Exposition of the Apostles Creed, Part · Sermon 45
The publick and private Confession of sin.
1 John 1.9.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
THat all men were sinners, we may learn in the verse before; that to say the contrary, is to be Impostors, Blasphemers, Lyars. Impostors; for we shall deceive our selves. Blasphemers; for we make God a lyar. Lyars; for there is no tru…h in us; vidistis vulnera, nunc inspicite medicamenta: You have seen the wound, now behold the plaister; for in this Saint John prescribes a remedy for the disease, to wit, Repentance: For since we have not foreign, so much fore-wit to prevent sin; necessary it is, that we have foreign, so much after-wit to sorrow, and forsake sin. To this a man is not like to come, till he acknowledge himself to be a sinner; and therefore Saint John prescribing Repentance to those who are guilty of sin, names only Confession, which ariseth from grief and shame, implies a hope of obtaining mercy, and a ready mind to do such things as God requires of penitents.
Note then, those necessary preparatives to repentance, viz. the sense of sin, sorrow or contrition for sin, resolution against sin, are not here excluded, but are included, and presented to us under this name of Confession; for it is necessary, that he be truly affected with the odious nature, and the danger of sin; that he be truly contrite for sin, that he disclaim, forsake, and resolve against sin, who will be a true Confessionist. Saint John then under this one word supposeth all the rest, and so shall I; but that I may the more methodically proceed in the opening of this great Christian duty, I will insist on these heads.
1. I will shew what Confession is, and wherein it consists.
2. The necessity of it, because without it there is no remission.
3. The motives to it; Gods fidelity and justice; God is faithful and just.
4. The end or benefit received by it; Remission and Purgation; If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, &c.
Confession is an act of a contrite heart, by which he doth acknowledge some offence committed by him, appears to detest it, hate it, and grieves for it; is asham'd for what he hath done, deprecates the due punishment, and renounceth the sin for ever. This is to be done either to God, to the Church, or to our Neighbour; to God daily, either publickly or in private; to the Church, when enjoyned by Authority to remove a scandal; to Man, when our Brother hath ought against us.
Of that which is to be made to God, our Apostle speaks here especially; to him to confess, because he is to forgive: He is the searcher of the heart, and knows every sin, and circumstance of it, whether we confess or no; to his eye there is nothing hid, from his ear there is nothing conceal'd; necessary then this acknowledgment cannot be in respect of himself, and yet he calls upon us for this duty, that he might make us pass sentence upon our selves. Before we pass judgment upon a sin, we seem as it were to vote for it, as if good: But to come and ask pardon, is the confession of our errour, of the mistake of our judgment; for by it we condemn the sin, and our selves, that both are naught.
And that this duty be rightly done, every man must as it were erect a Court in his conscience, and there examine, arraign, accuse, endite, judge, and pass sentence against himself: The grosser sins must be attached, and the lesser not passed by, and of all other the bosome-sin not spared; these must be presented naked and bare, with all the deformity about them, without any extenuation, without any defence: This is to follow the Prophets advice, Poure out thy heart like water. Lam. 2.19.Effunde, Poure it out; it would be fully and amply done, not sparingly, drop after drop; and poured out like water, not like wine, not like oyle; for wine in the Vessel leaves a sent behind it, and oyle a fat and clammy tincture, that will not be gotten out; it would be done as water, when every drop drains out, or quickly dries up, leaving nor taste, nor dregs behind it: But because to make this full confession is impossible; for who knows the Errours of his life? to annex some such form as this to the Enditement, will be a great part of wisdom,Psal. 19.12. O cleanse thou me from my secret faults.
And if this Enditement be fully and well drawn, it will extort from the man conscious to his own guilt, shame, sorrow, and anger; shame, that he should be so foul a creature in the eye of a pure God; sorrow, that he should so grosly offend so kind a Father; and anger against himself, that he should be such an ungrateful wretch.
