First, then it is an wholsome though bitter pill, often to call to mind our many, our great, our known, our unknown transgressions against; the Lord as a Creatour, against the Lord as a Father, against the Lord as a Redeemer, against Christ Jesus, against his holy Spirit, against his Ordinances, against his Saints, against our selves, &c. Yea the sins and severall corruptions of our Natures, callings, and conditions, to which we yet are subject, and lye open, and without supply of Grace, and strength from Heaven, we shall fall, and tumble into, as well as the strongest of Gods servants, of whose wofull falls we read of in holy Scripture.
Obj. It is a part of the Lords New Covenant, that he will forgive our sins, and remember our iniquities no more.
Gods children bound to beg for pardon of sin.
I answer, unto all the promises of all sorts, (Ezek. 36.) it pleaseth the Lord to adde this Gospel Proviso; For all this I will be sought unto saith the Lord, according to that most holy direction, of the Lord Jesus, to pray daily, not only for daily Bread, but also for daily forgivenes.
Obj. The Lord hath forgiven them already in Christ, what need to pray for forgivenesse of them again.
I answer, We must marke the Lords Ordinance, for all this I will be sought unto: Prayer and other spirituall Ordinances hath the Lord appointed for our souls good, as well as corporall meanes for our bodily comfort.
Godly sorrow not inconsistent but subservient to spirituall joy.
Hence the many examples of the servants of God throughout the whole Scripture, both before Jesus Christ and since, David, Peter, Mary Magdalen, breaking forth into heavenly showres of godly teares. Hence the Paschall Lambe, (the figure of Christ Jesus) was appointed by the Lord to be eaten with bitter herbs, implying and teaching that Jesus Christ himselfe, his blood, pardon of sin, Life and Salvation, and all the spirituall and eternall sweets that here below we finde in Christ Jesus, they have not their native and proper rellish without the helpe of such sharp and bitter hearbs.
Gods councels absolve not us from menes & endeavours.
What though therefore in Gods councel before the world was, all his works of creation and redemption, vocation, justification, glorification are knowne to him and acted by him? I say, in the most inconceivable deep councels of his will, according to which he worketh all things, Ephes. 1. 11? yet were it presumptuous madnesse in us, and a tempting of the jealous eyes of the most High, to neglect the wayes, and meanes, and paths of mercy for Soul or Body, which his most holy Wisedome out of infinite Grace and goodnesse hath appointed to us?