to come thither only out of conscience. And whilst their external and professed view is to serve God, and gain good to their souls, their secret and inward motive is only to show themselves to advantage, or to avoid singularity, and prevent others making observations on their absence. Munificence and almsgiving may often proceed from a principle of pride and party spirit; and seeming acts of friendship from a mercenary motive. By thus disguising our motives we may impose upon men; but at the same time we impose upon ourselves: and whilst we are deceiving others, our own hearts deceive us; and of all impostures self-deception is the most dangerous, because least suspected. Now, unless we examine this point narrowly, we shall never come to the bottom of it; and unless we come at the true spring and real motive of our actions, we shall never be able to form a right judgment of them; and they may appear very different in our own eye, and in the eye of the world, from what they do in the eye of God. For the Lord seeth not as man seeth: for man looketh on the outward appearance; but the Lord looketh on the heart. And hence it is that that which is highly esteemed among men is oftentimes abomination in the sight of God3. Every way of man is right in his own eyes; but the Lord pondereth the hearts*. 21 Sam. xvi. 7. 3 Luke xvi. 15. 4 Prov. xxi. 2. CHAP. XII. EVERY ONE THAT KNOWS HIMSELF IS IN A PARTICULAR GOVERNED BY A 11. ANOTHER thing necessary to unfold a man's heart to himself is, to consider what is his appetite for fame; and by what means he seeks to gratify it. This passion in particular having always so main a stroke, and oftentimes so unsuspected an influence on the most important parts of our conduct, a perfect acquaintance with it is a very material branch of self-knowledge, and therefore requires a distinct consideration. Emulation, like the other passions of the human mind, shows itself much more plainly, and works much more strongly in some than it does in others. It is in itself innocent; and was planted in our natures for very wise ends, and, if kept under proper regulations, is capable of serving very excellent purposes, otherwise it degenerates into a mean and criminal ambition. When a man finds something within him that pushes him on to excel in worthy deeds, or in actions truly good and virtuous, and pursues that design with a steady unaffected ardour, without reserve or falsehood, it is a true sign of a noble spirit; for that love of praise can never be criminal, that excites and enables a man to do a great deal more good than he could do without it. And perhaps there never was a fine genius, or a noble spirit, that rose above the common level, and distinguished itself by high attainments in what is truly excellent, but was secretly, and perhaps insensibly, prompted by the impulse of this passion. But, on the contrary, if a man's views centre only in the applause of others, whether it be deserved or not; if he pants after popularity and fame, not regarding how he comes by it; if his passion for praise urge him to stretch himself beyond the line of his capacity, and to attempt things to which he is unequal; to condescend to mean arts and low dissimulation for the sake of a name; and in a sinister, indirect way, sue hard for a little incense, not caring from whom he receives it his ambition then becomes vanity. And if it excite a man to wicked attempts, make him willing to sacrifice the esteem of all wise and good men to the acclamations of a mob; to overleap the bounds of decency and truth, and break through the obligations of honour and virtue, it is then not only vanity, but vice; a vice the most destructive to the peace and happiness of human society, and which of all others hath made the greatest havoc and devastation among men. What an instance have we here of the wide difference between common opinion and truth! That a vice so big with mischief and misery should be mistaken for a virtue! And that they who have been most infamous for it should be crowned with laurels, even by those who have been ruined by it; and have those laurels perpetuated by the common consent of men through after-ages! Seneca's judgment of Alexander is certainly more agreeable to truth than the common opinion; who called him, a public cutthroat rather than a hero; and who, in seeking 66 only to be a terror to mankind, arose to no greater an excellence than what belonged to the most hurtful and hateful animals on earth1." Certain it is that these false heroes who seek their glory from the destruction of their own species, are of all men most ignorant of themselves; and by this wicked ambition entail infamy and curses upon their name, instead of that immortal glory they pursued. According to the prophet's words, Woe to him who coveteth an evil covetousness to his house, that he may set his nest on high; that he may be delivered from the power of evil. Thou hast consulted shame to thine house, by cutting off many people; and hast sinned against thy soul. 1 Quid enim simile habebat vesanus adolescens, cui pro virtute erat felix temeritas?-Hic a pueritiâ latro, gentiumque vastator, tam hostium pernicies quam amicorum. Qui summum bonum duceret terrori esse cunctis mortalibus: oblitus non ferocissima tantum, sed ignavissima quoque animalia, timeri ob virus malum. Sen. de Benef. cap. 13. How different from this is the judgment of Plutarch in this matter! who, in his Oration concerning the fortune and virtue of Alexander, exalts him into a true hero, and justifies all the waste he made of mankind, under (the same colour with which the Spaniards excused their inhuman barbarities towards the poor Indians, viz.) a pretence of civilizing them. And in attributing all his success to his virtue, he talks more like a soldier serving under him in his wars, than an historian who lived many years afterwards, whose business it was to transmit his character impartially to future ages. And in whatever other respects Mr. Dryden may give the preference to Plutarch before Seneca (which he does with much zeal in his Preface to Plutarch's Lives), yet it must be allowed that, in this instance at least, the latter shows more of the philosopher. See Plut. Mor. vol. i. ad fin. 2 Hab. ii. 9, 10-that gaineth a wicked gain. Oh sons of earth! attempt ye still to rise, By mountains piled on mountains to the skies? Now no man can truly know himself till he be acquainted with this, which is so often the secret and unperceived spring of his actions, and observes how far it governs him in his conversation and conduct; virtue and real excellence will rise to view, though they be not mounted on the wings of ambition; which, by soaring too high, procures but a more fatal fall. And to correct the irregularity and extravagance of this passion, let us but reflect how airy and unsubstantial a pleasure the highest gratifications of it afford; how many cruel mortifications it exposes us to, by awakening the envy of others; to what meanness it often makes us submit; how frequently it loseth its end by pursuing it with too much ardour; and how much more solid pleasure the approbation of conscience will yield than the acclamations of ignorant and mistaken men, who, judging by externals only, cannot know our true character; and whose commendations a wise man would rather despise than court. 'Examine but the size of people's sense, and the condition of their understanding, and you will never be fond of popularity, nor afraid of censure; nor solicitous what judgment they may form of you, who know not how to judge rightly of themselves 3. Heaven still with laughter the vain toil surveys, Is but the more a fool, or more a knave. Pope's Essay on Man. 3 Διελθε εσω εις τα ηγεμονικά αμτον, και οψει τινας κριτας φοβη οιες και περι αυτων οντας κριτας. Marc. Ant. ib. ix. sec. 18. |