A

sweet harmonious Hymns which they end.
continually fing, how fhould we study
to imitate those holy Ways, by which
we know they arrived at all their Hap-
piness! How should we seek all Occa-
fions of Improvement, and make it our
Business to work out our Salvation!
Did Man but seriously confider what
he fays he believes, he would never live
as he doth. Who can doubt but e'er
long he shall be turn'd into Duft? Yet
which of us lives as if we thought ever
to die?

VII Pity, O gracious Lord, the
Frailties of thy Servant, and fuffer not
my Blindness to lead me into Ruin. Sup-
ply my Want of Sight by a lively Faith,
and ftrengthen my Faith by thy power-
ful Grace: Make me remember it is
no trifling Thing to gain or lofe the
Kingdom of Heaven: Make me chuse
wifely, and purfue my Choice, and use
as well the Means, as like the End. O
set thou right the Biafs of our Hearts,
that in all our Motions we may draw
off from the World; that we may still

incline

Even.

Mond, incline towards thee, and reft at laft in thy holy Prefence. Thou art our Lord, and we will ferve thee in Fear; thou art our God, and we will love thee in Hope: What will it profit us to gain the whole World, and lofe our own Souls? Or, what shall we give in exchange for our Souls?

Now repair to the Publick Service of the Church; but if you have not that Opportunity, then employ your Time in reading fome Part of the em WHOLE DUTY OF MAN, as directed in Page 10, efpecially Sunday 17. Sections I. and VII.

A Prayer before Examination, with a firm Refolution to forfake the Vanities of this wicked World.

Let a Man examine himself, and fo let him eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup. 1 Cor. xi. 28.

Almighty God, thou Searcher of Hearts, who seest and knoweft all my Sins ; help me fo to fearch every Secret of my Heart, that I may leave no Sin, if poffible, unrepented of. Give me Grace fo impartially to judge and condemn myself, fo humbly to repent and beg Pardon, that I may not be con

demned,

demned, when I fhall appear at thy Mond Tribunal, in the great and terrible Day of the Lord Jefus.

But alas! after the moft ftrict Examination we can make, who can number his Iniquities? Who can tell how oft he offendeth? Cleanse me therefore, O Lord, I beseech thee, not only from my prefumptuous and known Sins, but from all fecret and unknown Tranfgreffions for his Sake, who died for Sinners, Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

DIRECTIONS for Self-Examination.

HA AVING devoutly prayed for God's Affiftance, doubt not but he will vouchsafe it to you. And the better to difpofe your Heart to the Duty of Self Examination,

Confider seriously with yourself; That it is appointed for all Men once to die, and after Death to be called to Judgment. That God hath appointed a Day in which he will judge the World in Righteousness by Jefus Chrift. At whofe coming all Men ball rife again with their Bodies, and fhall give an Ac-. count of their own Works: And they that have done Good, fhall go into Life everlafting; and they that have done Evil, into everlafting Fire: For the Books fhall be opened, and the Dead fball be judged out of the Things written in thofe Books, accord ing to their Works. And then,

Confider how much, how nearly it concerns you to judge yourself before that Time, that you be not judged, that is, condemned of the Lord.

and

But fo many and various are the Sins of our Lives, in Thought, Word and Deed, and Omiffions against God, our Neighbour, Ourfelves, that this Work will, at best, be confused, except Chri

Alians

fians have proper Helps to bring their feveral Sins diftinctly to Remembrance; fo that I fall in this Form lay before you the fe veral Heads of our Duty to God, our Neighbour, and Ourfelves, as the most effectual Help in this Cafe; that upon each particular Head, you may examine your paft Lives, and try the prefent Difpofition of your Hearts.

First, When you examine yourself, let it be chiefly about your wilful Sins, and Sins of Commiflion; and be not over-fcrupulous, either to accuse yourself of Sin you never comitted, or to reckon up all your Infirmities; for that would render your Exa· mination endless and impracticable: And though there may be fome Sins that you may doubt whether you have committed; O thers you may fear you have forgot; yet be not difcouraged, for when you have acted honeftly and fincerely, reft fatisfied: But what Sins you cannot recollect and find out, fo as particularly to confefs and bewail, you ought to conclude under a general Repentance for what foever you have done amifs; and to pray that God would cleanfe you from your fecret Faults. Obferving where ever you find your felf innocent, to glorify God, and beg of bim to preferve and continue you therein

Secondly, If you have not wholly neglected, and yet defire particularly to increafe in fome Chriftian Virtue, lift up your Heart to God, for his Holy Spirit to aid and affift your fincere Endeavours to grow in it; for we are not barely to avoid Sin, but to grow in Grace and Goodness.

Thirdly, When you come to any Sin you have committed often or deliberately, or against the Checks of Confcience, or against frequent Admonitions, or laftly, against your own special Verws and Refolutions to the contrary; You must take into the Account fuch aggravating Circumftances as increase and heighten the Guilt of it, to increase your Shame and Sorrow, and to her you how greatly we ftand in Need of God's Pardon for what is paft, and of his affifting Grace to preserve and firengthen us in the Ways of his Laws, and Work of bis Commands. And

Fourthly, Some, where they have found themselves guilty upon any Head, whether of omitting a Duty, or committing a Sin, have written down the Sins they have been guilty of, or have mark'd them in the Margin of their Book, that they might be able to make a more exact and particular Confession of

their

their feveral Offences before God, and enter their Vows and Refolutions the more diftinctly against them: And this may be farther ufeful; for, by comparing one Time with another, you will better difcern the Amendment of your Life, and Growth in Chriftian Virtue: But this is only Advice; for every Perfon is left to judge for himself of the Ufefulness and Expediency of this Method.

Fifthly, They that can't quiet their Confcience by this Examination concerning the Lawfulness or Unlawfulness of this or that Action, or fhall meet with Scruples and Difficulties of any ober Kind, let them firft pray to God to enlighten and establish their Mind, and then have recourfe to fome learned and pious Minifler of God's Word, always remembering to be honest and impartial in this Work, between God and their own Confciences; for it is in vain to hope to bide any Thought, Action, or Defign, from his All-feeing Eye who is the great Searcher and Judge of all Hearts.

And here I would, for the true Penitent's greater Satisfaction recommend to him the reading of the fourth Section, of the Care of the Soul, in the New WHOLE DUTY OF MAN.

Heads for the Examination of Confcience; upon thofe Duties wherein GOD's Honour and Our own and Neighbour's Goods are concerned.

Search and examine your own confciences, and that not lightly, and after the manner of diffemblers with God; but fo that ye may come holy and clean to fuch an heavenly feaft, in the marriage garment required by God in holy scripture, and be received as worthy partakers of that holy table. The firft Exhortation in the Communion Service.

Come now, let us reafon together, faith the Lord: though your fins be as fcarlet, they fhall be as white as fnow; though they be red like crimson, they fhall be as wool. Ifaiah i. 18.

I. Con