persuaded
that I ought to confess my sins more. I think I ought to confess
sin the moment I see it to be sin; whether I am in company, or
in study, or even preaching, the soul ought to cast a glance of
abhorrence at the sin. If I go on with the duty, leaving the sin
unconfessed, I go on with a burdened conscience, and add sin to
sin. I think I ought at certain times of the day--my best
times,--say, after breakfast and after tea,--to confess solemnly
the sins of the previous hours, and to seek their complete
remission.

"I find that the devil often makes use of the confession of sin
to stir up again the very sin confessed into new exercise, so
that I am afraid to dwell upon the confession. I must ask
experienced Christians about this. For the present, I think I
should strive against this awful abuse of confession, whereby
the devil seeks to frighten me away from confessing. I ought to
take all methods for seeing the vileness of my sins. I ought to
regard myself as a condemned branch of Adam,--as partaker of a
nature opposite to God from the womb (Ps. 51.),--as having a
heart full of all wickedness, which pollutes every thought,
word, and action, during my whole life, from birth to death. I
ought to confess often the sins of my youth, like David and
Paul,--my sins before conversion, my sins since
conversion,--sins against light and knowledge, against love and
grace, against each person of the Godhead. I ought to look at my
sins in the light of the holy law, in the light of God's
countenance, in the light of the cross, in the light of the
judgment-seat, in the light of hell, in the light of eternity. I
ought to examine my dreams--my floating thoughts--my
predilections--my often recurring actions--my habits of thought,
feeling, speech, and action--the slanders of my enemies and the
reproofs, and even banterings, of my friends--to find out traces
of my prevailing sin, matter for confession. I ought to have a
stated day of confession, with fasting--say, once a month. I
ought to have a number of scriptures marked, to bring sin to
remembrance. I ought to make use of all bodily affliction,
domestic trial, frowns of providence on myself, house, parish,
church, or country, as calls from God to confess sin. The sins
and afflictions of other men should call me to the same. I
ought, on Sabbath evenings, and on Comm