minds, especially those who aim at fingular and exalted degrees of piety, viz. a religious vanity, or fpiritual pride; which, without a great deal of felf-knowledge and felf-attention, will gradually infinuate into the heart, taint the mind, and fophifticate our virtues, before we are aware; and, in proportion to its prevalence, make the Chriftian temper degenerate into the Pharifaical. "Might I be allowed to choose my 66 own lot, I fhould think it much more "eligible to want my fpiritual comforts, " than to abound in these at the expence "of my humility. No; let a penitent "and contrite fpirit be always my por"tion; and may I ever fo be the favour"ite of heaven, as never to forget that I am chief of finners. Knowledge in the "fublime and glorious myfteries of the "Chriftian faith, and ravishing contem"plations of God and a future ftate, are "moft defirable advantages; but ftill I "prefer charity which edifieth before the "highest intellectual perfections of that "knowledge which puffeth up, 1 Cor. viii. "1.-Thofe fpiritual advantages are cer"tainly beft for us, which increase our "modesty, and awaken our caution, and "difpofe us to fufpect and deny our felves. "felves. The higheft in God's esteem 66 are meanest in their own; and their "excellency confifts in the meekness and "truth, not in the pomp and oftentation "of piety, which affects to be feen and "admired of men *"" N 2 Stanhope's Tho. à Kemp. Book 2. ch. 11. CHAP. [CHRIST.]" My fon, when thou feeleft thy foul "warmed with devotion and holy zeal for my fer"vice, it will be advisable to dealine all those me"thods of publifhing it to the world which vain "men are fo industrious to take, and content thyself "with its being known to God and thine own con"fcience. Rather endeavour to moderate and fup"prefs those pompous expreffions of it, in which "fome place the very perfection of zeal. Think "meanly of thy own virtues.-Some men, of a bold "ungoverned zeal, afpire at things beyond their "ftrength, and exprefs more vehemence than con"duct in their actions. They are perfectly carried "out of themselves with eagerness, forget that they "are ftill poor infects upon earth, and think of no thing less than building their neft in heaven. Now "these are often left to themselves; and taught, by "fad experience, that the faint flutterings of men "are weak and ineffectual; and that none foars to "heaven, except I affift his flight, and mount him "on my own wings.-Virtue does not confift in a"bundance of illumination and knowledge; but in "lowliness of mind, in meekness, and charity; in a "mind entirely refigned to God, and fincerely dif "pofed to ferve and please him; in a juft fenfe of a "man's own vilenefs; and not only thinking very "meanly of one's felf, but being well content to be "fo thought of by others. Idem. Book 3. chap. 8. "It is a dangerous drunkenness, 1 confefs, that of CHAP. IV. Charity, another Effect of Self-Knowledge. IV. « SELF-KNOWLEDGE great- "nefs and charity." The more a man is acquainted with his own failings, the more is he disposed to make allowances for thofe of others. The knowledge he hath of himself will incline him "wine; but there is another more dangerous. How "many fouls do I fee in the world drunk with va "nity, and a high opinion of themselves? This "drunkennefs caufes them to make a thousand falfe fteps, and a thousand ftumbles. Their ways are "all oblique and crooked. Like men in drink, they "have always a great opinion of their own wifdom, their power and their prudence; all which often "fail them-Examine well thyfelf, my foul; fee if "thou art not tainted with this evil. Alas! if thou "denieft it, thou provest it. It is great pride, to "think one has no pride; for it is to think you are "as good, indeed, as you efteem yourfelf. But there " is no man in the world but esteems himself better "than he truly is. "Thou wilt fay, it may be, thou haft a very ill "opinion of thyfelf, but be affured, my foul, thou " doft not defpife thyfelf fo much as thou art truly "defpicable. If thou doft defpife thyfelf indeed, thou makeft a merit of that very thing; fo that pride is attached to this very contempt of thyfelf." Jurieu's bod of Devot. ch. 10. pag. 3. him to be as fevere in his animadverfions on his own conduct as he is on that of others, and as candid to their faults as he is to his own *. There is an uncommon beauty, force, and propriety, in that caution which our Saviour gives us, Mat. vii. 3,-5. "And why beholdest thou the mote that is in 66 thy brother's eye, but confiderest not "the beam that is in thine own eye? Or "how wilt thou fay to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye, " and behold a beam is in thine own eye? "Thou hypocrite, first cast the beam out "of thine own eye, and then shalt thou "fee clearly to caft out the mote out of "thy brother's eye." In which words thefe four things are plainly intimated; 1. That some are much more quick-fighted to difcern the faults and blemishes of others than their own; can fpy a mote in another's суе fooner than a beam in their And commonly it is fo; they who are moft quick-fighted to the faults of o own. N 3 thers, "The great God feems to have given that com"mandment (KNOW THYSELF) to thofe men more efpecially, who are apt to make remarks on other "men's actions, and forget themselves." Mor. Vel. i. pag. 273. Plutarch's thers, are most blind to their own. 2. That they are often the most forward and officious to correct and cure the foibles of others who are most unfit for it. The beam in their own eye makes them altogether unfit to pull out the mote from their brother's. A man half blind himself fhould never fet up for an oculift. 3. That they who are inclined to deal in cenfure fhould always begin at home. 4. Great cenforioufnels is great hypocrify. Thou by pocrite, &c. all this is nothing but the effect of woeful felf-ignorance. This common failing of the human nature the heathens were very fenfible of *, and reprefented it in the following manner. Every man (say they) carries a wallet, or two bags with him; the one hanging before him, the other behind him: in that before, he puts the faults of others; into that behind, his own; by which means he - Egomet mi ignofco, Mævius inquit ; Stultus et improbus hic amor eft, dignufque notari. Cum tua pervideas oculis mala Lippus inunctis, Cur in amicorum vitiis tam cernis acutum Quam aut aquila, aut ferpens Epidaurius? Hor. Sat. 3. Lib. I. Fit enim, nefcio quomodo, ut magis in aliis cernamus quam in nobilmet ipfis, fi quid delinquitur. C. zero. |