or councell the distressed before that he hath discouered his griefe And herein the persons to whome confession is to be made are especially the faithfull Ministers and Pastors who for their callings guifts and experience are of all men most apt and able to direct informe and comfort the troubled conscience And thus Dauid confessed his sinne to Nathan and the people to Samuell as hath bene before touched Secondly wee are to confesse our sinnes to our neighbour whome wee haue wronged or offended by word or deed that wee may giue some satisfaction to him and pacifie his anger and displeasure and so bee reconciled to him In this case CHRIST preferreth reconciliation to sacrifize and would haue vs first be reconciled to our brother and then offer that wee left at 〈◊〉 Altar Reasons further to moue induce and perswade vs in the godly sorrow contrition of our hearts to make confession of al our knowne sins vnto God are specially these First hereby we giue glory vnto God and â—ustifie him in his word and corrections who the more we debase our selues before him in respect of our sinnes the more we glorifie God from whome nothing is hid and the more vile and base that we are in our owne eyes the more pretious and glorious in Gods and when wee thinke and confesse that we are lost in our selues wee are found of him The second reason is because vnlesse wee confesse our sinnes before God wee can finde no ease of them but they will more paine and torment vs. The stomacke that is ouercharged with some vndisgested meates that doth annoy it or with Rheume or Flegme is â—ased by a vomit euen so the soule that is burdened with sinne is eased and relieued by confession and accusation of it selfe Thirdly without confession there is not nor cannot bee any true repentance for it is a part of it yea the gate dore and foundation of it and if the heart bee holy contrite godly sorrowfull it cannot but manifest and discouer it selfe by the confession of the mouth which speaketh out of the aboundance of the heart The last reason is because without confession of all our knowne sinnes vnto GOD there is no remission of sinnes For hee that hideth his sinnes shall neuer prosper and the more wee hide them the sooner and more sodainely will they issue forth to our shame and confusion like as the waters the more they are dam'ed vppe the more violently will they breake forth Dauid before hee confessed his sinnes hee found not pardon And vppon his confession hee was immediately pardoned Seeing that confession of sinne is so necessary that it is not so easie a matter to finde out all our sinnes we must not onely try examine our deedes words and thoughts by the strickt and straight line and rule of Gods lawe which is the discouerer and reuealer of sinne but because our knowledge is vnperfect and wee blinde and partiall in our owne cases we must be content to haue our sinnes ript vp and laid open by publike doctrine and preaching and indure it albeit it neuer so much gall wound and shame vs and also admitte and allow of priuate and brotherly admonition For all these are holy the ordinary meanes ordained and sanctified of God for our humiliation repentance and recouery which whosoeuer neglecteth contemneth or refuseth hee can neuer truly come to the knowledge and conscience of sinne much lesse repent of it and so be saued Secondly wee must not onely confesse those our sinnes vnto God that are more enormous and haynous these that are many times odious before men but also our secret and particular corruptions faultes blottes weakenesses infirmities yea and also sinnes of omission and neglect especially of prayer praise thankesgiuing vnto God And we must haue a true touch and godly sorrow for them for the least sinne in it owne nature beeing committed against the good and infinite maiestie of God and his vndefiled law deserueth death Thus Dauid desireth pardon of the sinnes of his youth yea of his vnknowne sins Thus Iob offered burnt offerings for his children euery day fearing least his sonnes had sinned and had blasphemed God in their hearts Thus Paule was afflicted and troubled in him-selfe for his originall sinne crying out and saying O miserable man that I am who shall deliuer me from this body of death Dauid hauing onely vpon extraordinary aduantage and occasion cutte of the lappe of Sauls garment was troubled in his heart He also confesseth his blindness ignorance in Gods matters The Church of God in Isaias his time doth acknowledge that whereas they erred from Gods waies that their hearts were hardened from his feare it came for their vnthankefullnes that God in iustice was the author of it Lastly when they omit good duties to God or men or faile in the manner and measure of them they make confession of it we haue failed we haue rebelled c. And in another place all this plague is come vpon vs as it is written in the law of Moses yet made we not our praiers before the Lord our God c. And of this we must haue a care to repent because by leauing