The Morning exercise [at] Cri[ppleg]ate, or, Several cases of conscience practically resolved

Tenthly, Be more in practice than in disputes, and wherein thou wouldest inform thy judgement, proceed in a right method. Many weak Christians cannot see the complexions of their faces, because they are always looking into troubled waters, searching into needless disputes and questions, notional knowledge in the Scripture will never cure thy distemper, no more than bare reading of Galen, or the works of some Physician will recover a man from a fit of sickness.

Tenthly, Bee more in practice than in disputes, and wherein thou wouldest inform thy judgement, proceed in a right method. Many weak Christians cannot see the complexions of their faces, because they are alwaies looking into troubled waters, searching into needless disputes and questions, notional knowledge in the Scripture will never cure thy distemper, no more than bare reading of Galen, or the works of some Physician will recover a man from a fit of sickness.

And where thou wouldest be informed, proceed in a right method, question not thy election first, but thy true conversion. God hath reprobated me, all will be in vain: but thou must prove thy election by thy conversion, as the cause is discovered by the effect. We must begin in this where God doth end, and end where God doth begin. As on a Ladder, he that is above, if he would come down to you, must first use the top rounds, but if you would go up to him, you must first use the bottom-rounds, and ascend step by step. Election is the ⟨p. 322⟩uppermost round, sanctification is at the bottom, and by our sanctification we must climb up to see our names written in the Book of Life. In building men proceed methodo syntheticâ, in pulling down, methodo analyticâ. If you would take a Watch to pieces, you must begin where the Watchmaker made an end. The Carpenter, when he builds, first lays the foundation, and finishes the roof last; when he pulls down, he takes off the roof, and so to the foundation. God did first choose, and then convert us; but we first know our conversion, and thereby our election. Motives to get Assurance.