(3.) There is a defect in the very confession, which seems to be all in all in our humiliations. We have other notions of words and things in dealing with God and dealing with men. Certainly confession is much ; it hath promises annexed, 1 John i. 9. But what is confession ? Suppose an injury done to a man by his equal or inferior. Let us instance in the latter , some wrong done to you by your tenant or servant ; you have a mind to pardon, but he must acknowledge it. If he confess the injury only in general or ambiguous terms, if it be cursory, and without any sense and sorrow for it, or if he did excuse
328 A FAST SERMON.
or extenuate his fault, or upon the next occasion offered to do the like wrong again, would it not rather provoke than pacify you ? Thus we put a real and deep signification upon confession in our own matters, hut take it in the slightest and emptiest meaning, in things relating to God. Our confessions to him are either general, ignorant, senseless, or without any particular view or lively feeling of the horror of the sins we confess. And so many confess they are sinners, but do not at all confess their sins, their own real actual guiltiness, that which indeed they have committed, or are inclined to do, 1 Kings viii. 38. When it comes to particulars, there is a multitude of extenuations and pretences to hide and cover it ; there is not such a confession of the heinousness of our sins as may abase and humble the soul in God's presence, as may induce the hatred of sin, or put an engage- ment upon the heart to renounce it.
(4.) There is not that earnest desire to forsake sin. We are told, Prov. xxviii. 13, it is the mortifying confession which is acceptable to God ; such a confession of sin as may put us upon requests to God, not only that sin may be pardoned, but also that sin may be subdued. To confess sin as loathsome, and act it over again with fresh delight and vigour, is to mock God ; though they bewail it, and never cease the more from sinning, it is but an hypocritical pang. To-day they confess it, and to-morrow they act it again with as much delight as before ; so all their humiliation is but a false appearance, or a shadow of repentance. JStill here is no returning to God.
A PREPARATIVE SERMON FOR RECEIYIXG THE SACRAJIEXT.
Fw a multitude of the people, even many of Eplirahn and Manasseh, Issachar and Zehuhin, had not cleansed themselves, yet dkl they eat the passover otherwise than it icas ivritten. But Hezehiah prayed for them, saying, The good Lord pardon every one that prepareth his heart to seek God, the Lord. God of his fathers, tJiough he he not cleansed according to the purif cation of the sanc- tuary. And the Lord hearkened to Llezekiah, and healed the people. — 2 Cheon. xxx. 18-20.
The analogy between the sacraments of the Old and Xew Testament is so common a theme, and so generally known, that I need not spend time to show you how near of kin, and what a great deal of affinity tliere is between circumcision and baptism, the two initial sacraments, and the passover and the Lord's supper, tlie other two ordinances that serve for our growth and strengthening when we are once admitted So that you see my choice Ls suitable to the occasion. This text though it speaketh of the celebration of the passover, yet will well enough befit the solemnity of the Lord's supper ; and therefore I shall handle them at present. The occasion of the words is thiis : Hezekiah, that good prince, is no sooner stepped into the royal seat of Judah, but he thinketh of reforming religion, and the abuses that throughout his father's time had crept into Gods worship. And indeed the best way to settle a kingdom is to settle the religion of it, to begin reigning with reforming. Therefore it is said in 2 Chrou. xxix. 3, that in the first year of his reign, the first month, he opened the door of the house of the Lord. ' He opened,' for his father Ahaz had shut it; and polluted it, chap, xxviii. 25. And indeed his reformation went on in a true step and pace, for it began first with the temple and ministry. The com- monalty were likely to follow of their own accord when the doors of the house of the Lord were set open, and the Levites sanctified. It is but christian prudence to cleanse the spring if we would have the stream clear ; to look to God's house, and those that should dispense his word and ordinances, if we would have the people brought in a way of con- formity to him. Well, he meeteth with a rotten clergy, especially the first sort ; the priests they proved tough burs and knotty pieces, they
330 A PIIEPARATIVE SERMON FOR
do not come kindly off in the working, they would not easily be planed by the civil magistrate. The Levites and subordinate ministers were more ready, and pliable, and forward to advance the work, as you may see, 2 Chron. xxix. 34. I remember, when it was debated in the Coun- cil of Constance, as I take it, whence the refoi-mation of the church should begin, answer was made, A minoritis — from the minor ites, from the lower clergy. Imo vero a majoritis, saith the emperor — from the majorites, the chief, from the greatest of them, those that chal- lenge a superiority over their brethren. And indeed it is but fit it should begin there, if that of Luther be true, Religio nunquam peri- clitatur nisi inter reverendissimos, that religion and reformation suffereth most of all from the right reverend, and is never at a stay but when it cometh to them. It is said here the Levites were more up- right in heart to sanctify themselves than the priests. But this is by the by.