A treatise of self-judging, in order to the worthy receiving of the Lords Supper.…

as there must be light within, so without; as we must try spirits and doctrines by the word, so our hearts and actions by it, otherwise we shall foully mistake: it is of great consequence what rule you judge your selves by. The Scripture it may be condemneth that as loathsome, as abominable, which is glorious in thy eyes: The Scripture will tell thee that is no ⟨p. 37⟩grace, no godliness, which thou thinkest will carry thee to heaven. Most men judge of themselves by false rules; why is morality, why are duties, gifts, opinions, made grace to some men, resting upon them? but because they judge not by the rule; you must then be acquainted with Gods Word, apply that to thy heart, to thy life, to thy words: you must not bring the rule to you, making the Scripture for thy life, as heretics do for their opinions, wrest it, possessing thy self first with such thoughts, & apprehending the Scripture •very where ⟨p. 38⟩speaking to that purpose: So neither multitude, or the custom of others is a rule to judge our selves by, yea on the contrary we are to say, Argumentum pessimi turba, the multitude is an argument of evil; and nunquid mali feci, what evil have I done, when all commend me. What do you more than others, said our Saviour, Matth. 5.47. but above all things we must not be a rule and a law to our selves, to make our own wills the Bible to walk by, and our own hearts the Scripture. The Scripture speaks notably, 2 Cor. 10.12. They measured themselves ⟨p. 39⟩by themselves, they never looked upon better then themselves. Amongst blind men and deaf men, they that have any use of those senses, though much imperfect, are admired; so that in this self-judging it is dangerous to make our own hearts the accuser and the judge, for then all will be well. This makes the Church of Rome incurable, that she will acknowledge no other judge but her self. Thus when we judge of our selves by our own enlargements, impulses, revelations, as the Illuminists and others do, these can never judge righteous ⟨p. 40⟩