(3.) It will keep the mind sedate and calm under the surprise of bad news, or afflicting providences.

"For am I not a creature of God? and my life and comforts, are they not wholly at his dispose, from whom I have received them; and by whose favour I have so long enjoyed them; and by whose mercy and goodness I have still so many

left?

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A heathen can teach me, under such losses of friends, or estate, or any comfort, to direct my eyes to the hand of God, by whom it was lent me, and is now recalled; that I ought not to say it is lost, but restored. And though I be injuriously deprived of it, still the hand of God is to be acknowledged; for what is it to me by what means He (who gave me that blessing) takes it from me again?"

He that rightly knows himself will live every day dependent on the divine Author of his mercies for the continuance and enjoyment of them; and will learn from a higher authority than that of a heathen moralist, that he hath nothing he can properly call his own, or ought to depend upon as such that he is but a steward employed to dispense the good things he possesses, according to the direction of his lord, at whose pleasure he holds them; and to whom he should be ready at any time cheerfully to resign them. Luke, xvi. 1.

(4.) Self-knowledge will help a man to preserve an equanimity and self-possession under all the various scenes of adversity and prosperity. Both have their temptations: to some the 4 Epictet. Enchirid. cap. 15.

temptations of prosperity are the greatest; to others, those of adversity. Self-knowledge shows a man which of these are greatest to him: and, at the apprehensions of them, teaches him to arm himself accordingly; that nothing may deprive him of his constancy and self-possession, or lead him to act unbecoming the man or the Christian.

We commonly say, No one knows what he can bear till he is tried. And many persons verify the observation by bearing evils much better than they feared. Nay, the apprehension of an approaching evil often gives a man a greater pain than the evil itself. This is owing to inexperience and self-ignorance.

A man that knows himself, his own strength and weakness, is not so subject as others to the melancholy presages of the imagination; and whenever they intrude, he makes no other use of them than to take the warning, collect himself, and prepare for the coming evil; leaving the degree, duration, and the issue of it with Him who is the Sovereign Disposer of all events, in a quiet dependence on his power, wisdom, and goodness.

Such self-possession is one great effect and advantage of self-knowledge.

CHAP. II.

SELF-KNOWLEDGE LEADS TO A WISE AND STEADY CONDUCT.

2. As self-knowledge will keep a man calm and equal in his temper, so it will make him wise and cautious in his conduct.

A precipitant and rash conduct is ever the effect of a confused and irregular hurry of thought: so that when, by the influence of self-knowledge, the thoughts become cool, sedate, and rational, the conduct will be so too. It will give a man that even, steady, uniform behaviour in the management of his affairs, that is so necessary for the despatch of business; and prevent many disappointments and troubles which arise from the unsuccessful execution of immature or ill judged projects.

In short, most of the troubles which men meet with in the world may be traced up to this source, and resolved into self-ignorance. We may complain of Providence, and complain of men; but the fault, if we examine it, will commonly be found to be our own. Our imprudence, which arises from self-ignorance, either brings our troubles upon us, or increases them. Want of temper and conduct will make any affliction double.

What a long train of difficulties do sometimes proceed from one wrong step in our conduct, into which self-ignorance or inconsideration betrayed us! And every evil that befalls us in consequence of that, we are to charge upon ourselves.

CHAP. III.

HUMILITY THE EFFECT OF SELF-KNOWLEDGE.

3. TRUE self-knowledge always produces humility.

Pride is ever the offspring of self-ignorance. The reason men are vain and self-sufficient is, because they do not know their own failings; and the reason they are not better acquainted with them is, because they hate self-inspection. Let a man but turn his eyes within, scrutinize himself, and study his own heart, and he will soon see enough to make him humble, Behold, I am vile1, is the language only of self-knowledge2.

Whence is it that young people are generally so vain, self-sufficient, and assured, but because they have taken no time or pains to cultivate a self-acquaintance? And why does pride and stiffness appear so often in advanced age, but because men grow old in self-ignorance? A moderate degree of self-knowledge would cure an inordinate degree of self-complacency.

1 Job, xi. 4.

2 Qui bene seipsum cognoscit sibi ipsi vilescit, nec laudibus delectatur humanis. Tho. à Kemp. de Imit. Chr. lib. 1. cap. 2.

3 Quanto quis minus se videt, tanto minus se displicet. Greg.

Humility is not more necessary to salvation than self-knowledge is to humility".

It would effectually prevent that bad disposition which is too apt to steal upon and infect some of 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 selfattention, 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 Christian temper degenerate into the pharisaical.

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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 and a contrite spirit be always my portion; and may I ever so be the favourite of Heaven as never to forget that I am 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 up5.-Those spiritual ad

4 Scio neminem absque sui cognitione salvari, de quâ nimirum mater salutis, humilitas oritur, et timor Domini. Bernard.-Utraque cognitio Dei, scilicet et tui, tibi necessaria est ad salutem; quia sicut ex notitià tui venit in te timor Dei, atque ex Dei notitià itidem amor; sic è contra, ex ignorantia tui, superbia, ac de Dei ignorantia venit desperatio. Idem in Cantic.

5 1 Cor. viii. 1.