The Doftrime of Repemtance. " 2r of our nature is wholly from- our ſelves; we cannot ſhift it off to Satan : we havea root within that bears gall and wormwood, Dext. 29. 18, Our nature 1s neyow1guro; an abyſſe- and ſeminary of all evil 3 from heiice come thoſe ſcandals that" infelt the . world. 'Tis this pravity ofnature which poiſons our holy things 3 'tis this which wings Gods judgements, and makes'our mercies ſtick in the birth. O confeſs/fin in the fountain! | 6. Sin is to be: confeſſed with all its 6, circumſtances and aggravations : thols _3 ſins doubtleſs are dyed jn grainwhichare | "4 commitred- under the Goſpel horiſon. 3 Confeſs fins againſt knowledge, againſt grace, againſt vows, againſt experiences, againſt- judgements, #jal. 78. 31. The wrath of "God came upon them, and ſlew the atteſt of theme ; for all this they ſinned yet HIE Theſe are killing aggravations which & d6 accent and inhance our fins. | | 7 In confeſſion we mult fo charge ». JF ourſelves as to clear God ; ſhould the | Þ Lord be ſevere in hisprovidences, and £& unſheath his bloody ſword, yet we muſt | acquit him, and acknowledge he hath | | doneusno wrong. Nehemiahn his:con- |! fefling of fin, vindicates Gods righteouF
| neſs.
Sy.
” 33 The DoGrine of Repentance. | neſs, Nehem. 9. 33. Howbeit thou art juſt iz all that is brought upon us, Mauritivs the Emperour, when he ſaw his wife (lain be- fore his eyes by Phoces, cryed out, Righr- teows art thou O Lord in all thy wayes., 9 8. We muſt confeſs our fins with are+ ſolution not toatt them over again.Some
| ||| run from the confeſling of fin, to the {1 committing. fin. Like the Perſeans, who e one day in the year wherein they 'uſe to kill Serpents, and after that'day
* Briſoni= ſuffer them to ſwarm again*, So man
J #s$., | ſeem to kall their fins 10 their confelii- | |
ons; and afterwards let them grow as faſt k.. as Ever, Ija. I. 16. Ceaſe to do evil, *Tis b- vain to confeſs, we have done thoſe things which we ought not to have done, and can- tinue.Rill.in doing ſo. Phareoh confel- ſed he had ſinned, Exed. 9.27. But when the thunder ceaſed, he fell to his {in again, werſ. 33. He ſinned yet more, and hardned his heart. . Origen calls confeſſion, the wo- ant of the ſoul; whereby the conſcience 3s eaſed of that burden did lye uponit : Now when we have yomited up fin by confeſſion, we muit not' return to this | ryomit, What King will pardon that man, 2 .cc -who- after he - bath confelled his trea- ; ne _ ſen, pradtiſcth: new treaſon? Thayys 7.6
: & 1 Fu
2 DS 0-4... aq. 30
i
Ws.
The Dottrine of Repentance. 33 fee how confeflion''tmaſt” be: qualifietl. 4 i: Iyconfeſſion a necetiary Pads 1 in Uſe 1. Re« 22 Repentance? then-hereis a Bull of Jndit- * —_—_ ment againſt four-ſorts ofperſons::: -:;
-- 2.7 It : Feproves thoſe that/hide their 2 Branch, + fins: as Rachel hid her Fathers Imagerme- der ber; Gen. 31. 34. Manyihad:'rither kwvetheir fins covered, than cared: [Fhey do:with thetr:fins; as with their: pathures, draw-a-curtain overthem 5oras:fomedo With their Baſtards, ſmother them Bur
though men will have no I. |
| fr God hath aweyeito ſee, heapiil; un- {>0:r? «
+ & fmaſk their treaſon'®,) Fſal. 502411 will * NY
; | reprove thee, and ſet then in ordes before thee. EA ; | Dhoſeiniquities which men hide. in' their «ve z; - | heart; (ſhall be written oneday'on their m2 apoT=
: | forthead- as with-the point of a!Diamond. 7,1, a. a | They who would not confeſs fin'as Da- it. Tens , | vid; tharthey might-be pardoned, ſhall __
d confeſs. fin a5 Achax,. that they: may be
ſtoned,'Tis dangerous to:keep thelJevils counſel;Prov. 28.:n3.- He that covers. his fs
: © ſhall, not proſper. . A 2 4 4 hanand Aran | | 24[t reproves them,who do indeed con- * Branch!
)
?.0 feſs @n, but it 1s-by halves 3. _—__ do not - n, ; confels all; ttiey: confels the . but | (a / mg A | ; notthiepownd-zthey confeſs vaimth
ve © 1 bi baticl5 of ER rioryy: inp not. t. the fas F-
ee |; ; We _ they : |
The Dottrine of Repentance. they are moſt guilty of; as raſh Anger,
_—_
--,7 extortion; uncleapneſs. Like him in '" + Plutarch, who complained his ſtomach was not very good, when his lungs were
' -bad; and his liver-rotten. But it we do
not confefs: all, how do we: think : Gqd
will pardon, all? *Tis true, we cannot
know the cxadt catalogue of.our ſins, but
the ſins: which come-within our, view: and cognirance, and which-our hearts: accuſe
us of; muſt be contelicd as ever we hope
for mercy,.: ph (To | 4
3 Franch. - ; It.reproves them:who doin their conr - feflionsmince and extenuate theis ſing A
gracious ſoul labours:to. make they