We commonly fay, no one knows what he can bear, till he is tried. And many Persons verify the Obfervation, by bearing Evils much better than they feared. Nay, the Apprehenfion of an approaching Evil often gives a Man a greater Pain than the Evil itself. This is owing to Inexperience and Self-Ignorance.

A Man that knows himself, his own Strength and Weakness, is not fo fubject as others, to the melancholy Prefages of the Imagination; and whenever they intrude, he makes no other use of them than to take the Warning, collect himself, and prepare for the coming Evil; leaving the Degree, Duration, and the Iffue of it, with Him, who is the fovereign Disposer of all Events in a quiet Dependance on his Power, Wisdom and Goodness.

Such Self-Poffeffion is one great Effect and Advantage of Self-Knowledge.

CHA P. II.

Self. Knowledge leads to a wife and feady Conduct.

II.

A

S Self Knowledge will keep a Man calm

and equal in his Temper, fo it will make him wife and cautious in his Conduct.

A precipitant and rafh Conduct is ever the Effect of a confufed and irregular Hurry of Thought.

L

Thought. So that when by the Influence of Self-Knowledge, the Thoughts become cool, sedate and rational, the Conduct will be fo too. It will give a Man that even, steady, uniform Behaviour in the Management of his Affairs, that is fo neceffary for the Dispatch of Business; and prevent many Disappointments and Troubles which arife from the unsuccessful Execution of immature or ill-judged Projects.

In fhort, most of the Troubles which Men meet with in the World may be traced up to this Source, and refolved into Self Ignorance. We may complain of Providence, and complain of Men; but the Fault, if we examine it, will commonly be found to be our own. Our Imprudence, which arifes from Self-Ignorance, either brings our Troubles upon us, or increases them. Want of Temper and Conduct will make any Affliction double.

What a long Train of Difficulties do sometimes proceed from one wrong Step in our Conduct, into which Self-Ignorance or Inconfideration betrayed us? And every Evil that befals us in confequence of that, we are to charge upon ourselves.

TRUE Self-Knowledge always produces
Humility.

Pride is ever the Off-spring of Self-Ignorance. The Reafon Men are vain and Self-sufficient is, because they do not know their own Failings; and the Reason they are not better acquainted with them is, because they hate Self-Inspection. Let a Man but turn his Eyes within, fcrutinize himself, and study his own Heart, and he will soon fee enough to make him humble. Behold, I am vile*, is the Language only of Self-Knowledge (i).

Whence is it that young People are generally fo vain, felf fufficient and affured; but because they have taken no Time or Pains to cultivate a SelfAcquaintance? And why does Pride and Stiffness appear fo often in advanced Age, but because Men grow old in Self-Ignorance? A moderate Degree of Self-Knowledge, would cure an inordinate Degree of Self-Complacency (k).

• Fob xl. 4.

Humility

(i) Qui bene feipfum cognofcit fibi ipfi vilefcit, nec laudibus dilectatur humanis. Tho. à Kemp. de Imit. Chr. lib. 1. cap. 2.

(*) Quanto quis minus fe videt, tanto minus fe difplicet. Greg.

Humility is not more neceffary to Salvation, than Self-Knowledge is to Humility (1).

It would effectually prevent that bad Difpofition which is too apt to steal upon and infect fome of the best human Minds (especially those who aim at fingular and exalted Degrees of Piety) viz. a religious Vanity or fpiritual Pride, Which without a good deal of Self Knowledge and Self-Attention will gradually infinuate into the Heart, taint the Mind, and fophifticate our Virtues before we are aware; and in Proportion to its Prevalence make the Christian Temper degenerate into the Pharifaical.

6

Might I be allowed to chufe my own Lot, 1 fhould think it much more eligible to want my fpiritual Comforts, than to abound in these at the Expence of my Humility. No; let a penitent and a contrite Spirit be always my Portion; and may I ever fo be the Favourite of Heaven, as never to forget that I am Chief of Sinners. Knowledge in the fublime and glorious Myfteries of the Chriftian Faith, and ravishing Contemplations of GOD and a future State, are moft defirable Advantages; but ftill I prefer Charity which edifieth before

(1) Scio neminem abfque fui cognitione falvari, de qua nimirum mater falutis, humilitas oritur, et timor Domini. Ber nard, Utraque cognitio Dei, feilicet et tui, tibi neceffaria eft ad falutem; quia ficut ex notitiâ tui venit in te tim r Dei, atque ex Dei notitiâ itidem amor; fic è contra, ex ignorantia Bui, fuperbia, ac de Dei ignorantia venit defparatio. Idan in Cantic

"the higheft intellectual Perfections of that Knowledge which puffeth up. Thofe fpiritual Ad⚫vantages are certainly beft for us, which increase our Modesty and awaken our Caution, and difpofe us to fufpect and deny ourselves. The highest in GO D's Efteem, are meanest in their own. And their Excellency confifts in the Meeknefs and Truth, not in the Pomp and Ofrtentation of Piety, which affects to be feen and • admired of Men (m).”

CHAP.

1 Cor. viii. F.

(m) Stanhope's Tho. à Kemp. B. 2. cb. 11.

[CHRIST.] My Son, when thou feeleft thy Soul warmed with Devotion and holy Zeal for my Service, it will be adviseable to decline all thofe Methods of publifhing it to the World, which vain Men are fo induftrious to take, and content thyself with its being known to GOD and thine own Confcience. Rather endea ← your to moderate and suppress those pompous Expreffions of it, in which some place the very Perfection of Zeal. Think meanly of thy own Virtues. Some Men of a bold ungoverned Zeal afpire at Things beyond their Strength, and exprefs more Vehemence than Conduct in their Actions. They are perfectly carried ⚫ out of themfelves with Eagernéfs; forget that they are ftill poor • Infects upon Earth, and think of nothing less than building their • Neft in Heaven. Now thefe are often left to themselves, and taught by fad Experience, that the faint Flutterings of Men are weak and ineffectual; and that none foars to Heaven except I affift his Flight, and mount him on my own Wings. Virtue does not confift in Abundance of Illumination and Knowledge but in Lowlinefs of Mind, in Meeknefs, and Charity; in a Mind intirely refigned to GOD, and fincerely difpofed to ferve and please him; in a juft Senfe of every Man's Vileness and not only thinking very meanly of one's felf, but be