Aphorismes of Christian religion: or, a verie compendious abridgement of M. I. Calvins Institutions set forth in short sentences methodically by M. I. Piscator: and now Englished according to the authors third and last edition, by H. Holland.

CHAP. XII. Of Repentance: where also is intreated of the life of a Christian, and of bea∣ring the crosse.

I. APHORISME.

SOmetime by the word Repentance in Greeke is signified & vnderstood a some sorowing for any fact or deed done, whe∣ther a man be moued thereby to do well,b or not moued: sometimes also it signifieth (as the best Diuines haue noted) to return to a perfect and right vnderstanding, or to waxe wise againe: we follow now this la∣ter signification.

II.

Repentance then is a a chaunge of the minde, which is by nature wicked, and re∣newing of all faculties of the soule, pro∣ceeding from a sincere and religious b feare of God; whereby the mind is caried with

an earnest indeuour to do well, and to please God.

III.

Repentance doth consist of two partes: ofa mortification of the flesh, or of the old man, and in the quickening of the spirit.

IIII.

Repentance may also be distinguished into ordinarie or common, and extraordi∣narie or speciall.

V.

The ordinary and common repentance is that, which all men are bound to put in practise all the dayes of their life, because of the corruption of nature.

VI.

A special a repentance is that, which rai∣seth as it were frō death, either thē which haue fallen shamefully, or in an vnbridled licentiousnesse haue giuen ouer thē selues to sin, or haue shaken off the yoke of God in some speciall apostasie.

VII.

In an ordinary repentance it wil suffice that we confesse our selues vnto a God: but an extraordinary requireth confession, b so∣row,

and deprecation before the c congre∣gation, that the Church may be satis∣fied, and receiue againe the sinner which is excommunicate, for any scandale.

VIII.

There is also an extraordinarie repen∣tance of some one whole congregation, when fearing the Lords corrections to ap∣proch for some general sinnes of the grea∣test part of the people, they striue by pray∣er, a weeping and fasting, to turne a∣way the wrath of God from them. They had also in this, in times past, in the Church of the Iewes, their b sackloth and ashes.

IX.

The holy Ghost is the cause efficient, a or the Lord which worketh in vs vnfay∣ned repentance.

X.

The a frute and effect which followeth true repentance, is a Christian life: and this consisteth in forsaking and b denying our selues, in meditation of the life to come, and in the right vse of all earthly blessings.

XI.

The forsaking of our selues, partly re∣specteth men, partly and principally it re∣specteth God.

XII.

The forsaking our selues which respe∣cteth men, consisteth partly in areuerēcing them with all Christian modestie, partly in doingb good to them with all sincere af∣fection of heart.

XIII.

That denying of our selues which respe∣cteth God, frameth vs with a patience to rest contented with that state and condi∣tion of life, which the Lord shall giue vs, and specially to the b bearing of the crosse.

XIIII.

Special motiues to beare the crosse pa∣tiently are these following. 1. Because this is the good a will and pleasure of our hea∣uenly Father, to exercise his children in this maner, as it were, to make good triall of them. 2. For that b Christ himselfe was to learne obedience by the things which he suffered, and we must be made c confor∣mable vnto him. 3. For that if we be d par∣takers

with Christ in his passions, we shall be partakers also with him of his glorious resurrection. 4. For that it is needfull and good for vs alwayes to haue some crosse, that hauing experience of our own weak∣nesse and frailtie, we may be truly e hum∣bled: that so being humbled, wee may learne to call for f strength from God, that so we may haue experience of his g pre∣sence, and that by this experience we may receiue h confirmation of our hope. 5. For that we haue need to learne the obedience i we owe to God, that the rage of our cor∣rupt nature be subdued and bridled, and that the sinnes we haue commited, may be punished, lest we be k damned with the world. 6. For that when we suffer persecu∣tion for righteousnesse sake, and specially for defence of the Gospell, we are not on∣ly not miserable, but also blessed and hap∣pie, by the l testimonie of Christ himselfe. All these reasons, as the matter requireth, are speciall strong motiues vnto patience vnder the crosse.

XV.

True patience is not to want either sense

a or naturall affection, and so to be voyde of all griefe and sorow: but herein appea∣reth it, when the seruaunt of Christ, is much b prouoked, and yet by Gods feare is so bridled, that he breakes forth into no rage nor c murmuring, but rather resteth, (albeit smitten with griefe & sorow,) d spi∣ritually comforting himselfe in the Lord his God: not without meditations also of Gods iustice, equitie and clemencie in our chastisements, but specially of the fa∣therly counsell e of God for our saluation, so caring for it on this manner.

