Graphautarkeia, or, The Scriptures sufficiency practically demonstrated wherein whatsoever is contain'd in Scripture, respecting doctrine, worship or manners is reduced to its proper head, weighty cases resolved, truths confirmed, difficult texts illustrated and explained by others more plain.

CHAP. XXXIII. Of Repentance in general; wherein God cannot repent; and wherein, or how, he is said to repent. Repentance in Man, and his turning to God from Sin, and in such who have back-slidden from following God: and other∣wise. (Book 33)

First, Wherein God cannot repent: and wherein, or how he is said to repent.

AND God saw that the wickedness of man was great, &c. and it repent∣ed the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart, Gen. 6. 5, 6.

Moses prayed and said, &c. turn from thy fierce wroth, and repent of this evil against thy people, &c. and the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do, Exod. 32. 11, 12, 14.

God is not a man that he should lye, neither the son of man that he should repent: hath he said, and shall not he do it? or hath he spoken, and shall not make it good? Num. 23. 19. 1 Sam. 15. 29.

The Lord shall, &c. repent himself for his servants, when he seeth that pow∣er is gone, and there, &c. Deut. 32. 36.

It repented the Lord, because of their groanings, by reason of them who oppressed them, Judges 2. 18.

It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king, for he is turned back, &c. the Lord hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee, &c. and also the strength (or, eternity) of Israel will not lye, nor repent: for he is not a man that he should repent, 1 Sam. 15. 11, 28, 29, 35.

When the Angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord repented him of the evil, and said to the Angel, &c. It is enough: stay, &c. 2 Sam. 24. 16.

They have humbled themselves, I will not destroy them, but will grant them some deliverance, 2 Chron. 12. 7.

Return, O Lord, how long! and let it repent thee concerning thy ser∣vants, Psal. 95. 13.

He remembred, &c. and repented according to the multitude of his mercies, Psal. 106. 45.

The Lord will judg his people, and repent himself concerning his servants, Psal. 135. 14.

For this shall the earth mourn, &c. because I have spoken, I have purposed, and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it, &c. Jer. 4. 28.

I will, &c. destroy thee: I am weary with repentings, Jer. 15. 6.

Amend your ways, &c. and the Lord will repent him of the evil which he hath pronounced against you, &c. And the Lord repented him of the evil which, &c. Jer. 26. 13, 19.

I will plant you, &c. for I repent me of the evil I have done unto you, Jer. 42. 10. chap. 18. 8, 10.

How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? &c. my heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together. I will not execute the fierceness, &c. Hos. 11. 8, 9.

O Grave, &c. repentance shall be hid from mine eyes, Hos. 13. 14.

By whom shall Jacob arise, &c. the Lord repented for this: It shall not be, saith the Lord, Amos 7. 2, 3, 5, 6.

Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, and we perish not, &c. And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way, and God repented of the evil that he had said that he would do unto them, and he did it not, Jonah 3. 9, 10. Joel 2. 14.

Secondly, Repentance in Man in general, and his turning, &c.

God led the people not thorow the way of the land of the Philistines, &c. for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return, Exod. 13. 17.

And the Children of Israel repented them for Benjamin their Brother, Judges 21. 6, 15.

Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the Lord with all your hearts, put away the strange gods, &c. from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the Lord, &c. then they did put away Balaam, &c. and served the Lord only, 1 Sam. 7. 3, 4.

If they bethink themselves, &c. and repent, &c. and so return unto thee with all their heart, &c. 1 Kings 8. 47, 48.

For a long season Israel was without the true God, &c. But when they in their trouble did turn unto the Lord God of Israel, and sought him, he was found, 2 Chron. 15. 4.

Turn again unto the Lord God of Abraham, &c. and he will return to the remnant of you, &c. and be not like your fathers, &c. If ye turn again un∣to the Lord, your brethren, &c. shall find compassion: for the Lord your God is gracious, &c. 2 Chron. 30. 6, 7, 9.

I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies, Psal. 119. 59.

Turn ye unto him from whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted; for in that day every man shall cast away his Idols, &c. Isa. 31. 6, 7.

I have blotted out as a thick cloud thy transgressions, &c. return unto me, &c. Isa. 44. 22.

Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon: for my thoughts are not your thoughts, &c. Isa. 55. 6, 7, 8, 9.

Thou hast played the harlot with many lovers: yet return again to me, saith the Lord, &c. but she turned not, &c. return thou backsliding Israel, saith the Lord, &c. and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you; for I am merciful, &c. only acknowledg thine iniquity, &c. return, &c. I will heal your backslidings: Behold, we come unto thee, for thou art the Lord our God, Jer. 3. 1, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 22.

If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the Lord, return unto me: and if thou wilt put away thy abomination out of my sight, then, &c. Jer. 4. 1.

Amend your ways and your doings, &c. trust not in lying words, saying, the Temple of the Lord, &c. for if ye thorowly amend your ways, and your doings, &c. Jer. 7. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.

No man repented of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? every one turning to his course, as the horse rusheth into the battel, Jer. 8. 6.

Return ye now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good: And they said, There is no hope, but we will walk after, &c. Jer. 18. 11, 12.

I will give them an heart to know me, &c. for they shall return unto me with their whole heart, Jer. 24. 7.

Surely I have heard Ephraim bemoaning himself; thou hast chastized me, and I was chastized; as a Bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned, for thou art the Lord my God. Surely after that I was turned, I re∣pented; and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh, I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth, Jer. 31. 18, 19, 20.

Take the Roll, &c. it may be that the house of Judah will hear, &c. that they may return every man from his evil way, that I may forgive their ini∣quity, &c. Jer. 36. 2, 3, 6, 7.

Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord, Lam. 3. 40.

Turn thou us unto thee, O Lord, and we shall be turned, Lam. 5. 21.

They who escape of you, shall remember me among the nations, &c. and they shall loath themselves for the evils which they have committed, Ezek. 6. 9.

Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Repent and turn your selves from your Idols, and turn away your faces from all your abominations, &c. Ezek. 14. 6.

If the wicked will turn from all his sins which he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, &c. he shall surely live, &c. have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should dye, saith the Lord, not that he should return from his ways and live, &c? repent and turn you from all your transgressions: so iniquity shall not be your ruine, &c. make you a new heart, and a new spirit; for why will you dye? &c. Ezek. 18. 21, 23, 30, 31, 32. ch. 33. 11.

Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings which were not good, and shall loath your selves in your own sight for your iniquity, Ezek. 36. 31. chap. 6. 9.

I will hedg up her way, &c. then shall she say, I will go and return to my first husband, &c. Hosea. 2. 6, 7.

Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God, &c. and shall fear the Lord, Hos. 3. 5.

They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God, Hos. 5. 4.

Come let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us, Hos. 6. 1 Zech. 1. 3, 4.

The pride of Israel testifieth to his face, and they do not return to the Lord their God, nor seek him for all this, &c. they return not to the most high, Hos. 7. 10, 14, 16.

Break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord, Hos. 10. 12.

O Israel, return unto the Lord, &c. take unto you words and return to the Lord, Hos. 14. 1, 2.

Turn ye even to me withal your hearts, and with fasting, and with weep∣ing, and with mourning: and rent your hearts and not your garments, &c. he is graciòus, Joel 2. 12, 13.

God sent judgment after judgment, yet Israel repented not, Joel 4. 6, 8, 9, 10, 11.

The people of Niniveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, &c. God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way, Jonah 3. 5, 8, 9, 10.

They shall look upon him whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn, Zech. 12. 10.

Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts, Mal. 3. 7.

John Baptist preached, &c. saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is, &c. Matt. 3. 1, 2, 6.

From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent, for the king∣dom, &c. Matt. 4. 17.

I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance, Matt. 9. 13. Mark 1. 15.

Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not, &c. if the mighty works which have been done in thee, had been done in Tyre, &c. they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes, Matt. 11. 20, 21, 22.

The men of Niniveh, &c. because they repented at the preaching of Jonas, Matt. 12. 41.

Son go work, &c. but he said, I will not, but afterwards he repented and went, &c. ye, when ye had seen, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him, Matt. 21. 28, 29, 32.

Judas repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces, &c. I have sin∣ned, Matt. 27. 3, 4.

Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish, Luk. 13. 2, 3, 5.

Joy shall be in heaven over one sinner who repenteth, more than over ninety

nine just persons who need no repentance, &c. there is joy in the presence of the Angels of God over one sinner who repenteth, &c. the prodigal returned, Luk. 15. 7, 10, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21.

If one went from the dead to them, they would repent, &c. If they hear not Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be perswaded though one rose from the dead, Luk. 16. 30, 31.

If he trespass against thee seven times, &c. and he turn again to thee, saying, I repent, Luk. 17. 3, 4.

It behoveth Christ to suffer, &c. that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, Luk. 24. 46, 47.

When they heard this, they were pricked in their hearts, and said, &c. men and brethren what shall we do? Peter said unto them, Repent and be baptized, Act. 2. 37, 38.

Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, Act. 3. 19.

Him hath God exalted, &c. for to give repentance to Israel, and forgive∣ness, Act. 5. 31.

Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life, &c. a great number believed, and were turned unto the Lord, Act. 11. 18, 21.

And the times of this ignorance, God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent, Act. 17. 30.

I kept back nothing, &c. testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lord Jesus, Act. 20. 20. 21.

But shewed, &c. that they should repent, and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance, &c. Act. 26. 20.

Not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance, Rom. 2. 4.

Though I made you sorry, &c. I do not repent, &c. ye sorrowed to repent∣ance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, &c. for godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation, not to be repented of, 2 Cor. 7. 8, 9, 10.

I shall bewail many who have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness, &c. which they have committed, 2 Cor. 12. 21.

How ye turned to God from Idols, to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his son from heaven, &c. 1 Thes. 1. 9, 10.

In meekness instructing them who oppose themselves, if God peradven∣ture will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the Devil, 2 Tim. 2. 25, 26.

Let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, &c. for it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, &c. if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance: seeing they crucify to themselves, &c. Heb. 6. 1, 4, 5, 6.

Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you: cleanse your hands, ye sin∣ners, &c. James 4. 8.

Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him, let him know, that he who converteth a sinner from the errour of his

way, shall save a soul from death, &c. James 5. 19, 20.

The Lord is not slack, &c. but is long-suffering to us-ward: not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance, 2 Pet. 3. 9.

Thou hast left thy first love: remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works: or else I will come unto thee quickly, &c. thou hast there them who hold the doctrine of Balaam, &c. Repent, or else I will come, &c. I gave her space to repent of her fornication, and she repented not: behold, I will cast her into a bed, &c. Rev. 2. 4, 5, 14, 15, 16, 20, 21, 22.

I have not found thy works perfect before God: remember therefore how thou hast received, and heard, and hold fast and repent, &c. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten, be zealous therefore and repent, Rev. 3. 2, 3, 19.

And the rest of the men who were not killed by these plagues, yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship Devils and idols of gold, &c. neither repented they of their murders, &c. Rev. 9. 20, 21.

And men were scorched (or, burned) with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, &c. and they repented not to give him glory, &c. and repented not of their deeds, Rev. 16. 8, 9, 10, 11.