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supplies them, though they know not the hand from whence it

comes.

4. Though it be the duty of all men in the world to pray; yet none can do this by faith, and, consequently, in an acceptable manner, but believers, concerning whom the apostle says, Ye have received the spirit of adoption, whereby they cry, Abba, Father, Rom. viii. 15.

As for the first part of prayer, viz. petition, or supplication. This will be particularly considered under several following answers, and especially those that contain an explication of the Lord's prayer; which is a directory for what we are to ask of God: Therefore we shall, at present, only consider the other two parts of prayer, viz. confession of sin, and thanksgiving for mercies.

(1.) Concerning confession of sin; and accordingly,

[1.] We shall prove, that it is an indispensable duty incumbent on all men; and that, not only on those who are in a state of unregeneracy, and consequently under the dominion of sin, but on believers themselves, who are in a justified state. This will appear, if we consider, that not to confess sin, is, in effect, to justify ourselves in the commission of it; and, as it were, to deny that which is so well known to the heart-searching God, as well as to our own consciences. It also contains in it a charging God with injustice, when he inflicts on us the punishment that is due to it; which is contrary to what Ezra says; Thou, our God, hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve, Ezra ix. 13.

Moreover, none was ever truly humbled in the sight of God, or obtained mercy and forgiveness of sin, but he was first brought to confess it with suitable affection, and brokenness of heart; which are ingredients in true repentance: Thus it is said, He looketh upon men, and if any say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not; he will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light, Job xxxiii. 27, 28. It is also said elsewhere, He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: But whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy, Prov. xxviii. 13. This duty is so evident, that, one would think, no one, who duly considers what he is, or how contrary his actions are to the revealed will of God, should have the front to deny it: However, it is well known, that many seem designedly to wave all confession of sin in prayer; and, others argue against it, more especially, as to what concerns the case of believers: Accordingly,

Object. It is objected, that believers ought not to confess sin; since that is inconsistent with a justified state: It is, in effect, to plead guilty, though God has taken away the guilt of

sin, by forgiving it for the sake of the atonement which Christ has made: It is a laying open the wound that God hath healed and closed up, or bringing to remembrance that which he hath said, he will remember no more, Heb. x. 67. and it is contrary to the grace of God, who hath said, none shall lay any thing to the charge of his elect, since it is God that justifieth, Rom. viii. 33. for a believer to lay any thing to his own charge, which he does when he confesses sin.

Answ. To this it may be replied;

1st, That we must distinguish between a believer's desert of punishment or condemnation, and his being actually punished by God, as a sin-revenging judge, according as his iniquities deserve. That a believer shall not eventually fall under condemnation, is true, because his sins are forgiven; and with respect to such, the apostle says, There is now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, ver. 1. Nevertheless, though he be in a justified state, and, as the consequence hereof, shall be undoubtedly saved; yet, according to the tenor of his own actions, he being a sinner, contracts guilt in the sight of God; and, a desert of punishment is inseparably connected with every sin, though a person may be in a justified state who commits it. It is one thing to be liable to condemnation, and another thing to deserve to be condemned: The former of these is, indeed, inconsistent with a justified state; but the latter is not And it is in this sense that we are to understand the Psalmist's words, If thou, Lord, shouldst mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand, Psal. cxxx. 3. And, accordingly, the best believer on earth, though he have a full assurance of his being forgiven by God; yet, inasmuch as he is a sinner, he is obliged to confess that he deserves to be cast off by him, or, if God should deal with him according to what he finds in him, without look→ ing upon him as he is in Christ, his head and surety, he would be undone and lost for ever.

2dly, Believers are daily sinning, and therefore contracting fresh guilt; as it is said, There is not a just man upon earth that doeth good and sinneth not, Eccl. vii. 20. and, indeed their sin is sometimes so great, that they grieve the Holy Spirit, wound their own consciences, and act very disagreeably to their character as believers. This therefore ought to be confessed with shame and self-abhorrence; as the prophet says, That thou mayest remember and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more, because of thy shame; when I am pacified towards thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord God, Ezek. xvi. 63. Moreover, it is certain that believers, when they have had a discovery that their sin was pardoned, have, at the same time, confessed it with great humility. Thus, immediately after Nathan had reproved David for his sin, and told him, VOL. IV. 00

upon his repentance, that the Lord had put it away, 2 Sam. xii. 13. yet he makes a penitent confession of it before God, and says, Against thee, thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight, Psal. li. 4.

[2.] We shall now consider with what frame of spirit sin is to be confessed; and this ought to be done,

1st, With a due sense of the infinite evil thereof, as it reflects dishonour on the divine perfections; and particularly as it is opposite to the holiness and purity of God, and a contempt cast on his law, which expressly forbids it, and a disre garding the threatenings denounced thereby against those who violate it, and renders us liable to his wrath, as a sin-revenging Judge, pursuant to the intrinsic demerit thereof: And therefore it is justly styled an evil thing and bitter; the only thing that can be called a moral evil; and it is certainly bitter in the consequences thereof.

2dly, We are to confess sin with humility, shame, confusion of face, and self-abhorrence; and that more especially, by reason of the vile ingratitude there is in it, as committed by those who are under the greatest engagements to the contrary duties.

3dly, Sin is to be confessed with the hope of obtaining forgiveness through the blood of Christ, as laying hold on the promises of mercy, which are made to those who confess and forsake it, Prov. xxviii. 13. and, with an earnest desire, to be delivered from the prevailing power thereof, by strength derived from Christ.

