SAint Paul being falsly accused by Tertullus to be seditious, chap. 24. 5. We have found this man a pestilent fellow, [...] Pestem. and a mover of Sedition: in this chapter he makes an apology for himself, before Festus and King Agrippa.

[Page 2] Paul proves himself to be an Oratour. He courts the King, 1. By his Gesture; He stretched forth his hands, vers. 1. as the custom of Oratours was. 2. By his man­ner of speech, ver. 2. I think my self happy King Agrippa, because I shall answer for my self before thee, touching all the things where­of I am accused.

Paul treats of three things, and that in so deep a strain of Rhetorick, as he had almost converted King Agrippa.

1. He discourseth of the manner of his life before his conversion, ver. 5. after the most strait Sect of our Religion, I lived a Pharisee. During the time of his unrege­neracy, he was zealous for Traditions; and his false fire of zeal was so hot, that it scorched all that stood in his way, ver. 10. Many of the Saints I shut up in prison.

2. Paul discourseth of the manner of his conversion, ver. 13. I saw in the way a light from Heaven, above the brightness of the Sun. This light was no other but what shined from Christs glorified body: And I heard a voice speaking unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? The body being hurt, the head in Heaven cryed out. At this light and voice Paul was amazed, and fell to the earth, ver. 14. And I said, who [Page 3] art thou Lord? and he said, I am Iesus whom thou persecutest, ver. 15. Paul was now taken off from himself; all opinion of self-righ­teousness vanished, and he did graft his hope of Heaven upon the stock of Christs Righteousness.

3. Paul discourseth of the manner of his life after his conversion: He who be­fore was a persecutor, now became a Preacher, ver. 16. Arise, for I have ap­peared unto thee, to make thee a Minister, and a Witness, of those things which thou hast seen. When Paul (this vessel of election [...]) was savingly wrought upon, he laboured to do as much good as before he had done hurt. Before, he persecuted Saints to death, now he preacheth sinners to life. God first sent him to the Jews at Damas­cus, and afterwards enlarged his-commis­sion to preach to the Gentiles. And the subject he preacht upon was this in the text, That they should repent and turn to God Gentes falsos co­luerunt Grotius.. A weighty and excellent Subject. deos, Judaei Verum Deum, sed non sicut oportebat.

I shall not dispute the Priority, whe­ther Faith or Repentance goes first; doubtless Repentance shews it self first in a Christians life; yet I am apt to [Page 4] think the seeds of Faith are first wrought in the heart Non po­test homo seriò poe­nitere▪ n si se Dei esse noverit. Zanchy.. As when a burning Taper is brought into a room, the light shews it self first, but the Taper was before the light: So we see the fruits of Repen­tance first, but the initials of Faith were there before.

That which inclines me to think that Faith is seminally in the heart before Re­pentance, is this, because Repentance being a grace, must be acted by one that is living. Now, how doth the soul live but by Faith? Heb. 10. 38. The just shall live by his Faith. So that there must be first some seeds of Faith in the heart of a penitent, Resipis­centia ex fide gigni­tur. M [...]s­culus. else it is a dead Repentance, and so of no value.

But whether Faith or Repentance go first, sure I am, Repentance is of such im­portance, as there is no being saved without it. After Pauls shipwrack, he did swim to shore on planks, and broken pieces of the ship, Act. 27. 44. So in Adam we all suffered shipwrack, and Repen­tance is the only plank left us after ship­wrack to swim to Heaven Tab [...]la post nau­ [...]agium. Doct..

It is a great duty incumbent upon Chri­stians, solemnly to repent and turn unto God, Mat. 3. 2. Repent ye, for the King­dom [Page 5] of Heaven is at hand, Act. 3. 19. Repent therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, Act. 8. 22. Repent of this thy wickedness. In the mouth of these three witnesses this truth is confirmed. Repentance is a foundation-grace, Heb. 6. 1. Not laying again the foundation of Re­pentance. That Religion must needs fall to the ground which is not built upon this foundation.

Repentance is a grace required under the Gospel. Some think it legal; but the first Sermon that ever Christ preached; nay, the first word of his Sermon was [...], Repent, Mat. 4. 17. And his last farewell that he left when he was going to ascend, was, that Repentance should be preached in his Name, Luke 24. 37. And the Apostles did all beat upon this string, Mark 6. 3. They went out and preached that men should repent.

Repentance is a pure Gospel-grace. The covenant of works admitted no Re­pentance. There it was, sin and die: Re­pentance comes in by the Gospel. Christ hath purchased in his blood that repent­ing sinners shall be saved. The Law re­quired personal, perfect, and perpetual obedience; it cursed all that could not [Page 6] come up to this, Gal. 3. 10. Cursed is eve­ry one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them.

It doth not say, he that obeys not all things, let him repent, but, let him be cursed. So that Repentance is a Doctrine brought to light only by the Gospel.

THE manner how Repentance is wrought, is,

1. Partly by the Word, Act. 2. 37.1. When they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, &c. The Word preached is Gods Engine he useth to effect Repen­tance. 'Tis compared to an Hammer, and to a Fire, Ier. 23. 29. The one is to break, the other to melt the heart. How great a blessing is it to have the Word dispen­sed, which is of such noble vertue? And how hard will they find it to escape Hell, who put out the lights of Heaven?

2. Repentance is wrought by the Spi­rit.2. Ministers are but the Pipes and Or­gans; it is the Holy Ghost breathing in [Page 7] them, makes their words ef­fectual Omne instrumentum operatur in virtute prin­cip [...]lis agentis.. Act. 10. 44. While Peter spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the Word. The Spirit in the Word illuminates and con­verts Spiritus Dei est omnipo­tens artifex, formans af­fectionem, spirans Gra­tiam, juvans operationem, agens omnia for [...]iter, & disponens suaviter. Bernard.. When the Spirit toucheth an heart, it dissolves into tears, Zach. 12. 10. I will pour on the Inhabitants of Hieru­salem a spirit of Grace, and they shall look on me whom they have pierced, and mourn. 'Tis wonderful to consider, what different effects the Word hath upon men. Some at a Sermon are like Iosiah, their heart is tender, and they let fall tears 2 King. 22. 19.; others are no more affected with it, than a deaf man with mufick. Some grow better by the Word, others worse. The same earth which causeth sweetness in the Grape, causeth bitterness in the Wormwood. What is the reason the Word works so differently? it is be­cause the Spirit of God doth carry the Word to the conscience of one, and not another. One hath received the divine Unction, and not the other, 1 Ioh. 2. 20. Oh pray that the dew may fall with Manna. That the Spirit may go along [Page 8] with the Word. The Chariot of Or­dinances will not carry us to Heaven, un­less the Spirit of God joyn himself to this ChariotAct. 8. 29..

IT will next be enquired, what Repen­tance is. I shall first shew you what it is not. There are several Deceits of Re­pentance, which might occasion that say­ing of Austin, That Repentance damns many. He means a false Repentance. A person may delude himself with a coun­terfeit Repentance.

1. The first Deceit of Repentance is1. Deceit. legal Terrour. A man hath gone on long in sin, at last God arrests him, shews him what desperate hazard he hath run, and he is filled with anguish; within a while the tempest of conscience is blown over, and he is quiet; then he concludes he is a true penitent, because he hath felt some bitterness in sin: Be not deceived, this is not Repentance. Ahab and Iudas had some trouble of mind. It is one thing to [Page 9] be a terrified sinner, and another thing to be a repenting sinner. Sense of guilt is enough to breed terrour; infusion of grace breeds Repentance. If pain and trouble were sufficient to Repentance, then the damned in Hell should be most penitent, for they are most in anguish. Repentance depends upon a change of heart. There may be terrour, yet no change of heart.

2. Another Deceit about Repentance,2 Deceit. is, resolution against sin. A person may purpose and make vows, yet be no peni­tent, Ier. 2. 20. Thou saidst, I will not transgress. Here was a resolution; but see what follows; under every green tree, thou playedst the Harlot. Notwithstanding her solemn engagements, she played fast and loose with God, and ran after her Idols. We see by experience when a per­son is on his sick-bed, what protestations will he make if God recover him again, yet he is as bad as ever: He shews his old heart in a new temptation. Resolu­tion against sin may arise,

1. From present extremity; not be­cause sin is sinful, but because it is painful. This Resolution will vanish.

2. Resolution against sin may arise [Page 10] from fear of future evil; an apprehen­sion of death and Hell, Rev. 6. 8. I looked, and behold a pale horse, [...] Ses [...]ore morte, Pe­dissequo inferno. and his name that sate on him was death, and Hell followed af­ter him? What will not a sinner do? what vows will he not make, when he knows he must die and stand before the Judgement seat? Self-love raiseth a sick­bed vow, and love of sin will prevail against it. Trust not to a passionate reso­lution, it is raised in a storm, and will die in a calm.

3. The third Deceit about Repen­tance,3 Deceit. is, the leaving many sinful courses. 'Tis a great matter I confess to leave sin: So dear is sin to a man, that he will rather part with a child than a lust, Micah 6. 7. Shall I give the fruit of my body, for the sin of my soul Nun­quid Deus à me pos­cit piacu­lum, sicut Saturnus, Moloch, aliique dei gentium quos coluimus, vi­ctimas humanas e [...]flagitant?? But sin may be parted with, yet no Repentance.

1. A man may part with some sins, and keep other. As Herod reformed many things amiss, but could not leave his incest.

2. An old sin may be left to entertain a new Serpens quotannis exuvias deponit. Causin. Hierogl.. As you put off an old servant [Page 11] to take another. This is to exchange a sin. Sin may be exchanged, and the heart not changed. He who was a Prodigal in his youth, turns an Usurer in his old age. A slave is sold to a Jew, the Jew sells him to a Turk; here is the Master changed, but he is a slave still. So a man removes from one vice to another, but he is a sinner still.

3. A sin may be left not so much from strength of grace, as from moral grounds. A man sees that though such a sin be for his Tooth, yet it is not for his interest: It will ecclipse his credit, prejudice his health, impair his estate; therefore upon prudential reasons he gives it a dismiss.

The true leaving of sin, is, when the acts of sin cease from the infusion of a principle of grace: As the air ceaseth to be dark from the infusion of light.

I Shall next come to shew, what Gos­pel-Repentance is: Repentance is a grace of Gods Spirit, whereby a sinner [Page 12] is inwardly humbled, and visibly reform­ed. For a further amplification of Re­pentance, know, that Repentance is a spi­ritual medicine, made up of six special Ingredients; if any one be left out, it loseth its vertue.

• 1. Sight of Sin.
• 2. Sorrow for Sin.
• 3. Confession of Sin.
• 4. Shame for Sin.
• 5. Hatred for Sin.
• 6. Turning from Sin.

I Proceed next to the reasons which do enforce Repentance.

1. From Gods soveraign command,Reason 1. Act. 17. 30. He commandeth men every where to repent. Repentance is not arbi­trary; 'tis not left to our choice whe­ther we will repent or no, but it is an in­dispensible command [...]. Epictetus.. God hath en­acted a Law in the High Court of Hea­ven, that no sinner shall be saved but the repenting sinner; and he will not break his own Law. Though all the Angels should stand before God, and beg the life of an irrepenting person, God would not [Page 75] grant it, Exod. 34. 6. The Lord God, mer­ciful and gracious, keeping mercy for thou­sands, and that will by no means clear the guilty. Though God is more full of mer­cy, than the Sun is of light, yet he will not forgive a sinner while he goes on in his guilt: He will by no means clear the guilty.

2. The pure nature of God deniesReason 2. communion with an impenitent creature. Till the sinner repent, God and he can­not be friends, Isa. 1. 16. Wash ye, make ye clean. Go steep your selves in the bri­nish waters of Repentance, Ver. 18. Come now and let us reason together. Now, saith God, I will parley with you, but else come not near me. What communion hath light with darkness? How can the righte­ous God indulge him that goes on still in his trespasses? Exod. 23. 7. I will not ju­stifie the wicked. If God should be at* Justitia Dei ferre non potest ut gratiae contemp­toribus ig­noscatur. Musculus. peace with a sinner before he repent, he should seem to like and approve all that he hath done; he should go against his own holiness. 'Tis inconsistent with the sanctity of Gods nature to pard on a sinner while he is in the act of rebellion.

3. Sinners continuing in impenitency,Reason 3. are out of Christs commission: See his [Page 76] commission, Isa. 61. 1. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted. Christ is a Prince and Saviour, but not to save men in an ab­solute way, whether they repent or no. If ever Christ bring men to Heaven, it shall be thorow Hell gates, Act. 5. 31. Him hath God exalted to be a Prince and Saviour to give Repentance. As a King par­dons Rebels, not if they persist in open defiance, but if they relent, and yield themselves to the mercy of their Prince.

4. There is a great deal of equity inReason 4. it, that we should repent. We have by sin wronged God; we have ecclipsed his honour; we have infringed his Law, and good reason we should make him some re­paration. By Repentance we humble and judge our selves for sin; we set to our seal that God is righteous if he should destroy us: and thus we give glory to God, and do what in us lyes to repair his honour.

5. If God should save men without Re­pentance,5. making no discrimination, then by this Rule he must save all; not only men, but Devils, as Origen once held; and so consequently the decrees of Ele­ction and Reprobation must fall to the [Page 77] ground; which how diametrically op­posite it is to sacred writ, let all judge.

THere are two sorts of persons who will find it harder to repent than others.

1. Such as have sate a great while un­der the droppings of Gods Ordinances, but grow no better. The earth which drinketh in the Rain, yet beareth thorns and briars, is nigh unto cursing, Heb. 6. 8. The metal which hath lain long in the fire, but is not melted and refined, there is little hope of it. When God hath sent his Ministers one after another, exhort­ing and perswading men to leave their sins, but they settle upon the lees of for­mality, and can sit and sleep under a Ser­mon; it will be hard for these ever to be brought to Repentance; they may fear lest Christ should say to them as once to the Fig-tree, Never fruit grow on thee more.

[Page 78]2. They will find it harder to repent, who have sinned frequently against the convictions of the Word, the checks of conscience Mala conscientia potest esse secura nunquam tuta. Sen., and the motions of the Spi­rit. Conscience hath stood as the Angel, with a flaming sword in its hand; it hath said, Do not this great evil; but sinners regard not the voice of conscience, but march on resolvedly under the Devils colours: these will not find it easie to re­pent, Iob 24. 13. They are of those that rebel against the Light. It is one thing to sin for want of light, and another thing to sin against light. Here the unpardon­able sin takes its rise; first men sin against the light of conscience, and so proceed gradually to the despighting the Spirit of grace.