our duty vnaccomplished wee oftner offend then by sinnes committed and if GOD should require it at our handes the smallest sinne of omission it is enough to condemne vs. And therefore Dauid saith if thou O Lord straitly markest iniquitie who shall stand And againe cursed is euery man that continueth not in all things which are written in the booke of the law to doe them And here is a notable touchstone whereby the children of God are discerned and distinguished from all reprobates whatsoeuer The reprobates and that but now and then are touched with and make confession of some great and notorious sinne as wee haue examples in Pâ—arao in Caine in Iudas But for their smaller sinnes particular infirmities and sinnes of omission they haue no touch sense and feeling at all Contrariwise the elect and regenerate of God doe euen grone and sigh vnder the burden of these lesser sinnes they make confession of them and desire to be eased and lightned of them for they know that hereby they offend GOD which they would in no wise doe and therefore Paul saith the gooâ— thing which I woulâ— I doe not but the euill thing which I would not doe that doe I so that here hee is grieued for his particular sinnes both of commission and omission or leauing of good vnperfourmed And thus much of confession and the vses thereof THE THIRD SECTION But mine heart waketh HAuing spoken of the Churches flumber and securitie wherein her infirmitie and weakenesse appeared it followeth that now I propound and apply the Antidote or remedy contained in these words But mine heart waketh The heart here which is naturally
warrant of Gods word the examples and practise of all his Saintes and worthies and so singuler and pretious promises laid before our eyes much more carefully and conscionably put it in execution Otherwise vndoubtedly our riches our gold our siluer our landes liuings possessions reuenues will bee but matter and fewell of our iust greater condemnation at the last day And thus much of prosperitie and the vses of it The second cause or occasion of the Churches slumber and security is worldly thoughts cares and desires and this hath some affinitie with the former and many times doth follow it The effects hereof are as diuers so dangerous as manifold so most miserable They distract the minde and like wilde horses draw it and driue it this way and that way and therefore are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is distracting cares They choake the word of God and make it vnprofitable For a man that is full of worldly cares and thoughts hath his wittes a wooll-gathering as the common prouerb is when hee should attend to better matters his mind is on his halfe-penny and all his zeale is for Diana the great Goddesse of the Ephesians when it serueth for the maintaining of his trade and not vppon GODS worde which is the food of the soule that indureth to eternall life When hee is gone from hearing the word hee either forgets all or at least neglecteth all and practiseth nothing for it is impossible for a man to gather grapes of thornes or figges of thistles or to expect any good from such Secondly worldly sorrow that is for losse of commodities and goodes or for sense and ferae of euill breedeth death that is causeth desperation by consequence death It is the Heathens sinne to be distrustfully carefull and to say what shal we eate or what shall we drinke or where-with shaâ—l no be cloathed But wee must committe our waies to GOD cast all our care vppon him who careth and prouideth for vs and bee content with our estate for GOD hath made a promise that hee will neuer faile nor forsake vs. Will the LORD feed the Rauens that cry vnto him and will hee not feed his children will he nourish the wicked his enemies and will hee not much more feed his friendes and beeloued shall hee so gloriously cloth the Lillies of the field and will hee not much more apparrell those that serue him and depend vppon him continually Lastly they that desire to bee rich saith Saint Pâ—ule fall into many temptations and snares and fall into marynoisome and foolish lusts which drowne men in perdition and destruction And in the end of the next verse hee addeth they erre from the faith and peirce themselues thorough with many sorrowes Now the Apostles meaning in this place is not that riches are properly the cause of the euills here mentioned but onelie the inordinate appetite and desire of man The temptations into which hereby priuate men fall into are many strayning and stretching their consciences as some doe their broad cloathes and carsies but especially in the ministers of whome the Apostle speciallie speaketh they are so blinded many times with couetousnesse that they refuse to doe and defend nothing bee it neuer so absurd so soone as the hope of money and profit hath bleered and blinded their eies And as touching faith they that are ouer troubled with worldlie cares soone fall and reuolt from it as wee haue Demas for an example Lastly they are