f>ireilions for Sclf·e:xaminatiou. good man may feem bad in fome extraordinary fall: To judge Of. a bad man by his bt!t hours, and of a good man by his wor!t, is the way to be dccclved in them both. · ~irect. 14· Look nor unequa\ly at the good or evil that is in you ; but confider them both im- Dircli. r4. parually as they are. If you obfcrve all the good only that is in ybu, and ovcdoolt the b1d ; or feHch after nothing but your faults and overlook your gr<l.ccs; neither of d1cfe waycs will bring you ro tttte acquaintance wirh yoUr felves. Direct. r5· Look not fo much either at what youJh.,t~ld be, or at what orhere; are, as ro forget Diretl. 15 , what you ~re your fdves.. Some look f? much ~t rht gl?ry o~ lhat fl1ll pcrflCbou whith they w:1nr, as thlt theu prcfcnc grace feemeth no:hwg ro diem ; hkc ~candle ro one ~har ha rh been ga'l.ing on the Sun. And fame look fo muchat the debauchery of the wqrfi; that they thlllk their lt!E:r wickcdnefs to be holinefs. Dirct!. 16. Suffer not your minds to wandet in confution, when you fer your fclvcs to fo gr~at a Diretl. t6. work : But ke~p it clofe to the matter in h:md, and drive it on till it have come to fome (~aisfatl:ion and condution. Direct. 17. If you are nor able by meditation to do it of your felves, get the help of Come able Direll. 17. friend or Patter; :and do it in a way of conference with him : I-~ or conference will hold your own thoughts to their task; and yout Po~.llor may guide them, and tell you in what order to prot~ed, and c;onfute your-miftakes, befidcs confirmingyou by his judgement of your cart·; Direct. 18. If you cannot have fuch help at hand, write down the figns by \"rhich you judge either D' (J 8 well or ill of your fdf; and fend them to fame judicious Divine for his judgement and counfd Jtt • 1 • thereupon. Dirt&. l9· Expel! not that your oJffurance fl1ould be perfeCt in this life : ~'or rill aVf!.tace be perfect, Dire[/. 19· 'b.Jt cannot be perfeCt. Unjutl cxp::CYations di(app!Jinccd are the caufeof much difquic:tmenr. Direct. zo. DiOinsuifh between the k,owlcdgeof your jufhficacion, and the comfort of ir. Many Dircti. 20• a one may fee and beconvinced that he is {inccrc, and yet ha.ve little comfort in it, through a fad or difiempered fiate of mind or body, :and unpreparedneiS for joy ; or thiOugh feme expeCbtions of cntbufiafiick comforts. DireCt. 2 z. Exercife grace: when ever you would fee it: Idle habits lil.re not perceived. Bc 1 lievc and Dinl1. 2 r. repent till you feel that you do believeand repent, and Love God till you feel that you love him. DireCt. 22· Labour toincreafe your grace if you would be lure of it. For a little grac~; is hardly Dirttl. 22· perceived; when firong and great degrees do eafily manifefl thcmfdves. Direct. 23. Record what fute difcoveries you have made of your efiate, upon the bell enquiry, Dirc{i. 23• that it may Hand you in fiead at a time of further need : For though it wilt not warrant you to fearch nomore, it will be very ufcful to you, in your after doubtings. DireCt. 24. what you cannot do at one time, follow on again and again tilt rou have finifhed. A Direl1. 24. bufinefs of that confcquence is not to be laid down through wearinefs or difcouragcment. H.1ppy is he that in all his life, bath got aifurance of life everlafling. , Direct. 2 5· Let all your difcoveries lead you up to further duty: Jf you find any cmfe of doubr, Dire[/. 2 .;. Jet it quicken you todiligence in removing it : If you find fincerity, tum·it into joyful thanks to your ) · Regenerater: and fiop not in the bue dikovery of your prcfent Hate, as if you had no more todo. Dirctl. 26. Conclude not worfe of the effects of a difcovery of your h•d condition, than there is Viretl. 2 6. caufe. Runcrnber thit if you fhould find that you are unjuftified, it followeth not that you rnufi continue fo: you fearch not afttr your difcafc or rnifety as tmcurable, but :as one that hath a{ufficient ,remedy at hand, (_V en brought to your doors, and comcth a begging for your acceptance, and is freely dfered ~nd urged onyou: And therefore if you find that you arc unregenerate:, thank God that huh {hewed you your ofc ; for if you had not feen it, you had pcri!hcd in it : And prefently give up your felves to God in J<fus Chrilt; and then you may boldly judge better of your [elves ; It is noc for dcfpair, but for recovery that you art: c1l!cd to tryand judge. Nay if you do but find it too hard a quelt!on for you, wht:ther you have all this while been tlncere or not, turn from it, and re~ folvcdly give up yom tCivts to God by Chrilt, and place your hopes in the life to come, and turn from this dt.cei!tUl world and Atfh, and then the cafe will be plain for the time to come : If you doubt of your former rcpentanc;:, Repent n0w and put it out of doubt from this time forward. Dired. 27· When you ca,.nnot at the prefcnt reach affurance, undervalue not a true probJbility or Dire{/. 27 • hope rf your fincerity: And ftill adhere to univer{al grace, which is the founda!ion of your fpecial grace and comfort: I mean, 1. The infinite GoodnelS of God, and his rnercifulncfs to man. 2. The: fufficicnc.y cf Jefus ChtiH our Mediator. :3· The univerfal gift of Pardon and Sllvarion, which i; conditionally m•de to all men in the Gofpcl. Remember that the Gofpe\ is glad tidings even to them that are yet unrecovered. Rejoice in this univcrfal mercy which is offered you, and that you are not as the Devils, {hut up in defpair: And much more.rcjoice if you have any probability that you are truly penitent and jufiificd by faich : Let this fupport you till you can fee more. Dir<.Ct. 28. Spend much more time in doing your duty, than in tryiJtgyour rjlate: Be not Dire8. 2 g, [o mucb in asking) How !hall I know that I Chall be faved ? as in asking What Ch1ll I do ro be flved ? Study the duty ot this day of your vifitation, and fet your felves to it with all your might; St'ek fitfl: the things that are above, and mortifie yom fle!hly lutls: Give up your felves ro a Holy Heavenly life, and do all the good that you are able in the Wolid : Seek after God as revealed in and by our Redeemer : And in thus doing, I· Grace will become more notable and difcernable: 2. Confcicncc: will be lefs accufing and condemning, and will eafilier believe the teconciledncfs ot God. 3· You may be fure that loch labour !hall ntver be loft; and in well doing fOU
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