they can not discerne between good and euill nor tremble at Gods iudgements but rather fret and rage against them till God in his wrath either destroy them or cast them to finall despaire As it befell Iulian the Apostata who died blaspheming and casting his own blood into the aire Between the two extremes Repentance Impenitencie is placed counterfeit repentance For the wicked nature of man can dissemble counterfeit Gods grace As the Lord complains of the Iewes Her rebellious sister Iudah hath not returned vnto me with her whole heart but fainedly saith the Lord. Ierem. 3. 10. Counterfeit repentance is either Ceremoniall or Desperate Ceremonial when men repent in outward shew but not in the truth of heart As Saul Then said Saul to Samuel I haue sinned for I haue transgressed the commandements of the Lord thy words because I feared the people obeyed their voice Now therfore I pray thee take away my sin turn again with me that I may worship the Lord c. Again I haue sinned but honour me I pray thee before the elâ—ers of my people Of Ahab When Ahab heard these words â—e rent his clothes and put on sackcloath fasted went softly And the word of the Lord came to Elijah saying seest thou how Ahab is humbled before me Dissembled repentance may be discerned because men after a time returne to their old byas againe Pharao king of Egypt said unto Moses Aaron Pray unto the Lord that he may take away the frogges from me from my people And when Egipt was smitteÌ„ with haile he saide I have now sinned and the Lorde is righteous but I and my people are wicked pray ye unto the Lord that there be no more mighty thunders and baile Againe troubled with grashoppers he said I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you and now forgive me my sinne onely this once c. Now marke the issue of all when Pharao saw that he had rest given him he hardened his heart and harkened not unto them as the Lorde had said This is the ordinary common repentance that most men practise in the world Desperate repentance is when a man hauing only gods iudgements before his eyes is smitten with horrour of conscience wanting assurance of Gods mercy despaires finally This was Iudas Repentance who when he had brought again the 30. peeces of silver confessed his fault went and hanged himselfe CAP. XII Of corruptions in the doctrine of Repentance THe Church of Rome at this day hath corrupted the ancient doctrine of repentance being one of the speciall points of religion The corruptions are specially sixe The first that they make repentance or penance to be a sacrament which can not be because it wants an outward signe And though some say that the words which the priest rehearseth in absolution are the signe yet that can not be because the signe must be not only audible but also visible The second that a sinner hath in him a naturall disposition which being stirred-up by Gods preventing grace he may and can work togither with Gods spirit in his owne repentance But indeed all our repentance is to be ascribed to Gods grace wholly The soule of man is not weak but starke dead in sinne therefore it can no more prepare it selfe to repentance then the body being dead in the grave can dispose it self to the last resurrectioÌ„ The third corruption that contrition in repentance must be sufficient A thing impossible For sinne doth so greatly offend Gods maiesty that no man can ever mourne enough for it The fourth that contrition doth merit remission of sinne An opinion that doth derogate much from the all-sufficient merites of Christ. The fift that he that repents must confesse all the sinnes that he can remember with all their circumstances to his owne priest or one in his stead if he will receive pardon This kind of confession is a mere forgery of mans brain I. There is neither precept nor example of it in the Scriptures II. David and others haue repented and haue receiued remission of their sinnes without confessing of their sinnes in particular to any man The last that the sinner by his workes and sufferings must make satisfaction to God for the temporall punishment of his sinnes A flat blasphemie The scriptures mention no other satisfaction but Christs and if his be sufficient ours is needlesse if ours needful his imperfect Papists write that both may stand togither Christs satisfaction they say is as a plaister in a boxe unapplyed mans satisfaction as a meanes to apply it because it prepares us to receiue it Ah good divinity for euen in common sense the satisfaction of Christ must first be applyed to the person of man that it may please God before the workes which they terme satisfactions can any way be acceptable to God To conclude the Romish doctrine of repentance is the right way to hell For when a sinner shall be taught that he must haue sufficient sorow for his sinne and withall that he must not beleeue the remission of his owne sinnes particularly when sorow comes upon him and he wants sound comfort in Gods mercy he must needs fall into desperation without recovery Therfore the papists in the houre of death as we haue experience are glad to leaue the trumpery of humane satisfactions and to rest only for their iustification on the obedience of Christ. LAVS DEO THE COMBAT OF THE FLESH AND SPIRIT Gal. 5. 17. For the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh these are contrary one to another so that ye can not doe the things which ye would THe Apostle Paul from the beginning of this chapter to the 13. verse exhorts the Galatians to maintaine their christian liberty froÌ„ theÌ„ce to the end of the chapter he perswades theÌ„ to other speciall duties of godlines In the 13. verse he stirs them up to be serviceable one to another by loue in the 15. verse he disswades them froÌ„ contentions doing of iniuries In the 16. verse he shewes the remedy of the former sinnes which is to walk according to the spirit In this seventeenth verse he renders a reason of the remedie the force whereof is this The flesh and the spirit are contrary wherfore if ye walke according to the spirit it will hinder the flesh that it shall not carry you forward to do iniuries liue in contentions as otherwise it would In this verse we haue to obserue 5. points The first that there is a combat betwene the flesh the spirit in these words The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh The second is the maner of this combat which stands in the contrary lusting of the flesh and the spirit The third is the cause of the combat in these words and these are contrary The fourth is the subiect or person in
