Commentary on Numbers

The first part of the Chapter hath hitherto been handled, touching the putting of lepers and other polluted persons out of the host: the second part followeth concerning falsehood committed, whereby our brother is damnified, beguiled, and deceived, to the 11 verse. Our neighbor trusteth us, and reposeth confidence in us at our word, but we often make no conscience to deceive and defraud him, so it may be to our own gain and commodity, against the common rule that nature taught the Gentiles themselves, Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets, Matth. 7.12. In this division therefore we are to consider two things: first▪ the promulgation of the law instituted of God to amend and correct this fault. Secondly, the application of this particular to the general law touching the Priests maintenance. The law is first propounded and enacted, and then amplified by a proviso or exception set down by way of preventing of an objection. The substance of the Law is this. If any man or woman have dealt falsely with his brother in any part of his goods, by circumuenting of him fraudulently, or detayning any of them wrongfully, whereby he is injured, and God is offended, so that his own conscience accuseth him & witnesseth against him: this course is to be taken, he must seek to blot out and wash away his trespass and offense which he hath done, three ways. First by confession: secondly, by restitution: thirdly, by reconciliation.

First, he must confess his sin, and crave pardon from the bottom of his heart; he must submit himself unto God, and acknowledge freely & willingly, what he hath done, knowing that he can by no means hide his sin, nor by any color keep it from the sight of God. It booteth him not to deny it, or defend it, or excuse it, or diminish it, or turn it over upon others. If he would receive pardon and forgiveness, it is necessarily required of him, that he use hearty confession, both of this, and all other trespasses and transgressions.

Secondly, we must make satisfaction to him whom we have wronged, and from whom we wrested anything. It is not enough to make open confession unto God, unless also we make actual restitution unto men. For the sin is not pardoned, except that which is taken away be restored. Wherefore, that the party offended should be recompensed, and the party offending should be punished, he must together with the principal, make good the damage, and put a fifth part more thereunto, and give it unto him against whom he hath transgressed. This is done, to discourage injurious persons, and to make them afraid to do wrong, whether by fraud or violence. For if they should only restore the principal, they knew, if their offenses were found out, they should be no losers.

Thirdly, he must seel • reconciliation and atonement with God, by offering up of a ram in sacrifice, which figured out the suffering of Christ, and offering up of himself once upon the Cross, for the discharge of our sin, and appeasing of the wrath of his Father. It is in vain to make satisfaction unto men, except we know how God will be satisfied: and it shall profit us nothing to be at peace with men, except we be at peace with our God.

This is the enacting of the Law: an exception is annexed by way of prevention. For the offender that hath trespassed against his neighbor, might object and say, How can I restore that I have taken? it may be the party is dead; it may be he hath neither son nor daughter; neither brother, nor kinseman: may I not then lawfully conceal it and justly retain it unto myself? I answer, nay; the Lord answereth, Thou shalt by no means detain the goods that are not thine own, if thou look for any good at my hand: as if he should say, when thy neighbor is any way damnified, let the loss be recompensed, and the damage restored, provided always, and be it farther enacted, y ^t if the owner be dead or unknown, and he have none of his kindred and alliance living to be his heir, it shall not be thine, it is the Lord's, and he giveth it unto the Priest for a recompense of his labors in the Tabernacle, and his service of the Lord, and his teaching of the people, God is the Lord of the soil, he challengeth it at his own, and he disposeth it at his own pleasure.

Thus much touching the Law: the applying of it followeth, where God ordaineth it as a Law, that all such things as are purloined and conueyghed away from the right owners and possessors, should (in case they or any of them fail) be bestowed upon the Priest, which is amplified by an equal comparison of the like; all other things offered should be his also, and might not be altered to any other use: as if he had said, As I have given them the offerings of the people, so I have given to them this also, that they shall have right as well to the one as to the other by my gift.

[Verse 5. When a man or woman shall commit any sin, &o. ] After we have seen the order of the words, let us make a collection of doctrine. And first observe, that Moses speaketh in this place, not of any sin committed against piety and godliness, but against the equity and justice that ought to be among men: not of the immediate worship of God prescribed in the first table, but of wrongs done to our brethren, forbidden in the second table, as appeareth by sundry circumstances, both because he speaketh of making him recompense, which no man can give to God, it being impossible to make satisfaction to him for the least offense; and because the trespass shall be recompensed to the Priest: yet notwithstanding he calleth it a trespass against God. Heereby we learn, that all sin, even the breach of the second table, is committed against God. Whatsoever injuries and offenses are done against our brethren, are sins and offenses committed against God. This appeareth evidently in other places of the Law, as Levite. 6.2, 3, 4. If any man sin, and commit a trespass against the Lord, and deny to his neighbor that which is taken him to keep, &c. Where he teacheth, that to deny the thing committed to our keeping, to break the trust reposed in us, to rob our neighbor violently, to take his goods from him, to deny that which we have found and our neighbor hath lost, are all of them sins against God, though trespasses against men.

The charge also that Nathan layeth upon David, together with his answer, make this truth most plain, 2 Sam. 12.9.13. The Prophet reproving him saith, Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. To this heavy message from God delivered by his servant the Prophet, doth David submit himself, and in the humility of his soul consesseth, I have sinned against the Lord. This is that which Joseph witnesseth, when he was enticed to commit folly with his wanton mistress; (but yielded not unto the temptation) he saith unto her, How can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? He doth not say, against my master, and so render evil for good unto him, as he might truly have said, but he speaketh with a feeling conscience that he should sin against God, in offending against his master.

To all these we may also add the testimony of the Lord himself uttered unto Cain that had conceived malice and murder in his heart against his brother, a sin against the second Table, the sum whereof is, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Gen. 4.6, 7. Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance cast down? if thou do well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door, &c. It is a notable exhortation that Moses giveth in the behalf of the poor that were among them, Deut. 1.5.6. Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release is at hand, and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him naught, and he cry unto the Lord against thee, and it be sin unto thee. Whereby we see, that not only such as take away other men's goods wrongfully, do commit sin against God, but they that detain their own goods couetously, and do not bestow them upon the relief of the poor: so that a man may sin in his own, as well as in other men's, in overmuch sparing, as well as in wronging others. To the same purpose he speaketh in another place against the oppressing of an hired servant that is poor and needy, whether he were of their brethren, or of the strangers in the land, Deut. 24.15. At his day thou shalt give him his hire, neither shall the Sun go down upon it, for he is poor, and setteth his heart upon it, lest he cry against thee unto the Lord, and it be sin unto thee. All these places prove unto us, that all sin is committed against God, and respecteth him, either immediately when we sin against the first Table, or mediately when we sin against the second Table.

This will better appear by such reasons as [Reason 1] are grounded out of the Scriptures, and serve to confirm this truth, and to establish our consciences in it. First, sin is nothing else, but the breach of the Law of God, 1 John. 5.17 and the party that is offended properly & directly, is God himself. For except there had been a law given of God forbidding or commanding, there could be no offense against any creature. If God had not said, Thou shalt not steal, theft had not been a sin: and lust could not be accounted as a sin, except the Law had said, Thou shalt not lust, as Paul confesseth he had not known sin, but by the law. And in another place he testifieth that where there is no law, there is no transgression, forasmuch as by the law cometh the knowledge of sin. If God had not said, Thou shalt not commit adultery, David had never offended Uriah in taking his wife. If he had never said, Thou shalt not kill: it had been no offense to take away life. Absalom had never transgressed in dishonoring his father, Cain in murthering his brother, Ziba in slandering his master if God had never published a law against these things. Hence it is that the Apostle John saith, Whosoever committeth sin, transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the Law. This is a full and perfect definition of sin, so that as the definition, and the thing defined, are both one, so are sin, and the breach of the Law. For as every sin is the transgression of the Law, so every transgression of the law is sin, and nothing else but sin; as every man is a reasonable creature, and every reasonable creature is a man. If then by sin the law of the eternal God be broken, we see how it toucheth him nearly, so that his Majesty is offended, and his justice violated.

Secondly, every sin is liable to judgment, [Reason 2] against whomsoever it be committed, it is punished of God, he taketh the matter into his own hand, as Rom. 1.18. The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, which hold the truth in unrighteousness. And chap. 2.9. Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man, that doth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile. To this purpose speaketh the Apostle James, cha. 4.12 There is one Lawgiuer, that is able to save, and to destroy. He punisheth sin in whomsoever he findeth it, and letteth not the transgressor escape scot free; that so he may be acknowledged to be a just and upright God, that hateth wickedness, and loveth righteousness. For he will show himself just, as well in his reproofs and threatenings, as in his judgments and corrections. Now, he could not correct all sin, except all sin were committed against him. And if he should, he should be an unjust judge through too much rigor and severity, as the Apostle concludeth in the Epistle to the Romans, cha. 3.5, 6. Is God unrighteous which punisheth? (I speak as a man) God forbid: for then, how shall God judge the world? Forasmuch as he which is to judge all the world in righteousness and truth, cannot but deal justly and uprightly, Gen. 18.

Thirdly, as he punisheth all sin, so he only [Reason 3] can forgive sins. This is that which the Prophet setteth down: Thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back, Isaiah 38.17. And to rhis purpose speaketh Micah, chap. 7.19. He will subdue our iniquities, and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. If then it belong to God alone to forgive sins, it followeth that they are committed against him.

Fourthly, the love of our brethren is made [Reason 4] the fufilling of the whole law, and the trial of our selves whether we love God, or not. This the Apostle maketh plain, Rom. 13.8.9, 10. Owe no man anything, but to love one another; for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law: for this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, &c. it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: love worketh no ill to his neighbor, therefore love is the fulfilling of the Law. In setting down the sum of the whole Law, Christ and his Apostles oftentimes pass over the first Table, and make no mention of the duties thereof. He calleth the most weighty and principal matters of the Law, judgment, mercy, and fidelity, Matth. 23.23. and when the young man in the Gospel, asked the question, what commandments he must observe that he may enter into eternal life, he sendeth him not to the first Table, but to the second, and saith unto him, Thou shalt not kill, thou shalt commit adultery, &c. thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, Matth. 19.18. He might have taught, that he should have no other God, but the true God of Israel, and that he must love him, believe in him, and put his trust and confidence in him: but the obedience hereunto stood for the most part in the inward affection of the heart, or in outward ceremonies. The affection of the heart doth not appear outwardly, and the outward ceremonies of his worship are oftentimes counterfeited thorough hypocrisy: but the works of charity are witnesses of true righteousness. Our outward works toward men are signs of our inward piety toward God: so that he will have our faith toward him to be known by these fruits. Wherefore, forasmuch as we have plainly shown and firmly proved, that all sin is a transgression of God's Law, that he is a punisher of sin, rewarding everyone according to his works, that he only can forgive sins, and that he trieth how we perform our duty toward him, by our love and charity toward our brethren: it followeth necessarily, that howsoever men are many ways and oftentimes greatly wronged, yet therein also God is most highly offended.

Now, albeit the doctrine may seem sufficiently strengthened by these consents and reasons, yet some scruple and doubt may remain in us, except we shall remove one objection. For in that prayer which the Lord taught his disciples, we are taught to ask forgiveness our sins at the hands of God, forasmuch as we also forgive our debtors, Luk. 11.4. The creditor is God, the debtor is man, the band or bill is the Law, the debt is sin, the prison is hell. Hereupon the question may be asked, [Object.] how all sin can be made to be committed against God, seeing we are also said to sin against men, and to be indebted unto them: for debt and sin are used indifferently the one for the other? If then we be said to sin against God only, how are we said to trespass against our brother, and our brother to trespass against us? and how are we said to forgive one another? I answer, in every trespass that we do against our neighbor, we are to consider two things: first, the injury done to man: secondly, the offense done against God. The loss and damage that man receiveth, either in his body, when he is wounded, or in his substance, when it is purloined, or in his good name when it is abused, he may forgive and remit: but the sin against God and his Law, God only can remit and release. If a man be slandered, and thereby receive much hurt, he may pardon that, as we see in David▪ who, flying from his sons rebellion, was cursed with an horrible curse by Shimei, one of the family of the house of Saul: he accused him to be a bloody man, and reviled him as a man of Belial; yet he put it up, and would not be revenged of it, neither suffer others to take away his life. Nevertheless, as his vile slanders and false surmises were forbidden in the ninth commandment, and were breaches thereof, he did not, neitheir could he forgive, he hath nothing to do with that; nay, all the men in the world are not able to make it no breach of the law, and consequently no sin against God. If a man cause a blemish in his neighbor, he may forgive the blemish he hath received, as Stephen his persecutors that stoned him to death, and prayed for them; but he cannot blot out the stain that the sin maketh in his soul, nor forgive the breach of the sixth commandment. If a man have his goods stolen, he may pardon the thief, but he cannot remit the theft; for as much as the eighth commandment will take hold of him as a Sergeant, and judge him as guilty in the sight of God.

Besides, as there is a twofold trespass, so there is a threefold kind of remitting or forgiving, to wit, remission of revenge, remission of punishment, and remission of judgment. Remission of revenge belongeth to all persons, both public and private, and restraineth the hands of Magistrates and subjects; for neither superiors nor inferiors, ought to do anything in malice and grudge, or to satisfy their own lusts. If a Judge in proceeding against malefactors, pursue his own quarrel rather then execute justice, he sinneth and offendeth, albeit the party be guilty, and deserve death: for vengeance belongeth to the Lord, and we are not to requite like for like. Remission of punishment belongeth to private persons that bear not the sword: but as all cannot inflict, so all cannot remit punishment. For the Magistrate though not sometimes, and in some cases, and in some persons he may remit, which are not needful here to remember; yet not always, nor all offenders, nor in all offenses, because God will have the sentence of the law proceed, and the execution of justice have his course. This extendeth not to Magistrates, for then evil doers should not be punished, nor evil deeds rooted out of the city of God. Remission of judgment, is when we conceive a good and charitable opinion of those that have offended us. But thus we are not bound always to forgive, neither to remit the censure which evil men justly deserve for their evil deeds. For the Prophet Isaiah pronounceth a woe against all such as call evil good, and good evil: sweet sour: and sour, sweet. It is lawful for us to retain our judgment and opinion of wicked men, so long as they be impenitent. Of this Christ speaketh, Luk. 17.3 If he repent, forgive him, that is, that hard censure of him, and count him as a brother. But of this we have spoken at large elsewhere, and therefore this shall suffice for the answer to this objection.