FIRST, then it serves sharply to re­proveUse 1. Reproof. all unrepenting sinners, whose hearts seem to be hewn out of a Rock, and are like the stony ground in the Pa­rnble which wanted moisture. This disease

[Page 79]I fear is epidemical, Ier. 8. 6. No man repented him of his wickedness. Mens hearts are marbled into hardness, Zach. 7. 12. They made their heart as an Adamant Lapis hic durissimus est, qui respuit scalpra & malleos, quin & ip­sos disrumpit; ideoque [...] dicitur, scil. indomabilis. [...]. They are not at all dissolved into a penitential frame. It hath been a received opinion, that Witches never weep Bodin in his daemon. lib. 4. cap. 1.. Sure I am, such as have no grief for sin, are spiritually bewitched by Satan. We read, that when Christ came to Ierusalem, he upbraided them because they repented not, Matth. 11. 20. And may he not upbraid many now for their impenitency? Though Gods heart be broken with their sins, yet their hearts are not broken: They say as Israel, Ier. 2. 25. I have loved strangers, and after them will I go. The justice of God, like the Angel, stands with a drawn sword in his hand ready to strike, but sinners have not so good eyes as Balaams Ass, to see the sword. God smites on mens backs, but they smite not with Ephraim upon their thigh Jer. 31. 19.. It was a sad complaint the Prophet took up, Ier. 5. 3. Thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved. That sure is reprobate silver which con­tracts hardness in the furnace, 2 Chron. [Page 80] 28. 22. In the time of his distress, did he trespass yet more against the Lord; this is that King Ahaz. An hard heart is a recep­tacle for Satan. As God hath two places he dwells in, Heaven and an humble heart: so the Devil hath two places he dwells in, Hell and an hard heart. 'Tis not falling into the water drowns, but lying in it: 'Tis not falling into sin damns, but lying in it without Repentance [...]. Chrys. de poen.. Hardness of heart brings at last to seared­ness of conscience, 1 Tim. 4. 2. Having their conscience seared with an hot Iron Cauteriatam consci­entiam vocat Apostolus cam quae sensum peccati amittit, instar partis cau­terio i [...]stae. Fr. [...]urria­nus.. Men have silenced their consciences, and God hath seared them. And now he lets them sin, and doth not punish, Isa. 1. 5. Why should I smite you any more? As a Father gives over correcting a child whom he intends to dis-inherit.

LET me in the next place perswadeUse▪ 2. Exhort. all to this great duty of Repentance.1 Branch. Sorrow is good for nothing but sin. If you shed tears for outward losses, it will not advantage you. Water for the Gar­den, if poured in the sink, doth no good. Powder for the eye, if applied to the1 arm, is of no benefit. Sorrow is medi­cinable for the soul, but if you apply it to wordly things, it doth no good. O that our tears may run in the right chanel, and our hearts even burst with sorrow for sin. That I may the more successfully press this Exhortation, I shall shew you that Repentance

• 1. Is necessary.
• 2. It is necessary for all per­sons.
• 3. For all sins.

1. Repentance is necessary, Luke 13. 5.1. Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise [Page 82] perish am cur­rum habet vostrum ut vesci non possit, nisi lapidem dein per­cutiendo aduncitatem frangat, quo facto rursus edit, & rejuvenescit: ita qui peccatis est praegravatus, nil spirituale illi sapiat, morietu [...] [...]a­me nisi ad Petram Christum, per poenitentiam, se diu percutiat, us­que ad mentis mutationem, & duritiei abjectionem Venantius Honor.. There's no rowing to Paradise,Aquila enescente but upon the stream of repenting tears. Repentance is required as a qualification. It is not so much to endear us to Christ, as to endear Christ to us. Till sin be bit­ter, Christ will not be sweet.

2. Repentance is necessary for all per­sons. 2. God commandeth all men, Act. * [...] 17.30.

1. It is necessary for great ones, Ier. 1. 13. 18. Say to the King and the Queen, humble your selves. The King of Niniveh and his Nobles changed their robes for sackcloth, Ionah 3. 6. Great mens sins do more hurt than others: the sins of leaders are leading sins; therefore they of all others had need to repent. If such as hold the Scepter repent not, God hath appointed a day to judge them, and a fire to burn them, Isa. 30. 33.

2. Repentance is necessary for the fla­gitious 2. sinners in the Nation. England had need put it self in mourning, and be humbled by solemn Repentance. ‘—Anglica gens est optima flens—’ [Page 83]What horrible impieties are chargeable upon the Nation! We see persons daily listing themselves under Satan. Not only the banks of Religion, but Civility are broken down. Men seem to contend as the Jews of old, who should be most wicked Quis [...]e­jor [...]it. Io­sephus.. In their filthiness is leudness, Ezek. 24. 13. If oaths and drunkenness, if perjury and luxury will make a people guilty, then it is to be feared England is in Gods black Book. Sure men have can­celled their vow in Baptism, and made a private contract with the Devil: Instead of crying to mercy to save them, they cry, God damn them! Never was there such riding post to Hell, as if men did despair of getting thither time enough. Hath it not been known that some have died with the guilt of fornication and blood upon them? Hath it not been told that others have boasted how many they have debauched and made drunk? Thus, they declare their sin as Sodom, Isa. 3. 9.* Pudet haec oppro­bria nobis, &c. Nay, mens sins are grown daring; as if they would hang out their flag of de­fiance, and give Heaven a broad-sidePsa 73. 9.. Like the Thraci [...]ns, who when it thun­ders, gather together in a body, and shoot their Arrows against Heaven. The [Page 84] sinners in Brittain do even send God a challenge, Iob 15. 25. They strengthen themselves against the Almighty; they run upon him even on his neck, on the thick bosses of his bucklers. The bosses in the buckler are for offence in war. Gods pre­cepts and threatnings are as it were the thick bosses of his buckler, whereby he would deter men from wickedness; but they regard not, but are desperate in sin, and run furiously against the bosses of Gods buckler. O to what an height is sin boiled up! Men count it a shame not to be impudent.Pudet non esse impuden­tem. Aug. Conf.. May it not be said of us as Iosephus speaks of the Iews; such was the excessive wickedness of those times, that if the Romans had not come and sacked their City, Ierusalem had been swallowed up with some Earth­quake Aut Hiatu, aut dilu­vio, aut incendio, &c. Jos. lib. 6. de bell. jud., or drowned with a flood or fired from Heaven: And is it not high time then for this* Toti in peccatis im­mersi, non levi tantum lachrymarum aspersione indigent sed ablutione. D. Rivet. Nation to enter into a course of Physick, and take this pill of Repentance, who hath so many bad humours spreading in her body politick? England is an Island encompassed with two Oceans, an Ocean of water, and an Ocean of wicked­ness; [Page 85] O that it might be encompassed with a third Ocean, namely, repenting tears. If the Book of the Law chance to fall upon the ground, the Jews have a custom presently to proclaim a Fast. England hath let both Law and Gospel fall to the ground, therefore had need fast and mourn before the Lord: The Ephah of wickedness seems to be full, Good reason tears should empty apace, when sin fills so fast: Why then do not all faces gather paleness? Why are the Wells of Repentance stopped? Do not the sinners of the Land know they should repent? Have they had no warning? Have not Gods faithful Messengers lifted up their voice as a trumpet, and cryed to them to repent? but many of these Tools in the Ministry have been spent and worn out upon rocky hearts. Hath not God lighted strange Comets in the Heavens, as so many Preachers to call men to Repen­tance, but still they are settled on their lees, Zeph. 1. 12. Do we think God will alwaies put up our affronts? Will he en­dure thus to have his name and glory trampled upon? The Lord hath usually been more swift in the process of his ju­stice against the sins of a professing people▪ [Page 86] God may a while reprieve this Land by Frerogative, but if ever he▪ save it with­out Repentance, he must go out of his ordinary Road: I say therefore with Mr. Bradford, REPENT O ENGLAND. Thou hast beleaper'd thy self with sin, and hadst need go and wash in the spiri­tual Iordan. Thou hast kindled Gods an­ger against thee, throw away thy wea­pons, and bring thy holy Engines and Water-works, that God may be ap­peased in the blood of Christ. Let thy tears run, lest Gods roll of curses fly Zach. 5. 2.. Either men must turn, or God will over­turn: Either the fallow ground of their hearts must be broken up, or the Land broken down. If no words will prevail with sinners, it is because God hath a pur­pose to slay them 1 Sam. 2. 25.. Among the Romans, he who was for his capital offence for­bidden the use of water, was thereby concluded to be a condemned person. So they who by their prodigious sins have so far incensed the God of Heaven, that he denies them the water of Repentance, may look upon themselves as condemned persons.

3. Repentance is necessary for the3 cheating crew, Psal. 11. 9. 18. Their deceit [Page 87] is falshood; who are wise to do evil Jer. 4. 22.; making use of their invention, only for circumvention: instead of living by their faith, they live by their shifts. These are they who make themselves poor, that by this artifice they may grow rich. I would not be misunderstood, I mean not such as the providence of God hath brought low, whose estates have failed, not their honesty; but such as feign a break, that they may cheat their Credi­tors. There are some who get more by breaking, than others can by trading: these are like beggars that discolour and blister their arms, that they may move charity; they live by their sores: So these live by their breaking. When the Frost breaks, the streets are more full of water: So many trades-men, when they break, are fuller of money: These make as if they had nothing, but out of this no­thing, great estates are created. Remem­ber, the Kingdom of Heaven is taken by force Mat. 11. 12., not by fraud. Let men know, af­ter this golden sop▪ the Devil enters: they squeeze a curse into their estates: they had need repent quickly: Though the bread of falshood be sweet, Prov. 20. 17. yet many vomit up their sweet morsels in Hell.

[Page 88]4. Repentance is necessary for civil 4. persons: these have no visible spots on them; they are free from gross sin, and one would think they were unconcerned in the business of Repen­tance Ille morbus vix est sanabilis qui sanitatem imitatur.. They are so good, that they scorn a Psalm of mer­cy. Indeed these are often in the worst condition: these are they who Qui se meliores existi­mant à pietate prorsus abalienantur. Brugens. need no Repentance, Luke 15. 7. Their civility un­does them; they make a Christ of it, and so on this shelf suffer shipwrack. Morality shoots short of Heaven; it is only nature refined. A moral man is but old Adam dressed in fine cloths. The Kings Image counterfeited and stamped upon Brass, will not go currant. The civil person seems to have the Image of God, but he is but brass metal, which will never pass for currant: Civility is insuf­ficient to salvation: though the life be moralized, the lust may be unmortified. The heart may be full of pride and Atheism. Under the fair leaves of a tree there may be a worm. I say not, repent that you are civil, but that you are no more than civil. The house that was on­ly swept and garnished, Satan entred into, [Page 89] Luke 11. 26. This was the emblem of a moral man, who is swept by civility, and garnished with common gifts, but is not washed by true Repentance; the unclean spirit enters into such an one. If civility were sufficient to salvation, Christ needed not to have died. The Civilian hath a fair Lamp, but it wants the oyl of grace.

5. Repentance is needful for Hypo­crites: 5. I mean, such as allow themselves in the sin. Hypocrisie is the counterfeit­ing of sanctity. The Hypocrite or (stage­player Scenici actores.) is gotten a step beyond the mo­ralist, and doth dress himself in the g [...]rbAug. de Ci­vitate Dei. of Religion: he pretends to a form of god­liness, but denies the power, 2 Tim. 3. 5. The Hypocrite is a Saint in jest; he makes a majestick shew, like an Ape clothed in Ermyn, or Purple. The Hypo­crite is like an house with a beautiful frontispiece, but every room within is dark: he is a rotten post fairly gilded Foris can­didus, intus sordidus.: under his mask of profession he hides his plague-sores Aethiopes exsiccata cadavera pingunt, & cippo vi­treo operi­unt, quid ornatius, imo quid turpius? Herodot. lib. 3.. The Hypocrite is against painting of faces, but he paints holiness: he is seemingly good, that he may be re­ally bad Aliud si­mulans, a­liud agens. Hierom.. In Samuels mantle he plaies the Devil; therefore the same word in the original signifies to use Hypocrisie, [Page 90] and to be prophane *. The Hypocrite [...] seems to have his eyes nailed to Heaven, but his heart is full of impure lustings; he lives in secret sin against his conscience Latet in­terdiù ny­cticorax, noctu verò prodit ad infausta. Pier.; he can be as his company is, and act both the Dove and the Vulture; he hears the word, but is all ear; he is for Temple­devotion, where others may look upon him, and admire him, but he neglects fa­mily and closet prayer. Indeed, if prayer doth not make a man leave sin, sin will make him leave prayer. The Hypocrite feigns humility, but it is that he may rise in the world; he is a pretender to faith, but he makes use of it rather for a cloak, than a shield; he carries his Bible under his arm, but not in his heart; his whole Religion is a demure lye, Hos. 11. 12.

But is there such a generation of men to be found? the Lord forgive them their holiness. Hypocrites are in the gall of bitterness, Act. 8. 23. O how had they need humble themselves in the dust! they are far gone with the rot, and if any thing cure them, it must be feeding up­on the salt Marshes of Repentance.

Let me speak my mind freely, none will find it more difficult to repent than Hypocrites; they have so jugled in Religion, [Page 91] that their treacherous hearts know not how to repent. Hypocrisie is harder to cure than Phrensie Difficilius curatur quàm in­sania.. The Hy­pocrites Imposthume in his heart seldom breaks. If it be not too late, seek yet to God for mercy.

Such as are guilty of prevailing Hypo­crisie, let them fear and tremble, their condition is sinful and sad. 1. Sinful, be­cause they do not embrace Religion out of choice, but design; they do not love it, only paint it. 2. Sad, and that upon a double account. 1. Because this art of deceit cannot hold long Quae si­mulata sunt, diu­turna esse non pos­sunt. Bern.. He who hangs out a sign, but hath not the commodity of grace in his heart, must needs break at last. 2. Because Gods anger will fall heavier upon Hypocrites, they dishonour God more, and take away the Gospels good name; therefore the Lord reserves the most deadly Arrows in his quiver to shoot at them. If Heathens be damned, Hypocrites shall be double-damned. Hell is called the place of Hypocrites, Mat. 14. 5. 1. As if it were chiefly prepared for them, and were to be settled upon them in fe [...] ­simple.

6. Repentance is necessary for Gods6. own people, who have a real work of [Page 92] grace, and are Israelites indeed; they must offer up a daily sacrifice of tears. The Antinomians hold, that when any come to be Believers, they have a Writ of Ease, and there remains nothing for them now to do, but to rejoyce. Yes, they have some­thing else to do, and that is, to repent. Repentance is a continued act. The issue of godly sorrow must not be quite stopp'd till death. Hierom writing in an Epistle to Laeta, tells her, that her life must be a life of Repentance. Repentance is called a crucifying the old man Gal. [...]. 24., which is not done on a sudden, but leisurely, it will be doing all our life.

And is there not a great deal of cause why Gods own people should go into the weeping bath? 2 Chron. 28. 10. Are there not with you, even with you, sins against the Lord? Have not you sins of daily incursion? Though you are Diamonds, have you no flaws? Do we not read of the spots of Gods children [...]. Chry­sost.? Search with the Candle of the Word into your hearts, and see if you can find no matter of Repentance there.

1. Repent of your rash censuring: Deu. 32. 5. 1. instead of praying for others, you are ready to passe a Verdict upon [Page 93] them [...]. Epictetus.. 'Tis true, the Saints shall judge the world, 1 Cor. 6. 2. But stay your time; remember the Apostles caution, 1 Cor. 4. 5. Iudge nothing before the time, till the Lord come.

