eye, and endeavour to fteer a middle courfe between them. Know thyself, is one of the most useful and comprehenfive precepts in the whole moral fyftem: And it is well known in how great a veneration this maxim was held by the ancients; and in how high esteem the duty of felf-examination, as neceffary to it. Thales, the Milefian, is laid to be the first author of it(a); who ufed to fay, that, "for a man to know himself, is the hardest thing in the world" (b). It was afterwards adopted by Chylon the Lacedemonian; and is one of thofe three precepts which Pliny affirms to have been confecrated at Delphos in golden letters. It was afterwards greatly admired, and frequently ufed by others; till at length it acquired the authority of a divine oracle; and was fuppofed to have been given originally by Apollo himself. Of which neral opinion Cicero gives us this reafon; "becaufe "it hath fuch a weight of fenfe and wisdom in it, as appears too great to be attributed to any man, And this opinion of its coming originally from Apollo himself perhaps was the reason that it was written in golden capitals over the door of his temple at Delphos. ge. And why this excellent precept shoull not be held in as high efteem in the Christian world as it was in the heathen, is hard to conceive. Human nature is the fame now as it was then: the heart as deceitful; and the neceffity of watching,knowing, and keeping it, the fame. Nor are we lefs affured that this precept is divine. Nay, we have a much greater (a) He was the prince of the philofophers, and flourished about A. M. 3330 and was contemporary with Jofiah king of Judea. (b) See Stanley's Life of Thales. affurance of this than the heathens had; they fupposed it came down from heaven, we know it did; what they conjectured, we are fure of. For this facred oracle is dictated to us in a manifold light, and explained to us in various views by the holy fpirit, in that revelation which God hath been pleafed to give us as our guide to duty and happinefs; by which, as in a glass, we may furvey ourselves, and know what manner of persons we aret. This difcovers ourfelves to us; pierces into the inmoft receffes of the mind; trips off every dif guife; lays open the inward part; makes a strict fcrutiny into the very foul and fpirit; and critically judges of the thoughts and intents of the heart. It shows us with what exactness and care we are to fearch and try our fpirits, examine ourselves and watch our ways, and keep our hearts, in order to acquire this important felf-fcience; which it often calls us to do:"Examine yourfelves,-prove your ownfelves; know you not your felves(c)? “Let a man examine limfelf"*. Our Saviour upbraids his difciples with their felf-ignorance, in not knowing "what manner of fpirit they were of "t. And faith the apoftle, " If a man (through "felf-ignorance) thinketh himself to be fomething "when he is nothing, he deceiveth himfelf. -"let every man prove his work, and then shall he "have rejoicing in himself, and not in an other‡”. † James i. 23. But (c) Every Chriftian ought to try himself, and may know "himfelf, if he be faithful in examining. The frequent exhor"tations of fcripture hereunto imply both these, viz. that the "knowledge of ourselves is attainable, and that we should en"deavour after it. Why should the apostle put them upon examining and proving themselves, unless it was poffible to know "themselves upon fuch trying and proving?"-Bennet's Chrift. Oratory, p. 568 † Luke ix. 55. Gal. vi. 3, 4 *I Cor. xi. 28. Here we are commanded, instead of judging others, to judge ourselves; and to avoid the inexcufable railinefs of condemning others for the very crimes we ourfelves are guilty of, Rom. ii. 1, 21, 22.; which a felf-ignorant man is very apt to do; nay, to be more offended at a small blemish in another's character, than at a greater in his own; which folly, felf-ignorance, and hypocrify, our Saviour, with juft feverity, animadverts upon, Matt. vii. 3-5• And what ftrefs was laid upon this under the Old Teftament difpenfation, appears fufficiently from thofe expreffions: "Keep thy heart with all "diligence". "Commune with your own heart". "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, "and know my thoughts". "Examine me, O Lord, "and prove me ; try my reins and my heart". "Let "us fearch and try our ways". "Recollect, re"collect yourselves, O nation not defired”**(d).