The Valley of Vision, Sermon 3
SERMON III.
Hoſea. 14.2.
Take to you words, and turne to the Lord, ſay unto him, take away all iniquitie, and receive us graciouſly, &c.
IT was well ſayd by Saint Auſtin, that Art perfects nature, hee found the proofe thereof in himſelfe; for it had perfected him: For minerals and vegetatives, you all know, that it is mechanick, and inferiour Arts that perfect them. Nature gives gold, and Art purifies it; nature gives Stones that are precious, and Art makes them more precious; nature gives ſimples, and Art makes them confections. And for man that is the moſt excellent of inferiour creatures, they are the ingenious and the ſpirituall Arts that perfect man. And every ſeverall Art hath a kinde of ſpeciall intereſt in ſome ſeverall perſons: For memory, they are the rules of method that perfect memory. And the rules of invention, perfect parts: the rules of diſputation, perfect reaſon, the rules of oratorie, perfect ſpeech; and generally whether wee looke upon the bodie, or whether we looke upon the ſoule, if there be any thing in either that is defective, art either reſtores, or helpes it, if there be any thing luxurious, art polliſheth it; if any thing diſorderly, art corrects it; that the Philoſopher had good reaſon to ſay, Art perfects nature: for he could doe nothing but by Art: now if Art give ſuch perfection to nature, that is ſo lame in it ſelfe, what perfection doe Chriſtians draw from that that is the Art of all other Arts, the art of Gods booke, thoſe heavenly rules of direction containd in the word of God? there is no part of man, but it perfects, for it not only perfects but changeth, it changeth our nature, not only to ſome degree, but to a totall and compleat eſtate. It converts the ſoule, it rejoyceth the heart, it delights the eye, for our actions, it teacheth us to live, for our thoughts, it teacheth us to, meditate for our ſpeech, it teacheth to diſcourſe godly. If there were no more Scriptures, yet this one Text that I have read, ſhewes the proofe of it.
Its the Prophets intendment by this Scripture to worke a change in the people of the Jewes to whom he preached, to worke an alteration, to a better knowing of this by experience, that the word it corrects, and reformes, and there is in every part of it, a ſeverall reformation, that may be wrought, if the heart be hardened, here this Scripture teacheth to humble them, Turne to the Lord, if the armes be infolded, this Scripture teacheth to ſpread them, if the lips be ſowed up, if the tongue ſtammer, that we know not how to expreſſe our ſelves before the heavenly majeſtie, this Scripture teacheth to open them, Take with you words, &c. So, that which was intended by him when he ſpake them firſt, is the ſame that I intend when I handle them now.
The parts you know are two.
A rule of excitement, and
A rule of direction.
The rule of excitement to two duties, one to the dutie of action, Turne to the Lord, of that I ſpake.
Another to the dutie of elocution, and that is twofold.
There is an excitement to a generall dutie of prayer. The manner of prayer, Take with you words, and go to God. What words I ſhewed the laſt time, the words of prayer, & of confeſſion, thoſe are the words; and what were the kinds of both, and the neceſſitie of both, ſo far I went.
Another is this particular forme, Take words and ſay to him. This part I am to goe on with.
And ſay to him.
That is, and ſay thus unto him, in hunc modum, in haec verba, after this manner in theſe words. The Prophets intendment is to give them a help for their infirmities in the worke of prayer, he pens a forme for them, he ſets this as an example, and patterne of prayer, whereby they ſhould make their prayers; a forme to uſe when they came before God.
He prevents an objection, Take with you words, and turne to the Lord. I, faine wee would take words, but where ſhall we get them? what words are fit? wee are ignorant, we are not acquainted with the language, that dutie hath been a ſtranger to us; who will teach us and inſtruct us, Wherewith ſhall wee come before the Lord? what words ſhall we uſe when we come before him? He prevents the objection in theſe words, And ſay to him; I will lend you words, if ye be ignorant I will inſtruct you; theſe are the words you ſhall uſe. Like a good inſtructer, he not only teacheth them the dutie, that they are to doe, but ſhewes them the manner of the performance; he excites them to prayer, and repentance, and ſhews to them a patterne of prayer, he gives them this forme of confeſſion.