1. Periit cui periit pudar; past shame, past grace. He is never like to confess that he hath offended, who is not ashamed of his offence. The true sense of sin, will annihilate, confound, and deject the spirit of a true penitent, and force him to cast his eyes to the ground,Luke 18.13. and cry, Lord be merciful: So it was with Ezra, Oh my God, I am ashamed and confounded, and blush to lift up my eyes to heaven: Ezra 9.4. Dan. 9.7. Jer. 3.3.6.15.8.12.So Daniel in his confession, To us belongs shame and confusion of face: For faith, however it be confident, yet it is not impudent; that being a Note that the Prophet hath set in the fore-heads of an obstinate and lost people, That they had a whores fore-head, and could not blush; and again, Were they ashamed?
2. Now shame will bring on contrition and sorrow,Psal. 51.17. Acts 2.37. & Matth. 3.7. which is the sole sacrifice that God will accept. Prick'd such a man will be to the heart, that he hath so unkindly grieved and provoked so good a God, so compassionate a Father, so gracious a Redeemer, so blessed a Sanctifier. Those threats, and that wrath to come that bring some men to attrition, may begin his sorrow, and soften his heart; but it will be improved farther even into a sorrow for displeasing God, and despising his mercy, and from thence into a real resolution to amend and forsake sin.
3. For with it he will be angry. He will fall out with himself, that he hath fallen out with God. This is that anger which Solomon prefers before laughter;Eccles. 2.2. a holy anger, when a man grows fretful and techy with his sin, and not Gods Law. This indignation the old Penitents expressed by their Chimarchi in colpa, as the Italians call it, the beating of their breasts, and crying mea culpa, meà culpa, mea maxima culpa; intimating, that if the hand could come at the heart, it would take revenge of it; which because it cannot do, it smites the bosome, the place next it.
And there is not any affection so essential to Confession as this. Shame hath been, and is in moral men; even the love of vertue, and light of reason will make men blush upon the view of some fore-past error. Sorrow hath also attended those, at least Attrition, who were not true penitents; Esau we finde seeking a blessing with teares; Ahab a pardon in sackcloth. But this fretting,Heb. 12.17. 1 Kings. 21.27. this anger, this indignation of a sinner against his sin, is the truest and most proper signe of true repentance. It pricks the heart, and lets out the impostumate-matter of sin that lies there, being never satisfied til it hath taken a proper revenge upon it: Of Luxury and Riot by Abstinence and Fasting: of Wantonnesse by a Chaste life; of Oppression by Restitution; of Prophanesse by the practice of Piety; of all disorder by a strict and severe course of life.
Well now, after the Endictment is fully drawn, and with shame, sorrow and anger confessed, then a true Confessionist must set himself at the Bar, and give sentence against himself, acknowledging what he hath deserved.Lam. 1.18. Job 42.6. Prov. 30.2. 1 Tim. 1.15. 1 Cor. 15.9. Luke 15.19. That God is righteous; and he and his wayes are wicked; that with Job he is vile; with Agur, that he hath not the understanding of a man in him. That with Saint Paul, he is the chief of sinners, the least of the Apostles, the worst of Saints, not worthy to be called a son, and so stand before Gods Tribunal as a guilty person, and begge for a Psalme of mercy.
For when we have gone over all our faults, and our desert, that's all we have to do, or can do, with strong cries to crave pardon, as the poor prisoner at the Barre, who when the Judge is ready to passe sentence, pleads for favour; which plea yet ought to be deeply serious. The poor man speaks supplications;Prov. 18.23. and the true penitent being poor in spirit, supplicates; and in his petition the best flowers are eloquent sighs, sobs, groans and cries; Hoc negotium plus gemitibus quàm verbis agitur. Some have more words than matter in their Confession; some again more matter than affection; but a true penitent in his affection is copious, what ever his words be. So was David, 2 Sam. 12.13. Luke 18.13.short in his expression, I have sinned. The Publican brief, Lord be merciful, but they made it out in their affection, and their grief; being very like unto vessels which run not full tap at the first piercing, or flesh that in deeper wounds gusheth not out blood instantly.
