doe thy vtmost endeuour more then before euen for the Redemption sake which thou hast obtained c. Vse 2. Hereby also we perceiue that Redemption from the Law is a benefite not to be valued by Gold Wée feare sathan and sinne as wée haue great cause But neither sathan without sinne nor sinne without the Law can any way harme vs for the sting of death is sinne 1. Cor. 15.55 and the strength of sinne is the Law Whether the Law require perfect obedience in our owne persons or threaten damnation for the least disobedience the voyce of it is more vnpleasant then the croking of the Frogs and Toads in Egypt more terrible then the noyse of thunder yea then the roaring of the deuils For euen the Iustest men how much more the wicked and profane euen the Iustest men I say are guilty of many sins and if there be no meanes to quiet the Law they must néeds bée subiect to the terrours of an accusing Conscience in this life which are the very flashings of hel-fire alas who can beare them and bee euerlastingly damned in the world to come And besides in as much as the Law requireth perfect obedience of parts and degrees euen to a haires bredth What peace can the best man or woman in the world haue in any thing they do for they must néeds méete with the curse euen in their best actions in as much as the best are imperfect and that which is imperfect is cursed by the Law No maruell then that the Papists and our Ignorants so do vpon the Law séeking to be iustified thereby Surely if there were no other way to Iustification but by the Law we should all be damned but there is another way which is the obedience of I ESUS CHRIST apprehended by faith c. Vse 3. If thou comfortably seekest the benefite of Redemption from the Law in thy conscience labour to preserue it by Faith Obedience Repentance Prayer and other holy exercises and carefully beware of all sinne least thou come within the dynt of the Law for sinne subiects vs vnto it as therefore the burnt child dreads the fire and euen the Bird that hath bene once shaken in the Net is not easily taken againe so if thou beest free keepe thy selfe so Sinne bringeth into bondage As therefore wee reade how the Romanes in detestation of the name of proud Tarquine who tyrannized ouer them banished a good Cittizen onely because h ehad that name euen so if thou truely knowest what a precious thing thy Redemption is it will make thee hate the very mention much more the practise of sinne which frustrateth the same c. Quest What is then the vse of the Law Ans The vse of the Law is three-fold First to restraine corruption from breaking forth into externall transgression Gal. 3.19 Rom. 7.7.8.9.10.11 Ezech. 20.19
Psal 19. 119. Secondly to discouer make worse and condemne sinne Thirdly to instruct vs in the true worship of God and to rule our liues Expl. If a man know not the vse of that which he possesseth or haue a Iewell and know not what it is good for it is vnprofitable to him So the Law is good to him which knoweth how to vse it 1. Tim. 1.8 And a man may so vse it that it may bee most hurtfull vnto him as namely if he seeke Iustification by it which is onely by faith in Christ It may not be vsed as a healing Plaister for it hath no such nature but as a Corrasiue that the dead flesh of our proud hearts being eaten out by the sharpenesse of the Law we may be fit to be healed by the Bloud of Christ First therefore the Law serues by the threates of it to restraine vs from sinne and to keep and containe vs in obedience and this is the vse which the Pharisies and Hypocrites make onely of it being indeed proper to the vnregenerate and therefore also dealing with the beleeuers so farre as they are vnregenerate For otherwise as they are spirituall they are a Law to themselues and the Law not put for them they doing of themselues by the guift of Sanctification willingly that which the Law enioynes vnder the penalty of the curse and would also do it though the Law threatned not Euen as a mother loues her child of her olune accord though the Law also require the same Secondly it serues to discouer sinne and to prouoke it and to damne it The first and last of these three being naturall to the Law the second the effect of the law not of it selfe but through our corrupt nature which takes occasion by the Law which is good and forbids euill to bée the worse Now in these respects the Law is said to worke anger Rom. 4.15 1. Cor. 3.7 and to be the ministery of death Thirdly the Law serues for a doctrine to instruct vs not what to do to be iustified but to shew vs wherein stands our duty to God and man and what to do to shew our selues thankefull for our Iustification by Iesus Christ Vse 1. Héere we may take knowledge of the vilenesse of our Nature which is the worse for that for which it should bée the better turning that into death which was ordained for life For euen as a corrupt stomacke turnes good meate into the nature of the disease so till grace come by Christ wée are the worse for the Law longing after that which is forbidden Euen as there was but one Trée forbidden and that must Eue haue or none So is it with vs our corruption iudging stollen waters swéeter then those of our Fountaine For as a Riuer when the course of it is stopt it riseth and swels against the impediment So doth our vile nature against the Law being so much the more euill by how much the more the Law commands vs to be good This should serue excéedingly to humble vs and to séeke for the renouation of the Spirit that wée may loue the Law and obey it For heere is the weakenesse of the Law it shewes that which is good but giues no power to do it But the Gospell teaching vs better then the Law learnes vs ouer the same lesson againe and giues power also to do the same Vse 2. Héere also we sée how necessary the Preaching of the Law is to prepare men for Christ though it haue no skill or power to apply him Euen as the Néedle is necessary to make a way for the thred whereby the rent is sowne vp though it bée the thrid that fastheth the péece together not the Néedle and without the Néedle the Thrid cannot do it Euen so it is the Gospell which blesseth the Conscience with Peace but first the Law must make way for the same For euen as the Land is not fit to receiue the Séede till it bee torne vp with the Plough So neither are wée fit to receiue Grace vnto Life till we being humbled by the Law be made to sée what néede we haue of a Redéemer Of this vse of the Law wée haue example in Dauid 2. Sam. 12.1.15 Act. 2.37 Examine then how thou camest by the perswasion thou hast of grace by Christ if thou wert neuer vnder the hammer of the law and bruised by it thou art not healed by Christ but if thou camest by thy comfort this way after an vnfeigned humiliation by the law and now thou endeuourest and hast respect to all the commandements thereof then thou mayest haue assurance of the goodnesse of thy estate otherwise thou mayest iustly doubt of it Q. Can you perfectly keepe the law Ans I confesse that no man liuing is able to performe that perfect obedience which the law requireth Iames 3.2 Psa 143.2 Expl. Adam in his innocency was able to haue performed perfect obedience to the law both in regard of perfection of parts and also of degrées which in the state of corruption is impossible euen to the regenerate in their owne persons in this life though in the life to come they shall most perfectly fulfill the same in their owne persons when the Image of CHRIST shall perfectly be renewed in them Now if any should say that it is vnméet to thinke that God should punish for the breach of that law which is impossible to be kept It is answered that the law was possible to man as God made him though it be vnpossible as man made himselfe As iustly then as a man may require his debt of him who through his owne vnthriftinesse hath made himselfe vnable to pay it Euen so may God most iustly require that of vs vnto the which he did inable vs though we wantonly haue dis-inabled our selues Wherfore if at any time we read that the Saints are said to be perfect and to kéepe the law it is not to be vnderstood of perfection or obedience legally taken according to the strict rigor of the law but Euangellically or according to the mitigation of the Gospell which is first when the party obeying is in Christ in whom all our imperfections are expiated and our spirituall sacrifices accepted 1. Pet. 2.5 Secondly when the heart is vpright and sincerely affected to all the Commandements of GOD. Thirdly in comparison of others as Noah a perfect and iust man not simply but in his generation as Iudah cals Thamar more righteous though sinfull enough Fourthly when we aime at perfection the Lord in mercy accounting vs not as we are according to the strict rule of his iustice but as we would be through the worke of his Spirit in our hearts If any shall obiect that the workes of the Saints are the workes of the Spirit therefore perfect It is safely answered that if they were the workes of the Spirit alone it were true but they are so the workes of the Spirit that they are our workes