Chap .... Se8: 9· t e of our mifery under ouf ~wn hands? if we be godly 1 what an help will it be enc fl: the next temptation to doubting and fear, to go and read under our hands this ;~~~~d ';nay we not think, ifat fuch a time I fMnd the trtsth ofgrace, is it notlzk§ly to be now the flw"? and the[< my doubts to <wmfrom the wemy ofmy peace ? - yet t)Ufl not fo t one difcovcry as to try no more, efpectally tf we have made any foul defechon t mChrifl and played the backiliders; fee then that we renew the fearch againe; ;~ther let {his hinder us in the daily fearch of our wayes, or of our increafe in grace, and fellowlhip with Chrifl: It ts ·an tll figne, and a defperate Vtlc fin for a man, when he thinks he bath found himfelfgracious, and in an happy Irate, to let down his watch, and grow negligent ofhisheart and wayes, and fcarce look after them any ':lore. Nei– ther lhould we give over m dtfcouragements tf":"e can not at once, or twtce, or ten· times trying difcover our cafe, but follow tt on t1ll we have dtfcovered tt. Ifone hours labour will not fcrve, take an other; if one day, or month, or year be too little, follow it flill· ifone Minill:er can not direct us fuf!ictently, go to another? the iffue will anfwer all ou;paines; there is no fitting down difcouraged in awork that mull: be done. See 2 Pet. I. IO. . 8. Take heed, if we find our fclves to be yet unregenerate, that we do not conclude of our future f!ate by our prefent: Jet us not fay, becaufe I annmgodly, I jha/1 dyeJo; or becaufe I aman hypocrite, I jha/1 continue Jo, no, we have another work to do, and that is to refolve prefently to cleave to Chrifl, and to break offour hypocrifie and wickednefs. Ifwefind that we have been all this while outoftheway, do not fir down in dcfpaire, but make fo much the more hall: to turn into it. Ifwe have been · hypocrites, or ungodly perfons all our ltfe, yet ts the pronufe offered to us by Chrill:, and he tendreth himfelfto be our Lord and Saviour ; neither can we poffibly be fo willing to accept of him, as he is to accept ofus; nothing but our own unwillingnefscan keep our fouls from Chrilt, though we have hitherto abufed him, and diffembled with him. Oh that the Lord would perfw"ade us to the clore performance of this Self-trying task§ !that we might not tremble with horror of foul when the judge of allthe world fuall try us ; but have our evidence and affurance fo ready at hand, and be fo able to prove our title to heaven, that the thoughts, and approaching of death and judgment ·might revive our fpirits, and fill us with joy, and not appale us, and fill us with amazement! SECT. 9. Of the time of our Selj-tryal. THe Scriptures have determined no fet time, yet fome Rules there are, partly in Scripture, and partly prefcribed by holy meR, which we may make ufe of, as thus: I. There is no danger of furfetting upon too much ; the oftner we reckon with our fouls, the fewer things we lhall have to reckon for every time · and the fewer things the.re be, the more readily wi~ they be called to minde, and mdre exactly be fcanned: Thts made Bernard fay of this work, If we w•/1. do •t"' often M we need, we mu!ilaloit alwayes. r fll' 2. The time that learned and devout men commend to us, is once every day : So Chryfojlom, Let thu account be k§pt every day;-- Have a little bookjn thy Conftience, and write therein thy da•ly tranfgrejfions ; and when thou layeft thee down on thy bed, then brmgforth '.hy book_., and takt an at:count ofthy fins. 3· The ttme thatefp~ctally Scripture holds forth to us, is at evening or at night : I call to remembrance, fatd David, .myJong in the night; I commune with my own heart, and myfpmt made d•hgent frarch: And thus he bids us, Commune with your own hearts 11 P01 'J!our bed, and bejcz/1. Upon which words fayes Chryfojlom 1 What means this that he fa.t ' Commune wub your own hearts upon yourbods 1 q. d. After fupper, when you lie dow~, and are re~dy to ileep, and have great quietneffe and lilence, without prefence . or dtll:urbance_of any, then erc(t a Tribunal for your own Confciences. . d.;· lliOther times may be as occafion requires: When the Church of Ifrael was in ' re e, and fighcd to God, then·they encouraged each 9ther, Lrf "'[earch andtry •nr Bern. io C~.ar.. Scrm. SB.jin Cbryf'!f!. Exjl.' in Pfd. 4· Pfll. 77· 6. Pfal. 4· 4• Cbryfojf. in lac•
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