there are that doe ioy to make long and large accounts of their leaudnesse feeding their delights with their liues past as the dogge returneth to smell of his cast gorge and the horse to his doung yea when by Confession they haue disgorged their sinne they presently with the dogge licke vp their vomit againe Others there are that are fully set vpon sinne in confessing As those Israelites that said we haue sinned we will goe vp As much as to say wee haue Deut. 1 41. sinned we will sinne for God forbad them flatly to goe vp Others there are that as the Papists presume to sinne because of confession thinking by it to bee eased as the drunkard by vomiting And though some in their good moodes may seeme in confession verily to purpose amendment yet these are no sound no settled no sincere and honest purposes but sudden flashings conceiued by their deceitfull hearts rather to auoyd the iudgements felt or feared then truely to please God But wee in our confession must imitate that good Shecaniah who in confessing sinne entred into Couenant Ezra 10. 2. 3. with the Lord against the sinne confessed We haue sinned now therefore let vs enter into couenant with the Lord. Otherwise confession the remedy against sin is turned into sin The remedy encreaseth the disease Some of the Heathen in the daies of sacrifice to their Idols for health did riotously banquet to the preiudice of their health So to too many of vs in the very selfe same dayes we confesse our sins wee runne afresh to our sinnes And God in his iust iudgement punishes hypocriticall confession with a further greedinesse of sinning When the heart is not rent with the garments the rending of the garments sowes the sinne faster together when the heart and conscience is not knocked together with the brest that knocking will neuer batter sin but consolidate and compact it more firmely together Tundens pertus non corrigens vitia ea consolidat Aug. it will be as the knocking of a naile which driues it further in In the next place to Confession wee must ioyne 2. In Deprecation Deprecation with strong cries crauing pardon euen as the poore hunger-bitten begger does an almes or as the cast malefactour pleads for his life at the barre before the Iudge Thus did Dauid Haue mercy vpon me ô Lord according to the multitude of thy compassions Psal 51. c. And Daniel O Lord heare ô Lord Dan. 9. forgiue againe and againe repeating his cries In these penitentiall prayers we may note these two things First that they be deepely serious the guilty theefe pleading for his life goes not about to entertaine the Iudges eares with quaint phrases and fine words but he studies to shew the passion and affection of his heart There are some lusty beggars that in begging will keepe a flourishing in their Rhetoricke such as it is A wise man will neuer be moued to compassionate them Hee will thinke they are not throughly hungerbitten they would vse another kind of dialect then and leaue their fooleries and fall to humble and pittiful complaints and groanes As Salomon saies The poore man speaketh supplications so the repenting sinner Prou. 18. beeing poore in spirit speakes supplications The best flowers he can garnish his prayers with are his sighes his sobbes his groanes his cries This is the Rhetoricke of repentance in prayer The affectation of carnall eloquence in prayer shewes there is little repentance in such praiers 2 That oftentimes affection in them is so strong that wordes faile Rom. 8. 26. Dauid when Nathan had wounded him cryed out I haue sinned Why will some say did he not go on and craue pardon his inward griefe was such that hee could not in wordes in desire of heart hee did his heart was full and the seedes of the 51. Psalme were then in his breast So the Publicane said no more but Lord be mercifull to me a sinner yet there was affection Luke 18. meditation enough to haue spent a whole day in prayer and not onely to furnish that one short sentence Lord be mercifull Some haue more words then matter in their prayers but humbled repentants haue more matter then wordes and so are streighted as great throngs of people pressing out at some narrow passage sticke fast and cannot goe forward but very slowly Some are very short in praier for want of matter and affection but repenting sinners are short because of the aboundance of matter and affection being as full vessells that doe not runne presently at the first piercing or as the flesh that in deeper wounds bleeds not presently Thus was it with the repenting prodigall he purposed to speake thus and thus to his Father Luc. 15. Namely Father I haue sinned c. make mee but as one of thy hired seruants Now this last clause he leaues out when he comes to his Father by reason his heart was so surcharged with griefe his passions drunke vp his speech as wee see how Christs teares made his speech broken and imperfect Luk. 19 41. And fit it is indeede there should bee this sweete harmony betwixt the repenting sinners heart and tongue his broken heart and his broken prayers The vse Seeing the practise of true humiliation consisteth in these exercises of Confession and deprecation let vs in Gods feare buckle to the serious practise of them Hast thou sinned Suffer not sinne to lye vpon thy conscience Cast vp thy confession suffer not the impostumation any longer to paine thee with the swelling but giue a vent to the humor and so get ease Dauid professeth that neither in silence nor in roaring hee could finde any ease till he came to confession But I thought I would confesse and then thou forgauest Among men indeede Psal 32 Deo peccatum dicere sufficit et solicitur In hominibus vero contrarium peniâ—us cum peccatores confessi fuerint tunc magis puniuÌ„tur Chrysost ad pop Ant. hom 3. 1. Iohn 1. 