A49255:68
The penitent pardoned a treatise wherein is handled the duty of confession of sin…
The penitent pardoned a treatise wherein is handled the duty of confession of sin and the privilege of the pardon of sin : together with a discourse of Christs ascension into heaven and of his coming again from heaven : wherein the opinion of the Chiliasts is considered and solidly confuted / being the sum and substance of several sermons preached by that faithful servant of Christ, Mr. Christopher Love ...The penitent pardoned a treatise wherein is handled the duty of confession of sin and the priviledge of the pardon of sin : together with a discourse of Christs ascension into heaven and of his coming again from heaven : wherein the opinion of the Chiliasts is considered and solidly confuted / being the sum and substance of several sermons preached by that faithful servant of Christ, Mr. Christopher Love ...
London: printed for John Rothwell, 1657
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
The men of Israel are there compared unto an Ass, an unruly creature that runs up & down the wilderness and kicks up the heel: but saith God, Though men weary themselves to take her, yet in her month they shall take her: that is, when she brings forth young, then they shall take her, referring it to the people of Israel; they in their prosperity would not be ruled, but when they were in their month, in their captivity, in their sufferings, then they should take them, and they would then come to be more pliant in confessing their guilt more to God then in former time.
The men of Israel are there compared unto an Asse, an unruly creature that runs up & down the wilderness and kicks up the heel: but saith God, Though men weary themselves to take her, yet in her moneth they shall take her: that is, when she brings forth young, then they shall take her, referring it to the people of Israel; they in their prosperity would not be ruled, but when they were in their moneth, in their captivity, in their sufferings, then they should take them, and they would then come to be more pliant in confessing their guilt more to God then in former time.
A second Season wherein a man is in a good plight to confess sin is, when the conscience of a man is set in office by God to pursue him with clear and with strong accusations. When God puts the conscience of a man in office to pursue him with strong accusations touching evils he hath omitted; then that man is in a fit plight, if he will take hold of it. Even Judas himself when conscience awakened him, went and confessed to the High Priest and the Scribes; and said, I have sinned in betraying innocent blood. If Judas took advantage so much upon the awakening of conscience to confess sin, then a believer hath much more help. Beloved, the main use ⟨p. 11⟩of conscience in man, is to bring him upon his knees, to make him humble in the confession of his ways; conscience serves to excuse me when I do well, but the main use of conscience is to accuse me when I do ill, and so to put me on confession to God, therefore mark, saith David, I roared all the day; there was the noise of Davids conscience for his Adultery, then I said I will confess my transgressions: when conscience roars by accusation, then let the heart confess to God: I do earnestly beg you to take these fit Seasons: you are in a good plight to confess sin when God doth lay you under afflictions, when God doth make conscience accuse you, that you do deceive in your trades, that you are engulfed under lust; O then pursue these accusations of conscience, then you are in a fit plight to confess sin to God.