A DISCOURSE OF Repentance.
THE summe of the Gospel lies in Faith and Repentance, which alwayes go together, and cannot be separated, though they may and ought to be distinguished one from the other: I have chosen this Text to show the necessary connection that is between Faith and Repentance; that I may be the better understood I shall observe this method.
[Page 84] 1. Distinguish between Legal and Evangelical Repentance.
2. Shew the nature of Evangelical Repentance, what it is, and wherein it does consist, how it rises out of faith, what its use and end is.
3. Shew the necessary connection that is between Evangelical Repentance and saving Faith.
4. The real difference that is between them, notwithstanding this necessary connection.
5. Inquire into the true cause and reason why the Professors of this Age, who are so much for Faith, do mind Repentance so little.
6. Apply all.
First, Distinguish between Legal and Evangelical Repentance.
You see the Repentance and Faith spoken of in the Text, have both of them a reference to the Gospel; Repent and believe the Gospel. We shall better understand [Page 85] the nature of Evangelical Repentance, by comparing it with Legal Repentance, observing as we go how they differ from each.
(1.) Legal Repentance is the work of the Law, i. e. The work of the Spirit by the Law, for the Law works but faintly under the influence of meer Natural Light, unless the Spirit awaken the Conscience, and set home the Law, little will be done, such a work of the Law you have Rom. 2. 15. letting in a Spirit of Bondage upon the Conscience, accusing us for what we have done against the Law, and leaving us so convicted without any plea for our selves.
Evangelical Repentance is the work of the Gospel, sweetly melting the Heart by Arguments drawn from the Love of God, and his free Grace in Christ towards Sinners; it encourages a trembling Soul to plead with God for Mercy as the Publican, Lord be Merciful to me a Sinner.
(2.) Legal Repentance is all terrour and no hope, it rises from the revelation of Gods Wrath against Sinners; 'tis a despairing Repentance without any hope of [Page 86] pardon, the Curse of the Law lies hard upon a Man; he knows not how to get from under it, but lives in a fearful expectation of fiery indignation to devour him, he is a terrour to himself: But Evangelical Repentance leaves not an affrighted sinner altogether without hope, as I shall shew under the next head.
(3.) Legal Repentance is from worldly sorrow, not so much for the sin as the penalty incurred thereby, the apprehension of which is very dreadful to a convinced sinner; he is more affected with the evil of punishment, then with the evil of sin in it self; 'tis not for Gods sake but his own, that he repents of sin; he could love it well enough if it did not damn him: Though I do not deny, but a Repentance purely legal, may have some sense of the evil of sin as sin, not only as malum prohibitum, but as malum in se, as evil in its own nature; where common notions of good and evil are not utterly extinguished, it must needs be so, especially under a higher conviction from the Spirit of God, that gives us a farther discerning of the evil of sin, then the meer light of nature under its greatest elevation can possibly do. It was so in [Page 87] Iudas, Matt. 27. 34. he was convinced, not only that he had broken the Law of God, but that he had sinned in so doing. I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood: He knew he had a hand in murdering a Man, a good Man, a great Man, who was more then Man; no doubt all this came up into his mind, concerning Christ, yet the knowledge of Christ that Iudas had, did not reach so far as to beget the least hope of Mercy from him; and here lay the legality of his Repentance; it was a despairing Repentance, he conversed only with the Law, and so sunk under the wrath of God, and the curse of the Law; he had none to accuse him but his own Conscience, the Rulers and chief Priests were for him, had set him a work and rewarded him; but seeing him under such horror of Conscience, he had done their business, what care they, see thou to that; unconvinced sinners do slight the convictions of others, they may go hang themselves for all them, they have no pity for them.
I speak this to shew that legal Repentance may take in something of the evil of sin in it self, as well as the destructive nature of it to us; though these legal convictions [Page 88] of the evil of sin in it self, are far short of those more through convictions that accompany true Evangelical Repentance: Though the sorrow that is in legal Repentance be but worldly; yet 'tis very pungent, it pierces us thorow, and pretends to some Devotion too, as if it were for Gods sake, when self is only at the bottom. Pharaoh confessed his sins, and desired the Prayers of Gods People, Exod. 9. 27, 28. Saul wept for his sins, 1 Sam. 24. 16. The effects of Gods wrath are very dreadful upon convinced sinners, may draw Tears from their Eyes, when they see what mischief they have brought upon themselves; they repent, but how? Not of the sin, but of the punishment: Alas! What does that signifie, how ineffectual is it? What have we to do to repent of the punishment? We can't reverse it; 'tis Gods part to repent of the punishment, to turn from his wrath, to cease from his anger, which he will do, when we repent of the sin that occasioned it.
