Works of John Bunyan Volume II Part 165

Q. Was this the way of the G.o.dly of old?--A. Yes; Nehemiah confessed his sins (Neh 1:6). David confessed his sins (Psa 32:5). Daniel confessed his sins (Dan 9:4). And they that were baptized by John in Jordan confessed their sins (Matt 3:6).

Q. What sins must I confess to G.o.d?--A. All sins whatsoever: for 'He that covereth his sins shall not prosper, but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy' (Prov 28:13; 1 John 1:9).

Q. But how if I do neither know nor remember all my sins?--A. Thou must then search and try thy ways by the holy Word of G.o.d (Lam 3:40; Psa 77:6).

Q. But how if I do not make this search after my sins?--A. If thou dost not, G.o.d will; if thou dost not search them out and confess them, G.o.d will search them out and charge them upon thee, and tear thee in pieces for them (Psa 50:21,22).

Q. Where must I begin to confess my sins?--A. Where G.o.d beginneth to shew thee them. Observe, then, where G.o.d beginneth with conviction for sin, and there begin thou with confession of it. Thus David began to confess, thus Daniel began to confess (2 Sam 12:7-14; Dan 9:3-9).

Q. What must I do when G.o.d hath shewed me any sin, to make right confession thereof?--A. Thou must follow that conviction until it shall bring thee to the original and fountain of that sin, which is thine own heart (1 Kings 8:38; Psa 55:5).

Q. Is my heart then the fountain and original of sin?--A. Yes; 'For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.

All these evil things come from within, and defile the man' (Mark 7:21,23).

Q. When a man sees this, what will he think of himself?--A. Then he will not only think but conclude, that he is an unclean thing, that his heart has deceived him, that it is most desperate and wicked, that it may not be trusted by any means, that every imagination and thought of his heart, naturally, is only evil, and that continually (Isa 64:6; Prov 28:26; Isa 44:20; Gen 6:5).

Q. You have given me a very bad character of the heart, but how shall I know that it is so bad as you count it?--A. Both by the text and by experience.

Q. What do you mean by experience?--A. Keep thine eyes upon thy heart, and also upon G.o.d's word, and thou shalt see with thine own eyes, the desperate wickedness that is in thine heart, for thou must know sin by the law, that bidding, thee do one thing, and thy heart inclining to another (Rom 7:7-10).

Q. May I thus then know my heart?--A. Yes, that is something of it, especially the carnality of thy mind, 'Because the carnal mind is enmity against G.o.d; for it is not subject to the law of G.o.d, neither indeed can be' (Rom 8:7).

Q. Can you particularize some few things wherein the wickedness of the heart of man shews itself?--A. Yes; by its secret hankering after sin, although the Word forbids it; by its deferring of repentance; by its being weary of holy duties; by its aptness to forget G.o.d, by its studying to lessen and hide sin; by its feigning itself to be better than it is; by being glad when it can sin without being seen of men; by its hardening itself against the threatenings and judgments of G.o.d; by its desperate inclinings to unbelief, atheism, and the like (Prov 1:24-26; Isa 43:22; Mal 1:12,13; Ju 3:7; Jer 2:32; Psa 106:21; Hosea 2:13; Prov 30:20; Jer 2:25; Rom 1:32, 2:5; Zeph 1:11-13).[12]

Q. Is there any thing else to be done in order to a right confession of sin?--A. Yes: Let this conviction sink down into thy heart, that G.o.d sees much more wickedness in thee than thou canst see in thyself. 'If our heart condemn us, G.o.d is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things' (1 John 3:20); besides, he hath set thy secret sins in the light of his countenance (Psa 90:8).

Q. Is there any thing else that must go to a right confession of sin?--A. Yes; In thy confessions thou must greaten and aggravate thy sin by all just circ.u.mstances.

Q. How must I do that?--A. By considering against how much light and mercy thou hast sinned, against how much patience and forbearance thou hast sinned; also against what warnings and judgments thou hast sinned; and against how many of thine own vows, promises and engagements, thou hast sinned: these things heighten and aggravate sin (Ezra 9:10-14).

Q. But what need I confess my sins to G.o.d, seeing he knows them already?--A. Confession of sin is necessary, for many reasons.

Q. Will you show me some of those reasons?--A. Yes; One is, by a sincere and hearty confession of sin thou acknowledgest G.o.d to be thy Sovereign Lord, and that he hath right to impose his law upon thee (Exo 20).

Q. Can you show me another reason?--A. Yes; By confessing thy sin, thou subscribest to his righteous judgments that are p.r.o.nounced against it (Psa 51:3,4).

Q. Can you show me another reason?--A. Yes; By confessing of sin, thou showest how little thou deservest the least mercy from G.o.d.

Q. Have you yet another reason why I should confess my sins?--A.

Yes; By so doing thou showest whether thy heart loves it, or hates it. He that heartily confesseth his sin, is like him who having a thief or a traitor in his house, brings him out to condign punishment; but he that forbears to confess, is like him who hideth a thief or traitor against the laws and peace of our Lord the King.

