The truly blessed man, or, The way to be happy here, and forever being…

4. We do not forsake the sins we confess. Right Confession is always accompanied with a setting our selves against the Sin we confess, and an utter renouncing of it: it is to make it bitter to us, and fortify us against it: if therefore we confess, and to turn to our folly, and then confess again, and so g• in a round, this nothing but trifling, and will find no acceptance. Or,

5. Though we do confess, yet we do not submit our selves to Sovereign Grace, and resolve our hopes into the mere mercy of God. Confession is the way to find mercy, but if we think to earn forgiveness by it, hoping thus to expiate the Guilt of our sin, we are acted by a legal spirit, and put our selves farther away from forgiveness. In a right Confession there is alway a resignation, Luk 15. 18, 19 And he that hath had a true sight of his sin, and acknowledged it accordingly, must needs see that Sovereign Mercy only can help him, and accordingly cast himself down there, and yield it to be just with God to condemn him, and that it is free grace if he will pardon him; and hence all his hope is in Gospel Grace, by Jesus Christ; till then we come hither, no wonder if all our Confessions afford us no relief. Are we then under distress on our Consciences by reason of our sins? let us bring our selves on these trials, that we may know, whence it proceeds: And to move us, Consider,

5. Though we do confess, yet we do not submit our selves to Soveraign Grace, and resolve our hopes into the meer mercy of God. Confession is the way to find mercy, but if we think to earn forgiveness by it, hoping thus to expiate the Guilt of our sin, we are acted by a legal spirit, and put our selves farther away from forgiveness. In a right Confession there is alway a resignation, Luk 15. 18, 19 And he that hath had a true sight of his sin, and acknowledged it accordingly, must needs see that Soveraign Mercy only can help him, and accordingly cast himself down there, and yield it to be just with God to condemn him, and that it is free grace if he will pardon him; and hence all his hope is in Gospel Grace, by Jesus Christ; till then we come hither, no wonder if all our Confessions afford us no relief. Are we then under distress on our Consciences by reason of our sins? let us bring our selves on these trials, that we may know, whence it proceeds: And to move us, Consider,