The uses that arise from hence are many, and [Use 1] of special note. First of all, is all sin, even the trespass against men, committed against God? doth it offend him, and violate his law? yes doubtless: not only man is injured, but God himself is offended, as hath been sufficiently proved: and therefore it should teach us what a grievous and fearful thing sin is, in what account it ought to be with us, and how everyone should learn to aggravate and augment with God his own sin for his farther humiliation. This was it that grieved and vexed David, and as it were pierced his very bowels in the matter of Uriah, namely, that his sin was against God, who knoweth sin perfectly, and beholdeth it in his natural colors, so that neither it nor we can deceive him. Wherefore, this lesson must duly be considered of us, and enter deeply into our hearts, Who it is that we offend. This was it that moved David to know sin, and to mourn for it, Psal. 51.4, Against thee, thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. Where note, that he is not content to say once, against thee, but he doubleth it against thee, against thee: and addeth with great force and vehemency, against thee only. But did he not sin against man? or is not murder a breach of the sixth commandment, and adultery of the seventh? I answer, yes, these sins are condemned in the second Table. He had slain Uriah with a sword; he had committed adultery with his wife; he had been the chief cause and principal means of the slaughter and destruction of others, and so brought blood-guiltiness upon himself; he hardened the Ammonites in their sins, who opened their mouth to slander the word, and to blaspheme the holy Name of God; he sinned against the child that was mis-begotten, which also died through that unfaithful act; he sinned against his own house, in that he kindled a fire throughout his family, & brought sticks with his own hands to raise up the flame that was not easily to be quenched: for one of his sons taketh up the sword, and killeth another, the brother committeth abominable incest with his own sister of the half blood; and another of his own sons taketh his wives and lieth with them not in the dark of the night, or in a secret corner of the house, but he spread a tent openly, and in the sight of the sun. Lastly, he sinned against the whole Church and people of God, who by means of his sin were offended, and troubled with tumults and seditions, so that the whole land was in an uproar and insurrection from one end to the other. All which points show that his sin went far against men, it touched Uriah, it touched Bathsheba, it touched the child, it touched the Ammonites, it touched his family, it touched the whole Church: yet these bloody, and crying, and heinous sins so far as they concerned men like himself, he seeth to be as nothing (albeit they were notorious) in comparison of God against whom they were especially committed: he had rather have all men set against him then to have God his enemy, and to come out in battle array against him, and therefore he crieth out in great anguish and bitterness of spirit, O against thee, against thee only have I sinned, and done evil in thy sight. As if he should say, Although the whole world should absolve me, and no man could accuse me of sin, yet this troubleth my conscience, this stingeth and striketh me to the heart, that I must have thee to be my judge. I am free from the judgment seat of men as being myself supreme, and under the jurisdiction of no other: but ( • lasse) what can this comfort me, so long as I have thee to give sentence upon me! He that is thus overburdened and overwhelmed with a feeling of the greatness of God's judgment, as David was, needeth no other accuser, forasmuch as God standeth and serveth instead of a thousand.

If the whole world should accuse a man, and conspire together to charge him with any crime, yet if God acquit him, his own conscience will minister peace unto him, and comfort against all slanders and imputations laid against him. For if God be on his side, who shall be against him? but if God be against him, and lay grievous things unto him, woe, woe, unto him, who shall speak for him, though he had the praise and applause, though he had the gain and glory of all the world? If he condemn, who shall justify? if he say guilty, who dare plead, not guilty? He found out Adam, when none accused him, when there was no man upon the face of the earth to accuse him, and said Adam, Where art thou? He sound out Achan, who had stolen the Babylonish garment and wedge of gold: he had hidden it privily, and conveyed it closely into his tent, howbeit he could not hide himself, but the eye of God easily espied him: so that the host of God could not prosper, so long as he remained in it, but received an overthrow at the siege of Ai.

Wherefore, what shall it profit us to be absolved by the voices and sentences of all men, or to be winked at, as if we were clear & innocent, when our conscience accuseth us before God, or he be displeased with us, and angry against us? We must enter into our selves, and consider how the case standeth between God & us, and not think it enough to know how the case standeth between man and us. What though we can bribe them, and stop their mouths, and make them hold their peaces, and cause them to be content to take a little at our hands (when we have done them much wrong) rather then they will go to law with us, because they are weak, and we mighty, they are poor and we rich, they are empty and we full? we shall not be able to bribe the Lord, who is stronger then we are, and taketh the cause of the oppressed into his hand. When we have offered injury unto them, it is not enough to confess our fault unto them, and to humble our selves before them, and to seek to make amends unto them; all this we may do, and then go to hell; yet there are many that do not come thus far. So then, we must remember whom we offend, that is, God; and thereupon to account all sin heinous and capital, forasmuch as it is against the highest Majesty of infinite power and authority. The greater the person is that is offended, the greater the sin is. If a man speak evil of the Judge or Justice, he shall be imprisoned; howbeit it is not so heinous, as to rail at the Prince, because his person is greater and higher. But what are all Princes, but mortal men whose breath is in their nostrils, whose bodies must go into the grave, and turn into dust, out of which they were taken, in comparison of the immortal God, who is a person of infinite and incomprehensible Majesty? If he give us once the sight of our sins, and touch our hearts with a feeling of them, though they were as hard as steel, as senseless as the dead, and seared as with an hot iron, he can make them alive, quick, and tender enough, that we shall go roaring all the day long, and find comfort in nothing: if his hand be heavy upon us, he will turn our moisture into the drouth of Summer, and make all our bones that are broken to clatter: so that our life shall abhor bread, and our soul dainty meat, and our flesh shall be consumed away, that it cannot be seen. It is not therefore for us to dally with him as with a child, or to play with his justice, as the fly doth with the candle, til she be consumed: but rather let us remember the exhortation of the Apostle, Heb. 12.28. Let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence & godly fear, because our God is a consuming fire. If his wrath be kindled, yea, but a little, blessed are all they that trust in him. As then we are to mark what we do, so we are to mark against whom we do it, lest we taste of destruction at the last, and then would give all the world (if we were owners of it) to be eased and released of our horrible plagues, as it fared and fell out with the rich man in the Gospel, Luk. 16. Let us not think to escape from him, by denying our sins, as the reprobate shall do at the last day, who being accused of sin committed against God, shall answer, When saw we thee a stranger, or naked, or hungry, or thirsty, or in prison: but Christ Jesus will reply against them, and take away all excuse from them, and so stop the mouth of iniquity, Verily, verily, I say unto you, inasmuch as ye did it not to one of these little ones, ye did it not to me. And hereby we may try our selves, whether we have truly repented of sin, or not, if this note that abounded in David be found in us. For his conscience doth not so much accuse him for any fact and offense committed against Uriah, as against the Lord himself, and from hence came the lively feeling of his sin. So if our conscience accuse us much more for offending of God's infinite Majesty, then for the injury which we have done unto man; if we stay not beneath upon the earth, but lift up our hearts unto God, and consider that we have to do with him, we have attained to a good measure of true repentance. But so long as we regard nothing but men, we shall never behold the true face of sin, nor see it as it is in his own likeness. To conclude, let us learn, that of all enemies, God is the most fearful and terrible, if he set himself against us.

Secondly, seeing God is the person that is [Use 2] hurt and offended, we learn that vengeance belongeth unto him only. When injury is done unto any, we must esteem the wrong as done not only unto men, but to God, and therefore is to be left unto him, whose commandment is transgressed. For except the Law of God had been violated, the creature should have had no cause to complain of any injury. It is the law that maketh it a sin and an injury, as we shown before out of the Apostle, Rom. 7. No man therefore is to revenge his own cause, but must commit vengeance unto God, and to that person that sustaineth God's person on earth, to wit, the Magistrate, who beareth not the sword in vain, whose judgment is the judgment of God, whose revenge▪ is the revenge of God. This doth the Apostle set down as a rule to guide us, Rom. 12.19. Dearely beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath, for it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will repay saith the Lord. A lesson often urged, always confessed, and yielded unto, but smally regarded and seldom practiced. For as if there were no God in heaven, no God's on earth that bear his name and title, men run together like wild beasts, or as horses that rush into the battle, and revenge their own quarrels, as if sin were wholly committed against themselves, and not at all against God; as if they were specially interested in it, and God had little to do with the matter: as if the wrong touched them, and no way concerned him. From hence it cometh to pass, that whiles they go about greedily to revenge wrong done unto them, judgment falleth upon their own heads, and God executeth vengeance upon them for their revenge: and so while they go about to hurt others, the greatest hurt falleth upon themselves; and while they show themselves enemies to their brethren, they draw an heavier enemy upon themselves, to wit, God himself. Before we pass from this so necessary a duty, it shall not be amiss for us, both to observe such motives as may stir us up to the practice of it, and to answer such objections as may hinder us from yielding obedience unto it. First of all, let us lay before us the example of Christ the author and finisher of our salvation; who had greater wrong offered unto him then he had? who was more innocent then he, that was as a sheep dumb before his shearer, and opened not his mouth? and therefore the Apostle Peter saith, chap. 2.22. Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth; who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously. This farther appeareth unto us, in that he prayed for his enemies that persecuted him. He had power in his own hand to have resisted their force, & revenged his cause. He could have prayed to his Father, & he would have given him more then twelu legions of Angels: yet notwithstanding he suffered patiently, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God. If any think or allege, y ^t this example is too high for us above our reach, and too eminent in regard of his person, who is God above to be worshipped: let us set before us y ^e examples of the faithful servants of God, y ^t have lived in all ages, in the time of the law, and under the Gospel, that this may be another motive unto us. How often did the children of Israel murmur against Moses and Aaron, and sometimes went about to stone him? yet he never sought revenge against them, albeit he had been able to right his own cause by force. When Miriam & Aaron spake against him by reason of the woman of Ethiopia, and said, What? hath the Lord spoken only by Moses? hath he not also spoken by us? Moses held his peace, and gave not taunt for taunt, & rebuke for rebuke; he was a very meek man, above all the men that were upon the earth. Thus was it with David, a man indeed after God's own heart, though he were a king, and wanted not servants to execute his will, yet he would not himself revenge, neither suffer any other to take revenge on Shimei, albeit he cursed the king with an horrible curse. Saul sought his life, and preferred him to be his son in law, for no other cause, but to lay a snare before him, & when David had his life oftentimes in his hand, to save it or to destroy it, ye he was so far from seeking revenge, that his heart smote him for cutting off the lap of his garment. When Stephen had made a worthy defense for himself and his own innocence, that the enemies could take no just exception against him, their hearts brast asunder, and they gnashed at him with their teeth, & ran upon him violently all at once: but he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord lay not this sin to their charge. The Church of Rome are not ashamed to teach, thereby to strengthen the hands of traitors & rebels that rise up against Princes, that Christians of old deposed not Nero, and Dioclesian, and Julian the Apostate, and Valens the Arian, and such like persecutous and heretics, because they wanted temporal power, and if they had had power, they would have done it. If this be true, all their patience was perforce, and is not thank-worthy. But they testify in many places that they had power sufficient, but held it unlawful to resist and rebel. They had filled all places, Cities, Islands, castles, boroughes tents, tribes, bands, palaces, the Senate and Court not excepted, so that they wanted neither number nor strength to make their party good. They profess, that albeit they be equal in power, yet with them it is more tolerable to be killed, then to kill. They affirm freely, God forbid that his religion should be maintained with fire, and sword. They acknowledge no other weapons to be put into their hands, but prayers & tears. They never practiced any revenge against their persecutors, and those that hated them. One night with a little fire would have served and sufficed them largely to be revenged of their enemies, but they accounted it unlawful to requite evil with evil. But to leave this consideration to another occasion, let us come to a third motive, & that is, the office which is proper unto God, to whom it belongeth peculiarly to take vengeance, and is therefore in holy Scripture called the God of vengeance, O Lord God, the avenger: O God the avenger, show thyself clearly. It is a grievous sin to sit down in God's seat, and to rob him of his right and royalty. Let the enemies of God and his people know, that he is the God of revenge, as well as y ^e God of salvation, and that he will as well right their causes, as save their souls. He is a just God, & will recompense tribulation to all that trouble those that are his, and therefore hath said, Vengeance and recompense are mine: but he never said to private persons, Vengeance is thine, neither did he ever put the sword into their hands. A fourth motive, to persuade us to lay aside private revenge, is drawn from the gracious promise that God hath made unto us, namely, that he will take our causes into his hand, and pay them home that do oppress us. For God doth not restrain us, & as it were tie up our hands, to expose us to all injuries, and to leave us as a prey in the jaws of the Lions, but because he hath passed his word unto us, I will repay, saith the Lord. So then, we must know that God is called the author and executer of vengeance, not only because the power and right belongeth unto him, y ^t he is able to take vengeance of all our enemies, how many and mighty soever they be, but because he hath used this power & executed this office from the beginning of the world, and as yet useth it, and will use it to the full, in the great day of the general judgment. He knoweth best of all the greatness of the injury that is done unto us, because he searcheth into the thoughts of the heart, and understandeth not only what is done, but the manner how it is done.

Seeing then, he hath promised to pay them home into their bosoms y ^t wrong us, it were a fruit of infidelity in us, not to believe him at his word. A fifth motive, which ought to be very effectual, is the consideration of the forgiveness that we receive at the hands of God. We are much indebted unto him, there is no sin that we commit, but increaseth our debt, so that we are no way able to pay it. He is content for his sons sake to forgive us all, & therefore we ought to put off anger, wrath, malice, and revenge; and on the other side, to put on the bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, and long suffering, forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any mā have a quarrel against any, even as Christ forgave us, so also we must do. Hence it is, y ^t Christ teacheth us to ask forgiveness at the hands of God, as we show our selves ready and willing to forgive: for we say, Forgive us our sins; as we also forgive the trespasses that are done unto us: and he addeth immediately after, If ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. If then we carry grudging spirits and revenging minds boiling in us, we turn this comfortable petition into an horrible imprecation against our selves, and pray that God would not forgive us, but condemn us, forasmuch as we determine not to forgive, but to be revenged on our enemies that offend us. If we could be persuaded of this truth, then which nothing can be truer, we would not seek revenge to gain a kingdom, considering that we call down vengeance with our own mouths upon our selves, which is a most fearful case. For do we think that when sin lieth at the door, vengeance will be far from us, and not come near us, except we cry for it our selves? Let us take heed we do not dally with God, who will in justice repay us, because we take upon us to repay, and will pour upon us the vengeance which we ask against our selves. Lastly, we are moved to put up wrongs & suffer injuries, to refer all revenge unto God, and not to requite evil for evil, because it is against all good law, right reason, & common sense, that any man should be accuser, witness, judge, and executioner. But everyone that taketh upon him to right his own cause, and to revenge himself, doth all these together, he executeth the office of four several men. It is no reason that he which layeth any accusation against us, should be admitted to be witness against us, because a witness should not be partial nor any way suspected to be party. Whosoever refuseth to refer his cause to the judgment of God, and will take up the weapon and instrument of revenge into his own hand doth more then this; he cannot be content to be an accuser and witness of wrong, but will also sit as judge to ccndemne, and as executioner to punish, which is against all right, law, equity, and conscience. No man therefore ought to engross so many offices which of right belong unto several men. It is impossible, that there should be just proceeding, where matters are carried in this order. If then we would be Christ's disciples, let us possess our souls with patience, and commit our causes unto God, that the spirit of glory and of God may rest upon us.

