Gospel Not to yield obedience hereunto is the greatest disobedience This is that which he chargeth upon the Iews that they had not obeyed the Gospel Rom. 10. 16. Many of them had obeyed the Law seeking Righteousness by their Conformity thereunto They followed after the Law of Righteousness as he saith of them in the chapter foregoing ver 31. seeking righteousness by their obedience to the Law But they had not obeyed the Gospel And this he chargeth upon them as â—…he highest Contempt the greatest Disobedience that they going about to set up and establish their own Righteousness did not would not submit themselves to the Righteousness of God as he tells them chap. 10. ver 3. that is to seek Justification in Gods way that way which he had laid out for them viz. by receiving Christ and Believing on him And is not this the case of some and I fear too many among us Pardon me if I take liberty a little to insist upon this so needfull a point All their care is to hear what Moses saith unto them to yeild obedidience to the Law whilst in the mean time they listen not to the Voice of Christ the Voice of the Gospel they regard not the obedience of Faith but trample upon Christ and the doctrine of Salvation by him not receiving not embracing it not laying hold upon it not seeking Justification and Salvation by it Now as for all such let them know that it is not all their legal Righteousness that shall be able to justifie them before God Before men it may in which sense St. Iames tells us of a Iustification by works Jam. 2. but before God it cannot it shall not Having no other Righteousness but this they shall still stand as Sinners before him yea as great sinners In this rank continuing in this their Infidelity they will be found at that great Day The wicked servant in â—…e Gospel is said to have his portion appointed him with unbelievers Luke 12. 46. intimating such to be the chief of Sinners Such they will be found at that great day No sin will then be more deeply censured than this Then will it be as easie nay more easie for Pagans and Painims who never heard of Christ than for unbelieving Christians who reject Christ and trample this precious pearl of the Gospel under their feet Here is the first sort whom I would have to take notice of this Doctrine meer Civil persons 2. And to these joyn we such vain-glorious Hypocrites as make a shew of Religion being zealous for the outside the Ceremonial part of it as Paul was of the Traditions of his Fathers None more observant of external Formalities than they In the worship and service of God Who seemingly more Devout than they yet in the mean time they are no true friends to Jesus Christ having no inward acquaintance with him 3. But what shall we then say to those that are Enemies to him not only not receiving him into their Hearts but opposing him yea and according to their power Persecuting him and his This was Pauls case as you have heard whilest he was Zealous for the Ceremonies of the Law he was an imbittered enemy against Christ a Blasphemer a Persecuter speaking evil of the Way of Christ and persecuting all that he found of that Way And for this he here censures and condemns himself to be the chief of Sinners Who ever they are that in any degree stand guilty in the like kind let them take it home to themselves so as being convinced of the greatness of this their sin they may come to judg themselves for it as he did and so by judging and condemning of themselves they may prevent the Lords Judgment and obtain Mercy as he also did Thus you see whereupon it was the Apostle passeth this Censure upon himself confessing and acknowledging that he was the chief of sinners Why but it may be alledged that what Paul herein did he did it ignorantly So much he himself asserts in the verse next but one before the Text vers 13. I was so and so But saith he I did it ignorantly not intending any evil nor suspecting that what he did was evil only he was carried on with a blind inconsiderate zeal thinking that he did God good service in that which he did So he tells Agrippa Acts 26. 9. I verily thought with my self that I ought to do many things contrary to the Name of Iesus of Nazareth And might not this have pleaded an excuse for him A. Not so Ignorance however in some cases it may extenuate the sin yet can it not acquit the sinner Especially where it is as it is called Ignorantia vincibilis a vincible ignorance when a man hath means whereby he may come to the knowledg of the Truth Such was Pauls ignorance he might have known that Iesus Christ was the true Messiah This he might have learned from the Prophets and Apostles as also from those works which did sufficiently testifie of him the Miracles which were wrought by him and by his Apostles for the confirming of that Doctrine which was by him Preached So as his ignorance of this Truth was in it self culpable and inexcuseable and consequently could not excuse this sin of his in opposing the Truth of God in Persecuting Christ in his Members as he did Notwithstanding this yet was he in so doing a sinner a great sinner the chief of sinners Which let it be taken notice of by such who are ready under such a pretence to palliate and excuse the like sins in themselves What they did they did it ignorantly or they did it out of a good intention though rashly and unadvisedly c. And therefore they think this shall excuse them before God and men Not so Before men haply it may but not so before God For all this they are sinners still Ignorance may excuse à tanto but not à toto in part but not in whole Sins of ignorance are sins still The Apostle tells us how the high Priest under the Law offered Sacrifices for the errours of the people Heb. 9. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 super ignorantiis as Erasâ—…us and the vulgar Latine render it for their ignorances their sense of Ignorance And therefore let not any think that this plea will hold good at the bar of Gods Justice if they shall come to be tried there True it is it may make them more capable of Pardon upon their suing it out as Paul there saith of himself that he obtained Mercy because he did what he did Ignorantly v. 13. but it cannot acquit and discharge them of the Sin Paul was still a Sinner I in his own apprehension the chief of Sinners But the Knot is not yet untied the point not fully cleared Paul was a sinner a great sinner let that be granted yet how was he the chief of sinners Were there not others as great if not greater than he What