2. Sam. 24. in their Courts confession brings no such priuilege there confesse and bee hanged after confession followes condemnation but here confession and iustification goe together If we confesse God is faithfull to forgiue it must needs be some special seruice which God promiseth so great a reward vnto Dauid after his sinne of numbring the people proueth himselfe to be Gods seruant because he confessed it Take away the trespasse of thy seruant yea but how darest thou call thy selfe Gods seruant who hast so lately and so grieuously sinned He answers for I haue done foolishly Though I am not his seruant in playing the foole yet in confessing my folly I am his seruant Iob among many fruits of obedience as Iustice Mercy Chastity whereby hee would proue himselfe Gods seruant reckons also this of Iob 31. confession If I haue hid my sinne as did Adam equalling the confession of his sinnes with the best of his vertues For as hee onely can
neuer yet truely humbled for their sinnes 3 In not daring Masterly and Iudge-like to censure 3. In not censuring for the humbled sinner finds so much matter at home within himselfe that he hath no leysure to looke so much into others And therfore though seuere to himselfe yet more milde to others in meekenesse of minde esteeming euery man better then Phil 2. 3. himselfe And those faults he sees in others he takes notice of happily in himselfe or else of others as bad at least of the seedes and inclinations to those sinnes Therefore Iames after he had commanded vs to humble our selues hee addes speake not euill Aut sumus aut fuimus aut possumus esse quod hic est Iam. 4. 10 11. one of another For how doth hee humble and cast downe himselfe that goes about to cast downe others and trample them vnder his feete 4 In abasing and submitting our selues to the lowest and meanest offices of loue to our brethren 4. In submitting to lowest offices Thus the humbled sinner will make himselfe a seruant vnto all and according to the Apostles commandement will serue others by loue and bearing other 1. Cor 9. 19. Gal. 5. 13. Gal. 6 2. mens burdens so fulfills the law of Christ CHAP. IX Of the contraries to Humiliation Despaire and a seared Conscience HItherto of the grace of Humiliation it selfe Now to adde a worde or two of the contraries to it Contrary to godly humiliation or contrition are these two 1. Desperation 2. The blockish the seared and sencelesse Conscience that is past feeling Both these indeed must be auoyded but Ephes 4. yet the latter of the two is more vsuall and more dangerous more vsuall because it is more pleasing to our nature whereas Desperation is more distastefull in regard of the bitternesse And therfore Sathan wants that bait to bring men to despaire which he hath to bring men to senslesse security Therefore heere we may say as they sang of Saul and Dauid Desperation slayes thousands Security Sam. ten thousands euen as more die of intemperancy of diet then are killed by the Sword so though Despaire be more fearefull yet Security is more frequent More dangerous also because Desparation may be turned sooner to good for that the despairing person is touched with the sight of his sins feeles his owne misery But the senslesse conscience is nothing so it hath neither sight of sin nor sense of misery Both these extreames of Desperation and of Senslesnesse come from one cause and that is the neglect of the prickes and wounds of conscience It is a great mercy of God to giue vs so faire warning from a monitour within our owne bosomes The warnings others giue vs wee are ready to except against Wee cannot except against the warnings of our owne hearts But as when milder correction preuailes not with our children wee proceed to seuerer discipline so when Conscience her gentler prickings are neglected shee falles to deeper wounding and cutting when rods will do no good God puts Scorpions into her hands to scourge vs to death Euery little prick of an accusation fetches as it were some blood from thy soule Now if presently with a repenting heart thou wouldest craue the bloud of Christ to be applyed to thy soule the bleeding would be stayed But because thou neglectest the bleeding and thinkest to stay it by base medicines of thine owne therefore the wound bleedes still and thou shalt dye of it And thus we see how desperation comes from the neglect of the pricks of Conscience But againe and that more commonly the Conscience growes seared and past feeling so that a man may now sinne freely and that without controule of Conscience after that hee hath once begunne to despise the admonitions and accusations thereof So we see the Father giues ouer correcting his vnhappy child when hee growes worse for all his correcting of him Thus many mens consciences deale with them speaking in a manner vnto them as God speakes to the Iewes Why should we smite you any more since ye fall away more and more you set light by our warning we will euen giue ouer Isay 1. 5. Conscience is Gods officer and it is set by God to doe the best office that can bee to vs. But when God sees his officer not regarded hee will discharge him of his office When a wound is not taken in time the flesh festers and growes dead and rotten so also it fares with the wounds of Conscience A wounding Conscience neglected will grow a dead Conscience O then howsoeuer thou mayst set light by the checkes and rebukes of men and mayst shake off them yet neuer reiect or con-contemne the checks of Conscience In any case take heed of that for either it will continually ring such a loud peale in thine eares as shall make them to tingle and thine heart to tremble or else that which is worse it shall for euer after hold its peace Doe wee then feele the priuy nippes and secret snibs and pulls of our consciences Let vs giue ear to so wholsome a rebuker Let vs seeke presently to the Lord for mercy and forgiuenesse Let vs humble our soules before him in confession Let vs put Conscience out of office no otherwise then thus that as Conscience hath accused vs to our selues so now we will goe and accuse our selues to our God For if Consciences roddes and checks cannot driue thee to Repentance whose should Many there are that in regard of their places are free from the rods and the cheekes of men as Kings and great ones Who dare checke them None may smite them yet God in mercy towards them will 2. Sam. 24. 