The Application of Redemption, Book 10 (12 of 13)

The Application of Redemption · Book 10 (12 of 13)

p. 616He now finds, that the presence of his sins only poysons Reas. 2.all the Comforts he hath with a curse, and … off the Hope and Expectation of any blessing from the hand of the Lord, in al the Dispensations, in the waies of Providences, or Ordinances, towards him, nothing can prosper; Why transgress ye the Commandement of the Lord, for ye cannot prosper? Sin stops the passage; and puts him beyond al possibility of … or good … to be extended towards him; sor the Lords determination is past, and it's peremptory; there is no peace to the wicked, saies my God, Isai. 57. 21. he hath said it, the word is past out of his mouth, and no … can … it. You know what a … … … to the Messenger (the thing was so reasonable) What! peace, so long as the … of thy mother … remain, Jos. 7. 12. It's that which the Lord professeth, so peremptory; I … be with you no more, except you destroy the … thing from … … God … his blessing and …, in al the … of … …; for … is the meaning he would not be with … in … Warring, in … going forth, and coming in; he wil not be with them in …, in receiving, praying, improving … …; … shal not work, Prayer …, … …, … … place; a man … have them, but no … in …, no Spirit with … no Blessing upon them, no good from them at al. That which poysons al the … … …, and … … … … … … … … … … … … … p. 617…, nay in truth the evil of al evils with it.

He now finds the removal of … would set open 3the floodgate of the infinite favor and goodness of the Lord, … … in amain upon the …. Jer. 5. 24. your … with-hold good things from you, God doth not with-hold them or keep them from us … onelyonly through the desert of our sins, his arm is not … that he cannot help, nor his … heavy … he cannot hear, … … … power that he cannot, nor mercy that he wil not help? Its his desire, Oh that there were such a heart in them that they might fear me and keep my commandements that it may go wel with them and theirs for ever …. 5. 29. Nay he hath taken a sollemn oath, As I live saith the Lord I desire not the … of a sinner but that he … repent and live …. 18. 32. so that he wants not mercy but we want …, unworthy of the mercy he tenders, & uncapable; Yea unwilling to receive the grace he offers, Oh … man that wil, let him come, and … of the … of life freely Rev. 22. 17. If you … … it, God wil give …, and no man wants it, … … …, its he that wil have it, and its his corruption that keeps him that he … not, nay is not subject, nay would not be made able to receive this mercy. Come out of them my people, … … … and touch not the … …; and he offers himself readily, I … be … God I … … … …, and walk with them, he wil constantly … … comfort them by … …, … Cor. 6. 18. 19. He wil walk up and down & see their … … … for them answerable to al their needs and …. … which brings … and the … …, … we should prize as a good. … above al … things we should prize it.

INSTRUCTION, We here seethe … why the most Use 1.men in the world … … …, … not after … … … … … … … … … … p. 618of the Physitian; never looked for …, because they were never sensible of their thraldom, &c.

REPROOF, A bil of inditement to accuse and Use. 2.… thousands giving in evidence that they never … the work of God upon their souls. Two sorts especially.

The secure sinner who is so far from seeking and coveting deliverance that he wil not take it when its offered, but is content to be in the prison of his natural condition and to lye in the boults and … of his sins stil. Of this temper were those Jews in captivity that had so long lived in Babilon they were content to remain there when liberry was proclaimed and the way opened, deliver thy self O Zion thou that dwellest with the daughter of Eabilon Zach. 2. 7. yet they stayed behind in Captivity stil, so it is with many a sluggish …, he is content to perish rather then do any thing to deliver himself, he blesseth himself in his misery and so is a devoted slave to the Devil, as Exo. 21. 6. If when the servant had his liberty to go out free, he said plainly I love my Master I wil not go out free, then his ear was to be bored with an awl, and he was to be his servant for ever, the boaring of his ear did signify his yielding obedience to the Command of another. So when Christ comes to set a man at liberty, offers mercy and grace and pardon, if a man then say, I love my master Pride, perversness and Idleness, let me have and live in my sins if God say Amen, thou art a bond servant of … for ever, thou … a miserable … creature for ever.

The sluggish professor or hypocrite that hath had some 2conviction of his sins and remembrance of the stings of his distempers, and some promises and purposes of amendment the blow is no sooner over, but al is at an end, lazy prayers and feeble endeavours, but when it comes to the poynt he wil do nothing, he wil give you the hearing of counsels and admonitions, you would think the man were in a very good temper, you may p. 619wind him about your finger; but in cases of Tryal you shal find him just where he was, he wil do nothing, nay wil do contrary to what he professed to submit unto; he is not thorough and real in his desire and endeavors for deliverance from sin, &c.

We are now come to these Things that are plainly expressed … the Words: And here we shal content our selves with Two Collections, which are most plain, and suit best to our present purpose in hand.

They who are truly pierced with Godly sorrow Doct.for their sins are willing openly to confess them, when they are called thereunto. Or. True contrition is accompanied with confession when God calls thereunto.

So do these converts here in the place, they come here of their own accord, they do not stay til they be arrested and summoned to the court; but they readily arrest, indite, arraign and accuse themselves before Peter and the rest of the Apostles. Men and bretheren you have discovered many sins and the dreadful condition of the sinners who … guilty thereof, loe we are the men, thus and thus we have done. By us the Lord Jesus was opposed and pursued, by us he was …, rayled upon and blaspherned, by us it was that he was …, and we are they that have embrewed our hands in his most precious blood: we are they that … it and … …, … him, … with him, not him, … …. Nay they roundly, readily, told al, this in secret we plotted against … life and liberty, thus we consented unto those that should attempt the treason and … … … … them in their … and … … proceeding, we … they that gloryed and rejoyced p. 620in the unrighteous … of the innocent son of God, we applauded … selves in that we so prospered in our unjust practises, Oh so would we have it. Men … … … plainly here … it, we openly and nakedly acknowledge it, they are our … which you have discovered, and we are the sinners against whom you have truly proclaimed the judgments of God our sins intollerable, and our condition miserable, … are the men, we are those accursed, cruel … whereof you speak and what shal … do? Observe the like expression in the like estate and condition, when al sorts of people came to the Baptists ministery, and the Lord was pleased to direct him to pierce their hearts by the preaching of the truth; they lay open their sins and sores before him and crave fuccor and relief, as it appears by … he gives, he applies several directions according to the several diseases Luk. 3. 12. 13. Then came the Publicans, anon the Souldiers saying … shal W E do? and he answers suitably: they made known their maladies and he applyes the …. As it is in an inward cankerd sore, if it be lanced throughly and to the quick, it then bleeds kindly and freely: so with the soul, If the heart feel the sin really, the tongue wil freely express it, when the season shal require the point is clear, we wil see … we can make it plain.

There be three particulars in the doctrine which desire ….

1. When a sinner is called into ….

2. When confession is serious and hearty.

3. How contrition … in such a confession

To the first of these.

Before I can come to lay forth the … … … … … I must premise two things.

p. 621That sins are of three sorts, as they come to our 1present …, in the case in hand.

First some … publick and noterious done in the sight of the sun, open unto the view of al, that are in the place to see it, … come to the hearing of it. such are practises which are impudent when men are fearless and … in their way, They declare their sin as Sodom Isa. 3. 9. al may see, and they pass not much what they do, so in the case of Eli's sons. 1 Sam. 2. 17. 23.

Secondly, Some are private between party and party to which none are privy but themselves, either the offence don to another. As Josephs mistress when they were alone inticeth him. Gen. 39. 7. The Adulterous woman meets with the young man, allures, yea tempts him impudently by her loose speech and behavior. Or … they are Sociates together in the same evil, as of Simeon and Levy; bretheren in iniquity, Gen. 49. 5.

Thirdly Some sins are secret … no eyes sees, no man living apprehends, but a mans heart and conscience, he commits the evil alone, and he alone knows it and God onelyonly who knows the secret of al ….

By open confession, I understand, the discovery and 2acknowledgment of the sin to any who knew not of it, before, whether it be publickely to many or privately to some one; because a man is brought thus, to open himself to such, and to make them privy to that which formerly he did not apprehend, these two things thus by way of preparation premised, the answer to the first question wil be referred unto three heads, touching publick, and … and … …, … al which particulars there be particular directions to settle a mans judgment, and to … practices, in a right way.

