179 be ? fo inconfiftent with ourselves? fo miftaken in our notions of true Religion ? fo generally indisposed to, or unengaged in the holy duties of it? and finally, so unfit for death and fo afraid of dying ?—I say, to what is all this owing, but Self-ignorance? the first and fruitful fource of all this long train of evils.-And indeed there is scarce any, but what may be traced up to it. In fhort, it embrutes man to be ignorant of himself. Man that is in honour, and underftandeth not, (himself especially) is as the beafts that perifh t.

• Come home then, O my wandering, selfneglecting faul; lofe not thyfelf in a wil⚫dernefs or tumult of impertinent, vain, distracting things. Thy work is nearer thee; the country thou fhouldst first fur" vey and travel is within thee; from which thou must pass to that above; when, by lofing thyfelf in this without thee, ⚫ thou wilt find thyself, before thou art aware, in that below thee.-Let the eyes of fools be in the corners of the earth; leave it to men befide themselves, to live as without themselves; do thou keep " at home and mind thine own business. Survey thyfelf, thine own make and na⚫ture

· Pfal. xlix. 20.

ture, and thou wilt find full employ for all ⚫ thy most active thoughts t. But doft thou delight in the mysteries of nature ? ConThe 'fider well the mystery of thine own. compendium of all thou ftudieft is near thee, even within thee; thyself being the epitome of the world (b).-If neceffity

or

+ Mirantur aliqui altitudines montium, ingentes fluctus maris, altiffimos lapfus fluminum, et occeani ambitum, et gyros fydêrum, et relinquunt feipfos, nec mirantur; faith St. Auguftin. Some men admire the heights of mountains, the huge waves of the fea, the fleep falls of rivers, the compafs of the ocean, and the circuit of the ftars, and pafs by themfelves with

out admiration.

(β) τις ον αξίως θαυμάσεις την ευγενείαν τελε τι ζω τις συνδεονος εν εαυζω τα θνητά τοις αθανατοις, και τα λογικά τους αλόγοις συναπλονζις, το φεροντος εν τη καθ εαυτον θύσει της πασης κλισέως την εικόνα, δι α και μικρος κοσμος ειρήθαι, το τοσαυτης ηξιομενο παρα το θες προνοίας; δι ον πανία και τα νυν, και τα μελλοντα δι ον ο Θεός artpanos yeyove. Nem. de Nat. Hom. cap. 1. pag. 34. Who can fufficiently admire the noble nature of that creature man, who hath in him the mortal and the immortal, the rational and irrational natures united, and fo carries about with him the image of the whole Creation; whence he is called Microcofm, or the little world; for whose fake (fo highly is he honoured by GoD) all things are made both present and future; nay, for whose sake GOD himfelf became Man ?-So that it was not unjustly said by Gregory Neffene, that Man was the Macrocofm, and the world without the Microcofm.

or duty, nature or grace, reafon or faith, • internal inducements, external impulses or • eternal motives, might determine the fubject of thy ftudy and contemplation, thou wouldst call home thy distracted thoughts and employ them more on thy• self and thy God (c).

Let us then refolve, that henceforth the ftudy of ourselves fhall be the business of our lives. That, by the blessing of GOD, we may arrive at fuch a degree of SelfKnowledge, as may secure to us the excellent To which pur

benefits before mentioned. To which

pose we should diligently attend to the rules proposed in the following Chapter.

I.

СНАР. I.

Self-examination necessary to Self-Knowledge.

1. T Knowledge is Self-inspection.

HE firft Thing neceffary to Self

We must often look into our hearts, if we would know them. They are very deceitful; more so than we can imagine till we have thoroughly fearched, tried and watched them. We may meet with frauds and faithlefs dealings from men; but, after

R

(c) Baxter's Mifchief of Self-ignorance.

all,

all, our own hearts are the greatest cheats; and there are none we are fo much in danger from as ourselves. We must first fufpect, then examine, and watch ourselves if we really intend to know ourselves. How is it poffible there fhould be any Self-acquaintance, without Self-converfe?

Were a man to accuftom himself to fuch felf-employment, he need not live till thirty before he fufpects himself a fool, or till forty before he knows it (d).

Men could never be fo bad as they are, if they took proper care and scope in this bufinefs of felf-examination (e). If they did but look backward to what they were, inward to what they are, and forward to what they fhall be.

And as this is the first and most necessary ftep to felf-acquaintance, it is not amifs to be a little more particular in it. Therefore,

(1.) This bufinefs of felf-fcrutiny muft be performed with great care and diligence. Otherwise our hearts will deceive us, even whilft

(d) See the Complaint or Night Thoughts, Part i. page 28.

(e) Hoc nos peffimos facit, quod nemo vitam fuam refpicit. Quid facturi fimus, cogitamus, et id raro quid fecerimus, non cogitamus. Sen. Epift. 84.

whilst we are examining them.

• When

we fet ourselves to think, fome trifle or ⚫ other presently interrupts and draws us off from any profitable recollection. Nay we ourselves fly out, and are glad to be diverted from a fevere examination into our own state; which is fure, if diligently pursued, to prefent us with objects of fhaine and forrow, which will wound our fight, and foon make us weary of this neceffary Work (ƒ).'

Let us not flatter ourselves that this is an eafy business much pains and care are necessary fometimes to preserve the mind intent; and more to keep it impartial. The difficulty of it is the reafon that fo many are averfe to it; and care not defcend into themfelves (g).

Reader, try the experiment, retire now into thyfelf and fee if thou canst not ftrike out fome light within, by closely urging fuch Queftions as thefe-What am I? For what was I made ? And to what end have been preserved fo long, by the favour of my Maker? Do I remember, or forget thofe ends? Have I anfwered or per'verted

6

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(f) Stanhope's Tho. à Kempis, pag. 166. (g) Ut nemo in fefe tentat defcendere! Perf.

Sat. 4.