Milton

¶1Regenerationis effecta sunt RESIPISCENTIA et FIDES.

¶2RESIPISCENTIA, quæ et μετάνοια dicitur, est DONUM DEI QUO QUIS REGENERATUS SENTIENS AC DOLENS SE DEUM PECCATIS OFFENDISSE EA DETESTATUR AC FUGIT, SEQUE EX SENSU DIVINÆ MISERICORDIÆ AD DEUM HUMILLIME CONVERTIT, ET QUOD RECTUM EST SEQUI EX ANIMO STUDET.

¶3DONUM DEI: Patris nempe per Filium. Act. v: 31. hunc Deus dextra sua evectum constituit principem ac servatorem, ut det resipiscentiam Israeli—. Jer. xxxi. 18. audio Ephraimum condolentem sibi, dicendo, converte me ut convertar, quia tu es Jehova Deus meus. Act. xi. 18. et gentibus Deus resipiscentiam dedit ad vitam. Rom. ii. 4, 5. an—, ignorans te benignitate Dei ad resipiscentiam deduci? pro duritia tua et corde quod resipiscere nescit. 2 Tim. ii. 25. num aliquando daturus sit iis Deus resipiscentiam.

¶4SENTIENS AC DOLENS—. Psal. xxxviii. 5. iniquitates meæ transcendunt caput meum, ut onus grave; graviores sunt quam perferre queam. 2 Reg. xxii. 19. quiæ mollitus est animus tuus, et demisisti te a facie Jehovæ cum audivisses ea quæ locutus sum contra hunc locum, et lacerans vestimenta tua flevisti coram me. Psal. li. 5, 6. defectiones meas ego agnosco, et peccatum meum observatur jugiter: tibi, tibi soli peccaveram. Jer. iii. 8. tantummodo agnosce iniquitatem tuam, te a Jehova Deo tuo p. 248defecisse. Ezech. xxxvi. 31. recordabimini viarum vestrarum, et fastidio eritis vobis ipsis propter iniquitates vestras. et v. 32. erubescite et rubore afficiamini a viis vestris. et cap. xliii. 10. quum pudore suffusi fuerint propter iniquitates suas. Rom. vi. 21. ex iis de quibus nunc erubescitis. 2 Cor. vii. 10. quæ secundum Deum est tristitia, ea resipiscentiam efficit ad salutem, cujus nunquam pœniteat. et v. 11. ecce istud ipsum quod secundum Deum contristati estis, quantum in vobis effecit studium? immo excusationem, immo indignationem, immo timorem, immo vehemens desiderium, immo zelum, immo vindictam?

¶5EX SENSU MISERICORDIÆ. Deut. iv. 29, 30, 31. quod si requiretis inde quisque Jehovam Deum ex toto corde tuo—. 2 Chron. xxx. 9. nam gratiosus et misericors est Jehova Deus vester neque avertet faciem a vobis, si convertamini ad ipsum. Psal. li. 19. sacrificia Dei sunt spiritus fractus; animum fractum et contritum, o Deus, non spernis. et cxxx. 4. apud te est condonatio, ut reverenter colaris. Isa. xix. 22. cum conversi fuerint usque ad Jehovam, exorabitur iis, et sanabit eos. et lv. 7, &c. derelinquat improbus viam suam, revertaturque ad Jehovam, ut misereatur ipsius—. et lxvi. 2. in hunc intueor, in pauperem et contritum spiritu ac trepidantem ad verbum meum. Jer. iii. 7. revertere—, nam benignus sum. Dan. ix. 4, 5. confessus sum ac dixi, obsecro, Domine, Deus. Hos. xi. 8. quomodo exponerem te o Ephraim? se versat in me animus meus, simul æstuant viscera mea pœnitentia. Jonæ. iv. 10, 11. tu parcis cucurbitæ, pro qua non laborasti—; et ego non parcerem Nineve—? Jacob. iv. 9. sensu ærumnæ tangimini, et lugete ac flete: risus vester in luctum convertatur et gaudium in mœrorem; submittite vos in conspectu Domini, et extollet vos. Prov. xxviii. 13. qui tegit defectiones suas, non prosperabitur; qui vero fatetur et derelinquit, afficietur misericordia.

