enough to confess over all our Confessions and to humble our selves for all our Humiliations CHAP. XIV The Third Vse of Exhortation Three Motives taken out of the Text 1. If we confess God will forgive us our sins 2. He will also cleanse us from all our unrighteousness What is meant by Cleansing This Benefit nothing inferior to the former 3. God's Faithfulness and Justice do stand engag'd to make good the promised Blessings to us God condescends to confirm his Promises because there are two things which make us prone to distrust especially his Pardoning Mercy 1. Our own contrary Nature and Practise 2. The due consideration of our heinous Sins and high Provocations Vse 3 A Third Vse shall be of Exhortation seriously and earnestly to provoke and press you to the practice and performance of this necessary Duty As there are in points of Faith fundamental Doctrines so there are in points of Practice fundamental Duties and among them none more necessary to Salvation than this of true Confession Having already given you Ten Reasons which may well serve as so many Motives I shall now use no other inducements to excite and quicken you to the Duty than those which the Apostle brings here in the Text and methinks those great Benefits and blessed Privileges of Confession may easily and effectually prevail with you to put you upon the practise and exercise of it 1 Mot. First then Let us confess because if we confess God will forgive us our sins God both can and will forgive sincere Self-humbling Penitents God can forgive sins by reason of his Sovereign Authority And his Wisdom hath pitch'd upon the most convenient way of Pardoning Sinners admirably providing therein for the greatest Honour of his Attributes and Laws which otherwise would have been in great danger of being slighted and contemn'd and for his attaining the ends of Government by deterring Men from sin which he this way plainly testifies and demonstrates his extream hatred of and severity against by the most notable Example of his Vindictive Justice and by engaging Men to Holiness and new Obedience for the future God hath an eye and respect to all this in Relaxing the Penal Law and taking off its Obligation upon a valuable Consideration sc the bitter Sufferings and bloody Death of the Holy Jesus his only and dearly beloved Son when at his Fathers Commandment he voluntarily assumed our Guilt and substituted himself a Sacrifice for Sin in our room and stead Now God can as Rector and Governor of the World and the Supream Judge offended most Honourably dispence with the Law which says The Soul that sinneth shall die upon Account of Christ's perfect sufficient Satisfaction and the compleat Compensation and full Amends made by him for the wrong done to God by the sins of Men. Which Dispensation does not in the least invite and encourage Men to continue in Sin but leads them to Repentance Reformation and Amendment of Life to a dying to sin as Christ died for it and to a * 2 Cor. 5.15 living henceforth not unto themselves but unto him which died for us For since God has taken this Course and used this Method Men have reason to conclude which is the excellent arguing of the learned * De Satisfact Christi cap. 5. Grotius That if God would not pardon the sins no not of Penitent Sinners unless Christ did stand in their stead to bear the punishment much less will he suffer contumacious Sinners to go unpunished And further God can forgive sins by reason of his abundant Mercy None may despair and say Their sins are greater than can be forgiven And as God is able so he is willing to forgive If God would not upon any terms have remitted the Eternal Punishment and Death due to Sinners all Religion had been extinguished the Fear and Worship and Service of God had for ever utterly perish'd from off the Earth thro' Mens despair of future Felicity but God is good and gracious propense to Pity Mercy and Clemency and ready to help relieve and make sinful and miserable Man happy Mercy pleaseth him He delighteth in Mercy Mic. 7. 18. If it were not so he would not have sent his Son into the World to make Satisfaction and purchase Remission He would never have made and established a New Covenant a Covenant of Grace never have offered Mercy so freely in the Gospel as he does commanding his Ministers to preach Remission of Sins and proclaim a General Pardon to all that will accept of it upon the necessary reasonable mild and gentle Terms and Conditions of Faith and Repentance and beseeching Sinners to accept of Pardon and be reconciled to himself and recording and transmitting such Illustrious Examples of his marvellous rich pardoning Mercy as we find evidently set forth in the compassionate Father's kind carriage towards his wild loose extravagant Prodigal Son Luk. 15. in the Parable of the two Debtors Mat. 18. and particularly and eminently in St. Paul who for this cause obtained Mercy that in him first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering for a Pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting 1 Tim. 1.16 It is part of God's Name by which he makes himself known the Lord God forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin Ex. 34.7 God is strongly inclined and fully resolv'd to pardon all sorts and kinds of sin which we humbly and heartily confess to him 2 Sam. 12.13 David said unto Nathan I have sinned against the Lord and Nathan from God said unto David the Lord hath also put away thy sin thou shalt not die Nay what saith David himself Psalm 32.5 I said I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord says he and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin I said in my heart I firmly purposed and resolved I said I will confess not I have confessed and thou forgavest No Word of Confession was yet in my Mouth but God's Ear was already in my Heart So * Enar. 2. in Ps 32. St. Austin descants and paraphrases on the Words Note further in David it is only actus inchoatus but it is actus consummatus in God There was no sooner a sincere purpose on David's Part but there was a real effect an actual performance on God's Part David did but say he would confess and God forgave the Iniquity of his Sin And so the Prodigal did but say I will arise and go to my Father and will say unto him Father I have sinned and we find that when he was yet a great way off his Father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him Luke 15.18 19 20. So ready and forward is our heavenly Father to be friends with us and reconciled to us upon our humble Submission and penitent Confession And hence it is that David makes his readiness to confess a ground of his hope in Prayer Psalm 51.1.2 3. Have mercy upon me blot out my
