truth hereof so receiving this Truth into our Iudgments looking upon it as a Faithful Saying yielding a full and firm assent and consent unto it Not entertaining any doubtful hesitations concerning it All which our Apostle here maketh it his design to expectorate and drive out of the hearts of Christians holding forth this unto them as a most infallible Doctrine laying it as a sure foundation which they may safely build upon And so do we taking this for an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Principle of our Religion the truth whereof is not to be questioned Every of us labour thus to get our hearts established in the belief hereof 3. Thus receiving it into our Understandings and Iudgments Receive we it also into our Memories lodging and laying it up there as a most precious Treasure of inestimable value and singular use Remember it and make use of it as occasion shall be offered Holding it forth as a Buckler for the repelling of those fiery Darts those Satanical Temptations which he is ready to inject for the disquieting and troubling the Souls of poor sinners with the apprehension of their sins The Quantitie and Qualitie the Multitude and Magnitude the Number and Nature of them which being let into the Soul without a Divine support may be enough to sinck it into the Gulph of Desperation Against all these oppose we this faithful Saying Remember the Consolation it holdeth forth That Iesus Christ came into the world to save sinners A true Catholicon a Soveraign Cordial proper for what ever Faintings the Soul may be subject to 4. Thus lodging it in our Memories Receive we it also into our Wills and Affections imbracing it resting upon it rejoycing in it and being thankful for it 1. Imbracing it as the most acceptable the most welcome Tidings that ever were brought unto the world Had not Iesus Christ come into the world better we had never come into it Were it not for the Sun what were the world but a Dungeon And were it not for this Sun of Righteousness which is risen upon earth we must have sate in darkness to all Eternitie His coming is our reviving Even as the coming of the Sun in the Spring time is unto Hearbs and Plants which before were seemingly dead such is the coming of Jesus Christ unto us who without Him were in a state of Death really dead How welcome then should the tidings hereof be unto us How ready should we receive this Doctrine O were this Doctrine to be Preached to the Spirits in Prison to the Divels and Damned Souls in Hell That Jesus Christ was come to save them how welcome would it be unto them And why not unto us who were it not for this Coming should erelong be in their condition 2. And thus imbracing it now rest upon it making it the sheat-Anchor of our Souls hope riding by it in all storms flying unto Iesus Christ receiving him as our Saviour clasping him in the arms of our Faith resting upon him for Salvation This is true justifying saving faith not barely to believe him to believe that Christ is come into the world but to believe in Him and on Him God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish Joh. 3. 16. He that believeth on him is not condemned Vers. 18. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life Vers. 36. Still 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in eum in him on him As for believing him this is no more than the Divels do I know thee who thou art the Holy one of God saith that unclean Spirit Mark 1. 24. Will we have any benefit by him see that we believe on him receiving him as our Saviour casting our Souls upon the all sufficiency of his Merit there resting for the pardon of all our sins and the Salvation of our Souls 3. And thus resting upon him now rejoyce in him in this his Coming Rejoyce greatly O Daughter of Sion shout for Ioy O Daughter of Ierusalem behold thy King cometh unto thâ—… he is Iust and having Salvation saith the Prophet Zacharie to the Church Zach. 9. 9. This coming of Christ in the Flesh is a matter of great Joy as you have heard And so let it be entertained by us Rejoyce we in this our King and Saviour Rejoycing not with a carnal and sensual joy such as that joy is wherewith the memory of this great benefit is by some and too many celebrated at this Season of the year but a spiritual joy sutable to the benefit which he came to procure for us which is spiritual and eternal Salvation In the apprehension hereof let all true Believers who have received Christ into their hearts exsult and rejoyce rejoycing in this their God and Saviour as Mary saith she did Luke 1. 47. joyning in consort with that multitude which attending upon him in his Coming to Ierusalem cryed saying Hosannah to the Son of David Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord Hosannah in the Highest Mat. 21. 9. 4. And thus rejoycing in it Be we thankful for it really thankful studying how to express our gratitude for so great a Favour Not by letting loose the raines to all kind of licentiousness which hath been and I fear still is the practice of too many who at this Season of the year take greater liberty to abuse the Creatures of God and to waste and mis-spend their precious time in vain if not sinful Recreationâ—… and Disports than at any other times as if the end of Christs coming had been not to bind Satan but to let him loose not to save sinners from their sins but to indulge them in them Not so but by endeavouring to walk answerably to so great a favour so as becometh the redeemed of the Lord. All of us taking out and practising that Lesson which our Apostle telleth us this Grace of God teacheth us Tit. 2. 