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This fcience, which is to be the subject of the ensuing treatise, hath these three peculiar properties in it, which distinguish it from, and render it preferable to all other.-(1.) " It is equally attainable by "all." It requires no strength of memory, no force of genius, no depth of penetration, as many other fciences do, to come at a tolerable degree of acquaintance with them; which therefore renders them inacceffible by the greatest part of mankind. Nor is it placed out of their reach through a want of opportunity, and proper affiftance and direction how to acquire it, as many other parts of learning are. Every one of a common capacity hath the opportunity and ability to acquire it, if he will but recollect his rambling thoughts, turn them in upon himfelf, watch the motions of his heart, and compare them with his rule.-(2.) "It is "of equal importance to all, and of the

"highest

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παρνω, μόνον δε διαφέροντα, καθότι προσφυή εσιν. Anton. Lib. x. $ 37. When you talk of a man, I would not have you tack flesh and blood to the notion, nor those limbs neither which are made out of it; these are but tools for the foul to work with, and no more a part of a man, than an ax or a plane is a piece of a carpenter. It is true, nature hath glued them together, and they grow as it were to the foul; and there is all the difference. Collier.

"highest importance to every one *." Other sciences are fuited to the various conditions of life. Some more neceffary to fome, other to others. But this equally concerns every one that hath an ́imrortal foul, whose final happiness he defiles and feeks.-(3.) " Other knowledge

is very apt to make a man vain; this "always keeps him humble." Nay, it is always for want of this knowledge that men are vain of that they have. "Know"ledge puffeth up," 1 Cor. viii. 1. A fmall degree of knowledge often hath this effect on weak minds. And the reafon why greater attainments in it have not fo generally the fame effect is, because they open and enlarge the views of the mind fo far, as to let into it at the fame time a good degree of felf-knowledge: for the more true knowledge a man hath, the more fenfible he is of the want of it; which keeps him humble.

And now, Reader, whoever thou art, whatever be thy character, ftation, or diftinction in life, if thou art afraid to look into thine heart, and haft no inclination

to

* 'Tis virtue only makes our blifs below; And all our knowledge is, Ourselves to know. Pope. Efay on Man

to felf-acquaintance, read no further, lay afide this book; for thou wilt find nothing here that will flatter thy felf-esteem, but perhaps fomething that may abate it. But if thou are defirous to cultivate this important kind of knowledge, and to live no longer a stranger to thyfelf, proceed; and keep thy eye open to thine own image, with whatever unexpected deformity it may prefent itself to thee; and patiently attend, whilst, by divine affistance, I endeavour to lay open thine own heart to thee, and lead thee to the true knowledge of thyself in the following chapters.

CHAP. II.

The feveral Branches of Self-knowledge. We muft know what fort of Creatures we are, and what we fall be.

THAT 'HAT we may have a more distinct

and orderly view of this fubject, I fhall here confider the several branches of felf-knowledge, or fome of the chief particulars wherein it confists. Whereby perhaps it will appear to be a more copious and comprehensive science than we imagine. And,

(1.) To know ourselves, is "to know

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" and seriously confider what fort of crea"tures we are, and what we shall be." "1. What we are."

Man is a complex being, τριμερης υποσασίς, a tripartite perfon, or a compound creature, made up of three diftinct parts, viz. the body, which is the earthy or mortal part of him; the foul, which is the animal or fenfitive part; and the spirit or mind, which is the rational and immortal part Each

*

* This doctrine, I think, is established beyond all difpute, not only by experience, but by authority. It was received by almost all the ancient philofophers. The Pythagoreans, as we learn from Jamblicus, vid. Protrept. p. 34, 35. The Platonifts, as appears from Nemefius, Salluft, and Laertius, vid. Di. Laertius, Lib. 3. p. 219. The Stoics, as appears from Antoninus, who faith exprefsly, "There are three things "which belong to a man; the body, foul, and the "mind. And as to the properties of the divifion, "fenfation belongs to the body, appetite to the foul, « and reafon to the mind: σωμα, ψυχη, ν8ς ; σωματος ει αισθήσεις, ψυχης ορμαι, να δόγματα.” Lib. 3. § 16. Lib. 2.2. Lib. 12. § 3.-It appears alfo to have been the opinion of moft of the fathers, vid. Irenæus, Lib. 5. cap. 9. Lib. 2. cap. 33. Ed. Par. Clem. Alex. Storm. 3. p. 242. Ed. Oxon. Origen. Philocal. p. 8. Ignat. Ep. ad Philadelph. ad calcem. See also Jofeph. Antiq. Lib. I. cap. 2. p. 5. Conflitut. Apoftol. Lib. 7. cap. 34.-But above all thefe, is the authority of Scripture; which, fpeaking of the original formation of man, mentions the three diftinct parts of his nature, Gen. ii. 7. viz. MDUNITID the duft of the earth, or, the body: the iving foul, or, the

animal

Each of these three parts have their refpective offices affigned them; and a man then acts becoming himself, when he keeps them duly employed in their proper functions, and preferves their natural fubordination. But it is not enough to know this merely as a point of fpeculation; we must purfue and revolve the thought, and urge the confideration to all the purposes of a practical felf-knowledge. B 2

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animal and fenfitive part: and "NAV) the breath of life, i. c. the fpirit, or rational mind. in like manner, the apostle Paul divides the whole man into (Ta πνευμά, η ψυχη, και το σωμα) the fpirit, the foul, and the body, I Theff. v. 23.; and what he calls (a) here, he calls (s) Rom. vii. 24. the word winch Antoninus ufes to denote the fame thing.- They who would see more of this may confult Nemefius de Natura Hominis, cap. 1. and Whifton's Prim. Chrift. vol. 4. p. 262.

All the obfervation I fhall make hereupon is, that this confideration may ferve to foften the prejudices of fome against the account which fcripture gives us of the myfterious manner of the fubfiftence of the divine nature; of which every man (as "created in "the image of God") carries about him a kind of emblem. in the threefold diftinction of his own; which, if he did not every minute find it by experience to be fact, would doubtlefs appear to him every whit as myfterious and incomprehenfible as the fcripture doctrine of the Trinity.

"Homo habet tres partes, fpiritum, animam, et corpus; itaque homo eft imago S. S. Trinitatis," Auguft. Tractat. de Symbolo.

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