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
Take heede of that deceitfulnesse of heart whereby we promise our selues great matters of our selues if wee might but change our estates and callings to our mindes Oh how liberall would the poore man be if he were rich how vpright and iust the priuate man if he were a Magistrate But they consider not that there are temptations in those estates and callings and that more dangerous then in their owne and therefore they know not what they shall doe till they haue triall of themselues And therefore they should rather feare the worst of themselues So much of Sathans temptation Now let vs see Christs answer But Iesus answered and sayd It is written Man liueth not by bread onely but by euery word that proceedeth Christs answer to Sathans temptation out of the mouth of the Lord. The diuels argument was If thou wert the sonne of God thou wouldst turne stones into bread to releeue thine hunger and so preserue thine humanity which otherwise will perish But thou doest not turne stones into bread Therefore c. Our Lords answer now is both to the consequence and the false ground of it To the consequence hee answers by retorting it most excellently whatsoeuer proceedes out of the mouth of God can preserue mans life Therefore it followes not that if I be God I must needes nourish my body by bread oh absurd and senselesse Sathan Nay if I could not nourish my body but by bread then were I not God and therefore need I not turne these stones into bread because I am God and can make what I will to nourish me euen stones without being turned into bread To the ground of the consequence which was that without bread his life could not bee preserued he answers that it was directly false and prooues it by the words of Scripture Deut. 8. Man liueth not by bread c. Deut. 8. 3. And thus we see the scope of this answer Wherin Consider 1. Whence it is taken 2. The answer it selfe Doct. 1 For the first It is taken out of Deut. 8. Where Moses tels the Israelites that God therefore did feed them with Manna from heauen to teach them that man liueth not by bread onely Our Lord could haue confounded the Diuell otherwise but to shew the power of the Scripture and to grace it and to The word of God is the sword of the Spirit wherewith we must wound Satan Ephes 6. giue vs an example of fighting against Sathan hee chuses this way of confuting him by the written word This is that sword of the spirit Eph. 6. wherewith we must wound Sathan We are bidden to resist him by faith but this faith is grounded on Gods word Vse 1 The Vse 1. Against the Papists that take away the weapons from Gods people and so betray them into the hands of their enemies and in steed of the sharpe two edged swords of the spirit giue vs a leaden and a woodden sword of their owne as their holy water their crossings their graines and their durty reliques It is not the signe of the crosse but the word of the crosse that ouerthrowes Sathan For he is that strong man that will not yeeld but to a stronger Now the signe of the crosse and holy water and such bables are humane inuentions and therefore too weake to chase him away But the word of God hath a diuine power in it and so is able to ouercome him And indeed if there were no other argument to prooue the Scripture to be Gods word this were sufficient that it hath power to quaile and to quash Sathans temptations Vse 2 2. Against such of vs as delight in other bookes and not in Gods and this is the fault of many ministers that are mighty in the Fathers Schoole-men and Counsels but not with Apollos in the Scriptures Acts 18. 24. Acts 18. 24. But Ministers with Christ should labour to bee good Textuaries and not Ministers onely but all Christians in their places For Christ heere alledgeth Scripture not as a Minister but as one tempted to defend himselfe Now all Christians are subiect to temptations In the plague time none will goe abroad without some preseruatiue None will goe foorth into the fields but take at least a staffe with them for feare of the worst Those that trauell will not ride without their swords Those that know they haue enemies will neuer goe foorth vnweaponed and Kings alwayes haue their guards Now all of vs hauing Sathans temptations and our enemies ready for vs at euery turne we had neede daily to resort to the armoury of the Scriptures and there to furnish our selues For when this word shal be hid in our hearts and enter into our soules then shall we preuaile both against the violent man and the flattring woman that is against all kinde of temptations whether on the right or on the left hand I haue hid thy word saith Dauid Psal 119. in mine hart Psal 119. that I might not