The Doctrine of Repentance

1. The first Deceit of Repentance is¹ legal Terror. A man hath gone on long in sin, at last God arrests him, shows him what desperate hazard he hath run, and he is filled with anguish; within a while the tempest of conscience is blown over, and he is quiet; then he concludes he is a true penitent, because he hath felt some bitterness in sin: Be not deceived, this is not Repentance. Ahab and Judas had some trouble of mind. It is one thing to ⟨p. 9⟩be a terrified sinner, and another thing to be a repenting sinner. Sense of guilt is enough to breed terror; infusion of grace breeds Repentance. If pain and trouble were sufficient to Repentance, then the damned in Hell should be most penitent, for they are most in anguish. Repentance depends upon a change of heart. There may be terror, yet no change of heart.

1. The first Deceit of Repentance is¹ legal Terrour. A man hath gone on long in sin, at last God arrests him, shews him what desperate hazard he hath run, and he is filled with anguish; within a while the tempest of conscience is blown over, and he is quiet; then he concludes he is a true penitent, because he hath felt some bitterness in sin: Be not deceived, this is not Repentance. Ahab and Iudas had some trouble of mind. It is one thing to ⟨p. 9⟩be a terrified sinner, and another thing to be a repenting sinner. Sense of guilt is enough to breed terrour; infusion of grace breeds Repentance. If pain and trouble were sufficient to Repentance, then the damned in Hell should be most penitent, for they are most in anguish. Repentance depends upon a change of heart. There may be terrour, yet no change of heart.

1. 11. Deceit.