and secret yet the acknowledgement of them ought to be publick where the glory of God requires it Upon this ground Ioshuah requires Achan to make an open Confession of that sinne which he had done secretly My son saith he give glory to God and confess unto Him and tell me what thou hast done Josh. 7. 19. where the publick good requires it Upon this ground Ionah confesseth and acknowledgeth his sinne unto the Marriners for the saving of those that were in the Ship with him Ionah 1. 12. I know saith he to them that for my sake this great Tempest is come upon you But in the second place we speak not here of what all Christians are bound to do but what upon occasion being Penitent sinners they will be ready to do This was Paul's case in the Text. This acknowledgement of his was spontaneous and voluntary he being induced thereunto by no other respect but onely out of his desire to take shame to himself and give glory to God In special the glory of his Grace which having been so gloriously manifested in and upon him in receiving so great a sinner to Mercy he desireth to take all occasions to extol and magnifie And to that end it is that he maketh such frequent mention of his sinnes making such open confessions and acknowledgements of them And upon this ground great Sinners specially having tasted of the like Mercy in pardoning their sinnes they will be ready upon all occasions to acknowledge them that so they may declare and set forth the riches of Gods Grace exercised towards them Come and hear all ye that fear God and I will declare what he hath done for my Soul saith David Psal. 66. 16. And thus a Penitent Sinner having tasted of saving Mercy in the pardoning and healing of his Sinnes he will be ready ever-after to declare and set forth what God hath done for his Soul To which end as occasion is offered he will be forward in the confessing and acknowledging of his Sinnes But What kind of Acknowledgement is that which he maketh That is the second Question propounded A Question of great consequence and importance and that for the differencing and distinguishing of this from other false and counterfeit Acknowledgements Even wicked and ungodly men may and sometimes do upon occasion confess and acknowledge their sinnes So did Cain Mine iniquity is greater than it can be forgiven so our Margin readeth it following Montanus and others Gen. 4. 13. So did Pharaoh I have sinned saith he to Moses once and again Exod. 9. 27. 10. 16. So did Saul I have sinned against the Lord saith he to Samuel 1 Sam. 15. 24. And so did Iudas I have sinned in betraying innocent Blood saith he to the Chief Priests Mat. 27. 4. And the like meer carnal men will sometimes be ready to do Being charged and pressed by the Ministers of God or others especially when the Hand of God lyeth Heavy upon them now they will be ready to assent unto what Paul here saith of himself confessing themselves to be sinners great sinners yea the chief of Sinners Thus we may sometime meet with Pauls words coming out of the mouths of those who never knew what Paul's spirit meant They will upon occasion acknowledge their sinnes who never knew what it was to Repent of them How then shall we distinguish betwixt the one and the other The acknowledgement of a sinner truly Penitent and that which cometh from a spirit of Hypocrisie in a wicked or carnal man In Answer hereunto let me present you with some few properties of this sincere Acknowledgement whereby it may be discerned from that which is false and counterfeit In all which I shall still have an eye to the Confessor here in the Text this blessed Apostle illustrating each particular from his practice and example The acknowledgment of the true Penitent sinner is first Voluntary and Free So it is though injoyned yet not extorted not constreined Such is the Hypocrite's acknowledgement for the most part extorted and drawn from him against his will either by some Iudgement of God present or imminent felt or feared or by the Rack of a tormenting Conscience Such was Pharaohs confession to Moses drawn from him as water is out of a Still or Lymbick by the fire put under it by the Judgements of God which he and his people lay under And such was Iudas's confession to the Chief Priests extorted from him by the rack as I said of a tormenting Conscience In such cases even the worst of men will sometimes confess and acknowledge their sinnes which at other times when their condition is quiet and prosperous they will hardly be brought to do Like a man that is sick being at Sea and so emptieth his stomack freely but no sooner comne a Shoar but he is well again and all is quiet But it is otherwise with the True Penitent In acknowledging of sinne he is a Volunteer doing what he doth as Peter would have Ministers to feed their flocks 1 Pet. 5. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not by constraint but willingly Such are Gods People in all the services they do unto Him or for Him they are a willing people Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy Power Psal. 110. 3. When God exerciseth his power the power of his Grace upon a poor Sinner changing and renewing him bringing him home to himself then he cometh unto him willingly freely pouring forth his Soul before him in a voluntary confession and acknowledgement of his Sinnes Willingly confessing unto God and not unwillingly unto Men. And this he is ready to do not onely in times of Distress but even then when his condition is in all respects most Comfortable Such is the acknowledgement which here we meet with in the Text. Paul when he uttered these words he was in a quiet and comfortable condition under no distress whether outward or inward in body or mind yet even then he remembred his sinnes and remembring them he acknowledgeth them Which also as I have shewn he was ready to do upon all occasions at all other times His readiness and forwardness herein manisesting that these his Confessions were not extorted but voluntary Extorted Confessions such as those upon the Rack are seldom true ever suspicious True confession and acknowledgement whether to God or Man will be free and voluntary And so in the second place Ingenuous and full Such is not the Hypocrites confession If he be drawn to an acknowledgement of his sinnes yet therein you shall find him for the most part very partial and sparing as much as may be concealing and hiding them Even as Solomon saith of the Sluggard Prov. 19. 24. He hideth his hand in his bosome and is loath to put it forth to bring it to his mouth Thus dealeth the Hypocrite with his sinnes his beloved his darling sinnes he hideth them in his bosome concealing them as much as may be loath