is convinc'd he has wrong'd God and is sorry for the Wrong he has done him and would fain be Friends with him Let 's bring our Selves to the Test here Let us try our Sincerity by this very Mark. We can go in Secret to commit Sin but do we get into Secret to confess it We can be vile and wicked in private but can we be penitent in private too Do we know what belongs to secret Confession I 'm afraid the most of us are practically ignorant of this Duty But if we can enter into our Closet and when we have shut the Door be free with our Father in Secret This is likely to be an Argument and Testimony of our Sincerity So much for your Direction concerning the Place where you should confess CHAP. XVII Further Directions respecting and ordering our Carriage and Behaviour after the Duty 1. Hast thou confess'd Then bless God who has enabled thee to confess 2 Hast thou confess'd and so perform'd the Condition Then apply the Promise to thy self and make good Vse of it in time of Temptation 3. Hast thou confess'd Then daily plead the Promise with God and carefully look after the Performance of it 4. Hast thou confess'd and found and felt the Benefit of it Why then give God the Praise that is due to him 5. Hast thou confess'd thy sins Then take great heed of falling into sin after Confession And here 1. Take heed of falling wilfully into any sin after Confession 2. Beware especially that you fall not wilfully into the same particular sins you have confess'd For 1. There is great danger of it Danger 1. To the formal Confessor in four respects 2. Danger too to the Penitent Confessor 1. From Satan 2. The greatest danger from our own Corruption 2. There is great Evil and Folly in it great Guilt and Danger by reason of it For 1. falling into sin after Confession does exceedingly aggravate the sin Sin after Confession a great sin in three respects 2. As this is a great sin so it brings along with it great Punishment both internal and external Punishments 3. Sinning wilfully after Confession will make you Self-condemn'd when God punisheth you 4. 'T will break our present Peace and dash our Hopes of future and further Comfort 5. Thou wilt thus cut out for thy self new Work and make the Severities of a New Repentance necessary 6. Falling into sin after Confession will make us the more unapt and unable to rise again and recover out of it it will strengthen Sin and weaken Grace in us 7. 'T will very much dishearten us when we would beg Pardon of our sin and hugely discourage us when we would renew our Resolution against it 8. 'T will make God loth ever to take your Word again and will render him harder to Pardon you upon a new Confession I Shall in the last place direct you in your Carriage and Behaviour after the Duty And here I shall commend to you these following Directions 1. Hast thou confess'd Then Bless God who has enabled thee to confess who has put it into thy Heart to confess And tho' thou art not yet sensible of the Receipt of Pardon yet look upon it as a Sign and Token that God intends more good to thee in that he has inclined and enabled thee to confess 2. Hast thou confess'd and so perform'd the Condition Then apply the Promise to thy self and make good use of it in time of Temptation 1. Lay hold upon the Promise look upon the Promise as belonging to thee in particular reckon thy self really and truly interested in it and be bold to challenge a part and share in it as well as any one else 2. And further Make good use of it in time of Temptation If thou hast been truly sorrowful for thy sins and hast heartily confess'd them to God why then when Satan vexes and molests thy Conscience by laying the Law to thee it will be profitable and comfortable to oppose Satan to answer him and reply upon him as * Luther loc com de Paver Conse in Tentat p. 130 131 3. Clas Luther Counsels excellently and to say thus to him True I have done thus and thus but what 's that to thee Satan I a'n't thy Sinner What power then hast thou over me If I have sinn'd I han't sinn'd against thee I han't sinn'd against any Man against any Angel but only against my God have I sinn'd who is Merciful and Long-suffering Here 's enough indeed to answer all the Devils in Hell withal If the Devil object thy unworthiness to thee tell him That God does not Pardon any because they are Worthy or Deserving but because he himself is Faithful and Just If Satan tempt thee to distrust here take the course that †Lâ—â— â—itat p. 131. Luther advises to Say Tho' I am unworthy to receive so great a benefit yet God is not unworthy to be believ'd that he will Pardon sin as he has promised in his Word 3. Hast thou confess'd Then daily plead the Promise with God and carefully look after the Performance of it When Guilt affrights thee and Filth troubles thee then plead God's Promise with him Say with David * Psal 2.3 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity and cleanse me from my sin for I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is ever before me Lord I confess do thou pardon do thou purge me Take away all iniquity Create in me a clean Heart O God Extend thy Grace and Mercy fulfil thy Word and make good thy Promise to me Plead hard the Gospel-Promise and diligently look after the Performance of it * Ps 85.8 Hear what God the Lord will speak for he will speak peace unto his people and to his Saints Say with the Church †Mic. 7.7 I will look unto the Lord I will wait for the God of my salvation my God will hear me Expect from God the making good of his Word Non-expectation argues great Carelesness and Vnbelief 4. Hast thou confess'd and after Confession found and felt that God has forgiven thee thy sins and in some measure cleans'd thee from thy unrighteousness Why then give God the Praise that is due to him break into Thanksgiving with holy David and take up his Doxology Say * Ps 1â—3 1 2 3. Bless the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me bless his holy name Bless the Lord O my Soul and forget not all his benefits who forgiveth all thine iniquities who healeth all thy diseases †Luk. 17.15 12. With the good Leper in the Gospel when thou seest that thou art heal'd turn back and with a loud voice glorifie God and fall down at his feet giving him thanks 5. Hast thou confess'd thy sins Then take great heed of falling into Sin after Confession all is lost without observation of this Direction If thou hast the true Spirit of Confession of Sin it will rest upon thee and abide in thee
shall wonder at the great change and strange alteration that shall be found in me He promises amendment of his life by vertue of his own strength and ability as if his bare purposes were Wit hs or Cords strong enough to bind the Sampsons within him and does not heartily desire Divine Grace to aid and back his Resolutions And hence it is that if God does any thing for such an one he presently forgets himself forgets all his promises which were lately warm upon his Lips his Lusts revive as his bodily strength renews He mends into his old sins again and recovers into his former Follies Too many resolve in their own srength but they have power of themselves to hold their resolution no longer than they are held under some extraordinary Conviction or Punishment and therefore when these cease they return with the Dog to his Vomit and with the Sow that is wash'd to her wallowing in the mire and rush into Sin as boldly as if in Confession they had told God not so much what they had done as what they would do But now the truly Penitent Confessor he 's exceeding distrustful of his own naughty deceitful Heart even in his most solemn Vows and strongest Resolutions and therefore he rather expresses himself in fervent unfeigned Desires and Wishes and Prayers that God would help him to do this and leave that undone than fearlesly and presumptuously concludes and determines that he will or won't do this and that upon over-bold and most proud Confidences in his own strength and Self-sufficiency He uses such kind of Language as this to God Lord thou knowest Lord thou hast given me to know how that I have no power of my self against these my Lusts and Corruptions but I am now through Grace willing to be rid of them O that I might be strengthned and enabled from abâ—ve wholly to conquer and subdue them O that I might have Divine power and assistance granted me whereby I may unweariedly oppâ—sâ— and finally overcome all thine and my Enemies whereby I may be able to resist the Devil and say nay to a Temptation Lord I have no might against this great Company that daily cometh against me I have formerly gone out in my own strength with a Sword and with a Spear and with a Shield Arm'd with my