The Doctrine of Repentance

2. People conceit it an easy thing to¹ repent: It is but saying a few prayers; a sigh, or a Lord have mercy, and the work is done. This conceit of the easiness of Repentance, is a great hinderance to it. That which makes a person bold, and adventurous in sin, must needs obstruct Repentance; but this opinion doth make a person bold in sin. The Angler can let out his line as far as he will, and then pull it in again: So when a man thinks he can lash out in sin as far as he will, and then pull in by Repentance when he list, this must needs embolden him in wickedness. But to take away this false conceit of the easiness of Repentance, consider, 1. A wicked man hath a mountain of guilt upon him, and is it easy to rise up under such a weight? Is salvation per saltum? Can a man jump out of sin into Heaven? Can he leap out of the Devils arms into ⟨p. 141⟩Abraham's bosom? 2. If all the power in a sinner be employed against Repentance, then it is not easy. All the faculties of a natural man join issue with sin, Jer. 2. 25. I have loved strangers, and after them will I go. A sinner will rather lose Christ and Heaven, than his lusts: death, which parts man and wife, will not part a wicked man and his sins; and is it so easy to repent? The Angel rolled away the stone from the Sepulchre; but no Angel, only God himself can roll away the stone from the the heart.²

2. People conceit it an easie thing to¹ repent: It is but saying a few prayers; a sigh, or a Lord have mercy, and the work is done. This conceit of the easiness of Repentance, is a great hinderance to it. That which makes a person bold, and adventrous in sin, must needs obstruct Repentance; but this opinion doth make a person bold in sin. The Angler can let out his line as far as he will, and then pull it in again: So when a man thinks he can lash out in sin as far as he will, and then pull in by Repentance when he list, this must needs imbolden him in wickedness. But to take away this false conceit of the easiness of Repentance, consider, 1. A wicked man hath a mountain of guilt upon him, and is it easie to rise up under such a weight? Is salvation per saltum? Can a man jump out of sin into Heaven? Can he leap out of the Devils arms into