Ver.3. tyre true Nature of it. the one and other. That is, he had a deepfenfe of fin ; this d:f- quieted and perplexed him all the day long ; which he calls his roaring; It wea.¿ned andwearied him, making his boner wlx old, or his frrengdidecay ; yet was he not able to bring his heart to that ingen^:ui gracious 4cknowledgement , which like the launcii g of a feíiered wound, would have given at least Come eafe to his foul. Geds children are oft-times in this matter like ours. Though they are convinced of a fault, and are really troubled at it, yet they will hardly acknowledg: it. So di) they. They will go up and down, figh and mourn, roar all the day long; but an evil and untoward frame of fpirit under the power ofunbelief and fear, keeps them from this duty. Now that this acknowledgement may be acceptable unto God ; it is required, Firfl, that it be free, then that it be full. Firfl, It mull be free and#iritually ingenious. Cain, Phara- oh, Ahab, Judas, came all to an acknotxhdgement of tin ; but it was whether they would or no. It was preit.d out of them ; it did not flow from them. Theconflim of a perlon under the convincing terrors of the Law, or dread of imminent Judgements, is like that of Malefators on the rack; who (peak out that, for which themfelves and friends mutt dye. What they fay, though it be the truth, is a fruit of force and tor- ture, not of any ingenuity of mind. So is it with meerly con- vinLed perlons. Theycome not to the a.?knowleddment of tits with anf more freedom. And the Reafon is becaufe all fin hath frame; and for men to be free unto fhame, is naturally impof- fible, fhame being naturesfhrinking from it felf, and the poflure it would appear in. But now the returning rout, hathnever more freedom, liberty and amplitude of fpirit, than when he is in the acknowledgement of thofe things whereof he is moil afbamed. And this is no fmall evidence that it proceeds from that fpirit which is attended with liberty , for where the Spirit of God if, there is liberty, 2 Cor. 3. 17. When David was delivered from hisfilence, he expreffeth, this frame in the performance of tlis Duty, Pfal. 32.5. I acknowledged my fin, and mine iniquities I have not hid ; Ifaid i will confeßmy Iranjgrefion. His mduth is nowopen, and his heart inlarged. And hemultiplies one ex- 13 pretlion
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