No. 3. LORD God the Holy Ghost, I beseech questions, that my examination may be real and thorough, and worthy of Thy truth. Amen. Questions for Self-Examination. The following are given rather as specimens and materials of the questions which each person must accumulate for his own use, than as forms to be adhered to exclusively. With practice in honest and diligent selfinspection, a person will soon cease to ask himself useless questions, and will gradually insert new ones which suggest themselves as pertinent and searching. GENERAL QUESTIONS. AN I convict myself of acts, words, or thoughts, of CAN 1. Pride, or self-esteem? 2. Covetousness, or discontent ? 3. Lust, or luxury? 4. Anger, or impatience? 5. Gluttony, or intemperance? 6. Envy, or malice? 7. Sloth, or dilatoriness in work, in prayer, in intercession? EVENING QUESTIONS. 1. Did I get up in good time? 2. Did I say my prayers, and read the Bible? earnestly? without hurry? without selfishness? without conceit ? 3. Did I set about my work as for God? 4. Have I striven to preserve calm and inward peace in turmoil, business, strife, distraction, disappointments? 5. Have I said anything wrong to-day? idly? carelessly? or too much? 6. Have I written anything wrong to-day? 7. What opportunity of good work did I carelessly or wilfully miss? 8. Have I caused any one else to sin? 9. Have I exceeded in eating or drinking? 10. Have I been gentle? and . . . (here think of the virtues in which you are apt to be defective). II. Have I wasted any of my time? 12. Did I make the most of my time in Divine Service? in meditation? 13. Did I send up to heaven any intermediate or ejaculatory prayers? 14. Have I broken any special resolution against a peculiar failing? 15. Have I seriously forgotten my office, my position? 16. What part of my duty have I neglected? 17. Have I hurt the feelings of any one today? If so, did I beg their pardon? 18. Have I given way to any of the desires of the flesh, when I might have contradicted it, and kept under my body? 19. Have I yielded to the indulgence of a desire of the mind, to the detriment of my duty?" 20. Have I now repented of all I have found amiss in me this day? followed it up, and traced it to its beginning? and humbly resolved to amend it when I begged for pardon? QUESTIONS AS TO WORK. 1. Did I do it according to St. Paul's rule, giving myself first, and then my work, to our Lord? 2. Did I do it in the faith that my Lord was with me, ready to give me all the help I needed, and to make my work perfect? 3. Did I do it in love to the Lord? and in my poor manner to requite Him for His love to me? 4. If I had to do it over again, what would I not do which I did in it? 5. And what would I do which I did not? 6. How does it seem, compared with what a saint would have made of it? QUESTIONS ON THE PRINCIPLES OF THE 1. Have I forgotten God when I ought to have remembered Him? O Lord, have mercy upon me for this sin against Thy law in time past, and incline my heart to keep this part of Thy law for the future. 2. Have I worshipped badly? O Lord, etc. 3. Have I done, said, or thought anything irreverently? O Lord, etc. 4. Have I kept the times of direct worship? O Lord, etc. 5. Have I dealt with every one as if I loved them, in respect of their station? O Lord, etc. C 6. Have I dealt with every one as if I loved them, in respect of their bodily comfort? O Lord, etc. 7. Have I dealt with every one as if I loved them, in respect of their affections and feelings? O Lord, etc. 8. Have I dealt with every one as if I loved them, in respect of their property? O Lord, etc. 9. Have I dealt with every one as if I loved them, in respect of their good name? O Lord, etc. 10. Have I been watchful against the first symptoms of selfish tendencies? O Lord, have mercy upon me for all these my sins against Thy law in time past, and write all these Thy laws in my heart henceforward, I beseech Thee. QUESTIONS ON THE FIRST HALF OF THE 1. Have I habitually, or even occasionally, looked up happily to God with any sense of His Fatherly love to me as partaking the life of Christ? 2. Have I remembered that He is in heaven and I upon earth, and restrained my words to Him? 3. Have I not spoken to Him at all, so that the preceding question is sadly inapplicable to me? 4. Have I given myself to promote His honour? or rather tried to seek honour for myself? or even disgraced Him? 5. Have I done anything to extend His kingdom among men ? or have I given Satan any advantage in holding his ground in the earth? 6. Have I regarded the will of God, and not my own will, or the opinion of the world, in determining my actions? 7. Have I given the first half of my desires and strength exclusively to the INTERESTS OF MY FATHER Which is in heaven? Similar questions may be asked upon the remainder of the Lord's Prayer, and upon the Creeds. QUESTIONS FOR MARRIED PERSONS. A. (for a husband).—Have I (1) loved my wife? (2) comforted her? (3) honoured her? (4) kept her in sickness and in health? and (5) forsaken all other women, and kept myself only to her, as a wife? B. (for a wife).—Have I (1) obeyed my husband? (2) served him? (3) loved him? (4) honoured him? (5) kept him in sickness and in health? and (6) forsaken all other men, and kept myself only unto him, as a husband? Similar questions may be asked upon any other position of life with respect to which you have made vows. |