ceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. James iii. 2-4. 6-10. Speak not evil one of another, brethren: for he that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law.-James iv. 11. Wherefore laying aside all malice, &c. and evil speaking.-1 Pet. ii. 1. Not rendering, &c. railing for railing: but contrariwise, blessing, &c. He that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile.-1 Pet. iii. 9, 10. But these, as natural brute beasts, &c. speak evil of the things that they understand not.-2 Pet. ii. 12. The Lord, &c. to convince all, &c. of all their hard speeches, which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. Jude 14, 15. All liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth, &c. and there shall in no wise enter in, &c. whosoever worketh abomination,or maketh a lie. Rev. xxi. 8. 27. Without are dogs, &c. and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. Rev. xxii. 15. SECT. XIV. To confess and mourn for Sin, depart from it, and watch against it: the Arguments, God's Complaint against, and Reasoning with Sinners: his Threatenings and Judgments against Sin and Sinners. I. What Sin is. By the law is the knowledge of sin.Rom. iii. 20. vii. 7. 13. Sin is the transgression of the law. -1 John iii. 4. All unrighteousness is sin.-1 John v. 17. Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.-James ii. 10. II. To confess our Sins unto God; both our own and others; and to mourn for them. AND Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, O, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold, &c.-Exod. xxxii. 31. Deut. ix. 16. 18-20. And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, and all their sins, &c. Levit. xvi. 21. If they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers; with their trespasses which they have trespassed against me: and that also they have walked contrary unto me, &c. then will I remember my covenant.-Levit, xxvi. 40. 42. When a man or woman shall commit any sin, &c. then they shall confess their sin which they have done.— Numb. v. 6, 7. Joshua said unto Achan, Give glory to the God of Israel, and make confession, &c.—Josh. vii. 19. And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. 2 Sam. xii. 13. David's heart smote him, &c. And David said unto the Lord, I have sinned greatly in that I have done.2 Sam. xxiv. 10. Wicked Ahab his mourning kept off the threatened judgments in his days.-1 Kings xxi. 27. 29. Ezra said, I am ashamed, and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespasses, &c.— Ezra ix. 5, &c. x. 6. 2 Kings xxii. 11. 13. 19. Nehemiah confesseth thus: Both I and my father's house have sinned: we have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept, &c.-Neh. i. 6, 7. ix. 16, &c. Job saith, I have sinned: what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men?-Job vii. 20. ix. 2, 3. per If any say, I have sinned, and verted that which was right, and it profited me not. He will deliver his soul, &c.—Job xxxiii. 27, 28. Job answered the Lord, and said, Behold, I am vile: what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.-Job xỈ. 3, 4. 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. Ps. xxxii. 5. I will declare mine iniquity: I will be sorry for my sin.-Ps. xxxviii. 18, For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight, &c.—Ps. li. 3-5. We have sinned with our fathers: we have committed iniquity, &c.Ps. cvi. 6. Horror hath taken hold upon me, because of the wicked that forsake thy law, &c. Rivers of water run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law, &c. I beheld the transgressors, and was grieved: because they keep not thy word.-Ps. cxix. 53.136. 158. Neh. xiii. 7, 8. Jer. ix. 1, 2. Gen. xxxiv. 7. Mark iii. 5. Jer. xiii. 17. Ps. cxxxix. 21, 22. If thou shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand.-Ps. cxxx. 3. He that covereth his sins shall not prosper but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them, shall have mercy. Prov. xxviii. 13. Our transgressions are multiplied before thee, and our sins testify against us, &c. In transgressing and lying against the Lord, and departing away from our God, &c.-Isa. lix. 12, 13. Behold thou art wrath, for we have sinned, &c. We are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags, &c.-Isa. Ixiv. 5-7. Yet thou sayest, Because I am innocent, surely his anger shall turn from me. Behold, I will plead with thee, because thou sayest, I have not sinned. Jer. ii. 35. Go, and proclaim these words, &c. Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the Lord I will not cause my anger to fall upon you, &c. Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God, and hast scattered thy ways, &c. Jer. iii. 12, 13. 1 Sam. xii. 9, 10. If ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride, and mine eyes shall weep sore. -Jer. xiii. 17. O Lord, though our iniquities testify against us, do thou it for thy name's sake for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against thee, &c. We acknowledge, O Lord, our wickedness, and the iniquity of our fathers for we have sinned against thee.