own Carnal Resolutions against these Spiritual Philistines and was worsted and fell by their hands but now I desire to go out in the Name of the Lord of Hosts I know not of my self what to do but my eyes are upon thee help thou Lord help enable me by thy Grace faithfully to keep my Covenants to perform my Vows to be as good as my Promises to be true to my Resolutions The Penitent Sinner does not wish and desire that God would do all and leave him nothing at all to do that God would by an Act of Omnipotency presently subdue and immediately mortify his Lusts and Corruptions without giving him the trouble of a Conflict or putting him to the labour and pains of Practical Mortification or injoyning him the difficult use of a constant course of necessary Means but he so begs the Divine Grace and power and strength as that he resolves to act in the strength he shall receive and by the help of God and assistance of his Grace to strive against to resist and deny the most importunate Temptations to struggle with till he master and conquer his most unruly Lusts and rebellious Corruptions and to use all Means appointed by God for his Mortification and Sanctification And thus much for the third Adjunct or Property of true Confession True Confession is made with a full Resolution against our sins which must be taken with this Caution and Limitation That the Sinner resolve to do nothing in his own strength but all in the strength and by the Grace of God CHAP. IX The fourth and last Property of true Confession It is made with an Desire of and some good Hope in Divine Mercy The necessity of Faith and Hope in a right Confession of Sin upon a double account because that unbelieving despairing Thoughts do 1. greatly dishonour God 2. Extreamly deaden and straiten our own Hearts in Confession A necessary Caution to take one thing with anotheâ— and to be sure to join all these Properties of Confession in PracticalVse together 4. TRue Confession is made with an earnest Desire of and some good Hope in Divine Mercy 1. With an earnest Desire of Mercy A lively sence and feeling of his own present Danger and Misery powerfully excites and stirs up in the Penitent Sinner restless importunate Desires of Mercy He sees his extream great want and need of it and nothing but Mercy will satisfie and content him What would he now give for a Pardon in this case O how highly does he now prize esteem and value the most Soveraign precious Blood of Jesus Christ which was spilt and shed for the Remission of sins How fain would he be made partaker of it He craves Pardon of God and beseeches for Mercy with as strong cries and hearty desires as ever the poor Hunger-biâ—ten Beggar asked for an Alms with as great earnestness and vehemency of spirit as ever the Cast Malefactor begg'd for the Mercy of the Book or the poor Condemn'd Prisoner at the Bar pleaded for his Life before the face of the Judge A formal customary Confession of Sin without this hearty desire of Mercy is as vain and ridiculous a thing as any is in the World O what a gross and monstrous absurdity is it for a Man to go to God and confess his Sin and yet not to look for Pardon not to see any need of forgiveness of those enormities he confesses The truly Repentant Sinner he plainly sees and feels his Sin and Misery he well apprehends and discerns the absolute indispensable necessity of Mercy and always joins most affectionate Deprecation with his unfeigned Confession How very nearly are Confâ—ssion of Sin and seeking after Mercy link'd and coupled together by God himself 2 Chr. 7.14 If my people shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face And 5 Hos 15. I will go says God and return to my place till they acknowledge their offence and seek my face Acknowledging our Offences without seeking God's face and favour will never cause God to return to us what God has thus join'd together the humble Confessor dares not part and put asunder Therefore you frequently find in Scripture the Penitent Sinner at once acknowledging his own faults and imploring Divine Grace and Mercy See this in the poor Publican who standing afar off would not lift up so much as his Eyes unto Heaven but smote upon his Breast saying God be merciful to me a sinner 18 Luk. 13. He acknowledgeth his Sin and with the same breath intreats for Mercy The like we find in the good Thief upon the Cross 23 Luk. 41.42 We says he receive the due reward of our deeds there 's
hiding or concealing any of his Sins This Man resolves to confess all that he may be forgiven all to cover none that none may be uncover'd I have now done with the last Property of Confession True Confession is made with an earnest Desire of and some good Hope in Divine Mercy Yet let me leave what has been spoken with this necessary Caution Let us all be sure to take one thing with another let 's join all these Propeâ—ties of Confession in Practical Use together In Confession of our Sins let 's earnestly desire and as firmly trust in Divine Mercy for the Pardon of them all but let us know that if we would do this warrantaâ—ly and safely we must at the same time confess our faults voluntarily and freely with a perfect Hatred of them an Holy Shame and Sorrow for them and an hearty full Resolution against them otherwise we may encourage our selves if we please with fond Thoughts of an infinite Mercy and call that Faith and Hope if we will which is meerly our wild deluded Fancy but God accounts such ungrounded Confidence nothing but Impudence and Presumption and will deal with us accordingly And thus I have as fully and clearly as I could open'd and discover'd unto you the whole Nature of the Duty of Confession and explain'd at large this full Definition or Description of it viz. Confession of Sin is the Penitent Sinner's voluntary Accusing and Condemning himself to God with Hatred of Shame and Sorrow for and a full Resolution against his Sins together with an earnest Desire of and some good Hope in Divine Mercy CHAP. X. The Grounds and Reasons of Confession Two false Grounds of Cofession rejected We must never confess our sins with any intention to give God Information or to make God Satisfaction by our Confession An Objection answered I Now proceed to give you the Grounds and Reasons of Confession and to shew you how it comes to be our Duty or why it is our Duty And I shall give you the Reasons of Confession 1. Negatively then Positively 1. I shall shew you what we are to account no Reason 2. What we ought to judge a good Ground and sufficient Reason for our Confession 1. Negatively We must never confess our sins to God thereby to give God either Information of or Satisfaction for our sins 1. We must never confess our sins with any intention to give God Information by our Confession as if he were ignorant of them before we told him of them for surely the Lord knows all our sins better than our selves do and needs not our help for the discovery of any He takes strict notice of all our Thoughts Words and Actions Psal 139.1 2 3 4. O Lord says David thou hast searched me and known me thou knowest my down-sitting and my up-rising thou understandest my thoughts afar off thou compassest my path and my lying down and art acquainted with all my ways for their is not a word in my toâ—gue but 〈◊〉 O Lord thou knowest it altogether God is privy to all our secret Contrivances he knows what is done in the Chamber and Closet what we muse and meditate of upon our Beds he knows what is forg'd in the very Heart God has no need to be inform'd of our defaults to be certified by us of our miscarriages he sees the very first motions and inclinations of our Souls he beholds us in the very act of sin and he bears in