COncerning Repentance the first Question is, what a man is to doe that he may repent?

1. Ans. He ought, 1. attentively and seriously to consider his sinnes, according to that nature which is most detestible, Esa. 1. 4. Apoc. 3. 17. For as the consideration of sinne under some false shape as a thing lovely, and desirable, doth draw a man to sinne: so the true consideration of sinne▪ as a thing abominable, and by all meanes to bee eschew'd, doth withdraw the minde from sinne by true Repentance. To set on this consideration it will be profitable, 1. To meditate upon the Majesty of God, which is by our sinnes most grievously offended. 2. Weigh well the infinite and manifold obligations whereby wee are bound to please God, which yet we have not ceast wickedly to violate. 3. To thinke upon the terrible wrath of God, which like a consuming fire, remaines upon impenitent sinners.

4. To set before our eyes, those supernaturall good things of which our sinnes deprive us. 5. To call to minde those great evills which by our sinnes we bring upon our selves, and others, and the dishonor which we do to God. And to this purpose it will be exceeding profitable religiously to meditate upon the unsufferable torments, death, and curse which befell Christ for our sins.

2. He ought, 2. to set before his eyes, Obedience towards God, as a thing absolutly to be sought, necessarily to be followed after, Luke 13. 3 & 10. 42. They which are caried after any other thing, as absolutely necessary, are by that very affection by which they are so caried, drown'd in perdition. 1 Tim. 6. 9.

3. He ought, 3. to confesse his sinnes before God, 1 Iohn 1. 9. Psal. 32. 5. & 51. 5. For confession of sinne makes a man take all the guilt, and shame unto himselfe, and ascribe all the glory to God, Daniel 9.

4. He ought, 4. by Faith in Christ to expect, and pray for the change of his heart according to that promise which we have, Ez. 36. 26. 32. For those which go about the worke of conversion leaning upon their owne strength, do nothing to the purpose in this businesse, 2 Cor. 3. 5,

5. He ought, 5. in the power of God, to turne himselfe with all his heart from that which is evill, and to convert himselfe to that which is good in the sight of God, Psalme 34. 15. Now turning from evill, consists primarily in the hatred of evill, Psal. 45. 8. Which hatred in respect of those sinnes which are past, doth necessarily bring forth an unfeigned sorrow, Zach. 12. 10. Together with a shame, and dislike, Rom. 6. 21. And conversion to good, doth primarily consist, in a desire, and purpose to doe well, Psalme 119. 33. 106.

The second Question is, by what motives a man may be stir'd up to true repentance?

6. Ans. Let him consider, 1. That this repentance is a thing very pleasing to God, Psal. 51. 19. The force of the argument lies here, because he which hath given himselfe up to God by Faith, cannot but indeavour after all those things, by which God is well pleased. 2. That it is absolutely

necessary to salvation, Luke 13. 3. The reason of the consequence lies here, because he which desires the end, desires also those means, which hee sees to have a necessary connection with that end, 3. That sinne is the cause of our separation from God, Esa. 59. 2. This reason holds because the believer by his Faith doth adhere to God, and therefore turnes away from all those things which worke a separation twixt God, and him, 4. That there is an utter opposition betwixt sinne, and ou[gap] vocation and Faith and Life, 2 Cor. 6. 15, 16. 1 Thess. 4. 7. 1. The argument is strong because he which affirmes one of the contraries denies the other, 5. That the mercies of God towards him, (by all which he is lead unto repentance) are exceeding great, Rom. 2. 4. 5. Ier. 84. 5. 12. 6. That Christ suffered most grievous anguish for our sins. Zac. 12. 12. By which we may learne how horrible they be, and how much to be detested, 7. That impenitency in it selfe is the most grievous sinne, and that it is the continuation, the sealing up, and the amplification of all sinnes besides, 8. That there are great promises made, and that the Kingdom of Heaven stands open to all such as repent, Esa. 1. 18. 1 Kings 8. 48 49, 50.

The third Question is, what bee the signes of true Repentance?