because it is first preached The first sermon that ever was made was of repentance preached by God himselfe in paradise to our first parents And ever since the sermons of al the prophets and Apostles and of all faithful ministers haue had repentance for their beginning and scope The answere hereto may be this If we respect the order of nature there be other graces of God which goe before repentance because a mans conscience must in some part be setled touching his reconciliatiō with God jn Christ before he can begin to repent wherfore iustificatiō sanctification in order of nature go before repentāce But if we respect time grace repentance are both togi ther. So soone as there is fire so soone it is hot so soone as a man is regenerate so soone he repents If we respect the outward manifestation of these twaine repentance goes before all other graces because it first of all appeares outwardly Regeneration is like the sap of the tree that lies hid within the barke repentance is like the bud that speedily shews itself before either blossom leaf or fruit appeare yea all other graces of the heart which are needfull to salvation are made manifest by repentance And for this cause Repentance as I take it is first preached I adde further that repentāce riseth of a godly sorow in the heart as Paul teacheth Godly sorow causeth repentance unto salvation never to be repented of It is called a godly sorow or a sorrow according to God that it may be distinguished from worldly sorrow which is a griefe arising of the apprehension of the wrath of God and other miseries as feare of men losse of good name calamities in goods and other things which in this life follow as punishments of sinne whereas the godly sorrowe causeth griefe for sinne because it is sinne And it makes any man in whome it is to be of this disposition and minde that if there were no conscience to accuse no devill to terrifie no iudge to arraigne and condemne no hell to torment yet he would be humbled brought on his knees for his sinnes because he hath offended a loving mercifull and long suffering God Further I say that repentance standes in turning againe to God Man at the first was made a goodly creature in the image of God having fellowshippe with him whereby hee dwelt in God and God in him By sinne there is a partition made betweene God and man who is alienated and estraunged from God and is become the child of wrath a firebrand of hell the prodigall child going from his father into a far countrey the straying nay the lost sheepe Now when men haue grace to repent then they begin to renew this fellowship and turne againe to God And the very essence or nature of repentance consistes in this turning Which Paul doth seeme to intimate when he saith That he shewed both to Iewe and Gentile that they should repent and turne to God and doe workes worthy amendment of life In which wordes he sets downe unto us a full description of repentance Againe I say that repentance is a turning from sinne because it doeth not abolish or change the substance of body or soule or any of the faculties thereof either in whole or parte but onely rectifie and amend them by remooving the corruption It turnes the sadnesse of melancholy to godly sorow choller to good zeale softnesse of nature to meekenesse of spirit madnesse and lightnesse to christian mirth it reformes every man according to his naturall constitution not abolishing it but redressing the faultes of it Further I put downe that repentance is a turning from all sinne to God that I may exclude many false turnings The first when a man turnes from God to sinne as when one of a protestant becomes a papist an Arrian a Familist The second when a man turnes from one sinne to another As when the riotous person leaves his prodigalitie and gives himselfe to the practise of covetousnesse this can be no repentance because it is a going from one extreame to another whereas repentance is to leave the extreames and keepe the mean The thirde is not when a man turnes from sinne but sinne turnes from him and leaves him As when the drunkard leaves drunkennesse because his stomacke is decayed the fornicatour his uncleannesse because the strength of nature failes him the quareller his fighting because he is maimed on legge or arme The last is when men turne from many sinnes but will not turne from all As Herod did many things at the advertisement of Iohn baptist but coulde not be brought to leave incest in having his brother Philips wife This repentance is nothing For as he which is truly regenerate is wholly in body soule spirit regenerate so he which truly repents turnes from all sinne and turnes wholly to God Neither is this to trouble any that they can not know all their sinnes for sound repentāce for one speciall sinne brings with it repentāce of all sinne And as God requires particular repentance for knowen sinnes so he accepts a generall repentance for such as be unknown To proceed further the conversion of a sinner in repentance hath three partes The first a purpose and resolution in the mind the second an inclination in the will and affections the third an indeavour in life and conversation to abandon and leave all his former sinnes and to imploy himselfe in obedience to Gods commandements Lastly this repentance must bring foorth fruites worthy amendement of life because it can not be knowen to be sincere vnlesse it bring forth fruit Repentant sinners are trees of righteousnesse of Gods owne planting and they grow by the waters that flow out of the sanctuarie and therefore they must beare fruite that may serve for meate and leafe for medecine otherwise the axe of Gods iudgement is laid to there rootes to