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Hast thou been unconcerned in his joys and sorrows? Hast thou neglected to recommend him to the grace and protection of God in thy prayers?

The duty of a husband to his wife. *

Hast thou been faithful to the solemn contract and engagement made in the presence of God, at the entering upon the state of matrimony?

Dost thou love thy wife, and show it in a kind, tender, and gentle behaviour toward her?

Art thou faithful to her bed?

Hast thou neglected to defend and protect thy wife, to maintain and provide for her?

Hast thou been peremptory, rigorous, and magisterial in thy commands?

Hast thou omitted to pray for her, and to share with her in all her reasonable joys and sorrows?

The duty of a servant to a master or mistress.†

Hast thou been faithful and industrious in serving thy master and mistress?

Dost thou obey them in all lawful commands cheerfully, and in obedience to God, whose providence hath set them over thee?

Hast thou purioined, or stole, or any way defrauded them of their goods, or been careless and wasteful of them?

Dost thou not take the advantage of their absence, to be idle, or unjust to them?

Hast thou any ways injured them in their reputation? Hast thou, as much as in thee lay, lived quietly and peaceably with thy fellow-servants ?

Hast thou not been spiteful and malicious against them?

*This duty may be found explained at large in the New Whole Duty of Man, Sunday ix, Sect. iv and v.

+ This duty explained, in Sunday ix, Sect. viii,

Hast thou exercised that tenderness to the children in the family, that was justly and reasonably expected from thee?

Hast thou prayed for thy master and mistress, and the rest of the family, in thy private prayers?

The duty of a master or mistress to a servant.*

Hast thou treated thy servants as a christian, and like one who believes that he has a master in heaven, to whom he must render an account?

Hast thou performed the condition thou wast obliged to, when thou tookest them into thy service?

Hast thou taken care of their bodies, by providing what food was fitting for them?

Art thou reasonable and moderate in the commands which thou layest upon them?

Dost thou admonish and correct them with calmness and gravity, when they transgress their duty?

Has not thy severity put them upon cheating and lying? for that will make thee a partaker with them in their sin.

Hast thou been remiss in suffering them to neglect their duty to God?

Hast thou afforded them time and opportunities for the service of God in public and private?

Dost thou set them an example of sobriety and godliness in thy own life and conversation? and dost thou encourage their living soberly and religiously, by proper marks of thy kindness and favour?

Hast thou been constant in thy daily devotions with thy family?

The duty of a magistrate. †

Hast thou made it thy endeavour to be a terror to evildoers, and a praise to them that do well?

This duty may be found explained at large in the New Whole Duty of Man, Sunday ix, Sest. viii.

+ This duty further explained, in Sunday vži, Sect. iii.

Hast thou not been more intent upon thy own private interest, than in advancing the common good?

Hast thou endeavoured to inform thyself of thy duty, in order to the doing of it, when thou hast been called to the office of constable, church-warden, or any other public office?

To these duties in general, we might add the parti cular duties of the people to their prince, and the laity to their ministers; but to prevent tedicusness, which often cools devotion, I shall refer those that desire information upon these heads, to the New Whole Duty of Man, Sunday viii, Sect. i, ii, and iv.

Directions:

When you have once thoroughly examined yourself, and made a particular confession of the sins of your whole life, and begged pardon; there is not the same absolute necessity of such a laborious examination, at your next communication; especially if you examine yourself carefully every night, and daily repent of the evil of the day past, and are not conscious to yourself of any great and notorious sins, since your last confession: for if you are not, the examination and confession only of what past since your last communicating, together with a general confession of your former sins, and a solemn renewing of your former acts of repentance, may serve the turn. But if your conscience accuses you of any culpable neglect in your last examination, or of any great relapses, or of any wilful violations of your last vows and resolutions; in these, and the like cases, it is the surest way to begin all your repentance again.

I am sensible it is not easy to enumerate all the instances of duty reducible to these three heads, concerning God, our neighbour, and ourselves, nor to set down the several branches and violations of them: but the method here proposed, will, I am persuaded (if carefully attended to) assist any one in getting a competent knowledge of his own state and condition. And as the foregoing examination of our lives, is in order to the confession of our sins, and that such D

a distinct sight and consideration of them may breed in us humble and contrite hearts; so when we are come to a sufficient knowledge of our sins, by the foregoing method of examination, our next step is to repent of them ; and the first part of our repentance is to make an humble confession of our vileness and unworthiness in committing them. A profession of godly sorrow for our sins, and a resolution of new obedience toward God, to be made on Monday evening.

I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, father I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. Luke xv. 18, 19.

O Lord! I call my ways to remembrance with a troubled heart; my evil doings are before mine eyes; they are a burden upon my spirits, a sore burden too heavy for me to bear. But now, O my God, with a heart truly sorrowful and penitent, I turn from my evil ways, resolving by thy grace to become a new creature; from this day forward I am fully determined to betake myself to a religious course of life: O let not iniquity be my ruin.

O Lord, I am not worthy so much as to lift up mine eyes unto thee; but whither should a wretch in guilt and misery look, but unto thee, the fountain of all mercy? whither, but to a God, whose mercy is greater than my wickedness? to a God, whose property it is to be kind to his enemies; and whose patience to bear with my sins, is as great as his power to punish

them; and who had much rather be reconciled to me, than take vengeance upon me? whither indeed, but to thee, O God of all grace and comfort! who showest mercy to the unworthy, and invitest me with all the tenderness and bowels of a compassionate father to turn from my evil ways, that my soul may live, and be for ever happy in thy eternal kingdom.

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Therefore, encouraged by thy goodness, O Lord, I address myself unto thee, who am ready to sink under the heavy load of guilt and misery and yet I make no plea, but for thy mercy; nor have any pretence to claim it (for alas! I must with shame acknowledge, I have very much abused it) but through thy inexpressible love. I know I have a most merciful saviour, who died to purchase salvation for me; and who now powerfully intercedes with thee for the pardon of true penitents. O! for the sake of his blessed name, receive me graciously to thy mercy, and be not angry with me for

ever!

Forgive me, O merciful Father, for I am heartily sorry for all the evils which I have done: I have sinned, O Lord God, Ihave sinned against thee,by---[ Here recollect and confess those sins

you have committed against God, with their aggravations that accompany them, as set down in the preceding heads for the examination of conscience contained between pages 14 and 17, both inclu

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