You ſee beloved, that formes of prayer are not now taken up only: it is not a thing ſo new, as that ſo many diſgraces ſhould be put upon ſet formes, eſpecially thoſe that concerne the whole people, a Church, and Congregation, they are as ancient as Pauls time. Paul is pleaſed to tie himſelfe to a forme; and not only when he preached (I doe not ſay he did ſo alway, for then there was a greater neceſſitie) but even when he wrote. A man when he writes, hath libertie of time for varietie, eſpecially Paul having the gifts of the Spirit, yet he ties himſelf to a ſet prayer in al his Epiſtles, and makes it a token whereby it may be known, Thus I write, the grace of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, &c. and ſo he ſhuts up all.
Not only Paul, but our bleſſed Saviour, he that is the wiſedome of the Father, he by whoſe Spirit we learne to pray; he that commenceth our ſuits to God; he that hath the fulneſſe of all knowledge, therefore all varietie of heavenly expreſſions; when he prayed before God, and in his laſt prayer that he made in the garden; thrice he prayd, Matth. 26. and all thoſe times he uſeth the ſame forme, he ſpeakes the ſame words; he went, and prayed firſt, Father if it be poſſible: and then in verſ. 22. he prayes againe and ſaith the ſame words: and then in verſe 24. he prayes and ſaith the ſame words, he could have had varietie to have expreſt that notion, that is, to beg aſſiſtance of his father which he needed then as man; he expreſt it in that forme: we have his example, it is as old as Chriſts time.
Nay, before Chriſt came, in the time of the Prophets, it is as old as Moſes, and that is as farre as we can goe. For Hezekiahs time it is plaine, 2 Chron. 29. he cals to the Prieſts to ſing to the Lord in the words of David, and Aſaph: there are many particulars.
And therefore they are much to blame, that will bring an ill report on a good thing, that goe about to ſtumble the conſciences of the weake, as though it were an impediment for the Church of God in publick to keep themſelves to a ſet forme. They might remember that there be examples, and What was written aforetime, is written for our learning.
But we have more then examples; we have Chriſts direction, When ye pray, pray thus, Our Father.
Beſides, we reade of the happie ſucceſſe that thoſe prayers had; and God approved of the ſame, when they uſed and kept themſelves to formes; he that approved it in other Saints, will not diſdaine it in us; if it were pietie in them, it cannot be ill in us.
As for thoſe flouts that they give it, that it is a ſtinting of the Spirit, a confining of the grace of God: that it is to keepe people to walke upon crutches; and making people ſwim upon bladders; they are emptie, vaine, windy words, that become ſuch emptie Spirits: they are not the words of the Spirit of God; they are not words that ſavour of pietie, nay not of reaſon.
For yet, if they be ſcandalized at the formes that wee make, will they at the formes of Chriſt, and of the Prophets? will they ſay that Chriſt that conformed to a forme, and to the Prophets, that it was a walking upon crutches, and a ſwimming with bladders; if they lay ſuch imputations upon the formes that we have, they will not ſpare to lay the ſame upon that of Chriſt, they quarrell as much againſt it, as at our prayers, that now ſuperſtition it muſt be, or I know not what vaine tautalogie, to have the uſe of the Lords prayer in publick aſſemblies. Why did Chriſt give it? It is the form that he would have his Apoſtles, and his Church uſe to the worlds end; and as one ſaith well, for a man to pray otherwiſe then Chriſt would have him to pray, it is to be imputed ignorance, and folly, and ſinne. Our bleſſed Saviour had a ſpeciall intendment of pietie, when he ſet that forme to his Diſciples, and to the Church of God; and if therefore they finde fault with that, we may well think they will be too ſcrupulous to finde fault with thoſe formes that the Church hath ſet.
But let them not ſay, that preparation to prayer is a ſtinting of the Spirit: no, it is not a ſtinting of the Spirit of God; but a reſtraining of our owne wandring Spirits: Preparation is not ſo much a confining of the Spirit, as want of preparation is an abandoning of the Spirit of God.
