in which there may bee occasion either of doing good or of offending in some speciall manner Thus Iob (a) Iob. 1.4 5. when his sonnes had beene feasting because great cheere and much merriment are most times occasions of some sinne therefore at their returne home he called them together and sanctified them and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all For Iob said It may be my sonnes haue sinned and cursed God in their heart Thus did Iob continually And thus Christians should doe when they returne from making purchases or striking of bargaines or following of Law-suites or feasting with their friends or debating of controuersies or any other the like workes and imployments of moment they should call together their thoughts and examine their hearts concerning all the former passages and sanctifie their soules by lamenting their sinne and purposing a better life 5. It is a fit time also to examine our consciences when we haue some speciall occasion to prepare our selues for God or to intreate his fauour in some speciall sort Thus the Church of Israel when thy were in distresse and sighed to God for reliefe Lam. 3.40 they encourage each other Let vs search and try our wayes and turne againe to the Lord. And S. Paul when the Lords Supper was to be administred because it was a matter of great weight and might breede much harme to the vnworthy Receiuer therefore prescribeth this rule of preparation to all that mind to partake of that Sacrament 1 Cor. 11.28 Let a man examine himselfe and so let him eate of this bread and drinke of this cup. And so in like maner if we be in any distresse or danger by reason of our sinnes that is a fit time to examine our selues that by serious repentance wee may goe to begge pardon And if wee bee to receiue the blessed Supper of our Lord then wee should examine also lest being vnprepared for so holy a worke we proue vnworthy partakers of Christs body And if we keepe a fasting day for the humiliation of our soules that is a fit time that by taking a view of our sinnes we may bee the more deiected with sorrow And if we keepe a Sabbath day or some great day of festiuity vnto the Lord that also is a fit time that our soules hauing by examination beene purged from our sinnes wee may bee prepared to heare and pray and praise God with attention and zeale But especially if we be cast vpon our sicke beds in danger of death and in expectation of our dissolution then is a most vrgent time to take accounts of our soules that our reckonings may be made euen before we be called to account at Gods Tribunall seat For as the tree falleth so it lyeth and if we dye vnprepared we shall be vnable to answere him who is the Iudge of quicke and dead In these therefore and all other cases of like moment and consequence there is great cause to vse this worke Lastly besides those daily and casuall times it is a conuenient time also after some good space passed in this manner to examine our selues ouer againe as for example after a moneth or after a yeere to consider our selues for the moneth or yeere last passed that thereby we may see how wee haue profited or how wee haue decayed for that space of time For (a) Sicut non sentimus quo modo crescunt membra proficit corpus mutatur species nigredo capillorum albescit in canis Haec quippe omnia nobis nesciētibus aguntur in nobis ita mens nostra per momenta viuendi ipso curarā vsu à semetipsa permutatur c. Greg. Moral lib. 25. cap. 6. as our members grow and our shape euery day changeth and our blacke haires turne gray while wee perceiue it not nor can tell when and how these changes come yet after some space of time we may casily discerne that so we are changed so it is in the state of our soules besides the manifest changes of it which doe appeare while they are in doing there are certaine insensible alterations which are not to be discerned but after some continuance of time And for the rectifying of these it is necessary to take a more generall view of our soules then in euery daies examination we can doe that wee may see wherein we are better or worse or how our zeale is increased or decayed ouer that which it was a moneth or halfe a yeere or a yeere or longer time before For by this meanes we shall not only see our grosser and more apparent faults but euen our decay of feruor and religion which creepeth vpon vs vnawares and so learne to blow the coales of zeale and to stirre vp the grace of God that is in vs that we may (b) Apoc. 3.2 strengthen the things which remayne and are ready to dye For which purpose the Ancients haue beene accustomed to vse the time of Lent as I haue shewed in an (a) Treatise of Fasting chap. 10. pag. 129 131. other place more fully CHAP. VI. Of the benefits of this worke or what good vse it may serue a Christian for HAuing hitherto in some measure declared the nature of Examination with the adjuncts appertaining thereto I come now in the last place to consider the benefits that we may reape by it the consideration whereof may animate vs to abound in this worke of the Lord when we shall know that our labour is not in vaine in the Lord. And for that purpose I haue gathered and obserued these vses following I. Examination is a good