Examine Yourself

EExxaammiinnee YYoouurrsseellff

AAnntthhoonnyy BBuurrggeessss

FROM THE INHERITANCE OF OUR FATHERS Series XXXIII, No. 4

Examine Yourself - Burgess.qxd 9/20/01 7:27 PM Page

ANTHONY BURGESSAnthony Burgess was a nonconformist clergyman andwriter who lived in the mid-seventeenth century. He wasthe son of a schoolmaster at Watford in Hartfordshire,England. He entered St. Johns College, Cambridge, in1623, and graduated with a master s degree. He thenbecame a fellow at Emmanuel College, where he tutoredJohn Wallis. Wallis, who also was a member of the West-minster Assembly, described his tutor as a pious,learned, and able scholar, a good disputant, a good tutor,an eminent preacher, a sound and orthodox divine.

Burgess served as vicar at Sutton-Coldfield in War-wickshire from 1635 to 1662, except for some years inthe 1640s. During the civil war, Burgess fled to Coven-try for safety from the kings army. The kings soldierspersecuted Puritan pastors with relish, often rifling theirhouses and forcing out their families. From Coventry,Burgess joined the Westminster Assembly of divines,where he became known for theological astuteness andpiety. During his years in London, he frequentlypreached to Parliament and at Lawrence-Jury.

After the Westminster Assembly, Burgess returned toSutton-Coldfield. He was ejected from there by the Uni-formity Act of 1662 after the Restoration. He retired toTamworth, Staffordshire, where he attended a parishchurch until his death.

Burgess was a prolific writer. During a fifteen-year span(1646-1661), he wrote at least a dozen books based largelyon his sermons and lectures. This sermon has been takenfrom his magnum opus, Spiritual Refining, a massive, two-volume work of 1100 pages that has been called anunequalled anatomy of experimental religion.


Examine Yourself

Examine yourselves whether ye be in the faith,prove your own selves.

2 Corinthians 13:5

The church of Corinth, though it was a gar-den immediately planted by the apostles,yet quickly was filled with choking weedsof unbelief and of corrupt manners,whereupon the apostle threatens it withsevere discipline if they repent noteccle-siastical discipline being in the church asthe sword is in the commonwealth. TheCorinthians chafe under this severity, andimmediately resort to questioning hisapostolical power and authority. Beinglovers of their lusts (as all mankind is wontto be) and having a desire of security inthem rather than any solid arguments,makes also these Corinthians question thedivine right of Christs institutions. Theapostle, however, proves his calling by thatspiritual success and powerful efficacywhich his word had among them, and,therefore, instead of proving and examin-

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ing him, they are exhorted to examinetheir own hearts.

In the words of the text, therefore, liesthe necessary exhortation, defined by 1.The duty commanded thereof, and 2. Thatdutys objective as well as the consequenceif this duty be neglected.

The duty is set home in two emphaticalwords, examine yourselves and prove your-selves. The former word does in generalsignify to take an experimental knowledgeof anything that is uncertain, unknown, orhidden. Hence that knowledge which wehave by general arguments and abstractreasons cannot be called an experimentalknowledge. Now, besides the bare knowl-edge, there may be in the general sensealso a good end or bad propounded inexamination; therefore, in an ill sense thewords can be applied to the devil and hisinstruments, and in a good sense to God,but here in the text are applied to thechurch and to ourselves. It is further to beobserved that these words do imply thatmen are great strangers to themselves, andthat so much self-love does blind them that

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they do not know their own hearts ormotives. Furthermore, these words alsoimply that there are certain marks andsigns whereby a man may come to knowcertainly what he is: otherwise this com-mand would be in vain. To the same pur-pose these words also enjoin a severe anddiligent inquisition into ourselves, so as tohave a full experience of what is in us.

It is a duty that should be of special con-cern for the people of God in order to beassured of such a true and saving work ofgrace in them, since thereby they shall bedifferentiated from unsound hypocrites.

There are certain notes and signs of gracewhereby a man may discern what he is.

A practical and experimental knowl-edge of grace does far transcend a merenotional and theoretical knowledge: thereis a great difference for him who hasmerely heard honey is sweet, and him whohas actually tasted it. It is a rule among theHebrews that words of knowledge dosometimes signify the affections in theheart and the consequent effects thereofin life. How well it would be if they did

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always have such significance amongChristians! In former times Christiansstrove diligently after an experimentalknowledge; now they are content with amere brain-knowledge.

