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A26064
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A discourse concerning a death-bed repentance by William Assheton ...
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Assheton, William, 1641-1711.
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1696
(1696)
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Wing A4032; ESTC R4704
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23,063
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76
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bed Repentance viz. The Labourers in the Vineyard who came in at the eleventh hour And The Thief upon the Cross But as Preparatory to my enlargement on these Particulars whereby it will be more distinct and instructive I must first premise what is meant by a Death-bed Repentance Now a Death-bed Repentance denotes Two things 1. A finishing that great Work of Repentance which we begun in our Healths and took some care to carry on amidst the Business and Diversions of this World But do now more solemnly compleat at our Deaths by reviewing the State of our Souls and perfecting our Accounts with God This kind of Death-bed Repentance is so far from being a mistake that it is a necessary Duty and is the commendable practice of good and pious Men. But 2. There is a Vulgar Notion of a Death-bed Repentance viz. When a Man then begins to Repent when he comes to dye When a Man hath spent all his Life in the gratifying of his Lusts and hath followed his own vicious Inclinations When he hath denied himself no carnal Satisfactions but hath taken his fill of sensual Pleasures And yet such a Man when his Body is disabled and Death approacheth so that he hath neither time nor inclination to Sin any longer will pretend to be sorry for his Sin and Repent This we call a Death-bed Repentance Now how unsafe and uncomfortable such a Death-bed Repentance is I shall endeavour to convince you by examining the formentioned Particulars I. What is meant by true Repentance The vulgar and common Notion of Repentance is evidently this When a Man hath committed a fault and hath done something amiss and is then sorry for it is grieved and troubled that he hath done it and doth heartily wish it had not been done Such a Man we usually say doth Repent of such an Action But this is not the full adequate Notion of a Gospel-Repentance of such a Repentance as shall find acceptance with God This is but the Repentance of Malefactors at the Gallows nay it is no other than the Repentance of Cain and Judas It is observed That the most profligate condemned Wretch when he comes to dye will be very sorry for what he hath done He will be much ashamed and will have great Indignation against himself to think he should be such a fool to part with his precious Life and all the Comforts and Satisfactions of this World in such a vile ignominious manner to be tied up like a Dog perhaps for the taking of a few Sheep How will such a Fellow fawn upon and flatter the Judge That if he will but spare him O what an honest Man he will then be And yet do but procure his Pardon and let him loose and he is quickly at the old Trade Nay 't is great odds but you have him again by the next Assizes Now will any one pretend that in such a Case as this there is true Repentance Which yet is more evident from those Scripture-Instances of Cain and Judas It seems very probable from the circumstances of his Story that Cain did repent of the Murther of his Brother My punishment saith he is greater than I can bear Gen. 4.13 But because in the Judgment of some Learned Men this is rather an instance of Despair than Repenting-Sorrow I shall not much insist upon this of Cain But as to the other instance of Judas 't is express and undeniable You read his Story Matth. 27.3 4 5. Then Judas which had betrayed him when he saw that he was comdemned repented himself and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief Priests and Elders saying I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent Blood And they said What is that to us see thou to that And he cast down the pieces of silver in the Temple and departed and went and hanged himself Here are as signal Instances that Judas did sincerely repent of what he had done as can possibly be given For besides the express Testimony of the Holy Ghost which in plain terms tells us he did Repent and that he himself declared He had sinned in betraying the innocent Blood He further gives this evidence that he was in earnest he not only restores the thirty pieces but in horror and consternation of Mind he went and hanged himself Here is I say in this instance as much Grief and Trouble and Vexation for the Commission of a Sin and as noted evidence that he was heartily sorry for it as can possibly be supposed And yet 't is as plain that this Repentance of Judas was not an Evangelical Repentance such a Repentance as was accepted by Almighty God Our Blessed Saviour who is Truth it self having passed this Decree upon him Wo unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed it had been good for that man if he had not been born Matth. 26.24 It appears from these premises that there is more required to a saving Gospel-Repentance than trouble of Mind When a Man hath committed a sault he may be sorry for it he may grieve and mourn that he hath done it he may heartily wish it had not been done he may make Restitution of his ill-gotten Goods All this may be done thus far he may proceed and yet his Repentance is but imperfect and shall never find acceptance with a pure and holy God But here you will say If Men may proceed thus far and yet their Repentance is not true and saving How shall we know that we have true Repentance and wherein doth the nature of it consist To this I answer God only can instruct us what is true Repentance That is it is very agreeble to the Majesty and Sovereignty of God to prescribe the Terms and Conditions of Salvation and to appoint his Creatures what they must do how they must behave themselves to be accepted by him Now there is no other way to be informed in this matter but to consult the Holy Scriptures In those Sacred Writings the Divine Wisdom hath sufficiently revealed his Will and hath plainly told us What it is that he required of us and what we are to do that we may inherit Eternal Life We are expresly admonished That without holiness no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12.14 That the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God Be not deceived neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor effeminate nor abusers of themselves with mankind nor thieves nor covetous nor drunkards nor revilers nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6.9 10. If ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if ye through the spirit do mortify the deeds of the Body ye shall live Rom. 8.13 Be not deceived God is not mocked for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption but he that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reap life everlasting Gal. 6.7 8. For the Son of
