(5.) Fiftlily, The true penitent does not only distinctly and particu- larly confess his sins, but he does verij highly aggravate his sins, by confessing not only the kinds and acts, so far as he knmvs and renieTn- bers them, but the circumstaMces of them also, Pa. xxxii. 5, Lev. xvi. 21. There are sometimes some circumstances that may somewhat lessen a peaitent man's sins. Now these he readily and easily passes over. But thea there are other circumstances which do exceedingly heighten and aggravate his sins, and that makes them more heinous and dangerous ; and these he carefully and faithfully acknowledges. The penitential confessions recorded in the Old and New Testament are full of exagger- ating expressions, as is evident in these instances : Ezra at once height- ens and aggravates their sins by this circumstance, that they had been committed against manifold experiments^ that they had had both of the severity and also the mercy of the Lord, Ezra ix. ; and so does Nebemiah also, Neh. ix. The like instance you have in Daniel, chap. ix. 5, 6, * We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts, and from thy judgments ; neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name, to our kings, our princes, and our father.s, and to all the people of the land.' In these words you have seven circumstances that Daniel useth in confessing of his and the people's sins, and all to heighten and to aggravate them. First, ' We have S'inned ;' secondly, ' We have committed inAquity ;' thirdly, ' We have done wickedly ; fourthly, 'We have rebelled against thee; fifthly, ' We have depaii^ed from thy precepts; sixthly, ' We have not hearkened unto thy sei^ants ; seventhly, 'Nor our pHnces, nor all the people of the land.' These seven aggravations which Daniel reckons up in his confession, are worthy of our most serious consideration. The same spirit you may find working in Peter : Mark xiv. 72, ' When he thought thereon he wept ;' or nearer the original, ' When he cast all these things one upon another, he wept.' Ah wretch ! that ever I was born, that ever 1 should deny the Lord that bought me ; that ever I should deny him who hath not only externally, but also internally, called me ; that ever I should deny him that made me an apostle, that fed me at his table, that beautified me with his grace, and that in the mount shewed me some glimpses of his glory ; that ever 1 should deny him who has brought me out of a state of death and wrath, into a state of life and love ; that ever I should deny him that has been the best, the wisest, the holiest, the tenderest, the faithfullest, and the noblest master that ever man served. Ah wretch that I am ! he forewarned me of this sin beforehand, that I might be not only cautioned but armed against it, and yet I denied him. I promised him beforehand, that I would never deny him, that I would never forsake him, that I would never turn my back upon him, and yet like a base coward, I have denied the Captain of my salvation ; yea, this very night, and no longer ago, did I say again and again, that I would not deny him, and 3^et now, even now, I have most shamefully denied him ; yea, I told him, that though all others should deny him, yet would not I deny Inm, and yet
* ' Experiences.' — G.
408 A CABINET OF JEWELS. [ChAP. III.
in all the world there is not such another to be found, that has so sadly, so desperately denied him, as I have denied him, and that before a silly maid ; nay, more beast that I am ! to my denying of him, I have added a most incredible lie, saying, I know not the man, when there was not a man in all the world that I was so well acquainted with as I was with Christ, feeding constantly at his table, and drinking constantly of his cup, and living constantly upon his purse, and waiting constantly upon his person, and being a constant eye-witness of all the famous miracles that were wrought by him ;^ nay, yet more monster that I am, I did not only lie, but I also bound that lie with a hideous oath ; I did not only say that I knew not the man, but I also swore that I knew not the man ; nay, yet more than all this, I did not only basely deny him, I did not only tell an incredible lie against my own light and conscience, I did not only bind a fearful lie with a hideous oath, but I also fell a-cursing and damning of myself : — for so much the Greek word «"«- 6i [Laril^iiv imports ; — I wished that the curse, the wrath, or vengeance of God might fall upon me if I knew the man, I wished myself separated from the presence and glory-of God if I knew the man ; and woe and alas to me ! all this I did when my Lord and Master was near me, yea, when he was upon his trial ; yea, and yet more, when all the world had forsaken him ; yea, and yet more, when I had the greatest and loudest call that ever I had to have stood by him, and to have given my testimony for him. And thus Peter, casting up all these circum- stances and aggi-avations together, and meditating seriously on them, 'he went out and wept bitterly.' Another famous instance of this you have in Paul, Acts xxvi. 10, 11. In these two verses the apostle lays down no less than eight aggravations of his sins, and all to greaten and heighten them, that his soul might be the more ashamed and humbled in him, &c.
First, That they were not the worst, but the best of men, via., saints ; that they were not sinners but saints ; that they were not drunkards, swearers, adulterers, murderers, oppressors. Sabbath-breakers, but saints; saints by calling, saints by their high and holy calling, saints by profes- sion, samts by a gospel-conversation. * The saints have 1 cast into prison.'
Secondly, To ca.st a man into prison for theft, for murder, for perjury, is no iniquity. Ay, but says he, many have I cast into prison for 'pro- fessing the name of Jesus of Nazareth' Oh ! it is dreadful to persecute men merely for professing of Christ ! and yet this I did. Though their profession and practice went together ; though they lived as they pro- fessed ; though I had nothing against them, but in the matters of their God, yet upon that very single account I did persecute them.
Thirdly, If it had been been but one, or two, or three, or five, or ten saints that I had persecuted, the matter had not been much. Oh ! but they were a great number ; ' many of the saints did I cast into prison.' I have been a cruel ravening wolf, that have sucked the blood, not of a few, but of many of the precious lambs of Christ ; I have neither spared nor pitied any sex, but have broken into every house, haling and dragging both men and women to prison. Acts viii. 3, ' As for Saul,
' There was scarco any Jew whicli knew not Christ by Bight, he being very famous for the many miracles tliat wore wrouglit by him.
Chap. Ill] a cabinet of jewels. 409