Mind all our Wickednesses and lacks no body to be his Remembrancer They are indeed too frequently out of our own Memories unless he keep them in or recal them to our Minds of his free Grace and Mercy We must not therefore confess with any intention thereby to let God know and give him to understand what we have done as if otherwise he would be ignorant of every thing or any thing 2. We must never confes our sins with any intention to make God Satisfaction by our Confession The most submissive penitent Confession does not at all satisfy the Justice of God for the wrong we have done him nor merit a Pardon from him no God is infinitely merciful when he pardons sin upon Confession Confession of Sin can't in any measure satisfy for Sin For Confession of Sin becomes it self our necessary Duty presently upon the Commission of Sin but Duty is not satisfactory Again The best Confession of our sins is it self tainted and mingled with sin and needeth another Confession and therefore can deserve nothing at God's hands nor make him any Compensation Further The goodness of Confession if it were perfectly blameless and faultless were yet but a finite Good whereas the Evil of every transgression is an infinite Evil because committed against an Infinite God but a finite Good can't make God recompence and amends for an infinite Evil. Obj. If you ask why Confession of Sin has not as much good in it as the Commission of Sin has evil in it why the one does not as much honour God as the other dishonour him for when it is said Sin has an infinite Evil in it it is meant only Objectively because God against whom it is committed is an infinite God Now if Sin be called infinite because it wrongs and injures an infinite God why should not a Penitent Confession be accounted infinite since it honours and glorisies an infinite God Answ I answer Offences arise according to the Dignity of the Object because the Dignity of the Party offended is there hurt and wronged as an offence against a Nobleman or King is greater than against a private Man but Satisfaction increases according to the worth of the Subject for here the giving of Honor is look'd at which depends on the Dignity of the Person that gives it therefore it suffices to make Sin infinite that God who is the Object of it is infinite But there is not enough to be sound in any Confession to make it of an infinite worth and value because Man who is the Subject of it is but finite and therefore the most exactly and thorowly Penitent Confession because it proceeds from a finite Person is not able to make God â—atisfaction for hence it is that Christ only could effectually satisfie because he only was an infinite Person Thus I have remov'd and rejected the wrong and false Grounds of Confession We must never go about Confession with any purpose thereby to give God Information or make him Satisfaction CHAP. XI Ten positive Grounds and proper Reasons of the Duty of Confession 1. God expresly commands it 2. God is greatly glorified and justified by it 3. 'T is a thing in it self most reasonable and equitable 4. Confession of Sin is absolutely and indispensably necessary to Remission of Sin so as that God can't well pardon us without Confession How it 's unbeseeming the Majesty the Justice the Mercy the Wisdom the Holiness of God for God to pardon and forgive the Sinner before and without the Confession and
Acknowledgment of his sin 5. Confession of Sin is it self a proper act of Mortification 6. Confession testifies unto God and evidences unto our selves the sincerity and unfeignedness of our Repentance and gives us good assurance that we are in a fair way of Recovery 7. Confession eases our troubled Spirits and disburdens our oppressed Consciences 8. It were unreasonable Folly in us to go about to hide any sins from God and the wisest way to conceal them from otheâ—s is to discover them to God 9. It 's no only a foolish but an unsate and hazardous a desperate and dangerous thing for any to attempt to hide and conceal their sins from God 10 And lastly Confession of Sin or Self-accusing and Self-judging it happily prevents or weakens all Satan's Accusations and surely forestalls the just Sentence and Judgment of the great Judge at the last Day I Come now positively to lay down and propound the true and proper Grounds and Reasons of the Duty of Confession 1 Reas And the first Reason shall be taken from God's express Command I will give you but two Scriptures for it 5 Num. 6 7. The Lord spake unto Moses saying Speak unto the children of Israel when a man or woman shall commit any sin that men commit to do a trespass against the Lord and that person be guilty then they shall confess their sin which they have done This was the first thing that was to be done before Restitution or the offering of his Sacrifice he must confess his Sin And Jer. 3.12 13. Go and proclaim these words towards the North and say Return thou backsliding Israel saith the Lord acknowledge thine iniquity that thou hast transgress'd against the Lord thy God That 's the first Reason God plainly commands Confession therefore we must confess * Vid. Tertul de Paenitent cap. 4. God's Soveraign Authority must be regarded and his Precept observed tho' we that did our Duty should never receive any Commodity or Advantage by it 2. Reas We must make Confession of our Sins because hereby God is glorified and justified Joshuah makes this a ground of Confession in his Speech to Achan Josh 7.19 My son says he give I pray thee glory to the Lord God of Israel and make Confession unto him And this reason David gives of his Confession Psal 51.3 4. I acknowledge my transgressions says he that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest and be clear when thou judgest Now true Penitent Confession does very much glorifie and justifie God for it 's our owning of God's Soveraignty and Authority our approving of his holy and just and good Law our acknowledging our own obnoxiousness to Divine Justice for the breach of that Law It is a subscribing to the great Equity of the Divine Commands and to the absolute Righteousness of the Divine Threatnings It is a clearing of the Holiness a vindication of the Justice of God It 's a freeing of God from being the Author of our Sin and a declaring of him to be righteous in being the Author of any punishment of sin It 's our meek and humble lying down at his feet and professing our selves to be wholly at his mercy It 's an act of the greatâ—st stooping yielding submission in the World It 's a Man's becoming mean low vile little nothing in his own Eyes that God may be all in all It 's our shaming and disgracing of our selves that God may be glorified and extolled Our lessening and debasing of our selves that God may be magnified and exalted Free hearty Confession faithfully provides for God's Honour and therefore is a Duty carefully to be perform'd and put in practice by us otherwise we rob God of his Honour and cut him short of his Glory 3 Reas We must confess our sins because Confession is a thing in it self most just and reasonable and equitable The very Law of Nature commands and enjoins real acknowledgment in case of real offence Confession of Sin is in strict Justice due to God who is the wronged and injur'd Party Every sin we commit is an act of the highest Injustice in the World and therefore Confession of Sin must needs be an act of the greatest Justice that possibly can be done by any Man We all of us do God very much wrong by sinning it 's therefore meet and fit for us to do God right by Confessing That 's the third Reason We must confess because Confession is an act of Equity and Justice 4 Reas We must confess because Confession of