stocke them vp CAP. II. Of the causes of Repentance THe principall cause of Repentance is the Spirite of God as Paul saith Instructing them with meekenesse that are contrarie minded prooving if God at any time wil give them repentance And Ieremie Convert thou me and I shalbe converted The instrument of the holy ghost in working repentance is the ministerie of the Gospell onely and not the Law Reasons hereof are these I. Faith is ingendred by the preaching not of the Law but of the Gospell as Paul saith The gospell is the power of God to salvation to all that beleeve from faith to faith therefore repentance which followes faith as a fruite thereof must needes come by the preaching of the gospell only II. The Lawe is the ministerie of death and damnation because it shewes a man his wretched estate but shewes him no remedie therfore it can not be an instrumentall cause of that repentance which is effectuall to salvation III. The doctrine of repentance is a part of the gospell which appeares in this that
whō this combat is noted in these words So that yee the Galatians The last is the effect of the cōbat in the last words that they cānot do c. Touching the combat it selfe diuers points are to be cōsidered The first what these two which make combat namely the flesh and the spirit are They haue diuers significations First of all the spirit is taken for the soule and the flesh for the body But so they are not taken in this place For there is no such combat betwene the body the soule both which agree togither to make the person of one man Secondly the spirit signifies naturall reason the flesh the natural appetite or concupiscence But they cānot be so understood in this place For the spirit here mentioned doth fight euen against naturall reason which though it serue to make a man without excuse yet is it an enemy to the spirit Thirdly the spirit signifies the godhead of Christ and the flesh the manhood but it must not be so taken here For then euery man regenerate should be deified Lastly the spirit signifies a created quality of holines which by the holy ghost is wrought in the mind will affections of man the flesh the naturall corruption or inclination of the mind will and affections to that which is against the law In this first these twain are taken in this place Secondly it is to be considered how these twain the flesh the spirit can fight togither being but mere qualities And we must know that they are not severed asunder as though the flesh were placed in one part of the soule the spirit in another but they are ioyned mingled togither in al the faculties of the soul. The mind or understanding part is not one part flesh and an other spirit but the whole mind is flesh and the whol mind is spirit partly one and partly the other The whole will is partly flesh and partly spirit the flesh and the spirit that is grace and corruption not seuered in place but distinguished As the aire in the dawning of the day is not wholly light or wholly darke as at midnight and at nooneday neither is it in one part light in another part darke but the whole aire is partly light and partly dark throughout In a vessell of luke-warme water the water it selfe is not onely hot or only cold or in one part hot in another part cold but heat and cold are mixt togither in every part of the water So is the flesh and the spirit mingled togither in the soule of man and this is the cause why these two contrary qualities fight togither Thirdly in this combate we are to consider what equality there is betweene these two combaters the flesh and the spirit And we must know that the flesh usually is more in measure then the spirit The flesh is like the mighty gyant Goliah and the spirit is litle and small like young David Hence it is that Paul calls the Corinthians which were men iustified and sanctified carnall I could not saith he breethren spkake unto you as unto spirituall but as unto carnall as unto babes in Christ. And none can come to be tall men in Christ according to the age of the fulnesse of Christ till after this life And the speech which is used of some divines that the mā regenerate hath but the reliques of sin in him must be understood warily els it may admit an untruth As for the measure of grace it can be but smal in respect whereas we do receiue but the first fruites of the spirit in this life must wait for the accomplishment of our redemptiō till the life to come For all this the power efficacy of the spirit is such that it is able to prevaile ordinarily against the flesh For the flesh receiues his deadly wound at the first instant of a mans conuersion and continually dyeth after by litle litle therfore it fights but as a maimed soldier And the spirit is continually confirmed increased hy the holy ghost also it is liuely stirring the vertue of it is like musk one graine wherof wil giue a stronger smell thē many unces of other perfumes Some may say that the godly man doth more feele the flesh then the spirit therfore that the flesh is euery way more then the spirit I answer that we must not measure our estate by feeling which may easily deceiue us A man shall feele a paine which is but in the top of his finger more sensibly then the health of his whol body yet the health of the body is more thē the pain of a fingar Secondly we feele corruption not by corruption but by grace therfore men the more they feele their inward corruptions the more grace they haue Thus much of the combat it selfe now let us come to the maner of this fight It is fought by Lusting To lust in this place signifies to bring forth to stir up motions inclinations in the hart either to good or euil Lusting is twofold the lusting of the flesh the lusting of the spirit The lusting of the flesh hath two actions the first is to ingender euill motions passions of selfe-loue envy pride unbeliefe anger c. S. Iames saith that men are enticed and drawen away by their own concupiscēce Now this inticing is only by the suggestion of bad cogitations desires This action of the flesh made Paul say that he was carnall solde under sinne The second action of the flesh is to hinder quench