enter upon after death, and plainly defcribed the requifite qualifications for it; when by a long and la. borious felf-acquaintance, he comes diftinctly to difcern thofe qualifications in himself, his hopes of heaven foon raise him above the fears of death: and tho' he may not be able to form any clear or distinct conception of the nature of that happiness, yet in general he is affured that it will be a moft exquifite, and extenfive one, and will contain in it every thing neceffary to make it complete; because it will come immediately from God himfelf (p): whereas they who know not what they are, muft neceffarily be ignorant what they shall be. A man that is all dark

(p) “ When we say that the state of the other world is un"known, the only meaning of it is, that it is a state of such hap"pinefs, fo far beyond any thing we ever yet experienced, that "we cannot form any notion or idea of it: we know that there "is fuch a happinefs; we know in fome measure wherein this happiness confifts; viz. in feeing God and the bleffed Jefus, "who loved us, and gave himself for us; in praising our Crea"tor and Redeemer; in converfing with faints and angels. "But how great, how ravishing and transporting a pleasure this “is, we cannot tell, because we never yet felt it.—Now methinks "this should not make the thoughts of death uneafy to us; should not make us unwilling to go to heaven; that the happiness “of heaven is too great for us to know, or to conceive in this "world. For men are naturally fond of unknown and untried “pleasures; which is fo far from being a difparagement to them, "that it raises our expectations of them, that they are unknown. "In the things of this world, enjoyment usually leffens our "efteem and value for them, and we always value that most "which we have never tried; and methinks the happiness of the "other world should not be the only thing we despise before we "try it. It is some encouragement to us that the happiness of "heaven is too big to be known in this world; for did we per"fectly know it now, it could not be very great.” Sherlock on Death, p. 71, 72.

nefs within, can have but a dark profpect forward (q).

O, what would we not give for folid hope in death-Reader, wouldst thou have it, know God, and know thyfelf.

.

F

Shewing bow Self-Knowledge is to be attained.

ROM what hath been faid under the two former parts of the fubject, felf-knowledge appears to be in itself fo excellent, and in its effects fo extenfively useful and conducive to the happiness of human kind, that nothing need further be added, by way of motive or inducement, to excite us to make it the great object of our study and purfuit. If we regard our prefent peace, fatisfaction, and usefulness, or our future and everlasting interefts, we fhall certainly value and profecute this knowledge above all others; as what will be moft ornamental to our characters, and beneficial to our intereft in every state of life, and abundantly recompence all our labour.

Were there need of any further motives to excite us to this, I might lay open the many dreadful effects of felf-ignorance, and fhew how plainly it appears to be the original fpring of all the follies and incongruities we fee in the characters of men, and of most of the mortifications and miferies they meet with here. This would foon appear by only men

tioning the reverfe of thofe advantages before fpe. cified, which refult frmo felf-knowledge. For what is it, but a want of felf-knowledge and felf-government, that makes us fo unfettled and volatile in our difpofitions? So fubject to tranfport and excefs of paffions in the varying fcenes of life? fo rash and unguarded in our conduct? fo vain and felt fufficient? fo cenforious and malignant? fo eager and confident? fo little useful in the world in comparifon of what we might be? fo inconfiftent with ourselves? fo mistaken in our notions of true religion? fo generally indifpofed to, or unengaged in the holy duties of it? and finally, fo unfit for death, and fo afraid of dying?-I fay, to what is all this owing, but felfignorance? the firft and fruitful fource of all this long train of evils:-and indeed there is fcarce any, but what may be traced up to it. In fhort, it brutifies man to be ignorant of himself." Man that is in "honour, and understandeth not (himfe fefpecially) "is as the beasts that perisht."

"Come home then, O my wandering, felf-neg"lecting foul; lofe not thyfelf in a wilderness or "tumult of impertinent, vain, distracting things. "Thy work is nearer thee; the country thou "fhouldft firft furvey and travel is within thee; from "which thou must pass to that above thee; when by lofing thyfelf in this without thee, thou wilt

find thyself before thou art aware in that below "thee. Let the eyes of fools be in the corners of "the earth; leave it to men befide themselves, to "live as without themselves; do thou keep at home "and mind thine own bufinets. Survey thyfelf, "thine own make and nature, and thou wilt find

+ Pfal. xlix. 20.
M

"full employ for all thy most active thoughts*. But "doft thou delight in the myfteries of nature? Con"fider well the myftery of thy own. The com

pendium of all thou ftudieft is near thee, even "within thee; thyfelf being the epitome of the “world (r).—If either neceffity or duty, nature "or grace, reafon or faith, internal inducements, "external impulfes, or eternal motives, might de"termine the fubject of thy ftudy and contemplati"on, thou wouldft call home thy diftracted thoughts, "and employ them more on thy felfand thy God ($).

Now then let us refolve, that henceforth the study of ourselves fhall be the bufinefs of our lives; that, by the blefling of God, we may arrive at fuch a degree of felf-knowledge, as may fecure to us the excellent benefits before-mentioned. To which end we fhould do well to attend diligently to the rules. laid down in the following chapters.

* Mirantur aliqui altitudines montium, ingentes flu&us maris, altiffimos lapfus fumirum, et oceni, ambitum, et gyros fyderum, et relinquunt feipfos nec mirantur, faith Saint Auguftin.-Some men admire the heights of mountains, the begs waves of the fea, the fleep falls of rivers, the compafs of the ocean, and the circuit of the ftars, and pafs by themselves without admiration.

(r) Nem. de Nat. Hom. cap. 1. pag. 34. Who can fufficiently, admire the noble nature of that creature man, who hath in him the mortal and the immortal, the rational and irrational natures united, and fo carries about with him the image of the whole creation; whence he is called Microcofm, or the little world; for whofe fake (so highly is he honoured by God) all things are made,. both present and future; nay, for whofe fake God himself became man!-So that it was not unjustly faid by Gregory Neffene, that man was the Macrocosm, and the world without the micrecofm.

(s) Baxter's Mifchief of Self-Ignorance.