10. haue their Conscience to smite them as Dauids heart smote him though a King Conscience takes no notice of Kingship Therefore all euen great States and they of all others must most listen to and heede the voice of Conscience lest otherwise it fare with vs as with those whom great and violent noises continually herd at length make deafe as in those that dwell by the fall of the riuer Nilus Or as it doth with vnlucky boyes who beeing vsed to the rodde at length harden themselues and regard it not CHAP. X. Of the names whereby the second part of Repentance viz. change of heart is set out in Scripture HItherto of the former part of Repentance 2. The second part of Repentance Conuersion where Mourning Humiliation or Contrition The second followeth Turning Reformation or Conuersion where consider wee 1. The Names 2. The Nature 3. The Practise of it 1. For the names they are more especially two 1. The names of it 1. An Hebrew name signifying Turning or Conuersion 2. A Greeke name signifying After-wit or wisdome The first name is a metaphor drawen from trauellers who hauing gone out of their way must come backe againe and returne into the right way if euer they meane to arriue vnto the intended period
of their iourney We all are or should be trauellers to God to Heauen-ward but wee are turned aside into the quite contrary way we are like the Prodigall departing from his fathers house like the lost sheepe straying from the fold therefore we must turne backe againe and set our faces to wards God vpon whom wee haue turned our backes It is impossible his feete should euer stand in Heauen whose eyes are not turned towards it Men doe vainely perswade themselues of finding God and his Kingdome with faces turned vpon sinne and backes vpon God Excellently doth Isay ioyne together turning and seeking God A man Is 9. 13. may long enough seeke an Easterne Countrey in the West ere he finde it And as long may hee seeke God in the wayes of sinne and Sathan ere he shall meet with him This phrase then sheweth the absolute necessity of Repentance for as he whose backe being turned vpon me is gone farre from me can neuer be with me vnlesse he turne his face towards me and so make towards me with his feete no more can wee sinners that are gone away from the Lord euer enioy him or bee with him vnlesse by Repentance we turne towards him onely thus turning may wee seeke him and thus seeking can we finde him The second name is Metanoia After-wit or After-wisdome opposed to Pronoia Fore-wit fore-casting and prouiding before hand This name teacheth that euery impenitent sinner is a witlesse foole and that true wisdome consists in turning from our sinnes to the Lord. Of the Bapitst drawing men to Repentance it is sayd He shall turne them to the wisdome of the iust The minister Luc. 1. sayes Paul must wait if God at any time will giue thee refractary Repentance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is that 2. Tim. 2. 25. they may awake out of their drunken sleepe and become sober Implying that as long as we lie in our sinnes we are as drunken sots voyd of all vnderstanding Hence that phrase of the repenting Prodigall He came to himselfe implying that before Luc. 15. 17. Prou. 9. he was mad and besides himselfe If thou wilt bee wise thou wilt be wise for thy selfe that is thine owne soules good saith Salomon Let now the wordling and impenitent wretch go and thinke Repentance folly and himselfe wise that will not bee troubled with so heauy and melancholy a thing They shall sing another song one day euen that Wisd 5. Wee counted them fooles but c. Is not hea foole that being out of his way wil not returne backe when the right way is shewed him Hearke what Ieremy saies of such They haue Ierem. 5. 4. refused to returne therfore I sayd they are poore how poore poore in the braine poore in wit for he addes They are foolish for this cause that rich man is called a foole for all his worldly wit and Luc. 12. those virgins foolish virgins for all their blazing lamps It were madnesse to thinke of comming vp to the top of the house without the staires or ladder so to come to Heauen without this ladder of Repentance Extreame solly for a man to aime at some excellent end and in meane time neuer think of the meanes that should compasse it nay to doe that which is directly contrary thereto For a man to professe his desire after Heauen and yet to shun Repentance the onely way that carries thether Worthily therefore is Repentance called After-wisdome or After-wit In other things Fore-wit is preferred before After-wit But heere the afterwit of Repentance shall bring vs to a farre better estate then euer wee should haue attained if Adam had had the fore-wit to haue espied the deceit of Sathan and so to haue preuented the danger This is the wisdome that is commended to vs in the parable Luc. 16. of the vniust steward And it is the wisdome Moses prayes for Teach vs so to number our dayes counting euery day for the last that wee may apply our hearts to wisdome euen to the wisdome of prouiding for our soules by Repentance And so much of the names giuen to this second part of Repentance CHAP. XI Of turning from sinne THe second poynt to bee considered in this 2. The nature of it