—Falsa inter gaudia noctem […] (Virgil)—

Worldly mirth is but like a feigned laugh; it hath sorrow following at the heels¹². As the Magitians Rod, it is instantly turned into a Serpent: But divine Repentance like Sampsons Lion, hath an hony-comb in it. Gods Kingdom consists as well in joy, as in righteousness, Rom. 4. 17. None are so truly chearful as penitent ones.

—Est quaedam flere voluptas— (* Ovid)

The oyl of joy is poured chiefly into a broken heart, Isa. 61. 3. The oyl of joy for mourning. In the fields near Palermo, grow great plenty of Reeds, in which there is a sweet juice of which sugar is made: So in a penitent heart, which is the bruised Reed, grow the sugred joys of Gods Spirit. God turns the water of tears, into the juyce of the grape, which exhilerates and makes glad the heart. Who should rejoyce if not the repenting soul? he is heir to all the Promises, and is not that matter of joy? God dwells in a contrite heart, and must there not needs be joy there? Isa. 55. 17. I dwell with a contrite spirit, to revive the heart of the contrite ones. Repentance doth not take away a Christians musick, but raiseth it a note higher, and makes it sweeter¹³.

7. Another obstacle of Repentance is,¹⁴ despondency of mind. Oh saith a sinner, it is a vain thing for me to set upon Repentance; my sins are of that magnitude, that there is no hope for me¹⁵, Ier. 18. 11, 12. Return ye now every one from his evil way, and they said, there is no hope. Our sins are mountains, and how shall these ever be cast into the Sea? Where unbelief represents sin in its bloody colours, and God in his Judges Robes, the soul will sooner fly from him, than to him: This is dangerous: Other sins need mercy, but despair rejects mercy; it throws the cordial of Christs blood on the ground. Iudas was not damned only for his treason and murder, but it was his distrust of Gods mercy destroyed him. Why should we entertain such hard thoughts of God? he hath bowels of love to repenting sinners¹⁶, Ioel 2. 13. Mercy rejoyceth over justice. Gods anger is not so hot, but mercy can cool it; nor so sharp, but mercy can sweeten it¹⁷. God counts his mercy his glory, Exod. 33. 18, 19. We have some drops of mercy our selves, but God is the Father of mercies, who begets all the mercies that are in us. He is the God of bowels¹⁸. No sooner do we mourn, but Gods heart melts: no sooner do our tears fall, but Gods repentings kindle, Hos. 11. 8. Say not then, there is no hope. Disband the army of thy sins, and God will sound a retreat to his judgements. Remember, great sins have been swallowed up in the Sea of Gods infinite compassions. Manasseh made the streets run with blood, yet when his […]ead was a fountain of tears, God grew propitious.

8. Hope of impunity. Men flatter themselves¹⁹ in fin· and think God having spared them all this while, he never intends to²⁰ punish; because the Assizes are put off therefore, surely there will be no Assizes, Psal. 10. 11. He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten, he hideth his face, he will never see it. The Lord indeed is long-suffering towards sinners, and would by his patience bribe them to Repentance, but here is their wretchedness, because he forbears to punish, they forbear to repent. Know, that the lease of Patience will soon be run out. There is a time when God saith, My Spirit shall no longer strive. A creditor may forbear his debtor, but forbearance doth not excuse the payment. God takes notice how long the glass of his patience hath been running, Rev. 2. 21. I gave her space to repent, but she repented not. Iezabel added to her incontinency, impenitency, and what follows? vers. 22. Behold I will cast her into a bed: Not a bed of pleasure, but a bed of languishing, where she shall consume away in her iniquity. The longer Gods Arrow is drawing, the deeper it wounds. Sins against patience, will make a mans Hell so much the hotter·

The next Impediment of Repentance,²¹ is, fear of reproach: If I repent, I shall expose my self to mens scorns. The Heathen man could say, when thou appliest thy self to the study of wisdom, prepare for sarcasms and reproaches (Epictetus). But consider well who they are that reproach thee: they are such as are ignorant of God²², and spiritually phrantick; and art thou troubled to have them reproach thee, who are not well in their wits? who minds a mad mans laughing at him?

What do the wicked reproach thee for? is it because thou repentest? thou art doing thy duty; bind their reproaches as a Crown about thy head. ‘Tis better that men should reproach thee for repenting, than that God should damn thee for not repenting.

3. If thou canst not bear a reproach for Religion, never call thy self Christian; Christianus quasi crucianus (Luther). Suffering is a Saints livery; and alas what are reproaches? they are but the chips of the Cross; which are rather to be despised, than laid to heart²³.

4. The last Impediment of Repentance,²⁴ is, immoderate love of the world. No wonder Ezekiels hearers were hardned into rebellion, when their heart went after covetousness, Ezok. 33. 31. The world doth so engross mens time, and bewitch their affections, that they cannot repent; they had rather put gold in their bag, than tears in Gods bottle. I have read of the Turks, that they mind neither Churches, nor Altars, but are diligent in looking after their tillage. So many scarce ever mind Repentance; they are more for the Plough, and breaking of the clods, than breaking up the fallow ground of their hearts. The Thorns choke the word. We read of them who were invited to Christs Supper, who put him off with worldly excuses, Luk. 14. 18. One said, I have bought a piece of ground, and must needs go see it, I pray thee have me excused; and another, I have bought five yoke of Oxen, &c. The farm and the shop so take up peoples time, that they have no leisure for their souls²⁵: Their golden weights hinder their silver tears. There is an Herb in the Country of Sardinia, like Baulm, which if they eat much of, will make them die laughing: Such an herb (or rather weed) is the world, if men eat too immoderately of it, instead of dying repenting, they will die laughing. These are the obstructions of Repentance which must be removed, that the current may be clearer.

Footnotes

1. 1 Imped. ↩

2. Revertimini ad me per resipiscentiam, & revertar ad vos per beneficentiam. ↩

3. 2 Imped. ↩

4. 3 Imped. ↩

5. […] Lapis in quem gravitèr impingunt. Estius. ↩

6. 4 Imped. ↩

7. Ut rosa de spinis nascitur, sic de tristibus, & asperis fructus capitur jucundissimus. Erasm. ↩

8. 5 Imped. ↩

9. Magnus Daemon. ↩

10. Momentaneum est quod delectat, aeternum quod cruciat. ↩

11. 6 Imped. ↩

12. Extrema gaudii luctus occupat. ↩

13. […] in […] sanctis vultus […]rum nunquam gratiori serenitate splendere, quando gratia comp[…]ctionis corda […]orum amaricav[…]rit & lachrymis org perfuderit. […] Pariens. de virtute. ↩

14. 7 Imped. ↩

15. Desperare est in infernum descendere. Isidor. ↩

16. […] Commiserans ex intimis visceribus, […]. Si multa sunt peccata, multa est misericordia, & adhuc de spe decidis O peccator? Quistorpius. ↩

17. Quanta esset vis mellis quae fel dulcoraret? longè major vis […]onitatis Dei, &c. ↩

18. […] est misericordia visceralis, cum scilicet q is alterius miseriâ ex intimis medullis ita tangitur, ut videatur velle sua viscera in eum effundere. ↩

19. 8. Imped.
    ↩
20. • Impii benignitate Dei abutentes gaudent impunitate. Pareus.
    ↩

21. 9 Imped. ↩

22. Quid enim iniquius, quam ut oderint homines quod ignorant? Tertull. ↩

23. Quid iste faceret in igne, qui Christum rubuit in nube? ↩

24. 10. Imped.
    ↩

25. […] ↩