Hitherto I have shewed you, what Confession is, and how to be performed; and now I will teach you the necessity of it, by occasion of these words.
2. If we Confesse, he is just to Forgive.
Saint John's proposition is Conditional. Si, If we do it, then the effect will follow, Remission upon Confession; And the consequence will be as strong in the Negative; If we confesse not, there's no pardon to be expected. Among men the case is this; Where the Condition is not perform'd, the party is not bound to grant the favour. In reason it ought to be thus betwixt God and us. The sins which we commit by the breach of Gods Law, are the hand-writing against us,Col. 2.14. which God hath promised to blot out, when we confesse the debt; no reason then we cancel the Bond, if we performe not the Condition. But this being done, pleased he is to engage himself to us, as he is a faithful and a just God, we shall have a pardon. And can there be any stronger reason to enforce the Necessity of Confession? Could this pardon be obtained without it, I would leave you at full liberty, whether you would confesse your sins or no: But since without it, there is no forgivenesse to be had, you must Confesse.
David professeth, that nor in silence, nor in roaring he could finde any ease, till he came to confession; But no sooner was he upon his knees, humbly confessing his sins,Psal, 32.5. but his God was as merciful. I said I will confesse, and thou forgavest. In the Courts of men it is otherwise. Confesse, and suffer. Judges then if they finde a Fellon, or a notorious person, try him not to absolve, but to condemne him, especially si habeant confitentem reum. But in the Court of heaven it is otherwise; for our good Lord calls upon a wicked man to confesse, not that he may sentence him to death, but that he may passe by his offence, and pardon him. O the singular and strange ordinance of this kinde and merciful Judge! for that end he desires to draw from the mouths of the guilty a confession, that he may finde no just occasion to take revenge. After Confession among men, there follows condemnation; but here Confession and Justification go together. If we confesse, he will forgive.
Not that this Confession merits Remission; but as it is a necessary Condition to prepare the man for pardon; it dejects him, and casts him down, and so makes him a fit subject for mercy. It is then presumption to snatch at the Promise before we have performed the Condition. For God deals by his children, as Joseph did by his brethren;Gen. 42.6. he would not at first make himself known to them, but speaks roughly, and threatens the prison. After they were crushed with great straits,Gen. 45.3. he graciously tells them, I am Joseph your brother: So till we be prepared by confession, God will nor make himself nor our pardon known to us, but speaks roughly, and threatens the prison of Hell. But upon the laying open our misdemeanours unto him, he will no more refraine himself, than Joseph did; say he will to our oppressed consciences, I am your father, be of good comfort, Luke 7.48.you sins are forgiven.
This is a special service, and therefore may not be omitted. David after his sin of numbring the people, assumes the title of Gods servant, because he confessed his fault. Take away, O Lord, the trespasse of thy servant. What was he a servant, that had so proudly and lately offended his Master? Not a servant in his fault, but a servant in acknowledging his fault. For I have done exceeding foolishly. Job 31.As if he had said, Though I am no servant in committing folly, yet a servant in confessing it to be foolishly done. Job also, among many other proofs, that he was Gods servant, reckons this for one, that he had not hid his sin as Adam. After Adam had sinned, God had pity on him, sought him in the Garden, and called after him; Adam, ubi es? Where art thou Adam? 'tis the voice of a merciful God, that was loth to destroy his creature; he call'd to him therefore, that he might blot out that sin by confession, which by his transgression he had contracted. But Adam gets fig-leaves about him, hides what he can, casts it upon the woman, the woman upon the Serpent. This did not Job; he seeks no cover, no excuse for his sin, but acknowledgeth the bare truth before his God. He that in the old Law was infected with the Leprosie, was to have his garment torne, his head bare, his face covered with a cloth, and to cry, I am unclean, I am unclean. Levit. 13.Sinne is this Leprosie, every servant is defiled with it; discover it we must, even when we cover our faces for shame, and cry aloud, and complaine, we are uncleane:
Neither yet be ashamed to do it. Non pudet peccare, & poenitere pudet? 'Tis a shame to sin, never to say, I have sinned. Psal. 51.The confessions of Gods servants are extant upon record, and they are exemplary, Davids especially. A pitiful thing it is, that whereas God hath ordered that shame should accompany sin, and boldnesse confession, that the matter should be so diverted, that men should be impudently bold in sinning, and yet asham'd to confesse that they have sinned. They hide, they extenuate, they mince, they daub all over with untempered morter. Shamelesse men, who will not be perswaded to shame themselves, before God put them to shame before the whole world.
