plendid services he
performed in the progress, and specially toward the end, of the war; how
the thanks of the city were voted to him; how he was made Scoutmaster-
general for the good of the town of Mansoul, and the great conscience and
good fidelity with which he managed that great trust--all that you will
read for yourselves under this marginal index, 'The story of Mr.
Prywell.'

Now, my brethren, as the outcome of all that, we must all examine
ourselves as before God all this week. We must wait on His word and on
His providences while they examine us all this week. We must pry well
into ourselves all this week. Come, let us compel ourselves to do it.
Let us search and try our ways all this week as we shall give an account.
Let us ask ourselves how many Communion tables we have sat at, and at how
many more we are likely to sit. Let us ask why it is that we have got so
little good out of all our Communions. Let us ask who is to blame for
that, and where the blame lies. Let us go to the bottom of matters with
ourselves, and compel ourselves to say just what it is that is the cause
of God's controversy with us. What vow, what solemn promise, made when
trouble was upon us, have we completely cast behind our back? What about
secret prayer? At what times, for what things, and for what people do we
in secret pray? What about secret sin? What is its name, and what does
it deserve, and what fruit are we already reaping out of it? What is our
besetting sin, and what steps do we take, as God knows, to crucify it? Do
we love money too much? Do we love praise too much? Do we love eating
and drinking too much? Does envy make our heart a very hell? Let us
name the man we envy, and let us keep our Communion eye upon him. Let us
mix his name with all the psalms and prayers and sermons of this
Communion season. Or is it diabolical ill-will? Or is it a wicked
tongue against an unsuspecting friend? Let us examine ourselves as Paul
did, as Prywell did, and as God would have us do it, and we shall
discover things in ourselves so bad that if I were to put words on them
to-night, you would stop your ears in horror and flee out of the church.
Let a man see himself at least as others see him; and then he will be led
on from that to see himself as God sees him; and then he will judge
himself so severely as that he shall not need to be judged at the
Judgment Day, and will condemn himself so sufficiently as that he shall
not