THE NINTH COMMANDMENT. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. EXAMINATION BY THE NINTH COMMANDMENT. dent that you are both deceived yourself, and desire to deceive others, when you tell a lie to maintain your opinion: for truth stands in need of no lie to support it. Nor only of false and evil speaking, but "of every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give an account in the day of judgment'." And therefore to make up your accounts against that great day of trial, it will be necessary to commune with your "heart, out of the abundance where-ish the good name of anya? of the mouth speaketh".' 1. Whether you have been guilty of any officious lies, by speaking falsely either in the cause of God, or of man. The first being unlawful, the second is highly sinful, though my neighbour may be benefited thereby. 2. Have you told no scurrilous lies, vain-glorious bragging lies', to please and humour your own and your companions' sensual inclinations? 3. Have you told no false stories to allure others to be of your mind and judgment, though you be in an error?? And it is very evi 4. Have you told no infamous lies and scandalous stories, to detract and blem If such stories should be true, it is uncharitable; but when falsities, abominable to report and spread them. 5. Have you not talked of the mote in your brother's eye to his disgrace, being blind as to the beam in your own? And have you not judged rashly, censured uncharitably of other men's actions, not in the better, but worser sense? 6. Have you not flattered with your lips, professing more love and respect to any than has been truly in your heart towards them? 7. Have you neither publicly nor privately testified u Matt. xii. 34. Matt. xii. 36, 37. 7 Psalm xii. 2, 3; Ecclus. xx. 24, 25; xxv. 2. xii. 17; xiii. 5. Eph. iv. 25. * Job xiii. 7; Col. iii. 9. Psalm xxiv. 4; Prov. a Prov. xviii. 8; xxiv. 28; Ecclus. xix. 7, 8; xxi. 25; what is false", to the diminution either of the reputation or estate of any man? 66 8. Have you used no opprobrious language, as "thou fool," "knave?" nor answered railing for railing?" The sin of evil speaking is much aggravated from the quality of the persons evil spoken of. As, 1. for children to speak evil and reproachfully either of or to their parents: 2. for a people to speak evil of their Pastors: 3. for subjects to speak evil of their King and his Ministers of State". Which is the humour of false prophets and heretics*; it being the practice of orthodox pastors, "to put their people in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey Magistrates, to speak evil of no man'," &c. THE TENTH COMMANDMENT. your neighbour's health, peace, credit, liberty, life, EXAMINATION BY THE TENTH COMMANDMENT. HATH no lust inflamed | wished the loss or ruin of your breast towards the wife or maid of another", or to covet whatsoever of his you vainly conceive serviceable to your sinful pleasures? So lusted David after the wife of Uriah". 2. Have you not coveted the house, lands, preferments, offices, or whatsoever is enjoyed by another, in order to your worldly profit? So coveted Ahab the vineyard of Naboth P. 3. Have you not secretly 66 or any thing that is his,' in order either to your pleasure or profit? 4. Have you not envied the flourishing estate of any, either in respect of their wealth, esteem, honour, preferment', and this whether in reference to yourself, or to your friend? d Exodus xxiii. 1. • Matt. v. 22. Jer. xviii. 18. i Exodus xxii. 28. m Matt. v. 28; 1 Thess. iv. 5. xii. 15. p 1 Kings xxi. 1, &c. xi. 28, 29. 5. Have you been content with your present state n 2 Sam. xi. 2. and condition in this world, how mean soevers; not roving after the exterior consolations of the creature abroad, the only way to lose contentment in yourself at home ? 6. Have you been diligent and industrious in the duties of your calling, (without all carking solicitude,) both for the support of yourself and yours, and for the relief of others? 7. Have none of those great "Dianas, whom all the world worshippeth," "the lusts of the flesh"," or voluptuousness, "the lusts of the eyes," or covetousness, "the pride of life," or ambition, taken up more room in your heart than the love of God, and the joys of the world to come? 66 My soul cleaveth to the dust: quicken me, O Lord, according to Thy word "." CHAP. V. THE EXAMINATION OF RELIGIOUS ACTIONS. SUCH is the infelicity of our human condition upon earth, that we frequently trespass against the Majesty of Heaven, not only by doing what God hath by His holy laws forbidden, but also by the irregular performance of those holy acts of religion which He hath commanded. And herein a more strict scrutiny is required, a more narrow search into all