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fions of love, pity, and benevolence, forms a fweet, fympathizing, and courteous temper; and where all the paffions are duly poifed, and the milder and pleafing ones prevail, they make what is commonly called a quite good-natured man.

So that it is the prevalence or predominance of any particular paffion, which gives the turn or tincture to a man's temper, by which he is distinguished, and for which he is loved and efteemed, or fhunned and despised by others.

Now, what this is, thofe we converse with are foon fenfible of. They prefently fee through us, and know the fault of our temper, and order their behaviour to us accordingly. If they are wife and wellmannered, they will avoid touching the ftring which they know will jar and raise a difcord within us. If they are our enemies, they will do it on purpofe to fet us on tormenting ourfelves. And our friends we must fuffer fometimes with a gentle hand to touch it, either by way of pleafant raillery or faithful advice,

But a man must be greatly unacquainted with himself, if he is ignorant of his predominant paffion, or diftinguishing temper, when every one else obferves it. And yet how common is this piece of

felf

felf-ignorance? The two apoftles Peter and John discovered it in that very action, wherein they meant to express nothing but a hearty zeal for their-mafter's honour; which made him tell them, "That they knew not what manner of "fpirit they were of," Luke ix. 5. ; i. e. that inftead of a principle of love and genuine zeal for him, they were at that time governed by a spirit of pride, revenge, and cruelty. And that the apoftle John fhould be liable to this cenfure, whose temper feemed to be all love and fweetnefs, is a memorable inftance how difficult a thing it is for a man at all times to know his own fpirit; and that that paffion, which feems to have the leaft power over his mind, may on fome occafions insensibly gain a criminal afcendant there.

And the neceffity of a perfect knowledge of our reigning paffions appears further from hence; becaufe they not only give a tincture to the temper, but to the understanding alfo, and throw a strong bias on the judgment. They have much the fame effect upon the eye of the mind, as fome diftempers have upon the eyes of the body; if they do not put it out, they weaken it, or throw falfe colours before

and make it form a wrong judgment

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of things: and, in fhort, are the source of those fore-mentioned prejudices, which fo often abufe the human understanding.

Whatever the different paffions themfelves that reign in the mind may be owing to; whether to the different texture of the bodily organs, or the different quality or motion of the animal fpirits, or to the native turn and caft of the foul itself; yet certain it is, that men's different ways of thinking are much according to the predominance of their different paffions, and especially with regard to religion. Thus, e. g. we fee melancholy people are apt to throw too much gloom upon their religion, and reprefent it in a very uninviting and unlovely view, as all aufterity and mortification; whilft they who are governed by the more gay and cheerful paffions, are apt to run into the other extreme, and too much to mingle the pleafures of fenfe with thofe of religion; and are as much too lax, as the other too fevere. And fo by the prejudice or bias of their respective paffions, or the force of their natural temper, are led into the miftake on both fides.

"So that would a man know himself, he muft ftudy his natural temper, his " conftitu

"conftitutional inclinations, and favour"ite paffions; for by thefe a man's judg"ment is eafily perverted, and a wrong "bias hung upon his mind: these are the "inlets of prejudice, the unguarded ave

nues of the mind, by which a thousand' errors and fecret faults find admiffion, "without being observed or taken notice .". of *."

And that we may more eafily come at the knowledge of our predominant affections, let us confider what outward events do most impress and move us, and in what manner. What is it that usually creates the greatest pain or pleasure in the mind? -As for pain, a ftoic indeed may tell us, "that we must keep things at a distance; "let nothing that is outward come with"in us; let externals be externals still." But the human make will scarce bear the rigour of that philofophy. Outward things, after all, will imprefs and affect us. And there is no harm in this, provided they do not get the poffeffion of us, overset our reason, or lead us to act unbecoming a man or a Christian. And one advantage we may reap from hence is, the manner

* Spectat. Vol. VI. No. 899.

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or degree in which outward things imprefs us, may lead us into a more perfect knowledge of ourselves, and discover to us our weak fide, and the particular paffions which have most power over us.

Our pleasures will likewife difcover our reigning paffions, and the true temper and difpofition of the foul. If it be captivated by the pleasures of fin, it is a fign its prevailing tafte is very vicious and corrupt; if with the pleafures of fenfe, very low and fordid; if imaginary pleasures, and the painted scenes of fancy and romance, do moft entertain it, the foul hath then a trifling turn; if the pleasures of fcience or intellectual improvements are those it is most fond of, it has then a noble and refined taste; but if the pleasures of religion and divine contemplation do above all others delight and entertain it, it has then its true and proper tafte; its temper is as it fhould be, pure, divine, and heavenly, provided thefe pleasures fpring from a true religious principle, free from that fuperftition, bigotry, and enthusiasm, under which it is often difguifed.

And thus by carefully obferving what it is that gives the mind the greatest pain and torment, or the greatest pleasure and entertain

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