Shewing the great Excellency and Advantages of this Kind of Science.

AVING in the former Part of the

H

Subject laid open fome of the main

Branches of Self-Knowledge, or pointed

out the principal Things which à Man ought to be acquainted with, relating to himself; I am now (Reader) to lay before you the Excellency and Usefulness of this Kind of Knowledge, (as an Inducement to labour after it) by a Detail of the feveral great Advantages attending it, which fhall be recounted in the following Chapters.

CHAP.

1

1.

CHAP. I.

Self-Knowledge the Spring of Self-Poffeffion.

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NE great Advantage of Self-Knowledge is, that it gives a Man the trueft and most confiant Self-Poffeffion.

A Man that is endowed with this excellent Knowledge is calm and easy.

(1.) Under Affronts and Defamation. For he thinks thus: I am fure I know myself better ⚫ than any Man can pretend to know me. This Calumniator hath, indeed, at this Time miffed his Mark, and fhot his Arrows at random; and it is my Comfort, that my Conscience acquits me of his angry Imputation. However, there are worse Crimes which he might more juftly accufe me of; which, though hid from him, are known to myself. Let me fet about reforming them; left, if they come to his Notice, he should attack me in a more defencelefs Part, find fomething to fasten his Ob. •loquy, and fix a lafting Reproach upon my • Character (ƒ)..

There

(5) Εαν τις σοι απαγγείλη, ότι ο δείνα σε κακως λεγει, μη απο λογο προς τα λεχθεντα αλλ αποκρινε, ότι ηγνοεί γαρ τα αλλά προσονία μοι κακα, επει εκ αν ταύλα μονα ελεγεν. Εpit. Encb. cap. 48. RE If you are told that another reviles you, do not ga. about to vindicate yourself, but reply thus ; My other Faults I find are bid from him, elfe I should have heard of them too.

There is a great deal of Truth and good Sense in that common Saying and Doctrine of the Stoics, though they might carry it too far, that it is not Things but Thoughts that disturb and hurt us (g). Now as Self-Acquaintance teaches a Man the right Government of the Thoughts, (as is fhewn above, Part I. Chap. XIV.) it will help him to expel all anxious, tormenting, and fruitlefs Thoughts, and retain the moft quieting and useful ones; and so keep all easy within. Let a Man but try the Experiment, and he will find that a little Refolution will make the greatest Part of the Difficulty vanish.

(2.) Self

(3) Ταράσσει της ανθρωπες, 8 τα πραγμαία, αλλά τα περι των πραγμαίων δογματα. Id. cap. 10. It is not Things, but Mens Opinions of Things that disturb them.

Μέμνησο ότι εκ ο λοιδορων η τυπίων υβριζει, αλλά το δόγμα το περι τελων ως υβριζοντων. Id cap. 27. -Remember, it is not be that reviles or affaults you, that injures you, but your thinking that they bave injured you. - Σε γαρ αλλος ο βλαψει, αν μη συ θελης τοτε δε εση βαβλαμμενος, όταν υπολαβης βλαπλεσθαι. Ιd. pag. 37. - TED STATES No Man can burt you, unless you please to let him; then only are you burt when you think yourself so.

Τα πραγματα εκ απίείας της ψυχής, αλλ εξω εφηκεν αίρεσ μενία· αι δε οχλήσεις εκ μόνης της ενδον υποληψηως. Marc. Anton. Med. lib. 4. §. 3. Things do not touch the Mind, but ftand quietly without; the Vexation comes from within, from our Sufpicions only, Again, Τα πραγματα αυτα εδ οπως εν ψυχης απλέλαιο είδε έχει είσοδον προς ψυχηνα εδε τρέψαι εδε κινησαι ψυκην δυναλαγο TRETEI SE NAI HIVei avîn ɛaulny porn. Id. lib. 5. § 19. Things themselves cannot affect the Mind; for they have no Entrance into , to turn and move it. It is the Mind alone that turns and moves itself.

(2.). Self Knowledge will be a good Ballast to the Mind under any accidental Hurry or Disorder of the Paffions. It curbs their Impetuofity; puts the Reins into the Hands of Reafon; quells the rifing Storm, e'er it make Shipwreck of the Conscience; and teaches a Man to leave off Contention before it be meddled with *, it being much fafer to keep the Lion chained, than to encounter it in its full Strength and Fury. And thus will a wife Man, for his own Peace, deal with the Paffions of others, as well as his own.

Self-Knowledge, as it acquaints a Man with his Weaknesses and worft Qualities, will be his Guard against them; and a happy Counterballance to the Faults and Excefles of his natural Temper.

(3.) It will keep the Mind fedate and calm under the Surprize of bad News, or afflicting Providences.

For am I not a Creature of GOD? And my Life and Comforts, are they not wholly at his Difpofe, from whom I have received them; and by whofe Favour I have fo long enjoyed 'them; and by whofe Mercy and Goodness I ⚫ have still so many left?

"A Heathen can teach me, under fuch Loffes of Friends, or Eftate, or any Comfort, to direct my Eyes to the Hand of GOD, by whom it was lent me, and is now recalled; * that I ought not to fay, it is loft, but restored.

* Prov, xvii. 14.

And

And tho' I be injuriously deprived of it, ftill the Hand of GOD is to be acknowledged; for what is it to me, by what Means, he that 6 gave me that Bleffing, takes it from me < again (b)?'.

He that rightly knows himself will live every Day dependant on the Divine Author of his Mercies, for the Continuance and Enjoyment of them. And will learn from a higher Authority than that of a Heathen Moralift, that he hath nothing he can properly call his own, or ought to depend upon as fuch. That he is but a Steward employed to dispense the good Things he poffeffes, according to the Direction of his Lord, at whofe Pleasure he holds them; and to whom he fhould be ready at any Time chearfully to refign them, Luke xvi. I.

(4.) Self-Knowledge will help a Man to preferve an Equanimity and Self-Poffeffion under all the various Scenes of Adverfity and Profperity.

Both have their Temptations: To fome the Temptations of Profperity are the greatest; to others, those of Adversity. Self-Knowledge shews a Man which of these are greatest to him : And, at the Apprehenfion of them, teaches him to arm himself accordingly; that nothing may deprive him of his Conftancy and Self-Poffeffion, or lead him to act unbecoming the Man or the Christian.

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(5) Epitt, Enchirid, cap. 15.

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