-Jer. xiv. 7. 20. : The crown is fallen from our head: woe unto us that we have sinned.Lam. v. 16. Set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh, and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.-Ezek. ix. 4. Ye shall remember your ways, &c. and ye shall loathe yourselves in your own sight, for all your evils that ye have committed. Ezek. xx. 43. xvi. 63. I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made my confession, &c. We have sinned and have committed iniquity, &c.-Dan. ix. 3-6. 15. I will go and return to my place till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face.-Hosea v. 15. Turn ye unto me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning. Rend your hearts, and not your garments.- -Joel ii. 12, 13. Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.-Matt. v. 4. Peter remembered the words of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow thou shalt deny me thrice: and he went out and wept bitterly.-Matt. xxvi. 75. The prodigal son said, I will arise and go to my father, and I will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son, &c.-Luke xv. 18, 19. 21. And many that believed came and confessed, and shewed their deeds.Acts xix. 18. Paul made confession of his being a persecutor of the saints.-Acts xxii. 4, 5. 19, 20. Gal. i. 13, 14. : : I rejoice not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance for ye were sorry after a godly manner (or according to God), &c. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of but the sorrow of the world worketh death, &c. Ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves; yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge? 2 Cor. vii. 9-11. And lest when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and that I shall bewail many which have sinned already, &c.-2 Cor. xii. 21. Many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you weeping, that they are the enemies, &c.. Phil. iii. 18. Delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked; for that righteous man dwelling amongst them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds. 2 Pet. ii. 7, 8. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.-1 John i. 8-10. Be afflicted, mourn and weep, humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.James iv. 9, 10. III. Depart from Sin, and all Appearance of it: hate it, and avoid the Occasions of it. The Reasons thereof. THERE shall not be found among you, &c. that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, &c. All that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord, &c.-Deut. xviii. 10-12. 14. When Adam had sinned, he hid himself, was afraid, because naked.— Gen. iii. 8. 10. Exod. xxxii. 25. Abimelech said unto Isaac, What is this thou hast done unto us? one of the people might lightly have lain with thy wife, and thou shouldest have brought guiltiness upon us. And Abimelech charged all his people, saying, He that touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.-Gen. xxvi. 10, 11. xx. 2, &c. When Joseph had been tempted to sin by Potiphar's wife, he answered her, How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? &c. And when she laid hold on him, he fled from her.-Gen. xxxix. 7-12. See the Ten Commandments. Exod. xx. Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil.-Exod. xxiii. 2. And be sure your sin will find you out.-Numb. xxxii. 23. Gen. xliv. 16. Josh. vii. 1. 5. 11, 12. 24-26. Job xxxiv. 22. Ps. xliv. 20, 21. Jonah i. 4-6. 1 Kings ii. 24, 25. 28. 31, &c. If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the Lord, who shall entreat for him?-1 Sam. ii. 25. Tamar, sister of Amnon, being tempted, said, Do not thou this folly. -2 Sam. xiii. 11-13. I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether, &c.-Ps. cxxxix. 2-4. My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. If they say, Come with us, &c. walk thou not in the way with them. Refrain thy foot from their path: for their feet run to To depart from evil is understand- ́evil.-Prov. i. 10—17. ing.-Job xxviii. 28. I made a covenant with mine eyes: why then should I think upon a maid?-Job xxxi. 1. Stand in awe, and sin not.-Ps. iv. 4. For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness, neither shall evil dwell with thee, &c. thou hatest all workers of iniquity.-Ps. v. 4, 5. I kept myself from mine iniquity. -Ps. xviii. 23. I have hated the congregation of evil doers, &c. I will wash mine hands in innocency, and so will I compass thine altar, O Lord.-Ps. xxvi. 5, 6. Depart from evil, and do good.Ps. xxxiv. 14. xxxvii. 27. He prophesied of Christ thus: Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness.-Ps. xlv. 7. Heb. i. 8, 9. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.-Ps. xlvi. 18. John ix. 31. He will speak peace unto his people, but let them not turn again to folly.-Ps. lxxxv. 