assurance of the pardon of them 4. To get them throughly healed Q. 2. What benefit redoundeth from this practice A foursold Benefit 1. To make and keep the Soul humble 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rebellionis meae Montan. Transgressionis meae V. L. 2. To make Men thankful 3. To make them watchful over themselves 4. To make them pittiful towards others Caution Christians not to pore too much upon their sins so as to give way to inordinate dejections Sins to be remembred in a special way at special times Ian. 22. 1661. A day of Solemn Humiliation 2. Branch The Pe nitent sinner forward in acknowledging his own Sinnes Reas. 1 His Heart is full with the sense of Sinne. Reas. 2. The Bed of Sin is broken in him Two Questions resolved Q. 1. To whom is he so ready to make this acknowledgement 1. Unto God Both publickly and privately â—… 2. Unto men 1. Secretly or Privately 2. Openly and Publickly 1. In a Regular way 2. In a spontaneous way Upon their Conversion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est aperta clara voce Conliteri Paraeus ad loc Declarat palam profiteri Beza Ever after Three Eminent Confessours David Solomon Paul Q. whether all Christians be bound to follow these Paterns A. 1. In some cases they are as where the sins have been open peccantes intellige cum publico offendiculo Beza Gr. Annot. in loc 2. Where Gods glory the publick good require it A. 2. Penitent sinners though bound yet ready to make open confessions Q. 2. What kind of acknowledgement it is that the Penitent sinner maketh A. Five Properties of a true acknowledgement 1. It is Voluntary and Free 2. Ingenuous and Full. â—… Particular A good Confession made in general words but with reference to particular sins 4. Cordial and Affectionate True Confession accompanyed with Sorrow Shame With a serious purpose of forsaking the sin confessed 5. Filial Use 1. By way of Conviction Many discovered to be no true Penitents not being true Confessours 1. Such as were never convinced of sin 2. Such as being convin ced will not be brought to confess Not unto God Much less to Men. 3. Such as confess but not truly False Confession tried by a five-fold Touchstone They are not voluntary but extorted Not ingenuous but partial Only general Verbal and formal In a despairing way 4. Such as in stead of Confessing make Profession of their sins boasting in them Damned Souls far from such boasting Use. 2. All Exhorted to be such Confessours as Paul was 1. Confessing unto God Auricular Confession not necessary See that it be a right Confession suiting with that fivefold Property Voluntary Ingenuous Particular Cordial Filial Motive This the only and sure way to obtâ—…in Mercy This the ready only way to eaâ—…e the heart 2. Confesse unto Men. Privately Openly Scandalous sinners to make open Confession That they may give glory to God Take shame to themselves Give Satisfaction to those whom they have offended or in dangered Herein to deal sincerely â—…ir 1. Get a general knowledg of sinne 2. A particular Conviction 3. Compunction and Contrition 4. Some apprehension of Mercy 5. Begg from God his free Spirit Branch 3. The Penitent sinner a severe Censurer of himself Quest. Resp. 1. He is best acquainted with himself With his own Heaâ—…t With his own liâ—…e The pe nitent sinner weigheth his own sins Resp. 2. He feeleth them Resp. 3. His heart is tender Resp. 4. He hath tasted of Mercy Use 1. By way of Conviction divers â—…ensured to be no true penitents 1. Such as are â—…tterers of themselves whilest they are censorious of others 2. Such as are sparing in their censuring of themselves Diverse Pleas made use of by such for the extenuating of their sinnes 1. Others greater sinners than they 2. They are but as others 3. They have sinned through infirmity 4. They could not resist Sarans Temptations Paul sar from making use of any such Pleas. Use. 2. Exhortation Let all Christians be such self censurers of themselves Yet not being rash or over-rigid in these censures Mot. 1. This the way to prevent God's Censures Mot. 2. To ease the Soul of the burden of sinne and to procure the pardon of it Directions These words looked upon in reference to the former Obser. The Doctrine of Salvation by Christ to be particularly applied Resp. 1. This is true justifying saith 2. Hereby a Christian liveth upon earth 3. Hereby he shall live here after Use 1. The Doctrine of the Church of Rome confuted Use 2. Christians to bring home Christ with his Merits to themselves Q. How Christians may know that Christ came to save them A. By being truly Penitent Sinners Let not such Despair of Mercy though the chief of Sinners
into the World True he came into the World to save sinners but not such as you are not obstinate sinners As for such What have they to do with Grace What have they to do with Mercy What have they to do with Salvation Let them look for that which waits for them Indignation and Wrath Tribulation and Anguish which shall be upon every soul of Man that doth Evil as the Apostle tells them Rom. 2. 8 9. This is the portion of Obstinate sinners such as make Iesus Christ and his coming into the world to be as it were a pander to their Lusts from hence taking occasion to continue in Sin let them never look to have any benefit by his coming He shall one day come to be their Iudge he never came to be their Saviour All the comfort which distilleth from this Breast of Consolation that springs from this Fountain this Well of Salvation is appropriated to the broken-hearted truly penitent sinner to such as being convinced of Sin feel the weight and burthen of it being weary and heavy-laden under it desiring earnestly to be freed and delivered from it and that not only from the guilt and punishment but also from the power and inbeeing of it being like affected with this our Apostle who crieth out O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death Rom. 7. 24. Such as desire to be saved not only from Death and Hell but also from sin To such sinners all such and only such doth this faithful Saying speak abundant and everlasting Consolation For your sakes did the Eternal Son of God come into the world to seek and to save such as you are And therefore lay you bold on this comfort which is here held forth unto you not fearing to bring it home and make Application of it to your selves It matters not what your sins have been or are what for number what for nature how many how great let not all this discourage Behold here a Plaister as large as the Soar a Cordial which being taken down will serve to bear up the heart against fainting Iesus Christ came into the world to save sinners Let not thy sins then deter thee from laying hold upon this Salvation which as it was merited for thee so is it held forth and tendred to thee by this thy Saviour Thou art a sinner a great sinner let not this drive thee from Iesus Christ but to him Such they are whom he came to Save Wer 't thou not such a one thou couldest have no benefit by him This it is that maketh thee a Subject capable of receiving benefit from him As for those righteous persons who are so in their own eyes their own apprehensions Christ will have nothing to do with them neither let them expect to be the happier for him The proud Pharisee goeth as he cometh whilest the poor self-condemning Publican goeth away justified I tell you saith our Saviour speaking by way of Parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous as the 9th verse hath it This man went down to his house justified rather than the other Luke 18. 14. The one came justified viz. in himself boasting of his own righteousness but goeth away a sinner the other cometh a sinner confessing himself so to be but goeth away justified viz. by God being absolved from all his sins The one cometh empty but goeth away full the other cometh full but goeth away empty He hath filled the hungry with good things and the rich he hath sent empty away saith Mary in her Song Luke 1. 53. Great comfort to all truly penitent humbled broken hearted self-condemning sinners For such as you it was that Iesus Christ came into the world to be a Saviour unto you Only see that you do not judge your selves unworthy of this Salvation by neglecting of it How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation Heb. 2. 