commeth yea and in humility attending vpon him and waiting for his comming in the exercises of the Word and prayer as they Acts 1. 4. 14. But how many may be charged as they Acts 7. 51. Yee stiffe-necked and of vncircumcised hearts and eares yee haue alwaies resisted the holy Ghost And therefore are ye so hard hearted and stiffe-necked because you haue resisted the holy Ghost when he would haue bowe your neckes and softened your heart 4. It is said to be a grace of the sanctifying spirit The sanctifying Spirit to distinguish it from the legall repentance that is sometime in the reprobate hauing receiued the spirit of bondage vnto feare for this repentance is a fruit of an effectuall calling Ier. 31. 19. After I was conuerted I repented and so is peculiar to the regenerate And heereby also is it differenced from that blush and neere resemblance of Repentance which is in such reprobates as haue receiued the enlightning spirit 5. It followeth in the description whereby the In order of nature it is after Faith beleeuing sinner I make the subiect of Repentance to be a sinner for so doth Christ Matth. 9. shewing that such as are perfect neede Repentance no more then whole men do physick But withall I cal this sinner a beleeuing sinner to shew that faith must goe before Repentance as the ground and root thereof In time Faith and Repentance are both together but in the order of nature faith is first Reasons 1. Repentance and griefe for displeasing God by sinne necessarily argue the loue of God for a man would neuer grieue but rather reioyce at the offence of him whom he hates When Christ wept for Lazarus the Iewes sayd Loe how he loued him Ioh. 11. and Christ imputes the repenting teares of that sinnefull woman Luc. 7. to loue Much is forgiuen her for she loued much And wheras Acts 20. 21. Paul makes Faith and Repentance the summe of the Gospell the same Apostle 2. Tim. 1. 13. makes faith and loue the summe of it which shewes plainely that Repentance comes from loue and so consequently from faith because faith works by loue Gal. 5. 6. and it is impossible wee should euer loue God till by faith wee know our selues loued of God 2. Repentance beeing vnto life must needes bee drawen out of Christ the fountaine of all spirituall life and quickning grace So that a man must first receiue Christ before he can receiue Repentance or any grace from Christ Now faith is that which receiues Christ Ioh. 1. 12. 3. Repentance being the softning of our hearts and the changing of our natures how shall our stony harts bee molten but in Christs bloud and what can bathe them in that blood but faith And how shall such wilde oliue branches as wee be changed but by being engrafted into Christ as into the naturall Oliue And what can ingraft vs into him but faith 4. It is impossible that a man apprehending nothing in God but rigour and seuerity should euer relent toward him or come in and submit himselfe No there is mercy with thee ô Lord that thou mightest be feared Psal 130. This is it that brings in the sinner creeping and crouching before God as the Syrians to Ahab because they had heard the Kings of Israel were mercifull Christs 1. Kin. 20. 31. gracious aspect cast on Peter drew foorth the tears Gods gracious reuealing of himselfe not to the ear onely but eye also of Iob made him abhorre himselfe and repent Iob 42. 6. hence the exhortations to Repentance are founded commonly vpon the mercy of God in the Gospell as Ier. 3. 14. O yee disobedient children returne for I am your Lord. So Matt. 3. Repent for the Kingdome of Heauen is at hand in which Christ is ready to dispense mercy and forgiuenesse to the repenting sinner so Os 6. 1. Ioel 2. 13. Rom. 12. 1. 2. Cor. 7. 1. There must be faith then to apprehend at least some hope possibility of mercy or else the sinner will harden his heart and enrage his affections grow furiously desperate against the Lord. 5. As the legall Repentance cannot be without Faith beleeuing the threats of the Law so neither by like proportion can the Euangelicall Repentance bee without faith in the promises of the Gospell going before Ob. Mar. 1. 15. Repent and beleeue Repentance is set first and so Acts 20. 21. Answ 1. The order of placing things in Scripture is not alwayes according to the order of nature But sometimes one thing is set first which in order of nature is last as the effect before the cause and then the cause comes after to shew how wee should obtaine the effect As faith is set after a good conscience and pure heart 1 Tim. 1. 5. when yet it is faith that purifieth the heart Acts 15. So heere first repent and then that yee may repent beleeue 2. Things in Scripture are often propounded according to the order of our sense and feeling Now though faith in order of nature be first and the act of Faith before the Act of Repentance yet it is not so liuely and strong and so not so sensible to vs till after Repentance for the promises are made onely to repenting sinners Ob. Matth. 21. 32. Yee repented not that yee might beleeue Answ Sometimes then name of Repentance is giuen to the first preparatory beginnings and introductions thereof Now the preparations to Repentance are those legall fits of feare and terrour which are both in nature and time to before Faith The Vse 1. Against the Popish Repentance which is made to goe before mercy and forgiuenesse as a meritorious procurer thereof But as we haue seene Repentance is caused by the taste of Gods mercy by faith Therefore the Baptist exhorteth to repentance not that the Kingdome of Heauen may come as earned out by the sweat of pennance but because the Kingdome of Heauen is come Againe there cannot possibly bee any true repentance in Popery because repentance springeth from the particular apprehension of Gods mercy by faith which Popery cannot endure 2. Against the Libertines abusing Gods mercy and easinesse to forgiue vnto wantonnesse As the grace that Kings vse to shew against Parliaments makes many theeues But indeed they are beasts and no men that sin because of Gods mercy and it is an argument that they neuer by Faith tasted of Gods mercy in the pardon of their owne sinnes For they that feele much forgiuenesse loue much Luc. 7. If a man should tell a condemned Traytour that his Soueraigne would forgiue all his treasons and restore him to all his former dignities would not such mercy make his heart euen to melt and knit him faster in loue and duety then euer 3. Heere is comfort to all true Repentants that mourne for their sinnes and purpose a new course This repentance of theirs is an euident argument of their faith that hath tasted of the sweetnesse of Gods mercy or else their hearts would
1. out of the belly of hell with Ionas call vpon God Euen when wounded by God they goe to him to Ion. 2. 2. be healed Come let vs returne to the Lord hee hath Hos 6. 1. wounded vs and he will heale vs. The Reprobate in hell weepe and waile and yet no godly sorrow there because they cannot crie to God Excellently Luther Hell were no hell if the least whispering vnto God could bee heard there Despaire stops the mouth of the Reprobate that they cannot speake one word to God in their deiections so as the godly do As Ionas complaining of God in the whales belly complaines yet to God Thou hast cast me out Whereas a Reprobate as Caluin notes would haue sayd He hath cast me away in the third person Heere then is further triall of our sorrow and Repentance if as Paul speakes in another case Wee mourne not without hope if as the Lord inuites vs we 1. Thess 4. Is 1. 18. Mar. 1. 15. can come and reason with him if as Christ commands wee repent and in repenting beleeue that as our sinne so also Gods mercy be euer before vs. The wicked as they beleeue without repenting their faith being presumption so they repent without beleeuing their repentance is desperation And therfore they mutter and murmure like the chaffe which when it is shaken flutters in the face of the fanner as angry with him But the Godly are good wheat falling downe at the feete of the fanner as those conuerts that humbled themselues and sought for ease of him that pricked them Men Acts 2. and brethren what shall we doe And the reason is because they haue faith supporting them that they sincke not in the Deepes of Desperation As in Dauid in the 51. Psalme when begging mercy his wounded conscience obiected the greatnesse of his sinnes faith opposeth the greatnesse and multitude of Gods mercies According to the multitudes of thy compassions And againe to that obiection of the deepe rooting of his sinne because hee had lien in it three quarters of a yeere Faith answers Wash me throughly There is no staine so deep but thy hand can fetch it out Heere Dauids faith plucked him out of the mire and made him come to the Lord clinging and clasping about him 3. Because it is offered vp to God as a seruice 3. It is voluntary and sacrifice and that with a free and voluntary spirit Psal 51. The sacrifices of God are a broken and contrite spirit The Godly are Agents in their sorrow For because it is mingled with the sense of ioy in the apprehension of Gods loue by faith they take delight therein and their teares become their meat Psal 42. This voluntarinesse of sorrow in the Godly appeares in two things 1. In the Vse of all good incentiues and prouokements thereof They worke and labour their hearts what they can thereto according to that commandement Iames 4. Suffer affliction And nothing grieues them more then that they cannot grieue But the wicked are meere patients in their sorrow because wanting faith to temper the cup they drinke nothing but pure gall yea deadly poison Hence those strugglings those wrastlings with and murmurings against God With the sturdy horse they irefully champ the bit and desire nothing more then to haue the deadly arrow fall out of our side Hence those so many sleights of their feasting musicke mirth pastime to driue away this so vnwelcome a ghuest Which the Godly haue both inuited and welcommed with sacke cloth ashes fasting going into the house of mourning rending of cloathes and powring foorth whole buckets of water as some expound that 1. Sam. 7. 6. 2. In turning euery thing vnto sorrow worldly not onely griefes but euen ioyes also According to that of Iames Let your laughter be turned into weeping that is let your laughter be made the matter of your weeping Let it bee the fuell to feede that fire So doth repenting Salomon Eccl 2. out of the hony of his abused pleasures hee gathers gall contrary to the Bee sucking sweetnesse out of bitternesse The pleasant witted man will turne euerie thing to a lest euen sad and serious but the touched sinner euery thing vnto sorrow euen sweete and ioyfull The practise of Bradford that worthy M. Samsons preface to his Sermon of Repentance Repentant in this kind was very memorable who to this purpose booked euery notable accident each day that passed and that so that in the penning a man might see the signes of his smitten heart For if he did see or heare any good in any man by that sight he found and noted the want thereof in himselfe crauing mercy and grace to amend If he did see or heare any plague and misery he noted it as a thing procured by his owne sinnes and still added Lord haue mercy on me 4. Because it keeps our hearts in a blessed frame 4. It fits for holy duties of godlinesse fitting them for prayer meditation reading hearing conference admonition or any other spirituall duty Worldly sorrow is a heauy leaden thing making a man fitter to sleepe then to pray as we see in Ionas and the Disciples But godly sorrow in the sense of Gods loue is fresh and liuely and full of spirits We neuer pray or performe any Christian duty better then when our hearts are fullest of this sorrow Againe it makes the heart exceeding soft and tender and so sensible euen of the least sinnes As Dauids heart smote him for cutting off but the lap of Sauls coate and for the entertainement of euill motions Why art thou disquieted why frettest thou my Psal 42. soule It makes the heart like the eye that will feele the least mote or like a straight shooe that cannot endure the least pebble stone which in a wide one would neuer be perceiued And thus we see the properties of true Sorrow or Contrition that it is both a louing Sorrow proceeding from the loue and affection of our hearts towards the Lord and a beleeuing Sorrow comming to God and fastening vpon his mercy and a willing and voluntary Sorrow delightfully bathing it selfe in her teares and lastly a soft and tender-hearted Sorrow working a disposition vnto deuotion And therefore woorthily called godly Sorrow And of the nature of humiliation so much CHAP. IV. Of the measure of Humiliation THe next point is touching the measure of Humiliation or Sorrow for sinne Where I 2. The measure of it propound three rules 1. Rule Of all other sorrowes sorrow for sin must be the greatest Reason 1. Griefe is founded in loue According as our loue is so is our griefe But our loue of God and his fauour is the greatest loue and therfore our griefe for his offence by sinne the greatest griefe Therefore as Dauid saies Thou hast giuen me Psalm 4. more ioy in the light of thy countenance then they haue had when their corne oile abounded So on the contrary must euery
discouered to Laodicea Reuel 3. her miserable estate of pouerty blindnesse nakednesse he bids her repent Now vnto a true sight of sinnne there is required a narrow search after it and serious consideration of it Man suffers for sinne saies the Prophet But how shall we know for what sinnes The next Lam. 3. 39. 40. words shew Let vs search and try our waies and turn to the Lord. The heart is deepe and deceitfull and as in such houses where malefactors are hid many Ierem. 17 9. secret lurking holes are there for sinne vnespied vnlesse a more through search bee vsed There fore the Prophet exhorting to this dutie sayes Gather your selues that is gather your wits together that dispersed and wandred about vanities and intentiuely Hagg. 2. 1. fixe them vpon the consideration of your owne estate Indeed in the examination of a close and cunning companion the Iudge had need haue his eyes in his head In the practise of Repentance wee sit as Iudges vpon our selues and our sinnes and therefore in the examination and triall of them had neede haue our wits about vs. And therefore the Prophet bids vs examine our hearts on our beds in the still silence of the night when there Psal 4. is nothing to distract vs and when after our first sleepe our wits are freshest And this he prescribeth as the only way to true humiliation Tremble and sin not There is humiliation And that ye may do so speake in your selues commune with your own hearts examine your reines This is the first thing noted in that Prodigals Repentance He came to himselfe saith Christ and sayd c. By his sinne as he wandred from God so Luc. 15. 17. from himselfe hee was a stranger at home in his owne soule He was as it were a mad man besides himselfe he had not the vse of his reason to consider his owne estate and therefore now beginning to bethinke himselfe of his doings he is sayd to come to himselfe A phrase of the same nature is that of Salomons concerning the Repentance of the Israelites When they shall turne to their owne hearts and returne 1 King 8. 47. The beginning of returning to God is this turning to or vpon our owne hearts and taking notice how matters goe there The minde hath many motions and turnings about but the best is when in this graue and sad consideration it turns and reflects vpon it selfe Else what is it for her to mount vp into the heauens to compasse about the whole earth to flie ouer the seas to descend downe into the bottome of the Deepe if whiles thus busie abroad she be idle at home knowing other things remaine ignorant of her selfe Dauid though a King and had many things to thinke vpon yet neglected not this I haue considered Psal 119. 