CHAP XVII.

FOR WEDNESDAY.

EXAMINATIO N.

AMONG all the Inftruments of Religion, none feems to be of greater Ufe than the daily calling ourselves to a strict Account for all our Actions, comparing them with the Laws of God, the Rule and Measure of our Duty. It is of that Importance, that the greateft Parts of our fpiritual Improvement feems to depend upon it; for our relapfing daily into the fame Fault, and making no Advancement in Piety, chiefly proceeds from the Neglect of this Practice. Men do not well confider the Source of their vicious Inclinations, they do not entertain an Horror of their daily Sins, they do not reflect upon those fatal Occafions which are ufed to betray them to the Breach of God's Laws; neither do they make firm Purpofes and effectual Refolutions of Amendment. Whereas, if we fubmitted ourselves to this Examination every Evening, it would be impoffible that the Seeds of Vice fhould take any deep Root in our Hearts; neither would evil Habits be able to prevail upon us. To make us impartial in this Search, let us confider,

1. The Presence of God. It is true, his Throne of State is established above, and the Splendors of his Glory thine only on the Bleffed: but yet his unlimited Eye looks down upon this lower World, and he beholds all the Ways of the Children of Men. If we are in Public, he marks our Steps; if we retire, he is not excluded; he is confcious of all the secret Contrivings of our Minds; and though we may impofe upon ourselves and others, yet nothing can be hid from his Omnifcience. Since therefore our Faults cannot be concealed from God, let us not endeavour to be ignorant of them ourfelves, but let us bring our moft private Actions to the Teft of his Laws, and impartially confider how much Evil we have been guilty of, and how little Good we have done, in comparison of what we might and ought to have done.

2. The Voice of Confcience. When Men are once well inftructed in the Nature of that Duty which they owe to God, their Neighbour, and themselves; if they will but feriously attend to the Judgment of their own Minds, they will eafily be convinced of the several Sins they are guilty of; fo that they will never be able to recover the Peace of their own Minds, and filence the Reproaches of their Consciences, if they are not impartial in repenting of all thofe Sins that gave them any Trouble and Difquiet. Indeed Sins of Ómiffion are not fo apt to ftartle the

Mind, as Sins of Commiffion: These latter are apt to terrify us, and make us apprehen five of the Wrath of God; whereas we eafily find Salvo's to allay that Senfe of Guilt that arifes from the former: Though to awaken Men. our Saviour has declared, that the Inquiry of the great Day will turn chiefly upon the Neglects of our Duty.

3. The dreadful Tribunal. There is no Doctrine more clear and exprefs, and fundamental, in the Word of God, than that of ▪eternal Judgment. We must all appear before the Judgment-Seat of Chrift, faith St. Paul. And God has given Affurance unto all Men, that he will judge the World by Jefus Chrift, in that he hath raised him from the Dead. Our Words and Actions, nay our very Thoughts, will be then exposed to public View, and we fhall be tried for all we have done in the Body: Now an impartial Examination of ourfelves at prefent, may help to abate the Terrors of that dreadful Trial, by tending to make our Peace with God, and to reconcile ourfelves to him by a fincere Repentance; for if we judge and condemn ourselves, the Sentence of Condemnation fhall not pafs upon us.

In the Practice of this Duty, we muft,

I. Beg God's Affiliance. Our Hearts are deceitful, and we are too much inclined to impofe upon ourselves: Our Vileness and Sinfulness is great, and the Sight of it is apt

to

to fhock and difturb us, which makes us too willing to conceal it. Our finful Paffions please and delight us, which makes us loth to part with them. And when we have difcovered our Sins and Infirmities, we are apt to make too flight of them, and not to entertain that Senfe of their Guilt and Deformity which they juftly deferve. Make me fenfible, O God, of my own Vileness by reafon of my Sins, which are a Reproach to my Reafon, as well as contradictory to thine effential Purity. Let me search out all my wicked Ways, that I may forfake them: Enlighten my Eyes, that I may not reft in Blindness and Hardness of Heart.

II. Set apart fome Time every Evening to this Purpoje. The longer this Work is deferred, the more Difficulty there is to per form it aright. Several Inftances of our Frailty and Infirmity may flip out of our Memories, and we may poffibly forget Things of Importance to us: But by charging our Memories only with the Actions of a Day, we may easily recollect the whole Time, from our rifing to our going to Bed: So that before we commit ourfelves to fleep, we may heartily beg God's Pardon for the Sins of the Day, and thankfully acknowledge the Bleffings received. This Method will make our Examination eafy and advantageous to us; the fucceeding Day may teach us to grow wife by the Faults of the prefent; and we may learn to

keep

keep our Guard in the right Place, that the fame Sin may not furprise us.

III. Seriously confider the End and Defign of examining yourself. The Point we should aim at, fhould be to understand the true State and Condition of our Souls; what Temptations we are moft liable to, and what Occafions moft eafily overcome us; what Virtues we are moft defective in, and what Sins generally prevail upon us: Without propofing fomething of this Nature to ourselves, our Search will be but loft Labour, and our Examination will never pafs for an Inftrument of Religion : But if we use it as we ought, it will make our Repentance full and complete, because it will extend to all thofe Particulars wherein we have tranfgrefied God's Laws; it will promote our Increafe in Piety and Virtue, by making us fenfible where we fall fhort, and what Measures are neceffary to make us acceptable in God's Sight. By this Means we may prevent the infupportable Weight of the Sins of a whole Life failing upon us all at once, when, it may be, we may not have fufficient Prefence of Mind to recollect ourfelves, much lefs to perform any proper Act of Repentance. We ought particularly to confider the weakeft Parts of our Minds, by Nature and Cuftom leaft defenfible; because there lies our greatefi Danger, and there ought to be our greatest Watchfulness.

8

IV. Ex