Notwithstanding all these motives, which may serve as so many bands to tie us to this duty, [Objections answered.] the nature of man that is corrupt, striveth to break them all, and to be at liberty to do what it list, and therefore ministereth many objections which are but carnal reasons to warrant the practice of private revenge. Let us see what they are, and apply several remedies to everyone of them, to stay us up from offending this way. First of all, it will be said, If we [Object.] should put up wrongs, this were to make our selves as fools for everyone to laugh at, and as blocks for everyone to insult over us, and to tread upon us. I answer, [Answer.] it skilleth not what the world esteem of us, and what they speak against us. If we were of the world, the world would love his own, but because we are chosen out of the world, therefore the world hateth us, reuileth us, taunteth us, and speaketh all manner of evil against us. If we regard the judgment of God, we must pass very little for y ^e judgment of men: & if we receive praise of God, it skilleth not if we be dispraised of men. And as they speak evil of the servants of God that are themselves evil: so they will account us fools that are indeed fools themselves. For there is no fool like to the wicked man, and therefore he is in Scripture oftentimes branded with this name and note. As for those that account godliness folly, and place wisdom in committing wickedness, let us leave such wisdom to the wise of this world, and be content to be esteemed as simple fools, to y ^e end we may be like to the wise God, who is a God of patience, and so be partakers of the heavenly nature. He turneth the wisdom of this world into foolishness, and the foolishness of this world he accepteth as true wisdom. Wherefore, let us hearken to the counsel of the Apostle, Let no man deceive you: if any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. It were better for us to be accounted fools in this world by wicked men, then to be judged fools forever in the world to come.

Again, some will object, If we always sufser [Object. 2] wrongs, we shall make our selves a prey, & set an edge upon others to lay on load upon us. For we shall never be quiet, but evermore be abused. I answer, [Answer.] the condemning of vengeance, is not a taking away of just defense. God tieth up our hands from unjust revenge, but he shutteth not our mouths from just complaint. For we may claim the help of the Magistrate, either for y ^e preventing of wrong, or for the punishment of the doer of wrong. The Magistrate is God's deputy, and his office is to relieve the oppressed, to defend the innocent, & to execute judgment on malefactors. When certain of the Jews, more then forty men, banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, that they would neither eat nor drink, til they had killed Paul, he sent to the chief captain, to be defended from their conspiracy.

And when he saw the malice of his nation against him, y ^t they ceased not to lay grievous complaints to his charge, he appealed unto Caesar y ^t he might not be delivered into y ^e hands of the Jews that sought his life, and thirsted for blood, I stand at Caesars judgment seat, where I ought to be judged: So then, God hath not left us as it were to the wide world, to shift for our selves, but he hath appointed y ^e Magistrate to be his Lieutenant. As in the private family where many servants are, he hath not left one servant to quarrel with another, and to draw upon another; he hath set y ^e master over them all, for the punishment of evil doers, & for the praise of them that do well. If any of thy fellow servants do wrong thee, give not hurt for hurt, or blow for blow, or taunt for taunt; for that will make thee guilty of sin, though otherwise thou be innocent, and thy cause be just and righteous: ye have one common master y ^t is set over you, go unto him, plead your cause before him, & accuse him in whō any wickedness is found. Every man is presumed to be partial in his cause, let the master be judge between you, who is no way interested in the business. And as the master is judge within the walls of his own house, and appointed to decide the controversies that arise therein: so the Magistrate is his ordinance to end the matters that fall out between neighbor and neighbor, and therefore we must not think our selves wiser to determine our cause then he, or God himself. So thē, we must practice two points, first, we must bear wrongs patiently, and put away all revenge far from us, whereby we hurt our selves much more then we do our enemies: for we may annoy them in their bodies or goods, but we make a deep and dangerous wound in our own souls. And therefore Christ saith, I say unto you, Resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheek, turn to him the other also, &c. Secondly, we are to use the Magistrates help when we are wronged. For always to suffer the rod of the malefactor upon our back, & never to seek redress, were to make our selves Asses to receive every burden that will be laid upon us. Albeit therefore we are not to resist evil, but if any man will sue us at the law and take away our coat, we should give him our cloak also: and whosoever will compel us to go a mile, we must go with him twain, to wit, rather then we should revenge our selves (for this is to be understood as spoken by comparison) yet we are not forbidden hereby to have recourse to y ^e Magistrate, who beareth not the sword in vain, to whom every soul ought to be subject. For as it is a fault to suffer nothing, so it may be our fault as well to suffer too much, namely, when we will bear all things whereby we shall be gulled, and forbear to crave and call for the help of the Magistrate. God is offended as well when lawful means are not used, as when unlawful means are practiced.

Thirdly, the question may be asked, what if a man be violently assaulted, either in the private house, or in the high way, whether by thieves that would rob us, or by quarrellers that would wound us, may we not resist & revenge, [Object.] to save our lives or our goods? I answer this is a case of necessity, wherein a man cannot have the benefit of Magistracy: but is himself a Magistrate unto himself. A man being thus assaulted, must use the sword as the last remedy and refuge. Wherein we must observe these cautions & conditions. First, we must not thirst after blood, nor be willing to take away either life or limb, if we can choose. Secondly, we ought to the utmost of our power, to strive to free our selves from them & their assaults and invasion, that there be no blood shed, if it be possible, using all good and lawful means we may in favor of life. Thirdly, we are so to behave our selves, that we rather defend then offend, and seek more to save our own lives then to take away another man's. Fourthly, if we can no way escape the hands of the oppresser, by flying, or calling for the help of the Magistrate, it is lawful so far to stand in our just defense, as that we should choose to kill rather then to be killed: for now God calleth us to be a Magistrate to our selves, & puts a sword into our hands, to execute revenge upon our adversary. Hence it is, that albeit God saith unto private men, resist not evil: yet might they lawfully kill a thief in the night season, without breach of law, & guilt of blood, If a thief be found breaking up, and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him. This is to be understood of the night thief, when a man being assaulted, cannot run to the Magistrate, and therefore God alloweth him to be an officer & minister of justice, even in his own cause wherein necessity pleadeth for his defense. Lastly, if a man in this case be compelled to take away life, & to shed blood, he must be grieved and mourn for it, that he hath defaced an image of God. These conditions being observed, a man may lawfully withstand force by force, and violence by violence, & defend the goods that God hath given him, even with the sword, if it be used as the last remedy and in the last place.

Fourthly, others will say, it is a commendable [Object. 4] thing to put up wrongs patiently, I would I could do it, I wish it with all my heart: but we are flesh and blood, we are not able to bear the injuries that are offered unto us, they are so great. I answer, [Answer.] never lay the blame upon flesh & blood, never acuse thē of this fault. For thou makest them in such sort a common pack-horse to bear the burden of all thy sins, as that thou art resolved to be flesh & blood still. Thou never desirest God to give thee grace, and to guide thee by his spirit: thou never laborest with thine own heart to pull out the root of revenge. Answer me one question which I will demand of thee, Thou sayest thou art flesh and blood, and flesh and blood cannot put up these things: but art thou flesh and blood only, or in part? art thou nothing but a lump of flesh, or else art thou partly flesh, and partly spirit? One of these two thou must needs be; both of thē thou canst not be.

Tell me thy meaning, and express more plainly what thou art. If thou be nothing else but flesh & blood, then woe be to thee. Thou confessest against thyself y ^t thou art yet carnal, unregenerate, dead in sins and trespasses, the bondslave of Satan, the heir of destruction, without Christ, without hope, without God in the world, an alien from the Commonwealth of Israel, and a stranger from the covenants of promise. For flesh & blood shall not inherit the kingdom of God: and if ever we look to be saved, and to be partakers of eternal glory, we must be more then flesh & blood. Thou wilt therefore be ashamed to confess that thou understandest by flesh and blood, that thou art nothing but a lump of flesh. What then? art thou flesh in part, & spirit in part? as thou must acknowledge thyself to be, if thou be the Lord's. Why then dost thou not perform the works of the spirit? They that are after the flesh do savor the things of the flesh; but they that are after the spirit, the things of the spirit. To be carnally minded, is death; but to be spiritually minded, is life and peace. The carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the Law of God, neither indeed can be. If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through y ^e spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the spirit of God, they are the sons of GOD: so then they that are in the flesh, cannot please God. Thus we see, that the flesh and the spirit are always opposed the one to the other: so that by this we may prove our selves whether we be regenerate or not. Let us not therefore boast our selves that we are flesh & blood, forasmuch as such as are only flesh, cannot yet assure their own hearts, that they are the Lord's.

[Object. 5] Fifthly, it may be objected, that to repulse wrong, is a note of courage and fortitude; and to put up wrong, a token of pusillanimity and of a faint heart. If then, I must not revenge, I shall be accounted not only a fool, but a dastard and coward. [Answer.] I answer, this is no better then the devils sophistry, and openeth a gap to the common practice that is in the world, to quarrel for every word speaking. It is no argument of courage to be ready to draw the sword and dagger, but rather of rashness, headinesse, unstaidness, and of a ruffian like spirit. And it is no disgrace to be of a bearing and forbearing nature. Our chiefest honor consisteth in fighting against sin unto the death, and showing all might and manhood in the subduing of it. He is stronger that overcometh his own passions, then he that winneth a city. We must remember that we are made kings and Priests unto God the Father: and therefore let us not make our selves slaves and captives to Satan, to sin, and to the world. This then serveth to meet with three sorts of men, & to condemn their evil courses, whose whole life pleadeth for nothing more thē private revenge. First, they are reproved that for every cross word & supposed injury are ready to challenge one another into the field; & the accepting of that challenge when it is given. This fighting a single combat is unlawful That which the natural man accounteth valor, God esteemeth a vice; and therefore it is no disgrace to refuse it, but rather true grace in yielding obedience unto God. For we must set down this as a rule, that no man must sin against God for the saving of his credit & reputation among men. And if we did duly consider what sin is, against whom it is committed, and what punishment is procured thereby upon our selves, we would never question the former ground set down unto us. Secondly, out of the case of challenging the field, y ^e common practice of fighting & quarrelling is condemned, which are no better then forerunners of murder, and have a bloody face in the sight of God. The Apostle John saith, Whosoever hateth his brother, is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. Many there are that hold it utterly unlawful to give the first blow, but if another strike them, then they think that thereby they are warranted to strike again. If any give the occasion of a fray, they hold him worthy to be condemned: but if they be provoked by another, they account themselves to be bound to return him the like. This is directly contrary to the doctrine of Christ, whereunto all must submit themselves that will be the disciples of Christ. He would have us take many wrongs, and not seek to revenge our selves. And it is contrary to the practice of Christ and of his Apostles. When one of the officers of y ^e high Priest smote Jesus with the palm of his hand, because he held his peace & would answer nothing, he smote not again, as these men think he was bound to do for his honor. But this was no disgrace or reproach to Christ, how then should it be any shame for a true Christian? We will needs be accounted Christians whosoever say nay, but we scorn and disdain to follow the example of Christ. Ananias the high Priest commanded them that stood by to smite Paul on the mouth: he reproveth him fought it, but he smote not again; & this was no infamy, but a glory unto him. Lastly, their opinion also is condemned, that make it a matter of praise, and an argument of valor, to turn away his face frō no man. This indeed is fool-hardiness. It is the commendation of Magistrates to be men of courage, to fear the face of God, but not the faces of men. They must accept no man's person in judgment, neither decline to the right hand or to the left. But a private man may turn his back to his adversary without any impeachment of his credit, or diminishing of his valor, or lessening of his honor, or slander to his reputatiō. But of this we have spoken sufficiently before, & therefore we will proceed.

Lastly, it may be objected, that under the [Object] law of Moses, when any man had killed his neighbor, the avenger of blood might slay the murderer whensoever and wheresoever he met him, Numb. 35, 19. If a man had killed any person at unawares, and hated him not before, he must fly to one of the Cities of refuge, and abide in it unto the death of the high Priest, which was anointed with the holy oil: but if the slayer shall at any time come without the border of the Citty of refuge whither he was fled, and the revenger of blood find him without the borders of the City of his refuge, and the revenger of blood kill the slayer, he shall not be guilty of blood. If then he be not guilty of blood, how is it that God alloweth no private revenge, but commandeth to render good for evil, to pray for them that curse us, and to do good to our enemies, and such as persecute us? I answer, the political laws serve not to bring men to perfection, such as are made for civil government. When God speaketh as king of Israel, and maketh statutes tending to outward peace and tranquility, he aimed not at the spiritual perfection which is contained in the moral law, which is the rule of all holiness and righteousness. Hence it is, that God tolerated many things among his people, which he never allowed simply, as appeareth in the case of divorcement, and many other of like nature. So he suffered the next of kin to pursue him to death that had slain his kinsman, if he were taken out of the City of his refuge; but God nevertheless did never approve of this, to set upon the person that had done him no harm, neither alloweth any to follow the rage of his choler, and to execute the malice of his heart: so that this law hath no place among us. For we must mark this as a certain rule, that civil government cannot change anything in the ten Commandments, or set down anything to the prejudice of them. Many things were permitted unto the Jews, because of the hardness of their hearts, Math. 19, 8. but from the beginning it was not so. They then that would put away their wives for every cause, might as well allege the law of giving them a bill of divorcement, as others produce the avenger of blood to justify the prosecution of private revenge: forasmuch as the one is a breach of the seventh Commandment, the other is a breach of the sixth Commandment, And thus much in answer of the objections.

Thirdly, we are put in mind of this duty, [Use 3] that seeing all sin is committed against God, we should be afraid to sin against him, and ought above all things to take heed of his wrath and indignation. We are rather to choose any course, or take any way, then run into his displeasure. Thus it was with Joseph, of whom we spake before: he was content rather to be slandered unjustly, and accused falsely of his lewd and lascivious mistrisse, yea, to be imprisoned and punished by his over-credulous master, then he would make a breach in his own soul, & sin against God. Let a man once perish his conscience, the wrack is not easily made up again. It is like a water-course, which is not easily stopped. It is better to fall into the hands of men, then of God; for he can make our innocence known, and the uprightness of our cause to appear, that it shall break out as the light, and shine as the Sun at noon days, as we shall show more evidently in the end of this chapter. True it is, the greatest sort of men make it a common matter, & because it is common, they account it a small and light matter to sin against God. When they hear that by committing evil they sin in God's sight, and provoke him to anger, they regard not much those threatenings, they make a mock of sin, and fear not the event of it; not considering they play with a serpent, that will in the end sting thē unto death, when it hath wrapped them fast, as it were in fetters that they can by no means escape. We must account no sin to be in it own nature little as a mote, but esteem of it as a great beam, albeit there be difference between them, and some be greater then other. This cogitation once taking place in us, will make us fear and tremble at the naming of it. The Apostle speaking of fornication and uncleanness, and such like evils, saith, Let it not be once named among you, as it becometh Saints. For the Scripture layeth hold on our straying thoughts and wandering motions of the mind, though we never give assent unto them, but labor to remove and repel them so soon as they arise in us, and abhor them and our selves for them. These first motions and lusts are a breach of the Law, Rom. 7. and deserve condemnation: how much more therefore the transgressions of our whole life that are much more abhominable?