where Change or Turning is the nature thereof and that is set downe in the definition to be a turning from sinne to God Heere though the nature of it be set foorth by a metaphor drawen from change of place yet indeed Repentance is no change of place but of qualities manners and dispositions from Euill to Good The soule and body in regard of their essence powers faculties and proper and naturall actions remaine the same after Repentance that before Onely the corrupt and vicious qualities in them are taken away and so they are rectified Sorrow feare ioy c. are not abolished but onely polished and refined of that drosse of errour in regard of their obiect Feare of punishment is turned into feare of sinne and worldly sorrow into godly Carnall mirth into spirituall ioy in the holy Ghost Againe this change is twofold 1. Passiue wherby God changes and turnes vs. In the which wee are meere patients and God onely workes 2. Actiue whereby wee being turned and changed by God doe labour further to turne and change our selues Both these in time are together but yet distinct in nature The former is that which is called Regeneration and is as it were the infusing of a soule into a dead body The latter is Repentance and is the motion or stirring of the soule infused Of it Iohn when he saith He that hath this hope purgeth 1. Ioh. 3. 3. himselfe And this latter actiue Conuersion in Repentance is the effect of the former passiue conuersion After I was conuerted I repented so Isay 30. Ierem. 31. 18. 21. 22. And in this regard is Repentance made the gift of God because his turning of vs is the cause of our turning our selues For the vnderstanding of the nature of this turning two things must be considered 1. The Parts 2. The Properties thereof The Parts are two 1. Auersion from sinne 1. The parts which are 2. Conuersion to God For the former It was thus expressed in the definition 1. Auersion from sinne Repentance is a grace c. whereby the sinner c. turnes from his sinne where let vs mark that Repentance is made a turning from sinne indefinitely without restriction whence arise those two Consectaries 1. That there is no sinne so great but may be And 2. That there is no sinne so small but must be opposed and encountred with Repentance Reason sayes Great sinnes cannot be and small sinnes need not be repented of In great sins Reason derogates from Gods mercy as though they could not bee pardoned for all our Repentance My sinne is greater then can be forgiuen In lesser Gen. 4. from his iustice and truth as though they might be pardoned without any Repentance at
TVVO TREATISES The one Of Repentance The other Of Christs Temptations Both penned By the late faithfull Minister of Gods worde DANIEL DYKE Batchelour in Diuinitie Published since his death by his Brother I D. Minister of Gods word MATTH 3. 2. Repent for the kingdome of God is at hand LONDON Printed by Edward Griffin for Ralph Mab and are to be sold in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the Greyhound 1616. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE AND MOST VERTVOVS LADY the Lady Harrington RIGHT HONOVRABLE THe Lord hath not left himselfe without many witnesses to call vpon vs for the same worke for the which this worke doth call An argument that people are backward and the duty necessary If either the men were more forward or the duty lesse important Quorsum haec profusio To what end were this waste What needed this waste of paper and inke nay of the spirits and lungs of Gods messengers crying earely and late if people were not too late in that duty wherein they cannot bee too earely It was not for nothing that our Sauiour yoakes these two petitions together Giue vs this day c. And forgiue vs our trespasses Surely me thinkes hee teaches vs that so long as wee haue neede to say Giue so long we haue neede to say forgiue and that daily repentance is as necessary for the soule as daily sustenance for the body And yet such is the worlds folly that while they make one to be of an absolute necessity they shuffle off the other as a matter of indifferency at least conceit it not of that present necessity which we vrge Most deale with Repentance as countrey people with Physicians they loue not to haue to doe with them till they feare they are gasping their last breath and conceit as great an efficacie in these fiue words Lord haue mercy vpon me spoken with their last breath for the translation of their soules into heauen as the Papists do of their fiue words of consecration for the transubstantiation of their hoste Nay without question many thinke of their Repentance before their death as diuerse ridiculously doe of making their wils That if they make their wils in their health it is an ominous presage of their death That because many make not their wils but when they die therfore they must needes shortly die if they make their wils The like thinke many of Repenting in their life time that because most make it a death-bed duty therefore to doe this duty will hasten them to their death And so many fearing it in their life are denied it at their death But for the necessity the worth the speede of the practise of this duty I spare to speake ought It is the summe of the following Treatise A Treatise not of mine own but of his whose labours need not feare the light Many and worthy indeede are the labours of others that are extant vpon this argument and indeede so many that amongst such a multitude I should scarce haue aduentured this small Treatise if the generall gracious acceptance of his former works which I published had not made way for it The kinde welcome that it found at the hands of most seemed to promise that these present labors should not be fruitlesse Thereupon I tooke heart both to perfect and to publish this Treatise And