Now, when the apostle Paul commandsus to prove and try ourselves, it is for thepurpose that we would endeavor to sensethat that which we persuade ourselves isin us by the implantation of a new natureis actually being worked out in our dailywalk and life. For example, many a manthinks he is a believer, he is regenerated;to prove or try himself is to apply thosenotes and marks which the Scripturemakes of such, and thereby to have anexperimental feeling of the actual exerciseof these things. In Philippians 1:9, theapostle distinguishes it from knowledgeand judgment, calling this sense or feelingto be the inward savory sense and feelingof divine things upon their hearts.

Now, this practical, experimental workof grace in ourselves, whereby we are ableto discern what is true, or what is imper-fect and counterfeit, is very necessary and

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will be made manifest from severalgrounds, such as these:

First, our Savior did in His sermonsmuch press this point upon His hearers. Ifits true, as the heathen say, that when awise man speaks he opens the rich treas-ures and wardrobe as it were of his mind,how much more true of Christ, in whomare the treasures of wisdom! And of all Histeachings on the practical points in divin-ity, our Savior is most frequently on thiswhich comprised His first parable inMatthew 13, namely, that it is crucial toshow the difference of true grace from thatwhich is superficial, and He presents it,furthermore, as being a matter of greatconcern. In the paralell account in Luke 8:8after the parable was ended, Jesus cried,He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.Although that exhortation is not includedin the body of the text containing the para-ble, Christs words clearly show that Hisaffections were very earnest and the mat-ter is of great importance. It is also to benoted that He speaks to the multitude thatthronged after Him with great attention;

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yet to such He declares that few have agood and honest heart to receive the Word.When, therefore, our Savior Himself shallthus warn, that you may in the use of theordinances find much alteration made inyourselvesthat you may have joy, faith,some kind of reformation, and yet not bethe good and right soilwhat a provoca-tion should this be to us never to leave offor be content until we be truly qualified.

Our Savior also tells another parablewith this same purpose (Matt. 25:1-13),about the ten virgins, five of whom arewise, five foolish. All are virgins, that is,such who had preserved themselves fromthe idolatries and gross vices of the world.Both groups had lamps, they both go withconfidence to meet the bridegroom, andthere is no differentiation of one from theother until the bridegroom comes. We arewarned by this parable that a professor ofreligion, having no more than a false,imperfect, or counterfeit work of grace, mayseemingly live and die with a great deal ofcomfort and confidence, as if his condition

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were exceeding good, but not find it oth-erwise until it is too late.

Again, consider Matthew 7:24-26, theparable of two kind of buildersone uponthe sand, and the other upon the rock.What is represented is two kinds of believ-ers. One has not only the outward profes-sion and way of Christianity, but is alsotruly rooted upon Christ. But there isanother who builds upon the sand, whodigs not deep enough; and this is the great-est part of professing Christians: your faith,your repentance, your joy are not deepenough. Now mark the consequence: thefall thereof was great. Your damnation willbe so much the more terrible, when all yourreligious duties, all your external profes-sion shall fall to the ground. And it is a fallby way of rending, as the word signifies.Oh how woeful to be rent from God, andthose duties which you trusted in! There-fore our Savior says in verse 22 that manywill call to Him at that day, Have not weprophesied in thy name, eaten and drunkin thy presence?that is, offered sacri-fices and received sacraments? But in spite

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of all that Christ knows them not. By allthis you see how necessary it is we be notdeceived about the work of grace, and thatwe ought to examine ourselves carefully,lest we take a whole spiritual estate incounterfeit coin.

Second, this experimental knowledge isof great consequence, also because of theeasiness and proneness in us to mistakeour true condition. Augustine said of thedoctrine of the Trinity, In nothing is theerror more easy and more dangerous; thesame is applicable to this matter, for theexhortation for examining and proving doimply the deceitfulness of our heart, thatthere are many false shapes and formsupon it. Hence come those phrases ofsearching our hearts and communing withour hearts; all which argue the difficultyof being fully acquainted with what is init. The Roman Catholics indeed press thistoo far, as if none could ever tell when theydid truly love God, or had a sincere heart;but the falseness of this is in time to beshown. Nevertheless, there is much truthin this, that there is so much self-love and