[3.] We shall now consider what sins we are to confess before God; and these are, either the sin of our nature, or those actual transgressions that proceed from it.

1st, The sin of our nature. As fallen creatures, we are destitute of the image of God; and, having contracted corrupt habits, by repeated acts of rebellion against him, all the powers and faculties of our souls are vitiated thereby, and we not only indisposed and disinclined to what is good, but naturally bent to backslide from God, and to commit the greatest abominations, if destitute of his preventing, restraining, or renewing grace: Thus the apostle says, I know that in me, (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing, Rom. vii. 18. And this is to be considered as what has universally defiled and depraved our nature; and therefore we ought to cry out with the leper, Unclean, unclean, Lev. xiii. 45. or, as the prophet says, From the sole of the foot even unto the head, there is no soundness in us, but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores, Isa. i. 6. We are to consider it as that which insinuates itself into our best duties; and it is like the fly in the precious ointment; and it is of such a nature, that when we have been enabled to gain some

advantage against it, it will afterwards recover strength. Notwithstanding all our endeavours to the contrary. It is like an incurable disease in the body, which, though we endeavour to keep it under for a while, yet it will prevail again, till the frame of nature is demolished, and thereby all diseases cured at once: Nevertheless, when we confess and are humbled for this propensity, that is in our nature to sin, we are to pray and hope, that the prevailing power thereof may be so far weakened, that, by the principle of grace, implanted in regeneration, and excited by the Spirit, in promoting the work of sanctification, though it dwells in us it may not entirely have dominion over us, or we be thereby denominated the servants of sin.

2dly, We are to confess the many actual sins that we daily commit, with all their respective aggravations; sins of omission and commission, both of which are contained in the apostle's confession; The good that I would, I do not; but the evil which I would not, that I do, Rom, vii. 19. Our sinful neglects of duty are numberless; we are to confess our not having redeemed our time, but spent it in those trifles and vain amusements that profit not; particularly if we have misimproved the very flower and best part of our time and strength, and not remembered our Creator in the days of our youth. This Job reckons the principal ground and reason of the evils that befal him in his advanced age, when he says, Thou writest bitter things against me; and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth, Job xiii. 26. And we are humbly to confess our not having improved, and, thereby, lost many opportunities for extraordinary service, either to do, or to get good: Thus the prophet says, Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times, and the turtle, and the crane, and the swallow observe the time of their coming, but my people know not the judg ment of the Lord, Jer. viii. 7. We are also to confess our neglecting to comply with the calls and invitations of the gospel ; upon which account we are said, to receive the grace of God in vain, 2 Cor. vi. 1. or not to know the time of our visitation, Luke xix. 44. but when God has called, we have refused; when he has stretched out his hand, no man regarded, but have set at nought all his counsel, and would none of his reproof, Prov. i. 24, 25. We are also to confess our neglect of public and secret duties, or worshipping of God in a careless indifferent manner; as the prophet represents the people, saying, Behold, what a weariness is it, and ye have snuffed at it, saith the Lord of Hosts; and ye have brought that which was torn, and the lame and the sick; should I accept this at your hands? Mal. i. 13. We are also to confess our neglect of relative duties, in not instructing those under our care, nor reproving them for sin committed, nor sympathizing with the afflicted, nor warning those who are going out of God's way; by which

means a multitude of sins might have been prevented, whereby many have been ruined through our sinful neglect.

As for sins of commission, which are also to be confessed; these are either such as were committed before or after our conversion to God; the former of which contain a disowning his authority, or right to obedience; the latter, an ungrateful disregard to, or forgetfulness of the greatest benefits received from him. We are also to confess those sins which are contrary to the moral law, or the very light of nature; which we are often guilty of: And, that we may be furnished with matter, and give scope to our thoughts and affections therein, it may be of use for us to consider the sins forbidden under each of the Ten Commandments, which have been before particu larly insisted on. We ought also to confess the various aggravations of sin; and, to assist us therein, those things that are contained in a foregoing answer, may be of some use to us, especially if we make a particular application thereof to our own case, and observe how far we have reason to fall under a sense of guilt, or charge ourselves with crimes of the like nature.

Moreover, we are to confess the sins we have committed against the engagements or grace of the gospel; the low thoughts we have sometimes had of the person of Christ, his love to us, or the benefits we have been made partakers of from him, while we have been ready to say, as the daughters of Jerusalem are represented speaking, What is thy beloved more than another beloved, Cant. v. 9. and how much we have hardened our hearts against him, refusing to submit to his yoke, or bear his cross; how often we have been ashamed of his cause and interest, especially when called to suffer reproach for it. Have we not sometimes questioned the truth of his promises, refused to submit to his righteousness, and depend upon it alone for justification, while we have had too high thoughts of ourselves, glorying and valuing ourselves upon the performance of some moral duties, which we have put in the room of Christ?

We ought to confess how much we have opposed him in all his offices; not depending on him as a prophet to lead us in the way of truth and peace, but have leaned to our own understanding, and therefore have been left to pervert, disbe lieve, or, at least, entertain some doubts about the great doctrines of the gospel; or, if our minds have been rightly informed therein, yet we have not made a practical improvement thereof, for our spiritual advantage. Have we not opposed him as a priest, and neglected to set a due value on that atonement he has made for sin, not improving his intercession for

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