-~26 Of Fajling and Humiliatirm~ , 1oul be humbled within us ; our heart rent, not with remorfe of fin only, but with 'regret and kindly for– row for it, as an offence to a ' gracious and merciful God,' Joel ii. 12, 13. our face filled with fhame and blufhing before him, in the view of our fpiritual na– kednefs, pollution, and defilement, Ezra ix. 6. and we lothe ourfelves, as moH: vile in ·our own eyes, Ezek xxxvi. 3 I. Job xl. 4· · · . 'Thirdly, Free and open confeffion of fin before God, without referve. This i,s a very material part . of the duty incumbent .on us in religious fafiing :· and the due confideration and deep humiliation jufi: now mentioned, do natively iffue in it ; producing, of courfe, extraordinary confeffion of fin, an exercife · mofi: fuitable on fuch an occafionHence th'e ]('l.US fpent one fourth part of the day in confeffirg and -... worfhipping, Neh. ix. 3· and the angel, who brought ~he anfwer to Daniel's fupplications; ' About the ~~me _of the evening oblation, found him flill pray– ing and confeffing his fins/ Dan. ix. 20, 21. For here, the finner duly humbled has much ado, acting againfl: himfelfthe part of an accufer, recounting bef.:>re the Lord his tranfgreffions of the holy law, fo far as he ' is able to reach them; the part of an advocate, open– ing up the particulars, in their nature, and aggrava– ting circu,mfiances; and the part of a judge, jufiity– ing God in all the evil h€ has brought upon him, an'l ' condemning himfelfas unworthy of the leafr of all his mercies, and deferving to perifh under etermil wrath. Fourthly, The exercife of repentance, in turning from fin ·unto God, both in heart and life ; the na- \ tive refult of .deep humiliation and fincere confeffion, Joel ii. 12. ' Turn ye even to me--with fafiing, and with weeping, and with mourning.' In vain will we f~1fi, and pretend tQ be humbled for our fin s, and make con feffion of them, if ou r love of fin be n ot turned jnto hatret~; oc'u~ liking of it, into loath– ing ; and out cleaving to it 1 into a longing to be rid · . . of
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