59. my wayes saith he And what followed Vpon consideration lamenting them I turned my feet into the wayes of thy testimonies It is impossible the straying traueller should returne into the way that markes not nor mindes not his way that thinkes not with himselfe Am I in the right When God will bring the wandring lost sinner home he puts such thoughts as these into his heart God hath placed thee heere in this world made thee after his image endued thee with reason and vnderstanding surely to doe some thing more then bruite beasts doe who minde onely things present euen to seeke and serue him according to his Word But tell me now ô my soule doest thou answer this end of thy creation doest thou set God before thine eyes nay rather doest thou not the cleane contrary so Ezechiel describes the Repentance of the Israelites Then shall yee remember your owne waies and Ezek. 16. 61. Ezek. 18. 28. courses and be ashamed And againe Because hee considereth and turneth away from his transgressions For this Consideration instructs a man throughly in the knowledge of his estate And after I was thus instructed I repented saith Ephraim We see in nature Ier. 31. 18. 19. there is the same instrument of seeing and weeping to shew that weeping depends vpon seeing Hee that sees well weeps well Hee that sees his sinnes throughly will bewaile them heartily Loe then the cause of that great hardnesse of heart and senslesnesse that raigneth this day in the world Euen that brutish in consideration that men go on walking rashly and minde not what they Leuit. 26. do or in what case they stand to Godward No man repented saith Ieremie but why no man sayd What Ierem. 8. 6. haue I done But as the horse rusheth into the battell so they into their sinnes blessing and flattering themselues therein and putting away all such thoughts as should but once offer to make their courses questionable Bankerouts will not endure the sight of the counting-booke nor fowle faces of the looking glasse Guilty Rahels will bee loath to rise when searching Laban comes Nay Elephants out of the conscience of their owne deformity will be troubling the waters But if indeed we desire to worke our hearts vnto godly sorrow wee must then deale faithfully with them and truly enforme them of their estate And to this purpose an Inquisition must be erected an Audit must bee kept in them Many a man prayes and confesses his sinnes and performes Matth. 6. such like outward exercises of Repentance yet without any inward touch because they doe not as Christ counselleth enter into the closet and secret parlour of their hearts and there behold their many and greeuous sinnes the sight whereof would make them pray with greeued troubled spirits and euen poure out their soules vnto the Lord in the teares of Repentance It were to be wished that we had the fore-wit to consult of that wee doe before hand and to say what am I a doing But if heere we be inconsiderate we must yet at the least haue the after-wit to examine that which is done and to say what is this we haue done In the creation when God reviewed at the end of euery day the worke of the day and at the end of the sixe dayes the whole and all the parts and seeing all to bee good and very good how thinke we was hee cheered The repenting sinner when hee shall recount his dayes past and take a suruay of his seuerall actions therein and finde all naught and very naught how can so ruefull a spectacle but worke much griefe and pensiuenesse of minde A dead carkasse when whole sends foorth a filthy stench much more when it is cut vp and opened Sinne considered in grosse is odious and vgly enough But when by examination it shall bee anatomized and euery particular thereof discouered ô how terrible must such a sight bee and how auaileable to a through humiliation But of the necessity and vse of thy Examination search of hart and life in the practise of true contrition there is no question All the difficulty is
men can hardly be brought vnto to demolish and cast down the goodly buildings as they thinke though indeed rotten and ruinous of their ciuill vertues they can hardly endure to haue all their life by-past censured and condemned for nought But yet they must if euer they will see the kingdome of God Except a Iohn 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 man be borne againe hee cannot see the kingdome of God The word againe is significant which as Beza there notes imports that we must goe ouer all againe that is past and reiect it as vnprofitable and begin a new Thus did Paul who was a better ciuilian then thou canst be for thine heart when he repented hee threw away all his glozing ciuill vertues as offals to dogges And though before hee Phil 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thought himselfe in good case yet when the Law was reuealed vnto him he saw what hee was then Rom. 7. and then was troubled for inward lusts and motions of his heart And these our times want not such examples when ciuill men hauing beene ceazed vpon by the spirit they haue seene their owne dangerous state and haue beene vrged to repentance and so haue felt a wonderfull change in their harts and liues of neglecters of the word and praier they haue become conscionable practisers of all religious dueties and zealous louers of that which before onely fashionably and for Lawes sake they haue performed Let then ciuill men whose nature is changed by the spirit of Repentance know that they are in a damnable state and that it will not bee well with them till they grow to a loathing and a detestation of this their euill life voyd of all heat and heart of holy deuotion CHAP. XIII Of the properties of Conuersion BVt because many will yet deceiue themselues 2. The properties of it which are 3. thinking they haue repentance when they haue none and some againe will bee so terrified with this doctrine of the change which repentance workes that they will thinke they haue no repentance when indeede they haue wee will therefore further proceed to speake of three properties of this change or turning of the heart in Repentance By the two former whereof wee shall terrifie the first kinde of selfe-deceiuers and by the third shall comfort the second kind of doubters 1. Properly This change then must be an orderly change beginning in the soule euen in the 1. It is orderly very marrow and spirit thereof and so proceeding to the outward man and the actions thereof This orderly change the Apostle teacheth when first he bids vs be renued in the spirits of our mindes and then Eph. 4. 23. 24 let him that stole steale no more O Ierusalem wash thine Ieremy 4. heart But alas how many are there that set the cart before the horse and begin to change their liues before their hearts Some indeede aduise vs so to doe but as I thinke not aduisedly It is the onely way to hypocrisie to doe that outwardly which is not first begunne in wardly And besides it is idle and to no purpose to purge the channell when the fountaine is corrupt and to apply remedies to the head when the headach is caused from the impurity of the stomacke Miserable experience shewes how such disordered beginnings of Repentance often come to a miserable end Content not then thy selfe with leauing sinne outwardly but see you loath it inwardly content not thy selfe to loppe off the boughes but lay the axe to the roote of the Tree 2. Properly It must be a thorough change The 2. It is thoroughly Lord sanctifie you throughout that your whole spirit and soule and body may bee blamelesse Many in their repentance giue but the halfe turne Acts 1. those 1. Thess 5. 23. that turne from one sinne to another as from couetousnesse to prodigality from Atheisme or Iudaisme to Popery This is as if the mouse escaping the trappe should fall into the pawes of the cat It is iust like the turning of the wind from one point of the North vnto the other from North-east to North-west but yet still it is in the North and as far from the South as before So these men turne but yet in their sinne still and as farre from God as before Secondly those that turne their vnderstandings from errour to truth but not their wills from euill to good as those that of Papists turne loose and vnreformed Protestants Thirdly those that turne from many sinnes and with Herod doe many things but yet they remaine vnturned from some one speciall sinne Some indeede there are whose change makes them like Aethiopians white onely in teeth euery where else cole-black I meane our verball professours that haue onely a change from the teeth outward a change of their wordes can speake well and that is all But others there are that goe further and doe much and yet not enough because though they seeme to turne from sinne and to looke towards God yet haue a leering eye and a squint respect vnto their sins with Lots wife casting a longing looke after their olde Sodome And they turne as if a man whose face is towards the West should turne to the North or South for so turning hee may looke both waies both to the West whereon his face was set and to the East whereon his backe was turned So many turne from their sinnes to God not directly but side-waies so that with one eye they may looke to God and with the other to some sinne But as hee whose face is turned directly to the East cannot see the West so he who indeed looks directly to God cannot looke to his sinnes but he must needs haue them behind his backe Repentance if it be true is generall It strippes vs starke naked of all the garments of old Adam and leaues not so much as the shirt behind In this rotten building it leaues not a stone vpon a stone As the flood drowned Noahs owne friends and seruants so must the floud of repenting teares drowne euen our sweetest and most profitable sinnes Most true is that saying of Thomas Aquinas That all sinnes are coupled together though not in regard of conuersion to temporall good for some looke to the good of gaine some of glory some of pleasure c. Yet in regard of auersion from eternall good that is God So that hee that lookes but toward one sinne is as much auerted and turned backe from God as if he looked to all In which respect S. Iames sayes he that offends in one is guilty of all Repentance is a thorough change of the whole man of the whole life it refines euery part not so much but vanity and lightnesse in apparell The Lord shall wash saith Isaiah the filthines of the daughters of Zion that is that proud brauery and affected meanes of apparell mentioned in the third Isay 4. 4. opened chapter by the spirit of iudgement that is of
Euangelicall were naturally in Adam Repentance then belongs to the Gospell 1. Because properly it is commanded as is also iustifying faith in the Gospell Mark 1. 14. Christ preached the Gospell One might thinke what was that The next verse tels vs saying Repent and beleeue the Gospell 2. It is promised in the Gospell in the Couenant of grace Ezech. 36. 26. I will take away the stony heart out of your body and giue you an heart of flesh Which that it is a promise of the Gospell appeares plainely vers 22. I doe not this for your sakes but for mine owne names sake And so Ierem. 32. 40. I will make an euerlasting Couenant with them that I will neuer turne away from them to doe them good but I will put my feare in their hearts that they shall not depart from me And this is further euident because Repentance is sealed in the Sacraments of the Gospell For Baptisme is called the Baptisme of Repentance Luk. 3. 3. because it seals vp to vs Gods promise of Repentance 3. It is wrought in vs by the Ministery of the Gospell Galat. 3. 2. whilest it sets before our eyes Christ crucified and so causes vs to lament Ezech. 12. 10. Therfore Christ commanded that Repentance should be preached in his name who by his obedience hath merited it for vs as well as remission of sinnes Luc. 24. 46. 47. and in this regard is sayd to bee raised vp of his father to giue Repentance to the house of Israel Acts 5. 31. As for the Law it being the ministery of death 2. Cor. 3. how can it worke Repentance which is vnto life 2. Cor. 7. 10. Acts 11. 18. Repentance is required vnto the sense of mercy and forgiuenesse The Law then knowing no forgiuenesse neither knowes it any Repentance When the Law is broken it requires the suffering of the curse and not any Repentance for the auoyding of the curse It sends vs down to the dungeon of damnation and seales it vpon vs with an vnremoueable stone not giuing vs the least inckling of any recouery Nay the Law setting out vnto vs that most rigorous and precise Iustice of God and his infinite and implacable wrath against sin doth in a manner forbid all Repentance Telling vs t is in vaine to seeke by our teares and lamentations any mercy at his hands who is a consuming fire a God of pure eyes and cannot behold iniquity The Law then of it selfe leaues a man in vtter desperation then which what can be more contrary to sauing Repentance and is no otherwise a schoole-master vnto Christ then as the minister of the Gospell makes vse of it contrary to it owne nature to driue vs vnto Christ by shewing the sinner condemned in the Law that it were not best for him to trust any longer to the Law but to accept of the grace offered in the Gospell The Vse 1. If Repentance be a part of the Gospell then know we it is not so sowre and crabbed a thing as most thinke Indeed the Law is pure vineger But the Gospell is refreshing and suppling oyle euen the soueraigne balme of Gilead and of this Gospell the glad tidings of peace is Repentance a part Yea it is one of the legacies of the new Testament A rich treasure purchased with the bloud of Christ Luc. 24. 46. 47. Sorrow indeed is bitter and vnpleasant to our corrupt nature yet many things are wholsome that are not so toothsome The sheepe of Christ know that to feed vpon this salt marsh is the onely preseruatiue against the rot Therefore nothing is there they lesse repent themselues of then this Repentance nothing they reioyce more in then this sorrow and good reason It is a peece of that blessed Gospell 2. If the difficulty of Repentance discourage thee remember that the commandements of the Gospell haue grace annexed by reason the same things that are commanded in the Gospell are also promised and so this yoake is sweet and easie 3. If the weaknesse of thy Repentance trouble thee remember it is an Euangelicall grace and how little a mite will the Gospell accept euen a penny for a pound A desire to repent is Repentance heere and to grieue because wee cannot bee grieued goes currant for godly sorrow 3. In the description I adde further that it is a Wrought by the Spirit euen grace of the spirit to shew that the Spirit is the authour thereof as appeareth Ezech. 12. 10. I will powre the spirit of grace vpon the house of Iudah and then they shall lament Before we can powre out one teare into Gods bottle God must powre the water of his spirit vpon the dry and heathy ground of our hearts Rom. 8. 26. Wee cannot breath out so much as a sigh but the spirit must first breath it in We cannot suspirare vnlesse God doe first inspirare That we may truely say heere with Dauid in euery repenting sigh sob teare Of thine owne Lord haue we giuen thee Wee powre out because thou hast first powred in Peter weepes but first Christ looked on him The waters flow but then specially when the winde blowes Psal 147. 18. Oh to how low an ebbe will the waters of repenting teares come if this blessed winde of the Spirit blow not It is the fire of the Spirit in our hearts like as in a Still that sendeth vp those dewes of repenting teares into our heads that droppe foorth of our eyes Vse Let no man thinke Repentance in his own power and so that hee may repent when hee will Can any man melt a stone or turne it into flesh By repentance we breake the strong snares of Sathan wherein we are hampered And what power shall 2. Tim. 2. 26. enable vs to doe that but that which is stronger then Sathan euen the power of the spirit Man is like a wild Asses colt Iob 11. 12. will he euer be tame of himselfe no it is the spirit that must tame and humble him by conuincing his conscience of sin Ioh. 16. 8. Man is like a silly lost wandring sheep Will hee euer be able to get into the high way of himselfe No he must heare the voice of his sheepheard crying behinde him This is the way walke in it Is 30. 21. Else he will wander in the wrong way irreturneably Therefore while that voyce soundeth in our hearts while we are called vpon by it to day harden wee not our hearts While the Spirit stirs in thy heart as once the Angell in the poole Ioh. 5. take the opportunity The Spirit who is the worker of repentance is not at thy beck Thou canst not set him on worke when thou wouldest suffer him then to worke when he would If wee could humble our selues we should neuer be humble foreuen this power of humbling our selues would make vs proud God therefore hath reserued it to himselfe and his owne Spirit that so we might be humble indeed yeelding our selues to be wrought vpon by him when he
