John Wesley drew up at Oxford for himself and his companions a
scheme of self-examination which Southey declares, with some
truth, might well be appended to the spiritual exercises of
Ignatius Loyola. Here are samples: “Have I been simple and
recollected everything I did?” And under this head is a swarm
of microscopic tests of “sincerity” which the soul was to apply
to itself. “Have I prayed with fervor?” Then follows a list
of the times in each day at which prayer must be offered, and
a series of tests for ascertaining the exact degree of fervor
in each prayer--tests which irresistibly suggest a spiritual
thermometer, with a graduated scale to register the rise of
the mercury. Wesley adopted the practise his mother urged of
asking, “Have I, in private prayer, frequently stopt short and
observed what fervor in devotion?” That is, the anxious soul
was to keep one eye directed to the object of prayer, and the
other vigilantly fixt upon itself, so as to observe its own
behavior.--W. H. FITCHETT, “Wesley and His Century.”
(2877)
* * * * *
A traveler, reaching a mining camp unexpectedly, found the
miners very rough in manners and appearance owing to their
long absence from conventional life. On leaving the camp for
a farther journey, the traveler handed one of the leaders a
looking-glass. A glance at it amazed the man, and soon all the
other miners were crowding round him for a sight of themselves.
Then the traveler departed, promising to return in a month.
On his return he found an extraordinary change had taken
place. The men, having realized by the mirror what uncouth,
unshaven fellows they had become, had reformed as regards their
appearance and were now as smart and clean as ordinary civilized
beings. It was a sight of themselves which had worked the change.
(2878)