… publick sins, … … … here; what ever 1sins have been publickly committed or bring private come to be made publick, of such God … publick acknowledgment and confession, two branches … I p. 622wil touch both.

If the publick scandals and evil which have broke out in our practice to the offence of others, and stumbling of the weak, the grief of the good, the encouragement of the wicked, who may be provoked in the like carriages or confirmed in them by reason of our example; then its requisite and necessary, men should take open shame by sollemn acknowledgment. Its the rule which Christ. hath left unto the Church, who sin openly rebuk openly 1 Tim. 5. 20. and if a rebuk according to the rule of God ought to be dispensed, it ought to be received. And that is a main end … on both hands ought to be looked at, both in giving and receiving publick censure, that the delinquent be ashamed, and brought to acknowledg his sin & judg himself for it. So Joshua to Achan Jos. 7. 19. tel me what hast thou done? 1 Thes. 4. 14. If any man obey … the Gospel, note such a man, set a brand upon him by a sad censure that he may be ashamed and so see his evil and come to acknowledgment of it. And hence men should lay shame upon him and he answerably ought to take it. And when men are out of the Church that the power thereof cannot reach them, the connivence and … of humane lawes, wil not see execution done upon them; Its commonly the way of providence, that the Lord doth force men to do that out of horror of conscience which they wil not do out of Conscience to Gods holy command. Sometimes the Lord arrests men upon their sick beds and constraineth them to bear the shame of that, which they would not be brought to see in the dayes of their folly. Then send for such and such who have been deeply wronged by me, for such who have been corrupted by my example, The evil counsel that I have given, the loathsom carriages and unsavory language, and speeches that I have expressed, those subtil insinuations, and baits that I have layd to entice and entangle them, I desire now that God would pardon and they forgive: yea such who have p. 623been ringleaders to their wicked and leud courses they were not able to abide their persons and practice, either take him away, or remove me hence sayes the sick party thus they brought their … and … them openly in the view of all, when once God brought their hearts to a through sight and sorrow for their sin Acts. 19. 19. Sometimes upon the place of execution God constrains me … vomit out their wretchedness, to leave shame upon themselves, and to … their … for a reproach and … behind them, and to confess now to be condemned, when they would not confess in humility to seek and receive … to be pardoned. Oh beware by my example that you never rebel against Parents, reject the counsel and … of Governors, that was my sin, hath been my bane, and made me rush on headily to mine own ruin and confusion, Nay,

Secondly If the commission of them were private and yet they be made publick by … way in a course of providence, stil God calls for confession answerable, as the season shal require and opportunity …, As suppose a mans secret fact come to open view, either by others care, or by the weakness of any according to my defect, in al these cases open acknowledgment is requisite, as for instance in the severals, The house is broke, the goods stoln, conveyed and hid, at length the owner sees, chalengeth, pursues him in the open court of Justice and yet righteously; and that which was cunningly carryed before comes now openly to be censured again: suppose that there is an offence given to a brother in Church Covenant and while the … is in … and depending between them …, the party offended against the rule of our savior, carelesly and … relates this to several persons, some without, some within the Church and they also report it heedlesly to others, so that it growes common and the report publick though they ofMatth. 18. 15. 16. 17.Matt 18:15Matt 18:16Matt 18:17 the Church (for the rule of our Savior binds them properly because they have power to reforme or prevent p. 624evil, and doth not in many cases reach others out of that relation) though they I say, did sinfully and disorderly make it publick, yet this is ground sufficient for a gracious heart, and that according to Gods Command, to … the open shame of the evil, as seeing Gods hand so pursuing of him, for purposes best known to his Majesty; for the reality and venom of the scandal, issues properly from his sin, though the report came occasionally and disorderly from others.

Since then the Scandal goes so far, and the hurt like to be so common by means of his sin, it's requisite the salve should be as large as the sore, that the report of the confession for the recovery of the evil, may go as far as the infection hath done by the report of the evil committed. Nay, if through my just desert, it be made publick, when private Counsels take not place, nor admonitions awe, nor reasons prevail, when no private means that the Lord Jesus hath appointed, … have been improved, do good, but that they are constrained to appeal to the publick; this shews the strength of the distemper, and the danger of it; and therefore the sinner needs more deeply to be affected with it, and with greater shame and sorrow to bewail it: As when the Offender wil not hear one, nor yet two or three, that the stiffness and obstinacy grows so high that the Brethren are constrained to call in the help of the whol Congregation, and our Savior is constrained to raise the whol Army, the Body of the Church, to make head against an evil, it argues the corruption grows malignant and deadly, and the condition dangerous and desperate, and therefore the Confession must be suitable, must … in soak, and be of more than usual efficacy, or else it wil in reason be no way satisfactory.

Touching private sins, In case of wrong and injury 2that is done betwixt man and man; miscarriages are expressed between party and party in the dayly occasions p. 625of their lives, in which they are to deal one with another. The Apostles Rule is plain and pregnant, without doubt and dispute, James, 5. 16. Confess your sins one to another, and pray one for another. In our common converse, miscarriages commonly break out and appear, either harsh, unkind, discourteous or injurious carriages; men should not slight such evils, and sit down carelesly for the healing or removing of them; but be as careful to apply the Cure as men are heedless to avoid the sin; get a heart consciencious and ready to … those evils, and that constantly, as we are ready to commit and practice them, else our prayers and our comforts wil be prejudiced, which by this advice may be quickened and enlarged each for others …; for while we commit offences, and not … we set our hearts and … at a distance one from another, and therefore we cannot pray so affectionately and … as otherwise we would, did … see the hearts of our … so easily coming in to the Authority of the Truth, and so affectionately carried against the sinful … of their own souls. This … the ground of that so … a warning, which our Savior suggests, Matth. 5. 23, 24. When thou … to offer thy Sacrifice, and remembrest that thy Brother hath … against thee, i, e. hath any just exception against any sinful miscarriage, go first and be reconciled, and then come and offer.

Touching secret sins, there is the … difficulty, 3how to discern when a party is called of God to make confession thereof.

For Answer, there be Three Rules which may serve for our right information therein.

If the Lord shall (as he hath promised in his holy Word) seal up the acceptation of our persons, and the pardon of our sins, as it seems good to his Will, when we shall make confession thereof unto himself; we then need not, … in truth we should not make confession of p. 626our secret sins to man. First, … it is God may, yea many times, nay most usually doth evidence the … of our sins unto our souls, when we humbly and unfeignedly bewail them unto himself. So the Apostle John concludes it as beyond question, 1 …, 1-2 last verse, If we confess our sins, God is faithful, and just to forgive us our sins, and to clense us from all iniquity; nay, we shal not only have forgiveness granted in Heaven, but evidenced to our hearts on Earth, Prov. 28. 13. He that confesseth and forsaketh, shall find mercy. If a mans confession be of the right make, not counterfeit, but currant, he shal not only have mercy … for him in the Deck, but he shal have the use of it, find the sweet of it, he shal find mercy pardoning, pitying, pacifying, comforting, and saving mercy. As when we have sought the thing that we have in our house, we say we have found it, when we have it in our hand, and for our use. Yea, God is marvelous ready to meet the sinner half way in his mercy and compassions, when he perceives that with a serious purpose of heart he sets himself … this work, Psal. 32. 5. I said (saith the Prophet) I wil confess my sin, and thou forgavest … iniquity. The unfeigned purpose of Spirit this way, God takes in good part, and is so marvelously pleased therewith, that he gives him pardon, and forgives his sins, before he can mention by his words what he purposed in his mind, 1 Kings, 8. 38. … prayer shall be made by any man that shall know the plague of his heart, he will hear in Heaven, and forgive, &c.

And in this Case, we need not, nay we should not make confession of our secret sins; for we have no Command to carry us unto this, no Example to warrant such a practice, nor yet have we the Institution of any Ordinance, which may challenge our attendance to it. And this you must carefully heed, and maintain against that cunning forgery of the Popish consession, which p. 627they have imposed upon al their followers and drudges. Their … and Opinion is this:

That every man is bound once, at the least before the Sacrament, to confess in particular all and every one of his mortal sins, whereof he stands guilty, into the Ear of the Priests; the memory whereof by due and diligent premeditation, may be had, even such as are hidden, and are against the two last Commands of the Decalogue, together with the Circumstances which may alter the kind of the sin; If not (say they) let him be accursed.