3. much less by rejecting of it putting it from you This was that which Paul and Barnabas charged upon the Iews as a high contempt that word which had by them been Preached to them they put it from them so judging themselves unworthy of everlasting Life Acts 13. 46. This did they by their rejecting not receiving of this Doctrine the Doctrine of Salvation by Christ thereby shewing themselves to be unworthy of it And the like do all they who hearing this faithful saying worthy of all acceptation this saving Doctrine do not receive it embrace it bringing it home to themselves and making a right use of it Such neglect such contempt let every of us beware of giving unto this Doctrine this faithful Saying such acceptation as it is worthy of even All acceptation Let that be the word of Exhortation which give me leave to press with what earnestness I may or can we have all of us as at other times often so now again heard of this faithful Saying That Christ Iesus is come into the world to save sinners This we have received into the Ear O but suffer we it not to die there to vanish in the hearing but give we unto it as I said such acceptation as it is worthy of even all acceptation receiving it by all wayes and means By all wayes I say meaning all lawfull and useful wayes Such are not all the ways wherein this Doctrine is by some received Let me by the way give you a hint of one or two of them giving you withal a Caveat that you do not so receive this Saying 1. Receive it not by way of doubtful Disputation In such a way this our Apostle forbiddeth Christians to receive their weak brethren Rom. 14. 1. Him that is weak in the faith receive you but not to doubtful Disputations Not troubling and disquieting them with needlesse and uselesse scruples with Ambiguities and Perplexities And in such a way let not us receive Iesus Christ nor this Doctrine concerning his Coming into the world by troubling our selves or others with needless and useless Questions over-eagerly contending about what cannot certainly be determined Of these let me take notice of two or three 1. Such is that Controversie concerning the time of his coming When it was that he came into the world that he was Born upon what day or in what week or in what month which though it hath been by learned Heads with all possible Industry searched into and by some over-eagerly debated yet can it not be certainly determined So that great Critick passeth his censure upon it Unius Dei est non hominis definire This is a thing which God alone can do And our Church whilest in its Liturgie for several dayes it still maketh use of the same words That God gave his Son as this day to be Born of a pure Virgin It seemeth to intimate unto us that though it had appointed a day for the celebrating of the memorial thereof yet it did not bind
had there not been many that had been guilty in the very same kind before him having as great a hand in opposing and persecuting of Christ as ever he had What say we to Herod who sought to murder Christ in his Cradle upon which account to make sure of him he caused all the children in Bethleem and the coasts thereof from two years old and under to be slain Mat. 2. 16 And so to those others probably his Instruments who are there said to have sought the young childs life vers 20. And what say we to the chief Priests and Scribes of whom we read that they sought how they might kill him Luk. 22. 2 And what to Iudas who as it there followeth communed and bargained with them for a sum of mony to betray that his Lord and Master into their hands which being ingaged in he sought opportunitie to do v. 4. 6. and afterwards did it And what say we to Herod and Pilate who had a hand in condemning him And what to the Iews who used him so inhumanely and barbarously as they did putting a Crown of Thorns upon his head reviling and spitting upon him buffeting him and afterwards Crucifying him which however some of them did it ignorantly as our Saviour making the most charitable construction of it saith of them Father forgive them for they know not what they do Luk. 23. 34. yet can it not be so thought of all Some of them doing what they did out of implacable malice And what were not these as great nay greater sinners than Paul was who did what he did ignorantly How is it then that he here chargeth himself so deeply that he was the chief of sinners To this I find diverse Answers returned Some in the first place look upon Pauls sin as more general reaâ—…hing further than theirs did Iudas his sin in betraying and theirs in Condemning and Crucifying of Christ it was more particular extending only to his Person but Paul's reaching to the whole Church Others in the second place conceive that Paul might be more zealous more active and stirring more fierce than any of them Besides thirdly he had more light at least greater means of knowledg then the most of them But as Aquinas notes upon it all these will not resolve the doubt in asmuch as Pauls sin was still a sin of ignorance but some of theirs of malice Aquinas himself therefore in the Second place he would evade it thus Paul here calleth himself the chief of Sinners that is saith he not of All sinners but of Saved sinners Of such it is that he here speaketh Christ Iesus came into the world to save sinners of whom of which saved sinners I am chief As for Iudas and Herod and Pilate and other of the malicious Iewes they had not found the like Mercy that he had done They were sinners but damned sinners not saved by Christ. Now of all such saith he Paul here reckons himself the chief But neither can this be looked upon as satisfactory in as much it layeth too great a restraint upon the words of the Text which must be understood indefinitely of all sinners Christ Iesus came into the world to save sinners tendring and offering Salvation unto all And of all these sinners Paul here acknowledgeth himself to be the chief More genuinely then in the Third place Paul was the greatest of sinners in his own apprehension Being best acquainted with his own sins and most sensible of them Peccata mea certius scio gravius pondero saith Carthusian well He did more certainly know and more sensibly feel his own sins than the sins of others 1. More certainly know them As for the sins of others he looked upon them at a distance a far off knowing them onely by Hear-say In the mean time not knowing all the circumstances accompanying them which might either aggravate or extenuate them But for his own sins these he was well acquainted with his eyes being fully opened and having a great measure of Light which breaking forth into his Soul he had now a full discovery of them so as he was powerfully and thorowly convinced of them hereby he was made throrowly acquainted as with the Streams so with the Fountain as with the several Acts of sinne which he had perpetrated and committed so with the fountain of corruption from whence they Issued And both these he took notice of in himself which he