Ioh. 4. Christ sat as a Iudge in her conscience and pinched her with that close imputation of adultery There was no dealing with Iob till the whirl-wind schooled Iob. him An vnhumbled sinner is as vnfit for Gods instruction as an vnbroken colt for the saddle and as the hard and clotty fallow ground not subdued by Ierem. 4. the plough is for the seede Who can weilde a mightie hard rocke but let it bee broken to fitters and stamped to dust the hand of the Artificer may worke it as he will When Isay Is 6. Acts 9. and Paul were tamed with the terrors of the Lord then Lord heere I am What wilt thou haue mee doe When the Lyons and Beares are meekned then a little childe may lead them Is 11. Hence those speeches The Lord shall direct the humble Humble Psalm 25. Mic. 6. 2. Chro. 30. 8. Ierem. 44. 10. thy selfe to walke with thy God Be not stiffe-necked but giue the hand to the Lord to be lead by him They are not humbled neither haue they walked in the wayes of the Lord. There is no more resistance in a bruised heart against the Lord then in soft waxe against the seale 5. To procure vs the sounder comfort Whole sores throb and rage Ease is by breaking The deeper the wound is searched and teinted and the sharper corrasiues be applied the sounder will the flesh be afterward The lower ebbe the higher tide The deeper our descent in Humiliation the higher our ascent in Consolation Therefore when Christ promiseth vs his spirit to be our Comforter he shewes this shall bee the first ground-worke of Comfort which hee shall lay the conuincing of our conscience of sinne I will send the Comforter and hee Ioh. 16. shall conuince the world of sinne A miserable Comforter one would thinke no but marke whether this Conuiction of sinne tends For it is added that he shall conuince them of righteousnesse After he hath soundly conuicted them of sinne in themselues vnto condemnation He shall to their comforts conuict their iudgements and perswade their hearts of righteousnesse in Christ vnto iustification So the Prophet sheweth how his peace was wrought out of his trouble When I heard my bellie Hab. 3. 16. trembled my lips shooke rottennesse entred into my bones and I trembled but marke the end of all this that I might rest in the day of trouble Surely after the most toylesome labour is the sweetest sleepe After the greatest tempests the stillest calmes Sanctified trouble establishes peace And the shaking of these windes makes the trees of Gods Eden take the deeper rooting 6. God heerein hath respect to his owne glory which he gaineth to himselfe in working thus by contraries ioy out of feare light out of darknesse heauen out of hell When he meant to blesse Iacob Gen. 32. he wrestled with him as an aduersary euen till hee lamed him When he meant to preferre Ioseph to the throne hee threw him downe into the dungeon to the golden chaine about the necke hee laded him with iron ones about his legges and caused the iron to Psal 105. enter into his soule When he meant to make a most beautifull and orderly world he makes first a vast gulfe a grosse Chaos wherein was nothing but darknesse and confusion and yet out of it he caused light to shine and out of it brought hee this goodly frame of heauen and earth which now wee see Euen so in the second creation which is by Regeneration first there is nothing but a hellish Chaos of darkenesse in the minde of Confusion in the heart and yet at length comes forth the goodliest creature that euer was the new creature in Christ The Vse of all this is 1. To discouer their errour who thinke they haue true Repentance when they haue only some legall qualmes of sorrow some stirrings and stingings of conscience which euen the fiends in hell haue who yet are vncapable of Repentance Indeed these are preparations to Contrition as wee heard in the Elect and are as the pricking of the needle before the thread But contrition it selfe is a further matter Christ biddes the heauy loaden come vnto him and learne of him to bee humble A man therefore may be heauy loaden and as yet not come to him nor truely humbled When those whom Peter pricked asked what they should doe to be eased of that paine hee prescribed them Repentance as the salue for that sore of a wounded conscience A man may haue a sore and feele it and yet want the salue that should heale it And yet the feeling of the sore is the first step to recouery For this makes vs enquire after the salue 2. To terrifie such as being stupefied in conscience and are wholly vnsensible of sinne can carry it away lightly as Sampson did the gates of the city and their backes neuer complaine of the burthen These blocks that neuer in their life were moued with Gods threatnings neuer in any straight of conscience neuer groaned vnder the burthen of Gods anger they haue not so much as entred into the porch of this house or lift the foote ouer the threshold of this schoole of Repentance In Dauids Repentance for numbring the people this is noted at the first step his heart smote him So in 2. Sam. 24. his Repentance for adultery hee notes this to bee the ground My sinne is euer before me The terrible Psal 51. image thereof affrights me continually But for these Brutes their sinne is euer behinde them Nothing is before them but their profits their pleasures their bagges their barnes And the delightfull image of these things so bewitches and besots them that they will neuer see the face of sinne till they feele the fire of hell And iust it is that such who will not see sinne heere by the light of Gods word should at last see it for euer by the light of the Diuels fire 3. To comfort such as are distressed in conscience in the apprehension of Gods wrath against their sinne It is a speciall worke of the spirit thus to discouer vnto them their misery and in the sight thereof to touch their heart Yee haue not againe receiued Rom. 8. 15. the spirit of bondage vnto feare saith Paul The word Receiued implieth that the trouble of conscience is to be accounted of as a gift and the word Spirit shewes the author of the gift Heere is comfort then thou art in the way to saluation thou hast receiued the first gift which the spirit bestoweth vpon all those whom it bringeth to Repentance in that thou seest thy bondage and tremblest Yea but poore comfort thou wilt say to behold and feele God as an enemy with his sword wounding me then with his naile continually raking in the wounds with his axe continually hewing and hacking mee yea and quite cutting me downe and laying me flat on the ground Silly man who seest not the depth of Gods wisedome Gods
the 2. The procurer of grace 1 Pet. 5. humble For all the grace that God giues is obtained by prayer But proud Pharisies that feele no wants well may they giue thankes but pray they will not Luc. 18. 10. 11. The rich are too stout to begge onely the poore speake with supplications Prou. 18. saith Salomon Onely the poore in spirit that mourne in the sense of their hunger and thirst wil open their mouthes wide in the cries of hearty prayer and therefore they onely shall bee filled with good things when the rich shall bee sent empty away Therefore Christ calling sinners to him in the first place biddes them to be humble and Matth. 11. meeke For meeknesse fits vs to conuerse sweetely with men but humility first prepares vs to receiue those graces of God which makes our conuersing with men sweete and amiable The Lord is neere Psal 34. saith Dauid to the contrite in spirit God is high aboue all but loe a mysterie saith Austin The lower a Christian is the neerer is he to this high God For the Lord hath two palaces as it is in Isay one of glory and that 's in Heauen Heauen is my throne c. Another of grace heere on earth and that 's Is 66. 1. 2. the heart of a contrite sinner 3. Humiliation is the preseruer of grace procured 3. The Preseruer of grace And therefore compared to a strong foundation vpholding the building against the force of winde and weather Onely those streames of grace hold out that flow out of the troubled fountaine of a bruised spirit An vnhumbled professor quickly starts back euen as an vnbroken egge or chesnut leapes out of the fire Grace is no where safe but in a sound and honest heart Now onely the humble heart is the honest heart Onely a rent and Non est cor integrum nisi sit scissum broken heart is a whole and sound heart The drosse cannot be purged out of the gold but by melting Crooked things cannot bee straightned but by wringing Now humiliation is that which wrings and melts vs and makes vs of drossie pure of crooked straight and vpright and so sound durable and perseuering Christians 4. Humiliation is that which commends all our 4. The Commander of our seruices seruices making them both profitable to our selues to our brethren and acceptable to the LORD Christ preferred the teares of that repenting woman before all the delicates of the Pharisies table Bottles hath he for the least drops So precious are they with him A little of this soueraigne baulme water is worth in Gods account more then a whole poole of the mudde of confused distempered worldly sorrow The Sacrifices of God are a broken and contrite spirit The plurall number is in Psal 51. steed of the superlatiue degree with the Hebrewes and so notes the excellency of this sacrifice as being the salt that seasons all other sacrifices To him Is 66. 2. 3. will I looke saith the Lord that is poore and of a contrite spirit He that killeth a bullocke namely without this contrite heart whereby hee must first kill his owne corruption is as if he slew a man or blessed an Idoll In effect thus much now He that receiueth the Communion without Humiliation is as if hee went to the Masse For though God would not haue his Altar couered with the teares of worldly sorrow Mal. 2. 13. yet hee would of spirituall as not rellishing any sacrifice without them What good does all our hearing doe vs as long as wee want Iosiahs melting hart no more then the strokes of the hammer doe the anuile All our prayers what are they but idle prattle if they be not piercingly darted out of the Publicanes smitten heart no prayer strikes Gods eares but his whose heart was first stricken with Gods hand Neither commonly doe any exhortations preuaile with others which proceed not from an affected heart Origen Sanctorum enim non tantum verba sed ipsi aspectus spiritali gratia pleni sunt Chrysost after his fall reading for his text that Psal 50. What hast thou to doe to take my word into thy mouth c. and not able to speake for teares set all the Congregation a crying So effectuall is the very silence of a touched heart See the example of the woman of Samaria Ioh. 4. 39. mightily preuailing with her neighbours Christ hauing before humbled her 5. Humiliation is the way to true exaltation 5. The way to exaltation Godly sorrow is the mother of true ioy for it giues a vent to sinne that lies heauy vpon the conscience as lead and so the heart eased of that burthen is light Blessed are they that mourne saith Matth. 5. Christ for they shall bee comforted But woe bee to you that laugh for yee shall weepe Because the fire of Gods mercy and loue could not make you weepe heere the fire of hell shall heereafter Blessed are they that weepe heere where there are wiping hand-kerchers in the hands of Christ Els they shall weepe heereafter euen when they shall see all the teares of the mourners in this life wiped away Happy art thou if thou weepe heere where thy teares may be water to quench the fire of thine own concupiscence Else shalt thou weep where thy teares shall bee oyle to feede those eternall flames Happy art thou if in godly indignation thou gnashest thy teeth at thy sinnes heere Else shalt thou in a desperate murmuring gnash them in hell at thy punishment and gnaw out thy very tongue for sorrow Miserable is that mourning in hell where the Diuell the tormentor is at hand with his Scorpions But happy is the mourning heere where the Spirit the Comforter is at hand with his oyle to supple thy wounds Repenting teares are the wine of God and his Angels Well mayest thou expect from them the oyle of their comfort when thou hast giuen them the wine of thy teares CHAP. VI. Of the the examination of our hearts by the Law THe last point followeth and that the chiefest 4. The practise of Humiliation in two things of all namely the practise of Humiliation And it consisteth in two points 1. In the inward working of it in the heart 1. Inward working 2. In the outward expressing of it when it is wrought In the inward working of it two spciall dueties must be practised 1. In consideration of our owne wayes 1. Consideration of our owne wayes to God 2. Of Gods wayes to vs. 1. For the first There will bee no sorrow for an euill not knowen Sinne must bee seene before it can bee sorrowed for I agnize my sinne saith Psal 38. 18. Dauid and am sorry for mine iniquity Onely sinners that is such as know and feele themselues to bee Matth. 9. sinners are called to Repentance Ieremie calling Ierem. 3. 13. the Church to Repentance first biddes her know her iniquity After Christ had
