Chapter 10: Of Certain Cases in Repentance
1. Case of a revolt.
Whether a man that has professed Christ and his religion, yet afterward in persecution denies Christ and forswears the religion, may repent and be saved. Answer: it is a grievous estate, yet a man may come to repentance afterward. Manasseh fell away to idolatry and witchcraft, and yet was received to mercy. So did wise Solomon, and yet no doubt he recovered and is received to life everlasting. My reason is because God vouchsafed him to be a penman of some parts of holy scripture. And the scriptures were written not by such as were men of God only, but by such as were holy men of God. Peter denied Christ knowingly against his own conscience, and that with cursing and banning, and yet came to repentance afterward, as appears by the testimony of Christ: I have prayed for you that your faith fail not; therefore when you are converted strengthen your brothers (2 Chronicles 33; 2 Peter 1; Luke 22:32).
Objection 1: Matthew 10:33 — whoever shall deny me before men, him will I deny before my Father which is in heaven. Answer: the place is only to be understood of such a denial of Christ which is final.
Objection 2: Hebrews 6:4 — it is impossible that they which were once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift, etc., if they fall away, should be renewed by repentance. And Hebrews 10:26 — if we sin willingly after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sin. Answer: these places must be understood of the sin which is to death, in which men of desperate malice against Christ universally and wholly fall away from religion. For the Holy Spirit says not, if they fall, but if they fall away. And it is added that they crucify the Son of God and make a mock of him, that they trample under foot the Son of God, that they account the blood of the new testament an unholy thing, that they despise the Spirit of God. And the word translated 'willingly' imports somewhat more, namely to sin because a man will — that is, willfully (Hebrews 6:6; Hebrews 10:29).
2. Case of Recidivation.
Whether the child of God, after repentance for some grievous sin, does fall into the same again and come to repentance the second time. Answer: the case is dangerous, as we may see by comparison in the body. If one falls into the relapse of a fever or any other strong disease, it may cost him his life, and the recovery will be very hard. Christ said to the man that had been sick 38 years, after he had healed him: behold, you are whole; sin no more, lest a worse thing befall you. And the unclean spirit returning takes to him other seven spirits worse than himself. Indeed we find no particular example of recovery after a relapse in the scriptures, yet no doubt a recovery may be. Reasons are these. 1. Promise is made of remission of sins in Christ without any term of time, without any limitation to any number or kinds of sin, save only the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Therefore there may be repentance and salvation after a relapse. 2. Christ tells Peter that he must forgive not till seven times only (which perhaps he thought to be very much) but seventy-seven times, and that in one day, if one returns seventy times and says 'it repents me.' Now if we must do this, who have not so much as a drop of mercy in us in comparison of God, he will no doubt often forgive, even for one sin, if men will return and say 'it repents me,' considering that with him is plentiful redemption and he is much in sparing (John 5:14; Luke 11:26; Acts 10:43; Luke 17:4; Psalm 130:7; Isaiah 56:7).
3. Case of Restitution.
Whether he that repents is to make restitution if he has taken anything wrongfully from his neighbor. Answer: yes. Zacchaeus, when he repented and received Christ, gave half of his goods to the poor, and if he had taken anything by forged fraud, he restored it fourfold. It is but a bad practice when a man on his deathbed will very devoutly bequeath his soul to God and his goods evilly gotten (as his conscience will often cry in his ear) to his children and friends, without either restitution or making amends. Question: but what if a man is not able to restore? Answer: let him acknowledge the fault, and God will accept the will for the deed. As Paul says in the like case: if there be a willing mind, it is accepted according to that which a man has and not according to that he has not. Question: when a man by restoring shall discredit himself, how shall he both restore and keep his credit? Answer: let him (if the thing to be restored be of small moment) make choice of some faithful and honest friend who may deliver the thing on behalf of the party, concealing his name (Luke 19:8; 2 Corinthians 8:12).
4. Case of Tears.
Whether repentance always goes with tears or not. Answer: no. For very pride and hypocrisy will draw forth tears; for some there are that can weep for their sins in the presence of others whereas being alone they neither will nor can. Some again are of that constitution of body that they have tears at command. And a godly man with dry cheeks may mourn to God for his sins and entreat for pardon and receive it. Yet in all occasions of deeper grief for sin, tears will follow, unless men have stony and flinty hearts. And yet again, though the greatest cause of sorrow be offered, the softest heart that is sheds not tears at first, but afterward it will. When the body receives a deep wound, at first you shall see nothing but a white line or dent made in the flesh without any blood. Stay but a while, then comes blood from the wound in great abundance. So at first the mind is astonished and gives no tears, but after some respite and consideration, tears follow.
5. Case of Death.
Whether the repentant sinner can always show himself comfortable on his deathbed. Answer: though the comfort of God's Spirit shall never be abolished from his heart, yet he cannot always testify it. For he may die of a burning fever, and by reason of the extremity of his fits be troubled with delirium of head and break out into raving speeches and blasphemies. Likewise he may die of sickness in the brain and be troubled with grievous convulsions, so that his mouth shall be twisted to his ears, his neck turned behind him, and the very place where he lies shall shake through his trembling, as daily experience will testify. Neither is any to think this strange. For Solomon says: all things (in outward matters) come alike to all, and the same condition is to the just and to the wicked, to the good and to the pure, and to the polluted, and to him that sacrifices and to him that sacrifices not (Ecclesiastes 9:2).
