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that is, distinctly lay them open before God. This is a part of our duty, with brokenness of heart to declare our ways, to acquaint God fully how it is with us, without dissembling anything. It is a duty very unpleasing to flesh and blood; natural pride and self-love will not let us take shame upon ourselves; and out of carnal ease and laziness we are loath to submit to such a troublesome course, and thus openly to declare our ways. Guilt is shy of God's presence, and sin works a strangeness. Adam hid himself when God came into the garden; and when he could shift no longer, he will not declare it, but transfers the fault upon Eve, and obliquely upon God himself; and ever since there are many tergiversations in man's heart; and therefore it is said, "If I covered my sin as Adam" (Job xxxi. 33). Junius renders it more hominum, after the manner of men; but Adam's name is used, because we show ourselves to be like Adam's race, apt to cover our sins. The same expression we have: "But they like men have transgressed the covenant' (Hos. vi. 7); in the Hebrew it is, "like Adam;" so, if I covered my sin as did Adam, this is the fashion of men. Now David brought his heart to this resolution with much struggling, "I said I will confess (my transgressions" (Psalm xxxii. 5). He forced himself, and thrust his backward heart forward by a strong resolution; for we are loath to deal thus openly, plainly, and truly with God, being shy of his presence, and would fain keep the devil's counsel, and come with our iniquity in our bosom. But though this is a troublesome, displeasing exercise to flesh and blood, yet it is profitable and necessary for us thus to declare our ways.

1. Because it is made to be one of the conditions of pardon, and the act of repentance that is necessary to the pardon of sin: "He that covereth his sins, shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them, shall have mercy;" so it runs (Prov. xxviii. 13). And, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins" (1 John i. 9). God's justice is satisfied by Christ, but it must be glorified and owned by us. So, "I am merciful, saith the Lord: only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God" (Jer. iii. 13). God hath mercy enough to pardon all; only he will have it sued out his own way, he will have his mercy asked upon our knees, and have the creature stoop and submit. And David, "I acknowledge my transgression" (Psalm li. 3).

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2. It is the only means to have our peace settled. If you would not have your trouble and anxious thoughts continued upon you, go, open yourselves to God, declare your ways: "I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord, and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin (Psalm xxxii. 5). As soon as David did but take up a resolution, presently he felt the comfort of it. If David had confessed sooner, he had come to his ease sooner. Distress of conscience is continued upon us until this is done; and especially is this found by experience, when great trouble comes upon us by reason of sin. There is some sin at the bottom God will bring out; and until they come to clearness and openness with God, the Lord still continues the trouble; they are kept roaring. and do not come to their peace. When a man is under trouble, and the sense of sin doth not fasten on the heart, he is not prepared for deliverance; but when it comes to this, "I have sinned, and it profits me not ;" then God sends an interpreter, one among a thousand, to show unto man his uprightness" (Job xxxiii. 26, 27).

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3. It prevents Satan's accusations and God's judgments. It is no profit to cover our sins, for either Satan will declare them, or God find us out and enter into judgment with us. It prevents Satan as an accuser, and God as a judge.

Now

(1.) It prevents Satan as an accuser. Let us not tarry till our adversary accuse. There is one that will accuse you if you do not accuse yourselves. He that is a tempter, is also an accuser of the brethren. confession put Satan out of office. When we have sued out our pardon, Satan is not an accuser so much as a slanderer: "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect?" (Rom. viii. 33.) The informer comes too late when the guilty person hath accused himself, and sued out his pardon. And,

(2.) It prevents God as a judge. It is all known to God: "O God! thou knowest my foolishness, and my sins are not hid from thee" (Psalm lxix. 5). It is a folly to conceal that which cannot be hid. God knows them. How? God may be said to know things two ways; either simply, with respect to the perfection of his nature, and so he knows all things; or by virtue of his office, and so God knows things judicially, as judge of the world; he takes knowledge of it so as to punish it, unless you confess it. But in this kind of knowledge he loves to be prevented; he will not know it as a judge, if we confess it, when there is process against sin in our own consciences: "If we judge ourselves, we shall not be judged " (1 Cor. xi. 31). When we accuse and judge ourselves, then God's work is prevented. God is contented if we will accuse, arraign, judge, and condemn ourselves; then he will not take knowledge of our sins as a judge. The end of God's judging is execution and punishment; but the end of our judging is, that we may obtain pardon. Now consider whether you will stand at the bar of Christ, not as a Saviour, but as a judge; or you will judge yourselves in your own heart. Better sit as judge upon your own heart, than God should sit as judge upon you; therefore deal plainly and openly with him.

Thus I have explained what it is to declare our ways; it is an act of dependence, to take God's leave, blessing, counsel along with us; an act of friendship, as to lay open our case to God; and an act of brokenness of heart, as declaring our sins and temptations.

