Iudgement.
1 IN our most earnest matters wee must be zealous ouer our owne heart, and then es∣peciallie* 1.1 examine and call to account our affections, because that in such a case there is either some speciall worke of God, or else it is some notable worke of the flesh, or of Sathan. And whereas it is a pedagogie of the soule, that in all things we had neede to aske the gouernement of God, by his word and spirit, for that a man knoweth what hee is, but not what he shall be in this or that action. When wee cannot gage the depth of our heart, wee must impute it to want of prayer, and the not trauailing with our heart how to doe the things in wisedome.
2 Though all exercises of pure religion purely vsed, doe both strengthen iudgement* 1.2 and whet vp affections, yet reading, hearing, and conferring, do most strengthen iudge∣ment, and in part whet on affections. But praying, singing, and meditation, doe mos•• chiefly whet vp affection, but in part strengthen iudgement and vnderstanding.
3 Being desired to giue his iudgement of a weighty matter, hee answered: Syr, nei∣ther am I able to speake, nor you to heare, for that wee haue not prayed, indeede I may talke, and you answere as naturall men; but wee are not now prepared to conferre as t••e* 1.3 children of God.
4 Hee fatherlie exhorted men to labour for increase of iudgment: first by reason,* 1.4 then by example: by reason thus, without soundnes of iudgement, it is a more difficult* 1.5 trauailing for the childe of God with his owne heart to any fruit. Againe, not being stay∣ed in iudgement, one shall be troubled to commit, and afraide to doe many things, which indeede he might lawfully and comfortably doe if he had knowledge. Thirdly, wee shall not without good knowledge satisfie our godlie desire in perswading or dislwading an••e,* 1.6 for that we cannot doe so assuredly, substantially and effectually, as wee ought, and would* 1.7 doe. By example he exhorted men to consider of the Prophet Dauid, in his Ps••lme ••19. hee prayeth for knowledge, hauing no one thing oftner then this, Teach mee O Lorde thy statutes, &c.