2(JG SEllMONS UPON ACTS II. 37, 38. [SeR. IV.
2. Because the saints have found it an effectual course, and mar- vellously successful. God taught David by his own experience that the exercise of repentance was the right way to seek relief, after his spirits had been wasted and his flesh almost dried up : ' I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity I have not hid ; I said, I will confess my transgression unto the Lord, and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin,' Ps. xxxii. 5. When he resolved sincerely to humble his heart before God, nay, though the purpose was not yet put into act, he felt the comfort. Another instance may be that, Jer. xxxi. 18-20,
* I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus, Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke : turn thou me, and 1 shall be turned ; for thou art the Lord my God. Sui"ely after that I was turned, I repented ; and after that I was instructed, I smote upon the thigh : I was ashamed ; yea, con- founded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth. Is Ephraim my dear son ? is he a pleasant child ? for since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still : therefore my bowels are troubled for him ; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the Lord.' There is Ephraira's bewailing his sin, and God's returning an answer full of fatherly affection : at first he was like an unruly bullock, not easily brought to the yoke, but yet at length, when he was touched with shame and sorrow, then, ' Is not Ephraim a dear son ? a pleasant child ? '
3. Because it is tlie way to remove sin, which is the ground of the trouble, and that which hath given the soul such a deadly wound. There are two things that trouble the conscience, the guilt and power of sin ; and we must be eased of both, or else the plaster will not be as broad as the sore. A man that hath his leg broken, to be eased only of his smart will not suffice him, he must have it set right again : 1 John i. 9, ' If we confess our sin, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.' Now repent- ance worketh on both parts of the sin, the removal of the guilt, and also the filthiness and inherent corruption ; it maketh way for the pardon of sin and the removal of the guilt of it, as I said before ; and the whole tenor of the gospel showeth it, as Melancthon rightly defineth it against Islebus first, and Fiaccius and his followers. The gospel is nothing else but a doctrine of repentance and remission of sin : these are two great points. Look upon Christ as a lawgiver : Luke xii. 47,
* The servant which knew his Lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.' Or as a saviour and fountain of grace : Acts v. 31, ' Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a prince and a saviour, to give repentance to Isiael, and remission of sins.' He requireth and giveth repentance in order to the remission of sins. Secondly, For the other part, the power of sin ; it mainly serveth for that, and is required for that. We use salt and bitter potions to kill the worms. The lasts that haunt our souls are best mortified by the bitterness and sorrows of repentance, otherwise it is sweet and dear to the soul, and we are apt to roll it under our tongue. This rending of hearts spoileth the taste of sin : Gal. v. 24, ' They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh, with the affections and lusts.' Sorrow assaulteth sin in its
Ver. 38.J sehmons upon acts ii. 37, 38. 2G7
strength, which is love of pleasure, for all sin is founded in flesh- pleasing delights ; it is lust drawetli him away by some pleasurable lure or bait ; the flesh is all for sensitive pleasure, and the proper cure for it is godly sorrow.
Use 1. If this be God's instituted course to ease troubled consciences, then they are physicians of no value for poor wounded souls that would direct you to another course ; either, first, pleasures, and sports, and plays, and play-books, and other merry books and company, and carnal diversions to get off heart-qualms. Some such mountebanks in religion there be in the world, that seek to divert men's grief rather than to put it away ; this is like a man in debt, that drinketh away the thoughts of it, but his misery is never the further off. Secondly, Others seek to cure trouble for sin with further sins ; as men to ease themselves of the pains of a scald will hold the flesh to the fire again. This may stupify the conscience, but God hath means enough to awaken it. There is a worm that shall never die, and you will feel it one day. Others would have altogether lenitives, and cannot endure the sour doctrine of repentance, but would have men honied and oiled with grace ; decry this as not suiting with their loose appre- hensions of the gospel, John, said, ' Repent,' Mat. iii. 2 ; Jesus Christ saith, ' Repent, and believe the gospel ; ' Mark i. 15 ; and Mark vi. 12, * And the apostles went out and preached that men should repent.' There is a fleshly laziness and wantonness in men ; they cannot endure to hear of the severe and grave exercises of religion ; and when we go Christ's way to do them good, they are displeased. If we did come to you in our own name, and had a liberty of giving indulgence to one another, we might huddle up the matter ; nay, if we were left to our reason and discretion, we need not stand so exactly upon godly sorrow and serious self-loathing ; but God hath prescribed this course. Now why should we stick at it ? You should thankfully acknowledge the privilege ; be glad that repentance is granted, rather than grumble because it is required that we have leave to repent ; not mutter because of this command to repent. It was counted a favour heretofore : Acts xi. 18, ' Then hath God also to the gentiles granted repentance unto life.' The law doth not say, ' I will not the death of a sinner, but that he repent and live;' but, ' Do this and live, sin and die.' The law doth not say, ' Come unto me, all ye that are weary and heavy laden ; ' but, ' Depart, ye cursed.' It calleth for exact obedience, or threateneth eternal ruin. It is a grace granted to man above angels. God did not propound terms of repentance to them, whereby they should recover their lost estate, when they sinned; they were left to their own obstinacy. A truly burdened soul is glad of this order and method ; the guilt of sin is not only his trouble, but the power of it : they like no terms like God's terms. Fulgentius saith. It is vile unthankfulness to prefer softness and carnal ease above the comfort of godly exercises. If repentance seem a burden, the fruits of sin in the end will be iruich greater : if this part of religion seem distasteful, the comfort of being well settled and established upon sound terms will be much greater than all the trouble it puts us to.