Jer. 3· 40 ]Pb 10. 6 E~r• 8. H Levit 16.u o.r.s... ,,~ 2 Per. J.S,6J 7. 8. Chap.13 Sea. 3. 4 . . ,SE C T. 3. Of the~nanner •f examining o11r jim before tbe L ords S"pper. FOr the right examining of our fins, obferve we thefe rules:---- ._ Procure we a double catalogue of our fins, the one before, and the other fmce our converfion : Let m [earch and try our ways (faith Jcrcmy) tmd then turn again to the Lord : If we will not, we may be fure God will: Tho~t enqmreft afte-r mine iniquity (faith Job) andf<t!n·hefl after myfin. · 2 • Cenfefs we our fins: Bring we them out,as they brought the vc!fels cf the Temple, , by number and weight: Aaronconfeffing for the people, he tr.as to confcf; all the iniquities oftheChildren ofJfrael, and all their tranfgrejjions in all.,their fins. As three makgAll fo here's three Ails to make up a right confeffion.; not onely mull: be confcffed All1hei: iniquities,and 11 thirf~m; but AIL their tran[greJ!ions in ,,1/ their fins. q. d. .Aaronmuft number,and Aaron mull: aggravate their fins'l by laying out ho\v ·many tranfgreffions were wrapped up in their feveral fins. J-:: 3. Labour we for grief and farrow ofhearr'"for fm , othcrwife all is to no purpofe: I will declare mine iniq~tity ( farth David) I tvillbe forry for my fin : His confcffions were dolorous confeffions; he felt fin, and this wrough.t upon him, "'an heavy burrhen they are too heavyfor me ; there's nothing in the world can make an heart more heavy' then when it feels the'weight and heavinefs of fin. · ' 4· Judge we and condemn our felves for our fin : This is that duty infianc'd in by the Apoll:le, If we would judge ourJelves , tve jhould not be judged: 0 Lord , I am not worthy (could the Centurion fay) that thou jhouldft come tmd<>· mj roof: But, 0 Lord, I al\1 not worthy (fhould every one ofus fay) that I fhould come to thy table. 5· Pray for mercy,pardon and acceptance,in,for and through the Lord Jefu$ Chrifr. SECT. 4· OfExamination ofthe wants ofCraces,that jlJOuld be feelingly in m. FOr the right exami11ing of our Graces, obferve we ~his threefold fcarch or fcrutiny ofl { 1. The wants. } 2. The tmth. of our Grac·cs. . . 3· ThegrOJvth. 1. That we may rightly examine the wants of 011r Graces, pracrife we thefe particulars : ---- . s. Procure we a catalogue of Graces, fuch as that .in Gal. 5. 22, 23. Low,joy,peace, long-f•ffering,gentlenef;,goodnefs,faith, 1/teekzzefs, temperance; or fuch as that in 2 Pet. r. 5, 6, 7> 8. .Adde toy011rfaith,vertlte; and to verme, k_nowlrdge ; and to k_ntrn l:dge, tem– perance; and to temperance, patience; and to pt~triencc, godlinefs; and to god!t'ncfl, bro– therly, kjndnef;; and to brotherly kjndnefs, charity." iftheft things be inJ"', and abound, they tvill maks you, thatyou ]hall neither be barren nor itnfrttitful m the k_1101VIedge ofour Lord Jefus Chri!t. 2. This catalogue procured, fet we the fame before us, and confider which ofthere graces we have, and which of thefe graces we want. I know it is a qucfiion, whether all graces are not fo connex'd and chained together, that one of themcannot be levered from another? But howfocver we may difringuifh quantHm ad habi11v11, & atlum ; in refpccr of habit, we grant they are always connex'd and chained together, but not in refpetl: of act or exercife: Adde;;racctograce (faith the Apoltle) q. d. a Chrill:ian at fir{[ doth not exercife all graces; but as a man fives firll: the life of a plant, then of fenfe, then ofreafon, though all were radically there at firll: fojt is ingraces; there are many forms that ChrilHans go thorough, as Scholars at School do : The firll: form is to teach them their fins and miferies, and fo they go t<iTchool to the Law, and •re fct t? ftudy it; ~d then after they have learn'd that le~on thoroughly, they are led up hrgher, to have their faith drawn out, and to be cxercrfca about Free-grace, and about Chrift his perfon , and union with him, ' and about the art and way of drawing vertue from him, and doing all in him: nay after this, though aBeliever in his converfion halh fhe fubl):ance of all thefe taught him , yet he goes over them againe throughout his whole life; and fometimes his thoughts dwell more about the emptinefs of his own righteoufnefs, fometimes about thatfulnefs that is in Chrill,fometimes about the Spiri– tual ltriCtnefs he ought to walk in ; and this is to addegrace 11ntograce : -·-·· Nay, there may
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