The Daily Examination and Arraignment of Sin
The source for this document is https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo2/A95755.0001.001
Project Note
This is licensed under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND. This license allows reusers to copy and distribute the material in any medium or format in unadapted form only, for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.
The source of this document is the Early English Books Online (EEBO-TCP) website. Those books were transcribed in a character for character manner and can be very cumbersome to read since there was no standard spelling during that time. Many spelling variations such as "unlesse", "vnlesse", and "vnles" regularly appear.
This project was conceived to clean up those books as much as possible and make them more accessible to the interested reader, leading to the creation of a massive list of variant spellings and their corrections. This was used to clean up the text, but is of course only as complete as the list itself. Because of the nature of the original transcription, some words have missing characters or places where the original language (e.g., Greek) was not transcribed. This effort does not change that. Be aware that the original transcription can also be faulty and in some cases entire sentences may be missing.
Although this is no substitute for a properly compared, proofed, and scholarly edition, I believe that the result is a document which is far more accessible, particularly for searching for terms using standard spelling. The document has been cleaned and presented in what I hope is a pleasing and useful format for the vast majority of Christian brothers and sisters who just want access to read these spiritually nourishing works.
However, a word of warning: The Puritans were a very diverse group of people and their age was characterized with godliness, but also much upheaval, disputation and strife. They disagreed on many doctrines and some of these works contain less orthodox or Scriptural views than others. The reader is strongly advised to read with discernment, particularly if it is unknown whether author is trustworthy.
This project took a huge amount of time and skill to bring to fruition. I would particularly like to thank David Jonescue for the initial list of Puritans he found on EEBO and the concept behind this project as well as the continuous, unceasing efforts toward seeing this complete. Without his labor, this would not be available. Alex Sarrouf was invaluable in providing the initial list of over 7,000 spelling variations he had identified and corrected, as well as continuing to review more than 16,000 additions to that list for any typos.
Logan West
(with David Jonescue and Alex Sarrouf)
www.puritansearch.org
The daily Examination, and Arraignment of Sins; gathered out of the most Reverend the Primate of Ireland's Sermon at Lincolns-Inn. Decemb. 3. 1648.
-
THe
necessity
of
daily
examination,
appear's
by these Reasons.
- 1. Becaus green wounds are easily cured; and nothing fester's so quickly, or so foully, as sin: When David's heart had presently smote him for cutting off the skirt of Saul's robe, he hear'd no more of that: but that sin with Urias his wife, wherein he soaked so long, brake his bones, as appeareth by his prayer, Psal. 51. 8.
- 2. Thou doest help thy memory by this (my Soul!): for if in one days account many sins be forgotten, how many must be forgotten, if thou leave it to be the account of many days?
- 3. Sin divided thus into parcels, is more easily dealit with, as a massy Tree cut out into Billets, or smaller pieces.
- 4. Thou doest by this means (my soul!) prevent Satan's accusation: that Accuser of the brethren doth (no doubt) bill thee daily; what a comfort will it be for thee (my Soul!), that thou hast been sueing out thy pardon, ere he could come to put in a charge against thee.
- 5. O my Soul, Thou lookest daily on everything else that thou hast, on thy House, Land, Cattle, Clothes; on whatever thou hast, that may be impaired, or improved daily; what a shame is it (my Soul!) thyself should be less considerable to thyself.
- 6. Thou art permitted to live but to this purpose, whatever wordly ends of living thou propose to thyself: and thou knowest not, if thou neglect this, whether anymore time will be given thee. See Revel. 2. 21.
- 7. If thou perform this exactly, and constantly every night and morning, thou wilt (my Soul!) have but one day to answer for all at thy parting hence: O what an ease would that be to a dying man!
When these, or the like Reasons, have convinced thee of the necessity of this Examination, and affected thy heart with a desire thereto, proceed after this plain manner.
-
Examine thy
- Thoughts
- Words
- Actions
-
by these
3. words
Tit.
2. 12
- Soberly
- Justly
- Godly
- thus: O my Soul, have I been
-
Dwel on each of
these, and recollect
all places, companies,
businesses,
wherein thou hast
been this day employed,
especially
examine thy
- Thoughts, when thou wast alone.