Besides, we are taught, not only to look into the glass of the law to see the heinousness of our transgressions, but also to consider the punishments due unto them in this life, and the life to come: for thereby we are subject to all woes and miseries and death it self, as we may see by the examples of our first parents, of the old world, of Sodom, of Pharaoh, and his host, of the Jews that were carried captive, and many of God's own people, that by infirmity have fallen and felt sore chastisements from his hands, as appeareth in Moses and Aaron, in David, in Hezekiah, in Josiah, in Solomon, and sundry others.

Lastly, we may behold the grievousness of sin in the example of Christ our Savior, who albeit he were without sin, and none iniquity was found in his mouth, yet bare he in his body our sins, and felt that burden which would have crushed us in pieces, and broken all our bones in sunder: forasmuch as he apprehended the wrath of God in his soul, which caused him to sweat water and blood, and to cry out upon the cross, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Such then as never fear to offend God, have no feeling of God's justice, no feeling of Christ's suffering, no feeling of the vileness of sin, no feeling of their own punishments that hang over their heads, & shall (without repentance) seize upon them to their final damnation.

Let us awake cut of our deep sleep, and take care of our salvation: let us take heed we grow not senseless and hard-hearted. Let us learn to know our selves better, and consider what we have done. Let us fear to offend God, and stand in awe of his judgments: so that if we sin against him, we may be well assured to be punished for it. But some will say, [Object.] God is gracious and merciful, he will not plague us and strike us though we sin, he is not hard as many would make him: doth not the Scripture tell us that he is merciful? and shall we not believe the Scripture to be true? Let them say what they will, I will believe the Scripture. [Answer.] I answer, in saying thus, thou doest nothing but deceive thyself, and dally with the word of God: and indeed doest not believe it to be true? For if thou diddest acknowledge God to be the author of it, thou wouldest submit thyself to every part of it, thou wouldest not embrace what thou likest, and refuse what liketh thee not. Thou mayest as well say in plain English, that part of the word of God is false, and there is no truth in it, and I will sin without controllement of it: nay, while thou reasonest in that profane manner, thou sayest in thine heart, Tush, God is not God, but an idol that sitteth still, that hath eyes and seeth nothing; that hath hands, and doeth nothing: that hath ears, and heareth nothing. True it is, men are ashamed to utter these reproachful words, and to belch out of their filthy mouths, such horrible blasphemies: but if we will rip up to the quick their former presumptions, we shall find their case and condition to be little better. If they were demanded what they think of the word, and of God the author of the word, they would acknowledge the Scriptures to be most true, both the promises that are made, and the threatenings that are contained in it; they would confess that God is a most just God, even visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation: yet it skilleth not what they speak with their tongues, so long as we may even openly read the secrets of their thoughts, and the imaginations of their hearts in their outward practices. For touching the word of God, it is most true, and it cannot be denied, we read oftentimes that God is also merciful, we read of the riches of his grace and bountifulness; of his abounding in compassions, and reserving mercy for thousands. What then? or what is all this to them? shall we continue therefore in sin, that grace may abound? ought not rather the riches of his bountifulness, and patience and long suffering lead us unto repentance? Shall we after our hardness and hearts that cannot repent, heap up unto our selves as a treasure, wrath, against the day of wrath and the just declaration of the judgment of God, who shall give to every man according to his works? It is a good lesson which the Prophet teacheth us, that there is mercy with God, not that we should presume of his mercy, and run into all excess of riot, but to the end he may be feared, Psal. 130.4. Hence it is, that Moses, Deut. 29.20. strippeth all such, as flatter themselves with hope of pardon, and conceit of mercy, and opinion of escaping, from that foolish imagination; He that blesseth himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of my heart, to add drunkenness to thirst, The Lord will not spare him, but then the anger of the Lord, and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon • im, & the Lord shall blot out his name frō under heaven. These persons may call for mercy, but he will not answer them in mercy: they may seek him early, but they shall not find him: because they hated to be reformed, and did not choose the fear of the Lord, Prov. 1.28, 29. He is very gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, Psal. 103.17, 18. Howbeit, it is to the penitent only, not to the obstinate.

The Prophet saith, The mercy of the Lord, is from everlasting to everlasting, and his righteousness unto children's children, to such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them. Where we see, the Scripture maketh a difference and division between man and man, and giveth to everyone his portion, so that albeit he be merciful, yet it is to those only that keep his commandments. For although all be sinners, and thereby seek to creep away closely that way, as it were in the dark, that they might not be espied, yet we must know this, that some are repentant sinners, for whom there is mercy in store; some are obstinate sinners, the Scripture hath no mercy for them, but terrors, & threatenings, and judgments, and punishments, because upon such wicked he will rain snares, fire, and brimstone, and an horrible tempest, this shall be the portion of their cup, for the righteous Lord loveth righteousness, his countenance doth behold the upright, Psal. 11.6, 7. Now such as continue in the course of their sins, are ready to believe that God is merciful, but they believe not the Scripture, that he is merciful only unto such as repent: they persuade themselves falsely that they may run on in evil ways, and yet find mercy at the latter end, which is directly contrary to the whole doctrine of the Scriptures. And yet these men ask, shall we not believe the Scripture to be true? Whereas they believe one part of the Scripture, but they call into question another part: they lay hold on his promises, but they stop their ears against his judgments: nay, they do not so much as believe the promises aright, neither will learn to whom they are delivered, & in whom they shall be verified; which savoreth altogether of infidelity and unbelief. Besides, as they derogate from the verity of y ^e Scriptures, so they deny God after a sort, and turn him into a lie, & make him an idol to stand still and do nothing. For to imagine in our heart a GOD wholly compact of mercy, that seeth sin, but will not punish it: that knoweth who sinneth, but will let him alone: is to deny the true God, who as he is merciful, so he is also just. This the Prophet Nahum testifieth in the beginning of his Prophesy, The Lord is jealous, and the Lord revengeth: the Lord revengeth, and is furious, the Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries, and reserveth wrath for his enemies. The Lord is slow to anger, & great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked, &c. And hereunto accordeth the description of him, Exod. 34, 6, 7. The Lord God, merciful, and gracious, long suffering, & abundant in goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and fourth generation. Such then as think they may proceed and go forward in their transgressions, without controlment or punishment, because God is a merciful God, do utterly deceive themselves, & make a snare to entrap their own souls. The wise man saith, that to justify the wicked, and to condemn the innocent, are both of them an abomination unto the Lord, Prov. 17, 15. If then he hate it in all the sons of men, how shall we imagine, that the Lord will do, or can do either of thē? Let us therefore so conceive of God, as he hath taught us in his holy word: let us not make a counterfeit god, nor set up an Idol in our heart: for he will be served no therwise then he hath appointed. To conclude we must know that whosoever denieth 〈◊〉 of the threatenings denounced in the word, denieth a part of the Scripture, and (as much as lieth in him) maketh God a liar, who will as well execute his judgments, as perform his promises, forasmuch as he is faithful in both. And whosoever imagineth that God is only merciful, & consequently denieth his justice, hath not the true God for his God, but committeth horrible idolatry in conceiving wrongfully of his Majesty.

[Use 4] Fourthly, seeing such damages and injuries as are offered to our brethren, do reach to God, & are condemned as sins against him, it should teach us to look to our own ways, to practice justice and equity toward them, & to take heed of all fraud, forgery, falsehood, & oppression whatsoever, forasmuch as he will take an account of us, and bring us unto a reckoning. He that thinketh he can make sufficient amends to men, that there shall be no farther enquiry into the matter, reckoneth without his host, and therefore must reckon once again. Hence it is, that the Apostle saith, 1. Thess. 4, 6. Let no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter, because the Lord is an avenger of all such. We must know that God hath to do with it, and will punish severely for the breach of his law. There are many sorts of coniunctions whereby mankind is coupled & combined one to another, as the conjunction of consanguinity, of affinity, of amity, of city, of country of humanity: some have more of these bands linked together, & all have some of them to unite them in one, and thereby as it were to bind them to the peace, & to their good behavior, that they should abstain from all violent and fraudulent conveyances one from another. Among all knots that serve to link us and lock us together as friends which are as our own soul, none is greater or faster then that conjunction which we have with Christ our head, and which the members of his body have one with another: whereby it cometh to pass, that we are all made in himself, of twain, one new man, Eph. 2, 15. and every man of us members one of another, Rom. 12, 5. This spiritual conjunction is more effectual to procure the mutual good of the parties conjoined, then either that which is natural, or that which is civil. Nevertheless, we must do no wrong to any man, God hath made us keepers of the body, of the substance, of the dignity, of the honor, and of the good name of our brethren: if they be men, and be alied unto us no other way but by the commō band of humanity, we must do them no injury, although they be our utter enemies. If we have farther bands to chain us together, it is so much the greater sin if we break those cords, and will not suffer our selves to be tied with them. And mark the reason that the Apostle urgeth, he doth not say. If we do any way defraud them or circumvent them, the Judge shall judge it, or the Magistrate shall punish it, but God is the avenger of all such dealings, and will not suffer them to escape. The like threatening we read in Moses, Exod. 22, 22, 23, 24. If the oppressed cry, God will hear their cry, so that they shall be delivered, and their oppressors punished. If we could suffer this consideration to enter into our hearts, that though all should acquit us, or no man durst lay hold upon us, yet God himself will take their cause and quarrel into his hands, & execute sentence upon their enemies, it would be an effectual argument to move us to make conscience of all sins; even of such as immediately and directly do concern men, and not only of such as concern God and his worship. If we were assured, that the injuries which we do unto others, should be answered before the Magistrate, and we stand at the bar to plead guilty or not guilty, we would be afraid to deal hardly with them or to show any indignities toward them. How much more then ought we to tremble and to quake every joint of us, to consider that the time of vengeance shall come, when we must appear before the throne and tribunal seat of Jesus Christ our Lord, to receive according to the works that we have done in this flesh? Sundry of the ancient have observed four crying sins mentioned in the Scriptures, the which albeit they go away many times unpunished in the world, yet vengeance will not suffer such to live, but God findeth them out in their sins; as the crying of blood, the lust of the Sodomites, the noise of the oppressed, and the hire of the laborers: these are often passed over with silence, and tolerated among men, but they sound shrilly in the ears of God, & ascend up to his judgment seat. Albeit there be no man to accuse them that commit these sins, yet without farther process or indictment they suffer them not to rest, but summon them to his bar, and call without ceasing for judgment against them.

The first is willful murder, and shedding of innocent blood; for when Abel the righteous was slain, the Scripture saith, The voice of thy brothers blood crieth unto me from the ground; whereby is signified, that the godly, though secretly and seditiously slain of the ungodly, & patiently bearing the injuries offered them without murmuring and complaining, yet after death, when their mouths seem to be stopped, and their tongues tied, cease not to accuse their murderers as guilty before God, and to lift up their voices out of the earth, to call down vengeance against them. The Prophet saith, Psal. 116, 15. The death of the Saints is precious in the sight of the Lord: and Psal. 72, 12, 14. He shall deliver the needy when he crieth, the poor also and him that hath no helper: he shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence, and precious shall their blood be in his sight. So likewise the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held, cry with a loud voice, O Lord, holy and true, doest thou not judge & avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? This ought to minister contentment unto them, and to teach them patience, forasmuch as God hath a care of them, and a tender respect unto them. He numbereth the hairs of their head, Math. 10. He gathereth their tears in a bottle, Psalm. 56, 8. He heareth their sighs, Psal. 69, 33. He telleth their steps, and ordereth their goings, Psal. 56. He understandeth their complaints, Psal. 145. He hearkeneth to their prayers, Psal. 34, 6. and he keepeth all their bones.

The second crying sin, is lust and uncleanness, of which the Lord speaketh, Gen. 18, 20, 21. Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous, I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me: and if not, I will know. True it is, those Cities were culpable of sundry sins, as Ezek. 16, 49. Pride, fullness of bread, abundance of idleness, and contempt of the poor: howbeit when the Lord saith, their sin is very grievous, he pointeth out this outrageous and accursed sin, which the pure God abhorreth as a fruit of impurity. See here the difference between the Spirit of God, and the spirit of the devil. Such as are filthy livers, and possessed with the spirit of uncleanness, do account fornication and adultery to be tricks of youth and sports of pleasure; whereas God maketh them in his word to be sins that lift up their voices, & cry unto him for vengeance. When Pharaoh King of Egypt had taken away Sarah, Abraham's wife, The Lord plagued him and his house with great plagues, until he had restored her. If a bare purpose to commit adultery, and that ignorantly, called for judgment upon an heathen king; how much more shall the living in this sin bring moe stripes upon us that live in the light of the Gospel, & have the truth plainly revealed unto us? forasmuch as he that knoweth his masters will & doth it not, shall be beaten with many stripes.

The third crying sin, is the oppression of such persons as are destitute of help, which is joined with cruelty: as for example, such as are widows, fatherless, strangers, poor, & innocents, whose cry God hath promised to hear, and to help them. This we heard before out of the book of Exodus, If you afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry, and my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall be widows, and your children, fatherless. The Prophet Habakkuk prophesieth against such, and painteth out their sin in lively colors, chap. 2, 9, 11, 12. Woe to him that coveteth an evil covetousness to his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the power of evil, &c. The stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it. One shall say, Woe to him that buildeth a Town with blood: another shall make answer, and stablisheth a City by iniquity. These oppressers do suck out as it were the blood and life of the needy, that have none to whom to cry out for redress, but in the ears of the Lord. They dare not buckle and encounter with the mighty, for as when the pot of earth and of iron meet together, the earthen vessel is dashed in pieces; so when the mighty and the needy strive, the poor man striveth against the stream, and bringeth much misery upon himself. Their help is only in God, the Father of all consolation. If men stop their ears against them, and will not rescue them out of the snare of the fowler, and the net of the hunter, let them abide under the shadow of the Almighty, and shroud themselves under his wings, who will cover them with his feathers, and hear them in their afflictions.