It is true, it is acknowledged, and cannot be denyed, that conceived prayer, is an admirable grace, where it pleaſeth God to give the facultie, and power, but yet for publique prayer, though the gift were had by one, it is not by all.
There are ſpeciall uſes, and reaſons, that in publicke prayers formes are to be had.
They are ſpeciall helpes to the weakneſſe of thoſe that are not able to ſend up their owne ſuits. They are ſpeciall helpes of devotion, where the people know not what thoſe things are, that they are to beg of God. They are a ſpeciall meanes, to keepe in the heart, and affections within good compaſſe, and bounds, to hedg it in that it rove not. They are ſpeciall helpes to communitie, and unanimitie of prayer. That which commends publique prayer is one heart, and voyce, ſent to God; how can that be, by ſo many perſons as meet in this congregation, if they have not one forme? if there be not uniformitie kept in that?
Beſides, ordinarily, people doe not ſo much excell in this gift, as fitly to expreſſe themſelves in conceived prayer, and oft thoſe that are great ones are wanting, Wee know not how to pray as we ought. The Poet ſayd, if men follow their owne deſires, they ſeduce them: for what prayers make they?
One Poet tels us that they would beg of God that they might have opportunitie to deceive; give me grace that I may be accounted a holie, and righteous man: we may make ſuch prayers as theſe, ſometimes unlawfull, ſometimes hurtfull, ſometimes ſinfull things we ſhould pray for; and ſo more ſinfull we ſhould be, if we utter before God without due meditation, what we thought on before. Therfore theſe formes are put to us, we have mention upon record of the prayers of Abraham, of Jacob, of Moſes, of David, of Hezekiah; of the Prophet Jeremiah, Daniel, Habakkuk, Nehemiah, Ezra, all theirs with many others are ſet downe upon record. To what purpoſe? but that we might thereby learne to fit our ſelves with words to attaine a habit of prayer, by ſtudying of theſe formes.
And it is a great incouragement to know the formes that the Saints prevailed with of old; that God accepted ſuch prayers at their hand: he that accepted them then, if we ſend them by the ſame Spi…it will accept them now.
Therefore in the courſe of Scripture, for all Chriſtian duties, for all duties of pietie there were formes ſ…t, in the old Teſtament; for the bleſſing of the people th…e is a forme ſoe that Numb. 6. they were to bleſſe them thus, ſaying The Lord bleſſe you. When the Arke removed there was a forme for that, the forme then was, Ariſe O Lord in thy reſting place, among the many thouſands of Iſrael. When the Arke ſtood ſtill, Returne O Lord to the many thouſands of Iſrael. For the worke of purification, when any place was to be cleanſed from the guilt of blood, that lay at the doore of the Citie, thus they were to ſay, Lord be mercifull to thy people, and lay not guiltines of blood to us. In the time of repentance and humiliation; the Prophet then ſets a forme for them, Joel 2. Let the Prieſts, the Lords remembrancers ſtand betweene the porch, and the Altar, and ſay, ſpare thy people O Lord. And here Hoſea ſeeing the neceſſitie in regard of the great defects, and many wants of the people, he cals on them to call upon God: and that their prayer might be accepted, as one that miniſtred to their infirmities, and helped their neceſſities, therefore he gives them this forme: he gave it to them, and the Spirit of God commends it to us, by leaving it in Scripture as an example for us to make our prayers by: as a warrant upon occaſion, eſpecially in publick, to uſe ſuch a forme, Take to you theſe words, that I preſcribe, and ſay thus to him.
The Chaldee paraphraſe ſo deſcants upon it, and ſome other Rabbies; uſe either theſe, or the like words as theſe, Take away all iniquitie, and receive us graciouſly.
So, I have done with the preparative, that is, the rule of exhortation.
Now, Secondly, the rule of direction, and that hath two parts.
One is precatorie, take away all ſinne.
The other part is promiſſorie, So will we render the calves of our lips.
