Thus holy men have kept their Sessions at home, and made their hearts the forman of the Jury, and examined themselves as we examine others, the fear of the Lord stood at the door of their souls, to examine every thought before it went in, and at the door of their lips, to examine every word before it went out, whereby they escaped thousand sins which we commit, as though we had no other work. So thou shouldest sit in judgement of thy self, and call thy thoughts, and speeches, and actions, to give in evidence against thee, whether thou be a Christian, or an Infidel, a son or a bastard, a servant or a rebel, a Protestant or an hypocrite▪ if thou find not faith, nor fear, ⟨image 116⟩nor love, nor zeal, when thou examinest thy self, let no man make thee believe that thou art holy, that thou art sanctified, that thou art a Christian, that thou art a believer, that thou art a Gospeller, because thou art worse than thou seemest to thy self; for every man is partial to himself when he is most humbled. Therefore if my heart tell me that I do not love God, whom shall I believe before my self? As Solomon saith, No man can search the heart of the king: 1so Paul saith, No man knoweth the spirit of any man, but the spirit which 2is in man, that is, no man feeleth the heart of man so well as himself. And yet himself although he have lived with it ever since he was borne, doth not know his own heart unless he examine it narrowly, no more than he ⟨image 116⟩knoweth his own bones, or his veins, or his sinews, or his arteries, or his muscles, how many are in his body, or where they lye, or what they do. This seems strange that a man should not know his own heart, yet it is true that the best of us all doth not know his own heart, though he have dwelt with it from his mothers womb. For Christ saith to his disciples, even to his disciples, You know not of what spirit you are, that is, you think better of your 3selves than you are, and know not what the clock striketh within. There is a zeal without knowledge, and there is a knowledge without zeal; there is a faith without obedience, and there is an obedience without faith; there is a love without fear, and there is a fear without love, and both ⟨image 117⟩are hypocrites.
Thus holy men haue kept their Sessions at home, and made their hearts the forman of the Iurie, and examined themselues as wee examine others, the feare of the Lord stoode at the doore of their soules, to examine euery thought before it went in, and at the doore of their lippes, to examine euery word before it went out, whereby they escaped thousand sinnes which we commit, as though we had no other woorke. So thou shouldest sit in iudgement of thy selfe, and call thy thoughts, and speeches, and actions, to giue in euidēce against thee, whether thou bee a Christian, or an Infidell, a sonne or a bastard, a seruant or a rebell, a Protestant or an hypocrit▪ if thou finde not faith, nor feare, ⟨image 116⟩nor loue, nor zeale, when thou examinest thy selfe, let no man make thee beleeue that thou art holie, that thou art sanctified, that thou art a Christian, that thou art a beleeuer, that thou art a Gospeller, because thou art worse than thou seemest to thy selfe; for euerie man is partiall to himselfe when he is most humbled. Therefore if my heart tell me that I do not loue God, whom shall I beleeue before my selfe? As Salomon saith, No man can search the heart of the king: 1so Paule saith, No man knoweth the spirit of any man, but the spirit which 2is in man, that is, no man feeleth the heart of man so well as himselfe. And yet himselfe although hee haue liued with it euer since hee was borne, dooth not knowe his owne heart vnlesse hee examine it narrowly, no more than hee ⟨image 116⟩knoweth his owne bones, or his vaines, or his sinewes, or his artires, or his muskles, how many are in his bodie, or where they lye, or what they do. This seemes straunge that a man should not knowe his owne heart, yet it is true that the best of vs all doth not knowe his owne heart, though he haue dwelt with it from his mothers wombe. For Christ sayth to his disciples, euen to his disciples, You knowe not of what spirit you are, that is, you thinke better of your 3selues than you are, and know not what the clocke striketh within. There is a zeale without knowledge, and there is a knowledge without zeale; there is a faith without obedience, and there is an obedience without faith; there is a loue without feare, and there is a feare without loue, and both ⟨image 117⟩
- 1•ro. 25. 3.
- 2[…]. Cor. 2. 11.〈…〉. Cor. 2. 11.
- 3Luk 9. 55.
