The sixth device that Satan hath to draw the soul to sin is,
Device (6). By persuading the soul that the work of repentance is an easy work, and that therefore the soul need not make such a matter of stn. Why! Suppose you do sin, saith Satan, it is no such difficult thing to return, and confess, and be sorrowful, and beg pardon, and cry, ‘ Lord, have mercy upon me; and if you do but this, God will cut the score,! and pardon your sins, and save your souls, &c.
By this device Satan draws many a soul to sin, and makes many millions of souls servants or rather slaves to sin, &c.
Now, the remedies against this device of Satan are these that follow:
Remedy (1). The first remedy is, seriously to consider, That repentance is a mighty work, a difficult work, a work that is above our power. There is no power below that power that raised Christ from the dead, and that made the world, that can break the heart of a sinner or turn the heart of a sinner. Thou art as well able to melt adamant, as to melt thine own heart; to turn a flint into flesh, as to turn thine own heart to the Lord; to raise the dead and to make a world, as torepent. Repentance is a flower that grows not in nature’s garden. Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil,” Jer. xiii. 23. Repentance is a gift that comes down from above. Men are not born with repentance in their hearts, as they are born with tongues in their mouths: Acts v. 31, Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.” So in 2 Tim. ii. 25, In meekness instructing them that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth.” It is not in the power of any mortal to repent at pleasure.t Some ignorant deluded souls vainly conceit that these five words, Lord! have mercy upon me, are efficacious to send them to heaven; but as many are undone by buying a counterfeit jewel, so many are in hell by mistake of their repentance. Many rest in their repentance, though it be but the shadow of repentance, which caused one to say, Repentance damneth more than sin.’
Remedy (2). The second remedy against this device of Satan is, solemnly to consider of the nature of true repentance. Repentance is some other thing than what vain men conceive.
Repentance is sometimes taken, in a more strict and narrow sense, for godly sorrow; sometimes repentance is taken, in a large sense, for amendment of life. Repentance hath in it three things, viz.:
The act, subject, terms.
(1) The formal act of repentance is a changing and converting. It 1s often set forth in Scripture by turning. Turn thou me, and I shall be turned,” saith Ephraim; after that I was turned, J repented,’ saith he, Jer. xxxi. 18. It is a turning from darkness to light.
(2.) The subject changed and converted, is the whole man; it is both the sinner’s heart and life: first his heart, then his life; first his person, then his practice and conversation. Wash ye, make you clean,” there is the change of their persons; ‘ Put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do well, Isa. 1. 16; there is the change of their practices. So Cast away,’ saith Ezekiel, all your transgresssions whereby you have transgressed; there is the change of the hfe; and make you a new heart and a new spirit,” xviii. 30; there is the change of the heart.
(3.) The terms of this change and conversion, from which and to which both heart and life must be changed; from sin to God. The heart must be changed from the state and power of sin, the life from the acts of sin, but both unto God; the heart to be under his power in a state of grace, the life to be under his rule in all new obedience; as the apostle speaks, To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God,” Acts xxvi. 18. So the prophet Isaiah saith, Let the wicked forsake their ways, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, lv. 7.
Thus much of the nature of evangelical repentance. Now, souls, tell me whether it be such an easy thing to repent, as Satan doth suggest. Besides what hath been spoken, I desire that you will take notice, that repentance doth include turning from the most darling sin. Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols Hosea xiv. 8. Yea, it is a turning from all sin to God: Ezek. xviii. 30, “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one of you according to his ways, saith the Lord God. Repent, and turn yourselves from your transgresssons; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.
Herod turned from many, but turned not from his Herodias, which was his ruin. Judas turned from all visible wickedness, yet he would not cast out that golden devil covetousness, and therefore was cast into the hottest place in hell. He that turns not from every sin, turns not aright from any one sin. Every sin strikes at the honour of God, the being of God, the glory of God, the heart of Christ, the joy of the Spirit, and the peace of a man’s conscience; and therefore a soul truly penitent strikes at all, hates all, conflicts with all, and will labour to draw strength from a crucified Christ to crucify all. A true penitent knows neither father nor mother, neither right eye nor right hand, but will pluck out the one aud cut off the other. Saul spared but one Agag, and that cost him his soul and his kingdom, 1 Sam. xv. 9. Besides, repentance is not only a turning from all sin, but also a turning to all good; to a love of all good, to a prizing of all good, and to a following after all good: Ezek. xviii. 21, But if the wicked will turn from all the sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die;’ that is, only negative righteousness and holiness is ne righteousness nor holiness.! David fulfilled all the will of God, and had respect unto all his commandments, and so had Zacharias and Elizabeth. It is not enough that the tree bears not ill fruit; but it must bring forth good fruit, else it must be cut down and cast into the fire,’ Luke xui. 7. So it is not enough that you are not thus and thus wicked, but you must be thus and thus gracious and good, else divine justice will put the axe of divine vengeance to the root of your souls, and cut you off for ever. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit 1s hewed down and cast into the fire,” Mat. 111. 10. Besides, repentance doth include a sensibleness of sin’s sinfulness, how opposite and contrary it is to the blessed God. God 1s light, sin is darkness; God is life, sin is death; God is heaven, sin is hell; God is beauty, sin is deformity.