11. The Grace of God which bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all men this saving Grace of God in sending his Son upon this Errand which hath now under the Gospel appeared to all men not only Jews but Gentiles teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world To this end it was as you have heard That Christ came into the world to save sinners to save them from their sins from the power as well as from the guilt of them to redeem them from all iniquity Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works as we have it Tit. 2. 14. that being delivered out of the hands of all our enemies our Spiritual enemies Sin Satan Hell Death we might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all the dayes of our life as Zacharias hath it in his Song Luk. 1. 74 75. And thus
7. 20. but as unto a Father with some apprehensions of mercy Thus are the confessions of a truly penitent sinner ordinarily attended and accompanied with some apprehension of mercy I say either with the present sense of it as Pauls confession here was to which he subjoynes But I obteined mercy Or with the hope of it So runs that confession which Shecaniah there maketh Ezra 10. 2. We have transgressed c. Yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing To proceed no further Put these together and hereby may the sincere confession and acknowledgment of the truly penitent sinner be discerned from that which is false and counterfeit And so you have both these Questions resolved That which now remains of this is the Application Which I shall direct as in the former Branch onely two wayes by way of Conviction Exhortation 1. By way of Conviction Is the true penitent such a Confessor so forward and ready in such a way to confesse and acknowledge his sinnes both to God and Man how many then from hence may be convinced that they are as yet none of this number that they are as yet in a state of impenitency that they are as yet in their sinnes lying under the guilt and power of them Diverse sorts there are who come within the verge and compass of this Conviction Let me take notice of some of them Which whilest I do let me desire you all of you to go along with me trying and examining your selves whether you be not of this number In the first place Some there are who do not as yet know themselves to be sinners they were never convinced of their sinnes never convinced of the sinfulness of their nature never convinced of any such remarkable evils whether in their hearts or lives as should need any such serious confession and acknowledgment So is it with some morall civil Iusticiaries whose lives not having been stained with such open such foul and scandalous sinnes as they see in others hereupon they are well opinionated of themselves They are not as other men are as the Pharisee said of himself Luk. 18. 11. no Swearers no Drunkards no Adulterers c. so as they scarce see wherein they are sinners much less great sinners Very far are they from making any such confession and acknowledgment of their sinnes as Paul here doth of his Now as for such let them know that not having as yet been convinced of their sinnes they must needs be in them lying under the power and under the guilt of them This is the first work that the Spirit of God worketh in the heart of a regenerate person It is to him a Spirit of Conviction when the comforter is come saith our Saviour he shall reprove or convince 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the world of sin Joh 16. 8. This is the work of the Spirit and it is the first work Certainly the Soul which never yet knew what this work meant must needs be far from any such ingenuous acknowledgment as here we meet with in the Text. Paul before he came to make this confession that he was the chief of sinners he had seen a light from Heaven shining round about him and falling to the earth he heard a voice saying unto him Saul Saul why persecutest thou me as we have the story Act. 9. 3 4. He had a strong a clear and powerful Conviction discovering to him and throughly convincing him of the evil of that course which he then took And thus must it be with every poor sinner Before ever he will be brought to an ingenuous confession and acknowledgment of his sinnes he must see a light from Heaven discovering them to him and he must hear a voice from Heaven convincing him of the sinfulness of them and he must be struck down to the earth humbled in the sense of his own Vilenesse before ever his heart will be brought to such a frame and temper as here we find in this our Apostle to be ready thus to confess and acknowledg his sinnes both to God and Man upon all occasions Certainly they who never yet knew what this Spirit of Conviction meant are as yet far from being ingenuous Confessours and consequently may conclude themselves to be in a state of impenitency In the second place Another sort there are who have been convinced of their sins which yet they will not be brought to confess and acknowledge Convinced I say they have been being guilty it may be of some foul open and scandalous sinnes whereof they have been convinced not onely by the light of the Word but even by the light of Nature which light is sufficient to make a discovery of some of many sinnes specially of those against the second Table This is the work of the Law written in the hearts of men as the Apostle saith of it Rom. 2. 