AN ANTIDOTE FOR Troubled Soules Or The Fruit of Repentance Taken out of the Word of God and Delivered to Thomas Jones of the City of Hereford who was many yeares afflicted both in body and in minde for violating or prophaning the Lords Sabbath day And thinking this Antidote to be part of the Talent which the Lord gave him since he repented for the same being commanded in his sleep to give an account thereof he hath thought it requisite to publish it for the good of all penitent Sinners Published with License Rom. 8.18 I account the afflictions of this present life not worthy of the glory which shall be shewed unto us 2 Cor. 4.17 Our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for as a far more exceeding and eternall weight of glory London Printed for John Wright at the signe of the Kings head in the Old Baily 1646. The Fruit of REPENTANCE Acts 2.38 Then Peter said unto them Repent and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Iesus Christ for remission of sinnes and ye shall receive the Holy Ghost WE heard in the former verse the question of these pricked hearts to Peter and the rest of the Apostles Men and Brethren What shall we do Teaching us how much it imports every Soule to seek for the was and meanes to Salvation We proceed now to the answer given from the mouth of Peter prescribing the means of salvation in this verse now read unto you which are two first Repentance then Baptisme afterwards he perswades them to the practise thereof in the next verse At this time only of the first means of Salvation that is Repentance The Doctrine is That he that will be saved must repent Men and brethren say they what shall we do meaning to be saved as the Gaoler expresseth himelf Repent saith Peter as if he should say If ye repent ye shall be saved but if ye will not repent ye shall not be saved Except ye repent saith our Saviour ye shall all likewise perish Luke 13.3 The reason is First because we are all by nature sinners and consequently under the eternall wrath of God children of wrath and there is no means to avoid Gods eternall curse and wrath without repentance O generations of Vipers saith John the Baptist to the Pharisees Mat. 3.7 Who hath forewarned you to flee from the wrath to come bring forth therefore fruit meet for Repentance As if he should say You think your great holinesse that was shall save you but who hath taught you to escape the wrath of God thereby Let me teach you if you will escape the wrath to come trust not to your holy religion but see you make good your repentance Secondly on the condition of repentance God hath promised what Christ hath merited that is pardon of sin Esa 1.16 The Prophet exhorteth Wash you make you clean put away the evil of your doings cease to do evil learn to do well that is Repent And then in the eighteenth verse he promiseth Though your sinnes be as scarlet yet they shall be as white as snow though they be as red as crimson yet they shall be as wooll Act. 5.13 The Apostle saith They God of our Fathers hath exalted Christ to be a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance to Israel and forgivenesse of sins Pardon of sin upon repentance So then without repentance there is no means possible to escape the wrath of God Vpon repentance God hath promised pardon of all sins even as Christ hath merited If any might be saved without repentance then Christs disciples might be saved but our Saviour tels them Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish And if any might not be saved with repentance then those murtherers of Christ would not be saved Yet Peter saith Repent and ye shall be saved Vpon this string all the Prophets harped Repent Repent This was John Baptists first Sermon this was the thing that Christ did preach first and this must be the burden of our song unto the end of the world Luk. 24.37 It is necessary saith our Saviour that repentance and remission of sinnes be preached to all Nations We preach nothing without repentance yea there is no salvation without repentance Now it will be necessary to shew what repentance is The nature of repentance is a large thing much hath been written of it I will give you therefore briefly the cheif part of repentance In repentance there is the work of God and the work of man Gods work is Regeneration a new creation which makes a man a new creature by taking â—way the stony heart and giving him a heart of flesh â—n the place of it and this is done by a two-fold grace First Preventing grace which pricks and breaks the heart Herein he is a meer patient Secondly Subsequent grace enabling a man to the practice of repentance Mans work in repentance stands chiefly in two things Mourning and Turning as the Prophet Joel expresseth it Joel 2.12 Turn to the Lord with fasting weeping and mourning rent your hearts and turn to the Lord. There are the principall parts of repentance expressed First then in repentance there must be a mourning of the heart with godly sorrow for sin chiefly because God is offended and Christ pierced otherwise it is not godly sorrow This