to GOD and baneful unto us That they expose us at once to temporal Miseries spiritual Judgments and eternal Punishments And therefore in this Ordinance we earnestly beg that GOD's SPIRIT and Grace and Power and Providence may rescue us from Sin and secure us against it for the time to come as well as that His Mercy may Pardon what is past And when to GOD ALMIGHTY in the Presence of His Angels we make such humble Acknowledgments and importunate Requests and that deliberately and devoutly publicly and privately daily and continually if then we still run on in Sin we must needs go against a very clear Light A Light so bright and strong as will not fail to turn into fire Either into the fire of Repentance and Zeal or into that of a tormenting Conscience The latter of which if we do not extinguish it while we live when we dye will turn to those unquenchable Flames which will burn us for ever but not consume us 3ly We have sinned against the Sacrament of the LORD's Supper This methinks sends forth such Beams of Light as should quite turn our Eyes from looking after Impiety For it shows as much terror to Sinners as can be exhibited by showing as much severity against Sin as can be expressed For here we see the Body of the SON of GOD by bearing our Sins on the Tree broken and His precious Bloud for the Remission of our Sins shed And can Men or Angels or GOD Himself invent a mightier Discouragement from Sin Yet we have not only sinned under this Discouragement but directly against it even against this very Ordinance For either we have not come at it at all or else not so frequently as we might or else not so worthily as we ought Now is not this a monstrous Aggravation of our sinfulness thus to sin against the Light of Ordinances I know not what to say to it nor yet to them that are guilty of it better than this Beg of GOD to give you true Repentance for your great Offences that ye may never relapse into the same Sixthly We have sinned against the Light of Examples Examples are of two sorts Active and Passive By Active Examples I mean the Examples of such as have been noted for doing their Duties By Passive ones such as have been remarkable in suffering from GOD for Disobedience Plenty of both Occurrs in Scripture and afford considerable Lights respectively Active Examples yield a Light of Encouragement to invite and draw us to things that are worthy Passive Examples a Light of Determent to estrange and beat us off from unlawful Practices Both I say are set down in the sacred Books to these very Purposes That they recommend Active Examples to us to the End aforesaid is evident Isai 51.3 Look unto Abraham your Father and unto Sarah that bare you for I called Him alone and blessed him and increased him So that Examples of Piety and of GOD's Blessing upon them that practise it are notified in the holy Volume that we may look at them and be influenc'd by them And the same is true of Passive Examples as appears 1 Cor. 10.6 Now these things were our Examples to the intent we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted Which being spoken of the Israelites who perished in the Wilderness for their high Provocations plainly shows that Examples of Lewdness and of GOD's severe Judgments upon the Impious are filed up by Heaven as Warnings to us As awful Warnings to keep us from rushing into those Sins which have ruined others But then lo another sad Aggravation of our sinfulness that we have sinned against both these kinds of Examples at once 1st Against the Light of Active Examples Thus as many of us as have been incredulous or unbelieving have sinned against the Light of Abraham's Example who against hope believed in hope As many as have been Fierce and Choleric and guilty of causeless or excessive Anger have sinned against the Light of Moses's Example who was of a most quiet and gentle Temper and for * Numb 12.13 meekness incomparable As many as have been peevish and sullen murmuring and discontented under Troubles and Afflictions have sinned against the Light of Job's Example Who did not only bear his Adversities with Patience but with great †Job 1.21 Thankfulness As many as have wronged oppressed or defrauded their Brethren have sinned against the Light of Samuel's Example Who tho' he was great in Power was of equal Integrity For when he resign'd the Government of Israel to Saul he declar'd he had never been injurious to any and justifi'd the honourable Declaration he made by a public ‖ 1 Sam. 12.3 Appeal to GOD the King and the People at once As many as have absented from the Worship of GOD and neglected to attend the Duties of His House have sinned against the Light of Anna's Example who notwithstanding the Infirmities of extreme Age