him. And let him bind him by the denunciations of the threatenings of God, against the impenitent. But before this is done, let no necessary consultation, with other Pastors, or concurrence of the Church be neglected: and after let there be place for due appeals, and let Ministers consent to give account when they are accused of mal-administration. But if after private admonition (while the offence is such, as requireth not public confession) the sinner be penitent, let the Minister privately apply to his consolation the promises of the Gospel, with such cautelous prudence, as is most suitable to his condition. And if he repent not till after public admonition, or that the scandal be so great and notorious, as that a public confession is necessary, let him, at a seasonable time appointed by the Pastor, with remorse of conscience, and true contrition, confess his sin before the congregation, and heartily lament it, and clear the honour of his Christian profession which he had stained, and crave the prayers of the Church to God for pardon, and reconciliation through Christ, and also crave the Ministerial absolution and restoration to the communion of the Church, and profess his resolution to do so no more; but to live in new obedience to God, desiring also their prayers for corroborating and preserving grace. It is only a credible professsion of repentance, that is to be accepted by the Church. The foregoing cautions must be carefully observed in such confessions, that they be not made to the injuring of the Magistrate, or of the Church, or of the reputation of others, or of the life, estate, or liberty of the offender, or to any other shame than is necessary to the manifesting of his repentance, and the clearing of his profession, and the righting of any that he hath wronged, and the honour and preservation of the Church. When he hath made a credible profession of repentance, it is the Pastor's duty, ministerially to declare him pardoned by Christ, but in conditional terms. [If his repentance be sincere.] And to absolve him from the censure of non-communion with the Church, if he was under such a censure before his penitence, and to declare him meet for their communion, and to encourage him to come and require the Church to entertain him into their communion with gladness, and not upbraid him with his fall, but rejoice in his recovery, and endeavour his confirmation and preservation for the time to come: and it is his duty accordingly to admit him to communion, and theirs to have loving communion with him: all which the penitent person, must believingly, lovingly, and joyfully receive. But if any by notorious perfidiousness, or frequent covenant-breaking have forfeited the credit of their words, or have long continued in the sin which they do confess, so that their forsaking it hath no proof; the Church then must have testimony of the actual reformation of such as these, before they may take their professions and promises as credible; yet here the difference of persons and offences is so great; that this is to be much left to the prudence of Pastors that are present, and acquainted with the persons and circumstances of the case. In the transacting of all this, these following forms, to be varied as the variety of cases do require, may be made use of. A Form of Public Admonition to the Impenitent. The sin may be A. B. you are convict of a gross and scandalous sin, named and agyou have been admonished and entreated to repent. gravated when it is convenient. The promises of mercies to the penitent, and the threatenings of God against the impenitent, have not been concealed from you; we have waited in hope of your repentance, as having compassion on your soul, and desiring your salvation; but we must say with grief, you have hitherto disappointed us; we are certain from the word of God, that you must be penitent, if ever you will be pardoned, and that except you repent, you shall everlastingly perish. To acquaint you publicly with this, and yet here to offer you mercy from the Lord, is the next duty laid upon us for your recovery. O! blame us not if, knowing the terrors of the Lord, we thus persuade you, and are loath to leave you in the power of Satan, and loath to see you cast out into perdition, and that your blood should be required at our hands, as not having discharged our duty to prevent it. Luke 13.3, 5. Acts 5. 31. Luke 12. 47. Be it known unto you therefore, that it is the God of heaven and earth, the great, the jealous, and the terrible God, whose laws you have broken, and Psal. 5. 4, 5. whose authority you despise; you refuse his government, who is coming with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly of their ungodly deeds and speeches, who hath told us that "evil shall not dwell with him." "The foolish shall not stand in his sight." Jude 14, 15. “He hateth all workers of iniquity." "The ungodly Psal. 1. 5,6. shall not stand in judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.' "God hath not Psal. 10. 13. his laws in vain. Though the wicked contemn God, and say in their hearts, he will not require it." "Yet their damnation slumbereth not, they are reserved to the day of judgment, to be punished." And 2 Pet. 2. 3, 9. he seeth that their day is coming." If men cut off Psal. 37. 13. the lives of those that break their laws, will God be outfaced by the pride, and stubbornness of sinners? He will not; you shall know he will not; he threateneth not in jest. "Who hath hardened Job 9. 4. himself against him and hath prospered?" not as chaff and stubble, and is not our God a con- Heb. 12. 29. suming fire?" If briars and thorns be set against Isa. 27. 4. him in battle, will he not go through them, and burn 66 66 "Are you Psal. 1. 4. Matt. 10. 26. them up together?" "Čan your heart endure, or Ezek. 22. 14. your hands be strong in the day when God shall deal with you? It is the Lord that hath spoken it, and he will do it." What will you do, when you must bear with the pains of hell from God, that now, can scarce endure to be thus openly and plainly warned of it: if we to please you should be silent and betray you, do you think the God of heaven, will fear or flatter you to please a worm. "Do you provoke the Lord 1 Cor. 10. 