overwhelm all the good motiōs of the spirit Paul found this in himselfe when he said I see another law in my members rebelling against the law of the mind leading me captive to the law of sinne By reason of this action of the flesh the man regenerate is like to one in a slumber troubled with the disease called Ephialtes or the mare who thinks that he feeles something lying on his breast as heavy as a mountaine would faine haue it away wherupon he striues labours by hāds and voice to remoue it but for his life can not doe it On the contrary the lusting of the spirit containes two other actions The first is to beget good motions inclinations desires in the mind will affections Of this David speaketh Myreines teach me in the night season That is my mind affection and will and my whole soule being sanctified and guided by the spirit of God do minister unto me consideratiōs of the way in which I ought towalk Isaias prophecying of the Church of the new testament saith When a mā goeth to the right hand or to the left he shal he are a voice saying here is the way walke ye in it Which voice is not only the outward preaching of the ministers but also the inward voice of the spirit The second action of the spirit is to hinder
foiles receiued I say the spirit prevails not in one instant but in the whol course of a mans life So S. Iohn saith He which is begotten of God sinneth not for he preserveth himselfe the grace of God in his heart ordinarily prevailing in him And Paul makes it the property of the regenerate man to walk according to the spirit which is not now then to make a step forward but to keep his ordinary course in the way of godlines As in going from Barwick to London it may be a man now and then will go amisse but he speedily returnes to the way againe his course generally shall be right Again the spirit prevails in the end of a mās life For then the flesh is utterly abolished sanctification accōplished because no uncleane thing can enter into the kingdom of heaven This further must be conceived that when the spirit prevailes it is not without resistance striving As Paul testisieth I do not the good which I would but the evill which I would not that do I. which place is not to be understood only of thoughts inward motions as some would haue it nor of particular offences but of the generall practise of his duty or calling through the whol course of his life And it is like the practise of a sickman who having recovered of some grieuous disease walkes a turn or twain about his chamber saying ah I would fain walk up and down but I cannot meaning not that he can not walke at all but signifying that he cannot walke as he would being soone wearied through faintnesse I added further that this prevailing is with foyles A foile is when the flesh for the time vanquisheth subdueth the spirit In this case the man regenerate is like a soldier that with a blow hath his brain-pan cracked so as he lyes groueling astonished not able to fight or like him that hath a fit of the falling sicknes who for a time lies like a dead man Hence the question may be mooued whether the flesh preuailing doth not extinguish the spirit so cut off a man from Christ till such time as he be ingrafted again The answer is this There be two sorts of christians one who doth only in shew name professe Christ such an one is no otherwise a member of Christs mystical body then a wooden leg set to the body is a mēber of the body The second is he that in name deed is a liuely part mēber of Christ. If the first fall he cānot be said to be cut off because he was never ingrafted If the secōd fall he may be is cut off from Christ. But marke how he is not wholly cut of but in some part namely in respect of the inward fellowship communiō with Christ but not in respect of coniunctiō with him A mans arme takē with the dead palsie hangs by receives no heate life or sense frō the rest of the members or frō the head yet for all this it remains still united coupled to the body may again be recovered by plaisters phisicke so after agrievous fall the childe of God feeles no inward peace and comfort but is smitten in conscience with tbe trembling of a spirituall palsie for his offence and yet indeed remaines before God a member of Christ which shall be restored to his former estate after serious repentance And God permits these foiles for weighty causes first that men might be abashed confounded in thēselves with the consideratiō of their vile natures learne not to swell with pride because of Gods grace Paul saith that after he had bin rapt into the third heaven the angell Satan was sent to buffet him and as we said to beat him black blew that he might not be exalted out of measure The secōd that we may learn to deny our selues cleaue unto the Lord frō the bottom of our hearts Paul saith that he was sick to death that he might not trust in him selfe but in God who raiseth the dead Thus much of the maner of the combate now followes the cause of it The cause is the contrariety that is between the flesh and the spirit As Paul saith The wisdome of the flesh is enmitie to God Hēce we are taught that since the fall there is no free wil in mā in spiritual matters cōcerning either the worship of God or life everlasting For flesh is nothing els but our naturall dispositiō mā is nothing els but flesh by nature for the spirit comes afterward by grace yet flesh is flat contrary to the spirit which makes us do that which is pleasing unto God wherfore the wil naturally is a flat bōdslaue unto sin Again hence we may learne that it is not an easie matter to practise religiō which is to liue according to the spirit to which our naturall disposition is as cōtrary as fire to water wherfore if we will obey God we must learne to force our natures to the duties of godlines yea even sweat and take paines therein Lastly here we may learne the nature of sin The spirit is not a substance but a quality and therfore the flesh which is nothing els but originall sinne and is contrary to the spirit must also be a quality for such as the nature of one contrary is such is the other There is in euery