¶6SE AD DEUM HUMILLIME CONVERTIT. 1 Reg. viii. 48. et revertentur ad te ex toto corde suo, et ex toto animo suo. Jer. iv. 4. circumcidite vos Jehovæ, et amovete præputia animi vestri. Hos. v. 15. abiens revertar in locum meum, donec reos peragant se, et quærant faciem p. 249meam—. Act. iii. 19. resipiscite et convertite vos, ut deleantur peccata vestra.

¶7PECCATA DETESTATUR AC FUGIT, ET QUOD RECTUM EST SEQUI STUDET. Psal. xxxiv. 15. recede a malo, et fac bonum. Isa. i. 16, 17. lavate vos, purificate vos, amovete malignitatem actionum vestrarum ex adverso oculorum meorum; desinite malefacere, discite benefacere—. Amos. v. 14, 15. odio habete malum, et amate bonum. Matt. iii. 8. ferte igitur fructus convenientes resipiscentiæ. Act. xxvi. 18. ut convertantur a tenebris ad lucem, et de potestate Satanæ ad Deum. et v. 20. converterent se ad Deum opera facientes convenientia resipiscentiæ.

¶8Ex locis supradictis et similibus, gradus quidam resipiscentiæ distinguuntur: agnitio peccati, contritio, confessio, recessio a malo, et conversio ad bonum: qui tamen omnes suo modo ad pœnitentiam non regenitam communiter pertinent.

¶9Peccata confitemur nunc Deo: ut 2 Sam. xxiv. 10. dixit David, Jehovæ peccavi valde. Psal. xxxii. 5. peccatum meum notum faciam tibi—. et passim. 2 Chron. xxx. 22. confitentes Jehovæ Deo majorum suorum. Isa. lxiv. 10. sumus ut immundus omnes nos, et sicut panniculus abjectissimus omnes justitiæ nostræ—. Dan. ix. 4. &c. confessus sum, ac dixi—. Nunc hominibus; et quidem nunc privatim: ut Jacob. v. 16. confitemini delicta vestra alius alii—; nunc publice: Neh. ix. 2. consistentes confessi sunt peccata sua. Matt. iii. 5, 6. baptizabantur ab eo confitentes peccata sua. Act. xix. 18. et multi eorum qui crediderant veniebant confitentes et indicantes facta sua. Idque et Deo et hominibus: Jos. vii. 19. tribue nunc gloriam Jehovæ Deo Israelis, et ede ei confessionem; et enuncia nunc mihi quid feceris, ne celes me. Sed confessio fidei quoque est.

¶10Resipiscentia est vel universalis quæ et conversio dicitur, cum quis a statu peccati ad statum gratiæ convertitur; vel particularis, cum quis jam conversus, de singulari aliquo peccato pœnitentiam agit. Univerp. 250salis est vel prima vel continuata, quæ etiam in regenerato est, ob sensum nimirum inhabitantis adhuc peccati. Particularis in Davide et Petro exempla habemus.

¶11Prior est in homine renato resipiscentia fide. Marc. i. 15. resipiscite, et credite evangelio. Act. xix. 4. Joannes baptizavit baptismo resipiscentiæ, dicens ut crederent—. et xx. 21. conversionem ad Deum, et fidem quæ est in Dominum. Itaque sensus ille divinæ misericordiæ, quæ^la4 ad resipiscentiam ducit, non est cum fide confundenda: quod plerique faciunt theologi.