2. Repent of your vain thoughts: These2. swarm in your minds as the Flies did in King Pharaohs Court Exod. 8. 24.. What beweildrings are there in the imagination! If Satan doth not possess your bodies, he doth your fancies, Ier. 4. 4. How long shall vain thoughts lodge within thee? A man may think himself into Hell. O ye Saints, be humbled for this lightness in your head.

3. Repent of your vain fashions. 'Tis3. strange that the garments which God hath given to cover shame, should dis­cover pride. The godly are bid not to be conformed to this world, Rom. 12. 2. People of the world are garish and light in their dresses: It is in fashion now adaies to go to Hell; but whatever others do, yet let not Iudah offend, Hos. 4. 15. The Apostle hath set down what upper garment Chri­stians must wear, 1 Tim. 2. 9. Modest apparel; and what under-garment, 1 Pet. 5. 5. Be ye clothed with humility [...]..

4. Repent of your decaies in grace,4. [Page 94] Rev. 2. 4. Thou hast left thy first love Bon [...]s quandoque ob­repit securitas, refri­gescit zelus, adeò ut sti­mulis indigeant. Pareus.. Christians, how often is it Low-water in your souls! how often doth your cold fit come upon you! where are those flames of affection; those sweet meltings of spirit as once you had? I fear they are melted away. O repent for leaving your first love.

5. Repent of your non-improvement of 5. Talents. Health is a talent, estate is a talent, wit and parts are talents; and these God hath intrusted you with to improve for his glory. He hath sent you into the world, as a Merchant sends his Factor beyond the Seas to trade for his Masters advantage: But you have not done the good you might. Can you say, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds, Luk. 19. 18. Oh mourn at the burial of your talents! Let it grieve you that so much of your age hath not been time lived, but time lost; that you have fill'd up your golden hours, more with froth than spirits Turpis­sima est jactura quae per negligentiam fit. Sen. Ep. 1. ad Lucill..

6. Repent of your forgetfulness of sa­cred 6. vows. A vow is a binding ones soul [Page 95] to God, Numb. 30. 1. Christians, have not you since you have been bound to God, forfeited your Indentures? Have not you served for common uses after you have been the Lords by solemn dedica­tion? Thus by breach of vows, you have made a breach in your peace. Surely this calls for a fresh lavor of tears.

7. Repent of your unanswerableness to 7. blessings received. You have lived all your life upon free quarter; you have spent upon free-graces stock; you have been bemiracled with mercy; but where are your returns of love to God?* An gratiam retuli­mus, an largitorem no­strum prout decuit co­luimus. The Athenians would have un­grateful persons to be sued at Law Valer. Maxim. lib. 5. cap. 3.. Christians, may not God sue you at Law for your un­thankfulness, Hos. 2. 9. I will recover my Wooll and my Flax. I will reco­ver them by Law.

8. Repent of your worldli­ness 8. Quomodo Coelum pe­tunt qui terrenis degra­vant [...]r? Possidere se c [...]edunt, potius possi­dentur. Cyprian de Laps.. By your profession, you seem to resemble the Birds of Paradise, that soar aloft, and live upon the dew of Heaven Roranti b bunt ex ae­there mella— [...]ausin Hyerog [...]., yet as Serpents, you lick the dust. Baruc a good man, was taxed with this, Ier. 45. 5. [Page 96] Seekest thou great things for thy self [...] ▪ Grandia Ar. Mont.?

9. Repent of your divisions; these9. are a blot in your Coat-armour, and make others stand aloof off from Religion [...]. Ignat. Epist. ad Phil [...] ­delph.. Indeed, to se­parate from the wicked re­sembles Christ, who was sepa­rate from sinners, Heb. 7. 26. But for the godly to divide among themselves, and look askew one upon another, had we▪ as many eyes as there are stars, they were few enough to weep for this. Divisions ecclipse the Churches beauty, and weaken her strength Scyrus lapis mirum id habet, ut integer enatet, comminutus mergatur. Plin. lib. 36. c. 17.. Gods Spirit brought in cloven tongues among the Saints, Act. 2. 3. But the Devil hath brought in cloven hearts: Surely this deserves a shower of tears.

10. Repent for the iniquity of your holy 10. things. How often have the services of Gods worship been frozen with formali­ty, and sowred with pride? There have been more of the Peacocks plumes, than the groans of the Dove. 'Tis sad that ever [Page 97] duties of Religion should be made a stage for vain glory to act upon. O Christians, there is such a thick rhyne upon your duties, that 'tis to be feared there is but little meat left in them for God to feed upon.

Behold here repenting work cut out for the best; and that which may make the tyde of grief swell higher, is, to think that the sins of Gods people do more provoke God than others, Deut. 32. 19. The sins of the wicked pierce Christs side; the sins of the godly go to his heart. Peters sin being against so much love, was more unkind, which made his cheeks to be furrowed with tears, Mark 14. 72. When he thought thereon he wept.

3. Repentance is necessary for all sins.

Let us be deeply humbled and mourn1. before the Lord for original sin. We have lost that pure quintessential frame of soul as once we had; our nature is vitiated with corruption. Original sin hath dif­fused it self as a poison into the whole manA planta pedis us (que) ad verti­cem dif­funditur hoc vene­num. B [...].. Like the Hierusalem-Hartichoke, which, wherever it is planted, presently over-runs the ground. There are not worse natures in Hell than we have. The hearts of the best are like Peters sheet, [Page 98] where were a number of unclean creep­ing things, Act. 10. 12. This primitive corruption is bitterly to be bewailed, be­cause we are never free from it. It is like a spring under ground, which though it be not seen, yet it still runs. We may as well stop the beating of the pulse, as stop the motions to sin. This inbred pravity retards and hinders us in that which is spiritual, Rom. 7. 19. The good that I would, I do not. Original sin may be compared to that fish Pliny speaks of, a Sea-Lam­prey,* [...]. Plin. which cleaves to the keel of the ship, and hinders it when it is under sail. Sin hangs weights upon us [...], C [...]assa mo­les. Beza. Heb. 12. 1., that we move but slow to Heaven. O this adherency of sin! Paul shook the Viper which was on his hand into the fire, Act. 28. 5. But we cannot shake off original corruption in this life. Sin doth not come as a lodger for a night, but an in­dweller, Rom. 7. 17. Sin that dwelleth in me. 'Tis with us as with one who hath an Hectick feaver upon him, though he changeth the air, yet still he carries his disease with him. Original sin is inex­haustible. This Ocean cannot be emp­tyed; though the stock of sin spends, yet it is not▪at all diminished; the more [Page 99] we sin, the fuller we are of sin. Original corruption is like the Widows Oyl, which encreased by pouring out2 King. 4. 6., and that which may be another wedge to break our hearts, is, that original sin doth mix with the very habits of grace. Hence it is, our actings towards Heaven are so dull and languid. Why doth faith act no stronger, but because it is clogg'd with sense? Why doth love to God burn no purer, but because it is hindred with lust? Original sin incorporates with our graces. As bad lungs cause an Asthma or shortness of breath: so original sin having infected the heart, our graces breathe now very faintly. Thus we see what in original sin may draw forth our tears. In particular let us lament the corruption

Of

• 1. Our Will.
• 2. Our Affections.

1. Let us mourn for the corruption of1▪ our Will: The will not following the dictamen of right reason, is byassed to evil: The will distasts God, not as he is good, but as he is holy: It contumaci­ously affronts him, Ier. 44. 17. We will [Page 100] do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our mouth, to burn incense to the Queen of Hea­ven. The greatest wound is fallen upon our will.

2. Let us grieve for the corruption [...]. of our Affections, which consists in two things.

Their

• 1. Diversion.
• 2. Propension.

Let us grieve for the diversion of our1. affections; they are taken off from their proper object: The affections like arrows shoot beside the mark. At first our Af­fections were wings to fly to God, now they are weights to pull us from him.

Let us grieve for the propension of our2. Affections; our love is set on sin, our joy on the creature, our Affections like the Lapwing feed on dung. How justly may the distemper of our Affections bear a part in the scene of our grief? We of our selves are falling into Hell, and our Affections would thrust us thither.

2. Let us lay to heart actual sins. Of these2. I may say, Who can understand his errours? Psal. 19. 12. They are like Atoms in the Sun, like sparks of a Furnace. We have sinned in our eyes, they have been case­ments [Page 101] to let in vanity [...]. Gen. 6. 2.. We have sinned in our tongues, they have been fired with passion; what action proceeds from us wherein we do not betray some sin? To reckon up these, were to go to number the drops in the Ocean. Let actual [...]ins be solemnly repented of before the Lord.

THAT the exhortation to Repen­tance may be more quickned, I shall lay down some powerful Motives to ex­cite Repentance.

1. Sorrow and melting of heart, fits1 Motive. us for every holy duty. A piece of Lead while it is in the lump, can be put to no use, but melt it, and then you may cast it into any mould, and it is made useful: So an heart that is hardened into a lump of sin, is good for nothing, but when it is dissolved by Repentance, now it is use­ful. A melting heart is fit to pray. When Pauls heart was humbled and melted; then, Behold he prayes, Act. 9. 11. It is fit to hear the word: Now the word works [Page 102] kindly. When Iosiahs heart was tender, he humbled himself, and rent his cloths at the hearing the words of the Law, 2 Chron. 34. 19. His heart, like melting wax, was ready to take any seal of the word. A melting heart is fit to obey. When the heart is like metal in the Fur­nace, it is facil and malleable to any thing. Lord, what wilt thou have me do Act. 9. 6.? A repenting soul subscribes to Gods will, and answers to his call, as the eccho to the voice.

2. Repentance is highly acceptable. [...] Motive. Then our hearts are a garden of Eden, de­lightful to God, when a spiritual River runs to water this garden. I have read that Doves delight to be about the wa­ters; and surely Gods Spirit who de­scended in the likeness of a Dove, takes great delight in the waters of Repen­tance. The Lord esteems no heart sound but the broken heart, Psal. 51. 17. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit Spiritus fractus est Dei holo­caustum quo summe exhilera­tur. Fabri­tius.. Mary stood at Iesus feet weeping, Luke 7. 38. She brought two things to Christ (saith Austin) unguentum & lachrymas, tears and oyntment; her tears were better than her oyntment. Tears are powerful Orators for mercy; they are silent, yet they have [Page 103] a voice, Psal. 6. 8. Hear the voice of my [...]eeping.

3. Repentance commends all our ser­vices3 Motive. to God. That is Gods savoury meat, which is seasoned with the bitter hearbs of godly sorrow. Hearing of the word [...]s then good, when we are pricked at the heart, Act. 2. 37. Prayer is de­lightful to God, when it ascends from the Altar of a broken heart. The Publi­can smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner; this prayer pierced Heaven: He went away justified rather than the other, Luke 18. 14. No prayer toucheth Gods ear, but what comes from an heart touched with the sense of sin.

4. Without Repentance, nothing will4. avail us. Some bless themselves that they have a stock of knowledge, but what is knowledge good for without Re­pentance? It is better to mortifie one [...]in, than to understand all mysteries. Im­pure speculatists do but resemble Satan, [...]ransformed into an Angel of light. Learn­ing and a bad heart, is like a fair face with a cancer in the breast. Knowledge without Repentance, will be but a torch [...]o light men to Hell.

[Page 104]5. Repenting tears are delitious; they5. may be compared to myrrhe, which though it be bitter in taste, it hath a sweet smell, and refresheth the spirits: So Repentance, though it be bitter in it self, yet it is sweet in the effects; it brings inward peace. The soul is never more enlarged, and inwardly delighted, than when it can kindly melt. Alexander up­on the safe return of his Admiral Near­chus from a long voyage wept for joy Camerari­ [...]s Hist. Med.. How oft do the Saints fall a weeping for joy! The Hebrew word to repent, sig­nifies [...] Consolari, in pyhel [...]nitere. D [...]usius. to take comfort *. None so joyful as the penitent. Tears (as the Philoso­pher notes) have four qualities; they are moist, salt, hot, bitter. 'Tis true of re­penting tears; they are hot, to warm a frozen conscience; moist, to soften an hard heart; salt, to season a soul putrify­ing in sin; bitter, to wean us from the love of the world. And I will add a fifth they are sweet, in that they make the heart inwardly rejoyce, Ioh. 16. 22. Your sorrow shall be turned into joy. Let a man (saith Austin) grieve for his sin, and rejoyce for his grief. Tears are the bes [...] sweet-meatsVis ergo O homo semper [...] ­pulare, semper [...]. David who was the grea [...] weeper in Israel, was the sweet singer o [...] [Page 105] Israel. The sorrows of the penitent are like the sorrows of a travelling woman, Ioh. 16. 21. A woman in travel hath sorrow, but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembreth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. So the sor­rows of humbled sinners bring forth grace, and what joy is there when this manchild is born!6.

6. Great sins repented of, shall find mercy. Mary Magdalen, a great sinner, when she washed Christs feet with her tears, obtained pardon. Some of the Jews, who had an hand in crucifying Christ, upon their Repentance, the very blood they shed was a soveraign balm to heal them, Isa. 1. 18. Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Scarlet in the Greek is called [...], be­cause it is twice dipt, and the art of man cannot wash out the dye again. But though our sins are of a scarlet colour, Gods mercy can wash them away. This may comfort such whom the hainousness of sin discourageth, as if there were no hope for them; yes, upon their serious turn­ing to God, their sins shall be expunged and done away.

Oh but my sins are out of measure sin­ful! [Page 106] do not make them greater by not repenting. Repentance unravels sin, and makes it as if it had never been.

O but I have relapsed into sin after pardon, and sure there is no Novatia­ni lap [...]is p [...]nitenti­bus veniam denega­runt. mercy for me! I know the Novatians held, that af­ter a relapse there was no renewing by Repentance: But doubtless that was an errour. The children of God have re­lapsed into the same sin. Abraham did twice equivocate. Lot committed incest twice. Asa, a good King, yet sinned twice by creature-confidence. Peter twice by carnal fear, Matth. 26. 70. Gal. 2. 12. But for the comfort of such as have re­lapsed into sin more than once, if they solemnly repent, a white flag of mercy shall be held forth to them. Christ com­mands us to forgive our trespassing bro­ther seventy times seven in one day, in case he repent, Mat. 18. 22. If the Lord bids us do it, will not he much more be ready to forgive upon our Repentance? What is our forgiving mercy to his? this I speak not to encourage any impenitent sinner, but to comfort a despondent sin­ner, that thinks, tis in vain for him to repent, and that he is excluded from mercy.

