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ed to us in a manifold light, and explained to us in various views by the Holy Spirit, in that revelation which God hath been pleased to give us as our guide to duty and happiness; by which, "as in a "glafs, we may furvey ourselves, and "know what manner of perfons we are *"

This discovers ourfelves to us, pierces into the inmoft receffes of the mind, ftrips off every difguife, lays open the inward part, makes a ftrict fcrutiny into the very foul and fpirit, and critically "judges of "the thoughts and intents of the heart +." It fhows us with what exactnefs and care we are to search and try our fpirits, examine ourselves, and watch our ways, and keep our hearts, in order to acquire this important felf-fcience; which it often calls us to do. "Examine yourselves; Prove your own felves; Know you not yourfelves? Let a man examine himself," 1 Cor,

James i. 23.

* Και κριτικός ενθυμησίων και εννοιών καρδίας. Hel iv. 12.

Eaures SonipaZere. 2 Cor. xiii. 5-Though doxmale fignifies to approve, as well as to prove; yet that our tranflators have hit upon the true fenfe of the word here, in rendering it prove yourselves, apparent, not only from the word immediately preceding (εaurus wuga?tle), which is of the fame import, but becaufe

1 Cor. xi. 28. Our Saviour upbraids his difciples with their felf-ignorance, in not "knowing what manner of fpirits they << were of," Luke ix. 55. And, faith the apostle, "If a man (through felf-igno"rance) thinketh himself to be fomething "when he is nothing, he deceiveth him"felf. But let every man prove his work, " and then shall he have rejoicing in him"self and not in another," Gal. vi. 3, 4. Here we are commanded, instead of judging others, to judge ourselves; and to avoid the inexcufeable rafhnefs of condemning others for the very crimes we ourselves are guilty of, Rom. ii. 1, 21, 22., which a felf-ignorant man is very apt to do; nay, to be more offended at a small blemish in another's character, than at e greater in his own; which folly, felf-ignorance, and hypocrify, our Saviour with just

becaufe felf-probation is always neceffary to a right Self-approbation.

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Every Chriftian ought to try himself, and may "know himself, if he be faithful in examining. The "frequent exhortations of Scripture hereunto imply "both thefe, viz. That the knowledge of ourfelves " is attainable, and that we fhould endeavour after "it. Why fhould the apoftle put them upon examining and proving themselves, unless it was poffible to know themfelves upon fuch trying and proving?" Bennet's Chrift. Oratory, p. 568.

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just severity animadverts upon, Mat. vii. 3-5.

And what ftress was laid upon this under the Old Teftament difpenfation appears fufficiently from thofe expreffions. "Keep thy heart with all diligence," Prov. iv. 23. "Commune with your

"

own heart," Pfal. iv. 4. "Search me, "O God, and know my heart; try me, "and know my thoughts," Pfal. cxxxix. 66 23. "Examine me, O Lord, and prove 66 me; try my reins and my heart," Pfal. xxvi. 2. "Let us fearch and try our ways," Lam. iii. 4. "Recollect, re"collect yourselves, O nation not defir"ed," Zeph. ii. 1. And all this as neceffary to that felf-acquaintance which is he only proper basis of folid peace †.

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-התקוששו וקושו

Were

-the verb (p) properly fignifies to glean, or gather together fcattered sticks or ftraws; as appears from all the places where the word is ufed in the Old Teftament, (Exod. v. 7, 12. Num. xv. 34. 1 Kings xvii. 10.). Hence, by an eafy metaphor, it fignifies to recollect, or gather the fcattered thoughts together; and ought to be fo rendered, when used in the reflective form, as here it is. So faith R. Kimchi, (up) eft proprie ftipulas colligere. Id fit accurata fcrutatione, hinc dicitur de qualibet inquifitione. Whence I think it is evident that the word fhould be rendered as above.

+ Clemens Alexandrinus faith, that Mofes by that phrase, so common in his writings, Take beed to thyfelf (Exod.

Were mankind but more generally convinced of the importance and neceffity of this felf-knowledge, and poffeffed with a due esteem for it; did they but know the true way to attain it; and, under a proper fenfe of its excellence, and the fatal effects of felf-ignorance, did they but make it their bufinefs and study every day to cultivate it; how foon fhould we find a happy alteration in the manners and fpirits of men! But the misery of it is, men will not think; will not employ their thoughts in good earnest about the things which moft of all deferve and demand them. By which unaccountable indolence, ofcitancy, and averfion to self-reflection, they are led blindfold and infenfibly into the most dangerous paths of infidelity and, wickedness, as the Jews were heretofore; of whofe amazing ingratitude and apoftacy God himself affigns this fingle caufe, "My people do not confider,” Ifa. i. 3 *.

Self

(Exod. x. 28. xxxiv. 12. Deut. iv. 9.), means the fame thing as the ancients did by their vasaralov. Storm. Lib. 2. cap. 15.

"There is nothing men are more deficient in "than knowing their own characters. I know not "how this fcience comes to be fo much neglected. "We fpend a great deal of time in learning ufelefs "things, but take no pains in the ftudy of ourselves,

and

Self-knowledge is that acquaintance with ourselves which fhows us what we are, and do, and ought to be, and do, in order to our living comfortably and usefully here, and happily hereafter. The means of it is felf-examination; the end of it felf-government, and felf-fruition. It principally confifts in the knowledge of our fouls; which is attained by a particular attention to their various powers, capacities, paffions, inclinations, operations, ftate, happiness, and temper. For a man's foul is properly himself, Mat. xvi. 26. compared with Luke ix. 25*. The body is but the house, the foul is the tenant that inhabits it; the body is the inftrument, the four the artist that directs it +.

This

" and in opening the folds and doubles of the heart." Reflections on Ridicule, p. 61.

Præceptum Apollinis, quo monet, ut fe quifque nofcat, non enim, credo, id præcipit; ut Membra noftra aut ftaturam figuramque nofcamus: neque nos corpora fumus; neque ego, tibi dicens hoc, corpori tuo dico: cum igitur NOSCE TE dicit, hoc dicit, Nofce animum tuum. Nam corpus quidem quafi vas eft, aut aliquod animi receptaculum; ab animo tuo quicquid agitur, id agitur a te. Cic. Tufcul. Queft.

Lib. I.

+ 2 Cor. v. 1. Rom. vi. 13- η δυναμις ψυχής, το opgaven ownaps. Nemef. de Nat. Hom. cap. 6. Μηδέποτε συμπεριφανταζε το περικειμενος αγγειώδες, και * οργάνια ταύτα τα περιπεπλασμένα, ομοια γαρ έτι σκ

παρνώ,

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