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

All the Reason in the world takes the part of holiness, and sin hath not one jot of true Reason to plead, or allege in its own behalf.

All the Reason in the world takes the part of holiness, and sin hath not one jot of true Reason to plead, or alledge in its own beh•lf.

Understand thy self, be no stranger to thy own breast, know the Rule. 3 frame and temper, and constitution of thy mind. The wise man's eyes are in his head, but the fool walketh in darkness, Eccles. 2.14. it is a true and sober maxim of the Platonist,¹ [Greek or Hebrew], as far as a man is ignorant of himself, so far forth he is to reckon himself guilty of madness and distraction. The Satirist complains of ⟨p. 92⟩this— Ut nemo in sesè tentat descendere, ²nemo. Dare to unlock thy bosom, to ransack every corner of thy heart, let thy Spirit accomplish a diligent search. Feel the pulse of thy soul, visit it often, ask it how it doth. Survey thy self, and blush to leave any terra incognita, any region of thy mind undiscovered. God hath charged and entrusted every man with his own soul, and what folly is it [Greek or Hebrew] to be busy in what doth not concern thee, and neglect what chiefly doth so, the affairs of thy own mind? is any thing nearer thee, or of such consequence to thee as thy self? O let thy charity then begin at home. Thou owest this duty to thy self, to take an exact account daily of the posture, and order of thy inward man. With how great confusion doth the Spouse acknowledge this neglect, Cant. 1 6. They made me the keeper of the vineyards, but my own vineyard have I not kept. If ever thou wouldst be dextrous in suppressing the first risings of sin, enquire, what advantages the tempter hath against thee? where that nescio quid tenerum & molle, lieth in thy soul (as Cicero calls it) against which temptation plants it's chiefest battery, and artillery? what thine own iniquity is,