in one may be ridiculous in another.

Nor muft

we blindly follow those who move in the fame Sphere, and fuftain the fame Character with ourfelves; but only in those Things that are befitting that Character. For it is not the Perfon, but the Character, we are to regard; and to imitate him no further than he keeps to that.

This Caution particularly concerns Youth, who are apt to imitate their Superiors very implicitly, and especially such as shine in the Profeffion they themselves are intended for; but, for Want of Judgment to distinguish what is fit and decent, are apt to imitate their very Foibles; which a Partiality for their Perfons makes them deem as Excellencies: and thereby they become doubly ridiculous, both by acting out of Charac ter themselves, and by a weak and fervile Imitation of others in the very Things in which they do so too. To maintain a Character then with Decency, we must keep our Eye only upon that which is proper to it.

In fine, as no Man can excel in every Thing, we must confider what Part is allotted us to act, in the Station in which Providence hath placed us, and to keep to that, be it what it will, and feek to excel in that only.

CHAP. V.

Every Man fhould be well acquainted with his own Talents and Capacities; and in what Manner they are to be exercifed and improved to the greatest Advantage.

IV.

A

MAN cannot be faid to know himself, till he is well acquainted with his proper Talents and Capacities; knows for what Ends be received them; and how they may be most fitly applied and improved for those Ends.

A wife and felf-understanding Man, instead of aiming at Talents he hath not, will fet about cultivating those he hath; as the Way in which Providence points out his proper Usefulness.

As in order to the Edification of the Church, the Spirit of God at first conferred upon the Minifters of it a great Variety of Spiritual Gifts,* fo for the Good of the Community, GOD is pleased now to confer upon Men a great Variety of Natural Talents. And every one hath his proper Gift of GOD; one after this Manner, another after that, t. And every one is to take Care not to neglect, but to ftir up the Gift of GOD which is in him. Because it was given him to be improved. And not only the Abuse, but the Neglect of it must be hereafter accounted for. Witness

1 Cor. xii. 8,IO, † 1 Cor. vii. 7. 2 Tim, i, 6.

‡ 1 Tim, iv. 14.

Witness the Doom of that unprofitable Servant, who laid up his fingle Pound in a Napkin*. And of him who went and hid his Talent in the Earth †.

It is certainly a Sign of great Self-Ignorance, for a Man to venture out of his Depth, or attempt any Thing he wants Opportunity or Capacity to accomplish. And therefore a wife Man will confider with himself, before he undertakes any Thing of Confequence, whether he hath Abilities to carry him through it, and whether the Iffue of it is like to be for his Credit; left he fink under the Weight he lays upon himself, and incur the just Cenfure of Rafhnefs, Prefumption, and Folly; fee Luke xiv. 28.-32. (s).

It is no uncommon Thing for fome who excel in one Thing, to imagine they may excel in every Thing. And not content with that Share

He that takes up a Burden that is too heavy for him, is in a fair Way to break his Back.

Ανθρωπε, πρώτον επισκεψαι, οποίον εςι το πραγμα* είτα και στην σταύλα φυσιν καλαμαθές ει δύνασαι βαςασαι. Ερίι. Enchir. cap. 36.

In every Bufinefs confider, firft, what it is you are about; and then your own Ability, whether it be fufficient to carry you through it.

of Merit which every one allows them, are still catching at that which doth not belong to them. Why fhould a good Orator wish to be thought a Poet? Why muft a celebrated Divine fet up for a Politician? Or a Statefman affect the Philofopher? Or a Mechanick, the Scholar? Or a wife Man labour to be thought a Wit? This is a Weakness that flows from Self-Ignorance, and is incident to the greatest Men. Nature feldom forms a univerfal Genius; but deals out her Favours in the prefent State with a parcimonious Hand. Many a Man by this Foible hath weakened a well-established Reputation (t).

(1)

non omnia poffumus omnes.

Virg.

Cæcilius, à famous Rhetorician of Sicily, who lived in the Time of Auguftus, and writ a Treatife on the Sublime, (which is cenfured by Longinus in the Beginning of his) was a Man of a hasty and enterprifing Spirit, and very apt to over-fhoot himself on all Occafions; and particularly ventured cut of his Depth in his Comparison of Demofthenes and Cicero. Whereupon Plutarch makes this fage and candid Remark, "If (faith he) it was a Thing ob"vious and eafy for every Man to know himself, poffibly that "Saying, yvwê saulov, had not paffed for a Divine Oracle," Plut, Liv, Vol. vii, pag. 347.

CHAP.

С НА Р. ѴІ.

We must be well acquainted with our Inabilities, and thofe Things in which we are naturally deficient, as well as thofe in which we excel.

V.

WE

E muft, in order to a thorough SelfAcquaintance, not only confider our Talents and proper Abilities, but have an Ege to our Frailties and Deficiencies, that we may know where our Weakness, as well as our Strength lies. Otherwise, like Sampson, we may run ourselves into infinite Temptations and Troubles.

Every Man hath a weak Side. Every wife Man knows where it is, and will be fure to keep a double Guard there.

There is fome Wisdom in concealing a Weaknefs. This cannot be done, till it be firft known, nor can it be known without a good Degree of Self-Acquaintance.

It is strange to obferve what Pains fome Men are at to expose themselves; to fignalize their own Folly; and to fet out to the most publick View thofe Things, which they ought to be ashamed to think fhould ever enter into their Character. But fo it is; fome Men feem to be ashamed of thofe Things which would be their Glory, whilft others glory in their Shame *.

Phil. iii. 19.

E-3

The