The oyle of gladnesse. Or, Comfort for dejected sinners. First preached in the parish church of Banbury in certaine sermons, and now published in this present treatise. By William Whately minister there.

CHAP. VII.

§ 1.

ANd these objecti∣ons arise from the quality of sinnes committed, either be∣fore or after calling. An other troope arise, from those many wants and defects which the soule doth finde in it selfe.

And first the soule findes fault with it selfe for want of repentance, rea∣soning thus against it selfe. Alas I have no repentance, and there∣fore I am not pardo∣ned. To which I an∣swer, that it must bee confessed for a truth, whosoever hath not re∣pented is not pardoned. But why dost thou say I have not repented? To answer this doubt, in∣forme thy selfe aright, what repentance is. It is a duty consisting of these foure parts: 1. Sorrow for sin. 2. Confession

of it to God. 3. Ear∣nest calling upon God in the name of Christ for pardon and helpe. 4. A firme purpose and endeavour of amend∣ment. Consider, hast thou not these things, dost thou not performe these actions, or endea∣vour to performe them? If thou dost, then thou hast the grace of repen∣tance, as sure as he is a man that hath a soule and body. O but saith the fearefull soule, I am not sorry enough for sins, I do not grieve for them so much as I should, nor

crave pardon of them so earnestly as I should, nor mend them so well as I should. J answer, that is very true, But where hath the Lord said, that he which hath not per∣formed these duties so well as he should, hath not true repentance? This is no where found in Scripture, it is one of thy false conceits, and a very false conceit it is, tanding to confound the Law, and the Gospell; for the Law requireth to doe all things perfectly, and rejecteth all works which a man doth not

performe so well as hee should, but the Gospell is a doctrine of grace, and accepts endeavours to performe duties, though one fall farre short of that measure of duty which he ought to attaine. Dost not thou strive and endeavour to doe these things more and better, and blame thy selfe for defects and failings: If so, then dost thou repent as well as thou shouldest, in the language of the Gospell. Yea but J doe not la∣ment sinne so much as others doe, and as the

Scriptures tell that some godly men have done. I answer, but hast thou not heretofore some time with plenty of bitter teares, bewailed thine offences, even allmost as much as any the Word speaketh of; & if so, then understand that these large and great sorrowes are not alwaies to con∣tinue; There must bee a time of drying such flouds of teares from the eyes of the Saints. I answer againe, that if thou hast not lamented as much as some of Gods Saints have done

in Scripture, yet thou hast lamented as much as some others, Thou readest not of such ex∣treame lamentation in the conversion of Abra∣ham, or Zaccheus, and Matthew, and some others. The Word of God hath left us exam∣ples of some that have grieved very much, and of others that have not grieved so much, if thou hast not attained to the examples of one of these, yet hast thou fol∣lowed the other: and againe, I answer, that God doth not reject the

sorrowes of his people, because they bee not so great as those which others attaine. It is no where said in Scripture, that hee repents not which grieveth not as much as others doe or have done. And for the point of grieving for sin, understand that not the quantity is so much to be respected as the qua∣lity; if a man grieve ne∣ver so much, and his griefe carry him not to confesse and seeke par∣don and grace and help, and diligently to endea∣vour amendment, they

be nothing worth, and if they doe bring forth these effects, they be ac∣cepted, though they bee not very great.

§ 2.

Yea but saith the heart yet againe, J can∣not aske pardon earnest∣ly, and heartily, nor at all pray unto God for it with any life or fervency. I answer, why wilt thou say so? That which a man desireth more then life, and more then all the profits and pleasures of life, that he desireth

earnestly and heartily, I trow, or else, who can be said to desire earnestly? Now tell me, wouldst thou not rather choose to have thy sinnes par∣doned, and thy soule healed, then to have long life, great riches, store of pleasures, and all worldly contents? if this be true, as thou canst not denie it, then thou dost earnestly pray for these things, denying that to be found in thee (as in temptation it is usuall) which any other man may manifestly see to be in thee.

§ 3.

Yea but I want that last part of repentance, and that which is the perfection of all, I do not amend, I doe not amend, but J still slip into the same sins, and cannot leave them. Why tell me what sinnes bee they that thou canst not leave, Is it murder, blasphemy, whoredome, &c. O no, but I finde deadnesse, dullnesse, coldnesse in prayer, distractednesse and forgetfullnesse in hearing, passionatenesse, impatiency, and a num∣ber

like faults, still brea∣king forth in me. J an∣swer, what dost thou make of God and of his mercy, when thou con∣cludest from hence that thy sinnes be not pardo∣ned? Is not hee ready to passe by such weake∣nesses in his children and servants, as thou canst easily passe by in thine. Doth not hee call him∣selfe a Father, doth not he tell us that he knowes that we be but dust. Doth not the Scripture say, In many things wee offend all, and who can say his heart is cleane? Sure if this

