I say the only way for Secrecy, is to reveal our sins 1to some faithful Minister, for if we confess our sins God will cover them; if you take shame to your selves God will honour you; but if you will not confess your sins, God will break open the door of your hearts, and let in the light of his truth and the convicting power of his spirit and make it known to men and Angels to the shame of your persons for ever. If Judas had taken notice of his sin and yielded to Christs accusation, and desired some conference with Christ privately, and said good Lord, I am that Judas that hell-hound, that have received mercy from thee in the outward means, and have been entertained among thy people, yet it is I that have taken the thirty pence, Lord pardon this sin and let this iniquity never be […] to my charge. I doubt not but though Judas his soul could not be saved (because that now we know Gods decree of him) yet God would have saved him from the public shame that was cast upon him for it; but he did not so but hid his malice in his heart, and professed great matters of love to Christ and killed him, & thus he thought to cover his […] wisely; but what become of that? the Lord forced him to come and throw down his thirty pieces, and to vomit out his sin to the everlasting shame of his person, I have sinned says he in betraying innocent blood. So you that keep your sins as sugar under your tongues, you will be loose and unclean and malicious and covetous still, well, you will have your thirty pieces still, and they are laid up safe as Achans wedge of gold […], remember this, God will one day open the closets of your hearts; and lay you upon your death-beds, and then happily you will prove mad and vomit up all, were it not better to confess your sins to some faithful Minister now? If you will not give the Lord his glory, he will distrain for it, and have it from your heart blood as Julian the Apostate said, when the arrow was shot into his heart he plucked it […] and cried saying, Thou Galilean, thou hast overcome ⟨p. 670⟩me, the Lord distrained for his glory, and had it out of his heart blood.
I say the onely way for Secrecy, is to reveal our sins 1to some faithful Minister, for if we confess our sins God wil cover them; if you take shame to your selves God wil honor you; but if you wil not confess your sins, God wil break open the dore of your hearts, and let in the light of his truth and the convicting power of his spirit and make it known to men and Angels to the shame of your persons for ever. If Judas had taken notice of his sin and yeelded to Christs accusation, and desired some conference with Christ privately, and said good Lord, I am that Judas that hel-hound, that have received mercy from thee in the outward means, and have been entertained among thy people, yet it is I that have taken the thirty pence, Lord pardon this sin and let this iniquitie never be 〈…〉 to my charge. I doubt not but though Judas his soul could not be saved (because that now we know Gods decree of him) yet God would have saved him from the publick shame that was cast upon him for it; but he did not so but hid his malice in his heart, and professed great matters of love to Christ and killed him, & thus he thought to cover his 〈…〉 wisey; but what become of that? the Lord forced him to come and throw down his thirty pieces, and to vomit out his sin to the everlasting shame of his person, I have sinned sayes he in betraying innocent blood. So you that keep your sins as sugar under your tongues, you wil be loos and unclean and malicious and covetous stil, wel, you wil have your thirty pieces stil, and they are layed up safe as Achans wedg of gold 〈…〉, remember this, God wil one day open the closets of your hearts; and lay you upon your death-beds, and then happily you wil prove mad and vomit up al, were it not better to confess your sins to some faithful Minister now? If you wil not give the Lord his glory, he wil distrain for it, and have it from your heart blood as Julian the Apostat said, when the arrow was shot into his heart he plucked it 〈…〉 and cryed saying, Thou Galilean, thou hast overcome ⟨p. 670⟩me, the Lord distrained for his glory, and had it out of his heart blood.
- 1Answ.
