the soul; for in them all that may be matter for a very frequent and diligent examination is set down.
3. The manner of making this examination shall be, dividing the day into parts, and considering what I did in the two first hours of the day; then, in the other two, separating the precious from the vile; and if I find any good, I will with thanks attribute the same to Almighty God; and the evil I will attribute to my corrupted liberty; and of all together, with a very deep shame and confusion, I will make an humble confession before Almighty God, fulfilling that of David, "I said, I will confess against myself my injustice to the Lord f [1] that is to say, I have determined to confess my sins before Almighty God, not to excuse, but to accuse myself; not lightening, but aggravating my sins, and pondering much the injustice I did against Almighty God in committing them; for this is the way to obtain pardon of them.
POINT IV.
1. The fourth point shall be, to procure so great a sorrow for my sins that it may come to be contrition, sorrowing for them principally for being offences against Almighty God, my "summum bonum" " chief good," whom I desire to love, and do love, above all things; for with this so perfect sorrow sins are remitted, if there is a purpose in fit time to confess them; as it happened to David himself, who, in saying " I will confess against myself my injustice," [2] he presently added, "And Thou hast forgiven the wickedness of my sin." And hardly had he pronounced this word before Nathan the prophet, " I have sinned against the Lord," when the prophet answered him, " The Lord also hath taken away thy sins." [3] So that if in the examination at night I say to Almighty God with all my heart,