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carnal confidence in us, that we easily per-suade ourselves that we are indeed suchas we ought to be. Ask every man one afteranother: Who is not confident that he isregenerated, that he has an interest inChrist, that his heart is good? And why arethey so? Is it not precisely because they donot faithfully compare the notes and char-acters of true grace, and diligently applythem to their own selves? Similarly, theJews and Pharisees of Jesus day had thesame delusion and could never be beatenout of those vain hopes and carnal confi-dences. Hence the apostle uses an emphat-ical word of a Jew, Romans 2:17, [Thou]restest in the law, or, in other words, Thouart secure in the law, as in some admirableprivilege and signal testimony of Godslove. That which Christ promised, namely,rest to their souls, they vainly imaginedthey found in the law instead, so that noload of sin could burden them becausethey had their own rest here. As it is thusof a Jew, so we may say of a superficialChristianhe rests in the doctrine of thegospel, and the outward use of ordinances,

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not feeling the weight of sin. Insomuchthat it would be far better to see peoplepray with fear and eat their bread withtrembling and astonishment lest they havegone no further yet than hypocrites, thanto be so carnally and falsely persuaded oftheir good condition as they are. Howmany are indeed but glow-worms, orwhite rotten trees, of base materials,though some shining there be in their con-versation! Therefore this text might be fas-tened upon the gates of the whole world,upon every door, every post: Examine,prove yourselves!

Thirdly, it is very dangerous to miscarryin this matter. Oh the confusion that fellupon the foolish virgins when their lack ofoil was discovered! How wary are you oftaking clipped silver, or counterfeit coin?It is a great danger to take counterfeitrepentance for true repentance, counter-feit faith for true faith. If your praying andprofessing be not good and sound, you areundone forever. When the apostle inHebrews 6 had reckoned up several par-ticulars, which many among us do not

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attain unto, such as that they were enlight-ened, they tasted of the good word of God,and they were partakers of the HolyGhost, yet, says he, I hope better things ofyou, and things that accompany salvation.What thunder and lightnings are here!Better things than illumination, than par-taking of the Holy Ghost, better things thantasting of the good word of God? What, arenot these things that do accompany salva-tion? Must we not therefore cry out withthe disciples, as in another case, this is anhard saying, who then can be saved? Yetso it is! We ministers of Gods Word mustpreach that except your righteousnessexceed that of outward profession, ofrepeating of sermons, of family duties, ofcommon works of Gods Spirit which arein temporary believers, you can neverenter into the kingdom of heaven; andtherefore we hope and pray for betterthings of you, even such as will surelyaccompany salvation.

Fourthly, this practical discerning is ofconsequence because of the difficulty tofind out the true differences between grace

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and its counterfeit. It is hard, doctrinally,to lay down the bounds wherein they dif-fer, insomuch that some divines declarethe work of grace in the temporarybeliever to differ from that of the regener-ated person in gradation or extent only,not of kind. But that is a false explanation.If then it be thus hard by way of doctrineto set the bounds, how much more is it dif-ficult for Christians in their practice tomark out the right way? The hypocritefeels a joy, feels a sorrow, feels a sweetnessin the ordinances, and so does the godly.But to show how one can be sure when heis or when he is not deceived, is hard,though indeed they do differ as much asthe seeming reality of a dream by him whois dreaming, compared to actual reality ofthings by him that is truly awake andknows he is not in a dream. Therefore, thecommands to try and prove, do presupposethat a man must have knowledge of therule and the marks which do describe sucha grace; he must also have skillfulness indiscerning, by way of application, whetherthese marks are in himself, and this must

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be done especially in times of trial, withmuch attending and persevering there-unto. For as in all doctrinal controversies,the great question and problem lies in dis-cerning that which is of the true church orthat which is not, and what are the essen-tial marks that do constitute a church. Asimilar dilemma, practically speaking, liesin discerning what is the truth of grace,whether I be the man that have it, andwhat are the notes to decipher it? And asfor the former question, we would fainhave some visible infallible judge to deter-mine it that there might be no more dis-pute. So similarly, here, we would desiresuch a peculiar revelation from heaven thatshould by name declare unto us that we arethose Christians in whom is no guile.

Fifthly, it is of concern because of themanifold advantages that will come to uswhen we have attained to such an experi-mental knowledge of ourselves.