sundry times horribly tormented in conscience as it befalleth vnto desperate men To these sorrowes may be added suites in law losses hostilities dangerous bargaines and the like But some men will perphaps obiect and say I haue a great family and many children to sustaine and the world is hard and I do no man open wronge therefor it is lawfull for me thus to carke and care to toile and moile or els I know not how to liue but I must be enforced to borrowe begge or steale First albeit it be lawful and necessary for a man carefully to keepe the goods which hee hath gotten and to imploy them to necessary profitable vses albeit the thoughts and hand of the diligent bring aboundance and pouerty commeth vpon the idle person as one that trauelleth by the way necessitie like an armed man and he that doth not prouide for his owne and namely for them of his houshould denieth the faith and is worse then an Infidel albeit euery man must follow his calling yet notwithstanding thought-taking distrustfull care and toiling and moyling continually with labour and griefe is not hereby warranted but rather reprooued and in many other places of scripture totally condemned For first no man can hereby adde one cubite to his stature much lesse to his life Secondly men hereby shew themselues more like Paynims and Gentiles who onely seeke after these earthly things then like Christians who waiting for the glorious resurrection of the bodie and eternall life should not take such carking care for this mortall and miserable life Thirdly worldly cares and the sincere seruing of God are so opposite and contrarie that a man cannot intend both togither he cannot serue GOD and mammon and therefore so much as a man addeth to his thoughtfull care so much he detractâ—th from his hope coÌ„fidence in God Fourthly we are seruants in our heauenly Fathers house therefore he will kindly and louingly prouide that which shal be good for vs. And as for borrowing so it be within our ability and with a minde and conscience to repay it is vpon iust occasion lawful And as for begging if wee serue God we shall neuer begge or if it sometimes should so fall out through inoâ—itable losses through the disorder of common-wealthes yet we shall neuer be for saken of God Lastly they that trust in God and carefully and thirstily walke in their calling shal be so far from stealeing that they shall either bee more enabled to giue then to receâ—ue or at least beeing contented with that they haue and making the Lord their portion they shal be farre from any such vnlawfull practise Let vs therefore beware that wee do not with the Gentiles or with those that want faith in Gods prouidence with so egar appetites and thoughtfull cares seeke after these outward and earthly things as though they were the chiefe good but before all things and with all study and endeuour seeke after heauenly and spiritual things as the most principal blessings and the true riches of man then as for al other things God wil cast theÌ„ vpon vs as an aduantage or ouerplus we not careing or looking for theÌ„ Secondly let vs not headily and ouer hastily vex and torment our selues with the expectation and thinking vpon things to come like vnto those that vainely imagine and dreame of diuers afterclaps calamities and crosses to ensue For present distresses
sway domineere and raigne in the bodie or soule Now that is a raigning sinne that is committed with a full and resolued consent of will and wherein a man continueth without griefe for it without feare of God or his iudgement without resistance against it and without amendment of life It is when men make a trade and occupation of sinne and like Ahab sell themselues to commit sinne and it is like to a wilde horseman and vnruly Rider that spurreth his horse so egarly vntell they both be ouerthrowne and bee as he said caried man and horse and all to the diuell Euery sinne of this kinde is a deadly wound to the soule an earnest penny to sathan yea and his foode and diet an vnresistable and violent tempest to the conscience a strange God an Idoll and a certaine herbinger and forerunner of eternall distruction and it is in euery man by nature vntill hee bee renued and regenerate From this and the like sinnes the regenerate are freede not by nature but grace not by their owne desertes but by Gods meere mercie and goodnesse and it is apeculier prerogatiue of a sanctified and iustified man to haue no sinne raigning and tirannizing in him The Godly haue the seede of the spirit remayning in them and therefore they can commit no such sinne They keepe themselues as instruments of grace that the wicked one toucheth him not viz to commit any raigning sinne Sinne shall not no nor can haue dominion ouer them for they are not vnder the law but vnder grace Against these there is no law to condemne them for in them the spirit alwaies fighteth against the flesh and they haue crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof and therefore albeit they sinne of