you remember your sins Looking back upon them not as Lot's Wife did upon her Sodom which she may be conceived to have left against her will sorrowing that she and it were parted and that she might not return to it again for which cause she was turned into a Pillar of Salt made a Monument to all posterity as the Story tells us Gen. 19. 26. Thus do aged sinners sometimes look back upon their sins their sins of youth which they have left or rather which have left them not being ashamed of them or sorrowing for them but pleasing themselves in the remembrance of them sorrowing rather that they have been forced to part with them Thus do they remember their sins as they do their friends being dead mourning over their Graves lamenting their death sorry that they could live no longer with them Now as for such a Remembrance far be it from every of you Would you have God to forget your sins see that you remember them with sorrow and shame loathing and abhorring them and your selves for them So look upon them as a sick Patient doth upon his Vomit which his stomack being disburdened of the very sight or smell of it is loathsome to him Remembring them be ashamed of them and confounded in your selves for them Taking notice which let it serve for a second Motive that this is the onely way to prevent everlasting Confusion at the last and great Day Those that will not remember their sins here shall remember them there those that will not remember them with shame here shall behold them with shame there those that will not be confounded for them here shall be confounded for them at that day They shall then be ashamed and also confounded all of them they shall go to confusion as the Prophet saith of the makers of Idols Isa. 45. 16. O then Be awakened and stir up your selves to such a serious remembrance of your sins And this do you speedily Not deferring the remembring of them as too many do who as long as health and strength are continued to them they go on securely not willing to trouble themselves with the thought of their sins No when the evil day cometh then it will be soon enough to do this In time of sickness at the hour of death this is the time which they have designed to this work A time of all other most improper for it So many a one hath found it and so let them make account to do who ever they are who shall put off the remembrance of their sins till then Haply at that time 1st thou mayest want power to do this not having the use of memorie Or 2dly having power thou mayest want a will though thou hast a head thou mayest want a heart God often yea for the most part denying his Grace at that time to those that have slighted the former offers of it But 3dly though thou hast both power and will yet how sad and terrible will the remembrance of thy sins be then unto thee when thou shalt come to look death in the face and be under the Arrest of that grim Sergeant thy body ready to be carried to the prison of the Grave and thy Soul without infinite Mercy to the prison of Hell there to make satisfaction for those sins which thou hast committed but not repented of O sad remembrance of sin when being thus arrested and called to give up thy accompt thou shalt remember thy sins but canst not remember thy repentance canst remember thy Debts but cannot shew thy Acquittance shalt remember how thou hast provoked God by a continual course of sin and so made thy self justly obnoxious to his everlasting Wrath and Vengeance but canst not remember that ever thou suedst out thy pardon this will be a sad Remembrance To prevent the horror and terror hereof then Remember your sins now Now whilest health and strength last now whilest you have time for the suing out your Pardon Now remember them Which that you may do for Direction briefly Begg it of God that he would open your eyes that he would in a kindly way set your sins in order before you bringing them to your remembrance causing you to know them This is that which Iob desireth from his God in his Passion Job 13. 23. Lord saith he make me to know my transgression and my sin And the like do you upon serious thoughts begg it of God that he would make a full discovery of your sins to you So it is unless He be pleased to do this for you you will never behold them as they are nor remember them as you ought And therefore be earnest in begging this Mercy A Mercy which maketh way for all saving Mercies for pardoning Mercie healing Mercie that the Lord would be pleased to discover your sins unto you making you acquainted with your Selves with the sinfulness of you Natures Hearts and Lives Which that he may do Wait upon him in the use of such means as whereby he ordinarily effecteth this work The chief whereof is the publick Ministry of his Word Hereby doth God open the eyes of poor sinners Paul was sent by God unto the Gentiles upon this Errand To open their eyes to turn them from darkness to light from the power of Satan unto God that they might receive forgiveness of sins c. as the Lord tells him Act. 26. 18. And how was he to do this Why by his Preaching his Preaching of the Word to them Herein are God's Ministers his Instruments as he was in doing of this work in giving sight to the blind in making men to see and know their sins This is the work which the Lord putteth his Prophet Ezekiel upon cap. 16. 2. Son of man saith he cause Ierusalem to know her Abominations And this is the work of God's Ministers his Interpreters as to shew unto man his uprightness of which Elihu speaks Iob 33. 23 so to convince him of his sinfulness And therefore that you may come to see and feel this attend upon this Ordinance of God and that with care and Conscience that you may hear what God will say to you by his Ministers Not being offended at them when they come to touch upon your sins as Ahab was with Michaiah Herod with Iohn the Baptist and Foelix with Paul of whom I spake before but Be willing to hear of them that so you may be convinced of them and brought to remember them in a truly penitential way This for the former sort such as never yet knew what it was to remember their sins aright In the second place for them who have remembered them and seriously repented of them let them also be excited frequently to reflect upon them It is a mistake if any shall think what our Antinomians of late time did that when once a man hath repented of his sins and sued out his pardon for them he should then cast them behind his back
Law Behold we our own faces in that Glass Bring our lives thither bring our hearts thither comparing the one with the other laying both to that Rule that so by the straightness of the one we may discover the obliquity and crookedness of the other Thus did Paul he brought himself his heart and life to the Law and by that means he came not onely to attain the knowledge of sinne in a general way but to see his own sinfulness the sinfulness of his Nature and the sinfulness of his Life as his former sinnes acted before his Conversion so the Body of sinne which still remained in hiâ—… In the sense and apprehension whereof he so passionately cryeth out in the close of that Chapter Rom. 7. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O wretched man that I am Who shall deliver me from the body of this death Thus seek we after such a Conviction which till we attain we will never be brought to a right confession and acknowledgment of sin Thence was it that Nathan taketh this course with David First convincing him of his sinne which he doth by propounding to him the Parable of the Ewe-Lamb and so by that means brings him to that Confession which there he made 2 Sam. 12. 3dly Being convinced of sinne then in the third place seek after some measure of Compunction and Contrition that so we may not onely have a sight but an inward sense and feeling of our sinnes and so be humbled in the sense of them Paul did not only see a light shining about him and hear a voice speaking unto him but he was also struck to the ground as you have heard And so must a poor sinner be before ever he will be brought to a right confession of his sinnes Seek we for this also in measure This it was that drew Iohn the Baptist's and Peters and Pauls hearers to those open confessions which they made they were pricked in the hearts for their sinnes 4thly Being thus humbled for sinne and feeling some measure of Compunction now labour in the next place to get some apprehensions of mercy to raise up the Soul if not in the sense yet with the hope of Mâ—…cy Till this be done our confession will never be such as it ought to be It will never be Voluntary and Ingenuous till it be Filial Fear slavish fear it straitneth the heart causeth the spirits to retire and run inward as it were Apprehensions of Mercy will melt and inlarge and dissolve it as it were and so draw forth the Soul to free and ingenuous confessions and acknowledgments 5thly In the fifth and last place seek we unto God for that his free Spirit as David calleth it Psal. 51. 12. that That may be in us a spirit of confession It is that which the Lord maketh promise of to his people Zach. 12. 10. I will poure upon them the Spirit of Grace and Supplications His Spirit which is the gift of his Grace and therefore called the Spirit of Grace should so inwardly affect them with the sense of his Mercies as that they should freely poure out their Souls before Him in true penitent confessions of their own sinnes whereof formerly they had not been sensible And this Spirit seek we from God Even such a Spirit of Grace and Supplications which may put our hearts into such a confessing frame and temper as that they may be ready upon all occasions to break forth into humble and hearty confessions and acknowledgments of our sinnes both before God and Men. By this means it was that Paul was now become such a forward and ingenuous confessor of his own sinnes Which confessing he also censureth and that severely acknowledging himself not only a sinner but a great sinner yea the chief of sinners That is the third particular Branch of the general Observation to which I now come THe Penitent sinner as he is a frequent Remembrancer and a forward Confessour so also a severe Censurer severe in censuring of his own Sinnes and himself for them An Observation which I find the learned Grotius taking up from that parallel Text Luk. 5. 8. where Peter maketh the like Confession that Paul here doth Having seen that Miracle which Christ had wrought in blessing his labour beyond all expectation giving him such a draught of Fishes as the like he had never before seen or heard of he thereupon falleth down at his knees saying Depart from me I am a sinful man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Peccatosus a sinner a great sinner So much that word as you have formerly heard imports as we may take notice from that Text of Saint Peter 1 Pet. 4. 