We shall account all our former knowl-edge of divine things and all our parts,though ever so admirable, to have beenbut like a tinkling cymbal. When you come

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to have this inward sense of holy thingsimprinted upon your heart, you willbewail all your duties, spiritual conversa-tions, and religious performances done byyourself as a parrot that had no under-standing of these things. If a man read ina book, or see on a map such and suchcountries, he has indeed some apparentknowledge, but if he travel into thosecountries and see the towns and buildings,he will say that his former apprehensionof them was but lame to what he has now;or as the Queen of Sheba, who had heardrumors of Solomons wisdom, when shecame to have an experimental knowledgeof it, was then astonished, and said that allshe had heard was nothing compared tothat which she saw.

So it is in matter of grace: if God workthese savory inward marks of grace in you,you will be astonished to see the differencebetween yourself now and what you were;all that you have heard, read, or preached,is nothing to that which you now feel.How fearful then that many have seengodliness from book-knowledge only, but

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they never had experience of the thingitself. How many are there that talk of con-version or repentance, as men do of bring-ing forth a child, who never had theexperience of the throbs and pains thatthen are endured. Even the apostle Paulwalked a long time on a road of religiousduties, but when he came to have anexperimental work within himself, hedied, whereas he thought he was alivebefore; that is, he became sensible of thedamnable and dangerous estate he was in,whereas he had formerly had great confi-dence of his good life and salvation. Andthus it is with every man that has obtainedexperimental knowledge. He says, I wasalive once, I thought myself some body,when I could pray, write sermons, disputeso understandingly, but now I see I did notknow what that faith was, or godlinesswas, or about that which I did so muchargue; I never truly knew anything of God,or of His gracious works until now.

There remain more advantages, whichwill accrue to a Christian, that besides ageneral notion-knowledge hath a prac-

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tical and experimental discovery of gracein his heart:

First, He will enjoy the sweetness andbenefit of the ordinances, which men ofabilities and gifts only do not. How manyare there who in our church administra-tions are like old Barzillai that had lost histaste and hearing, and so cared not forDavids feasts and music? In Psalm 19,David preferreth Gods Word in sweetnessabove the honey and honey-comb. Psalm84 is spent in admiring the loveliness andbeauty of Gods ordinances: Now sadly, aman without the experimental work ofgrace upon his soul can no more beaffected with these than a blind man canbe with colors. Song of Solomon 1:3 says,Because of thy ointment poured forth,therefore the virgins love thee. Christ inHis ordinances doth, as Mary, open a boxof ointment which diffuseth a spiritualsavor in church assemblies to the godly,and this only the experimental Christianfeels. Thus also may the ministers of God,preaching either of the bitterness of sin, thesadness of spiritual desertions, or the full-

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ness of Christ, the sweetness of His fellow-ship and communion, say, The practiced,exercised Christian knows what I mean; for-mal customary Christians are strangersunto that virtue and efficacy which is com-municated in spiritual ordinances.

In Song of Solomon 4:12 the church iscompared to a garden shut up, a fountainsealed, which is to be understood not onlyin respect of the defence and protectionGod vouchsafeth His church, that nonecan destroy her, but also, because strangersand wicked men are not able to drink ofher delicacies, or smell of her sweetness. Aspiritual sermon is a fountain sealed up,the spiritual administration of a sacramentis a garden enclosed. Superficial Christiansunderstand not nor perceive the full sweet-ness thereof. There were many people ina throng and crowd about our Savior, butonly the infirm woman felt the efficacycome from Him. Although many mayattend the ordinances, frequent the assem-blies, few find the inward power of Christderived unto their souls. As, therefore,Thomas, though spoken wrongly on a

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false ground, said he would not believeChrist to be risen unless he saw Hiswounds and put his fingers into them, soneither must you believe your estate to begood and sound, unless you may see andfeel the efficacy of Christ in His ordinancesupon thee.

Secondly, by this practical knowledgeand exercise you will be taken off from allneedless and vain disputations in mattersof religion, but will be more solicitous athome in your own heart. In former timeswhen the people of God were busy aboutthe touchstone and trial of grace in them-selves, they did not launch out into suchdeep and unprofitable questions. But now,of late since believers have busied them-selves in disputes and controversies andnew opinions, this practical knowledge ofgrace is much neglected; you shall findmen sooner disputing about faith than liv-ing by faith, talking of heavenly minded-ness than being so indeed. Thus the treesin Gods garden sprout up into suckersand barren boughs, and bear little fruitupon them. In 1 Timothy 6:4 the apostle

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does excellently describe such a temper; hecalls it doting about questions, or as it isin the Greek, sick and languishing. Evenas much fretting and vexation consumesthe flesh of the body, so do proud and vainaffectations of new opinions pine away thesoul. What is this but to think that a stonemay become bread, and a serpent fish? Asit is a minister s duty to preach only thosethings that are profitable, as did the sowerwho went out to sow good seed, not poi-son, or empty chaff, so it is also required ofprivate Christians, that they do think, con-fer of, and study those things only that mayedify and practically build up their souls.

