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This Examination of our sins past, must be partly of those that we committed before our calling, & partly of those which were ⟨p. 23⟩done after our calling. Every man (especially having his reason reformed by the word of God) will grant an examination of the life, before our true knowledge of God in Christ, to be most needful: But it may be some will think that we need not be so precise in the searching of those sins, which were after our knowledge. But seeing of all other sins these bite sorest, and pierce deepest, for that they are aggravated with all the mercies of God going before, and Sin is then most sinful, when after we know the truth, after we have been delivered from sin, after we have been enlightened with the grace of God, we have fallen into it: I think that an examination most specially ought to be had of these sins. Wherefore to iterate our former examples in a new matter, as we may see the former kind of examining of our sins before our calling, in the sons of Jacob; so we have a pattern of the latter in the practise of the Prophet David, who at the hearing of his sin was so troubled in his spirit, that he could not rest in the Prophets speech telling him his sin was forgiven him, but still was disquieted, as one utterly forsaken of God & could find no comfort of Gods spirit in him. For as it fareth often with sores, it cometh to pass in sins we are loth to have our wounds often grated upon, we cannot so well away to ⟨p. 24⟩have our sores rifled, seared, and lanced; but fed with healing salves: so we are hardly brought to have our consciences ground, or our sins ransacked, sifted, searched, & ripped up; but would still have them plastered with sweet promises, and bathed in the mercies of God: whereas it is far safer before incarnative and healing Medicines, to use corrosive and mundifying waters, without which though some sores may seem to close and skin up a pace, yet they prove worse, and being rotten still at the core; they have above a thin skin, & underneath dead flesh. In like manner, we would cloak, we would hide and cover our sins, as it were with a Curtain;

This Examination of our sinnes past, must bee partly of those that we committed beefore our calling, & partly of those which were ⟨p. 23⟩done after our calling. Euery man (especially hauing his reason reformed by the worde of God) will graunt an examination of the life, before our true knowledge of God in Christ, to be most needfull: But it may be some wil thinke that wee neede not be so precise in the searching of those sinnes, which were after our knowledge. But seeing of all other sins these bite sorest, and pierce deepest, for that they are agrauated with all the mercies of God going before, and Sinne is then most sinfull, when after we knowe the truth, after wee haue beene deliuered from sinne, after wee haue beene inlightened with the grace of God, wee haue falne into it: I thinke that an examination most specially ought to be had of these sinnes. Wherefore to iterate our former examples in a new matter, as we may see the former kinde of examining of our sinnes before our calling, in the sons of Iacob; so we haue a patterne of the latter in the practise of the Prophet Dauid, who at the hearing of his sin was so troubled in his spirit, that he could not rest in the Prophets speach telling him his sin was forgiuē him, but still was disquieted, as one vtterly forsaken of God & could find no cōfort of Gods spirit in him. For as it fareth oftē with sores, it cōmeth to passe in sins we are loth to haue our woūds often grated vpon, we cannot so wel away to