18. If the righteous scarsly be saved where shall the ungodly and sinner appear 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where the word sinner being opposed to a Righteous person it imports a wicked and ungodly person with whom it is there joyned an habituated sinner So we find it used by our Apostle in the ninth verse of this Chapter whereof the Text is part Where he saith that the Law was not made for a righteous man but for the lawless and disobedient for the ungodly and for sinners for unholy and prophane Where by sinners we are to understand such as the rest there spoken of are wicked and ungodly unholy and prophane persons such as make a trade of sinne as Beza there expounds it Veluti aliquam peccandi artem exercentes such as the Poet Hesiod saith he calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as made sinne their work habituated and notorious sinners Now what Was Peter such a one Nothing lesse he was then a truly pious and godly Man as appears by his Demeanure to his Lord and Master Christ his readiness to do what ever he should command him which he professeth and practiseth in the verses foregoing vers 5. 6. How was it then that he should passe so severe a Censure upon himself that he was a sinner such a sinner a sinful man Why thus it is none are more ready to pass censures upon themselves than those that deserve them least Probi animi vel maximum â—…st indicium severissimam in se censuram exercere saith that Author There is not a greater Evidence of a Pious and Gracious Soul than to be severe in Censuring of it self Such a one was this our Apostle Saint Paul as the same Author there taketh notice of it paralleling him with Peter in this confession which here he maketh Notwithstanding that before his Conversion he was morally blameless in his life and conversation and now an eminent Saint yet he passeth this Censure upon himself that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first the chief of Sinners And such Censurers shall we find other of the Saints of God to have been severe in censuring of themselves Hence is it that in their Confessions and Acknowledgements we shall find them aggravating their sinnes to the heighth indeavouring what they could to express and set
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
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
Amen Thus the reflecting upon our sins after that we have obteined Mercy it will be a means as to cause us to take shame to our selves so to give glory to God the Glory of his Grace and Mercy in sparing us in pardoning us and conferring so many undeserved favours upon us It will be of special use to make us thankful And 3dly as thankful so watchful watchful over those and the like sins The remembrance of dangers formerly escaped will make men the more warie they will take heed how they come nigh that fire in which they have before been burnt or scorched or that precipice from which once they fell or passing that way wherein they have fallen among Thieves Thus Christians having their sins in remembrance and mainteining in their Souls a sight and sense of them it will be of special use to them to make them more cautelous wary to take heed of all the occasions of them of coming near unto them As for the Soul that hath banished the sense and remembrance of it's sins it careth not what sins it rusheth upon and runs into Paul speaking of the Gentiles he saith of them that being past feeling 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 postquam dedoluerunt as Beza renders it â—…aving cast away all sense of and sorrow for sin they then gave themselves over unto lasciviousness to work all uncleanness with greediness Ephes. 4. 19. The best way then to be kept from sin is to maintein the sense of it in the Soul To which end the frequent reflecting upon sins past will conduce much By this means it was that David kept himself from his iniquitie as he saith he did Psal. 18. 23. from the sin which he was most inclined to by having it frequently in his remembrance Fourthly and lastly The frequent reflecting upon our own sins will be a special means to make us more pittiful and charitable towards others Not to be so ready to espie their faults nor so harsh and rigid in censuring them for their failings and infirmities What is the cause why Hypocrites are so quick-sighted in espying and so forward in judging and censuring of others Surely it is the want of reflecting upon themselves They see the moâ—…e that is in their brothers eye but consider not the beam that is in their own eye as our Saviour saith of them Mat. 7. 3. Surely were men more busied at home more taken up with remembring and considering their own failings their own sins what they have been what they have done they would be more pittiful more tender-hearted towards others It is the Apostle's Argument which he putteth into Titus his mouth willing him to make use of it in disswading Christians from being too censorious towards their Brethren or any other whosoever but to induce them to deal tenderly and gently with them Tit. 3. 2 3. Put them in mind saith he to speak evil of no man that is wrongfully or causlesly whether by aspersing of them or detracting from them to be no brawlers but gentle shewing all meekness unto all men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all men non tantum adversus fidei consortes sed etiam adversus contradictores as Grotius well explains it not only such as profess the same faith with themselves but such as are adversaries to it Even these he would have private Christians for of such he there speaketh not of Titus himself and the Ministers of Christ who yet as our new Annotator hath it are to do nothing in rage or passion but with a spirit of meekness shewing all meekâ—…ess unto all men Gentiles as well as Jews Enemies as well as Friends but of private Christians the word in the Original being of the plural number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to deal gently with not being too rigid in censuring them much less in wholly despairing of them But shew meekness all meekness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 omnem i. e. summam lenitatem Great meekness and gentleness towards them And why so For saith he we our selues were sometimes foolish disobedient deceived serving divers lusts c. vers 3. Certainly the more a man reflects upon himself and the better acquainted he is with his own heart and life the more pittiful and tender-hearted the more compassionate he will be towards others To proceed no further These benefits may a Christian reap from the reflecting upon himself the frequent remembrance of his own sins Which let it induce every of us to exercise our selves herein Which yet let it be warily and rightly understood Not that I would have Christians to stand continually poring upon their sins so fixing their thoughts upon them that their hearts and spirits should be inordinately dejected and cast down in the remembrance of them This God requires not neither ought Christians to give way to it David was a man much in the remembrance of his sins yet he would not give way to such soul-dejections and disquietments for which we find him checking himself in those two Psalms 42. and 43. where we have the same Expostulation thrice repeated Why art thou cast down O my Soul Why art thou disquieted within me c Christians should not so look upon their sins as that they should give way to such dejections of Spirit as may render their condition uncomfortable to themselves and unserviceable to others In this case that of the Preacher takes place Eccles. 7. 17. Be not over-much wicked that is judicio tuo as Iunius expounds it in thine own apprehension and judgment In such a sense it is that in the verse there foregoing he biddeth us not to be over-righteous or over-wise Be not Righteous over-much neither make thy self over-wise that is do not think thy self so to be So here in this verse which is subjoyned as an Antitheton set in opposition to the former Be not over-much wicked viz. in thy own apprehension And let me applie it unto you I mean all and only such as are trulie penitent sinners Be not you in this sense wicked over-much stand not poreing too much upon your sins sorrowing over them as the Apostle saith the Heathen did over their dead 1 Thes. 4. 13. as haveing no hope Onely upon occasions call them to remembrance making use hereof to those ends and purposes which I have now spoken of And as we are to do this at other times so then more especially when God calleth us to the humbling of our Souls before him and to seek his Face for the removing or diverting of some judgment felt or feared Now at such a time to call to mind our sins is an excercise most fit and proper being now Opus diei in die suo a work done in season And this do we all of us now this day being a day of Solemn Humiliation so appointed to be by publick Authority wherein the whole Nation is required to seek God in a Solemn manner for the diverting and preventing as of such other Judgments