being perfected I haue made bolde to commend it to your La. By your patronage the worke may receiue grace from you and by your diligent perusall of it you may receiue encrease of grace from it The Lord grace you with all spiritall blessings till hee bring you to Glory the perfection of Grace Epping in Essex April 18. Your Honours to be commanded IER DYKE A TREATISE OF REPENTANCE CHAP. I. What Repentance is THere is no one point in practicall Diuinity of greater consequence then this of Repentance A naile that all the Sermons both of Prophets and Apostles were continually hammering Christ himselfe as he continually beat vpon it so in his last farwell ascending into heauen in speciall manner he commended the preaching and pressing thereof to his Disciples telling them that it was necessary that Repentance and Remission of sinnes should bee preached in Luk. 24 37. his name among all nations In which words Repentance hath a double commendation 1. That it is ioyned with remission of sinnes and that so that none can feele the sweet of it that feeles not the sowre of this 2. That it is made a doctrine fitting all sorts and conditions Some doctrines are for Gouernours some for Subiects some for Rich some for Poore some for young some for olde some for the wicked some for the godly some for the Court some for the Countrey but Repentance being for sinners I came to call sinners to Repentance Matth. 9. it is for all none can exempt himselfe from the reach thereof vnlesse withall hee can free himselfe from the touch of sinne Therfore it must be preached among all nations Repentance then neuer beeing vnseasonable surely not now when God what by our sinnes what by his iudgements calleth vnto weeping and mourning vnto baldnesse and girding with sacke-cloath Is 22. And yet behold ioy and gladnesse slaying of oxen and sheep Epicure-like eating of flesh and drinking of wine It is high time therefore both for Presse and Pulpit to ring lowde peales of this argument Which though it be much in many mens mouthes yet is it little in their reines being more spoken of then vnderstood and yet better vnderstood then practised better knowen then felt Wherfore for our more happy direction in it let vs first see what it is Now I thinke it may not amisse thus be described Repentance is a supernaturall grace of the sanctifying spirit wherby a beleeuing sinner so humbleth himselfe for sinne that hee turnes from it to the Lord. 1. I call it a Grace Some thinke it onely an action Repentance is a grace But that phrase Ezech. 12. 10. of powring the spirit of grace meaning Repentance on the house of Iudah seemes to argue it to be a quality or infused gift so as faith and charity are So also that phrase of giuing Repentance Acts 5. 31. and 11. 18. for if God giue it we receiue it Now wee cannot properly be sayd to receiue an action which wee doe but the power gift or grace whereby we do it That speech also Matth. 3. 8. Bring forth fruits worthy Repentance shewes that Repentance it selfe is not an outward action as the Papists would make it but an inward grace to bee expressed in outward actions 2. I call it a supernaturall grace not onely in regard Supernaturall of corrupt nature for so euery grace is supernaturall but also of innocent for though Adam before the fall had loue feare temperance c. yet Faith and Repentance had hee not for he needed them not This shewes that Repentance is not a Legall but an Euangelicall grace For all legall graces And therfore
people with the pestilence Alas these sheepe what haue they 2. Sam 24. done Let thine hand be against me it is I that haue sinned So may the Iesuites soules say to them so cruelly martyring their bodies Alas what haue these bodies done without vs it is we specially that haue sinned and yet wee neuer feele your discipline your hands should be specially against vs. As Ioel saide to them of his time Rend your hearts and not your garments so may we say to these Papists whip Ioel. 2. 13. your soules and not your sides This is the farre harder matter to humble the pride of our spirits then to take downe the flesh of our bodies 3. They make their carnall their bodily and bedlem-like reuenge to be satisfaction to Gods anger against sinne which is blasphemous and derogatory to the bloud of Christ 5. The last point of this reuenge is when we vpbraid the flesh and cast it in the teeth with those afflictions which God sendeth Though wee may not draw afflictions vpon our selues to mortifie the flesh yet being imposed vpon vs by God we may make our aduantage of them for this vse to insult and triumph ouer the flesh when God punisheth it It argues a vindictiue mind in vs and a reuengefull spirit when wee reioyce to see another reuenging himselfe vpon our aduersary So this is also a kinde of reuenge vpon the flesh when God hauing entred the crucifying nayles into the sides of olde Adam wee pegge and driue them in further and hammer them vp to the heads by imputing them to our flesh and charging her with her dulnesse and vntowardnesse and rating at her as the cause of them Ah thou vile flesh I may thanke thee for all this smart I could not turne thee but I trow God will now tame thee I trow hee will bring thee vnder thou rebell Thus if we will helpe God to whip harder by taking Gods part iustifying him in his dealings and twittings at our corruptions we shal manifest our spight and reuenge against this our enemy This was notably practised by that worthy Martyr Cranmer who when by his cruell aduersaries he was brought to the stake to haue his body burnt and so his right hand yet tooke that aduantage against his right hand or rather against his flesh that had abused his right hand to subscribe to the Popish articles to bee reuenged first vpon it And so in a godly reuenge burnt his right