man the substance of body and soule this cannot be sin for then the spirit also should be the substance of man There is also in the substance the faculties of body soule they can not be sinne for then euery man should haue lost the faculties of his soule by Adams fall Lastly in the faculties there is a contagion or corruption which carieth them against the law and that is properly sinne and the flesh which is contrary to the spirit The fourth point is touching the persons in whom this combat is Paul shewes who they are whē he saith So that ye can not c. where it appeares that such as haue this cōbat in them must be as the Galatians men iustified sanctified And yet not all such but only they that be of yeres for the infants of the faithfull how soeuer we must repute them to belong to the kingdom of heauen therfore to be iustified sanctified yet because they do not commit actuall sin they want this cōbat of the flesh and spirit which stāds in actiō As for those which be unregenerate they neuer felt this fight If any say that the worst man in the world when he is about to cōmit any sinne hath a strife fight in him It is true indeed but that is another kind of cōbat which is between the conscienceand the heart The cōscience on the one part terrifying the man frō sinne the will and the affections haling pulling him therunto the will the affections wishing desiring that sin were no sin Gods commandement
TWO TREATISES I. Of the nature and practise of repentance II. Of the combat of the flesh and spirit Printed by IOHN LEGATE Printer to the Vniversitie of Cambridge 1593. And are to be sold at the signe of the Sunne in Paules Church-yard in London TO THE READER whosoever GOD hath bestowedon vs great prosperitie and peace with plenty of all temporall blessings that heart can wish for many yeres in this land Prosperity abused hath bin the occasion of many grievous sinnes against the first and secondtable specially of Atheisme neglect of Gods worship contempt of the word prophanation of the Sabbath abuse of the Sacraments c. These and such like sinnes have long called downe for iudgements from heaven upon us the rather because the preaching of the worde hath litle prevailed to bring vs to any amendment of life Whereupon God hath now begun to cause his iudgements to seaze upon vs specially by plague and pestilence that even in the very principall part of this land whereby he him selfe doth as Iob saith round us in the eare and preach repentance to vs. Wherfore it stands vs now in hand if ever to looke about vs and if we have not repented to begin to repent if we have in former time repented to doe it more earnestly If so be that we shall harden our hearts both against his word and iudgements put farre from vs the evill day undoubtedly we must needs looke for iudgements far more terrible then ever we felt as yet if not eternall destruction Let vs be advised by the old world who made light of Noahs warning and were drowned in the flood by Lots sonnes in law who tooke their fathers counsell for mockage and were burnt with fire and brimstone from heaven by the foolish virgins who were sleeping when they should have bene furnishing their lampes and were shut from the mariage of the lambe And to direct thee somwhat in the practise of repentance I haue penned this small treatise vse it for thy benefite and see thou be a doer of it vnlesse thou wilt be a wilfull murderer shed the blood of thine owne soule And whereas there have bin published here to fore in English two sermons of Repentance one by M. Bradford Martyr the other by M. Arthur Dent sermons indeed which haue done much good my meaning is not to adde thereunto or to teach any other doctrine but only to renew revive the memory of that which they have taught Neither let it trouble thee that the principall divines of this age whom in this treatise I follow may seeme to be at difference in treating of repentance For some make it a fruite of faith containing two parts mortification vivification some make faith a part of it by deviding it into contrition faith new obedience The difference is not in the substance of doctrine but in the logicall maner of handling it And the difference of handling ariseth of the divers acception of repentance It is taken two wayes generally particularly Generally for the whole conversion of a sinner and so it may containe contrition faith and nevv obedience under it It is taken particularly for the renovation of the life and behavicur and so it is a fruite of faith And this only sense do I follovv in this treatise I have added hereto a fevv lines of the combat betvvene the flesh and the spirit because repentance and this combat are ioyned togither the one is not practised vvithout the other as appeares by resolving Psalme 51. Spirit Haue mercy on me O God according to thy louing kindnes Flesh. Yea but this thine adultery comprehends infinite sinnes therfore looke for no pardon Spirit According to the multitude of thy compassions put away mine iniquities Flesh. This sinne hath taken such deepe place in thee that it will be hardly pardoned Spirit Wash me throughly from mine iniquity and clense me from my sinne Flesh. Thy speciall trespasse is against man Spirit Against thee against thee only haue I sinned c. Flesh. Except this one sinne thy life is unblameable Spirit Behold I was borne in iniquity c. Yea the best man that is in the practise of godlinesse often appeares to be unlike himselfe the cause is this spirituall combat The flesh other whiles makes him waile and mourne and goe drooping presently after the spirit puts into him as we say the heart of grasse and makes him triumph against the flesh the devill the world Moses was couragious at the red sea but he failed at the waters of strife Iob first praiseth God and after blasphemeth David is often fainting in miserie yet by and by revived Wherefore there is good cause why the consideration of repentance and the combat should go togither that no man after he hath begun to repent might dreame of ease to his flesh as though we should goe to heaven in beds of downe but rather that we might be resolved that when we begin to doe any thing pleasing unto God then wee must looke for nothing but continuall molestations from our vile and wicked natures Written Anno 1593. the 17. of November which is the Coronation day of our dread Soveraigne Queene ELIZABETH whose raigne God long continue William Perkins Faults amended Pag. 73. lin 16. for this first read this sense p. 75. l. 3. speake p. 83. in marg place Zach. 7. 