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world, and concealed from himself. The wife man fees thofe frailties in himself, which others cannot; but the fool is blind to those blemishes in his character, which are confpicuous to every body elfe. Whence it appears that felf-knowledge is that which makes the main difference between a wife man and a fool, in the moral sense of that word.

CHAP. VII.

Concerning the Knowledge of our Conftitu

VI.

tional Sins.

"SELF-ACQUAINTANCE fhows a man the particular fins he

" is most expofed and addicted to; and "discovers not only what is ridiculous, but "what is criminal, in his conduct and "temper."

The outward actions of a man are generally the plainest index of his inward difpofitions; and by the allowed fins of his life you may know the reigning vices of his mind. Is he addicted to luxury and debauch? fenfuality then appears to be his prevailing tafte. Is he given to revenge and cruelty? choler and malice then reign in his heart.. Is he confident, bold, E 2

and

1

and enterprising? ambition appears to be the fecret fpring. Is he fly and defigning, given to intrigue and artifice? you may conclude, there is a natural fubtilty of temper that prompts him to this. And this fecret difpofition is criminal, in proportion to the degree in which these outward actions, which fpring from it, tranfgrefs the bounds of reafon and virtue.

Every man hath fomething peculiar in the turn or caft of his mind, which diftinguishes him as much as the particular constitution of his body. And both these, viz. his particular turn of mind, and particular conftitution of body, incline and difpofe him to fome kind of fins, much more than to others. And the fame it is that renders the practice of certain virtues so much more easy to some than it is to others *.

Now

Men, with regard to their bodies and bodily appetites, are pretty much alike; but, with regard to their fouls, and their mental taftes and difpofitions, they are often as different as if they were quite of another fpecies; governed by different views, entertained with different pleasures, animated with different hopes, and affected by different motives, and Jiftinguished by as different tempers and inclinations,

if they were not of the fame kind. So that I am ry ready to believe, that there is not a greater difvence between an angel and fome of the beft and

wifeft

Now these fins which men generally are moft strongly inclined to, and the temptations to which they find they have leaft power to refift, are ufually and properly called their conftitutional fins; their peculiar frailties; and, in fcripture, their own iniquities, Pfal. xviii. 23. and the fins which "do most easily befet them," Heb. xii. 1 *. "As in the humours of the body, fo in the vices of the mind, there is one "predominant, which has an afcendant 66 over us, and leads and governs us. It "is in the body of fin what the heart is

E 3

"in

wifeft of men, or between a devil and fome of the worst and wickedeft of men, with regard to their tempers and difpofitions, than there is between fome fort of men and fome others. And what inclines me to this fentiment is, confidering the easy tranfition which nature always obferves in paffing from one order or kind of beings to another (which I have before taken notice of), together with the prodigious difference there appears to be between fome and others of the human fpecies, almost in every thing belonging to their fouls: For fome there are, "in "whom (as one expreffes it) one would think na "ture had placed every thing the wrong way;" depraved in their opinions, unintelligible in their rea foning, irregular in their actions, and vicious in every difpofition: Whilft in fome others we see almost every thing amiable and excellent that can adorn and exalt the human mind under the disadvantages of mortality.

• n aμaştia sumigıçaros, The well-circumftanced fin.

"in the body of our nature; it begins 66 to live firft, and dies laft; and whilst it "lives, it communicates life and spirit to "the whole body of fin; and when it "dies, the body of fin expires with it. "It is the fin to which our conftitution "leads, our circumftances betray, and "custom enflaves us; the fin to which

not our virtues only, but vices too, low"er their topfail, and fubmit; the fin, "which when we would impose upon "God and our confciences, we excuse "and difguife with all imaginable arti"fice and fophiftry; but when we are "fincere with both, we oppofe first, and "conquer laft. It is, in a word, the fin "which reigns and rules in the unrege"nerate, and too often alarms and di"fturbs (ah! that I could fay no more) "the regenerate

Some are more inclined to the fins of the flesh; fenfuality, intemperance, uncleanuefs, floth, felf-indulgence, and excess in animal gratifications. Others more inclined to the fins of the Spirit; pride, malice, covetousness, ambition, wrath, revenge, envy, &c. And I am perfuaded there are few, but, upon a thorough fearch into

* See Dr. Lucas's Sermons, Vol. i. pag. 151.

into themselves, may find that fome one of thefe fins hath ordinarily a greater power over them than the reft. Others often observe it in them, if they themfelves do not. And for a man not to know his predominant iniquity, is great felf-ignorance indeed, and a fign that he has all his life lived far from home; because he is not acquainted with that in himself, which every one, who is but half an hour in his company, perhaps, may be able to inform him of. Hence proceeds that extreme weakness which fome difcover in cenfuring others for the very fame faults they are guilty of themfelves, and perhaps in a much higher degree; on which the apostle Paul animadverts, Rom. ii. 1 *.

It must be owned, it is an irksome and difagreeable business for a man to turn his own accufer; to search after his own faults, and keep his eye upon that which it gives him shame and pain to fee. It is like tearing open an old wound. But it is better to do this, than to let it mortify. The wounds of the confcience, like those

of

Quis tulerit Gracchos de feditione querentes? Clodius accufat Machos? Catalina Cethegum? Juv. Sat. 12.

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