Spiritual vomit – Thomas Brooks

“He who covers his sins shall not prosper; but whoever confesses and forsakes them shall have mercy.” Prov. 28:13

True penitential confession is joined with reformation. That confession of sin which carries forgiveness of sin with it, is attended with serious desires, and earnest endeavors of reformation. Confession of sin must be joined with forsaking of sin or all is lost. God will never cross the book, He will never draw the red lines of Christ’s blood over the black lines of our transgressions unless confessing and forsaking of sin, goes hand in hand. He who does not forsake his sin, as well as confess it, forsakes the benefit of his confession.

Indeed, there is no real confession of sin, where there is no real forsaking of sin. It is not enough for us to confess the sins we have committed but we must peremptorily resolve against the committing again the sins we have confessed. We must desire as freely to forego our sins, as we do desire God to forgive us our sins.

Confession of sin is a spiritual vomit. Now you know, a man who is sick in his stomach, is heartily willing to be rid of that load on his stomach; and so a man who is real in his confession of sin, is as heartily willing to be rid of his sin, that lies as a load upon his conscience, as any sick man can be heartily willing to be rid of that load that lies upon his stomach.

The penitential confessor does as heartily desire to be delivered from the power of his sins as he does desire to be delivered from the sting and punishment of his sins.