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penfions to the wilful neglect of duty are oppofed and conquered, the more feldom will they return, or the weaker they will grow ; till at laft, by Divine Grace, they will be wholly overcome; and in the room of them will fucceed an habitual readiness to every good work *, and a very fenfible delight therein a much happier effect than can be expected from the fevereft exercises of selfdenial, in the inftances before mentioned.

(2.) A man that knows himself will fee an equal neceffity for felf-denial, in order to check and controul his inclinations to finful actions to fubdue the rebel within; to refift the folicitations of fenfe and appetite; to fummon all his wifdom to avoid the occafions and temptations to fin, and all his ftrength to oppose it.

All this (especially if it be a favourite conftitutional iniquity) will coft a man great pains and mortification. For instance, the fubduing a violent paffion, or taming a fenfual inclination, or forgiving an apparent injury and affront. It is evident, fuch a Self-conqueft can never be attained without much Self-knowledge, and Self-denial. Selfdenial that is exercised this way, as it will P 2

* Tit. iii. I.

be

be a better evidence of our fincerity, fo it will be more falutary and ornamental to the intereft of religion, than the utmost zeal in thofe duties which are moft fuitable to our natural tempers, or than the greatest austerities in fome particular inftances of mortification, which are not fo neceffary, and poffibly not fo difficult or disagreeable to be obferved by us. To what amazing heights of piety may fome be thought to mount, (raised on the wings of a flaming zeal, and diftinguished by uncommon preciseness and feverity about little things,) who cannot perhaps, govern one paffion, and yet appear ignorant of, and flaves to, their darling iniquity! thro' an ignorance of themselves, they misplace their Self-denial; and, by that means, blemish their characters with a vifible inconftancy (4).

CHAP

(q) A pious zeal may be active and yet not pernicious, and fhine without burning. Intemperate zeal is like Sirius in Homer.

Λαμπρότατος μὲν ὅγ' εσὶ,κακον δέ το σημα τέτυκται
Και' τε φέρει πολλον πυρείον δειλοις βρόζοισι·
Ille quidem clarâ, fed fævâ luce corufcat,
Et morbos æftufque adfert mortalibus ægris.

Il. x. 80.

Pious zeal is like the gentle flame in Virgil.

Ecce levis fubito de vertice vifus Jüli

Fundere

CHA P. VIII.

Self-Knowledge promotes our Usefulness in the

VIII.

T

World.

HE more we know of ourselves, the more useful we are like to be, in thofe ftations of life in which Providence hath fixed us.

we

When we know our proper talents and capacities, we know in what manner are capable of being useful; and the confideration of our characters and relations in life, will direct us to the proper applica~ tion of those talents; fhow us to what ends they were given us, and to what purposes they ought to be improved.

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Many of those who set up for wits,

and pretend to a more than ordinary fagacity, do notwithstanding spend their ⚫ time unaccountably; and live away whole days, weeks, and fometimes months together, to as little purpose, (tho' it may

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Fundere lumen apex, tactuque innoxia mollis Lambere flamma comas, et circum tempora pafci.

En. II.

Fortin's Difc. p. 31.

be not fo innocently) as if they had been 'afleep all the while. But if their parts

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be fo good as they would have others believe, certainly they are worth improving; if not, they have the more need of it. Greatnefs of parts is fo far from being a difpenfation from industry, that I find men of the moft exquifite fenfe, in all ages, conftantly the more esteemed "the value of their time.

And therefore, I very much fufpect the excellency of those men's parts, who, are diffolute and ⚫ careless mifpenders of it (r).

It is melancholy to obferve, how miferably fome men debafe and prostitute their capacities. Those gifts and indulgences of nature, whereby they outfhine many others, and by which they are capable of doing real fervice to the cause of virtue and religion, and of being eminently useful to mankind, they either neglect or fhamefully abuse, to the difhonour of GoD, and the prejudice of their fellow-creatures, by encouraging them in the ways of vice and vanity; for the false glare of a profane wit will fometimes make fuch ftrong impreffions on a weak, unfettled mind, as to overbear the principles

(7) Norris's Mifc. p. 120.

principles of reason and wisdom, and give it too favourable fentiments of what it before abhorred: whereas the fame force and fprightlinefs of genius would have been very happily and usefully employed in putting fin out of countenance, and in rallying the follies, and expofing the inconfiftencies of a vicious and profligate character. The more talents and abilities men are bleffed with, the more pains they ought to take.This is St. Chryfoftom's obfervation: and the reason is obvious; because they have more to answer for, than other men, which I take to be a better reafon than what is affigned by this father, viz. because they have more to lose (s).

When a man once knows where his ftrength lies, wherein he excels or is capable of excelling, how far his influence extends in that station of life wherein Providence hath fixed him, and the duties of that ftation; he then knows the talents he ought to cultivate, in what manner and to what objects they should be applied, in order to fhine and be useful in that ftation. This

(s). Ωςε τοις σοφοτέροις, μαλλον η τοις αμαθές 553016, μειζων ο πονος· οὐδὲ γὰρ υπες των αύλων η ζημία, άμέλεσι τέτοις κακεινοις. De Sacred. l. v. c. 5.

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