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pour out my heart to Him, and am I ready to give up all for Him?

Do I think of what He did and suffered for me?

Do I make His Cross and Passion a subject of special meditation ?

Am I ready and willing to take up and bear whatever cross He lays on me?

Do I follow Him and strive to be like Him ?

Do I, especially during the Advent season, meditate on His second coming?

III.

Do I wish that the Will of God should be done in me?

His Will is my sanctification. Do I pray constantly that the Holy Ghost may perfect and complete my sanctification ?

I have been made a member of Christ's Church: am I thankful for this privilege?

Every member is "called to be a saint;" am I striving after holiness ?

PRAYER AFTER SELF-EXAMINATION. 37 Do I hunger and thirst after righteousness?

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Truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son." Can I take up these words truthfully and repeat them as mine own?

Does God the Holy Ghost, dwelling within my heart, draw me each day into closer union with Christ?

Does He teach me to pray that God the Father will give me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me?

Is He making me" meet for the Inheritance of the saints in light?"

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SHORT PRAYER AFTER SELF

EXAMINATION.

HEAVENLY Father, grant that a new manner of life may prove that a right spirit has been renewed in me. Give me a deep contrition for my sins. Give me grace to forsake them. May I worship and serve Thee, making use of all the means of grace. Let Thy Holy Spirit teach me to love Thee, and trust in Thy mercy in Christ Jesus,

and may I daily become more meet for the inheritance of the saints in light; through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour.

Amen.

3. The third thing you promise is obedience to God's holy will and commandments. If you believe in God, as your Father, your Redeemer, your Sanctifier; then you will love Him, and loving Him you will wish to serve and obey Him.

Our Lord sums up in two short sentences all the Commandments and the will of God. "Thou shalt love

the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind;" and, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." The former of these sentences sums up the first four Commandments, and speaks to us of the duties we owe to God. It tells us very plainly that our work, of whatever kind it may be, must spring from love to God. No good work that you can possibly do will avail if you do not give to God the love He requires.

SUMMARY OF THE COMMANDMENTS. 39

If you were to give your time, and labour, and money for the service of God and for the good of religion it would not avail you anything unless you were also trying to love God. The object of all the outward things we see in the Church is to lead us to love God better. All our study of the Word of God, our prayers, our public worship, the Sacraments which Christ ordained, all are for the same end, to help us to love God better than we do. Beware, then, of giving your affection to anything which is likely to draw away your heart from God. Beware of setting up anything as an idol which may come between you and your God.

If you love God you will reverence Him and everything that belongs to Him-His Name, His Word, His House, His Messengers. If your heart is full of love to God, it is certain that you will think of Him frequently. Consider, then, what place God occupies in your thoughts. How often

every day do your thoughts turn to Him? If you find that God is frequently absent from your mind and that you seldom think about Him; you have reason to fear that you are wanting in that love for Him which you ought to have. If this be the case with you, you should increase the time you have been accustomed to give to prayer and meditation, that your heart may be more and more earnestly drawn to the great object of love.

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Again, you will reverence His Name. You will never take it "in vain,' that is, use it lightly or insincerely. The very foundation of religious feeling is reverence. Once lose the feeling of reverence for God's Name and you will have very little religion left. If you allow yourself to speak slightingly of God and of holy things you are sure to fall into a spirit of irreverence. Beware, then, of bringing God's Name carelessly or disrespectfully into common conversation. Beware of trying

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