11. with Eph. 4. 19. p. 87. l. 23. for and yet read and the. CAP. I. WHAT REPENtance is REpentance is a worke of grace arising of a godly sorow wherby a man turnes frō all his sinnes unto God and brings foorth fruites worthie amendement of life I call repentance a work because it seemes not to be a qualitie or vertue or habit but an action of a repentant sinner which appeares by the ser mons of the Prophets and Apostles which runne in this tenor Repent turne to God amend your lives c. Whereby they intimate that repentance is a worke to be done Againe Repentance is not every kinde of worke but a worke of grace because it can not be practised of any but of such as be in the estate of grace Reasons are these I. No man can repent unlesse he first hate sinne and loue righteousnes and none can hate sinne unlesse he be sanctified and he that is sanctified is iustified and hee that is iustified must needes haue that faith which unites him to Christ and makes him bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh Wherefore he that repentes is iustified and sanctified and made a member of Christ by faith II. Hee that turnes to God must first of all be turned of God and after that we are turned then we repent Surely after I was converted I repented and after that I was instructed I smote upon my thigh I was ashamed yea even confounded because I did beare the reproch of my youth Some may obiect that repentance goes before all grace
such as were men of God only but by such as were holy men of God Peter denyed Christ of knowledge against his owne conscience and that with cursing and banning and yet came to repentance afterward as appeares by the testimony of Christ I have prayed for thee that thy faith faile not therefore when thou art converted strengthen thy brethren Obiect I. Matth 10. 33. Whosoever shall denie me before men him will I denie before my father which is in heaven Answere The place is only to be understood of such a deniall of Christ which is finall Obiect II. Hebr. 6. 4. It is impossible that they which were once lightened and haue tasted of the heavenly gift c. if they fall away should be renewed by repentance And Heb. 10. 26. If we sinne willingly after that we have received the knowledge of the truth there remaines no more sacrifice for sinne Answere These places must be understood of the sinne which is to death in which men of desperate mallice against Christ vniuersally and wholly fall away from religion For the holy ghost saith not if they fall but a if they fall away and it is added that they crucifie the sonne of God and make a mocke of him that they trample vnder foote the sonne of God that they accompt the blood of the new testament an unholy thing that they despise the spirit of God And the word translated a Willingly imports somewhat more namely to sinne because a man will that is wilfully II. Case of Recidivation WHether the child of God after repentance for some grievous sin do fall into the same again come to repentance the second time Answere The case is daungerous as we may see by comparison in the body If one fall into the relapse of an ague or any other stronge disease it may cost him his life and the recovery will be very hard Christ said to the man that had bene sicke 38 yeeres after that he had healed him Beholde thou art whole sinne no more lest a worse thing befall thee And the unclean spirit returning takes to him other seven spirits worse then himselfe Indeed we finde no particular example of recovery after a relapse in the scriptures yet no doubt a recovery may be Reasons are these I. Promise is made of remission of sinnes in Christ without any tearme of time without any limitation to any number or kindes of sinne saue only the blasphemie against the holy Ghost Therfore there may be repentance and salvation after a relapse II. Christ tells Peter that he must forgiue not till seven times only which peradventure hee thought to be very much but seventy seven times and that in one day if one returne seventie times and say it repents me Now if wee must doe this which haue not so much as a drop of mercie in us in comparison of God he will no doubt often forgive even for one sinne if men will returne and say it repents me considering that with him is plentifull redemption and he is much in sparing III. Case Of Restitution WHether he that repents is to make restitution if hee haue taken any thing wrongfully from his neighbour Answere Yea Zacheus when he repented and received Christ gaue halfe of his goods to the poore and if he had taken any thing by forged cavillation he restored it foure fold It is but a badde practise when a man on his death-bedde will very devoutly bequeath his soule to God and his goods euill gotten as his conscience will often cry in his eare to his children and friends without either restitution or amends making Question But what if a man be not able to restore Answere Let him acknowledge the fault and God will accept the will for the deed As Paul saith in the like case If there be a willing minde it is accepted according to that which a man hath not according to that he hath not Question When a man by restoring shall discredit him selfe how shall he both restore and keepe his credite Answere Let him if the thing to be restored be of small moment make choise of some faithfull and honest frend who may deliver the thing in the behalfe of the partie concealing his name IIII. Case of Teares WHether doeth repentance alwayes go with teares or not Answer No For very pride and hypocrisie will draw foorth teares for some there are that can weepe for their sinnes in the presence of others whereas being alone they neither will nor can Some againe are of that