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79 revenge and cruelty; and yet knew it not: and that the Apostle John should be liable to this cenfure, whose temper seemed to be all love and sweetness, is a memorable inftance how difficult a thing it is for a man at all times to know his own fpirit; and that that paffion, which feems to have the leaft power over his mind, may on fome occafions infenfibly gain a criminal afcendant there.

The neceffity of a perfect knowledge of our reigning paffions appears farther from hence; that they not only give a tincture to the temper, but to the understanding also; and throw a strong bias on the judgment: They have much the fame effect upon the eye of the mind, as fome diftempers have upon that of the body; if they do not put it out, they weaken it; or throw false colours before it, and make it form a wrong judgment of things: in fhort, they are the fource of those forementioned prejudices, which fo often abufe the human underftanding.

Whatever the different paffions themselves that reign in the mind may be owing to, whether to the different texture of the bodily organs, or the different quantity or motion of the animal fpirits, or to the native turn and caft of the foul itself; yet certain it is, that men's different ways of thinking are

much

much according to the predominance of their different paffions; and especially with regard to religion: Thus, we fee melancholy people are apt to throw too much gloom upon their religion, and reprefent it in a very uninviting and unlovely view, as all aufterity and mortification: whilft they, who are governed by the more gay and cheerful paffions, are apt to run into the other extreme, and too much to mingle the pleasures of fenfe with those of religion and are as much too lax, as the other too fevere. Hence, by the prejudice of their respective paffions, or by the force of their natural temper, they are led into different mistakes.

So that would a man know himself, he • ́must study his natural temper; his confti⚫tutional inclinations, and favourite paffions;

for by these a man's judgment is eafily perverted, and a wrong bias hung upon his mind: thefe are the inlets of prejudice; the unguarded avenues of the mind, by ⚫ which a thoufand errors and fecret faults ⚫ find admiffion, without being obferved or ⚫ taken notice of (m).'

And that we may more easily come at the knowledge of our predominant affections,

(m) Spectat. vol. vi. No. 899.

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let us confider what outward events do most impress and move us; and in what manner : what is it that ufually creates the greatest pain. or pleasure in the mind? — As for pain; a ftoic indeed may tell us, that we must keep things at a distance; let nothing that is out'ward come within us; let externals be ex'ternals ftill.' But the human make will fcarce bear the rigour of that philofophy: outward things, after all, will impress and affect us; and there is no harm in this, provided they do not get the poffeffion of us, overset our reason, or lead us to act unbe. coming a man or a Christian; and one advantage we may reap from hence is, the manner or degree in which outward things. impress us, may lead us into a better acquaintance with ourselves, difcover to us our weak fide, and the paffions which most predominate in us.

Our pleafures will likewife discover our reigning paffions, and the true temper and difpofition of the foul: if it be captivated by the pleasures of fin, it is a fign its prevailing tafte is very vicious and corrupt; if with the pleasures of fenfe, very low and fordid; if imaginary pleasures, and the painted scenes of fancy and romance do most entertain it, the foul hath then a trifling

turn;

turn; if the pleasures of science or intellectual improvements are thofe it is moft fond of, it has then a noble and refined tafte; but if its chief fatisfactions derive from religion and divine contemplation, it has then its true and proper tafte; its temper is as it fhould be, pure, divine, and heavenly; provided thefe fatisfactions fpring from a true, religious principle, free from that fuperftition, bigotry and enthusiasm, under which it is often disguised.

Thus by carefully obferving what it is that gives the mind the greatest pain and torment, or the greateft pleafure and entertainment, we come at the knowledge of its reigning paffions, and prevailing temper and difpofition,

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• Include thyself then, O my foul, within the compass of thine own heart; if it be not large, it is deep; and thou wilt there • find exercise enough: thou wilt never be able to found it; it cannot be known, but

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by Him, who tries the thoughts and reins. But dive into this fubject as deep as thou 'canft; examine thyfelf; and this knowledge of that which paffes within thee will be of more ufe to thee, than the knowledge of all that passes in the world. Con'cern not thyself with the wars and quarrels

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of public or private perfons. Take cog

⚫ nizance

nizance of those contests which are between thy flesh and thy fpirit; between the law of thy members, and that of thy • understanding; appease those differences; teach thy flesh to be in fubjection; replace ⚫ reason on its throne, and give it piety for ⚫ its counsellor; tame thy paffions, and bring them under bondage; put thy little ftate in good order; govern wifely and

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holily those numerous people which are ⚫ contained in fo little a kingdom; that is to fay, that multitude of affections, thoughts, opinions and paffions which are in thine • heart (n).'

CHA P. XI.

Concerning the fecret Springs of our Actions.

X.

A

NOTHER confiderable branch of felf-acquaintance is, to know the true motives and fecret fprings of our actions.

This will sometimes coft us much pains to acquire; but for want of it, we shall be in danger of paffing a falfe judgment upon our actions, and of entertaining a wrong opinion of our conduct.

It

(n) Jurieu's Method of Chriftian Devotion, Part iii. Chap. iii,

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