but the Law is spirituall and requireth euen the rest of thy heart from worldly thoughts much more of thy tongue from worldly speeches And how often hast thou here offended 5. Command Honour thy father c. O I should be vnnaturall if I did not so Yea but thy Magistrate thy Minister thy Husband thy Master thy Superiours are thy Fathers also And hast thou no way failed in performance of honour to all these And thou that art any of these fathers hast thou preserued this Law or rather by an vnbeseeming carriage hast thou not inuited thy inferiours to contemne thee 6. Command Thou shalt not kill Heere thou thinkest thy selfe innocent indeede Yea but there is a murther of the heart hatred wrath c. Perhaps by greeuing the heart of thy brother vniustly thou hast shortned his dayes Or if free from bodily murther yet haply thou hast murthered his soule by thy negligence by thy euill example 7. Command Against Adultery Here also the lust of the heart yea the vse of any prouokements thereof as idlenesse drunkennesse gluttony wanton bookes lookes pictures dances speeches vesture gesture are sufficient to make thee guilty before God yea winking at it in others 8. Command Against stealing Heere euen Couetousnesse is a Pick-purse before God Yea and not to vphold the estate of our brother is stealing for the poore are made owners of part of our goods Prou. 3. 9. Command Against false witnesse bearing Where lying flattering detracting listning to tales yea not giuing testimony to thy brothers name and commending Gods grace in him makes thee guilty 10. Command Cuts to the very quicke condemning the very first motions of sinnes springing out of our hearts though reiected presently Well then this filthy dunghill how euer vnstirred it did not annoy vs yer after this raking in it the stench will bee intollerable Though in our blindnesse wee might please our selues yet when our eyes are opened to looke in this glasse ô what vgly creatures shall wee thinke our selues then Though in the darke seeing no danger wee were fearelesse yet by this light discerning not onely the beames but euen the least moates and seeing so infinite a swarme of sinnes yea an army of iniquities incompassing vs how can we chuse but be confounded in our selues and forced to cry out with Iob Not one of a thousand and with Dauid If thou markest what is done amisse who shall abide it Psal 130. 3. 2. Besides the number of our sinnes their hainousnesse must also be found out A sore which at first seemes nothing by reason of the small quantity of skin that is broken afterward being searched and launched and the dead flesh taken out the hole is much greater then before So sinnes which seeme small and petty sinnes to carnall ciuill men such as they thinke may easily be washed away with a few formall cursory prayers when once they begin to search them by the Law they appeare out of measure sinnefull There is no greater hinderer of serious humiliation then that tricke of extenuation whereby men deale with their sinnes as the steward with his masters debts for an hundred he set downe fifty But Luc. 16. if wee would make our hearts bleede in godly sorrow wee must strictly presse euery circumstance whereby it may be aggrauated It is noted in Peters weeping that he first weighed his sinne and considered the heightning circumstances the person Mar. 14. 72. denied Iesus Christ the Lord of glory his owne person that denied a Disciple of Christ the means hee had to haue kept him Christs admonition the manner with swearing and cursing and that not once but often So doth Dauid amplifie his sinne by his knowledge Psalm 51. Thou hast taught mee wisdome in my secret parts I cannot plead ignorance Psal 51. 6. thou hast most familiarly and fully acquainted mee with thy will In this search also the place where and the time when the sinne was committed would bee inquired after Drunkennesse on the Sabaoth swearing in the Church-assembly receiue increase of filthinesse from the holinesse of the time and place Hosea thus brands the drunkennesse of the Nobles In the day of the King wherein either his birth or Hos 7. 5. coronation was solemnized which craued Prayers rather then Cups euen then they made themselues drunke with flagons of wine Inquire also whether the sinne haue been repeated often and specially after Repentance and how long it hath beene continued in for custome and daily practise ripens sin Idlenesse to the twelfth houre is greater then to the sixt And this is the search we must make for our sinnes 2. As our sinne so our misery procured by sin must be considered and beheld in the Law Euen the curse of God begun heere and to bee perfited heerafter in torments easelesse and endlesse Cursed is euery one that abideth not in all the things written in Deut. 27. 26. this booke And this curse must be applyed to euery particular Commandement and not to the whole Law onely When thus wee shall know our estate our nature to bee poysoned our liues laden with innumerable those hainous and horrible rebellions bringing vs into the state of condemnation on our parts wholly vnauoydable when a man shall know all this what flinty brest is there that cannot be mooued Strike the rocke of thy heart with the rod of the Law discouering thy sinne thy misery and riuers of water will gush foorth And this is the first duty for prouoking of godly sorrow the consideration of our owne wayes 2. In Consideration of God wayes of The second followeth the consideration of Gods wayes both of Iustice Mercy 1. Iustice And Lam. 3. 1. Of Iustice It worketh much vpon the heart when a man considers how the Lord hath met with him in his sinne and hath shaped answerable punishments My soule hath them namely the gall and wormewood of my afflictions in remembrance is humbled within me saith the repenting Church So Haggay prouoking the Iewes to Repentance Hagg. 1. 6. Consider saith he your wayes in your hearts but so that withall yee consider Gods wayes proportionable in the punishment to yours in the sinne Yee haue sowen much and haue reaped little yee haue eaten and haue not beene filled drunken and not satisfied c. marke the long taile of punishments your sinnes haue drawen after them So the Church of Ephesus being called to Repentance is first bidden to remember from whence shee is Reuel 2. 5. fallen by her sinne what she had lost thereby viz. the presence of the spirit boldnesse of faith peace of conscience ioy in the holy Ghost free accesse vnto God in praier Such losses throughly thoght vpon will pierce the heart with godly sorrow and make the fallen Christian say with Iob Oh that it Iob 29. were with me as in times past and with Dauid When I remember these things my soule is powred out within Psal 42. mee 2.
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
and trembles at my word A man whose courage is cooled and naturall spirits wasted and his very heart broken with crosses in this world is soone taken downe A little thing daunts such a poore soule whereas a man of spirit and courage will not be terrified with ones threatnings Before our Repentance oh the stoutnesse and stiffenesse of our hearts against God! Though the Lyon roared neuer so much wee would not tremble but when with the hammer of the Law and happily of some afflictions besides God hath broken these stout hearts of ours then alas what a little thing will make vs stoope An angry word or an angry looke will more humble vs then then angry stroakes and stripes could do before Thus was it with broken heartd Iosiah he heard the book 2. Kin. 22. 10. 11. of the Law onely read in a priuate place by a lay-man and yet his heart melted Alas we heare the same threatnings not read onely but preached at large with an edge set on them in the open Church by Gods Ministers and yet wee tremble and relent no more then the seates wee sit on and the stones we tread on So contrite Hezekiah when Is 39. 8. Isaiah threatned him he bowed hee tooke not the boldnesse and foole-hardinesse of Ahab against Micaiah and which many now take to kicke against the Minister and his doctrine and to say It is not good which thou sayest as Ahab sayd but the word of the Lord saies hee is good Thus was it with Dauid and so is it with all tender hearted Christistians that when God hides his face and looks but a little awry on them then are they sore troubled So was it with humbled Iob Behold sayes he I am Iob 39. 37. 38. vile what shall I answer thee I will lay mine hand vpon my mouth Once haue I spoken but I will answer no more yea twice but I will proceed no further So Ionah testifies his repentance by closing his Prophecy with Ion 4. his silence But many are like those impudent castawayes at the last day that will not sticke to giue God the lie when hee rebukes them by his Ministers Matth. 25. Lord say they when saw we thee an hungry and sed thee not as if they had said why doest thou challenge vs of that wherof we were neuer guilty and so they charge God to charge them falsely 2. Humble patience in all our afflictions I say 2. Humble Patience humble patience for there is a threefold patience 1. Constrained and perforce when a man beares that which he would faine be rid of as the damned in hell 2. Voluntary and cheerefull But now one may suffer cheerefully when hee that afflicts deales vniustly And this patience argues a vertue rather in the sufferer then any iustice in the inflicter of the punishment 3. There is therefore an humble patience when a man acknowledges the righteousnes of his afflictions in regard of his sins when a man frees and iustifies God and blames himselfe altogether So Lam. 3. Wherefore is the Lam. 3. 39. 33. 34. liuing man sorrowfull Man suffereth for his sinnes for God doth not punish willingly nor afflict the children of men In stamping vnder his feete all the prisoners of the earth This is that which is called in Scripture Humbling our selues vnder the hand of God When we take Gods part against our selues in our crosses and not our owne parts against God as the humbled sinner sits alone and keepes silence and puts his mouth in the dust and giues his cheekes to smiters So the Repenting Lam. 3. 28. 29. 30. theefe wee are indeede heere righteously So the poore woman acknowledged the name of a Luc. 23. 41. dogge at Christs hand Truth Lord yet the dogs eat the crummes that fall vnder the table So the Lord Matth. 15. sayes of the Israelites that their vncircumcised harts Leuit. 26. 41. should bee humbled and they should willingly beare the punishments of their iniquities When then we murmure and like the angry horse stamp and champ the bit in our crosses and doe not with the Prophet say I will beare the wrath of the Lord because I haue sinned against him wee know not as yet what true humilation is Mic 7. 9. 3. Such as respect our brethren and these actions Such as respect our brethren 3. 1. In quiet bearing of iniuries are threefold 1. In meeke and quiet bearing all iniuries vnkindnesses and disgraces whatsoeuer An vnhumbled wretch cannot suspect the least wrong but hee swells presently Whereas if a man bee truely humbled his humility will tell him thou deseruest thus to bee vsed thou art worthy of these wrongs Loe then true humiliation will make vs not only to take Gods part but euen our wicked enemies part against our selues as Dauid tooke Shemeis against himselfe Let him alone Dauid beeing humbled 2. Sam. 16. thought there could come no disgrace to him which his sinnes deserued not So Hezekiah and his people held their peace when Rabsakeh rayled on them For none can thinke or speake so vilely of 2. King 18. 36. an humbled repentant as he himself thinks of himselfe Who could haue said more of Paul then hee himselfe did when he said hee was the chiefe of sinners 1. Tim. 1. 15. The wicked call Gods children hypocrites proud couetous wordly Why alas they call themselues so and accuse themselues with heauy hearts of all these sinnes vnto the Lord. And wheras they vse to bee humbled with the sense of these sinnes they will be so farre from being moued with these clamours of the world that they will reioyce rather that there is matter occasion giuen them to shew and expresse their humiliation It is an ill signe when a man can put vp no iniury Moses being a meeke man humbled with the sence of his owne vnworthinesse with silence passed by the grudgings of Aaron and Miriam And Dauid when he was reuiled was as a deafe man that heard not and Numb 12. Ps 38. 12. 13. as a dumbe man in whose mouth was no answer 2 In not preferring and aduancing our selues aboue our brethren but in making our selues equall 2. In not aduancing our selues aboue our brethren with those of the lower sort and in giuing honour going one before another accounting the lowest place good enough for vs choosing the lowest place at the Rom. 12. Luke 14. feast And so indeed an humbled sinner will thus abase himselfe First of all considering that euen his best part his soule is made of nothing This excellent creature that thus reasons and discourses not long since was nothing Now nothing is lesse then a Feather then a stone then a moate in the ayre But then when hee lookes to his sinnes hee sees himselfe worse then nothing That ambition then which raignes in men whereby they aspire to the highest places and iudge themselues worthier then others shewes plainely that they were
and before Ionas 4. 1. 2. God was all one as to haue committed that sinne againe the second time Heere is comfort then euen for relapsed persons that are intangled againe in the same offences whereout formerly they were deliuered by repentance And yet this comfort belongs onely to poore troubled consciences not to presumptuous sinners It is not to encourage any that stands to fall or that is fallen to lye still but onely him that is fallen and feeles himselfe fallen and begins to despaire of recouery to striue to get vp on foote by putting him in hope of a possibility of rising vp againe by helpe of that stone which is Luke 2. set as for the fall so and that much more for the rising againe of many But as for lesser slippes whose experience doth not tell him that euen after repentance he is again and againe hampered in the same snares of anger techinesse lust negligence secret pride hypocrisie vaine-glory c. Though yet the fruit of serious repentance before will appeare in our falling againe that we shall presently catch our selues tardie Therefore we must not be ouer much perplexed in such cases to thinke our former repentance vnsound For repentance doth not wholly take away sinne but onely weakens it lessens and impayres it And as he truely runned who afterward sitteth downe so hee may truely repent of some sin who afterward is foyled by it againe 2 Consectary is that there is no sinne so small but it needes repentance The world thinkes that repentance is onely for more grieuous sinnes as murther adultery oppression blasphemy as for lesser matters they hope they may bee dispensed withall Heere our ciuill men are to bee nipped who put away repentance from themselues because free from grosse scandall Surely though they had no vnbeleefe or prophanenesse of heart which indeede are as heynous sinnes as any yet haue they cause enough to repent if it were but for the very least idle thoughts or wordes they euer thought or spoke The children of GOD whose heart God hath softned by the touch of his spirit will be troubled euen for the least sinnes account ting no sinne little which is committed against so great a God Iohn Husse that good Martyr in his Foxe Martyrol in Epist Hess imprisonment repented for his playing at Chesse because of the losse of time and prouocation vnto anger So Bradford and Ridley for their negligences and secret infirmities euen in good actions as is to bee seene in their letters When Dauids hand did touch but the lap of Sauls garment that touch of his hand cost him blowes and stroaks of heart Euery thing is laid to heart by Gods children such things the world neuer sticks at sinnes of omission as wel as of comission Ephesus is called to Reuel 2. 4. 5. Repentance for leauing her first loue Euen not to increase in grace according to the good meanes and occasions we enioy is a matter that craues repentance fauouring our selues though in neuer so small sinnes cannot stand with repentance which turnes the backe vpon all sinnes whatsoeuer bee they great or be they small CHAP. XII Of the second part of Conuersion Turning to the Lord. THe second part of Turning is turning to the 2. Conuersion to God Lord. In sinne our backs are turned to him In repentance our faces are turned towards him For it is not enough to cease from sinne but withall we must turne to the Lord and set our hearts towards him and his kingdome O Israel if you returne returne vnto me saith the Lord. And let him that stole Ier. 4. 1. steale no more but let him labour and giue to him that Eph. 4. 28. needes For euery tree that brings not forth good fruit shall be hewen downe and cast into the fire Many lead Mat. 3. 