This Canonical Institution, is the erecting of an Engine of Cruelty, to rack mens Consciences, and pick mens Purses to satisfie their own greedy covetous desires; and to set up their Lawless Soveraignty in the hearts of such, who have captivated themselves to their Directions and Counsels: for thus they have a noose upon mens Consciences, and hold men between hopes and fears, leaving them between Heaven and Hell, as they suit their minds. If they please their Humors, then they pardon them, and pull them out of Hell: If they satisfie not their expectations in giving so much for good use, or paying so much yeerly to further the Catholick Cause, then their sins are such, to Hell they must go, they cannot be acquitted: This made their Drudges even weary of their lives, as never seeing an end of their misery, nor knowing what would become of their souls: And it's that which is called by John in the …, The torment of a Scorpion when he stings a man, Rev. 9 6. That men shall seek death, and … not find it; and shal desire to die, and death shal fly from them. And holy and judicious Brightman expounds it of this sting, That the Jesuites keep men upon the rack of this Confession, never knowing what wil be come of their souls, nor an end of their misery, further than it suits their conceits. And the Popish School who were more ingenuous, have delivered in their Judgments, from these unnecessary burdens, p. 627which the Jesuits as hard Task-Misters, have laid upon other mens …, and which they wil neither … nor move the least finger to … any ease.

That which the soul hath obtained from Heaven at the hands of God, that is needless we should desire from the hands of men, whose only help is to evidence Gods mind. But by humble confession in secret to God, the soul hath received pardon srom Heaven, sealed up in his bosom by Gods Spirit, and the testimony of his own …; therefore it's needless to desire it from the hands of men, when we have what we desire, and that in a better manner than they can give it.

Again, To be wise above that which is written, is unlawful; and to do more than we have warrant for, is ever unacceptable to God: but the Lord in his Word requires no more before the Sacrament, but that a man should … himself, and by the exercise of Faith and Repentance, gain assurance of the pardon of his sin, not go to confess his secret sin to another; therefore to do that, is more than Christ and the Gospel …, or God wil accept.

When the soul lies under the guilt of secret sins, if the Rule. 2.Lord in the use of all other means, denies either POWER or PEACE. Power to oppose and master the Corruption; so that stil the soul is overborn by the violence and malignity of it. Or denies Peace, so that the old guilt returns afresh, after all prayers and confessions we make, cries and … we put up in fervency and importunity unto the Lord: After the improvement of al means of Reformation and Repentance; yet the Lord, for Reasons best known to himself, denies to seal up the assurance of Love, and the forgiveness of sin unto the Conscience, then the Lord cals to this Duty of Confession, to such who are fitted and enabled to lend help and relief under God in such a case. That which the Lord hath promised to bestow, and we are bound to obtain, we are bound consequently p. 629to use al … means appointed by God for this purpose, that we may be made … thereof. But the pardon of our …, the acceptation of our …, and the peace of our …, God hath promised to bestow, and we … bound to obtain; therefore we must improve al means to this end. If then we find by experience that God is not pleased to dispense power or peace by our own …, on improvements of al means by our selves, he then cals us to use the help of the prayers and counsels of others, who are called the … of Acts. 18. 27. 1. Thes. 5. 14.Acts 18:271 Thess 5:14our Faith and Joy; who are appointed to build us up in our holy Faith: whose duty it is, to comfort the feeble minded, and to instruct the ignorant; and whose prayers are effectual means to obtain the removal of sicknesses, and the forgiveness of sins. James, 5. 15.

And some sins there be, as secret Adultery and murder, which God never usually pardoneth to the heart of the Offender, but he compels him to lay open those Hellish corruptions by open confession unto some other. Nay, as he never usually pardons them to his, commonly he never suffers them to go away … even in the wicked; but when men are not willing to take shame by private confession, he forceth them by horror of Conscience to vomit out their … in the face of the world, and to bear their …, and leave … names an everlasting reproach when they … out their … upon the …, or upon the … of their sicknesses, before their bodies drop down to the …, and their souls be dragged by the Devils into Hell.

In case of secret …, If the wrong have been done,Rule, 3. either … by some … … of deceit, or injuriously by … to take away the goods of another; if … cannot be made otherwise, God … calls, either to reveal the evil to some other, who is faithful, and may do it; or … the party himself, who may … the satisfaction. … (I say) … cannot otherwise be made; for if … may, then we should p. 630never spread a Scandal, when we may cover it without prejudice of the Rule, and our Brothers profit. But if restitution cannot comfortably and conscienciously be made, without the manifestation of the evil, as in many cases it cannot, then God calls for the use of this means to attain this end.

2. VVhen is this Confession serious and 2hearty?

It … be discerned when Confession comes to be serious and hearty, if it have the equal …, and is made up of the … following, it's then of the right make, and … … according to … course of the ….

It must be free: It comes off a hand cleverly, flows 1naturally and ingeniously from a … sinner; the soul that is truly burdened doth not by a … kind of unwillingness … from …, duty, or … a retreat from the … of the Truth, … Soldiers … to do, when the Service is unwelcom; but the … … cleer, and their Spirits … for the …, … … proceed on without any … giving …. And … appears thus in the manner of their …, in … mannaging this, occasion in three Things.

They … easie to yield to … … … 1evidence is brought in against them, to … to any … guments of weight, to … before the strength … Reason that shal be rendred, to lay forth their guilt, and … loathsomness of their evil, …, they are glad of that light. And therefore if men for … of the right … of the several and particular … of a practice, cannot so fully give in Evidence of the evil, because it was hid srom them in some …, or … for want of consideration, did not pursue it … … as they might and ought, but that there is … and p. 631room left for a Cavil: A distressed Convert wil not take the advantage of mens ignorance, mistakes; or misapprehensione to make an escape from the evidence of Truth; which the Conscience tels that it deeply … him; or espies on every side to find a muse by the mistaking of a word, to put off an apparent testimony of that which his heart knows he is faulty in, and that which the party fully intended. But he answers to the scope of the Question, Evidence or Accusation, and that which he knows to be suitable to the Nature and substance of the Charge, and that which toucheth his miscarriage, and that in the aim of the Speaker; he sees the parties aim, and is privy to his own guilt; and he owns the thing, and yields the Conviction: this you would, though your words do … reach it, and this is true, and this was my practice, and is my sin, without either cavilling or excusing, or mineing the matter; this is the guize of the sinner that is heart-sick of sin: but he that is Sermon sick; or shame-sick, &c. he stands upon his fence, … … catch for words, spies out any advantage in … manner of the expression, if there be but the least syllable of a circumstance, either too much or too little, and if there be but a … he creeps out at it, and conceits and concludes he … safe. No man ever heard me say so; no man can prove that I ever said those words: It's …, No, did I? Here … such and such that are able to witness it from your own mouth; and when testimony is produced, and they constrained to yield, they … indeed so and so, but such and such was not their expression: in the mean time, the … is al one, and the scope of the speech they wel perceived, carried nothing but the reallity of the matter with it. What a … kind of falsness, and foolish wiliness of spirit is this, to … the passage and power of the Truth, mine own conviction, and peace, by a wilful … filly mistake of a word? And thus … … deal with their sins; as … such as be … p. 632with Traitors, deal with the search and enquiry after them; instead of helping others to seek and find them, they by their wiliness lead aside the Officers, and make them over-look the secret conveyances which are most suspicious, and most likely to receive them; which shews they are of the pack of the Conspiracy, and intend rather to hide the Rebels, than to pursue and attach them: The sinner truly distressed, is of another temper; in an easie kind of plainness laies open his heart to any … of light, that may discover his evil without any shifting and doubling. He is suspicious of the evil of his own spirit, and as willing to see them as any man besides, because they more hazard his wel-fare, and therefore he is willing to welcome any light that any one brings him to that end; Nathans Accusation, and Davids Confession, are as the Voyce, and the Eccho, I have sinned against the Lord, 2 Sam. 12. 13. he needed not to bring in the great Inquest for the Tryal: So it was with Judah, when Thamar his Daughter was found to play the Harlot, and was now brought to her examination, and so to her punishment, she sends the Message to her Father in Law; By the man whose these are, am I with Child: And she said, discern I pray thee whose these are, the Signet, the Bracelet, and the Staff: Mark his return, how easily he yields, would not so much as traverse the cause, or cal for a proof, when the thing was plain without any brabling or cavilling, confesseth the thing, ceaseth any further suit, no not a debate; Judah …, and said, She is more righteous than I, Gen. 38. 25. In the things that are doubtful, it's usual, and no more but what Conscience and Command requires, to debate to see, the Truth; but when the fault and offence is plain, then to maintain debates and eavils, is indeed to devise waies how to darken the discovery of the Truth by confused quarrelling, to make an escape out of a fault, as a Malefactor to convey himself away in a crowd: Thus fals-hearted Saul, when he pretended p. 633the accomplishment of Gods wil and the execution of the work about which he was sent; Come thou blessed of the Lord, I have performed the commandement of the Lord, to whom Samuel, … … the … of sheep, and … of the … &c. 1. … 15. 14. 15. one would have thought there had been so much convicting evidence, as would have stopped the mouth and sunk the heart of the man under the … of so gross … falshood. Yet he wil not yield, … … about the business …, the people spared … … of the …, and the … for sacrifice, and the rest we have …, I construed the command so, and took your … to be that, namely sacrifice must ever be attended, and then al the rest must be cut off. How is it possible that common sence could put such a … … so … … charge, go kil al &c. that is, spare …? yet a wily heart must have some way to raise a cavil, he comes heavily off to confession.

