The Communicant's Companion
potsherd covered with silver dross?" Hypocrites are reprobate silver. True
Christians, when they are tried, come forth as gold. The word of God is the touchstone by which we must try ourselves. Can I through grace answer the characters which the Scriptures give of those whom Christ will own and save? It is true, the best coin has an alloy which will be allowed for in this state of imperfection; but the question is, Is it sterling,—is it standard?
Though I am conscious to myself there are remainders of a baser metal, yet is love to God the predominant principle? Are the interests of Christ the prevailing interests in my soul, above those of the world and the flesh? I bear God's image and superscription: Is it of God's own stamping? Is it upon an honest and good heart? It is a matter of great consequence, and in which it is very common but very dangerous to be imposed upon, and therefore we have need to be jealous over ourselves. When we are bid to try the spirits, it is supposed we must begin with our own, and try them first.
2. We must examine ourselves, "as a malefactor is examined by the magistrate," that we may find out what we have done amiss. We are all criminals; that is readily acknowledged by each of us, because it is owned to be the common character: "All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." We are all prisoners to the divine justice, from the arrests of which we cannot escape, and to the processes of which we lie obnoxious: being thus in custody, that we may not be judged by the Lord, we are commanded to judge ourselves. We must inquire into the particular crimes we have been guilty of, and their circumstances, that we may discover more sins, and more of the evil of them, than at first we were aware of. Dig into the wall as Ezekiel did, and see the secret abominations of your own hearts; look further, as he did, and you will see more and greater. The heart is deceitful, and has many devices, many evasions to shift convictions; we have