XVI.

Now the meditatiō of the life to come, which is the second part of a Christiā life, is such, that it carieth with it a contempt and a lothing of this a present life, accor∣ding to the measure of illumination and knowledge, which God hath giuen vnto vs, both of the b vanitie of this present life by our continualc miseries, and of the cor∣ruption d of our nature by our dayly trans∣gressions, and according to the measure of tast, which the holy Ghost hath giuē vs of the glory and e ioyes of the life to come.

XVII.

And yet we must not hate this present life, because it is one of Gods a bles∣sings, and ordained of God for our salua∣tion: partly for that herein the Lord gi∣ueth vs a b tast of his goodnesse by mani∣fold blessings, partly for that by many tēp∣tations he prepareth vs for the c crowne of the celestiall glory.

XVIII.

The last point is, that the right vse of earthly blessings (which is the third part of Christian life) consisteth herein. First, that we vse this a world as if we vsed it not: vsing and receiuing the blessings of God for the sustentation and brefreshing of our bodies, but with sobrietie c and d thankes giuing. Next, that we beare patiently and e thankefully the penurie and wants of earthly things: and that we euer thinke of this, that we must render f an account vn∣to God, of the dispensation or charge cō∣mitted vnto vs, and therefore that we vse the good blessings of God temperatly, modestly, soberly, distributing to the ne∣cessitie of our poore brethren liberally: &

lastly that we containe & keepe our selues g within the limites of our calling.

Notes

• a

  Mat. 21.29. & chap. 27.3.
• b

  Math. 4.17. Act. 2.38. Ro. 2.4. 2. Cor. 7.9.10. 2. Tim. 1 25.
• a

  Ezec 18.31 Ier. 4.1.3.4.
• b

  Ierem. 4.4. Act. 17.30. 2. Cor. 7.10.
• a

  Ro. 6.4 5.6 Ephe. 4 22.23.24. Col. 3.5.6.8.9.10. Psal. 34 15. Esa. 1.16.17.
• a

  1. Cor. 5.5. 2. Cor. 12.21.
• a

  Psal. 31.5.
• b

  Psal. 51.
• c

  2. Cor. 2.7. &c 18.21.
• a

  Ioel. 2.1••.
• b

  Ester. 4.3. Ierem. 6.26.
• a

  Act. 11.18 2. Tim. 2.25.
• a

  Math. 3.8.
• b

  Luke. ••.••3
• a

  Rom. 12.10. Philip. 2.3.
• b

  1. Cor. 13.4 &c. 1. Tim. 1.5. 1. Iohn 3.18.
• a

  Phil. 4.11. 1. Tim. 6.0.
• b

  Rom. 8.17.
• a

  Heb. 12.5.
• b

  Heb. 5.8. & chap 12 2. 1. Pet. 2.21.
• c

  Rom. 8.29.
• d

  Rom. 8.17. 2. Tim. 2.12.
• e

  Psal. 119.71
• f

  2. Cor. 1.9.
• g

  Rom. 5.4.
• h

  2. Cor 1.10 Rom. 5.4.
• i

  Psal. 119.71
• k

  1. Cor. 11.32.
• l

  Math. 5.10. 1. Pet. 3.14.
• a

  Ioh. 16.20. &c. 21.18. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• b

  2. Cor. 4.8.9
• c

  Psal. 39.
• d

  2. Cor. 6.10
• e

  Rom. 8.28. 1. Cor. 11.32.
• a

  Phil. 1.23. 2. Cor. 5.2. Rom. 7.24.
• b

  Eccle. 1.1.
• c

  Gene. 47.9
• d

  Rom. 7.24.
• e

  Rom. 14.17
• a

  Exo. 20.12
• b

  Psal. 34.9.
• c

  Tim 4.8. 2. Thes. 1.67. Act. 14.22.
• a

  1. Cor. 7.29 30.31.
• b

  Psal. 104.15
• c

  Rom. 13.14
• d

  1. Tim. 4.3 4.5.
• e

  Phil. 4.12.
• f

  Luke. 16.2. Rom. 14.10. and 12. 2. Cor. 5.10.
• g

  1. Pet. 4.15 1. Cor. 7.17. 1. Thess. 4.11