as being about fourscore and four years old * departed not from the Temple but served GOD with Fasting and Prayers night and day As many as have not educated their Children piously and instructed their Servants virtuously and taught their Families religiously injoining them to love and fear and worship GOD have sinned against the Light of his Example who was the Father of the Faithful Of whom the HOLY GHOST hath thus pronounced I know him that he will * command his Children and his Houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the LORD As many as have fallen into any known and presumptuous Crime and have not been troubled at it and afflicted for it and cut and wounded to the heart by it and by sincere Repentance raised out of it have sinned against the Light of many famous Examples as of Sampson David Manasseh S. Peter S. Paul Mary Magdalen c. who being hainous and notorious Offenders became as humble and hearty Penitents As many as have been defective in Duty and short of GOD's Glory by not walking up to the Rules of the Gospel and the Laws of that excellent Religion we profess have sinned against the Light of those memorable Examples which they have set us who stand upon record for strict and zealous Worshippers of the DEITY and fervent Lovers of the Adorable LORD JESUS Yea we have sinned against JESUS's own Example who as He came to do his FATHER's Will so He did it most fully and faithfully and therein was a great and glorious Pattern to His whole Church obliging every true Member of the same to a laudable Imitation of Himself Now such eminent Active Examples as these being fairly entred in the sacred Register on purpose that we might view and imitate them for us to sin against the Light of obedience which they afford must needs be a Monstrous Aggravation of our sinfulness and in the Days of our Repentance or sorrow for Sin ought to be Remembred with much Bitterness 2ly We have sinned against the
shift your Posture and Imployment in favour of your fainting tiring Zeal For tho' the Spirit in it self be strong and so very willing and forward to persist yet being clogg'd and loaden with the burthen of this flesh it may very well want Support and Respite Here therefore rising up from your humble Prostration read a Chapter or two of the Lamentations or of some other Book in the Bible Unless you had rather make use of any practical Piece of some pious Author by you That so by remitting the Intensness of your Devotion you may recover a more lively degree of Fervency And then prostrating again in the Heavenly Presence supplicate thus A Supplication respecting our own and this Nation 's Sins O GOD most Gracious and Compassionate look down look down from Heaven I beseech Thee with an eye of Mercy of tenderest Mercy upon this miserably sinful Nation We have offended Thee greatly but LORD do Thou pity us We have provoked Thee strangely but LORD do Thou spare us We have dishonoured Thee shamefully but LORD do Thou pardon us It is of Thy * Lam. 3.22 Mercy that we are not consumed in our Sins O let the same Thy Mercy which hath forborn us in them absolve us from them And that Thou mayst freely forgive us all our Sins help us to repent unfeignedly of the same Awaken our Consciences into a due sense of our Guilt and smite our Hearts with Godly remorse and contrition for it and let us so bewail our Evil deeds as finally to forsake them and return †Hos 14.1 unto the LORD from whom we are fallen Open our Eyes O our good GOD that we may ‖ Luk. 19.42 see the things which belong to our peace and incline us effectually to consider and pursue them that so Thou mayst be fully reconciled to us and turn away * Jer. 18.22 Thy Wrath and Thy Judgments from us We know O LORD we know we have cause to fear Thy Judgments great cause to tremble in Expectation of them nor can heavier come than our Crying sins deserve and call for But in Mercy with-hold those dreadful Severities which with greatest Justice Thou might'st sadly inflict Or if we have so wretchedly wearied out Thy Patience that Thou art immutably resolv'd to give us up to Punishment Yet then O GOD whose Compassions fail not deal not with us after our Iniquities but in the midst of Judgment remember Mercy Let thy Rod correct but not destroy us and let the Smart we suffer end in thy Favour Sanctify all thy Dispensations to us and be they never so bitter let them turn to our Advantage But of all Evils Thou shalt bring upon us deprive us not O GOD and Father of Mercy of the Light of Thy Truth of the Purity of Thy Worship of the Solemnity of Thine Ordinances of the Liberty of Thy House of the Help of Thy Ministers But tho' we have long since forfeited these precious Injoyments yet so far overlook