As a contrite sinner is easy to yield the evil by way of 2conviction; so ready to … it by open … … acknowledgment, upon any occasion according to … nature of the offence; he … so … from being troubled to do this; that he is troubled and restless in himself until it be done; and therefore if there be an opportunity to invite him, he takes it without …; if a …, he longs for it, and desires it, … if none wil provoke him he is studious to seek an occasion, and to press in upon some opportunity, that if it be a publick evil he may publish his acknowledgment: if a wrong he desires not until another comes or sends, but he sends, he goes to him to be waile it. … … secret he wil not stay to be asked or have his confession wrested from him, by … of reason, and … argument, but … more ready to tel al, than another is willing to bear, not give … man to guess at some wickedness by … …, but … out … … … some discovery to make his evil appear most …. A … a right … p. 634position of … of spirit, is like a body in a right temper and constitution, if it be … in a … there is more trouble to stay and … the bleeding than to provoke it for to bleed. So here, And hence though there was no horror of … to …, no authority to require, no counsel … perswade he could not satisfy his own heart, he could not be quiet before he had satisfyed the rule, and proceeded in open hostile manner against his sin; but a false heart after conviction which was … with great difficulty; he must be drawn like a … to a stake to make open confession … the cause may require; and when he comes by constraint, Conscience dragges him, or Authority compells him thereunto. His … sticks in his teeth, he lispes them out so wearishly, hacks and …, stops here and … there, as though he would say somthing because he must speak; and yet is afraid he shal say more then he would: therefore bites in his words one way, sometimes turnes his speech another way, if any speech seems too open, or to give too much advantage to the truth, he … himself and begins to qualify what he hath said, he would not be mistaken, he meant thus and thus, i. e. his meaning is to conceal as much as he can.

And hence a man must propound so many interrogatories, aske so many questions, … interpretations of what a … hath said when he hath … what he wil, … though a man should pul a confession from a man, as an untimely …, which he were not … willing to bring into the world, and when he hath … on what he can, he can hardly make any thing of what confession he hath made; But a heart that is burdened to …, pricked to the quick and parted from his …, his expressions come off kindly and issue naturally from him, not in a …, quaint kind of strayn as though he would coyn a confession, but with that freedom and rediness as though his spirit was … into such expressions; his heart was severed from his …, p. 635the passage … plain, and he would banish them by an open confession, and therefore watchfully takes the occasion that may suit the work; Acts, 19. 19. they that used unlawful and curious arts, they brought their books and burned them in the sight of al, they were not summoned to this service by authority, they came of their own accord &c. And this was … with Paul to take advantage by the solemnity of the place and people, to publish … sin and shame, and to be … it in the view of the world, no man either … or expecting any such thing, and he freely unbosomed his heart and said more against himself than al the world could say, the … … you may read, Acts. 26. 9 I utterly thought I ought to … … things against the name of …, which thing I also did, … up the prison, compelling them to … and being exceeding mad … them, &c.

The … … … it in … of the stomach, & the … in … & … which … from the … … …, … … be a … before …, … … severing before a …; he that … the … … it be …, … … …, … … … of the disease … … … … … … any ease to the … … … … … … … … … … removed at once, look say we, the … … comes out … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … p. 636constraint, and the passage once made it runs, without any stay; but if you pour out … out of abarrel, some may issue out, but you must by … and … pul out the rest, this is the difference between a heart truly burdened and … hypocrite perplexed with horror; the contrite soul poures out his complaints into a mans bosom without any stay, the soul hath ful vent; but with the hypocrite you must take out his confession, by … of reason; As the difference between water in the channel and in the pumpe; the stream runs currently, kindly, readily, you must force it to stay, but the other you; must force it to run; a man must pump and press out a confession by power of argument, or else there is no water to be gotten to purpose.

He takes the evil to himself and doth not lay it upon 3another, and is carryed with greatest vehemency against that in the sin that was most vile, and that he wil not mince; he is farr from … blame upon another, to … other mens evils, when he comes to acknowledg his own, as conceiving the more … they appear, his may appear less; Nay, now is the time wholly to attend his own, and especially to bewail that most whereby he hath most offended. When the potion or vomit works upon the humor mainly, then it works kindly. So Judah Gen. 38. 26. … is more righteous than I, and they 1 Sam. 12, 19. we have added unto al our other sins this evil.

As it must be free so it must be ful: it comes from the 2bottom & brings out al before it; he doth … content himself to maintain the practice or … that … scandalous and wicked, but layes open & … … the bitter root of those base distempers, out of which those evils were brooded and brought …; they are the cause of al, and worse … … together with those by ends and base …, and those … a … that … ed the … … from the … … … … Lord, what ever aggravating circumstances hath any weight in p. 637the apprehension of the soul, it sets … al; the scandal wil apparently argue these, and a wise … christian wil … al these in their working, and a sincere heart desires to take most shame … these, and therefore is ful in the confession, so David goes to the root of those … miscarriages, even … sin, and his accursed contrivements to give content to his lusts, and therefore he complaines of that, Psal. 51. 3. 4. thou lovest truth in the inward parts, and the truth I have despised and opposed; This is to be attended as another thing in the comparison, to pour out the heart like water in acknowledgments, there is nothing that remains behind, as there is in oyl and those kind of things that be of a more tenacious disposition. This was eminent in the acknowledgment of the holy Apostle, 1 Tim. 1. 13. I was a blasphemer, a persecuter, and injurious, but I did it ignorantly through unbelief, not to lessen his evil, but that he might look to the bottom of it. A true contrite … deals with these hid treasures of evil, as … did with the treasures of his house to the Babylonish …, Isa. 39. 4. then said Isaiah, what … they …? … answered, al that … in my house, there is nothing in … treasures that I have not shewed them; so it … … a simple hearted convert, he wil turn the inside of his heart outward, there wil be nothing amongst the hid treasures of iniquity, when he is called to confession, that he wil not nakedly present … God and the world, and that without stickage, without demurs and …, he wil not cut off his … by … as though his heart …, for what he had …, but … open the floodgate to the ful, that he may leave nothing behind that he may fully and plainly see the bottom; he is ready to … … frame of …, as … were wrought … … heart, that so he … dissolve, … … and undo the web and work of …, and therefore he wil tel you, my … you …, and the world p. 638knowes, it hath been scandalous my carriage loathsom, Oh but my heart in that sin was worse than my carriage, the pride and malice, perversness and … of mine own heart carried me by main force against many checks of my Conscience and in ward misguidings to that practice to serve mine own distempered lusts, and when it was done, and discerned to be scandalous, the invincible … of mine own heart would not suffer me to stoop to the evidence of the truth, but I set carnal reason on work, that since I could not deny it were done, yet I might put color, construction, some meaning and interpretation upon it, that it might appear to be done lawfully, at the utmost that it was onelyonly a mistake and out of ignorance, which the most able and exact is incident unto. And al this was with reluctance and against mine own …: therefore if I found any that were easy and favorable and were ready to be carryed away with some … appearances, to those I often repayred, to them I complained and professed my simplicity, and yet willingness to see, that so I might screw my self into their affections to pity me, and so to be unwilling to hear any thing against my person or cause and … the man speaks honestly and means plainly, I wish there may be no prejudice and then sat I in counsel with my own corrupt heart, and mind, how to carry the frame of the buisiness in the fayrest pretence; I plotted how I might make an escape, and wind away from such evidences and expressions which pinched most narrowly, and there I would put in some word, or else … they were spoken to some other end, or start up some new occasson to … the discourse another way, and to another thing, and made them loose the pursuit of that which indeed pinched, and thus I committed many evils in the defending of one, and broke many rules under prtence of making up one breach; but from these wretched grounds, to these wicked ends in this disorderly manner by a plotted kind p. 639of studied villany, I have wronged God, the truth, my profession, my …, mine own soul, this is my wretched disposition I would see and say the worst of it &c. this is as I said to … the clew of a wretched course that he may see the end and utmost of it. So to lance the sore that the core may come out from the bottom, and then the cure wil undoubtedly follow, which cannot be so attayned, as long as it continues.

