tinize, and judge ourselves diligently, leisurely, frequently, and impartially; and that not by the false maxims of the world, but by the rules which God hath given us, reason and Scripture; and take care to understand those rules, and not set them at variance.

CHAPTER II.

Constant watchfulness necessary to self knowledge.

II. WOULD we know ourselves, we must be very watchful over our hearts and lives.

1. We must keep a vigilant eye upon our hearts, i. e. our tempers, inclinations, and pas-> sions. A more necessary piece of advice, in or der to self acquaintance, there cannot be, than that which Solomon gives us,* Keep your heart with all diligence, or as it is in the original, above all keeping. q. d. Whatever you neglect or overlook, be sure you mind your heart Narrowly observe all its inclinations and aversions, all its motions and affections, together with the several objects and occasions which excite them. And this precept. we find in Scripture enforced with two very urgent rea

* Prov. iv. 23.

Parallel to this advice of the royal preacher, is that of the imperial philosopher. Look within, for within is the fountain of good. M. Aurel. lib. 7. S. 59.

sons. The first is, because out of it are the issues of life. i. e. As our heart is, so will the tenor of our life and conduct be. As is the fountain, so are the streams; as is the root, so is the fruit.* And the other is, because it is deceitful above all things. And therefore, without a constant guard upon it, we shall insensibly run into many hurtful self deceptions. To which I may add, that without this careful keeping of the heart, we shall never be able to acquire any considerable degree of self acquaintance, or of self government.

2. To know ourselves, we must watch our life and conduct, as well as our hearts. And by this the heart will be better known; as the root is best known by the fruit. We must attend to the nature and consequences of every action we are disposed or solicited to, before we comply; and consider how it will appear in a future review. We are apt enough to observe and watch the conduct of others: a wise man will be as critical and as severe upon his own. For indeed we have a great deal more to do with our own conduct than that of other men; as we are to answer for our own, but not for theirs. By observing the conduct of other men we know them; by carefully observing our own, we must know ourselves.

CHAPTER III.,

We should have some regard to the opinions of others concerning us, particularly of our

enemies.

III. WOULD we know ourselves, we should not altogether neglect the opinion which others may entertain concerning us.

Not that we need be very solicitous about the censure or applause of the world; which are generally very rash and wrong, and proceed from the particular humours and prepossessions of men; and he that knows himself will soon know how to despise them both. "The judgment which the world makes of us is generally of no manner of use to us; it adds nothing to our souls or bodies, nor lessens any of our miseries. Let us constantly follow reason, says Montaigne, and let the public approbation fol. low us the same way, if it pleases.”

But still, I say, a total indifference in this matter is unwise.* We ought not to be entire. ly insensible of the reports of others; no, not to the railings of an enemy; for an enemy may say something out of ill will to us, which it may concern us to think of coolly when we are by

* As to the groundless reports that may be raised to our disadvantage, it is not good either too much to fear them, or entirely to despise them. We should endeavour to stifle them, be they ever so false, or the authors of them ever so contemptible. Chrysostom.

ourselves; to examine whether the accusation be just, and what there is in our conduet and temper which may make it appear so. And by this means our enemy may do us more good than he intended; and discover to us something in our hearts which we did not before advert to. A man that hath no enemies ought to have very faithful friends; and one who hath no such friends ought to think it no calamity that he hath enemies to be his effectual monitors. "" Our friends," says Mr. Addison, "very often flatter us as much as our own hearts. They eith er do not see our faults, or conceal them from us; or soften them by their representations, after such a manner that we think them too trivial to be taken notice of. An adversary, on the contrary,, makes a stricter search into us, discovers every flaw and imperfection in our tempers; and though his malice may set them in too strong a light, it has generally some ground for what it advances. A friend exaggerates a man's virtues, an enemy inflames his crimes. A wise man should give a just attention to both of them, so far as it may tend to the improvement of the one, and the diminution of the other. Plutarch has written an essay on the benefits which a man may receive from his enemies; and among the good fruits of enmity mentions this in particular, that by reproaches it casts upon us we see the worst side of ourselves, and open our eyes to several blemishes and defects in our lives and conversations, which we should

not have observed, without the help of such ill natured monitors.

"In order likewise to come at a true knowledge of ourselves, we should consider, on the other hand, how far we may deserve the praises and approbations which the world bestow upon us; whether the actions they celebrate proceed from laudable and worthy motives, and how far we are really possessed of the virtues which gain us applause amongst those with whom we converse. Such a reflection is absolutely necessary, if we consider how apt we are either to value or condemn ourselves by the opinions of others, and to sacrifice the report of our own hearts to the judgment of the world."*

In that treatise of Plutarch, here referred to there are a great many excellent things pertinent to this subject; and therefore I thought it not improper, to throw a few extracts out of it into the margin. †

The foolish and inconsiderate spoil the very friendships they are engaged in ; but the wise and prudent make good use of the hatred and enmity of men against them.

Why should we not take an enemy for our tutor, who will instruct us gratis in those things we knew not before? For an enemy sees and understands more in matters relating to us than our friends do. Because love is blind, but spite, malice, ill will, wrath, and contempt, talk much, are very inquisitive and quick sighted.

Our enemy, to gratify his ill will towards us, acquaints himself with the infirmities both of our bodies and minds; sticks to our faults and makes his invidious remarks upon them, and spreads them abroad by his uncharitable and ill natured reports. Hence we are taught this useful lesson for the direction and management of our conversation in the