I would not hereby discourage anendeavor in Christians to grow in knowl-edge. The apostle reproves some for beingbabes, and that he could not speak untothem as spiritual but as carnal; but theymust know that faith hath efficacious puri-fying acts as well as knowing acts, and,therefore, our increase must be equal inrespect to knowledge and efficacy also. AChristian may grow either in the enlarge-ment of his knowledge, not only in respect

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to knowing more things than he did, butalso in the manner, more clearly, evidently,and firmly than he did, or else in the effi-cacy of his knowledge. Though he do notknow more things than he did, yet heknoweth them more practically in thatthey have a greater influence upon hisheart and affections, and move and in-flame him more than ever they did. Now,though the former way of increase be nec-essary and pleasing to God, yet this ismuch more. Take heed then that we be notlike Pharaohs lean kine, that devour manyquestions, but yet are as starved and ill-favored as before. When one came with acurious question to our Savior, asking Himwhether many should be saved, how per-tinently doth our Savior answer him,Strive to enter in at the strait gate (Luke13:24). This therefore discovers the neces-sity of importunate pressing and urging ofpractical knowledge upon people in thesedays who would rather argue than live. Aslittle boys in sport strive to see who shallstrike the most sparks out of their iron, al-though not intending to kindle them

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thereby for their use, so do Christians strivewho shall strike out the most subtle andfinest spun notions, not intending the profitof their souls therein.

Thirdly, by this practical experience, aChristian shall attain to the end of allknowledge, which is to do. If you knowthese things, blessed are you if ye do them.It was said of some people that they hadmoney only to tell about it; they made noother use of it. It is as vain when we haveknowledge in matters of religion only toknow but not to practice. In Titus 1 it iscalled the acknowledging of the truthafter godliness; insomuch that Scripturesays that they who have not the practicalpower of knowledge are denied to haveany knowledge at all. Hence are wickedmen so often called fools and said not toknow God. By this means a private Chris-tian may be said to know more of God thana learned doctor that hath nothing butorthodoxy; for an orthodox learned manmay write and preach admirably aboutjustifying faith, conversion, etc., yet inregard to the practical knowledge of these

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things in no way compares to some privateman or woman who feels the power ofthese things upon their own hearts.

It is disputed whether theology be spec-ulative or practical, and it is resolved bymany upon good grounds that it is practi-cal, there being nothing in all religion butwhat is to be improved for practice oneway or other. It is good that orthodoxy andtrue doctrine be defended by books, dis-putations, and sermons; but above allthings we are to endeavor that our lifeanswer our Christian profession.

Fourthly, by this experimental knowl-edge a man will be settled in the truth andendure all persecution rather than forsakeit. He will believe no fallacies or sophisms,he will not forsake his confession becauseof any dangers. Its called tasting of Godand His Word, and the rule is, there is nodisputing against taste. The sense of tasteand feeling do herein differ from the othersenses in that they are joined really to theobjects themselves, whereas seeing andhearing do receive only the intentionalspecies, and therefore cannot make such a

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real and powerful impression as is in tast-ing or feeling. Pauls experimental know-ing whom he did believe made him tospeak boldly. What else makes men havea monthly or yearly faith, change theiropinions as often as their garments, butbecause they have not felt the power oftruth upon their own soul? The schoolmenspeak of a gift of the Holy Ghost, whichthey define to be a certain light of divinethings whereby they are seen and tastedby experience; or others describe it as acontemplation of God out of love, with acertain experimental sweetness in theaffections. But whatsoever their conceit isabout this, it is certain the apostle wouldhave us by use to have our senses exercisedto discern both good and evil. In Hebrews5:14, where the apostle attributeth to themind which are properly the organs ofsense in the body, he applies it also to thesoul, because of the intuitive and experi-mental knowledge the soul ought to havein good things; and therefore, he speaks ofuse and custom which the people of Godhave in this spiritual discerning. No won-