sinne Thus Ioseph preuailed against that temptation to folly by remembring the seauenth commandement The reason why we are so Genes 39. often foiled is for that we read not the Scriptures at all or else carelesly without affection or attention and impression in the heart Let vs now then like good ants hoard vp against the winter of triall of this spirituall graine In that time one sauoury sentence of Scripture shall do vs more seruice then all the pretty and witty sayings sentences of Fathers Philosophers and Poets If Christ as man notwithstanding his vnion with the God-head had vse and comfort of the Scripture how much more then the most holiest men Cast not off the study of the Scriptures onely to the Ministers Though the law bee not thy profession yet thou wilt haue so much skill in it as to hold thine inheritance and to keepe thy land from the cauiller So heere though diuinity bee not thy profession yet get so much skill as to keepe thine heauenly inheritance against Sathans cauils As any is more subiect to Sathans temptations so hath hee greater neede of the Scriptures Therefore Princes and great ones specially haue speciall great neede of them Deut. 17. 18 19. Iosh Deu. 17. 18. 19. Iosh 1. 8. 1. 8. And betimes let vs inure our little ones to them Who knowes but that the alledging of these texts heere might bee the fruit of that institution in the Scriptures in his childhood vnder his parents 2. The answer it selfe followes In which heere are two things 1. First a concession or grant implied 2. The answer it selfe in the word Onely Man liueth not by bread only It implies thus much I grant that ordinarily man liues by bread Where by bread synechdochically is meant all other the creatures made for food As Iob 1. They went to eat bread that is to feast banquet Then secondly a restriction of the grant Yet not onely by bread but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth
Now the hard knotty wood must haue a hard wedge An angry word or looke workes more vpon a softly then an hundred blows would vpon a crosse and sturdy spirit Both these reasons hold also in S. Paul that Prince of the Apostles ordained of God to bee a worthier instrument then the rest being a man of great parts singular learning and withall as it should seeme by the story of a fierce and fiery spirit So great personages whose high places puffe them vp that they may truely repent had need to be taken down throughly with a deep sense of the legall terrors For euen we poore worms that haue nothing almost either in regard of our parts or places to make vs swell see yet what a do we haue to be humbled and what neede wee haue of the wedge of the Law and afflictions to be driuen in throughly into our hearts Quest 3. To what end and purpose doth the Lord thus exercise his children whom hee brings to repentance Answ There are more especially sixe reasons of Gods proceeding in this manner 1. To vrge them to seeke vnto Christ as the hunted beast flies to his den and the pursued malefactour to the hornes of the altar and as vnder the Law the chased man-killer to his city of refuge Thus Agar confounded with the sense of his owne brutishnesse fled vnto Ithiel and Vcal that is Christ Iesus Prou. 30. 1. 2. 3. Paul likewise when so followed by the Law that being almost out of breath he cried out Miserable man that I am hides himselfe in the hole of this rocke euen in the wounds of Christ I thanke God through Iesus Christ Rom. 7. Thus the destroying Angell droue the Israelites into their chambers and made them lurke there Exod. 12. 32. Is 26. 20. and Dauids deepes made him send foorth many a deepe sigh and strong cry to the throne of grace Psal 130. 1. as Christ himselfe did in the like case Hebr. 5. 2. To bring their tastes into better rellish with Christ Thirst makes vs rellish our drinke Hunger our meat The full stomacke of a Pharisie surcharged with the superfluities of his owne merits will loath the hony-combe of Christs righteousnesse Their heart is fat as grease saith Dauid but I delight in thy Law By the opposition shewing that Psal 119. 70. it is onely the leane heart pined and pinched with spirituall famine that feeles delight in the promises This was it which made that young Prodigall to rellish euen seruants fare though before wanton when full fed at home Nothing more vnsauoury to a senselesse brawny heart then Christs bloud No more rellish feeles hee in it then in a chip But ô how acceptable is the fountaine of liuing waters to the chased Hart panting and braying The bloud of Christ to the weary and tired soule to the thirsty conscience scorched with the sense of Gods wrath He that presents him with it how welcome is he euen as a speciall choyce man one of a thousand The deeper is the sense of misery Iob 33. 