By the REV. JOSEPH ALLEINE.
“Commune with your own heart upon your bed” (Psalm iv. 4). Every evening before you sleep (unless you can find some other time more for your advantage in this work) withdraw yourself from the world; and having set your heart in the presence of the Lord, charge it before God to answer these demands:
CONCERNING YOUR DUTIES.
Q.1: Has not God found me on my bed, when I ought to have been on my knees? (Job i. 5; Psa. v. 3; Mark i. 35). Q.2: Have not I prayed to no purpose or suffered wandering thoughts to destroy the spirit of my duties? (Isa. xxix. 13; Jer. xii. 2; Matt. xv. 8, 9). Q.3: Have not I neglected, or been very careless in, reading God’s holy word? (Deut. xvii. 19; Josh. i. 7, 8). Q.4: Have I meditated on the sermon I heard last? Have I thought it over, and prayed it over? (Psalm i. 2; exix. 11, 97; Luke ii. 19, 51). Q.5: Has there not been more of custom and fashion in my family duties than of conscience? (Psalm ci. 2; Jer. xxx. 21). Q.6: Wherein have I denied myself this day for God? (Luke ix. 23). Q.7: Have I redeemed my time from too long or needless visits, idle imaginations, fruitless discourse, unnecessary sleep, and from more than needful care about my worldly affairs? (Eph. v. 16; Col. iv. 5). Q.8: Have I done anything more than ordinary for the Church of God, in an extraordinary time? (Judges v. 23; I Cor. xii. 4, 31; II Cor. xi. 28). Q.9: Have I taken care what company I kept? (Prov. xiii. 20; Psalm cxix. 63). Q.10: Have not I neglected, or done something against the duties of my relations, as a master, servant, husband, wife, parent, child, etc? (Eph. v. 22 to chap. vi. 9; Col. iii. 18 to chap. iv. 2).
ABOUT YOUR SINS.
Q.1: Does sin sit heavy? (Psalm xxxviii. 4; Rom. vii. 24). Q.2: Am I a mourner for the sins of the land? (Ezek. ix. 4; Jer. ix. 1-3). Q.3: Do I live in nothing that I know of, or fear, to be a sin? (Psalm cxix. 101, 104; I Thess. v. 22; James ii. 10).
OF YOUR HEART.
Q.1: Have I been much in holy ejaculations? (Neh. ii. 4). Q.2: Hath not God been out of mind; heaven out of sight? (Psalm xvi. 8; Jer. ii. 32; Phil. iii. 3, 20). Q.3: Have I been often looking into my own heart and made conscience of opposing vain thoughts? (Prov. iv. 21-24; Psalm exix. 113). Q.4: Have not I given way to the workings of pride, passion, or lust? (II Chron. xxxii. 26; Matt. v. 28; James iv. 1, 6).
OF YOUR TONGUE.
Q.1: Have I bridled my tongue, and forced it in? (James i. 26; iii. 2-14; Psalm xxxix. 1). Q.2: Have I spoken evil of no man, without or beyond necessity and a wise design? (Tit. iii. 2; James iv. ii). Q.3: Has the law of the Lord been in my mouth, as I sat in my house, went by the way, was lying down, and rising up? (Deut. vi. 6, 7). Q.4: Have I been into no company where I have not dropped something of God, to leave some good savour behind? or has my speech been with grace, when it could not be of grace? (Eph. iv. 29; Col. iv. 6).
RESPECTING YOUR TABLE.
Q.1: Did I sit down with any higher end than a beast, merely to please my appetite? Did I eat and drink for the glory of God? (I Cor. x. 31). Q.2: Was not my appetite too ungoverned for me? (Jude 12; II Pet. i. 6). Q.3: Did not I arise from the table without dropping anything for God there, when I had an opportunity of doing it? (Luke vii. 36, etc.; and xiv. 1, etc.; John vi.). Q.4: Did not I mock God when I pretended to ask a blessing or return thanks? (Acts xxvii. 35; Matt. xv. 36; Col. iii, 17, 23).
ABOUT YOUR CALLING.
Q.1: Have I been diligent in the duties of my calling? (Eccles. ix. 10; I Cor. vii. 17, 20, 24). Q.2: Have I defrauded no man? (Exod. xx. 15; Matt. vii. 12). Q.3: Have I dropped no lie in my shop or business this day? (Prov. xxi. 6; Eph. iv. 25). Q.4: Did not I rashly make, or falsely break, some promise? (Josh. ix. 3-15; Psalm xv. 4; evi. 33).