the secret recesses and corners, windings and turnings, of the corrupt heart: because the sins of such actions as be outwardly holy, do commonly lie more closely hidden from our apprehension and view, than those which have no appearance of holiness in them. Where, 1. Examine your intention in every good work, what is your chief end and aim therein. For "the light of the body is the eyey:" it is the intention, the internal eye of the soul, which renders every work, either of light or of darkness, sinful or holy. Consider then, whether alms-giving, fasting, in Phil. iv. 11; 1 Tim. vi. 8; Matt. vi. 19, 20; Heb. xiii. 5. xiii. 4; Eph. iv. 28; 2 Thess. iii. 8. u 1 John ii. 15, 16. cxix. 25. Matt. vi. 22, 23. • Prov. - Psalm praying, preaching, or any other religious duty, you intend either, 1. the glory of God, rather than your own glory and esteem; the praise of God more than the praise of men or, 2. the good of your soul, and the interest of Heaven, rather than any worldly ends or interests: 3. whether you perform such or such an holy action out of a true love to God, and obedience to His commands; or rather to please yourself, in following your own imaginations, inclinations, and humours: 4. whether to satisfy your own conscience, rather than to prevent the discourses or censures of others; 5. to benefit others, rather than to please your own fancy. And lastly, whether you have an eye to the "recompence of reward" in the other world, without reflection upon any secular advantage in this life. It is too common with men, to mistake their own wills for the will of God, their own fancies for Divine illumination, the love of themselves for the love of God, and the revelations of flesh and blood for the dictates of God's Holy Spirit. "The mind of man (saith 8. Gregory) doth often belie a Heb. xi. 26. itself, and conceits, both in a good work to love what truly it loves not, and also in an evil work to hate what throughly it hates not: nor can such secret collusions of the deceitful heart of man be throughly sifted and found out, until the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed in that great day of a general examination and trial." 2. As the end of every religious action is to be examined, whereby the equity or iniquity, sincerity or hypocrisy, is discerned; so the care and caution, fervour and devotion of the heart in its performance, is to be considered: for "cursed is he that doth the work of the Lord negligently.' When the heathen priests offered sacrifices to their false gods, in the midst of their idolatrous ceremonies an herald cried unto them, Age quod agis; "Be intent upon what you are about." And it is surely unreasonable to imagine, that the allseeing spiritual God, or the God of the spirits of all flesh, should be pleased with any worship, or act of religion, where the heart is not wholly intent thereupon, and devoted thereunto. 3. After any holy action performed in public, examine your own thoughts, whether they reflect not upon your own dexterous wit, wisdom, elocution, zeal, or holiness, for any of which you may expect to be praised and extolled by men. And though your heart be so upright, as not to seek and hunt after popular applause; yet if you be affected and delighted with the praise of men, it is not without some tincture of vain-glory. 4. Have you not been so secure, and conceited of your religious performances, as to lay yourself the more open to after-temptations? for the more fervent and frequent you be in holy actions, the more earnest and forcible will be your temptations by the enemy of all goodness. And these also shall the more easily prevail against you, the more secure you think yourself of the Divine grace and favour upon such or such religious duties conscientiously performed. CHAP. VI. THE EXAMINATION OF REPENTANCE. HAVING by all these particulars examined yourself to find out your sins, it will be necessary to try your repentance also; that the great antidote against the poison of sin be not defective nor counterfeit. And the first particular herein to be examined, is the duty of Examination itself. 1. Have you daily considered your daily offences, duly weighed them, and emptied them out of your heart by a full and particular confession of them in the presence of God? Have you so deeply considered your sins in the stain and danger thereof, as to beget in your heart true compunction, and that 66 godly sorrow for sin which worketh repentance unto salvation not to be repented ofe?" 3. Hath not your repentance been too often an hypocritical mocking of God, by returning again to your sins repented; breaking your promises of amendment in time of sickness, danger, and the like? 4. Have you "brought John v. 14; 2 Pet. ii. 20-22, |