the Apostle 2 Cor. 7.10 makes the first and chiefest whéel in the clock or the first mover to repentance Godly sorrow causeth repentance unto salvation not to be repented of If thy heart be first broken with godly sorrow thy repentance is from the heart else howsoever it doth appear it is but hypocrisie it tends to thy greater damnation Secondly after mourning there must be a turning Act. 3.19 Repent and be converted This conversion must be from sin to God First it must be from sinne Repent and turn your selves from all your transgressions saith the Lord Ezek. 18.3 Secondly this turning must be to God Repent and turn to the Lord saith the Apostle Act. 26.20 Now this turning or conversion must have thrée properties It must be 1 Inward 2 Outward 3 Universall First it must be an inward turning a change of the heart Joel 2.12 with all your heart Ezek. 18. Make you a new heart and a new spirit This inward change must be by mortifying our concupiscence by purging out corruption hiding the Word in our hearts cherishing the motions of the Spirit Truth in the inward part hating sin and delighting in holinesse Secondly it must be outward Cast away from you all your transgressions wherwith you have transgressed Ezek. 18 31. Thirdly this turning must be universall as with all the heart so likewise from all sinne As the Prophet requireth Ezek. 18.30.31 Turn your selves from all your sinnes and cast away all your transgressions Secondly it must be a turning to all good works Jam. 2.10 If a man keep the whole law and offend in one point he is guilty of all Thus you sée the hate of it
the Definition is this Repentance is the work of the Spirit of God whereby a sinner mourns for his sin and turns to God in all holy and hearty obedience The use is first for trial Thou hopest to be saved â—nd who doth not But if thou wilt be saved thou must repent Art thou regenerated Hast thou releived the Spirit of grace Art thou become a new â—reature Hast thou mourned in secret with godly â—orrow for sin Is there no sin that thou lovest or â—…lowest Is there no sin but thou hatest no duty but thou doest or desirest to do Then thou hast â—epented else no repentance no hope of salvation The second Vse is for reproâ—â—e and terror to all â—mpenitent persons who had never the grace to mourn for their sinnes or turn from them to God Do we not see that the most live in abominable sins â—wearing drunkennesse whoredome fraud lying â—osenage contempt of Gods word prophaning of the Sabbath drinking iniquity as the Axe drinks waâ—er thinking they shall never have enough And â—ow few of these repent If without repentance â—o salvation what will become of these wretches that live in open practise of abominable sins Others â—hink themselves in a good estate because they are not so bad as others they are honest civil men needâ—ng no repentance they know no hurt they have done what shall they repent of they do no man wrong â—hey keep the Church are good natured bountifull But what are all these but splendida peccata And what is their reward but the wrath of God Others are so pure in their own eyes that they think themâ—elves past repentance so clean as they need no repentance But Publicans and sinners shall enter into the Kingdome of heaven as soon as they and sooner too And by how much the more cleaner they are in their own eyes by so much more hatefull are their hearts to God Like Baalam they will cry O let me die the death of the Righteous but never let â—e live his life They will fast and put on mourning countenances in time of judgement they will seem to mourn but the oppressed feele no ease from them when the storm is past they are euen as Ahab more wicked then before Some talk of repentance but know no more then brute beasts what repentance means Some yea the most in time of sicknesse â—alk of it O if they should liue then they would become new men if they die then surely because of â—his they must go to heauen charity thinks the best But if they liue with the dog they return to their â—omit and with the swine to her former wallowing â—n the myre Some indéed will mourne and séem to â—epent and make restitution but remember Judas â—ll this he did yet he hanged himself It is either â—hame or to quiet a brawling conscience or the praise â—f men that makes them do sâ— They sorrow not for â—in because they haue grieued God they return from â—ne sin to another from prodigality to couetousnesse â—f such repentance which is but only a shew were â—rue repentance then we should haue many Repentants But who can find one true Repentant in his day-light of the Gospel But behold thou â—retched sinner the gate of hell opens for thee Gods â—urse hangs ouer thy head thy life iâ— short and Gods â—â—dgement sharp thy conscience shall be ransacked by thoughts and deeds laid open thy self accursed to the pit of Hell where thou shalt haue easelesse endlesse and remedilesse pains If one be rewarded with that curse if one sin deserves the curse what will all thy cursed sins deserue But God is mercifull and Christ died for sinners that