his Grace and Mercy he presently falleth down before Him in an humble acknowledgment of his Sinnes unto him This will he do at his first Conversion and this he is ready ever after to do upon all Occasions renewing his Acknowledgements of sinne as sinnes themselves are renewed So did David I acknowledged my Transgressions saith he in the Text forenamed Psal. 51. 3. And to whom was it that he acknowledged them Why firstly and principally to his God whom he had offended So he explaines it in the verse following Against thee onely have I sinned that is against him immediately and properly And therefore to him it is that he acknowledged his Sinne. So he elsewhere declareth it Psal. 32. 5. I acknowledged my Sinne unto Thee and mine Iniquity have I not hid I said I will confess my Transgressions unto the Lord c. And this will every truly Penitent sinner readily do Apprehending how he hath offended and provoked his God by his sins he will be ready to acknowledge them unto him And this will he do as I said both Publickly and Privately Publickly joyning with the Congregation in the publick confession and acknowledgment of Sinness and that both in Confessions ordinary and extraordinary And as Publickly so Privately when there is no other witnesse but God and his own Conscience then will he be ready to acknowledge his Sinnes And that again both in his daily and ordinary Prayers as also at other times of extraordinary Humiliation All these I might show you how they have been both injoyned and practised injoyned by God and practised by his Saints But I shall not dwell upon this the Text leading me rather to that other kind of Acknowledgement which is before or unto Men. And thus true Penitents will be ready to acknowledge their Sinnes And that as I said sometimes Secretly sometimes Openly 1. Secretly or Privately either unto the Ministers of God or unto private Christians viz. at such times as they are by them charged with their Sins and in a friendly way Admonished of them or Reproved for them In this case for I speak not now of that Confession of Sinnes which is after a sort extorted and drawn from a man by or through trouble of Mind and Conscience in which Christians not onely may but ought when other means avail not to repair either unto the Ministers of God as most fit for such a purpose being his Interpreters or else to some wise and faithful Friend that is able to minister a word of Advice and Comfort to them opening and discovering their Sinnes unto them even as the Sick man doth his secret troubles to his Physitian or Chirurgion I speak not of this now but onely of the Acknowledgement of Sin unto others when it is charged upon them by way of Admonition or Reprehension In this case I say the Soul that is truly Penitent for sin will be ready to confess and acknowledge it So was it with David Nathan no sooner cometh unto him and chargeth his sin upon him discovering to him the heinousness of it but presently he makes confeson of it I have sinned against the Lord 2 Sam. 12. 13. This would not Saul do When Samuel cometh unto him in the like way charging him with that act of disobedience of his in sparing Agag the best of the spoil contrary to God's expresse Commandement he was far from any such ingenuous acknowledgment but doth what he could to hide it as we may see 1 Sam. 15. 13 14 15. Thus wicked and ungodly men being charged with their sins they will either hide them by denying them or defend them or excuse them or extenuate them what they can it may be falling out and quarrelling with the persons that shall strike upon this string medling with their sins So did Cain with God himself when the Lord came to him and asked him where his Brother was whom he had murdered he replieth I know not Am I my Brothers keeper Gen. 4. 9. First seeking to hide his sin then quarrelling with his Maker who came to charge it upon him And even so are some too many ready to deal with the Ministers of God when they come to touch upon their sins whether publickly or privately they are ready to quarrel with them about it as if they took too much upon them So did the people of Israel upon whom the Prophet Hosea among other their great sins that they were guilty of chargeth this as the chief This people are as they that strive with the Priest Hos. 4. 4. They would endure no reproover no though it were a Priest or Prophet a Minister of God that had Authoritie from him to do what he did Thus are some ready to oppose the Ministers of Christ who though they be their spiritual Physitians yet they will not endure that they should meddle with their diseases which if they do it may be they will ever after hate and maligne them as Ahab did Micaiah And hating them they will smite them with their tongues and be ready to contrive what mischief against them they may So did the Iews against their Ieremiah as himself sets it forth Ier. 18. 18. Then said they Come and let us devise devices against Ieremiah c. Come and let us smite him with the tongue and let us not give heed to any of his words So is it with presumptuous sinners But it is far otherwise with those that are truely penitent They being in themselves convinced of their sinnes they will be ingenuous in the confessing and acknowledging of them when they are charged upon them by way of Admonition or Reprehension whether by the Minister of God or any other And as they will be ready to do this secretly and privately so also openly and publiquely And that 1. In a Regular way if called thereunto and required to do it by the Discipline and Authority of the Church Thus did that incestuous Corinthian being Excommunicated for that great sinne of his he manifests his repentance by acknowledging of his sinne and by his abundant sorrow for it Whereupon lest he should be surcharged and swallowed up therewith the Apostle willeth the Church to forgive him to receive him to Communion and to comfort him 2 Cor. 2. 7. And such a confession and acknowledgment of sinne sinners truly penitent where the Censures of the Church are rightly dispensed according to Christs Institution neither ought to be nor yet will be averse from but ready to submit unto that so they may give satisfaction to the Church by the confession of their Sinnes and profession of their Repentance which they have by their evil Example offended and scandalized 2. But leaving that also the acknowledgment which the Text leadeth us more directly to as it is an open so an Arbitrary Acknowledgment And in this kind and way we shall find sinners truly penitent to be forward and ready to acknowledge their sins And that both upon their
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
some to those Elders which were to be sent for of whom he speaks in the verses foregoing or as others more generally look upon it to them or any other faithful Brethren This are Christians to do as I have showen you in two cases 1st When they feel sinne lying heavy upon their Souls and find no ease by other endeavours And 2dly when any sinne is charged upon them by others by way of Christian Admonition or Reprehension In these cases Christians are to deal freely and ingennously confessing their sinnes unto others such as may be fit to have them Communicated to them being Wise and Faithful By which means they may come to have the benefit as of their Counsels so of their Prayers Confess your sinnes one to another and pray one for another as it there followeth 2. And as Privately so also Publickly and Openly whether it be in a regular way if justly required so to do by Lawful Authority or in a Spontaneous and Voluntary way Such as have been open and scandalous Sinners sinning before others to the offending or endangering of them let them be as occasion is offered ready to confesse their sinnes before others That so 1. They may give Glory to God as Ioshua in the Text fore-cited requires Achan to do the glory of his Iustice acknowledging him to be Just and Righteous in what ever he hath done or shall do against them though it were in their everlasting condemnation O Lord righteousness belongeth unto thee so Daniel begins his Confession Dan. 9. 7. And so the glory of his Grace and Mercy in sparing them receiving them to Mercy Upon this ground it was as I have shown you that Paul was so forward and frequent in his Confessions 2. And secondly that giving glory to God they may take shame to themselves O Lord Righteousness belongeth unto thee but unto us confusion of face so Daniel there goeth on This as I have showen you true Penitent sinners will readily take unto themselves and upon this account they are so ready to make these Open confessions That which deterrs and keeps off others from it brings them off to it Carnal men out of a carnal respect which they have to their credit and reputation in the World they are averse to it And hereupon they will stand upon their Justification Denying Excusing Extenuating Evading what they can as you have heard But upon this accompt the penitent sinner is forward in it that whilest he gives glory to God he may take shame to himself This is God's due and his and so apprehending it he is willing thus to give the one and take the other 3. And again thirdly This let them do for the satisfaction of those whom by their sinnes they have scandalized and offended or endangered 4. As also to set a Patern unto others who stand guilty of the like sinnes All these let them be as so many inducements to draw them to such free and open Confessions Wherein let them take heed that they deal sincerely and uprightly Not doing this out of any base sinister respects as thinking thereby to gain credit and repute from any which is odious Hypocrisy But doing it as in the presence of God Thus did Paul preach the Gospel of Christ as he tells his Corinthians 2 Cor. 2. last And thus no question he made these open confessions against himself Not as many who deal deceitfully but as of sincerity as in the sight of God And such let all our confessions and acknowledgments be to whomsoever they are made whether to God or Man See that they be not meerly verbal and formal much less Hypocritical but Sincere and Cordial And that we may attain to be such true confessors to give you some directions briefly Let our first work be to get a true sight a right knowledge of sin a speculative knowledge of the nature and kinds of sin to know what sinne is and what is sinne Now this knowledge is not to be attained but by and from the Law By the Law is the knowledge of sinne saith the Apostle Rom. 3. 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a clear distinct effectual knowledg such a knowledg as bringeth forth an Acknowledgment So much the word in the Original is conceived to import which we find sometimes so rendred by our Translators as 2 Tim. 2. 25. Tit. 1. 1. Acknowledgment Now such a knowledge of sinne as I said is not to be attained but by the Law from the Word As for the light of nature that may and will discover unto man some sinnes but this light is insufficient and defective For 1st it will not discover all sinnes Sinnes against the Second Table it may but not so many of them against the First Table which are indeed the greatest sinnes Grosse sinnes it may not other Actual sinnes it may which are the Branches but not Original sinne which is the Root of all sinne This through-discovery of all sinne is onely by the Law And therefore saith the Apostle I had not known sinne but by the Law Rom. 7. 7. Non ita exacte nossem saith Grotius I could never have known it so exactly and fully as now I do Many sinnes there were that the light of nature could not have discovered unto him Specially that Mother-Sinne the Root of all Sinne that sinful Concupiscence of which he speaks in the words following I had not known lust 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Concupiscence except the Law had said Thou shalt not lust Besides sinnes against the Gospel such as Pauls sinnes were which here he confesseth the light of Nature cannot discover them this must the light of the Word do And again discovery of sinne by the light of nature is not an effectual discovery It never so enlightneth the eye as that it rightly affecteth the heart affecteth it with true sorrow for sinne so as to drive the sinner unto God to seek and sue for Mercy in such a way as he may obtein it This is proper to the Word And therefore make we use of this Light labouring to get a true understanding of and insight into the Law of God that so we may attain such a knowledge of sinne to know as I said what sinnâ—…s and what is sinne Without this there will be no true Confession 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must go before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cognitio before Agnitio Knowledge before Acknowledgement 2dly Having attained some measure of this general knowledge the next work must be to get a particular Conviction Paul had not onely a light shining round about him as you heard but he also heard a voice from Heaven saying unto him Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Act. 9. And so it is not enough for a Christian to have the light of the Word shining round about him to have a general knowledge of sinne but he must be particularly convinced of his own sinnes To that end therefore bring we our selves to the