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der then that faith is called, in Hebrews 11,the real substance of things believed in thesoul and an undeniable conviction of themind of men; because where this grace isoperative upon the soul, it makes a realimpression. Hence also the whole workand way of grace is compared to life inGalatians 2:20, because it is most real; it isnot in imagination and fancy. That isnotable in Hebrews 13:9, where the apos-tle makes grace and godliness to establishand settle the heart: Be not carried aboutwith divers doctrines. For it is a good thingthat the heart be established with grace.Therefore, men that are led aside intoerrors are said to be carried about withthem, a metaphor from chaff and straw,which because of its emptiness and light-ness is blown this way and that way. Thusa man that is empty of grace, and not estab-lished by the power of it upon his heartruns from one opinion to another withoutany true foundation. Necessarily, then, asavory inward knowledge of divine truthswould be an excellent ballast in the soul.And as it would thus keep the heart firm to

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the truth, so it would unite the heart to holythings as the best and sweetest, withouthypocrisy, double-mindedness, and incon-stancy. And this is much to be considered:when thy heart is for a while for goodthings, but at other times is vehemently forthe world, thy heart is divided betweenthe Creator and the creature! How comeththis about? It is for lack of real and exper-imental knowledge of the goodness ofGod. He that drinketh of the pure, livingwater (saith Christ) shall never thirst anymore, that is, with a thirst of deprivation.

Now, how great a mercy it is to be keptfrom that double mindedness that theapostle speaks of, to be kept from beinglike a wave that is sometimes tossed uphigh to the heavens, and then presentlysinks down low in the sea; or being sparedfrom being like the grasshoppers that leapup towards heaven, but immediately falldown to the ground. When temptations ofprofit and pleasure come, how easily theycan be repulsed by an heart who knows ofbetter things. Until you have an inwardfeeling and joy about the things of God,

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you are not able to withstand other temp-tations, but you will always be striving tomake possible that which our Savior hathpronounced so impossible: to serve Godand mammon.

I shall in the next place show you whatimpediments and destructive principlesthere are to hinder us in this experimentalproving by which we are to test ourselves.For this duty, here commanded, of exam-ining and proving of ourselves is like thecompound that the high priest was tomake, consisting of choice materials. Whenwe go to prove and examine ourselves, onedangerous principle is this: that being pre-possessed with self-love and carnal confi-dence, and where this foundation is laid,its impossible to make any good super-structure. Hence all the piercing and dis-covering sermons which the prophets andChrist preached unto the Jews and Phar-isees could make no battery, gave no shak-ing to their rotten foundation, and allbecause they had carnal confidence andvain trust in themselves. Therefore, whenthou settest upon this duty, thou must con-

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fess, Lord, I come not in any love ofmyself; I can as easily judge and condemnmyself for an hypocrite (if such I shall befound) as approve myself for an uprightone. O Lord, it shall not seem an hardthing to me, if I perceive that I have thusfar been for many years laboring in vain.O Lord, it shall be so far from being mat-ter of discontent, as that I shall rejoice, ifnow at length, I may be put into a soundand right way of holiness.

But how many go to search the grounds,principles, and ends of their actions withas much diligence, as some officers do ale-houses and unlawful meetings? They areunwilling to see the hidden works of dark-ness, unwilling to heed the warning inProverbs 28:26, He that trusteth in hisown heart is a fool. It is desperate folly tobelieve your heart will deal truly with you.Hence the prophet Jeremiah calls it des-perately wicked, or crafty; it will beguileand deceive you without much caution,insomuch that this duty of examination isbut ridiculous and a mere mockery, unlesswe resolve to become impartial judges. It

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is like disputing with the Church of Rome,who holds that the true church cannot err,and then that she is the true church,whereby she becomes incurable and with-out hope and healing. We are instructed inProverbs 16:2 that All the ways of a manare clean in his own eyes; but the Lordweigheth the spirits. Thus, false pride andconfidence are one way to blind ourselves,but then we may run into another extreme,by temptation of unbelief; and thus whena godly soul, set against itself, and deem-ing everything that he shall do ashypocrisy, if in this case he goes to exam-ine himself, he will also draw false con-clusions. As the carnal man fails the formerway, so the doubting Christian does theother way. The one believes everything tobe done with a good heart, the other noth-ing. But as a man that would see his facein a pool of water must make no commo-tion at all, so he that would search hisheart, must take heed of carnal confidenceon one side and unbelief on the other side.

