Serm. CVII. SERMON CVII. Of Confeffion, and Sorrow for Sin. P S A L. XXXVIII. 18. Iwill declare mine Iniquity, and be lorry for my Sin. N this PfalmDaviddoes earneftly beg Mercy and Forgivenefsof God, and in order to the obtainingof it, he declares both lais Sins, and his Repentance for them in there Words, which contain in them two of the neceffary Ingredients, or at lealt Concomitants ofa true Repentance, viz. Confeflion ofSin, and Sorrow for it. I (hall fpeak fomething of the firfl of thefe, viz. Confeffion ofSin: but the Second, viz. Sorrowfor Sin, thall be the mainSubje&of my Difcourfe. I. Confeflion ofSin ; Iwill declare mine Iniquity, or as it is in the Old Tran- flation, Imill confefs my wickednefs. Of which I (hall fpeak under thefe three Heads. I. What Confeffionof Sin is. II. How far 'tisneceffary. III. What are the Reafons and Grounds of thisNecefity. I. What Confeffion of Sin is. It is a Declarationor Acknowledgment of force moral Evil or Fault to another, which we are confcious to o_ ur felves we have been guilty of. And this Acknowledgment may be made by us, either to God or Man. The Scripture mentions both. Confeflion of our Sins to God is very frequently mentioned in Scripture, as the firft and neceffary part of Repen- tance and fometimes, and in force cafes Confeffion to Men is not only recom- mended, but enjoyned. II. How far Confeffion ofour Sins isneceffary. That it is neceffary to confefs our Sins to God, the Scripture plainlydeclares, and is I think a matter out of all difpute. For it is a neceffary part of Repentance, that we fhould confers our Sins to God, with a due fenfeof the evil of them ; and therefore the Scripture ma- keth this a neceffary Qualification, and Condition of Pardon and Forgivenefs. Prov. 28. 13. PYhofa confeuth andforfaketh his fins fhall have mercy. I John r. 9. Ifwe confefs our fns, he is faithful and full toforgive us our fins, and to cleanfeus from all unrighteoufnefs ; implying that if we do not confefs our fins to God, the guilt of them will ftill remain; to God I fay, for of Confeffion to him St. john plainly fpeaks, when he fays, He is faithful andfurl ; Who ? God furely ; who tho he benot named before, yet is neceffárily underftood in the Words before; Ifwe eonfefsour fins, i. e. to God, he isfaithful and full. A general Confeffion of our fins is abfolutely neceffary ; and in force cafes a particular acknowledgment of them, and repentance for them, efpecially if the fins have been great and deliberate and prefumptuous; in this Cafe a particular Confeffion of them, and Repentance for them, is neceffary fo far as we can par- ticularly recolle& them, and call them to Remembrance : Whereas for fins of ignorance and infirmity, of furprize and daily incurfion, for leffer Omillions, and the Defe&s and Imperfe&ions of our belt A&ions and Services, we have all the Reafon that can be to believe, that God will accept of a general Confeffionof them, and Repentance for them. And if any Man ask me, where I find this di- ftinftion in Scripture, between a general and particular Repentance ; I an- fwer, that it is not neceffary it fhould be any where exprett in Scripture, being fo clearly founded in the Nature and Reafon of the thing ; becaufe in many cafes it is not poffible that wethould have a particular Knowledge and Remembrance of all D our
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