dom of heaven or no? And if our consciences will testify for us, That in fimplicity and godly fincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our converfation in the world; then may we indeed rejoice, with a reafonable and well grounded joy. To these we must appeal; and if, upon an exact and impartial fcrutiny, these acquit us, then are we indeed acquitted. Here alone can we find a foundation for fuch true and inexpreffible joy and fatisfaction, as nothing else in the world can afford us. This was St. Paul's triumph, That he had a confcience void of offence towards God and towards man. And, if our confciences will give us the fame testimony, we shall be partakers of the fame triumphant joy.

But perhaps you will say, that you dare not examine your felf, for fear you fhould not obtain this testimony from your conscience. You know that your confcience is true, and will accufe as well as excuse you; and therefore you dare not question it, left it fhould give you fuch answers, as you are very unwilling to hear.

If this be your cafe, it is indeed very pitiable, and you have great reason to be concerned,

concerned, when you think on it; but this still makes the practice of this duty more neceffary than before. He, who is fick, has more need to examine into the state of his body, than he who is in good health. And he, who is oppreffed at confcience, with a heavy burthen of fins, has more need to search into it, than he who feels little or no burthen at all there. The first step towards amendment is the dif covery of our fault; for this lays the cause of our diftemper before us, and thereby gives us all the opportunity of eafing ourfelves that we can defire. He therefore, that would heal a wounded conscience, must first enquire what it was that gave his confcience this wound; and, having found that out, he may easily apply fuch medicines as in due time will work its

cure.

Say not therefore with thy felf, O finner, that thou knowest thy confcience will condemn thee, and therefore thou wilt not ask its verdict. This is a fure way to eternal ruin. But refolve thus with thy felf: I confefs, O Lord, that my foul is at present in a very bad condition, defiled with all manner of fin, and heavy

laden with grief and anguish. What shall I do then? fhall I be afraid to look into it? Alas! then I fhall grow continually worse and worse, and become every day ten-fold more the child of Satan, than I was the day before. No, I am refolved what I will do; I will dive into the very bottom of my foul, and make a ftrict fearch for those fins, which make me afraid of my felf. I will never leave fearching till I have found them all out, and when I have found them, I will tear them out by force from my foul, and never more fuffer them to enter in. Then, and not till then, fhall I enjoy a quiet and fedatę fpirit, and partake of that peace of God which passeth all understanding.

But furely, the pleasure that a pious foul must have in looking over its accompts, is beyond all expreffion. How does the merchant rejoice, when, upon examination of his books, he finds all his affairs to profper and fucceed, even according to his heart's defire? And, if this be matter of fuch joy to us, what an unfpeakable transport fhall we be in, when upon examination of our spiritual accompts, we shall find that we have behaved our felves fo

as

as becometh the heirs of promife. When our confciences fhall give us this teftimony, that we have walked worthy of our vocation, and, fhall receive for our reward an eternal inheritance in the heavens. Blessed God! how infinitely great will the joy of that foul be, which, after a strict and impartial search into it felf, can fafely apply those words of our Saviour to it felf, Well done, thou good and faithful fervant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. This is indeed to anticipate and fore-taste the joys of heaven; it is to make a heaven upon earth, and truly and properly to have our converfation in heaven whilft we are here. But I need fay no more to this purpofe. The pleasure and faisfaction that every good man has felt in the performance of this duty, will more powerfully engage him to the conftant practice. of it, than any thing, which I can fay. And the advantage which all bad men have found by a serious and conftant exercife of it, is invitation enough to any finner to fet about it.

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CHA P. IV.

Of Confeffion of Sins.

A

FTER you have carefully examined your felf, and have found what fins you have com

mitted, and what duties omitted ; your next business must be, to make an acknowledgment both of your fins of commiffion and omiffion to God.

To confefs your fins, is not barely to own to God that you have finned, and to tell him what fins you have been guilty of; for alas! He who knoweth all things, has no need of this: but it is to acknowledge your fins, with a moft hearty fhame and forrow for them, and a firm refolution to amend them. He, who makes these the companions of his verbal confeffion, does truly and properly confess his fins; but he, who fatisfieth himself with a formal telling of God that he has been guilty of fuch and fuch fins, and thinks

that