our provoking unworthiness as to continue them to us and also to our Posterity in succeeding Generations so long as the Sun and Moon shall endure And let these inestimable Mercies continu'd to us have their proper Influence and Effects upon us Let them banish Ignorance and abolish Atheism and drive away Infidelity Superstition and Prophaneness Let them lead us on to such Meekness of Wisdom and Sweetness of Temper and Lowliness of Mind and Holiness of Life as may conduce effectually to the healing of our Divisions and the composing of our Differences Let them so fill us with Love and unite us in Peace that the GOD †2 Cor. 13.11 of Love and Peace may be with us and Truth and Righteousness establisht amongst us and we may no more dishonour our Reformed Doctrines by our Dissolute Practices A general Intercession AND O Merciful GOD who ‖ 1 Tim. 2.4 wouldst have all Men to be saved * Psal 67.2 make thy saving Health known unto all Nations Let Strangers to Thy Truth and Enemies to Thy Gospel be made acquainted with Thy Will and obedient to Thy Word Be good to thy holy Catholic Church Purify it from Sin and preserve it from Error Free it from Fears and secure it in Dangers And where any in it are under Troubles or Persecutions arm them with such Courage that they may suffer with Constancy till they obtain Deliverance or be Crowned with Victory By Faith unfeigned knit all its Members firmly to Thy Self and by mutual Love to one another Settle it in Truth I most humbly beseech Thee and establish it in Peace Crown it with Prosperity and exalt it in Righteousness Fill every one in it with such divine Graces and Perfections from Heaven as may make it the Light and the Joy and the Glory and the Praise of the whole Earth Lead all Nations into it O GOD that the People of this World may become the Sheep of thy Pasture and we may all make but one most holy and happy Fold under that most good and great Shepherd the LORD JESUS CHRIST O that the time were come for Thee to have such Mercy upon Sion LORD let that Blessed time come Bless all Christian Kings and Governours As they bear Thy Name and are Thine Ordinance and act by Thy Power so let them carefully imitate Thy MAJESTY Let them rule their People with Mercy and Justice and make such wise Provisions for them as shall greatly advance both their present Welfare and their future Happiness Be with the Bishops and Pastors of Thy Flock Make them vigilant in their Stations and diligent in their Functions and zealous for Thy Honour and the Souls of Men. †1 Tim. 4.16 Let them take heed to themselves as well as to their Doctrines and not only teach Men to be good by their sound Instructions but provoke them to it by their powerful Examples Pour down thy Mercy upon the Neighbourhood I am of and upon this Family to which I belong upon my Relatives and Friends and upon all that have desired my Prayers and need them Grant them such a Faith in thy Doctrines such an Hope in thy Promises such a Fear of thy Threatnings as may put them upon dutiful Obedience to thy Commands Keep them from all known and presumptuous Sins and if there be any secret Wickedness in them let them so search their Hearts as presently to find it so try their Way as immediately to turn from it and that with the greatest Detestation and Abhorrency And to the End they may abhorr every evil Way do Thou ‖ Psal 139.24 lead them in the Way everlasting Even in the Way of Truth and Sincerity of Meekness and Temperance of Justice and Charity of Purity and Humility of Peace and Salvation And if at any time while we live Thou * Deut. 32.41 whet'st thy glittering Sword and thine hand takes hold on Judgment to execute it generally on the People of this Land secure if Thou
flourishes in the World Guilt within dulls his Happiness and makes it insipid yea imbitters the same and makes it unsavoury And in case he declines or falls under Misfortunes the same Guilt aggravates and inrages his Miseries It adds extreamly to the weight of his Calamities and sets so terrible an Edge upon them as makes them to cut more deeply and direfully And as the Guilt which Impious Men have contracted tortures them thus wofully while they live so it racks them a thousand ten thousand times worse when they come to die if they be not senseless of their sad condition Then quick Apprehensions of the Justice of GOD and of their own unworthiness break in upon them And being once entred they startle their Minds and they awaken their Souls that before perhaps slept securely in sin and dreamt of nothing but Ease and Pleasure And the same Apprehensions that rowze them out of their wretched Security help them to form right Notions of Death They tell them plainly and they tell them truly