The truly blessed man

1. They must be our own sins. The Psalmist puts this title of property on his Sin four times in this verse; and see 2 Chron 6.29. Ezek. 7.16. We are indeed called to confess the Sins of others on a double account;

1. As we are concerned with them. We have not ⟨p. 210⟩only our Personal, but our Relative concern too about Sin. Confession is a proper adjunct of Prayer, and must accompany the petitions in which we seek mercy of God, and the averting of his Judgments. Now there is the consideration of a people as one body, in which every person is a Member; and there are the Sins of others, which we have avoided, that lie upon the Land, and the whole is obnoxious by them: such was Achan's sin, Josh. 22.20. There are the Sins of Rulers, which have great influence, such was that of Saul, 2 Sam. 21. begin ▪ and of David, Chap. 24. begin and of Hezekiah, 2 Chron. 32.25. These are to be confessed by every one, Dan. 9.4, 5, 6. And this belongs to that mourning commended, Ezek 9.3. There are Sins committed in Churches by some, which make God angry with such Societies; when God indicts Jerusalem, he saith, there are these and those in thee, Ezek. 22.7. &c. So Rev. 2.14. And upon it he call• the whole to Repentance, verse 16. And there are those Sins in Families that expose them to special Tokens of Divine Displeasure: God sometimes deviseth Evil against a particular Family for the provocation of some in it, as in Eli's case, all therefore in it, especially the Governors ought to confess their Family Sins; thus did Job, Chap 1.5. and a suspicion of it moved him to that. Yea, there are private Sins of others to which we may be accessories, and ought therefore to confess them, lest we also suffer with them, for we are not innocent.