First Epistle of John Applied Part 2, Sermon 16
SERM. 16.THE FIRST EPISTLE OF S. IOHN.
CHAP. I. Ver. 9.
If we confesse our sins, he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
THere are two sorts of persons among others observable in the Church, namely glorioli, and infirmi, presumptuous hypocrites, and weak Saints, those are commonly lifted up with an opinion of their own righteousnesse; these are usually cast …down with an apprehension of their own sinfulness, those boast themselves to be the best of Saints, Vide Aret. in loc.and these abhorre themselves as the worst of sinners: Finally, those think themselves to have no sin, and these account themselves to be nothing but sin. Hence it is that Gods Ministers (though they must not be double tongued yet) must speak in different language; to the arrogant, words of terrour; to the penitent, words of support; must use both hands, with the r…ght hand lifting up them that are cast down, and with the left hand casting down them that are lifted up; of both these our Apostle sets us a pattern in the three last verses of this Chapter, launcing the sores of proud Iustitiaries, with the knife of reproof, in the eighth and tenth verses, and powring oyl… of comfort into the wounds of humble confessours in the tenth verse, If we confess our sins, &c.
Not to trouble you with multiplicity of divisions, be pleased to observe in the words three generals,
A duty conditionally required in those words, If we confess our sins.
A mercy annexed to that duty in those, To forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
The certainty of that mercy, demonstrated in those, he is faithfull and just.
These are the three boughs of this tree of life, out of each of which sprout so many branches, and groweth so much fruit that it will ask many houres the gathering. At this time I shall enter upon the
1. Duty conditionally required, for the handling whereof be pleased to consider it two wayes, Gen.as it is
Materia praecepti, the matter of a Commandement.
Cond…tio promissi, the condition of a promise.
In the former I shall unfold the nature and exercise of this duty, wherein it consists, how it is to be managed.
In the latter I shall discover the necessity and utility of it, as being that whereof the absence excludes, and the presence includes forgiveness.
The former will be as the directive part instructing you in, and
The latter as the perswasive part, exciting you to the performance of it.
The dispatch of the first consideration, will lye in answer to four questions.
What it is which we are to confess.
To whom this confession must be made.
How this confession must be performed.
Who they are that must thus confess.
Quest. 1. What it is we are to confess, the answer to which is in these two words, Our sins, and there are three steps, by which I shall proceed in the handling of it, sin, sins, our sins, must be confessed by us.
1. Sin must be confessed. Divines do not unfitly take notice of a threefold confession. Fidei, laudis, peccati, of faith, of praise, of sin; a declaration of the truth we beleeve, mercies we receive, sins we commit; the first is an act of courage, the second of gratitude, the last of repentance; concerning all of these, the word in the Text is used by S. Paul in reference to the confession of faith, where he joyneth beleeving with the heart, Rom. 10.10.and making confession with the mouth together; by the Authour to the Hebrewes, H…b. 13 15.in reference to thankefulness, where this very word is rendred giving thanks; and by S. John here in respect of sin, If we confess our sins.
It is that indeed which both sin and the sinner very much shun; sin is so ugly, that it loveth not to appear, and being a work of darkness, cannot indure the light; besides, the sinner is so much in love with his sin, that he is not willing to bring it forth: that expression of the Prophet Hoseah, Hos▪ 10.13. Sept.You have ploughed wickedness, is rendred by the Septuagint, foreign ▪ you have concealed wickedness, and not unfitly, because the end of ploughing is, that the seed may be cast into, and hid in the ground: this is the practice of wicked men, to keep close their sin: they hide their talents in the napkin of idleness, and their sins in the napkin of excuse; indeed it is a disease our first parents were sick of, no wonder if we be infected; and therefore Jobs expression is, If I have hid my sin as Adam;Job 31.33. if we are not so proud as to say we have no sin, A…g. in Ps. 30. Nae …u verecundiâ bonus ad delinquendum expandens f…ont…m ad deprecand…m subducens. …ertul. de poeni…. c 10. Theod. de pro…id. lib 10. Be… ep 18…. Friv…l… nimis …egmen quaeris anima misera, &c. G…frid Tilman in Gen. c. 3. Ambros. in Psal. 118. Serm. 21. Tertul. de poenit. c. 6. Ven…at fori… mortuus, i. e. culpam confiteatur peccat…r. Greg. in Evang. h…m. 26. R…go v…s per illum Dominum quem occulta non fall…nt de finite v…lne…a…am …egete c…nscientiam, &c. Pa…ia…. paraen. ad poeni…. P…al. 37.5. Am bros. ibid.yet we are not so humble as to say we have sin; with the Pharisee we can brag, what sins we are not guilty of, but we will not confess the sins we are guil…y of. Men love as S. Austins phrase is, clamare mer…a ▪ but tacere p…cca…a, to proclaim their good, but conceal their evill d…eds; vain glory puts them upon the one, but shame forbids them the other: indeed when sin is to be commit…ed, shame is absent; and when it is to be confessed, shame is present.