To repent of the punishment, is in effect to be sorry that God is so just, that he so severely animadverts upon sinners; we wish he would let them go unpunished, [Page 89] that we might more securely go on in our sins; the only way to escape vengeance, is to acknowledge the sinfulness of sin, and to repent of our great folly in committing it; such a frame of Spirit bears some proportion to the Holiness of God, argues true Godly sorrow, which worketh Evangelical Repentance unto Salvation. 2 Cor. 7. 10.
(4.) Legal Repentance is before Faith, without Faith may never issue in saving Faith, as in Cain, Saul, Iudas, but Evangelical Repentance does alwayes accompany saving Faith; and of this I am now to speak under the second head; shewing you
Secondly, The nature of Evangelical Repentance; what it is in its first rise and original; upon what 'tis founded.
It came in with the Gospel, the Law never intended any such thing, the sinner was to be cut off by Law, to die without Mercy, in the day thou eatest thou shalt die, says the Law; unless ye repent, says the Gospel; here is an exception put in (in case of repentance) against the peremptory Sentence of the Law. I say repentance [Page 90] comes in with the Gospel, I will put enmity, &c. Gen. 3. 15. Repentance rises out of this Enmity. This seems to point particularly at the Conversion of Eve, who by Faith in the promised Messiah should turn against the Serpent. I will put enmity between thee and the woman; this woman, whom thou hast deceived, shall become thy Enemy, and bring forth a seed that shall break thy head, thou shalt bruise his heel, but his Death shall be thy overthrow. Repentance is a Gospel Priviledge purchased by Christ, 'tis an act of Grace in God to injoyn us Repentance, as his leaving men in an impenitent hardened frame is an act of his Justice and Wrath. The Law in its Original Constitution, does not intend the amendment of the sinner, but his utter Destruction; the Law can kill the sinner, but cannot mortifie the sin; Damnation makes no man better, but concludes him Eternally under sin and wrath, the Justice of God is not obliged to turn a sinner from his sins, but to turn him into Hell for his sins.
That which makes it a just and righteous thing with God to forgive the sins of Believer, is Christs Merits and his own Promise; 'tis Justice in God to make good [Page 91] his own Promises, Rom. 3. 25, 26. 2 Thes. 1. 6, 7. he is a debtor to his own promise, he cannot deny himself, 2 Tim. 2. 13. he owes the performance of his Promise to his Faithfulness and Truth; 'tis an act of Justice to himself to keep his Promise: God offers Mercy to sinners, not because they do repent, but that they may repent: Repentance is not the Cause but the Effect of Pardon, God always intends Pardon to those whom he effectually calls to repentance; he gave no such call to the Angels that fell; there was no Gospel preached to them. No fallen Angel was saved, because no Elect Angel fell, but there are many of Gods Elect among the fallen Sons of Adam to whom promises of Salvation were made upon their believing in Christ; this being published to all in the Gospel, all who hear the Gospel do put in for their share in this Salvation, and that they may render the attainment more easie and feazable to them, they deny absolute Election, bring in Universal Redemption, assert the liberty of Mans Will to believe if he please, and supposing it to be in their own power to believe, they conclude they may be saved as well as others, and this is the ground of all that security that is among common Professors. [Page 92] Having spoken thus much of Evangelical Repentance as it implies a real hatred of sin as sin, and a real turning to God as the chiefest good from an inward change of nature renewed after the Image of God, I shall now shew you,
1. That such a Repentance can never be wrought in any by the Law alone, the Gospel has a principal hand in this.
Why not by the Law.
Because in the Law there are not sufficient motives and inducements to Repentance, nothing that encourages to it, that renders it available to mans Salvation, the law cannot give life to a sinner upon his repentance; the Gospel can, but the Law cannot, could a man under the Law, Repent, suppose that? What would he get by it, he must to Hell after all, the Law as a Covenant of Works does not seek to bring a sinner to Repentance, but to Punishment, the Law cannot give Repentance unto Life, because it cannot give Life upon our Repentance.
You'l say then, is the Law against Repentance? [Page 93] I don't say so neither; for take Repentance as 'tis a just equitable thing, as a holy disposition of mind; so the Law is not against it where ever it may be found, as it is not against any other act of Moral Righteousness as such that a man may do, and yet for all this 'twill condemn a man for his sin, and all his righteousness shall not be remembred, though the Law be not against Repentance, yet it will not accept of repentance as a satisfaction for past sins, but the Gospel provides full satisfaction for the Law, and promises sufficient and effectual Grace to the sinner to bring him to repentance; having rescued him from the Curse of the Law, enables him to walk worthy of the blessing of the Gospel, if those who are justified were not sanctified, they would live to the scandal of the Gospel.
The Law cannot contradict it self, having already pronounced a peremptory sentence of death upon the sinner, 'tis impossible the Law should ever give repentance unto Life, the Law insists upon the Execution of its own Judgment, and will not be satisfied till that be done, in this the Gospel yields to the Law, to have execution done upon man for sin, and [Page 94] provides a man on purpose, the man Christ Iesus, who bore our sins in his own body upon the cross.
