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SERM. paffeth for a goodly ornament, a rich poffeffion, a matter XLIV. of great fatisfaction, and much use: men are commonly afhamed of nothing fo much as ignorance; but if any knowledge meriteth esteem for its worth and usefulness, this, next to that concerning Almighty God, may furely best pretend thereto; if any ignorance deferveth blame, this certainly is most liable thereto: to be ftudious in contemplating natural effects, and the causes whence they proceed; to be versed in the writings and ftories of other men's doings; to be pragmatical obfervers of what is faid or done without us, (that which perchance may little concern, little profit us to know,) and in the mean while to be ftrangers at home, to overlook what passeth in our own breasts, to be ignorant of our moft near and proper concernments, is a folly, if any, to be derided, or rather greatly to be pitied, as the source of many great inconveniences to us. For it is from ignorance of ourselves. that we mistake ourfelves for other perfons than we really are; and accordingly we behave ourselves toward ourfelves with great indecency and injuftice; we affume and attribute to ourselves that which doth not anywife belong unto us, or become us: as put cafe we are ignorant of the perfons we converse with, as to their quality, their merit, their humour; we shall be apt to mifcall and mistake them; to misbehave ourselves in our demeanour toward them; to yield them more or less respect than befits them; to cross them rudely, or unhandsomely to humour them: in like manner, if we be strangers to our hearts, fhall we carry ourselves toward our ownselves; we fhall hence, like men in a frenzy, take ourselves for extraordinary people, rich, and noble, and mighty, when indeed, our condition being duly eftimated, we are wretchRev. iii. 17. edly mean and beggarly. We do frequently hug ourfelves, (or rather shadows in our room,) admiring ourselves for qualities not really being in us; applauding ourselves: for actions nothing worth, fuch as proceed from ill principles, and aim at bad ends; whenas, did we turn our thoughts inwards, and regard what we find in our hearts, by what inclinations we are moved, upon what grounds.

nemo.

we proceed, we should be afhamed, and fee caufe rather to SER M. bemoan than to bless ourselves: defcending into ourselves, XLIV. we might perchance difcern that moft of our gallant per- Ut nemo in formances (fuch as not confidering our hearts we prefume fefe tentat them to be) are derived from felf-love or pride; from defire of honour, or love of gain; from fear of damage or difcredit in the world, rather than out of love, reverence, and gratitude toward God, of charity, compaffion, and goodwill toward our brethren, of fober regard to our own true welfare and happiness; which are the only commendable principles and grounds of action. St. Luke telleth us of Luke xviii. certain men, who perfuaded themselves that they were?. righteous, and defpifed others; upon occafion of whom our Saviour dictated the parable of the Pharifee and Publican. Whence, think we, came that fond confidence in themfelves, and proud contempt of others? From ignorance furely of themselves, or from not observing those bad difpofitions, those wrong opinions, thofe corrupt fountains within, from whence their fuppofed righteous deeds did. flow b. If any man, faith St. Paul, giving an account of Gal. vi. 3. fuch prefumptions, thinks himself to be fomething, when he is nothing, savrov pevañaтa, he cheats himself in his mind; but let every man examine his work, and then he shall have rejoicing in himself alone, (or privately with himself;) fome, he implieth, do impose upon and delude themselves, . imagining themselves fomebodies, (endued forfooth with admirable qualities, or to have achieved very worthy deeds;) whenas, if they would inquire into themselves, they fhould find no fuch matter; that themselves were no fuch men, and their works no fuch wonders: but if, faith he, a man doth, δοκιμάζειν ἑαυτῶ τὸ ἔργον, explore and examine what he doeth, and in refult thereof doth clearly perceive, that he acteth upon good reasons, and with honeft intentions, then may he indeed enjoy a folid interior fatisfaction, (a true xaúxnua, or exultation of mind,) whatever others, not acquainted with thofe inward fprings of his motion, do please to judge of him and his proceedings. No man indeed can truly value himself, or well approve of his own

• Ῥᾷσον ἑαυτὸν ἀπατᾷν, καὶ οἴεσθαι εἶναί τι ἐδὲν ὄντα, ὑπὸ τῆς κενής δόξης φυσι survor. Nazianz. Orat. 27.

Πρὸς ἑαυτὸν

SERM. doings, fo as to find any perfect comfort in himself, or in XLIV. them, who doth not by studying himself discover whence