constitution of body that they haue teares at commaund And a godly man with drie cheekes may mourne to God for his sinnes and intreat for pardon and receive it Yet in all occasions of deeper griefe for sinne teares will follow unlesse men haue stony and flinty hearts And yet againe though the greatest cause of sorow be offered the softest heart that is sheds not teares at the first but afterward it will When the body receiues a deepe wound at the first yee shall see nothing but a white line or dint made in the flesh without any blood stay but a while then comes blood from the wound in great aboundance So at the first the mind is astonished and gives no teares but after some respit and consideration teares follow V. Case of death WHether the repentant sinner can alwayes shevve him-selfe comfortable on his death bedde Answere Though the comfort of Gods spirite shall never be abolished from his heart yet hee can not alwayes testifie it For he may die of a burning ague and by reason of the extremitie of his fits be troubled with idlenesse of head and breake out into raving speeches blasphemies Likewise hee may die of sicknesse in the braine and be troubled with grievous convulsions so as his mouth shall be writhen to his eares his necke turned behind him and the very place where he lyes shall shake through his trembling as daily experience will testifie Neither is any to thinke this strange For Salomon saith All things in outward matters come alike to all the same condition is to the iust to the wicked to the good and to the pure and to the polluted and to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not CAP. XI Of the contraries to Repentance COntrarie to Repentance is Impenitencie whereby men continue in one estate neither sorowing for sinne nor turning from it It is one of the most grievous iudgements that is if it be finall For as a sick man then is most sicke when he feeles the lest sicknesse saith he is well so miserable man is in most misery when he feeles no misery and thinks himselfe in good estate This sin befalls them that iudge themselves righteous needing no repentance As the Pharises in the daies of Christ the Catharists in the Primative Church the Anabaptistes in our age Adde unto these such as haue hardened their hearts so as
abolished wheras contrariwise the conscience with a shril voice proclaimes sin to be sin This fight was in Pilat who by the force of his conscience feared to condemne Christ yet was willing and yeelded to condemne him that he might please the people Furthermore this cōbat is in the regenerate but during the time of this life for they which are perfitly sanctified feele no strifte If any shal say that this cōbat was in Christ whē he said Father if it be thy will let this cup passe from me yet not my will but thine be done Indeed here is a cōbat but of another sort namely the fight of two divers desires the one was a desire to do his fathers will in suffering the death of the crosse the other a natural desire which was no sinne but a meere infirmity of humane nature whereby he in his manhood desires as the maner of nature is to seek the preseruation of it selfe to haue the cursed death of the crosse remooued from him The fift point is the effect of this combat which is to make the man regenerate that he can not doe the things which he would and this must be understood in things both good ill And first he can not do the evill which he would for two causes First because he cannot commit sin at what time soeuer he would S. Iohn saith He that is borne of God sinneth not neither can he sin because he is borne of God that is he can not sin at his pleasure or when he will Ioseph when he was assaulted by Putiphars wife to adultery because the grace of God abounded in him wherby he answered her saying Shall I doe this sin against God he could not then sin Lot because his righteous heart was grieved in seeing and hearing the abominations of Sodom could not then sin as they of Sodom did Hence it appeares that such persons as liue in the daily practise of sin against their own consciences though they be professours of the true religion of Christ haue no soundnes of grace in them Secondly the man regenerate can not sin in what manner he would And there be two reasons therof First he can not sinne with full consent of will or with all his heart because the will so far forth as it is regenerate resisteth and draweth back yea even then when a man is caried headlong by the passions of the flesh he feeles some contrary motions of a regenerate cōscience It is a true rule that sin doth not reigne in the regenerate For so much grace as is wrought in the mind will affectiōs so much is abated proportionally of the strength of the flesh wherfore whē he cōmits any sin he doth it partly willingly partly against his wil. As the mariners in the tēpest cast Ionas into the sea willingly for otherwise they had not done it yet against their willes too which appeares because they prayed and cast their goods out of the ship laboured in rowing against the tempest that very long before they cast him out And herein lies the difference betweene tvvo men cōmitting one the same sinne the one of them being regenerate the other unregenerate For the latter sins with all his heart with full consent so doth not the first Secōdly though he fall into any sin yet he doth not lie lōg in it but speedily recouers himself by reason of grace in his hart Hence it is manifest that sinnes of infirmitie are cōmitted only of such as are regenerate As for the man unregenerate he cannot sin of infirmity whatsoeuer some falsly think For he is not weak but stark dead in sinne And sinnes of infirmity are such only as rise of constraint feare hastines such like sudden passions in the regenerate Aed though they sin of weaknes often by reason of this spirituall combat yet they do not alwaies for they may sinne against knowledge cōscience of presumptiō To come to the secōd point the regenerate mā cannot do the good which he would because he cannot do it perfitly soundly according to Gods will as he would Paul saith To will is present