Q. Give me one more reason why I should confess my sins to G.o.d?--A.

He that confesseth his sin, casteth himself at the feet of G.o.d's mercy, utterly condemns and casts away his own righteousness, concludeth there is no way to stand just and acquit before G.o.d, but by and through the righteousness of another; whether G.o.d is resolved to bring thee, if ever he saves thy soul (Psa 51:1-3; 1 John 1:9; Phil 3:6-8).

Q. What frame of heart should I be in when I confess my sins?--A.

Do it HEARTILY, and to the best of thy power thoroughly. For to feign, in this work, is abominable; to do it by the halves, is wickedness; to do it without sense of sin cannot be acceptable.

And to confess it with the mouth, and to love it with the heart, is a lying unto G.o.d, and a provocation of the eyes of his glory.

Q. What do you mean by feigning and dissembling in this work?--A.

When men confess it, yet know not what it is; or if they think they know it, do not conclude it so bad as it is; or when men ask pardon of G.o.d, but do not see their need of pardon; this man must needs dissemble.

Q. What do you mean by doing it by the halves?--A. When men confess some, but not all that they are convinced of; or if they confess all, yet labour in their confession to lessen it (Prov 28:13; Job 31:33). Or when in their confession they turn not from all sin to G.o.d, but from one sin to another (James 3:12). They turned, 'but not to the most High,' none of them did exalt him (Hosea 7:16).

Q. What is it to confess sin without the sense of sins?--A. To do it through custom, or tradition, when there is no guilt upon the conscience, now this cannot be acceptable.

Q. What is it to confess it with the mouth and to love it with the heart?--A. When men condemn it with their mouth, but refuse to let it go (Job 20:12,13; Jer 8:5); when 'with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness'

(Eze 33:31).

Q. But I asked you what frame of heart I should be in, in my confessions?--A. I have showed you how you should not be. Well, I will show you now what frame of heart becomes you in your confessions of sin. Labour by all means for a sense of the evil that is in sin.

Q. What evil is there in sin?--A. No man with tongue can express what may by the heart be felt of the evil of sin;[13] but this know, it dishonoureth G.o.d (Rom 2:23). It provoketh him to wrath (Eph 5:5,6). It d.a.m.neth the soul (2 Thess 2:12).

Q. What else would you advise me to in this great work?--A. When we confess sin, tears, shame, and brokenness of heart becomes us (Jer 50:4; Isa 22:12; Psa 51:17; Jer 31:19).

Q. What else becomes me in my confessions of sin?--A. Great detestation of sin, with unfeigned sighs and groans, that express thou dost it heartily (Job 42:6; Eze 9:4; Jer 31:9).

Q. Is here all?--A. No; Tremble at the word of G.o.d; tremble at every judgment, lest it overtake thee; tremble at every promise, lest thou shouldest miss thereof: for, saith G.o.d, 'To this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word' (Isa 66:2; Heb 4:1,2).

Q. What if I cannot thus confess my sins?--A. Bewail the hardness of thy heart, keep close to the best preachers, remember that thou hangest over h.e.l.l, by the weak thread of an uncertain life.

And know, G.o.d counts it a great evil, not to be ashamed of, not to blush at sin (Isa 63:17; Jer 6:15, 8:12).

Q. Are there no thanks to be rendered to G.o.d in confessions?--A.

O Yes. Thank him that he hath let thee see thy sins, thank him that he hath given thee time to acknowledge thy sins; thou mightest now have been confessing in h.e.l.l: thank him also that he hath so far condescended as to hear the self-bemoaning sinner, and that he hath promised, SURELY to have mercy upon such (Jer 31:18-20).

Of Faith in Christ.

Q. I am glad that you have instructed me into this part of the wors.h.i.+p of G.o.d, I pray tell me also how else I should wors.h.i.+p him?--A. Thou must believe his word.

Q. Is that wors.h.i.+pping of G.o.d?--A. Yes; 'After the way which they call heresy, so wors.h.i.+p I the G.o.d of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets,' &c.

(Acts 24:14).

Q. Why should believing be counted a part of G.o.d's wors.h.i.+p?--A.

Because without faith it is impossible to please him (Heb 11:6).

Q. Why not possible to please him without believing?--A. Because in all true wors.h.i.+p, a man 'must believe that G.o.d is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.' Besides, he that wors.h.i.+ps G.o.d, must also of necessity believe his word, else he cannot wors.h.i.+p with that reverence and fear that becomes him, but will do it in a superst.i.tious profane manner: 'For whatsoever is not of faith is sin' (Rom 14:23).

Q. But do not all believe as you have said?--A. 'That which is born of the flesh is flesh: and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit' (John 3:6). And again 'the children of the flesh, these are not the children of G.o.d: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed' (Rom 9:8).

Q. What do you mean by that?--A. Thou must be born twice before thou canst truly believe once (John 3:3,5).

Q. How do you prove that?--A. Because believing is a christian act, and none are true Christians but those that are born again.

But I mean by believing, believing unto salvation.

Q. Can you prove this?--A. Yes. They that believe in the name of Christ are such which are born 'not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of G.o.d' (John 1:13).

Q. What is believing?--A. It is such an act of a gracious soul, as layeth hold on G.o.d's mercy through Christ (Acts 15:11).

Q. Why do you call it an act of a gracious soul?--A. Because their minds are disposed that way, by 'the power of the Holy Ghost' (Rom 15:13).