have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren." But, if
this love is genuine, it will regulate the emotions of the heart, and
its effects will be visible in the lives of those who possess it. The
same apostle says, "By this we know that we love the children of God,
when we love God and _keep his commandments_." So that in order to have
certain evidence of our adoption into the blessed family, of which Jesus
is the Elder Brother, all the fruits of the Spirit must have grown up
to some degree of maturity.

From the foregoing remarks, we see the great importance of
_self-examination_. We must have an intimate acquaintance with the
operations of our own minds, to enable us to distinguish between the
exercise of gracious affections and the selfish workings of our own
hearts. And, unless we are in the constant habit of diligent inquiry
into the character of our emotions, and the motives of our actions, this
will be an exceedingly difficult matter. The Scriptures specify several
objects for which this inquiry should be instituted:

I. _To discover our sins, that we may come to Christ for pardon, and for
grace to subdue them._ David prays, "Search me, O God, and know my
heart; try me, and know my thoughts; and _see if there be any wicked way
in me_, and lead me in the way everlasting." The prophet Jeremiah says,
"Let us search and try our ways, and _turn again_ unto the Lord." This
examination should be a constant work. We should search into the motives
of every action, and thoroughly examine every religious feeling, to
know, if possible, whether it comes from the Spirit of God, or whether
it is a fire of our own kindling. We must be cautious, however, lest, by
diverting our attention from the truth, to examine the nature of the
emotions produced by it, we should lose them altogether. This can better
be determined afterward, by recalling to recollection these emotions,
and the causes which produced them. If they were called forth by correct
views of truth, and if they correspond in their nature with the
descriptions of gracious affections contained in the Bible, we may
safely conclude them to be genuine.

But, as we are often under the necessity of acting without much
deliberation; as we are so liable to neglect duty; and as every duty is
marred by so much imperfection, it is not only proper, but highly
necessary, that we should have stated seasons for retiring into our
closets, and calmly and deliberately r