Oh take we heed of this shameful shame in hiding our sins, which is at once both cursed and va…n, non pudenda pecca…i c…nsessio sed perpetratio, it is a shame to act sin, but not to acknowledge it; shame is a good bridle to keep from sin, but a bad cover to hide it. S. Bernard calls it a foolish, dishonest, injurious modesty; thou art not ashamed to defile thy self, and yet thou art ashamed to be made clean; indeed it is a shame, whereof thou hast reason to be ashamed, since as it doth much hurt, so it can do no good, as to that which thou desirest, all excuses are but fig-leaves and paper-coverings; wicked men as St. Ambrose saith excellently, in affectu habent abscondere non in effectu, desire to hide, but cannot fulfill it; God, saith our Apostl…, is light, and therefore there is no concealing or darkening any thing from him: the reason saith Tertullian, why God commands us to confess our sins, it is not that he may know them, but that it may appear we know, and are sensible of them; oh then let me say to you (to use S. Gregories morall) as Christ did to Lazarus, come forth by the confession of your sins. I beseech you (in the words of an Ancient) by that God to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom nothing is hid, that you do not skin over your wounded consciences. That of the Psalmist, commit thy way to the Lord, is rendred by the vulgar, Revela viam Domino, Reveal thy way, and by S. Ambrose understood of revealing our sins to God: indeed since it is impossible to cover, why should we not d…scover our sins? conceal not that which God knoweth already, and would have thee to make known: it is a very ill office to be the Dev…l… Secretary: oh break thy league with Satan by revealing his secrets, thy sins to God.
2. As sin in general, so sins in particular must be confessed: an implicite confession, is almost as bad as an implicite faith: it is not enough to acknowledge our sins by whole-sale, Luke 18.13.but by retaile. True it is, a general confession may be penitent; such no doubt was the Publicans, wh…n he said,1 Tim. 1.13.15. foreign &c. Chris…. hebr. c. 12. Bella…m. de paen. l. 3 c. 4. God be merciful to me a sinner: but a penitent will not content himself with a general confession, and therefore S. Paul as in one place he calleth himself at large a sinner; so in another, he particular…zeth his sins of blasphemy, and persecution and injury against the Saints: thus doth a true penitent sit, or rather kneel down to draw his own picture in all its black l…neaments: To this purpose it is well observed in the Text that our Apostle doth not say, Si confiteamur nos peccatores sed peccata nostra, If we confess our selves sinners, but if we confesse our sins, whereby is intimated a particular acknowledgement of those sins whereof we are guilty.Zanch. in l c.
To open this more fully, I shall enlarge it in a threefold variation: we must confesse our sins in respect of their number, measure, merit.