3. This Evangelical Repentance implies real Sanctification, but the Law sanctifies no man, because it can't convey its own Holiness to another, can't alter the Nature of a Man, but only shew him what mischief his sin has done him, shews him his sin in this or that instance, to his great terror, but if he happen to out-live those terrors, and not die in the fit as Iudas, his evil heart will encline him as strongly to sin, as ever it did before his former Convictions, they made him give a present start backwards, but he will quickly recover himself, and return to his wretched course, he cannot cease from sin, though he know it displeases God yet he likes it never the worse for that, might he but escape the punishment, 'tis not the wrath of God in it self that he fears, but only as it goes forth in the penal effects of it against himself, else he could suffer God to be angry, and not be troubled at it, whereas this goes most to the heart of a Child of God, that he has incurr'd his displeasure. There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger, Psal. 38. 3. The Law [Page 95] alone never works any real Sanctification in a sinner; 'tis indeed the rule of Judgement, it judges us according to what we are, but cannot make us better.
4. Repentance is a turning unto God, but the Law gives no encouragement to a sinner to turn to God, it holds forth the Wrath of God against him, that makes him run from the presence of an angry God and hide himself as Adam did, how can dry stubble stand before a consuming Fire, but God out of Christ is a consuming Fire to a sinner, he dares not come near him.
5. The law by it self can't work a saving Conviction 'tis very Instrumental in conjunction with the Gospel to do this, but of it self it cannot. Saving Conviction is of the essence of Evangelical Repentance.
Saving Conviction hath these four properties.
1. It apprehends upon Scripture grounds a possibility of a sinners Salvation, and not only so, but a fair probability of it upon the due use of those means appointed [Page 96] by God in order thereunto, and leads out the sinner to seek relief in Christ, under some hope of obtaining it.
2. It works a hatred of sin as sin, strongly inclines and disposes the heart of a sinner to break off from his sins, and to betake himself to a strict course of Holiness: God offers Grace to sinners, because he intends to give Faith and Repentance to as many as are ordained unto Life, Faith inclines us to beg Repentance, disposes us to it, laies open the foulness of sin so plainly, so convincingly that we cannot but repent of it, under such a saving Conviction as Faith works in us, I call it a saving Conviction, because it puts us upon the diligent use of all means tending to Salvation; a man is so convinced that he cannot rest till he has found out an effectual remedy to cure so deadly a disease, nothing will satisfie him but Christ, we see not all that is in sin; till we see an absolute necessity of Christ to save us from it: Here is a deep discovery of sin indeed, when we know nothing but the Blood of Christ can take it away; Behold the Lamb of God, &c. a Sacrifice of Gods providing, all the Bulls, Goats, Sheep and Lambs of Mans procuring will never expiate sin, [Page 97] nothing that is among men can do it, but God has a Lamb, cherished in his own bosom from Eternity, this Lamb must be slain to take away the sins of the World, 'tis very astonishing to think what God parted with from himself to satisfie his own Justice; his Attributes conspire together to heighten and advance each other; infinite Grace lays out it self to satisfie infinite Justice, and satisfied Justice gives way to infinite Grace to glorifie it self in mans free Redemption.
3. It convinces us not only of particular sins, but of the general Corruption of our Nature, 'tis by a Divine supernatural Light that we discern this, we have a feeling of it in our selves, from an inward Principle of a higher Life raised up in us by the power of God in our Regeneration, which will not suffer us to walk any more after the flesh, we cry and complain of that proneness that is in us to evil; O wretched man that I am, &c. Rom. 7. No unconverted man is brought in complaining of the Corruption of his Nature, only David, and Paul, and such like, but none else. When we look upon the old man with the eyes of the new, we see that deformity that never appeared to us before.
[Page 98] 4. It Convinces us not only of the severity of the Law, in punishing, but also of the Holiness of the Law in all its just and reasonable Commands; Rom. 7. 12. This is a main difference between Legal and Evangelical Repentance, that Conviction and Sense that is in a Legal Repentance of the Holiness of the Law, is very small, next to none at all, and that which is, proceeds chiefly from the remainders of light in all natural Men, left on purpose in the Conscience, that all reverence of God and his Law might not be quite cast off, and something of this may now and then appear under strong legal Convictions of sin, as in Iudas, but all this never begets any true love to Holiness, for still they go on in their sins and have pleasure in them that do so, Rom. 1. 32. which is a great demonstration of the absolute Dominion sin has over fallen man, in carrying him on not only against the known Law of God written in the Word, but against all the natural Notions of the Law written in his own heart, nothing can hold him in, he despises God and man and his own Conscience, he will not be a Law to himself.
[Page 99] Legal Convictions come short in all these properties of saving Conviction.
Legal Convictions are either such as are antecedent to the Commission of Sin, or such as follow upon it, which are properly called Convictions.
