A Divine Cordial

1. It puts the soul upon self-searching. A child of God being conscious to himself of sin, takes the Candle and Lantern of the Word, and searcheth into his heart: he desires to know the worst by himself; as a man who is distempered in body, desires to know the worst of his disease. Though our joy lies in the knowledge of our graces, yet there is some benefit in the knowledge of our corruptions: Therefore Job prays, Make me to know my transgressions, Job 13.23. 'Tis good to know our sins, that we may not flatter our selves, or take our condition to be better than it is. 'Tis good to find out our sins, least they find us out.

1. It puts the soul upon self-searching. A child of God being conscious to himself of sin, takes the Candle and Lanthorn of the Word, and searcheth into his heart: he desires to know the worst by himself; as a man who is distempered in body, desires to know the worst of his disease. Though our joy lies in the knowledge of our graces, yet there is some benefit in the knowledge of our corruptions: Therefore Iob prays, Make me to know my transgressions, Job 13.23. 'Tis good to know our sins, that we may not flatter our selves, or take our condition to be better than it is. 'Tis good to find out our sins, least they find us out.

2. The inherency of sin puts a child of God upon self-abasing. Sin is left in a godly man, as a Cancer in the breast, or a bunch upon the back, to keep him from being proud. Gravel and Dung are good to ballast a Ship, and keep it from overturning: The Dung of sin helps to ballast the soul, that it be not overturned with vain-glory. We read of the spots of Gods children, Deut. 32.5. When a godly man looks his face in the glass of Scripture, and sees the spots of infidelity and hypocrisy, this makes the plumes of Pride fall; they are humbling spots. 'Tis a good use may be made even of our sins, when they occasion low thoughts of