— And all this as neceffary to that felf-acquaintance which is the only proper bafis of folid peace. Were mankind but more generally convinced of the importance and neceffity of this felf-knowledge, and poffeffed with a due esteem for it; did they but know the true way to attain it; and under a proper fenfe of its excellence, and the fatal effects of felf. ignorance, did they but make it their bufinefs and + Pfal. iv. 4. * Prov. iv. 23. Pfal. cxxxix. 23. || Pfal. xxvi. 2. S Lam. iii. 4. Zeph. ii. I. (d) The verb properly fignifics to glean or gather together fcatter'd fticks or ftraws; as appears from all the places where the word is used in the Old Testament (Exod. v. 7. 12. Num. xv. 32. I Kings xvii. 13.) Hence, by an eafy metaphor, it fignifies to recollect, or gather the scattered thoughts together; and ought to be fo rendered, when used in the reflective form, as here it is.. So faith R. Kimchi, eft proprie ftipulas colligere. Id fit accurata fcrutatione hanc dicitur de qualibet Inquifitione.-Whence I think.. it is evident that the word fhould be rendered as above. B 2 ftudy every day to cultivate it? how foon fhould we find a happy alteration in the manners and spirits of men! But the mifery of it is, men will not think; will not employ their thoughts, in good earnest, about the things which most of all deferve and demand them. By which unaccountable indolence, and averfion to felf-reflection, they are led blindfold and infenfibly into the moft dangerous paths of infidelity and wickedness, as the Jews. were heretofore; and of whofe amazing ingratitude and apoftacy God himself affigns this fignal caufe: *My people do not consider (e). Self-knowledge is that acquaintance with ourfelves, which fhews us what we are, and do, and ought to be, in order to our living comfortably and ufefully here and happily hereafter. The means of it is felf-examination; the end of it is felf-g -government and self fruition. It principally confifts in the knowledge of our fouls; which is attained by a particular attention to the various powers, capacities, paffions, inclinations, operations, ftate, happiness, and temper. For a man's foul is pro perly himself, Mat. xvi. 26. compared with Luke ix. 25. The body is but the houfe; the foul is the tenant that inhabits it; the body is the inftrument; the foul is the artist that directs it(ƒ).. Ifai. i. 3. (e)" There is nothing men are more deficient in than know... "ing their own characters. I know not how this fcience comes "to be fo much neglected. We spend a great deal of time in "learning useless things, but take no pains in the study of our"felves, and in opening the folds and doubles of the heart." Reflections on Ridicule, page 61. (f) 2 Cor. v. 1. Rom. vi. 13.. When you talk of a man, I would not have you tack flesh and blood to the notion, nor those limbs neither which are made out of it: these are but tools for the foul to work with; and no more This fcience, which is to be the fubject of the enfuing Treatife, hath these three peculiar properties in it, which diftinguifh it from, and render it preferable to all other.-(1.) It is equally attainable by all. It requires no strength of memory, no force of genius, no depth of penetration, as many other fciences do, to come at a tolerable degree of ac quaintance with them; which renders them inacceffible by the greatest part of mankind. Nor is it placed out of their reach, thro' a want of opportunity, and proper affiftance and direction how to acquire it, as many other parts of learning are. Every one of a common capacity hath the opportunity and ability to attain it, if he will but recollect his rambling thoughts, turn them in upon himself, watch the motions of his heart, and compare them with this rule. (2.). It is of equal importance to all; and of the highest importance to every one(g) Other fciences are fuited to the various conditions of life; fome, more neceffary to fome; other, to others. But this equally concerns every one that hath an immortal foul, whose final happiness he defires and feeks.-(3.) Other knowledge is very apt to make a man vain; this always keeps him humble. Nay, it is for want of this knowledge that men are vain of that they have. Knowledge puffeth up*. A finall degree of knowledge often hath this effect on weak minds: and the reafon why greater at part of a man, than an axe or a plane is a piece of a carpenter.- (g 'Tis virtue only makes our bliss below; I Cor. viii. I. Pope's Effay on Man. |