Convictions antecedent to sin, are all one with the knowledge of the Law, by which we understand what is morally good or evil in it self; what is sin, and what is not, Adam and Eve in innocency were under this Conviction, they knew what God had forbidden, viz. to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil, and that to eat of it in opposition to Gods express command to the contrary, was a high act of Disobedience, to be punished with Death, but by the subtilty of the Devil they yielded to the Temptation, and did eat: if their perfect knowledge of the Law could not keep them in Innocency, from falling, how can we expect that our imperfect knowledge of the Law from any Convictions of that kind, which we may be under should keep us.
And for those legal Convictions subsequent to the commission of sin, by which [Page 100] we see the obliquity of our own actions, and know our selves to be Transgressors of a holy righteous Law, they fall short in all the forementioned properties of saving Conviction, they leave us without hope of Mercy, work no renovation of nature in us, they may disturb us in the present act of sin, and terrifie us much about that, laying some present restraint upon us, but they work no real Reformation in us, Iudas was in great horror of Conscience for betraying his Master, was much troubled that he should have a hand in shedding innocent blood: and yet under the light and power of this Conviction, how evil it was to Murder another, he hangs himself, which was as contrary to Law, as killing another: I speak this to shew how legal convictions may hurry a man from one sin to another, but they never lead him into a constant setled way of true Holiness, whence I infer that Convictions purely legal will never work Repentance unto Life.
How Repentance unto Life is wrought by the Gospel.
Because God hath appointed the Gospel to be the means of Repentance, Luk. [Page 101] 24. 47. Rom. 16. 25, 26. to the Glory of his Free Grace, as Justice is glorified in the Damnation of an impenitent sinner, so Grace is glorified in his Conversion; Evangelical Repentance is from a Discovery of Gods Love and Free Grace: His goodness leads us to Repentance, Rom. 2. 4. 2 Pet. 3. 9. Psal. 130. 4. A true Penitent fears least he should miss of Mercy, and come short of it, he rejoyces at the good News of the Gospel, begins to lift up his head in some expectation of a blessed Redemption, he serves God chearfully being perswaded that his Duties and Services will be pleasing to him and accepted by him for Christs sake, Psal. 130. 4. Hos. 6. 1, 2. a sence of love and mercy quicken up a drooping trembling sinner to return unto God, the Prodigal remembred what a kind Father he had, Luk. 15. 18. 'twas Pauls Argument, Rom. 12. 1. 2 Cor. 7. 1. 'Tis a sad thing that the Grace of the Gospel which is intended to keep men from Despair, should by some be made an encouragement to presumption, God forbid we should continue in Sin because Grace abounds.
2. The Grace of the Gospel is not only an appointed Means, but is in its own [Page 102] nature a fit means to work repentance, suited and adapted to that end, the goodness of God leads us to repentance, the Schoolmen tell us that amor est congregativus, and they give this reason for it, because it does congregate and gather in our roving scattered thoughts from those various lesser Objects after which they go, fixing our Minds upon God, the only soulsatisfying Object. Love is conciliative, when God doth through Faith let in any sense of his intended grace towards sinners, the heart melts under it, a sinner does not repent that he may believe, but because he does believe, something of the Love of God to sinners in Christ Jesus, some inkling of this is come to his ear, hath touched his very heart, before ever he sets upon repentance, and now he can hold no longer, the love of Christ constrains him, great is the power of Love, when it commends it self to us in some signal expressions of kindness to our visible advantage and benefit.
3. Because Christ gives repentance, Act. 5. 31. he purchased this and all other graces for us, by dying for us, he not only obtained pardon of Sin in our Justification, but all inherent Graces in the Saints [Page 103] come from Christ, he procured them for us, he works them in us, his sufferings being not only satisfactory for sin, but meritorious of grace to be bestowed upon us, though the Law can't sanctify a sinner yet Christ can, and 'tis an act of special grace towards us when he doth, but he will first satisfie the Law and Justice of God, that being brought under grace by our free Justification, we may answer to the Law of grace in our sanctification, denying all Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts, living soberly and righteously here below as the redeemed of the Lord ought to do; the Law commands perfect Obedience, but in case of Failure, the Gospel Promises Faith and Repentance, Zach. 12. 10. Acts 11. 18.
4. Because God hath annexed a quickning Spirit to the Gospel, to make way for his Grace, and to give it a prevailing efficacy in the Hearts of men, they are drawn by the loving kindness of God, and cannot resist it, the Spirit opens the Mystery of the Love of God in Christ, and so charms the Soul with it, that it is impossible to withstand the allurements of it.
5. Because the ways and means of bringing a sinner to life, are all supernatural; [Page 104] the Law speaks nothing of this, the Law never puts us upon any thing that is supernatural; I mean that originally was so to man in his perfect state, for then it had been quite above the reach and capacity of Mans Understanding, but God suited his Law to those inbred Notions and Principles of Truth, that were concreated in us, the way of salvation through Faith and Repentance being supernatural; we must apply our selves to the Gospel to know this.