The last crying sin, is the poor laborers wages that are wrongfully and unjustly detained; this also crieth aloud, and never ceaseth, until God hearken to the cry of it. Many think it goods well gained, that can be gotten from the poor, but they shall find it fret as a canker, and consume as a moth the residue of their substance. Hereunto cometh that law of the Lord, Deut. 24, 14, 15. Thou shalt not oppress an hired servant that is poor & needy, &c. thou shalt give him his hire, neither shall the Sun go down upon it, for he is poor, and setteth his heart upon it; lest he cry against thee unto the Lord, and it be sin unto thee. Where we see, that this consideration of committing sin against God, ought to enter into us to restrain us from doing wrong against any, especially the poor and needy brother, or the stranger that is in the Land. And to this purpose speaketh the Apostle James, chap. 5, 4. Behold, the hire of the laborers which have reaped down your fields (which is of you kept back by fraud) crieth, & the cries of them which have reaped, are entered into the ears of the Lord of Saboth. Whereby it appeareth, that there is a double kind of crying, one of iniquity and wickedness, the other of the oppressed and afflicted. If one of these cease, yet the other shall never cease crying. It falleth out oftentimes through the power and might of the greater sort, that the poor dare not mutter or murmur, & if they begin to cry out and complain, their mouths are soon stopped, because their angry looks make them afraid of their displeasure, & their severe threatenings are too heavy a burden for them to bear: but the other shall never give over crying; the sin of the oppressors shall cry against them for vengeance, as we see whē Abel could not cry, yet his blood cried and was heard. Sin hath a voice more shrill then the sound of a Trumpet, for that, be it never so loud, vanisheth in the air, & cannot pierce the Clouds; whereas the noise that issueth and proceedeth from sin, out-reacheth the Clouds & entereth into the ears of the Lord of hosts. What then? Must we imagine that sin is a bodily thing, that hath a mouth to speak, & a voice to cry? No, this cry is nothing else but the unchangeable order of God's justice punishing sin, even as at the instance and importunity of the innocent party, a just Judge cannot but relieve the oppressed, and punish the guilty, and so do justice according to the office committed unto him. As if it were said, blood will have vengeance, uncleanness will have vengeance, oppression will have vengeance, fraud and deceit will have vengeance: God cannot but punish all these crying sins, because he is a just Judge, otherwise he were unrighteous. It is the nature of all sin to provoke God to enter into judgment with the sinner, but especially these horrible and abhominable crimes mentioned before. And as it is the nature of sin to cry out to GOD for vengeance, so it is the nature of God to punish sin, and to take vengeance of it. Therefore they greatly deceive both themselves and others, that make him like to one of the gods of the Gentiles, not to be offended at all, or very little displeased with sin, and not to regard what men do. As if justice were not essential unto him, or as if he could deny himself, or as if he could cease to be God: for as soon he may do these as the other. But if it can in any sort agree to him, that he can be not willing to punish sin, then he can also not hate sin, forasmuch as to hate, is nothing else but to be willing to punish & reject. And if it be incident to him, not to hate sin, then also it will follow, that he can love and like sin. If he can love sin, he can deny himself and destroy himself, he can like of the works of the devil, which is impossible to do, and horrible blasphemy to affirm.

Lastly, seeing whatsoever is of the nature of sin, is against God, it directeth us what [Use 5] we are to do when we have any way sinned, and desire to have peace of conscience; we must not go to Saints or Angels whom we have not offended, who are not able to be revenged of us; but it is our duty to call for mercy at his hands against whom only we have sinned, and to seek to be reconciled to him whose laws we have transgressed, and who is able to cast body and soul into hell fire. For seeing we offend him, to whō should we repair and come for pardon, but unto him that is offended? It is he that can give us pardon both of sin and punishment. The practice hereof we see in the Prophet David, who because he had sinned against God, against God only, he flieth unto him for the forgiveness of his sins, Psal. 51, 4. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving kindness, according to the multitude of thy tender mercies, blot out my transgressions; wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin, &c: against thee, thee only have I sinned, and done evil in thy sight. Let us not continue in sin, but labor earnestly and speedily to come out of it, as he that is fallen into a pit, desireth nothing more then to get out, and putteth to all his strength to be delivered. If we get not a general pardon for all our sins, woe unto us, we are in a most wretched and miserable condition. One sin left unpardoned, is able to cast us out of God's kingdom, and to give us our portion among the unbelievers. We see this in the fall of the Angels, who left the state and habitation wherein they were set, they sinned, and were cast out from the presence of God, and are reserved to destruction. It is a good sign, and a true note of repentance, to thirst after mercy. This is the penitents song: he never pleadeth merit, but evermore prayeth for mercy, and prizeth it above all other things. First, we must see our sins against God, and the sentence of death pronounced against us: and then confess the same to be just and equal against our selves. As then our sins cry to God for vengeance (as we shown before) so let them cause us to cry unto God for deliverance from them, and the forgiveness of them. Though we have sinned against him, yet let us not despair of mercy, for that were willingly and wittingly, and willfully to cast our selves into the Lions den, with whom is no pity or compassion; as if he that were like to be drowned, should refuse to be helped out of the waters. Let us not say that God hath forsaken us & cast us out of his sight: let us not think we are out of the hope of his favor. When we seek not God, he will seek us out, and he seeketh out no man, but he findeth him And herein appeareth the infiniteness of his love, the bottom whereof, no man can sound, whereof many can speak to their endless comfort, and to his endless glory and praise. Such as sought not the means to bring them home to God, God hath brought the means home to them, and directed them to use thē to their consolation and salvation. Not that we should abuse or neglect the means, but to kindle our love and zeal unto them so much the more. For if he have been found of them that sought him not, much more will he offer himself in kindness and mercy, to those that with pure hearts and upright consciences seek unto him and crave a blessing of him: as sometimes he hath rewarded temporally those that have humbled themselves hypocritically and unsoundly, to declare how greatly he regardeth true repentance indeed. From hence is reproved the doctrine and practice of the Church of Rome, that teach, that the Pastors of the Church have full and absolute power to forgive sins as Christ had, as though whosoever doubteth of their right and jurisdiction, might as well doubt whether Christ have authority to remit sins. This is the pride and presumption of the man of sin, to challenge this preeminence, who setteth himself down in the seat of God, and boasteth himself as God. For this is one of the regalities and perogatives of God, which he will give or impart in whole or in part, to none other. It is an honor that belongeth peculiarly unto him. This the Scribes and Pharisees confessed in the Gospel, Math. 9, 3. Mar. 2, 7. Who can forgive sins, but God only? Christ therefore is the only author of reconciliation, the Ministers are only the Lord's messengers and ambassadors to declare his will out of his word, 2 Cor. 5, 18. All things are of God, who hath reconciled us unto himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation. If the Bishop of Rome had this authority, then we ought to crave mercy at his hands, and say unto him, Have mercy upon me, O Lord God the Pope; which is intolerable blasphemy, & impiety against God. [Objection.] But it may be said, If he do not sometimes forgive sins, then it shall seem to be false which Christ saith, Whatsoever ye bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven: and whose sins ye remit, they are remitted, &c. I answer, [Answer.] this power given to the Apostles and their successors, is a commission in the Name of Christ, to declare and pronounce remission of sins to them that are truly penitent. They have no power actually to remit sins, they are only as dispensers and stewards: they are not made competent Judges, but only as the Lord's messengers to publish the will of God out of his word. They are as Ministers, not enabled to reconcile men unto God, but to pray and beseech them to be reconciled through Christ. Christ then is the reconciler, they are the Ministers of reconciliation. Their commission stretcheth no farther, but to declare the Princes pleasure. If then God only forgive sins, surely no man can do it, doubtless the man of sin cannot forgive sin, he cannot forgive himself, much less another. He is a sick man himself, and needeth the Physician, if haply any physic will do him any any good, which is much to be doubted. He cannot be an absolute Physician to others, that needeth the Physician himself; he cannot save others that cannot save himself, neither reconcile others to God, who hath himself need to be reconciled by another. Christ Jesus himself could never have reconciled us to his Father, if he had needed his Mother, or any Saint or Angel to reconcile him to God. We must all, high and low, rich and poor, go together to the Physician that he may heal all of us. It is Christ's shedding of his blood that remitteth sins, it is he that hath made satisfaction to God, so that it belongeth to God only to forgive sins properly. It is Christ that calleth all unto him that are weary and heavy laden, and promiseth to refresh them. The Lord saith in the Prophet, I am the Lord thy God, the holy one of Israel thy Savior: and afterward, I, even I, am the Lord, and besides me there is no Savior: and yet again more plainly, I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. Neither doth Christ reprehend the Scribes because they confessed this point of God's power (for they did rightly affirm, that none could forgive sins but God only, Luke 5, 20, 21,) but this was their error, in that they did not acknowledge Christ to be God, who, in the person of the Mediator, even in the state of humility while he lived here, and was conversant upon the earth, might by his divine authority forgive sins, as likewise by the same power he did heal sicknesses and diseases among the people. God then doth properly and absolutely forgive sins committed against his law and eternal Majesty. The Minister by his appointment doth assure all penitent sinners of the forgiveness of their sins, through the mercy of God, and the merits of his Son Jesus Christ: and therefore in this sense he is said to forgive sins, as he is also said to save men's souls, to whom he preacheth salvation. An Ambassador is said to make peace or war, when he declareth according to his commission, his Princes pleasure and determination touching either of them. The Kings Deputy or Lieutenant (having warrant from him) offereth and granteth pardon to rebels or other offenders, when notwithstanding he doth only make known the Princes pleasure in remitting their offenses, and releasing their punishments, forasmuch as it is in the Princes power only to pardon traitors & transgressors. The Minister of the word, as Christ's Deputy or Lieutenant, is said to retain or remit sins, even as the Priest in the time of the Law is said to make the Leapers clean or unclean. His sentence touching that disease, was but declaratory, pronouncing who was stricken, or who was healed by the hand of God: he had not power himself to strike or to heal, to lay it upon any, or to take it away from any person. So it is the ordinance of God, that the Ministers should be declarers, interpreters, and expressers of his will and word concerning remission of sins: not properly pardoners, forgiuers, and remitters of sins (for then they must also take away sins) as though the sentence in heaven did depend upon the sentence on earth, whereas the censure of men must depend upon the sentence of God. To forgive sins properly, is to take them away, and to remove the punishment. But God only can do this: to God therefore alone let us fly, of him let us look for mercy, and from him let us never go to any man. If we have recourse unto him, we shall find mercy in time of need, which is better then thousands of gold and silver. This is able to appease the inward trouble of a distressed conscience, and ministereth sound comfort to the afflicted soul that is humbled and cast down to the gates of hell. If we had all the jewels and precious stones that can be found, we were not able to buy out the punishment of one sin. The Prophet saith, Ps. 49, 6, 7, 9. They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches, none of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give a ransom to God for him, &c. The value & worth of the whole world is too vile and base to answer for one trespass: for it cost more to redeem one soul. It could not be done with silver and gold, and such like corruptible and transitory things, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot. If we would come before him with burnt offerings and calves of a year old, or would think to please the Lord with thousands of Rams, and ten thousand rivers of oil, or persuade our selves that we can make satisfaction for the sins of our souls by the fruit of our bodies, even by giving our sons and daughters, we deceive our selves, and know not the grievousness of sin, nor the infinite wrath of God, nor the exceeding value of the death of Christ, nor the endless torment due unto sin, nor the unspotted purity of the law of God, which is transgressed by it. If we had all things, and wanted his mercy, we have nothing: if once we have it, it is sufficient to cover all our infirmities, and to blot out all our iniquities, according to the saying of Solomon, Prov. 16, 6. By mercy and truth iniquity is purged, and by the fear of the Lord, men depart from evil. Such as never felt the burden of sin, never regard the benefit of mercy: but such as have their hearts in any sort touched with it, acknowledge them blessed that find it, and all those miserable that are destitute of it. It is not instruments of music, it is not dainty fare, it is not outward delights, it is not merry company, it is not riches, or honors, or friends, or nobility, or pleasures, or sports and pastimes, that can alay and appease a troubled mind & perplexed conscience. David wanted not any of these, he was the sweet Singer of Israel, he might have his consort, he could not want mirth and music of singing men & singing women: yet he preferred a drop of mercy before all these; he followed not the practice of Saul, who when an evil spirit sent of God, vexed him and disquieted his mind, listened unto them that told him of a cunning Musician to play before him: but he never sought to God, nor craved mercy at his hand, and therefore albeit he were eased for a time, yet his trouble returned more fiercely upon him then before, and ended in a fury and frenzy, so that nothing could pacify or appease him. This is the common course of the men of this world, if at any time their hearts accuse them, and sin begin to terrify them, & judgment press sore upon them, they seek by merriments, and drinkings, & feasts, and their companions to put that terror away. And this is the only counsel their friends can advise thē to take. Like friends, like counsel: carnal friends, carnal counsel. But they and their friends are greatly out of the right way, and are wholly ignorant of the true means of comfort. All sound comfort cometh from God and from his word: and therefore he hath this title given unto him, to be called, the Father of mercies, and the God of all consolation. He sendeth his holy Spirit into our hearts, whē they are cast down, who, by way of excellency, is called, the Comforter. He will not leave us without comfort, if we crave it of him. We must go unto him, and never give him over. He is a fountain that can never be emptied and drawn dry. Besides, we have his word, which being reverently heard and read, is able to raise up and cheer up our heavy hearts. The Apostle showeth, that the Scriptures were written, that we through patience and comfort of them, might have hope. And the Prophet David in sundry places setteth down this effect, which himself from time to time had found and felt in his troubles: as Psal. 19.8. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes: and the 119. Psalm is a plentiful storehouse to furnish us abundantly with matter of comfort, Thy testimonies are my delight, and my Counsellers: and again, My soul melteth for heaviness, strengthen thou me, according to thy word. This is the true way sanctified unto us to drive away heaviness: this means the children of God have used, & have found by experience and good proof, the force and effect of it. It hath been very available unto them, and filled their bones with marrow and fatness. To this end he saith afterward, Unless thy law had been my delight, I should then have perished in mine affliction. Thus do the faithful rejoice in his Testimonies, as much as in all riches, forasmuch as his statutes do rejoice the heart, make wise the simple, enlighten the eyes, and convert the soul; then which it is impossible to find greater matter of comfort.

To conclude, we have seen, that there are two means to obtain comfort: the one is from the work of God in our hearts by his holy Spirit, which leaveth us not desolate and destitute. The other is the use of the word, which is sweeter then the honey and the honey-comb, and more to be desired then much riches. Let us have an heap of sorrows cast upon us through enduring of the Cross, and let us sink never so deep into afflictions, the word of God is able to raise us up again, & to cheer up our hearts.