1. In confession of sin, we must enum…rate the several sins which we have committed, as he in the Comedian said, that he had invited two guests to dinner, Philocrates, and Philocrates, a single man, but a double eater, so shal every man by examination find himself, though a single person, to be a double, nay a treble sinner. Confession, what is it but a setting our sins in order, and that is to be done by a distinct and particular enumeration?1 Sam. 16.11. In this case, as Samuel said to Jesse, Are here all thy children? so we must conceive that God saith to us, Are here all thy sins? and as good not confess any, as not bring forth all. Indeed this must be understood with this limitation, so far as we know and can remember. There are some sins which we act, and know not that they are sins: there are other sins which we have perhaps so often comm…tted that we are not able to remember them, and surely what we cannot either know or remember, it is impossible to recount; so that particular confession must reach onelyonly to known sins, and in those to the kinds and the actings onelyonly, so farre as we can call them to m…nd, and yet more especially, if the sins wherein we have walked, or which we have acted, have been scarlet cr…mson sins; for so we find the Israelites particularizing Idolatry, and David his murder, and Shechania…, Judg. 2.10. P…. 51.13. …zr. 10 3.the peoples unlawful mixtures …n marriage: briefly, though we cannot exactly recount all our sins, yet we must not wilfully om…t any sin in our confessions, there being the same reason of confessing all as any, because every sin is an offence to God, and a breach of his law.
2. In confession we must aggravate our sins by confessing, not only the kinds and acts (so far as we remember) but the circumstances of our sins. Pelba…t. de …nfess.Indeed as Pelbartus well observeth; there are some circumstances of sinful actions, which are impertinent, and neither l…ssen nor heighten our sins; these are not to be mentioned, there are other circumstances which may somewhat lessen our sins, but those a penitent will not much insist on, only those circumstances which do heighten his sins, or by their badness change the kind of his sin, and render it of a more hainous nature; he is careful to acknowledg. When a man confesseth his sin, he becometh a witness against himself, and therefore he must on the one hand confesse nothing but the truth, (for though as Iob sacrificed for his sons upon an if may be they have sinned, Job 1.5.so a man may charge himself before God upon suspition, yet, he is not to accuse himself of what he is not guilty) and on the other hand, he must confesse all the truth, and keep back nothing which may aggravate his fault. Indeed it is our great fault in our confessions, we perhaps spet out some sins, but others we hide under our tongues, we acknowledge something of our crime, but yet we would make the best of it we can: if the sinner do not say, non feci, or non malè feci, I did not do the fact, or I did not ill in doing it, yet he is too often at non multum malè, 't was not very ill done. Me thinks that of Aaron is very observable to this purpose who in confessing the Idolatry of the Golden Calfe, useth a mincing expression, Exod. 32.34.there came out this Calfe, as if it had happened rather by chance, then art, and there were little or no fault in him, but the temper of a t…ue paenitent is far otherwise, he looketh upon his sins as the greatest enemies; nor can a malicious person, so spightfully set forth the faults of his enemy, as he will his own: besides he knoweth that extenuating sin, aggravates, and aggravating, extenuateth it, that as a charitable man gathereth by scattering, so a penitent lesseneth his sin, by acknowledging it great. Hence it is that the confessions recorded in Scripture, are full of exaggerating expressions (as may appear in those of David, and Ezra, and Daniel) setting forth not onelyonly the nature,2. Sam. 24.1. Ezra. 9.6 Dan. 9.5. but the greatnesse of their sins.
3. Finally, in confession we must acknowledge the guilt and desert of our sins, not onelyonly what we have done unjustly, but what we deserve to suffer justly: thus we must confesse as our sins, so the punishment due to us by reason of those sins, how we deserve to be stript of all Gods mercies, and to have all the curses written in his book inflicted on us, this is that the Scripture calls a Judging our selves; when we do not onelyonly arraigne and accuse our selves unto God by a confession of the fault,1 Cor. 11.31. but judge and condemne our selves, by a confession of the punishmen…t and so we finde in Daniels acknowledgement, not onelyonly we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly, but to us, Oh Lord God belongeth confusion of face, as it is this day.Dan. 9.5.7.….
3. Once more, as sins, many sins, so our sins, must be confessed:Aug. in ps. 51. it is St. Austins note upon those words of David, I acknowledge my iniquity, non intueor alios, I do not pry into other mens faults to publish them, but I acknowledge my own offences.