is my comfort say many Answ Yea but God is iust likewise mercifull indeed to the Penitent but iust to the impenitent And Christ died only for the penitent God hath been mercifull unto thee he hath giuen thée means of repentance and called thée to repentance but if thou repent not the mercy of God which thou hast abused the blood of Christ which thou hast despised and the Word which thou hast neglected shall rise up in iudgement against thee and a thousand millions that haue not grace giuen to them as it hath béen offered to thée they shall rise up in iudgement against thee Therefore it is better if thou couldst to say Christ did not die for thée and God is not mercifull Know that thou treasurest up wrath against the day of wrath And if thou dost giue us the lie Moses proviseth Deut. 29.19 When he shall heare the words of this curse he shall blesse himself in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walk according to the stubbornesse of mine own heart Thus adding drunkennesse to thirst the Lord will not be mercifull unto him but the wrath of God and his iealousie shall smoke against that man and euery curse that is written in this book shall light upon him and the Lord shall put his name out from under heauen The third Vse is to exhort us as we hope to be saued to apply our selues to the practise of repentance to mourn with hearty sorrow for sinne to returne from all sinne to God to the conscionable practise of all good works Doth not euery soul desire to eâ—cape the wrath of God without repentance if it were possible Quest But what shall we do to repent Answ It is God that works it in us Therefore seek to him for it Now the means that he useth in working is his Word his Spirit and correction By his word he teacheth and worketh repentance in the heart Thus Paul tels us that his preaching was to turn the Gentiles from darknesse to light The Word is a hammer to break the stony heart it is a fire to purge out drosse and corruption of force to conuert the Soule as David saith Psal 19. It regenerateth sanctifieth and quickneth the soul to newnesse of life Whosoeuer then will repent must lend 〈◊〉 diligent eare to the Word of God and they that despise it must neuer look to repent Did men consider this they would either giue off hope of their repentance or be more constant in hearing the Word then they be Secondly Gods spirit is the means whereby repentance is wrougyt in the heart Repentance is the work and gift of the Spirit Therefore while we hear Gods word we must pray sigh groan and cry unto him for his Spirit acknowledging we can do nothing of our selues but his Spirit must work euery grace in us Thirdly Gods corrections are an ordinary meane not of themselues but by the blessing of his Spirit whereby he works repentance in the heart Thus Manasses brought to chaines was brought to repentance Thus the Thief crucified with our Sauiour learned to repent Hos 6.1 Come say they let us return to the Lord he hath smitten us he hath torn us First therefore if we will repent we must be diligent in attending to the Word and praying for his Spirit so to
maintenance oâ— our estates Lastly it is a means to obtain increase of grace with peace of conscience and increase of ioy and comfort Thus Saint Peter exhorts Repent saith he and then he promiseth the gift of the Holy Ghost should flow forth to them and after grace followes peace and spirituall joy Christ will make thee par taker of true ioy he will dwell with the humble and revive their spirits The sixt Motive to perswade â—is to Repentance may be taken from the consideration of our baptisme we have set our hands to the â—eal of baptisme to bind us to the duty of repentance therefore we are bound to it by our own seale our own pâ—omise and vow Again Repentance makes our persons workes â—cceptable to God the broken the contrite heart is acceptable to God A broken heart G Lord thou wilt not despise Another Motive may be taken from the consideraâ—ion of the last judgement Now God wisheth all men to repent because hee hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the world with righteousnesse saith Saint Paul Then shall their sinnes be laid open O let us bethink ous selves in what estate we would be found before the great Iudge at the last day whether with our sinnes remaining or pardoned and forgiven Lastly consider the wofull estate of sinners in hel and the blessed estate of the paitent in heaven Let the consideration of all those things move us to turne to God by repentance and make conscience of a new life But some will say repentance is a bitter thing But he that will taste of the sweetnesse of salvation must partake of the bitternesse of repentance Is repentacce a bitter thing know then that the fruit of impenitency is more bitter Nay though repentance be bitter to flesh and blood yet God haveiâ—g â—â—fused grace into the repentant soul it doth becomen weet unto him But some will say it I should set my selfe to the practise of repentance it will be my undoing I should lose my gaine But tel me what will it availe thee