---

I. For THE DUTY, to examine ourselves; everything is valued to be of more or less worth, according to the usefulness and fitness it has to its end, peculiar to it, as it is such or such a thing, The goodness of a house does not consist in this, that it has a beautiful outside, or splendid rich furniture within; but that it affords convenience for habitation, to keep out the injuries of weather, and to be fitted for the use and comforts of life: for this is that which answers the true proper end of a house. That is a good ship, that is a good sailer, and so built as to endure storms, and live in a rough sea, and perform a voyage well; and if it be not so, though it should have all its cordage and shrouds of silk, and be all inlaid and gilt, that would not be enough to make it deserve that name. So not only in artificial things, we ourselves have devised, but in things natural too, when we apply them to our use we judge of their worth by their usefulness. A horse, let him be of never so fine a shape, and have never so gaudy trappings on, we do not value him for that; we may say he is a fine horse indeed; but if he be broken-winded, if he be also a heavy goer, he is no good horse for all his finery, as being unsuitable to that use we design a horse for. And thus is it to be in our making an estimate, and passing a judgment upon ourselves. He alone is a good man who answers that end for which man was created. And what is that? To act, and think, and discourse, and behave himself all over like a man, according to the rules of right reason. If a poor heathen philosopher were alive now to take the poll of men, and try them according to the bare standard of natural reason, how many hundreds of men would he throw aside as nulls and cyphers, things utterly insignificant to those names they are called by, for one that might pass for current coin? For when all covetous, ambitious, voluptuous, vicious, debauched persons are cast on one side, and all idle, formal, empty, slight, ignorant, pretending people put on the other side, there would be very few left in the middle road of virtue, very few that might fairly challenge the name of men. But then we have a further pitch to fly still, a more severe test to bring ourselves to our examination, as being by God's special favour designed for a higher end — to have communion and fellowship with Himself. It is not enough for us to be good men, but we must be good Christians too. And if good men are so scarce, that the cynic lighted a candle at noon, and carried his lanthorn about to find out an honest man, how scarce must good Christians needs be! Come, then, let us inquire into ourselves, and take the candle of the Lord, which He hath set up in each of our souls, our own conscience along with us, to help us to discover ourselves to ourselves; and if we do not find ourselves to be such as God requires and expects we should be, let us beg of Him earnestly, in the sense of our own wants, that He would make us such as He would have us to be.

II. Examining is every one's duty, and THE SUBJECT IS HIMSELF. People are generally too forward in examining others, and are so taken up with impertinence and things that do not concern them, that they have no time to be acquainted with themselves; like idle travellers, that can tell you a world of stories concerning foreign countries, and are very strangers at home. Study of ourselves is the most useful knowledge, as that without which we can know neither God nor anything else aright, as we should know them. And it highly concerns us to know ourselves well; nor will our ignorance be pardonable, but prove an everlasting reproach; when poor ruined self shall curse negligent sinful self to all ages, and with direful imprecations upon that day and hour that first joined them together. Again, God has given man that advantage above all other creatures, that he can with reflex acts look back and pass judgment upon himself. Come, then, let us step aside awhile into ourselves, and taking every one his conscience along with him, examine and try what we can find there, and that according to this apostle's division of man (1 Thessalonians 5:23), into three parts, the spirit, soul, and body, which he makes to be the entire and complete man.

1. First, then, for thy spirit. Dost thou find a principle of life and light in it? dost thou feel the influences of God's Spirit upon it, illuminating thy understanding, and in bright characters imprinting on thy mind the resemblances of Divine nature, and writing His law in thy heart, and convincing thy reason of supernatural truths, and by this means fastening thee close to Himself, and making thee one with God? Or is thy intellectual faculty still darkened and estranged from God?

2. In the next place, examine the inclinations of thy soul. Dost thou find thy will readily to give her assent to the convictions of thy understanding, and kindly to embrace that light which is conveyed into thee by the Spirit? How makes she her elections and choices, according to the dictates of the Spirit, or according to carnal suggestions?

3. In the last place, take thy body, thy flesh, into examination. Are thy carnal affections raised heavenward, and possessed with things above? Dost thou hate sin for sin's sake? and art thou heartily displeased with thyself after the commission of any sin, under the sole apprehension of God's displeasure? Dost thou find at thy devotions and meditations that thy heart burns within thee, being set on fire with celestial flames of zeal? On the contrary to all this, do thy desires stream forth in a full current to other objects, the profits and pleasures and preferments of this world, and take up with things here below? and art thou not led along with worldly vanities, the examples of the multitude, and the enticements of the flesh? In a word, has thy spirit been guided by the direction of God's Spirit, thy will inclined to a full compliance with His holy will, and thy outward man made conformable to thy inward man, being renewed with the renewing of the mind according to righteousness? If this great work be completed in thee, O happy thee! that hast got thy head above the clouds, and like Enoch, walkest with God, and hast thy conversation in heaven, filled with blessed assurances and foretastes of ensuing joys and glories, being steadfast in faith, joyful through hope, and rooted in charity. But if this spiritual life be but imperfectly begun in thee yet, and thou findest the willingness of thy spirit is clogged and retarded by the weakness of thy flesh, be of good courage, however, and apply that answer which was given to St. Paul to thyself, that God's grace is all-sufficient for thee; and make thy humble and constant addresses to God for the continual supplies thereof, which may assist thee to get the perfect victory over all thy corruptions. Thou hast been negligent and remiss in the duties of thy life, and hast not endeavoured to acquaint thyself with God, or with thyself in private.

(A. Littleton, D. D.)

---

---

KJV: But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.

WEB: But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread, and drink of the cup.