19. 23. the sweeter is the sense of mercy The traytour layd downe on the blocke is more sensible of his Soueraignes mercy in pardoning then he who is not yet attached Therefore cxcellently S. Paul God hath shut vp all vnder sinne that hee might haue mercy on all As though hee could not shew mercy without shewing iustice because wee cannot taste the sweet of his mercy vnlesse before our mouths be imbittered with the wormewood of his iustice With thee the father lee shall finde mercy saith repenting Hos 14. 4. Israel When a man is brought into the straits of a poore desolate shiftlesse orphane then is hee fit for mercy Sweetly Bernard God poures not the Deus non infundit oleum misericordiae nisi in vas contritum oyle of his mercy saue into a broken vessell For indeed whole vessels are full vessels And so Gods precious oyle would runne ouer and be spilt on the ground if powred into them Therefore first must they be emptied of their euill liquour and that they cannot vnlesse Gods hand shake tumble batter and breake them and then will they be capable of that oyle 3. To worke a more perfect cure of their sins For the cure of the stone in the heart is like that of the stone in the bladder God must vse sharpe incision and come with his pulling and plucking instruments and rend the heart in peeces ere that sin can be got out of it Euen as a tree that is deepely rooted in the earth cannot be pluckt vp by the very roots but the earth though firme before must be broke vp And as in a lethargie it is needefull the patient should be cast into a burning feuer because the senses are benummed and this will wake them and dry vp the besotting humors so in our dead security before our conuersion God is faine to let the Law Sinne Conscience and Sathan loose vpon vs and to kindle the very fire of hell in our soules that so wee might bee roused Our sinnes sticke close vnto vs as the prisoners bolt and wee are shut vp vnder them as in a strong prison and therefore vnlesse as once in Paul and Silas their case an earth-quake so heere there come a mighty heart-quake violently breaking open the prison doores and shaking of our fetters neuer shall wee get our liberty We goe on resolutely and stoutly in our sinnes and vnlesse wee bee scared as once Balaam in his couetousnesse by the naked sword of the Lord threatning destruction wee will neuer turne backe How violently did Sathan driue Paul in the way of persecution Would he euer haue giuen ouer if a contrary winde had not encountred him and blew him off his horse and smit him down to the ground dead and blinde But then hee had his lesson giuen him for euer persecuting more How now Paul is it good persecuting how now vnhappy venturous childe is it good running neer the fire the water when thy father shall take thee vp by the heeles and scorch thee and drench thee and almost let thee quite fall in How now Lot is it good staying in Sodome when fire and brimstone are comming about thine eares If Dauid like of his broken bones let him fall againe to murther and adultery If thou like the sowre sawce of a guilty hellish conscience fall to the sweet meat of thy sin and eat vnto surfet But this sowre sawce makes the Elect of God loath their meat though neuer so sweete When they see they cannot retaine their right hands eyes and feet without such aches such tortures yea and danger of the ouerthrow of the whole body then they yeelde them to the cutting and mortifying hand of the Surgeon Then farwell profit farwell pleasure treasure and all rather then I will endure such a racke such a hell in my conscience 4. To make vs the more pliable to Gods will How refractary was the woman of Samaria till
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
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
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
More specially This life is indeede the time of Repentance yea any time of it in regard of hope and possibility both which are taken from vs after death So Paul sets downe no certaine time but prouing if God at any time will giue them repentance But yet in regard of our duety to practise repentance the time present is the time Euen this very 2. Tim. 2. 25. now wherein I speake if hitherto thou hast not repented Hence it is that the Apostle so much beats 2. Cor. 6. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vpon this now Behold now the accepted time behold now the day of saluation He beats vpon the very 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the time present the very instant of the time present So hee beats as much vpon to day to day if ye will heare his voice To day is Gods voyce To Heb. 3 and 4. morrow the Diuells If our neighbour must not be put off till to morrow say not to thy neighbour goe Prou. 3 28. and come againe to morrow Then how much lesse must God If ye will seeke saies Isay namely after God by repentance seeke out of hand without further delay and enquire returne and come And againe Isay 21. 12. Isay 55. 6. seek the Lord while he may be found when is that while he is neer in the meanes of the word and motions of the spirit to thy heart Now hee is ready to be found while he cals vpon thee to seeke him But the Diuell still keepes his olde wont and when Christ comes to cast him out by Repentance he cries out why art thou come to torment me before my time Too many are like those Iewes that said Matth. 8. The time was not yet come to build the house of the Lord. But against these delayes and prorogations of repentance we may consider these arguments Hagg. 1. 1. Consider the vncertainty of thy life which is such as thou canst haue no assurance of it no not for a minute True it is at the twelfth houre euen in thine olde age thou mayest repent but how knowest thou that thou shalt see the twelfth houre God hath promised pardon to him that repenteth but hath not promised the morrow to him that defers The whole time of Repentance is but a day oh that Paenitentiae indulgentiam sed dilationi dâ—â—m crastinum non promisit Amb. Luc. 19. in this thy day but yet it is not in this as in other dayes for after them followes such a night as hath a day returning again After this day coms an eternall night And againe in other dayes the time is determined for the end but it is not so in this day wee cannot say of this day that there are twelue houres in it How many are there whose sunne hath Itaque sic agendus omnis dies tanquam agmen agat expleat ac consummet vitam Qui dicit vixi quotidie surgit ad lucrum Seneca set at noone-day who in the prime and floure of their dayes haue beene taken away yea whose sunne hath set in the very rising Therefore bee yee prepared also for ye know not at what houre the Sonne of man will come Thou sayest thou wilt repent at thy death well I take that thou grantest Euen this day for ought thou knowest is the day of thy death Out of thine owne mouth then will I iudge thee thou euill seruant An tibi quoque concedet Concedet fortasse inquis Quid aâ— fortasse interdum saepe In mentem tibi veniat se de anima taa consilium inire Contrarium etiam pone c. Chrysost ad 2 Cor. 13. hom 22. Thou art to account euery day the day of thy death why then doest thou not repent to day since thou art to looke for death to day I but sayes our youngster I haue knowen many liue till their old age and haue repented then Well what then sayth Chrysostome Art thou sure that God will grant the same to thee Thou sayest Peraduenture he will what sayest thou peraduenture and sometimes and oftentimes Bethinke thy selfe that the businesse thou hast in hand concernes thy soule Therefore suppose the contrary and thinke with thy selfe what if God should not grant it me Who would be so madde to put his soule to the aduenture vpon a Peraduenture Peraduenture thou mayest liue till thou bee olde and why not as well Peraduenture thou mayest die both in thy youth and so sodaine a death as thou shalt not haue time to speake much lesse to repent In other matters in the things of the world we can number our daies in this manner as to summe them vp and so apply our hearts to worldly wisdome Wee can make our wils in our health let slip no opportunity of furthering our estate because wee thinke I may die too morrow Oh that wee could so number our dayes as to apply them to the spirituall and heauenly wisdome of Repentance Enimuero quuÌ„ ad bellum proficisceris non dicis minime necesse est testamentum condere fortasse revertar nec cum de ineundo matrimonio consultas dicis vxorum egenteÌ„ accipiam multi enim praeter opinionem ad opes ita pervenerunt At verò non de anima Id. ibid. Luke 12. When thou goest to warre saies the same Father in the same place thou doest not say I neede not make any will peraduenture I shall returne again neither when thou goest about thy marriage businesse doest thou say I will marry a poore wife for I haue known many beyond their expectation to haue growen rich that haue done so and yet when the matter concernes thy soule thou puttest it vpon these vncertainties and peraduentures Take heede Euen whilest thou art thus reasoning what thou wilt do hereafter euen in the very thoghts of future Repentance may death smite thee as that foole in his worldly thoughts And that so much the rather because thy presumption is greater then his He promised the time to come to himselfe as if he had beene Lord of time but thou doest not onely so but promisest thy selfe also the grace of Repentance as though thou hadst Repentance also at thy command Whereas both the Grace and the Space of Repentance are in the hands of God The Grace is in his hand proouing if at any time God 2 Tim. 2. 