201 Direa. ,. Dirctl. 2• Dircl/. 3• Dirca. 5· Dirc/J.6. VireE!:ions about Confefion. then fccrefic : I-! is mind may c~ange, ~~ his. tmderllanding fail, or he may fall out with you, or fame great m:cdh;y may befall htm to dnvc htrn to open what you told him. 2. Then wh~th you~ ~ame or lofs will not. rna~e you repe~t it, fhould befo:e.feen. 3· An~ how far others rnayfu~~ fer m Jt. 4• And how far 1t wtll reflect dtfhonour on ReligiOn· All thmgs being <onfidcnd on both lidcs, the preponderating reafons mull prevail. Tic. ;. Vireuions abont confefing fln to others. · Direct. I· no 110tbin~ which you are not willing to confefl, or which m{ly trouble y~u much if your confeffinn jhould be opened. Prevention is lhe ealicll way : And forefigh; of the confrqucnts (hould make a wife man {till take heed. Direct. 2· Wben you have finned or _wronged any, wti~h n:t:il tbt confe~utHtJ on bot!J f.da before you mal{e your conftffion: that you may ne1ther do that whtch you. may wtlh undone again, nor caufe– ldly rc:fufe your duty: And that inconveniences forc:feen may be the: better undergone when they cannot be avoided. D.irecr. 3· When a weU informed confcience t<Ueth you tbJt confe[fion it your duty, Ill not felf·refPe11s detatn you from it, but do it what ever it may coft y()u. Be true to Con[cience, and do not wiltlllly. put off your duty: To live in the negleCt: of a known duty, is to Jive in a known fin: which win' give you caufe to qudtion your fincerity, and c.1ufe more terrible effects in your fouls, than the in.. conveniences of confcffion could ever have been. DireLl:. 4· Look,_ to your Repentance that it be deep and abfolute, and fm . from hypocritical ex· uptions and refervtJ. for half and hollow Repentance will not cany you through hard and co!Uy duties : But that which is fincerc, will bteak over all : It will make you fo angry wich your felves and fins, that you will be as inclined to take fbame to your felves, in an honefi revenge, as an angry man is to briug {hame upon his adverfary. We are feldome over-render of a mans repuution whom we fall out with: And~cpentance is a falling out With our fdves. We can bear £harp remedies, wh<n "!e feel the pain, and perceive the morcal danget of the difeafe: And Repcnlance is fuch a perception of our pain and danger. We will not tenderly hide a mortal enemy, but bring him to the mofi open Chame: And Repentance caufeth us to hate fin as our mortal enemy. It is want of Repentance that maketh men fo unwilling to make a ju!\ confeffion. Direct. 5• Tal(_e heed of Pride, which makech men fo tender oftheir reputacion, that they will vcnmrc-theirfouls to fave cheir honour: Men call it bafofulmfs, and fay they cannot confefs for (hame: But it is Pride that maketh them fo much alhamed to be known by men, to be offenders, while chcy lcfs fear the eye and judgement of the Almighcy. Impudency is a mark of a profligate !inner: but he that pretendeth jhame again{\ his duty, is foolifllly proud; and lhould be more afhamed to neglect his duty, and continue impenitent in his fin. A humbJe pcrfon can perform a fc:lf~ abating humbling duty. IDirtCt. 6. Know the true Ufes of Confeffion of fin , and ufe it accordingly: Do it with a ha– tred of fin, to cxprefs your {Clves implacable enemies to it : Do it to repair the wrong which you have done to orhers; and the difhonour you have done to the Chrifiian Religion, and to warn the hearers to take heed of fin and temptation by your fall : It is worth all your !hame, if you fave one finn<r by it from his fin : Do it to lay the greater obligation upon your felves for the future, to avoid the fin and live mote carefully : .fot it is a double !ha.me to fin afcer (uch humbling <on– fdlions. CHAP~
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=