f
repentance dry? But, forasmuch as you are not exercised this way, give no
thoughts nor time for reconcilement with God, walk without any fear of
hell, and without any earnest and serious study of changing your ways, and
purifying your hearts, in a word, though ye confess sin in the general,
yet your whole carriage of heart and ways declare so much, that you think
it not a thing much to be feared, or that a man should busy himself about
it, that a man may live in it, and be well here and hereafter. And is not
this to deny the very nature of sin, and to deceive your own souls?

Sermon XVII.

1 John i. 9.--"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to
forgive us our sins", &c.

The current of sin dries not up, but runs constantly while we are in this
life. It is true, it is much diminished in a believer, and it runs not in
such an universal flood over the whole man as it is in the unbeliever. Yet
there is a living spring of sin within the godly, which is never ceasing
to drop out pollution and defilement, either upon their whole persons, or,
at least, to intermingle it with their good actions. Now, there is no
comfort for this, but this one that there is another stream of the blood
of Jesus Christ that never dries up, is never exhausted, never emptied,
but flows as full and as free, as clear and fresh as ever it did, and this
is so great, and of so great virtue, that it is able to swallow up the
stream of our pollutions, and to take away the daily filth of a believers
conversation. Now indeed, though the blood of Jesus Christ be of such
infinite virtue and efficacy, that it were sufficient to cleanse the sins
of the whole world, it would be an over ransom for the souls of all men,
there is so much worth in it. That flood of guiltiness that hath drowned
the world,--this flood of Christ's blood that gushed out of his side, is of
sufficient virtue to cleanse it perfectly away. Notwithstanding of this
absolute universal sufficiency, yet certain it is, that it is not actually
applied unto the cleansing of all men's sins, but yet the most part of men
are still drowned in the deluge of their own wickedness, and lie entombed
in darkness; therefore it concerns us to know the way of the application
of this blood to the cleansing of sinners, and this way is set down in
this verse, "If we confess our sins, he is just to forgive." There was
something hinted at obscurely in the preceding verse, for when he sho