what it must be to their unprepared Spirits Namely a Messenger of Wrath and an Instrument of Vengeance and a sad Consignation to endless Torments A terrible Breach which the divine Anger makes upon them whereat Condemnation and their Ruine enter When GOD summons them from hence out of the Body they can think no other than that 't is to send them directly to Hell and to confine them for ever to the Regions of Darkness and the Prisons of Sorrow and the cursed Habitations of rebellious Sinners And when once they are convinc'd that their Passage hence is a Descent to everlasting Plagues and Miseries how must they fear and what Horrors will seize them when they feel it approaching As the * De Serres Historian relates concerning Lewis the Eleventh of France when he drew on a pace to his Dissolution he strictly charged all about him that they should not so much as mention that cruel Word Death to him And no wonder that from the aforesaid conviction such excessive Fear should arise to such as die impenitent For when Men perceive that they are sinking down into the bottomless Depths of eternal Sufferings how can they chuse but be lamentably overwhelmed with raging Horrors Nor does the amazing Prospect of this dismal Calamity overset Men with Fears only at their last Hour but hurries them on to other Expressions of their Astonishing Troubles For when they feel they must die and that Death will convey them to interminable Punishments then poor Souls they sigh and lament Then they ring their Hands and they tear their Hair and they curse the Day that ever they were born to be so unhappy Then they sigh when they are awake and they start in their sleep and are continually frighted with such inward Terrors that they would gladly run away even from themselves if so be they did know but how and whither Then they call for Ease but they cannot have it they seek for Rest but they cannot find it and therefore bursting out into doleful Tears in the heighth of bitter but fruitless Passion to those about them they make either this or the like heavy complaint Now we are undone O wretched Creatures we are lost for ever We might have been saved if we would and we verily thought we should have been so but alas we find that we were greatly deceived For our Hopes are now gone and our Confidence is quite sunk we are leaving the World and GOD hath left us and who can relieve whom He rejects Once we were offered Peace and Love and might have had them both upon easy Terms But those blessed Tenders are now over and the Hand that kindly reach'd them towards us is armed with Rage and stretcht out with fierce Indignation against us Oh the precious Hours that we imbezilled the sweet Opportunities that we neglected the gracious Invitations that we refused the holy Motions that we resisted the heavenly Glories that we despised Foolish rash and senseless Creatures that we were to do it O that we might but repeat our Lives that we might injoy these Mercies but once again But here 's the thing that breaks our Hearts we know that this shall never be Our Time is spent and Grace is past the LORD is just and we must perish Such are the Wailings of hopless Sinners and in such mournful Strains as these they sometimes relate their Death-bed Miseries And let none blame them as if they were too querulous at such a time they have cause enough for the Complaints they make Yea when in bitterest Words and loudest Out-cries they express their Grief they rate the Accents of it too low their Sorrow is bigger than their Lamentation Grant O GOD of Mercies we beseech thee that we may never fall under the one and never have occasion to take up the other Of all the sad Spectacles in the whole World I think none more lamentable than to see a wicked Man upon his Death-Bed To see how the nearer he draws to dying the more afraid still he is to do it because he is unfit With what terrible Anguish must this Fear of his needs sting his Soul and how intolerable must that Anguish be because it is incurable Yea the truth is in reference to the ungodly Death is armed with a double sting before it comes it strikes them with the Sting of woful Horror when past with that of cursed Misery Death to them is but an Inlet into Hell that Kingdom of Misery where Sorrow reigns without Measure or End And as they that are in this miserable state cannot but languish in grievous Tortures so they that feel themselves hasting to it cannot but lie under as grievous Fears But now when the righteous go from hence they do it in far more easy circumstances because they do it in a better condition They profess themselves strangers here upon Earth and they seek a City that hath Foundations in Heaven And as they have wisely laid