ë t4eeÎccoúrattaat. t which. God wrought in his Soul. when I took the boldness to Mind hirri of a late difference between himfelf and the Reverend Pastor of this place,he burft out with tears, and laid this charge,upon me, That I would right him fo far,, as to acquaint him, that he did heartily, delire him in particular to forgive him; and all other good Chriftians that he had wronäd in the heat of his paflion, either rich or poor. Judge ye now, what could T havefpoken more for his honour,than I have done in this difcovery of frailty, and his happy conquest of it. Therefore I thought good tó make this publication of it to the w rld, that ye may know ye never ho- nour your felves mdre,than whenye glorifie Godbÿ fhamingof your felves : when we are molt vile in our own eyes; we are moth honoítralle in the repute of God and goodmen. . But all this that I have fpoken, is nothing to that which is yet behind. There- fore go alongwith me a little further, and t shall inbriefrelate untoyYu fuck corn- Portablepaffages as fell from him in the time ofhis ficknefs, and then leave him to Your Chriftian Charity to judge , how well he arred the latter part of his life, and with what earricfnefs offpirit he ftrovc to gain the love and favo it of God in Chrift; At mygrit coming to him I foundhim deeply toucht witha ferious apprehenfion of the former errors of his life, how farhehad provoked a good God by the many fins, which his Confcience then charged himwith : Then didhébreak forth into a free and voluntary çonfeffionofall his fins, andexpreft with many tears hisloathina and deteffation of them. I was glad tofee thofe Limbecks ofhis eyesdiftilling,arid dropping down in filch a plentiful manner, to findhis heart thus (Mitten, andhruifed with the remembrance ofhis fin, and preft him to agreater meafure of forrow, as knowing fach clouds ofgriefwould make way fuirthe beamsof joy andcomfort to Chine in his Soul. The truth is, I havenot come neat a man thatbath reckoned up his fins with greater abhorrency and deteftation than he did. I askthim,whether ifGod Ihould be pleated tò grant hima further respite in this world, he wöufd be- come a newmari, and take offhis heart from his former vanities. He anfwered, I would not for the gain of the whole world live filch a life as 1have done, and I dé- fire next to Godsglory to livefor this very end, that I might teféifie'the truth ofmy repentance to the world. I askt him, whether his heart did witness the truth ofall this. Oh , fayts he , my heart is deceitful and treacherous, but if Iknow my own heart, all that 1 fpeab is in truth and sincerity ; 1 should be the mo{é curled IIv- póerite alive , if 1 fhohld dither diffemble with God or man at fach d time áì this. Oh remember to deal faithfully with your owrl hearts, if you (peak otherwi% than ye find it to be in your own breafts, you turn imposters toyourfelves, and delude vour own Souls, not us. It is the integrity ofthe heart whichGod looks at; if there be no rottennefs there, there is a good foundationof joy and comfort laid in the Soul : i soh'.;. at- Beloved, ifour heart condemn as dot, theft have we cénfidenee towards Clod. Andnow fròm the efample of this good Knight,fetme press this onethingupon you, That when ye find your hearts oppreft with the weight ofyour fins, ye would give thema fpeedy vent, and leek to cafeyour hearts of fo mighty a clog, by aferi_ outs confeflionof them. Hé that finothers fin in his breaft,will in theend becloaked with the noifome frent of it. What is a man the better for hidingand locking up his fin in his bofome ? Let me advife you to open a vein in your own hearts;and let out the corrupt blood that lies there: The longer we hide fin inour. boföms, the more itfelters, and what man will not do his belt tòget ridofa bruife,before itrots andpetrifies? Confeffion is a foveraign Remedy to procure the pardonofoùr fims 'Prov. 28.13. Who fo confeth andforfaketh hitfinsshallhave mercy. He is mbff likely to findmerey,that isfnoft ready to acknowledg that he deferves none. We fee what Davidgain'd by an humble confeflionof his fins : Heno fooner cried Peccavo , z Sam. Iz. 13. 1 have finnedagáinft theLòrd; than the firopbct rénirn'dhim a comfortable anfwer from die Lord,' The Lord alfo had; pat aaoay Eeee' thy
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