The Plain Mans Spiritual Plow, Chapter 16
CHAP. XVI. The third part of the Soole is the Culter.
THe third member of this Soole is Confeſsion of the Mouth: 3. Confeſſiō of Mouth.compared to the Vomere, Vomer.or that which we call the Culter. The Culter hath his name of cutting or diuiding: the Vomer is ſo called a Vomendo, that is, of vomiting or caſting foorth any thing from the ſtomacke. This Culter is that which cuts, diuideth & openeth that which the Share pierceth, caſting or ſeparating the ſound earth, ſome on this ſide, ſome on that: as a man may thereby ſee not onelyonly a diuiſion or opening of the parts, but alſo the very bottome or ground of that earth. And thereto that Confeſsion of the Mouth beeing compared, is defined the expreſſe manifeſtation of our ſinnes, eyther publikely or priuately, eyther to God,Confeſſion to God. or to men: that to God, is when our Conſciences touched with the diuine Law, we ſo acknowledge our ſinnes before the Lord, that we confeſſe our ſelues moſt worthy damnation both of body and ſoule, & therein we accuſe not Gods Iudgements, but implore his great mercies, and praiſe his glory which iuſtifieth the ſinner, not of deſert, but of his diuine grace in his Sonne: that to man is, when hauing hurt or offended our brethren,Confeſſion to man. we willingly acknowledge & confeſſe our faultes vntounto them, with an humble and hearty deſire of pardon. And this confeſſion is ſometimes priuate, as when the faultes be priuate: and ſometimes publike, as when the faultes be publike: alwaies accompanied with a promiſe of amendement and ready ſatisfaction, in ſuch meaſure as hability, opportunitie and occaſion can extend & be miniſtred to anſwer the proportion of the iniury or fault. To this aimed Dauid, when hauing ſinned not only againſt the Lord, but againſt man, hee did not alone ſay, that hee would confeſſe his ſinnes vntounto the Lord, but alſo declared the performance of either, openly & before the congregation.Pſal. 51. Such a matter importeth Solomons Preacher, wherein hee confeſſeth (among the vanities of the ſonnes of men) his owne abhominations and errors:Eccl. 1, & 2. Solomons confeſſion. yea as the Hebrewes report, in the bitter ſenſe of his ſinnes, & griefe of conſcience, hee expoſed himſelfe ready to confeſſe his faults throughout the City of Ieruſalem, wherein he raigned king, before the eies of all the inhabitors of the ſame. A rare example of ſuch a perſonage. Thus King Manaſſes being impriſoned in Babylon by the diuine iudgement for his great abhominations, confeſſed openly that his ſins were more then the ſtars of the heauens, and the ſand by the ſea ſhore, in multitude, without number. Daniel alſo in the behalf of the captiue Iewes for their ſins, confeſſeth, Lord, Dan. 9.9.10.vntounto vsus belongeth ſhame and confuſion: for wee hauehave gone away from thee: & many other like examples (beſides teſtimonies) do the holy Scriptures exhibite vntounto vsus of the vſe of this ſpirituall Culter: vntounto the which we may aptly affix that confeſſion of the Ghriſtian Emperour Theodoſius, Theodoſiuswho being reproued by Ambroſe the Biſhop of Millane for ſome heinous fault, and excluded the Church, did not onelyonly humbly acknowledge his offence with teares, but confeſſing the ſame openly, ſaide, that the Church doores, which were ſet wide open to receiue in the poore folke and beggars, were ſhut (& that worthily) againſt him, who was made a Lord ouer his brethren. Whereby as with a Culter or knife, this Emperour (with thoſe other of like eſtate) ripped vp and laide wide open their committed ſinnes. Neyther is this vertue vnaptly compared to that Vomer, The Vomer and vſe thereof.being indeed a ſpirituall vomiting or caſting foorth of that which is noyſome from the ſtomacke. The ſtomacke is mans heart. As the ſtomacke is oppreſſed with repletion: ſo is mans heart annoyed with ſinne. And as the wringing of the ſtomacke prouoketh vomit: ſo the contrition of the heart, and true humiliation of a man, yeeldeth a good Confeſſion. Againe, as the ſtomacke is not eaſed, ere it be diſcharged, no more is the heart vntill wicked imaginations bee caſt out. For it is certaine, that no ſinner hath any eaſe or comfort, before hee finde the gratious coūtenance of God turn towards him: but vntil the ſinner in the ſorrow of his heart cōfeſſeth his ſinne, God ſheweth him no fauourable countenance: and becauſe hee is willing in his louing mercies, to recouer his children, hee neuer leaueth off to ſtrike, beat and chaſtiſe them with afflictions, vntill they acknowledge and confeſſe their ſinnes, & in all humilitie ſeeke vntounto him for merciemercy.Num. 21.7 Le. 16.18.22. This to teach and perſwade vntounto the Iſraelites, hee commanded the High Priest to confeſse openly both his and the peoples ſinnes vponupon the ſcapte goate. And this ſurely as the godly vſed, they euer found the mercy of God ready to pardon and to forgiue them, according to that ſaying of Solomon, the which he had before ſeene in his Father Dauid, and by good experience tryed on himſelfe.Pro. 28, 13 To confeſse and forſake ſinne, obtaineth mercy: 1. Ioh. 1.9.but hee that hideth his ſinnes, ſhall not proſper. To the which we heare the Apoſtle to accord, If we confeſſe our ſinnes (ſaith hee) God is faithfull and iust to forgiue vsus our ſinnes, and to cleanſe vsus from all vnrighteouſnes. Loe, heere is MercieMercy: heere is proſperitie: heere is pardon; heere is cleanſing. Therfore let vsus well vſe this ſpirituall Culter, and therein anſwere to the admonition of S. Iames, where hee ſaith vntounto ſinners replete with manie noyſome and daungerous humours of heart:Iam. 4.48. Cleanſe your hearts yee ſinners, and purge your hearts ye wauering minded. And if this Share & this Culter be waxen ſo blunt,The ſharpening of the Culter. and therewith the ground of Mans heart can neither be torne vp nor diuided in good ſort, the Lord will cauſe the enemy to blow the fire of affliction, & to beate on with the hammers of perſecutions & troubles for the ſharpening thereof, the which was ſignified by that example of the Iſraelites, 1. Sam: 13.20.who hauing no Smith in Iſrael, were forced to repaire to the Philistines to ſharpen euerie man his Share, and his Culter, for the better tillage of their Land. Thus the poore prodigall childe,Luk: 16. after hee had felt the ſmart of affliction & miſerie vnderunder a cruell maiſter in a ſtrange country, was moued to acknowledge his diſobedience and ſinne, ſaying: Father, I hauehave ſinned against heauen and before thee, and I am not worthie to bee called thy Sonne.