For be it known to them, Let their sin be hid with all the Art and cunning that may be, yet God will one day produce it with all the circumstances, when, where, with what minde, how oft committed, and so recover his glory, which shamelesse sinners labour to take from him. To sinne, and think to be hid, is exceedingly to dishonour God in his Attributes; but after we have sinned, to fall down and confesse it, is to make him some amends for that dishonour. Whence Joshua thus speaks to sacrilegious Achan, My sonne, I pray thee give glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make conf…ssion unto him. Josh. 7.19.For in confession of sinne we glorifie God divers wayes. We give him the glory of justice, acknowledging, that if we continue in sin, God ought to punish us. We give him the glory of wisdom, that no secret is hid from him; we yeild him the glory of power, that there is no flying from him; and we atttibute to him the glory of mercy, when we believe, that if we confesse he will forgive.
Having sinned then, lay not in the way of Gods mercy the stumbling-block of neglect or contumacy; stand not out with him, justifie not thy self. Remember the Pharisee, remember the Publican; with this poor wretch,Luke 18.13. shame thy self; By this thou shalt prevent that fearful accusation of the Divel. For when thou hast accused thy self, what hath that impudent accuser of the brethren to say to thee? By this thou shalt take off the File the Endictment of a a clamorous conscience, which if ever it be produced, will bring thee to a desperate case. By this thou shalt save thy Judge a labour, for 'tis his promise,1 Cor. 11. he who judgeth himself shall not be judged. Lastly, by this thou shalt return unto him that he expects, and will recover, his own glory.
1. De exomologesi, or publique confession.
Now such as the sin is, such ought the confession to be. Private to God alone, for what is done in private. Publique for what is notorious, scandalous, and done in the sight of the Sun. As by this there is a publique wrong done unto the Church, so also ought the satisfaction be made in publique. And this is no Popery.
In the Primitive Church there was a godly discipline, that such persons as were notorious sinners were put to open penance, and punished in this world, that their souls might be saved in the day of the Lord; and that others being admonished by their example, might be afraid to offend. This began with the first times, and it continued very long,Basil. Concil. Agath. Tertul. de poen. c. 9. and the penances in some Churches were sharp and tedious, fourteen years; in other from the first day of Lent, till Maundy Thursday, in which sacco & cineri incubare, &c. I translate Tertullians words, to lye in sackcloth and ashes, to darken the beauty of the body with a sordid garment, to deject the mind with sadnesse, to change those things in which they had offended by a sad meditation; and for the most part to cherish their prayers with fasting, to sigh, to weep, to sob day and night to their good Lord, to fall down before the Priests, and to bend their knees before those who were dear to God, and to employ Embassages to all the Brethren to pray for them, was their custome.
This they call'd Exomologesis, or the Act of penitence, and they would not grant it to any the second time; of which Tertullian's words are to be understood, Iteranda non est poenitentia. For they are not to be understood of repentance at large, but of this Church-penance. This they would not grant the second time to a notorious lapsed sinner, lest they should prostitute and make it too cheap. And hence the distinction of remissibile, and irremissibile peccatum, had its rise; for they yet kept that poor soul, whom they would not admit to the indulgence of the Church, from splitting upon the Rock of despair, by informing him, that no question upon his confession and contrition he might receive a pardon from God; to him they left him therefore, to him they refer'd him: But the chaste mother (the Church) would grant no further indulgence; yet by her prayers, by her tears she would not cease to intercede for them, that God would give them Repentance. This was the practice of the Ancient Church;Conc. Trid. but as Soderino told Pope Adrian, He that would introduce it again into the Church, must bring back the old charity, sincerity, and humility of those first Saints.
