trefpaffes, neither will your father forgive you your trefpaffes *. It is a juft and seasonable thought, that of Marcus Antoninus upon fuch occafions; A man misbehaves himself towards me, what is that to me ? The action is •his, and the will that fets him upon it is his; and therefore let him look to it. The fault and injury belong only to to him. As for me, I am as Provi⚫dence would have me, and am doing ⚫ what becomes my condition (a).* However, this amounts merely to a philofophical contempt of injuries; and falls much beneath the dignity of a Chriftian forgiveness, to which Self-knowledge will happily difpofe us. And, in order to judge of our improvements therein, we must always take care to examine and observe, in what manner we are affected in fuch circumstances. (2.) How do you behave under a fevere and unexpected affliction from the hand of Providence? Which is another circumftance, wherein we have a fair opportunity of coming to a right knowledge of ourselves. U 2 *Mat. vi. 14. 15. If If there be an habitual difcontent or impatience lurking within us, this will draw it forth; more especially if the affliction be attended with any of those sufferings which attended Job in his afflictions. Diftreffes are often fent to teach us to know ourselves; and therefore ought to be carefully improved to this good purpose. The Wisdom and Goodness of our heavenly Father is difplayed to a serious and attentive mind, not only in proportioning the degrees of correction to his children's ftrength, but in adapting the kinds of them to their tempers; afflicting fome one way, fome in another, according as He knows they are moft eafily wrought upon, and as will be moft for their advantage. By which means, a fmall affliction of one kind may as deeply affect us, and be of more advantage, than a much greater of another. It is a trite, but true obfervation, that a wife man receiveth more benefit from enemies than from friends; from afflictions than from mercies: by which means his enemies become, in effect, his best friends, and his afflictions his greatest mer cies. cies. Certain it is, a man never hath an opportunity of taking a more fair and undisguised view of himself, than in those circumstances. And by diligently observing in what manner he is affected at fuch times, he may improve in the true knowledge of himself, very much to his future advantage, though, perhaps, not a little to his prefent mortification. For a fudden provocation from man, or a severe affliction from GOD may detect fomething latent and long undifcovered at the bottom of his heart, which he never fufpected to have had any place there. Thus the one excited wrath in the meekeft man *, and the other passion in the most patient †. Hence, by confidering in what manner we bear the afflictions GOD is pleased to allot us, and what benefit we receive from them, we may obtain a very confiderable acquaintance with ourselves. (3.) What is our ufual temper and difpofition in a time of peace, profperity and pleafure, when the foul is generally most unguarded? This is the warm feafon that nourishes and impregnates the feeds of vanity, felf U 3 * Pfal. cvi. 33. confidence, + Fob iii. 3. confidence, and a fupercilious contempt of others. Even after the froft of adversity had nipped it, and, as we thought, killed it; if there be fuch a root of bitterness in the heart, it will be very apt to fhoot forth in the funfhine of uninterrupted prosperity; adverfity is not a lefs trial than profperity, which is commonly attended with more dangerous temptations. Were the mind but as ferioufly difpofed to felfreflection, it would have a greater advantage of attaining a true knowledge of itself under the latter than under the former. But, unhappily, the mind is feldom difposed for such an employment. It has the concerns of the world to attend to; and is too much engaged with external things, to advert to thofe within; and is more disposed to enjoy than to examine itself. However, it is the most neceffary feafon for felf-examination, and if rightly improved, a very proper time to acquire fome degree of felf-acquaintance. Laftly, How do we behave in bad company? That may be deemed bad company in which there is no probability of our effecting any good, but apparent danger of the contrary; I mean, our giving offence to 223 to others, by an indiscreet zeal, or incurring guilt to ourselves, by a criminal compliance. Are we carried down by the torrent of vanity and vice? Will a flash of wit, or a brilliant fancy, make us excuse a profane expreffion? If this be the case, we fhall foon come to relifh it, when thus feafoned, and ufe it ourselves. This is a time when our zeal and wif dom, our fortitude and firmnefs, are generally put to the moft delicate proof; and when we may too often take notice of the unfuspected escapes of folly, ficklenefs and indiscretion. At such seasons, we may discern what lies at the bottom of our hearts, better than we could in the more even and cuftomary scenes of life, when the paffions are calm and fettled: therefore, would we know ourselves, we should be very attentive to our frame, temper, difpofition, and conduct on thofe occafions. CHAP. |