Psalms 119:59 - Homilies By R. Tuck

Self-examination.

"I thought on my ways;" "Let a man examine himself;" "I called my own ways to remembrance" (Prayer-book Version). There are two directions in which the important duty of self examination is abused and made mischievous.

1. It may be turned into introspection, which concerns itself only with moods and feelings.

2. It may be conducted in the light of fictitious human standards of goodness. The first is the error of sentimental religion; the second is the error of ceremonial religion. Both are mischievous in the same way. They nourish untruthfulness. The one forces feeling, the other exaggerates frailties into sins. The true sphere and the true standard of self-examination need to be presented.

I. THE TRUE SPHERE OF SELF - EXAMINATION . It is that of a man's conduct in his relationships; not that of a man's thoughts and feelings. It is that which a man has beyond himself, which, nevertheless, bears the impress of himself, upon which he can look, which he can appraise. A man cannot examine his own thoughts and feelings; but let thought find expression in act, and feeling put tone and character on the act, then the man can exercise judgment. Thought and feeling are too variable ever to be arrested for examination. They are the "secret things which belong only to God ." Illust.: what weakness is brought into Christian lives by introspection! It makes a particular type of religious life, and leads in a subtle form of trusting the self instead of trusting God . True self-examination is "considering our ways ." We can estimate the conduct of others; we can estimate our own. We cannot estimate the feelings of others; we cannot estimate our own.

II. THE TRUE STANDARD OF SELF - EXAMINATION . There are three possible standards that are manifestly unworthy.

1. The priestly standard, provided for the confessional.

2. The sectarian standard, which manufactures an experience through which all must pass.

3. The personal standard, which a man shapes according to his particular disposition and temperament. The true standard is twofold.