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he never fees his own failings, whilst he has thofe of others always before his eyes*,

But felf-knowledge now helps us to turn this wallet, and place that which hath our own faults before our eyes, and that which hath in it thofe of others behind our back. A very neceffary regulatión this, if we' would behold our own faults in the fame light in which they do; for we must not expect that others will be as blind to our foibles as we ourfelves are; they will carry them before their eyes, whether we do or no. And to imagine that the world. takes no notice of them, because we do not, is just as wife as to fancy that others, do not fee us, because we fhut our eyes.

CHAP. V.

Moderation, the Effect of Self-Knowledge.

V. "ANOTHER genuine offspring of "felf-knowledge is moderation."

This indeed can hardly be conceived to

* Sed præcedenti spectatur mantica tergo.

be

Per. Sal. 4.

Non videmus id manticæ quod in tergo eft.

Catul. Garm. 20.

Noftram peram non videntes, aliorum (juxta Perfum) manticam confideramus. D. Hieron. Epift. 95.

Part II. be feparate from that meekness and charity before-mentioned; but I choose to give it a distinct mention, because I confider it under a different view and operation, viz. as that which guards and influences our fpirits in all matters of debate and controverfy.

Moderation is a great and important Christian virtue, very different from that bad quality of the mind under which it is often mifreprefented and disguised, viz. lukewarmness and indifference about the truth. The former is very confistent with a regular and well-corrected zeal, the latter confifts in the total want of it; the former is fenfible of, and endeavours with peace and prudence to maintain the dignity and importance of divine doctrines, the latter hath no manner of concern about them; the one feels the fecret influences of them, the other is quite a ftranger to their power and efficacy; the one Jaments in fecret the fad decay of vital religion, the other is an inftance of it. In fhort, the one proceeds from true knowledge, the other from great ignorance; the one is a good mark of fincerity, the other a certain figni of hypocrify. And to confound two things together, which are fo Tentially different, can be the effect of nothing

nothing but great ignorance, or inconfideration, or an overheated, injudicious zeal.

A felf-knowing man can easily diftinguish between these two. And the knowledge which he has of human nature in general, from a thorough contemplation of his own in particular, fhows him the neceflity of preferving a medium (as in every thing elfe, fo especially) between the two extremes of a bigotted zeal on the one hand, and an indolent lukewarmness on the other. As he will not look upon every thing to be worth contending for, fo he will look upon nothing worth lofing his temper for in the contention; because, though the truth be of ever fo great importance, nothing can be of a greater differvice to it, or make a man more incapable of defending it, than intemperate heat and paffion, whereby he injures and betrays the cause he is over anxious to maintain. "The wrath of man worketh "not the righteoufnefs of God," James i. 20.

Self-knowledge heals our animofities, and greatly cools our debates about matters of dark and doubtful fpeculation. One who knows himself fets too great a yalue upon his time and temper, to plunge rafhly

rafhly into thofe vain and fruitless controverfies, in which one of them is fure to be loft, and the other in great danger of being fo, especially when a man of bad temper and bad principles is the opponent; who aims rather to filence his adverfary with overbearing confidence, dark unmeaning language, authoritative airs, and hard words, than convince him with folid argument; and who plainly contends not for truth but for victory. Little good can be done to the best cause in fuch a circumftance. And a wife and moderate man, who knows human nature, and knows himself, will rather give his antagonist the pleasure of an imaginary triumph, than engage in fo unequal a com bat.

An eagerness and zeal for difpute on every subject, and with every one, fhows great felf-fufficiency, that never-failing fign of great felf-ignorance. And true moderation, which confifts in an indifference about little things, and in a prudent and well-proportioned zeal about things of importance, can proceed from nothing but true knowledge, which has its foundation in felf-acquaintance.

CHAP.

CHAP. VI.

Self-Knowledge improves the Judgment.

VI. "ANOTHER great advantage of "being well acquainted with

"ourselves is, that it helps us to form a "better judgment of other things." Self-knowledge indeed does not enlarge or increase our natural capacities, but it guides and regulates them; leads us to the right use and application of them; and removes a great many things which obstruct the due exercife of them, as pride, prejudice, and paffion, &c. which oftentimes fo miferably pervert the rational powers.

He that hath taken a just measure of himself, is thereby better able to judge of other things.

(1.) He knows how to judge of men and human nature better. For human nature, fetting afide the difference of natural genius, and the improvements of education and religion, is pretty much the fame in all. There are the fame paffions and appetites, the fame natural infirmities and inclinations in all, though fome are more predominant and diftinguishable in fome than they are in others. So that if

a man

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