For the reasons, why, if we would speed with God, we should unfeignedly lay open our case before him.

1. It argueth sincerity. A hypocrite will pray, but will not thus sincerely open his heart to God: "Blessed is he in whose spirit there is no guile" (Psalm xxxii. 1, 2). "No guile," it hath a limited sense with respect to the matter of confession; that doth not deal deceitfully with God, but plainly and openly declares his case. Many ways men may be guilty of guile of spirit in confession of sin; either when they content themselves with general or slight acknowledgments, as thus, 'We are all sinners;' but they do not declare their ways. Generals are but notions; and as particular persons are lost in a crowd, so sins lie hid in common acknowledgments. Or else men take up the empty forms of others. You shall see in Num. xix., the waters of purification wherewith a man had been cleansed, if another touched it, he became unclean. Confessions are like those waters whereby one hath cleansed himself: now to take up others' confessions, are the forms of others, without the same affection, feeling, and brokenness of heart, doth but defile us the more; when the

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heart doth not prescribe to the tongue, but the tongue to the heart; or else men make some acknowledgments to God, but do not uncover their privy sore they are loath to draw forth the state of their hearts into the notice and view of conscience. This guile of spirit may be sometimes in God's children. Moses had a privy sore which he was loath to disclose; and, therefore, when God would have sent him into Egypt, he pleads other things, insufficiency, want of elocution, that he was a stammerer, that he had not utterance; ay, but his carnal fear was the main: therefore see how God touches his privy sore: "Go, return into Egypt: for all the men are dead which sought thy life" (Exod. iv. 19). Why, Moses never pleaded that; he mentions other things that were true, that he was a man of slow speech, and his brother Aaron was fitter; but he never pleads carnal fear: but the Lord knew what was at the bottom. So it is with Christians; many times we will confess this and that which is a truth, and we may humble ourselves for it; ay, but there is a privy sore yet kept secret. Therefore this open-dealing with God is very necessary, to lay open before God whatever we know of our state and way, for then God will be nigh to us. Out of self-love men spare themselves, and will not judge and condemn themselves; therefore they deny, excuse, extenuate, or hypocritically confess, 'O! I am a sinner!' and the like, but do not come openly.

2. It argueth somewhat of the spirt of adoption to put in the bill of our complaint to our heavenly Father; to draw up an indictment against ourselves to judge, that is irksome; but to put in a bill of complaint to a friend, or father, that savours of more ingenuity. To tell God all our mind, notes freedom and familiarity; not such as is bold, rude, nor a dress of words; but such as is grave, serious, proceeding from an inward sense of God, and hope of his mercy: "If our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God" (1 John iii. 21); then we can deal with him as one friend with another, and acquaint him with all our griefs and wants. A man had need walk exactly, that would maintain his freedom with God. There is a freedom, as men may call it, such as is bold, rude, and reckless, in words only; but that which proceeds from confidence in God, and his mercy, that is a fruit of close walking; we cannot have it in our hearts without it.

3. It is the way to make us serious and affected with our condition. When we open our whole heart to God, then we shall be more earnest for a remedy; we content ourselves with some transient glances, and imperfect knowledge of our estate, and so are not affected as we should; a particular view of things most works with us. Look, as Christ, the more particularly he is set forth, the more taking is the object; when the lump of sweetness is dissolved, then it is tasted. The more particularly we pry into our estate, the more we are affected, and the more we shall see of the deceitfulness of our own hearts: "When every one shall know his own sore and his own grief" (2 Chron. viii. 29).

4. It will be of great advantage in the spiritual life, to declare often our whole estate to God; for the more men know themselves, the more they mind God, and their heavenly calling. Those men that make conscience of declaring themselves to God, will ever find lusts to be mortified, doubts to be resolved, graces to be strengthened. A man that doth not look after his estate, it runs into decay insensibly before he is aware: so when men grow negligent of their hearts, and never think of giving an account to

God, all runs to waste in the soul. Searching and self-examining Christians, will be the most serious Christians; for as they have a more distinct, affective sense of their condition, so they always find more work to do in the spiritual life. They come to know what are their sins, and assaults, and conflicts, and what further strength they may have in the way of holiness; and by this account they are engaged to walk more exactly, that they may not provide matter against themselves, that "their prayers be not hindered" (1 Peter iii. 7); that they may look God in the face with more confidence.

USE I. Let us clearly and openly declare our condition to the Lord, our griefs and sorrows, and so our sins.