Sometimes persons that want bouldness, and ability, cannot so fully open themselves in publick alwayes; yet the frame of their spirits and expressions wil ever aym at such a thing, to the apprehension of such as have any spiritual eye salve about them because their confessions … ever minted out of their own hearts, and the loathsomness of such evils wherewith they are and have been loaded. But for a man that comes to confess his evil, to forget the main evil he came to confess, is such a heavy hand of God, to discover a counterfeit confession, that it would make a moral man that had but understanding about him sit down confounded, under the … curse of Gods displeasure, and the right consideration of the … of his heart.

And this is the second ingredient into a serious confession, it must be ful, the whol compas is contained … these two particulars that I may sum up that shortly which hath been largely spoken. 1. Ful in regard of relation of the things, My sonsayes Joshua give Glory to God, and tel me what thou hast done, bide nothing from me, Jos. 7. 19. 2. Ful in regard of opposition of the heart, the … fully relates al the heart, fully opposeth al, sets it self wholly to drag al to the place of judgment and see execution done upon al; As it were said in the law and enjoyned to him that should discover a brother or a friend that inticed to Idolatry, his eye should not pity, nor his hand spare, but he should fling the first stone at him, so here in … we should bring out al our distempers, yet they may receive the sentence p. 640of Condemnation; neither should I pity, nor your hearts spare, but see execution upon them, that I may take away evil; to confess, is to speak as God doth, to speak together with him, to see sin, to sentence sin as the Lord doth. To make a ful relation of a sin, and yet the heart to maintain a reserved device how to contrive some colorable …, by some Caution and Interpretation to entertain it, it is Hellish Hypocrisie. As the … brabbles with her Mate before her Husband, … so she may meet with him without the suspicion of her Husband. So the … … he wil readily without any hunching, acknowledg his sin and error in one sence, that so as occasions serves, he may plead for it, and only pretend another sence.

The Confession in then serious, when … is leaves the 3soul base, and makes the sinner put his mouth in the dust; looks at himself as vile, loaths his sin, and himself for it, and is desirous that the evil, and he for it, may be loathed of al that have heard and known it, willing that … himself and sin, should by al, for ever be dishonored, who have dishonored God; Dan. 9. 8. VntoUnto us belongs shame and … of face, for ever to be opposed and rejected, who have rejected his Truth, that … hearts of all should be estranged from it, and from that frame of Spirit which acted him, because they have estranged him and others from God: he would shame himself, and therefore is content others should cast shame upon him, Ezek. 36. 31, 32. Then they shal … themselves for all their abominations which they have committed: Lam. 3. 29, 30. He … alone, and … silence, because he hath born it upon him; be puts his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope.

The Soul by this serious Confession, intends to take 4an ADVANTAGE against his sin, and so much more engages his heart, by the Witness of God, and Men, and Angels, to keep himself for … from al … and provocations thereunto, and holds his heart in a holy p. 641bent of … for ever, not once to admit any consideration or pretence of any carnal Reason, that may seem to leave the least inticement that way; when temptations come, and corruptions stir as formerly, this stops him, I have … these … before al, and they are condemned by al, therefore I wil not, I dare not give way; …. 16. last, That thou mayest remember, and be confounded, and … open … mouth any more, because of thy ….

3. How doth Contrition bring in this Confession, and enlarge the Heart this way?

I Answer upon Three Grounds; all which are so many Arguments of the Point propounded

Taken from that bitterness which the soul in this contrite 1disposition, … …, and that undeniably to be in those distempers in which it hath taken so much content in former time; the poysoned loathsomness which now it hath … experimentally to be in such pleasing lusts, and which formerly have … the delight and diet of the soul: And therefore it is the heart … the sinner is not able to brook or … them, … vomits them out with vehement distast, and unsufferable disdain, abandons them by open confession. In the Body we see it, the Stomach when it was clogged with abundance of gross and foul Humors, as in the disease called Pica, it wil … upon … and ashes, and loom wall will down as desirable diet, because such noysom diet suits best with … … Humors which … in the Stomach, but when it's recovered and brought to any wholsom constitution, if … with any such provision which is … loathsom and … upto it, it's … sick, and … be eased before … cast it out. It's so p. 642with the … when once he hath attained this wholfom constitution, and disposition of a contrite spirit. Those noysom abominations which seemed so sweet and savory to his sensual and base heart, that it could digest them as its only diet and delight; corrupt lusts were most suitable to corrupt nature, and no marvel that the Toad and Spiders lick up poyson which is so agreeable to their poysonful Nature; but when the Lord hath wrought this through contrition, as a wholsom disposition and constitution of soul, so that not only the punishment of it which is tedious, but the poyson and filth becomes more detestable and grievous to the sinner, the heart is not able to suffer the loathsom bitterness thereof, but forthwith endeavors to cashier it utterly by acknowledgment, and confession, that the very scent and savor, yea, the least remembrance of it may be for ever removed. Pain wil make the dog vomit out his meat, sence of punishment constrain'd Judas to cast out his morsel, fling away his money, the bribe of the bloody Treachery and Treason of his; but had they been both poysoned, the one with his meat, the other with the venom of his sin, it would have wrought more freely and fully in both; That Godly Sorrow which was wrought in the hearts of the Corinthians, who bore with the … person a long while, and the … person … who committed the evil 2 …. 7. 10. It wrought a cleering in the one, as the Text expresseth …, and no question in the other upon the same ground, i. e. a naked, full, and free-hearted acknowledgment; Godly Sorrow like a strong Potion, cleers the Stomach, casts out the core, suffers no remainders behind, of any secret reservation of a wretched distemper, in any degree or circumstance, makes a cleer Conscience quit of any combination, with any lust in the least correspondence. When the corruption which is gathered in the … ered sore, grows ripe and rotten, it wil break presently, though no man lance or touch it, and … plentifully p. 643and abundantly. So with this through contrition, it works a separation, and therefore an evacuation, loosens the affection from the sin inwardly, and … it wholly by acknowledgment.

It's true, In Nature, and Grace, and Reason, each thing … it self, and therefore expels its contraty, to the utmost distance it may, that it may neither find nor fear any annoyance, or hazard therefrom; and therefore we find in diseases, Agues and Feavers, when Nature by the help of Physick hath gained some strength, forceth the malignant humor as far from the heart as it can, it breaks forth into the lips, and then it's conceived and …, the fits wil end, the danger is over. So it is with the soul when it's helped by the Spirit in piercing the soul with Godly Sorrow, he causeth the disease and distemper to break forth into the lips by open confession, and forceth it as far as may be, from ever annoying the heart any more. The sweetness of sin is in this taken off, contrition severs it from the heart, confession vomits out and removes it, that it may never annoy the soul, or disturb the peace of a mans Conscience any more.