I begin with the firſt of theſe, that is, the part precatorie, and therein are two things.
The parts of which the prayer conſiſts.
And the order of the parts.
The parts of which the prayer conſiſts are two.
One is, Take away all ill.
The other is,
Shew us good, receiveus graciouſly.
The firſt part is for the taking away of all ill, and the worſt ill, the ill of ſinne. It is but ſhort, but it is very pithie.
There are three words in it, and they all have their emphaſis; it is not called ſinn, but iniquitie; it is not this, or that ſinne but all: it is not only, lay it aſide for a time, but take it away, remove it. So, theſe three make three parts.
There is firſt the thing deprecated, and prayed againſt, that is, iniquitie, and ſinne.
Secondly, the extent of it, how farre the deprecation reacheth, not to a few, not to ſome, but all, take all iniquitie away, and leave none behind.
Then thirdly, the manner of the removing of it, a word that is very full, Take it away. We ſhall ſee the meaning of that when we come to it.
The firſt is the thing deprecated, ſinne. The Prophet labours hereby, by ſetting this forme, to draw them to the acknowledgement of their ſinne; and not only to an acknowledgement, but to an aggravation.
To an acknowledgement, in that he wiſheth them to pray thus, Take away iniquitie. Saith Tertullian well, there is in all Petitions of merciemercy, a ſecret confeſſion of ſin, he that begs pardon, acknowledgeth ſinne. He would not only draw them to an acknowledgement, but to an aggravation: Therefore he uſeth not the common word, take away ſinne, but take away iniquitie, iniquitie hath a greater ſtroake ſaith Auſtin, it is plaine that ſinne is common, iniquitie is extraordinarie. There are none of us all but acknowledge our ſelves ſinners, and we doe not think much to be ſo called: but men will bluſh, and be aſhamed, and loath to be accounted thoſe that are impious, that have iniquitie. Auſtin ſhewes by it, that there is more in iniquitie, then in ſin: therefore the Prophet uſeth that phraſe, to teach us what is the greateſt ill, againſt which we are to bend all our prayers, what was the great evill againſt which they were to millitate with their prayers? ſinne and iniquitie. All a Chriſtians labours, all his examinations, all his prayers and devotion are to looke this way, to the taking away of iniquitie. It is the moſt frequent Prayer that we are to put up; it is that daylie prayer, that wee are to put up; what ever we doe, and what ever wee ſtand in need of: there is no bleſſing that we are to beg of God, but this muſt goe in, aſke in the firſt place pardon of ſinne. If a man be to ſit downe at his Table to eate meate, firſt beg pardon of ſinne, becauſe ſinne will be a meanes to curſe it to him; it cannot be good without Gods bleſſing; ſinne may hinder the naturall worke of the creature; if a man be to goe a journey, and beg Gods protection, let him firſt aſke pardon of ſinne; for that will expoſe him to danger: there is no keeping of ſinne in the houſe, and in the heart, firſt beg for the removing of that. If a man goe about his worke, he begs Gods bleſſing upon his labour, but firſt let him aſke reconciliation and pardon of ſinne: for ſinne will make a mans labour unfruitfull, and unprofitable, and bring a curſe upon his labour. If a man come to the Houſe of God, to heare the word of God, and to joyne in prayer with the people of God, O let him, though he meane to aske a bleſſing, that it may ediſie, yet let him firſt beg pardon; for ſinne ſtops the eares of a man in hearing, and ſtops the eares of God in hearing. When God ſpeakes to us, if ſinne be not purged out of our hearts, we ſhall not benefit by the word, and we ſhal have no benefit by our prayers, If I regard iniquitie in my heart, the Lord will not heare my prayer. Therefore, this is the reaſon the Prophet would have them bend the Forces of their indeavours, and prayers againſt ſinne. It is not, take away our puniſhment, or take away thy plague, they were in miſerie now, the Prophet teacheth them, not ſo much to pray for that in generall, but that that they ſhould ſtand upon is, Take away iniquitie.