could not do in others As for the outward acts of sinne in others these he might either see or hear of but as for the fountain of Corruption that mass and body of sin in them that he could not be privy to Thus was he better acquainted with himself than with others and with his own sins than theirs having a more clear and full sight of the one than of the other So he had whilest as I said he beheld the one near hand the other afar off Now things which we behold near hand we behold them in their full proportion whereas things seen at a distance seem much less than they are As a Hawk flying a high pitch her shape is lessened being seemingly far less than when she was upon the Fist or Pearch Whereas the Moon though one of the least of Stars yet seemeth far to exceed them in Magnitude because not so remote but nearer to the Earth than they So was it with Paul's sins they were nearer to his eye than the sins of others and therefore seem'd greater to him than the sins of any other Besides they were set off as I may say by the greatness of that Grace and Mercy which he had tasted of Contraries they do mutually illustrate each other as that common Maxim tells us Contraria juxtà â—…e posita magis elucescunt White and Black being set together make each other appear the more And surely Paul having obtained Mercy tasted of those exceeding riches of Grace which God had shewn to him in his kindness towards him in Christ Iesus in the Pardoning and Forgiving of his sins receiving him into so great Favour this made his sins to appear unto him so much the more sinful Even as it is with a Traytor having plotted Treason against his Prince against his Person or Government and being Convicted of it and condemned for it if his Prince out of his special Grace shall please not only to pardon his Crime but to receive him into Grace and Favour admitting him to some place of trust and nearness about his Person certainly if there be any ingenuitie in such a person this cannot but make him see the foulness of his Errour and make the Treason seem more horrid unto him than ever the Rigour of the Law if Executed upon him would have done Thus was it with this our Apostle Paul had taken up Arms against Christ and against his Church shewing himself a Rebel an enemie to his Person and Government exercising all the Acts
may be some remainders of it in the Soul which if not looked unto may break forth again And upon this accompt a Christian is to remember it that he may get strength against it Such use also David made of his sins being ever before him it putteth him upon seeking unto God that he would throwly wash him from his iniquity and cleanse him from his sin Psal. 51. 2. freeing him both from the guilt and power of it And that he would create in him a clean heart renewing a right spirit within him vers 10. And that he would establish him with his free Spirit vers 12. Thus are Christians to have a frequent eie upon their sins as Patients have upon their soars to see that they may not break forth again To these ends and purposes among others are Christians to be frequent in this exercise Which whilst they are it will be very beneficial to them and that diverse ways That is the second thing which I propounded to shew you What profit what benefit a Christian shall reap from this practise Much every way Were there no other than what I have made mention of already the attaining of that Four-fold end The knowing of the truth of their Repentance The renewing and increasing of it The getting of assurance of the pardon of their Sins And strength against them These were enough to answer and recompense all the Points that a Christian shall take in this way But besides these take we notice of Four more Four considerable benefits accruing from this practice It will be of great use unto a Christian to make him 1. Humble 2. Thankful 3. Watchful 4. Pitiful Humble in Himself Thankful to his God Watchful over his Sin and Pitiful towards Others All benefits of singular Excellency and Worth Touch upon them briefly Frequent remembrance of a mans own Sins will be of speciall Use to make and keep him Humble So it is that there is in the Heart of every man naturally an accursed root of Pride which is very apt to spring and sprout forth being watered as it were with all the common Favours and Blessings that God poureth out upon him of what kind soever they be Good things of Fortune as they were called of Nature of Grace I mean common Grace Birth Beauty Riches Honours gifts and endowments of the Mind any of these not being Sanctified are apt to puff up the Soul to breed a Tympany in it Now the frequent remembrance of Sins will be of special use to prevent it to make the Soul humble and keep it humble Such Use the Church tells us she had of it as Montanus and the Vulgar Latine render the word in that Text Lam. 3. 19 20. Remembring my Affliction and my misery saith our Translation my Affliction and my Rebellion my Transgression say they which sense the word in the Original will well bear as we find it rendred 1 Sam. 20. 30. the Wormwood and the Gall that is the bitterness of both my Soul hath them still in remembrance and is humbled in me Incurvatur it is bowed down The soul of man naturally is Proud apt to be inordinately lift up in him Now the Remembrance as of former Afflictions which he hath lain under so of former Sins which he hath fallen into will be of special use to humble it to make it keep so This effect it had in and upon this our Apostle as you have heard The remembrance of his former Sins made him Vile in his own eyes This it was that made him think and speak so meanly of himself to account himself the least of the Apostles unworthy to be one of that number the least of Saints nay less than the least of them as the Text hath it Ephes. 3. 8. Because saith he I persecuted the Church of God 1 Cor. 15. 9. Thus it was As the Buffetings of Satan of which he speaketh 2 Cor. 12. 7. those temptations wherewith he was exercised after his Conversion so the remembrance of his former Sins committed before his Conversion was to him of great use to keep him from being exalted above measure a thing which by reason of the many and great priviledges now conferred upon him he was subject to and in danger of Thus God sometimes suffers his Chosen Vessels those whom he purposeth to make some special use of and to confer some signal Favours upon to fall into some great Sin or sins haply in their Youth it may be Afterwards that so the Remembrance of them may be a means to keep their Spirits in a humble frame and temper from being inordinately lift up in them being to them as the Peacocks black Leggs are vulgarly conceived to be unto him which looking down upon he presently letteth fall his proud Plumes Here is the first of those Benefits which a Christian may reap from this reflecting upon his Sins A benefit of singular Use there being nothing more dangerous to the Soul than this spiritual Tympany 2dly As it will be of great Use to make men Humble so Thankful As Humble in themselves so Thankful to their God A fruit naturally growing upon this Branch Remembrance of former sins Repented of and Pardoned it calleth to mind two things Gods Goodness our own Unworthiness Gods goodness in sparing of us not taking us as the Scribes and Pharisees tell our Saviour that woman was whom they brought before him Iohn 8. