Obj. You will say, you have confessed your sins oft before God, and yet have found no pardon?

Answ. Have you confessed your chief sins, by which you have most dishonoured God? if you hold back any, no wonder if God hold back comfort; he that hides his sin shall not prosper, Prov. 28.13.

Obj. You will say, you have dealt plainly with God, as far as you can tell?

Use 3. Of consolation to every Soul that doth confess Sin to God, that doth truly and seriously confess, and grieve, and mourn for his Sins: that confesseth those Sins whereby he hath most dishonoured God and wounded his own soul, 1 Sam. 12.19. if you do thus, God will certainly pass by all your transgressions; God that hath pawned his Faith, and Truth, and Justice on it, will certainly do it: an honest man will not fail in such a case, therefore we may build on Gods Promise, for it is as impossible he should deny pardon to such a one as it is for him to be unfaithful or untrue; and though you shall find many corruptions, yet you may conclude you are in the way to further comfort and cleansing, therefore let every one, that desires to find comfort in the pardon of his Sin and cleansing from it, confess his Sin to God; God hath promised to do it, therefore if you desire to find pardon and cleansing increased, you must look up to him, that so you may have your Sins pardoned and cleansed through Christ.

Ʋse 3. Of consolation to every Soul that doth confess Sin to God, that doth truely and seriously confesse, and grieve, and mourn for his Sins: that confesseth those Sins whereby he hath most dishonoured God and wounded his own soul, 1 Sam. 12.19. if you doe thus, God will certainly passe by all your transgressions; God that hath pawned his Faith, and Truth, and Justice on it, will certainly doe it: an honest man will not fail in such a case, therefore we may build on Gods Promise, for it is as impossible he should deny pardon to such a one as it is for him to be unfaithfull or untrue; and though you shall finde many corruptions, yet you may conclude you are in the way to further comfort and cleansing, therefore let every one, that desires to finde comfort in the pardon of his Sin and cleansing from it, confesse his Sin to God; God hath promised to doe it, therefore if you desire to finde pardon and cleansing increased, you must look up to him, that so you may have your Sins pardoned and cleansed through Christ.

And cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

And cleanse us from all unrighteousnesse.

Doct. It is a filthy thing to lie in Sin unpardoned, or sin unpardoned is filthiness and uncleanness, it is an unclean and filthy thing.

Doct. It is a filthy thing to lie in Sin unpardoned, or sin unpardoned is filthinesse and uncleannesse, it is an unclean and filthy thing.

Ezek. 36.25. Zech. 13.1. There is a Fountain set open for Sin, and for uncleanness, 2 Cor. 7.1. where we see he calls Sin, filthiness and uncleanness; there are many other expressions in this kind, God is willing to possess men with this truth, therefore he compares it to most filthy things.

Ezek. 36.25. Zech. 13.1. There is a Fountain set open for Sin, and for uncleannesse, 2 Cor. 7.1. where we see he calls Sin, filthinesse and uncleannesse; there are many other expressions in this kinde, God is willing to possesse men with this truth, therefore he compares it to most filthy things.

1. To mire and dirt, which the Sea casts out, Isa. 57.20. which is meant of casting forth sinfulness, 2 Pet. 2. ult. it is compared to a vomit, and a Sows ⟨p. 40⟩wallowing in the mire, which is loathsome, Ezek. 24.6. it is compared to scum which is cast into the fire, or into ashes, Jer. 16.17. it is called the carcass of detestable and abominable things; hence it is that our best duties are sometimes compared to a menstruous cloth, Isa. 64.6. so it is called uncircumcision, Col. 2.14. and therefore wicked men are compared to dung, Psal. 83.10. & Mal. 2.3. God saith he will cast the dung of their solemn Feasts upon their faces, that is, their sinful carriage of holy Ordinances, so that God counts sin, mire, and scum, and dung, &c. he would have us to look at sin as a congeries of all filthiness, if you would put it all together sin would comprehend all.

1. To mire and dirt, which the Sea casts out, Isa. 57.20. which is meant of casting forth sinfulnesse, 2 Pet. 2. ult. it is compared to a vomit, and a Sows ⟨p. 40⟩wallowing in the mire, which is loathsome, Ezek. 24.6. it is compared to scum which is cast into the fire, or into ashes,

Hence it is, that the best performances of wicked men are unclean, Titus. 1.15. the sacrifices of the wicked are an abomination, Prov. 28.9. why is sin so loathsome?

1. Because it is that which comes naturally from man corrupt, it is the natural issue of corrupt nature, therefore loathsome; the excrement of a clean person is loathsome, much more of a corrupt, now this is but the issue of a corrupt nature, Lev. 15.8. That which is born of the flesh, is flesh, John 3.6. Job 25.5. Job 14.4.