[Page 107]7. Repentance is the in-let to spiritual7. [...]lessings; it helps to enrich us with [...]ace; it causeth the desart to blossom as [...]he Rose Isa. 35. 1.; it makes the soul as the Egyp­ [...]an fields after the overflowing of Nilus, [...]ourishing and fruitful. Never do the [...]owers of grace grow more, than after a [...]ower of repentant tears. Repentance [...]auseth knowledge, 2 Cor. 3. 16. When [...]eir heart shall be turned to the Lord, the [...]ail shall be taken away. The vail of igno­ [...]nce which was drawn over the Jews [...]yes, by Repentance should be taken [...]way. Repentance inflames love. Weep­ [...]g Mary Magdalen loved much, Luk. 7. 47. [...]od preserves these springs of sorrow in [...]e soul, to water the fruits of the [...]pirit Gal. 5 2 [...].

8. Repentance ushers in temporal8. [...]lessings. The Prophet Ioel perswading [...]e people to Repentance, brings in the [...]romise of secular good things, Ioel 2. [...]2, 19. Rent your heart, and not your gar­ [...]ent, and turn unto the Lord, and the Lord [...]ill answer and say to his people, Behold I [...]nd you Corn, and Wine, and Oyl. When [...]e put water into the Pump, it fetcheth [...]p only water; but when we put the wa­ [...]er of tears into Gods bottle, this [Page 108] fetcheth up wine. I will send you wine and oyl. Sin blasts the fruits of the earth, Hag. 1. 6. Ye have sown much, and bring in little Deus pu­nit fame neglectum sui. Lap.. But Repentance makes the Pomgranate bud, and the Vine flourish with full clusters. Fill Gods bottle, and he will fill your basket, Iob 22. 23. If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt lay up gold as dust. Repenting is a returning to God, and this brings a golden harvest.

9. Repentance staves off judgements9. from a Land. When God is going to destroy a Nation, the penitent sinner staies his hand, as the Angel did Abra­ham's, Gen. 22. 12. 'The Ninivites Re­pentance, caused God to Senten­tiam revo­cavit exci­dii latam. Corn. L. repent, Ionah 3. 10. God saw that they turned from their evil waies, and God repented, &c. An out­ward Repentance hath adjourned, and kept off wrath. Ahab, who sold himself to work wickedness, yet upon his fasting and rending his garments, saith God to Eliah, I will not bring the evil in his daies, 1 King. 21. 29. If the rending of the clothes did keep off judgement from the Nation what will the rending of the heart do?

10. Repentance makes joy in Hea­ven.10. The Angels do as it were keep holy-day, Luke 15. 10. There is joy in the [Page 109] [...]resence of the Angels of God, over [...]ne sinner that repenteth Exultare secimus An­gelos quando refipisci­mus, currite fratres cur­rite, non soli Angeli, sed & ipse Angelorum vos creator expectat. Bern. Serm. 2. in Vigil▪ Nativ.. As [...]raise is the musick of Heaven, so Repentance is the joy of Heaven. When men neglect the offer of salvation, and freeze in sin, this delights the Devils; but when a soul is brought home to Christ by Repentance, this makes joy among the Angels.

11. That which may cause tears to di­still11. from our eyes, is to consider how dear our sins cost Christ. Christ is called the Rock, 1 Cor. 10. 3. When his hands were pierced with nails, and the spear was thrust in his side, then was this Rock smitten, and there came out water and blood: And all this Christ endured for us Salutis nostrae a­vidus. Lem­nius., Dan. 9. 26. The Messiah shall be cut off, but not for himself. We tasted the Apple, and he the Vineger and Gall Ego ini (que) egi, & tu poenâ mul­ctaris. Aug.. We sinned in every faculty, and he bled in every vein.

And can we look upon a suffering Savi­our with dry eyes? Shall we not be sor­ry for those sins which made Christ a man of sorrow? Shall not our enormities draw [Page 110] tears f [...]om us, which drew blood fro [...] ▪ Christ? Shall we sport any more with sin▪ and so rake in Christs wounds? Oh tha [...] by Repentance we could crucifie our sins afresh! The Jews said to Pilate, Ioh. 19. 12. If thou let this man go, thou art not Cesars friend. If we let▪ our sins go, and do not crucifie them, we are not Christs friends.

12. This is the end of all the afflictions12. God sends, whether it be sickness in our bodies, or losses in our estates, that he may awaken us out of our sins, and make the waters of Repentance flow. Why did God lead Israel that march in the wilder­ness among fiery Serpents, but that he might humble them? Deut. 8. 2. Why did he bring Manasseh so low, changing his Crown of Gold into fetters of Iron, but that he might learn Repentance? 2 Chron. 33. 12, 13. He humbled himself greatly before the God of his Fathers; then Manasseh knew that the Lord was good. One of the best waies to cure a man of a Lethargy, is to cast him into a Feaver. So when a person is stupified, and his conscience grown le­thargical, God to cure him of this distem­per, puts him to extremity, and brings one burning calamity or other, that he [Page 111] may startle him out of his security, and make him return to him by Repentance.13.

13. The daies of our mourning will soon be ended De [...]ea­mus ad tempus ut exultemus in [...]ter­num. A [...].. After a few showers that fall from our eyes, we shall have a perpetual sun-shine. Christ will pro­vide an handkerchief to wipe off his peoples tears, Rev. 7. 17. God will wipe away all tears. Christians, shortly you shall put on your garments of praise: you shall exchange your Sackcloth, for white Robes: instead of sighs, you shall have triumphs; instead of groans, Anthems; instead of the water of tears, the water of life. The mourning of the Dove will be past, and the time of singing of birds will come.

This brings me to the next,

14. The happy and glorious reward [...]4. that follows upon Repentance, Rom. 6. 22. Being made free from sin, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. The leaves and root of the Fig-tree are bitter, but the fruit is sweet. Repen­tance to the fleshy part seems bitter, but behold sweet fruit, EVERLASTING LIFE. The Turks phancy after this life an Elizi [...]m, or Paradise of Pleasure, where [Page 112] they have all dainty dishes served in; they have gold in abundance, silken and purple apparel, and Angels bringing them red wine in silver cups, and golden plates: Here is an Epicures Heaven. But in the true Paradise of God, are those astonishing delights, and rare viands served in, which eye hath not seen, neither hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive [...] Origen. con [...]. Celsum.. God will lead his penitents from the house of mourning, to the banquetting­house; no sight there but of glory; no noise but of musick; no sick­ness unless of love: There shall be ho­liness unspotted, and joy unspeakable; then the Saints shall forget their solitary hours, and be sweetly solacing them­selves in God, and bathing in the Rivers of divine pleasure.

O Christian, what are thy duties com­pared with the recompence of reward? what an infinite disproportion is there between Repentance enjoyned, and glo­ry prepared? There was a feast-day at Rome, wherein they used to crown their fountains Varro. lib. 4.. God will crown those heads [Page 113] which have been fountains of tears. Who would not be willing to be a while in the house of mourning, that shall be pos­sessed of such glory, as put Peter and Iohn into an extasie to see it but darkly, sha­dowed and pourtrayed out in the trans­figuration, Matth. 17. O fruct [...] ­osa poeni­tentia, O virgo am­plectanda, O secunda nau [...]ragii tabula; miserorum auxilium, spes exu­lui [...]! vi­t [...]orum se­ra, virtutum apotheca: quae sola judicem flectis; dum vulneras, sanas, dum [...] succumbis, gloriose triumphas; contra tristitiam oppo­nis gaudium, contra cinerem coronam. Hugo Vict. This reward which free-grace gives, is so transcen­dantly great, that could we have but a glimpse of glory revealed to us here, we should need patience to be content to live any longer. O blessed Repentance, that hast such a light side with thy dark, and hast so much sugar at the bottom of thy bitter cup.

15. The next Motive to Repentance,15. is to consider the evil of impenitency: An hard heart is the worst heart; it is called an heart of stone, Ezek. 36. 26. If it were Iron it might be mollified in the furnace; but a Stone put in the fire will not melt, it will sooner fly in your face. Impenitency is a sin grieves Christ, Mark 3. 5. Being grieved for the hardness of their hearts. It is not so much the disease [Page 114] offends the Physician, as the contempt of his Physick. Not the sins we have com­mitted do so much provoke and grieve Christ, as that we refuse the Physick of Repentance which he prescribes. This aggravated Iezabels sin, Rev. 2. 21. I gave her space to repent, yet she repented not. An hard heart receives no impres­sion Cor durum velut ce­ra frigore iniquitatis obstricta signaculum di­vinae imaginis non reci­pi [...], Bernard.; it is untuned for every duty. It was a sad speech Stephen Gardner uttered on his death­bed, I have denied my Master with Peter, but I cannot repent with Peter. O the plague of an obdurate heart! Pharaohs heart turned into stone, was worse than his waters turned into blood. David had his choice of three judgements, plague, sword and famine; but sure he would have chosen them all rather than an hard heart. An impeni­tent sinner is neither allured by entrea­ties Cor du­ [...]um nec compun­ctione scin­ditur, nec precibus flectitur, minis non cedit, flagellis induratur; ad consilia infidum, ad turpia inverecundum ad pericula impavidum. Bern. ad Eugen., nor affrighted by menaces. Such as will not weep with Peter, shall weep with Iudas. An hard heart is the Anvi [...] on which the hammer of Gods justice will be striking to all eternity.

[Page 115]16. The last Motive to Repentance is,16. the day of judgement is coming. This is the Apostles own Argument, Act. 17. 31. God commands men every where to repent, because he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world. There is that in the day of judgement, which may make a stony heart bleed. Will a man go on thieving when the Assizes are nigh? Will the sinner go on sinning when the day of judgement is so nigh? Thou canst no more conceal thy sin, than thou canst defend it; and what wilt thou do when all thy sins shall be written in Gods Book, and engraven on thy forehead? O direful day, when Jesus Christ clothed in his Judges Robe, shall say to the sinner, stand forth, answer to the In­dictment brought against thee. What canst thou say for all thy oaths, adulte­ries, and thy desperate impenitency? O how amazed and stricken with conster­nation will the sinner be! and after his conviction, he must hear the sad sen­tence, Depart from me. Then, he who would not repent of his sins, shall repent of his [...]olly: If then there be such a time a coming, wherein God will judge men for their impieties, what a spur [Page 116] should this be to Repentance! The peni­tent soul shall at the last day lift up his head with comfort, and have a discharge to shew under the Judges own hand.

THE second branch of the Exhor­tationUse Ex­hort. is, to press persons to speedy2 Branch. Repentance, Act. 17. 30. Now God com­mands men every where to repent [...]. The Lord would not have any of the late Autumn fruits offered to him. God loves early penitents that consecrate the spring and flower of their age to him. Early tears, like Pearls b [...]ed of the morn­ing dew, are more orient and beautiful. Oh do not reserve the dregs of your age for God, lest he reserve the dregs of his cup for you! Be as speedy in your Re­pentance, as you would have God speedy in his mercies, 1 Sam. 21. 8. The Kings business required haste: So Repentance re­quires haste.

'Tis natural to us to procrastinate and put off Repentance. We say as Hag. 1. 2. [Page 117] The time is not yet come. No man almost is so bad, but purposeth he will amend, but he adjourns and prorogues so long, till at last all his purposes prove abor­tive Modò & modò & hoc erat sine modo. Aug.. Many are now in Hell that pur­posed to repent. Satan doth what he can to keep men from Repentance: when he sees they begin to take up serious thoughts of reformation, he bids them stay a while longer. If this traitor sin must die (saith Satan) let it not die yet: So the Devil gets a reprieve for sin, it shall not die this Sessions: at last men put off so long, that death seizeth on them, and their work is not done.

Let me therefore lay down some co­gent Arguments to perswade to speedy Repentance.

1. Now is the season of Repentance; Arg. 1. and every thing is best done in its season, 2 Cor. 6. 2. Now is the accepted time [...]. Tempus dignum [...]uod ad omnibus plausu & mirâ exultatione sus­cipiatur; [...] salu­tem adferen [...] mundo. L [...]p.. Now God hath a mind to shew mercy to the penitent, he is on the giving hand. Kings set apart daies for healing. Now is the healing day for our souls; now God hangs forth the white flag, and is willing to parley with sinners. A Prince at his coronation as an Act of Royalty, [Page 118] gives money, proclaims pardons, fills the conduits with wine: Now God pro­claims pardons to penitent sinners; now the conduit of the Gospel runs wine; now is the accepted time; therefore now come in and make your peace with God; now break off your iniquities by Repen­tance: 'tis wisdom to take the season The Husbandman takes the season for sowing his seed: now is the seed-time for our souls.

2. The sooner you repent, the fewerArg. 2. sins you will have to answer for. Were you at the death-bed of an old sinner, when conscience begins to be awakened, and should hear him crying out, here are all my old sins come about me, haunt­ing my death-bed as so many evil spirits, and I have no discharge; here is Satan who was once my tempter, is now be­come my accuser, and I have no Advo­cate; I am now going to be dragg'd be­fore Gods judgement-seat, where I must receive my final doom. Oh how dismal is the case of this man, he is in Hell before his time! but you who repent betimes of your sinful courses, this is your privi­ledge, you will have the less to answer for; nay, let me tell you, you will have [Page 119] nothing to answer for, Christ will an­swer for you; your Judge will be your Advocate, 1 Ioh. 2. 1. Father, will Christ say, here is one that hath been a great sinner, yet a broken-hearted sinner, if he owes any thing to thy justice, set it on my score.

3. The sooner we repent, the moreArg. 3. glory we may bring to God. 'Tis the end of our living, to be useful in our genera­tion: better lose our lives, than the end of our living. Late converts who have for many years taken pay on the Devils side, are not in a capacity of doing so much work in the Vineyard. The thief on the Cross could not do that service for God as St. Paul did. But when we do betimes turn from sin, then we give God the first-fruits of our lives; we spend and are spent for Christ. The more work we do for God, the more willing we shall be to die, and the sweeter death will be. He that hath wrought hard at his day-la­bour, is willing to go to rest at night. Such as have been honouring God all their lives, how sweetly will they sleep in the grave! The more work we do for God, the greater will our reward be. He whose pound had gained ten pounds, [Page 120] Christ did not only commend him, but ad­vance him, Luk. 19. 17. Have thou autho­rity over ten Cities Es [...]o ex primis proceribus Regnimei. Brugens. Tanquam stella sublimior fulge. Bed [...]. By late Repentance, though we do not lose our Crown, yet we make it lighter.

4. It is of dangerous consequence toArg. 4. put off Repentance longer.

If we consider what sin is. Sin is a poi­son 1. Dulce ve­nenum. Ber [...].; it is dangerous to let poison lye long in the body. Sin is a bruise Isa. 1. 6.; if a bruise be not soon cured, it gangrenes and kills: If sin be not soon cured by Re­pentance, it festers the conscience, and damns. Why should any love to dwell in the tents of wickedness? They are under the power of Satan, Act. 26. 18. And it is dangerous to stay long in the ene­mies quarters.

