That which is translated here 'judging,' is by the best expositors, one and other,! ^nd according to the nature of the word, ' if we would discern, of ourselves,' ' if we would try ourselves,' and have our senses exercised to distinguish what is good, and what is ill in us> aud then to fall upon judging,, trial, and discussing. The word signifieth primarily ' to discuss,' and ' to sift,' and then ' to censure' upon that ; and then after, ' To sever ourselves- from the ill we censure.' The word implies all these duties. f
God hath so framed man, that he alone of all other creatures can work upon himself; he hath this reflexed act, as we call it, he can examine, judge, tr}', and humble himself; other creatures look straight forwards. Man, I say, can discern and put a difference ; he can discern of relations ; this and that hath relation to such and such a thing. The beast cannot discern of relations :;{: the beast goes to the water, and to the fodder, but knows not what relation that hath to spiritual things. But man, when he sees the sacrament, he can think of Christ ; when he seeth one thing, he can think of this relation to more spiritual things. So he can discern of himself,, and of the things he takes in hand, by a principle that God hath put into him peculiar to himself. Now God hath set up in a man a judgment- seat, wherein things should be judged, before they come to this scanning and judgment. We ourselves are the parties judged, and we should be the judges ; we are the parties that examine, and the parties examined ; we are the parties that condemn, and the parties condemned. This is the power of conscience, that God hath made his vicegerent and deputy in us. But to acquaint you with what things I mean to speak of, as the time will give leave.
Doct^ 9. [1.] First of oil, out of these words, the cure I will skew; that naturally we are very backward to this duty, because the Corinthians here were faihng in the duty.§
[2.] Secondly, I will shew you the necessity' , profit, and use of this self- judging.
[3.] Then of the time when we should judge especially ; when we are to deal with God in holy things.
[4. J And then, II what to do after all, whefi we have judged ourselves; what course to take then. The unfolding of these things will help us to understand this great point that is so necessary,
[1.] Fu'st of all, naturally ur are wondrous backward to this duty, as we see here in the Corinthians ; they slubbered over this duty of examination and self-judging.
Quest. "What is the reason ?
Sol. The reason is, it is an imrard act; and naturally we look to outward glorious things. There is no glciy in it before the world ; it is in God,
* ' To open . . . little ' omitted in B, C— G.
t The ^Yo^d is S/azg/vw, on wliich consult EoBinson, sub voce, and of. Hodge and Stanley, and Webster and Wilkinson, in he. — G,
X 'Eelation ' in B, C. — G. g 'Because . , . duty ' omitted in B, C.—G.
I ' Then ' omitted in B, C.—G, ^ ' Another ' in C.—G,
84 judgment's reason.
and Ms own soul, and ustially the life of careless persons, even of Chris- tians sometimes, it is spent outwardly ; they never enter into their own souls to see what is there.
Again, vaturdUij n-e rest in the judrpneut of others. Others conceive well of us, and therefore we conceive well of ourselves, llcmember they are but our fellow-prisoners. What can they excuse, if God accuse and con- demn us ? Those things that make us most odious to God are undis- cernible of the eye of man, as a proud heart, a revengeful spirit, an earthly disposition, and the like ; no man can see these things.
Again, usiially we rest in this, that we have icit enoiajh to judge others. The proud nature of man thinks itself somebody, when it can get up and judge others perhaps better than itself. This is a poor contentment, and an easy thing for a man to spend his censures upon others, and is done usually with some glory. It is necessary sometimes to those that are under us, to discover to them what we judge of their ways, but ofttimes, I say, it is done only of self-love and pride.
Again, ne are backward to this dnty. Hence that the heart of man is a proud piece of flesh ; and therefore he is loath to be conceited* of himself as there is cause. Man naturally would be in [a] fool's paradise. He knows if he enters deeply into himself, somewhat will be presented to the eye of his soul that will be an ungrateful object to him ; and therefore, because he will not force upon himself other conceits of himself than he hath for the present, he is content never to examine his courses, but to go on still. As there are some creatures in the world deformed, that are loath to come to the water, because they will not see their deformity in it ; so it is with the nature of man, h^ is loath to see his deformity, he is willing to be deceived. In other things we are loath to be mistaken, but in our state between God and us, we are willing to be deceived. We deceive ourselves, we are sophisters unto ourselves, in this great point. Thus we see that it is a duty to which we are very backward, and that it is something hard, because, I say,f it reflects upon ourselves, and requires retiring ; for naturally we are slothful and idle ; and then sin it loves corners, which makes it harder.