In what manner believers are to confess their sins on a day of humiliation
In what manner believers are to confess their sins
on a day of humiliation
Evan. Because the more sinful you see yourself to be, the more humble your heart will be; and the more humble your heart is, the more fit you will be to pray, and the more the Lord will regard your prayers. Therefore, when the Lord calls you to humble yourself in fasting and prayer on the occasion of some heavy and sore affliction, either felt or feared to come upon yourself, or on the occasion of some sore judgment and calamity, either felt or feared to come upon the nation or place where you live, then take the opportunity to meditate, and consider seriously what duties are required, and what sins are forbidden in every one of the Ten Commandments. And then consider how many of those duties you have omitted, and how many of those sins you have committed. Consider also the sinful manner in which you performed those duties, and the base and sinful ends which you had in performing them. Consider also how many sinful corruptions there are in your heart, which break forth in your life; and the natural disposition of your heart to every sin which you do not commit; and then consider that although the sins which you now commit are not a transgression of the Law of Works, because you are not now under the law, Rom. 6.14; yet they are a transgression of the Law of Christ, because you still are under that law, 1Cor. 9.21. And though they are not committed against God as he stands in relation to you as a wrathful Judge, yet they have been committed against him as he stands in relation to you as a merciful and loving Father. And though they do not subject you to the wrath of a Judge, nor to the penalty of the Law of Works, yet they subject you to the anger and displeasure of a loving Father, and to the penalty of the Law of Christ.
Whereupon, draw near to God by prayer, speaking to him in this manner:
“O merciful and loving Father! I acknowledge that the sins which I committed before I was a believer, were a transgression of the Law of Works, because I was then under that law; yes, and they were committed against you, as you stood in relation to me as a judge; and therefore you might most justly have inflicted the curse or penalty of the Law of Works upon me, and so have cast me into hell.
But seeing that you have enabled me to believe the gospel — namely, that you have been pleased to give your own Son Jesus Christ to undertake [obedience and death] for me, to become my Surety, to take my nature upon himself, and be made under the law, to redeem me from under the law, Gal. 4.4, and 3.13; Rom. 5.10; and be made a curse for me, to redeem me from the curse, and to reconcile me to you by his death —I now know it does not stand with your justice to proceed against me by virtue of the Law of Works, and so cast me into hell.
Nevertheless, Father, I know that the sins which I have committed since I believed, have been a transgression of the Law of Christ, because I am still under that law: yes, and I acknowledge that they have been committed against you, even against you, my most gracious, merciful, and loving Father in Jesus Christ, and that it is therefore fitting that you should express your fatherly anger and displeasure towards me for these sins which your law has revealed to me, in bringing this affliction upon me, or this judgment on the place or nation in which I live. However, Father, knowing that your fatherly anger towards your children is never mixed with hatred, but always with love, and that in afflicting them you never intend any satisfaction for your own justice, but their amendment — purging out the remainder of those sinful corruptions which are still in them, and conforming them to your own image — I therefore come to you this day, to humble myself before you, and to call upon your name, not for any need or power that I conceive I have to satisfy your justice, or to appease your eternal wrath, and to free my soul from hell; for that I believe Christ has fully done for me already. But I do it in hopes to thereby pacify your fatherly anger and displeasure towards me, and to obtain the removal of this affliction or judgment which I feel or fear. Therefore I beseech you to pardon and forgive my sins, which have been the cause of it; yes, I beg you not only to pardon them, but also to purge them, so that this may be the fruit of it: taking away my sin, and making me a partaker of your holiness. And then, Lord, remove this affliction and judgment when it is your will and pleasure.”
Thus I have shown you the reason why I would have you more especially take notice of your sins, when you come to humble yourself before the Lord in fasting and prayer.
Neo. And, sir, why would you have me take notice of my sins when I go to receive the sacrament of the LORD’S SUPPER?