[Dec. 13th, 1868.]
Nothing to us is so important, and nothing so mysterious as self. What is the self? Wherein does the selfhood consist? Is it something real, or merely phenomenal? According to some the self is only a transient form of the infinite, as a wave is a form of the sea. Thus the self is of little value. According to others, what we call self is merely an affection of the body, and ceases when the body is dissolved. According to the Scriptures, and the common judgment of men, self is an individual substance and subsistence, having certain essential properties or attributes, intelligence, feeling and will; having a moral nature as well, and moral because a rational nature. If any of these essential attributes be wanting, self, a human personality, does not exist. This self is immortal, hence its infinite value. Its future destiny depends on its character, hence the unspeakable importance of knowing its true character, and hence the importance of self-examination.
In this work self is the subject, self the judge, and self the witness. But it is not the rule or standard. This is fixed and immutable, and it is fixed by an authority out of, and higher than ourselves. That standard is the word, which teaches what men are and should be, what a Christian is, and what is or is not consistent with Christian character.
Three great ends are to be answered by self-examination.
First, conviction of sin, as necessary to repentance and faith in Christ. It is by examining himself and comparing himself with the law that the sinner becomes convinced of his guilt and just exposure to wrath; of his pollution, and is thus led to abhor himself; of his helplessness, so that he is prepared to believe in Christ, and look to him for salvation.
Second, the Bible teaches us what a Christian is, and thus enables us to determine whether or not we are Christians.
A Christian is, 1. One who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. 2. That he is the Prophet, or infallible teacher. 3. That he is the High Priest, who by offering himself a sacrifice for sins, has reconciled us to God. 4. That he is our faithful and absolute sovereign, whose will we are bound to obey, in whom we must trust for protection, and to whose service we must be devoted. A Christian then, is one over whom these truths exert a controlling influence, both as to his inward and outward life. Is then, Jesus our God? Do we love and worship him as such? Do we receive his doctrines? Do we trust in his sacrifice and intercession? Do we obey, trust in, and serve him as our king? If so, we are Christians. It is not so much by the analysis of our experiences as by determining our principles, purposes, and course of life, that these questions are to be decided.
The third object of self-examination is a knowledge of ourselves, as Christians, i.e., whether our conduct be consistent, our motives pure, and our progress in the divine life what it ought to be. This should be a daily exercise. We should call ourselves to account every day, to see where we have failed.
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