for the saving of any Could Moses have done this Jesus Christ should not have needed to come into the world which he did upon this very accompt to do that for the Sons of men which Moses could not do to procure that Justification and Salvation for them which they could never have expected by the Law What the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin or by a Sacrifice for sin as the Margin in our Translation well explains it condemned sin in the flesh that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us Rom. 8. 3. 4. So it was Man being fallen by his fall he became weak not being able now to fulfil the Law so as to obtain Justification and Salvation by it And thereupon it was that Christ took the Nature of man upon him that in that Nature he might do what mere Man could not do that so the righteousness of the Law which could not be fulfilled by man might this way be fulfilled in Him 3dly In the 3d place See here what the foresaid Author alâ—…o mindeth us of the heinous nature of sin what a desperate disease it is that must have a Physitian to come from Heaven to cure it other way of cure there was none All the Men and Angels in the world could do nothing to it They were all as Iob saith of his friends Iob 13. 4. Physitians of no value But the Son of God must come from Heaven to undertake this cure Magnus de coelo venit Medicus saith Augustine quia magnus per totum orbem jacebat aegrotuus The great Physitian cometh down from Heaven because man upon earth was desperately sick in a hopeless and helpless condition had He not stept in Which as the same Father there applies it should make all that hear it afraid of sin as a most deadly disease not to rest and lye down in it not to sleep in strato peccati in the bed of sin but to give ear to what Paul saith to them Ephes. 5. 14. Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ shall give thee light 4ly and lastly Here as in a Glass behold we what we can never look too much nor yet enough upon the Grace the wonderful Grace of God towards the Sons of men The Grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all men saith the Apostle Tit. 2. 11. The Grace of God His great Goodness and Mercy that bringeth Salvation eternal Salvation by and through Christ hath appeared 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 illuxit it hath shined forth clearly manifesting it self and that to all men all sorts of men without distinction of Nation Sex Age or Condition This it hath done in this coming of Iesus Christ into the world to save sinners In nothing more in nothing so much Many wayes hath the Grace and Favour of God appeared unto mankind It did so in his Creation in making him little lower than the Angels and Crowning him with Glory and Honour making Him to have Dominion over the works of His hands and putting all things under His feet as the Psalmist sets it forth Psalm 8. 5. 6. In making Him after his own Image So God created man in his own Image in the Image of God created he Him Gen. 1. 27. As like unto his Maker as a Creature could be But behold this Grace shineth more clearly in his Redemption in finding out a way such a way and means as he did for the delivering of him from Hell and Death and the procuring of his eternal Salvation No Grace like this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this saving Grace of God Behold here what you have lately heard more largely of from that Text Gal. 4. 4. The Grace of God the Father in sending his Son upon this Errand When the fulness of time was come God sent forth his Son made of a Woman made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the Adoption of Sons What an expression of Love was this In this was manifested the love of God towards us that God sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him 1 John 4. 9. Herein is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins Verse 10. Behold love wonderful love So God loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son c. John 3. 16. Such an expression of Love as never was Herein did his kindness appear After that the kindness and love of God our Saviour towards man appeared Tit. 3. 4. viz. The kindness of God the Father who is there as often elsewhere called God our Saviour and that as upon some other accompts so chiefly upon this because He sent His Son upon this Errand to procure and effect Salvation for the Sons of men as Grotius well expounds it Herein did His Love His Kindness appear His Grace His Rich Grace the exceeding Riches of his Grace So our Apostle not knowing how to speak highly enough of it sets it forth Ephes. 2. 7. That he might shew the exceeding Riches of his Grace in his kindness towards us in Christ Iesus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exceeding all our apprehensions Such was that Grace which God the Father shewed to the Sons of men in his kindness towards them in Christ Jesus in sending him to be a Saviour for them Many things there are which do highly commend and set forth this Grace of God to us Three of which and three Principal we have a hint of in the Text. 1st Take we notice whom it was that he sent Christ Iesus his Son his own son He spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all Rom. 8. 32. Yea his only Son his only begotten Son as that obvious Text forenamed hath it Ioh 3. 16. God had many Sons some by creation such were the Angels whom we find called the Sons of God Job 38. 7. Such was Adam which was the Son of God Luke 3. last And he hath many sons by Adoption to which he Predestinated them from Eternity Eph. 1. 5. But he had but one son by Generation This was Iesus Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the onely begotten Son of GOD. A Jewel more dear than all the World besides Yet God his Father spared him not but put him upon this service to be a Saviour to lost Mankind And what love was this Hereby did Father Abraham manifest the sincerity and height of his Affection to his God that having but one Son he was willing to part with him to offer him up at his Command Now I know that thou fearest God seeing thou hast not withheld thy son thy only Son from me saith the Angel to him Gen. 22. 12. And in the like way hath God the Father manifested his
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
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
of Hostility that he could upon his Subjects and that for his cause whom he thus Maligned that he would even have pulled Him out of his Throne if his power would have reached unto it Now this sin Christ pardoneth unto him giving him his Pardon under Seal assuring him of it And not only so but he receiveth him into special Grace and Favour with himself entertaining him as a Servant a Servant by Office admitts him to a place of near attendance preferring him to the highest Office in his Court to be an Apostle a chief Apostle conferring many great and signal Favours upon him No wonder then that he having now a true spirit of Ingenuitie in him such is the Spirit of God should look upon his former course as most vile most sinful and that he should thus deeply charge himself to be the chief of sinners The Story tells us of Peter how when at his Masters Command after so long labour in vain having as he saith toyled all the night and taken nothing he had again cast in his Net and thereupon haled such a wonderful draught of Fishes hereupon beholding the Power of Christ who hereby shewed that he had all the Fishes of the Sea at his command When he saw it he fell down at his knees saith the Text saying Depart from me for I am a sinful man O Lord Luk. 5. 8. Peter was a sinful man before and he knew himself so to be But now beholding the Power and Soveraignty of his Lord and Master thus wonderfully manifested this makes him reflect the more upon himself and so wrought in him a greater a deeper apprehension of his own vileness his own sinfulness And thus was it with this our Apostle St. Paul Having had greater experience as of the Power so of the Grace and Mercy of Christ than others in pulling him as a firebrand out of the flames in working so great a change in him this maketh him to reflect the more strongly upon his former course and breeds in him a deeper apprehension of the heinous and horrid nature of his former Practises causing him to charge himself so home as here he doth to accuse and condemn himself as the chief of sinners Thus he saw his own sinfulness more than the sinfulness of others being better acquainted with his own sins then with the sins of others 2. And again as he saw them so he felt them As for the sins of others he might see them or hear of them but he could not feel them His own he both saw and felt Seeing the foul and horrid nature of them he also felt the weight and burden of them which he did not of others And this again made him think his sins greater than the sins of any other Cuique gravissimum suum onus saith Aretius upon it Every one thinks his own burden heaviest which he carries upon his own shoulders his own Affliction the soarest and greatest Behold and see if there be any sorrow like my sorrow which is done unto me wherewith the Lord hath Afflicted me saith the Church Lam. 1. 