meanes for Repentance 1. Reason It will be a good meanes to fit and leade vs to repentance and amendment and that in two respects 1. Because it will serue to discouer vnto vs our sinnes and make vs see our wretched and miserable condition For we such is our frailety and corruption doe daily yea hourely commit many sinnes which through heedlessenes or vnskilfulnes or strength of passion or because wee are intent vpon some other businesse which then taketh vp all our thoughts wee obserue not or discerne not for the present But businesses ended and the occasions and tentations passed when we are more free both from distraction and passion if then wee take a time to bethinke our selues and to recall all that is past then our thoughts will be our owne and we shall in cold blood be able to see many things which before went vnespied Then for example we shall bee able to tell our owne soules Such a time I met with a bon-companion and ouer-shot my selfe with excesse of drinke and such a time I met with a wanton Minion who inueigled mee with her lookes and I was ensnared with her loue and such a time I met with a crosse-neighbour and my heart did rise against him at the very sight of him and at such a time I met with some merry mates and in our idle chatt I disgraced my neighbour
life for finding out the true estate of a mans soule toward God accompanied with a purpose and endeuour to doe whatsoeuer vpon tryall shall appeare requisite for saluation and the good of a mans soule CHAP. III. Of the Obiect of this worke or the matter about which it is to be exercised HItherto we haue spoken of the acts now we are to consider of the Obiect or matter about which they are to be bestowed and imployed And it may bee considered two wayes either generally and such as it is in the largest extent which wee may call the adequate obiect or specially and such as is in more principall manner to bee respected and looked to which may be called the Principall or speciall obiect I. And first for the adequate obiect including euery thing that ought to be examined or about which a Christian should examine himselfe it is whatsoeuer either thought word or deede which carrieth any respect either of righteousnes or sinfulnesse in it or all both our good and our euill deedes For Examination being as before was noted a kinde of iudiciary proceeding with our owne soules in which wee keepe Sessions at home that we may prepare for the great Iudgement it hath for its obiect the same matter that shall be discussed and sentenced at the day of the last Iudgement And that is as Solomon telleth vs euery worke whether good or euill For (a) Eccles. 11.14 GOD saith he shall bring euery worke into iudgement with euery secret thing whether it bee good or euill that is euery thing that is morally euill or morally good or which is either sinfull or righteous And therefore in imitation of Gods proceeding in his Iudgement we also should proceede in our iudging of our selues which is to consider of euery thing which is either good or euill sinfull or righteous a breach of Gods Law or a performance of it But for our more distinct vnderstanding and our better direction heerein it will not bee amisse to consider our good and our euill workes each apart by themselues And first for our euill deedes or our sinnes wee may note these rules following 1. We must consider and examine our schies as well concerning our omissions of duties as commissions of euils For in the last Iudgement our Lord the Iudge of quicke and dead he will not onely giue sentence against murders and oppressions and robberies and such like but (b) Matth. 25.41 42 43. against vnmercifulnesse also and the not feeding of the hungry the not lodging of the stranger the not clothing of the naked the not visiting of the sicke c. And so when wee are to iudge our selues wee must censure not onely our hurting of our neighbour but our not helping of him nor onely our back-biting of our neighbour but our not defending of his good name nor onely our persecuting of Gods Word but our not profiting by it nor onely our robbing of the poore but our not relieuing of them and so in all other the like cases our not doing of that which is good when dutie doth require it of vs is culpable before God and is part of that matter about which our Examination ought to be exercised 2. We must consider not onely the substance of our sinnes but the circumstances of them also such as are the persons the time the place the facion or manner of doing c. for all these may either aggrauate or mitigate the sinne So we see that the treason of Iudas is counted the more grieuous Psal 41.9 Ioh. 13.18 because he was one of Christs familiar friends which did cate of his bread and Maâ—asses his idolatrie was the more hainous because hee (a) 2 Chron. 