3. The necessary Connection that is between Evangelical Repentance and saving Faith. I prove, it thus.
'Tis so in the first production of Repentance, and in all the subsequent acts of Repentance, therefore 'tis alwayes so.
In the first production of Repentance if you consider how this was wrought by Iohns Ministry, Mat. 3. and Luk. 3. these two things will evidently appear.
First, That Repentance alwayes presupposes Faith.
Secondly, That Repentance rises out of Faith. And how!
[Page 105] I will clear up this by a brief Paraphrase upon those words, Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Iohn is brought in inviting sinners to Repentance; the Argument he uses is plainly this, God is inclined to Pardon you, therefore Repent: I come as a forerunner to prepare the way, that by bringing you the first newes of Gods intended grace and favour towards you, I might soften and mollify your hearts and dispose you to a ready thankful acceptance of Christ, this offer of Grace is called the Kingdom of Heaven because it is inclusive of all the happiness that Heaven can afford: all good comes along with Pardoning Grace, I see says Iohn, you are all lying under the sad damning circumstances of your own sins, in a very woful miserable condition, compassed about with Hell and Death, with horror and darkness, all things round about you, look very black and dismal, I am come to put you into a better state, to offer you a Kingdom, which will shortly appear in all its Glory; 'tis at hand, 'tis coming toward you, Heaven it self is come to look after you to lend a helping hand to lift you out of this horrible Pit, before it shut its mouth upon you, see that you refuse not this grace, that you put not from [Page 106] you the word of the Gospel, least you judge your selves unworthy of Eternal Life, as Acts 13. 46. i. e. it will as plainly appear to be so, as if it had been so declared in open Court, upon a fair hearing of your Cause, if Heaven and Earth were to sit in Judgment upon you, they would conclude you most unworthy of Everlasting Life, and by putting the word from you, you have in effect passed this judgement upon your selves, or you have done that now which your own Consciences will so interpret at the last day, they will then tell you you might have had life and pardon, but would not; you would not come to Christ that you might have life, therefore your damnation is just, you deservedly perish, & may thank your selves for it, how speechless will sinners be then: as to remain in impenitency under the outward Light of the Gospel, does argue the height of unbelief, so to be brought to Repentance by the Preaching of the Gospel does necessarily imply Faith in the Gospel, 'tis impossible that a Tender of Grace should work Repentance till 'tis believed, 'tis of no force, makes no impression upon the Mind of a Man till then, therefore, Faith must be presupposed, I make it out thus.
That which is brought as a motive for [Page 107] the doing of a thing, must be first understood, received and believed, before the thing can be done upon that motive: there is in the Gospel a general offer of Mercy to sinners, this proves an effectual means to beget Faith in all that are ordained unto life, upon their believing this general offer of Grace, their hearts begin to melt under it, and some inclination to Repentance is wrought in them, this Faith and this Repentance wrought in a more general way at first, do form themselves into more particular and distinct acts afterwards, thus the principles of the Doctrine of Christ, viz. Repentance from dead works and Faith towards God are first laid, and then there is (in the light and power of these principles) a going on unto perfection, Heb. 6. 1. Our first Faith is a more general Faith, and so is our first Repentance, rather an inclination and tendency to believe and repent, then actual Faith, or actual Repentance. Our first Faith wrought in us upon the general proposal of Gospel Grace, contains in it a saving Conviction of Sin, 'tis impossible to receive grace without it, grace is nothing to us, of no signification to us, but as it gives relief against sin, which we must have some sense of, before we apply our selves to the grace of God for Pardon, [Page 108] we must see something in our selves that wants a pardon, and which we are willing to repent of and forsake in Case of a pardon, Repentance is as true an effect of Faith, as Pardon and Comfort, Faith first brings a sinner to Christ under some hope of Pardon, and then busies it self in working Repentance, in order to a comfortable sense of Pardon. The Spirit lets in some sense of Gospel Grace tendred unto sinners, and affects the heart with it, as very desireable, as a very seasonable offer, by no means to be slighted, the Soul begins to be taken with it, conceives some hope from it, and this is the begining of Faith, and with our first Faith Light comes in giving us some Gospel Conviction of sin in order to Repentance, I call it a Gospel Conviction, because it is wrought by means of the Gospel, all after acts of Faith and Repentance have their rise from this first work, which brings me to the second Point, viz.