And that is the reaſon, why, of all other prayers, the Devill moſt oppoſeth a man, both in making of this Petition, and in the comfort by it. He contradicts this prayer eſpecially, becauſe it is a choice fruit of Gods Spirit: and it is that prayer that ruins his Kingdome; reconciliation puls it downe, therefore he oppoſeth that.
One way whereby he oppoſeth it, is, by keeping men from ſeeing their ſinnes. He that ſees not his ſinnes begs not pardon: if we be blind, we ſhall be dumb in that ſence.
If he cannot hinder from the ſight, he will hinder from the ſence; a man will never aſke pardon of that that he feeles not burthenſome.
If he prevaile not with that, then he will keep them from the hope of pardon, and make them believe that their ſins are unpardonable, what ſhould I beg for pardon of ſinnes, my time is paſt?
If not that, then he labours to keepe them from enjoying the comfort of pardon, he labours to blind their eyes if they have pardon, that they may not ſee that comfort.
If not that, he tempts them to preſumption, if he cannot hinder them of the comfort, he labours to draw them to a preſumptuous opinion of their righteouſneſſe, that they have no ſinne to beg pardon, you are not ſuch a ſinner, &c. It were well, if there were no ſinne but is that a Cockatrice egg, that they ſhould thinke they need not to aſke pardon of ſinne at the h…nds of God.
It was one of the opinions in the primitive times, but this time farre outſtrips that, becauſe worſe opinions attend upon it: there were ſome that were gotten in unawares, I wonder whence this opinion ſhould grow, that Chriſtians ſhould ever come to this height of impietie, to thinke it unlawfull to beg pardon of ſinne: therefore it comes from another, becauſe God ſees no ſinne in his Children. But whence comes this, here is an ill bird, and an ill egge, yet it hath a dam that is older ſtill, that is as damnable as either, that is, that Chriſtians are not tyed to any obedience of the morall law, becauſe they are brought under the obedience of Chriſt: ſee how they hang like Samſons foxes, that were tyed after a diſorderly manner. Firſt the Devill poſſeſſeth their hearts, that there is no obedience to the law of God, and thereby he ſtops up the fountain of al pietie. If there be no obedience to the Law, it muſt needs follow that there can be no ſin, for there is no ſinne without the tranſgreſſion of the law, and then there no ſinne for God to ſee, and then they need not after they are in the ſtate of juſtification, beg remiſſion they need not uſe this prayer, Take away iniquitie, nor that of Chriſt, forgive us our treſpaſſes.
There is not any of all theſe opinions, but they are as I conceive ſprung from the miſunderſtanding of ſome orthodox point in divinitie, that people not well underſtanding themſelves, doe wreſt.
As the poynt of juſtification only by faith, that point is only for our comfort: we muſt exclude works in juſtification, our works have no part in the juſtification of a ſinner; but it doth not follow, becauſe faith only juſtifies that thereupon they conclude; what have we to do with works, and obedience of the law? That is a miſtake; for God, though he juſtifie us without works, he requires obedience as a fruit of juſtification, and as a ſpeciall pledge of that grace that he works in the heart. There is the miſtake of that.
The other, and a ſecond branch comes from the miſtake of another point that is comfortable, and hath its foundation in the book of God, that he that is truly in the ſtate of ſon-ſhip cannot fall finally; that is a fundamentall point, and of great conſequence: and that is cleare, becauſe elſe Gods promiſe ſhould not be true, if God were mutable, and ſhould bring us into a ſtate of adoption one day, and after caſt us out. This is a point of great prety: But from wreſting of this comes the other point, that becauſe they cannot fall totally, that therefore they cannot fall at all; that becauſe a man cannot ſinne finally, that juſtification makes him totally gracious that he cannot ſinne. For though God keep them from finall ſinning, yet the beſt Saints fall. In many things wee ſinne all: And he that ſaith he is not a ſinner, is a lyar, even of thoſe that are converted. Wee tread awry every day, and there are many ſlips, and ſometimes foule, groſſe falls; but it pleaſeth God to raiſe us againe, but it is by repentance and faith in Chriſt, the ſame way that we roſe at the firſt.
