Ans. Though a child of God, after par- don, may incur God's fatherly displeasure, vet God's judicial wrath is removed ; thouirh God may lay on the rod, yet he hath taken away the curse ; correction may befall the saints, but not destruction, Ps. Ixxxi.v. 33., " My loving kindness will I not utterly take away."
Aj)horism 7. That sin is not forgiven till it be repented of; therefore they are put together, Luke xxiv. 47., " Repentance and remission," Domine, da pcenttenf.iajn, et poslea indulgentiam^ Fulgentius.
Now in repentance there are three main ingredients, and all these must be before forgiveness. 1. Contrition, 2. Confession, 3. Convei'sion. (1.) Contrition, or broken- ness of heart, Ezek. vii. 16., " They shall be like doves of the valleys, all of tliem mourning every one for his iniquity." This contrition or rending of the heart, is ex- pressed sometimes by smiting on the breast, Luke xviii. 13. ; sometimes by plucking off the hair, Ezra. ix. 3.; sometimes by water- ing the couch, Ps. vi. 6. But all luimilia- tion is not contrition ; some have only pre- tended sorrow for sin, and so have missed of forgiveness ; Ahab humbled himself, his garments were rent, not his heart.
Quest. What is that remorse and sorrow which goes hejbre forgiveness of sin ?
Ans. It is an holy sorrow,— it is a griev-
ing for sin, <piatenns sin, as it is sin, and as it is a dishonouring of (Jod, and a defiling' of the soul. Though there were no suffer- ings to follow, yet the true penitent would grieve for sin, Ps. li. 3., " My sin is ever before me." This contriti<»n goes before remission, Jer. xxxi."19, 20., " I repented, I smote upon my thigh ; is Ephraim my dear son ? my bowels are tr<»id)led for him, I will surely have mercy upon hiin." Ephraim was troubled for sinning, and God's bowels were troubled for Ephraim ; the woman in the gospel stood at .Jesus's feet weej)ing, and a pardon followed, Luke vii. 47., Where- fore I say, " her sins which are many, are forgiven her." The seal is set upon the wax when it melts ; God seals his pardon uj)on melting hearts.
(2.) The second ingredient in repentance is confession, Ps. li. 4., " Against thee, thee only have I sinned." This is not auricular confession ; this the papists make a sacra- ment, and affirm, that without confession of all one's sins in the ears of the priest, no man can receive forgiveness of sin ; the scripture is ignorant of it, nor do we read that any general council, till the Laterau council, which was about twelve hundred years after Christ, did ever decree auricular confession.
OiJj. But doth not the scripture soy, James V. 15., " Confess your sins one to another ?"
Ans. This is absurdly broui^ht for auri- cular confession ; for, by this, the priest must as well confess to the people, as the people to the priest. The sense of that place is, in case of public scandals, or pri- vate wrongs,~liere confession is to be made to others ; but chiefly, confession is to be made to (iod, who is the ])arty offended ; "against thee, thee only have 1 sinned." Confession gives vent to sorrow ; confession must be free without compulsion, ingenuous without reserve, cordial without hypocrisy ; the heart must go along with the confession This confession makes way for forgiveness, Ps. xxxii. 5., " I said I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord, and thou for- gavest me." When the publican and thiel on the cross confessed, they had that par- don ; the publican smote uj)on his breast, there was contrition ; and said, " God be merciful to me a sinner," thero was confes-
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sion ; lie wont a'.vay justified, there was tui- givencss ; and the tliief on tiie cross, " We indeed suffer justly," there was confession ; and Clnist absolved him belore he died, Luke -\xiii. 43., " To-day slialt thou be with me in paradise." Which words of Christ might occasion tliat saying of St. Austin, confession shuts the mouth of hell, and opens the gate of paradise.