up their Treasure there so their Hearts are with it already which makes them very willing to follow When their Turns come they never repine or quarrel at their Destiny nor lament the case of their dislodging Souls but lie down contentedly at the Feet of Providence and are really pleas'd that they have leave to be gone And one good Help to make them so is the Sweetness of their Passage Their uprightness according to the Royal Psalmist brings them Peace at the last And that Peace keeps all those Thorns out of their Death-bed Pillows or else plucks them thence which prick and gall ungodly Wretches and make their Heads to lie uneasy And when that is done instead of these Thorns it wreaths Olive Branches about their Temples fills them with Tranquillity and holy Quietness And then though Death comes never so suddenly and though when it comes it strikes never so furiously its fiercest Blow cannot make them unhappy They can bear it composedly and without Fear
ruin to both But now that which intollerably aggravates our Guilt is that we have sinned against this Wondrous Love All its Flames have not consum'd our Dross all its heat hath not melted us into Obedience to that gracious GOD who loved us so exceedingly Nay we have wretchedly made this Love of His an occasion of sinning against His MAJESTY and have done amiss with more freedom and frequency because His Love abounded towards us Our Surety was able to pay our Debts and therefore we cared not how far we ran on in the Score We valu'd not stabbing our precious Souls because we had a Sovereign Medicine at hand to heal the Wounds We have made CHRIST's Death a Patent for Licentiousness and have been the more ready to offend GOD because he gave his SON to die for our Offences The biggest Aggravation of Baseness that can be It lifts up our Guilt above that of Devils the worst of which never rebelled against Redeeming Love nor committed one sin against a crucify'd LORD who laid down his Life for their Salvation A most sad consideration and did we but keep our Minds close to it and dwell upon it in serious and compos'd Reflections methinks we should need no better suasive to Mourning for our own and the Nation 's Sins Yet here we may advance a little farther some of us at least and fitly think that we have sinned against the Love of our best Friends Our truest Friends are most concern'd for our greatest Interests They look chiefly at the Dispositions and habits of our Minds and are anxious and solicitous for the welfare of our Souls With a watchful eye and a yearning heart they mark and observe us in our Spiritual relations and capacities how we carry our selves towards GOD how we are affected with Religion how we are furnisht with Christian Perfections how well prepared we are to die and how well provided to live for ever And if they find us defective in these Accomplishments it becomes an occasion of sadness to them and sinks them down into Grief and Misery A famous instance and pattern of this was the rarely virtuous and renowned Monica Mother of St. Augustine When he was young and vain and loose in his Manners this pious Matron laid his Extravagancies deeply to heart and night and day lamented his wild and exorbitant life And this may be the case of our Real Friends and at such a rate they may be afflicted for some of us They may pine at our Wickedness and pray for our Repentance and sigh and sorrow to behold our stubborness and strange Perverseness While we with delight and brutish complacence dishonour GOD and destroy our selves they may be almost overwhelm'd with sadness at the sight of our Prophaness and the sense of our Debauchery Let us think upon this and learn to mourn for our own Sins that have been so offensive to our choicest Friends They could no way shew truer never shew greater kindness to us But then the singular Cordial Affection on their side grievously aggravates the sins on ours and that aggravation should still raise our sorrow and encrease holy Mourning If thou that readest this knowest it thy case if thou knowest that thy sins afflict thy best Friends I have this Caveat to leave with thee Take heed of abusing their affectionate Tenderness There 's too much ill Principle in thy Proceedings already do not superadd ill nature to it If sin hath eat out all sense of Religion yet surely thou hast somewhat of humanity left something of common civility in thee especially to kindest Friends and Relatives Cease to sin then in respect to them who manifest such pious compassion to thee lest thou shortnest their Lives and sendest them sorrowing to their Graves O it is a rich and invaluable mercy to dissolute Persons that they have such Friends as these I speak of Friends that can