hand first And thus we see the practise of this second part of Repentance and the whole definition of Repentance vnfolded CHAP. XVI Of Initiall Repentance NOw after the definition thus explaned it resteth The kinds of repentance to see what diuision there is of Repentance Into kindes it hath none yet it hath certaine degrees Repentance therfore is eyther the first repentance or the after Repentance the after repentance is twofold First the continuation of the first in the daily course of our liues Secondly the renouation of the first in speciall manner vpon some speciall occasions So then in al there be these three degrees of Repentance Initiall Continued Renewed 1 Initiall repeetance is that at our first calling 1. Initiall Hebr. 6. called repentance from dead workes because all the workes euen the best workes before were dead workes comming from men wholly dead in their sinnes This is the repentance of which Paul speaks when he wishes Timothy to instruct the contrarie minded prouing if God at any time will giue them repentance 2. Tim. 2. 25. Heere consider two things 1. The measure of this repentance 2. The time of it 1. The measure of it how farre it doth extend Ans It is in the very first beginnings but small but when once it comes to the birth it breedes in vs greater sorrow then is in continued or renued repentance Initiall repentance then is the greatest in our sense and apprehension Indeede sometimes After-repentance is more bitter by reason of the greater fauors and mercies we haue receiued from God but yet ordinarily the first repentance hath a greater measure of sorrow 1. First at our first repentance our harts are harder then euer after beeing neuer before mollified with any former Repentance and therefore the harder our hearts are the harder wedges needes there to cleaue them 2 Secondly at our first repentance we haue to deale with all the sinnes of our whole life now the more sinnes the more griefe 3 Thirdly in our first repentance more sorrow and griefe because wee neuer yet had any sense of Gods loue before whereas the former assurance of Gods loue in after-repentance doth some thing allay and sweeten the bitternesse of our sorrow these bitter pills are sugred in after-repentance 2 The time of it which must be considered two waies 1 Generally This life is the time of Repentance while we are in the way for when our iourney is ended in death no returning then While it is day Iohn 9. we may worke no working in the night that is after death Then is the paying of wages The day of iudgement is called the Lords day because hee then must reward euery man according to his workes This life onely is our day because then we must worke Manna was to bee gathered onely in the sixe dayes none vpon the Sabbath The time Exod. 16. Vide Drus Adâ—â— pag. 1â—0 〈◊〉 Qui lab 〈…〉 postâ—â—die after our life is a Sabbath from working the works of God Now then in the sixe dayes of our life is the Manna of Faith Repentance to be gathered Some went out to seeke Manna vpon the Sabbath but found none If once our Sabbath bee come none shall finde nor eate Manna that hath not gathered it before As therefore wee are bidden to remember this weekely Sabbath that our worldly businesses be not deferred till then but may be dispatched in the sixe daies before hand so must wee also remember that eternall Sabath after this life and dispatch the spiritual businesses of repentance and not put them off till the working daies be past The life to come is no time of repentance It is the Nam in inferno inquit quis coÌ„fitebitur tibi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys ad Ephes hom vlt. Ier. 31. 9. Cum flâ—tu depr cationibus Iun. Reuel 6. 2. Sam. 7. 2. time of Iudgement not of Repentance It is not a time of weeping and deprecations but a time of weeping and imprecations of weeping and gnashing of teeth It is a time rather of howling vnto the mountaines then of lamenting after the Lord. But some will be ready to say if this life be the time of repentance then we will repent any time whilest we liue and it may serue the turne well enough wee will repent in ould age in our sickenesse c. There is time enough before wee dye Therefore for answer we must know that the time of repentance is to be considered in the second place 2.
thing our sinnes past rise vp against vs to hinder vs and they stop the passage of Gods grace whereby we should be enabled to doe it It is necessary therefore that with repenting hearts for sinnes past we goe about the doing of good workes and so draw downe from heauen the grace of God to enable vs to do that good we go about Heereupon Peter bids those conuerts Repent and be baptized first to Acts 2. 38. wash themselues in the teares of Repentance before they were washed in the waters of baptisme So Paul requires of the Corinthians the renewing of 1. Cor. 11. 31. their repentance in the iudging of themselues before the receiuing of the Sacrament of the Supper 2. Worke of Repentance in doing good workes is conclusory in the closing vp of a good worke for our best righteousnesse is as a menstruous cloath Is 64. 6. This menstruity must bee washed away with the teares of Repentance We bring foorth the fruits of our obedience as the Beares doe their whelpes altogether vnshapen Wee had neede by repentance licke them ouer and bring them into better forme And as sowre apples haue sugar to commend them to our taste so had our obedience neede of the weeping water salt in our feeling but sweete to God to commend it to his palat Thus did Nehemiah close vp his many worthy seruices with this act of repentance acknowledging himselfe an vnprofitable seruant and crauing pardon for his defects As after his reformation of the abuses on the Sabaoth he prayes Remember me ô my God concerning this and pardon mee according to thy Neh. 13. 