¶12Causa instrumentalis resipiscentiæ sæpe est castigatio. Job. v. 17, &c. ecce, beatus est mortalis quem arguit Deus; quapropter castigationem Omnipotentis ne spernas. Psal. xciv. 12. beatus vir quem castigas, Jah. et cxix. 71. bonum est mihi, Jehova, quod humiliasti me, ut cognoscerem vias tuas. Prov. i. 23. revertimini ad correctionem meam—. et iii. 11, 12. eruditionem Jehovæ, fili mi, ne spernito; neque tædeat te correctionis ejus: nam quem diligit Jehova, corrigit, et quidem ut pater filium cui bene vult. Isa. i. 25. nam referam manum meam contra te, ut defæcans scorias tuas, justæ puritati restituam te, et amovebo totum stannum tuum. et xlviii. 10. ecce conflabo te, non autem argento; selectum efficiam te catino afflictionis. Jer. x. 24. castiga me Jehova, veruntamen modice, ne castiges in ira tua, ut non comminuas me. Lament. iii. 27, 28. bene est viro huic quum tulerit jugum in pueritia sua. Dan. xi. 35. ex ipsis autem erudientibus corruent; ad conflandum eos, et ad purificandum, et ad dealbandum. Hos. v. 15. cum angustia fuerit ipsis, quærent diluculo—. 1 Cor. xi. 32. dum judicamur, a Domino erudimur ne cum mundo condemnemur. Heb. xii. 7, 8. si castigationem sustinetis, Deus sese vobis exhibet ut filiis; quis enim est filius quem non castiget pater? quod si estis absque castigatione, cujus participes sunt omnes, nempe supposititii estis, non filii. Psal. xc. 3. redigis mortalem eo usque ut sit contritus; dicens, revertimini filii hominum.

¶13Castigationibus tamen Deus modum adhibet, ne obruamur, nobisque vires suppeditat ad eas etiam superandas quæ supra modum nonnunquam nos premere videntur: Psal. cxxv. 3. non quiescit virga improbitatis supra sortem justorum, ut ne extendant justi ad ullam iniquitatem manus suas. Isa. lvii. 20. in sæculum non contendam &c. nam spiritus obrueretur &c. 2 Cor. i. 8, 9, 10. nos supra modum gravatos fuisse supra vires &c. ne confideremus in nobis ipsis sed in Deo suscitante mortuos &c. quique ex tanta morte nos eripuit &c. immo eas misericors et veluti pœnitentiam agens, quasi per iram suam duplum pro peccatis nostris inflixisset, duplici solatio rependit. Isa. xl. 2. loquimini quæ sunt cordi— completum esse tempus præfinitum ejus, exsolutam esse iniquitatem ejus: eam accepisse e manu Jehovæ duplum pro omnibus peccatis suis. et lxi. 7. pro eo quod pudorem vestrum duplum, et ignominiam cantabant horum portionem esse, idcirco in terra illarum duplum possidebunt, lætitia perpetua his futura est. Immo centuplum: Matt. xix. 29. et immensum pondus gloriæ: 2 Cor. iv. 17. illico præteriens levitas afflictionis nostræ, excellenter excellentis gloriæ pondus æternum conficit nobis. Rom. viii. 18. reor minime dignas esse præsentis temporis perpessiones gloria in nobis revelanda. Psal. xxxiv. 19, &c. propinquus est Jehova fractis animo; et contritos spiritu servat: multæ sunt afflictiones justi, sed ex omnibus illis eripit eum Jehova. et lxxi. 20, 21. postquam fecisti ut experirer angustias magnas et malas, rursus vitæ restituis me. et cxxvi. 5. qui seminarunt cum lachrymis, cum cantu metant. Act. xiv. 22. oportere per multas afflictiones nos ingredi in regnum Dei.

¶14Non est ergo temere de alienis afflictionibus judicium ferendum: qui error Eliphazi erat, Job. iv. et ix. 22, 23. et vilissimorum hominum, cap. xxx. Psal. iii. 3. quam multi dicunt de anima mea, non est ulla salus isti in Deo plane! et xli. 9. res nequissima tenaciter inhæret ei. Joan. ix. 3. neque iste peccavit.

¶15Contra incastigati, Psal. xvii. 14. quorum portio est in hac vita. Hos. iv. 17. conjunctus est terriculis Ephraim; sine illum.

