the best human minds (especially those who aim at singular and exalted degrees of piety) viz. a religious vanity or spiritual pride; which without a good deal of self knowledge and self attention will gradually insinuate into the heart, taint the mind, and sophisticate our virtues before we are aware; and in proportion to its prevalence make the Chris tian temper degrade into the Pharisaical.

Might I be allowed to choose my own lot, I should think it much more eligible to want my spiritual comforts, than to abound in these at the expense of my humility. No; let a penitent, a contrite spirit be always my portion; and may I ever so be the favourite of Heaven, as never to forget that I am the chief of sinners. Knowledge in the sublime and glorious mysteries of the Christian faith, and ravishing contemplations of GoD and a future state, are most desirable advantages; but still I prefer charity which edifieth before the highest intellectual perfections of that knowledge which puffeth up. Those spiritual advantages are certainly best for us, which increase our modesty and awaken our caution, and dispose us to suspect and deny ourselves.-The highest in GoD's esteem, are meanest in their own. And their excellency consists in the meekness and truth, not in the pomp and ostentation of piety, which affects to be seen and admired of men."

1 Cor. viii, 1.

CHAP. IV.

Charity another Effect of Self Knowledge. IV. SELF knowledge greatly promotes a spirit of meekness and charity.

The more a man is acquainted with his own failings, the more he is disposed to make allowances for those of others. The knowledge he hath of himself, will incline him to be as severe in his animadversions on his own conduct, as he is on that of others; and as candid to their faults as he is to his own.

There is an uncommon beauty, force, and propriety in that caution which our Saviour gives us, And why beholdest thou the 'mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, let me pull out the mote out of thine eye, and behold the beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.* * In which words these four things are plainly intimated; 1. That some are much more quick-sighted to discern the faults and blemishes of others, than their own; can spy a mote in another's eye, sooner than a beam in their own. 2. That they are often the most forward to correct and cure the foibles of others, who are most unqualified for that office. The beam in their own eye makes them altogether unfit to pull out the mote from their brother's. A man half blind himself should never set up for an oculist. 3. That they who are inclined to deal in censure should always begin at home. 4. Great censoriousness is great hypocrisy. Thou hypocrite, &c. all this is nothing but the effect of woful self ignorance.

Matt, vi. 3-5.

This common failing of the human nature, the heathens were very sensible of; and imaged it in the following manner: Every man, say they, carries a wallet, or two bags with him; the one hanging before him, and the other behind him; into that before, he puts the faults of others; into that behind, his own; by which means he never sees his own failings, whilst he has those of others always before his eyes.

But self knowledge now helps us to turn this wallet; and place that which hath our own faults before our eyes, and that which hath in it those of others behind our back. A very necessary regulation this, if we would behold our own faults in the same light in which they do. For we must not expect that others will be as blind to our foibles as we ourselves are. They will carry them before their eyes, whether we do or not. And to imagine that the world takes no notice of them, because we do not, is just as wise as to fancy that others do not see us, because we shut our eyes.

CHAP. V.

Moderation the Effect of Self Knowledge. V. ANOTHER genuine offspring of self knowledge is moderation.

This indeed can hardly be conceived to be separate from that of meekness and charity beforementioned; but I choose to give it a distinct mention, because I consider it under a different view and operation, viz. as that which guards and influences our spirits in all matters of debate and controversy.

Moderation is a great and important Christian virtue, very different from that bad quality of the mind under which it is often misrepresented and disguised, viz. lukewarmness and indifference about the truth. The former is very consistent with a regular and well corrected zeal, the latter consists in a total want of it; the former is sensible of, and endeavours with peace and prudence to maintain the dignity and importance of divine doctrines, the latter hath no manner of concern about them; the one feels the secret influences of them, the other is quite a stranger to their power and efficacy; the one laments in secret the sad decay of vital religion, the other is an instance of it. In short, the one proceeds from true knowledge, the other from great ignorance; the one is a good mark of sincerity, and the other a certain sign of hypocrisy.-And to confound two things together, which are so essentially different, can be the effect of nothing but great ignorance, inconsideration, or an overheated, injudicious zeal.

A self knowing man can easily distinguish between these two. And the knowledge which he has of human nature in general, from a thorough contemplation of his own in particular, shows him the necessity of preserving a medium (as in every thing else, so especially) between the two extremes of a bigoted zeal on the one hand, and indolent lukewarmness on the other. As he will not look upon every thing to be worth contending for, so he will look upon nothing worth losing his temper for in the contention; because, though the truth be of ever so great importance, nothing can do a greater disservice to it, or make a man more incapable of defending it, than intemperate heat and passion; whereby he injures and betrays the cause he is

over anxious to maintain.

The wrath of man

worketh not the righteousness of God.*

Self knowledge heals our animosities, and greatly cools our debates about matters of dark and doubtful speculation. One who knows himself, sets too great a value upon his time and temper, to plunge rashly into those vain and fruitless con troversies, in which one of them is sure to be lost, and the other in great danger of being so; espe cially when a man of bad temper and bad principles is the opponent; who aims rather to silence his adversary with overbearing confidence, dark, unmeaning language, authoritative airs, and hard words, than convince him with solid argument; and who plainly contends not for truth but victory. Little good can be done to the best cause in such a circumstance. And a wise and moderate man who knows human nature, and knows himself, will rather give his antagonist the pleasure of an imaginary triumph, than engage in so unequal a com bat.

An eagerness and zeal for dispute, on every subject, and with every one, shows great self sufficiency, that never failing sign of great self ignorance.

And true moderation, which creates an indifference to little things, and a wise and well proportioned zeal for things of importance, can proceed from nothing but true knowledge, which has its foundation in self acquaintance.

* James i. 20.