25. will giue them repentance and so is the space I gaue her space to repent and shee repented not Renel 2. 1. 2. Consider with the vncertainty of thy life the vncertainty of Gods grace Say thou hadst with Hezekiah a lease of thy life and that thou wert sure to liue as long as Methushelah yet what assurance hast thou to repent in thy latter end who hast refused grace before when it was offered Gods spirit Gen. 6. will not alwayes striue with wicked resisters of his grace The chicken that will not come when the hen clucks may be well caught by the
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
assault 2. His repulse in Christs answer In the assault consider 4. things 1. The assault 1. The sinnes wherto he tempts our Sauiour 2. The arguments whereby he tempts 3. The manner of conueyance 4. The time For the first By our former opening of the temptation it appeared that the words of the deuill The sinnes whereto Sathan tempteth Christ seemed first to vrge Christ to the working of the miracle and then secondly in case he did not to distrust his Fathers voyce But indeed this latter was the mayne thing he looked at in this temptation Therefore I say Sathan tempted him first of all to vnbeleefe not to beleeue his Fathers voyce Thou art my Sonne Secondly to distrust the prouidence of God for releeuing his body in this hunger As in the former he accused Gods truth so in this latter his care As he tempted him to doubt of that particular word spoken onely to him Thou art my Sonne so of that generall word spoken to all Gods children concerning his prouidence and protection ouer them And these two were inward and secret sinnes whereto he tempted to doubt of the truth of Gods word and the care of Gods prouidence And indeed these two necessarily go together for we can neuer trust in Gods prouidence for this life vnlesse we beleeue that word of his spirit telling vs we are his children for when we beleeue him to be our father and our selues his children then will we hange vpon his prouidence and assure our selues of his care Now in the third place out of these two bittter roots he would haue drawne him to a third namely in this distrust of Gods prouidence to haue wrought a preposterous miracle releeuing himselfe by vnlawfull meanes For the first then Doct. We see it is the deuills chiefe endeauour to call into question the truth of Gods word God had It is the diuels chiefe endeuor to call into question the truth of Gods word said Thou art my sonne and now he comes with his If thou be the sonne of God In the word of God there be specially three things 1. Commandements and these he accuseth as vniust and vnreasonable 1. commandements as that first commandement to our first parents 2. Threatnings and these he maketh to be but scar-crowes 2. threatnings and meere bugges as to our first parents that threatning yee shall dye no sayes the deuill but ye shall liue better then euer ye did So Deut Deut 29. 19. 29. 19. ye shall haue peace though ye walke after the stubbornnes of your owne heart neuer feare the curses threatned 3. Promises and them he 3. promises makes to be but vaine words as to Dauid in temptation Ps 77. Hath the Lord forgotten to be mercifull and Psal 77. to Cain Gen. 4. My sinne is greater then can be forgiuen Gen 4. and so to all dispayring persons Now in all these the deuill assaults our faith not as he thinks without reason For faith in the commandements breeds obedience in the threatnings feare in the promises comfort So that by this meanes he would bring it to passe that as God should haue no feare reuerence and obedience at our hands so we should haue no comfort at his hands But yet more He striketh more specially at our faith in the promises specially doth he strike at our faith in the promises not so much at the generall faith in beleeuing the truth of them in generall as at our speciall iustifying faith applying those promises vnto our selues Not so much to doubt at the generall voice of God in the word Euery beleeuer shall be saued but at the particular voyce of God by his spirit applying the generall to vs and saying Thou beleeuest Thou art my sonne For indeede this faith is the ground of all sauing Reu. 1. obedience The loue of Christ apprehended by 2. Cor. 5. faith constraines vs. 2. Cor. 5. And I beleeued therefore Psal 116. I spake Psal 116. We cannot performe any sincere acceptable filiall obedience till by faith wee are assured of Gods loue This perswasion sets vs on worke in our obedience Secondly faith is the very life of our liues and the strength of our soules without which we are but very drudges and droiles in this life The holy Ghost Rom. 15. 