[Verse 7. Then they shall confess their sin which they have done. ] We shown before, that Moses setteth down three ways, how this damage offered to men, is to be blotted out. The course which they ought to take to purge it away, is first of all to make confession of their sin to God, forasmuch as where the confession of man goeth before, there the forgiveness of God followeth after. We cannot lie hid from him, nor conceal our offenses, and therefore it is best to acknowledge them before him.

From hence we learn, that whosoever looketh for forgiveness, must confess his sins to God. This is the practice and property of a true penitent, to lay forth his sins to God, both original and actual, and to discover them in his sight. This we see in sundry examples remembered in the old & New Testament. When David was reproved of Nathan the Prophet, who set his sins in order before him, he answered, I have sinned against the Lord. The Publican, going up into the Temple to pray, and standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. The prodigal son having wasted his substance with riotous living, when he came to himself, he went to his father, and said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. The like confession we read in Daniel, chap. 9, 5, 6, 7. when he perceived by the word of the Lord, that the seventy years were accomplished in the desolations of Jerusalem, he prayed unto the Lord his God, and made his confession, We have sinned and committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments, &c. The like we might show out of Ezra 9, 5, 6. and Nehem. 9. and many other places, which teach, that it is a duty required of us to make humble confession of our sins unto God.

[Reason 1] The reasons are weighty and effectual to enforce this duty. First, we shown in the former doctrine, that all sin is committed against God. Howsoever we may hurt men, and damnify them in their bodies and goods, yet the chiefest dishonor is done against God, whose law is broken and transgressed; as Psal, 51, 4. Against thee, even thee only have I sinned, and done evil in thy sight. If then the injury done to man, be an iniquity committed against God, we are bound to confess our sin unto him. But all the wrongs offered to our brethren, are sins against God: and therefore confession ought to be made unto him.

Secondly, we have shown also before, that [Reason 2] it is in God's power only to forgive sins, and free us from the punishment due unto sin. He only can give pardon for sin, that carried our sins on his body. The Scribes and Pharisees had grievously corrupted the purity of doctrine by the leaven of their own traditions: yet they held soundly and sincerely this principle, that God only forgiveth sins. They falsely interpreted the law of God, and perverted the true meaning of it by their glosses, yet they retained this truth, that none can forgive sins but God only, Mark. 2.7. If then God alone can forgive sins, then we must confess them unto him. But he alone can forgive sins, and therefore we must confess them unto him.

Thirdly, without confession of our sins, [Reason 3] there is no forgiveness nor hope of pardon: for God cannot in justice forgive us, except in humility we confess unto him, seeing without it we have no promise made unto us to find favor at his hands. If we be not ashamed to uncase and uncover our sins, he will not be ashamed of us, but show mercy toward us; as Prov. 28, verse 13. He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but who so confesseth and forsaketh them, shall have mercy. And the Apostle John affirmeth the same, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, 1 John 1, verse 9. The like remedy Paul delivereth to the Corinthians, who, for their irreverent & unworthy partaking of the Lord's Supper, were some of them weak, some sick, and some dead: If we would judge our selves, we should not be judged of the Lord. 1 Corin. 11, 31. And the Prophet David declareth the same by his own experience, Psal. 32, verse 5. I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid: I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord, and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. If then there be no forgiveness of sins without confession, it followeth, that it is our duty to confess them before him.

Fourthly, where there is no true confession [Reason 4] of sin, there is no sound repentance for sin. For the inward sight of sin and humbling of our selves for it, will open our mouths, & cause us to lay them open. As then the confessing of them with the tongue, is a sign and testimony that the heart hath forsaken them: so on the other side, the shutting up of our mouths and hiding of our sins, is an evident token, that as yet we lie in them, and have no purpose and resolution to depart frō them. We have never truly repented, until our iniquities be confessed. When David had numbered the people, and his heart did smite him for it, he cried out, O Lord, I have sinned exceedingly, in that I have done: now, O Lord, I beseech thee, take away the trespass of thy servant, for I have done very foolishly. If then we would assure our own hearts, that we have truly repented of our sins, and do not yet lie wallowing in them as a sow in the mire, let us by this fruit of our lips, confession to God, assure it. If we do not assure it this way, we shall never be sure.

Fifthly, this confession tendeth to the glorification [Reason 5] of the Name of God. The hiding of our sins and the smothering of them, as fire under the ashes, dishonoreth him; whereas by revealing of them, his Name is honored, forasmuch as we make manifest thereby the glory of his mercy, of his patience, and of his justice. Of his mercy, in sparing of us, and showing compassion toward us. Of his patience, in long forbearing of us, and waiting for our repentance, whereas he might have suddenly destroyed us. And of his justice, by acknowledging, that if he should punish us and proceed against us, we had our desert, he should do us no wrong, that so he might be just in all his doings, Psal. 51, verse 4. This is that reason which Joshua urgeth unto Achan, Josh. 7, verse 19. My son, give I pray thee, glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession unto him, and tell me now what thou hast done, hide it not from me. Where we see, he joineth giving glory to God, and making confession of sin, together, so that the one cannot be separated from the other. For sin doth no more serve to the dishonoring of God, then the sincere confession of sins serveth to the glorifying of his Name: and as the committing of it causeth his Name to be blasphemed, so the confessing of it causeth his Name to be honored and magnified. Such as cannot repent of their evil ways, do by their hardness of heart and obstinacy of mind, more dishonor and reproach the Name of GOD, then by committing most grievous sins. For to settle the heart upon wickedness, with a purpose to continue therein, and so to oppose himself against grace, against the calling and threatenings of God, is no better then to accuse God of lying and injustice. Of lying, whiles he calleth us unto him, and denounceth his judgments against us. Of wrong and injustice, whiles he chastiseth us for our sins, and doth not spare us.

[Use 1] The doctrine being thus fully confirmed, the uses arising from hence are to be learned. And first it serveth to reprove sundry abuses of those that fail in the performance of this duty. Among which enormities, the corrupt practice of the Church of Rome is not the least, who abuse this doctrine of confession, and make it as an hook to catch men's goods, to know all men's secrets, and consequently a means to enrich themselves, and to empouerish others.

Hence it is, that they teach auricular confession to be necessary under the pain of damnation, for everyone that receiveth the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ, immediately before it.

First, they will have all men confess, and then they must hear Mass: a fit door to such an house. And what are their Priests for the most part, to whom they send us to make confession, but ignorant persons, not able to minister a word of comfort in due season? Are we to acknowledge all our sins unto him, that hath an ear to hear us, and not a tongue to instruct us? But many of their Clergy are unlearned, and yet of greater learning then conscience; so that men ought no more to reckon up their sins to such confessors, then in sickness, to take counsel of one that is ignorant in physic. We have shown before, that the Priest cannot properly pardon sin, forasmuch as he cannot pronounce pardon and forgiveness to any man, except he be truly contrite and penitent before God. But God only and the party penitent, know and understand the contrition of the heart, without which, the dearest sellers and setters out of pardons, dare not say that a sinner is pardoned. For hypocrites may dissemble in their confessions, and by their dissembling, deceive such as have the quickest sight, and the greatest knowledge, and the deepest judgment, who, by all their skill, are not able to dive down into the secrets of the soul.

If then God only know the heart, and understand the imagination of all thoughts of the children of men, how can their Priests simply and absolutely take upon them to forgive sins, seeing they are not able to judge of the soundness and sincerity of the heart? Nevertheless, the consciences of these men are so seared and so senseless, that without any color of truth, or show of godliness, they are not ashamed to teach, that the want of their popish penance, will drive all men, either to desperation, or to security and presumption: whereas the clean contrary is an evident truth. For the doctrine concerning that supposed and pretended Sacrament, offereth manifest occasion both of presumption and of desperation, as might be made plain by many examples. Of presumption, in them that are carnally minded. Of desperation, in them that have broken hearts and tender consciences. Such as are secure, it maketh them more secure; and such as are too much cast down already, it driveth them directly toward the pit of hell. For the one thinketh with himself that he hath a very easy remedy for his sins, and that he need not to trouble himself much with them, nor break one hour of sleep for them, nor forbear one jot of pleasure to be eased of them; he can quickly discharge them and easily disburden them into a Priests ear, and thereby hath a pasport given him to commit sin afresh? the other, considering the impossibility of confession to be performed, and the insufficiency of the satisfaction enjoined, which notwithstanding are made the parts of this counterfeit Sacrament, can find no comfort in the Priests absolution.

[Object 1] But they object, that after Christ was risen again, he sent out his Disciples, and breathed upon them, saying, Receive ye the holy Ghost; whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them, and whosoeuers sins ye retain, they are retained, John 20, 22, 23.

I answer, [Answer.] they can never establish their shrift out of these words, but do plainly show, that either they want their eiesight, or else they think others to be stark blind. For seeing Christ sent his Apostles into the whole world, that they should preach the Gospel upon the house tops, that is, openly and evidently, who will be so foolish as to imagine, that this can be understood of Auricular confession? This authority is joined with the Ministry of the Gospel, as the Apostle teacheth, 1 Cor. 5, verse 18, 19, 20. God hath reconciled us unto himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation, to wit, that GOD was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, &c. Thus we see, that sinners are reconciled to God, and obtain remission of sins by the Ministry of preaching the Gospel, apprehending and receiving the benefit thereof by faith, not by confession: forasmuch as we have in the word, neither precept nor example of reckoning our sins in secret unto the Priest, to the ende we may obtain forgiveness of them. All the examples and commandments mentioned in the Scriptures, call us with a loud voice, and carry us the direct way unto God, advising us to speak to him, who we are sure will answer us: to crave of him, who we are certain will hear us. The Prophet saith, I said, I will confess my sins unto the Lord, and thou forgavest me. Psalm 32, verse 5. The same we read in Hosea, chap. 14, verse 2. Take with you words, and turn to the Lord: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously, so will we render the calves of our lips. Yea, the servants of God were so far from binding themselves to number up all their sins, that David saith in the Psalm, Who can understand his errors? Cleanse thou me from secret faults? Psalm 19, 12. and 38, 5. True it is, many of the ancient do oftentimes speak much of confession, but it is of public confession in the face of the Church, made by him that had committed some public and notorious crime, and given scandal to the whole Church: whereas there was no law set forth of this auricular confession before Innocent. the third, who first of all made an act and decree touching the same. For they call men back from running unto men to tell them their sins, who may put them to shame and rebuke, make them blush, and hit them in the teeth with them, and also bring them to the knowledge of others: but to the Lord that careth for us, to him that is our Physician, and cureth our wounds: as the servant, when he hath offended, craveth not forgiveness of his fellow-servant, but at the hands of his master. And why should we fear to unburden our conscience of that, which we feared not to commit in his presence? If we come unto him, we may be assured he will turn away his face from our iniquities.

Again, some object the words of the Apostle [Object 2] James, chapter 5, verse 16. Confess your sins one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. Loe, say they, here is an express commandment given unto us to confess our sins. And we see the practice of it to John, Math. 3, verse 5, 6. To whom went out Jerusalem and all Judea, and all the regions round about Jordan, and were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins. These are the Scriptures that the Rhemists use to establish their error, as the groundwork of their building.

I answer [Answer.] unto them both; and first to the commandment, then to the example or practice of it.

Touching the precept or commandment, howsoever it may carry some show, yet if we mark it, the place rather marreth their market, then helpeth the matter. For the confession of faults here spoken off, is in time of sickness at the private houses of the diseased, when the sick person acknowledgeth to the standers by that come to visit him, wherein and in what manner he had offended them; & the standers by, wherein they had offended him; and both of them desired to be reconciled one to another, and so depart hence in peace, Math. 5, verse 23. It was not made therefore alone and apart in the Church, in time of health, in the ear of the Priest, in the supposed holy time of Lent, a little before Easter, or before they prepared themselves to hear Mass.

Secondly, here he requireth that we confess our sins and offenses one to another, not all to one: so that this text belongeth to mutual confession, not to sacramental confession. Whereby we may evidently prove, that their popish Priests are as well bound to confess themselves to lay-men, as the lay-men are bound to confess themselves to popish Priests. Otherwise, how can we be said to confess one to another? If any confess unto me, and I confess unto none, how have we kept this rule? How have we confessed our faults one to another?

Thirdly, as we are commanded to confess our faults one to another, so we are also charged to pray one for another: for the Apostle joineth these two together.

But they are ashamed to say, that this pertaineth only to the Priest to pray for others: wherefor then should confession pertain unto him more then the prayer here spoken off? forasmuch as there is a like respect of both these, Confess one to another, and pray one for another. This point therefore is so clear, that the Rhemists themselves confess, that it is not certain, but only probable, that the Apostle speaketh here of sacramental confession: and besides, Cardinal Caietane, in his Commentaries upon the same place, observeth, that it cannot be understood of the Sacrament of Confession, because the Apostle doth not say, Acknowledge your faults to the Priest, but one to another. Touching the practice of the people that came to John's baptism, they confess their sins in general, and not all of them in particular: not compelled unto it, but voluntarily moved. For if they had confessed their sins particularly, John must have stood from morning to evening many years together, because Jerusalem, and all Jewry, and all the Country about Jordan came unto him: in which number no doubt were many thousands, and an innumerable company that were never shriven before; so that their confessions must be very long, & he must of necessity have shriuing work enough all the days of his life, & therefore it was impossible there should be a particular enumeration of all their sins.

Secondly, it reproveth such as hide their sins, and cannot be brought to confess thē. Such as do deny them, fail in this duty, and are far from true repentance, and consequently from free forgiveness. They have skill and will to set out other men's sins, and to stretch them at large to the uttermost, that they may make them seem greater then they are: but touching their own offenses, either they will not understand them, or they will excuse them: and you shall be sure to get thē to confess no more then you can prove against them. Look what you can convince them off, they will confess, because they cannot deny it: where you stick at the proof, they will stick to lay open themselves, and they will go no farther then you can go, but impudently deny the rest. They will never be brought to confess they have sinned, until they be taken in their sin, so that the first time of their taking, shall be the first time of their sinning.

