The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-01-26
THE VOICE OF THE PULPIT
SELF-EXAMINATrON: ONE OF THE
IMPORTANT THINGS OF LIFE.
By Rev. Geo. II. Van De Water. ID. ID,
Rector st. Andrews Episcopal
Church, New York City.

Try me, God. and seek the ground of
my heart.-Psalms cxxxix, 23.
1t is passing strange that sober minded
men will so commonly pay attention to the
development of everything but the most i'm
portant thing of all in this life-the devel-
Opment of character-and will let that take
care of itself
Men cultivate their lands. their crops
their trade, their society, their bodies. their
minds, even their habits but when it comes
to their souls they pay little or no atten-
ton to them-let them grow wild. These
things ought they not to do" Every one
should take account of stock OCCASION
ally, regularly, diligently.
If to know thyself' be important to sue
cess, to examine myself is a step in the
process of self-knowledge. Going on care
lessly through life, never seeing where you
stand spiritually, Indifferent to the concerns
of the soul. is a species of negligence that
must tell upon your character, and tell
adversely.
Even a heather philosopher and moralist
saw the necessity of determination to
any progress in virtue and advocated the
daily exercise Of it. Says Seneca: 1--WE
should every night call ourselves to ac-
count. What infirmity have 1 mastered TO-
day? What passion have I opposed? What
temptation have 1 resisted? What virtue
have / acquired? What act of benevoIence
or generosity have I done?" And he adds.
in quaint and expressive language, "Our
vices will abate of themselves if they be
brought every day to the shrift."
Whatever men may think of the system
of the confessional for the repression of
evil and the encouragement Of virtue. all
are agreed, who are at all interested in the
subject Of personal development, that self
examination is a great help toward perfec-
ton. And this exercise can be INDUCED nv
any man.
IMPORTANT AND HELPFUL.
AS a step in the development of char
acter. prayer is very important. very helm
full. Even meditation, when utterance is
not possible. is good thing. But there are
times when one cannot pray, cannot even
mediate. He cannot think clearly of God
or dwell in thought upon the future There
is no time, however, when one cannot ex
anime himself. The best time is when he
is alone; away from distractions he is most
rigidly scrutinizing. Talking only to him
selI, ne Is more apt 10 De honest If Won
conduct your self-examination in the nres
ence of others. even with those most init
mate, you will be tempted to parade and
exaggerate what few virtues you have and
minimize your vices. There is such a thing
as deceiving ones self. and self-decention
is a dangerous condition, but scrutiny of
self all by ones self is apt to be thorough
TO be genuine.
We may be perfectly sure of one thing:
No one can be truly great who has not
gained a correct knowledge Of himself
This knowledge can only be gained by self
examination, since no man can tell YOU
what you are as well as you can tell your
self. This determination. therefore. is
had most thoroughly in retirement
''Oh wad some power the giftie gle US
To see oursels as ithers see US"
Thus sang Robert Burns. and it is very
pretty as a sentiment, but If it mean thar
any one is really without the power to see
himself as others see him IL is false TO fact
Self-examination, If it be thorough. If it
be rigid. will give this power. L can scarce
ly imagine any one so conceited, so mis-
guided. so hopelessly mistaken about him