It is dangerous to procrastinate Re­pentance; 2. because, the longer any go on in sin, the harder they will find the work of Repentance. Delay strengthens sin, and hardens the heart, and gives the Devil fuller possession. A plant at first may be easily plucked up [...], &c. Chrys [...]st., but when it hath spread its roots deep in the earth, a whole [Page 121] team cannot remove it: 'Tis hard to re­move sin when once it comes to be root­ed. The longer the Ice freezeth, the harder it is to be broken: the longer a man freezeth in security, the harder it will be to have his heart broken: the longer any travel with iniquity, the sharper pangs they must expect in the new birth. When sin hath got an haunt, it is not easily shaken off. Sin comes to a sinner, as the elder Brother came to his Father, Luk. 15. 29. Lo these many years have I served thee, neither at any time trans­gressed I thy Commandment, and wilt thou cast me off now? what in mine old age, after thou hast had so much pleasure by me? See how sin pleads custom, and that is a Leopards spot Lanarum conchylia quis in pristinum candorem revocet? Hierom., Ier. 13. 23.

It is dangerous to prorogue and delay3. Repentance, because there are three daies may soon expire.

1. The day of the Gospel may expire; this is a sun-shiny-day; it is sweet, but swift. Ierusalem had a day, but lost it, Luk. 19. 42. But now they are hid from thine eyes Est verò hic aposio­pesis non [...]ine maxi­ma ene [...]gia. [...].. The Asian Churches had a day, but at last the Golden Candlestick was removed: It would be a sad time in England see to the glory departed. With [Page 122] what hearts could we follow the Gospel to the grave? To lose the Gospel, were far worse than to have our City Charter taken from us. Gray hairs are here and there, Hos. 7. 9. I will not say the Sun of the Gospel is set in England, but I am sure it is under a cloud. That was a sad speech, Matth. 21. 43. The Kingdom of God shall be taken from you: therefore it is dangerous to delay Repentance, lest the market of the Gospel should remove, and the vision cease [...]. D [...]maseen..

A mans personal day of grace may ex­pire.2. What if that time should come, wherein God should say, the Means of Grace shall do no good; Ordinances shall have a miscarrying womb, and dry breasts. Were it not sad to adjourn Repentance till such a decree came forth Currat poen [...]ten­tia, ne prae­currat sen­tentia. Chrysolo­gus.? 'Tis true, no man can justly tell that his day of grace is past; but there are two shrewd signs by which he may fear it.

1. When conscience hath done preach­ing. Conscience is a bosom-Preacher; sometimes it convinceth, sometimes it reproves: It saith as Nathan to David, Thou art the man. But men imprison this Preacher, and God saith to conscience, preach no more: He that is filthy, let [Page 123] him be filthy still. This is a fatal sign a mans day of grace is past.

2. When a person is in such a spiritual [...]ethargy, that nothing will work upon him, or make him sensible. There is [...], the spirit of a deep sleep poured on him, Isa. 29. 10. This is a sad presage his day of grace is past. How dangerous then is it to delay Repentance when the day of grace may so soon ex­pire!

3. The day of life may expire; what se­curity have we that we shall live another* [...]. Philo. Jud. day? We are marching apace out of the world; we are going off the stage; our life is a taper soon blown out. Mans life is compared to the flower of the field, Psal. 103. 15. which withers sooner than the grass Viret gloria hominis quasi flos soeni, hodiè a­liquem videas pubescen­tis aetatis virtute floren­tem, gratâ specie, suavi colore, cras, instar her­bae foeni occasum pati­tur. Ambr. Hexam. lib. 3.. Our age is [...] as nothing, Psal. 39. 5. Life is but a flying shadow. The bo­dy is like a ves [...]el tunned with a little breath; sickness broacheth this vessel, death draws it out. O how soon may the scene al­ter Mortalium vita quid aliud quàm scena? in qua alii aliis obtecti personis procedunt, a­gúnto; suas quis (que) par­tes, donec Choragus sta­tim educat è prosce [...]io. Erasm.! Many a Virgin hath been dressed the same day in her bride-apparel and her winding­sheet! How dangerous then is [Page 124] it to adjourn repenting, when death may so suddenly make a thrust at us. Say not, you will repent to morrow Sera ni­mis vita est crastina. Mart.: Remem­ber that speech of Aquinas; God who pardons him that repents, hath not pro­mised to give him to morrow to repent in. I have read of Archias, a Lacede­monian, who being among his cups, one delivered him a Letter, and de­sired him to read the Letter presently, being of serious business; he replyed, se­ria cras, I will mind serious things to mor­row Plutarch.; and that day he was slain. Thus, while men think to spin out their silver thred, death cu [...]s it. Olaus Magnus ob­serves of the Birds of Norway, that they fly faster than the Birds of any other Country; not that their wings are swif­ter than others, but by an instinct of na­ture, they knowing the daies in that cli­mate to be very short, not above three hours long, do therefore make the more haste to their nests: So we knowing the shortness of our lives, and how quickly we may be called away by death, should fly so much the faster on the wing of Repentance to Heaven.

But me-thinks I hear some say, they doObject. not fear a sudden surprizal, they will re­pent upon their sick-bed.

[Page 125]I do not so well like a sick-bed Repen­tanceAnsw. Poeniten­tia sera [...]a­rò vera.: He runs a desperate hazard, who will venture his salvation within the circle of a few short minutes. Thou that puttest off Repentance till sickness, answer me to these four queries.

1. How dost thou know thou shalt have a time of sickness? Death doth not alwaies shoot its warning-piece by a lingring consumption; some it arrests suddenly. What if God should present­ly send thee a summons to surrender thy life!

2. Suppose thou shouldest have a time of sickness, how dost thou know thou shalt have the use of thy senses? Many are distracted on their sick-bed.

3. Suppose thou shouldest have thy senses, yet how dost thou know thy mind will be in frame for such a work as Re­pentance? Sickness doth so discompose body and mind, that one is but in an ill posture at such a time to take care for his soul. In sickness a man is scarce fit to make his will, much less to make his peace. The Apostle saith, Is any sick among you, let him call for the Elders of the Church, Iam. 5. 14. He doth not say, is he sick, let him pray; but let him call for [Page 126] the Elders that they may pray over him. A sick man is very unfit to pray, or repent; he is like to make but sick work of it. When the body is out of tune, the soul must needs jar in its devotion. Upon a sick bed a person is more fit to exercise impatience, than Repentance. We read, that at the pouring out of the fourth Vial, when God did smite the Inhabi­tants, and scorched them with fire; They blasphemed the Name of God, and repented not, Rev. 16. 9. So when the Lord pours out his Vial, and scorcheth the body with a Feaver, the sinner is fitter to blaspheme than repent.

4. How dost thou who puttest off all to a sick bed, know, that God will give thee in that very juncture of time grace to repent? The Lord usually punisheth neglect of Repentance in time of health, with hardness of heart in time of sickness Multos peccati Vete­ranus ita con [...]opivit, ut ad seriam in ultimo a­gone resipiscentiam nun­quam perven [...]unt. Bald­win de Cas. Consc.. Thou hast in thy life time repulsed the Spirit of God, and art thou sure it will come at thy call? Thou hast not taken the first season, and perhaps thou shalt never see another spring-tyde of the Spirit more: All this considered, may hasten our Repentance. [Page 127] Do not lay too much weight upon a sick­bed, 2 Tim. 4. 21. Do thy diligence to come before winter. There is a winter of sickness, and death a coming, therefore make haste to repent; let thy work be ready before winter. To day hear Gods voice, Heb. 3. 7.

IF any shall say, they have repented, let me desire them to try themselves seriously by those seven Adjuncts or Effects of Repentance which the Apostle laies down, 2 Cor. 7. 11. Exigunt [...] [...]c vera pietatis à fucata distinguatur. De Rive [...].

1. Carefulness. The Greek word1 Effect. [...]. signifies a solicitous diligence, or careful shunning all tempta­tions to sin. The true peniten­tiary flies from sin, as Moses did from the Serpent Qui peniter solici­tus est ne peccet. Am­brose..

2. Clearing of our selves. The Greek word2 Effect. is Apology [...]. Refu­tatio obje­cti criminis. Maldon.. The sense is this, though we have never so much care, yet through strength of temptation, we may slip into [Page 128] sin: now in this case the repenting soul will not let sin lye festring in his con­science, but doth judge himself for his sin; he pours out tears before the Lord; he begs mercy in the Name of Christ, and never leaves till he hath gotten his pardon: Here he is cleared of guilt in his conscience, and is able to make an Apology for himself against Satan.3 Effect.

3. Indignation. He that repents of sin, his spirit riseth against itPoeniten­tia virtus est in iras­cibili. Bo­navent. di­stinct. 14. ar [...] ▪ 2. q [...]. 1. l. 4.; as ones blood riseth at the sight of him whom he mor­tally hates. Indignation is a being fret­ted at the heart with sin. The penitent is vexed with himself. David calls himself a fool and a beast Quid fe­ci? quo prolapsus sum? itane demens fui?, Psal. 73. 22. God is never better pleased with us, than when we fall out with our selves for sin Quid est poenitens nisi homo iratus sibi? Aug. in L [...]c. Serm. 35.. 4 Effect.

4. Fear. A tender heart is ever a tremb­ling heart. The penitent hath felt sins bit­terness; this Hornet hath stung him, and now having hopes that God is reconciled, he is afraid to come near sin any more. The repenting soul is full of fear; he is afraid to lose Gods favour, which is bet­ter than life; he is afraid he should for [Page 129] want of diligence come short of salva­tion; he is afraid lest after his heart hath been soft, the waters of Repen­tance should freeze, and he should harden in sin again, Prov. 28. 14. Happy is he that fears alwaies. A sinner is like the Le­viathan, who is made without fear, Iob 41. 29. A repenting person fears and sins not, a graceless person sins and fears not.

5. Vehement desire. Sowre sauce sharpens5 Effect. the appetite: So the bitter herbs of Re­pentance sharpen desire: But what doth the penitent desire? he desires more power against sin, and to be released from it. 'Tis true, he hath got loose from Sa­tan, but he goes as a prisoner that hath broke Prison, with a fetter on his leg; he cannot walk with that freedom and swiftness in the waies of God; he desires therefore to have the fetters of sin taken off; he would be freed from corruption; he cries out with Paul, Who shall deliver me from this body of death? Rom. 7. 24. In short, he desires to be with Christ, as every thing desires to be in its centre.

6. Zeal. Desire and zeal are fitly put to­gether; 6 Effect. to shew, that true desire puts forth it self in zealous endeavour. How [Page 130] doth the penitent bestir himself in the business of salvation! How doth he take the Kingdom of Heaven by force! Matth. 11. 12. Zeal quickens the pursuit after glory. Zeal encounters with difficulty, is imboldened by opposition, tramples upon danger. Zeal makes a repenting soul persist in godly sorrow against all dis­couragements and oppositions whatso­ever. Zeal carries a man above himself for Gods glory. Paul before conversion was mad against the Saints, Act. 26. 11. And after conversion he was judged mad for Christs sake, Act. 26. 4. Paul, thou art besides thy self. But it was Zeal, not Phrenzy. Zeal doth spirit and animate duty; it causeth fervency in Religion, which is as fire to the sacrifice, Rom. 12. 11. [...]. As fear is a bridle to sin, so Zeal is a spur to duty.

7. Revenge. A true Penetentiary pursues7 Effect. his sins with an holy malice; he seeks the death of them: As Sampson was avenged on the Philistines for his two eyes: He useth his sins, as the Jews used Christ; he gives them gall and vinegar to drink; he crucifies his lusts, Gal. 5. 24. Qu [...] se­veri [...]res in nos sumus eò sperare debemus magis propitium Dominum. Calvin lib. 3. Instit. A true child of God seeks to be revenged most [Page 131] of those sins which have dishonoured God most. Cranmer, who had with his right hand subscribed the Popish Ar­ticles, was revenged on himself, he put his right hand first in the fireAct & Monum. 1714.. David did by sin defile his bed, after by Repen­tance he watered his bed with tears. Israel had sinned by Idolatry, and after­wards they did offer disgrace to their Idols, 1 Sam. 30. 22. Ye shall defile the co­vering of thy graven Images of silver. Mary Magdalen had before sinned in her eye, by adulterous glances, and now she will be revenged on her eyes; she wash­eth Christs feet with her tearsAquam ex oculis hau­si [...], ut quibus lascivè fu­er [...]t abusa, eos mordaci lachrymarum cop [...]a ca­stigaret. Brugens.; she had sinned in her hair, it had intangled her Lovers; now she will be revenged on her hair; she wipes Christs feet with it Turpanda est facies (inquit Paula) quam contra Dei praeceptum purpurisso, cerussa, & stybio saepè depinxi, af­fl [...]gendum est còrpus quod multis vacavit de­litiis; mollia & s [...]a pretiosissima asperitate cilicii co [...]mutanda. H [...]erom. in ejus Epitaph▪. The Israelitish wo­men, who had been dressing themselves by the hour, and had abused their Looking-glasses to pride, afterwards by way of revenge as well as zeal, offered their Looking-glasses to the use and service of Gods Tabernacle, Exod. 38. 8. So those Conjurers who used curious Arts, o [...] [Page 132] Magick (as it is in the Syriack) when once they repented, brought their Books, and by way of revenge burned them, Act. 19. 19. These are the blessed fruits and products of Repentance; and if we can find these in our souls, we have arrived at that Repentance which is never to be repented of.

SUch as have solemnly repented of their sins, let me speak to them,

1. By way of Caution. Though Re­pentance1. be so necessary and excellent as you have heard, yet take heed that you do not ascribe too much to Repentance. The Papists are guilty of a double errour; 1. They make Repentance a Sacrament Scotus qu. 4. dist. 14. Occam qu. 2. Ger­son.. Christ never made it so; and who may institute Sacraments, but he who can give vertue to them? Repentance can be no Sacrament, because it wants an outward sign. A Sacrament cannot properly be without a sign.

2. The Papists make Repentance [Page 133] meritorious: they say it doth ex congruo merit pardon Andreas Vega.; this is a gross errour. Indeed Repentance fits us for mercy. As the Plough when it breaks up the ground, fits it for the seed: So when the heart is broken up by Repentance, it is fitted for remission, but it doth not merit it [...]. Chrysost.. God will not save us without Re­pentance, nor yet for it. Repentance is a qualification, not a cause. I grant re­penting tears are precious; they are, as Gregory saith, the fat of the sacrifice. And as Basil saith, the medicine of the soul. And as Bernard, the wine of Angels Lac [...]y­mae poeni­tentium sunt vinum Angelo rum. Bern. Serm. 30. in Cant.; but yet tears are not satisfactory for sin. We drop sin with our tears, therefore they cannot satisfie. Austin saith well, I have read of Peters tears, but no man ever read of Peters satisfaction. Christs blood only can merit pardon Remissio quam resi­piscentes adipiscun­tur, causam habet in satisfactio­ne pro ipsis praestitâ. M [...]sius cont. Crel­lium.. We please God by Repentance, but we do not satisfie him by it. To trust to our Repentance, is to make it a Saviour. Though Repentance helps to purge out the filth of sin, yet it is Christs blood washeth away the guilt of sin Lavat nos lachrymarum imber, magis autem lavat aqua illa preciosa quae de Fonte P [...]atis, i. e. latere Christi emanavit. Bern. in dedicat. Eccles.; therefore do not idolize Repen­tance: Do not rest upon this, that your [Page 134] heart hath been wounded for sin, but ra­ther, that your Saviour hath been wound­ed for sin. When you have wept, say as he, Lord Iesus, wash my tears in thy blood Lava▪ Domine lachrymas meas..

