Chap. 3 I. As Expolition upon the Ilook,e of J o B. `'eri, 33. 7O1 feffe it, andgive ,glory to rod ; give him the glory of his Juflice and righteoufnefle in punifhing, and the glory of iris patienceand mercy in pardoning. A true gracious confeflïongives God the glory ofali his attributes, and puts a Crowneupon all his divine perfeetioas: So then, wee confeffe, not to informe God, but to honour and glorifie him. Secondly , Wee are called. to an acknowledgment and Con- fef3ion ofour fins co God, that wee our lelves may be the more deeply affected with them we need not infortne God, but wee have needenough to affect our ovine foules t It.; wee make con feffion of the mercies and goodneffe of God,and repeat his kind- nefîes to us,that our foules may be the more H ffecîed wish thank- fulneffe for them; So wee are to make confellìonofour own fin- fulneffe, that we may be the moreaffected with the vilenef e IPd filthineffe of them, and with godly forrow for them. Thirdly , The knowledge which God bath of fin in and by himfelfe, may be a terror to tanners; bis knowing of them try us, is only a ground of comfort a God bath no whe- e promifed to pardon fin becaufe he knows it,but he bath if we make it known. llnleffe God know our fins by our conffflion, he knowes them only to our condemnation : beeknowes them enough already co condemne us, though wee doe not confeffe them, but he will not know them fo, as toacquit us unleffe we confeffe them. And in- deed nothing is knowne properly to God in that capacity as bee pardons and forgives, but that which is acknowledged by us. When aJudge is to give fentence upon perfons or actions, hee Nihi! e,l neíuni takes notice of nothing but what is made knowne to him as tv ni iudi:. Judge; what he knowes in a private capacity is no ground for cia[i,èr fit na- him to proceed to fentence upon;every thing mull be proved Jo. ru'm dicially,or witneffd openly in Court,before he gives Judgement, eyther to acquit or condemne. 'Tis fo in this cafe Though all ßúr fins are knowne to God , yet none ofthem are knowne to him as a Judge but whatwe confer ; and therefore he willaot pardon them or acquit us froth them till they areconfeffed. Further, That acknowledgement offin, oppofed to covering and hidingoffin, is FA; a confeflion ofall -Gn;Ifl(faith 74) have hid inyrrarf gmfom, that is, any ofmy tranfgrrfiìons ; heedoth not fay this orthat, but be intends them all together; Ifa man confef> ma- ny,
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