15. which whilest it directs them to many Duties it cannot but convince them of many Sinnes Rectum est index sui obliqui Yet for all this they will not be brought to a confession and acknowledgment of what they cannot but be convinced of No though charged upon them by the Ministers of God again and again yet for all that they will not be brought to confess their sinnes no not so much as unto God Is it not the case of some of many profane wretches I wish there may be none of them within the hearing of it or if there be that it may sink into their hearts They are such as cannot but be convinced of their sinful wayes and courses being as the Apostle saith of obstinate Hereticks Tit. 3. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 self-condemned their own consciences bearing witness and their thoughts accusing them as he speaks of the Gentiles Rom. 2. 15. their sinnes being of a horrid nature staring them in the face as it were yet for all that the time is yet to come that ever they should go into the presence of God there to spread their sinnes before him as Hezekiah did Senacheribs blasphemous Letter Isa. 38. to humble themselves at his footstool by confessing and acknowledging their sinnes This is a course a practise which they are meer strangers to never yet knew what it meant And not confessing their sinnes unto God they are very farre from acknowledging them unto Men from whom their main care is to hide them as Achan did his Wedge of Gold and Babylonish Garment which he hid in his Tent Iosh. 7. 22 And if they be found out and charged upon them What do they then Why either deny them as Gehazi did his running after Naman to receive a reward from him which his Master Elisha had refused when his master asked him Whence comest thou he said Thy servant went no whither 2 King 5. 25. so adding sinne unto sinne Or else excuse it may be defend what they have done By no means they will be brought to take the blame and shame of Sinne
by all men so by all means So the former Translation here renders it This is a true saying and by all meanes worthy to be received And so Estius well explains it Dignum quod modis omnibus amplectemur worthy by all wayes and means to be received and imbraced Many wayes there are whereby a saying may be received It may be received into the Ear it may be received into the Head it may be received into the Heart Into the Ear when men hear what is said into the Head when they apprehend understand and believe what they hear Into the Heart when they are affected with it And all these wayes is this Saying this Doctrine worthy of Acceptation 1. Worthy to be received into the Ear by hearing of it hearkning and attending to it No Doctrine so worth the hearing as this Doctrine the Doctrine of the Gospel the Doctrine of Salvation by Christ. No other Doctrine can make the hearers happy this can do it Blessed are your ears for they hear saith our Saviour to his Disciples Mat. 13. 16. And what was it that they did hear why that which their forefathers desired to hear but could not Many Prophets and Righteous men have desired to hear those things which ye hear and have not heard them Verse 17. And what was that why even this saying here in the Text That Christ Iesus came into the world to save sinners This the Fathers before Christ who waited for his coming would gladly have heard but they heard it not They indeed heard of his Coming that he should come and believing it they were made happy by it But the Disciples who saw Christ in the flesh they heard and saw that he was come And believing what they saw and heard this made their eyes and ears blessed and happy No Doctrine no Tidings as I said can make the hearer happy but only this And this can do it viz. when being let in by the Ear it is conveyed to the Heart Hereby the Spirit cometh to convey it self into the Soul by the hearing of this Doctrine This onely would I know saith Paul to his Galatians Received ye the Spirit by the works of the Law or by the hearing of Faith Gal. 3. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…y the hearing of faith that is the Doctrine of Faith the Gospel Preached unto you heard by you The sum whereof is wrapped up in this saying That Iesus Christ came into the world to savesinners A saying worthy to be received into the Ear by hearing of it hearkning to it 2. And as into the Ear so into the Head worthy to be studied that it may be rightly apprehended and clearly understood This being a great mystery as our Apostle calleth it cap. 3. verse last of this Epistle Great is the Mystery of Godliness God manifested in the flesh c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The great Mystery the true Cabala Among the Iews there were many Mysteries Doctrines which they received from their Fathers by way of Tradition These they called by that Name of Cabala which imports the same thing with this Greek word in the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying acceptio a receiving of a thing thereby meaning their Traditions such Doctrines as by word of mouth were conveyed unto them from their Forefathers And these Mysteries these Traditions were of high account among their Rabbies their Doctors and their followers even as others of like kind are at this day in the Church of Rome these they studied and were well versed in them But our Apostle willeth Christians to take notice what was the true Cabala the sure Tradition which he here holdeth forth to them as worthy of their study above all others even this great Mystery of Godliness That Chriâ—… Iesus is come into the world to save sinners This was a mystery which the Angels beheld not without admiration as it there followeth Seen of Angels i. e. cum admiratione maxima as Grotius rightly with the highest admiration as also with great satisfaction and contentment No Mystery so worthy the looking into as this So the Angels apprehended it who are said to look into it with an earnest desire Which things saith Saint Peter speaking of the Mysteries of the Gospel the Angells desire to look into 1 Pet. 1. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is they desire to prie and look narrowly into them as one that stoopeth and boweth down to look into a thing So do they look into this Mystery desiring still to look further into it it being an Object which they can never be weary of looking upon and into No mystery so worthy to be known as this This is Pauls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The excellency of the knowledg of Iesus Christ as he calleth it Phil. 3. 8. No Doctrine so worthy to be known Nor any more worthy to be believed than this This being as you have heard a faithful saying and so deserving credit and belief at the hands of all Thus it is worthy to be received into the Head 3. And so 3dly to be received into the Heart Worthy to be imbraced to be intertained with great joy and gladness as also with gratitude and thankfulness With joy Thus were the Angels affected with it though not so properly concerned in it Seeing that Christ was come into the world upon this Errand how did they rejoyce at it a whole Quire an Host of them meeting together and singing that Heavenly Anthem that Hallelujah that we have Luk. 2. 14. Praising God and saying Glory be to God in the highest on earth peace good will towards men How much more joyous then should these tidings be to the Sons of men for whose sake Christ is come into the world Great cause have they to rejoyce at the hearing of it So did Abraham the Father of the faithful by faith apprehending that Christ should come Seeing his day that is his coming in the flesh he rejoyced at it as that Text forecited tells us Iohn 8. 56. And the like ought all Christians being his Children to do Hearing of this blessed day that he is come they are to entertain this good tidings with spiritual joy rejoycing at it And as with joy so with gratitude and thankfulness Thus did Zacharias entertain these glad tidings as we find it in his Song Luke 1. 68. Where Prophesying of what he saw to be then nigh at hand the coming of Christ and setting forth this great Mystery of Salvation by Christ he breaks forth into that holy and affectionate Gratulation Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his people and hath raised up a Horn of Salvation i. e. a Mighty Saviour for us in the house of his Servant David c. And with like affection we find the blessed Virgin the Mother of our Lord entertaining these tidings Verse 46. of that Chapter where she breaks forth into her Magnificat My Soul doth
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
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
forth the Heinousness the Greatness of them So we find David confessing and acknowledging of that sinne of his in Numbering of the People 2 Sam. 24. 10. His heart smiting him for what he had done he breaks forth into the Acknowledgement of it confessing that he had therein not onely sinned but greatly sinned And David said unto the Lord I have sinned greatly in that I have done And what was it that he had done Why he had caused the People through his Dominions to be numbered to have a Muster-role taken of all those that were fit to bear Armes if occasion should require it And what Was this so great a Sinne In appearance it was not it being no more than what out of a Politick respect he might do and what others before him in likely-hood had frequently and usually done But David knowing his own heart and being privy to his own intentions and aimes in doing what he did that he had done it not onely out of a Vain curiosity when as there was no need that he should do it but also out of a principle of Pride and carnal confidence having therein made flesh his Arm trusting in the Multitude of his People hereupon he not onely confesseth the sinne but censureth it as a very great sinne withall censuring himself to have therein done foolishly very foolishly as it followeth in the close of that Verse I have done very foolishly However in this