Ambrose - BT200 A42 1658

115 4 Book.V. Looking unto f-eft~s. Chap.2 .Sett. 9 bebinde; fo iliould we poure out our hearts before God, and (:fit were poffible) leave not a Gone unconfeffed, at leaft for tbe kindes, if not for the particular Gns. 3. Our confdlion mrift be with full aggravation; we fbould aggravate our Gns by all the circumfiances, that may fbew them odious. Thus Peter when he bad denyed Chrifi, it is ll\id that he thought thereon, and he wept. He thought thereon, or h€ caft in his thoughts one thing upon another ; q. d. Jefus Chrift was .. my Mafier and yet I denye:d him, he told me of this before-hand, , that I might take heed of it, and yet I denyed Qim; I,profeffed to him that I would never do it, r would never forfake.him, and yet I denyed him ; yea, this very night, and no longer Gnce, I faid rt againe and againc that I would not deny him, , and yet I denyed him; yea,lfaid, thouth all others ~eny t_hee, ye~ will not 1; and yet worfe than all others, I denyed htm wtth a Wttneffe, for I affirmed defperately that I knew not the man, nay I fware defperately that I knew not the man, nay more than fo, I fware, - and I curled too, if 1 kz!ew the mtJn, let Gods cutfe fall upon me; and all this I did within a few firides ofmy Lord ; at that very time when I fhould have ftood for my Lord, in that all the worJj:l forfooke him; why, thefe were the circumftances of Peters Gn, and meditating on them, he w~nt out and wept bitter(y. And thus we fhould aggravate ourGns tn ourconfeffions; 0 mv fins were out ofmeafureonful, 0 they were Gns againft knowledge, and light, againft many mercyes received, againft many judgements threatned, againfi many checks ofconfcience, againft many vows and p.romifes; thus oft, and in this place, and at that time-, and in that manner, I committed thefe and thefe Gns; but of all the aggravations, let us be fur~ to remember, how we finned againfr the goodndfe, and patience, and love, ana mercy ofGod.; furely thefe circumfiau\;es will make our fins out of meafure Gnful. The Angel that reproved the children of lfrr.!el at Bochim, after the repetition of his me reyes towards them, and of their Gns againil: him, he queftions them in chefe words, oh why have ye done this? q. d. the Lord hath done thus and thus mercyfully unto you, oh why have ye d <~ ne thus unthankfully towards him? why was his mercy abufed, his goodne!fe flighted, his patience defpiftld ?' do you thus requite the Lord 0 foolifh people and unwife ? in like manner fhould we confe!fe and aggravate our .fins, 0 rny Goa, thou

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=