Useful instructions for a professing people in times of great security and degeneracy delivered…

4. Thou art not fitted to look abroad, till thou hast first made a thorough work at home, Mat. 7. 1—Thou art like to make but poor work in public matters, whiles thou harbourest sin in thine own heart; if therefore thou hast a desire to do God service upon that account, thou hadst need to be more then ordinarily careful to clear thy own accounts with God, lest thou be found guilty of hypocrisy. It will be found the ready way to bring thy self under inexcusable Condemnation before God, to search after and condemn those sins in others, which thou thy self livest in the daily practice of, Rom. 2. 1. thou must therefore prepare thy self to this work by a thorough search of thy own heart.

4. Thou art not fitted to look abroad, till thou hast first made a thorough work at home, Mat. 7. 1—Thou art like to make but poor work in publick matters, whiles thou harbourest sin in thine own heart; if therefore thou hast a desire to do God service upon that account, thou hadst need to be more then ordinarily careful to clear thy own accounts with God, lest thou be found guilty of hypocrisie. It will be found the ready way to bring thy self under inexcusable Condemnation before God, to search after and condemn those sins in others, which thou thy self livest in the daily practice of, Rom. 2. 1. thou must therefore prepare thy self to this work by a thorough search of thy own heart.

5. Particular Repentance goes before general mercies, Zech. 11. 9. if God intend good to this poor Land he will bring us to this, he will make us get alone, and every one lay his finger upon his own sore, and mourn over our sins wherewithal we have been provoking his Majesty: and when he hath once brought us to that, the time of his gracious visitation is near at hand; yea, that indeed is the first great mercy, for which let us this day seek his face.