900 &X ryTAMMa Z. ing of holinefs, to the keeping of our Confcience calm and quiet, and to the attaining and maintaining of peace, (as hath been laid,) There are many things which we count to be hard and difficult, becaufe we confider not the great profit of them ; therefore, to make this infu- perably like difficult duty the more eafy, we would fill the eye of the foul with the many and choice advan- tages.that come by it ; O fuch mortification of lulls, fuch progrefs and advances in holinefs, fuch thriving and growing in grace, with many other notable effe &s, that it through God's blefling produceth ! 6thly. To make it eafy, we would, in the going about it, have a manifold refpe& to Jefas Chrift, by the exercife of faith on him, both in the undertaking, and performing of it. There is a 'refpe& to be had to Chrift in all duties ; but here (as I juft now laid) a manifold refpe& would be had to him. (i.) A refpe& would be had to him as our peace, who only can purge and pacify the Confcience, and take away guilt , and wafh us throughly from it. It may be, fome undertake fell-examination as a fort of penance, or whipping of themfelves; and indeed in that cafe it cannot but be a very hard exercife, when they mind nothing, but the bare ripping up of their fores, and the making of them (as it were) to bleed But, if they went about it with refpe& to Chrift, to bring and drive them to him, as to the phyfician, that would make them to endure the fmart and pain, and would make the duty far more eafy ; the ultimate end of feif-examination, not being limply to affli& us, but to fend us to Jefus Chrift for cure. (z.) Refpe& would be had to him, not only as the healer of our fores and wounds, but allo as the enabler and flrengthner of us to take a ferioufly refle &ing view of them ; and to look upon them indifferently, univerfally and impartially, The firff way of looking to him maketh us to go about this duty, not heartlefly, but with hope; and the fecond way of looking to him, for influence and help from him, ffrengthneth us. (3.) Refpe& would be had to him, as the pardoner of fin (which is more generally hinted at in the firff refpe&) and therefore, as fins are difcovered in the fearch, they would be brought to
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