To enlarge this in a threefold consideration: we must confesse,
1. Our own sins principally. Indeed we finde the people of God confessing publique, as wel as private sins; the sins of their princes, their priests, as well as their own, not onelyonly the sins of their contemporaries, but their progenitors, we have sinned with our Fathers, Psal. 106.6.but stil they chiefly insist upon their own sins. When Gods Servants confesse the sins of others, it is upon one of these two reasons, either because they have been theirs, or lest they should be theirs, sometimes other men sins become ours, and fit it is, that as we have been partakers with them in their sins, we should be in repentance, and if they do no…, yet we must confesse their sins, inasmuch as our hand hath been in them: again, The sins of others when publick, if not confessed, and bemoaned by us become ours: it is not enough for us that we doe not joyne with, but we must mourne for the abominations of others, but still principally our own sins must be ou… greatest trouble, and the matter of our confession.
2. Our sins to be our own. Many in confessing oft times transfer their sins upon others. These brats are so ugly, that when they are brought forth, we are loath to own them, but lay them at others doores. Eve chargeth her sin upon the Serpent, the Serpent beguiled mee, Adam upon Eve, nay in plain termes upon God,Gen. 3.12.13. The woman which thou gavest me. St. Austin upon those words of David, confitebor adversus me iniquitates meas domino, I will confesse my sins against my selfe unto the Lord, observeth, …hat many confesse their sins, not against, but for themselves, not to, but against the Lord, how usuall is it with wicked men to accuse not onelyonly the devill, but God for the sins which they commit, laying them upon fate and destiny, upon the stars and clymate, upon their constitution and complexion and the like? but the truth is as Agamemnon said foreign neither Jupiter, nor the destinies, nor the furyes, but it is a mans selfe that doth him the mischiefe, and therefore the true pen…tent layeth his sins at his own door, and taketh shame upon himselfe by reason of them.
3. Those sins which are most especially our own. The prophet Isay saith of himselfe and the people,Isa. 53.6. We have all like sheep gone astray, and turned every man to his own way, thereby intimating that as all men go in a wrong way, so every man hath his own way, in which he wandereth. It were easy to instance in countries, in persons, how there is some sin, which is as it were more especially beloved and practised by them. Pliny writeth of some Families that had privy marks on their bodyes peculiar to those of that line, and every man hath as it were a privy sin, which is most justly called his, but if we will confesse our sins aright, we must not leave out that sin, nay our chiefest spight must be against it according to Davids resolve, I will declare mine iniquity, and be sorry for my sin. And so much shall suffice in answer to the first question,Ps. 38.18. which respects the object of our confession.
Quest. 2. To whom confession of sinnes is to be made, is that which next in order calls for a solution: True it is, we have no expresse and direct, but yet we have a collaterall and implicite answer in the text, and though it is not said, If we confesse our sins to God, yet it will easily appeare that it is so intended.
Indeed it cannot be denyed but that
1. Our sins against the second Table as they are wrongs and injuries to our neighbour, ought to be confessed to him, in this sence St. Augustine interprets that of St. James, confesse your faults one to another, Aug. in Iam 5.6. Ioh. 11▪ 56.and without doubt it is implicily required by our blessed Saviour, when he bids a man before he offer his gift to goe and be reconciled to his brother, if he have ought against him, Matth. 5.23.24to wit by (at least) making an acknowledgment of the wrong he hath done him.
2. Our sins having been open, and so become scandalous, ought to be acknowledged to the Church where of we are members, this is that foreign which was used in the primitive times of which Tertullian and others of the antients speake. A piece of discipline, Tertull. depaenit:which it were heartily to be wished, were still in use that notorious, offenders might be brought to a publique acknowledgment of their sinnes.