to win the whole world and to lose thine owne soul Now if thou wilt beleeve Christ thou shalt gaine an hundred fold Mat. 19.29 The gaine that thou hast by impenitency what is it but the cause of Gods iudgements against thee Goe too now ye impenitent wretches weepe and houle your garments are moth-eaten You treasure up riches here to increase Gods vengeance hereafter But repentance gains Gods blessing in this life and a Kingdome in the world to come Now sâ—me will say I would faine repent for my sinnes but I am sâ—â—umbred with the things of this life that I cannot apply my selfe unto it But cast of the incumbrances of this world first and know that repentance will not hinder thee in tâ—y honest calling Some other would say I am willing to repent but I am â—o intangled with carnall friends that I shall displease them and I shall have a weary life with them But he that forsaketh not father and mother and brother and sister and all things else for my sake saith our Saviour is not worthy of me Wilt thou despite God and Christ and thine owne soule for thy carnall friends Repent then God and Christ and all the Saints and Angells will be thy friends Now others will say I purpose to repent and cannot yet apply my selfe unto it But when dost thou purpose to repent Is the time in thy hand Thou knowest not how suddenly thou shalt be cut off therefore deferre not the time oâ— thy repentance Doe we not sée many in their youth health aâ—d wealâ—h quickly gone And dost not thou byd lâ—y make the burthen heavier encreasing thy sâ—â—â—e Is not the worke harder when thou dost performe it then In the meaâ—e while thou art the Devils slave Yet suppose thou dost intend according to thy promise to repent in thy sicknesse or in old age thou shalt find as the burthen is greater so the taske to be more hard and difficult when sicknesse comes and old age is burthen enough of it selfe and needs not any greater Lastly consider the gift of Gods grace is not in thy power Now is the day of grace now is the appoâ—nted time and if thou wilt not now accept his grace offered unto thee when thou callest hereafter upon him how knowest thou if hee will hear thee seeing now thou refusest grace when it is offered thee If ever thou meanest to repent now is the timâ— slight not the grace of God now it is offered unto thee Some will say I hâ—ve repented already but if thou hast thy repentance must be perpetuall and â—oâ—tinuall it is not the worke of a day but oâ— aâ—ise As long as thou breâ—theâ—t thou dost sinne theâ—efore â—epent as oft as thou sinnest Betake the sâ—lfe to a more déep search renew thy repentance daily looke back to thy former sinnes and life to thy birth and corruption and know that the more thou repentest the more swéet and easie will thy repentance be and at last nothing will comfort thy soule so much as repentance The last use is for comfort to all those that have repented indéed they shall be saved thou shalt lose nothing by thy repentance thou shalt have great recompence thy prayers shall be acceptable to God thou shalt have peace in death boldnesse in iudgement and glory in Heaven GENERAL RVLES Of a Godly Life He 's only wise who God doth know And doth by life his knowledge show EVery day thou drawest neerer to thy Death Iudgement and Eternity Therefore thinke every day how thou mayest be able to â—and in that most strict and severe Iudgement â—nd so live for ever Look diligently to thy â—houghts Words and Deeds Every evening â—hink thou shalt dye that night Every morâ—ing thinke thou shalt die that day Doe not deferre thy conversion and good works till to Morrow because to morrow is uncertaine but Death is certaine and hangs over thy head every day Nothing is more contrary to Godlinesse than delay If thou contemâ—test the inward calling of the Holy Spirit thou shalt never attaine to true conversion Deferre not thy conversion and good works till thine old age but offer unto God the flower of thy youth It is uncertaine whether the young man shall live till he be old But it is certaine that destruction is prepared for the young man that is impenitent No age is fitter for Gods service than youth which flourisheth in body and minde For no mans sake undertake an evill cause for it is not man but God that shall hereafter judge thee do not therefore preferre the favour of men before the grace of God In the way of the Lord either we goe forwards or else we goe backwards Therefore examine the life every day whether thou goest forwards or backwards in the study of piety to stand in the way of the Lord is to goe back Delight not then to stand still in the course of godlinesse but study alwayes to walke in the way of the Lord let thy conversation be evermore courteous unto all grievous to none familiar with few To God live piously to thy selfe chastly to thy neighbour justly Shew favour to thy friend Shew patience towards thy enemie Shew thy good will towards all anâ— thy bounty to whoml thou art able In thy life die daily unto thy selfe and unto thy vices So in death thou shalt â—ive unto God FINIS