Sin is absolutely and indispensably necessary to remission of Sin so as that God can't well pardon us without Confessâ—â— Penitent Confession of Sin tho' it do not merit yet it makes fair way for forgiveness of Sin It does in the very nature of it make a Capacity and found a Possibility of Pardon It makes the Sinner vas capax a Vessel capable tho' not worthy of any Grace Whereas the Sinner's obstinate wilful hiding and covering his sins and resolved continuance in them does void and destroy the very case of Mercy Here it is rather worthy of God not to forgive but to punish and destroy Such Persons as won't acknowledge their sins are not within the Limits and Possibilities of Pardoning Grace God won't God can't forgive him that won't confess And therefore we find that when God makes the largest promises of Mercy to guilty Sinners he warily interposes Confession of Sin as a necessary Condition without which his Pardon cannot be afforded See this clearly in that notable place Jer. 3.12 13. Return thou backsliding Israel saith the Lord and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you for I am merciful saith the Lord and I will not keep anger for ever Comfortable and precious Promises indeed But mark but mark the necessary Condition of them in the very next words Only acknowledge thine iniquity that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God Only acknowledge thine iniquity as if he should say It cannot be else otherwise no hope of finding Mercy I cannot by any means pardon you unless you confess It 's unbeseeming and misbecoming the Majesty the Justice the Mercy the Wisdom the Holiness of God for God to pardon and forgive the Sinner before and without the Confession and Acknowledgment of his sin 1. It 's a thing not at at all becoming the Majesty of God God has already yielded as far as he can with safety to his Honor in condescending to such low Terms and fair Proposals as this is of giving our pardon upon our Confession He can't stoop any lower without doing prejudice to himself and being injurious to his own Honor and Greatness God is good but yet so as that he 's great too now his Greatness and Majesty which he is bound to maintain unless he could deny himself I say his Greatness and Majesty requâ—res the sinful Creatures humble submission of himself and acknowledgment of his sin before his Mercy can do him any good or shew
him any favour Does it beseem God to pardon such an one as denies his Soveraign Right Power and Authority over him Why Confession of our Sins to God is but our due acknowledgment of a Superior and what less acknowledgment can we make of God's Title to us and Dominion over us than when we have broken the Laws violated the Commands of this our Lord and King as we hope for Mercy not to justifie our illegal Actions but to confess that we have done what we ought not to have done Less than this pray what is it but a plain disowning of God a refusing to have him to rule and reign over us a renouncing of all homage and subjection due unto him God can't in point of Honor pardon such an obstinate Sinner as won't make the least acknowledgment of his sin In civil affairs among Men he 's never judged fit to be admitted into favor who stands in and will not acknowledge his fault and shall we think that God has not good reason to take as much upon him as his Creature Shall we allow a poor simple creature to stand so much upon 't And would we have the great God put up any thing any how Surely God respects and regards himself more than so It 's a thing unbeseeming the Majesty of God for God to pardon sin without the Sinner's Confession 2. It 's a thing not at all beseeming and befitting the Justice of God for God to pardon Sin without demanding any Confession If God should pardon wilful stubborn impenitent Sinners that won't confess but resolvedly retain and hold fast their sins how could his Justice bear it It 's true Confession does not satisfie God's Justice yet sins unconfess'd can't be pardon'd without Injustice for tho' Confession of Sin does not satisfie yet does it greatly glorifie God's Justice and God will never shew himself Gracious in any such way wherein he shall lose the glory of his Justice no God consults the Honor of every Attribute and won't exercise one Attribute to the damage and detriment of another God's Justice won't suffer him to pardon but upon Confession therefore Confession is necessary 3. It 's unbeseeming the Mercy of God to give a Pardon where there 's no Confession for Mercy will never be taken for Mercy if Sin be not acknowledged to be Sin He that won't confess his sins will never acknowledge his need of Mercy will never magnifie Divine Grace will never desire it or seek after it will never account himself really beholding to God for it When we heartily acknowledge our offences and our sins abound in our sence and feeling then Pardon is most precious Grace is most glorious God's Mercy won't give out a Pardon but upon Confession for certainly God's Mercy would not be enough esteem'd and valued were not our own Sin and Misery first own'd by us and acknowledged 4. Lastly It 's unbeseeming the Wisdom and the Holiness of God for God to pardon Sin without requiring the Sinner's Confession for this would be to give countenance and encouragement to Sin this would be to open a Flood-gate to all Impiety and Profaneness this would be a plain Confirmation of the Sinner in his sin and a ready way and means of making him grow every day worse and worse It would be much like as if a Physician should prescribe a Cordial to one that has a very foul Stomach before he had taken a Vomit which would be so far from restoring and recovering the Patient that it would strengthen and fortify the humor and so increase and heighten and nourish the Disease Confessio Vomitus Confession is ordinarily compared to a Vomit now if God should give in a Pardon which is as a strong Cordial to a Sinner before the filth were fetch'd up and cast out of his Soul by a free and full Confession of his Sins this would but enhearten him to sin more presumptuously and animate him to go on more confidently in his wickedness it would but make him multiply to Sin as God multiplied to Pardon so far would it be from stopping and interrupting the course of his sin and breaking him of from it Now this does not at all consist with God's Wisdom nor with his Holiness to do that which would give the greatest encouragement to sin and be a direct means of making the Sinner to grow worse and worse Thus you see it 's neither agreeing with the Majesty nor with the Justice nor with the Mercy nor with the Wisdom nor with the Sanctity of God to remit and pardon Sin before and without Confession And that is the fourth Reason Confession of Sin is indispensably necessay to remission of Sins so as that God can't well Pardon without it 5 Reas We must confess because Confession of Sin is it self a proper act of * Exomologesis prosternendi humilificandi hominis disâ—iplina est conversationem injuâ—gens miserâ—â—ordiâ—e illecem Tertul. de Paenitent cap. 9. Mortification It 's a voluntary retracting revoking undoing as far as in us lies what formerly we have done and a hopeful prevention of the future commission of our sin As often as we confess we give sin as it were a new blow In every true Confession we renew our sence of the Evil and Danger that is in sin and strengthen our resolution against our sins and fasten an Obligation upon our selves to leave and forsake our sins so that we cannot now sin again so freely and easily as before Confession of our Sins does in the very nature of it solemnly engage us against sin and lay a strong tye upon us to the contrary it 's apt by way of Motive and Argument to hinder and restrain us from sinning after we have confessed it 's a direct means of making sin more uneasie and unpleasant to us for the future and so becomes a fit and proper Instrument of beating us off from our sins and making us wholly to depart from them Thus Confession is an Act of Mortification and therefore there 's good reason we should confess That 's the fifth ground of Confession 6 Reas We must confess because Confession testifies unto God and evidences unto our selves the sincerity and unfeignedness of our Repentance and gives us good assurance that we are in a fair way of Recovery It testifies unto God and evidences to our selves the Sincerity of our Repentance 'T is a plain Token that the Man bears a strong Affection to his sin and it 's sweet and pleasurable to him when he hideth it under his Tongue and spareth it as Zophar speaketh Job 20. 