us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7.1 intimating that unless we cleanse our selves from all filthiness and do thus perfect Holiness we have no title to these Promises Indeed Jesus Christ hath promised those that come unto him he will in no wise cast them out but will kindly receive them and treat them as Friends But upon what terms he will receive them and own them as Friends he himself hath told us in these words Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you John 15.14 And being made perfect he became the Author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him Heb. 5.9 I have now shewed you that actual Holiness or actual Obedience which are one and the same thing is the Gospel-condition of Salvation And if you can make it appear that a Man who in the time of his Health was so far from the practice of Religion that he contemned and despised it nay perhaps ridiculed and burlesqu'd it If I say such a Man when he is laid upon a Sick-bed and is able to do nothing else can obey the Laws of the Gospel and walk in the ways of God's Commandments then indeed you say something otherwise here is as yet but very slender encouragement for a Death-bed Repentance But 3. We suppose further That the dying Person makes very serious and passionate Resolutions of amendment of Life And will not the Mercy of God accept these Resolutions In such a Case will not he take the Will for the Deed To this I answer That when Men are in a great fright and are under the apprehensions of some eminent Danger 't is then the most common thing in the World to make Resolutions What will not such Men promise if they may but escape such and such a Danger The Vows of Mariners and Seamen in a violent Storm are a noted instance of such Resolutions Let us now strictly examine Whether or how far God will accept such dying Resolutions To state this Matter truly you must observe That Religion is represented in the Gospel as our reasonable or rational Service and consequently that the exercise of it must proceed from Judgment and Deliberation not from sadden Heats and Passion We are admonished by the wise man Not to offer to God the sacrifice of fools but when we make a vow or promise to him deliberately to consider how far or in what manner we can be able to perform it Now there are Two Things to be consider'd in a dying Sinner's Resolution Sincerity and Ability Sincerity in his Intentions and Ability in his Executions And first it is not likely that a dying Sinner's Intention should be sincere but that he may promise what he never intends to perform Such a Wretch who hath so far corrupted his Morals may by the just Judgment of God be depraved in his understanding and may vainly imagine that God is such a one as himself And because he observes that frail Men have been often cheated by him and have really believed him whilst he made Promises and Protestations of what he never intended he is so foolish as to fancy that an Omniscient God may be likewise thus imposed on And therefore he will be as large and as passionate in his Promises of Reformation as the most notorious Malefactor ever was in hopes of Pardon Whereas should God restore him to his former Health and Vigour he would then be as loose and profane as Lustful and Intemperate as Envious and Malicious as Covetous and Worldly as ever he was before We should then quickly have him at his old Cant The charms of beauty and good Company are not to be resisted God forgive me I am so used to this swearing I rap out an Oath before I think on 't And I am naturally so passionate I see I cannot help it But be not deceived God is not mocked for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap Gal. 6.7 But suppose the dying Sinner were sincere and did really intend that Reformation which is now so solemnly promised let him sadly consider how unlikely it is he should be able to perform all this For his Conviction I must remind him There are Two things necessary to all great Undertakings Ability and Opportunity 1. As to Ability How difficult if not impossible it is for a sick and dying Sinner to reform his Nature if ever it hath been your own case you your selves will be easily convinced When a man is oppressed with pain disturb'd with Visits distracted with the Clamours of his dissatisfied Relations Amidst all this noise and diversion What can possibly be done what Duties can be performed Do but seriously think upon it and your own Apprehensions will excuse my enlargement But supposing he had the greatest Capacity pray what time is now left him to perfect so vast a Work Evil Habits which have been long in contracting are not suddenly rooted out When Lusts and Passions by being often indulged are grown rampant they are not easily mortified A thorough Reformation is a work of time and must be done successively and by degrees This is fully intimated whilst we are admonished to go on to perfection And to grow in grace But what can that man do who is now a dying When the Sentence of Death is passed upon him and his Physician hath given him over To talk then of reforming his Life when he now finds he can live no longer is such an intolerable piece of weakness as in any other instance would scarce be heard with patience Suppose a dying Father who had ruined his Family by his Extravagant Courses should thus comfort his dejected impoverished Children Be of good chear I am now resolved to be very frugal I 'll provide for you and get you a good Estate Pray what could be replied in such a Case Alas Sir you 're a dying You cannot lift your head off the Pillow You cannot live till the morning And how should you get us an Estate To tell them further Ay but I resolve it and I hope you believe me Such Resolution would be but mean Satisfaction and a very slender supply of all their Wants The Application is easy and pray make it effectually to your selves In short Promises and Resolutions are not Performances Nor were ever so accepted by God or Man But you will say 4. He actually thus far performs his Promises and Resolutions that he makes Restitution and that in several Instances Will not this be accepted as true Repentance To this I Answer That as Restitution is a most necessary Duty to which all injurious Offenders are strictly obliged so it is the surest Expedient to satisfy the Conscience and to convince both our selves and others of the truth and sincerity of our Repentance But upon a strict inquiry it will appear how difficult it is for a dying Person to make such Restitution For his Conviction I must remind him