V. Men ought not to content themselves with a general repentance, but it is every man's duty to endeavour to repent of his particular fins particularly k. VI. As every man is bound to make private confeffion of his fins to God, praying for the pardon thereof 1; upon which, and the forfaking of them, he fhall find mercy m: So he that fcandalizeth his brother, or the church of Christ, ought to be willing, by a private or public confeffion and forrow for his fin, to declare his repentance to thofe that are offended n; who are there v. 18, Come now and let us reafon together, faith the Lord; though your fins be as fcarlet, they fhall be as white as fnow; though they be red like crimson, they fhall be as wool. V. k Pfal. xix. 13. Keep back thy fervant allo from prefumptuous fins, let them not have dominion over me; then fhall I be upright, and I fhall be innocent from the great tranfgreffion. Luke xix. 8. And Zac cheus ftood and faid unto the Lord, Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor, and if I have taken any thing from any man by falfe accufation, I reftore him four fold, 1 Tim. i. 13. Who was before a blafphemer, and a perfecutor, and injurious. But I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly, in unbelief. v. 15. This is a faithful faying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Jefus Chrift came into the world to fave fipners; of whom I am chief. VI, Pfal. li. 4. Against thee, thee only have I finned, and done this evil in thy fight that thou mightest be juftified when thou fpeakeft, and be clear when thou judgeft, v. 5. Be hold, I was shapen in iniquity: and in fin did my mother conceive me. v. 7. Purge me with hyffop, and I fhall be clean; wash me, and I fhall be whiter than the fnow. v. 9. Hide thy face from my fins; and blot out all mine iniquities. v. 14. Deliver me from blood guiltinefs, O God, thou God of my falvation: and my tongue fhall fing aloud of thy righ teoufnefs. Pfal. xxxii. 5. I acknowledged my fin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid: I said, i will confefs my tranfgreffions unto the Lord; and thou forgaveft the iniquity of my fin. Selah, v. 6. For this fhall every one that is godly pray unto thee, in a time when thou mayeft be found: furely in the floods of great waters, they fhall not come nigh unto him. Prov. xxviii. 13. He that covereth his fins, fhall not profper: but whofo confeffeth and forfaketh them. fhall have mercy. 1 John i. 9. If we confefs our fins; he is faithful and just to forgive us our fins, and to cleanfe us from all unrighteoufness. n James v. 16. Confefs your faults ane to another, and pray one for aRother, that ye may be healed: The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Luke xvii. 3. Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trefpafs against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. v. 4. And if he trefpafs against thee feven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, faying, repent; thou shalt forgive him. Jofh. vii. 19. And Joshua faid unto Achap, thereupon to be reconciled to him, and in love to receive him. G CHAP. XVI. Of Good Works. OOD works are only fuch as God hath commanded in his holy word a, and not fuch as, without the warrant thereof, are devised by men, out of blind zeal, or upon any pretence of good intention b. II. These good works, done in obedience to God's commandments, are the fruits and evidences of a true and lively faith c: and by them believers manifeft their thankful Achan, My fon, give, I pray thee, glory to the Lord God of Ifrael, and make confeffion unto him: and tell nie now what thou haft done, hide it not from me. (Pfal. li, through out.) 02 Cor. ii. 8. Wherefore I befeech you, that you would confirm your love towards him. nefa, ed their heart far from me, and their fear towards me is taught by the precept of men. I Pet.i. 18. Forafmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as filver and gold, from your vain converfation, received by tradition from your fathers. Rom, x. 2. For I hear them record, that they have a zeal of God, but not according to know ledge. John xvi. 2. They fhall put you out of the fynagogues, yea, the time cometh, that whofoever killeth you, will think that he doth God fervice. 1 Sam. xv. 21. But the people took of the fpoil,fheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to facrifice unto the Lord thy God in Gilgal. v. 22. And Samuel faid, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offer I. a Micah vi. 8. He hath fhewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justice, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? Rom, xii. 2. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable and perfect will of God. Heb. xiii. 21. Make you perfect in 'every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-ings and facrifices, as in obeying the pleafing in his fight, through Jefus voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey Chrift; to whom be glory for ever is better than facrifice; and to hearand ever. Ainen. ken, than the fat of rains. v. 23. For rebellion is as the fin of witchcraft, and ftubbornnefs is as iniquity and idolatry: because thou hall rejected the word of the Lord, he hath alfo rejected thee from being kingen. b Mat. xv. 9. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. Ifa. xxix, 13. Wherefore the Lord faid, Forafmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have remor II. c James i. 18. Yea, a man may fay, thou haft faith, and I have FALAS Dworks, neis d, ftrengthen their affurance e, edify their brethren ƒ, -adorn the profeffion of the gofpel g, ftop the mouths of the adverfaries b, and glorify God i, whofe workmanship they are, created works: fhew me thy faith without thy works, and I will fhew thee my faith by my works. v. 22. Seeft thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? d Pfal. cxvi. 12. What fhall I ren der unto the Lord for all his benefis towards me? v. 13. I will take the cup of falvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. 1 Pet. ii. 9. But ye are a chofen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye fhould fhew forth the praifes of him, who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. et John ii. 3. And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. v. 5. But whofo keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 2 Pet. i. 5. And befides this, giving all diligence, add to your faith, virtue : and to virtue, knowledge; v. 6. And to knowledge, temperance; and to temperance, patience; and to patience, godlinef; v. 7. And to godlinefs, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, charity. v. 8. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye fhall neither be barren, nor unfruitsul in the knowledge of our Lord Jefus Chrift. v. 9. But he that lacketh these things, is blind, and cannot fee afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old fins. v. 10. Wherefore the rather, brethyen, give diligence to make your calling and election fure: for if ye do thefe things, ye shall never fall, f 2 Cor. ix. 2. For I know the forwardness of your inind, for which I boaft of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zcal hath provoked very many. Mat. v. 16. Let your light fo fhine before men, that they may fee your good works, and glorify you Father who is in heaven. g Tit. ii. 5. To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blafphemed. v. 9. Exhort fervants to be obedient unto their own mafters, and to please them well in all things; not anfwering again; v, 10. Not purloining, but fhewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things, v. 11. "For the grace of God that bringeth falvation, hath appeared unto all men; v. 12. Teaching us, that denying ungodliness and worldly lufts, we thould live foberly, righteoußy, and godly in this prefent world. 1 Tim. vi. 1. Let as many fervants as are under the yeke, count their own mafters worthy of all honour; that the name of God and his doc trine be not blafphemed.. 1 Pet. ii. 15. For fo is the will of God, that with well-doing ye may put to filence the ignorance of foolih men. i 1 Pet. ii. 12. Having your coaverfation honeft among the Gentiles; that whereas they fpeak againft you as evil doers, they may, by your good works which they shall behold, glofy God in the day of vifitation. Phil. i. 11. Being filled with the fruits of righteoufaefs, which are by created in Chrift Jefus thereunto k, that, having their fruit unto holinefs, they may have the end eternal life. III. Their ability to do good works is not at all of themfelves, but wholly from the Spirit of Christ m. And that they may be enabled thereunto, befides the graces they have alrea dy received, there is required an actual influence of the fame holy Spirit, to work in them to will and to do of his good pleafure n, yet are they not hereupon to grow negligent, as if they were not bound to perform any duty, unless upon a fpecial motion of the Spirit; but they ought to be diligent in tirring up the grace of God that is in them o. IV. They who in their obedience attain to the greatest height which is poffible in this life, are fo far from being able to fupererogate and to do more than God requires, as that they fall * III. m John xv. 4. abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me v. 5. I am the vine, ye are the branches : He that abideth in me, and I in him, the fame bringeth forth much fruit, for without me ye can do nothing. v. 6. If a man abide not in me, he is caft forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them and caft them into the fire, and they are burned. Ezek. xxxvi. 26. A new heart alfo 'will I give you, and a new spirit will fhort I put within you, and I will take a- Phil. ii. 13. For it is God who o Phil. ii, 12. Wherefore my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my prefence only, but now much more in my abfence: work out your own falvation with fear and trembling. Heb. vi, 1h and we defire that every one of you do fhew the fame diligence, to the full affurance of hope unto the end v 12. That ye be not flothful, but followers of them, who thro' faith and patience inherit the promifes. 2 Pet. i. 3. According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath fhort of much which in duty they are bound to do p. V. We cannot, by our best works merit pardon of fin or eternal life at the hand of God, by reafon of the great difproportion that is between them and the glory to come, and the infinite diftance that is between us and God, whom by them we can neither profit, nor fatisfy for the debt of our former fins 95 but, hath called us to glory and virtue. v. 5.. And befides this, giving all diligence, add to your faith, virtue; and to virtue, knowledge. v. 10. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election fure: for if ye do these things, ye fhall never fall: V. II. For so an entrance shall be miniftred unto you abundantly, into the everJafting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift. Ifa. Ixiv. 7. And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that flirreth up himself to take hold of thee; for thou hast hid thy face from us, and haft confumed us, because of our iniquities. 2 Tim. i. 6. Wherefore I put thee in remembrance, that thou ftir up the gift of God which is in thee, by the putting on of my hands. Acts xxvi. 6. And now I ftand, and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers: v. 7. Unto which promise our twelve tribes in tantly ferving God day and night, hope to come: For which hope's fake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews. Jude 20. But ye beloved, building up yourfelves on your moft holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghoft. v. 21. Keep yourfelves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jefus Chrift unto eternal life. IV. p Luke xvii. 10. So likewife ye, when ye shall have done all thofe things which are commanded you, fay, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do. Neh. xiii. 22. and I commanded the Levites, that they fhould cleanse themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to fanctify the Sabbath day. Remember me, O my God, concerning this alfo, and spare me according to the greatnefs of thy mercy. Job ix. 2. I know it is fo of a truth: but how should man be just with God? v. 3, if he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one of a thoufand. Gal. v. 17. For the fiefh luft eth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh and thefe are contrary the one to the other; fo that ye cannot do the things that ye would. V. q Rom. iii. 20. Therefore by the deeds of the law there fhall no flesh be juftified in his fight; for by the law is the knowlege of fin. Rom. iv. 2. For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory, but not before God. V. 4. Now to him that worketh, is the reward not reckoned of grace but of debt. v. 6. Even as David alfo defcribeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteoufnefs without works. Eph. ii. 8. For by grace are ye faved, through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. v. 9. Not of works, left any man fhould boat. Tit. iii. 5. Not by works of righteoufnefs, which |