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the very Act of sinne and so bringing us to answer as they did her before His Tribunal for those Sins which we wanted Grace and space to Repent of Nor yet onely sparing us giving us a time to Repent but also working that Repentance in us and upon our Repenting Pardoning them and instead of punishing us according to our deservings conferring many special Graces and Favours upon us of all which of the least of which we were altogether unworthy Both these the remembrance of former sins calleth to mind And so doing it cannot but be a special means to raise up the Heart to a Thankful apprehension and acknowledgment thereof Of such Use was it to this blessed Apostle as we may take notice from the 12. 13. verses in this Chapter where calling to mind his former sins he presently breaketh forth into blessing and magnifying of Iesus Christ for his rich Grace and Mercy towards him I thank Christ Iesus our Lord who hath enabled me for that he counted me faithful putting me into the Ministry who was before a Blasphemer a Persecutor Injurious but I obteined mercy So again vers 17. Having here confessed himself to be the chief of sinners and after declared what God had done for him how he had made him a Patern to all that should hereafter believe on him he thereupon in the next words breaketh forth into that affectionate Gratulation Now unto the King Eternal Immortal Invisible the only wise God be Honour and Glory for ever and ever
7. 20. but as unto a Father with some apprehensions of mercy Thus are the confessions of a truly penitent sinner ordinarily attended and accompanied with some apprehension of mercy I say either with the present sense of it as Pauls confession here was to which he subjoynes But I obteined mercy Or with the hope of it So runs that confession which Shecaniah there maketh Ezra 10. 2. We have transgressed c. Yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing To proceed no further Put these together and hereby may the sincere confession and acknowledgment of the truly penitent sinner be discerned from that which is false and counterfeit And so you have both these Questions resolved That which now remains of this is the Application Which I shall direct as in the former Branch onely two wayes by way of Conviction Exhortation 1. By way of Conviction Is the true penitent such a Confessor so forward and ready in such a way to confesse and acknowledge his sinnes both to God and Man how many then from hence may be convinced that they are as yet none of this number that they are as yet in a state of impenitency that they are as yet in their sinnes lying under the guilt and power of them Diverse sorts there are who come within the verge and compass of this Conviction Let me take notice of some of them Which whilest I do let me desire you all of you to go along with me trying and examining your selves whether you be not of this number In the first place Some there are who do not as yet know themselves to be sinners they were never convinced of their sinnes never convinced of the sinfulness of their nature never convinced of any such remarkable evils whether in their hearts or lives as should need any such serious confession and acknowledgment So is it with some morall civil Iusticiaries whose lives not having been stained with such open such foul and scandalous sinnes as they see in others hereupon they are well opinionated of themselves They are not as other men are as the Pharisee said of himself Luk. 18. 11. no Swearers no Drunkards no Adulterers c. so as they scarce see wherein they are sinners much less great sinners Very far are they from making any such confession and acknowledgment of their sinnes as Paul here doth of his Now as for such let them know that not having as yet been convinced of their sinnes they must needs be in them lying under the power and under the guilt of them This is the first work that the Spirit of God worketh in the heart of a regenerate person It is to him a Spirit of Conviction when the comforter is come saith our Saviour he shall reprove or convince 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the world of sin Joh 16. 8. This is the work of the Spirit and it is the first work Certainly the Soul which never yet knew what this work meant must needs be far from any such ingenuous acknowledgment as here we meet with in the Text. Paul before he came to make this confession that he was the chief of sinners he had seen a light from Heaven shining round about him and falling to the earth he heard a voice saying unto him Saul Saul why persecutest thou me as we have the story Act. 9. 3 4. He had a strong a clear and powerful Conviction discovering to him and throughly convincing him of the evil of that course which he then took And thus must it be with every poor sinner Before ever he will be brought to an ingenuous confession and acknowledgment of his sinnes he must see a light from Heaven discovering them to him and he must hear a voice from Heaven convincing him of the sinfulness of them and he must be struck down to the earth humbled in the sense of his own Vilenesse before ever his heart will be brought to such a frame and temper as here we find in this our Apostle to be ready thus to confess and acknowledg his sinnes both to God and Man upon all occasions Certainly they who never yet knew what this Spirit of Conviction meant are as yet far from being ingenuous Confessours and consequently may conclude themselves to be in a state of impenitency In the second place Another sort there are who have been convinced of their sins which yet they will not be brought to confess and acknowledge Convinced I say they have been being guilty it may be of some foul open and scandalous sinnes whereof they have been convinced not onely by the light of the Word but even by the light of Nature which light is sufficient to make a discovery of some of many sinnes specially of those against the second Table This is the work of the Law written in the hearts of men as the Apostle saith of it Rom. 2. 15. which whilest it directs them to many Duties it cannot but convince them of many Sinnes Rectum est index sui obliqui Yet for all this they will not be brought to a confession and acknowledgment of what they cannot but be convinced of No though charged upon them by the Ministers of God again and again yet for all that they will not be brought to confess their sinnes no not so much as unto God Is it not the case of some of many profane wretches I wish there may be none of them within the hearing of it or if there be that it may sink into their hearts They are such as cannot but be convinced of their sinful wayes and courses being as the Apostle saith of obstinate Hereticks Tit. 3. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 self-condemned their own consciences bearing witness and their thoughts accusing them as he speaks of the Gentiles Rom. 2. 15. their sinnes being of a horrid nature staring them in the face as it were yet for all that the time is yet to come that ever they should go into the presence of God there to spread their sinnes before him as Hezekiah did Senacheribs blasphemous Letter Isa. 38. to humble themselves at his footstool by confessing and acknowledging their sinnes This is a course a practise which they are meer strangers to never yet knew what it meant And not confessing their sinnes unto God they are very farre from acknowledging them unto Men from whom their main care is to hide them as Achan did his Wedge of Gold and Babylonish Garment which he hid in his Tent Iosh. 7. 22 And if they be found out and charged upon them What do they then Why either deny them as Gehazi did his running after Naman to receive a reward from him which his Master Elisha had refused when his master asked him Whence comest thou he said Thy servant went no whither 2 King 5. 25. so adding sinne unto sinne Or else excuse it may be defend what they have done By no means they will be brought to take the blame and shame of Sinne
But I shall put them both together pressing this duty upon all Those which never yet did it let them set upon it Those who have done it let them be frequent in it This is that which the Lord calleth for from his people the people of the Iews Jer. 3. 13. Onely acknowledge thine iniquity And this he expecteth and looketh for at the hands of all those that look for mercy from him that they should confess and acknowledg their iniquities And this do we all and every of us Sure I am there is none of us but have just cause to do it Though we be not so great sinners as Paul was yet sinners we are and great sinners all of us And so looking upon our selves confesse we our sinnes This do we in the first place unto God This is the confession which Scripture most urgeth and calleth for at the hands of all as being the most necessary confession My Son give I pray thee glory to the Lord God of Israel and make confession unto him â—…aith Ioshua to Achan Josh. 7. 19. I said I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord saith David Psal. 32. 5. Confession unto others it may be at some times and in some cases useful and profitable but this at all times necessary A Doctrine far differing from that of the Church of Rome which runneth almost wholly upon another kind of confession viz. Auricular confession as they call it confession made in the ears of the Priest This is the Confession which they so much cry up making it a main part of their Religion insisting so much upon it in all their Tracts and Catechisms calling and accounting it a Sacrament and making it one of the Essential parts of true Repentance imposing it strictly upon All and requiring it as a matter not only of Expedience but of absolute Necessity where it may be done without which no man can receive Absolution or Remission of his Sinnes or have any entrance into the Kingdom of God In this the Doctrine of our Church is and may it ever so be far dissonant from and contrarie to theirs Which however in some cases it alloweth and upon good grounds approveth the Confession of sinnes unto the Ministers of God as expedient and useful yet Confession unto God and onely that it holdeth to be of absolute Necessity And so looking upon it let every of us thus confesse our sinnes confesse them unto Him Which do we in Publick in Private doing it in such a manner as it may be acceptable unto Him and profitable to our selves To which end have we an eye to that fivefold Property which I mentioned before 1. See that our Confession be Voluntary and Free Bring we our hearts willingly to the work See that our Confession come from us like Water out of a Spring not like Water out of a Still which is forced by fire Not deferring and putting it off till the Evil day Better do it now than stay till God bring us to the Rack and so extort a confession from us Extorted confessions being as I said ever suspicious they will yield little comfort to the Soul What herein we do do it willingly 2. And 2dly do it Ingenously Acknowledge we our sinnes unto God and hide them not A bootlesse and vain attempt to go about to hide our sinnes from him in whole or in part before whose Eyes all things are naked and open as the Apostle tells us Heb. 4. 13. In our Confessions therefore deal plainly and openly with him Shewing our selves as ready to confess our sinnes unto him as we would be to receive mercy from him Do it ingenuously and fully 3. And do it Particularly not resting contented with an Implicit Confession which as one saith is little better than an Implicit Faith not thinking it enough to confess and acknowledge that we are sinners great sinners but deal particularly and distinctly producing our particular sinnes laying them before the Lord specially the chief of them 4. And in the 4th place do it Cordially Let our Confessions be not onely Tongue but Heart-Confessions See that we be inwardly affected with the sense and feeling of those sins which we confess 5. And in the last place let our Confessions be Filial come we unto God not onely as a Iudge but as a Father laying hold upon his Mercy in Christ for the pardon of those sinnes which we confesse Thus confesse we our sinnes unto God To excite and stir us up whereunto take we notice that this is the way to mercy The onely way and the sure way to it Scripture is expresse for both The onely way I am merciful saith the Lord onely acknowledge thine iniquitie Jer. 3. 12 13. as if he had said Other way there is none for thee or any other to obtain Mercy at my hands but this The sure way So much these promises import He that confesseth and forsaketh his sinnes shall have mercy Prov. 28. 13. If we confess our sinnes God is faithful and just to forgive us our sinnes and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness 1 Joh. 1. 9. God having as it were bound himself by Promise upon Confession of sinnes to bestow Remission now it standeth not onely with his Mercy but with his Iustice to do it Not that confession can merit pardon at the hands of God more than at the hands of men but onely in regard of His gracious promise which having made he will be faithful in the performance of This is the way the sure and onely way to find Mercy A way which God himself hath layed out and a way which his people have ever taken for the obteining of it both for themselves and others and a way wherein they have ever found what they sought for All these I might show you if need were And besides this I might show you diverse other benefits redounding to the penitent sinner from this practise This is the ready and onely way to ease the heart being burdened with sinne thus to poure it forth before God in such humble and hearty confessions and acknowledgments The opening of our grief unto a friend is an ease to the heart much more to do it unto God When I kept silence saith David my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long Psal. 32. 3. Whilest he hid his sinne he could have no rest he roared through pangs of Conscience but confessing it his Soul was quieted he thereby obteined what he then sought for Pardon and Remission I said I will confesse my transgressions unto the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquitie of my sinne so it followeth vers 5. Let these Motives induce us to be willing to confess our sinnes unto God And 2dly upon occasion be not unwilling to do it unto Men. 1st Privately whether to the Ministers of God or others Confess your sinnes one to another saith Saint Iames Jam. 5. 16. that is say
