poenitentia
medicinam_: sin made the breach, repentance must help it; howsoever thine
offence came, by error, sloth, obstinacy, ignorance, _exitur per
poenitentiam_, this is the sole means to be relieved. [6772]Hence comes our
hope of safety, by this alone sinners are saved, God is provoked to mercy.
"This unlooseth all that is bound, enlighteneth darkness, mends that is
broken, puts life to that which was desperately dying:" makes no respect of
offences, or of persons. [6773]"This doth not repel a fornicator, reject a
drunkard, resist a proud fellow, turn away an idolater, but entertains all,
communicates itself to all." Who persecuted the church more than Paul,
offended more than Peter? and yet by repentance (saith Curysologus) they
got both _Magisterium et ministerium sanctitatis_, the Magistery of
holiness. The prodigal son went far, but by repentance he came home at
last. [6774]"This alone will turn a wolf into a sheep, make a publican a
preacher, turn a thorn into an olive, make a debauched fellow religious," a
blasphemer sing halleluja, make Alexander the coppersmith truly devout,
make a devil a saint. [6775]"And him that polluted his mouth with
calumnies, lying, swearing, and filthy tunes and tones, to purge his throat
with divine Psalms." Repentance will effect prodigious cures, make a
stupend metamorphosis. "A hawk came into the ark, and went out again a
hawk; a lion came in, went out a lion; a bear, a bear; a wolf, a wolf; but
if a hawk came into this sacred temple of repentance, he will go forth a
dove" (saith [6776]Chrysostom), "a wolf go out a sheep, a lion a lamb.
[6777]This gives sight to the blind, legs to the lame, cures all diseases,
confers grace, expels vice, inserts virtue, comforts and fortifies the
soul." Shall I say, let thy sin be what it will, do but repent, it is
sufficient. [6778]_Quem poenitet peccasse pene est innocens._ 'Tis true
indeed and all-sufficient this, they do confess, if they could repent; but
they are obdurate, they have cauterised consciences, they are in a
reprobate sense, they cannot think a good thought, they cannot hope for
grace, pray, believe, repent, or be sorry for their sins, they find no
grief for sin in themselves, but rather a delight, no groaning of spirit,
but are carried headlong to their own destruction, "heaping wrath to
themselves against the day of wrath," Rom. ii. 5. 'Tis a grievous case this
I do yield, and yet not to be despaired; God of his bounty and merc