A second dangerous principle is to con-clude that good works reflect an holy, God-

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honoring heart, regardless of what theprinciples, ends, motives, or manner mayhave been. This destroys many thousands.Jehu did that which was according toGods will, and this made him bold to sayhe is zealous for God: Come see my zeal,says he. But though his actions were verygreat and beneficial to the church of God,yet God would avenge the blood of hisslain victims upon him for those verydeeds (Hosea 1:4). Who would think Godwould be avenged on Jehu for dispossess-ing Jeroboam, killing Baals priests, mak-ing so great a reformation as he did? Butbecause he himself did not do these thingswith an upright heart, he is thereforejudged. Similarly, the Pharisees had anexternal righteousness, but there was agreat gulf between them and true godli-ness. Hence they are called vipers, whichthough they have a glorious skin, yet arefull of poison. How soever holy theyappeared, yet, like the serpent, they eat ofthe dust of the earth, live upon earthlysubsistence. A man, therefore, had need beeagle-eyed, or like Ezekiels living crea-

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tures, full of eyes, that would see into thebottom of his ways. Your profession, yourfamily duties, your religious performancesare plainly visible; every one you meetmay read them, but the ends and motivesare secret and hidden to all. As the first let-ters in the book are often so ornately writ-ten that we can hardly tell what they are,so, similarly, Paul distinguished between aJew outwardly, and a Jew inwardly,namely, that circumcision of the flesh ismere outward ornate holiness, but cir-cumcision of the heart reflects true holi-ness, especially the end and motive thatdoth specify and distinguish moral actions.Two may be in a familyboth pray, bothmourn for sin, yet because one is doneupon a pure motive and principle fromGod and to God, therefore it is right; andthe other, because its defective in one ofthese, is rejected. Who then is sufficientand prepared for so great a duty as this is?

A third principle of misguidance is man-ifested when we try ourselves by falserules, when we weigh with false weight.This duty of examining and proving sup-

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poses there is some sure standard, whichif we go by, we are sure not to be deceived.Now, that rule is the Word of God. But, asin matter of doctrine, men have departedfrom the Scriptures as the sure rule, andtaken up antiquity, universality, tradition,and the like for their guide, and by thismeans have fallen into the ditch; so in mat-ter of godliness, when we should try our-selves according to the characters andsigns that the Scripture deciphers, we,instead, rely upon principles of the world,the applause of others, and the conversa-tion of most in the world. And thus it iswith us, as men in a hospital, becauseevery one is either wounded or lame, orsome way diseased, therefore none areoffensive to each other.

The fourth, and another dangerous wayto miscarry, is, when we have a falsenotion or definition about that which is tobe discovered; when we mistake whatgodliness is, and so think it to be in us,when it is not. And in this is the grandimposture: men mistake a good nature,morality, civility, the common graces of

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Gods Spirit for godliness; and when theysee they have these, they conclude all iswell. This is as if a man digging for goldshould substitute lead or copper for it, andthink himself rich, because he hath these.He, therefore, that would not be deceivedin this great matter must consider how theScripture describes the nature and prop-erties of godliness, and must not acknowl-edge godliness as less or inferior a thingthan the Scripture makes it. If a man shallnot aspire to those scriptural directions, heis but a glow-worm though he seem to bethe sun.

Let the end of the matter, therefore, beto set ourselves with all diligence, fear, andtrembling about this work. How much bet-ter is it to eat and drink, to pray and hearwith fear and trembling of heart, than tosit down secure when there is no cause!Rely not upon your own heart in times ofdanger, or fears of death, or any suddencalamities. Pharaoh and Ahab may havecried out and lamented their sins underthe judgments of God, but the true Chris-tian must attend to pure motives only. Just

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as under the civil law no credit is given toa testimony that is given by one upon therack because, it is supposed, the tortureand pain will make him say anything to beeased. In times of trouble and fear even afalse and unsound heart will say anything,hoping for some exoneration. But, howso-ever in this life we may satisfy ourselvesand others with a profession and externaldiligence in holy duties, yet at the day ofjudgment we shall be astonished andsilent before God, just as in the parable ofthe man that was at the feast without awedding garment, when questioned, waspresently speechless; he pretended notpoverty nor difficulty to get a weddinggarment, but was immediately speechless,even as if he had had a muzzle put on hismouth, as the word signifieth. So it will beat that Day when all the crooked and sub-tle excuses, all the false pretexts of yourown heart will be so discovered that youcannot but see it and acknowledge it.

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Examine Yourself