3. Our sins when they are not onelyonly in themselves grosse but to our consciences burdensome may, nay ought to be confessed to a faithful, pious, discreet minister. The truth is. There are many excellent benefits which hereby accrue to the penitent as Zanchy hath wel observed,Zanch in, loc. such as are the helping forward of his humiliation, faith & repentance, the obta…ning from the minister more suteable, particular and direct counsels, more spirituall and fervent prayers both for, and with him, and withall upon the signes of his true contrition accompaning that confession, the comfortable sentence of absolution; and therefore, though I doe utterly dislike the doctrine of the Romish Church, which asserts a particular enumeration of all our sinnes to the preist as necessary to remission yea in (her last conventicle, rather then councill, pronounceth an anathema to all, Concil. Trident Sess. 14. Can. 7.who shall deny this particular sacramentall confession ro the preist, to be of divine right, yea though I abhorre the practice of it as used among them, by the priest, as a stratagem to vntie the peoples purses and a pick lock to open the secrets of states, by the peopl…, not as an hedge, but a gap to make way for future commissions with more freedome after they have (as they suppose) cleansed themselves by confession, Yet I could heartily w…sh, that the right use of private confession to the priest were revived and pract…ced, since I am confident that as many having secret d…seases p…rish, for want of reveal…ng them to an able Ph…sitian; so may sin sick soules, either wholly miscarry or however, sad…y continue and increase their inward wounds for want of making known their case to some faithfull min…ster.
But the confess…on which our Apostle, here intends is (no doubt) onelyonly in reference to God, for besides that, it is a confession to be made by the Apostles, and so the m…nisters themselves, as well as the people, it is clearly intimated, that this confession must be made to him who is just and faithfull to forgive, and that is onelyonly God: indeed, this confession is that which must accompany all the rest, when wee confesse the wrong to man, wee must confesse the sin to God;Ps. 32.4. L…k. 15.18. when we acknowledge the scandall to the Church, still we must acknowledge the sin to God: finally,foreign … ad Hebr. foreign &c. Chrisost. T.C. hom. 5. when we confesse too, our confession must not be …erm…nated in the M…nister, and though it bee made before him, yet it must be directed to God. The truth is those confessions without this, are not avaylable, but this may, nay will be without those, if God deny the opportunity of them, indeed it is God who is …ither mediately, or immediately injured, it is Gods law which is d…rectly violated in all sinnes, and therefore to him, they must be conf…ss…d. Thus David said, I will conf…sse my transgress…ons unto the Lord, and the prod…gall resolveth to goe to his Father and say, Father I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and St. Chrisostom… adv…seth, yea beseecheth the p…ople, to acknowledge the…r sinnes continually to God, to confesse them before the judge, praying if not w…th their tongue yet their hearts, and so much bee spoken in answer to the second quaere.
How this confession must be performed, is next to bee resolved: Q…. 3.to which end be pleased to take notice of the Antecedent, Ingredients, and consequent of a right acknowledgement.
1. There cannot bee agnitio if there be not cognitio peccati, an acknowledging, unless there precede a knowledge of sin. David puts them together.P…. 5….3. I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me, …f our sinnes bee not before us how can we set them before God? and therefore to the right exercise of this duty, th…re is required a praevious examination of our hearts, inspection into our lives, that we may be enabled to see our sinnes: hee that hath not yet asked himselfe that question, quid feci? what have I done can never make the confession? sic feci, thus & thus I have done: & in this respect I would though not require, yet advise it as a pious and prudent practice, and that which I doubt not but many Christians have found benefit by, to keepe a constant daily Catalogue as of mercies received, so of sinnes committed.
2. The Ingredients of this confession, are many and such as well deserve our observation. A right confession of sin must be
1. Free and voluntary, not a confession upon the rack, or the gallowes, extracted meerely from sence of paine and smart of the punishment: wee read of confessions made by Pharaoh and Saul, Exod. 10.16. 1 Sam. 15 24but it was when Judgement either feared or felt compelled them to i…. Many cast out their sinnes by confession as Mar…ners doe their war…s in a storm, wishing for them again in a calme, a true confession must be ingenious, and must come like water out of a spring which floweth freely, not like water out of a st…ll which is forced by fire.
2. Cordiall and sincere, confession to men is a worke of the voyce, but to God of the hea…t, and that so peculiarly, as oftimes the heart alone is sufficient without the voyc… but never the voyce without the heart, many mens confessions come from them as water, runs through a pipe they leave no impression, their hearts are not affected with what they confesse. O let us learne to be in good earnest, with God, remembring that as prayer for mercy, so confession of sin must not be onelyonly a lip labour, since then instead of offering the calves of our lips, wee shall but offer the lips of calves.