33.7 set his idol in the House of God of which GOD had said to Dauid and to Solomon his Sonne In this House and in â—erusalem which I haue chosen before all the tribes of Israel will I put my name for euer And so the cruel dealing of the Iews was the more hainous because (b) Isa 58.3 4. in the day of their fast they did exact all their labours and did smite with the fist of wickednes And Solomons idolatry did anger offend God the more because (a) 1 King 11.9 10. his heart was turned from the Lord which had appeared vnto him twise and had commanded him concerning this thing that hee should not goe after other Gods And so our sinnes will be the more grieuous if we wrong them who haue helped vs or if in the Church of God and in the time of his seruice our hearts doe meditate reuenge or forecast vniust deuices or take pleasure to thinke on our fleshly lusts c. And therefore these circumstances are to come into the account together with the maine sinnes 3. Thirdly not onely the sinne but the occasion of it is to be considered for this may either increase or diminish the guiltinesse of it As the rich man that had many sheepe of his owne and yet tooke away the poore mans lambe 2 Sam. 12.1 c. to make his friend welcome with was the more grieuous offender by much because hauing no neede hee did rob the poore man And againâ— the consideration of the occasion or prouocation by which we were led into sinne may teach vs wiscome by shunning such occasions to escape from the sinnes 4. Fourthly wee are to reckon among our sins that must be accounted for not onely our commissions of euill deedes and omissions of good duties but euen our vnperfect and defectiue performances For of these the Church of God doth accuse themselues (b) Isa 64.6 All our righteousnesses are as filthy raggs and in respect of these it was that the High Priest was by the Law (c) Exod. 28.38 to carrie the iniquity of the holy things which the children of Israel should hallow in all their holy gifts For that doth imply that the seruices of Gods people had their imperfections and errors which because they were failings in duties were to bee borne by Iesus our High Priest as our other sins were And therefore wee must reckon with our selues not onely for omitting or neglecting the exercises of Religion but for our distractions our wandring thoughts and our cold and dull affections while we did performe them Thus our euill deedes or sinnes may be considered our good workes and holy duties may not be neglected neither and that for these reasons 1. Because we are many times deceiued with shewes thinking that to be good which is euill and that to bee some great good which is but a poore seruice in comparison Thus (a) Philip. 3.6 Paul thought hee shewed much zeale when bee persecuted the Church of Christ and (b) Iudg. 17.13 Micah thought hee had highly demerited Gods fauour when hee kept a Priest for idolatrous seruice and Iehu boasted of his killing of Ahabs children (c) 2 King 10.16 Come with me saith he and see my zeale for the
(b) Matt. 25.26 Thou wicked and slothfull seruant c. and if wee haue beene diligent and in some measure haue encreased our Lords talents that then wee may cheere our soules out of the comfort of our wel-doing and praise our God that hath both giuen vs talents to trade with and grace to vse them to his glory For this practice will whett our diligence for time to come 2. Rule 2 That euery morning before wee begin our worke we coÌ„sider what we are going about what occasions of doing good either to our selues or others we may meete with and what tentations may assault vs in the businesses of that day that so wee may lay hold vpon all occasions of doing good and prepare our selues to stand out with courage against all oppositions and tentations that may hinder vs in our duties or draw vs into sinne For by this meanes occasions of doing well shall not ouerslip vs vn-espied nor will tentations surprize vs at vnawares 3. Rule 3 That if we haue profited in grace and haue taken occasions of doing good we consider at fit times by what meanes wee haue profited and haue beene enabled to doe well that so we may make more constant vse of such meanes by which we haue found so much sensible good already And if wee haue decayed or forslowed our opportunities or haue runne into any sinne then we should obserue what it was that did misleade vs and by what tentations wee were ouercome that our former errors may make vs more warie and more resolute against cases of danger for the time to come For by this meanes we shall euery day gaine some experience how to behaue our selues in the daily conflicts of our Christian warfare 4. Rule 4 That we recall home our thoughts as wee meete with any occasions of moment or light vpon any such businesse as concerning which we haue formerly conceiued a purpose of warie and religious behauiour that while we are in doing of the worke we may remember to make vse of our former resolution and now practise what before we did purpose For by this meanes wee shall be sure that our good purposes shall not bee idle and without fruite as in many men it falleth out who are like sluggish people that ouer-night appoint to rise early but when the morning commeth cannot abide to leaue their warme beds These Rules I haue thought on as beeing in mine opinion fit to backe our examination and to make it more powerfull for an holy life Others as I said before may in their daily obseruation adde moe and perhaps finde out some better then these And as in the ordering of our bodily health Physicians aduise their Patients to follow that whereof they finde good and to