10. a ciuill and an honest life not spotted with grosse sinnes yet for all this they haue prophane hearts turned to the world-ward not sauouring or affecting the things of God But here is the very pith of repentance The turning of the heart vpward to Heauen and fixing the eye vpon God and so making towards him with the foote that so it may be said of euery true repentant that his behauiour is as of one that is going vp to the heauenly Ierusalem Luke 9. as it was saide of Christ going to the earthly Ierusalem Oh this one thing showes how little repentance there is in this world when the shame of our affections carries vs downeward to the earth A plaine argument the heart is turned to God For in this regard a Christians conuersation is in heauen because by repentance his eye is now turned to heauen and his feete are carrying him thether apace Phil. 3. 2. This then ministers exceeding great comfort to the poore repenting sinner discouraged with his manifold slippes and infirmities and is brought to doubt of the truth of his repentance by the sense of his many and daily frailties Such an one may remember that repentance consists in a turning of the heart and affections to God not in walking in a way without a stumbling foote Repentance takes not away stumbling it takes not away slipping and sliding of the foote It keepes the face from turning from God and the foote from walking from God It fares with a repentant as with a man going vp an hill who though he may haue many fals and slippes yet still is said to bee going vp the hill because his face is toward the toppe of the hill So it is with the penitent sinner he is turning to God though he haue many falls because his face is set and the maine current of his affections is bent vpon God This therefore be thy comfort thou wentest not out to meete and to welcome sinne but it came vpon thee at vnawares and like a coward comming behind thee strooke vp thine heeles thy feet indeed slid a little downeward but thy face was still vpward But the maine point that heere is to bee insisted vpon is this that repentance alwaies brings with it a wonderfull and a palpable change and alteration of the heart and life When our affections like wilde madde horses are violently galloping to hell the spirit of God by repentance as by a bridle suddenly giues a ierke and turnes them and sets them a going as fast the other way So that those our companions in the broad way stand maruelling at vs that wee breake off company and doe not still continue running out with them into the same excesse of ryot 1. Pet. 4 4. So great is the change that not onely our selues but others also may discerne it as to maruell at it It is compared to the change of darkenesse into Eph. 5. 8. light which who sees it not yea vnto the change of a stone into flesh I will take away the stony heart and giue you a heart of flesh Why doth Sathan bid Ezek. 26. 26. Christ
Repentance whereby they shall iudge themselues for that sinne and condemne that for nastinesse which before they accounted neatenesse and that for filthinesse which before they accounted finenesse 3. Property It is yet an vnperfect change Perfect it is in regard of parts as a childe is a perfect 3. It is vnperfect man but imperfect in degrees It is like the change of the ayre from darke to light in the dawning of the day which proceedes by degrees or as the change and turning of water from could to hot which is first luke-warme This I note for the comfort of such poore soules that when they heare repentance is such a change of the minde and feele so little change in themselues but their olde sinnes to be so strong and liuely are driuen to doubts But for their comforte they must know that this is a change that with greefe they feele and complaine euen of those secret infirmities which were wont neuer to trouble them The rising of the heart against sinne the antipathy and secret grudging and murmuring of the spirit against it euen then when it is foyled by it is an argument of a blessed change begunne which shall bee perfected in time CHAP. XIIII Of the practise of Conuersion in foure duties THe third point followes The practise of this 3 The practise of conuersion in 7. dueties Turning Reformation or Conuersion And it is notably set downe by the Apostle Paul 2. Corin. 7. 11. where seuen particular dueties are set downe wherein the practise of this second part of repentance consisteth For behould saith the Apostle 2. Cor. 7. 11. fully handled this thing that yee haue beene godly sorry what great care it hath wrought in you yea what cleering of your selues yea what indignation yea what feare yea how great desire yea what a zeale yea what punishment c He had said before Godly sorrow workes repentance that is this second part of repentance the change of the minde for godly sorrow as wee haue seene is the first part Now heere hee prooues that godly sorrow workes repentance and his reason standeth thus That which workes care and cleering and indignation c. that workes repentance but godly sorrow workes these things therefore it workes repentance So that it is plaine that the Apostle here referreth those things to the practise of this second part To come then vnto the particular duties 1. Duety is Care Now this care is twofold first 1. Care the maine care whereby a sinner takes thought for the remission of his sinnes and life eternall Such was the care of those after they were pricked in their hearts at Peters sermon when they crie out Acts 2 37. Men and brethren what shall wee doe The voice of men in care anxiety as of those that are in great care for this world what shall wee eat or what shall Matth. 6. 31. we drinke or what shall we put on And this is that which is figured in the Parable of the vniust steward who is brought in consulting and taking care what shall I doe digge I cannot and Luke 16. 3. to begge I am ashamed So that the first beginning of our turning to the Lord is a serious and a thoughtfull consultation what course to take for the pardon of our sinnes and the saluation of our soules Now in this carefull consultation there are two things to be considered 1. the ground 2. the end of it For the ground of it It is the sight and certaine knowledge of the errour of our former course of life and the iust censure and condemnation of it As when a man turnes him to the right way first he sees plainely and concludes that he is gone wrong and thereupon bethinks himselfe what to doe that he may recouer the right way againe 2. The end or effect of it it ends alwaies in true repentants in a setled determination and resolute purpose to enter into that good way which the word of God discouers vnto them for good Some indeede deliberate and consult but they remaine houering and do not resolue like faint chap-men that cheapen and hancker about wares but will not come off They are loath to sell all they haue to purchase the pearle to buy heauen with the losse of their sinnes For when Sathan sees a man beginne to mistrust his owne courses and to entertaine thoughts of departing out of Aegypt he vses all the craft he can to detaine him and pursues after him departing as Pharaoh after the Isralites So in the Gospell the dumbe and deafe Diuell when Christ came to dispossesse him raged and tooke on So that euery Christian in the practise of Repentance before he can passe from his consultation to a resolution and determination he shall finde and feele a shrewd bickering and conflict both with Sathan and the flesh that will labour him to continue in his sinnes still as Austin in his confessions shewes it was with him in his conuersion But notwithstanding all the temptations of Sathan the flesh the Christian gets the victory and growes to a resolution This purpose and resolution of the heart is the very hart of Repentance I haue determined to keepe Psal 119. 57. thy word saith Dauid And this is that which Barnabas exhorted the Antiochians that with purpose of heart they would cleaue vnto the Lord. And thus is Acts 11. 23. the Prodigall sonne brought in resoluing with himselfe I will goe to my father and say c. and when he Luc. 15. 18. did but thus resolue his father came foorth to meet him for this serious purpose to turne is turning I thought I will confesse and thou forgauest me So when Psal 32. 5. Zaccheus had but resolued to make restitution when as yet he had not done it Christ said Saluation was Luc. 19. 8. 9. come into his house If wee haue not this constant purpose of heart to forsake all our sinnes and to endeauour our selues to the obedience of Gods commandements we haue not yet set one foot ouer the threshold of Repentance The Prophet Ieremie calling vpon Israel to returne they are brought in answering the Lord Behold wee come Ier. 3. 22. vnto thee when this purpose and will of comming is conceiued there is returning So repenting Ephraim is brought in thus resoluing what haue I to Hos 14. 19. doe any more with idols And Iob Once haue I spoken but I will answer no more It is not enough for vs with Agrippa to be halfe perswaded but we must Acts 26. 28. goe through stitch and so pitch it in a setled purpose that we may say with Dauid I haue chosen the Psal 119. way of thy commandements The Prophet Isaiah bids the Iewes to wash them and to make them cleane to Is 1. 16. cease to doe euill and to learne to doe well c. Now it might bee sayd Alas these are hard matters how shall we be able to doe
out of Satans snare but yet so as the prisoner out of prison with the bolt on his legge and so he can goe but slowly yet in his desire hee flies and wishes euery step twenty Wee are still fettered with many infirmities that presse vs so downeward that we cannot runne vp Gods hill and therefore this encreases the vehemency of our desires This is a great comfort to euery true Repentant heart Thou that hast these desires it is an argument of the truth of thy repentance whereby hauing turned thy face towards God thou hast gotten sight of his face and therfore doest so long after him and desire to draw neerer and neerer vnto him A repenting heart is neuer without these earnest desires Blessed saith our Sauiour are they Matth. 5. 3. 6. which are poore in spirit and then hee addes Blessed are they which hunger and thirst after righteousnesse where-euer there is a poore there is a thirsting spirit and these hungring and thirsting desires are euidences of a repenting hearts 6. Duety is Zeale which is a compounded affection 6. Zeale of Loue and Anger There may bee deceit and often is in our desires Euery one pretends they desire Gods commandements but there is no zeale in their desires they are lazie and sluggish desires therefore is Zeale added next to Desire to shewe what kinde of desires these must bee to wit they should be feruent and zealous desires The Desire of the sloathfull slayes him for his hands refuse to worke Prou. 21. 25. But true desire hath zeale ioyned with it which causes vs eagerly to pursue the thing desired and to ouercome all impediments hindring our desires We see in nature how the irascible faculties backes the concupiscible And as fire hath lightnesse whereby it aspires to the highest place so it hath also heat to consume that which should hinder his ascent In the like manner hath the true desire of a repenting sinner the grace of zeale to second it when one had vttered that affectionate speech Blessed are Luc. 14. 14. they that eate bread in the Kingdome of God see how Christ presently entertaines it with the Parable of the ghuests who being inuited to the supper had euery one their excuses from their farmes oxen and wiues whereby Christ seemes to giue a checke to the counterfet desires of many and seemes to insinuate thus much oh you indeede make as if you had a desire to come but you doe but counterfet you meane it not for when God calles you to this supper yee are ready to shuffle off his inuitation with one worldly excuse or another and so are your desires zeale-lesse desires They are so colde so heartlesse and so heatlesse that they cannot leap ouer the least blocke that lyes in their wayes Thus wee see then how fitly zeale followes desire And indeede a true penitentiary cannot but be zealous Zeale must needes be ioyned with repentance for these reasons 1. Repentance is a turning vnto God and a returning into our way out of which we had wandred by our sinnes Now the more way and time a man hath lost the more earnest and zealous he is in the redemption of both A man that hath rid out of his way when once he perceiues it will spurre the harder and gallop the faster till he hath recouered so farre as he might haue beene if hee had kept his way in a good reasonable pace So when the Repentant considers how much knowledge and experience hee might haue gained if the good time which he hath mispent in his sins had beene spent vpon better things when he considers how much of his life is past in sin and knows not how little he hath to come wherin he may walk in obedience he layes the more zealousty about him that what he wants in time he may redeem with his zeale And this is that which Peter vrges That henceforward we should liue as much time as remaines in the body not after 1. Pet. 4. 2. 3. the lusts of men for it is sufficient for vs that we haue spent the time past after the lusts of the Gentiles The longer wee haue beene stragling the more quicke should be our speed in our returne And the same thing doth Paul vrge the Romanes withall As yee haue giuen your members seruants to Rom. 6. 19. Qui per poenitentiam resurgunt magna charitato resplendent saepe maiori quā illi qui nunquā cecidernut Chry. vncleannesse and iniquitie to commit iniquity so now giue your members seruants vnto righteousnesse in holinesse The Repentant will be no lesse zealous in the wayes of grace then hee was in the wayes of sinne and the more zealous will hee bee in the seruice of righteousnesse because hee spent so much of his time and strength in the seruice of iniquity 2. Before repentance wee are blind and cannot see God nor the sweete beauty of his face for indeed our faces are turned from him but in repentance wee turne our faces to God and then seeing him his bounty our crowne and recompence of reward wee arc so rauished and enamoured vpon him as that with Paul in an holy zeale wee forget that which is behind endeuouring our selues to that Phil. 3. 13. 14. which is before and following hard toward the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus 3. The Repentant considers the vnconceiuable loue of God towards him in the pardon of his sins that howsoeuer hee was running headlong into hell to cast away himselfe and his soule yet the Lord stayd him and was mercifull vnto him in the remission of all his offences The meditation of which sweete goodnesse and loue of God constraines 2. Cor. 5. him to bee zealous for the glory of so gracious a God This loue of God in Christ to him constrains him and inflames and fires his heart with an earnest zeale to glorifie the Lord. That whereas before by his sinnes hee had wounded Gods glory now the loue of God who hath had mercy vppon him in plucking him out of the iawes of Sathan makes him now zelous of his glory and carefully to labour to heale these wounds which before his sins had made This we may see in that repenting woman who because much was forgiuen her therefore Luke 7. she loued much that is zelously She had not beene so zelous before in following her filthy and vnclean loues as now she was zelous in following her holy and spirituall loue Now this zeale in repentance shewes it selfe in these properties 1. Property It ouerlookes all difficulties and ouercomes all impediments Much water cannot Cant. 8. quench loue nay it kindles rather and the more water the more loue Zeale dampes at no bogges quagmires hilles or mountaines it is an affection that will wing a man and mount him ouer all It is not a Lyon in the way no nor yet Legions of Deuils in the way can coole it's courage Michols scoffs
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.