22. great mercy And after the relation other abuses reformed hee closes his booke with this Remember me ô my God in goodnesse These bee the spirituall Neh. 13. 31. good things which the grace of Repentance procures vnto vs. 2. Repentance brings also temporall Good and outward blessings If ye consent and obey that is if 2. Temporal Good Is 1. 19. ye consent to yeeld obedience to the former commandement of washing you and making you cleane by Repentance then shall you eate the good things of the land you shall not onely haue the blessings of heauen but the blessings of the earth also So the Lord promises the captiued Iewes peace Ier. 29. 11. 12. 13. 14. and freedome from their captiuity vpon their Repentance and seeking vnto God So Ioel vpon his exhortation to the people to turn vnto the Lord with Ioel 2. 12. 17. 19. all their heart and with fasting and with weeping and with mourning c. brings in the promise of temporall blessings The Lord will answer and say vnto his people Behold I will send you corne and wine and oyle and you shall be satisfied therewith Thus fasting procures feasting and when we feast the Lord with the wine of the teares of our repentance then will hee fill vs with the wine and fruites of the earth when wee haue withered faces with the teares of Repentance then will hee giue vs oyle to make our Psal 104. faces to shine and will powre downe a blessing without Mal. 3. 10. measure when in any good measure wee humble our selues for our sinnes This is that argument where withall Eliphaz vrges Iob to turne vnto the Iob 22. 23. 24. 25. Lord If thou return to the Almighty thou shalt be built vp Thou shalt lay vp gold as dust and the gold of Ophir as the flints of the riuer Or else if Repentance doe not procure these things alwayes yet it brings as great a good as Eliphaz there tels Iob Yea the Almighty Sic Iun. AuruÌ„â—ectissimum shall be most choice gold and siluer and strength vnto thee If God doe not giue thee gold hee shall giue thee himselfe which is better then gold Hee will make a blessed supply another way Such is that gracious promise made by the Prophet Hosea to the Israelites vpon their Repentance O Israel returne Hos 14. 3. 5. 6. vnto the Lord thy God And what shall follow thereupon I will heale their rebellion I will loue them freely there be spiritual blessings which shal follow vpon their repentance but there is not all he also promises temporall blessings I will be as the dew vnto Israel he shall grow as the lilly and fasten his roots as the trees of Lebanon When we giue vnto God the dew of repentant teares then will he himselfe bee a dew vnto vs. There is one dew for another a dew from heauen for a dew from the earth And no maruell that true Repentance procures temporall good when as but a temporary Repentance hath not wanted these temporall blessings Ahab a very None-such for working of wickednes for there was none like Ahab who sold himselfe to commit euill yet euen he but rending his clothes though he rent not 1. King 21. 27. 28. 29. his heart and putting on sack-cloth and fasting is not neglected of God Seest thou sayes the Lord to Eliah how Ahab is humbled before me Because he submits himselfe before me I will not bring that euill in his dayes How much more will God regard the rending of the heart who thus farre respects the rending of the clothes If God doe thus to the dry what will he doe to the greene tree CHAP. XX. Motiues from the euils of impenitency THe second sort of motiues is from the euils of 2. Motiue from the euils of Impenitency Which are 2. Chro. 36. 13 14. 15. 16. impenitency Impenitency it selfe is of it selfe a greeuous and a fearfull euill An impiety aboue heathenish abominations Zedekiah hardned his neck and made his heart obstinate that he might not returne to the Lord God of Israel And as he so the people and the Priests trespassed wonderfully according to all the abominations of the Heathen Nay they did not only trespasse according to the abominations but aboue their abominations for though the Lord sent his messengers rising and sending to call them to Repentance yet they mocked his messengers and despised his words till there was no remedie Heereupon it is that our Sauiour vpbraides the cities wherein he had done Matth. 11. 20. most of his great workes euen for their very impenitency because they repented not This is the maine sinne for which he girds them And for the same sinne he spares not to vpbraid the eleuen after his resurrection he reprooued them of their vnbeliefe and Marc. 16. 14. hardnesse of heart Indeede God giueth as grace so the meanes and reproacheth and vpbraideth no man Iam. 1. 5. that is he vpbraideth no man with lesser infirmities but where impenitency is vnder the meanes there he vpbraideth and threatens it both This is a greater sinne then all other sinnes other sinnes are rebellious against God but yet this is a perpetuall rebellion against him This is that whereby that Ierem 8 5. Apocalypticall Iezabels sinne is aggrauated not so Reu. 2. 20.