12. A man that is pained in the head or teeth or eyes as à Lapide illustrates it he is ready to say and think that there is no pain like his pain And he giveth this reason for it Because he knoweth his own pain by sense and experience and others only by speculation and report He heareth of the one but he feeleth the other and so he is most sensible of his own Even thus was it with the blessed Apostle here He had without question heard of the sins of others and he saw them to be great sins I but he feeleth his own He had felt the burden of his former sins and he still felt the weight of that body of sin which he yet carried about with him And this it was that made him thus to think and thus to speak of himself as the greatest the chiefest of sinners Behold here then the true disposition of a gracious Soul a Character of a truly penitent sinner He is frequent in remembring forward in acknowledging and seâ—…ere in censuring of his own sins All these we see in this chosen Vessel this blessed Apostle here in the Text who having occasion to make mention of sinners he presently reflects upon himself calling to remembrance his own sins and remembring them he acknowledgeth them and acknowledging them he censures them and himself for them and that most severely confessing and professing himself to be not only one of that number a sinner but one of the chief of them a great sinner nay the greatest the chief of sinners And the like disposition shall we find in every truly gracious Soul every true penitent sinner Haveing tasted of the Grace of God in the pardon of his sins and in changing and renewing of him he is ever after a frequent Remembrancer an ingenuous Confessor a severe Censurer of his own Sins An Observation which as you see is Tripartite made up of three distinct Branches every of which will yield us some fruit worth the gathering That I may not grasp too much at once I shall single them forth one by one insisting upon each severally and that both by way of Doctrine and Application Begin with the first A gracious Soul is a frequent Remembrancer to its self frequent in reflecting upon it's own sinful wayes and courses It is the speech of the Church Isa. 59. 12. Our Transgressions are with us and as for our iniquities we know them And the like may be said of every truly penitent sinner his Transgressions are with him and as for his Iniquities he knows them Taking special notice of them he is frequent in remembring of them So was it with the man after God's own heart holy David whom we shall find frequently striking upon this string His sins were ever and anon in his eye so as he took notice both of the number and nature the multitude and magnitude of them Thence are those passionate complaints of his which we meet with that his Iniquities were gon over his head Psal. 38. 4. That they were more than the hairs of his head Psal. 40. 12. Thus did he keep a remembrance of them even of such sins as were long before committed So he did of the sins of his youth which we find him deprecating earnestly begging of God that he would not remember them Remember not the sins of my youth Psal. 25. 7. thereby shewing that he himself had not forgotten them he remembered them So he did some sins in special as viz. that foul sin of his in the matter of Uriah that sin was never out of his sight My sin saith he speaking of that sin is ever before me Psal. 51. 3. It was ever in his eye and thought I but it may be said David at this time was in great trouble of mind for that sin And no wonder then that he should remember that which
he could not forget that sin of his lying so heavy upon his Conscience And as for his condition at that time when he complained so of his sinnes that they were gon over his head he was then under a great distress under some soar Affliction the Arrows of the Almighty stuck fast in him and his Hand pressed him soar as he complains Psal. 38. 2. And so was it with the Church in the place forecited she was at that time in great calamity and distress lying under the Judgments of God for her sins as she there sets it forth in the verses foregoing Isa. 59. 9 10 11. Now no wonder that their sins should be brought to their remembrance at such a time Iosephs brethren having been for three dayes in ward then they remembered the evill that they had done to their brother Gen. 42. 21. And no wonder if the Church lying under so great Calamity and David in so great distress such affliction of Body and Spirit should remember and call to mind their sins What great matter is this Who would not do it at such a time In their Affliction they will seek me early saith the Lord of Rebellious Ephraim and Iudah the people of Israel Hos. 5. verse last To go further then God's Saints have been frequent in remembring their sins not only whilest God hath set them before them and made them to possess them as Iob speaketh of himself Iob 13. 26. Thou writest bitter things against me and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth that is Thou bringest them to my remembrance by dealing so severely with me Not only at such times when their iniquities have took hold of them so as they have not been able to look up under them as David there saith of himself Psal. 40. 12. But when all things have gone well with them after such time as they have sued out the pardon of their sins have been assured of their Reconciliation with God and so have injoyed a quiet and comfortable condition in all respects Yet even then they have been much in reflecting upon their sins in calling them to mind upon all occasions For an instance hereof we shall need no other then this our Apostle Paul upon his Conversion he had all his sins pardoned and that Pardon sealed up in his Soul so as he was fully assured that all the wrong that he had done unto Christ and to his Church it was now forgotten in Heaven and should never be charged upon him His Cognizance hereof he expresseth in the verse next but one before the Text Vers. 13. I was so and so saith he but I obteined mercy which he repeats again in the Verse after the Text Vers. 16. that is to have these and all other my sins pardoned and forgiven to me This was Paul now assured of that God had blotted out all these sins of his out of the Book of his Remembrance so as they should never be charged upon him Yet for all this he himself cannot forget them Upon all occasions he reflects upon them and takes occasion to speak of them So we may see it in those obvious Texts Act. 22. 4. chap. 26. 10. 11. 1 Cor. 15. 9. Gal. 1. 13. Ephes. 3. 8. and so here again in this Chapter as in the 13. verse so again in this Text where the mentioning of sinners causeth him to reflect upon himself to remember and consider what a one he was before his Conversion And thus fareth it with truly penitent sinners how ever God upon their Repentance blots their sins out of his own Book and casts them behind His back remembring them no more as he promiseth Isa. 43. 25. yet doth he not blot them out of their book the book of their Remembrance nor cause them to cast them behind their backs Still They remember them and cannot forget them True you may say where the sins have been foul gross and scandalous sins heynous and horrid sins no wonder now if they stick by a man and be often brought to his remembrance Such were Davids sins in the matter of Uriah Adultery and Murder And such were Pauls sins in blaspheming of Christ and persecuting his Saints crying-Sins No wonder if such sins as these did stick by them were ever before them But this is not the case of all Some and many there are who do not stand guilty of any such sins their lives have been more innocent and blameless they have been kept from such foul gross evils What are they also to have such a frequent remembrance of their sins Surely Yes There being in the Ist. place few or none but at some time or other have fallen into some such fins as they have cause in a special manner to remember all their dayes However 2dly they have a body of sin in them which they carry about with them a mass of corruption strongly enclining them to evil which is continually ready to break forth if it were not by a supernatural power restrained Besides 3dly they have many secret inordinate lusts which though they do not break forth into the outward act yet oft times they have inward workings in the Soul Now these require a frequent reflecting upon to be often had in remembrance So they have been by the Saints of God Iohn the Baptist was an holy man sanctified in his Infancy as the Angel tells his Father Zacharias of him Luk. 1. 15. He shall be filled with the Holy Ghost even from his mothers womb Sanctified as Ieremie is said to have been Ier. 1. 5. before he came forth of the womb A Saint from his birth And such questionless he was in his life holy and blamless free from grosser evils yet was not he unmindful of the corruption of his nature and the errors of his life So much may be collected from that speech of his to our Saviour who tendring himself to his Baptism Iohn tells him I have need to be baptised of thee Mat. 3. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ego necesse habeo as Beza translates it it is not only expedient but necessary for me that I should be baptised of thee And why so why that by Him he might be washen from all fins Original and Actual which he had then in remembrance But I shall not need to seek for any other instance than this in the Text. This blessed Apostle he was much exercised and taken up not onely with the Remembrance of these grosser Sins committed before his Conversion but even with the Sight and Sense of his present Corruption and daily Failings So much we may learn from his own mouth as elsewhere so especially in that Seventh of the Romans where not personating any other but speaking of himself we find him passionately bewailing and bemoaning his condition not in regard of the Evils of his former course but of his daily Infirmities his sinful Omissions and Commissions ver 15. What I would that I
