'240 Sermon 3. bethat quite negle &s and defpifeth this duty of exami- nation of his way, by his Confcience, or before the tri- bunal thereof? And when, I pray, are perfons moft ten- der or untender ? Is it not when they are molt impar- tial, 'Or 'mo C partial in this work of fetting themfelves down to take a feribus review of their cafe and way, and fitting themfelves before their Confcience, to review the fentence thereof ? As for the 3d thing propofed to be fpoken of, viz, the caulks of this fo abominable and grofly fnful ne kle& ;'they may cafily and foon be found out if we new and confidered what a nature we have, fo very a- verfe from true holinefs ; yea, the more fublimely holy and fpiritual that duties be, the more averfe naturally are we from them. ' As 'tis much eafier to bring a man to the pròfc{bon, than it is to bring him to the power, of religi- on is it much more eafy to bring a man to the pra- faice of many external duties thereof, than to the praetice of this one inward duty ; it being, as it were, a fnedding knife to corruption, bringing a man to ftrike at the very root and life of it ; and it being (as it were) a fetting of him on the black frone *, he is the The black-done more averfe from it. We may add to st a feat whereon, this, the confideration of the influence in force of our uni- that the devil bath on us, in this ne- verf ties,young fcho- glees ; who knowing well how prejuh- larsufeto be fet, er- diçial to him, to his kingdom and in- dinarily' nct with- terefi ; and how advantageous to the out great both relu- finner this duty is; he labours mighti- Eation ' and fear, ly to hold i all n conflation, and to when they are to be keep the foul fait afleep, as that;which examined publickly contributes much,' if not moft, to the by 411 the mailers, gaining of his point ; for he knows a anenttbeirproJicien- by experience (very galling to him) cy ivy learning; that felf` examination awakes a man, and gives him' a view of himfelf, and puts him to think, how he may be refcued" from this de- iiroyet ; and therefore he doth in a 'fpecial manner hate, abhor, and fet himfelf againa it : And, thó he will fuf- ;fer a man to do many other religious duties, yet he la- leboars by all means to keep him from this duty besaufe it helps
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