Sect. 4. — Evangelical Repentance a consequent of Faith.
Sect. 4. — Evangelical Repentance a consequent of Faith.
Nom. Yet, sir, you see that Christ requires thirsting before a man comes to him. I conceive that this cannot be, without true repentance.
Evan. In the last chapter of Revelations, 22.17, Christ makes the same general proclamation, saying, “Let him who thirsts come;” and as if the Holy Ghost had long ago answered the same objection as yours, it follows with these words, “And whoever will, let him take of the water of life freely” — even without thirsting — if he will; for “he that comes to me, I will in no way cast out,” John 6.37. But because it seems that you conceive a man ought to repent before he believes, I ask you to tell me what you conceive repentance is, or what it consists in?
Nom. Why, I conceive that repentance consists in a man’s humbling himself before God, and sorrowing and grieving for offending him by his sins, and in turning from them all, to the Lord.
Evan. And would you have a man do all this truly before he comes to Christ by believing?
Nom. Yes indeed, I think it is very fitting that he should.
Evan. Why, then, I tell you truly, you would have him do what is impossible.
For, first of all, godly humiliation in true penitents proceeds from the love of God their good Father, and so it proceeds from the hatred of that sin which has displeased him; and this cannot occur without faith.
2dly. Sorrow and grief for displeasing God by sin, necessarily argue for the love of God; and it is impossible for us to ever love God, till by faith we know we are loved by God.
3dly. No man can turn to God, unless he is first turned by God. And after he is turned, he repents. So Ephraim says, “After I was converted, I repented,” Jer. 31.19. The truth is, a repentant sinner first believes that God will do what he promises, namely, pardon his sin and take away his iniquity, and then he rests in the hope of it. From that, and for it, he leaves sin, and forsakes his old course of life, because it is displeasing to God; and he does what is pleasing and acceptable to him. So that, first of all, God’s favour is apprehended, and remission of sins is believed. And then, upon that, comes the alteration of his life and conduct. ,
Nom. But, sir, as I conceive it, the Scripture says that the Lord has appointed repentance to go before faith; for is it not said in Mark 1.15, “Repent and believe the gospel?”
Evan. With the intent that you may have a true and satisfactory answer to your objection, I would ask you to consider two things:
First. The word “repent” in the original, signifies a change of our minds from false ways to right, and of our hearts from evil to good. And that son in the gospel said, “He would not go to “work in his father’s vineyard.” Yet afterwards, the text says, “he repented and went,” Mat. 21.29 — that is, he changed his mind and went.
Secondly. In those days when John the Baptist and our Saviour preached, most of their hearers were erroneous in their minds and judgments. For being leavened with the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees, which our Saviour told his disciples to take heed and beware against, Matt, 16.6, 12, most of them were of the opinion that the Messiah whom they looked for, would be some great and mighty monarch, who would deliver them from their temporal bondage, as I showed before. And many of them were of the same opinion as the Pharisees. They held that as an outward conformity to the letter of the law was sufficient to gain favour and esteem from men; so it was sufficient for their justification and acceptance before God, and consequently to bring them to heaven and eternal happiness. Therefore, for these ends, they were very diligent in fasting and prayer, Luke 18.12-14; and they were very careful to pay tithes of mint, anise, and cummin — and yet they omitted the weightier matters of the law, such as judgment, mercy, faith, and the love of God, Matt, 23.23; Luke 11.42. And so, as our Saviour told them, Matt, 23.25, “they made the outside of the cup and platter clean, but within they were full of extortion and excess.’”
And various of them were of the opinion of the Sadducees, Acts 23.8, who held “that there was no resurrection — no angel or spirit;” and so they had all their hopes and comfort in the things of this life, not believing in any other.
Now, preaching to these people, our Saviour said, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent and believe the gospel.” It is as if he had said, The time set by the prophets for the manifestation of the Messiah has fully come. And his kingdom, which is a spiritual and heavenly kingdom, is at hand. Therefore change your minds from false ways to right, and your hearts from evil to good; and no longer imagine that the Messiah you look for will be someone who will save and deliver you from your temporal enemies. Rather he will save and deliver you from your spiritual enemies — that is, from your sins, from the wrath of God, and from eternal damnation. Therefore no longer put your confidence in your own righteousness, though you walk ever so exactly according to the letter of the law. Rather, believe the glad tidings that are now brought to you; namely, that the Messiah shall save you from sin, wrath, the devil, and hell, and bring you to eternal life and glory. Nor let any of you imagine any longer that there is to be no resurrection of the dead, and so have your hopes set only in this life: but believe these glad tidings that are now brought to you concerning the Messiah: and he shall raise you up at the last day, and give you eternal life. Now, with submission to better judgments, I conceive that if there is any repentance exhorted in the book of God, before faith in Christ — or if any repentance goes before faith in Christ, either in order of nature or of time — it is only a repentance such as this.
Nom. But, sir, do you think that there is such a repentance in men now-a-days that goes before faith in Christ?
Evan. Yes, indeed, I think there is. For example, when a profane sensual man lives as though —, with the Sadducees — he did not believe in any resurrection of the dead, nor in hell or heaven. He is convinced in his conscience that if he goes on in making a god of his belly, and in minding only earthly things, his end will be damnation. Sometimes such a man changes his mind about these things, and instead of a profane man, he becomes a strict Pharisee, or as some call him, a “legal professor.” But being convinced that all of his own righteousness will avail him nothing in the case of justification, and that it is only the righteousness of Jesus Christ that is available to that end, he changes his mind and — with the apostle — he “desires to be found in Christ, not having his own righteousness which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, even the righteousness which is of God through faith,” Philip. 3.9. Now I conceive that a man who does this, changes his mind from false ways to right, and his heart from evil to good; and so, consequently, he does truly repent.
Nom. But, sir, would you not hold that even though repentance, according to my definition, does not go before faith in Christ, yet it follows after?
Evan. Yes, indeed; I hold that even though it does not go before as an antecedent of faith, yet it follows as a consequent. [But, it is] when a man believes the love of God toward him in Christ, that he then loves God, because God loved him first.1Joh 4.19 And it is that love which constrains him to humble himself at the Lord’s footstool, and to acknowledge himself to be less than the least of all his mercies. Yes, and then he will “remember his own evil ways and doings that were not good, and will loathe himself in his own sight for his iniquities and for his abominations,” Ezek. 36.31. Yes, and then he will also cleanse himself from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God, having regard for all God’s commandments, 2Cor. 7.1; Psalm 119.6.
Nom. Well, sir, I am answered.