Chapter 9: Containing Powerful Motives to Repentance
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, fits 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, (Acts 9:11). It is fit to hear the word: Now the word works kindly. When Iosiahs heart was tender, he humbled himself, and rent his cloths at the hearing the words of the Law, 2 (Chronicles 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 you have me do? A repenting soul subscribes to Gods will, and answers to his call, as the eccho to the voice.
2. Repentance is highly acceptable. 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, (Psalm 51:17). The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. Mary stood at Jesus feet weeping, (Luke 7:38). She brought two things to Christ (says 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 a voice, (Psalm 6:8). Hear the voice of my [illegible]eeping.
3. Repentance commends all our services to God. That is Gods savory meat, which is seasoned with the bitter hearbs of godly sorrow. Hearing of the word [illegible]s then good, when we are pricked at the heart, (Acts 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 touchs Gods ear, but what comes from an heart touched with the sense of sin.
4. Without Repentance, nothing will 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 [illegible]in, than to understand all mysteries. Impure speculatists do but resemble Satan, [illegible]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 [illegible]o light men to Hell.
5. Repenting tears are delitious; they may be compared to myrrhe, which though it be bitter in taste, it has a sweet smell, and refreshs 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 . How oft do the Saints fall a weeping for joy! The Hebrew word to repent, signifiesto 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, (John 16:22). Your sorrow shall be turned into joy. Let a man (says Austin) grieve for his sin, and rejoyce for his grief. Tears are the bes[illegible] sweet-meatsDavid who was the grea[illegible] weeper in Israel, was the sweet singer o[illegible]Israel. The sorrows of the penitent are like the sorrows of a travelling woman, (John 16:21). A woman in travel has sorrow, but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembrs 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. 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 sovereign balm to heal them, (Isaiah 1:18). Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Scarlet in the Greek is called [illegible], because it is twice dipt, and the art of man cannot wash out the dye again. But though our sins are of a scarlet color, Gods mercy can wash them away. This may comfort such whom the hainousness of sin discourags, 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! 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 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, (Matthew 26:70). (Galatians 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, (Matthew 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.
7. Repentance is the in-let to spiritual[illegible]lessings; it helps to enrich us with [illegible]ace; it causs the desart to blossom as [illegible]he Rose; it makes the soul as the Egyp[illegible]an fields after the overflowing of Nilus,[illegible]ourishing and fruitful. Never do the [illegible]owers of grace grow more, than after a [illegible]ower of repentant tears. Repentance [illegible]auss knowledge, 2 (Corinthians 3:16). When [illegible]eir heart shall be turned to the Lord, the [illegible]ail shall be taken away. The vail of igno[illegible]nce which was drawn over the Jews [illegible]yes, by Repentance should be taken [illegible]way. Repentance inflames love. Weep[illegible]g Mary Magdalen loved much, (Luke 7:47). [illegible]od preserves these springs of sorrow in [illegible]e soul, to water the fruits of the [illegible]pirit.
8. Repentance ushers in temporal[illegible]lessings. The Prophet Joel persuading [illegible]e people to Repentance, brings in the [illegible]romise of secular good things, Joel 2. [illegible]2, 19. Rent your heart, and not your gar[illegible]ent, and turn to the Lord, and the Lord [illegible]ill answer and say to his people, Behold I [illegible]nd you Corn, and Wine, and Oyl. When [illegible]e put water into the Pump, it fetchs [illegible]p only water; but when we put the wa[illegible]er of tears into Gods bottle, this fetchs up wine. I will send you wine and oyl. Sin blasts the fruits of the earth, (Haggai 1:6). Ye have sown much, and bring in little. But Repentance makes the Pomgranate bud, and the Vine flourish with full clusters. Fill Gods bottle, and he will fill your basket, Job 22. 23. If you return to the Almighty, you shalt lay up gold as dust. Repenting is a returning to God, and this brings a golden harvest.
9. Repentance staves off judgements from a Land. When God is going to destroy a Nation, the penitent sinner staies his hand, as the Angel did Abraham's, (Genesis 22:12). 'The Ninivites Repentance, caused God to repent, Jonah 3. 10. God saw that they turned from their evil waies, and God repented, &c. An outward Repentance has adjourned, and kept off wrath. Ahab, who sold himself to work wickedness, yet upon his fasting and rending his garments, says 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. The Angels do as it were keep holy-day, (Luke 15:10). There is joy in the[illegible]resence of the Angels of God, over [illegible]ne sinner that repents. As [illegible]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 distill from our eyes, is to consider how dear our sins cost Christ. Christ is called the Rock, 1 (Corinthians 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 , (Daniel 9:26). The Messiah shall be cut off, but not for himself. We tasted the Apple, and he the Vineger and Gall. We sinned in every faculty, and he bled in every vein.
—Cernis ut in toto corpore sculptus amor—
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 tears f[illegible]om us, which drew blood fro[illegible] Christ? Shall we sport any more with sin and so rake in Christs wounds? Oh tha[illegible] by Repentance we could crucifie our sins afresh! The Jews said to Pilate, (John 19:12). If you let this man go, you are 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 afflictions 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? (Deuteronomy 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 (Chronicles 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 may startle him out of his security, and make him return to him by Repentance.
13. The daies of our mourning will soon be ended . 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, (Revelation 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.
—Volitant super aethera cantus—
This brings me to the next,
14. The happy and glorious reward that follows upon Repentance, (Romans 6:22). Being made free from sin, ye have your fruit to 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[illegible]m, or Paradise of Pleasure, where 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 has not seen, neither has it entred into the heart of man to conceive. 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.
—Flumina jam lactis, jam flumina nectaris ibant, Planaque de viridi stillabant ilice mella—
O Christian, what are your 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, in which they used to crown their fountains . God will crown those heads 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 John into an extasie to see it but darkly, shadowed and pourtrayed out in the transfiguration, Matth. 17. 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 your dark, and hast so much sugar at the bottom of your bitter cup.
15. The next Motive to Repentance, is to consider the evil of impenitency: An hard heart is the worst heart; it is called an heart of stone, (Ezekiel 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 offends the Physician, as the contempt of his physic. Not the sins we have committed do so much provoke and grieve Christ, as that we refuse the physic of Repentance which he prescribes. This aggravated Iezabels sin, (Revelation 2:21). I gave her space to repent, yet she repented not. An hard heart receives no impression ; 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 , nor affrighted by menaces. Such as will not weep with Peter, shall weep with Judas. An hard heart is the Anvi[illegible] on which the hammer of Gods justice will be striking to all eternity.
16. The last Motive to Repentance is, the day of judgement is coming. This is the Apostles own Argument, (Acts 17:31). God commands men every where to repent, because he has 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? you can no more conceal your sin, than you can defend it; and what wilt you do when all your sins shall be written in Gods Book, and engraven on your 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 you. What canst you say for all your oaths, adulteries, and your 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 [illegible]olly: If then there be such a time a coming, in which God will judge men for their impieties, what a spur 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.