13. fill you with all ioy in beleeuing Rom. 15. 13. And beleeuing ye reioyced with ioy glorious and vnspeakable 1. Pet. 1. 8. 1. Pet. 1. 8. Therefore the diuell enuying our comfort and our happines would rob vs of our faith that he might rob vs of our ioy Thirdly faith is our cheycest weapon euen our shield and buckler to fight against him whom resist stedfast in the faith 1. Pet. 5. 9. Therefore as the 1. Pet. 5. 9. Philistins got away the Israelites weapons so doth Sathan in getting away faith from vs disarme vs and make vs naked For this is our victory whereby we ouercome euen our faith 1. Ioh. 5. And in this faith 1. Iohn 5. apprehending Gods strength lies our strengrh as Sampsons in his lockes and therefore the Diuell knowing this labours to do to vs which Delilah did to Sampson euen to cut off our lockes And indeed when he doth this he doth that to vs which Sampson did doe the Philistins hee pluckes downe the pillers of the house and ouerthrowes vs. Vse 1 Vse 1. Aboue all things then fortifie wee our faith and assurance that God is our father and we his sonnes Where the Diuell oppugnes most thither must we bring our greatest strength Now as we haue seen he labors specially to shake our faith Sathan hath desired to winnow you Luk. 22. 31. 32. Luk. 22 31. 32 what would he winnow in them The next words shew but I haue prayed for thee that thy faith faile not Though Sathan then come and accuse God to vs as not louing vs yet let vs bee no more mooued then a good wife would bee to heare a false knaue thus accusing her louing husband If wee must not receiue a false accusation against an ancient vnder two or three witnesses 1. Tim. 5. shall wee then rereceiue 1. Tim. 5. an accusation against the Auncient of dayes the Lord himselfe vpon Sathans word a knowen and detected deceiuer Such as are knowen to doe ill offices on both sides to come to mee with a tale against thee and then presently to goe to thee and say as much of mee such I say being once knowen who will regard them Now we know Sathan to be such an one Hee accuses God to vs and then hee goes and accuses us to God as he accused both Iob Iob 1. 2. to God Iob 1. 2. and afterward God to Iob as not respecting him As wee would bee loath God should beleeue Sathan against vs so let vs take heed that we beleeue not Sathan against God Vse 2 2. We may not then be discouraged when wee feele our selues thus
religion And seeing no possibility to quench this fire he will throw his gunpowder into it Hee will deceiue them vnder the colour of zeale and bring them to preposterous indiscretion yea to a blinde and bolde madnesse as in the common people to reforme publique abuses without the Magistrates authority as in throwing downe images and the like Contrarily seeing others to bee wiser and moderater hee abuses their wisedome and moderation to make them remisse and carelesse dead and heartlesse Thus he abuses our care of prayer and seeking Gods Kingdome to be negligent in our callings and contrarily our consciences of our callings to the neglect of Gods kingdome So he abuseth our commendable custome of giuing our selues to good meditations and stirring vp good affections in our selues in our solitarinesse to distract our mindes in the publique exercises of the word and prayer The diuell sees that against Gods children oftentimes hee can haue no other aduantage then that which they had against Daniel Dan. 6. in the Law of his God in the graces of Gods Dan. 6. Spirit and therefore hee dies his bad cloathes in good colours and paints the foule faces of sinne with the colours of graces and vertues to deceiue vs As heere he presents presumption to Christ vnder the colour and in the habit of faith and so now couetousnesse of frugality and good husbandry drunkennesse and carowsings of healthes of good fellowship sottish sloath of quietnesse Eccles 4. 3. Eccles 4. 3. vnlawfull sports both in regard of the nature of the games as dice and in regard of the time spent in them as when men lie at their recreations from morning to euening this he will present to vs vnder the name of honest mirth and recreations Oh then what neede haue we to fly to Iesus Christ who dwelleth with prudence Prou. 8. What neede haue wee Prou. 8. not to be carried away with euery thing that hath a shew of goodnesse or of indifferency but to bring these painted strumpets of the diuell to the light yea and to the heat of the word of God and then their painting shall melt away and we shal see their beauty came onely out of the diuels boxe Take heede least we be hardened with this deceitfulnesse of sinne This hardens a man in sinne when hee apprehends it as a vertue or a thing lawfull Doctr. 