¶16Hinc consolatio. 2 Cor. i. 4. consolans nos in omni afflictione nostra: ut et ipsi possimus in quavis afflictione positos consolari ea consolatione qua nos ipsos consolatur Deus. 1 Thess. iii. 3. ut nemo commoveatur ob afflictiones istas; ipsi enim nostis ad id nos esse constitutos. 2 Tim. ii. 3. tolerans esto afflictionum ut bonus miles Jesu Christi. Apoc. ii. 9. novi opera tua et afflictionem.

¶1The effects of regeneration are REPENTANCE and FAITH.

¶2REPENTANCE, or rather that higher species of it called in Greek μετάνοια, is THE GIFT OF GOD, WHEREBY THE REGENERATE MAN PERCEIVING WITH SORROW THAT HE HAS OFFENDED GOD BY SIN, DETESTS AND AVOIDS IT, HUMBLY TURNING TO GOD THROUGH A SENSE OF THE DIVINE MERCY, AND HEARTILY STRIVING TO FOLLOW RIGHTEOUSNESS.

¶3THE GIFT OF GOD; namely, of the Father through the Son. Acts v. 31. him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel. Jer. xxxi. 18. I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus ...... turn thou me and I shall be turned, for thou art Jehovah my God. Acts xi. 18. then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life. Rom. ii. 4, 5. thinkest thou this ...... not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? but after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up, &c. 2 Tim. ii. 25. if God peradventure will give them repentance.

¶4PERCEIVING WITH SORROW. Psal. xxxviii. 4. mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me. 2 Kings xxii. 19. because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before Jehovah, when thou heardest what I spake against this place ...... and hast rent thy clothes and wept before me. Psal. li. 3, 4. I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me: against thee, thee only have I sinned. Jer. iii. 13. only acknowledge thine inip. 348quity, that thou hast transgressed against Jehovah thy God. Ezek. xxxvi. 31. then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities. v. 32. be ashamed and confounded for your own ways. xliii. 10. that they may be ashamed of their iniquities. Rom. vi. 21. those things whereof ye are now ashamed. 2 Cor. vii. 10. godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of. v. 11. for behold this self-same thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge.

¶5THROUGH A SENSE OF THE DIVINE MERCY. Deut. iv. 29—31. but if from thence thou shalt seek Jehovah thy God ...... with all thy heart. 2 Chron. xxx. 9. for Jehovah your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if ye return unto him. Psal. li. 17. the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. cxxx. 4. there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared. Isai. xix. 22. they shall return even to Jehovah, and he shall be intreated of them, and shall heal them. lv. 7. let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto Jehovah, and he will have mercy upon him. lxvi. 2. to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. Jer. iii. 12. return ..... for I am merciful. Dan. ix. 4, 5. I made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God—. Hos. xi. 8. how shall I give thee up, O Ephraim? ...... mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together. Jonah iv. 10, 11. thou hast had pity for the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured ...... and should not I spare Nineveh? James iv. 9. be afflicted, and mourn, and weep, let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness; humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. Prov. xxviii. 13. he that covereth his sins shall not prosper; but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

¶6HUMBLY TURNING TO GOD. 1 Kings viii. 48. and so return unto thee with all their heart and with all their soul. Jer. iv. 4. circumcise yourselves to Jehovah, and take away the foreskins of your heart. Hos. v. 15. I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face. Acts iii. 19. repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out.

¶7DETESTS AND AVOIDS SIN, STRIVING TO FOLLOW RIGHTEOUSNESS. Psal. xxxiv. 14. depart from evil, and do good. Isai. i. 16, 17. wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good. Amos v. 14, 15. hate the evil, and love the good. Matt. iii. 8. bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance. Acts xxvi. 18. to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God. v. 20. that they should repent, and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.

¶8By a comparison of these and similar texts, we may distinguish certain progressive steps in repentance; namely, conviction of sin, contrition, confession, departure from evil, conversion to good: all which, however, belong likewise in their respective degrees to the repentance of the unregenerate.