12 13. But it 's a good Sign that a Man is out of love with his sin when he 's ready to discover it and disposed humbly to confess it The Sick Man that will not truly declare to his Physician what the Meat or Drink was that proved prejudicial to his Health and caused his Distemper has no intention to forbear and abstain from it and that 's the very reason
transgressions for I acknowledge my transgressions If the poor Sinner will but go to God in Confession as the Servants of Benhadad went with Ropes about their Necks to Ahab in behalf of their Master with such Words as these Lord thy Servant saith I pray thee let me live then Christ who is King of Kings the Lord of Life and Judge of Life and Death he presently returns the same Answer to the Sinner that Ahab did to Benhadad 1 Kings 20.32 Is he yet alive he is my Brother God the Fatherr says Is he yet alive he is my Son And Jesus Christ our Elder Brother he says Is he yet alive he is my Brother And here 's a sweet and comfortable Entertainment of a poor returning penitent Confessor If we confess God will not only reprieve us but fully pardon us he 'll not only defer Punishment but remit it wholly and quite absolve us If we remember our Sins in the presence of God God will forget them if we set them before our face before his face he 'll cast them behind his back he 'll never look upon them more so as to take Vengeance for them tho' he he cannot but by reason of his Omniscience see and discern them If we with Shame and Sorrow accuse our selves he 'll cancel the Bills of Accusation and throw the Records of Shame and Sorrow from the Court of Heaven He 'll fully dissolve our Obligation to Eternal Punishment and certainly give us a right to Impunity and eternal Life If we take with us Words and turn to the Lord he will take away all Iniquity and receive us graciously Tho' he leave our Sin in our Memory to keep us from relapsing yet he will take it out of our Conscience that our Hearts may not accuse us for it But that we may call our Sins to mind * Quid retribuam Domino quòd râ—â—olit haec memoria mea snims meavoâ— metuiâ— inde August Confes L. 2. c. 7. § 1. without being affrighted at the Consideration of them And is no the pardoning pacifying Grace and Mercy of God Argument enough to us to draw us speedily to confess We are deeply indebted to God We owe him a vast Sum not an hundred Pence but ten thousand Talents Matth. 18.24 And we can never work our selves out of Debt Our Creditor can prove every Particular of the Debt and we are wholly in his Hands and at his Mercy he has us in his Power and can take what Course he will with us Now if he cast us into Prison we shall lie there long enough and never come out again for we are never able to pay and discharge our Debt Augustus the Emperor when a certain Roman's Goods were to be sold after his Death sent to buy the Pillow on which that Person greatly indebted could in his life-time take his rest and sleep 'T is a wonder that we who are clogg'd with so many and great Spiritual Debts can sleep or eat or drink or take any ease or rest content or pleasure in the World till we have used the means to procure a Discharge from them Certainly the longer we lie in our Debts the more they will encrease upon us But how do we deserve to be arrested imprisoned and there to lie and perish to all Eternity if we won't so much as confess our Debts to have them forgiven When as God calls upon us to acknowledge our Sins and is ready to blot out as a thick Cloud our Transgressions and as a Cloud our Sins We are greatly guilty before God and if Guilt lie upon us it will surely sink us as low as Hell We are obnoxious to the Divine Justice and it 's a fearful thing to fall into the Hands of the living God O let us timely confess our Sins that so we may get into God's Favour and be delivered from the Wrath to come and may escape the Damnation of Hell Let 's be like some ingenuous Children and Servants who when they have done a Fault or broken any thing they can't go about their Business quietly till they have first gone and made known their Fault and told it their Father or Master themselves and when once that is past and over then they can follow their Employments chearfully without any fear of Anger or Chiding O go and tell your God the Truth tell your Heavenly Father and Master whatever you have done amiss and he 'll be pacified towards you and then you may walk chearfully and comfortably in your Christian Vocation Let this move you to confess because then God will forgive if you impute Sin to your self God will not impute it to you And this is a happy Priviledge Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven whose sin is covered says the penitent Prophet * Psal 32.1 2 David who had tasted and seen how good the Pardon of Sin is What Solace Comfort and Heart's Ease what a sweet refreshing Repose and Rest Day and Night has he who is upon good grounds perswaded that all his Criminal Debts are freely forgiven him all his sins remitted by God for the sake of his Surety Jesus Christ the Righteous 2 Mot. A Second Motive or Encouragement shall be taken from that other precious Priviledge here in the Text because if we confess our Sins God will not only forgive us our our Sins but will also cleanse us from all unrighteousness which cleansing is another Benefit * Vid. Calvin in loc plainly differing from that of forgiving Kings may pardon guilty Rebels and Traitors but they cannot turn or change their false and disloyal Hearts Judges may save condemn'd Malefactors from Execution but it 's quite beyond their Power to mend or alter their evil Qualities and naughty Disposition But behold the King of Kings doth always both together When ever he reconciles Men's Persons he also reconciles their Natures to himself Whom he frees from Punishment them he ever makes most faithful and obedient Whom he saves from suffering them he also preserves from sinning Whom he justifies them he sanctifies Where he takes off the guilt there he takes out the filth Whom he pardons them he purges Whose trespasses he freely forgives them he effectually cleanses from all unrighteousness Cleansing speaks motion and tendency towards Purity To cleanse us from all unrighteousness is to cleanse us from all impurity Now that is double * See Dr. Hammond's Sermon Of the Nec ssity of the Christiaâ—'s Cleansing p. 121. and his Pract. Cat. p. 95. in 4â— either of filth or of mixture as Water is impure when it is mudded and defiled and as the Wine is impure both before it 's fetcht off from the Lees or Dregs and when it is mingled with Water So the cleansing here it is the purging out of our Carnality and also the freeing of us from Hypocrisie St. John's cleansing here from all unrighteousness it is the same with St.