3. Penitent and abasing. This is that which puts forth it selfe in a Three fold affection of shame, of griefe, of hatred, wee must confesse
1. With shame. This was Ezrahs temper when he saith oh my God I am ashamed, Es…· 6.6. Hos. 14.2and blush to lift up my face to heaven, to bee ashamed to confesse is bad, but to confesse with shame is good those words of the Prophet so wil we render the the calves of our lips, are by velasques expounded of penitent confession, Velasqu. in Phil, c. 30 v. 10. Annot. 2which whilest it brings by shame redness into the che…ks, as it were lets out the bloud of the sacrificed calfe, by the knife of repentance.
Luke, 18.13. Ps. 38.18. 1 Sam. …7.6. Iob. 16.20· P…. 119.1, 6. Ier. 9.1.2. With griefe. Thus the publican for shame, stands a farre off, not daring to lift his eyes to heaven, & for grief smiteth his hreast. David doth not onelyonly say, I will declare, but I will be sorry for my sin, the people of God, in the day of their confession not onelyonly say wee have sinned but draw water and poure it out before the Lord, in token of contrition. wee should in confessing sins have our hearts so affected that our eyes with Job may poure teares before God that with David rivers of teares may run down our eyes; yea wee should wish with Ieremy, that our head were water, and our eyes a fountaine of teares. But however nonne stillabit oculus noster, if we cannot poure out shall wee not drop a tear, or at least if we cannot shed a tear, let us breath forth a sigh for our sins, it is onelyonly the heart broken with godly sorrow, that sends forth a true confession.
3, With hatred, confession is the soules vomit and looke as what the stomack vomits, it loaths, yea therefore it casts it up, because it loaths it, so must wee confess our sins, with an holy indignation against, and detestation of them. There are beloved too many, who declare their sin, Isaiah. 3.9.but it is to use the prophet Isaiahs comparison as Sodom, with impudency, they made a sport of acting and they make a …east of confessing their sins these are they who according to St. Pauls expression glory in the…r shame, mention their sin not with sorrow, but joy, hatred,Phil. ….19. but delight, boasting of the wickednesse they act, it is a confession which is attended with dedolent imp…nitency: but the penitent confession, is of a contrary nature, ever accompanied with a shamefull griefe and loathing.
4. Beleeving and fiduciall, that must be like the confession, not of the malefactor to the Iudge, but of a sick man, to the Physitian, wee read of Cain, and Iudas confessing, but it was rather a desperate ac…usation, then a penitent confession, Daniel as he acknowledged to them, belonged confusion, so that to God belongeth mercy;Dan. 9.5. thus must our most sorrowfull acknowledgment be joyned with some comfortable hope, of, and trust in divine mercy.
3. The consequent of this conf…ssion, must be dereliction were it onelyonly to confesse our fault, when we have done it, it were an easie matter, but if Solomon may be St. Iohns expositor, it is not onelyonly to confesse, but forsake sin, Pro. 82.13.and therefore interpreters truly assert, that confession is here put synecdochi…ally, for the whole worke of repentance, Peccat…rum confessi… …yned…hicè vniversam penitentiam hoc l…ce significat. Vo…st in loc.it being not enough for us to confesse the sin wee have committed, but wee must not commit again wilfully the sins wee confess. indeed it is very sad to consider how generally defective, mens confessions are as to this particular. Many (as Fulgentius, …xcellently) being pricked in conscience confess that they have done ill, and yet put no end to their ill deeds, they humbly accuse thmselves in Gods sight of the sinnes which oppresse them, and yet with a perverse heart rebelliously heape up those sins, whereof they accuse themselves. F…lgent. de Rem. peccat. l. 1. c. 12.The very pardon which they beg, w…th mournfull sighs, they impede with their wicked actions: they aske help of the Physitian, and still minister matter to the disease, thus …n va…n endeavouring to appease him w…th penitent word…, whom they goe on to provoke by an impen…tent course: …ook… how Saul dealt with Dav…d, …. S…m 24.16.