22. to jealousy, are you stronger than he?" O man! Heb. 9. 7. for your soul's sake, let not Satan abuse your understanding, and sin befool you, must you not die? And doth not judgment follow, when all secrets shall be opened, and God will no more entreat you to confess. Behold the Judge standeth at the James 5. 9. door." Will sin go then with you for as light a matter as it doth now? Will you then deny it, or will you stand to all the reasonings, or excuses, by which you would now extenuate or cover it? Will you defend it as your friend? and be angry with Ministers and reprovers as your enemies. Or will you not mourn at last (with weeping and gnashing of teeth) and say; "How have I hated instruction, Prov. 5.11-13. and my heart despised reproof? and have not obeyed 66 the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to Matt. 13.42.50. Prov. 28. 13. Prov. 29. 1. Gal. 6.7. Matt, 7. 23; : Deut. 32. 29. them that instructed me." "O that you were wise, that you understood this, and that you would consider your latter end." Believe God's wrath before you feel it be convinced by the word and servants of the Lord, before you are confounded by the dreadfulness of his Majesty; yet there is hope, but shortly there will be none, if you neglect it; yet "if you confess and forsake your sins, you shall have mercy, but if you cover them, you shall not prosper. And if being oft reproved, you harden your neck, you shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy." "Be not deceived, God is not mocked. Whatsoever you sow, that shall you also reap." O man! You know not what it is to deal with an offended and revenging God. Nor what it is to hear Christ say, "Depart from me ye workers of iniquity; I never 25. 41. knew you, depart from me ye wicked into everlasting fire." You know not what it is to be shut out of heaven, and concluded under utter desperation, and in hell to look back upon this obstinate impenitence; and rejecting of the mercy that would have saved you; and there to have conscience telling you for ever, what it is that you have done; did you not know what this is, could you think a penitent confessing and forsaking your sin to be a condition too hard for the preventing of such a doleful state? O no! You know not what a case you are casting your immortal soul into. The Lord give you repentance, that you may never know it by experience. To prevent this, is our business with you: we delight not to displease or shame you. But God hath told us, "That if any do err from the truth, and one convert him, let him know that he which converteth a sinner from the error of his way, shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins." I do therefore by the command, and in the name of Jesus Christ, require and beseech you, that you do without any more delay, confess your sins and heartily bewail them; and beg pardon of them, and resolve and 1 John 1.7.9; promise by the help of God to do so no more. And 2.1, 2. bless God that you have an advocate with the Fa Jaines 5. 20. ther, Jesus Christ the righteous, whose blood will cleanse you from your sins; if you penitently confess them, and that mercy may be yet had on so easy terms. If you had any sense of your sin and misery, or any sense of the dishonour done to God, or of the wrong that you have done to others, and of the usefulness of your penitent confession, and amendment, to the reparation of all these, you would cast yourself in the dust, in shame and grief before the Lord, and before the Church: "To day therefore, Psal. 95. 8. 12; if you will hear his voice, harden not your heart, lest 81. 11,18. God forsake you, and give you over unto your own heart's lust, to walk in your own counsels, and resolve in his wrath, you shall never enter into his rest." And then God and this congregation, will be Luke 24. 4. 7. witnesses that you were warned; and your blood will Ezek. 18. 30, be upon your own head. But if in penitent confession, you fly to Christ, and loathe yourself for your iniquities, and heartily forsake them, I have authority to promise you free forgiveness, and that your iniquity shall not be your ruin. A Form of Confession, to be made before the I * Here the sin must be named and aggravated, when by the Pastor it is judged requisite. Congregation. 31, 32. Prov. 28. 13. Gen. 4. 16. Luke 15. 21. Rom. 5. 10. DO confess before God, and this congregation, Josh. 7. 19. that I have greatly sinned. * I have offended, Psal. 32. 5. and dishonoured God, wronged Exod. 10. 16. the Church, and the souls of Gal. 1. 13. others, I have deserved to be 2 Chron. 15. 2. forsaken of the Lord, and cast Psal. 51. 11. out of his presence and communion of saints, into Matt. 27. 5. desperation, and remediless misery in hell: I am no Mark 12. 8. more worthy to be called thy son, or to have a Psal. 38. 18.4; name or place among thy servants. I do here de- 40. 12. clare mine iniquity, and am sorry for my sins; they 1 Tim. 1. 1. Luke 13.13. are gone over my head as a heavy burden, they are Heb. 9. 26. too heavy for me, they take hold upon me, I am Luke 19. 10. ashamed, as unworthy to look up towards heaven, James 5. 16. but my hope is in the blood and grace of Christ, Psal. 51. 2, 1, 9. who made his life a sacrifice for sin, and came to Heb. 8. 12. seek and save that which was lost; whose grace 9; 103. 10; aboundeth, where sin hath abounded: the Lord be 51. 10. 12. merciful to me a sinner: I humbly beg of the con- 2 Cor. 2. 7, 10. gregation that they will earnestly pray, that God John 8. 11. will wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and Psal. 73. 1. 15. cleanse me from my sins, that he will forgive them, Eccles. 8. 12. and blot them out, and hide his face from them, and remember them no more, that he will not cast me Psal. 5. 5. away from his presence, nor forsake me as I have 1 John 3. 4. forsaken him, nor deal with me according to my deserts but that he will create in me a clean heart, Psal. 51. 11. 27; Mark 13. 37. 2 Chron. 20.20 James 1. 13,14. Gal. 6. 1. |