things in a juft and proper light); by mor tifying our pride; ftrengthening the intellective and reflecting faculties; and enforcing upon the mind a lively sense and knowledge of its greatest happiness and duty; and fo awakening the foul from that carnal fecurity and indifference about its best interests, which a too serious attention to the world is apt to betray it into. Befides, prayer is a very proper expedient for attaining felf-knowledge, as the actual engagement of the mind in this devotional exercise is in itself a great help to it. For the mind is never in a better frame, than when it is intently and devoutly engaged in this duty. It has then the best apprehenfions of God, the trueft notions of itself, and the jufteft fentiments of earthly things; the clearest conceptions of its own weakness, and the deepest sense of its own vilenefs; and confequently is in the best difpofition that can be, to receive a true and right knowledge of itfelf. And, oh! could we but always think of ourselves in fuch a manner, or could we but always be in a difpofition to think of ourselves in fuch a manner, as we ometimes do in the fervour of our humiliations 4 miliations before the throne of grace, how great a progrefs fhould we foon make in this important fcience? Which evidently fhows the neceffity of fuch devout and humble engagements of the foul, and how happy a means they are to attain a just Jelf-acquaintance. AND NOW, Reader, whoever thou art that haft taken the pains to peruse thefe fheets, whatever be thy circumftances or condition in the world, what ever thy capacity or understanding, whatever thy occupations and engagements, whatever thy favourite fentiments and principles, or whatever religious fect or party thou efpoufeft, know for certain that thou haft been deeply interested in what thou haft been reading; whether thou haft at tended to it or no. For it is of no lefs concern to thee than the fecurity of thy peace and usefulness in this world, and thy happinefs in another; and relates to all thy interefts both as a Man and a Chriftian. Perhaps thou haft feen fomething of thine own image in the glafs that has now been held up to thee; and wilt thou go away, and foon "forget what manner "of perfon thou art ?"-Perhaps thou haft met with fome things thou doft not well under understand or approve; but fhall that take off thine attention from those things thou dost understand and approve, and art convinced of the neceffity of?-If thou haft received no improvement, no benefit from what thou hast been reading, read it over again. The fame thought, you know, often impreffes one more at one time than another. And we fometimes receive more knowledge and profit by the fecond perufal of a book than by the first. And I would fain hope that thou wilt find fomething in this that may fet thy thoughts on work, and which, by the bleffing of God, may make thee more obfervant of thy heart and conduct; and in confequence of that, a more folid, ferious, wise esta blifhed Chriftian. But will you, after all, deal by this book you have now read, as you have dealt by many fermons you have heard? pass your judgment upon it according to your received and established set of notions; and condemn or applaud it only as it is agreeable or difagreeable to them; and commend or cenfure it, only as it suits or does not fuit your particular tafte; without attending to the real weight, importance, and neceffity of the subject abstracted from thofe views? Or will you be barely barely content with the entertainment and fatisfaction, which fome parts of it may poffibly have given you; to affent to the importance of the fubject, and juftness of the fentiment, or the propriety of some of the observations you have been reading and fo difmifs all without any further concern about the matter?-Believe it, O Christian Reader, if this be all the advantage you gain by it, it were scarce worth while to have confined yourself fo long to the perufal of it. It has aimed, it has fincerely aimed, to do you a much greater benefit; to bring you to a better acquaintance with one you express a particular regard for, and who is capable of being the best friend, or the worst enemy you have in the world; and that is yourself. It was defigned to convince you, that would you live and act confiftently either as a man or a Chriftian, you must know yourfelf; and to perfuade you, under the influence of the foregoing motives, and by the help of the forementioned directions, to make felf-knowledge the great study, and felf-government the great business of your life. In which refolution may Almighty God confirm you; and in which great business may his grace affift you, against all future difcouragements and diftractions |