7. Answer, First a griefe for sin in respect of the offence done to God by them, and not onely in respect of punishment; the reason is because repentance doth turue a man from sinne as it is sinne, now it is sinne as it doth transgresse the reveal'd will of God, and so offendeth him, and provokes him to anger. This griefe ought to be the greatest of all griefe, Zach. 12. 10, 11. At the least intellectively, in regard of the displeasednesse of the will, although in respect of the sense other griefes may sometimes appeare more vehement. Griefe, or sorow is an offense of the soule, arising from hence that it suffereth something which it abhors as being a thing whereby it feels it selfe to be hurt. Griefe therefore for sinne doth necessarily accompany true conversion, for the mind while it converts it selfe from sinne, beginneth to nill sinne, or to abhorre it, It perceiving therefore that somewhat sticks to it which it doth abhorre, cannot chuse but be troubled.

And because the chiefe reason why the converted soule doth abhorre sinne, is that repugnancy which sinne hath to the will of that God, to which the soule being converted is now joyned, hence it is, that griefe for sinne if it be right ariseth rather from this ground, because God is thereby offended, then because any misery is brought upon our selves.

8. Secondly, a hatred of sinne, as a thing above all others most detestable, Apocal. 2. 6. This hatred if it be sincere, 1. Is caried against all knowne sinnes without any exception, 2. It is constant without intermission, 3. It is implacable without reconciliation, 4. It is vehement without toleration.

9. A third signe is an earnest desire, and setled purpose to avoyd all sinne, and to live after Gods Law for the future; The reason is because he which doth detest, and hate sinne, for this reason because it is sinne, and offends Gods Majesty, will as well abhorre future sinnes, as those which are past, for these do every whit as much offend God as the other: and no man can avoid future sinnes unlesse hee do purpose and determine with himselfe, as strongly as he can that he will never, upon any condition commit sinne againe. This purpose if it be sincere, 1. Doth cause a separation as far as possible may be from present sinnes, and from occasions of future sinnes, 2. It intendeth every thing that it is good, 3. It seekes for it effectually in a diligent indeavour and use of the meanes, 4. It carefully labours to remove all impediments as well internall, as externall.

The fourth Question is how a man can repent of such sins as he cannot come to the knowledge of?

10. Answer, He which formally and distinctly repents of all his knowne sinnes, hath a virtuall, and con[gap]used repentance even for those sinnes which hee knoweth not, Psalme 19. 13.

The fifth Question is, whither it be sufficient for a man to repent once?

11. Ans. First, past sinnes are not to be forgotten, Deut. 9. 7. No not those which were committed in youth, Psalme 25. 7. 2▪ This remembrance of former sinnes is profitable, 1.

to humble us, Deut. 9. 6. 7. 2. To stir up thankefulnesse towards God, 1 Tim. 1. 12. & 3. 10. 3 To make us pitifull and gentle to other sinners, Titus 3. 2. 3. But as oft as our sinnes come to minde we ought to be affected with shame, and sorrow for them, Gen. 41 9. Ez. 16. 61. 63. 1 Cor. 15. 9. It is true that horrour which is wont at ones first conversion to ceize upon the soule, returnes not to the faithfull by the remembrance of their old sinnes, because of the Mercy of God, which thorough Christ they have obtained, but yet shame, and blushing is a thing that doth become Saints very well, Rom. 6. 21. So that it is made a note of a wicked man that hath not yet repented of his sinnes if hee can thinke on them, and call them to minde with pleasure, Iob. 20. 12. Pro. 2. 14.

12. Secondly, Repentance is to be renued dayly, as sinnes are renued, 2 Tim. 1. 6. Ier. 8. 6. For as a Candle newly put out, and yet smoaking, is kindled againe and reviveth by a small blast, so the soule is freed from ordinary straights and dangers by a seasonable, that is by a dayly renuing of Repentance. A member out of joynt is to be set as soone as may be. 3. After extraordinary sinnes extraordinary repentance also is necessary, Psal. 51. 1. 1 Corin. 5. 2. 2 Cor. 7. 9. & 12. 21.