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Have I not from an Over-valuation of myself, been ambitious of, or too much affected with, the Applauses of Men above my Defert; or made it too much my End of my Actions?

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Have I not to that End unduly fet out myfelf to procure my own Praife?

Have I not been too nice and tender of my own Reputation, to the Neglect of my Duty?

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Have I not feared too much the Cenfures, Reviling, and Reproaches of Men, in the Discharge thereof?

Have I been contented to be vile for God's Sake?

Have I been Meek, and Gentle in my Spirit, Words, and Behaviour? Have I borne with the Weakneffes, Indiscretions, and Infirmities of others, as becometh one who is fubject to. Infirmities ?

Have I not been angry without Cause, or above just Caufe?

Have I not been pettish and froward in little Things, and upon mere Mistakes, and involuntary Errors of others, for Want of reviewing Things in their juft Nature, Weight and Measure?

Have I not fuffered the Sun to go down upon my Wrath? Have I not continued in it

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it to the Vexation of my own Spirit, and thereby rendered myfelf unfit for the Dif charge of my Duty both to God and Man?

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It is not eafy to enumerate all the Instances of Duty reducible to these three Heads; nor to fet down the feveral 'Breaches and Violations of them; But the careful Reading of the Holy Scriptures, more especially the New Testament, together with the Checks and Reproofs of every Man's Confcience, will abundantly fupply this Defect. The Method here propofed will, I believe, (if carefully attended to) affift any one in getting a competent Knowledge of his own State and Condition.

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'I think it proper to observe here, that divers Methods have been propofed by wife and good Men to affift us in the Examination of ourselves, and to render it more eafy unto us. I will but juft ' mention fome of them, and refer you to fome Books of Piety wherein they are • treated of at large.

• Some have collected a fhort Summary of the Sins forbidden, and Duties com'manded in the Holy Scriptures, and examined themselves thereby. See Dr. Horneck's Crucified Jefus, Chap. 23.

• Mr.

• Mr. Kettlewell's Meafures of Chriftian Obedience, Book 2d throughout.

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• Others have reduced the Sum and Sub'ftance of our Duty to the Ten Commandments; and by the Help thereof have, with great Advantage, performed this neceffary Work. See the Art of Catechifing,/. &c. 57, &c. Dr. Comber on the Common-Prayer; His Difcourse on the • Communion-Office; or any Expofition of the Ten Commandments. Some have examined themselves by our Lord's Sermon on the Mount, contained in the 5th, 6th, and 7th Chapters of St. Matthew. • See Dr. Hammond's Expofition of Chrift's Sermon on the Mount in his Practical • Catechism, Lib. 2. Sect. 1, &c. Others ' have followed that general Divifion of Duty mentioned by St. Paul, Tit. ii. 12. namely, to God, our Neighbour, and ourfelves; which is the Method here • propofed.

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• I will mention but one Method more, namely, by recollecting the feveral Parts and Branches of the Baptifmal Vow, making a Paufe at each Particular, and enquiring how we have kept it, and in • what Inftances we have broken the fo

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• lemn Engagements we then entered into.

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The Perufal of Dr. Bray's Difcourfe upon 'the Baptifmal Covenant, or any other judicious Expofition of the Church Catechifm, will be ufeful to us, when we examine ourselves in this Method,

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Those that have made fome Progrefs in Chriftianity, and are in good earnest ftriving to enter in at the ftrait Gate, and • walk in the narrow Way that leadeth to Life, find the Examination of themfelves much more easy than those who indulge themfelves in Sin, and live careless and negligent Lives; for the former are still labouring after a nearer Conformity to the Example of Chrift Jefus, and keep a Watch and Guard over themselves. Every Portion of Scripture they read and hear; every Grace and Virtue that is re'commended in public; every Sin, against which the Judgments of God are de ́nounced, fuggests Matter to them to examine themfelves by; and they can prefently, without any Reluctance, put the Question to themfelves, Do I practife this or that Virtue? Am I guilty of this or that Sin?

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It is not material which of thefe Methods we follow, provided the Thing be carefully done; every one is at Liberty

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to choose which he thinks will beft let him into the Knowledge of himself, and enable him to judge whether, according to the Terms of the Covenant made with Man in Chrift Jefus, a happy or mife'rable Eternity is likely to be his Portion. If he wants more particular Directions, he may have Recourfe to fome spiritual • Guide.

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Though Self-Examination be a Duty, ⚫ which ought no Day to be wholly omitted; yet there are fome Seasons wherein we ought to take a more exact Survey of our own State: Such are Times of Trouble • and Affliction; Days of Fafting and Humiliation; and when (by the Affistance • of the Divine Grace) we have a lively Senfe of the great Evil and damning Nature of Sin; and before we renew our • Covenant with God in the holy Sacra• ment,'

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A Prayer

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