8. Holiness becomes thine house, O Lord, for ever.-Ps. xciii. 5. Ye that love the Lord, hate evil.Ps. xcvii. 10. : I will walk within my house with a perfect heart I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes. Ps. ci. 2, 3. Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee, &c. I have refrained my feet from every evil way, &c. I hate every false way. -Ps. cxix. 11. 101. 104. Thou knowest my downsitting, and my uprising: thou understandest my thoughts afar off. Thou, &c. art acquainted with all my ways: for there is not a word in my tongue, but Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men: avoid it, pass not by it; turn from it, and pass away: for, &c.— Prov. iv. 14-16. The lips of a strange woman drop as an honey-comb, &c. Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house; lest, &c.— Prov. v. 3-5. 8, &c. vi. 2. 4. 25. 29. 32, 33. vii. 5, &c. xxii. 14. xxiii. 27, 28. ii. 16-18. ix. 13, &c. The fear of the Lord is, to hate evil.-Prov. viii. 13. iii. 7. Wickedness overthroweth the sinner.-Prov. xiii. 6. Fools make a mock at sin, &c. A wise man feareth and departeth from evil, &c. Sin is a reproach to any people, (or nation).-Prov. xiv. 9. 16.34. The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.-Prov. xv. 3. By the fear of the Lord men depart from evil.-Prov. xvi. 6. With a furious man thou shalt not go, lest thou learn his ways, &c.— Prov. xxii. 24, 25. Whosoever confesseth and forsaketh his sins, shall have mercy.— Prov. xxviii. 13. To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? &c. Bring no more vain oblations, &c. Wash ye, make ye clean, put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes: cease to do evil.-Isa. i. 11-16. Jer. vi. 19, 20. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, &c.-Isa. lv. 7. Is not this the fast which I have chosen, to loose the bands of wickedness? &c.-Isa. lviii. 6. The Lord's hand is not shortened, &c. but your iniquities have separated between you and your God: and your sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear.-Isa. lix. 1, 2. Josh. vii. 11-13. He that killeth an ox, is as if he slew a man, &c. they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations.-Isa. lxvi. 3. Jer. vi. 19, 20. Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, &c. Know therefore and see, that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God.-Jer. ii. 19. O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved: how long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee? &c. Thy way and thy doings have procured these things unto thee: this is thy wickedness, because it is bitter, because it reacheth unto thine heart.-Jer. iv. 14. 18. Your iniquities have turned away these things and your sins have withholden good things from you. for among my people are found wicked men.-Jer. v. 25, 26. Thus saith the Lord, Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the Lord, &c. for if ye thoroughly amend your ways, &c. then will I cause you to dwell in this place, &c. Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, &c. and come and stand before me in this house? &c.-Jer. vii. 3-5. 7—10. It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the evil that I purpose to do unto them, that they may return every man from his evil way, that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.-Jer. xxxvi. 2, 3. Repent and turn yourselves from all your transgressions, so iniquity shall not be your ruin. Cast away from you all your transgressions, &c. -Ezek. xviii. 30, 31. Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die? &c.— Ezek. xxxiii. 11. 14-16. 18, 19. Seek good and not evil, that ye may live, &c. hate the evil, and love the good.-Amos v. 14, 15. Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity.-Hab. i. 13. Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, &c. Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the Lord.-—Zech. i. 4. Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart: and if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee, &c. and if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off-Matt. v. 28-30. Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.-John v. 14. Ps. lxxxv. 8. Ezra ix. 14. Jesus said unto the woman taken in adultery, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more, &c. Verily I say unto you, whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.John viii. 4. 11. 34. Thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? &c. Rom. ii. 21, &c. Not (as some affirm that we say) Let us do evil that good may come: whose damnation is just.-Rom. iii. 8. What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? &c. Our old man is crucified with him, &c. that henceforth we should not serve sin, &c. Reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, &c. Let not sin reign therefore in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof: neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, &c. What then? shall we sin because we |