A Box of precieus vintment yr, that I atfo have walked contrary unto them; and have brought them into the land of their enemies ; if then their ancircumcifed hearts le humbled, and they then accept of the punifbment of their iniqui- I ty : Then will 1 remember my covenant with Jacob, and alfo my covenant with Ifaac, and all; my covenant with Abraham gill I, remember. j(!r. 3. g z, t 3 . Return thou backfliding, Ifrael, faith the Lord, and I will not carafe mine anger to fail upon you, for I am merciful, faith the Lord; only acknowledge thine iniquity. And obfervable is that prayer of Solomon, King. S. 47-50. If they fhall bethink themfeives, and repent and make fupplications to thee, fayin y we have finned, and have done perverfly, we have com- mitted a ickednef s ; then bear thou their prayer, and forgive thy peo- ple that have finned againfl thee. Qu. But what are the properties or qualifacationsof true penitential confeizon of fin? ant. They are thefe eight that follow. 1 Firft, 'Tis free, 'tis voluntary, not forecl, not extorted. Aecsi6. 10711. Nehemiah, Ezra, Tob, David, Daniel, Paul, c. were free Ezra 9. 9. and voluntary in the confeflion of their fins, as all know that Nch. 9. have but read the Scripture. The true penitent confeffes his Daniel 9. Pfal. 1. fins with much candour, ingenuity and freedom of fpirit ; he Job 40.4)c. is as free in his confeffion of fin, as he has been free in the commiffion of fin his confeffions are like water which runs out of a fpring with a voluntary freenefs, but the confetrions of wicked men are like water that is forced out of a ifill with fire; their confeffions are forced and extraaed meerly from fence of pain and fmart, or from fear of punifh- ments, &c. Pharaoh never confeft his fin till God brought him to the rack, nor Saul till he was in danger of lofing his Crown and Kingdom, nor Salaam till he fees the Angel Rand with his drawn fword ready to flay him, nor Judas till hor- ror of confcience and the pangs of hell had furprized and taken fait hold on him. Wicked men call out their fins .by confeffion, as Mariners do their wares in a itorm, wifh- ing for them again in a calm ; the confeffions of wicked men are Exoc1.1*. 1 6. Sam.if. 24. Nurn.22.23-35. )43,7411. 324n I.
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