August 27

Birth Tuesday after Trinity

Walk in newness of life. Romans 6:4.

FIRST go into thyself; ask light of God to see thyself; bear to know thyself and to know what thy sins are. Resolve firmly by thy Saviour's help to part with them rather than with Him. Then which of these is your besetting sin? If thou canst not find this for thyself, another perhaps may tell thee. Anyhow, take steadily some one sin, to root it out by God's grace, every fibre of it. Purpose strongly, by the grace and strength of God, wholly to sacrifice this sin or sinful inclination to the love of God, to spare it not until thou leave of it none remaining. Then as to this very sin, look carefully day by day what gives rise to it. Observe with especial care whether the temptation comes to thee from within or without. But observe also all the ways in which this sin overtakes, surprises, masters thee, that thou mayest be on thy guard against the assaults and against thyself. Observe too as well as thou canst the very ways in which thou yieldest to the sin—thine anger, impatience, or whatever else it be. Observe the very acts or words thou most often usest in giving vent to it. If thou art on thy guard, thou wilt often be able to stop the usual vent of thy sin; if thou stop this, thou wilt have gained time by God's grace to stop the sin too. As you observe these, fix them in your memory, write down something which may recall them. Fix, by God's help, not only to root out this sin, but to set thyself to gain by that same help the opposite grace.

Lord, help me.