lawful Commands of all or either of them?

Haft thou tempted any other to Sin, by Connivance, or Encouragement, or Command, or Perfuafion, and mightily increas'd thy own Guilt, by furthering the Damnation of thy Brother?

In cafe, Philotheus, you do find this Examination too difficult for you, or are afraid you shall not rightly perform it, or meet with any Scruples or Troubles of Confcience in the Practice of it, I then advise you, as the Church does, to go to one of your Superiors in this Place, to be your fpiritual Guide; and be not afhamed to unburthen your Soul freely to him, that, befides his ghostly Counsel, you may receive the Benefit of Abfolution: For, though Confeffion of our Sins to God is only Matter of Duty, and abfolutely neceffary, yet Confeffion to our fpiritual Guide alfo is, by many devout Souls, found to be very advantageous to true Repen

tance.

If upon your Examination, Philotheus, you find you have any way wronged

your

your Neighbour, refolve upon the first Opportunity to make him fome fuitable Satisfaction, and to ask his Forgiveness; for you are first to be reconciled to your Brother, before you come to the Altar to offer your Gift, Matth.

v. 24.

If you are guilty of tempting any other to Sin, afk God's Pardon for him as well as yourself; and, if you have any Opportunity to do it, exhort him to Repentance.

But if any have wronged you, forgive the Injury presently; for you beg Forgiveness of God on this very Condition, that you yourself forgive your Brother.

This Examination of yourfelf, Philotheus, I fuppofe will be Tafk enough for you at one Time; and therefore, that you may not tire yourself, you may conclude with this fhort Prayer.

A Prayer for Examination.

LORD God, I have now, by thy Affiftance, confider'd my own evil Ways: O Thou, who only knoweft the Heart, and who only canft change it, create in me fuch a broken

and

and contrite Heart, which thou haft promised not to defpife, and fo deep a Senfe of my own Sin and Misery, that my Repentance may bear fome Proportion to my Guilt. O my God, pardon all my Failings, and perfect that good Work Thou haft begun in me, for the Merits of Jefus my Saviour, in whofe holy Words I fum up all my Wants. Our Father, &c.

At the very next Opportunity of retiring you can get, refolve, good Philotheus, with the Prodigal, to return to your Heavenly Father, and humbly to beg Forgivenefs; and having brought your Catalogue of Sins with you, kneel down, and with the lowest Proftration of Soul and Body, make your Confeffion to God of your Sins, and of your Aggravations.

A Form of Confeffion. Thou great Judge of Heaven and Earth, before. whofe glorious Majefty even the good Angels, who never finned, fall proftrate, and tremble:

With what Debafement and Dread ought I to appear before thy awful

Pre

Prefence, who am but Duft and Ashes, and, which is infinitely worfe, a miferable wretched Sinner!

Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, Thou art of purer Eyes than to behold Evil with the leaft Approbation The Way of the Wicked, and the Sacrifice of the Wicked, is an Abomination to thee, Prov. xv. 8.

Woe is me then, O Lord, woe is me for I have inclined unto Wickednefs with my Heart; but for the Sake of thy well-beloved Son, caft not out my Prayer, nor turn thy Mercy from me, Pfal. lxvi. 20.

Miferable Wretch that I am! I have gone aftray from the very Womb; I was shapen in Wickedness, and in Sin did my Mother conceive me: Who can bring a clean Thing out of an unclean? What is Man then, O God, that he should be clean; or he that is born of a Woman, that he should be righteous ?

Thou, Lord, putteft no Truft in thy Saints, and the Heavens are not clean in thy Sight, and the very Angels thou chargeft with Folly, Job iv. 18.

How

How much more abominable, then, and filthy am I, who daily drink Iniquity like Water?

Lord, pity, and cleanfe, and forgive, and fave me, for thy Mercies fake.

I know, O God, that in my Flesh dwelleth no good Thing! for when I would do Good, Evil is prefent with me; for I fee a Law in my Members warring against the Law of my Mind, and bringing me into Captivity to the Law of Sin, Rom. vii.

Lord, have Mercy upon me, and deliver me from this Body of Death, from this Tyranny of Sin.

Alas, alas! my whole Nature is corrupt, infinitely prone to all Evil, and averfe to all that is Good; my Understanding is full of Ignorance and Error my Will is perverfe; my Memory tenacious of all Things that may pollute me, and forgetful of my Duty; my Paffions are inordinate, my Senfes the Inlets of all Impurity; and I have abused all my Faculties: I am unclean,

unclean!

Lord, pity, and cleanfe, and forgive, and fave me, for thy Mercies fake. O Lord