needy? What has this led
me to do for them?

Have I manifested a morose, sour, and jealous disposition towards
others? Have I been easily provoked? Have I been irritated with the
slightest offences or crosses of my will? Have I indulged an angry,
fretful, peevish temper? Have I spoken evil of any, or listened with
complacency to evil-speaking? Do I now harbor ill-will towards any being
on earth? In all my intercourse with others, have I manifested a
softness and mildness of manner, and a kind and tender tone of feeling?
Or have I indulged in harshness and severity, pride and arrogance? Have
I exercised forbearance towards the faults of others? Have I from my
heart forgiven them? Have I esteemed myself better than others? Have I
felt the secret workings of spiritual pride? Have I engaged in trifling
and vain conversation, or in any other manner conformed to the spirit of
the world? Have I maintained Christian sincerity in all things? When in
company, have I improved every opportunity of giving a profitable
direction to conversation? Have I improved every opportunity to warn
impenitent sinners? Have I gone into company, without first visiting my
closet? Have I been diligent and faithful in the business of the day?
Have I done the same to others as I would wish them to do to me?

II. _Another object of self-examination may be, to ascertain the reason
why the Lord does not answer our prayers._ This reason may generally be
found in ourselves. I know of but two exceptions. One is, when the thing
we ask is not agreeable to the will of God. The other is, when the Lord
delays to answer our prayers for the trial of our faith. The obstacles
which exist in ourselves, to prevent him from granting our requests, are
generally some of the following:--1. We may be living in the practice of
some sin, or the neglect of some duty. "If I regard iniquity in my
heart," says the Psalmist, "the Lord will not hear me." "He that turneth
away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be
abomination." We may weep day and night, on our knees, before God, all
our lives; yet if we are living in the habitual neglect of duty, or if
any sin cleaves to us, for which we have not exercised repentance, and
faith in the atoning blood of Christ, he will not hear our prayers. 2.
We may not be sufficiently humble before God. "Though the Lord be high,
yet hath he respect unto the lowly; _but the proud he knoweth afar
off_;" "God resisteth the proud, b