EXAMINE HIMSELF.

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"Commune with your hearts upon your beds." - Psalm iv. 4.

Every evening before you sleep, unless you find some other time in the day more for your advantage in this work, sequester yourself from the world; and having set your heart in the presence of the Lord, charge it before God to answer to these interrogatories.

Question 1. Did not God find me on my bed, when he looked for me on my knees? Job i.5.; Psalm v. 3.

2. Have not I prayed to no purpose, or suffered wandering thoughts to eat out my duties? Matt. xviii. 8, 9.; Jer. xii. 2.

3. Have I not neglected, or been very overly in the reading God’s holy word? Deut. xvii. 19.; Josh. i. 7, 8.

4. Have I digested the sermon I heard last? Have I repeated it over, and prayed it over? Luke ii. 19. 51.; Psalm i.2. and cxix. 5. 11. 97.

5. Was thee not more of custom and fashion in my family duties, than of conscience? Psalm ci.2. Jer. xxx. 22.

6. Wherein have I denied myself this day for God? Luke ix. 23.

7. Have I redeemed my time from too long or needless visits, idle imaginations, fruitless discourse, unnecessary sleep, more than need of the world? Ephes. v. 16. Col. iv. 5.

8. Have I done any thing more than ordinary for the Church of God, in this time extraordinary? 2 Cor. xi. 28.; Is. 1xii. 6.

9. Have I taken care of my company? Prov. xiii. 20.; Psalm cxix. 63.

10. Have not I neglected, or done something against the duties of my relations, as a master, servant, husband, wife, parent, child, &c. Ephes. v. 22. to chap. vi. 9.; Col. iii. 18. to chap. iv. 2.

Q. 1. Doth not sin sit light? Psalm xxxviii. 4.; Rom. vii. 24.

2. Am I a mourner for the sins of the land? Ezek. ix. 4.; Jer. ix. 123.

3. Do I live in nothing that I know or fear to be a sin? Psalm cxix. 101. 104.

Q. 1. Have I been much in holy ejaculation? Neh. ii. 4, 5.

2. Hath not God been out of mind, heaven out of sight? Psalm xvi. 8.; Jer. ii. 32; Phil. iii. 26.

3. Have I been often looking into my own heart, and made conscience of vain thoughts? Prov. iii. 23.; Psalm cxix. 113.

4. Have not I given way to the workings of pride or passion? 2 Chron. xxxii. 2l. James iv. 5, 6, 7.

Q. 1. Have I bridled my tongue, and forced it in? James i. 26. and iii. 2, 3, 4. Psaml xxxix. 1.

2. Have I spoken evil of no man? Titus iii. 2.; James iv. 11.

3. Hath the law of the Lord been in my mouth, as I sat i my house, went by the way, was laying down, and rising up? Deut. vi. 6, 7.

4. Have I come into no company where I have not dropped something of God, and left some good savior behind? Col. iv. 6. Ephes. iv. 29.

Q. 1. Did I not sit down with no higher end than a beast, merely to please my appetite? Did I eat and drink for the glory of God? 1 Cor. x. 31.

2. Was not mine appetite too hard for me? Jude 12.; 2 Peter i. 6.

3. Did not I arise from the bale without dropping any thing of God there? Luke vii. 36, &c. and xiv. 1, &c.; John vi.

4. Did not I mock with God when I pretended to crave a blessing, and return thanks? Acts xxvii. 35. 39.; Matt. xv. 36. Col. iii. 17. 23.

Q. 1. Have I been diligent in the duties of my calling? Exxles. ix.; 1 Cor. vii. 17. 20. 24.

2. Have I defrauded no man? 1 Thes. iv. 6.; 1 Cor. vi. 3.

3. Have I dropped never a lie i my shop or trade? Prov. xxi. 6.; Ehes. iv. 25.

4. Did not I rashly make, or falsely break some promise? Psalm cvi. 33. Jos. ix. 14, &c. Psalm xv. 4.

AN ADDITION OF SOME BRIEF DIRECTIONS

FOR THE MORNING.

Direct 1. If through necessity or carelessness you have omitted the reading and weighing of these questions in the evening, be sure to do it now.

2. Ask yourself, What sin have I committed? what duty have I omitted: Against which of these rules have I offended, in the day foregoing? And renew your repentance, and double your watch.

3. Examine whether God were last in your thoughts when you went to sleep, and first when you awake.

4. Inquire whether your care of your heart and ways doth increase upon your constant using of this course for self-examination, or whether it doth abate, and you grow more remiss.

5. Impose a task of some good meditations upon yourselves while you are making ready, either to go over these rules in your thoughts, or the heads of some sermon you heard last, or the holy mediations for this purpose, in the Practice of Piety, or Scudder’s Daily Walk.

6. Set your ends right for all that day.

7. Set your watch, especially against those sins and temptations that you are likely to be most incident to that day.