(2.) Confession must be sincere and full, that our Sins may be more evident and odious to us.1 The covering of Sins is like the keeping a Serpent warm, that will sting more fiercely. The concealing Sin argues the Love of it, and is a Bar against Pardon.2 Blessed is the Man unto whom the Lord imputes no Iniquity, in whose Spirit there is no Guile. 'Tis not said, In whose Spirit there is no Sin, but no Guile, no reserved allowed Sin. The sincere Penitent pours forth his Heart like Water before the Lord. Of all Liquids none are so clearly poured out of a Vessel as Water: Wine or Oil leave a Tincture. We should in Confession pour out all our Sins, and leave no Tincture of Affection to them. If it be said, How can we confess our Sins that are above our counting? 'Tis true, but we must reserve none. We must confess the kinds of our Sins, against the first and second Table, that were both written with God's Hand; Sins of Omission and Commission, and particular Sins of greater Guilt: we must wash off their deceitful Colours, that they may appear in their hellish Shape, and more ⟨p. 88⟩deeply affect us. Men are very averse from this Duty, and apt to conceal or extenuate their Sins. The Art of concealing and Excuses is learnt from the first Transgressor. When God called to Adam, Where art thou? tho his Dread to appear before the Divine Presence was a tacit Confession of his Fault, and his hiding himself discovered his Sin; yet he does not acknowledge his Sin, but alleges the Consequence of it, his Shame, to be the Cause of his guilty Fear. I heard thy Voice, 3and was afraid, because I was naked. And to extenuate his Offence, transfers his Guilt on the Woman, and constructively reflects upon God as the Cause of it: The Woman which thou gavest me, gave me of the Fruit, and I did eat. The wicked Excuse did infinitely aggravate his Sin. The Woman lays her Fault at the Serpent's door, The Serpent beguiled me. Aaron pretends that the People compelled him to Idolatry: and that the golden Calf was not the Effect of Design and Art, but of Chance: I cast the Gold into the Fire, and there came out this Calf. 4Saul coloured his Rebellion with the Pretence of Religion: He kept the best of the Cattle for Sacrifice. In short,5 as in Sweating, 'tis observed ⟨p. 89⟩that a general Sweat of the Body is for its Advantage, but the Sweat of a Part only is the Symptom of a Disease:
(2.) Confession must be sincere and full, that our Sins may be more evident and odious to us.1 The covering of Sins is like the keeping a Serpent warm, that will sting more fiercely. The concealing Sin argues the Love of it, and is a Bar against Pardon.2 Blessed is the Man unto whom the Lord imputes no Iniquity, in whose Spirit there is no Guile. 'Tis not said, In whose Spirit there is no Sin, but no Guile, no reserved allowed Sin. The sincere Penitent pours forth his Heart like Water before the Lord. Of all Liquids none are so clearly pour'd out of a Vessel as Water: Wine or Oil leave a Tincture. We should in Confession pour out all our Sins, and leave no Tincture of Affection to them. If it be said, How can we confess our Sins that are above our counting? 'Tis true, but we must reserve none. We must confess the kinds of our Sins, against the first and second Table, that were both written with God's Hand; Sins of Omission and Commission, and particular Sins of greater Guilt: we must wash off their deceitful Colours, that they may appear in their hellish Shape, and more ⟨p. 88⟩deeply affect us. Men are very averse from this Duty, and apt to conceal or extenuate their Sins. The Art of concealing and Excuses is learnt from the first Transgressor. When God called to Adam, Where art thou? tho his Dread to appear before the Divine Presence was a tacit Confession of his Fault, and his hiding himself discovered his Sin; yet he does not acknowledg his Sin, but alledges the Consequence of it, his Shame, to be the Cause of his guilty Fear. I heard thy Voice, 3and was afraid, because I was naked. And to extenuate his Offence, transfers his Guilt on the Woman, and constructively reflects upon God as the Cause of it: The Woman which thou gavest me, gave me of the Fruit, and I did eat. The wicked Excuse did infinitely aggravate his Sin. The Woman lays her Fault at the Serpent's door, The Serpent beguiled me. Aaron pretends that the People compell'd him to Idolatry: and that the golden Calf was not the Effect of Design and Art, but of Chance: I cast the Gold into the Fire, and there came out this Calf. 4Saul coloured his Rebellion with the Pretence of Religion: He kept the best of the Cattel for Sacrifice. In short,5 as in Sweating, 'tis observed ⟨p. 89⟩
- 1Alitur vitium, vivitque tegendo.
- 2Psal. 32.2.
- 3Gen. 3.10.
- 4Exod. 32.
- 51 Sam. 15.15.
