credit. He is not aware that it is not having a ult or two less that will carry him to Heaven, while s heart is still attached to the world, and estranged om God.

We are most disposed to look at those parts of our aracter which will best bear examination, and hich consequently least need it. If a covetous man, r instance, examines himself, instead of turning his tention to the guilty part, he turns from his avarice that sobriety, of which his very avarice is perhaps e source. Another, who is the slave of passion, ndly rests upon some act of generosity, which he onsiders as a fair commutation for a favourite vice, at would cost him more to renounce than he is willg to part with. We are too much disposed to vell on that smiling side of the prospect which eases and deceives us, and to shut our eyes upon at part which we do not choose to see, because we e resolved not to quit. Self-love always holds a reen between the superficial self-examiner and his ults. The nominal christian wraps himself in rms which he makes himself believe are religion. e exults in what he does, and overlooks what he ght to do.

It is only by scrutinizing, that we can know the art. It is only by knowing the heart, that we can form the life. Nor must the scrutiny be occasional, it regular. Let us not run into long arrears, but ttle our accounts frequently. And let it be one bject of our frequent inquiry, whether, since we st scrutinized our hearts, our worldly affairs, or our ernal concerns, have had the predominance there. a which our affections have been most bent; and pecially, how we have conducted ourselves when ere has arisen a competition between the interests both. And it is one grand use of self-inquiry, to mind us that all unforsaken sins are unrepented

as.

To a christian, there is this substantia tending a minute self-inspection, that w fewer sins to be noted, and more victorie tation obtained, he has a solid evid advancement, which amply repays his t

Self-examination, by detecting self-lo al by weakening its power; self-gover ducing its despotism, turns the temper from its wrong bias, controls the disord and, under the influence of divine grac measure restores to man that dominion which God at first gave him over the infe Desires, passions, and appetites, are bro more in their appointed order; subj rants. What the Stoics vainly attempt ity effects. It restores man to a domin own will, and, in a good measure, ent that empire, which he had forfeited by finds it unsafe to indulge security; he t vigilance continues his inspection.

Is it not astonishing that we should ing periodically, "Try me O God," yet neglecting to try ourselves? Is it n more like defiance than devotion, to spection of Omniscience to that heart w selves neglect to inspect? How can a lemnly cry out to the Almighty, "Searc and know my heart; try me and know and see if there be any wicked way in himself neglects to "examine his heart "proving his thoughts," and dreads there "be any wicked way" in himself, the inquiry ought to lead to the expulsi

examine if they were genuine in the principle, uple in the intention, honest in the prosecution. Let ask ourselves, if, in some admired instances, our nerosity had no tincture of vanity, our charity no int of ostentation? Do we never deceive ourselves mistaking a constitutional indifference of temper christian moderation? Do we never construe our imal activity into christian zeal? Do we never istake our obstinacy for firmness, our pride for forude, our love of controversy for the love of God? Pride will of itself stimulate to the performance of any things that are laudable. These performances ill produce pride, as they were produced by it; hereas humility has no outward stimulus. Divine race alone produces it. It is so far from being acated by the love of fame, that it is not humility, till has laid the desire of fame in the dust.

If an actual virtue consists in the dominion over contrary vice, humility is the conquest over pride, narity over selfishness. This proves that all virtue founded in self-denial, self-denial in self-knowledge, and self-knowledge in self-examination. Pride so innuates itself into much of what we do, and say, and ink, that our apparent humility has not seldom s origin in pride. The more we lay open the ounds which sin has made, the more earnestly shall e seek the remedy which christianity has provided. But instead of seeking for self-knowledge, we are lancing about us for grounds of self-exaltation. nstead of pulling down the edifice which pride has aised, we are looking round on our good works for props to support it. We excuse ourselves for the commission of many faults, by alleging that they are common, and by no means peculiar to ourselves. This is one of the weakest of our deceits. Faults are not less personally ours, because others commit simi

Is it any diminution of our others are guilty of the same?

Self-love is as busy in concealing our as in detecting those of others, especially wise and good. If the faults of good m rious to themselves, they might be render to us, if we were careful to convert them use. But instead of turning them into promoting our own watchfulness, we e mischievously in two ways. We lessen for pious characters, when we see the infir are blended with their good qualities, a their failings into a justification of our are not, like theirs, overshadowed with v admire the excellencies of others withou them, is fruitless admiration; to condemn without avoiding them, is unprofitable cen

In order to profit by the defects of other stead of remarking on them, endeavour the same, or similar defects in our own h faults of others we censure, the death of o ment, but bow seldom do we make use of our amendment, or of the other for our p

It is the fashion of the times to try exp the arts, in agriculture, in philosophy. A Christian stop short in his scrutiny; shal amine and inquire till he lays hold on the of religion? till he establishes the distincti appearance and reality, between studyi critically, and embracing it practically having our conduct creditable, and our h tified?

Of Christianity, humility is the prime g

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པམས་

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gilance? Is there no assigned period when this selfnial may become unnecessary? The true answer -We may cease to watch, when there is no longer y temptation to assail us. We may omit our selfnial, when there is no selfish disposition in us. We ay dismiss repentance, when sin is abolished. We ay neglect prayer, when we no longer need the vour of God. To discontinue our vigilance at any riod short of this, will be to defeat all the virtues e have practised on earth; and to put to hazard our hopes of happiness in Heaven.

In our self-examination, let us not suffer our selfve to escape detection.

"The idol self," says a pious writer, "has made ore desolation among men, than ever was made in ose places where idols were served by human sacrices. To worship images is a more obvious, but it scarcely a more degrading idolatry, than to set up elf in opposition to God. To devote ourselves to is service is as perfect slavery, as the service of God perfect freedom. The Son of God declared, ‘I ame not to do my own will, but the will of him who ent me.' This was his grand lesson, this was his stinguishing character. And we are called upon

o imitate his example."

Self-will is the overflowing fountain of the evil. empers which deform our hearts; of the boiling pasons which inflame and disorder society; the root f bitterness on which its corrupt fruits grow. We et up our own understanding against the wisdom of God, and our own passions against the will of God. We are apt to speak of self-love as if it were only symptom, whereas it is the distemper itself; a magnant distemper which has possession of the moral onstitution, and of which every part of the system