The distressed sinner now comes … to feel, and so 2to know the danger of sin, as undoubtedly hazarding a mans everlasting happiness and welfare, and to find also by woful proof his own weakness, and inability either to prevent it or bear it, or remove it and help himself against that eternal ruin and confusion which God hath threatened, and he must expect, and shal endure by reason of the same. He thought indeed in the time of his folly, That Preachers in point of policy, presenting sin in a more dreadful visage and appearance, than there was just cause, or Reason would in truth conclude; at least he imagined (if the worst befel) that either he would remove the guilt, or avoid the plague, or subdue the strength of such distempers that did threaten Gods displeasure, and his destruction: but now he finds it otherwise, p. 644yea his own Conscience, nay his own sence and experience doth abundantly confute his folly and mistakes, that notwithstanding al the waies he can take, and means he can use, guilt stil continues, he cannot remove it, plagues he cannot avoid, violence and venom of his corruption he cannot master, nor help himself against the … Command and Authority, they yet live, and are mighty: And therefore he is forced to send up to Heaven dayly, yea to seek out unto the faithful Servants of the Lord, that they may lend a helping hand for his relief that may help him by their prayers when he sees his own prevail not, guide him by their Counsel, when through his own ignorance he is at a loss in his thoughts, and cannot direct himself, that they may tent and heal his sore, when out of unskilfulness he cannot … how to dress the wounds of his own diseased and distressed spirit: Thus Nature doth not only teach men, but necessity compels al when they find themselves helpless to call, yea, cry for help, yea, to send far and neer for succor unto such in whose power it is to support; when men have used al Kitchin Physick, and taken some Ancient Receipts they have by them, and yet the disease grows desperate, and the cure more difficult, they presently speed out to those who are able and learned Physitians for Counsel and Cure. He that fears an on-set, he would have a Second in the field with him: So here. God hath given the tongue of the Learned to some to speak a word in season to a weary Conscience, Isai. 50. 4. To others God hath given a dexterous hand to joynt the souls and comforts of such, who by some dangerous fall, and sudden surprizal of distempers have made a breach in their spirits and peace, Gal. 6. 1. You that are spiritual, joynt such a man with a spirit of meekness, handle hin skilfully, yea gently and tenderly: To some again God hath given precious Receipts, rare experiences of his peculiar mercies, to their own souls, which few have heard, almost none besides themselves have had p. 645the like proof, 2 Cor. 4. 1. 4. Paul was afflicted and comforted, that he might … and comfort others in afflictions: 2 Cor. 2. 11. he professeth he was not ignorant of Satans Methods, but was wel acquainted with his Stratagems, having been in so many pitcht fields, so many Sieges. Hence it is that these poor wounded sinners in the Text, press in upon the Apostles as skilful and experienced … for such as were in spiritual distress, Men and Brethren what shall we do? q. d. You understand we are ignorant, and know not what way to take; you are experienced, and we unacquainted wholly with Gods dealings and directions, and perceive not what to do. Besides, were mens abilities equal, yet many eyes see more, and many hands can do more than one; as in some wounds which we cannot reach by our own hands, another though weak and unskilful, wil lend ready help, wil search and tent the wound we cannot touch nor reach; the meanest Christian hath more Experience in some Case than those who are far more able, and thou canst not reach it, nor come at it, he will search it with ease.

A Contrite sinner is willing to take shame, and therefore 3willing to open himself and sin, that he may bear shame that is due unto him for it. He sees now the vileness of sin, and himself vile because of it, and therefore looks at shame as his due desert, which he hath mericed at the hands of God and man, and therefore accounts it but reasonable that he should be dishonored and rejected of others, who hath … the great Name of God, and cast shame and contempt upon the good waies of his Grace; he sits down really convinced of his own baseness, and therefore doth not complement and speak words of course against himself; he wil say, I am so and so vile, and wretched, and doth not condemn himself that others might acquit him, not … his person and practice that others might praise and pity him. But as it was said of them, They should wash themselves, p. 646and judg themselves worthy to be cut off, and condemned, and therefore worthy to be despised and trampled upon as unsavory salt; and hence he is willing out of a holy indignation to shame himself, and the sinfulness of … heart and life, which hath been a shame to his profession, and cast shame upon the righteous and holy waies of the Lord.

That which takes away all the hindrances of this holy duty of Confession, and puts the soul upon the necessity of the performance, that must needs fit the soul for the discharge of this Service. But Contrition takes away the hindrances, which are these three: Either a man would not have his sin removed and subdued: Or else he need not help to that purpose: Or else he is afraid and ashamed to take help, which is provided in that behalf.

But this Work of Contrition makes a man willing to be helped against his sin, makes him see a need, and seek for help; makes him willing to take shame, and he sees a necessity he should, that he may receive help against his sins. Therefore Contrition fits and enables the soul to a right Confession of sin.

INSTRUCTION. We here see the reason of Use 1.those sinful windings and turnings of Devices, which generally appear in mens practices after the commissions of evil, when they should be brought to a naked acknowledgment of their errors herein: So many muses to escape, so many sleepy, senceless shifts to save their own stake, their credit and respect, yield nothing, though they can gainsay nothing with color of Reason, they spend their wits and thoughts, and lay about them to the utmost skil of al the carnal reason they have, to latch the blow, to defeat and put by the stroak of the Truth, the dint and evidence of the Argument that would discover their evil. In a word; here is the root and reason of those turnings aside from the Authority of the Truth, p. 647They never came where this Contrition of heart grew, nor yet indeed knew what it meaneth; they never saw sin aright, their souls were never sensibly affected with the direfulness of the scandal they give unto others, and the guilt they bring upon their own Consciences; for all which they must one day answer. It's said, Luke, 3. 6, 7. that when God prepares way for the coming of the Lord Jesus, or the coming of it within the sight and ken of Salvation, That crooked things must be made straight, before any flesh can see the salvation of the Lord. There be crookings of carnal reason in the heart of every man naturally; it was the great Ingredient into the first sin of Adam, and hath been his Curse ever since, to find out findings, Eccles. 7. last, to invent inventions, to make an escape from the Truth, and so to walk in the vanity of their own mind; and unless the Lord heat a man in the fire of his fury, hold him upon the Anvil, beat him, and break him by the hammer of the Law, in this work of Contrition, this crookedness wil never be removed, nor he come within the sight of Salvation, and it's made one part of the description of a man that is out of the path of peace, Isay, 59. 8. They have made their … crooked.

By way of REPROOF, It dasheth that dream of Use 2.the wicked, and cursed imagination of carnal men who conceit, that to fal under the foot of contempt according to the desert of our evil doings, they conceive it a point of greatest dispar agement and wickedness that can be imagined, and to take up … abode in that abased condition, either by some reach of policy not to prevent such an evil; or when it doth befal, to be shistless, as to sink under it, and not to be able to struggle out, they look at such, and leave it upon Record in their Observation, as very simplicians, such as are destitute either of wit or courage, to swallow down such indignities, and never be sick of them, these persons they note as feeble, and the … base. A hellish delusion, directly contrary p. 648to the truth here delivered, and the practice of these Converts, now truly broken-hearted with Godly sorrow for their sins, That which issues from the power and work of Gods Spirit upon the soul, it argues neither feebleness nor … and such is this practice, and therefore it argues neither.

1. Not feebleness, because it is of a conquering, of a commanding power, and that against the greatest forces of sin and Satan, which they bring into the field, our own carnal ends, and high conceited excellency of our worth, the seeking our selves, and setting up our own persons, and names, and praises, are the very stumps of Dagon, which stand longest, the very heart blood of the body of death; the high and overweening thoughts of the Soveraignty of our wils, and worth, they are the holds of Satan: to batter down the strong holds, and to make us lie down in the dust, and to be abased in the sight of God and man in quiet subjection, is indeed to subdue the power of darkness, a work unto which we must be enabled by the power of the Almighty, far beyond the might of al Creatures, much less shal feebleness be able ever to compass it; if thou conceitest it is so easie, go thy waies, and do thou likewise: Alas poor deluded Creature, it's such a task that thy heart misgives thee at the very on-set, and thou art never able to turn thy hand to it: thou must have allowance from thy lusts, and stubbornness of thy own heart, and ask leave of thy pride and vain glory; and when al is done, thou canst not so much as fain a confession, such a slave and underling thou art to thy sinful distempers, even slavery it self, that they wil not suffer thee to speak a word to cross thine own way ward spirit, and condemn the wretchedness of thy carnal carriage; which by the power of the spirit of contrition, these poor Servants of the Lord can do; not verbally, but really and seriously, as in the sight of God. Which shews there is more than the strength of a mans self that must p. 649… yea destroy a mans self; that is his self pride and praise.