himself to be the chief of sinners Cuique gravissimum est onus quod suis impositum est humeris saith Aretius forecited upon the Text Every one is ready to think that burden heaviest that lyeth upon his own shoulders and his own pain to be the greatest See if there be any sorrow like my sorrow saith the Church in the Text forecited Lam. 1. 12. That which a man knoweth by sense and feeling it maketh a deeper impression upon his heart than what he knoweth onely by Speculation Many other Reasons might be given why penitent sinners should have such apprehensions of their own sinnes Among other their hearts are tender as Huldah the Prophetesse said of good Iosiah 2 Chron. 34. 27. Because thine heart was tender c. And such in measure is the heart of every truly penitent sinner Now a tender heart is affected with the least touch Besides as you have heard before they are such as have begun to taste of mercy Now that maketh their sinnes to appear the more sinful to them even as the tasting of any sweet thing will make that which is bitter to seem more bitter The sweetnesse of God's Grace and Mercy in Christ being tasted by the Soul in the pardon of sinne it maketh sinne to be the more bitter unto it But I shall no longer dwell upon Illustration That which now remains for the closing up of this point is only the Application which I shall again direct as in the two former Branches onely those two wayes By way of Conviction by way of Exhortation In the first place by way of Conviction Is this the property of a sinner truly penitent to be so severe in censuring of his own sins and himself for them how many upon this ground may justly be censured as being none of this number 1st Such as instead of censuring do flatter themselves and that whilest in the mean time they are very ready to censure others As for others none are more censorious of them than they very quicksighted they are in prying into their lives nay into their hearts ready to censure both and that most severely nay rigidly and uncharitably Ready to pass a sharp censure upon the moates the least infirmities and failings which they spie in others And not onely censuring the faults which they do beyond all proportion of merit but the persons also for the faults sake condemning them for Hypocrites But in the mean time they are gross flatterers of themselves Not espying the beams in their own eyes overlooking many gross evills in themselves applauding themselves as if all were well with them and that there were nothing in them that should deserve a Censure Such were the Pharisees of old none more ready to censure others than they So did he the Publican in the Gospel blessing God that himself was not such a one as he and others were God I thank thee saith he I am not as other men are c. or even as this Publican Luk. 18. 11. And thus is it with many too many they are very quicksighted towards others As it is observed of the most ravenous and mischievous birds birds of prey they are usually most quicksighted So is it with the worst and wickedest of men none more ready to find fault with others whilest they see none in themselves Now as for such let them take notice how far they are from the temper and disposition of this our Apostle here in the Text. Paul whilest he was Saul a Pharisee no question he thought as well of himself as any other he was then highly opinionated of his own Righteousness that he was not as others if a sinner yet not so great a sinner as others were But now being brought home to Christ and having his eyes opened he cometh to see more evil in himself then in any other whereupon he passeth this severe censure upon himself that he was not onely a sinner but a great sinner yea the chief of sinners Certainly they who do not see any thing in themselves that deserve a censure and that a sharp one they may well conclude that as yet they have not had their eyes opened they have little or no acquaintance with themselves Did they but throughly know themselves they would see so much at home as would make them less censorious abroad So is it with a truly gracious Soul a truly penitent sinner the more holy he is the more humble the more gracious the less censorious of others where there may be any hope The Story tells us Ioh. 8. of those Scribes and Pharisees which brought that poor woman taken in the Act of Adultery before our Saviour however they were all of them guilty of the like or of some as great sinnes as she was as appeared by their shrinking and stealing away after they had heard what our Saviour said to them He that is without sinne among you let him first cast a stone at her vers 7. Now they which heard it saith the Text being convicted by their own Conscience went out one by one vers 9. yet how harsh and rigid were they against her as in accusing so in censuring of her urging the Law which required that such should be stoned which they would have speedily executed without any further hearing So rigid were they against her But so was not our Saviour However he himself knew no sinne being free from all sinne both Original and Actual holy harmless undefiled separated from sinners as the Apostle saith of him Heb. 7. 26. yet see how mildely how gently how tenderly he was pleased to deal with her telling her that seeing there were no witnesses present to prove what they charged her with he would not condemn her onely willing her to go away and sinne no more Vers. 11. Certainly they who are so harsh and uncharitable in censuring condemning of others either never considered or else have forgotten what themselves are or were Which if they did but seriously think of it would teach them that Lesson which the Apostle willeth Titus to presse upon his Cretians and that upon this ground Tit. 3. 2 3. Put them in mind saith he to speak evil of no man that is not without just cause but to be gentle shewing meekness unto all men For we our selves were sometimes foolish disobedient deceived serving diverse lusts and pleasures This would make men more severe in censuring themselves than others A second sort there are who it may be will be content to pass a censure upon themselves but they are very sparing in it That they are sinners they will acknowledge but what Great sinners not so much lesse the chief of sinners Here they will plead what they can for themselves for the extenuating of their sinnes and excusing of themselves making use of diverse Pleas for that end and purpose I shall instance in three or four of the most usual 1. Though they be sinners and have their faults