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is it not neceffary, that our particular fins be not forgotten, but particularly remembered in our daily, as in a repentance at any other time?

So that every argument for a daily confeffion and repentance, is the fame argument for the confettion and repentance of the particular fins of every day.

Becaufe daily confeffion has no other reafon or neceffity but our daily fins; and therefore is nothing of what it thould be, but fo far as it is a repentance and forrowful acknowledg ment of the fins of the day.

You would, I fuppofe, think yourself chargeable with great impiety, if you was to go to bed without confeffing yourself to be a finner and afking pardon of God; you would not think it futficient that you did fo yefterday. And yet if without any regard to the prefent day, you only repeat the fame form of words that you used yesterday, the fins of the prefent day may justly be looked upon to have had no repentance. For if the fins of the prefent day require a new confeffion, it must be fuch a new confeffion as is proper to itfelf. For it is the

ftate and condition of every day, that is to determine the state and manner of your repentance in the evening; otherwife the fame general form of words is rather an empty formality, that has the appearance of a duty, than fuch a true performance of it, as is neceffary to make it truly useful to you.

Let it be fuppofed, that on a certain day

you have been guilty of these fins; that you have told a vain lye upon yourfelf, afcribing fomething falfely to yourfelf through pride; that you have been guilty of detraction, and indulged yourself in fome degree of intemperance. Let it be fuppofed, that on the next day you have lived in a contrary manner; that you have neglected no duty of devotion, and been the reft of the day innocently employed, in your proper business. Let it be fuppofed, that on the evening of both thefe days you only use the fame confeffion in general, confidering it rather as a duty that is to be performed every night, than as a repentance that is to be fuited to the particular state of the day.

Can it with any reafon, be faid, that each day has had its proper repentance? Is it not as good fenfe to fay, there is no difference in the guilt of thefe days, as to say that there need be no different repentance at the end of them? Or how can each of them have its proper repentance, but by its having a repentance as large and extenfive, and particular as the guilt of each day.

Again, let it be fuppofed, that in that day, when you had been guilty of the three notorious fins above-mentioned, that in your evening repentance, you had only called one of them to mind. Is it not plain, that the other two are unrepented of, and that therefore their guilt ftill abides upon you? So that you are then in a state of him, who commits himfelf

to the night without the repentance for such a day, as had betrayed him into two fuch great

fins.

Now these are not needlefs particulars, or fuch fcrupulous niceties, as a man need not trouble himself about; but are fuch plain truths, as effentially concern the very life of piety. For if repentance is neceffary, it is full as neceffary that it be rightly performed, and in due manner.

And I have entered into all these particulars, only to fhew you in the plaineft manner, that examination, and a careful review of all the actions of the Day, is not only to be looked upon as a good rule, but as fomething as neceffary as repentance itself.

If a man is to account for his expences at night, can it be thought a needlefs exactnefs in him, to take notice of every particular expence in the Day?

And if a man is to repent of his fins at night, can it be thought too great a piece of fcrupu. lofity in him, to know and call to mind what fins he is to repent of?

Farther, though it fhould be granted, that a confeffion in general may be a fufficient repentance for the end of fuch days, as have only the unavoidable frailties of our nature to lament; yet even this fully proves the abfolute neceffity of this felf-examination: for without this examination, who can know that he has gone through any day in this manner? Again: An evening repentance, which thus

brings all the actions of the day to account, is not only neceffary to wipe off the guilt of fin, but is alfo the moft certain way to amend and perfect our lives.

For it is only fuch a repentance as this, that touches the heart, awakens the confcience, and leaves an horror and deteftation of fin upon the mind.

For inftance, If it fhould happen, that upon any particular evening, all that you could charge yourself with thould be this, viz. a hafty, negligent performance of your devotions, or too much time spent in an impertinent converfation; if the unreafonablenefs of thefe things were fully reflected upon, and acknowledged; if you was then to condemn yourself before God for them, and implore his pardon and affifting grace, what could be fo likely a means to prevent your falling into the fame faults the next day?

Or if you fhould fall into them again the next day; yet if they were again brought to the fame examination, and condemnation in the prefence of God, their happening again, would be fuch a proof to you of your own folly and weakness, would caufe fuch a pain and remorfe in your mind, and fill you with fuch fhame and confufion at yourfelf, as would, in all probability, make you exceedingly defirous of greater perfection.

Now in the cafe of repeated fins, this would be the certain benefit, that we fhould receive from this examination and confeffion; the

mind would thereby be made humble, full of forrow and deep compunction, and by degrees, forced into amendment.

Whereas a formal, general confeffion, that is only confidered as an evening duty, that overlooks the particular miftakes of the day, and is the fame, whether the day be fpent ill For well, has little or no effect upon the mind; a man may use fuch a daily confeffion, and yet go on finning and confeffing all his life, without any remorfe of mind, or true defire of amendment.

For if your own particular fins are left out of your confeffion, your confeffing of fin in general, has no more effect upon your mind than if you had only confeffed that all men in general are finners. And there is nothing in any confeffion to fhew that it is yours, but fo far as it is a felf-accufation, not of fin in general, or fuch as is common to all others, but of fuch particular fins, as are your own proper Shame and reproach.

No other confeffion, but fuch as thus difcovers and accufes your own particular guilt, can be an act of true forrow, or real concern at your own condition. And a confeffion that is without this forrow and compunction of heart, has nothing in it, either to atone for paft fins, or to produce in us any true reformation and amendment of life.

To proceed: In order to make this examination fill farther beneficial, every man fhould oblige himself to a certain method in it. As

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