The Text Opened

Acts 26. 20.

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.

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 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 election¹) 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 God². 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 think the seeds of Faith are first wrought in the heart³. 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,⁴ 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 Heaven⁵.

It is a great duty incumbent upon Christians, solemnly to repent and turn unto God, Mat. 3. 2. Repent ye, for the Kingdom 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 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.

Footnotes

1. […] ↩

2. Gentes falsos coluerunt Grotius. ↩

3. Non potest homo seriò poenitere· n si se Dei esse noverit. Zanchy. ↩

4. Resipiscentia ex fide gignitur. Musculus. ↩

5. Tabula post nau[…]agium. Doct. ↩