1. Case of a revolt.
Can a person who has professed Christ and His religion, but afterward denied Christ and renounced the faith under persecution, still repent and be saved? Answer: it is a grievous situation, yet repentance afterward is possible. Manasseh fell into idolatry and witchcraft, yet was received back to mercy. So did Solomon — and there is no doubt he recovered and was received to eternal life. My reasoning is that God granted him the privilege of writing portions of Holy Scripture. Scripture was written not merely by people who were called men of God, but by those who were holy men of God. Peter denied Christ knowingly, against his own conscience, with cursing and swearing — yet he came to repentance afterward, as Christ's own words confirm: 'I have prayed for you, that your faith will not fail; and when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers' (2 Chronicles 33; 2 Peter 1; Luke 22:32).
Objection 1: Matthew 10:33 — 'Whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.' Answer: this passage must be understood only as referring to a denial of Christ that is final.
Objection 2: Hebrews 6:4 — 'It is impossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift, etc., if they fall away, to be renewed again to repentance.' And Hebrews 10:26 — 'If we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins.' Answer: these passages must be understood as referring to the sin that leads to death — the sin in which people of deliberate malice toward Christ completely and finally abandon the faith. For the Holy Spirit does not say, 'if they fall,' but 'if they fall away.' It is further said of these people that they crucify the Son of God and mock Him, that they trample underfoot the Son of God, that they regard the blood of the new covenant as an unholy thing, and that they despise the Spirit of God. And the word translated 'willfully' means something stronger — it means sinning because a person chooses to — that is, defiantly and deliberately (Hebrews 6:6; Hebrews 10:29).
2. Case of Recidivation.
Can a child of God, after repenting of a serious sin, fall into the same sin again and come to repentance a second time? Answer: the situation is dangerous, as we can see by analogy with the body. If someone relapses into a fever or other serious illness, it may cost him his life, and recovery will be very hard. Christ said to the man who had been sick for thirty-eight years, after healing him: 'You have become well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you.' And the unclean spirit that returns brings with him seven other spirits worse than himself. It is true that we find no particular example in Scripture of recovery after a relapse. Yet a recovery is certainly possible. The reasons are these. First, the promise of forgiveness of sins in Christ has no time limit. It is not restricted to any number or type of sin, except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Therefore repentance and salvation after a relapse are possible. Second, Christ told Peter that he must forgive not merely seven times — which Peter perhaps thought was already generous — but seventy-seven times, even in a single day, if someone returns seventy times and says 'I repent.' If we, who have not so much as a drop of mercy compared to God, are expected to forgive this way, how much more will God forgive us — even for the same sin — when we return and say 'I repent,' considering that with Him there is abundant redemption and He is greatly inclined to pardon (John 5:14; Luke 11:26; Acts 10:43; Luke 17:4; Psalm 130:7; Isaiah 56:7).
3. Case of Restitution.
Is a person who repents required to make restitution if he has wrongfully taken something from his neighbor? Answer: yes. Zacchaeus, when he repented and received Christ, gave half of his goods to the poor, and where he had taken anything through fraud, he restored it fourfold. It is a poor practice when a person on his deathbed devoutly bequeaths his soul to God, while leaving goods that his own conscience tells him were unjustly obtained — to his children and friends — without either restoring them or making amends. Question: but what if a person cannot afford to restore what he took? Answer: let him acknowledge the fault, and God will accept the willing heart in place of the deed. As Paul says in a similar case: 'If the willingness is present, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have.' Question: when restoring something would ruin a person's reputation, how can he both restore and preserve his good name? Answer: if the item to be restored is of small value, let him choose a trustworthy and honest friend who can return it on his behalf without revealing his name (Luke 19:8; 2 Corinthians 8:12).
4. Case of Tears.
Does repentance always come with tears? Answer: no. Even pride and hypocrisy can produce tears — some people can weep for their sins in front of others while being unable to cry at all when alone. Some people are naturally disposed to cry easily. A godly person with dry cheeks may still mourn to God for his sins, seek pardon, and receive it. Yet in moments of deeper grief over sin, tears will follow — unless a person has a heart of stone. Even so, though great cause for sorrow may be present, the softest heart will not always cry immediately — but it will in time. When the body receives a deep wound, at first you may see nothing but a white mark in the flesh, with no blood. Wait a moment, and blood flows from the wound in great abundance. So at first the mind is stunned and produces no tears, but after a pause and reflection, tears follow.
5. Case of Death.
Can a repentant sinner always show comfort on his deathbed? Answer: although the comfort of God's Spirit will never be completely extinguished from his heart, he may not always be able to show it. He may die of a burning fever and, in the extremity of his symptoms, suffer delirious thoughts that break out in raving or even blasphemous speech. He may likewise die of a brain illness with terrible convulsions, so that his mouth is pulled to one side, his neck twisted backward, and the very surface he lies on shakes from his trembling — as daily experience shows. No one should find this strange. For Solomon says: 'It is the same for all' — the same fate comes to the just and the wicked, to the good and to the sinful, to the clean and to the unclean, to the one who sacrifices and to the one who does not (Ecclesiastes 9:2).