with me but I find no means 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perfitly to do that which I would In this point the godly man is like a prisoner that is gotten forth of the gayle that he might escape the hand of the keeper desires striues with all his heart to run an 100 miles in a day but because he hath strait and weighty boults on his legs cannot for his life creep past a mile or twain that with chafing his flesh tormenting himselfe So the servants of God do hartily desire indeavour to obey God in all his commādements as it is said of king Iosias That he turned to God with all his heart with all his soule with all his might according to all the lawes of Moses c. yet because they are clogged with the boltes of the flesh they perfourme obedience both slowly and weakely with divers slips falles Thus much of the combat now let vs see what use may be made of it First of all by it we learn what is the estate of a christian man in this life A christiā is not one that is free frō al evil cogitations frō rebellious inclinations motiōs of will affections frō all maner of slips in his life cōversation for such an one is a mere deuise of mans brain not to be found upō earth But indeed he is the sound christiā that feeling himselfe laden with the corruptions of his vile rebellious nature bewailes them frō his hart with might and main fights against them by the grace of gods spirit Againe here is ouerthrown the popish opinion of merit iustificatiō by workes of grace on this manner Such as the cause of works is such are works thēselves The cause of works in man is the mind will affectiōs sanctified in which the flesh the spirit are mixt togither as hath bin shewed before Therfore works of grace euen the best of them are mixt works partly holy partly sinfull wherby it is euidēt to a man that hath but cōmon sense that they are not answerable to the righteousnes of the law that therfore they can neither merit life or any way iustify a mā before God If any reply that good works are the works of Gods spirit for that cause perfitly righteous I answer it is true indeed they come frō the holy ghost that can not sin but not only or immediatly For they come also from the corrupt mind and will of man and in that respect become sinfull as sweete water issuing out of a pure fountaine is by a filthy channell made corrupt Thirdly we do hēce learn that concupiscēce or originall sin is properly indeed sin after baptism though it please the councel of Trent to decree otherwise For after baptism it is flat
coÌ„trary to the spirit rebels against it Papists obiect that it is takeÌ„ away by baptism Ans. Original sin or the flesh is takeÌ„ away in the regenerate thus In it there be 3. things the guilt the punishment the corruptioÌ„ the first 2. are quite abolished by the merit of Christs death in baptisme the third that is the corruptioÌ„ remaines still but mark in what manner it remains weakened it remaines not imputed to the person of the beleeuer Lastly hereby we are taught to be watchfull in prayer Watch pray saith Christ c. for the spirit is ready but the flesh is weak Rebecca when 2. twins stroue in her wombe was troubled said why am I so wherefore she weÌ„t to ask the Lord namely by some prophet So when we feele this inward fight the best thing is to haue recourse to God by prayer and to his word that the spirit may be strengthened against the flesh As the children of Israel by compassing the city of Ierico 7. daies and by sounding rammes hornes overturned the walles thereof so by serious invocation of Gods name the spirite is confirmed and the turrets and towres of the rebellious flesh battered The voice of a man 1. Carnall of Evill I doe that which is evill and I will doe it Good I doe not that which is good and I will not doe it 2. Regenerate of Evill I doe the evill which I would not Good I doe not doe the good which I would 3. Glorified of Evill I doe not that which is evill and I will not doe it Good I doe that which is good and I will doe it LAVS DEO Iob. 36. 15. Gen. 19. 14. vers 1. vers 2. vers 4. vers 5. Exod. 14. 13. Num. 20. 11 12. Iob. 1. 21. 3. 1. Psalm 6. 1 8. 10. 17. 41. 9 10 11. Ierem. 31. 19. 2. Cor. 7. 10. Isa. 59. 2. eph 4. 18. Actes 26. 20 Isa. 61. 3. Ezee. 47. 12. Mat. 3. 10. 2. Tim. 2. 25. Ier. 31. 18. Rom. 1. 18. 2. Cor. 3. 7. Luc. 9. 6. cum Marc. 6. 12. Luc. 24. 47. vrgeÌ„do non allicieÌ„do Gen. 42. 21. Ose. 5. 15. Iam. 3. 20. 2. Chr. 33. 12. Psalm 119. 71. Actia gimus 1. Cor. 9. 27. Gal. 5. 24. Col. 3. 5. 2. Tim. 2. 21. 1. Ioh. 3. 3 cap. 5. vers 18 Actes 11. 23. Iosh. 24. 15. Psalm 119. 57. v. 106. Psalm 27 8. Psalm 119. 112. Actes 24. 16. Psalm 119. 6. v. 30. 31 35. Lam. 3 39. 40. Psalm 119. 59. 1. Cor. 11. 31. Psal. 51 3 4 5. 1. Chr. 21. 8. Ezra 9. 6. Dan 9. 7. Iob. 39. 36. 42. 6 Luke 18. 13. â—â—4 Mat. 5. Iam. 5. 16. Ose. 14. 2. Dan. 9 18. 19. Psalm 51. 1. Psalm 119. 40 Psalm 143. 10. Isa. 28. 20. Dan. 5 6. 2. Cor. 4. 2. Tim. 2. 25. Gen. 4. 7. Iob. 13. 26. Ps. 25. 7. Ezec. 16. 49. Iere. 22. 21. Prov. 1. 32. Rom. 9. 22. Hebr. 10. 31. Deut. 32. 34. Ezec. 7. 6. Nah. 1. 4 5 6. Psalm 97. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 6. 23. 1. Cor. 15. 55 56. 2. Cor. 5. 19. Isa. 1. 16. 18. Isa. 55. 6. 7. Ezech 18. Amos. 5. 4. Ierem. 26. 3. 2. Sam. 12. 12. 2. Chr. 33. 12. Luke 18. 13. Luke 23. 42. 43. Matt. 9. 12. Matt. 21. 31. Heb. 3. 7 13. Luke 12. 40. 2. Chr. 33. 2. Pet. 1. â—1 Luke 22. 32. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 6. 6. Hebr. 10. 29. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iohn 5. 14. Luke 11. 26. Actes 10. 43. Luke 17. 4. Psalm 130. 7. Isa. 56. 7. Luke 19. 8. 2. Cor. 8. 12. Eccle. 9. 2. 1. Sam. 15. 24 30. 1. Kin. 21. 27 29. Exod. 8. 8. Exod. 9. 27. Exod. 10. 16. Exod. 8. 15. Matt. 27. 3. Eph. 1. â— Psalm 32. 3. 2. Sam. 12. 1â— 1. Ioh. 1. 7. 2. 1. 1. Cor. 3. 1. Ephes. 4. Rom. 8. 23. Iam. 1. 14. Rom. 7. 14. Rom. 7. 23. Psalm 16. 8. Isa. 30. 22. 1. Ioh. 3. 9. 1. Cor. 13. Psalm 73. 13. In gradibus remissis non in summis Ephes. 4. 19. Zach. 7. 11. Isai. 65. 17. 1. Ioh. 5. 19. Rom. 8. 1. 2. Cor. 1. 9. Rom. 8. 5. 1. Ioh. 3. 9. Rom. 7. 18. 2. king 23. 25.