Two treatises· I. Of the nature and practise of repentance. II. Of the combat…Tvvo treatises· I. Of the nature and practise of repentance. II. Of the combat…

II. Case of Recidivation.

Whether the child of God, after repentance for some grievous sin, do fall into the same again, & come to repentance the second time. Answer. The case is dangerous as we may see by comparison in the body. If one fall into the relapse of an ague or any other strong disease, it may cost him his life: and the recovery will be very hard. Christ said to the man that had been sick 38 years, after that he had healed him. Behold, thou art whole, sin no more, ¹lest a worse thing befall thee. And the unclean spirit returning takes to him other seven spirits worse then himself. Indeed we find no particular example of recovery after a relapse, in the scriptures: yet no doubt a recovery may be. Reasons are these. I. Promise is made of remission of sins in Christ without any term of time: without any limitation to any number or kinds of sin: save only the blasphemy against the holy Ghost. Therefore² there may be repentance and salvation ⟨p. 61⟩after a relapse. II. Christ tells Peter that he must forgive not till seven times only (which peradventure he thought to be very much) but seventy seven times, and that in one day,³ if one return seventy times and say, it repents me. Now if we must do this, which have not so much as a drop of mercy in us in comparison of God: he will no doubt often forgive, even for one sin, if men will return and say, it repents me: considering that with⁴ him is plentiful redemption, and he is much in sparing.