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

2. There is required not only examination, but discerning, and separation of the vile from the precious, of making a difference, between what is of God in thee, and what of the devil in thee; what is of the flesh, and what is of the Spirit; for the meaning is not, as if a Christian should be always searching, and examining, and prying upon his soul, wearying himself in labyrinths of doubts and perplexities, but he must be able to make a separation. Thus the Apostle, Phil. 1.9, 10. prayeth they might abound in all judgement, which was seen by approving ⟨p. 49⟩the things that are excellent: and Heb. 5.14. some are said to have their senses exercised between good and evil: we see the hypocrite, the reprobate may go far: we see there are many that do doctrinally dispute, that the work of grace is of the same species in a temporary believer and one regenerated; yea many dispute, it's impossible to know whether we be in the state of grace or no: therefore there is required this eagle-eye, for from that bird do some derive the word [Greek or Hebrew]. Oh then be thus wisely qualified, as to be able upon thy inquiry, ⟨p. 50⟩to take the dross from the gold, to winnow the chaff from the wheat, and so to separate thy ways from the most refined paths of any hypocrite.

2. There is required not only examination, but discerning, and separation of the vile from the pretious, of making a difference, between what is of God in thee, and what of the devil in thee; what is of the flesh, and what is of the Spirit; for the meaning is not, as if a Christian should be alwaies searching, and examining, and prying upon his soul, wearying himself in labyrinths of doubts and perplexities, but he must be able to make a separation. Thus the Apostle, Phil. 1.9, 10. prayeth they might abound in all judgement, which was seen by approving ⟨p. 49⟩the things that are excellent: and