2. As there is no feebleness in this, so neither is there the least baseness in so blessed a service, and work of such excellency as this is, a behavior truly honorable and such as indeed beseems persons of the greatest account with God and man: … were the diamond in Solomons Crown, Eccles. 1. 1. The words of a soul gathered to his people, the son of David, King in Jerusalem, they were titles of honor but this was the top of al. It was a higher soveraignty, to bewail his sin, and seek unfeyned reconciliation to the Church, and by serious and thorough satisfaction, to … acceptance, than to sit in the throne of Israel; by that he was above his subjects, by this he was above himself; by that he had power over his people; by … he prevayled over the power of darkness, hel & devils & distempers; by that he was above the Kingdom & ruled it according to his own wil, by this he is above his wil, which was above the King, yea above his corruption, and lusts who lorded over wil, and King, and Kingdom, and al. Yea this is so eminent a service however it seems other to the deluded minds of men, it makes way for the … pitch of al that happiness we ever hope to obtayn, here on earth or hereafter in heaven; 1 Cor. 15. 28. the pinacle of al perfection unto which we can be advanced, … that God may be al … all, … when a sinner lyes under the foot of loathsomness, hath nothing, doth nothing, receives nothing … himself unworthy to be looked at, worthy to be loathed of heaven & earth; Now God is al in al not onelyonly … al for him such is his nothingness in himself, but here is the glory of al power & wisdom and mercy to overcom his unworthyness and to make him fit to receive any thing; besides, look at … … work it self, … is … greatest victory, and those must be the greatest conquerors of al, who have conquered and made spoyl of al the Glory of the world. The heathen p. 650King wished there were more worlds to conquer, he that is willing to bewail his sins and take shame for them, he hath conquered al those worlds and the conqueror himself, and those high thoughts that conquered him; its a degree above glory willingly to be content to want it, than indeed to enjoy it.

Ground of EXAMINATION and TRIAL:Use 3. If we would ever gain assurance or bring in evidence and proof to oure own souls and others, that indeed our hearts have been broken for our sins and so turned from our sins in a saving manner unto God here in the kingdom of Grace, that we may undoubtedly assure our selves that we shal see his face in glory in another world; try thy heart and condition by the former truth Exod. 8. 19.Exod 8:19lay thy soul level to the doctrine formerly delivered; if thou findest this work of God, thou mayest undoubtedly conclude there is the spirit of God. And however it seems so mean in the eyes of men, yet the greater the power of the Almighty is seen in it, to lay mountains low and level; the hand of the Lord must do this; As the Magicians in Egipt professed touching the liee, that wonder which the Lord then expressed though it were in a thing very little and despicable to the eye, yet they confessed, this the … finger of God, they were not able to turn their hand to that work. So dost thou upon through search find this disposition of spirit, that thou dost see that infinite loathsomness in thy corruptions, and in thy heart being taynted therewith; so noysom the plague sore of sin, and thy soul and self, so defiled with running provocations thereof, that in truth thou art loath to see thy heart, to own it or to have it, which hath nothing but loathsomness in it, and conceivest thou art worthy indeed others should judg so of thee, as thou judgest of thy self; how ever this frame of spirit may seem mervailous mean and despicable in the eye of the world, know thou mayest and conclude thou shouldst, this is the very finger of God; flesh and blood hath not revealed p. 651this hath not wrought this in thee, but the spirit which is from God. That which is at ods with al the excellency that is flesh and blood, that which is opposite to it and tramples upon the glory and pride of it, that must needs be more than flesh and blood, Ezek. 16. 2. last. I wil establish my covenant, and thou shal know I am the Lord, thou shalt know me, and own me, and beleeve in me, as thy God and thy Lord, then thou shalt remember and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame; When God sets open the fountain of his free grace in the soul, these streams wil follow.

Hence then this doctrine brings in a heavy inditement against sundry sorts of men, and gives undeniable evidence that as yet they never knew what it was to be broken-hearted for sin, or turned savingly from sin, the stupid sencelessness of whose spirits is wholly uncapable of this holy blush, and confusion of face and heart.

First of those who through the hardness of their 1hearts by their constant custome and continuance in their sin are beyond the sence of it or shame for it; whose faces are settled, and their consciences seared with a hot iron, so that there is no sting at al or check that … them, but … a seared part is without sence or feeling, they practice their wret chedness, and profess it, are convinced of it and go away not touched, nor troubled with it, shrink not retire not with any sence of fear or shame, for what they have done; such are never like to see the filth of their sins, before they see them by the flames of the fierceness of Gods wrath in the fire of hell, of this helish temper were those forlorn creatures Jer. 8. 6. I hearkend and heard but no man repented him saying what have I done? they take not their sins into consideration, nor attend the danger but every man turned to his own course as the horse rusheth into the battle, nothing stops them or affrights them, v. 12. were they ashamed when they committed abomination p. 652nay they were not at al ashamed, neither could they be ashamed, their minds were wholly …, they did not see the vileness of their sins, and their hearts hardened, they could not be sensible of them, so the Prophet Isa. compluins, chap. 3. 9. they declare … sin as Sodom, they commit, evil openly and they are bold and brazen-faced, to persist in what they do commit, they sear not who know it and they shame not to own it, I knew saith the Lord, thy brow was brass, and thy neck like an iron sinnew, the heart buckles not, its an iron sinnew the face blusheth …, its brass, harlot-like.

Another sort who are so far from bearing the shame 2they do deserve, that out of their impudency they do rather cast shame upon the truth itself that would discover their sin and so the messenger that brings it. Thus out of this devilish wretchedness and … they dare to flout God to his face, and cast scorn and contempt upon the truth, rather than they wil lye under contempt themselves; and therefore it is the prophet looks at it as desperate, beyond hope or help, Hos. 4. 4. let no man strive with another or reprove him, for this people, are as they that strive with the priest, they contemn him and his repro of, so far are they srom being content to take it, or the due shame which it discovers; of this stamp were those impudent scorners, who jeared the Prophet to his face, and made a jeast of the threatnings he delivered, Isa. 22. 12. In the day the Lord called to weeping and mourning and baldness and to girding with sackcloath and behold joy and gladness, slaying of oxen and killing of sheep, let us eat and drink, for to morow we shal dye, q. d. do you not hear the dreadful threatning that Isaiah hath denounced, do ye not expect to dye masters? do not your hearts shake within you to hear such tidings, let us not dye fasting, we wil take our meat sure before our enemies take away our lives, if we must dy as the prophet saith, let us be merry before our death, It were revealed to me saies the Prophet p. 653from the Lord of hosts, surely this iniquity shal not be purged from you, til you dye, that is, never; so tel the rebellious servant of his or her rugged carriage, unruly language, that they have tongues set on fire of hel, … in wording of it, slighting and gainsaying, Titus. 2. 9. Exhort servants to be obedient to their own masters to please them wel in al things, not answering again; because they are stopped from answering frampfully, therefore they wil not modestly and in meekness of wisdom ask counsel and direction from a Governor, wish them ask your Mistres, enquire of your Master, no no, I must not speak, I promise you, would I were Governor, they cannot sin, they must be pleased in al things, whether they please God or no.

Thus because their devillish heart cannot bear the truth, they flout the truth and cast it away in a scorn, as though they should say, you may see what sweet rules the scripture gives for the Government of servants, nay how unequal and unreasonable they be, which is such hideous and hellish blasphemy, that the heart of Belzebub in his cold blood would blush to vent it. These two sorts out of a stupid impudency are not capable 3of …, there be two other sorts that out of subtilty of pride are unwilling to bear it, such are those who in the third ranck, seek up … shameful hidings that may be imagined, strugle as for life to the utmost of their power and policie, that they may shift off the shame, and make an escape from under that righteous reproach and contempt … … … vileness of their carriages, have justly brought upon themselves, sometimes in silence burying and hiding of it. As Judah his incest Gen. 38. 23. When he sent the kid and found not the harlot, he was content to let her go away with his ring and bracelet, lest (saith he) we be ashamed. So David would have covered his solly with …, by sending Uriah to his own house, 2 Sam. 11. And for a push the very servants of the Lord may be surprised with this sinful p. 654shifting away of their shame from them, and al that while never see their sincerity nor find peace, but when they are brought to see their sin, then they yield immediately 2 Sam. 12. 13. I have (saith David) sinned against the Lord. Sometime by falshood gainsaying and denying, so Gehazi 2 Kings, 5. 25. Where hast thou been Gehazi, thy servant went no whither. Somtime colouring, excusing putting it off as Saul to Samuel first it were not done, then the people did it, then he did it, but for sacrifice, and for love to Gods worship, 1 Sam. 15. and in the issue he would be helped against his shame but not against his sin, yet honor me before the people v. 30. he doth not say let me be humbled before the people who have sinned before them; of this rank are these, when the stals of Conscience and the pressures of their spirits constrain them to confess, and seek for ease, their complaints are like Lapwings cryes, farthest from their nest or their bosom distempers which lye in the deck, onelyonly their acknowledgments are so general and of such evils that more or less belong to al and therefore they conceive they are yet under a safe cover, little shame wil fal to their share; Oh they are proud, and dead hearted, and have a deal of self within them; the issue is here, and the English is this, I say I am thus, and who is not so more or less? and so a little shame wil come to their allowance and allotment; And if their words which fal from them give a prudent man advantage of further enquirie, and just suspicion to lay his hand upon the loathsom sore, you wil see what shuffling, and winding and biting of the lip, wil presently appear.