action I seemed to my self to have been very prudent and politick yet now I see that it was no better than extream folly seeing I swerved out of the way of thy Commandements through pride and carnal confidence And not unlike is that other confession of his which he maketh in the matter of Uriah Psal. 51. where he not only in express tearms acknowledgeth the Fact which he had done his going into Bathsheba as he calleth it in the Title of the Psalme his committing Adultery with her but he aggravateth it to the full setting forth the Foulness and Heinousness of it which he doth by multiplying of words about it calling it Iniquity Transgression Sinne Evil an exaggeration of words serving and tending to the aggravation of his sinne Withal he accuseth and condemneth himself before God for that sinne clearing and justifying of him as touching what he had already done in taking away his Child so also touching what he had threatned by the Prophet Nathan that he would do unto him viz. That the Sword should never depart from his house 2 Sam. 12. 10. And so touching whatsoever else he should please to do unto him however he should punish him or his yet still he acknowledgeth how he had deserved all justifying of God This we shall find in the fourth verse of that Psalm where confessing how he had therein sinned against God Against thee thee onely have I sinned and done this evill-in thy sight he subjoyneth That thou mightest be justified when thou speakest and be clear when thou judgest Which words are commonly and I think not amiss looked upon as a Reason why he thus made this confession to his God viz. That he might give unto him the glory of his Justice in what ever he had spoken and threatned against him or in what ever judgments and punishments he should lay and inflict upon him Such a severe Censurer was David of his own sinnes and of himself for them And the like shall we find in diverse others As in Daniel who confessing his own and the peoples sinnes Daâ—… 9. he first aggravateth them to that end multiplying of words as David there did making use of variety of expressions Vers. 5. We have sinned and committed iniquity and have done wickedly and have rebelled c. thereby setting forth both the multitude and magnitude of their sinnes Then he censures himself and them for them acknowledging what they had justly deserved thereby even shame and confusion of face O Lord saith he righteousness belongeth unto thee but unto us confusion of faces as at this day v. 7. which he repeats again in the verse following with some amplifications O Lord to us belongeth confusion of face to our Kings to our Princes and to our Fathers because we have sinned against thee Such a confession of sinne it is that King Solomon prescribes unto all penitent sinners 1 King 8. 47. If they shall repent and make supplication unto thee saying We have sinned and done perversly we have committed wickedness c. As if he should say We cannot sufficiently express how heinous our sins are And such confession being truly penitent they will be ready to make We see it in the Prodigal upon his return to his Father Luk. 15. 21. Father saith he I have sinned against Heaven and in thy sight and am no more worthy to be called thy Son Where see how he first aggravateth his fault acknowledging that in what he had done he had sinned against Heaven that is against God who dwelleth in the Heavens not onely against his earthly Father whom he had immediately offended by his lewd and extravagant courses but also against his Heavenly Father whose Laws he had transgressed Then he passeth Censure upon himself adjudging and acknowledging himself worthy to be cast off by his Father unworthy to be any longer owned by him as his Son I am no more worthy to be called thy Son So far was he from excusing himself or from any wayes mincing or extenuating what he had done What ever others might think of it who might impute it to the levitie of his youth and so make leight of it he censures it and himself for it as deserving not onely a frown or a check from his Father but an utter abdication and abjection So severe will true Penitents be in Censuring of their own sinnes and themselves for them Looking upon themselves as vile unworthy wretches So did Iob Behold I am vile saith he Job 40. 4. He was so in his own eyes Abhorring themselves as he saith afterward of himself cap. 42. vers 6. Loathâ—…ng themselves in their own sight for all the â—…vills which they have done as the Lord â—…aith his people should do Ezek. 20. 43. 36. 31. viler than others Surely I am more brutish than any man saith wise Agur Prov. 30. 2. Thus severe are penitent sinners in censuring of themselves Q. And how is it that they are so A. To this I have as I remember returned some answer before giving you the heads of some Reasons for it Let me touch upon some of them again 1st They are best acquainted with themselves they know themselves Know ye not your own selves saith Paul to his Corinthians 2 Cor. 13. 5. This all Regenerate Persons in measure do Having their eyes opened to the beholding as of what they are by Grace to which end the Spirit it given them we have received the Spirit of God that we should know the things which are freely given us of God 1 Cor. 2.