that thy impenitent heart refuses his physicke This is Ioh. 3. 19. the condemnation that light being come into the world men loued darknesse rather then light Not darknesse simply that condemnes but obslinate continuance in darknesse with loue of it and delight in it after that light is sent to helpe vs out of darknesse On the contrary then if thou repent not though thy sinnes were neuer so small they haue waight enough to presse thee downe to hell Impenitencie makes small sinnes great and heauy But Repentance makes great sinnes no sinnes in regard of diuine imputation The greatest sinnes are pardonable to the penitent as the smallest vnpardonable to the impenitent And further although our sinnes were pardoned and forgiuen yet can we haue no assurance that they are so the promises of remission belong to vs It is presumption to snatch at the promise before wee haue the condition And though thou hadst pardon yet canst thou haue no peace till thou hast come to God by Repentance For God holds the same rule with vs in forgiuing vs which hee prescribes to vs in the forgiuenes of our brethren For though our brother come not to vs and humble himselfe vnto vs yet are we bound to forgiue him but yet wee are not bound to goe to him to tell him that wee forgiue him but hee is to come and say It repenteth mee Euen so deales God with vs he may happily haue forgiuen vs yet vnlesse wee turne and come againe vnto him and say It repenteth vs hee will not tell vs neither shall his spirit Luc. 17. 4. assure and witnesse it to our hearts that he hath pardoned vs. Now if there bee assurance as well as pardon thou shalt bee perplexed and turmoiled as much in the want of assurance as of pardon God often deales with his children as Ioseph did with his brethren hee would not at first make himselfe knowen vnto them but spake roughly vnto them and threatned them the prison and afterward hee telles them I am Ioseph your brother So till wee are prepared by Repentance neither Gen. 45. will God make himselfe nor our pardon knowen vnto vs but will rather speake roughly and threten the prison of hell but if once we come with broken 1. Pet. 3. 19. and with bleeding hearts vnto him then can he no more refraine himselfe then Ioseph could but will say to our consciences I am your father Bee of good comfort your sinnes are pardoned And when we haue by repentance filled Gods bottle with tears then will hee fill our hearts with this soueraigne balme and will annoynt our hearts with the oyle of gladnesse and the vnspeakable ioy of the holy Ghost Then shall the former feares stings and horrors of the accusing conscience be banished all shall be peace and ioy Repentance charmes the windes and the blustring stormes of the accusing conscience and makes the hauen of thine heart to bee calme and cleere So that we may say of Repentance as they of our Sauiour What kinde of grace is this that the Psal 32. windes and sea obey it euen the sea of a hellish and a raging conscience For the experience of all Gods children that haue had any experience of Repentance in themselues can witnesse thus much that they haue no sooner set themselues to prayer confession and renewing of their couenants with God but though at first they brought an hell in their conscience yet they haue presently felt hell turned into heauen and in steed of the pricke of conscience the vnconceiueble peace of God cheering and comforting them It is Dauids owne experiment I sayd I would confesse and thou forgauest mee that is thou tookest hell out of my conscience and shedst the sense of thy forgiuenes into mine heart Hence it is that in diuerse of the Psalmes specially the penitentiall ones the Prophet beginning in Psal 6. 13. much heauinesse and anguish of spirit ends in much ioy and assurance This is the first euill which Repentance remooues 2. Repentance remooues the euill of sinne in regard 2. Of the staine of the staine the blurre and ignominy For euen this also it takes away It so heals the wound that not so much as the skarre remaines When Onesimus had once repented the staine and ignominy of his theft was taken away Once vnprofitable but now profitable to bee receiued not as a theefe Philem. 11. but as a brother But as long as a man remaines impenitent so long the staine stickes in the soule in such sort as if hee were still in the act of sinning euen as dirt doth in the face till it bee washed out All saith our Sauiour before me are theeues and Ioh. 10. 8. robbers Why sayd he not They were theeues in asmuch as they were dead and gone The reason may bee because they died impenitently in that their sinnes and impenitency seems to continue the sinne though the act bee past Hence it is that a man may say of Cain still that hee is a murtherer but not of Dauid that hee is an adulterer the staine being washed out by repentance and hee beeing made cleere and cleane as the picked glasse Because you say saies Christ to the Pharisies you see Ioh. 9. that is remaine obstinate in your blindnesse therfore your sinne remaines that is the blot and staine of it Sinne casts dirt in our faces and besmeares and befoules vs but after Repentance may a man say as Nebuchadnezzer did of himselfe after his Dan. 4. 33. restoring At the same time was my glory and my beauty restored vnto me so at the time of our Repentance the shame and the deformity which sinne brought vpon vs is takenaway and our glory and our beauty is restored vnto vs which wee had before wee sinned The same thing God promises to the Gentiles in their conuersion Then will I change in the people Zeph. 3. 9. 11. their lips that it may be pure so Iunius reads it with the which all may call vpon the name of the Lord that is I will call them to repentance and then followes a promise of taking away the staine In that day shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy works c. Thus doth repentance take away the shame and the staine of sinne But impenitency sets a very brand-marke of shame vpon the fore-head of the sinner and makes him as foule after as in his sinne A man turning from the sunne remaines so till hee turne him towards it again so in sin turning away from God he remaines so till by a fresh act of Repentance he turne himselfe to God againe The wicked sinner may not thinke that his sinne passed away with the acte which presently vanished No but as the workes of the Repentant follow them to Apoc. 14. the graue so also of the wicked That as the one being dead may be still called iust and holy so the other still wicked and impure A lesson for
any ship the Nineuites became obedient and humbled themselues at his preaching So then afflictions may come and may abide with vs but shall not consume vs no nor yet much disease vs if we haue once eased our backes of the burdens of our sinnes by Repentance This turnes all curses into a blessing God hath raised vp his sonne Iesus saith Peter and him he hath sent to blesse you in turning euery one of you from your iniquities So that turning from sinne is a blessing that turnes all crosses and curses into blessings And thus we see how Repentance remooues euill both of sinne and punishment CHAP. XIX Motiues to Repentance from the good it brings NOw see a little the Good it brings and procures 2. In procuring good And the Good is twofold Spirituall and Temporall The spirituall good which Repentance procures 1. Spirituall is twofold 1. First it brings to the repenting sinner the Holy Ghost Repent saith Peter and be baptized and yee shall receiue the gift of the Holy Ghost Act. 2. 38. Now it brings the Holy Ghost both in respect of 1. The Holy Ghost his Comforts and in respect of his Graces 1. For the Comforts of the Holy Ghost then are 1. In the comforts they most bountifully dispensed to vs when we are most vncomfortable and mourne for sinne Blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted Repentance Matth. 5. 4. is the preparing the way of the Lord in the desert by it are the rough and filthy wayes of our Isai 40. 3. opened hearts amended and made fayre and then the Lord himselfe sets in his feet and walkes in them by it our hearts being made of a desert a paradise Christ comes presently and makes it the place of his delight and solace By repentance wee gaine sweet fellowship with Chtist and a more liuely and comfortable presence of the Holy Ghost For by preparing away in the wildernes is meant the change of our hearts by Repentance and by the way of the Lord is meant the blessed and comfortable presence of Christs spirit within vs when those crooked wayes of ours are made straight by our repentance and these rough places plained Then shall Isai 40. 5. Luc 3. 5. 6. the glory of the Lord be reuealed and all flesh shall see the saluation of God So true in this regard also is that speech Repent for the kingdome of God is at Matth 3. 2. hand that is Christ is a King at hand ready royally to dispense his bounty in powring the vnspeakable comforts of his spirit vpon you 2. It procures the Holy Ghost in respect of his 2. In the graces of it Graces procuring both the meanes of Grace and Grace it selfe God will neuer be wanting to the repentant sinner in the good meanes of grace O ye disobedient children turne againe saith the Lord c. Ier 3. 14. 15. And I will giue vnto you Pastors according to mine heart which shall feede you with knowledge and vnderstanding Thus Cornelius his serious exercises of prayer and repentance brough vnto him first an Angell then an Apostle and then the Holy Ghost himselfe And as it procures the meanes so also Act 10. 3. 25 44 Grace it selfe And among other the gifts and graces of the spirit procured by Repentance we may instance in Knowledge a mayne one and which is the ground of all the rest Now we shall see how Repentance gaines it Sinnes are as scales to our eyes whence they are called workes of darknesse and the Deuill the prince of darknesse but the violent streame of repenting teares carry and brush away these scales Naturall teares indeed dull our bodily eyes but these teares cleare the soules eyes Proouing saies the Apostle if God at any time will 2. Tim 2. 25. giue them Repentance that they may know the truth The reason of our ignorance of Gods word is the hardnes of our hearts which being remooued by repentance we come then to the knowledge of it Excellent is that of Paul concerning the Iewes that 2. Cor 3. 16. when their heart shall be turned to the Lord the vayle should be taken away That vayle of ignorance which thorough the hardnes of their hearts is drawne ouer their eyes by repentance shall be remooued and taken away The Lord saies Dauid will teach sinners Psalm 25. 8. in the way why Ioh 9. he will not heare sinners and will he then teach them He expounds himselfe in the next verse what sinners he meanes euen such as he will heare also euen humble and repenting sinners Them that be meeke will he guide in iudgment vers 9. and teach the humble his way Humiliation is the way to get vnderstanding From the day saies the Angell to Daniel that thou didst set thine heart to vnderstand and to humble thy selfe before thy God Dan 10. 12. thy words were heard Herevpon it is that the ignorance of the Gentiles and the infidelitie of the Disciples Eph 4. 18. Mark 6. 52. 8. 17. is imputed to the hardnesse of their hearts Is it any maruell then that men are so grossely ignorant that they neuer feele the enlightning and quickning presence of the Spirit so that they may euen say in this regard though not we haue not heard yet we haue not felt whether there bee an holy Ghost or no Is this any maruell when men goe on so wilfully and impenitently in their sinnes Repentance is the best commentary to the Minister on his text and to the priuate man on his Ministers Sermon If any man sayes our Sauiour will doe my will and this is the will of God euen our sanctification Ioh. 7. 17. 1. Thess 4. 3. and this is our sanctification by Repentance to correct our errors to endeuor our selues in obedience then he shall know whether the doctrine I speake be of my selfe or of my father It was a good saying of Bradfords That we must first be in the Grammar-schoole of Repentance before wee goe to the vniuersity of Predestination And Cardinall Poole answered not amisse to him that demanded what course should be taken in reading of the Epistle to the Romans First saith he beginne at the twelfth chapter and reade to the end and practise the precepts of Repentance and mortification and then set vpon the former part of the Epistle where iustification and predestination are handled Secondly Repentance bringeth grace and acceptation to all our good workes Insomuch as 2. Acceptation to our seruices without Repentance they are no good workes in Gods sight This will the better appeare if wee consider how that Repentance must haue a double worke in euery good worke It hath both a worke preparatory and conclusory it must beginne and conclude all our seruices to God 1. It hath a preparatory worke whereby wee are fitted and prepared to doe that good which is to be done For when we are to doe any good