The fourth and last sort are such who when the arrowes 4of the Lord have stuck fast in them, and the venom therof hath drunk up their spirits, when the poyson of their sin and pangs of conscience like a strong potion hath made them extremely sick that they are not able to conceal their evils any longer, but the vengeance p. 655of the Lord forceth them to vomit out al their filth to the ful, as a stiring potion kept in, works with much violence, but when its over and they have thus taken the shame, its with no content to them, its a secret torment, that their own tongues have gone beyond their own intents, they do inwardly repine, and befool themselves and could eat their flesh that ever they should lay themselves open so to contempt: and therefore they begin to devise wayes and means, how to mitigate the matter that it may not seem loathsom nor they so vile by reason of it and therefore they make constructions of some things, and interpretations of others, and then lay the extremity upon their distemper which was fired and followed by Satan, that they belyed themselves in some things and said they knew not what and thus like the unclean dog they lick up their vomit again they cannot be quit of the shame and wash away the filth, they have flung in their own faces, but they are in no wise content with it, and therefore would fain get it off, by al the means they can devise, thus their sins come to be healed too soon, like a sore that closeth too fast, not being daily tented and opened, and so it festers again and proves dangerous, so it is with the soul when it is not tented with daily taking shame for the evil, and so kept open, it again rankles and growes worse;

But how shal we know that we are content to take Quest.shame for sin, by a right confession of it.

I answer, that wil appear in four particular evidences.Answ.

The heart that is indeed content to take shame fon the 1sin it hath committed, and stands guilty of, it hath this disposition wrought in it, and expresseth this affection also, as occasion serves; namely, it opposeth not that Truth which doth evidently discover a mans …, and how worthily he deserves it, though it doth it sharply. To be content with a thing, and to be opposite against the same thing, implies a professed contradiction, p. 654duplicate page p. 655duplicate page p. 656which neither Reason allows, nor common sence wil admit: He that is content in earnest with the portion and condition that is carved out to him, in the course of Providence, when it's offered he welcoms it, when it's come, and that he hath it in his possession, closeth therewith as that which is a suitable good, and most serviceable to him for the present necessity, all circumstances considered: An humbled heart takes his shame as a sick man doth his physick, he could heartily wish he did not need it, and yet as the case stands, he cannot want it, but in reason he shal want his Cure and health; the potion is loathsom to take, and troublesom in the working of it, but the disease he knows to be far worse, and more dangerous, which he conceives may be purged by the use of this means, and therefore seeks it earnestly, and is not content without it, and glad indeed to be so troubled, because he may be eased as he hopes: So it is with a heart truly sensible of sin, and turned from it, looks at this shame as a most loathsom and tedious potion, and could have wished, and that heartily, he had never need of it, had never so miscarried himself as to have deserved it; but as the case now stands, the dishonor done to Gods Name and Truth, the scandal to others, the danger to the spiritual and everlasting welfare of his own soul, he looks at the Truth which shal be most evident, and most sharply set on as the most special Receipt, and Soveraign Medicine, which he is glad to seek, and more glad to take, that the noysom distempers may be taken from his soul, the dishonor from Gods Name, and scandal from before the way of his Brethren: … to have a thing, and crossness of spirit to resist that which brings it, cannot stand together; and in this sence it is you shal find the Saints pray so earnestly, and affectionately for the keeping away of shame somtimes, Psal. 119. Turn from me rebuke and shame; and again, Let me not be ashamed. And somtime again so willingly to welcom and entertain it, We lie down in our p. 657shame, and are covered with confusion, Jer. 3. … Shame is a heavy curse, as deserved by sin, and justly inflicted from the Lord; but to accept of it with an under abasedness of heart, as the punishment of our … from the hand of the Lord, this is indeed the work of Grace; and a gracious heart wil not side it against that Truth, which wil pass the sentence of shame upon it, as the just fruit of our evil doings, and as a means so sanctified, to work a hatred against it in our selves, and to remove the scandal of it from others; and therefore strives not by restless cavils and evasions to make an escape from the evidence of the Word in the work of Conviction, when a mans errors should be discovered; nor yet doth repine at, nor bear a privy grudg after the conviction, lies not under the Truth as the … upon the rack, which he therefore bears, not because indeed he cannot help himself against it, with all the troublesom … he can use; but his soul inwardly approves of that word which judgeth his person and practice vile as himself doth: Thus the word in the Original, which sign sies confession properly, …, to speak as God speaks, to judg as God judgeth of his sin; this hath been the constant guize of the Saints, touched sincerely with remorse for their sin: A word snibs David, Thou art the man; presently, I have sinned, saith he. A wink or a look of the Lord Jesus, makes Peter lie at his foot, Go out and weep bitterly, who had immediately before in a faithless cowardice basely denied him. As it is with a Steed of a tender mouth, feels his Bit …, the … check of the Rider staies him, turns him which way he wil: So it is with a tender Conscience, fals under the greatest shame that the least evidence of Argument wil check him withal: So Ezekiah, though i. were a sharp word, and the threatening …, Isai. 39. last, yet saies he, The Word of the Lord is a good Wond; my heart is naught, my carriage naught, my apprehensions naught and erroneous, but p. 658the Word of the Lord is good; and the holy Apostle in that inward combate, speaks in the Name of all the Saints in the like case, Rom. 7. 14. For we know that the Law is spiritual, holy, and good. [WE] i. e. all that know God, the work of his Grace, the purity of the Truth; they, and I and al, confess the Law is Spiritual, that is for ever to be honored, loved, obeyed, but I am carnal; a good and holy Law, but an evil and unholy heart; true it is, that carnal and hollow-hearted Hypocrites, may somtimes have their Consciences so far awed with the Soveraign power of the Truth, that they may yield … thereunto, and in outward appearance readily profess their approbation thereof, with the condemnation of themselves, and their own courses, because they have no other way to gain ease and quiet to their own Consciences, now clamoring against them, or their acceptance with men, their carriages being gross and inexcusable, and therefore must so far bear the shame, because he sees he cannot excuse his folly, or sin being so open, but he shal be accounted impudent in denying and sinning; but al this while his heart is carried with an inward distast against it, and by a privy spleen imbittered so as to conspire secretly the disparagement of it: As it fared with those treacherous Jews when they saw no way, and therefore had no hope to take away the life of Paul by open violence; then they did cunningly plot it, by a color of fair pretence, and carried it, thus: Acts, 23. 14. They would have him brought down out of the Castle, as though they would enquire somthing more perfectly of him; and we, ere ever he come neer, will be ready to kill him. So these fals-hearted Creatures make it by their … pretences, that they would enquire more perfectly concerning the Truth; the Servant craves Counsel how he should subdue the ruggedness of his Spirit, the froward wife how she should overcome her way ward, peevish …, they wil enquire more perfectly, as though they would obey p. 656perfectly, submit perfectly, be perfect Servants, wives, &c. But alas, there is a conspiracy in their hearts against the strict waies of God: So it was with Balaam, he hath never done sacrificing to enquire the wil of God, and yet his heart inwardly opposeth and resists his wil, and this shewed it self in open violence, and contempt of the Command and Charge, Numb. 24. 1.