and not because they are like themfelves. And they that truly love Chrift will love their brethren of mankind, by ufing proper endeavours to convince them of fin; to perfuade them to believe in Chrift, if they are yet ftrangers to him, or to walk worthy of the gofpel, if they have been made partakers of the grace thereof; by affociating with the faints, and avoiding all unneceffary commerce with the wicked; and by forgiving perfonal injuries, and doing good to all men, efpecially thofe of the household of faith.

Secondly, Let us view the marks of love to God.

1. True love to God is fupreme love. As Mofes's rod, when turned into a ferpent, fwallowed up the rods of the Egyptian magicians; fo the love of God will swallow up all affections to the creature, whether lawful or unlawful enjoyments, Luke xiv. 27. and ever fit exalted above them all.

2. Love to our neighbour, will make us with well to all men, 1 Cor. v. 8. forgive those that have done us wrong, as we defire to be forgiven of God, Matth. V. 23. 24. and love the people of God of whatever denomination, because of the image of Chrift appearing in them, John iii. 14.

FIFTHLY, Our new obedience must be examined. Without new obedience we cannot pretend to be Chrift's difciples, Matth. xi. 29. I fhall give a few marks of it.

(1.) It is new in respect of the principle it proceeds from, the love of God, Heb. vi. 1o. (2.) In refpect of the end of it, which is God's glory, 1 Cor. x. 31. (3) It is univerfal, Pfal. cxix. 6. I have a refpect unto all thy commandments. (4.) It is conftant, Matth. xxiv. 13. And wherein the believer fails, it is his burden, and it fends him always to the blood of. Chrift, because of the finfulnefs that attends it.

III. I proceed to fhew the neceffity of felf-examination. It is neceffary in two refpects.

1. To prevent the fin of coming unworthily to the VOL. III.

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Lord's table. If we rush on this ordinance without previous examining of ourfelves, how can we miss of communicating unworthily?

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2. To prevent the danger of coming fo, which is eating and drinking damnation to one's felf. The danger is great, (1.) To the foul, 1 Cor. xi. 29. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not difcerning the Lord's body. (2.) To the body, ver. 30. For this caufe many are weak and fickly among you, and many fleep duels

Inf. Examine yourfelves then as to the ftate and cafe of yourselves, in order to prepare for this ordinance. And let none venture upon it without this antecedent exercife, for the danger is very great. And, yabonfi

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1. Be refolute in your felf-examination. Refolve to fet about this important duty, and refolute to foll low it out; because ye will find no fmall difficulty in it, arising from feveral caufes. 1ft, From yourselves, even your own corrupt hearts; and that on feveral heads. (1.) The ignorance of many makes it diffi cult. They have not the knowledge neceffary to dif cern the nature or marks of grace. Ye must then endeavour the rather to difcern thefe, or any one of them that is given. (2.) A fecret refpect to fome bofom-idol, which they would fain keep quiet, Joka iii. 20. There are ftolen goods, which they have no will to restore, and therefore have no inclination to fearch them out. But O confider, that one thing thou lacket. (3) A fecret fear that all is wrong with them. Perhaps it is not fo. But if it be really fo, ye have the more need to get matters det to rights. 2dly, From Satan. He has a fingular pique at this duty, and therefore will be ready to mufter up all his forces to keep men from venturing on it, or to defift from it, and that, (1.) By fuggelting unto men the infuperable difficulty of the duty: There is a lion in the way, a lion in the streets. (2.) By telling them, they will mar their own peace with it, but can never come

to fee the truth of grace, or to affurance by it. (3.) By fetting them on to fome other duty, which though good in itself, is then unfeafonable, to juftle out that which is then proper and neceflary. Satan knows it to be an eminently ufeful duty, and therefore fets himfelf in opposition to it, that where mat. ters are not right, they may be kept fo; and where perfons are in a good itate, he may rob them of the comfort of it. On thefe confiderations ye must be refolute and active in this exercife. The exhortation to it is doubled, 2 Cor. xiii. 5. Examine your own felves, prove your own felves.