2. De confessione auriculari.
This publick confession was in process of time turn'd into private; and that sin which was to be confessed in the ear of the Church, was to be told in the ear of the Priest. This course the Court of Rome finding advantagious, have retain'd, and enjoyn'd as a necessary point of salvation; and that except it be done, when it may, or otherwise, in voto, there can be no Remission; but this Doctrine is injurious many wayes.
1. When they go about to impose this upon mens consciences as necessary to salvation, out of the Word of God, which cannot be found in it; for where is it written, Go and open thy sin in the ears of a Priest! The Romanists have much streined their wits to find it in the Scriptures; and at last, that they may put off their Errour with the fairer colour, they put us in mind of the people that came to John, confessing their sins; but the Text tells us not, whether to John, Matth. 3.or to God; or if it were to John, yet it was not in his ear, but before the whole company; and then may well be pressed to prove publick confession in notorious and scandalous sins, but it will never bear up Auricular. Lastly, that all those who do desire Baptism, do acknowledge themselves polluted Creatures, and stand in need of that Laver: For brevity sake I omit other Texts wrested by them to this purpose; wrested I say, because in the judgment of many (the best learned among them) there is no manifest Authority, either of the Old or New Testament extant, that ever God or Christ commanded us to confess our sins to a Priest.
To make that then an Ordinance of God, which at the highest is but an Order of the Church, is very injurious. Especialiy to impose it upon the conscience with this tyrannical necessity, that there be a particular enumeration of all mortal sins, with all the circumstances which may aggravate it, once at least every year unto the Priest, or else God will not forgive; This is a Doctrine which lays a yoke upon the necks of Christi…ns, heavy and impossible. There may be policy in it, and is, but there is no Truth: and much less, when they make it meritorious, and such an act of religion which ex opere operato procures remission. Yea, put case, that he who thus confesseth his sin, be brought to it meerly out of the sense of the ax laid to the root of the tree,Dr. Ham. pract. Catech. and the wrath to come, and so only is an Attrite person yet by the power of the Priests key, that is, his Absolution, his attrition is turned into contrition. This is a most ridiculous deceit of souls; for the Priest never can make him contrite that is not, or cause God to accept that which he hath said he will not. A conrite heart is only his sacrifice, which this being not, the Priest tels the penitent a lye, that God will accept him for his attrition only.
2. But now let this injunction of necessity, the opinion of merit, the deceit that follows upon it be taken off, together with that necessary enumeration of all mortal sins: Let these abuses, I say, be disclaim'd, and the wisest Divines of the Reformed Church acknowledge, that confession to a Priest or Minister of Gods Word, may be of singular use and benefit both for instruction, counsel and comfort.
1. First of great use it may be for instruction, partly in the Faith, partly about our sin. To go to a Lawyers reading, and hear it, serves us not in our worldly doubts: Nor to hear the physick Lecture for the diseases of our Bodies; No, no; we call the learned in both sciences to us; we question them in particulars, and have private conference about our state, and estates. If the like course were taken in the business of our souls, great profit would arise from it. Every man is blinded with self-love, which makes him judge that often to be no sin which is, or that to be well done which is not, or at least the sin not to be so great as he is made to believe. In these and the like cases, would he but call to him some learned and pious Pastor, he might find somewhat whereon to settle, either to go on in a good way, or to repent and desist in a bad, and have an apt and fit remedy prescrib'd him. Besides a man is oftentimes through ignorance, negligence, or iniquity of the times, blinded or perverted in many fundamentals of religion; to rectifie which, though books and Sermons are very good helps; yet an information in private, and a retired conference is far more powerful. Then the reasons are more narrowly sifted, and the doubts cleared, which in general applications are either omitted, or but lightly touched. In private then the acknowledgement of a mans own weakness to a knowing and judicious Physician of thy soul may be an excellent means to stay thee, tht; thou stagger not in the faith. To what purpose else are these words, The Priests lips shall preserve knowledge, Mal. 2.7.and thou shalt require the Law at his mouth!
