Directions and persuasions to a sound conversion for prevention of that deceit and damnation…Directions and perswasions to a sound conversion for prevention of that deceit and damnation…

4o. Humiliation also consisteth expressively in the outward actions, when opportunity is offered: And it is not true in the Heart, if it refuse to appear without, when God requireth it, in your ordinary course. The outward acts of Humiliation are these: 1o. A voluntary Confession of sin to God, and to men, when God requireth it, and that is, when it is necessary to his Honour, to the healing of them that we have endangered, and satisfying the offended: At least in the hearing of men, in such cases as these to Confess them openly to God; An unhumbled Soul will refuse this for the shame: but the Humble will ⟨p. 128⟩freely take shame to themselves, and warn their brethren, and justify God, and give him the Glory. 1. Joh. 1. 9. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us: Read, Mark 3. 6. Levit. 5. 5. & 16. 21, & 26. 40. Num. 5. 6, 7. Jam 5. 16. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. Prov. 28. 13. He that hideth his sins, shall not prosper: but who so confesseth, and forsaketh them, shall have mercy▪ Not that any man is to confess his secret sins to others, except in case that he cannot otherwise find relief: Nor that a man is to publish those offences of his own, by which he may further dishonour God, and hinder the Gospel: But when the sin is open already, and specially when the offence of others, the hardening of the wicked, the satisfaction of the Church concerning our Repentance, do require our Confession, and open Lamentation, the Humble Soul both must, and will submit to it: But the rotten hearted, unhumbled Hypocrite will Confess but in these cases: 1o. When the secrecy of the Confession, or the smallness of the fault, or the Customariness of such Confessing, ⟨p. 129⟩