2. LET me in the next place speak by2. way of comfort. Christian, hath God given thee a repenting heart, know these three things for thy everlasting com­fort.

1. Thy sins are pardoned. Pardon of1 Comfort. sin circumscribes blessedness within it, Psal. 32. 1. Whom God pardons, he crowns, Psal. 1 [...]3. 4. Who forgiveth thy iniquities, who crowneth thee with loving kindness. A repenting condition is a pardoned condition. Christ said to that weeping woman, Thy sins which are many are forgiven, Luk. 7. 47. Pardons are seal­ed upon soft hearts: O thou whose head hath been a fountain to weep for sin, Christs side will be a fountain to wash away sin, Zach. 13. 1. Hast thou repented? [Page 135] God looks upon thee as if thou hadst not offended; he becomes a friend, a fa­ther; he will now bring forth the best Robe, and put it on thee: God is paci­fied towards thee, and will with the Father of the Prodigal, fall upon thy neck and kiss thee. Sin in Scripture is com­pared to a cloud, Isa. 44. 22. No sooner is this cloud scattered by Repentance, but pardoning love shines forth. Paul, af­ter his Repentance, obtained mercy, 1 Tim. 1. 16. [...], I was all bestrowed with mercy. When a spring of Repen­tance is open in the heart, a spring of mercy is open in Heaven.

2. God will pass an Act of Oblivion; 2 Comfort. he so forgives sin, as he forgets, Ier. 31. 34. I will remember their sin no more. Hast thou been penitentially humbled? the Lord will never upbraid thee with thy former sins. After Peter wept, we never read that Christ upbraid [...]d him with his de­nial of him. God hath cast thy sins into the depth of the Sea, Micah 7. 19. How? not as Cork, but as Lead. The Lord will never in a judicial way account for them. God when he pardons, doth as a Creditor that blots the debt out of his [...] delens. Book, Isa. 43. 25. *. Some move the que­stion, [Page 136] whether the sins of the godly shall be mentioned at the last day? The Lord saith, he will not remember them; and he is blotting them out: So that if their sins be mentioned, it shall not be to their prejudice, for the debt-book is crossed.

3. Conscience will now speak peaceTranquil­la consci­entia tran­quillat om­nia..3 Comfort. O the musick of conscience! Conscience is turned into a paradise, and there a Christian doth sweetly solace himself, and pluck the flowers of joy, 2 Cor. 1. 12. The repenting sinner can go to God with boldness in prayer, and look upon him not as a Judge, but a Father. He is born of God, and is heir to a Kingdom, Luk. 6. 20. He is incircled with Promises; he no sooner shakes the tree of the Promise, but some fruit falls.

To conclude, the true penitentiary may look on death with comfort; his life hath been a life of tears, and now at death all tears shall be wiped away▪ Death shall not be a destruction, but a Gaol-delivery. Thus you see what great comfort remains for repenting sinners. Luther said, before his conversion he could not endure that bitter word Re­pentance, but afterwards he found much sweetness in it.

SOme may propound a question, Whe­therQuest. must our Repentance and sorrow be alwaies alike?

A. Though Repentance must be alwaiesAnsw. kept alive in the soul, yet there are two special times wherein we must renew our Repentance in an extraordinary manner.

1. Before the receiving of the Lords1. Supper. This spiritual Passeover is to be eaten with bitter herbs. Now our eyes should be fresh broached with tears, and the stream of sorrow overflow. A re­penting frame is a sacramental frame. A broken heart, and a broken Christ, do well agree. The more bitterness we taste in sin, the more sweetness we shall taste in Christ. When Iacob wept, he found God; And he called the name of the place Peniel, for I have seen God face to face, Gen. 32, 30. The way to find Christ comfortably in the Sacrament, is to go weeping thither. Christ will say to an humble penitent, as to Thomas, Reach [Page 138] hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side Joh. 20. 27., and let those bleeding wounds of mine heal thee.

Another time of extraordinary Repen­tance2. is, at the hour of death. This should be [...], a weeping season. Now is our last work to be done for Heaven, and our best wine of tears should be kept against such a time. We should repent now, that we have sinned so much, and wept so little▪ that Gods bag hath been so fullJob 14. 17., and his bottle so empty. We should repent now, that we repented no sooner: that the garrisons of our hearts, held out so long against God, ere they were levelled by Repentance. We should repent now, that we have loved Christ no more; that we have fetched no more vertue from him, and brought no more glory to him. It should be our grief on our death-bed, that our lives have had so many blanks and blots in them; that our duties have been so fly-blown with sin; that our obedience hath been so imperfect, and we have gone so lame in the waies of God. When the soul is going out of the body, it should swim to Heaven in a Sea of tears.

BEfore I lay down the Expedients and Means conducing to Repentance, I shall first remove the Impediments. In this great City, when you want water, you search the cause, whether the Pipes are broken or stopped, that the current of water is hindered: So when no water of Repentance comes (though we have the Conduit-pipes of Ordinances) see what the cause is; where is the stop that these penitential waters do not run. There are ten Impediments of Repentance.

1. Men do not apprehend that they1 Imped. need Repentance; they thank God all is well with them, and they know nothing they should repent of, Rev. 3. 17. Thou sayest, I am rich, and have need of nothing. He who apprehends not any distemper in his body, will not take the Physick prescribed. This is the mischief sin hath done; it hath not only made us sick, but senseless. When the Lord bade the people [Page 140] return to him Revertimini ad me per resipiscentiam, & revertar ad vos per be­neficentiam., they answered stubbornly, Wherein should we return? Mal. 3. 7. So when God bids men repent, they say, wherefore should they repent? they know nothing they have done amiss. Surely no disease worse than that which is Apoplectical.

2. People conceit it an easie thing to2 Imped. repent: It is but saying a few prayers; a sigh, or a Lord have mercy, and the work is done. This conceit of the easi­ness of Repentance, is a great hinderance to it. That which makes a person bold, and adventrous in sin, must needs obstruct Repentance; but this opinion doth make a person bold in sin. The Angler can let out his line as far as he will, and then pull it in again: So when a man thinks he can lash out in sin as far as he will, and then pull in by Repentance when he list, this must needs imbolden him in wickedness. But to take away this false conceit of the easiness of Repentance, consider, 1. A wicked man hath a mountain of guilt up­on him, and is it easie to rise up under such a weight? Is salvation per saltum? Can a man jump out of sin into Heaven? Can he leap out of the Devils arms into [Page 141] Abrahams bosom? 2. If all the power in a sinner be employed against Repentance, then it is not easie. All the faculties of a natural man joyn issue with sin, Ier. 2. 25. I have loved strangers, and after them will I go. A sinner will rather lose Christ and Heaven, than his lusts: death, which parts man and wife, will not part a wicked man and his sins; and is it so easie to repent? The Angel rolled away the stone from the Sepulchre; but no Angel, only God himself can roll away the stone from the the heart.3 Imped.

3. Presuming thoughts of Gods mercy. Many suck poison from this sweet flower. Christ who came into the world to save sinners, 1 Tim. 1. 15. is accidentally the occasion of many a mans perishing. Though to the Elect he is the bread of life, yet to the wicked he is [...], a stone of stumbling, 1 Pet. 2. 7. * To some [...] Lapis in quem gra­vitèr im­pingunt. Estius. his blood is sweet wine, to others the water of Marah. Some are softned by this Sun of Righteousness, others are hardned. Oh saith one, Christ hath died, he hath done all for me, therefore I may sit still and do nothing. Thus they suck death from the Tree of Life, and perish by a Sa­viour. So I may say of Gods mercy, it [Page 142] is accidentally the cause of many a ones ruine: Because of mercy men presume, and think they may go on in sin: But, should a Kings clemency make his sub­jects rebel? The Psalmist saith, there is mercy with God, that he may be feared, Psal. 130. 4. but not that we may sin. Can men expect mercy by provoking ju­stice? God will hardly shew them mer­cy, who sin because mercy abounds.4 Imped.

4. A supine sluggish temper. Repentance is looked upon as a tedious thing, and such as requires much industry, and men are settled upon their lees, and care not to stir: They had rather go sleeping to Hell, than weeping to Heaven, Prov. 19. 24. A slothful man hideth his hands in his bosom; he will not be at the labour of smiting on his breast [...]. Chrysost.. Many will rather lose Heaven, than ply the oar, and row thither upon the waters of Repentance. We cannot have the world citra pulverem, without labour and dili­gence, and would we have that which is more excellent Ut rosa de spinis nas­citur, sic de tristibus, & asperis fructus capitur jucundissimus. Erasm.? Sloth is the canker of the soul, Prov. 19. 15. Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep. It was a witty fiction of the Poets, when Mercury had cast Argus into [Page 143] a sleep, and with an inchanted Rod closed his eyes, then he killed him. When Satan hath by his witcheries lull'd men asleep in sloth, then he destroyes them. Some report, while the Crocka­dil sleeps with his mouth open, the Indian Rat gets into his belly, and eats up his en­trails: So while men sleep in security, they are devoured.

5. Another obstruction of Repentance5 Imped. is the tickling pleasure of sin, [...] Thes. 2. 12. Who take pleasure in unrighteousness. Sin is a sugred draught, but mixed with poi­son. The sinner thinks there is danger in sin, but there is delight, and the dan­ger doth not so terrifie him, as the de­light bewitcheth him. Plato calls love of sin, a great Devil Magnus Daemon.. Delighting in sin hardens the heart. In true Repentance there must be a grieving for sin; but how can one grieve for that which he loves. He who delights in sin can hardly pray against it; his heart is so inveagled with sin, that he is afraid of leaving it too soon. Sampson doted on Dalilahs beau­ty, and her lap proved his grave. When a man rolls iniquity as a Sugared lump under his tongue, it infatuates him, and is his death at last. Delight in sin Momen­taneum est quod de­lectat, ae­ternum quod cru­ciat. is a silken [Page 142] [...] [Page 143] [...] [Page 144] halter, 2 Sam. 2. 26. Will it not be bitter­ness in the latter end?

6. An opinion that Repentance will6 Imped. take away our joy; but that is a mistake; it doth not crucifie, but clarifie our joy, and take it off from the fulsom lees of sin. What is all earthly joy? it is but Hilaris insania, a pleasant phrensy.

Worldly mirth is but like a feigned laugh; it hath sorrow following at the heelsExtrema gaudii lu­ctus occu­pat.. As the Magitians Rod, it is instantly turned into a Serpent: But divine Repentance like Sampsons Lion, hath an hony-comb in it. Gods Kingdom consists as well in joy, as in righteousness, Rom. 4. 17. None are so truly chearful as penitent ones.

The oyl of joy is poured chiefly into a broken heart, Isa. 61. 3. The oyl of joy for mourning. In the fields near Palermo, grow great plenty of Reeds, in which there is a sweet juice of which sugar is made: So in a penitent heart, which is the bruised Reed, grow the sugred joys of Gods Spirit. God turns the water of tears, into the juyce of the grape, which [Page 145] exhilerates and makes glad the heart. Who should rejoyce if not the repenting soul? he is heir to all the Promises, and is not that matter of joy? God dwells in a contrite heart, and must there not needs be joy there? Isa. 55. 17. I dwell with a contrite spirit, to revive the heart of the contrite ones. Repentance doth not take away a Christians musick, but raise­eth it a note higher, and makes it sweeter [...] in [...] sancti [...] vultus [...] ­rum nunquam gratiori serenitate splendere, quando gratia comp [...] ­ctionis corda [...]orum amaricav [...]rit & lachrymis or [...] perfuderit. [...] Pariens. de virtute..

7. Another obstacle of Repentance is,7 Imped. despondency of mind. Oh saith a sinner, it is a vain thing for me to set upon Re­pentance; my sins are of that magnitude, that there is no hope for meDespera­re est in infernum descende­re. Isidor., Ier. 18. 11, 12. Return ye now every one from his evil way, and they said, there is no hope. Our sins are mountains, and how shall these ever be cast into the Sea? Where unbelief represents sin in its bloody co­lours, and God in his Judges Robes, the soul will sooner fly from him, than to him: This is dangerous: Other sins need mercy, but despair rejects mercy; it [Page 146] throws the cordial of Christs blood on the ground. Iudas was not damned only for his treason and murder, but it was his distrust of Gods mercy destroyed him. Why should we entertain such hard thoughts of God? he hath bowels of love to repenting sinners [...] Commise­rans ex intimis visceri­bus, [...]. Si multa sunt peccata, mul­ta [...]st misericordia, & adhuc de spe decidis O peccator? Quistorpius., Ioel 2. 13. Mercy rejoyceth over justice. Gods anger is not so hot, but mercy can cool it; nor so sharp, but mercy can sweeten itQuanta esset vis mel­lis quae fel dulcoraret? longè major vis [...]onita­tis Dei, &c.. God counts his mer­cy his glory, Exod. 33. 18, 19. We have some drops of mercy our selves, but God is the Fa­ther of mercies, who begets all the mercies that are in us. He is the God of bowels [...] est miseri­cordia visceralis, cum scilicet q is alteri [...]s mi­seriâ ex intimis medullis ita tangitur, ut videatur velle sua viscera in eum effundere.. No sooner do we mourn, but Gods heart melts: no sooner do our tears fall, but Gods repentings kindle, Hos. 11. 8. Say not then, there is no hope. Disband the army of thy sins, and God will sound a retreat to his judgements. Remember, great sins have been swallowed up in the Sea of Gods infinite compassions. Manasseh made the streets run with blood, yet when his [...]ead was a fountain of tears, God grew propitious.

[Page 147]8. Hope of impunity. Men flatter them­selves8. Imped. in fin▪ and think God having spared them all this while, he never intends to* Impii benignita­te Dei a­butentes gaudent impunita­te. Pareus. punish; because the Assizes are put off therefore, surely there will be no Assizes, Psal. 10. 11. He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten, he hideth his face, he will ne­ver see it. The Lord indeed is long-suffer­ing towards sinners, and would by his patience bribe them to Repentance, but here is their wretchedness, because he forbears to punish, they forbear to re­pent. Know, that the lease of Patience will soon be run out. There is a time when God saith, My Spirit shall no longer strive. A creditor may forbear his debtor, but forbearance doth not excuse the payment. God takes notice how long the glass of his patience hath been run­ning, Rev. 2. 21. I gave her space to repent, but she repented not. Iezabel added to her incontinency, impenitency, and what follows? vers. 22. Behold I will cast her into a bed: Not a bed of pleasure, but a bed of languishing, where she shall con­sume away in her iniquity. The longer Gods Arrow is drawing, the deeper it wounds. Sins against patience, will make a mans Hell so much the hotter▪

[Page 148]The next Impediment of Repentance,9 Imped. is, fear of reproach: If I repent, I shall expose my self to mens scorns. The Hea­then man could say, when thou appliest thy self to the study of wisdom, prepare for sarcasms and reproaches [...]. Epictetus.. But consider well who they are that reproach thee: they are such as are ignorant of God Quid enim iniquius, quam ut oderint homi­nes quod ignorant? Ter­tull., and spiritually phran­tick; and art thou troubled to have them reproach thee, who are not well in their wits? who minds a mad mans laughing at him?