That Faith is not only joyned with Repentance in the first production of it, as has been shewed, but in all the subsequent acts of it ever after; which I make out thus. Faith and Repentance do constantly refer to each other in their several [Page 109] actings, Faith to Repentance, and Repentance to Faith; he that believes, repents because he believes, and he that repents, believes because he repents, i. e. as Faith is the cause of Repentance, so Repentance is the reason of every particular act of Faith put forth upou Christ for Pardon, 'tis impossible to make up the full sense of an act of Faith on our part, if you fetch not the reason of it from Repentance: Why do we go to the Physitian, is it not because we are sick, weary and faint ready to die of such a Disease: So why does a weary Soul come to Christ, is it not to be eased of his Burden? that insupportable burden of sin that is ready to sink him into Hell.
If Faith and Repentance be thus always joyned together, does it not follow that we are justified by our Repentance as well as by Faith? I Answer, No. Though we are not saved without Repentance, it does not therefore follow that we are justified by our Repentance; but some to make good this Assertion have coyned many subtle distinctions, relating to both. Before I give a particular reply to this, let me say something in general. Religion may be considered, either in its primitive purity and simplicity, as it was laid down [Page 110] in the Fundamental Principles of it, by Christ and his Apostles.
Or as it has since been drawn through the various Discourses, Reasonings and Writings of Men for so many Centuries past, this has so much overcharged Religion with so many nice distinctions, intricate questions, and endless disputes, that it seems to be quite another thing then it was in the Apostles dayes: The best way is to return to the primitive simplicity of the Gospel, especially in judging of Fundamentals, which are plainly and clearly laid down there in Terms very intelligible.
Though Faith be the Gift of God, and is given of meer Grace but to a few, yet all who live under the Light of the Gospel may know what they ought to believe, which will render their unbelief more inexcusable; did we dwell more upon what is plainly revealed as fundamentally necessary to Salvation, we should better discern, by the light of those Fundamentals, the just consequences of them, in any deductions from them, which may not be so particularly and expresly spoken unto in Scripture.
[Page 111] But now to answer the query whether we may not be said to be justified by our Repentance, as well as by Faith, since we are not saved without Repentance?
Answ. There is a great deal of difference between Justification and Salvation, Salvation includes all qualifications belonging to that state, Justification lets us into that state; gives us right to Life from whence spring all Qualifications becoming that Life. Besides, Saving Graces are so called, not that they are the Causes of Salvation, but because they accompany it, we cannot be saved without them. Faith it self as a Grace inherent in us, is no meritorious Cause of our Justification; 'tis that which carries us out of our selves to Christ for Righteousness upon the account of which we are justified in the sight of God, when we say we are justified by Faith, we don't mean we are justified by any thing in our selves, we can't understand it so, but the contrary, that we must be beholding to Christ for all. He that receives all from another, gives nothing to himself, he does indeed apply to himself, to his own use and benefit, what is freely given to him by another, but he cannot in any propriety of Speech be said to ascribe any thing to himself, or to owe [Page 112] himself thanks for what he receives from another: Faith in its justifying act does not look to it self as our grace, but unto Christ as our Righteousness, the inherent grace of Faith is not our justifying Righteousness, though it lead us out to him who is; Faith is the hand, but Christ is the gift; nay the hand it self is the gift of God, as well as that which is put into it: God gives us not only what we believe, but he gives us to believe; the habit and act of faith are both from God, that he that glories may glory in the Lord only: And if it be so with faith, if that be shut out from being any part of our justifying Righteousness, 'twill hold true much more in all other saving graces that spring from faith, whether Hope, Love, Fear, Repentance, &c. Repentance proves our Faith to be saving, such a faith as gives us an Interest in Christ, faith adds nothing to the Righteousness of Christ, but applies it as it is, it only gives us an Interest in it, and makes it ours by vertue of the Promise tendring it to us, by receiving the Promise we have a sure interest in the thing promised, and may ever after count it our own, and if we are not justified by our graces themselves, much less by our good works, which are the [Page 113] fruits and issues of them, we must resolve all our graces into faith, and faith it self into Christ and his Righteousness before we can be clear in the matter of our Justification.
4. The real distinction that is between them notwithstanding this necessary Connection.
Faith and Repentance are frequently joyned together in Scripture, and sometimes each of them singly put for the whole work of Conversion, and then they do alwayes include each other, and imply the whole work of grace in the Soul, as Luk. 13. 5. Luk. 15. 10. Acts 3. 19. Acts 11. 18. Though they cannot be separated, yet they may be distinguished, not only nominally but really; they are spoken of (Act. 20. 21.) as two distinct things, as Faith and Hope are inseparable, yet two distinct Graces, so 'tis with Faith and Repentance, they grow together as different Branches from the same Root that bears and feeds them both, they are the two Vital Constituent parts of a Christian, which have their distinct Offices and Influences: Repentance is the same in Principle with Faith, though they receive [Page 114] different denominations, from the different objects and occasions about which they act: A principle of Grace is that immortal Seed, or that Spirit that is born of the Spirit; the fruits of the Spirit are not the Spirit it self, but something produced by him; all Graces are the fruits of the Spirit and are specified by their different objects: All Graces are but so many expressions of that holy Disposition, that is wrought in us by the Holy Ghost. To Repent of Sin is as true Holiness as not to sin at all; a sinner has no other way to express his Love to Holiness, than by a declared Hatred of his Sins.