auoyd that which doth not agree with their temper so it is good counsell in the ordering of our soules to make daily vse of that which by experience wee finde either to strengthen grace or to weaken sinne in vs and contrariwise to flee from all such occasions and vsages as wee see or haue found to hurt or endanger vs. I onely adde thus much more That these later sort of acts whereof now I haue beene speaking though in themselues simply considered they bee but Adiuncts and Attendants on Examination without which it may subsist in its bare nature and therefore are not necessary ad esse as the Schooles doe speake yet in the vse of the word and in the intendment of the Scripture they are implyed included and presupposed to goe with it and attend it as being necessary ad bene esse to the well doing of this worke as may appeare by these reasons 1. Reason 2 It is the vse and custome of Scripture vnder words of knowledge belonging to the vnderstanding to comprehend affections and practice As when Saint Iohn faith Ioh. 2.4 Hee that saith I knowe God and keepeth not his Commandements is a lyer and the truth is not in him hee meaneth not by the word know a bare and simple knowing and apprehending which the learned call cognitio apprehensina but he meaneth an effectuall and working knowledge which breedeth or bringeth forth such affections in the heart and such actions in the life as that knowledge directeth men to which knowledge they call cognitio affectiua And so in this case Examination is properly a worke of the vnderstanding fingling things out of the confused heape that they may appeare what they are but by way of consequent it doth imply such affections and actions as this worke of the vnderstanding is intended for which is the bettering and a heading of our spirituall estates and of ordering euery thing for the best aduantage of our soules and saâ—â—ations 2. Reason 2 Secondly that thus much is implyed and intended by this word may hereby appeare that the Apostle speaking of the danger of vnworthy receiving of the Lords Supper and prescribing meanes to correct all abuse that way 1 Cor. 11.23 saith Let a man examine himselfe and so let him eate of this Bread and drinke of this Cup. For if by the vvord examine he meant nothing but discussing and sifting without correcting and amending hee should allow men to go to the Communion with the conscience of sinne and without reformation of life And which is yet worse should approue of a man as a worthy guest at the Lords Table onely because he hath learned to know his estate though he no way meane to amend it whereas this knowledge of a mans selfe would increase his sinne and make him the lesse welcome vnto God according to that rule of our Sauiour Luk. 12.47 That seruant which knew his Lords will and prepared not himselfe neither did according to his will shall bee beaten with many stripes But he that knew not and did commit things worthy of stripes shall bee beaten with few stripes And therefore when the Apostle saith Let a man examine and so let him eate c. hee meaneth that after hee hath examined hee should amend whatsoeuer is amisse and persoâ—â—â—e whatsoeuer vpon examination he shall finds necessary or fit to bee done And hence it followeth that a purpose to amend our life and to doe what vpon our examining shall appeare necessary for our soules is a necessary duty as an antecedent act that should goe before Examination and that a practice of such things as by tryall shall appeare vsefull for this purpose is another necessary duty as a consequent act that should follow after it And so in conclusion it appeareth that there are three especiall acts required for the right performance of this worke 1 a constant resolution to amend and better the estate of the soule 〈◊〉 a diligent search thereby to gaine the right knowledge of it and 3 an effectuall performance of all such things as are auaileable for this purpose And out of all these laid together we may make a more full description to this purpose Examination is a Discussion of a mans
qui peccatorum suorum memoriam exuunt Chr. hom 2. in psal 50. pag. 1003. D. were vsed to forget their vertues and remember their sinnes not as men now a daies saith he doe vse to doe who put their sinnes out of their remembrance And heereupon he aduiseth vs not long after in the same Sermon (c) Annon codicē domi habes in quo quotidianas rationes scribas Habe item codicem in conscientia et quotidiana peccata scribe c. Chrysost ibid p. 1004. D. Hast thou not a Booke in thine house saith he wherein thou writest thy daily accounts Haue also a like booke in thy conscience and write therein thy daily transgressions I meane saith he when thou layest thee downe vpon thy bed bring forth thy booke and take an account of thy sinnes And to like purpose speake many others as may further be seene in the next rule following 3. The time which learned and wise men haue allotted for this worke is especially in the euening or at night because that time is a time of vacation and leisure For in the day time wee haue our trades to follow and our markets to make and our Law-suites to attend on and our friends to talke with and our families to prouide for and one businesse