The fift worke: they confesse and aske pardon.
FOr with these holie affections in this poore sinner, there is wrought an encouragement and some more bold accesse to God by the same spirit, to confesse his sinnes to God, euen as particularly as he can, especially those in which he hath taken most pleasure, and which haue most preuailed in him: and to say with the prodigall child, I will goe vnto my father, and confesse, father, I haue sinned against heauen and thee,* 1.1 &c. how much soeuer it goeth against him: and as he confesseth his sin, so he powreth out earnest praiers to him for the pardon of thē, through the mediation of Christ. All which, howsoeuer [ I] they seeme to him to be no great matters (who is not as yet a competent and sufficient iudge in this case) yet the Scripture commendeth them to be great, euen the fruite of some little and weake faith,* 1.2 and him, who obtaineth them, to be in especiall fauour with God: as in the forenamed parable is most liuely to be seene: where the father (resembling God) is said to haue met his lost sonne before he came at him, and to haue imbraced and kissed him, after that hee was resolued in himselfe to goe and seeke to him for fauour and pardon, and to acknowledge his faults vnto him, &c. Now was there any thing (thinke we) in the naturall father, which is not much more in the father of mercie? who exceedeth all the fathers of the earth in kindnes and compassion. Thus the [ K] Lord by his holy spirit worketh in the hearts of his children, and with all these forementioned graces, which he giueth them, he draweth them to prise and value this benefit of redemption so highly, as the wise Merchant doth the field,* 1.3 wherein the pearle is hidden, selling all to buy it: so doe they (I say) set light by all things, in comparison of this, and are caried with this mind, that they will forsake whatsoeuer may hinder, for the obtaining of it.