so as to remember them no more Our Apostle St. Paul he had repented of his sins committed before his Conversion his Infidelity Obstinacy Blasphemy his opposing of Christ and Persecuting of his Saints Being hereof convinced in an extraordinary way by a Voice from Heaven Christ himself calling unto him Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Act. 9. 4. he had seriously repented of them And he had sued out his pardon for them having it under Seal being assured that he had obtained Mercy as here he declares it once and again in the verse next but one before and the verse after the Text Yet notwithstanding this upon all occasions as you have heard he is ready to reflect upon those sins and to call to minde his forepast condition Let it not then content any of us that we have remembred our sins that we have been humbled for them and that by believing on Christ we have obteined the pardon of them but still take all occasions to reflect and look back upon them to call them to minde again Specially our special sins which have been of greater magnitude then other So the Lord tells his people Israel they should do when he was pacified towards them for all the evil that they had done then they should remember it Ezek. 16. vers last Why but it may be said To what purpose is this or What benefit shall a Christian reap in so doing Here are two Queries to which I shall return Answers severally In which Answers we shall fall in with divers Arguments and Motives which will be of use to press and set on the Exhortation For the former Wherefore should a Christian do this Having once repented of his sins and sued out the pardon of them Why should he disquiet himself in calling them to mind again in rubbing over an old soar I Answer this a Christian is to do upon diverse accounts for diverse Ends and Redsons Instance in 4. of them 1. For the making sure of his Repentance that he may know it to be sound and true All Repentance is not true Repentance It is with sins as with wounds Wounds may be skinned over and yet not healed Sins may be sorrowed for yea and absteined from yet not truly repented of To this end therefore a Christian should be frequent in reflecting upon them to see whether he hath truly repented of them or no. Even as a man by rubbing and chafing of the soar he trieth whether it be healed or no even so by this means a Christian may come to judg of his Repentance whether it was sound or no by calling his sins to his remembrance rubbing and pressing them as it were by a frequent reflecting upon them which doing willingly it may be to him an evidence that it is so A wound that is only skinned over will not endure the handling the touching of it puts the patient to pain Where men cannot endure to have their sins touched by themselves or others to be put in minde of them it is an evidence those sins are not healed never truly repented of Sins healed will endure the touching Upon this accompt Christians ought to be frequent in reflecting upon their sins for the assuring of the truth of their repentance 2. And as for the assuring so 2dly for the renewing and increasing of it It is a mistake if any shall think Repentance to be onely one particular act the work of an hour or a day or the like as Papists look upon their Penance No it is an habitual work the work of a Christians life-time and so to be frequently renewed A work which a Christian can never do too much or yet enough Certainly he that thinks he hath repented enough never yet repented aright In this sense the Repentance of a Christian may be called Repentance to be repented of because not so perfect as it ought to be Those who are the greatest proficients and have made the greatest progress in this work yet they fail in this as in all other duties falling short of repenting as they ought to do And therefore ought to take all occasions for the renewing of their repentance and to that end they are frequently to call to mind their former sins that they may mourn over them afresh renewing their former sorrow for them Which however it may have some bitterness in it for the present yet it will make way for great joy and comfort to the Soul So it is the joy of a Christian ariseth out of sorrow sorrow for sin and ordinarily it is proportioned to it As it was with Eliahs Sacrifice 1 King 18. 33. 38. after he had caused water in great abundance three several times to be poured about the Altar then came forth the Fire Thus after a Christians sorrow for sin his joy ariseth And as the one is increased so oft-times is the other The Harvest answereth the Seed time They that sow in tears shall reap in joy Psal. 126. 5. Never a truly penitential tear that the remembrance of sin draweth from the eye but ordinarily God answers and recompenceth it with a suitable proportion of joy and comfort to the Soul In the 3d. place Christians are to be frequent in remembring of their sins that they may get assurance of the pardon of them that they may get their pardon Sealed up unto their Souls A pardon is not ever as soon sealed as granted A Christian may have his sins pardoned in Heaven yet not so in his own Conscience wanting the assurance thereof And upon this accompt he ought to have his sins frequentlie in his eie Upon this accompt among other he is daily to pray for the forgiveness of them as our Saviour directeth us to do in that form of prayer which he hath given us where this is one of the six Petitions Forgive us our Trespasses meaning not onely our daily sins as we pray for our daily bread but all the sins of our lives past that so we may still gain a further and clearer evidence and assurance of the pardon of them This use David made of his sins being ever before him it put him upon the earnest seeking of the assurance of his pardon that that cloud being dispelled the light of God's countenance might come to shine upon his Soul which he earnestly sueth for in that Penitential Psalm of his Psal. 51. Make me to hear the voice of joy and gladness vers 8. Restore unto me the joy of thy Salvation vers 12. Thus are Christians to reflect upon their sins that they may get the pardon of them Sealed 4thly and lastly Remember them that they may get them thorowly healed that they may be freed and delivered as from the guilt so from the power of them A disease may be cured and yet there may be some relicks of it in the bodie which if not looked to may incline it to a Relapse Thus a sin may be repented of and pardoned and yet there
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
which we may justly fear to hang over the head of the Nation so in special of that which is already in part broke forth upon us whereof the poor as elsewhere so in this place not a few of them are very sensible whose necessitous condition I shall commend to your charitable consideration desiring you to extend your free and liberal contributions to their relief which is also a work of the day and doth further sadly threaten us viz. The Iudgment of Famine which by reason of the unseasonableness of the Season may justly be feared This is the work of the day For the furthering whereof let all of us now call to mind our own sins I do remember my faults this day saith Pharoahs Butler unto him Gen. 41. 9. And the like let every of us do Sure we are this is the provokking Cause as of other Judgements so of this He turneth a Fruitful Land into Barrenness for the Wickedness of them that dwell therein Psal. 107. 34. Call we our selves then every one of us to account for our sinnes this day humbling our selves in the sight and presence of God for them that so we remembring them God may be pleased graciously to forget them and forgive them so as not to charge them upon the Head of the Nation In doing hereof we shall much promote the service of the Day and much help forward the great business both of Church and State which is now in the hands of the Great Council of the Land Certainly the great Stumbling-blocks that lie in the way of Mercy they are the Sinnes of the Nation O Let every of us put to our hands this Day to the removing of them by taking out of the way as much as we can the sinnes of others Humbling our selves for them and seeking the Pardon of them however our own sinnes by calling them to mind Humbling Shaming and Condemning our selves for them withal putting them away in the full purpose and resolution of our Souls never more to give entertainment to them Thus wash we and make we our selves clean putting away the evil of our doings from before the eyes of our God as he requires his People to do Isai. 1. 16. And then do we what in the next words he allowes them to do Come let us Reason together c. begging from him Mercy for our selves and the Nation being hopefully and comfortably assured that the Lord will smell a Sweet savour of rest from this our Sacrifice and that both Church and State shall find it the best service we could perform unto them which the Lord enable every of us to do Thus I have done with the first of these three Branches I pass now to the second THe truly Penitent Sinner as he is frequent in Remembring so forward in acknowledging of his own sins So was Paul Having here occasion to make mention of Sinners he calleth to remembrance his own sinnes and Remembring them he Acknowledgeth them confessing himself to be a Sinner a great sinner yea the chief of Sinners Of whom I am chief The like disposition and practice we find in the Man after Gods own Heart holy David As his sinnes were often in his eye so he was ready to acknowledge them I acknowledged my Transgression and my Sinne was ever before me saith he Psal. 51. 3. Such a frequent Remembrancer and ingenuous Confessor of his Sinnes was he And such are all truly Penitent sinners And it cannot be otherwise Their hearts in the first place being full as it were with the sight and sense of Sinne they must have vent The Story tells us of Ioseph Gen. 45. ver 1 2. how that his heart being full as it was with the remembrance of what his Brethren had done to him and his Affections towards them he could not contein he could not refrain himself before all that stood by him but he shed Tears abundantly yea the company being gone he wept aloud He could not but give vent to that affection wherewith his heart was full And David tells us the like of himself Psal. 39. 3. My heart saith he was hot within me while I was musing the fire burned then spake I with my tongue So it is with Affections as it is with Fire the heart being full of them they will not be smothered they will not be kept close they will seek vent and be ready to break forth as occasion is offered And so will these Holy Affections in the heart of a truly Penitent sinner his Sorrow for sinne his Hatred and Indignation against sinne his heart being full of them it will be seeking vent ready to break forth in a humble and hearty Confession and Acknowledgement of it Again in such a Soul the Bed of sinne as I may say is broken Now as it is in the Body if the bed of Worms be broken they are ready to come away and such tough and viscous humours as are coagulated in the Stomack being dissected they are easily evacuated Even so in the Soul If the Bed of peccant Humours of sinful Lusts be there once broken the Works of Satan dissolved as Saint Iohn saith that Christ was manifest to this end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut dissolvat That he might dissolve or destroy the works of the Devil that is our Sinnes which are destroyed by dissolving of them as many things are 1 Iohn 3. 8. as in measure they are in every truly Regenerate person in whom the Power of Sinne is broken they will now be ready to break forth and come away as I may say by way of Confession and Acknowledgement Thus you see that it is so and how it cometh so to be For further Explication and Illustration propound we these two useful Enquiries touching this Acknowledgement which Penitent sinners are so forward in 1. To whom they are so ready to make this Acknowledgement 2. What kind of Acknowledgement it is that they make For the First To whom they are so ready to make this Acknowledgement A. For Answer Know we that the acknowledgment of Sin is either unto God or Man The former to God either publickly or privately the latter to Man either secretly or openly Secretly either to the Ministers of God or to other private Christians Openly which is either Regular injoyned by the Church or Occasional and Arbitrary All these wayes Sinne is confessed and acknowledged And all these wayes a sinner truly Penitent will be ready to acknowledge his sinnes 1. In the first place unto God The Prodigall sonne in the Gospel upon his return to his Father at his first meeting with him after that his father had expressed his fatherly Affection unto him presently he breaks forth into a humble acknowledgement of his sinnes unto him Father I have sinned against Heaven and in thy sight Luke 15. 21. This is the first thing that a poor sinner doth when once he is brought home unto God and hath in any measure tasted of
