Doct. 1, That sill hinders and discoiirarjcs the soid Jrnin prayer ; for the conscience will object, and the soul will upbraid us, telling us we are sin- ners. God, he is holy, and how can we think he will hear us then, where there is no faith ? The soul must needs sink. This estate was David's, Ps. li. 14, 15. Sin and a guilty conscience had almost sealed up his lips ; and thus was the publican, who durst not lift up his eyes to heaven ; and thus will our estate be, especially if we yield to sins against conscience ; like Adam, we shall run from the presence of God to hide ourselves, though our former estate and conversation with God were never so inward and familiar. Therefore let us look to our souls as we desire to appear with comfort before the throne of grace, for consciousness of the remainder of sin hinders boldness in prayer in the best.
Doct. 2. In the second place, the u-aij to get out of niisenj is first to (jet discharged from sin ; for sin is the beginning and cause of all misery. There- fore the sons of Jacob, when they were handled roughly by Joseph, pre- sently the thought of selling Joseph into Egypt came into their minds, as the cause of all their trouble, though the fact was many years before ; and the widow, when her son died, presently called to mind her sin : '0 thou man of God, why comest thou to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son ? ' 1 Kings xvii. 18. If therefore we will remove the miseiy, let us remove sin first. Thus David began with desiring pardon, Ps. cxliii. 2, then prayer for deliverance, for misery follows sin, even as the shadow doth follow the body.
Doct. 3. Thirdly, Wo may obsprvc from the general, that the way to 'purge and take aivoy sin is by confession ; thereby clearing God and laying load on ourselves. The way to cover our sin is to uncover it by confession. The way for God to spare us is, not to spare ourselves. And this God requires, not for himself, as if he were not able to be merciful but by this means, but to the end that ' we may glorify him,' as Joshua said to Achan, ' My son, give glory to God,' Josh. vii. 19. Secondly, God will have it a way to mercy, because he hath so decreed it ; and in the third place, that thereby there viay he ivrought in our souls a greater shame for sin. And this confession must be serious, thorough, humble, with grief, shame, and hatred. Every ' Lord, have mercy,' is not enough, for many deceive them- selves this way, misapplying the promises, that Christ will not ' break the bruised reed,' that he looks at the desire. Alas ! these belong to such as are not lazy, that are plain dealers with themselves, that will not spare themselves ; that by reading, hearing, meditation, conference, and all other duties, will not give over till they have found out the bottom of their ini- quity hidden in their heart. And let only such apply them, and not those to whom they do not belong. Thus much in genei-al. Now, to come to * That is, ' anticipating.' — G.
AN EXPOSITION UPON PSALM CXXX. 169
some particulars ; and first, let us observe out of this interrogation, having the force of a strong affirmation,
Dod. 4. That the best men in the estate of grace are sinners ; some may be siae crimine, but not sine peccato ; for in every man there are two prin- ciples : one of good, another of evil, the old mon and the new. In all there is a ' combat between flesh and spirit.' Christ is not a mediator for such as are already perfect ; for mediation needs not be, where all is friendly. And therefore there must be some enmity that must make God's children stand in need of the perpetual intercession of Christ, who is a high priest for ever. And the servants of God have acknowledged thus much, Ps. cxliii. 1, 'Answer me in thy righteousness,' not mine. I will not have a quarrel with thee ; thou art righteous, I am sinful. I maybe just in mine own eyes, but in thy sight no man shall be justified. We acknowledge thus much in our daily prayers, while we still pray ' Forgive us our trespasses.' Though we profit every day never so much, yet, like leaking ships, we gather that which will drown our souls at length if we repent not ; for as it is Isa. Ixiv. 6, ' Our best performances are as filthy rags.' Isa. vi. 5, ' I am a man of polluted lips.' Dan. ix. 20, ' While I confessed my oiun sins.'' The papists themselves imply so much, for else why teach they the doctrine of doubting ? If we be perfect, it is a siu to doubt of salvation, for thereby we deny God to be just. If they be perfect, what need they force the doc- trine of penance, or of going to saints to be their mediator ? And when they are upon the rack of conscience, the best of them will renounce then their dreams of perfection. From this observation, th-erefore, we learn, that no man can 'perfectly fulfil the laio ; and secondly, that there can he no justification hy luorks. Only, that that must make us just must be perfect. Our best works are imperfect.