because they went on impenitently Rom. 1. in their sinnes with greedinesse This is an heauy and a fearefull iudgement to be giuen vp to the hardnesse of our owne heart Dauid had his choyce of three plagues whether hee would take 2. Sam. 24. but all those three ioyntly are three times easier then this one famine sword and pestilence are mercies to this iudgement Better to bee deliuered vp to the sword famine and pestilence then to an hard heart nay better be deliuered vp to Sathan himselfe then to hardnesse of heart we finde a man deliuered 1. Cor. 5. 5. 1. Cor 2. vp to Sathan and yet he repented and was saued we finde none deliuered or saued that hath beene deliuered vp to the hardnesse of heart Deliuering vp to Sathan is for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit 1 Cor. 5. 5. may be saued but deliuering vp to the hardnesse of heart is for the destruction both of flesh and spirit both of soule and body It is a desperate euill to be deliuered vp to ones owne heart Adulterers by Gods Law should be stoned to death though now mans Law be more fauorable yet God secretly executes his Law vpon impenitent adulterers for he stones them with the heauiest and hardest stone that is euen with a stony heart to which he deliuers all such impure beasts 2. Desperation They that thinke Repentance 2. Desperation is a bitter cup to the which they will not lay their lips shall drinke a cup of Satans owne tempering and shall sucke vp the very lees of it If thou refuse heauenly repentance though shalt with Iudas be forced to a desperate hellish repentance Though sinne may lie a sleepe a while before the doore as with Caine like a drowsie sluggish cur yet at the length it will awaken and barke so hideously and grinne so fearefully in thy face that though thou bee not driuen with Saul to murder thy selfe or with Iudas and Achitophel to hang thy selfe yet shall thy conscience bee no lesse dismayd with desperate feares then theirs were 3. Eternall condemnation The impenitent 3. Eternall damnation Is 4. 4. person shall fall into that bottomelesse pit of fire and brimstone Repentance is called the spirit of burning It is a burning fire that consumes our sinnes if this fire burne not our sinnes Hell fire will burne our soules If our Gospell be hid it is hid to them 2. Cor. 4. 3. that perish saith the Apostle Heereupon our Sauiour threatens those Iewes that they should die in their Ioh. 8. 24. sinnes If they should die in them they should rise in them and if they should rise in them then shold their sinnes rise vp against them and fall heauy vpon them to presse them downe into the lowermost hell This is the sinne which of all others encreases a mans damnation Therefore impenitent sinners are sayd to heape vp wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2. 5. euen the whole heape of all their sinnes and the whole heap of Gods wrath shall be laid vpon them So our Sauiour pronounces an heauy sentence vpon those impenitent cities where he had preached That it should bee easier for Sodom and Gommorrha Matth 11 21. 22. 23. 24. in the day of iudgement then for them Surely they that haue the least paine in hell shall haue but litle cause to bragge of their ease Euen the least sinnes shall haue smart enough what then shall the crying sinnes of the Sodomites haue Sodomy was a monstrous sinne such a sinne that as Chrysostome saies Cogitato quam graue illud sit peccatum et quod ipsam Gehennam etiam ante tempus apparere coegerit Chrys ad Rom. 1. hom 4. it made hell to appeare before the time such a sin as made an hell on earth Such a sinne then as had an hell on earth must needes haue an hell with a witnesse in hell Needes must their damnation be fearefull and easelesse that began so earely And yet the accursed Sodomites shall haue an easier hel then such impenitent persons as reiect Gods mercy in the Gospell Sodom and Gomorrhaes hell shall be an heauen to Bethsaida and Chorazins hell An impenitent person shall thinke himselfe to haue beene an happy man if he had beene one of those accursed Sodomites that once perished with fire and brimstone from heauen and now lie yelling and howling in the lake that burnes with fire and brimstone in hell Oh how heauie shall his condition be how vnconceiueable his woe and torment that shall enuy and grinde and gnash his teeth at a cursed and damned Sodomite for his happinesse Oh consider this all yee that forget God lest he teare you in Psal 50. 22. peeces and there be none that can deliuer you Repent and the Kingdome of God is at hand to receiue thee Repent not and the Kingdome of hell is at hand to double-damne and deuoure thee Gratias tibi Domine Iesu MICHAEL and the DRAGON OR CHRIST tempted AND Sathan foyled Penned by the late faithfull Minister of God DANIELL DYKE Bachelour in Diuinitie Published since his death by his Brother I. D. Minister of Gods word HEB. 2. 18. For in that he suffered and was tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted LONDON Printed by Edward Griffin for Ralph Mab and are to be sold in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the Greyhound 1616. THE HISTORIE of Christs temptation recorded by three of the foure EVANGELISTS Matth. 4. 1. THen was Iesus led aside of the spirit into the wildernesse to be tempted of the deuill 2. And when he had fasted fortie dayes and fortie nights he was afterwards hungry 3. Then came to him the Tempter and said If thou be the Sonne of God command that these stones be made bread 4. But he answering said It is written Man shall not liue by bread onely but by euery word that proceeds out of the mouth of God 5. Then the deuill tooke him vp into the holy Citie and set him on a pinacle of the Temple 6. And said vnto him If thou be the Sonne of God cast thy selfe downe for it is written that he will giue his Angells charge ouer thee and with their hands they shall lift thee vp lest at any time thou shouldest dash thy foot against a stone 7. Iesus said vnto him It is written againe Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God 8. Againe the deuill tooke him vp into an exceeding high mountaine and shewed him all the kingdomes of the world and the glory of them 9. And said vnto him All these will I giue thee if thou wilt fall downe and worship me 10. Then said Iesus vnto him Auoide Satan for it is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue 11. Then the deuill left him and behold the Angells came and ministred vnto him Mark 1. 12. AND immediately the spirit driues him into the wildernesse 13. And hee was
thorough his sides mortally pierced all their soules Looke then as a man by his parts or place is fitted to doe Sathan more harme as learned men wise men in the Church or Common-wealth so much the more doth Sathan oppose them and the rather because in them he ouerthrowes many others Augustine when God called him was farre more assaulted by Sathan than Alixius because of Augustine his greater learning Moses when he began to execute Moses his calling what troubles had he So Paul Paul aboue his fellowes because of greatest gifts maligned of Sathan And Zach 3. Sathan was standing Zach. 3. Iehoshua This serues first for caution at the right hand of Iehoshua the high Priest Such persons then haue heere their Item to take heede to themselues Sathan hath desired to winnow you The choisest wits the quickest spirits the greatest parts the deepest learning the highest callings he labours to prey vpon If he see a yoong gentleman of great parts place and parentage likely to bee aduanced and called foorth to great seruices he will specially labour to corrupt him with the loue of vanities and vaine pleasures and with the contagion of euill company and euill counsellours This also is comfort 2. For Consolation to those of such parts and places when thus troubled by Sathan or his instruments whether Magistrates or Ministers It is a signe Sathan is afrayd of them And on the contrary that Sathan neuer feares any great hurt from them in their places of the Magistracy or Ministery whom he lets quietly alone In the whole history of the Acts wee shall see how the Apostles almost neuer came to any place but Sathan began to rage tempest against them The second poynt The cause and manner of this 2 The cause manner of Christs going into the desert his going He was led by the Spirit By the Spirit vnderstand the Holy Spirit not the impure one First because mention was made of this Spirit immediately before in the former chapter by Matthew Secondly because of that which followes to be tempted of the Diuell whereas if the vncleane spirit the Diuell himselfe had beene meant thereby then rather the words should haue runne thus He was led of the spirit to be tempted by him Thirdly Luke is plaine He returned from Iordan full of the Holy Spirit and was led 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by that spirit into the wildernesse Doct 1 Led Some referre it onely to the inward motion of the minde others also to the motion of his body miraculously carried rapt as Philip Act 8. Acts 8. by the spirit into the wildernesse And to this doe they referre that afterwards Luc. 4. 14. concerning the rumour that went of Christ To this I rather encline both because Markes words fauoureth it the spirit thrust him foorth and because that if it had bin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mark 1. 12. otherwise hee would haue had after these miracles at Iordan so many followers that the worke of tentation intended would haue beene hindred And yet this extraordinary motion of his body hinders not the voluntarines of his minde which as it is the grace of all other of his sufferings so of his temptations that he was not led as a Beare to the stake but went to it with courage and cheerefulnesse The Vse This leading of Christ by the spirit was extraordinary yet we must thus far imitate it That the very motions of our body and our goings to and from places must bee from the direction The very motions of our bodies must be from direction of Gods word and spirit of the Word and so of the Spirit of God As was Noahs going in and comming out of the Arke Iaakobs going to and comming from Laban But many are led by the Diuell as dogs in a string and carried from the Church to the alehouse the stewes and the stage The Spirit of God carries vs to no such places Doct 2 All our temptations are disposed and ordered by the secret will and counsell of God Hee leades vs All our temptations are disposed by Gods secret will and counsell Sathan is chained 1 Chron 21. 1. 2. Sam. 24. 1. and goes before Who then would not follow such a guide and be cheerefull in all our trials Sathan is a mastiue but yet in Gods chaine and cannot come out at vs to baite vs vnlesse God loose him and set him on vs. Therefore 1. Chron. 21. 1. Sathan is sayd to mooue Dauid to number the people and 2. Sam. 24. 1. God is sayd to mooue Dauid to it euen as both the dogge may bee sayd to bait the beast and the owner of the beast that brings him to be baited and suffers the dogge to be set vpon him Heere then is sweet comfort in these baytings A Comfort to the tempted Christian God is by and lookes on hee will haue pitty on vs if he see this curre too violent hee will plucke him off As the owner of the beast is so mercifull to his beast as not to let vs bee killed by the mastiues If thou feele thy selfe ready to faile and sinke in tentation lift vp thine heart to that Spirit that led thee to be tempted and yet will not suffer thee to be led into temptation He that set him on hee onely can take him off The third poynt The end of his going To be tempted 3. The end of Christs going into the desert of che Diuell Heere six questions may be asked Quest 1 1. Quest What is it to tempt or to be tempted Answ The word which is the first roote is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What it is to tempt or to be tempted to pierce thorough And so this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comming of it is to take triall because by piercing thorough a thing it is tried what it is within whether sound or no. Thereafter then as the meanes are to try or discouer so is the word of tempting vsed For first there is a triall by a naked offring of obiects or occasions thus we say of delicate meats they are temptations So prosperitie riches c. are temptations And crosses also Iam. 1. 2. And thus is God sayd to tempt in Scripture because in his How God tempts Iames 1. 2. prouidence he offers obiects and such occasions as will try vs and when he sends vs either wealth honours or the contrary when he sends vs his Word the precepts and exhortations thereof As by speeches cast out we also do trie and as we say feele one another So Gen. 22. God tempted Abraham in Gen 22. How Sathan tempts that commandement of offring vp Isaac Secondly Triall is by earnest perswasion and sollicitation to sinne for by this meanes we are tried what we are as Iosephs chastity was tried by his mistresses perswasions And this is the Deuils tempting Sometime the fisherman onely sets his bait without any vrging of the fish to