¶9Confession of sin is made sometimes to God: 2 Sam. xxiv. 10. David said unto Jehovah, I have sinned greatly in that I have done. Psal. xxxii. 5. I acknowledged my sin unto thee, &c. 2 Chron. xxx. 22. making confession to Jehovah, God of their fathers. Isai. lxiv. 6. we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. Dan. ix. 4. I made my confession, and said—. Sometimes to men: and that either privately, as James v. 16. confess your faults one to another; or publicly, Neh. ix. 2. the seed of Israel stood and confessed their sins. Matt. iii. 6. they were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins. Acts xix. 18. many that believed came and confessed, showing their deeds. Sometimes both to God and men: Josh. vii. 19. give, I pray thee, glory to Jehovah God of Israel, and make confession unto him, and tell me now what thou hast done, hide it not from p. 350me. Confession of faith, which is another kind, does not belong to the present subject.

¶10Repentance is either general, which is also called conversion, when a man is converted from a state of sin to a state of grace; or particular, when one who is already converted repents of some individual sin. General repentance is either primary or continued; from which latter even the regenerate are not exempt, through their sense of in-dwelling sin. Particular repentance is exemplified in the cases of David and Peter.

¶11Repentance, in regenerate man, is prior to faith. Mark i. 15. repent ye, and believe the gospel. Acts xix. 4. John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe. xx. 21. testifying repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore that sense of the divine mercy, which leads to repentance, ought not to be confounded with faith, as it is by the greater number of divines.

¶12–13Chastisement is often the instrumental cause of repentance. Job v. 17, &c. behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth; therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty. Psal. xciv. 12. blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O Jah. cxix. 71. it is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn thy statutes. Prov. i. 23. turn you at my reproof. iii. 11, 12. my son, despise not the chastening of Jehovah, neither be weary of his correction; for whom Jehovah loveth he correcteth, even as a father the son in whom he delighteth. Isai. i. 25. I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin. xlviii. 10. behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction. Jer. x. 24. O Jehovah, correct me, but with judgement; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing. Lam. iii. 27, 28. it is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. Dan. xi. 35. some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white. Hos. v. 15. p. 351in their affliction they will seek me early. 1 Cor. xi. 32. when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. Heb. xii. 7, 8. if ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? but if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Psal. xc. 3. thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men. God however assigns a limit to chastisement, lest we should be overwhelmed, and supplies strength for our support even under those inflictions which (as is sometimes the case) appear to us too heavy to be borne. Psal. cxxv. 3. the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous, lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity. Isai. lvii. 16. I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth, for the spirit should fail before me, &c. 2 Cor. i. 8—10. we would not have you ignorant ...... that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, &c. ...... that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: who delivered us from so great a death—. He even seems to repent of what he had done, and through his abounding mercy, as though he had in his wrath inflicted double punishment for our transgressions, compensates for our affliction with a double measure of consolation. Isai. xl. 2. speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned; for she hath received of the hand of Jehovah double for all her sins. lxi. 7. for your shame ye shall have double, and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion; therefore in their land they shall possess the double; everlasting joy shall be unto them. This compensation is more than an hundred-fold, Matt. xix. 29. even an infinite weight of glory. 2 Cor. iv. 17. for our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. Rom. viii. 18. I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Psal. xxxiv. 18, 19. Jehovah is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart, and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit: many are the afflictions of the righteous, but Jehovah delivereth him out of them all. lxxi. 20. thou which hast showed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again. cxxvi. 5. p. 352they that sow in tears shall reap in joy. Acts xiv. 22. we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.

¶14We ought not therefore to form rash judgements respecting the afflictions of others. This was the error of Eliphaz, Job iv. and ix. 22, 23. and of the most despicable of men, chap. xxx. Psal. iii. 2. many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. xli. 8. an evil disease, say they, cleaveth fast unto him. John ix. 3. neither hath this man sinned.

¶15On the contrary, it is said of those who are not chastened, Psal. xvii. 14. they have their portion in this life. Hos. iv. 17. Ephraim is joined to idols; let him alone.

¶16Hence arises consolation to the afflicted. 2 Cor. i. 4. who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them that are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. 1 Thess. iii. 3. that no man should be moved by these afflictions; for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto. 2 Tim. ii. 3. thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. Rev. ii. 9. I know thy works and tribulation.