This is a corruption, the which we have drawn from our first parents, to hide our sins, as Adam. When he was examined by the most upright Judge, he posted the matter over, from himself to his wife, Gen. 3, 12, 13. The woman that thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the woman after his example, went about to clear her self, and laid all the blame upon the Serpent; The Serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. But all this served not their turn, God found them out, and punished them for their sin. In this number we may range all such as keep silence, and hold their peace, when they have committed sin, albeit they hear it inquired into: as Achan did, when he had stolen away the wedge of gold and the Babylonish garment, Josh. 7, 16, who hid his sin until he saw it detected by others. Thus do very many account it a notable point of wisdom to keep their own counsel; and if they can cunningly carry it away, they glory in it, and rejoice in their own wicked devices. Others that are driven to speak somewhat touching their offenses, will notwithstanding answer nothing to the purpose, as Gehazi did, whose confession was no confession, Thy servant went no whither. When God called Cain to an account for the horrible parricide he had committed against his own natural brother, and began to question with him about it, Where is Abel thy btother? he answered, I cannot tell, am I my brothers keeper? He would not confess it, but stood in defense of it, or at least would shake it off frō him, as a matter impertinent unto him, and no way concerning him. This was a sign of his impenitency & hardness of heart: it is a sure testimony, that as yet he had no touch of conscience, nor feeling of sin, nor regard of punishment. Thus the case standeth with many among us they care not how they run on in their sins, yet cannot be brought to confess them to GOD, that they may find mercy. Such have no comfort of heart, nor peace of conscience, but lie under the wrath of God, and come far behind Judas, the son of perdition.

Thirdly, there is another sort, that will not hide their sin altogether, but yet mince it & diminish it, as if it stuck between their teeth, and they were loath to utter it, so that they are unwilling to declare what they have done. They can amplify the sins of others, but they will extenuate their own: and confess them so slightly and coldly, that thereby they farther discover their own wickedness▪ and that they are not touched at the heart with a feeling of them. A cold confession bewrayeth and argueth a cold repentance, and shall bring as cold an effect and fruit of consolation. For like confession, like consolation. If a Subject that hath offended his Prince, should crave pardon of the Prince, in such sort as many ask forgiveness of God, he should be assured to find little favor. If he should say unto the Prince, I confess I have rebelled and offended, but many others have offended the Law, as much or more, I was not the principal agent or dooer in it, I was drawn into it by others; would this submission be accepted at his hands? How then shall we think that God will approve of us, when we cut short our sins in confessing, which we have enlarged in committing? We are not ashamed to say, I am not the • reatest sinner; I pray God I may never do anything worse, and then I hope I shall do well enough; I am not the first that have sinned, and I am sure I shall not be the last; I am not alone, but others are as bad as I; let everyone look to himself; I am (I thank God) neither whoremaster, nor thief, nor murderer, nor drunkard. These are they that justify themselves, like the Pharisee in the Gospel, Luke 18, verse 11, 12. who prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this Publican. These are they, that peradventure will not stick with you to acknowledge some of their sins, especially such as are in the eyes and ears of the world, seen and heard of all men: but they will not confess all, nor the greatest, nor the chiefest, nor the most secret: like unto those foolish Mariners that go about to stop the least and smallest holes in the Ship, and let the greatest and widest alone; or like unwise patients that would show to the Surgeon their lightest wounds, & hide from him the most deep and dangerous; or like a watchman that should discover a little band and troop of enemies coming to assault the City, and conceal a great army that is ready to enter, and to cast down the walls. We must keep none of our sweet sins, nor of our profitable sins, but confess them all to him that hath promised to cover them, and not to impute them unto us. Such are in the right way to true blessedness; as for others, they are out of the right way. For it condemneth such as are content to confess in general terms, that they are sinners: but you shall as soon wring water out of a flint, as any particular confession out of their mouths; they are too much in love with themselves, they are too much in love with their own sins.

If we look for pardon at the hands of God, we must not be ashamed, or afraid, or astonished to set them out at large, with their parts and circumstances, at what times, in what places, after what manner, and among what persons we have committed them. Thus have the faithful servants of God done, and found comfort by it. This is the right way to obtain forgiveness, and to procure a blessing at the hand of almighty God, & a plain proof of true humiliation: without which there is no forgiveness at all can be assured unto us.

[Use 2] Secondly, this confession of our sins unto God, ministereth wonderful comfort to all such as are truly grieved, and heartily sorrowful for them. When we can freely pour out our meditations before him, and lay open our secret sins, that neither friend nor foe knoweth, or can touch us withal, whē we can hate with an earnest hatred our best beloved sins, that have been as dear unto us, as our right hand, or our right eye; when we can complain of them, speak evil of them, deface, and every way disgrace them, as carnal men do their utter enemies, it is a true sign that our hearts are touched by the Spirit of God; as our Savior Christ teacheth, John 16, verse 8. When the Comforter is come he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.

We have no greater enemies then our sins, which are many in number, strong in power, deceitful in snaring, and dangerous in subduing of us. They are in number as the sand on the sea shore, that cannot be reckoned, and moe then the hairs of our head, or then the hours that we have lived. They are as strong as an army of men set in battle array, who by their power and puissance, have struck down the chosen men of Israel. They deceive with their pleasures, as the bird is taken in the snare, and as the subtle harlot that flattereth with her mouth. They bring danger both to soul and body, and leave us not till we perish forever, and be cast into the pit of hell, from whence there is no redemption.

Seeing then their nature is such, that they carry us headlong with violence into perdition, we should also malign them and hate them as death, nay, as him that hath the power of death, that is, the devil. Hebr. 2, verse 14. If we find them too cunning and crafty for us, and our selves too weak to deal against them being armed with all the forces of Satan and of the world, let us go to him that being stronger then that strong man, is able to take away all his weapons, (Luke 11, verse 22.) and bind him in chains, even the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah, (Revel. 5, verse 5.) that is able to stop the mouth of that roaring Lyon, which seeketh whom he may devour, 1 Pet. 5, 8. He knoweth whereof we are made, he remembereth that we are but dust.

And as he is of power to help us, and subdue our corruptions, so he is of infinite mercy to pardon us our sins. He knoweth what is in us, better then we our selves know our selves: forasmuch as he is greater then our hearts, and knoweth all things.

If then we confess our sins truly and unfeignedly, as he is faithful and just, (1 John, chap, 1, verse 9.) so he will forgive us: he hath made the promise, and the word is gone out of his mouth, which he cannot call back again: he hath uttered his voice, and he cannot deny it, no more then he can deny himself.

If he should retain our sins, we being penitent, he should forfeit and falsify his truth, which cannot agree to the divine nature, and therefore (as one rightly speaketh) he should be a greater leeser then we. This is evidently to be seen in the Psalms of repentance penned by the Prophet David, as Psalm 32. At the first he sought by all the means that he could, to hide his sins, he sendeth for Uriah, and useth sundry shifts to convey him unto his house, and thereby to cover his sin. When that policy would not serve, he sendeth secretly to Joab, to put him in place of danger, and thē to retire from him, that he might fall by the sword of the Ammonites. But whiles he seeketh all means to cover it, God, the searcher of hearts, doth discover it, and sendeth his Prophet unto him, to reprove him. Heereby, even by the Ministry of the word, his heart is touched, and he is made to see the grievousness of his sin, & against whom he had sinned; then he is not ashamed to acknowledge it, and to leave a memorial of it in the Church for the good of others. Thus he found wonderful comfort by his confession, and could find none without it, I acknowledged my sin, and thou forgavest mine iniquity. Psal. 32, 5. The consideration of the multitude of our sins is able to bring us to despair: but the confession of our sins is able to raise up to hope again, and to stay us up with the mercies of GOD, which are as flagons of wine to refresh us. When David had thus confessed that he had sinned, God sent him a comfortable message that cheered his heart and quieted his conscience. The Prophet that before threatened & thundered out the Law, now applieth precious balm, and poureth wine and oil into his wounds▪ saying unto him in the Name of God, Thy sin is pardoned. They that are escaped by the mercy of God (as it were from a dangerous shipwreck) out of their sins, would not come into the same case and condition again, for to gain a kingdom, nay, all the kingdoms of the world. When the sinful woman confessed her sins by shedding abundance of tears, and wiping the feet of Christ with the hairs of her head, he answered concerning her as the Lord of life and comfort, Many sins are forgiven her, for she loved much, Luke 7, verse 47. Thus he spake graciously and comfortably to the penitent thief on the Cross, accusing himself, reproving his fellow, justifying Christ, confessing his faith, and asking forgiveness, This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise, Luke 23, 43. The more often we go unto God, and confess our sins before him, the better it is for us, the more mercifully he will deal with us, the greater grace he will bestow upon us, the farther he will remove his judgments from us, and the nearer he will approach unto us.

[Use 3] Lastly, let us all labor after a right confession. Many have confessed their sins, and yet found little comfort, as Pharaoh, Saul, Judas, the Israelites, and many others. If we hope to speed better then these men, then we must confess better then they did. If we sin with them, and confess as they did, we shall reap no better fruit then they did. We are apt to favor and flatter our selves, we are possessed with self-love. We cannot look upon other men's virtues, nor our own vices: we are blind in seeing our own faults, whereas we are sharp sighted and quick eyed to espy a little mote in other men's faces. We should rather consider our own wants to be humbled for them, then the graces we have, to be puffed up by them. No man seeth the spots that be in his own face: so he discerneth not the sins that are in his own soul. He that would know his deformities, taketh a glass, which showeth unto him what he is, and how he is: so if we would understand our secret & open sins, we must behold our faces in the law of God, for by the law cometh the knowledge of sin, Rom. 3, 20. We must therefore examine our selves touching this duty of confession, and observe diligently the true properties of it. Not everyone that saith, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. Not everyone that saith, I am a sinner, I am unclean, is a true convert, and a right penitent. Nothing is more common thē to hear men say, I confess myself a sinner, all men are sinners, there is no man that sinneth not, God be merciful unto us: this is the ordinary confession of every man. These are no better then words of course, it is rotten at the root, it is blasted in the ear; it is green in the leaves, but beareth no fruit; it is beautiful without, but soul and filthy within; it is formal in show, but fading in substance. Wherefore, that we may not deceive our selves as a great part of the world do; we are to understand the properties of true confession, that we may comfort our selves in them, if we find them in us: or else labor to attain unto them, if we feel the want of them: and seek to increase in the knowledge of them, if we have already received them.

First of all, we must confess to God our special and particular sins, as the patient that would be cured, not only telleth the Physician that he is sick, but acknowledgeth in what part and in what manner, & how long he hath been sick. When men complain to Magistrates, of the wrongs that have been done them, they will express in what particulars and in what sort they have been damnified. Shall we not much rather seek to the Physician of our souls, and acknowledge to him how sorely we are sick, especially considering he knoweth our diseases better then our selves? If there were no other motive to stir us up to this duty of confession, this were sufficient: because we cannot hide them from him. We may conceal them from the knowledge of men, but with all our craft and cunning, with all our devises and policies, with all our fetches and falsehood, we cannot conceal them from God, whose eyes pierce into the bowels of the earth, and into the depth of hell. This is that which the wise man delivereth, Hell & destruction are before the Lord, how much more the hearts of the sons of men? Pro. 15, 11. So y ^t there is nothing so deep, nothing so secret, w ^c can be hidden frō the sight of God. Hence it is, that David confessed oftentimes, that he had sinned: & addeth in what kinds, in blood-guiltiness, and in numbering of the people: so Paul confessed, that he was a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an oppressor, the chiefest of all sinners, 1 Tim. 1, 15. We see then to whom we must go to confess, and in what manner we are to perform it: which serveth to reprove those, that when their sins are discovered and come to sight, that they can no longer hide them, do submit themselves unto men, and stoop down to them, but never humble themselves before God, whom they have offended, nor acknowledge how shamefully they have broken his laws. We have many false tears shed to blind and blear the eyes of men, but they never seek unfeignedly to reconcile themselves unto him that is able to save and to destroy, and never stand in fear of him that can destroy body and soul in hell fire. Let us take heed of this hypocrisy, which is a most vain and fruitless kind of humiliation, of which we shall speak more afterward.

Secondly, we must set out our sins in their right colors, as beggars that uncover their sores to men, that they may behold them and show mercy. We must be so far from making our sins lighter and lesser then they are, that we should enlarge them to the full, and labor to make them appear vile & heinous as they are. A notable practice of this we have in David, Psal. 51, 5. he ascendeth up from his present sins to his original corruption, Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. The like we see in Ezra, chap. 9, verse 6. when the people had transgressed by making affinity with strangers, taking of their daughters for themselves and for their sons, he fell upon his knees, & spread out his hands unto the Lord his God, and said, O my God, I am ashamed, and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens. We must confess, when, and where, and how we have sinned. We must confess how much we have dishonored God, and scandalized the Church, and how long we have lived and continued in our sins. We must confess, that if he should condemn us, he should do us no wrong, but we must clear him and the course of his justice, when he proceedeth against us. We heard how Paul confessed his sin in the time of his ignorance, that he had persecuted the Church of God extremely, and made havoc of it horribly, Gal. 1, 13. and therefore was not only the least of all Saints, but the greatest of all sinners. Neither doth he, in uttering this speech, make a lie, or speak for modesty sake, but as he thought in his heart, esteeming no man's sin like his own, nor understanding another man's as he doth his own, nor feeling another man's as his own. Thus do the servants of God deal with themselves, & with their sins, and thereby show that they were out of love with themselves and their sins. This reproveth those that content themselves with a word and away, they cannot abide to stand long in their confession, as if they were afraid to humble themselves too far: whereas we cannot make our selves too vile, nor hate our sins too much. Many confess thē, as if they meant presently to return unto thē, like to the harlot that wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have not committed iniquity, Pro. 30, 20. whereas we should hate thē with a perfect hatred as our utter enemies y ^t seek our destructiō

Thirdly, our confession must proceed from the heart, it must be sound at the root, otherwise the fruit will be blasted, rotten, corrupt, and unsavory, as Prov. 4, 23. Keep thine heart with all diligence, for thereout cometh life: and chap. 23, 26. My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes delight in my ways. Thus it was with David, Ps. 6.7, 6. whose soul was troubled very sore, I fainted in my mourning, I cause my bed every night to swim, and water my couch with my tears, and the more he was afflicted, the more unfeignedly he came to God. Such was the confession of the Publican, when he smote his breast, and said, Lord be merciful to me a sinner. When he laid his hand upon his breast, if it had been possible, he would have touched and taken his heart to have offered it up to God. If we bring unto God only an outward confession, fetched no farther then from y ^e mouth, it returneth empty to us again, and never obtaineth any blessing. This lip-labor God hateth as a lame offering, and a maimed sacrifice, The heart is as salt that seasoneth every part of the worship of God, & every exercise of our religion, & every fruit of our most holy faith. This is commended to have been in Ephraim by the Prophet, After that I converted, I repented: and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh, I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth. Ier. 31, 18. Hypocriticall confession is no confession.