What do the wicked reproach thee for? is it because thou repentest? thou art doing thy duty; bind their reproaches as a Crown about thy head. 'Tis better that men should reproach thee for re­penting, than that God should damn thee for not repenting.

3. If thou canst not bear a reproach for Religion, never call thy self Chri­stian; Christianus quasi crucianus Luther.. Suf­fering is a Saints livery; and alas what are reproaches? they are but the chips of the Cross; which are rather to be de­spised, than laid to heart Quid iste faceret in igne, qui Christum rubuit in nube?.

10. The last Impediment of Repentance,10. Imped. [Page 149] is, immoderate love of the world. No wonder Ezekiels hearers were hardned in­to rebellion, when their heart went after covetousness, Ezok. 33. 31. The world doth so engross mens time, and bewitch their affections, that they cannot repent; they had rather put gold in their bag, than tears in Gods bottle. I have read of the Turks, that they mind neither Churches, nor Altars, but are diligent in looking af­ter their tillage. So many scarce ever mind Repentance; they are more for the Plough, and breaking of the clods, than breaking up the fallow ground of their hearts. The Thorns choke the word. We read of them who were invited to Christs Supper, who put him off with worldly excuses, Luk. 14. 18. One said, I have bought a piece of ground, and must needs go see it, I pray thee have me excused; and ano­ther, I have bought five yoke of Oxen, &c. The farm and the shop so take up peoples time, that they have no leisure for their souls [...]: Their golden weights hinder their silver tears. There is an Herb in the Country of Sardinia, like Baulm, which if they eat much of, will make them die laughing: Such an herb (or ra­ther weed) is the world, if men eat [Page 150] too immoderately of it, instead of dying repenting, they will die laughing. These are the obstructions of Repentance which must be removed, that the current may be clearer.

I Shall in the last place prescribe some Rules or Means conducible to Repen­tance.

1. The first is serious consideration,1. Psal. 119. 59. I thought on my waies, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies. The Prodigal, when he came to himself, and did seriously consider his riotous luxu­riances, then he repented. Peter, when he thought of Christs words, wept. There are four things, which if they were well considered of, would be a means to make us break off a course of sinning.

1. Consider seriously what sin is; and1 Consid. sure there is enough evil in it to make us repent: There are in sin these twenty Evils.

1. Every sin is a recession from1. [Page 151] God Elongat hominem à Deo. Ja­cob de Va­lent., Ier. 2. 5. God is the supream good, and our blessedness lyes in union with him; but sin, like a strong byass, draws away the heart from God. The sinner takes his leave of God; he bids farewel to Christ and mercy. Every step forward in sin, is a step backward from God, Isa. 1. 4. They have forsaken the Lord, they are gone away backward. The [...] Ali n [...]runt se retro [...] ­sum. Ar. Mo [...]tan. further one goes from the Sun, the nearer he approacheth to darkness: the further the soul goes from God, the nearer it approach to misery.

2. Sin is a walking contrary to God,2. Levit. 26. 27. The same word in the He­brew * signifies both to commit sin, and [...] to rebel. Sin is Gods opposite: If God be of one mind, sin will be of another: If God saith sanctifie the Sabbath, sin saith, prophane it. Sin strikes at Gods very being: If sin could help it, God should be no longer God, Isa. 30. 11. Cause the holy One of Israel to cease from be­fore us. What an horrible thing is this, for a piece of proud dust, to rise up in defiance against its maker!

3. Sin is an injury to God. For 1. It3. violates his Laws; here is crimen laesae majestatis. What greater injury can be [Page 152] offered to a Prince, than to trample up­on his royal edicts? A sinner offers con­tempt to the Statute-Laws of Heaven, Nehem. 9. 26. They have cast thy Law be­hind their back; as if they scorned to look upon it.

2. Sin robs God of his due. You injure a man when you do not give him his due. The soul belongs to God, he laies a double claim to it; it is his by creation and purchase: now sin steals the soul from God, and gives the Devil that which of right belongs to God.

4. Sin is profound ignorance. The4. School-men say, All sin is founded in igno­rance Omne peccatum fundatur in ignorantia.; did men know God in his puri­ty and justice, they durst not go on in a course of sinning, Ier. 9. 3. They proceed from evil to evil, and know not me, saith the Lord. Therefore ignorance and lust are joyned together, 1 Pet. 1. 14. Ignorance is the womb of lust. Vapours arise most in the night: The black vapours of sin arise most in a dark ignorant soul. Satan casts a mist before a sinner, that he sees not the flaming sword of Gods wrath. The Eagle first rolls himself in the sand, and then flies at the Stagg, and by flut­tering his wings, so bedusts the Staggs [Page 153] eyes, that he cannot see, and then he strikes him with his tallons Pliny.: So Satan that Eagle or Prince of the Air first blinds men with ignorance 2 Cor. 4. 4., and then wounds them with his darts of tempta­tion. Is sin ignorance? there's great cause to repent of ignorance.

5. Sin is a piece of desperateness. In every5. transgression, a man runs an apparent hazard of his soul; he treads upon the brink of the bottomless pit. Foolish sinner, thou never committest a sin, but thou dost that which may undo thy soul for ever Quae [...]e dementia cep [...]t? Virg.. He who drinks poison, it is a wonder if it doth not cost him his life. One taste of the forbidden tree lost Adam Paradise: One sin of the Angels lost them Heaven: One sin of Saul lost him his Kingdom. The next sin thou committest, God may clap thee up prisoner among the damned. Thou that gallopest on in sin, it is a question whether God will spare thy life a day longer, or give thee an heart to repent, so that thou art despe­rate even to phrensy.

6. Sin is a befilthying thing; it is called [...], filthiness, Iam. 1. 21. The Greek word signifies the putrid matter of ul­cers. Sin is called [...], an abomination, [Page 154] Deut. 7. 25. Nay, in the plural, abomi­nations*, Deut. 20. 18. This filthiness [...] in sin is inward: a spot in the face may easily be wiped off; but to have the liver and lungs tainted, is far worse: Such a pollution is sin, it hath gotten into the mind and conscience, Tit. 1. 15. 'Tis com­pared to a menstruous cloth, Isa. 30. 22. The most unclean thing under the LawHierom. ▪ A sinners heart is like a field spread with dung. Some think sin an ornament, it is rather an excrement. So doth sin befil­thy a person, that God cannot abide the sight of him, Zach. 11. 8. My soul loathed them.

7. In sin is odious ingratitude. God hath7. [...]ed thee (O sinner) with Angels food; he hath crowned thee with variety of mer­cies,* Vir in­gratus est dolium per [...]ora­tum. Lucian yet dost thou go on in sin? As Da­vid said of Nabal, in vain have I kept this mans sheep, 1 Sam. 25. 21▪ So in vain hath God done so much for the sinner. All Gods mercies may upbraid, yea ac­cuse the ungrateful person. May God say, I gave thee wit, health, riches, and thou hast imployed all these against me, Hos. 2. 8. I gave them corn, and wine, and oyl, and multiplied their silver and gold, which they prepared for Baal. I sent in pro­visions, [Page 155] and they served their Idols with them. The Snake in the fable which was frozen, stung him that brought it to the fire, and gave it warmth: So a sinner goes about to sting God with his own mercies. Is this thy kindness to thy friend? Did God give thee life to sin? Did he give thee wages to serve the Devil?

8. Sin is a debasing thing; it degrades a8. person of his honour, Nahum 1. 14. I will make thy grave, for thou art vile [...] sig­nif. primò levem, vilem.. This was spoken of a King Sennach.; he was not vile by birth, but by sin: Sin blots our name, taints our blood: nothing doth so change a mans glory into shame, as sin doth. 'Tis said of Naaman, He was a great man and honourable, but he was a leper, 2 Kin. 5. 1. Let a man be never so great with worldly Pomp, yet if he be wicked, he is a leper in Gods eye. To boast of sin, is to boast of that which is our infamy; as if a Pri­soner should boast of his fetters, or be proud of his halter.

9. Sin is a damage. In every sin there is9. infinite loss. Never did any thrive by grazing on this Common. What doth one lose? he loseth God, he loseth his peace, he loseth his soul. The soul is a divine spark lighted from Heaven; it is the glory [Page 156] of the Creation; and what can counter­vail this loss [...]? Chrysost. Matth. 16. 26. If the soul be gone, the trea­sure is gone; so that in sin there is infinite loss. Sin is such a trade, that whosoever follows it is sure to break.

10. Sin is a burthen, Psal. 38. 4. My ini­quities 10. are gone over my head, as an heavy burden, they are too heavy for me. The sinner goes with his weights and fetters on him. The burden of sin is ever worst, when it is least felt. Sin is a burden where-ever it comes. Sin burdens God, Amos 2. 3. I am pressed with your sins, as a Cart is pressed under the sheaves Sicut plaustrum stipulae vel foeni onere praegrava­tum strido­re & sonitu exululat, sic ego peccata vestra ul­trà non sustinens, clamo, &c. Hie [...]m.. Sin burdens the soul; what a weight did Spira feel? how was Iudas his conscience burdened? inso­much that he hanged himself to quiet his conscienceNon recubat ad foras tan­quam Canis dormiens D. Rivet.. They that know what sin is, will repent that they carry such a burden.

11. Sin is a debt: 'Tis compared to a11. debt of ten thousond talents, Mat. 18. 24. Of all the debts we owe, our sins are [Page 157] the worst▪ Vocabulum hoc [...] significat reatum & obligationem ad poe­nam. Chemnit. Harm.. In other debts a sinner may fly into forein parts, but here he cannot, Psal. 139. 7. Whither shall I fly from thy pre­sence? God knows where to find out all his debtors [...]. Chrys.. Death frees a man from other debts, but it will not free him from this: not the death of the debtor, but of the creditor dischargeth this debt.12.

10. There is deceitfulness in sin, Heb. 3. 13. Prov. 11. 18. The wicked worketh a de­ceitful work. Sin is a meer cheat: while it pretends to please us, it beguiles us. Sin doth as Iaell, first she brought the milk and butter to Sisera, then she struck the nail thorow his temples that he died, Iudg. 5. 26. Sin first courts, and then kills: 'Tis first a Fox, and then a Lion: Whomsoever sin kisseth, it betraies. Those Locusts in the Revelations, are the perfect Hierogly phicks and emblems of sin; On their heads were as it were Crowns like gold, and they had hair as women, and their teeth were as the teeth of Lions, and they had stings in their tails, Rev. 9. 7. Sin doth just as the Usurer, who feeds a man with money, and then makes him mor­gage his Land: So sin feeds the sinner [Page 158] with delightful objects, and then makes him morgage his soul. Iudas pleased himself with the thirty pieces of silver, but they proved deceitful riches; ask him now how he likes his bargain.

13. Sin is a spiritual sickness: One man13. is sick of pride, another of lust, another of malice: 'Tis with a sinner, as it is with a sick Patient, his pallat is distem­pered; the sweetest things taste bitter to him: So the word of God which is sweeter than the honey-comb, tastes bitter to a sinner, Isa. 5. 20. They put sweet for bitter; and if sin be a disease, it is not to be cherished, but rather cured by Repentance.

14. Sin is a bondage; it binds a man14. Apprentice to the Devil Haec est carnis licen­tia, quae nos sic à Dei servitute manumittit, ut Diabolo mancipet. Calvin.. Of all conditions, servitude is the worst. Every man is held with the cords of his own sin. I was held before conversion (saith Austin Aug. Confess.) not with an Iron Chain, but with the obstinacy of my will. Sin is imperious and tyrannical; it is called [...], a Law, Rom. 8. 2, be­cause it hath such a binding power over a man. The sinner must do as sin will have him: He doth not so much enjoy [Page 159] his lusts as serve them; and he will have work enough to do to gratifie them all O quam multos ha­bet Domi­nos, qui non habet unum? Hierom., Eccles. 10. 7. I have seen Princes going on foot. The soul that princely thing, which did once sit in a chair of State, and was crowned with knowledge and holiness, now is made a lacky to sin, and runs on the Devils errand.

15. Sin hath a spreading malignity in it; 15. it doth not only hurt to a mans self, but to others: one mans sin may occasion many to sin. As one Beacon being light­ed, may occasion all the Beacons in the Country to be lighted. One man may help to defile many Nemo errat sibi ipsi, sed dementiam spargit in proximos. Sen.. A person that hath the plague, going into company, doth not know how many have gotten the plague of him. Thou that art guilty of open sins, knowest not how many have been infected by thee Quid al­teri peri­culo es? tu illi gla­dius. Tertul.. There may be divers for ought thou knowest, now in Hell, crying out, that they had never come thither, if it had not been for thy bad example.

16. Sin is a vexatious thing; it brings16. trouble with it. The curse which God laid upon the woman, is most truly laid upon every sinner, Gen. 3. 6. In sorrow thou shalt bring forth. A man vexeth his [Page 160] thoughts in plotting of sin; and when sin hath conceived, in sorrow he brings forth: Like one who takes a great deal of pains in opening a flood-gate, and when he hath opened it, the flood comes in upon him, and drowns him: So a man beats his brains to contrive sin, and then it vexeth his conscience Omne peccatum est sui ip­sius poena., brings crosses in his estate, rots the wall and timber of his house, Zach. 5. 4.—

16. Sin is an absurd thing. What greater17. indiscretion than to gratifie an enemy? Sin gratifies Satan. When lust or anger burn in the soul, Satan warms himself at this fire. Mens sins feast the Devil Mortali­um errores epulae sunt daemonum.. Sampson was called out to make the Lords of the Philistines sport, Iudg. 16. 25. So the sinner makes the Devil sport. 'Tis meat and drink to him to see men sin▪ How doth he laugh to see them ventur­ing their souls for the world! As if one should venture Diamonds for Straws; or should fish for Gudgeons with golden hooks. Every wicked man shall be in­dicted at the day of judgement for a fool.

18. There is cruelty in every sin. Every18. sin thou committest, thou givest a stab to thy soul Quot vi­tia tot vul­nera.. While thou art kind to [Page 161] sin, thou art cruel to thy self; like him in the Gospel, who did cut himself with stones till the blood came, Mark 5. 5. The sinner is like the Jaylor, who drew a sword to kill himself. Act. 16. 27. The soul may cry out, I am murdering. Na­turalists say, the Hawk chuseth to drink blood, rather than water Accipiter sanguinem non aquam bibit. Pie­rius.: So sin drinks the blood of souls.