They differ in their Objects, faith as justifying, hath Christs Righteousness for its Object, Repentance has mans unrighteousness for its Object; as Faith acts upon Christ for an Interest in his Righteousness, so Repentance acts towards God, acknowledging our own Unrighteousness and bewailing it, we cannot rejoyce in the Righteousness of Christ, till we mourn for our own sins; Christ reconciles God to us, by the attonement offer'd, 2 Cor. 5. 20, 21. and us to God by working Repentance in us, who were Enemies to him in our Minds by wicked works, Col. 1. 21, [Page 115] alienated from the life of God, Col. 4. 18. This Enmity against God and alienation from him, is removed by Repentance: Faith works upwards to appease Gods Wrath, by holding up the Blood of Christ; Repentance works downwards upon our selves, changing our Minds towards God, that we may be conformable to his Will, and rebel no more against him. Besides,
All Graces do not imploy, at least equally, the same Affections, there is more joy and hope in Faith, more sorrow and fear in Repentance; faith lifts up and comforts a guilty sinner upon one account, Repentance humbles him and lays him low upon another account, filling him with godly sorrow for his sins.
5. Reasons why the Professors of this Age who are so much for Faith do mind Repentance so little, are so seldom found in the Exercise of it.
1. Because they rest in general Notions of Faith, and of Justification by Grace through Christ; they say they have faith, and think this will save them, we may have right notions of faith in our Heads, and yet be under no real actings of faith [Page 116] in our Hearts; we may be Orthodox in our Judgements, sound in the Doctrine of Faith, and yet be strangers to the Grace of Faith; we may hold the Truth, dispute for it, preach it up, maintain it in our Discourses, as our Opinion, and yet be rotten at Heart for all this, under the power of unbelief, if you know these things happy are ye if ye do them. Faith must be done as well as talked of, it must be really acted by us in our own case, 'tis not the doctrine of faith, but your faith in or according to that doctrine, that saves you, the just shall live by his own faith, the doctrine of faith is an external thing laid down in the letter of the word, but the grace of faith is an inward living principle found only in the hearts of real Saints, this is that I am inquiring after, and pressing upon you as that that will certainly produce Repentance, Zach. 12. 10. 'Tis one thing to have a Notional Knowledge of the doctrine of faith as contained in the letter of the word, another thing to be under the power of the grace of faith as it passes thorow the heart in the lively actings of it: Notions of things may be separated from those effects that alwayes attend the things themselves when they are in being, we may shake [Page 117] and freeze under our notions of fire, but we cannot stand before fire it self and not be warmed by it, were there more real faith; I mean of the grace of faith, among professors, there would be more Repentance, let us not slatter our selves in the good opinion we have of our faith, and of our supposed Interest in Christ, 'tis all false, our faith is vain, and we are yet in our sins, if Repentance do not accompany our faith: The visible neglect of Repentance in the Professors of this age, has brought a reproach upon the doctrine of faith, and caused it to be evil spoken of, that faith that does not sanctifie, will never justifie, and without Repentance there can be no Sanctification: not that we make Repentance any Meritorious Cause of Pardon, or that it is to be rested in as any satisfaction for sin, only we affirm that justifying faith alwayes works Repentance.
2. Because they rest in a general Repentance, which they took up at their first Conversion and that must serve all their lives long, 'tis enough they have once repented, that work is over, they have done with it now, and care not to return to it again: but because you have [Page 118] once repented, you must always repent, you entred into Covenant with God for your whole lives, to repent of every sin you should fall into, and shall we begin in the Spirit and end in the Flesh.
3. Because they have long since reformed what was amiss in their Lives, and refrained from the outward acts of those sins they lived in heretofore, all this may be without any true Repentance, you say you have forsaken your sins that is a gross mistake, for till you repent of them you have not forsaken them in Gods account, but are still looked upon as those who justifie your selves in those very sins, if not why don't you repent of them, you alwayes abide under the guilt of that sin which you have not repented of, the turning of the heart to God, can never be without Repentance; till then you still retain the good opinion you had of your sins, your heart is set upon them still, nothing but Repentance turns the heart another way. There can be no real Reformation of Life, without a change of Heart; Men may for a spurt force themselves to an outward Course of Holiness, but they can never hold it, the heart will go its own way, and carry the man [Page 119] after it, nothing but repentance makes a man a better man than he was before; a man is the same that ever he was till he repents, then indeed he is another man, of another Mind.
4. Because they reckon all their particular sins among their Infirmities, and therefore a slight Repentance will serve the turn, they think they will be pardoned of Course to them, without any more ado.
