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confciences, and impartial in the examination of our lives and tempers, we may foon come to a right determination of this important queftion, "What is the true "ftate of our fouls towards God? and "in what condition are we to die *?” Which, as it is the most important, so it is the laft inftance of felf-knowledge I fhall mention, and with it clofe the first part of this fubject.

A TREA

*«Nor do I apprehend the knowledge of our "ftate (call it affurance if you please) fo uncommon " and extraordinary a thing as fome are apt to ima"gine. Understand, by affurance, a fatisfactory evi"dence of the thing, fuch as excludes all reasonable

doubts and difquieting fears of the contrary, though, "it may be, not all tranfient fufpicions and jealoufies. "And fuch an affurance and certainty multitudes "have attained, and enjoy the comfort of; and, in"deed, it is of fo high importance, that it is a won"der any thoughtful Christian that believes an eter66 nity can be eafy one week or day without it." Bennet's Chrift. Orat. pag. 569.

A

TREATISE

OF

SELF-KNOWLEDGE.

PART II.

Showing the great Excellency and Advantages of this kind of Science.

HAVING in the former part of the fubject laid open fome of the main branches of felf-knowledge, or pointed out the principal things which a man ought to be acquainted with, relating to himself, I am now (reader) to lay before you the excellency and usefulness of this kind of knowledge, (as an inducement to labour after it), by a detail of the feveral great advantages which attend it, and which fhall be recounted in the following chap

ters.

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CHAP. I.

Self-Knowledge the Spring of Self-Poffeffion.

1. "ONE great advantage of self-know«ledge is, that it gives a man "the trueft and moft conftant felf-poffeffion."

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A man that is endowed with this excellent knowledge is calm and easy.

(1.) Under affronts and defamation. For he thinks thus: "I am fure I know my"felf better than any man can pretend to "know me. This calumniator hath in"deed at this time miffed his mark, and "fhot his arrows at random; and it is "my comfort that my confcience acquits "me of his angry imputation. However, "there are worfe crimes which he might "more juftly accufe me of, which, though "hid from him, are known to myself. "Let me fet about reforming them, left, "if they come to his notice, he should "attack me in a more defenceless part, "find fomething to faften his obloquy, "and fix a lasting reproach upon my cha"racter *."

There

* Εαν την σοι απαγγείλη, ότι ο δεινα σε κακως λέγει, μα απολογε

There is a great deal of truth and good fense in that common faying and doctrine of the floics, though they might carry it too far, that it is not things but thoughts that difturb and hurt us *. Now, as felfacquaintance teaches a man the right government of the thoughts (as is shown a

bove,

απολογε προς τα λεχθέντα αλλ αποκρινε, ότι εγνόει γαρ τα άλλα προσοντα μοι κακα, έπει εκ αν ταυ]α μονα ελεχεν. Ερίει. Encb. cap. 48. If you are told that another reviles you, do not go about to vindicate your felf, but reply ibus : 66 My other faults, I find, are bid from bim, elfe "I fhould have heard of them too."

Ταράσσει της ανθρωπος, * τα πραγμαία, αλλά τα περι των πραγμάτων δογματα. Id. cap. 10. It is not things, but mens opinions of things, that difurb them.

Μέμνησο ότι εκ ο λοιδόρων η τυπίων υβρίζει, αλλά το δογμα το περι τελων ως υβριζοντων. Id. cap. 27. Remem ber, it is not be that reviles or affaul's you that injures you, but your thinking that they have injured y u

Σε γαρ αλλος 8 βλαψει, αν μη συ θελης· τοτε δε εση βα βλαμμένος, όταν υπολαβής βλαπ]εσθαι. 16. pag. 37. Νο man can burt you, unless you pleafe to let him; iben only are you burt when you think yourfelf fo.

Τα πραματα εκ απίείας της ψυχης, αλλ εξω έςηκεν ατρέμανται αι δε οχλήσεις εκ μόνης της ενδεν υποληψη ως. Marc. Anton. Med. Lib. 4. § 3 Things do not touch the mind, but ftand quietly without; the vexation comes from with n, from our fufpicions only Again, Τα πράγματα αυτα εδ οπως εν ψυχης απτεται εδε έχει ει πεδον προς ψυχην εδε τρέψαι εδε κινησαι ψυχην δυναται τρέπει δε και κινει αυτη εαυτην μόνη. Ιd. Lib. 5. § 19. Things themfelver cannot affect the mind; for they bave no entrance into it, to turn and move it. It is the mind alone that turns and moves itself.

bove, Part I. Chap. XIV.), it will help him to expel all anxious, tormenting, and fruitlefs thoughts, and retain the most quieting and ufeful ones, and fo keep all easy within. Let a man but try the experiment, and he will find that a little refolution will make the greatest part of the difficulty vanish.

(2.) Self-knowledge will be a good ballaft to the mind under any accidental burry or diforder of the paffions. It curbs their impetuofity, puts the reins into the hands of reafon, quells the rifing ftorm, ere it make fhipwreck of the confcience, and teaches a man to "leave off contention "before it be meddled with," Prov. xvii. 14. it being much fafer to keep the lion chained, than to encounter it in its full ftrength and fury. And thus will a wife man, for his own peace, deal with the pailions of others as well as his own.

Self-knowledge, as it acquaints a man with his weakneffes and worft qualities, will be his guard against them, and a happy counterbalance to the faults and exceffes of his natural temper.

(3.) It will keep the mind fedate and calm under the furprise of bad news, or afflicting providences.

"For am I not a creature of God?

and

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