Chap. 31. ,lnE_rpofitión upon the Beak of J ag. Vert 'her :declare those that thou mayefá bejuf ified. This is a great Go- fpel truth, though it bequellioriable, whetherinreedrd in that place. A godly man hash itcret fins ( that is , fins v: h,ch he knowes not of) but he Both not keep his fins fecret , bee t; vol- ling to make them known. He Both not cover them horn the knowledge of God, no nor ofinen, when and as he is bound ro give an account ofthem. Confffion of fin is an indifpenciblt« piece of true repentance. They who are indeed humbled in the fight oftheir fins will not hide them out of fight ; They declare them alwajes to God, and are nor afhamed to declare them to man allo in a Gofpel way. As iris tinfoil to blow a trumpet , or proclaime our good workes, fo we are not bound to publith our fins or evili deeds to the world ; but when we are called, and fee it a duty re) confeffe them, we mutt not hide, but confeffe them 'Tis a great part ofour holineffe to confeffe our Iniquities ; and as the holyeft roan in this world is imperfe& and bath Canes to confeffe; fo it is a good degree of his holyneffe and per feRion to confeffe his fns. Our bleffedneffe confifts in the rem ffi.ia of fin ( 32. t.) Blt(,fed is'he whole tranfgre,;ßon isforgiven, whofe ¡in to covered. And therefore we cannot be bleffed if our fins be unconfeft (Tfal. 3 2. 5.) I laid I will conf-fe mine I,i- quitie, andthouforgaveffinee the iniquitie ofmyfin : the pardon was given outupon his Confeffion (t roh. I. 9.) Ifwee confeffe curfns,God isfaiihfultandjuf'to forgive we our fine As if he had laid, Sin unconfeft thall not be forgiven ; He that covereth he ji;s (hall not pro f or ; but who fo confefeth andforfaketh them (and on- ly he ) fhall final' mercy ( Pro. 28. i 3. ) But you will fay , is this all that -:b did, barely to confeffe his fin, when bee faith, heedid not cover it. I anfver, The holy Confeftì.onof fin,which is oppof'd to the covering or hidingof fin ; bath three things in it. Firft A confefhon of the fa&, or of the thing done; 7ofbuz fail ro Achvn (J411. 7. r 9) My Son, giveglory to God, and tell . mee, what haft thou done ? tell mee the Rory, givemee a narrative of thy fin. And accordingly hee declared the fad ; When I jaw among the firoyles a goodly Babylonifr garment, and two hundred fhe,;eltcffslver,anda wedge ofgoldofffrieIhekrlt weight: then I covered them, and rooks them. Repentant confeffion begins at the corfcffìonof the fad. V u u u 2 Secondly, 699 1 ill
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