and last end but as one vnder God that had receiued that he had of him Thus wee see how this text answers Sathans first temptation to outward idolatry It answers also in the latter clause And him onely shalt thou serue the second temptation to inward idolatry in the loue of honour and riches God onely must bee our master not God and riches Matth. 6. Hee must haue all our heart and affections Psal 73. Whom haue I ô Lord in heauen or in earth but thee And thus much of the combate betweene Christ and Sathan the second maine head of this story The third followes The issue It is two-fold The third part the issue of Christs temptation 1. The diuela departure Then the Diuell left him Matth. 4. 11. 2. The Angels ministring For the first Out of it we learne The first issue Doct. 1 1. That God will giue an issue to all the trials of his children so that they shall not alwayes continue God will giue an issue to the trials of his children vpon them 1. Cor. 10. 13. There hath no tentation taken you but such as appertaine to man and God is faithfull which will not suffer you to bee tempted aboue that you be able but will euen giue the issue with the temptation that yee may be able to beare it Doctr. 2 2. Wee see heere in our Sauiours practise how true that of Iames is Iam. 4. 7. Resist the Diuell and Resistance of Sathan puts him to flight he will flie from you A coward inuites him The more we giue place to him the more he encroches The way to bee rid of him is not to yeeld to him The reason is plaine Resisting is more then a mans worke When hee sees a man goe about to resist him he perceiues God is there and therefore flies the presence of God Where no resistance is there he perceiues the spirits absence so conceiues hope of easie victory Let vs then shew our spirits in resisting and fighting with Sathan Heere a word and blow is the best If the Diuell speake but the least word in temptation draw presently vpon him or thou emboldnest him Quest How should I resist him Answ 1. With Gods word as heere our Sauiour The way to resist Sathan did seriously meditating on it and by faith applying it to thy selfe 2. With our owne words in prayer Amalek cannot preuaile so long as Moses his hands are held vp Resistance indeede is by faith whom resist stedfast in the faith 1. Pet. 5. 9. Now faith 1. Pet. 5. 9. vses both the word and prayer In resisting the iniuries offred vs by men if wee reuenge them our selues we complaine not or if wee complaine to superiours wee reuenge them not our selues But heere both must bee done Wee must both resist him with blowes and violence in striking at him with the sword of the Spirit the word of God as also with complaints put against him to the Lord in our prayers S. Luke addes that he departed for a season Luke 4. 13. which implies that though Sathan had receiued this terrible foile and such a foyle as might for euer haue put him out of all hope of victory yet after a while againe such was his malice such his shameles impudent importunity that he would not for all this rest but would yet againe assault our Lord. It teaches vs then Doct. That which before hath also beene noted Sathans inuincible malice and importunity He himselfe was heere ouercome and yet not his malice Sathans malice is inuincible his temptations yet not his impudency Who would haue thought that euer Sathan put to so fowle and shamefull a foyle durst euer haue peept out of his denne againe and haue showen his face any more And yet his malice makes him both blind and restlesse We finde him againe at our Sauiour Matth. 16. 22. 23. where he vsed Peter as his stalking Mat. 16. 22 23. horse If after such an inglorious foile giuen by the sonne of God who had thus trampled him in the mire vnder his feete and so victoriously triumphed ouer him his malice would yet serue him for new aduentures what then will it doe where hee findes his repulse more gentle and his denials more easie Neuer must we hope for any truce with this aduersary Though he haue the worst by neuer so much yet will not his malice endure to heare of a peace no not of a truce As hee neuer slumbers nor sleepes that keepes Israel so neither hee that hates Israel Psal 121. 4. Neuer hope we to be freed from Sathans molestations till wee haue gotten that great gulfe Luk. 16. Luke 16. 26. 26. betweene him and vs. Wee may sometimes haue somewhat more peaceable intermissions hee may for a season forbeare vs but yet neither will those seasons bee long for hee knowing his time to bee short Reuel 12. will bee sure that those seasons Reu 12. shall not be ouerlong And therefore our wisdome will be to redeeme these seasons and if any rest bee giuen vs from his malice to be arming our selues against a new combate Bee not too secure thou mayst as well thinke he will cease to be a Diuell as cease to tempt The second issue is the Angels ministring And loe The second issue the Angels came and ministred vnto him They ministred either food to his hungry body or comfort to his troubled soule wearied with Sathans wicked temptation or else they ministred triumphing at his victory And this is set foorth by way of admiration And behold the Angels c. Him whom the Diuell so vilely vsed The Angels doe seruice vnto Learne first Doct. 1 1. The difference betwixt Christs temptations and ours He had no helpe but his owne The Angels The difference betwixt Christs temptations ours came not to him to minister till after the temptations were ended but to vs they minister in the very act of temptation Doct 2 2. When we haue been abused by Sathans wicked instruments God will send some of his to bee in God raiseth vp comforters vnto his seruants after the abuses of Sathans instruments Luke 16. stead of ministring Angels to vs. So after Shimeis railing and Absaloms treachery the Lord raysed vp many faithfull friends and comforters to Dauid Though the rich man despised Lazarus Luk. 16. yet the Angels despised not to carry his soule into heauen Nay God himselfe oftentimes as I may say ministers vnto his abused and oppressed Saints Witnes those many vnspeakable comforts ministred vnto the harts of the Martyrs in their prisons at the stake and in the fire How may this comfort vs against the railings and scoffings of Michall What though she scoffe yet Dauid shall bee honoured of others euen of those in whose eyes shee desires hee might be despicable 2. Sam. 6. 22. 2. Sam. 6. 22. Doct. 3 3. See how Gods prouidence is neuer wanting to those that make it their portion Nothing is lost Nothing is lost by waiting on Gods prouidence by waiting vpon Gods prouidence If Christ had hearkened to Sathan to haue made bread of stones and so out of a distrust in Gods prouidence had vnlawfully releeued himselfe hee would haue found it indeede bread of stones euen like Salomons bread of deceit full of grauell it would haue beene stony and grauelly stuffe to his conscience If Christ hearkned vnto Sathan and had by that miracle serued himselfe the Angels heere had not serued him Who would not wait vpon Gods prouidence to be thus waited vpon by Gods Angels Trust God in all thy straights make not bread of stones and rather then thou shalt want God will send not onely Rauens to feede thee as they did Eliah 1. King 17. 6. but an 1. King 17. 6. Angell to feede thee also as he did to the same Eliah 1. King 19. 5. 6. when wee are not thorough distrust 1. King 19. 5. 6. ouer-hasty to serue our selues rather then faile the Angels shall serue vs. So well shall he be serued and so assuredly shall hee bee fed that makes Gods prouidence his portion FINIS
tell his dreame that is awakened out of his dreame so he only can confesse his sinne that is truely and throughly awakened out of his sinne by the spirit of God farre are they from repentance who in stead of a free and childlike confession after their sinne are ready to vse shifts excuses extenuations minsings mittigations daubings with vntempered mortar nay that do sow cushions vnder their elbowes and lay pillowes vnder their heads that thy may sleepe securely in their sinnes A pittifull thing it is that whereas God hath giuen shame to sinne boldnesse to confession the matter should bee so inuerted Pudorem et vere undiam Deus dedit peccatâ— Confessioni fidutiam Inuertit rem Diabolus et peccato fiduciam praebet confessioni pudorem Non pudet peccare poeuitere pudet Chrys Iosh 7. 19. Dan 9. that men should be impudently bold in sinning and yet ashamed to confesse when they haue sinned Well in concealing thy sinne thou doest but keepe the Diuells counsell his secretary thou art whose pollicie it is thus to ouerthrow thee Hee knowes right well the next way for vs to get glory from God is to glorifie God And then doe wee glorifie him when by confession wee shame our selues According to that of Ioshua to Achan My sonne giue glory vnto God and of Daniel Glory to thee O Lord shame to vs. When man will not glorifie God by shaming himselfe God will glorifie himselfe by shaming man When man will not open his mouth to pleade against himselfe and his sinnes God will stop his mouth when hee would faine plead for himselfe before his iudgement seat and strike him dumbe that hee shall not haue one word to say in his own defence It is deceit enough that the Diuell should bring vs to sinne t is double deceit to make vs hide and excuse our sinnes and so to preuent vs of that mercy which is promised to simple and ingenious confession Hauing sinned therefore lay not in the way of Gods mercy the Noli opponere obicem defensionis sed aperi sinum confessionis Aug. Psal 51. 1. 2. 3. stumbling blocke of thine owne iustification but open the lap of thy confession to receiue it as Dauid doth Haue mercy vpon mee c. but why for I know or acknowledge my iniquity Well may hee open his lap to receiue Gods mercy that opens his mouth to confesse his owne misery Open thy mouth Psal 81. wide in hearty prayer and confession and I will fill it with the sense of fauour and mercy CHAP. VIII Of reall Humiliation THe expressing of our Humiliation in Deede 2. In deed followes And it consists in three sorts of actions 1. Such as respect our selues 2. Such as respect God 3. Such as respect our brethren 1. For our selues And that is the restraint of 1. In regard of our selues our selues in the vse of the comforts and pleasures of this life as meats mirth marriage musicke apparell company c. This restraint must be somtimes Ioel 2 15 16. 17. Exod. 33 4. in action when in more speciall sort we humble our selues in fasting but alwayes in affection so that we bee not deuoured and eaten vp of any earthly pleasure but may reioyce as though we reioyced 1. Corinth 7. not In wearing of sumptuous apparell bee no more puffed vp nor make any more reckoning of it then if it were sack-cloath in faring more dantily be no more prouoked to excesse in gluttony or to satisfying of our appetite then if we sate at a poore leane table Repentance is the sobriety of minde but wordly pleasures make the minde drunken This is the heauinesse spoken of Luc. 21. 34. Take heede lest your hearts bee oppressed with surfetting and drunkennesse It is a drunken heauinesse not the heauinesse of godly sorrow And indeed this is the reason that many are so eager in the pursuits of their pleasures because they would make Gods Sergeant their owne conscience that pursues them drunken with these pleasures iust as many men vse to doe getting the Sergeant that comes to arrest them into the Tauerne and there making him drunke that so they may escape This excesse that is in pleasures shewes how little men haue tasted of true humiliation If they did bathe themselues in salt teares could they bathe themselues in this sweet milke If they did consider what Christ suffred for their sinnes his want of all these outward comforts euen of an house to hide his head in his hunger thirst nakednesse his vineger on the crosse Could they so fill and glut themselues euen to satiety and surfet with the pleasures of this life and spend their whole precious time in them would they not rather steepe their owne dainties in this vineger of godly sorrow and delay this strong wine with this water and eate their meats as the Iewes their Passeouer with sowre hearbs If Exod. 12. their spirituall ioy in that Sacrament where Christ was giuen to the Beleeuer was to be seasoned with this sorrow how much more should this outward temporall ioy Thus did Dauid notably expresse his humiliation I cause my bed euery night to swimme Psal 6. 6. and water my couch with my teares His bedde is the place of his ease Now look how he qualefied that one ease and comfort so by proportion did he all the rest Not our beds onely but our boords our gardens our fine buildings all our delights must be washed with this water as good Bradford vsually at his dinner vsed to shed teares on his trencher So the woman Luc. 7. sate weeping and wiping while they were eating at table Ioseph of Arimathea makes his garden or place of pleasure to be a place of Humiliation by building a sepulcher therein Thus also doth Ieremie bring in the repenting sinner testifying his humiliation He sits Lam. 3. 28. alone retyring himselfe into his closet from his vain and delightfull company he shuts him vp himselfe close and layes his mouth in the dust what then shall we say to our Epicures to our good fellowes and the rest of that crue but that of Amos 6. Woe bee to them that are at ease in Zion not sitting alone not washing their beds with their teares but with their quaffings and carowsings They lie stretching themselues on iuory beds eating the lambs of the flocke and the calues out of the stall and sing to the sound of th violl c. For as they forget Iosephs affliction so they forget their owne sinnes were they remembred they would be sowre sawce to their sweete meate and would be as gall and wormewood to imbitter vnto them all their vaine delights 2. Such as respect God And those actions are 2. Such as respect God are twofold twofold 1. Feare trembling silence at his rebukes and 1. Feare threatnings Is 66. 2. I looke to him that is of an humble and contrite heart but who that is he shewes by the words following