Of saving repentance,
An Exposition of the Assembly's Catechism.
A. A strong faith gives much glory to God ; Rom. iv. 10, 20. And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb. He staggered not at the promite of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God.
Q. 13. What is the second benefit of a strong faith ?
A. It gives the soul the ravishing foresight and foretastes of heaven upon earth ; 1 Pet. i. 8. Whom having not seen, ye love; inwhomthough now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable, and full of glory.
Q. 14. What is the last office faith doth for a believer in this world?
A. Itfupportsand encourages him at death by the pro miles, when all other comforts fail ; Heb. xi. 13. These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and wereperfuaded of them, and embraced them, and confeffedthat they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
Of saving Repentance.
Hat is repentance unto life ?
Quest. 87.W A. Repentance unto life is a saving grace, whereby afinner, out ofa true sense of hisfin, and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ, doth with grief and hatred of his fin, turn from it unto God, with full purpose of, and endeavour after new obedience.
Q1. Who is the author of saving repentance ?
A. The Spirit of God is the author of it ; the heart by nature is so hard, that none but the Spirit can break it ; Ezek. xxxvi. 26, 27. Anew heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you : And I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, &c.
Q. 2. In what act doth all true repentance begin ?
A. It begins in at rue sight and sense of fin, and the danger and misery we are in by fin ; Acts ii. 37. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their hearts, &c.
Q.3. WhydothGod work such a sense of fin and misery ?
A. He doth it to make Christ defireable in the sinner's eyes, that he may fly to him; Matth. ix. 12, 13. But when Jesus heard that, he faidunto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice; for I and not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Q.4. Is the fight of fin sufficient to repentance?
An Exposition of the Assembly's Catechism.
وو A. No; there must beappprehenfion of mercy and forgivenesswithGod, or else no man can sincerely repent; Rom. ii,
4. Not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance. And this mercy must be discerned in and through Christ ; Zech. xii, 10. And they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him as one mournethfor his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him as one that is in bitterness for his first-born .
2.5. Wherein doth repentance chiefly consist ?
A. It consists in real inward sorrow for fin, as committed against God; Psalm li. 3, 4. For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my fin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only have I finned, and done this evil in thy fight, &c. A loathing of ourselves for it ; Ezek. xxxvi. 31. And shall loath yourselves in your own fight, for your iniquities, and for your abominations. And of our best duties,as sinful and insufficient things ;
Ifa. lxiv. 5, 6. We are all as an unclean thing; and all ourrigh teousnesses are as filthy rags, c.
2.6. Wherein else doth itconfit ?
A. In turning from fin, as well as grieving for it; Ifa. Iv. 7.
Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, &c.
Prov. xxviii. 13. He that covereth his fins, shall not prosper ; but whoso confeffeth and forfaketh them, shall have mercy.
Q.7. Is turning from fin sufficient A. No, that is but the negative part of religion; there must be also a fincereturning to God; Psalm cxix. 59. I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies ; Acts xi. 23.
Andexhortedthem all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.
Q. 8. Is all sorrow for sin saving ?
4. No; there is a repentance that dothnogood; Matth. xxvii . 3. Then Judas which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, &c. And a repentance unto life ; Acts xi. 18. Then hath God also to the Gentilesgrantedrepentance unto life.
Q. 9. What are the signs of true repentance ?
A. Fear of fin ; care to preserve ourselves from it ; and zeal tohonourGod by new obedience ; 2 Cor. vii. 11. For behold, this self-fame thing that ye forrowed after a godly fort, what carefulness itwroughtinyou ; yea,what clearing ofyourselves; yea, what indignation ; yea, what fear ; yea, what vehement desire; yea, what zeal ; yea, what revenge ?
In all things you have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.
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