ignorance and infirmitie onely yea sometimes of presumption yet they shall neuer bee condemned for them for it is not they that do it but that dwelleth in them and they are not slaues and seruants vnto sin as the wicked are who liâ—e and die in them but seruants of obedience vnto righteousnesse whom the Sonne hath made free Let herevnto be added that the regenerate with Dauid pray vnto God that he would keepe them from presumptuous sins that they raigne not ouer them and they desire the Lord to direct their footesteps by his word that so no iniquity haue dominion ouer them and this their praier beeing framed according to Gods will and onelie for spirituall and necessary graces God alwaies heareth Vse 1. Seeing that raigning sinnes are so dangerous and pestilent yea and as contrary to true regeneration as fire to water darkenesse to light and death to life wee must beware of it and giue no consent and allowance vnto it least sinne like the seruants and messenger of â—enadab King of Syria take diligent heede if they can catch any thing of vs and so worke vpon vs to our perpetuall ruine as they did vpon Ahab Therefore it is wisdome and good for vs not to presume to come to neere the bankes of sinne least wee sinke and bee drowned if wee would not haue the fire of sinne to consume vs Wee must take heede of and labour betimes to quench the very sparkes of it wee must dash our sinnes like the Babilonish young children against the stones kill the young Lions and wee must make a conscience euen of small and lesser sinnes if wee would bee free from greate and raigning sinnes These many times are more dangerous then greater and more grosse sinnes for great and grosse sinnes men will often leaue for feare of discredit shame and penaltie but smaller sinnes are not acknowledged and are counted no sinnes and so at length preuaile and get head that they that make no conscience of them wil be drawne in time to commit more horrible sinnes euen as hee that maketh no conscience of filching and purloyning may easily vpon occasion and entisement bee drawne to robbe by the high way-side and to offer violence to innocent men Let vs therfore giue no assent to sin least assent bring delight delight custome custome necessity necessity senslesnes senslesnes death damnation Shall we so carefully shun decline al things yâ— bring hurt sicknes infection danger to the body and shall not wee much more heedfully beware and take heede of the tyranny and dominion of sinne that in time bringeth both body and soule to eternall destruction Lastly let vs betimes procure the Amulete or preseruatiue of grace to keepe the poyson of it farre from the heart our hold or castle or to speake more plainly let vs hide and lay vp Gods word in our heart that we sinne not against God It serueth also to condemne and reprooue those that because they are in their owne opinion onely righteous and in the conceit and estimation of men whom they may easily by their sophistry and hypocriticall holinesse deceiue but not so inwardly of conscience before God thinke themselues free though they with the Scribes and Pharasies be fast bound with the chaine of some peculiar and beloued sinne If they with Iudas preach do miracles haue an office and dissemble their impieties albeit couetousnesse raigne in their heart all is well with them they thinke it sufficient with Herod to heare Iohn Baptist for a time gladly yea to reuerence him and to reforme many smaller sinnes and yet few goe so farre albeit they liue with him and remaine in perpetuall adultery or the like sinnes they content themselues to delight in Iohâ— his doctrine and Ministery for a time but they soone fall away from it and him And lastly they thinke themselues happy and perfect men if with the Scribes and Pharasies they pray they fast they doe almes they pay their tithes they weare long robes and enlarge the fringes of their garments for vanitie vaine glory yea and merits sake and yet inwardly they be hypocrites rotten bones and full of extortion crueltie persecution couetousnesse excesse deceit and errour But of these we may say iustly as Christ did of his time except your righteousnesse exceâ—d the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharasies yee shall not enter into the kingdome of heauen and as Christ said another time O Serpents O geneâ—ation of vipers how should yee escape the damnation of hell Wherefore let vs labour rather to be inwardly holy then outwardly and to approone our waies and consciences to God rather then to men and by no one sinne to suffer sathaâ— to haue enterance and accesse vnto our hearts for if hee once get hold and possession and specially re-entry after hee hath beene by grace and the knowledge of the Lord Iesus repelled hee will either very hardly or els neuer bee remooued but taketh seauen other spirits worse then himselfe and they enter in and dwell there and the end of that man is worse then the beginâ—ing And thus much of raigning sinne with the vses thereof THe