Chapter 2: Of the Causes of Repentance
The principal cause of repentance is the Spirit of God, as Paul says, instructing them with meekness that are contrary minded, proving if God at any time will give them repentance. And Jeremiah: Convert me, and I shall be converted (2 Timothy 2:25; Jeremiah 31:18).
The instrument of the Holy Spirit in working repentance is the ministry of the Gospel only, and not the Law. Reasons are these. 1. Faith is engendered by the preaching not of the Law but of the Gospel, as Paul says: the gospel is the power of God to salvation to all that believe, from faith to faith. Therefore repentance, which follows faith as a fruit thereof, must needs come by the preaching of the gospel only. 2. The Law is the ministry of death and damnation, because it shows a man his wretched estate but shows him no remedy; therefore it cannot be an instrumental cause of that repentance which is effectual to salvation. 3. The doctrine of repentance is a part of the gospel, which appears in this: that the preaching of repentance and the preaching of the gospel are put one for another. And our Savior Christ divides the gospel into two parts: the preaching of repentance, and remission of sins in his name. 4. That part of the word which works repentance must reveal the nature of it and set out the promise of life which belongs to it. But the law neither reveals faith nor repentance; this is a proper work of the gospel. If it be said that the law is a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, the answer is, it brings men to Christ not by teaching the way or by alluring them, but by forcing and urging them (Romans 1:18; 2 Corinthians 3:7; Luke 9:6; Mark 6:12; Luke 24:47).
Neither do we abolish the law in ascribing the work of repentance to the gospel only; for though it is no cause, yet it is an occasion of true repentance. Because it represents to the eye of the soul our damnable estate and strikes the conscience with doleful terrors and fears, which, though they are no tokens of grace (for they are in their own nature the very gates and the downfall to the pit of hell), yet they are certain occasions of receiving grace. The physician is sometimes constrained to recover the health of his patient by casting him into some fits of a fever. So man, because he is deadly sick of the disease of sin, he must be cast into some fits of legal terrors by the ministry of the law, that he may recover his former estate and come to life everlasting.
Repentance also is furthered by calamities. Joseph's brothers, when they were in distress in Egypt, said one to another: We have truly sinned against our brother in that we saw the anguish of his soul when he sought us and we would not hear him; therefore is this trouble come upon us. And the Lord says in Hosea: I will go and return to my place till they acknowledge their fault and seek me; in their affliction will they seek me diligently. And the Israelites say: my soul had them — namely afflictions — in remembrance, and is humbled in me. Example of Manasseh: and when he was in tribulation he prayed to the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly. And David says: It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn your statutes (Genesis 42:21; Hosea 5:15; Lamentations 3:20; 2 Chronicles 33:12; Psalm 119:71).
The principal cause of repentance is the Spirit of God, as Paul says — instructing in meekness those who oppose the truth, in the hope that God may grant them repentance. And Jeremiah says: 'Turn me, and I shall be turned' (2 Timothy 2:25; Jeremiah 31:18).
The instrument the Holy Spirit uses to work repentance is the ministry of the Gospel alone — not the law. The reasons are these. First, faith is produced by the preaching of the Gospel, not the law. As Paul says, the gospel is the power of God for salvation to all who believe, from faith to faith. Therefore repentance, which follows faith as one of its fruits, must come through the preaching of the gospel alone. Second, the law is the ministry of death and condemnation, because it shows a person his wretched condition but offers no remedy. Therefore it cannot be an instrument that produces the kind of repentance that leads to salvation. Third, the doctrine of repentance is part of the gospel — which is evident from the fact that preaching repentance and preaching the gospel are used interchangeably. Our Savior Christ divides the gospel into two parts: the preaching of repentance and the forgiveness of sins in His name. Fourth, the part of God's word that works repentance must reveal the nature of repentance and set out the promise of life that belongs to it. But the law reveals neither faith nor repentance — that is the proper work of the gospel. If someone says that the law is a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, the answer is: it brings people to Christ not by teaching the way or by drawing them gently, but by forcing and compelling them (Romans 1:18; 2 Corinthians 3:7; Luke 9:6; Mark 6:12; Luke 24:47).
We are not abolishing the law by saying repentance belongs to the gospel alone. For though the law is not the cause of repentance, it is an occasion for it. The law sets before the soul our damnable condition and strikes the conscience with deep terror and fear. These terrors are not in themselves signs of grace — in their own nature they are the very gates and path leading down to the pit of hell — yet they are certain occasions through which grace is received. A physician is sometimes forced to restore a patient's health by inducing a fever. In the same way, because man is deathly sick with the disease of sin, he must be cast into fits of legal terror through the ministry of the law, so that he may recover and come to eternal life.
Repentance is also helped along by calamities. Joseph's brothers, when they were in distress in Egypt, said to one another: 'We have truly sinned against our brother — we saw the anguish of his soul when he pleaded with us, and we would not listen. That is why this trouble has come upon us.' The Lord says in Hosea: 'I will go and return to My place until they acknowledge their guilt and seek My face; in their affliction they will earnestly seek Me.' And the Israelites say: 'My soul has these afflictions in remembrance, and is humbled within me.' Consider the example of Manasseh: when he was in distress he prayed to the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly. And David says: 'It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn Your statutes' (Genesis 42:21; Hosea 5:15; Lamentations 3:20; 2 Chronicles 33:12; Psalm 119:71).