19. Sin is a spiritual death, Ephes. 2. 1.19. Dead in trespasses. Austin saith, that before his conversion, reading the death of Dido, he could not refrain weeping; but wretch that I was (saith he) I bewailed the death of Dido forsaken of Aeneas, and did not bewail the death of my soul for­saken of God Aug. con [...] lib. 1. c. 13.. The life of sin is the death of the soul. 1. A dead man hath no sense: So a person unregenerate hath no sense of God in him, Ephes. 4. 19. Per­swade him to mind his salvation, to what purpose do you make orations to a dead man? go to reprove him for vice, to what purpose do you strike a dead man? 2. He who is dead hath no taste. Set a banquet before him, he doth not rellish it: So a sinner tastes no sweetness in Christ or a Promise: They are but as cordials in a dead mans mouth [...]. Chrys.. 3. The [Page 162] dead putrifie; and if Martha said of Laza­rus, Ioh. 11. 39. Lord, by this time he stinketh, for he hath been dead four daies. How much more may we say of a wicked man, who hath been dead thirty or forty years in sin, by this time he stinketh.

20. Sin without Repentance tends to20. final damnation. As the Rose perisheth by the canker bred in it self: so do men by the corruptions which breed in their souls. What was once said to the Grae­cians of the Trojan horse, this Engine is made to be the destruction of your City Haec in vestros fa­bricata est machina muros. Vir­gil. Aeneid.. The same may be said to every impeni­tent person, this Engine of sin will be the destruction of thy soul. Sins last scene is alwaies Tragical. Diagoras Florentinus would in a frolick drink poison, but it cost him his life [...]oco ve­nenum bi­bit, seriò mortem o­biit. Reyn. Orat.. Men drink the poison of sin in a merriment, but it costs them their souls, Rom. 6. 23. The wages of sin is death. What Solomon saith of wine, the same I may say of sin; at first it shews its colour in the cup, at the last it biteth like a Serpent, and stingeth like an Adder, Prov. 23. 31. Christ tells us of the worm Horreo vermem mordacem, & mortem vivacem. [...] Flor. and the fire, Mark 9. 48. Sin is like oyl, and Gods wrath is like fire. So long as the damned continue sinning, so long the [Page 163] fire will continue scorching; and who can dwell with everlasting burnings? Isa. 33. 14. But men question the truth of this, and are like that impious Devonax, who being threatned with Hell for his villanies▪ made a mock at it, and said, I will believe there is an Hell when I come there, and not before Tun [...] cre [...] dam cùm illuc vene­ro.. We cannot make Hell enter into men, till they enter into Hell.

Thus we have seen the deadly evil in sin, which seriously thought on, may make us repent, and turn to God. If for all this, men will persist in sin, and are re­solved upon a voyage to Hell, who can help it. They have been told what a soul-damning Rock sin is; but if they will voluntarily run upon it, and split themselves, their blood be upon their own head.

2. The second consideration to work2 Consid. Repentance, is, consider the mercies of God. A stone is soonest broken upon a soft pillow; and an heart of stone is soonest broken upon the soft pillow of Gods mercies O altitu­do divitia­rum mise­ricordiae De [...], Rom. 2. 4. The goodness of God leadeth thee to Repentance. The cle­mency of a Prince doth soonest cause re­lenting in a malefactor. While God [Page 164] hath been storming others by his judge­ments, he hath been wooing us by his mercies.

What privative mercies have we hadPlures sunt gra­tiae priva­tivae.?1. what mischiefs have been prevented? what fears blown over? When our foot hath been slipping, Gods mercy hath held us up Psal. 94. 18.. Mercy hath been alwaies a screen between us and danger. When enemies like Lions have risen up against us to de­vour us, free-grace hath snatched us out of the mouth of these Lions. In the deep­est waves, the arm of mercy hath been under, and kept our head above water; and will not this privative mercy lead us to Repentance?

What positive mercies have we had!2. 1. Supplying mercy. God hath been a bountiful benefactor, Gen. 48. 15. The God which fed me all my life long to this day. What man will spread a table for his enemy? we have been enemies, yet God hath fed us; he hath given us the horn of Oyl; he hath made the hony-comb of mercy drop upon us. God hath been as kind to us, as if we had been his best servants; and will not this supplying mercy lead us to Repentance?

2. Delivering mercy. When we have been [Page 165] at the gates of the grave, God hath mi­raculously spun out our lives; he hath turned the shadow of death into the morn­ing, and hath put a song of deliverance into our mouth; and will not deliver­ing mercy lead us to Repentance? The Lord hath laboured to break our hearts with his mercies. We read Iudg. 2.—When the Angel (which was a Prophet) had preached a Sermon of mercy, the people lifted up their voices and wept, vers 4. If any thing will move tears, it should be the mercy of God. He is an obstinate sinner indeed, whom these great Cable-Ropes of Gods mercy will not draw to Repentance.

3. Consider Gods afflictive provi­dences,3 Consid. and see if our limbeck will not drop when the fire is put under. God hath sent us of late years to the school of the cross; he hath twisted his judgements to­gether; he hath made good upon us those two threatnings, Hos. 5. 12. I will be to Ephraim as a moth. Hath not God been so to England in decay of trading? And ver. 14. I will be to Ephraim as a Lion. Hath he not been to England in the devouring Plague 1665.? Well, all this while God wait­ed for our Repentance; but we went on in sin, Ier. 8. 6. I hearkned and heard, but [Page 166] no man repented him of his wickedness, say­ing, what have I done? And of late God hath been whipping us with a fiery Rod 1666., in those tremendous flames in this City, which did hierogly phically resemble the great Conflagration at the last day, when the Elements shall melt with fervent heat 2 Pet. 3. 10.. When Ioabs corn was on fire, then he went running to Absalom, 2 Sam. 14. 31. God hath set our houses on fire, that we may run to him by Repentance, Micah 6. 9. The Lords voice cries unto the City, Hear ye the Rod, and who hath appointed it. This is the language of the Rod, that we should humble our selves under Gods mighty hand, and break off our iniquities by righteousness, Dan. 4. 27. Manassehs af­fliction ushered in Repentance, 2 Chron. 33. 12. This God useth as the proper medicine for security, Hos. 2. 5. Her Mo­ther hath played the Harlot; that is, by ido­latry. What course now will God take with her? vers. 6. Therefore I will hedge up thy way with thorns Deus spi­ [...]is sepit, cum homi­nes variis circum­cingit ae­runin is, ut ad peccata tanquam amasios [...] ­gredi non [...].. This is Gods me­thod, to set a thorn-hedge of affliction in the way. Thus to a proud man con­tempt is a thorn; to a lustful man sickness is a thorn, both to stop him in his sin, and to prick him for ward in Repentance.

The Lord teacheth his people as Gi­deon [Page 167] did the men of Succoth, Iudg. 8. 16. He took the Elders of the City, and thorns of the wilderness and briars, and with them he taught the men of Succoth. Here was tear­ing Rhetorick. So God hath of late been teaching us humiliation by thorny provi­dences: he hath torn our golden fleece from us; he hath brought our houses low, that he might bring our hearts low. When shall we dissolve into tears if not now? Gods judgements are so proper a means to work Repentance, that the Lord won­ders at it, and makes it his complaint, that his severity did not break men off from their sins, Amos 4. 7. I have with-holden the Rain from you, vers. 9. I have smitten you with blasting and mildew, vers. 10. I have sent among you the Pestilence; but still this is the burden of the complaint, Yet ye have not returned to me. The Lord proceeds gradually in his judgements: First he sends a lesser cross, and if that will not do, then a greater. He sends upon one first a gentle fit of an Ague, and after­wards a burning Feaver. He sends upon another first a loss at Sea, then the loss of a child, then an husband. Thus by de­grees he would try to bring men to Re­pentance. Sometimes God makes his [Page 168] judgements go in circuit, from family to family. The cup of affliction hath gone round in the Nation, all have tasted it; and if we repent not now, we stand in a contempt of God, and do interpretative­ly bid God do his worst; and such a cli­max of wickedness will hardly be par­doned, Isa. 22. 12, 13. In that day did the Lord of Hosts call to weeping and mourning, and behold joy and gladness; It was reveal­ed in mine ears by the Lord of Hosts, surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till you dye: That is, this sin shall not be ex­piated by sacrifice. If the Romans did severely punish a young man who was seen sporting in a window with a Crown of Roses on his headin time of publick Calamity: of how much sorer punishment shall they be thought worthy, who strengthen themselves in wickedness, and laugh in the very face of Gods judge­ments. The Heathen Mariners in a storm repented, Ionah 1. 14. Not to repent now and throw our sins over-board, is to to be worse than Heathens.

4. Let us consider how much we shall4 Consid. have to answer for at last, if we repent not. How many prayers, counsels, ad­monitions, will be put upon the score. [Page 169] Every Sermon will come in as an Indict­ment. As for such as have truly repent­ed, Christ will answer for them; his blood will wash away their sins; the mantle of free-grace will cover them, Ier. 50. 20. In those daies saith the Lord, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none, and the sins of Iudah, and they shall not be found. Those who have judged themselves in the lower Court of Conscience, shall be acquitted in the High Court of Heaven: but if we re­pent not, our sins must be accounted all for at the last day; and we must answer for them in our own persons, and have no counsel allowed to plead for us. Now O impenitent sinner, think with thy self how thou wilt be able to look thy Judge in the face; thou hast a damned cause to plead, and wilt be sure to be cast at the barForis erit mundus ardens, in­tus consci­entia u­rens, heu miser pec­cator quo fugies? An­selm., Iob 31. 14. What then shall I do when God riseth up? and when he visits, what shall I answer him? Either therefore now repent, or else provide your answers, and see what defence you can make for your selves when you come before Gods Tri­bunal; but when God riseth up, how will you answer him?

2. The second help to Repentance,2. [Page 170] is, a prudent comparison: Compare the penitent and impenitent condition toge­ther, and see the difference: Spread them before your eyes, and by the light of the word see the impenitent condition most deplorable, and the penitent most comfortable. How sad was it with the Prodigal before he returned to his Fa­ther! he had spent all; he had sinned himself into beggary, and he had nothing left but a few husks; he was fellow­commoner with the Swine; but when he came home to his Father, then nothing was thought too good for him. Then the Robe was brought forth to cover him, and the Ring to adorn him, and the fatted Calf to feast him. If the sinner continues in his impenitency, then farewel Christ and mercy; but if he repent, then pre­sently he hath an Heaven within him; then Christ is his, then all is peace. He may sing a requiem to his soul, and say, Soul, take thy ease, thou hast much goods laid up. Upon our turning to God, we have more restored to us in Christ, than ever we lost in Adam. God saith to the re­penting soul, I will clothe thee with the Robe of Righteousness, I will enrich thee with the jewels and graces of my [Page 171] [...]pirit, I will bestow my love upon thee, will give thee a Kingdom; Son, all I [...]ave is thine Tua sunt & aeterna & tempo­raria, haec ad uten­dum, illa ad fruen­dum, Bru­gens.. O my friends, do but [...]ompare your estate before Repentance, [...]nd after Repentance together. Before [...]our repenting, there are nothing but [...]louds to be seen and storms; clouds in Gods face, and storms in conscience; but [...]fter repenting, how is the weather al­ [...]ered! what sun-shine above! what se­ [...]ene calmness within! a Christians soul [...]eing like the Hill Olympus, all light and [...]lear, and no winds blowing.

3. A third means conducible to Re­ [...]entance,3. is, a settled determination to [...]eave sin; not a faint velleity, but a re­solved vow, Psal. 119. 106. I have sworn [...]hat I will keep thy righteous judgements. All the delights and artifices of sin shall not make me forsworn. There must be no haesitation, no consulting with flesh and blood; had I best leave my sin or no? But as Ephraim, Hos. 14. 8. What have I to do any more with Idols Abe [...]nt idola in malam c [...]ucem▪? I will be [...]gulled no more by my sins, no longer fool'd by Satan; this day I will put a bill of divorce into the hands of my lusts. Till we come to this peremptory reso­lution, sin will get ground of us, and we [Page 172] shall never be able to shake off this Vi­per. No wonder if he be conquered by sin, who is not resolved to be an enemy to it.

But this resolution must be built upon the strength of Christ more than our own; it must be an humble resolution Frustra nititur qui non inniti­tur. Ber­nard.. As David when he went against Goliah, he put off his presumptuous confidence, as well as his armour, [...] Sam. 17. 45. I come to thee in the name of the Lord. So we must go out against our Goliah▪lusts in the strength of Christ. 'Tis usual for a person to joyn another in the bond with him: So being conscious of our own in­ability to leave sin, let us get Christ to be bound with us, and engage his strength for the mortifying of corrup­tion.

4. The fourth means is earnest sup­plication4. [...]. Chrysost.. The Heathens laid one of their hands on the Plough; the other they lifted up to Ceres the goddess of Corn. So when we have used the means, let us look up to God for a blessing; pray to him for a repenting heart Quis invenit si quae­rens frustratur? cui a­peris, si pulsanti claudis? Anselm. ▪ Thou Lord who bidst me re­pent, give me grace to repent Da Domine quod [...] ­bes, &c. Austin.. Pray that our hearts may be [Page 173] holy limbecks dropping tears; beg of Christ to give to us such a look of love as he did to Peter, which made him go out and weep bitterly: Implore the help of Gods Spirit; 'tis the Spirits smiting on the Rocks of our hearts, that makes the waters gush out, Psal. 147. 18. He causeth his wind to blow, and the waters flow. When the wind of Gods Spirit blows, then the water of tears will flow.

Good reason we should go to God for Repentance, 1. Because it is his gift, Act. 11. 18. Then hath God also to the Gen­tiles granted Repentance unto life. The Ar­minians hold, that it is in our power to repent. We can harden our hearts, but we cannot soften them. This Crown of Free-will is fallen from our head: nay, there is in us not only impotency, but ob­stinacy, Act. 7. 51. Therefore beg of God a repentant spirit; he can make the stony heart bleed; his word is verbum creati­vum, with his command he gives power.

2. We must have recourse to God for this blessing, because he hath promised to bestow it, Ezek. 36. 26. I will give you an heart of flesh. I will soften your Ada­mant hearts in my Sons blood: shew [Page 174] God his hand and seal: and there is another gracious promise, Ier. 24. 7. They shall return unto me with their whole heart. Turn this promise into a prayer; Lord give me grace to return unto thee with my whole heart.

5. Endeavour after clearer discove­ries5. of God, Iob 42. 5. Now mine eye seeth thee; wherefore I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes. Iob having surveyed Gods glory and purity, as an humble penitent he did abhor, or as it is in the Hebrew, he did even reprobate [...] himself*. By looking into the transpa­rent glass of Gods holiness, we see our own blemishes, and so learn to bewail them.

6. Lastly, Labour for Faith; but6. what is that to Repentance? Yes, Faith breeds union with Christ, and there can be no separation from sin, till there be union with Christ. The eye of Faith looks on mercy, and that thaws the heart. Faith carries us to Christs blood, and that blood mollifies. Faith per­swades of the love of God, and that love sets us a weeping.

Thus I have laid down the means or [Page 175] helps to Repentance: What remains now, but that we set upon the work; and let us be in earnest, not as Fencers, but Warriers. I will conclude all with that of the Psalmist, Psal. 126. 6. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again rejoycing, bringing his sheaves with him.