Young people are generally vain, felf-sufficient and affured, because they have taken no time or pains to cultivate a self-acquaintance: and why does pride and stiffness appear fo often in advanced age, but because men grow old in felf-ignorance? A moderate degree of Self-knowledge would cure an inordinate degree of felf-complacency (k).

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 fteal upon and infect fome of the beft human minds (efpecially those who aim at fingular and exalted degrees of piety) viz. a religious vanity or Spiritual pride: which, without fome degree of felf-knowledge and felf-attention, will gradually infinuate into the heart, taint the mind, and sophisticate our virtues before we are aware; and, in proportion to its prevalence,

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

(1) Scio neminem abfque fui cognitione falvari, de quâ nimirum mater falutis, humilitas oritur, et timor Domini. Bernard-Utraque cognitio Dei, fcilicet et tui, tibi neceffaria eft ad falutem; quia ficut ex notitiâ tui venit in te timor Dei, atque ex Dei notitiâ itidem amor; fic è contra, ex ignorantia tui, fuperbia, ac de Dei ignorantia venit defperatio. Idem in Cantic.

lence, make the Christian temper degenerate into the pharifaical.

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I

Might I be allowed to choose my own lot, I 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 ever fo be the favourite of heaven, as never to forget that I am chief of finners. Knowledge in the fublime and glorious myfteries • of the Christian faith, and ravishing contemplations of Gon and a future ftate, are most desirable advantages; but still I prefer charity which edifieth before the high⚫ eft intellectual perfections of that knowledge which puffeth up. Those spiritual advantages are certainly best for us, which 'encrease our modefty, awaken our caution, and difpofe us to fufpect and deny our' felves. The highest in GoD's esteem, are meaneft in their own. And their excellency confifts in the meekness and truth, not in the pomp and oftentation of piety, which affects to be seen and admired of men (m).'

'

(m) Stanhope's Tho. à Kemp. B. 2. ch. 14.

[CHRIST.]

СНАР. IV.

Charity another Effect of Self-Knowledge.

IV.

SEL

charity.

ELF-KNOWLEDGE greatly promotes a fpirit of meeknefs and

ઃ

The

[CHRIST.] My fon, when thou feeleft thy foul warmed with devotion and holy zeal for my fervice, it will be advifeable to decline all thofe methods of publishing it to the world, which vain men are fo industrious to take, and ' content thyself with its being known to GoD and thine own confcience. Řather endeavour to moderate and fupprefs those pompous expreffions of it, in which fome place the very perfection of zeal. Think meanly of thine own • virtues. Some men, of a bold, ungoverned zeal, aspire at things beyond their strength, and express more vehemence than conduct in their actions. They are perfectly carried out of themfelves with eagerness; forget that they are still poor infects upon earth, and think of nothing lefs than building their neft in heaven.

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these are often left to themselves, and taught by fad experience, that the faint flutterings of men C are weak and ineffectual; that no one foars to heaven except I affift his flight, and mount him on my own wings.-Virtue does not consist in • abundance of illumination and knowledge; but in lowlinefs of mind, in meekness and charity; in a mind intirely refigned to GOD, and fincerely difpofed to ferve and please him; in a just sense of every man's vilenefs; and not only thinking

very

147 The more a man is acquainted with his own failings, the more is he disposed to make allowances for thofe of others. The knowledge he hath of himself, will incline him to be as fevere in his animadverfions on his own conduct, as he is on that of others;

very meanly of one's felf, but being well con'tent to be fo thought of by others. Idem, Book 3. chap. 8.

It is a dangerous drunkenness, I confess, that • of wine; but there is another more dangerous. • How many fouls do I fee in the world drunk ' with vanity, and a high opinion of themselves ? This drunkenness causes them to make a thou• fand false steps, and a thousand stumbles. Their ways are all oblique and crooked. Like men in drink, they have always a great opinion of their own wisdom, their power and their prudence; all which often fail them.- Examine 'well thyself, my foul; fee if thou art not • tainted with this evil. Alas! if thou deniest it, 'thou provest it. It is great pride, to think one has no pride; for it is to think you are good indeed, as you efteem yourself. But there • 1S no man in the world but esteems him felf better than he truly is.

as

Thou wilt fay, it may be, thou haft a very ill opinion of thy felf. But be affured, my foul, 'thou dost not despise thyself so much as thou art truly despicable. If thou dost despise thyself indeed, thou makeft a merit of that very thing; fo that pride is attached to this very contempt of thyself.' Jrieu's Method of Devot. pag. 8. ch. 10.

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others; and as candid to their faults, aš he is to his own *.

There is an uncommon beauty, force and propriety in that caution which our Saviour gives us, And why beholdeft thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but confidereft not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou fay to thy brother, let me pull out the mote out of thine eye, and behold a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, firft caft the beam out of thine own eye, and then fhalt thou fee clearly to caft out the mote out of thy brother's eye t. In which words these four things are plainly intimated; (1.) That fome are much more quick-fighted to discern the faults and blemishes of others, than their own: Can fpy a mote in another's eye, fooner than a beam in their own. (2.) That they are often the most forward to correct and cure the foibles of others, who are most unqualified for that office; the beam in their own eye makes them altogether unfit to pull out the mote from their brother's. A man half blind

* The great GOD feems to have given that commandment, KNOW THYSELF, more efpecially to thofe men who are apt to make remarks on other men's actions, and forget themselves.' Plutarch's Mor. Vol. I. p. 273.

+ Mat. vii. 3, -5.

himself