- Words, when in Company.
- Actions, both ways.
Especially my Soul, thou art to find out thy master-sin; in order to which, thou commonly committest most of thy other sins: as if covetousness be thy master-sin, there is no other sin which thou wilt not do, to fulfil its desires; thou wilt dishonor God, swear, violate the Lord's day, be disobedient to Superiors, murder, commit adultery, steal, bear falls-witness, to gratify thy covetousness. And so if pride, or any other sin be thy master sin. If thou wouldest know it,
- It's that,
- 1. Thy Thoughts are most conversant about; as when David awoke he was presently with God; so art thou with thy master-sin.
- 2. Thou canst not endure it should be touched, either by the own examination, or others reproof.
When thou hast found this Ring-leader of thy sins, go to God with strong cries, beg earnestly of him; O my God, give me grace to be deeply sorrowful for what's past, to resolv presently against it, and for the time to come, to endeavor by all means, that this chief enemy of my soul, may not be re-admitted.
Thy sins of the day being discovered, thou art to discover the heinousness of them, lest that thou pass them over too slightly; Therefore they are to be tried and arraigned, by considering these following Points, and saying to thy Soul,
1. O my Soul, thou hast by the sins of this day, forsaken God, whom thou shouldest have simply stuck to, as being most excellent, and amiable in himself, and most bountiful also unto thee.
2. Thou hast forsaken him for inconsiderable things, for profit with Judas, for pleasure with Esau; how wicked doest thou think them, for what they did, and what canst thou think of thyself doing the same things? O my soul, thou hast left God for transitory things, that (if they were permanent ) can neither satisfy nor save thee from Death or Judgment; and the lesser thy motive was, the greater is thy sin; especially if thou hast sworn, which is a sin men do gratìs commonly, and for no advantage, whose doom is to be seen, Psalm. 25. 2.
3. Thou hast offended against thy God's precept (O my Soul!), and he seem's to speak unto thee, as he did to Adam, hast thou eaten of the Tree I forbad thee, Hast thou thought, and spoken, and don this day what I forbad thee?
4. O my Soul, thou hast not offended against his precept only, but notwithstanding his help to observe it, he gave thee grace, and thou didst not use it; a little grace go's far, and thou mightest have thereby kepit God's word, Rev. 3. 8. but thou hast (my Soul!) received the grace of God in vain.
Haveing found the heinousness of thy sin, and thyself thus guilty, what remain's (my Soul!) but that thou sentence thy self and say, O my Soul, how can it be but that God for sake's thee also, and take's away his Spirit, Graces, Angels, from thee, leaving thee without guide, or protector, to be worried by the Devil, the world, and the flesh? Think whether thou canst sleep in such a case; O then (lest vengeance overtake thee, and to recover thy former interest in God) betake thee quickly unto him, in this or the like Prayer.
Blessed Lord!
I Have oft this day by intemperance, unrighteousness, and ungodliness, in thought, word, and deed, forsaken thee my God, notwithstanding thy Precept yea thy help of Grace to observe it; and this I have don for inconsiderable things, so that I am now to be forsaken by thee, to be bereft of thy direction, and defense, and to be left, to the disposeing of the enemies of my soul and body; yet O Lord, thou hast graciously vouchsafed me power to survey my condition, to examine my sins, whilst yet cureable, and to be dealt withal, afore the Devil's accusation hath drawn down thy vengeance; whilst I am permitted to live, and dureing this time accepted, this day of salvation, Good Lord perfect what thou hast begun, give me an unfeigned sorrow for what is past, and an earnest purpose to amend; O let me recover thy good will, that I may rest in thy favor. Dear Father, I long to renew that friendship, I •… ad with thee ere these my sins had broken it, Thou that hast brought me from my sins, to these desires, bring these desires to perfection; re-unite me to Thy self, and then ravish my heart so with thy excellencies, that I may never more lust after the pleasures, profits, honors of this world so, as to lose that •… mitie which thou shalt this night vouchsafe me: Hear Lord, and answer these my petitions, for Jesus Christ's sake, Amen.
Grudg not to bestow the pains of a life, that will quickly end, to compass that life which shall never end.