Fourthly, we must confess our sins with an hatred of them. For where there is no feeling of sin, there can be no pardon of sin: and therefore Christ calleth such to him as were weary and heavy laden, and ready to faint & fall down under the burden of them, Mat. 11, 28. The Prophet confesseth, that his sins were as a weighty burdē too heavy for him, so that he went crooked, & bowed very sore. So long as sin appeareth unto men small as a mote, light as a feather, pleasant as a sport, y ^t it groweth to be as common with them as going in the high way, drinking iniquity as water, and delighting in it as in meat & drink, it is plain they know not the nature of it. Many hypocrites like Judas have confessed their particular sins, who said, he had sinned in betraying innocent blood; but it is of custom without conscience, or of passion without remorse, or of fear without change: because they are weary of the punishments that lie upon them, but are not weary of their sins that are y ^e causes of them: their plagues seem heavy, but their sins seem light, whereas the sins that are in us, should more grieve us, then the judgments that are upon us. Such men are for the present touched with the stroke of God's hand; but after they have confessed, and the punishment is removed, they are the same that they were before, and are found no changlings, they return again to their old sins, as the dog to his vomit, and practice that which before they seemed to abhor. Let us therefore hate sin much more then the punishment, lest we be as malefactors that oftentimes cry out for the punishment, but seldom or never for their offense. Sin is the breach of God's law, and the procuring cause of all punishment. If we be careful to stay the cause, we shall quickly and easily stay the effect: and if we would judge our selves, we should not be judged of the Lord. Fifthly, our confession must not be extorted or enforced, but freely and willingly performed. Many men confess their sins, but this is no free will offering, they are forced unto it by the rigor of the Law, or by the anguish of the soul, or by violence of sickness, or by fear of death, or by the crack of God's judgment, or by the censure of men. If we be as forward to confess them to the glory of God, as we were forward to commit them to his dishonor, we have comfort in the performance of this duty, and it will work in us repentance never to be repented of. But if necessity compel us to this, as it did Pharaoh and Judas, and Achan, while the rod was upon their backs, or God otherwise had found them out, it is our crosses that make us confess, and not our sins, as Psa. 78. When the wrath of God was heavy upon them, so that he slew them, and consumed their days in vanity and their years hastily, then they sought him and they returned, and sought God early, they remembered that God was their strength, and the most high God their redeemer: but they flattered hem with their mouth, and dissembled with him with their tongue. Every duty must be performed to God cheerfully, if it be done otherwise, God regardeth it not.

Sixthly, this must be observed in our confession, that we ought not so far to dwell upon the meditation of our sins, that we forget the mercies of God, and faith in his promises, and forgiveness of our sins. Judas confessed against himself his own particular sin in betraying his master, and shedding of innocent blood: howbeit this being wrested from him, through horror of his conscience, and the fearful apprehension of God's wrath, he never expected any mercy, but went his way solitary, and hanged himself desperately. He had no belief of pardon, nor hope of favor, nor desire of repentance, and therefore his confession served to no other end, but to acknowledge as on the one side the Justice of God, and the equality of his ways, so on the other side, the merit of his own punishment, and the sealing up of his own just condemnation, by his own mouth. It was far otherwise with Peter, after he had denied and abjured his master, he repented of his sin and wept bitterly for the same, he believed the promise, and laid hold on mercy, and was saved. This confession was joined with faith, which sanctified it to his comfort. Confession joined with infidelity is no confession, for unbelief is as a bitter root that poisoneth it, and maketh it unsavory and vnhealthfull.

Seventhly, it belongeth unto us and to our confession, to join prayer to God for the pardon of our sins. It is our duty together with our acknowledging of our faults, to ask forgiveness, and to pray for mercy to the God of all mercy, against whom we have trespassed without which all is in vain. Thus did not Cain that despaired and cried out, that his sin was greater then he could bear, and therefore received no comfort nor grace in time of need. How many and great soever our sins are▪ let us never give over prayer for pardon. It is one of the engines of the devil whereby he betrayeth our souls, and he catcheth many in his snare. He knoweth, that they are holden fast as slaves in chains and fetters, that are persuaded to give over prayer. He is in the way to Atheism, that prayeth not at all, Psal. 14.4. He is forsaken of God that thinketh it needless and superfluous, as appeareth in Saul when the noise that was in the host of the Philistines spread farther abroad, he said unto the Priest that brought the Ark of God, Withdraw thine hand, as if he had said, There is now no time to ask counsel of the mouth of God, Numb. 27.21. It is otherwise with the servants of God, though they have been overcome by the strength of their corruption, by want of watchfulness, by the subtlety of sin, and by the temptation of Satan, yet they would never shut up their mouths from the invocation of the Name of God, and from calling for mercy at his hands. We see this in David, both in the book of Psalms & in other places, Psal. 51.1. We see it in the penitent Publican, Luk. 18.13. and 15. • 1. and in the prodigal son that returned to his fathers house. We see it in the Israelites, and in many others. To this doth the Prophet exhort them, Hos. 14.3. Take unto you words and turn to the Lord; and say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously, so will we render the calves of our lips.

Thus we see, confession of sin, and asking of pardon, must join hand in hand and go together as friends that are agreed: so that we should not hope for pardon, but pray for pardon of God, whose nature is to forgive iniquity, transgression, and sin, that is, sins of all sorts, how great and heinous soever they be. If we sin against God, and never ask forgiveness of God, we shall never receive forgiveness at his hands.

Lastly, we ought so to confess our sins, as that we have also a purpose to leave and to forsake our sins. We must not think to find mercy, so long as we have a desire to continue in them.

Hence it is, that the Prophet saith, Isaiah, 55.7. Let the wicked forsake his ways, and the unrighteous his own imaginations, and return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for he is very ready to forgive. This is true repentance to fly from sin, forasmuch as everyone that nameth the Name of Christ, must depart from iniquity, 2 Tim. 2.19. This is a faulty confession of sin, when there appeareth no change or alteration in them that do confess. We must confess both some of our sins and all of them, and keep none of the sweetness of them under our tongues, as Job speaketh: but refrain from them, and be afraid that they will be unto us as the gall of Asps. We must cast aside everything that presseth down, and the sin that hangeth so fast on: he will bring all sin unto judgment, and therefore we should confess all of them, if we would have pardon of all of them. We desire to have them all pardoned, so that we must hide none of them, nor conceal them, for thereby we shut up God's mercy, and are enemies to our own peace.

And shall restore the damage thereof with his principal, and put the fifth part of it more thereunto, &c. The second means of expiation of our sins, or of receiving forgiveness of them, is restitution; which is set down three ways. He that hath wronged his neighbor must restore, first the principal: secondly, the damage: and thirdly, he shall add a fifth part thereto: to the end that all persons should be terrified from committing this or the like sin, and the owner may have a full amends, and receive a perfect satisfaction. True it is, our offenses are forgiven freely without our deserts, and certain it is, we cannot make amends and satisfaction to God: but we can, and may, and ought unto our brethren which are damnified by us.

Now, if God had ordained, that such as purloyne from men their goods, either by open oppression, or by forged cavillation, or by violent extortion, or by colorable circumvention, should only restore the principal portion which they have taken away, it might have encouraged many in their wicked ways, and have strengthened the hands of the fraudulent dealer. For he might reason thus with himself, I will enrich myself with my neighbors goods, and draw unto me that which is his: I will go closely and covertly to work, it is a thousand to one that ever it be known, or I espied: and if it come abroad to the open light, I know the hardest and the worst that may befall, he can have but his own again; and so, though I be no winner, I am sure I shall be no looser. To prevent this mischief, and to stop the mouths of all those that are ready to do wrong, the Lord decreeth, that such a one shall restore not only the principal, but he shall repay the damage that the owner hath sustained by the lack or loss of his goods and besides he shall add a fifth part thereunto, whether it be more or less that he hath taken away. From hence we learn, that whatsoever is unjustly taken away from the right owners, ought to be restored unto them again. It is a duty required at our hands to make restitution to our brethren, whensoever we have wronged them, and whatsoever we have taken from them. When Abimelech had taken away Abraham's wife, while he sojourned in Gerar, the Lord said unto him in a dream, Deliver the man his wife again, for he is a Prophet, and he shall pray for thee, that thou mayest live: but if thou deliver her not again, be sure that thou shalt die the death, thou, and all that thou hast. Gen. 20.7. Abimelech is commanded to restore her again to him, whose by right she was, and to whom only she pertained. Many laws to like purpose are set down in the book of Exodus, chap. 22.1, 3, 4, 5, &c. If a man steal an ox or a sheep, and kill it, and sell it, he shall restore five oxen for the ox, and four sheep for the sheep, &c. If a man do hurt field or vineyard, and put in his beast to feed in another man's field, he shall recompense of the best of his own field, and of the best of his own vineyard. So in the book of Leviticus, chap. 6.1, &c. the Lord ordaineth, If a soul sin, and commit a trespass against the Lord, it shall be, because he hath sinned, that he shall restore, &c. And to this purpose, Samuel appealeth to the consciences of the people 1 Sam. 12.3. Behold here I am: bear record of me before the Lord, and before his Anointed; whose ox have I taken? or whose asse have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? or whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I received a bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you. Everyone that hath government over others, cannot truly say thus, but everyone ought to do thus. Whereby we see, that howsoever God commandeth us to confess our sins which we have committed unto him, yet that is not sufficient, unless we also make actual restitution to him whom we have offended.

This truth is yet better to be confirmed [Reason 1] by strength of reason. And first we must know that it is a fruit or sign of true repentance and turning unto God, and of an heart touched with a feeling of his former offenses, that he which hath stolen, will steal no more. This we see in the example of Zacchaeus, Luke 19.8. when once he believed in Christ, who had as it were lighted a candle within his heart, y ^t he began to see his own unrighteousness, and so his unworthiness to receive any good thing, he stood forth and said unto the Lord, Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor▪ and if I have taken away anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. He testifieth his repentance by his readiness to make restitution; whereas he that keepeth stolen goods, stealeth still, and is no better then a thief, and consequently far from repentance.

[Reason 2] Secondly, without restitution there can be no remission: forasmuch as repentance is falsely counterfeited, and not truly practiced. God will not forgive such as retain with them their neighbors goods. To steal from them, and to keep that which is stolen, is a plain token that we are resolved to continue in sin. He that is persuaded and determined not to depart from stolen goods which are sweet morsels unto him, is resolved to be a thief, and not to give over. Thus God is mocked and dallied withal, and his law neglected and despised. This the Prophet Ezekiel pointeth out, chap. 18.7, 9, 12, 13. and 33, 15. He that hath not oppressed any, but hath restored to the debtor his pledge, he shall surely live, saith the Lord God: but he that hath oppressed the poor and needy, and hath spoiled by violence, and hath not restored the pledge, &c. he shall surely die, his blood shall be upon him. Seeing then, such as restore and so make recompense of that they have taken away, have promise of forgiveness, & contrariwise, such as never make restitution have a terrible threatening of death denounced against them, it followeth that this is a duty required of all persons.

[Reason 3] Thirdly, the performance of it is a very special means to bring a blessing upon us: a blessing, I say, from him to whom restitution is made. For, when he shall see how God hath touched their heart with a feeling of their sin, that they can no longer keep that which is not their own, albeit power be in their hand to do it, it shall stir him up to desire and procure their good: and to crave a blessing to come down upon them. This is that which we read in Moses, Deut. 24.12, 13. If the man be poor, thou shalt not sleep with his pledge, &c. that he may bless thee. This end is not to be neglected, forasmuch as the ears of God are always open to hear the cry of the poor, and he hath promised to help them, and to bring a curse upon all their oppressors, to their destruction.

[Reason 4] Fourthly, as the loins of the poor shall bless them that restore, so God will accept it, as a work of justice and righteousness, and as a fruit of his spirit, justifying us by the righteousness of Christ Jesus his Son, and sanctifying us to his glory. In the place of Scripture before remembered, Moses teacheth this, and layeth it down as a strong reason, Deut. 24.13. where speaking of such as had taken pledges of the poor, he saith, In any case thou shalt deliver him the pledge again when the Sun goeth down, that he may sleep in his own raiment, &c. and it shall be righteousness unto thee before the Lord thy God. This also is a most forcible reason to move us to restitution, forasmuch as God sets it down as an infallible testimony of a justifying faith, and therefore the contrary is a fruit of infidelity; so that we shall never repent us of that we have done, nor wish it to be in our own hands again.

[Reason 5] Fifthly, the unjust retaining of other men's goods, hindereth many good things from us, inasmuch as God will accept no service nor duty at our hands, until we have rid our hands of things evilly gotten. We may come to hear his word, and to call upon his Name, and sit among the Saints and servants of God in the Congregation: howbeit, we hear without fruit, and we pray without profit. For this poisoneth and corrupteth unto us the best things of God. This is that which Christ teacheth us in the Gospel of Matthew, chap. 5.23.24. If thou bring thy gift to the Altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee (but he hath some just action against us, so long as we keep any of his goods wrongfully from him) leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way, first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. If then we desire that God should hear our prayers, or be well pleased with the hearing of his word, we must be careful to make recompense and satisfaction for such injuries as we have offered, and our brother hath sustained.

Now let us come to the uses, which are as [Use 1] it were the life and soul of this point, that hath been proved. First of all, it serveth to reprove all such as neglect this duty, and so offend against this doctrine. And among them, it meeteth directly & chiefly with those that commit sacrilege, robbing the Church, and defrauding the Ministers of that portion which God hath granted unto them in his holy word. The wise man saith, Pro. 20.25. It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy: and after vows to make inquiry. Our Savior himself saith, Matth. 10.10. The laborer is worthy of his wages. The Apostle Paul saith 1 Cor. 9.14. The Lord hath ordained, that they which preach the Gospel, should live of the Gospel. This sin came first from the man of sin, by whom tithes were first alienated, and impropriations erected, and Church-livings spoiled, for the maintenance of idle persons that sat still, and did nothing but eat and drink, and fat themselves in cloisters, as oxen in a stall: and these deal with the goods of the Church, as the soldiers did with y ^e garments of Christ, they parted his garments among them, and cast lots for his vesture. The Centurion is commended in the Gospel, that built a Synagogue for the Jews: but these men do what they can to pull down Churches, and to impoverish the Ministry, and to destroy the souls and salvation of many whom Christ redeemed. These spiritual thieves and Church-robbers, must learn to pay their due, and not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn, 1 Tim. 5.18. They rob God greatly of his honor, and dishonor him more then the heathen did their idols which are no gods.

These men glory in their Christianity, and yet are enemies unto Christ. So that the Gentiles that knew not God, shall arise in judgment against them, and condemn them. Secondly, it reproveth all oppressors that fill their houses with the spoils of the poor and needy: as Isaiah 3.14.15. The Lord will enter into judgment with the ancients of the people, and the Princes thereof: for ye have eaten up the vineyard, the spoil of the poor is in your houses. What mean ye that ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor, saith the Lord God of hosts? And to this purpose speaketh Micah, in his prophesies against this sin, chap. 3.3. They also eat the flesh of my people, and flay their skin from off them; they break their bones, and chop them in pieces, as for the pot, and as flesh within the caldron.