things which obftruct their due exercise, as pride, prejudice and paffion, &c. which oftentimes fo miferably pervert the rational powers.

He that hath taken a juft measure of himself, is thereby better able to judge of other things.

(1.) He knows how to judge of Men and human nature better.-For human nature, fetting afide the difference of natural genius, and the improvements of education and religion, is pretty much the fame in all. There are like paffions and appetites, the fame natural infirmities and inclinations in all mankind; tho' fome are tho' fome are more predominant and diftinguishable in fome, than they are in others. So that if a man be but well acquainted with his own, this, together with a very little obfervation on human life, will foon difcover to him those of other men; and fhow him very impartially their particular failings and excellencies, and help him to form a much truer sentiment of them, than if he were to judge only by their exterior, the appearance they make in the eye of the world, or the character given of them by others; both which are often very fallacious.

(2.) Self

It

(2.) Self-Knowledge will teach us to judge rightly of facts as well as men. will exhibit things to the mind in a proper light and true colours, without those false gloffes and appearances which fancy throws upon them, or in which the imagination. often paints them. It will teach us to judge not with the imagination, but with the understanding; and will fet a guard upon the former, which fo often represents things in wrong views, and gives the mind falfe impreffions. [See Part I. Chap. IV.]

(3.) It helps us to estimate the true value of all worldly good things: it rectifies our notions, and leffens that enormous esteem we are apt to have for them. For when a man knows himself, and his true interests, he will see how far, and in what degree, these things are fuitable to him, and fubfervient to his Good; and how far they are unfuitable, enfnaring and pernicious. This, and not the common opinion of the world, will be his rule of judgment concerning them by this he will fee quite thro' them; difcern what they are at bottom; and how far a wise man ought to defire them. Men value them extravagantly because they take a fuperficial view of them, and only look upon their out-fide, where they are most

showy

fhowy and inviting. Were they profoundly to examine them, to confider their intrinfic worth, their ordinary effects, their tendency and their end, they would not be fo apt to over-value them. And a man that has learned to fee through himself, can easily form a proper judgment of all worldly things. (p.)

CHA P. VII.

Self-Knowledge directs to the proper Exercife of Self-denial.

MAN that knows himself beft, knows how, and wherein, he ought to deny

(p) Abstrahunt a recto divitiæ, honores, poten. tia, et cætera quæ opinione noftrâ chara funt, præcio fuo vilia. Nefcimus æftimara res: de quibus, non cum famâ fed cum rerum naturâ, deliberandum eft. Nihil habent ista magnificum, quo mentes in fe noftras trahant, præter hoc quod mirari illa confuevimus. Non, enim quia concupifcenda funt, laudantur, fed concupifcuntur quia laudata funt. Sen. Epift. 82.-Riches, Honours, Power, and the like, which owe all their worth to our falfe opinion of them, are too apt to draw the heart from virtue. We know not how to prize them; they are not to be judged of by the common vogue, but by their own nature. They have nothing to attract our esteem, but that we are ufed to admire them; they are not cried up becaufe they are things that ought to be defired, but they are defired becaufe they are generally cried up.

The

The great duty of Self-denial, which our Saviour fo exprefsly requires of all his followers, plain and neceffary as it is, has been much mistaken and abused; and that not only by the Church of Rome, in their doctrines of penance, fafts, and pilgrimages, but by fome Proteftant Christians in the inftances of voluntary abftinence, and unneceffary aufterities. Whence they are fometimes apt to be too cenforious against fuch as indulge themselves in the use of those indifferent things, from which they make it a point of conscience to abstain. Whereas would they confine their exercise of Selfdenial to the plain and important points of Christian Practice, devoutly obferving the necessary duties to which they are most averse, and refolutely avoiding the known fins whereto they are moft inclined, under the direction of Scripture, they would foon become more folid, judicious and exemplary Christians; and did they know themselves, they would easily fee that herein there is occafion and scope enough for felf-denial; and that to a degree of greater severity and difficulty than there is in those little corporal › abftinences and mortifications they enjoin themselves to perform.!

3

(1.) Self-knowledge will direct us to the neceffary exercises of Self-denial, with regard to the duties our tempers are most averse

to.

There is no one, but, at some times, finds a great backwardness and indifpofition to certain duties which he knows to be feafonable and neceffary: This is a proper occafion for Self-discipline. For to indulge fuch an indifpofition is very dangerous, and leads to an habitual neglect of known duty; and to oppose it, and to prepare for a diligent and faithful discharge of the duty, notwithstanding the many excufes that carnal difpofition may urge for the neglect of it, requireth no fmall pains and felf-denial; and yet it is very neceffary to the peace of conscience.

For our encouragement to this piece of felf-denial, we need only remember that the difficulty of the duty, and our unfitness for it, will, upon the trial, be found to be much less than we apprehended : The pleasure of reflecting, that we have discharged our confciences, and given a fresh teflimony of our uprightnefs, will more than compensate the pains and difficulty we found therein. The oftener thefe criminal propensions