Now, what is this sifting and searching of the heart, but a seai'ching of all the corners of the soul by the light of Ood's word and Spiiit ? A searching of all the corners of the heart. This requires much pains. Natu- rally we are loath to take pains with our own souls, though indeed this be a preventing pains, to shun a worse misery hereafter ; there is nothing gotten by favouring ourselves. What need I be large in this point ? It is clear that naturally we are loath to judge ourselves, as we shall see here- after.]: Oh! if the worst man had[that judgment of himself, as he shall have ere long, M'hen he shall not be besotted, but be free from his spiritual drunkenness and madness that he is in, carried with the course of the world, then he shall judge truly of himself. Oh ! that he could do it in time. But naturally, I say, what for negligence, and what for pride, and resting in the conceits that others have of us, we neglect so necessary a duty.
Well, then, to go to the second point : as we are prone to neglect it, so we must know,
T)oct. 10. That it is a necessary and useful duty to judge ourselves : for it is the ground of all repentance, Jer. viii. 6. He complains that they rushed as^ ' a horse into the battle, and no man said, what have I done ?'
* That is = to conceive. — G. f ' I say ' omitted in B, C. — G.
X ' It is clear ... of himself ' omitted in B, C. — G. ^ ' As,' hy a misprint, not in C. — G.
judgment's reason. 85
Quest. What was the reason they rushed as a horse into the battle ? -
Sol. No man entered into himself and said, What have I done ? I con- sidered my ways, and turned my feet to thy testimonies, saith David, Ps. cxix. 59. Consideration is the ground therefore of repentance and con- version. Thus in discussing of our ways, and trial of them, and of every good work, there must be this judging, this discerning, what is spirit and what is flesh. A man cannot do a good work without the use of this principle that God hath put into him, of judging himself, and judging his ways.
And then again, it is a dntij that viakes a man good in Jiiinself : for when we do outward good duties, they are good for others. If a man be bounti- ful, another hath the benefit ; if he be merciful, another hath the profit ; but when a man judgeth himself, and sets up a court in himself, his own soul is the better for it ; he is the more holy man, the more watchful man, the more clear from his sins ; he is the fitter framed for holy duties ; it is the better for his own self; and therefore this duty it is the spring of all other good duties, and it is most beneficial to a man's own soul.
Again, this is such' a duty as doth settle the judgment, and make ns impreg- nahJe in temptation. When we have passed a judgment upon ourselves, let this or that judgment be, we cai-e not ; for we have judged ourselves as we should by the rule. We know what we have done, we know what we have said, we are able to justify it : it makes us ready and able to give an account to God, and to the world for what we do. But what, should I go further than the text ? Here is a special good use it hath : if we judge ourselves, we shall not be judged of the Lord. This judging of ourselves, it* prevents a further judgment.
Quest. How is that ?
Ans. First of all, because we spare God a labour. When we judge our^, selves, he need not take us in hand to judge us. His corrections and his statutes are often called judgments in the Psalms. + Now upon the neglect of his judgments :{; and statutes, we run into his judgments and corrections ; yet if we were careful of our duty, we might prevent the judgments of cor- rection. §
Then again, thi)igs judged in one court cannot be judged in another by equity. Now|| the God of all justice and equity will surely strictly observe equity. When our sins are judged in an inferior court ; when in the court of conscience we have cited, indicted ourselves before ourselves, and given sentence upon ourselves, before ourselves, IT then what is** condemned in this lower court of conscience, it shall never be condemned for hereafter : and, therefore, the necessity of this duty issues hence ; ' if we judge our- selves, we shall not be judged.'
Quest. What is the ground that men are judged with the judgment of correction ? f f
Sol. We may learn hence, that we may thank ourselves for not return- ing into our souls. I was careless of setting up a court in myJJ own heart ; careless in using those abilities that God hath given me to discern, to
* The ' it,' which with other pronouns is a characteristic in this use of Sibbes, as of his contemporaries, omitted in B, C — G.