2 2. The Diuell when he cannot draw vs to one extreame labors to draw vs to another As here when The Diuell when he cannot draw to one extreame seeketh to draw to another Ioh. 13. Numb 14. he could not get our Sauiour to distrust he labours to rush him vpon presumption So Peter Ioh. 13. from refusing to haue his feet washed to offer feet head hands and all to the washing And the Israelites Num. 14. from denying to goe towards Canaan when God commanded to be hot vpon going when God forbad them So the Papists from the extremity of the Corinthians 2. Cor. 10. 9. 10. ctc. to 2. Cor. 10. 9. 10. magnifie the writings of the Apostle in the contempt of his vocall ministry are fallen into the contrary extreame of magnifying that which the Apostles deliuered by word of mouth vnwritten tradition to the disparagement of their writings So Luther from rhe indiscreete zeale of the people at Wittemberg in throwing down images to the retaining and maintaining of images and Austin from carnall singing to no singing at all many of vs from the false religion in Popery to no religion from workes without faith to faith without workes from zeale without knowledge to knowledge without zeale from the tyranny of Popish disciplin to the neglect of Christs holy discipline This then must teach vs not to be too proud or secure if we preuaile against Sathan in one temptation to this or that extreame for easily may wee bee foyled in another extreame As our hatred of prodigality may make vs couetous and our hatred of couetousnesse may make vs prodigall So that in ouercomming Sathan in one temptation we are so much the neerer being ouercome by him in some other if we look not well to it Reason 3 3. Reason From that credit and glory he should haue by the throwing downe himselfe and yet being safe namely hee should with all applause and admiration bee receiued of the Iewes in Ierusalem beholding this miraculous descent Doctrin 1 1 See how the Diuell vses to tickle vs with the delight of praise and glory and puffes vs vp in pride The Diuell vseth to puffe vs vp with the delight of praise and glory When we feele such thoughts know that they are of the diuell who goes about to exalt vs that hee might humble vs to set vs vpon high pinnacles that hee may lay vs flat on the earth as hee did our first parents Gen. 3. whereas on the contrary God vses Gen. 3. to humble vs that hee may exalt vs. If Christ had hearkened vnto Sathan he had cast himselfe downe indeed as he himselfe was once cast downe out of the heauens into the lowest hell Pride goes before destruction Prou. 16. 18. Prou. 16. 18. Doct. 2 2. See how much the Diuell trusts to this temptation of vaine-glory thinking heereby to draw The danger of vain-glory Christ to this so dangerous an attempt to hazard the breaking of his necke And thus for a little vain-glory in the world how many are there that breake their neckes and crush their estates in proud and pompous prodigality that they may haue a name and we well spoken of 2. Argument that Sathan vfes in this tempation The second argument followes For it is written He will giue his Angels charge euer thee and with their hands they shalt lift thee vp lest at any time thou shouldest dash thy foote against a stone The argument is drawen from assurance of safety in casting downe himselfe and this he would confirme by Scripture Doct. Heere generally we may see how the diuell misapplieth The Diuell misapplieth Gods promises mercies and prouidence Gods promises mercies and prouidence As sometimes he denies vnto vs the application of these when we are interested in them as when wee walke vprightly with God so contrarily hee applies them strongly and earnestly when they belong not vnto vs as heere the promise of protection by Angels to Christ though hee should tempt God And so hee ordinarily applies the promise of mercy to most desperat wretches though they lie wallowing in their mire and neuer wash themselues in the waters of repentance Cast thy selfe headlong into this sin saith he and Gods mercy shall keepe thee from falling into hell In good things he seuers the means from the end telling vs we may haue the end without the meanes heauen without repentance and obedience a plentifull haruest without sowing the seed In euill things he seuers the end from the means hell and destruction from sin and disobedience as Deut. 29. 19. quite contrary to that
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
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