The penitent pardoned a treatise wherein is handled the duty of confession of sin…

These words contain in them a holy purpose in the Psalmist to set up the practise of a necessary and Christian duty, to wit, secret confession of sin to God. In them five parts are observable. First, the duty it self, Confession. Secondly, a deliberate purpose to set on the practise of this duty, I said. Thirdly, the subject matter of this duty, Transgression, and Transgression with a propriety, my Transgression, not of other mens sins but my sins, I said I will confess my transgressions. J remember Ainsworth, he saith it should be translated thus, more agreeable to the Hebrew, [Greek or Hebrew] I will confess adversum me against my self my transgression to the Lord. Many men ⟨p. 5⟩confess sin, but they do confess sin as against God, that is, they do confess sin as if. God were the author of sin, that charge him to be the patron of their impiety and wickedness, I said I will confess my transgression against myself. Fourthly, The object of this duty, I will confess my transgression to the Lord: and this beloved takes off Auricular confession, used and stood on much in the Church of Rome. Confession that God calls for, and the Scripture calls for, is in secret between God and your own souls; when conscience shall suggest guilt to you in reference to your former misdoings, when you can pour out your soul in complaint to God, I said, I will confess my transgression unto the Lord. Fifthly and lastly, The issue and event of this duty; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin: observe the connection; here is a connective particle, and thou forgavest: he doth not come with an Ergo or a Quare, not with a causal, but with an et, a copulative, and thou forgavest; not J confess sin, therefore I am forgiven; but I confess sin, [Greek or Hebrew] and thou hast forgiven me. Forgiveness of sin is not laid down as an effect flowing from a cause, but as a consequent flowing from an antecedent. Indeed the Papists plead much for merit, because sometimes causal particles are used, but this is beyond my Text: thus much for the explaining of the words. Doct. At this time J shall only raise a Doctrine from the first part of this Text, J said, J will confess my transgression unto the Lord. The point of Doctrine is this: That justified persons who have their sins forgiven, are yet bound to confess sin to God.

These words contain in them a holy purpose in the Psalmist to set up the practise of a necessary and Christian duty, to wit, secret confession of sin to God. In them five parts are observeable. First, the duty it selfe, Confession. Secondly, a deliberate purpose to set on the practise of this duty, I said. Thirdly, the subject matter of this duty, Transgression, and Transgression with a propriety, my Transgression, not of other mens sins but my sins, I said I will confese my transgressions. J remember Ainsworth, he saith it should be translated thus, more agreeable to the Hebrew, I will confesse adversum me against my selfe my transgression to the Lord. Many men