It is the character of a diffolute mind, to be entirely infenfible to all that the world fays of us: and fhews fuch a confidence of self-knowledge, as is ufually a fure fign of felf-ignorance. The most knowing minds are ever least presumptuous: and true felf-knowledge is a fcience of fo much depth and difficulty, that a wife man would not chufe to

be

Why fhould we not take an enemy for our tutor, who will inftruct us gratis in thofe things we knew not before? For an enemy fees and understands more in matters relating to us than our friends do, because love is blind; but spite, malice, ill-will, wrath, and contempt, talk much, are very inquifitive, and quick-fighted.

Our enemy, to gratify his ill-will towards us, acquaints himself with the infirmities both of our bodies and minds;' fticks to our faults, and makes his invidious remarks upon them, and spreads them abroad by his uncharitable and illnatured reports. Hence we are taught this ufeful leffon for the direction and management of our converfation in the world, viz. that we be circumfpect and wary in every thing we fpeak or do, as if our enemy always ftocd at our elbow, and overlooked our actions.

Thofe perfons whom that wisdom hath brought to live foberly, which the fear and awe of enemies hath infused, are by degrees drawn into a habit of living fo, and are compofed and fixed in their obedience to virtue by cuftom and use.

When one afked Diogenes how he might be avenged of his enemies? he replied, To be yourself a good and honest man. Antithenes ipake incomparably well, that, if a man would live a fafe and unblameable life, it was neceffary " that he should have very ingenuous and faithful friends, or very bad enemies; because the firft, by their kind ad"monitions, would keep him from finning; the latter by "their invectives."

He that hath no friend to give him advice, or reprove him when he does amifs, muft bear patiently the rebukes of his enemies, and thereby learn to mend the errors of his ways; confidering seriously the object, which these fevere cenfures

be over-confident that all his notions of himself are right, in opposition to the judgment of all mankind; fome of whom, perhaps have better opportunities and advantages of knowing him (at fome feafons especially) than he has of knowing himfelf; because herein they never look through the fame falfe medium of self-flattery.

aim at, and not what he is who makes them: for he who defigned the death of Prometheus, the Theffalian, instead of giving him the fatal blow, only opened a fwelling which he had, which did really fave his life. Juft fo may the harsh reprefentations of enemies cure fome diftempers of the mind, which were before either not known or negl&ted, though their angry ípeeches do originally proceed from malice or ill-will.

If any man with opprobrious language, objects to you crimes you know nothing of, you ought to enquire into the caufes or reafons of fuch falfe accufations; whereby you may learn to take heed for the future, left you should unwarily commit those offences which are unjustly imputed to you.

Whenever any thing is fpoken against you that is not true, do not pafs by, or defpife it because it is falfe; but forthwith examine yourself, and confider what you have faid or done that may adminifter a juft occafion of reproof.

Nothing can be a greater inftance of wildom and humanity, than for a man to bear filently and quietly the follies and revilings of an enemy; taking as much care not to provoke him, as he would to fail safely by a dangerous rock.

It is an eminent piece of humanity, and a manifeft token of a nature truly generous, to put up with the affronts of an enemy, at a time when you have a fair opportunity to revenge them.

Let us carefully obferve thofe good qualities wherein our enemies excel us: and endeavour to excel them, by avoiding what is faulty, and imitating what is excellent in them. Plut. Mor. Vol, i. pag. 265, et feq.

CHAP.

CHAP. IV.

Frequent Converfe with Superiors a Help to Self

IV.

A

Knowledge.

NOTHER proper means of felf-knowledge is, to converfe as much as you can with those who are your fuperiors in real excellence.

He that walketh with wife men shall be wife*. Their example will not only be your motive to Jaudable pursuits, but a mirror to your mind; by which you may poffibly difcern fome failings, or deficiencies, or neglects in yourself, which before efcaped you. You will fee the unreasonablenefs of your vanity and felf-fufficiency, when you obferve how much you are furpaffed by others in knowledge and goodness. Their proficiency will make your defects the more obvious to yourself: and by the luftre of their virtues you will better fee the deformity of your vices; your negligence by their diligence; your pride by their humility; your paffion by their meeknefs; and your folly by their wisdom.

Examples not only move, but teach and direct, much more effectually than precepts; and fhew us not only that such virtues may be practifed, but how; and how lovely they appear when they are.

* Prov. xiii. 20.

And

And therefore, if we cannot have them always before our eyes, we fhould endeavour to have them always in our mind; and efpecially that of our great Head and Pattern, who hath fet us a perfect example of the most innocent conduct, under the worst and most difadvantageous circumstances of human life (t).

Of cultivating fuch a Temper as will be the best Difpofition to Self-Knowledge,

V.

F a man would know himself, he must with

IF

great care cultivate that temper which will beft difpofe him to receive this knowledge.

Now, as there are no greater hindrances to felfknowledge than pride and obftinacy, fo there is nothing more helpful to it than humility and an openness to conviction.

1. One who is in queft of felf-knowledge, muft above all things feek humility. And how near an affinity there is between these two, appears from hence, that they are both acquired the same way. The very means of attaining humility are the propereft means for attaining felf-acquaintance.By keeping an eye every day upon our faults and wants, we become more humble; and by the fame means we become more felf-intelligent. By con

(t) Qui pleniffimè intelligere appetit qualis fit, tales debet afpicere qualis non eft; ut in bonorum formâ, metiatur quantum deformis eft. Greg.

fidering

fidering how far we fall fhort of our rule and our duty, and how vaftly others exceed us, and efpecially by a daily and diligent study of the word of God, we come to have meaner thoughts of ourfelves; and by the very fame means we come to have a better acquaintance with ourselves.

A proud man cannot know himfelf. Pride is that beam in the eye of his mind, which renders him quite blind to any blemishes there. Hence nothing is a furer fign of felf-ignorance than vanity and oftentation.

Indeed, true felf-knowledge and humility are for neceffarily connected, that they depend upon, and mutually beget, each other. A man that knows himself, knows the worft of himself, and therefore cannot but be humble; and an humble mind is fiequently contemplating its own faults and weakneffes, which greatly improves it in felf-knowledge: fo that felf-acquaintance makes a man humble; and humility gives him ftill a better acquaintance with himself.

(2.) An opennefs to conviction is no less neceffary to self-knowledge than humility.

As nothing is a greater bar to true knowledge than an obftinate stiffness in opinion, and a fear to depart from old notions, which (before we were capable of judging, perhaps,) 'we had long taken up for the truth; fo nothing is a greater bar to selfknowledge