2. Again of great use this may be for counsel; Advises in general are but as general prescriptions in Physick; they have not that effect that particular doses have. The Quantities or Ingredients must be varied according to the particular constitution, or condition of the party. The same variety there is of diseased souls; and in general only we can prescribe, till we are acquainted with this or that mans imperfection. Then we can take away, or add to the dose, as we see occasion. It were then a wise way, when thou findst thy soul diseased, to go to some approved and experienced Doctor, and to ask his counsel how to be cured of those sicknesses of soul, to which thou art inclined. Behold how John Baptist the penitentiary,Luke 3.10, 11, &c. applyes the parts of his Sermon of repentance to every penitent that came to him; they had all their several an…wers. To the people, who asked, What shall we do? he returns answer, He that hath two coats, let him part to him that hath none. To the Publicans, who sought what they should do, he gives in charge, Exact n… more but that appointed. To the Souldiers, who demanded, what they were to do? upon them he laid this apt command, Do violence to no man, out of fear accuse no man falsly, be content with your wages. When he had opened to him their necessities, he prescribes apt and fit remedies. One dose served not all.
3. Lastly, this private Confession is useful also for Comfort. God saith the Prophet, hath given me the tongue of the learned, to speak a word in due season. And he that is a good and wise Steward, Isa. 50.4. Luke 12.42.will give to every one his portion of meat. Which cannot be so well done, except he know what meat every stomach requires. A Pastor may propound the mercies of God in general to repentant sinners, but then they are most cordial, when he declares it to that sin with which a man finds his conscience loaded; and the load he cannot know, till it be made known to him. Then he can turn the key, which Christ hath put into his hand, to the comfort of a poor soul, and say with confidence, Thy sins are forgiven thee. That then a penitent may have apt consolation, solid information, and sound advice, wisdom it were to repair to those who are set over him, and appointed to give it: And there are as great reasons to perswade it, as that we repair to the learned in the Law, when the Title to our Land is questioned, or that we send for the Physician in any desperate disease. Cases of Conscience, are nice points, and they are to be resolved only by the wise.
The CONCLƲSION.
To this kind of Confession I shall not farther press you; for I know it is arbitrary. But for the other that which is to be done to God, it may not be omitted. Done it must be, if ever you expect remission. Hence God cals for it, commands it, and exhorts to it. After your shipwrack in sin, he hath left you only this board to swim to shore. Therefore, O thou sinner like to me, nay far better; for I am the cheif of sinners; catch after and lay hold on this plank as a man at sea ready to perish, seizeth on some broken piece of the Ship; for this will bear thee up being almost drown'd in the waves of Gods anger, and set thee safe on the shore of Gods Mercy.
Neither let the difficulty of this Duty deterre thee; unpleasant I know it is to flesh and blood. For if it be a discredit to a man to err, and be deceived, a hard matter it will be to bring a man so far to discredit himself as to confess that he hath err'd, and is deceiv'd. Yet thus it must be, this hard task must be undertaken, the error must be confess'd, the deception acknowledged, and by sorrow retracted; for without it there is no hope of pardon.
Joseph. lib. 26. Antiq. c. 7. & 8.When Herod had accused his son Alexander to Caesar, the young Prince in these words speaks to his angry Father; Sir, how kindly affected you are to me, this your sentence declares; For if it were your purpose to destroy me, you would never have remitted me over to Caesar, the common preserver of men. Especially when you might by either right, or that of a King, or that of a Father have dealt with me at your pleasure; but since you have made Caesar to be the Judge, servare volentis argumentum est: This is an argument you desire to save me. For no man sends him to a Sanctuary, whom he will destroy. In the same manner may we say of our heavenly Father and Confession; How kind is Almighty God to us, this his ordinance doth well shew: For had his purpose been to destroy us, he never would have sent us to take Sanctuary by Confession. When he might justly have taken away our lives, to bid us Go, confess and be saved, is an evidence beyond exception, how willing he is to save us.
