Secondly,1 If you would have a clear Conscience, then cast out the filth of Conscience by a daily and frequent Confession. Confession, one of the Fathers calls it ⟨p. 368⟩the Vomit of the Soul, whereby it easeth it self when it is over-charged and glutted with Sin and Guilt. And so the Scripture also speaks, when the Apostle speaks of Apostates relapsing back again into their old Sins. In 2 Pet. 2.22. he saith, They return with the Dog to his Vomit; that is, they return and do again lick up those Sins which before they disgorged and cast up by Confession. This indeed is the Way when Conscience is burdened with the Guilt of any Sin; when Sin lies unconcocted and heavy within, go then and pour out your Heart before the Lord in the Confession of your Sin; see what sudden Ease this will bring in to Conscience. David was Sin-sick, and he resolves upon this course,2 Psal. 32.5. I acknowledged my Sin unto thee, and my Iniquity have I not hid; I said I would confess my Transgression, and suddenly there came Ease to his Conscience, and thou, O Lord, says he, forgavest the Iniquity of my Sin. Are our Consciences oppressed with the Burden and Weight of great and numberless Sins? Here we may, by an humble and penitent Confession, unload them all before God; and this is the Mystery of Confession; ⟨p. 369⟩the way to unload our Sins from off us, is by taking them upon our selves; when we charge our selves with them and impute them to our selves, God will not impute them to us, but charge them upon Christ; for he hath promised, If we judge and condemn our selves, that we shall not be judged and condemned. Thus in 2 Sam. 12.13. as soon as David ••d there, by an humble Confession,3 •aken his Sin to himself, saying, I have •••ned; God, by the Prophet, tells him, That he had taken away his Sin from him: The Lord, also says the Prophet to him, […] put away thy Sin. And, indeed, ••ve we not found it thus by manifold Experiences, that when Conscience •ath been bowed down by the unsupportable Weight of the Guilt of Sin, •ave ye not found that a sorrowful and ingenuous Confession of them unto God •ath lightened the Burden? And whereas before, Conscience was heavy and gloomy, now it looks cheerfully upon you, under the apprehensions of God's pardoning Grace, that God will pardon and forgive them to us. Now this •asing of our Consciences by Confession must be frequently reiterated;
Secondly,1 If you would have a clear Conscience, then cast out the filth of Con••ience by a daily and frequent Confession. Confession, one of the Fathers calls it ⟨p. 368⟩the Vomit of the Soul, whereby it easeth it self when it is over-charged and glutted with Sin and Guilt. And so the Scripture also speaks, when the Apostle speaks of Apostates relapsing back again into their old Sins. In 2 Pet. 2.22. he saith, They return with the Dog to his Vomit; that is, they return and do again lick up those Sins which before they disgorged and cast up by Confession. This indeed is the Way when Conscience is burdned with the Guilt of any Sin; when Sin lies unconcocted and heavy within, go then and pour out your Heart before the Lord in the Confession of your Sin; see what sudden Ease this will bring in to Conscience. David was Sin-sick, and he resolves upon this course,2 Psal. 32.5. I acknowledged my Sin unto thee, and my Iniquity have I not hid; I said I would confess my Transgression, and suddenly there came Ease to his Conscience, and thou, O Lord, says he, forgavest the Iniquity of my Sin. Are our Consciences oppressed with the Burden and Weight of great and numberless Sins? Here we may, by an humble and penitent Confession, unload them all before God; and this is the Mystery of Confession; ⟨p. 369⟩the way to unload our Sins from off us, is by taking them upon our selves; when we charge our selves with them and impute them to our selves, God will not impute them to us, but charge them upon Christ; for he hath promised, If we judge and condemn our selves, that we shall not be judged and condemned. Thus in 2 Sam. 12.13. as soon as David ••d there, by an humble Confession,3 •aken his Sin to himself, saying, I have •••ned; God, by the Prophet, tells him, That he had taken away his Sin from him: The Lord, also says the Prophet to him, 〈…〉 put away thy Sin. And, indeed, ve we not found it thus by manifold Experiences, that when Conscience ath been bowed down by the unsupportable Weight of the Guilt of Sin, ave ye not found that a sorrowful and ngenuous Confession of them unto God ath lightned the Burden? And wheres before, Conscience was heavy and gloomy, now it looks chearfully upon you, under the apprehensions of God's pardoning Grace, that God will pardon and forgive them to us. Now this asing of our Consciences by Confession must be frequently reiterated;
- 12. Cast out the filth of Conscience by a daily and frequent Confession.
- 2Psal. 32.5.
- 32 Sam. 12.13.