So, for the third point, that men need not beg pardon, it is from a corrupt originall. It is a good heavenly point, that there is a certainty of ſalvation granted to many Saints; that certainty may be had, though it be not had by all, every one comes not to the ſame degree of aſſurance. From the miſtake of this, comes the third; becauſe we may be aſſured that we are in a ſtate of ſalvation, and grace, and that ſinne is pardoned, we need not beg pardon: So, they run to popery another way. Popery is a thing that they diſclaim, and while they would run from popery, they fall into another extream, and run to popery another way. Compare them a little; A Saint may come to perfection, and keep all the morall law, ſay the Papiſts; a Chriſtian may come to that perfection, that he need not keep it ſay they. Some ſins are of ſo eaſie a weight, they are not to be accounted, God accounts them no ſins, the firſt motions. God ſees not theſe in his Children as ſins ſay the Papiſts. God ſees no ſin in his children ſay they: here is their errour. Say the Papiſts, if aſſurance may be had, why doe we beg for forgiveneſſe? It is fond to beg pardon, if wee have aſſurance: So they, becauſe the child of God hath aſſurance, he needs not beg pardon. Thus they run by eſchewing the contrary, into the ſame errour, in a worſe manner then they. For of all other, theſe are moſt damnable. There is never an opinion that the Devill hath ſtirred up, that hath a worſe ſavour and intendment in it then theſe. It overthrows the foundation of the Goſpel, and of Chriſtianity, and piety. It takes away Chriſt, and take him away, take away prayer, and repentance, and all at one blow.
O, when there are ſuch fundamentall errours as theſe, ſhall we wonder if God ſend the plague to purge his floore, when theſe ſhall ſtart up, and are not ſmothered? And thoſe that ſhould ſmother them doe not awake authority. No man cares which way Religion goes, and how it thrives: God will purge this leaven, from the authors of theſe opinions, and thoſe that ſhould ſuppreſſe it. God will not have every man preach what he will, and hold, and do what he will. And if humane Lawes be offended, there is ſeverity enough in correcting; Gods law is broken daily, and no man looks after it. Of all others, that one groſſe point that Chriſtians are come to, think it unneceſſary, nay needleſſe, nay ſinfull, to beg remiſſion of ſins; then farewell Goſpel, and Religion, and all.
St. Auſtin had ſome in his time that were of that opinion, therefore he hath diverſe paſſages againſt it. They had no ſinne. The forme that Chriſt gave, it agrees to every Chriſtian, it is a forme that all Chriſtians muſt uſe to the worlds end; they muſt ſtill pray, forgive us our treſpaſſes as long as they live, and breath. Not only all other Chriſtians, but the Apoſtles, the maſters of the Flock, thoſe that were the bell-weathers, the greater ſort of ſheep, that Chriſt committed the ſheep to; yet the Apoſtles, when they were on the croſſe, in ſuffering, or under the axe, yet ſtill they muſt pray, forgive us our ſinnes.
And in another place ſaith he, There was never any Saint in the world, or ſhall be, but muſt make this prayer, forgive us our treſpaſſes: Only that Sanctum-ſanctorum, Jeſus Chriſt, he is excepted: he gave the forme, he needed it not.
Yet further, and that is a ſweet ſpeech, the whole Church of God ſaith it, and he is a reprobate that ſaith it not, that he is in that condition, of all other there is no greater ſigne then this, it is to be feared he is in a ſtate of reprobation that will not ſay, Lord forgive us our treſpaſſes, pardon our ſins: Therefore there was good reaſon why the Prophet made them make their prayer againſt this iniquity, that is the tranſgreſſion of the law, iniquity that makes ſhipwrack of conſcience, and expoſeth to judgment, and deprives of all comfort, and iniquity that condemneth to hell; therefore there they muſt ſettle this firſt petition, Take away iniquity.
