The Trial of Our Repentance

IF any shall say, they have repented, let me desire them to try themselves seriously by those seven Adjuncts or Effects of Repentance which the Apostle laies down, 2 Cor. 7. 11.¹

1. Carefulness. The Greek word²³ signifies a solicitous diligence, or careful shunning all temptations to sin. The true penitentiary flies from sin, as Moses did from the Serpent⁴.

2. Clearing of our selves. The Greek word⁵ is Apology⁶. The sense is this, though we have never so much care, yet through strength of temptation, we may slip into sin: now in this case the repenting soul will not let sin lye festring in his conscience, but doth judge himself for his sin; he pours out tears before the Lord; he begs mercy in the Name of Christ, and never leaves till he hath gotten his pardon: Here he is cleared of guilt in his conscience, and is able to make an Apology for himself against Satan.⁷

3. Indignation. He that repents of sin, his spirit riseth against it⁸; as ones blood riseth at the sight of him whom he mortally hates. Indignation is a being fretted at the heart with sin. The penitent is vexed with himself. David calls himself a fool and a beast⁹, Psal. 73. 22. God is never better pleased with us, than when we fall out with our selves for sin¹⁰.¹¹

4. Fear. A tender heart is ever a trembling heart. The penitent hath felt sins bitterness; this Hornet hath stung him, and now having hopes that God is reconciled, he is afraid to come near sin any more. The repenting soul is full of fear; he is afraid to lose Gods favour, which is better than life; he is afraid he should for want of diligence come short of salvation; he is afraid lest after his heart hath been soft, the waters of Repentance should freeze, and he should harden in sin again, Prov. 28. 14. Happy is he that fears alwaies. A sinner is like the Leviathan, who is made without fear, Iob 41. 29. A repenting person fears and sins not, a graceless person sins and fears not.

5. Vehement desire. Sowre sauce sharpens¹² the appetite: So the bitter herbs of Repentance sharpen desire: But what doth the penitent desire? he desires more power against sin, and to be released from it. ‘Tis true, he hath got loose from Satan, but he goes as a prisoner that hath broke Prison, with a fetter on his leg; he cannot walk with that freedom and swiftness in the waies of God; he desires therefore to have the fetters of sin taken off; he would be freed from corruption; he cries out with Paul, Who shall deliver me from this body of death? Rom. 7. 24. In short, he desires to be with Christ, as every thing desires to be in its centre.

6. Zeal. Desire and zeal are fitly put together;¹³ to shew, that true desire puts forth it self in zealous endeavour. How doth the penitent bestir himself in the business of salvation! How doth he take the Kingdom of Heaven by force! Matth. 11. 12. Zeal quickens the pursuit after glory. Zeal encounters with difficulty, is imboldened by opposition, tramples upon danger. Zeal makes a repenting soul persist in godly sorrow against all discouragements and oppositions whatsoever. Zeal carries a man above himself for Gods glory. Paul before conversion was mad against the Saints, Act. 26. 11. And after conversion he was judged mad for Christs sake, Act. 26. 4. Paul, thou art besides thy self. But it was Zeal, not Phrenzy. Zeal doth spirit and animate duty; it causeth fervency in Religion, which is as fire to the sacrifice, Rom. 12. 11.¹⁴ As fear is a bridle to sin, so Zeal is a spur to duty.

7. Revenge. A true Penetentiary pursues¹⁵ his sins with an holy malice; he seeks the death of them: As Sampson was avenged on the Philistines for his two eyes: He useth his sins, as the Jews used Christ; he gives them gall and vinegar to drink; he crucifies his lusts, Gal. 5. 24.¹⁶ A true child of God seeks to be revenged most of those sins which have dishonoured God most. Cranmer, who had with his right hand subscribed the Popish Articles, was revenged on himself, he put his right hand first in the fire¹⁷. David did by sin defile his bed, after by Repentance he watered his bed with tears. Israel had sinned by Idolatry, and afterwards they did offer disgrace to their Idols, 1 Sam. 30. 22. Ye shall defile the covering of thy graven Images of silver. Mary Magdalen had before sinned in her eye, by adulterous glances, and now she will be revenged on her eyes; she washeth Christs feet with her tears¹⁸; she had sinned in her hair, it had intangled her Lovers; now she will be revenged on her hair; she wipes Christs feet with it¹⁹. The Israelitish women, who had been dressing themselves by the hour, and had abused their Looking-glasses to pride, afterwards by way of revenge as well as zeal, offered their Looking-glasses to the use and service of Gods Tabernacle, Exod. 38. 8. So those Conjurers who used curious Arts, of Magick (as it is in the Syriack) when once they repented, brought their Books, and by way of revenge burned them, Act. 19. 19. These are the blessed fruits and products of Repentance; and if we can find these in our souls, we have arrived at that Repentance which is never to be repented of.

Footnotes

1. Exigunt […] c vera pietatis à fucata distinguatur. De River. ↩

2. 1 Effect. ↩

3. […]. ↩

4. Qui peniter solicitus est ne peccet. Ambrose. ↩

5. 2 Effect. ↩

6. […]. Refutatio objecti criminis. Maldon. ↩

7. 3 Effect. ↩

8. Poenitentia virtus est in irascibili. Bonavent. distinct. 14. are · 2. qu. 1. l. 4. ↩

9. Quid feci? quo prolapsus sum? itane demens fui? ↩

10. Quid est poenitens nisi homo iratus sibi? Aug. in L[…]c. Serm. 35. ↩

11. 4 Effect. ↩

12. 5 Effect. ↩

13. 6 Effect. ↩

14. […]. ↩

15. 7 Effect. ↩

16. Qu[…] severi[…]res in nos sumus eò sperare debemus magis propitium Dominum. Calvin lib. 3. Instit. ↩

17. Act & Monum. 1714. ↩

18. Aquam ex oculis hausi[…], ut quibus lascivè fuer[…]t abusa, eos mordaci lachrymarum copia castigaret. Brugens. ↩

19. Turpanda est facies (inquit Paula) quam contra Dei praeceptum purpurisso, cerussa, & stybio saepè depinxi, affl[…]gendum est còrpus quod multis vacavit delitiis; mollia & sea pretiosissima asperitate cilicii co[…]mutanda. Hierom. in ejus Epitaph· ↩