I look upon it as a great Error, to hold that all sins committed in a state of Grace are sins of Infirmity; Saints themselves may be guilty of wilful presumptuous sins, and when they are, they must not think to shift them off as common Infirmities. I grant, those grosser acts of sin, that a Saint may be surprized into, do argue an infirm imperfect state, their state may be good though imperfect, there may be some good thing in their Hearts toward God, when they fall foul as David and Peter did; but I am not now inquiring what is in their hearts, but what is in those grosser acts of sin, viz. Murder, Adultery, and the like; I say there is nothing but Evil in them, they are all [Page 120] over and throughout sinful; now, what is morally evil and sinful in its own nature cannot properly be called a sin of Infirmity, because an Infirmity in the true Notion of it, is the deficiency of a good Action, 'tis not so good as it should be, absolutely evil in it self it is not, v. g. a Child of God prayes but not so fervently as he should, he hears the Word, but not so attentively as he should; he believes in Christ, but not so firmly, so strongly, so stedfastly as he would, this is his Infirmity, here the action it self, or the thing done, is for the substance and matter of it good in it self, what God has commanded, but when we do that which is materially Evil in its own nature, and forbidden by God, this is more than an Infirmity, the whole action is naught; 'tis not a weak action, but a wicked one. He that is an infirm man, is a living man; a dead man is more than infirm, he has no life at all in him that is capable of infirmity, if a Child of God should swear, be Drunk, or commit Whoredom, &c. I would not say as some do, Oh the Infirmities of the Saints, but I would say oh the Wickedness, the Leudness of the Saints; you'l think these hard words, hard things must have hard words, they that do well [Page 121] shall hear well, and they that do ill must hear ill: Sin is not the less sinful because a Godly Man commits it, it falls under greater Aggravations in him, than in another; there may be some good thing in his heart, but there is nothing in these sinful acts but what is morally Evil and abominably wicked. This should awaken us to Repentance, are there not sins even mong us against the Lord our God?
6. The Application.
Repentance being the plainest and surest Evidence of Saving Faith, let us be much in the exercise of this Grace: We should repent as often as there is new matter for Repentance, I do not say we should alwayes be grieving and mourning for the same sin; Repentance may have its perfect work, in reference to some particular sin, which God has sufficiently humbled us for. There is a time to set broken bones, we may rejoyce in the Cure, in that Ease and Rest that God gives us, when he speaks peace to us: By believing we enter into Rest, till some new sin disturb our rest, and then Repentance is to be renewed: By a new sin I don't mean common unavoidable Infirmities, [Page 122] but some grosser wilful Miscarriage: We ought to be humbled under our Infirmities, to confess them, and so to pass on by a present act of Faith, into our wonted serenity and peace of Conscience not doubting but God will overlook them for Christs sake. Faith is not so put to it, does not labour so much to take in the, pardon of them, as it does and must do to obtain the pardon of grosser sins, which put the Soul at a greater distance from God, then common Infirmities do, which are pardoned of Course to Believers upon their humble acknowledgement of them, but in case of any particular wilful sin, we must renew our Repentance in a more solemn manner, and afflict our souls for it, how long God may keep us mourning, before he restore to us the joy of our Salvation, must be left to him who knowes when to administer comfort to us, in the fittest season: When we are about this work, 'tis good to reflect upon former sins already pardoned, there sinfulness appears thorow the Pardon. We may join our old scores to this new reckoning, and carry over all to the present Account, that having the sun Total before us, we may bewail the late addition we have made to it: When we see how high it [Page 123] rises, every new offence receives an aggravation, from so many that went before, 'tis some Extenuation of a Fault to say, 'tis the first time; but frequent relapses into the same sin do heighten the guilt of it, and in such Cases there is nothing but Repenting, or perishing.
The more you are in the Exercise of this Grace of Repentance, the less inclinable will you be to any sin: I am perswaded were the Devil sure you would Repent, he would not be so forward to Tempt you to any sin, nothing does so enrage the Devil, as the Repentance of the Saints, could he keep them always in that Mind, they are in, in the hour of a prevailing Temptation, he might Glory over them, but when they come to themselves, and consider better of it, how do they inveigh against the Tempter, and cry down the sin as an abominable Practise, and what does the Devil get by this, he loses more by their Repentance then ever he got by their Sin, he is laid open as an Impostor, as a Deceiver; the Repentance of the Saints is the greatest Torment to the Devil before his time that can be; as there is joy in Heaven at the Conversion of a [Page 124] Sinner, so there is no small sorrow in Hell upon the same Account.
You cannot Honour God more than by a Daily Repentance, thereby you vindicate your holy Profession, from giving the least countenance to sin; were the people of God more ashamed of sin, the wicked of the World would glory less in it, they would begin to blush with you, and hang down their heads for doing that which is so openly decry'd by all good men, good men are greatly wanting in the open Profession of their Repentance, if you did mourn for sin more, others would rejoyce in it less.