weep over their provoking miscarriages and with plenty of powerful Tears and Prayers intercede to the Merciful GOD for them But let none of these sinners be so unkind and ingrateful and unhappy too as by obstinate persistence in a course of unrighteousness to break the hearts of these incomparable Friends and so deprive themselves of an inestimable Blessing CHAP. XXIV The Third Aggravation of our own and others Sins considered as the Third suasive to mourning for the same We have sinned in a most shameful manner NOW follows the last Aggravation of our sinfulness which as it is very heinous should be as affecting to us We have sinned in a most shameful manner Light could not controll nor could Love restrain us we sinned under and against them both But which adds to our Guilt and renders it much more grievous still we have sinned withal most hideously or shamefully This will appear if we will consider these Four things 1. The nature and malignity of our Sins 2. The multiplicity or variety of them 3. The repetition or frequency of them 4. Our boldness or impudence in Sinning First Our Sins are of an high Nature or Malignity As if Sins of a lower Quality or lesser Rate would not throw us fast or far enough out of GOD's Favour or sink us down deep enough into His Displeasure we have been forward to those of a worser sort and of a larger size Sinful Thoughts and sinful Words would not content us we have broken out into sinful Actions and in actual sins we have exceeded For sins of incogitancy or inadvertency would not serve us we have run into sins of Deliberation Sins of omission or neglect would not satisfie us we have plunged into sins of commission Sins of infirmity or weakness could not bound us we have rushed into sins of Presumption And all these high Acts of sin have not been of the least kinds of Sins neither For if we look narrowly into our Transgressions perhaps we shall find them of a fouler nature of a blacker stain and of a deeper Die than we are aware Yea think what sins are most odious to GOD and flagitious in themselves and these I fear will appear to have been ours in too great measure if we throughly examine our Spiritual state Secondly Our Sins are multiform and various They are not all of one sort but of several kinds According to the Character of the Impious Psal 69.27 we have fallen from one wickedness to another or have added iniquity to iniquity To Sins against GOD we added Sins against our Neighbours and to Sins against them Sins against our selves if we distinguish them according to the Object And if diversified according to other circumstances as Time and Place and Providence c. we have sinned in our Youth and in our riper years secretly and openly by our selves and with others Against Mercies and against Judgments c. But lest in diversifying sin I should here run out into too large a Series of Particulars instead of going farther I refer the Reader to those brief * See them under
falling down upon your Knees or prostrating more humbly use the following Confession A Confession of our own Sins O LORD the GOD of Heaven and Earth of Angels of Men and of all Creatures Thou art Great and High and Glorious and Holy and Just and Terrible Yet Thou art the GOD whom I have dishonoured Thou art the GOD whom I have displeased Thou art the GOD whom I have offended and sadly provoked Unworthy unworthy most unworthy I am to come before Thee and how shall I dare to lift up my guilty Heart and Hands unto Thee But Thy Will it is O LORD that the worst of Sinners should come unto Thy Self and as bad as I am Thou hast commanded even me to do it O reject me not therefore in this my act of Obedience but now that I am come unto Thy Throne of Grace receive me O GOD receive me graciously and pardon the Sins I shall confess unto Thee And most humbly I acknowledge that my Sins against Thee are exceeding grievous For they are numerous and hainous various and repeated odious and abominable Insomuch O LORD that not only Shame but Confusion might cover me not only Fear but Trembling might seize me because not only Judgments but Vengeance it self might immediately befall me and break out most dreadfully and eternally upon me For I have broken Thy Laws and slighted thy Promises and despised Thy Threatnings and abused Thy Favours * Think of those signal Blessings for which thou hast not made due Acknowledgments and suitable Returns I have been false to my Vows and inconstant to my Purposes and unfaithful to my Principles and filthy in my Practices †Think what Sensuality thou hast been guilty of Under These Severities I have been senseless under Thy Mercies I have been fruitless and instead of being led by Thy * Rom. 2 4. Goodness to Repentance