Direct. XI. Make not light of any sin which you discover in your self-examination. But humble yourselves for it before the Lord, and be affected according to its importance, both in its guilt and evil signification.
Direct. XII. And let the end of all be the renewed exercise of faith and thankfulness, and resolutions for better obedience hereafter. That you may see more of the need and use of a Saviour, and may thankfully magnify that grace which doth abound where sin abounded; and may walk the more watchfully and holily for the time to come.
Tit. 3. Directions for Self-judging as to our Estates, to know whether we are in a Regenerate and Justified State, or not.
Direct. I. If you would so judge of the state of your souls, as not to be deceived, come not to the trial with an over-confident prejudice or conceit of your own condition, either as good or bad. He that is already so prepossessed as to resolve what to judge before he trieth, doth make his trial but a means to confirm him in his conceit.
Direct. II. Let not self-love, partiality, or pride, on the one side, or fear on the other side, pervert your judgment in the trial, and hinder you from the discerning of the truth. Some men cannot see the clearest evidences of their unsanctified hearts, because self-love will give them leave to believe nothing of themselves which is bad or sad. They will believe that which is good and pleasant, be it never so evidently false. As if a thief could be saved from the gallows, by a strong conceit that he is a true man; or the conceit that one is learned, would make him learned. Others through timorousness can believe nothing that is good or comfortable of themselves: like a man on the top of a steeple, who though he know that he standeth fast and safe, yet trembleth when he looketh down, and can scarce believe his own understanding. Silence all the objections of an over-timorous mind, and it will doubt and tremble still.
Direct. III. Surprise not yourselves on the sudden and unprepared, with the question, whether you are justified or not; but set about it as the most serious business of your life. A great and difficult question must have a well-studied answer, and not be answered hastily and rashly. If one should meet you in the street, and demand some great and long account of you, you would desire him to stay till you review your memorials, or have time to cast it up. Take some appointed time to do this, when you have no intruding thoughts to hinder you; and think not that it must be resolved easily or quickly upon the first inquiry, but by the most sober and judicious consideration, and patient attendance till it be done.
Direct. IV. Understand the tenor of the covenant of grace, which is the law that you must judge of your estates by: for if you mistake that, you will err in the conclusion. He is an unfit judge, who is ignorant of the law.
Direct. V. Mistake not the nature of true faith in Christ. Those that think it is a believing that they are actually pardoned, and shall be saved, do some of them presume or believe it when it is false, and some of them despair, because they cannot believe it. And those that think that faith is such a recumbency on Christ as always quieteth the mind, do think they have no faith when they have no such quietness. And those that think it is only the resting on the blood of Christ for pardon, do take up with that which is no true faith. But he that knoweth that faith in Christ, is nothing else but christianity, or consenting to the christian covenant, may know that he consenteth, even when he findeth much timorousness and trouble, and taketh not up with a deceitful faith.
Direct. VI. Remember in your self-judging, that the will is the man, and what you truly would be, that you are, in the sense of the covenant of grace.
Direct. VII. But remember also that your endeavours must prove the truth of your desires, and that idle wishes are not the denominating acts of the will.