and why he acts: one may be a flatterer, but cannot be a true friend to himself, who doth not thoroughly acquaint himself with his own inward state, who doth not frequently confult and converse with himself: a friend to himself, I faid; and to be fo is one of the greatest benefits that human life can enjoy; that which will most sweeten and solace our life to us: friendship with others (with perfons honeft and intelligent) is a great accommodation, helping much to allay the troubles, and ease the burdens of life; but friendship with ourselves is much more neceffary to our well being; for we have continual opportunities and obligations to converse with ourselves; we do ever need affiftance, advice, and comfort at homes: and as commonly it is long acquaintance and familiar intercourse together, which doth conciliate one man to another, begetting mutual dearnefs and confidence, fo it is toward one's felf: as no man can be a friend to a mere ftranger, or to one whofe temper, whofe humour, whofe defigns he is ignorant of; so cannot he be a friend to himself, if he be unacquainted with his own difpofition and meaning d; he cannot in fuch a cafe rely upon his own advice or aid when need is, but will fufpect and diftruft himself; he cannot be pleasant company to himself, but shall be ready to crofs and fall out with himself; he cannot adminifter confolation to his own griefs and diftreffes; his privacy will become a desertion, his retirement a mere folitude. But paffing over this general advantage, I fhall with fome more minutenefs of diftinction confider divers particular advantages accruing from the practice of this duty, together with the oppofite inconveniences, which are confequent upon the neglect thereof, in the following discourse.

-patriæ quis exul fe quoque fugit?

Αὐτὸς σεαυτῷ χρῷ συμβόλῳ, καὶ τῷ θεῷ. Νaz. Εpiβ, 60.

dἜνιοι τὸν ἴδιον βίον ὡς ἀτερπέςατον θέμα προσιδεῖν ἐχ ὑπομένεσιν, ἐδ ̓ ἀνακλάσαι τὸν λογισμὸν ὡς φῶς ἐφ' ἑαυτὸς καὶ περιαγαγεῖν· ἀλλ ̓ ἡ ψυχὴ γέμεσα κακῶν παν τοδαπῶν, καὶ φρίττεσα, καὶ φοβεμένη τὰ ἔνδον, ἐκπηδᾷ θύραζε, &c. Pl. de Curiof. p. 916.

SERMON XLV.

KEEP THY HEART WITH ALL DILIGENCE, &c.

PROV. iv. 23.

Keep thy heart with all diligence, &c.

I PROCEED to the particular advantages of the practice SERM.

of this duty, and the inconveniences of the neglect of it.

XLV.

1. The conftant and careful obfervation of our hearts will serve to prevent immoderate felf-love and felf-conceit; to render us fober and modeft in our opinions concerning, and in our affections toward ourselves; qualifying us to comply with the apoftolical precept, μὴ φρονεῖν ὑπὲρ ὃ δεῖ φρο- Rom. xii. 3. VEI, that is, not to overween, or overvalue ourselves, and our own things: for he that, by serious inspection upon his own heart, fhall difcern how many fond, impure, and ugly thoughts do swarm within him; how averse his inclinations are from good, and how prone to evil; how much his affections are misplaced and diftempered, (while he vehemently delights in the poffeffion, and impotently frets for the want of trifles, having small content in the fruition, and but slender displeasure for the abfence of the -greatest goods; while empty hopes exalt him, and idle fears deject him; while other various paffions, like fo many tempefts, drive and tofs him all about;) who shall obferve, how clouds of darkness, error, and doubt do hover upon the face of his foul; fo that he quickly taketh up opinions, and foon layeth them down, and often turneth from one mistake unto another; how unfettled his refolutions are, especially in the pursuance of the best goods, and

SERM. what corrupt mixtures cleave to his best purposes; who XLV. taketh notice how backward he is unto, and how cold in,

Leniter ex

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devotions toward God; how little fenfible of his goodness,
or fearful of his displeasure, or zealous for his honour, or
careful of performing his duty toward him; how little
also it is that he defireth or delighteth in the good, that
he pitieth and grieveth at the evil of his neighbour; how
fluggish alfo and remifs he is in the pursuance of his own
beft affairs, and highest concernments; he that doth, I say,
frequently with heedfulness regard these imperfections
and obliquities in his own heart, how can he be ravished
with felf-love? How can he be much taken with himself?
Can any man dote upon fuch deformity, admire fuch
weakness and naughtiness? No furely: that men are so
amorous of themselves, so haughty and arrogant in their
conceits, doth constantly arise from not reflecting on their
own hearts; not beholding themselves wiftly enough. in
that mirror; not confidering, according to juft reprefenta-
tion there, how little lovely or worthy they are:
if they
did practise that, they would fee reason, and thence be-
come inclinable, rather to despise, to loathe, to pity them-
felves.

2. Upon that advantage is confequent, that this practice will difpofe us with equanimity and patience to bear all patiare fe- croffes and grievances befalling us; fo producing not only Ovid. Ep.. an excellent virtue, but a confiderable folace to us; for the being conscious of fo much unworthinefs, which obfervation of our heart will neceffarily difcover, will not only juftify the providence, (fo removing all just cause of complaint,) but will commend the benignity of God unto us, (so administering good matter of thanks.) It will prompt Ezra ix. 13. us heartily to confefs with those in Ezra, that our punishments are less than our defervings; to join in acknowledg Pf. ciii. 10. ment with the Pfalmift, that God hath not dealt with us after our fins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities; Lam. iii.22. to say with Jeremy, It is of the Lord's mercy that we are not confumed, because his compaffions fail not; with Jacob,

Gen. xxxii. I am less than any of thy mercies.

10.

3. Particularly this practice will fence us againft immo

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