life, and abundantly recompenfe all our

labour.

Were there need of any further motives to excite us to this, I might lay open the many dreadful effects of self-ignorance, and fhow how plainly it appears to be the original spring of all the follies and incongruities we fee in the characters of men, and of most of the mortifications and miferies they meet with here. This would foon appear, by only mentioning the reverse of those advantages before fpecified, which naturally attend felf-knowledge: for what is it, but a want of felf-knowledge and felf-government, that makes us fo unfettled and volatile in our difpofitions? fo fubject to tranfport and excefs of paffions in the varying fcenes of life? fo rafh and unguarded in our conduct? fo vain and felf-fufficient? fo cenforious and malignant? fo eager and confident? fo little ufeful in the world, to what we might be? fo inconfiftent with ourfelves? fo miftaken in our notions of true religion? fo generally indifpofed to, or unengaged in, the holy exercifes of it? and, finally, fo unfit for death, and so afraid of dying? I fay, to what is all this owing, but selfignorance? the firft and fruitful fource of all this long train of evils. And, indeed,

there

there is scarce any, but what may be tra→ ced up to it. In fhort, it brutifies man, to be ignorant of himself. "Man that is " in honour, and understandeth not (him→ "felf efpecially), is as the beafts that pe"rifh," Pfal. xlix. 20.

"Come home then, O my wandering, "felf-neglecting foul, lose not thyself in "a wilderness or tumult of impertinent, "vain, distracting things. Thy work is ἐσ nearer thee: the country thou fhouldft "first survey and travel is within thee; "from which thou must pass to that a"bove thee; when, by lofing thyself in "this without thee, thou wilt find thy"felf, before thou art aware, in that be"low thee. Let the eyes of fools be in "the corners of the earth; leave it to 66 men befide themfelves, to live as with❝out themselves; do thou keep at home, " and mind thine own bufinefs; furvey "thyfelf, thine own make and nature, " and thou wilt find full employ for all "thy most active thoughts*. But, doft "thou

* Mirantur aliqui altitudines montium, ingentes fluctus maris, altiffimos lapfus fluminum, et oceani ambitum, et gyros fiderum, et relinquunt feipfos, nec mirantur, (faith St. Auguftin). Some men admire *the heights of mountains, the huge waves of the

"fea,

"thou delight in the mysteries of nature? "confider well the mystery of thy own. "The compendium of all thou studieft is

cr

near thee, even within thee; thyself

"being the epitome of the world *. If "either neceffity or duty, nature or grace, "reafon or faith, internal inducements, "external impulfes, or eternal motives, "might determine the fubject of thy ftu"dy and contemplation, thou wouldst "call home thy diftracted thoughts, and "employ

"fea, the fteep falls of rivers, the compafs of the ocean, and the circuit of the ftars, and pafs by "themselves without admiration."

#

Τις εν αξίως θαυμάσειε την ευγένειαν τεε τεζως τα συνδέοντος εν εαυ]ω τα θνητα, τοις αθανάτοις, και τα λογικά τοις αλόγοις συναπίονος, το φεροντος εν τη καθ' εαυτόν φύσει της πάσης κλίσεως την εικόνα, δι α και μικρος κοσμος ενα ψήλαι, σε τοσαύτης ηξιομενα παρα τε Θε8 προνοίας ; δι 09 πανία και τα νυν, και τα μελλον]α· δι ον ο Θεος ανθρωπος yiyove. Nem. de Nat. Hom. cap. I. pag. 34.-Who can fufficiently admire the noble nature of that creature, Man, who hath in him the mortal and the immortal, the rational and irrational natures united, and fo carries about with him the image of the whole creation; whence he is called microcofm, or the little zworld; for whofe fake (fo highly is he honoured by God) all things are made, both prefent and future; nay, for whofe fake God himself became man? So that it was not unjustly faid by Gregory Neffene, that man was the macrocofm, and the world without the microcofm.

"employ them more on thyself and thy "God."

Now, then, let us refolve, that, henceforth, the ftudy of ourfelves fhall be the business of our lives; that, by the bleffing of God, we may arrive at fuch a degree of felf-knowledge, as may fecure to us the excellent benefits before mentioned: To which end we would do well to attend diligently to the rules laid down in the following chapters.

CHAP. I.

Self-Examination necessary to Self-Knowledge.

I. " THE first thing neceffary to felf"knowledge is felf-inspection."

We must often look into our hearts, if we would know them. They are very deceitful; more fo than any man can think, till he has fearched, and tried, and watched them. We may meet with frauds and faithlefs dealings from men; but, after all, our own hearts are the greatest cheats, and there are none we are in greater danger from than ourselves.

Baxter's Mischief of Self-Ignorance.

We

We must first suspect ourselves, then examine ourselves, then watch ourselves, if we expect ever to know ourselves. How is it poffible there fhould be any felf-acquaintance without felf-converfe?

Were a man to accuftom himself to fuch felf-employment, he need not live till thirty before he suspects himself a fool, or till forty before he knows it.

Men could never be so bad as they are, if they did but take a proper care and fcope in this bufinefs of felf-examination +. If they did but look backwards to what they were, inwards to what they are, and forwards to what they fhall be,

And as this is the firft and moft neceffary Rep to felf-acquaintance, it may not be amifs to be a little more particular in it. Therefore,

(1.) This bufinefs of felf-fcrutiny muft be performed with great care and diligence, otherwife our hearts will deceive us even whilft we are ex anining them. "When "we set ourselves to think, fome trifle or "other presently interrupts and draws us “ off

28.

See the Complaint, or Night Thoughts, part i. pag.

+ Hoc nos peffimos facit, quod nemo vitam fuam refpicit. Quid facturi fimus, cogitamus, et id raro: quid fecerimus, non cogitamus. Sen. Epift. 84.