enemy to the fight, or to run into fuch a fituation, where we cannot expect to escape without a disadvantageous encoun

ter.

It is of unspeakable importance, in order to felf-knowledge and felf-government, to be acquainted with all the acceffes and avenues to fin, and to obferve which way it is that we are ofteneft led to it; and to fet reafon and confcience to guard those paffes, those usual inlets to vice, which, if a man once enters, he will find a retreat extremely difficult *.

"Watchfulness, which is always ne"ceffary, is chiefly fo when the first af"faults are made; for then the enemy is. "most easily repulfed, if we never fuffer " him to get within us, but upon the very "first approach draw up our forces, and "fight him without the gate. And this "will be more manifest, if we obferve by "what methods and degrees temptations

grow upon us.-The first thing that "prefents itself to the mind, is a plain,

F

me veftigia terrent

fingle

Omnia te adverfum fpectantia, nulla retrorfum.

Facilis defcenfus averni.

Sed revocare gradum, &c.

Hor.

Virg.

"single thought; this ftraight is improv"ed into a strong imagination; that again "enforced by a fenfible delight; then fol"low evil motions; and when these are r once stirred, there wants nothing but "the affent of the will, and then the "work is finished. Now the first steps "of this are feldom thought worth our care, fometimes not taken notice of; "so that the enemy is frequently got close up to us, and even within our trenches, "before we obferve him *.

As men have their particular fins, which do moft easily befet them, fo they have their particular temptations, which do most eaJily overcome them. That may be a very great temptation to one, which is none at all to another. And if a man does not know what are his greatest temptations, he must have been a great stranger indeed to the bufinefs of felf-employment.

As the fubtle enemy of mankind takes care to draw men gradually into fin, so he ufually draws them by degrees into temptation. As he difguifes the fin, fo he conceals the temptation to it; well knowing, that, were they but once fenfible of their danger of fin, they would be ready to be upon

upon their guard against it. Would we know ourselves thoroughly then, we must get acquainted not only with our most ufual temptations, that we be not unawares drawn into fin, but with the previous steps and preparatory circumstances which make way for those temptations, that we be not drawn unawares into the occafions of fin; for thofe things which lead us into temptations are to be confidered as temptations, as well as those which immediately lead us into fin. And a man that knows himself will be aware of his remote temptations, as well as the more immediate ones; e. g. If he find the company of a paffionate man is a temptation (as Solomon tells us it is, Prov. xxii. 24, 25.), he will not only avoid it, but thofe occafions that may lead him into it. And the petition in the Lord's prayer makes it as much a man's duty to be upon his guard against temptation as under it. Nor can a man pray from his heart that God would not lead him into temptation, if he take no care himself to avoid it.

CHAP. IX.

Self-knowledge difcovers the fecret Prejudices of the heart.

VIII.

ANOTHER important branch of felf-knowledge is, for a man to

be acquainted with his own prejudices, or thofe fecret prepoffeffions of his heart, which, though fo deep and latent that he may not be fenfible of them, are often fo frong and prevalent, as to give a mighty, but imperceptible bias to the mind.

And in this the great art of felf-knowledge confifts, more than in any one thing again. It being therefore a matter of fuch mighty confequence, and at the fame time a point to which men in general are too inattentive, it deferves a more particular difcuffion.

These prejudices of the human mind may be confidered with regard to opinions, perfons, and things.

(1.). With regard to opinions.

It is a common obfervation, but well expreffed by a late celebrated writer, “that "we fet out in life with fuch poor begin"nings of knowledge, and grow up un"der fuch remains of fuperftition and ig

"norance,

"norance, fuch influences of company "and fashion, fuch infinuations of plea"fure, &c. that it is no wonder if men "get habits of thinking only in one way, "that these habits in time grow rigid and "confirmed, and fo their minds come to "be overcast with thick prejudices, fcarce "penetrable by any ray of truth, or light " of reafon *."

There is no man but is more fond of one particular fet or scheme of opinions. in philofophy, politics, and religion, than he is of another, if he hath employed his thoughts at all about them. The question we should examine then is, How come we by thefe attachments? whence are we fo fond of these particular notions? did we come fairly by them? or were they impofed upon us, and dictated to our eafy belief, before we were able to judge of them? This is most likely. For the impreffions we early receive generally grow up with us, and are those we least care to part with. However, which way foever we came by them, they must be re-examined, and brought to the touch-ftone of found fenfe, folid reason, and plain fcripture. If they will not bear this after hard rubbing,

F 3

*See Religion of Nature Delin. pag. 129.