…7.26.2.one whi…e confessing hi… injustice towards him, and soone after persecu…ng him in the wildernesse, so doe men with God ▪ you know the story of Pharaoh who one day saith, I have sinned and promiseth to let Israel goe, and the next day hard… neth his heart, and refuseth to let them goe, and this practice is too too frequent: our repentance is a kind of che… ker worke, black & wh…te, wh…te and black: we sin, and then we confess, we confess & then again we sin. But o… beloved, what will it availe you to vomit up your sins by confession, if you do it onelyonly with the drunkard to make way for pouring in more drinke, committing new sins, nay with the dog, you returne to your vomit, and lick it up again. It is excellent councell that is given by St. Ambrose, Ambros. de penitent. l. … c. 7. et c. …1. Aug▪ h…m. 41. Fulgent de Remiss. peccat l. 2 c. 16. Iob. 34.32.oh take we heed that the dev…ll have not cause to triumph over our remedy as well as our d…sease, and that our repentance be not such as needs a repentance. Indeed as Fulgentius appositely) Then is Confession of sin, Availeable when it is accompanied w…th a separation from sin, and the practice of th… contrary duty; and therefore what our Apostle saith of Loving, 1 Ioh. 3.18.let mee say of confessing, confesse not in tongue or in word onelyonly, but indeed, and in truth, by endeavouring to forsake those sins which wee confesse, not onelyonly saying, I have done iniquity, but cordially, a…ding, I w…ll doe so no more. I… 1.…6. Aug. Se…m 66. de Temp. hom. 4▪I end this, with that note of St. Austin upon those words of the Prophet. Wash you make you clean. He onelyonly washeth and is clean, who sorrowfully acknowledgeth past, and doth not again willingly admitt future sins, and so much shall serve, in dispatch of the third question.
4. Come we now in a few words to the last, which is, who they are that must thus confess…, & that is intimated in the word we, To confesse …,Qu. 4. is that which belongs not onelyonly to wicked and ungodly men but to St. Iohn and such as he was, good, nay, the best Christians, and that in a respect of their
1. Past enormities. True pen…tents, love still to rub upon their old s…res. Psa. 25.9.David in his psalm deprecateth the sins of his youth, our old sins call for new confessions, and this holy men doe upon severall considerations.
1. To keep down the swell…ng of spirituall pride, which is apt to arise in the best saints. King Agathocles, by drinking in …arthen vessels, to minde himselfe of his or…g…nall (which was from a potter) kept hims…lfe humble, so doe good Christians by remembring and acknowledging their hainous sins before conversion.
2. To gain further assurance of the pardon of these sins▪ Faith in the best is apt to faint, and feares to arise in their minds, but the renewing of confession and contrition supports faith and expels fear.
3. To strengthen themselves the more against relapses into those sins. The best men want not temptations to the worst sins, especially those which before conversion they were accustomed to, & lived in, but every new confession is as it were a new obligation upon a man, not to doe it any more.
4. To enflame their souls with greater measure of love to God and Christ. The sence of sin is a great indearment of mercy, and the confession of sin renew…th the sence of it: indeed wee must not comm…t s…n abundantly that grace may abound the more, but we may and ought to confesse s…n abu…dantly that grace may abound & be the more prec…ous to us, for these reasons it is that good Christians, are frequent in confess…ng their old s…ns, but besides they have new matter of co…ession in respect of
2. Their present infirm…t…es, not onelyonly all that are wicked, but all that are sinners, are bound to confesse their sins, and (as you formerly heard) the best whilest they continue here are sinners; whilest the ship is leaking, the water must be pumped out: as the room continually gathereth soyle, so it must be daily swept, and the stomack which is still breeding ▪ …ll humours, must have vomits administred. The line of confession must be drawn out as long as the line of sinning, and that is as long, as the line of living.
To shut up therefore, we may by this see what kind of Saints those are, who are altogether for high raptures of gratulation and admiration, but think themselves past confession and humiliation, and therefore you shall observe their prayers to have little or no mixture of acknowledgment of sin; To all such I shall say as the Emperor did to the Arch-Puritan Acesius, foreign, Erect thy ladder, and climb alone upon it to heaven; for our parts (my brethren) let confession of sins be as the first, so the last round in that ladder to heaven, by which we expect and endeavour to ascend that Celestial Habitation.