Secondly, The extent, All iniquity; there is ſome reaſon why he addes that. All is a word of univerſality, an indefinite word; here is no iniquity mentioned, no fin mentioned, but all wound up in a clew, all in a lump propounded. Take away all. It is not take away our iniquity, that is meant: It is not take away this, or that; pardon our Idolatry, or our rebellion, pardon our prophaneſſe, or the adulterers that neigh after their neighbours wives: there be drunkards of Ephraim, pardon theſe ſins; no, pardon all. There is ſome reaſon why the Prophet would have it thus; pardon all, take away all: I conceive theſe three reaſons.
Firſt, he would draw them to a generall acknowledgment of ſinne; for however we are tyed to a particular mention, and confeſſion of thoſe ſins that our conſciences are privy to, upon due ſearch, and in our acknowledgment and humiliation to name them to God. This I have done, and this thou haſt done, deliver me from blood-guiltineſſe O God. So, for thoſe ſins that are paſt our memorie; as there are many, thoſe we wind up in a generall, implicite confeſſion; as that Publican, O God be mercifull to me a ſinner: as here the Prophet teacheth them to ſay, Take away all. He would have them thereby acknowledge their aggravation of ſin. All, that is, many, exceeding many: nay, all, that is, all that can be ſaid. Take away all the iniquities that we can name, and all that the Prophet can name, or that thou canſt lay to our charge. Lord, our ſins are great; as skarlet for die, as ſands for number: but one wipe with the ſpunge of thy merciemercy wil take away all: they are more then we can expreſſe, and number, there is an all of them: It is warrantable by the example of the Saints in Scripture: And that is one of the errors of auricular confeſſion that the Church of Rome faſtens on men, becauſe they tie men to reckon every ſinne, that is impoſſible; ſo they lay burthens on the conſciences of men.
It is true, it is the glory of Chriſtians to honour God by confeſſion, and he that ſtudies his heart moſt, knows his life moſt: but thoſe that we cannot reckon, it is an honour to God to reckon them up in generall phraſes, that we may give God the glory of aggravation. I confeſſe againſt my ſelfe whatſoever I know I have done, and I confeſſe what I have forgotten. There are ſinnes of my ſleepe that I cannot remember, and of my dreames, I confeſſe them. There are ſins of my cradle, I confeſſe to thee. There are ſinnes that I took no notice of, before I had knowledge, pardon all my iniquities. The Prophet would draw them to an acknowledgement of all. Every man hath an All.
And if hee knew them to have an all, O what an all is that with which we are oppreſſed now? He that goes to reckon up the particulars of our general, the many ſpecies, & kinds in this age: it is an all that fils the world, that fils heaven, that fils the eares of God: our ſins we confeſſe to thee, of thought, and word, and deed, of ignorance, of knowledge, of preſumption, of infirmitie, our ſecret ſins, our open ſinnes, againſt thee, againſt our neighbours, againſt our ſelves. Thus a Chriſtian goes on to aggravate againſt himſelfe all theſe, and what ever elſe can bee ſaid. He that goes about to reckon our drunkenneſſe, our adulterie, our backeſlidings, the ſeverall degrees of our prophaneſſe; the ſhedding of innocent blood, how it encreaſeth: there hath been more blood ſhedde ſince the ſickeneſſe began, more duels about the City then I have heard of in two or three yeares before. As if we would aggravate ſinne, when God comes to reckon with us. If a man ſhould reckon the degrees of fraud that is continually practiſed in ſhops, and trades; the prophaning of the Sabbath: & ſin is come to that, that it is uncontrollable, that all the Magiſtrates in this Citie are not able to controll a few boyes, and diſorderly men, that wreſtle in the fields. So boyes give lawes to men, and ſo ſin runs on. The ſin that every man commits, if that be ſo infinite, the ſin that the whole commits, how infinite is it? We have an all, He would bring them to an acknowledgement, that is the firſt reaſon.