147 148. 9. It 's a dangerous thing for any to attempt to hide their sins from God p. 149. 10. Confession of Sin or Self-accusing and Self-judging it happily prevents or weakens all Satan's Accusations of us to God p. 152. And to our selves especially upon our Death-Beds p. 154. And surely forestalls the just Sentence and Judgment of the great Judge at the last Day p. 157. CHAP. XII The first Vse of Confutation of the Popish Doctrine of Auricular Confession p. 159 to 164. CHAP. XIII The Second of Excommunication and Reproof together p. 165. CHAP. XIV The Third of Exhortation p. 169. Three Mottves taken out of the Text 1. If we confess God will forgive us our Sins p. 170. 2. He will also cleanse us from all unrighteousness p. 179. What is meant by Cleansing p. 180. This Benefit nothing inferior to the former p. 184. 3. God's Faithfulness and Justice do stand engag'd to make good the promised Blessings to us p. 187. God condescends to confirm bis Promises because there are two things which make us prone to distrust especially his pardoning Mercy 1. Our own contrary Nature and Practise 2. The due Consideration of our heinous Sins and high Provocations p. 188. CHAP. XV. A double Direction by way of Preparation to the Duty of Confession 1. Premeditate as much as you can in order to Confession p. 195. 2. Be sure to look up unto God for Conviction p. 198. CHAP. XVI Directions given concerning some Circumstances of the very Performance of this Duty 1. Concerning the Time and Season of Confession 1. Confess continually 2. Daily The Equity p. 201. and Advantage of so doing p. 203. 3. Whenever you lie under any notable Conviction p. 206. Or 4. any notable Affliction p. 207. 5. Presently upon the Commission of any great Sin p. 210. Or 6. Vpon the Receipt of any great Mercy p. 212. 2. Concerning the Place especially confess in secret 1. Because it 's necessary p. 213. 2. Convenient p. 214. 3. Most likely to be Sincere p. 217. CHAP. XVII Directions respecting our Behaviour after the Duty 1. Hâ—st thou confess'd Then bless God who has enabled thee to confess 2. Apply the Promise to thy self and make good Vse of it in time of Temptation p. 221. 3. Daily plead the Promise with God and carefully look after the Performance of it p. 222 223. 4. Hast thou confess'd and found the Benefit of it give God the Praise that is due to him p. 223. 5. Take great heed of falling into Sin after Confession p. 224. 1. Of falling wilfully into any Sin 2. Into the same particular Sins p. 225. For 1. There is great danger of it Danger 1. To the formal Confessor in four respects p. 226. to 228. 2. Danger to the Penitent Confessor 1. From Satan p. 228. 2. From our own Corruption p. 229. 2. Great Evil and Folly in it great Guilt and Danger by reason of it For 1. Falling into Sin any gross Sin after Confession does exceedingly aggravate the Sin p. 230. in three respects p. 231. 2. â— It brings along with it great Punishment both internal and external Punishments p. 233. 3. 'T will make you Self-condemn'd when God punisheth you p. 234. 4. 'T will break our present Peace and dash our Hopes of future and further Comfort 5. Thou wilt thus cut out for thy self new Work and make the Severities of a New Repentance necessary p. 235. 6. 'T will make us more unapt and unable to rise again and recover out of it 7. 'T will very much dishearten us when we would beg Pardon of our Sin and hugely discourage us when we would renew our Resolution against it p. 236. 8. 'T will make God loth ever to take your Word again p. 237. and will render him harder to Pardon you upon anew Confession p. 238. CHAP. XVIII Some Means or Helps for avoiding of Sins confess'd 1. Let such as have formerly confess'd their Sins without any true Sense of Sin now labour speedily to get a thorow Conviction of the Evil of their Sins p. 242. 2. Let such as have confess'd their Sins with a true Sense of Sin upon their Spirits observe these Rules 1. Labour to preserve in the course of thy Life the same Apprehensions thou hadst of thy Sin in any former serious Confession p. 243. 2 Consider and remember that thou art at present in Dependance upon God for Mercy and art very fair for 't 3. Be always imploring Divine Assistance and improving your own Endeavours against your Sins p. 247. CHAP. XIX A double Caution 1. While we take heed of falling into the same particular Sin we confess'd let us also beware of falling into the contrary p. 250. 2. If through strength of Corruption or violence of Temptation thou shouldst at any time fall into the same Sin again thou must not for all this run into Despair but thou must renew thy Confession as thou renewest thy Transgression This gives no License at all to sin p. 252. 253. CHAP. XX. The sixth Direction Have we confess'd our Sins to God that we might be forgiven them by God Let us then freely forgive those that have trespass'd against us upon their Confession of their faults to us and so forgive them as to testito them our pardoning of them p. 258. ERRATA PAg. 9. l. 22. read their sins p. 13. l. 17. Job 31 p. 19. l. 7. dele in p. 41. last l. dele one r p. 42. l. 26. r. of his p. 48. l. 10. many sins p. 101. l. 5. there p 108. l. 2. of the Contents an earnest p. 157. l. 8. at p. 172. l. 2. for them p. 176. l. 5. dele he p. 185. l. 12. and 13. dele when shall p. 194. l. 11. r. Per p. 196. l. 24. dita p. 209. l. 9. for it p. 211. l. 17. to do A DISCOURSE OF Confession of Sin 1 John 1. ix If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness CHAP. I. The Introduction The Division of the Words The Doctrine laid down and the Method propounded for the handling of it The Nature of Confession open'd or a Description of it given containing the Acts or Parts and the Adjuncts or Properties of Confession THe Apostle having shewn in the Verse foregoing that no Man living is without Sin he presently propounds a general Remedy of this Malady declaring Confession and acknowledgment of Sin to be a means of obtaining Remission of Sin and Sanctification at the hands of God If we confess our sins c. In the Words themselves there 's no Knot to be untied no Difficulty to be resolv'd they are very plain and easie and intelligible enough to any one that will but understand them Take but those Words Faithful and Just in the same sence with reference and relation to the Divine Promise and the whole Verse doth need no more Explication it wants no other Explanation at all Only let me