Conversion and after it 1. Upon their Conversion Thus we read of the hearers of Iohn the Baptist how they were baptised of him confessing their sinnes Mat. 3. 6. Being convinced of their sinnes by his Ministery and his Preaching unto them they could not contain but they came unto Iohn not onely confessing their sins unto him in a private and clancular way as Maldonate and other Romish Expositors would have it making this a ground for their auricular Confession but publickly and openly before the people which the word in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports as Beza and Pareus observe And the like we read of those Converts at Ephesus Act. 19. 18. Being wrought upon by the Miracle which they had seen Many of them came saith the Text and confessed and shewed their deeds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 confessing them not secretly but openly Among whom some and many of those who have used curious that is Magical Arts making Divinations by Judicial Astrology They brought forth their Books and burnt them before all men in the presence of all the people as the next verse there hath it vers 19. So powerful is the work of Gods Grace in the hearts of true Converts it will make them willing and ready to acknowledg their sins 2. And this they will be ready to do not only at their first Conversion but ever after Sins committed before Conversion or after they will be forward in confessing and acknowledging of them This we may see in David Solomon Paul Take we these three Instances All of them being persons of Eminencie two of them Kings the other an Apostle yet see how forward they were all of them at this work David a King and so subject to no Superior Power that could injoyn such an acknowledgment of sin unto him yet see how he taketh it upon himself making a voluntarie confession and acknowledgment of his sinne That great sinne of his in the matter of Uriah whereby he had given so great scandal to the Church he maketh a free and open Confession of it before the Church To that purpose compiling and penning that Penitential Psalm Psal. 51. Which he committed and delivered to the Chief Musitian as the Title of the Psalm informs us that by him it might be published in the Temple and there ever after kept and so be not only a Testimony of his Repentance to the Church in that present age to which he desired to give Satisfaction but a Monument of it in all succeeding Ages to the end of the world And what David the Father did the like did Solomon his Son after him Having fallen foully and scandalously to the great Offence of the Church over which God had made him Supream Governour he afterwards penneth and publisheth to the world that Penitential Retractation his Book of Ecclesiastes wherein he freely and ingenuously confesseth before all the world the vanity and sinfulness of his former ways and courses Thus did these two Kings doing that voluntarily which no power upon Earth could have compelled them to And the same did this our Apostle Saint Paul Having been before his Conversion an open and bitter Enemie to the Truth speaking evil of the Doctrine of the Gospel and doing all the mischief that he could to all that professed it being Converted and brought home to Christ he was ever hereafter an Ingenuous Confessour Having his former sins ever in his eye he had them also as I may say at his tongues end ready to confess and acknowledg them upon all occasions This we find him doing at Ierusalem before the Chief Captain in a great and promiscuous Assembly of all sorts of persons I persecuted this way unto the death saith he binding and delivering into prison both men and women Act. 22. 4. c. And the like he did again at Cesarea in a very Solemn Audience before Festus and Agrippa and Queen Bernice the Chief Captains and principal Men of the City Act. 26. 10. I did many things saith he against the Name of Iesus of Nazareth many of the Saints did I shut up in Prison and when they were put to death I gave my voice against them and punished them often in every Synagogue and compelled them to Blaspheme and being exceedingly mad against them I persecuted them even unto strange Cities such Cities as were not within the Territories of Iudea as Damascus c. and so therein going beyond his Commission Thus did he confess his sins by word of mouth And the like he did by Writing acknowledging them under his hand making a publick Record of them that all the Churches of God might take notice of them This he doth in his Epistle to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 15. 9. and to his Galatians Gal. 1. 13. And so here in this Epistle to Timothy in this chapter where we find him not onely making a general Confession which he doth in the Text charging himself to be the chief of sinners but particularly pointing out his sinnes what they were vers 13. I was a Blasphemer a Persecutor Injurious c. Thus free and open was Paul in these acknowledgments not regarding who or what they were that took notice of these his consessions whether Friends or Enemies Good or Bad nor caring how often he made them taking all occasions to do it as if he had thought he could never do it often enough Behold we then in him and these other Paterns the true disposition of a Gracious Soul oâ—… a truly penitent sinner one that hath truly repented of his sinnes and hath tasted of the grace and mercy of God in the pardoning and forgiving of them he will ever after be ready to confess and acknowledge them and that not onely to God but also to Men and that not onely Secretly but Openly as occasion is offered Q. But what you will say Is every Christian bound to imitate these Paterns to follow their Example doing as they did making such an open confession and acknowment of his sinnes 1. To this I Answer 1. In some cases he may be as viz. 1. where the sinnes have been open Open sinnes as they call for open Reprehension Them that sinne rebuke before all that others also may fear so Paul willeth Timothy to do 1 Tim. 5. 20. that is that do sin openly to the publick scandal of others as Beza and some others expound it so for open Confession and acknowledgment Such had Davids such had Salomons and such had Paul's sinnes been sinnes that all the Churches rung of You have heard of my conversation in times past saith he to his Galatians Gal. 1. 13. how I did so and so They had heard of his Sinnes and therefore they shall hear of his Repentance testified and declared by his hearty confession and acknowledgement of those sinnes 2. Again 2dly where the Glory of God or the Publick Good requires it there though the sinnes have been private
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
vers 12. Who art thou that judgest another In judging and censuring of others be we sparing and wary in the mean time turning our censures upon our selves Which as it will be more safe so more useful Be we strict inquisitors into our own hearts and lives Bring both to a scrutinie and to a censure And herein spare not to excercise our severity Not that I would have Christians to be over-harsh against themselves so as to pass too rigid censures upon their own persons or actions It is the Preacher's advice as you heard before Be not wicked over much Eccles. 7. 17. i. e. judicio tuo in thine own judgment An extream which sometimes good and gracious Souls are subject to Out of a deep apprehension which they have of their own sinnes their weaknesses and their wants they are ready to passe harsh censures upon themselves sometimes adjudging themselves to be Hypocrites sometimes charging upon themselves that great and unpardonable sinne the sinne against the Holy Ghost which notwithstanding they are very farr from being such as desire nothing more then to hearken to the Motions and Dictates thereof In this Christians must be wary and tender whilest they are not uncharitable towards others they must take heed of being so to themselves In the mean time let them not forbeare to judge and censure themselves to passe censure upon their own sinnes their inward and secret corruptions their outward and actual Transgressions their sinful Commissions and Omissions And herein let them be impartial not conniving at any thing in themselves not looking upon their own sinnes through false glasses but beholding them as they are let them passe a righteous judgment upon them judging and censuring themselves for them according to their demerit And this let every of us be exhorted to do Motives hereunto take one or two instead of many 1. This is the next and onely way to prevent Gods Censures If we would judge our selves we should not be judged of the Lord saith the Apostle to his Corinthians 1 Cor. 11. 