I have turned thy very Grace into †Jude 4. Wantonness My Mind hath delighted in evil Thoughts my Mouth hath abounded with idle Words my Will hath inclined to ungodly Motions my Hands have been imployed in unrighteous Actions and my * Think how thou hast sinned scandalously Example hath been of pernicious Influence My fault it is that some are not so good as they might have been and that others are so bad who would have been better and so I have hindred †Think whom thou hast tempted or drawn to Sin or imboldened to go on in it Souls in their way to Heaven which I should have helped thither My Conscience checks me my Thoughts accuse me mine Iniquities testify against me my Heart condemns me and Thou O GOD who art greater than my Heart and knowest all things might'st justly pass a sad Sentence upon me a Sentence banishing me for ever from Thy Glorious Self and shutting me up in the dismal State and intolerable Torments of eternal Damnation This is my Case and these are my Sins and how can I endure them or my self for committing them O LORD I am ashamed O GOD I am astonished and I have reason to be so for O LORD my GOD I am undone everlastingly undone everlastingly undone by my own self unless Thou wilt pity unless Thou wilt pardon me LORD pity my Soul in thine infinite Mercy and pardon my Sins through the Merits of Thy SON my LORD JESUS CHRIST For I repent O merciful GOD from the bottom of my Heart I repent of them all Here pause a while and reflect seriously on thy Sins and their respective Aggravations at least upon some of the Principal of them And to bring on holy Tears and Mourning put up these or the like Ejaculations with all pious Earnestness A * Psal 50.17 contrite Heart give me O GOD such as Thou hast said Thou wilt not despise O break this †Here lay thine hand upon thine Heart flinty Rock in my Breast and as it hath been a Source of grievous Sins so make it a Fountain of godly Sorrow Help me LORD JESUS to sow in Tears that I may reap in Joy and so to mourn as that I may be comforted That ever I should sin against so good a GOD. That ever I should sin against so loving a Father That ever I should sin against so gracious a SAVIOUR That ever I should sin against so sweet a Comforter For this let Rivers of Tears run down mine Eyes Oh my Sins my Sins my many and my grievous Sins LORD what have I done O LORD what shall I do When thou hast done weeping pray Dearest REDEEMER accept the Sacrifice of a troubled Spirit and wash my Tears with Thy most precious and purifying Bloud Tho' Religious Mourning be usually accompani'd with a secret sweetness yet withal it spends the Spirits and so occasions Weariness If therefore you have mourned in such a measure as to be somewhat infeebled at present and to abate in the vigour or pious fervency of your Applications to Heaven then to refresh you a little by change of Exercise rise up here and read the 9th Chapter of Ezekiel There you shall find holy Mourning for others sins encouraged Or else read the 9th of Daniel to the 22th Verse where a famous Prophet invites to it by his great Example So by relaxing your Mind a while you will recruit your impaired Strength and be the better inabled to mourn afresh But if you feel your Zeal still upon the Wing and not too much weak'ned by expensive Grief then continue the Imployment which you were in and without stopping go on thus A Confession of the Nation 's Sins BEsides that I am the worst of Sinners O LORD and deserve the heaviest and severest Punishments that can be inflicted here or hereafter I dwell in the midst of a guilty Nation too many of which are too like my self a * Isai 1.4 sinful People and laden with iniquity For we have done †Dan 9 5. wickedly and rebelled grievously in departing from Thy holy Laws and in transgressing Thy most heavenly Precepts Like an infinitely wise and gracious GOD what hast Thou not done that in reason Thou could'st do to amend and reform us But under all the Methods of Thy kindest Providence to make us better are we not grown worse or do we not continue as bad as ever For who can think the Corruptions of our Hearts or what Tongue can speak the lewdness of our Manners and Conversations Thy Judgments have not moved us Thy Mercies have not melted us but under the one we have been loose and unthankful and under the other stubborn and inflexible and under them both not only unrighteous but incorrigible Peace we have abused to Pride and Security Plenty we have turned to Excess and Luxury and Health and Prosperity we have made to minister to Vanity of Mind and Licentiousness of Life Thou hast given us Thy divine and sacred Truth but we do ‖ 2 Thess 2.10 not receive that precious thing in the love of it Thou favourest