Tell me, who is there that ever betook him to this Sanctuary, that hath not been the better for it? O Lord, I confess that I have sinned, is the powerfullest Rhetorick in Gods ear, it charms, and changeth and alters his heart, turns him from an angry Judge to a merciful Father. And therefore all who have come to ask pardon, have served themselves of it; still they begin with confession of sin,Prov. 18.17. according to that of Solomon, justus in initio sermonis est accusator ipsius. It seemed to me to be delivered by Tradition, and ecchoed from ear to ear to all posterity.Exod. 9.17. It was the voice of Pharaoh, I have sinned: The voice of Balaam, I have sinned; The voice of Saul, I have sinned; Numb. 22.34. 1 Sam. 15.24. Job 7.20. 2 Sam. 12.13.The voice of Job, I have sinned; The voice of David, I have sinned. Good and bad you see have served themselves of the argument to obtain a pardon. And good and bad have been the better for it. Pharaoh is respited, Balaam and Saul deferred, David pardoned, and Job in his last days, blessed more than the first. So powerfully are three syllables, p…ccavi, in the ears of an offended God; they can turn him from anger to pitty, and win him to set his hand to a pardon, as he is faithful and just.
The fury of Gods indignation hath been long poured out upon this Land, and as yet we drink up the dregs thereof. This seems to be marvelous in our eyes; but the reason is evident, we have not been at confession as we ought; some slight acts perhaps of this duty have been from sense of our sufferings extorted from us, but truly ashamed of our sins we are not; for we continue in them; nor contritely sorrowful for them we are not; for they are not forsaken; nor religiously angry with out selves, that we have commi…ted them; for we shew them too much love, and is it any wonder then, that we cannot obtain a remission?
Down, down then O you obstinate and rebellious impenitents, fall on your knees and confess with shame, we have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled in depa…ting from thy precepts and from thy judgements. He expects that we be contrite and humbled out of a quick sense of the offence and dishonour done to him, but attrite only we are from the sense of what we suffer; whereas we ought to chafe and fret, and smite upon our thigh, and say to our sins, as repenting Ephraim to his Idols,Jer. 31.19. Hos. 14.8. Isa. 30.22. fie g…t ye hence: angry we are with his just proceedings, and are apter to accuse him then our selves, and retain our Idols still. And is this to be Confessionists? is this to be true Penitents?
O you whose happiness I tender as my own,Zach. 1.3. Turn unto the Lord that he may turn unto you: take up those words of the Prophet Jeremy, and pour them out before your God; Hast thou utterly rejected Judah? Jer. 14.hath thy soul loathed Zion? why hast thou smitten us, and there is no healing for us? we looked for peace, 19, 20,but there was no good; and for the time of healing, and behold trouble. We acknowledge, O, Lord our wickedness, and the iniquity of our fore-fathers; for we have sinned against thee. Do not abhor us for thy Names sake; 21.do not disgrace the Throne of thy glory; remember, break not thy Covenant with us: Presumption, and continuance in your sin, will continue his anger and fury; some such real submission, and humble confession, may reduce his love and pity.
Defer it not then, but go about it; cry mightily to heaven, Lord, Jon. 3.8.be merciful to us poor sinners; ye are but men, call therefote upon God; sinful men, pray then to a merciful God. It is no shame to be sorrowful; cry aloud, O God; It is no discredit to beg grace and pardon, pray him to be merciful; It is no dishonour to confess a fault; acknowledge then, that you are sinners. If your sins past do utterly displease you, your God will return in mercy to you. Your merciful Father when he sees that you weep, will wipe off all tears from your eyes. Deal he will by you, as the kind Father did by his Prodigal,Luke 15, give you a robe, a ring, and a kisse; a ring as a sign that he takes you for his; the robe of his Sons righteousness to cloath your nakedness; and a kisse of peace, love, and reconciliation. You shall be taken into favour again, and at last by his favour rewarded with an immortal crown of glory, Amen.