FRIENDLY VISITOR. No. XLII.] MARCH, 1822. PRICE ONE PENNY. [VOL. IV. PRINTED AND SOLD BY A. FOSTER, KIRKBY LONSDALE; And sold by L. B. Seeley, 169 Fleet Street, London ; By R. M. Timms, 85 Grafton Street, Dublin; And by the Edinburgh Religious Tract Society, at their Depository in East Register Street, Edinburgh. Of whom may be had, in neat, stiff, printed covers, Vols. 1, 2, and 3; price one shilling and fourpence each also the two first volumes bound together in sheep; price three shillings and fourpence. SELF EXAMINATION Derived from the Ten Commandments. 5. Honour thy father, &c. If I turn to the Second Table of the law, and consider my duty to my fellow-creatures, I still read the sentence of my condemnation. This fifth command respects the duties of superiors and inferiors towards each other of parents and children-masters and servants-rulers and people. When I reflect upon my ways, I find that it has been natural to me to be undutiful. Pride of heart has led me to despise my superiors. I look back on my youthful days, and remember that I have often neglected to "love, honour and succour my father and mother," to whom I was so much indebted. During my riper years, I have failed to give "honour to whom honour, and custom to whom custom is due." Alas! I know that I have all the pride of Satan within me, which led him to think it "better to reign in hell, than serve in heaven!" And as for any authority I have had, either as a parent, a master, or in any other way, I have sadly neglected my talent, if not abused it. And all this brings me in worthy of damnation! "He that offends in one point is, guilty of all." Lord, have mercy upon me ! 6. Thou shalt do no murder. And here I might have hoped to have found some standing-place of innocence, but the Saviour, as if to cut off the most plausible ground of boasting, has so explained this command, that it seems to condemn me more than any other. True I have been no murderer-but what then? I have indulged (Oh! how often!) those evils in the heart, which lead to to murder; such as anger, hatred, revenge, malice, envy; and this brings me in guilty, as Christ teaches. And Oh! it will be well, if I have not been guilty of soul-murder-if some child, or servant, or neighbour has not been ruined and lost for ever through my bad example or neglect ! Our 7. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Here again Lord's explanation in his sermon on the mount, will not let me escape. All unclean and lustful thoughts, as well as words and actions, bring me in guilty, Oh! the impurity of this heart! It is " a cage of unclean birds”—a very sink of wickedness! Lord, thou searchest the heart; how then can I stand before thee in judgment! 8. Thou shalt not steal. I must not be satisfied because I have never come to the prison or the gallows. There are many ways of stealing, besides those which excite such just indignation amongst men in general. The old saying, though quaint, is very true: -It is a sin to steal a pin; Much more to take a greater thing. How many deceits are used in trade! How many secret frauds and thefts! False wares are put off instead of right and true! How much cheating is there in weights and measures! How much pilfering amongst servants-picking what they have no business with, and what they know their masters would not allow of! What stealing by wastefulness, and idling away of time! Oh! how many ways are there of breaking this command !—“ But will a man rob God?" How often have I robbed him of his day, of the duty, and of the honour which I owe him! 9. Thou shalt not bear, &c. There is no command more frequently broken, or less thought of than this. It forbids rash judging and evil speaking. It is levelled against the mischiefs of the tongue. But what an unruly member is this! If I have not wilfully spoken falsely of my neighbour, how eagerly have I listened to and repeated any story which may be afloat to his discredit!Not waiting for his side of the story, and forgetting that be it ever so true, it ill becomes me, burdened as I am with my own sins and infirmities, to be busying myself as a reporter of those of others. Alas! nothing more convinces me how far I am fallen from God, and how little meet I am for heaven, than the want of this grace of charity. I read 1 Cor. xiii. which explains this duty of love, till I tremble. Alas! alas! the fire-brand of discord seems indeed to have been thrown from hell, and to have set the tongue on fire! It would burn up the good name and the peace of all around it. (See James 3.) It loves to belch out the noisome pestilence of slander, uncharitableness and dissension. This demon of discord disturbs the peaceful enjoyment of villages-neighbourhoods, c2 and family circles. My God! I confess to thee, that I am only fuel fitting for the fire-have mercy upon me, a miserable sinuer ! This 10. Thou shalt not covet, &c. If I could keep this command, how easily would all the others be kept! If the desires of my heart were all regular and good, how ready should I be for all obedience both to God and man! But Oh! the unruly affections of my soul ! Oh! the constant effects of original corruption and indwelling sin! makes me repine at the providence and disposals of God; makes me discontented with the lot which he assigns me; makes me think other people's condition better than mine; and then I am led to covet; and this is the inlet to an abundance of other evils. The devices and desires of my wicked heart are the springs of all other sin, and would convince me, without any other evidence, of the thorough depravity and baseness of my nature. "I had not known sin (says the Apostle, Rom. vii.) unless the law had said, thou shalt not covet.” It Now, my dear Readers, the use of thus examining yourselves by God's law, is to shew you how unable you are to stand before God on the ground of your own righteousness. Alas! where is it? is all as "filthy rags"-unable to cover you from the view of a holy and just God! You are condemned in every point, and the Bible pronounces you cursed! You may well bestir yourselves to inquire, what you must do to be saved. May the Spirit of God bring conviction home to your consciences! You will then be prepared for a view, which I may perhaps give in our next number, of Jesus Christ, as the Surety of ruined sinners. It will cost something to be religious ;-it will cost more not to be so.-Mason. PRAYERS Published in Queen Elizabeth's reign. For forgiveness of sins. No. 1. O! sovereign Creator of all things, when I consider what manner of majesty I have offended by my sins, I even shudder at my own rashness. When I think how gracious and bountiful a father I have forsaken, I abhor my own unkindness. When I perceive from how blessed freedom of mind into how miserable thraldom I have cast myself, I condemu my own madness. I utterly disapprove of myself, and my conscience is put into such terror by thy justice, that I see nothing before me but hell-fire and despair. But on the other hand, when I behold thine infinite mercy, a certain more cheerful breath of hope refresheth my mind. For why should I despair of forgiveness of sin at His hand, who, in the writings of his prophets, doth so often allure sinners to repentance? Again, how ready thou art to pardon such as turn, thy own Son doth teach us by many parables; as by those of the lost piece of silver, and of the shepherd bringing home the sheep on his shoulders; but most evidently of the prodigal son, whose image I see plainly in myself. Unkindly have I forsaken my most indulgent father; riotously have I wasted his substance; and in following the lust of the flesh, and putting thy commandments out of my mind, I have brought myself into most shameful slavery of sin, and am reduced to extreme beggary; and I see not whither I may fly for succour, but to him from whom I have run away. O let thy mercy receive him now submitting |