What hath been faid may be fufficient to explain the Apostle's exhortation; and to how both the reasonableness and the neceffity of proving even our best works. I proceed now,

Secondly, To give you fome directions with regard to the manner of conducting this important inquiry.

Now, before a man can be qualified for proving his own works, two things are indispensably neceffary. The

It is, That he should be well acquainted with the holy Scriptures: for it is by the Scriptures alone that we know with certainty what is good and acceptable to God. "Wherewith shall a young man cleanse his

way?" faid David. The answer is, "By

.

taking heed thereto according to thy "word." Scripture is that unerring rule which points out to us the road of duty, and which difcovers to us the straightness or the crookedness of our own paths. A confiderable degree of acquaintance with it, is therefore abfolutely neceffary to enable us to prove" and to judge of our own works. But,

2dly, It is alfo requifite, that we should be constant and diligent obfervers of what paffeth in our own hearts; for "out of the

heart are the iffues of life.” The heart is the fountain from which all our actions. flow, and from which alone they can be truly denominated either good or bad. I obferved formerly, that there is no outward duty which a hypocrite may not counterfeit: And we have a remarkable example (2 Kings x.) of the fame action being good in one man, and bad in another, from the different difpofitions with which it was performed. We find two men riding in the fame chariot, and both of them engaged in the fame expedition, Jehu and Jonadab. But though the work they were executing was the fame, the different ends which they aimed at, made that which was an excellent duty in Jonadab, an act of mere cruelty, and of vile hypocrify in Jehu. Jehu was impelled, not by zeal for the Lord, but by ambition to wear a crown. We must therefore retire into our own breasts, and carefully obferve the various operations of our minds. We must confider the motives

that

that influence our conduct; the ends we propose in our actions; and the temper and frame of fpirit with which every duty is performed. For in vain do we know the rule, unless we alfo know the thing to which it must be applied; in vain do we read and study the Scriptures, unless we likewife read and study our own hearts. The duty I am recommending, consists in comparing them together, that we may dif cover how far they agree, and wherein they differ. This is indeed a work of great difficulty; but, though difficult, it is not impracticable. He who gave the command, will likewife grant his affistance to those whe, in a humble dependence on his grace, apply themselves heartily to this necessary duty. Let it then be your

First care, to get your minds thoroughly awakened when you enter upon this work. Never was time put to a higher improvement: never were thoughts spent upon a more important business. Compared with this, the trial of men for their lives at a human bar is a mere trifle; for here nothing less than an eternal interest depends on the

iffue.

Summon up all the

powers of your

fouls, bring your thoughts to the fubject as intenfely as you can, let your minds be di

vefted of every

appear,

O be honeft with yourselves, and resolve to pafs an impartial fentence, as the evidence. fhall whether it should be in your favour, or against you. Remember that your great Judge knows the truth of your condition, and that therefore you can gain nothing by hiding it from yourselves.

When your hearts are once feriously engaged, then fall down before God, and plead the affistance of his good Spirit, to enlighten and direct you in the knowledge of yourfelves; to keep you from mistakes, both on the one hand and on the other; and to guide you to a juft and an affecting view of true condition.

your

Having thus prepared yourselves by meditation and prayer, proceed immediately to the inquiry itself, before your hearts begin to cool, or the impreffions of the divine prefence are effaced. Set the word of God before you as the rule, and then put the queftion, Do my actions and difpofitions correfpond

correfpond to this rule, or are they inconfiftent with it? Take your actions, and the fources of them, one by one, and bring them to this ftandard; fuffer not your hearts, in any cafe, to ftart afide, till they have given an explicit answer: lay the command of God upon them, and charge them to obey upon pain of his wrath.

When, by these means, you have difcovered the truth, then pass the sentence on yourselves, and labour to have your hearts properly affected with it. Do not think it enough to have discerned your true condition, but endeavour to feel what God hath

made you to know. If you find, that you have been all along formal and hypocritical in your obedience; that instead of ferving God, you have been serving yourselves; that instead of seeking his approbation, you have been courting the applause of men; that instead of sowing to the Spirit, you have been fowing to the flesh; O lay this conviction home to your hearts. Think what a dreadful state you are in; unpardoned, unfanctified, and, if death should now furprise you, ruined for ever.