IV. Examine yourself in relation to those Sins you have committed by your Thoughts. For fo far as your Thoughts are fubject to the Laws of God, fo far are they capable of the Breach of them. As thus: Have I employed them in contriving and compafing any forbid den Thing; either to gratify Revenge, or to fulfil the Lufts of the Flesh? Have I entertained any difhonourable Opinion of God? any groundless Sufpicions to the Prejudice of my Neighbour? any proud and arrogant Conceits of my own Worth? For pious Opinions of God, charitable ones of our Neighbour, and humble ones of ourfelves, are Duties incumbent upon our Minds. But as for other irregu lar Thoughts, which fpring upon our Minds, whether we will or not, and are no farther Sins than they are Principles of a finful Choice; here the chief Enquiry muft be, Hace I endeavoured to throw them from me? Have I delighted to dwell upon them? Have I confented to them? For according as we affent or diffent to thofe firft Motions which are out of our Power, fo will our Thoughts have the Notion of virtuous or finful Thoughts.

V. Examine yourself in relation to thofe Sins you have committed by your Words. By thy Words thou shalt be juftified, and by thy Words thou shalt be condemned. Our Words being more under our Government than our Thoughts, we fhall be called to a ftricter Account for them: For though the Tongue be

an

an unruly Member, yet it is in our Power to chain it up by Silence, which is the fecureft Method, when any Temptation offers of tranfgreffing its Bounds. Thus you must examine : Have I been guilty of Evil-speaking? Have I aggravated it by fpeaning ill of my Parents or Governors in Church or State? Have I divulged any Ill I knew of them, when neither Juftice nor Charity required it? Have I in my Anger uttered injurious IVords? Have I, by falfe Words, by Lying, excufed myself, and defrauded others? Have I been guilty of profane Swearing and Curfing? Have any obfcene Words, and fuch as tend to corrupt Men's Minds, proceeded out of my Mouth? any Words that grieve and afflict my Neighbour? He that offends not in his Tongue is a perfect Man, and must have his Duty always in his Eye. Now Conversation being one of the chief Ways of employing our Time, efpecially for a great Part of the World, our Words must be of greater Moment, either to our Juftification or Condemnation.

VI. Examine yourself in relation to thofe Sins you have committed by your Actions; to difcover which you muft enquire: Did I in waking, dedicate my firft Thoughts to God? Did I perform my Morning Devotions; and with what Attention and Fervour of Mind? Have I followed my Labour and Bufinefs with Diligence? Have I exercifed exact Juftice and Honefty in my Calling? Did I offer my Actions

of

to God, that they might be pleafing to him? Have I been punctual in the particular Duties of my Station; as a Servant, as a Master, &c. Did I at my Meals fay Grace? Was I moderate and temperate in the Ufe of God's Creatures? Have I converfed with Candour and Affability? Have I endeavoured to make my Converfation ufeful and profitable unto others? How have I improved the Leifure I have had? If you have diverted yourself, examine, Ihether it was with Innocence, and within the Bounds of Chriftian Moderation? If you have received particular Mercies, Whether you have been thankful? If you have had any Opportunities of doing Good, Whether you have embraced them? If Temptations have affaulted you, Whether you have refifted them? A few Minutes before our Evening Devotions, will ferve to recollect all the Actions of the Day.

VII. Particularly examine your Sins of Omiffion. We fhall certainly be called to an Account for neglecting to do fuch Things as God commands, as well as for doing such Things as he forbids; therefore we ought to examine ourselves as to thefe: Have I frequent and ferious Thoughts of God? Do I maintain in my Mind firm Purposes and Refolutions of obeying him? Do I conftantly perform the Duties of dicine Worship? Do I ferve him with Devotion? Am I aftive and zealous in doing all the Good I can to the Bodies and Souls of Men? Do I comply with the holy Inspirations of God's K

Spirit &

Spirit? Have I made ufe of the Occafions that have prefented for practifing Humility, Charity, Mortification, and Patience, &c.

It is not fufficient that we ceafe to do Evil, but we must learn also to do Good, or elfe we fhall never be qualified for that Happinefs which God has promifed to his faithful Servants.

VIII. Confefs to God with hearty Sorrow, and Refolution of Amendment, whatever you have been guilty of in Thought, Word or Deed. The Defign of Examination being in order to beg Pardon for thofe Sins and Frailties we have committed, the Sight and Senfe of our Vilenefs fhould make us folicitous to find a Remedy, which can only be had from the infinite Mercy of God, through the Merits of our bleffed Saviour Jefus Chrift: But then it is our Part to qualify ourfelves for the Exer*cife of this Mercy; we muft confefs and forfake our Sins, before we can be made capable of Forgivenefs: we muft fincerely repent, before we can partake of that Pardon our bleffed Saviour has purchased for us. if we have a true Senfe of our paft Follies, and expect Forgivenefs from God, we muft renew our Refolutions of better Obedience, and firmly purpose to ftand-upon our Guard, that the fame Temptations may not overcome us: And though we may fometimes be foiled in the Combat, never to be difcou

And

raged;

raged; knowing that we fhall be Conquerors if we faint not,

IX. Set apart a longer Time upon fome Occafions for this Purpose: As on Fafting Days, and in the preparatory Exercises for Receiving the Holy Sacrament. A great Part of Mankind, who actually get their Living by the Sweat of their Brows, have not Leifure for fo much Retirement as the Rule fuppofès, and yet they are not exculed from Examining themfelves, and from Receiving the Communion; and therefore this preparatory Work must be performed by them in the Intervals of their Labour, and on the Lord's Day, which should be dedicated to the Improvement of their Minds. But fuch who have a Command of their Time, are obliged to employ Part of it to fuch excellent Purpofes. U Upon fuch Occafions, they may try themfelves by fome Heads of Examination, fuch as are collected together in feveral Books of Piety; and where they find themfelves guilty, they fhould write down the feveral Inftances of their Crimes, with the feveral Aggravations; whether committed againft Knowledge; whether with the free Confent of their Wills; whether in Defpite of the Checks of their Confciences; whether they have been often repeated; whether tranfient Acts, or fettled Habits? And upon these Occafions they muft particular y obferve, what previous Steps have led them to offend God, and which, though

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