or other will euer be comming in the way and interrupt vs but the night is a time of priuatenes and retirednesse when occasions of the world being ouerpassed we haue the more freedome to conferre with our soules To this purpose it is that Dauid tooke the night time to meditate in (a) Psal 119.55 I haue remembred thy name O Lord in the night and haue kept thy Law And that time he tooke to lament his sinnes (b) Psal 6.6 Euerie night saith he I make my bed to swimme and water my couch with my teares And that time he tooke also to examine his soule in (c) Psal 77.6 I call to remembrance my song in the night I comune with mine own heart c. And that time he biddeth vs also take for the like purpose (d) Psal 4.4 Commune with your owne heart vpon your bed and be still Vpon which words of the Prophet we haue this note giuen vs by St. Chrysostom (e) Post coenom inquit quande ilis dormilum quande estis decubituri et nullo praesonte multae quies et silentiū et nen ine interturbante profunda tranquillitas excita iudicium conscientiae Quande neque amicus interturbat nec famulus irritat nec turba negotiorum vrget tunc vitae interdiu astae rationē exigite Chryso Expos in Psal 4.4 pag. 26. C D. What meaneth this saith hee that he saith Commune with your bearts vpon your beds c. And he answereth It is this After supper time when ye are going to sleepe and are ready to lye downe on bed and haue great quietnesse and silence without the presence or disturbance of any then erect a Tribunall for the conscience And a little after When neither friend doth disturbe thee nor seruants prouoke thee nor multitude of businesses doth presse thee then take account of thy life what thou hast done in the day time before And the same Father in another place (f) Quū in lecte tuo iaces nec quisquam est quā tibi negotium facessas antequam somnus irrepat libellum in mediū produc et peccatae tua teeum reputa dicens apud teipsum Numquid hodier no die vel sermone vel opere peecaui Chrysost Hom. 2. in Psal 50. pag. 1004 1005. When thou laiest thee downe vpon thy bed and no man is by to disturbe thee before sleepe come on bring forth the booke of thy conscience and recount thy sinnes with thy selfe saying to thy selfe HAVE I THIS DAY OFFENDED IN WORD OR DEEDE He addeth (g) Viurne tempore id faciend◠spacium non habes verum et Praesectorum metus et sodalium collequia at negatiorum eura et alendae prolis fludium et vxoris procuratio as parandae mensae sollicitucle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Idem Ibid. pag. 1005. In the day thou hast not time for this worke but feare of Superiors conference with friends and care of businesses and forecasting for education of children and prouision for wife and preparation for diet and a thousand things beside doe distract thee And to like purpose S. Basil (a) Complete iam die ommique opere cùm corporis tum spiritus etiam absoluto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil to 2. de Instit Monarc in fine pag. 396. C. When the day saith he is ended and businesses are past before rest or sleepe it is expedient that euery mans conscience should be iudged of his owne heart c. And Dorotheus saith (b) Docuerunt nos saepe patres nostri qúe pacto purgemus nosipsos per fingulos dies vt scilicet in vesperam perscrutemur nobiscum quomedo transactam diem exegerimus et rursum manè quomodo noctē c. Doroth. to 1. Biblio Patrū edit Graecol Doctrina 11. pag. 814. that it was a rule from their forefathers how men ought to cleanse themselues that in the euening they should question themselues how they had passed the day and againe in the morning how they had passed the night And Bernard (c) Sedeat iudicaus iustitia stet rea et seipsum accusans conscientia Neme te plus deligit neme te fideliùs iudicabit Manè praeteritae noctis fac a teipso exactionem et venturae diei tu tibi indicito cautionem Vespere diei praeteritae rationemexige et superuenientis noctis fac indictionem Bernard de vita solitar ad fratres de Monte Dei pag. 1029. D. Let iustice sit and iudge let the conscience stand impleaded and accusing it selfe No man loueth thee more nor no man will iudge thee better In the morning exact an account of the night past and impose vpon thy selfe watchfulnesse for the day to come In the euening require a reckoning of the day past and lay an iniunction for the night comming And in like manner speake other spirituall Masters who vndertake to prescribe rules of a religious life whereby it may be seene how they doe generally agree vpon it as a receiued Principle that euery night men should take accounts and examine themselues for the day past but in the two last authorities we may further note that besides the accounting at night for the day past they require also a reckoning each morning for the former night And surely that is not to no purpose for euen in the night reserued for rest there do many times passe thoughts affections purposes yea and some actions also which as they doe well deserue censure so may easily be forgotten if they be deferred till multitude of businesses the day following haue bred a confusion in the memorie 4. It is a very fit time for this worke when we haue beene about some important businesse