A cabinet of choice jewels, or, A box of precious ointment being a plain…A cabinet of choice jevvels, or, A box of precious ointment being a plain…

First, 'Tis free, 'tis voluntary, not forced, not extorted. Nehemiah, Ezra, Job, David, Daniel, Paul, ¹&c. were free and voluntary in the confession of their sins, as all know that have but read the Scripture. The true penitent confesses his sins with much candour, ingenuity and freedom of spirit; he is as free in his confession of sin, as he has been free in the commission of sin; his confessions are like water which runs out of a spring with a voluntary freeness, but the confessions of wicked men are like water that is forced out of a still with fire; their confessions are forced and extracted merely from sense of pain and smart, or from fear of punishments, &c. Pharaoh never confessed his sin till God brought him to the rack,² nor Saul till he was in danger of losing his Crown and Kingdom, nor Balaam till he sees the Angel stand with his drawn sword ready to slay him, nor Judas till horror of conscience and the pangs of hell had surprised him, and taken fast hold on him. Wicked men cast out their sins by confession, as Mariners do their wares in a storm, wishing for them again in a calm; the confessions of wicked men ⟨p. 237⟩are commonly extorted or squeezed out, either by some outward trouble, or by some inward distress; but penitential confession is free and ingenuous, arising from an inward detestation of sin, and from the contrariety of the heart to sin; and therefore were there no rod, no rack, ho wrath, no hell, the true penitent would very freely and readily confess his sins; when God is most free in bestowing of mercies, then are they most free in confessing their iniquities, Hos. 14.1, 2, 3, 4. Look, as that is the best wine that flows from the grape with least pressing, and as that is the best honey which drops from the honey-comb without crushing; so those are the best confessions that flow, that drop freely, voluntarily from the soul, &c.

First, 'Tis free, 'tis voluntary, not forc'd, not extorted. Nehemiah, Ezra, Job, David, Daniel, Paul, ¹&c. were free and voluntary in the confession of their sins, as all know that have but read the Scripture. The true penitent confesses his sins with much candour, ingenuity and freedom of spirit; he is as free in his confession of sin, as he has been free in the commission of sin; his confessions are like water which runs out of a spring with a voluntary freeness, but the confessions of wicked men are like water that is forced out of a still with fire; their confessions are forced and extracted meerly from sence of pain and smart, or from fear of punishments, &c. Pharaoh never confest his sin till God brought him to the rack,