9:21 Ye must be impartial in this inquiry. Ye are in this matter judges in your own caufe, and under a ftrong bias to partiality. But the beft way is to take the matter to the higheft judge, with a refolution to know the worst of your cafe, 1 Cor. xi. 31. Be not as Saul when fent to deftroy the Amalekites, who fpared Agag and the fatteft of the cattle. Overlook hot right eyes and right hands. What Solomon fays of flocks, may we lay concerning your fouls, Prov. xxvii. 23. Be thou diligent to know the fate of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds. However partial ye be, God will not be fo to you; fo that your foolish partiality can do you no good, but a great deal of ill, as it will make you ignorant of your own cafe, which it is your greatest wildom and intereft to know.

Queft. May one who doubts of his being in the ftate of grace approach to the table of the Lord? Anf. They whole confciences bear witneis, that they do unfeignedly defire Chrift and his grace, and to depart troin all iniquity, may come notwithtanding of their doubts, which are their weakness, and which they are to dtruggle againft. But if one's confcience witness to him, that he is not clear for Chrift as he is offered in the golpel, he cannot come fafely, Matth. v. 6. & xi. 6. r John iii. 20. 21.

Let every one therefore carefully examine himfelf

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as to his fpiritual ftate before he approach to this holy ordinance of the Lord's fupper, left he contract the horrid guilt of trampling on the body and blood of Chrift, to which he has a right at the Lord's table.

The Neceffity of Self-examination confidered * 2 CORINTHIANS xiii. 5.

Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own felves: know ye not your own felves, how that Jefus Chrift is in you, except ye be reprobates.

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HE difpenfations of providence begin to be as larming to this fecure generation, and look Jike the beginning of forrows in the great mortality prevailing in feveral places. And the language of fuch a difpenfation is as is expreffed in the text, bidding e very one examine themfelves, whether they be in the faith, &c. In which words we have two things.

9. A neceffary duty propofed; and that is the trial of their ftate. It is propofed under a double no

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Though this difcourfe, confifting of two fhort fermons, was not delivered as any part of this catechetical work, yet it is here inferted on account of its affinity to the preceding difcourfe, and from a perfuafion that it may, through the divine bleffing, be useful to the reader, as the fubject is of no fmall importance both to faints and finners; and were the defign of it properly attended to, might prove happy means of retrieving the decayed interefts of religion amongst us. And it is thought, this difcourfe will be the more acceptable to the reader, when he is told that it was the laft the author ever wrote, after he was confined to his houfe by the illness of which he died; and that these two fhort fermons were preached from a window in the manfe to the people ftanding without, on the 2d and 9th of April 1732; after which he preached no more, the God whom he had ferved in the work of the gospel from the latter end of the year 1699, having called him home on the 20th of May 1732, to inherit the crown of righteousness laid up for him. But by it and his other valuable writings, he yet fpeaketh; and his name and memory will be revered, as long as a tatte for pure and undefiled religion fubfifts a mongst us.

tion, Examine and prove, the call being doubled, because of the weight of the matter. And,

The

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aft, Of felf-examination. And here, (1.) Confider the point the apostle would have them put to the trial, whether ye be in the faith. He knew very well that. they profeffed faith in Chrift; but all is not gold that glifters. None but believers, true believers, whofe faith worketh by love, being a fpiritual vital principle within them, will fee heaven: but many take themfelves, and others take them, for believers, who yet are not fo. (2.) (2.) The trial he would have them to make of that point, Examine yourselves. church of Corinth was a divided church. a cenforious party among them, conceited of themfelves, and defpifers of this eminent and highly-diftinguilhed apoftle. For all the clear demonftrations there were of the Lord's being with him, they fought a proof of Chrift's Speaking in him, ver. 3. Now, fays he, ye are very much abroad, bufy examining me, and make much ado for a proof of Chrift fpeaking in me: I would advise you to be more at home, and examine yourselves. Put yourselves to the trial, whether ye are in the faith or not. The original word fignifies to make fuch a trial as one does of a thing by piercing through it, whereby he may know what is within, and whether it be found or not.

2dly, Of felf-probation, Prove your own felves, to wit, by trial, as in courts offenders are tried, or they who ftand for an office are put on trials, to prove whether they be fit for it or not; or rather as goldfmiths try metals, whether by the fire, or by the touchftone, whereby they difcern the true metal from counterfeit. This is near akin to the former expreffion, Examine, but is not quite the fame. This laft fpeaks the bringing the matter to a point, the purfu, ing the trial till it fhould end in a full proof of their fate, good or bad. Ye, q. d. feek a proof of Chrift fpeaking in me; pray reft not till ye get a proof of your own ftate.