1. Because it is that which comes naturally from man corrupt, it is the naturall issue of corrupt nature, therefore loathsome; the excrement of a clean person is loathsome, much more of a corrupt, now this is but the issue of a corrupt nature, Lev. 15.8. That which is born of the flesh, is flesh, John 3.6. Job 25.5. Job 14.4.

Use 1. A ground of reproof to any that boast in sin, if it be as mire, or scum, or dung, or a vomit, how vainly do they glory, that glory in sin, they glory in their shame, Phil. 3.19. they glory in dung, in their vomit, in their base filthiness, Isa. 3.9. it is a woeful case to profess filthiness openly; if men do thus, woe be to them.

Ʋse 1. A ground of reproof to any that boast in sin, if it be as mire, or scum, or dung, or a vomit, how vainly doe they glory, that glory in sin, they glory in their shame, Phil. 3.19. they glory in dung, in their vomit, in their base filthinesse, Isa. 3.9. it is a wofull case to professe filthiness openly; if men doe thus, woe be to them.

Use 2. It should stir us up not to lie in sin, one day to an end; if a child should lie in its dung, or if we should, we would think we were unfit for civill company, yet such are we, as long as we lie in sin unpardoned; it should therefore spur us on to repentance, and not to rest, till we get sin pardoned, we shall then be washed from our filthiness.

Ʋse 2. It should stir us up not to lie in sin, one day to an end; if a child should lie in its dung, or if we should, we would think we were unfit for civill company, yet such are we, as long as we lie in sin unpardoned; it should therefore spur us on to repentance, and not to rest, till we get sin pardoned, we shall then be washed from our filthinesse.

Use 3. To move us to help one another out of sin, we should count it beastly and sluttish, if we should let a Child lie in its filth, so are we, if we let any that we can help, lie in their own defilements of sin; and were our minds as quick to smell as our bodies, we should as much loath the smell or presence of sin, as of filthy dung: it is for want of spiritual sense, that we are no more affected with it.

Ʋse 3. To move us to help one another out of sin, we should count it beastly and sluttish, if we should let a Child lie in its filth, so are we, if we let any that we can help, lie in their own defilements of sin; and were our mindes as quick to smell as our bodies, we should as much loath the smell or presence of sin, as of filthy dung: it is for want of spirituall sence, that we are no more affected with it.

Use 4. To provoke us to more earnest wrestling for cleansing from sin; when we have defiled our selves with sin, none can help us out but God, others may help the work forward, but none can effectually cleanse us but God, therefore we should come before God as the Saints of God have done, Ezra 9.6. Jer. 31.18, 19. Dan. 9.7. we must not come before God with extenuation, like Adam; we should be ashamed to come into company with defiled bodies, we should not say it is our infirmity or a looseness we are subject to, we have our spiritual looseness from God, from prayer, from our callings, from holy duties, this is a loathsome thing to pretend looseness or infirmity in filthy things, therefore let us take shame to our selves, and strive for cleansing, Psal. 51.7. he would be thoroughly cleansed.

Ʋse 4. To provoke us to more earnest wrestling for cleansing from sin; when we have defiled our selves with sin, none can help us out but God, others may help the work forward, but none can effectually cleanse us but God, therefore we should come before God as the Saints of God have done, Ezra 9.6. Jer. 31.18, 19. Dan. 9.7. we must not come before God with extenuation, like Adam; we should be ashamed to come into company with defiled bodies, we should not say it is our infirmity or a loosenesse we are subject to, we have our spirituall loosenesse from God, from prayer, from our callings, from holy duties, this is a loathsome thing to pretend loosnesse or infirmity in filthy things, therefore let us take shame to our selves, and strive for cleansing, Psal. 51.7. he would be thorughly cleansed.

Use 5. It may stir us up to take heed of evil company without, and corruption within; a man should loath to keep company with base filthy unclean fellows, Drunkards, Swearers, &c. 2 Cor. 6.17. and the same Apostle exhorts to cleanse our selves from all filthiness within, 2 Cor. 7.1. we would be loath to have any filthy unclean thing about us, so we should cleanse our selves from all sin, because it is a remnant of filthiness.

Ʋse 5. It may stir us up to take heed of evill company without, and corruption within; a man should loath to keep company with base filthy unclean fellows, Drunkards, Swearers, &c. 2 Cor. 6.17. and the same Apostle exhorts to cleanse our selves from all filthinesse within, 2 Cor. 7.1. we would be loath to have any filthy unclean thing about us, so we should cleanse our selves from all sin, because it is a remnant of filthinesse.