Secondly, he would bring them to a deteſtation, and proteſtation againſt all. They come not to diſtinguiſh when they make confeſſion before God: take away our mortall ſins, but let our veniall ſins alone; our greater ſins wipe away; for our leſſe, we will ſhift as well as we can: True repentance knowes no ſuch diſtinction. Though there be a difference of ſins, yet in repentance, repentance makes none; not the diſtinction ſo as to exclude any. It makes diſtinction to mourn more for ſhipwracking ſinnes that burthen conſcience, and force, and ſtreine our teares; it mourns moſt for them, but it acknowledgeth all. If it be but as a graine of ſand, that it acknowledgeth, an idle word, an exorbitant thought, an irreligious geſture, indiſcretion, & folly, they are fruits of the firſt ſin: and theſe, and every of theſe are oppoſite to the law. If it be a tranſgreſſion of the law, it provokes the Divine Majeſtie, and is an obliquity from him, and incurs his juſtice, if God ſhould be extreame. Therefore when a Chriſtian askes pardon, he diſtinguiſheth not; here is the ſinne that I will lay aſide; and this is the ſin that I wil ask pardon of, no; he repents of none, that repents not of all. He diſtinguiſheth not the profitable, and the unprofitable ſins: here is a ſinne I am crucified to, ſaith the old man, I will aske God pardon of that: but covetouſneſſe ſticks to my fingers ends, I will not ask pardon of that. So, when nature is weake in a drunkard, he will then acknowledge, I have offended God, and ſinned againſt the creatures in the intemperate uſe of them; now he dares not, for his conſumption, or he muſt not, for his dropſie. It is not repentance that cruciſies this ſin, but nature: but his gam…ng, and intemperance, theſe he will keep. A true convert makes no diſtinction of pleaſant or unpleaſant ſinnes: no, here is my Dalilah, begin with that firſt, all iniquity is to be relinquiſhed; he that expects pardon of all, muſt renounce all.
Thirdly, there is another reaſon; that thereby hee might draw them to an acknowledgment of the great goodneſſe of God, that he was able to pardon all. Take away all iniquity, all ſummed up together. By ſaying all, they acknowledg that God could and would remit all, if they repent of all, and leave all. Note, that there is no burthen of ſinne ſo great, but God can pardon it, and take it away. There is a greater all of Gods merciemercy, then of our ſinnes; and of Chriſts merits, then of our ſinnes; for all the ſins of the world put together, they are finite, he is an infinite Majeſtie: but in themſelves God can number them, for they are written in his booke. The alſufficiency of that merit and ſacrifice that Chriſt layd down, and the price of that inestimable blood, that is infinite. There can be no number made of the vertue of thoſe drops of blood which Chriſt ſhed: there can be no number made of that merciemercy, the drops of which God comprehends us with, therefore merciemercy and merit is greater then ſin. If we can confeſſe all, God can pardon all. Look as in nature, the Philoſopher obſerved, that infinite is of that extent, that no finite can be proportionable: as an infinite number, though there can be none, becauſe another number may be added: but an infinite number, ten thouſand millions, it is as far off of infinite as tenne, becauſe there is no proportion, becauſe it may be multiplyed, and multiplyed. So, though ſins be many, as millions, it hath no proportion to the merits of Chriſt, why? becauſe they are infinite: that blood is of excellent vertue, it can waſh white; becauſe it is infinite, it hath ſufficiency to pardon all ſin, and do it eaſily.
So it is, as if he had ſaid: O Lord we are ready to confeſſe all, take all away; what we can, we alleadg againſt our ſelves; we beſeech thee ſhew merciemercy. We know thy merciemercy is greater then our ſins; as we confeſſe all, pardon thou all.
The Scripture ſets it out by an all too, the blood of Jeſus Chriſt cleanſeth us from all ſin. God hath made his promiſe ſo: At what time ſoever a ſinner repenteth, I will blot out all his wickedneſſe. That thereby they might be drawn to acknowledge his gooodneſſe and merciemercy, to exclude their ſins; therefore the Prophet expreſſeth it by this all. Their ſins were innumerable, but Gods merciemercy is more innumerable: their ſins were great, but Gods merciemercy is greater; if they will have God to pardon all, they muſt confeſſe all, let this be the form you will uſe: that is the ſecond, the extent. Now, the third is the mayn, the manner of the removall they pray for, Take away: But I ſee the time is paſt, therefore I will break off.