MEDITAT The Christian directed in the serious Exa ter and State, as preparatory to his rec WISE is the choice the soul, to serve thy God; w commemorate, in the ho finite love of thy Saviour purchased thy redemption that holy ordinance, all th ings of his passion. But recollect, O my sou advance, impenitent, to Lord, he will not accept thou wilt not be nourished food which diffuses its lifethrough the heart of the The Saviour withholds th grace from those who, un condescensions of his mer to their own weakness and his altar with impenitent hearts. Unless, therefore, I come ishing a lively sense of the fulness of my heart, by whi to transgress the holy laws c sensible that the only pledge is the meitorious atonemer and steadfastly resolving th ITATION. Dus Examination of his Spiritual Charac his receiving the Holy Communion. e thou hast made, O my 1; wise thy resolution to e holy eucharist, the in viour, who, by his death, tion, and offers thee, in Il the inestimable bless soul, that if thou dost to the supper of thy ept thee as his guest; hed with that spiritual life-giving power only he penitent believer. the blessings of his unaffected with the mercy, and insensible ad demerit, approach unmortified nt and ne to the altar chere weakness and sinich I have been led of my God; deeply e of my forgiveness ent of my Saviour; hat, by the aids of salvation; or to experience th those strengthening succours the souls of those who, by a faith, spiritually feed on the of their crucified Redeemer. To prepare then for partal ordinance, and to secure the in ings which are dispensed in i lievers, I must impartially se and faithfully examine the co in order to ascertain my spi and state. Dispose me earnestly and se on this examination, Almight on me the infinite importance the state of my soul-whethe with thee, through penitence blood of thy Son; or am obr unrepented sin, to thy just dis ble me, with faithfulness, to s knowing that my eternal des the issue. Thy powerful gra tect the errors of my life, and heart the veil of self-love wh vices. Do thou, therefore, O seek the ground of mine heart; amine my thoughts, and see if way in me, and lead me in the u As in thy presence, and ex 4 spection, O thou God, who searchest the heart, who canst not be deceived, and who wilt not be mocked, -as before thy tribunal, O thou Sovereign Judge of men, who wilt bring to light every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil, do I now seriously enter on the examination of the condition of my soul. Impress on my heart, O God, by thy Holy Spirit, the solemn inquiries which I now make. May I faithfully answer them to my own conscience, as I shall certainly have to answer them at thy tribunal, to thee, my Almighty Judge. Am I a member of the Church of Christ, which he purchased with his blood, which he sanctifies with his Spirit, and which, according to his sovereign pleasure, is made the channel of his covenanted mercies to a fallen world? Have I been admitted to the participation of the inestimable privileges of this Church, to a title to the forgiveness of sin, to the favour of God, to the aids of the Holy Spirit, to an inheritance in the kingdom of heaven; by that ordinance, which Jesus Christ, its divine head, instituted, the holy sacrament of Baptism? Do I keep up my communion with this Church, by devout submission to the ministrations of its priesthood in the orders of Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, deriving their authority by regular transmission from Jesus Christ, the Redeemer and Head of the Church, who has promised to be with the ministers of apostolic succession "always, even to the end of the world?" Have I been diligent in imploring, by earnest prayer, the aids of the Holy Spirit, to enable me to fulfil my baptismal vows, "to renounce the devil and all his works, to believe in God, and to serve him?" Have I ratified, in the holy rite of Confirmation, the vows and promises of Baptism, receiving, by the ministry of Christ's authorized servant, the manifold and strengthening aids of the Holy Ghost? Have all my violations of these solemn engagements, all my infirmities and sins, been cleansed by repentance, and by renewed faith in the blood of Christ? Have I frequently contemplated, with deep humiliation, the state of depravity and guilt in which man is sunk, while destitute of an interest in the merits of a Saviour? Have I reviewed, with lively compunction, the transgressions which have defiled my conscience? In the bitterness of my spirit, have I acknowledged the justice of God in my condemnation? Have I humbly and fervently adored the fulness of his grace and mercy in providing for me the means of redemption through Jesus Christ? Awakened to a lively sense of my sins, 1 i have I fled, with earnest supplication, to the throne of my Almighty Judge, and reverently presented there, as the only plea of my forgiveness, the meritorious blood of my Redeemer? Has faith opened to me the fulness and sufficiency of my Saviour's merits, and conveyed to my troubled conscience rest and peace? Have I experienced the power of divine grace, in awakening my sensibility to the evil and guilt of sin, to the excellence and rewards of holiness, and in exciting the resolution to renounce all the dictates of my corrupt nature, and to devote myself to my God and Saviour, in the services of a holy life? Am I sincerely desirous, and always ready, to partake of the holy eucharist, thereby to commemorate the dying love of my Redeemer; to testify my communion with his Church and people; to plead before God, for the pardon of my sins, the all-prevailing merits of his cross and passion; and to refresh and strengthen my soul with his most precious body and blood? Am I diligent and faithful in all the exercises and duties of the Christian life? Am I uniform and sincere in the duties of private meditation and prayer, in all those pious exercises which have a tendency to strengthen the reign of grace in my heart? |