28. While Fools avoid one Vice they commonly rush into the contrary Vice Let 's therefore take heed that sin don't in again in our very Revenge of those sins which we ha' confess'd Here Satan always seeks his Advantages and often gets them of us and makes too good use of them when he has got them Let 's therefore so be zealous against a sin that formerly we have been guilty of and made confession of as that we don't unwarily run into the contrary Extream If thou hast confess'd thy Covetousness and resolv'd against it in avoiding of that take heed thou dost not turn Prodigal If thou hast confess'd thy Prodigality take heed in shunning of this that you fall not into Covetousness If you made Confession of your Presumption beware now of Vnbelief under the shew and colour of Humility If you confess'd your Vnbelief then now take heed of fearless bold Presumption cloak'd with the specious Name of Affiance and Confidence in God Do'st thou acknowledge thou hast been formerly Profane and Atheistical O then take heed of needless Ceremoniousness and downright Superstition let not that impose upon you under the plausible Notion of exemplary Piety and singular Devotion Do'st thou confess thou hast been too too Ceremonious and plainly Superstitious O now take heed of Atheism and Profaneness of Looseness and Licentiousness let not Looseness creep upon you under the Notion and Title of Christian Liberty It may be you may be very tender of falling into the same sin again because your Conscience may judge a Relapse into that sin to be very dangerous but this fear of falling into the same sin may cause you too much to lean and encline towards the contrary sin This Caution therefore is very necessary After Confession so take heed of falling into the same sin as that you fall not into the clean contrary sin 2 Caution We must indeed take heed of sinning after Confession yet if thro' strength of Corruption or violence of Temptation thou shouldst at any time fall into the same sin again thou must not for all this run (a) In case we do catch a fall and the tempter without lust within do blow and push us down yet we must not make the matter worse by despairing for to despair is a greater fall than the fall it self this were to leap into the fire to save our selves from the flame Capel of Tentat 1 Part p. 123. into Despair but thou must renew thy Confession as thou renewest thy Transgression This gives no License at all to sin but is the best Preservative and Antidote against it †It is a dangerous case for a godly Man to sin the same great sin after Repentance What if it do not put him out of Christ What if it do not hang him yet it burns him in the Hand whips him up and down the Town My meaning is That it doth cast him into a Bed of miserable sorrow â—ut withal we must say that it may possibly be that after true and hearty Repentance for such a fault a Child of God may fall into the same gross sin He may as well fall into the same gross sin as another as great because that another Sin as great is as contrary to the Habit of Grace and Act of Repentance as the same He may chance to fall into the same gross Sin again and again how often I cannot tell but this I can tell that how often soever he sinneth let him repent and return and his Pardon is ready They wrong God in his Mercy and Men in their Comfort who do say the contrary Capel on Tentations p. 127 133 134. You can't from hence encourage your selves to sin for I told you before that the Pardon of sin committed after Confession will be more difficult to be obtain'd God won't presently smile upon you he won't so quickly give you a good word or a good look It will cost you many a Sigh many a Tear many a Prayer before you make your Peace with him He will see you deeply and soundly penitent before he will quite be friends with you But tho' the case be dangerous yet it is not desperate tho' you be further from Pardon than ever upon so doing yet God can pardon you in and through Christ There is not any one word in Scripture that affirms or intimates that Persons relapsing tho' again and again into the same sin can never truly and sincerely repent Nor is there any one word to be found there that denies the benefit of Gospel-pardon to those that humbly confess and unfeignedly repent of such sins as these Yea there are such sweet passages and precious promises contain'd in Scripture as will undoubtedly support and uphold any poor Soul in this state and condition and keep him from utter despairing of Pardon Jer. 3.12 13. Go and proclaim these words toward the north and say Return thou backsliding Israel saith the Lord and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you for I am merciful saith the Lord and I will not keep anger for ever Only acknowledge thine iniquity that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God And v. 22. Return ye backsliding children and I will heal your backslidings This is the gracious Promise and merciful Invitation of God Now do but observe their Answer Behold we come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God The greatness of their Sin does not drive them to Despair but the greatness and graciousness of God's Promise does embolden and encourage them to come to God by Faith and Repentance they presently lay hold of God's Favor and thankfully take the benefit of it And Hos 14.1 2 3 4. O Israel return unto the Lord thy God for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity take with you words and turn to the Lord. And then it follows I will heal their backsliding I will love them freely God in the Gospel has required us to forgive those who repeat their Trespasses against us as often as they renew their Repentance towards us to forgive an offending Brother * Luk. 17.4 seven times in a day Yea to forgive not only till seven times but †Matth. 18.22 until seventy times seven that is four hundred and ninety times which is not a determined number but signifies infinitely and intimates to us that we must Pardon continually Or the meaning may be as * Hieron in Matth. 18.22 St. Jerom expounds it that we should be ready to forgive our Brother oftner in a Day than ever he can stand in need of our Pardon Now can we think that the Father of Mercies will ever prove less merciful to us than he has commanded us to be to others Has not he himself plainly told us that in the case of shewing Mercy †Isai 55.8 9. His thoughts are not our thoughts neither are our ways his ways for as the Heavens are higher than the Earth so are his ways higher than our ways