were a good argument that ones sins were not pardoned, no sins were pardoned to any sinner. For finde me a man or woman under heaven, that hath not cause to complaine thus. Assure thy selfe therefore that these continuall weake∣nesses are not contrary to remission of sinnes. Sanctification must bee true, else the soule is not justified, but it is not needfull, nay nor in this life possible that it should be perfect. And it is true, so long as thou continu∣est to confesse and la∣ment,

and strive a∣gainst these imperfecti∣ons, though thou bee still cumbred with them, else would not Saint Paul have said, The flesh lusteth against the spirit, so that yee cannot doe the things that yee would. Away with this objecti∣on therefore, it savours of pride, thou wilt not think thou art pardoned, unlesse thou canst bring to God some such mea∣sure of goodnesse, as might seeme halfe, or allmost to deserve it. If thou wilt not beleeve thou art pardoned, till

thou finde no such faults, thou shalt never beleeve thou art pardoned.

§ 4.

Yea but I feele not alone these common im∣perfections, but I feele also some one or other corruption so strong and violent in me, that it doth often even againe and againe breake forth, and that also too too palpa∣bly and grossely. I an∣swer, But dost not thou feele in thine heart a per∣petuall warring against these corruptions. Dost

thou not renew thy sor∣rowfull confessions, and resolutions of amend∣ment, as often as thou sinnest and farre oftner too? Dost thou not usually and ordinarily hold fast thy resolution not to sinne, and art over∣come alone sometimes, but commonly keepest under the sinne from pal∣pable breaking forth? Dost not thou fall seldo∣mer and with lesse con∣tent, and more reluctati∣on, and rise sooner out of the sinne: Yea is it not thy continuall pray∣er to be kept against it,

& dost not thou find that these endeavours keepe thee so, that thou offēdest not by many degrees, so much & often, as before thou didst, & as else thou shouldst doe? I answer then, that where sin hath not dominion, there it is healed, and a mans soule is truly sanctified, and himselfe in the state of grace; For it is said, Sin shall not have dominion over you, because you are un∣der grace. Now it is cer∣taine, that where any sin is thus constantly and conscionably resisted & opposed with these spiri∣tuall

weapons (namely by the consideration of Gods goodnes in Christ, & of his commandmēts, threats and promises in his Word) it is subdued, and the dominion there of is broken: Such an one doth mortifie the deeds of the flesh by the spirit, and is in killing them, though they bee not quite slaine, that ru∣leth not that is perpetu∣ally resisted, oppugned, fought against. There∣fore though some such corruption be very vio∣lent, & do both often and palpably break out, yet it

is pardoned, for he doth not love & serve sin that doth thus fight against it and resist it. O but J do not repent in truth. J an∣swer, dost thou thus con∣fesse and lament and re∣sist every sin, one as well as an other, and that be∣fore God in secret? Then surely thou repentest tru∣ly, for no man sets against all sin, and that before God, but hee doth it in uprightnesse and sinceri∣ty of soule.

§ 5.

Ah but I have no faith, I have no faith, and

therefore I am not par∣doned. I answer first, thou maist have it here∣after if thou hast not yet attained it, yea thou shalt have it if thou continue to beg it: yea I answer againe, this is a false ac∣cusation, thou hast faith. For he that doth so ac∣knowledge the perfect righteousnesse of Christ, that he concludes, Christ can pardon me, and ther∣fore followes him with continuall supplications for pardon, he hath faith, and a good measure of faith too. For how shall they call upon him in whom

they have not beleeved saith the Apostle, & our Saviour saith to the blind men that confessed hee could helpe them, and ran crying after him for helpe, according to your faith be it vnto you. Well therefore thou dost be∣leeve, and though thy faith may be weake, yet some it is, & that so much as shall make thee accep∣ted, for weakenesse of faith cannot hinder re∣mision of sins, seeing the Apostles were pardoned, whom yet our Saviour reprooveth, because they were men of little faith.

O but all graces are weak and feeble in me, even so weake, that I cannot tell whither I have any or none. I answer, an infant is a very weake thing, and hath little and feeble limbs, and so small use of reason, that one can hard∣ly perceive him to have any at all, and yet he is a man, a reasonable crea∣ture. Grace is as little at first as naturall life and reason in a new borne babe, but if it be true, all is well, then at last it shall be strong, and true it is, if one find its own weak∣nesse, and be made little

in his owne eyes because of its littlenesse, and mourne because it is so little, and would faine have it more, and use the best meanes he can to in∣crease it, and by not fin∣ding so great an increase as he desireth, is not dri∣ven to cast off all meanes, but rather labours to use them more and better, that by them it may at last attaine its wished confirmation.

Notes

• James 3.2
• Pro 20.9.
• Gal. 5.17.
• Rom. 6.24.