Use. The Use is to press us to be often dealing with God about the pardon of our Sins, by a general and daily Humiliation: none are exempted from bewailing the Evil of Sin. The Death of Christ doth not put less Evil into Sin; it is still damning in its own Nature; 'tis still the Violation of an holy Law, an Affront to an holy God, an Inconvenience to thy precious Soul. When Christ paid the Price for our Sins, it was upon this Condition, That we should renew our Faith and Repentance; that we should sue out our Discharge in his Name, that when we sin, we may come and humble our selves before the Lord. Under the Law, if a Man were unclean, he was to wash his Clothes before Evening: He was not to sleep in his Uncleanness. So if you have defiled your selves, you should go wash in the Laver that God hath appointed. The Lord taught his People under the Law, of repeating a daily Sacrifice, Morning and Evening. If one be fallen out with another, God hath advised us, before the Sun be set, to go and be reconciled to our Brother: and wilt thou lie under the Wrath of God for one Night? If we would oftener use this Course, the Work of Repentance would not be so hard. Wounds are best cured at first, before they are suffered to fester and rankle into a Sore: So are Sins before they grow longer upon us. And if we did oftener thus reckon with our selves, we should have less to do when we come to die. ⟨p. 370⟩Therefore do as wise Merchants, at the Foot of every Page, draw up the Account, so help it forward: So it will not be hard to sum up a long Account, and reckon up our whole Lives, and beg a Release of all our Debts; therefore daily come and humble your selves before the Lord. The oftener you do this, the sooner you will have the Comfort of Pardon; but when you keep off from God, and delay, you suffer the loss of Peace, and the loss of God's Favour; and Hardness of Heart, and Atheism, and carnal Security increase upon you.
Vse. The Use is to press us to be often dealing with God about the pardon of our Sins, by a general and daily Humiliation: none are exempted from bewailing the Evil of Sin. The Death of Christ doth not put less Evil into Sin; it is still damning in its own Nature; 'tis still the Violation of an holy Law, an Affront to an holy God, an Inconvenience to thy precious Soul. When Christ paid the Price for our Sins, it was upon this Condition, That we should renew our Faith and Repentance; that we should sue out our Discharge in his Name, that when we sin, we may come and humble our selves before the Lord. Under the Law, if a Man were unclean, he was to wash his Cloaths before Evening: He was not to sleep in his Uncleanness. So if you have desiled your selves, you should go wash in the Laver that God hath appointed. The Lord taught his People under the Law, of repeating a daily Sacrifice, Morning and Evening. If one be fallen out with another, God hath advised us, before the Sun be set, to go and be reconciled to our Brother: and wilt thou lie under the Wrath of God for one Night? If we would oftner use this Course, the Work of Repentance would not be so hard. Wounds are best cured at first, before they are suffered to fester and rankle into a Sore: So are Sins before they grow longer upon us. And if we did oftner thus reckon with our selves, we should have less to do when we come to die. ⟨p. 370⟩Therefore do as wise Merchants, at the Foot of every Page, draw up the Account, so help it forward: So it will not be hard to sum up a long Account, and reckon up our whole Lives, and beg a Release of all our Debts; therefore daily come and humble your selves before the Lord. The oftner you do this, the sooner you will have the Comfort of Pardon; but when you keep off from God, and delay, you suffer the loss of Peace, and the loss of God's Favour; and Hardness of Heart, and Atheism, and carnal Security increase upon you.