vp to the wealthy nation that dwels without care which haue neither gates nor barres but dwell alone And their camels shall be a booty c. Men are neuer so fit a booty for Gods iudgements as when they are without care As generall hardnesse fore-runnes generall iudgments so in particular men their hardnesse goes before destruction See Ieroboams example Hee was reprooued by the Prophet for his idolatry the Altar cleft his hand dried vp and healed againe Any of these might haue cleft his heart and had wrought him to Repentance But yet after this Ieroboam conuerted not but turned againe to his idolatrous 1. King 13. 33 34. courses and continued in his impenitency and what was the issue of all this And this thing turned vnto sinne vnto the house of Ieroboam as who should say all that hee had done before had not turned to sinne had it not beene for this sin of his impenitency But this turned to sinne to his house euen to root it out and destroy it from the face of the earth Balaam hardening his heart against Gods command the Asses rebuke and the Angels sword returnes home by weeping crosse and he that would not returne for the Angels sword was afterward slaine by the sword of the Israelites So was Pharaohs Num. 31. 8. Exod 14. heart hardened to his destruicton in the sea So of the cities of Canaan it is sayd That it came of the Iosh 11. 20 Lord to harden their hearts that they should come against Israel in battle to the iutent they should destroy them vtterly and shew them no mercy but that they should bring them to nought This is made the cause of Gods iudgements vpon Saul Saul died for his transgression against the Lord. Now what was his transgression first hee brake the commandement 1. Chron. 10. 13. 14. of God then he sought and asked counsell of a familiar spirit and last of all which was his sinning sinne after all this hee sought not to the Lord by Repentance therefore the Lord slue him 2. If any impenitent sinner doe escape some 2. Reseruation to worse iudgements temporal iudgements as often he may doth yet his impenitency turnes all his deliuerances but into further curses and iudgements and his deliuerance is a worse iudgement then the iudgements from which he is deliuered for it argues either Gods vtter forsaking of them as desperate patients are giuen ouer by the Physician Why should ye bee smitten any more for yee fall away more and more Or else it Isay 1. 5. argues a reseruation of them for some more fearefull plague If by these former iudgements before specified yee will not be reformed by me but walke stubbornely against me then I will walke stubbornely against you and smite you yet seauen times for your sins So that an impenitent mans preseruation out of one iudgement is but a further reseruation of him to seauen iudgements What mercy or fauour is this nay the mercy is seauen times a greater iudgement C ham was saued from the flood in the Arke but it Gen 9. was for a greater iudgement for his fathers and for Gods curse as good to be drowned as to bee cursed as good to die vnder the waters as to liue vnder a curse Pharaoh escaped many of the former Exod. 14. plagues vnder which the rest of the Aegyptians smarted he was but kept for the sea to be made a prey to the waters Lots wife escaped from Sodom but Gen. 19. Gen. 14. was turned into a pillar of salt The Sodomites were rescued out of the hand of Chedor-laomer but were Gen. 19. after consumed with fire and brimstone from heauen It had beene happy for them if they had bin still captiued slaues vnder Chedor-laomer So true is that of Amos that it is with wicked impenitent Amos 5. 19. sinners as if a man did flie from a Lyon and met with a Beare or went into the house and leaned his hand on the wall and a serpent bit him As also that of Isaiah repeated Isay 24. 18. Ierem. 48 44. by Ieremy He that flyeth from the noyse of the feare shall fall into the pit and hee that comes vp out of the pit shall be taken in the snare Euen as good be in the pit still This is but out of the frying pan into the fire or as Ezekiel speakes out of one fire into Ezek. 15. 7. another fire and the last fire happily like Nebuchadnezzars furnace seauen times hotter then ordinary 3. Thirdly God will euen take pleasure in inflicting Gods delight in iudgement iudgement God indeed delights in mercy but mans impenitency will make him delight in iudgement Heereupon he threatens Loadicea Reuel 3. to vomit her foorth of his mouth if shee still went on impenitently in her luke-warmnesse God signifies by that phrase that hee would take pleasure and delight in their destruction as it giues great ease to the ouer-pressed stomacke to bee disburdened and eased by vomiting Such is that threatning Prou. 1. 24. 25. 26. Because I baue called and yee haue refused I haue stretched out mine hand and none would regard but yee haue despised my counsell and would none of my correction I will also laugh at Risus Dei longa grauiâ—r est ira Dei Quid Deus loquitur cum risu in legas cum luctu Augustin your destruction and mocke when your feare cammeth God is neuer more angry then when hee laughes Gods laughter is an heauier iudgement then his anger for when once hee comes to delight in his anger it is a signe his anger is implacable Wee haue most cause to weepe when God laughes 2. Spirituall euils procured by impenitency 2. Spirituall which are are these 1. Spirituall blindnesse and blockish senslesnesse 1. Spirituall blindnesse further hardnesse and obduration My people would not heare my voyce and Israel would none of mee See what was the punishment that followed vpon it So I gaue them vp to the hardnes of their harts Psal 81. 11. 12 they walked in their own counsels As if he had said Since they will harden their hearts their hearts shall be hardened since they will harden them against my mercy I will harden them in my iustice Thus was Balaam besotted thorough the hardnesse of his heart that hee could not see so much as the Asse did hee rode vpon And the Sodomites were smitten as well with a spirituall as a temporal iudgment of blindnesse So Pharaoh hardening his hart against each plague was also giuen vp to further hardnesse Thus the Apostle seemes to make this the cause of the Gentiles hardnesse of heart because Eph. 4. 18. 19. they being past feeling gaue vp themselues to wantonnesse to worke all vncleannesse with greedinesse So God punished their former hardnesse with further obduration So elsewhere he makes this the cause why they were giuen vp to a reprobate sense and a cauterized conscience