31. Hereby may many temporal Iudgements be prevented However that Eternal Iudgement As for Temporal Iudgements they may and oft-times do befall those who have thus prejudged themselves So was it with David notwithstanding that he had judged himself for that sinne of his in numbring the People acknowledging that he had therein sinned greatly and done very foolishly yet he hath a three-stringed whip held forth to him a three-fold judgement offered to him to take his choice of Famine Sword or Pestilence one of which he must feel of Yet by this means we may come to escape that dreadful censure the sentence of Eternal Condemnation which shall be passed upon all those who never thus judged themselves at the last day This praejudicium will prevent that Iudicium Thus fore-judging our selves we may prevent the terrour of that last Judgement Again this is the way to ease our selves of the burden of sinne by thus burdening our selves with it Allevat penitus errores qui ipse se onerat saith Ambrose He who thus burdens himself with charging his sins home upon himself by so doing he shall lighten the burden of sinne that it will not lie so heavy upon his Soul as otherwise it would To be thus Heavy-laden is the way to Rest Mat. 11. 28. This is the way the next way to obtein Mercy at the hands of God It was the way which Benhadads servants took to find mercy from the King of Israel to come to him with Ropes upon their heads 1 King 20. 31. So censuring and condemning themselves aforehand as Capital Offendors having deserved death No readier way to find Mercy at the hands of God than for a man to be thus his own judge and to be thus severe against himself In quanâ—…um non peperceris tibi in tantum tibi Deus crede parcet By how much lesse sparing thou art to thy self saith another of the Antients Tertullian by so much the more sparing believe it thou shalt find God to be unto thee This is the next way to sue forth a Pardon So David apprehended it who maketh use of this as an Argument to move God to shew mercy to him in the pardoning of his sinne his acknowledging that he had sinned greatly and done very foolishly Now beseech thee O Lord saith he take away the Iniquitie of thy servant for I have done very foolishly 2 Sam. 24. 10. A strange Argument one would think to make use of to such a purpose to induce God to shew mercy to him by aggravating his sinne in such a manner Carnal reason would have thought it might have been a more likely way to have pleaded some excuse and to have extenuated his sinne what he could Not so David apprehended this as the right way and so he sound it not to go about to hide or extenuate but to lay open and to aggravate his sin to the height In this the case is different betwixt God and Man Before men offendors are oft-times acquitted by the means of such Pleas and excuses as they make use of It is not so with God With him he that covereth his sinne seeketh to conceal it or to excuse it shall not prosper as the Wiseman telleth us Prov. 28. 13. not prosper in his suit for mercy at the hands of God Would we obtein mercy from him do not deal deceitfully with him But deal we impartially betwixt him and our own Souls charging our selves home in giving in our accounts to him Not taking the like course that that unjust Steward in the Gospel put his Masters debtors upon in giving in their accounts unto him that for an hundred one shonld set down fifty another eighty as we have it in the Parable Luke 16. 6 7. This we find there commended in him as a politick device tending to his and their advantage but so will it not be found in those that shall give in the like accounts to their God Their diminishing will be an augmenting of their Debt And therefore in this case deal we plainly charging our selves to the utmost This is the onely way to procure a gracious and full discharge from God Let these few Motives suffice To which I might also as before sub-join some Directions shewing you how Christians may attain unto this to be such severe censurers of themselves In order to which the first work to be done is to get acquaintance with our selves to know our own hearts and lives to know our sinnes what they are how many how great To which end a serious and frequent examination is requisite taking special notice of our special sinnes as Paul here did of his And knowing them to feel them specially to feel that Body of sinne within us that mass of corruption which virtually conteins in it the Seeds of all sinnes By this means we shall come to see that in our selves which will make us ready to pass such a severe
Sinners Penitent sinners to apply this Doctrine to themselves And only they This Salvation not to be rejected or neglected Use 2. Exhortation Receive we this Doctrine Receiving it by all lawful and useful wayes Some wayes not such wherein this Doctrine is not to 〈◊〉 receiâ—… 4. Needless and useless Questions touching Christs coming 1. touching the time of his coming Scaliger de emend Temp. * Bishop Halls Letter concerning the Feast of the Natiâ—…itie 2. Whether if man had not sinned Christ should have come a Aquin. Sum. p. 3. Q. â—… A. â—… 3 b Calv. Instit. lib. 2. cap. 12. * Cessante sine principali cessat effâ—…cius C. a Lapid in Text. Nulla causa fuit veâ—… Christo Domino nisi percatores salvos facere August de verbis Apost Serm. 9. Si homo non periisset filius hominis non venisset Ibid. Serm. 6. * Haec Quaestio non est magnae authoritatis quia Deus ordinavit fienda secundum quod res fienda crant Aquinas in Text. 3. Whether his Coming was Necessary 4. whether he intended an universal Redemption 2. Not so as to abuse it This Doctrine how to be received 1. Into the Understanding having a clear knowledg of it 2. Into the Judgment firmly believing it 3. Into the Memorie remembring it Proinde quoties nobis iâ—… mentem veniet ulla de peccatorum remissione dubitatio hoc velut clypeo fortiter eam repellere discamus Calvin Com. in Text. 4. Into the Will and affections 1. Imbracing it 2. Resting upon it 3. Rejoyceing in it 4. Being truly thankful for it Part 2d Pauls particular Application of this general Doctrine to himself * Obs. A Patern for our Imitation Communi regulae sese involvit atque hic verus Scripturae usus est ut nobis applicemus salutaria quo spem habeamus de salute nostra Aret. Com. in Text. Reas. Application maketh saving Truths effectual Applic. Paul the first of sinners Q. How said so to be A. An Heretical Dream Hic dicit Haereticus quod anima Adae fuit in Paulo transivit de corpore in corpus Aquin. Expos. in Text. A. 2. Paul the first that is the greatest of sinners * Quid ergo est primus antecedens omnes non tempore sed magnitudine August in Psalm 70. Q. How Paul saith this of himself A. Hespeaks Hyperbolically out of his great Humility Dictum est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ex summa modestia Grotius Annot. in Text. Hoc dicit ex humilitate Aquin. Obs. Christians to think speak meanly of themselves Christians to prefer others before themselves Paul not speaking otherwise of himself than he thought Christians to beware of such Complements Veram hic non 〈◊〉 quam humilem confessionem edere voluit Atque ex intimo cordis sensu depromptam Calvin Com. in Text. Q. Paul was now an eminent Saint A. He speaks of what he had been before his Conversion Q. Paul before his Conversion was morally righteous A. He was then a friend to the Law but an enemy to the Gospel August de verbis Apostoli Serm. 9. Obs. No sin like obstinate Infidelity His verbis admonemur quam grave sit apud Dâ—…um â—…rox crimâ—… Infidelitaâ—… pâ—…sertim ubi acceâ—…t â—…bstinatio saeviendi rabies Calvin Com. in Text. Applic. Persons in some degree guilty of this sin 1. Meer civil Persons resting in their moral righteousness A mans own Righteousness a sandy foundation Too many hearkning more to Moses than to Christ. 2. Vain-glorious Hypocrites Inde colligere promptum est quid valeant coram Deo omnes hypocritarum pompâ—… dum contumaciter Christo resistunt Calvin Com. in Text. 3. Enemies to Christ persecuting Him and His. Q. Paul sinned ignorantly A. Ignorance though it may extenuate the sin yet it doth not acquit the sinner Applic. Sin not to be palliated under pretence of Ignorance Q. Were there not others as great or greater Sinners than Paul Ans. 1. Pauls sin more general than theirs Videtuâ—… quod Judas fuit major Sed quidam dicunt quod peccatum Pauli generalius fuit quia contra totam Ecclesiam Aquin. in Text. Sed hoc nihil est quia Paulus in Incredulâ—…tate multi Judaei persequebuntur ex Malitia Ibid. A. 2. Paul the chief of Saved sinners Maximuâ—… inter peccatores salvatos Ibid. A. 3. Paul the chief of sinners in his own apprehension 1. Being best acquainted with himâ—…elf The greatness of Pauls sins set off by the greatness of Gods Mercy shown to him 2. Paul felt his own sins Sicuti qui gravi dentium capitis vel oculorum dolore laborat dicit nullum dolorem hoc esse majorem sâ—…d suum câ—…nnium esse maximum quia scit suum sentit per experientiam aliorum vero dolores tantum considerâ—… per speculationem C. A. Lap. in Text. Obs. General Observation Divided into 3. Branches 1. Branch The penitent sinner a frequent Remembrancer of his own sins Obj. Not only in time of distress A. But in the most quiet condition Obj. Not only such as have been scandalous sinners A. Few but have fallen into some such sins All have a body of sin in them Many inordinate lusts working inwardly All these Paul remembred Reas. 1. The Penitent sinner hath his Eyes opened 2. His Conscience awakened 3. His Heart pricked Use 1. By way of Conviction divers discovered to be no true Penitents 1. Such whose Consciences were never awakened 2. Such as seek to lull their Consciences aâ—… sleep again 1. Shunning all means that might awaken them 2. Using means to put their sins out of their remembrance 3. Such as having been awakened are fallen asleep again 4. Such as remember their sins but seldom and then against their wills 5. Such as remember them but are not humbled for them A word to awaken secure sinners 1. Their sins are registred in two Books 1. In Gods book the book of his Remembrance 2. In their own book the book of Conscience â—… Both these Books shall be opened 1. Gods Book 2. The book of Conscience Q. When these Books shall be opened 1. It may be in this life in time of Prosperity 2. In time of Affliction at the hour of Death 3. At the day of Judgement Use 2. Exhortation exciting to the remembrance of Sinne. Directed to two sorts of Persons 1. Secure Sinners Motive 1. This is the only way to have sins forgotten Caution 1 See that it be a right remembrance Motive 2. The only way to prevent everlasting Confusion Caution 2 This to be done speedily Direct 1. Begg it of God that he would bring our sins to our remembrance Direct 2. Wait upon him in the Ministry of his Word 2. Penitent sinners excited to a frequent remembrance of their sins Two Questions resolved Q. 1 Wherefore a penitent sinner should do this A. For the making sure his Repentance 2. For the renewing and increasing of it The Remembrance of sin though bitter maketh way for sweet joy 3. To get
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