First, Our griefs and sorrows. Two things will quicken you to this :1. The inconvenience of any other way. What will you do? If you swallow your griefs, that will oppress the heart. The more we unbosom ourselves to a friend, the more we find ease; vent and utterance do lessen our passion. An oven stopped up, is hotter within: so the more close we are, the more we keep our own counsel, the greater is our burden. Look, as wind when it is imprisoned in the caverns of the earth, it causeth violent convulsions and earthquakes; but if it find vent, all is quiet; so it is with the heart, when troubles are kept close, then they become the greater burden, they make the heart stormy, full of discontent; but when we open ourselves, as Hannah did her case to God (1 Sam. i. 9, 11), we are no more sad; or, if we go to anything on this side God, our troubles increase. When a man hath sorrow upon his heart, it is not the next ditch will yield him refreshing and comfort, but he must go to the fountain of living water. If we be afraid of an enemy without, our business is to strike in with God: "When a man's ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him" (Prov. xvi. 7). God hath the command of all things; he is first to be treated with, then there is hope and relief in God. When we are humble and tractable in our affliction, when we come and represent our case to him, the very thing gives us some hope; for the Lord doth all out of mercy. Therefore, the very representing our misery, as David: "But I am poor and sorrowful" (Psalm lxix. 29); that we are in a miserable forlorn condition, if you have nothing else to plead, this is that which moves God, and works upon his bowels. Look, as beggars to move pity will uncover their sores, that as it were by a silent oratory they may extort and draw forth relief from you: so go to the Lord, and acquaint him with your condition, some hope will arise hence; "Lord, I am weak and poor, deliver me;' that is all the argument.

2. As to sins, let me tell you, go to God with clearness and openness, reveal your whole state, tell him what are your temptations and conflicts, and how your heart works. Though he knows it already by his own omnisciency, yet let him know it by your own acknowledgments. Let him not know it as a judge, take notice of it so as to punish you; but go deal plainly, and confess your sins. To this end,

(1.) There will be need of light, that you may be able to judge of things: "They have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil" (Heb. v. 14). When a man hath not only a speculative knowledge but hath his senses exercised, able to judge of the workings of his own heart, he can discern what is of flesh, and what is of spirit, and so can give an account to God. When we have not only some naked theory, we shall

be able to see what is a temptation, where our help, and where our weak ness lies.

(2.) There needs observation of the workings of our own hearts. A man that would give an account to God, need to observe himself narrowly, and keep his heart above all keepings. David, that saith here, I " declared" my ways, saith elsewhere, I "considered" my ways. It is but a formal account we can give, without serious consideration. We must therefore "keep our hearts with all diligence" (Prov. iv. 23).

(3.) There needs in many cases a serious search: for instance, in deep desertion, when God withdraws the light of his countenance, and men have not those wonted influences of grace, those glimpses of favour, and quicknings of spirit, and enlargings of heart: "I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart, and my spirit made diligent search" (Psalm lxxvii. 6). When under any despair of soul, trace it to its original cause, wherein I have grieved the Spirit of God. "Let us search and try our ways" (Lam. iii. 40). There needs a very distinct and serious inquiry into the state of our souls, that we may deal ingenuously with God, and lay open ourselves before him.

II. The second clause, " And the Lord heard me."

DOCTRINE. After an ingenuous and open declaration of ourselves to God, we find audience with him.

So did David, and so do all the saints. He was never yet wanting to his people that deal sincerely with him in prayer. How doth God manifest his audience? Either inwardly by the Spirit, or outwardly by providence.

First, Inwardly by his Spirit, when he begets a persuasion of their acceptance with God, leaves an impression of confidence upon their hearts, and a quietness in looking for the thing they had asked. Before they have an answer of Providence, they have a persuasion of heart that their prayer hath been heard. There is a great deal of difference between accepting a prayer and granting a prayer: God's acceptance is as soon as we pray, but the thing we beg for is another thing, and distinct: "This is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will he heareth us; and if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him" (1 John v. 14, 15). God's hearing of us, his audience, is a distinct thing from the answer of his providence, and therefore when he begets a confidence that we are heard, and the soul begins to be quieted in God and looks up for mercy, it is a sign of his accepting our prayer though the benefit be not actually bestowed. David found a change in his heart many times as if one had come and told him the posture of his affairs was altered, it is otherwise with you than it was when you began to pray; therefore you have him in the beginning of a Psalm come in with bitter complaints and groaning, his eyes were ready to drop out with grief, and presently he breaks out with thanksgiving, as, "Mine eye is consumed because of grief; it waxeth old because of all mine enemies:" presently," Depart from me all ye workers of iniquity, for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping" (Psalm vi. 7, 8). So Hannah, she had commended her request to God, and was no more sad (1 Sam. i. 18). That is one way of answer when we have declared ourselves to the Lord, the heart looks out to see what will come of its prayers; it begins to rest and is quiet in God, and looks for some answer of his mercy.

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