(Rom. viii. 9; Gal. v. 16, 17. 22. 24, 25.) "If a man think himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another." (Gal. vi. 3, 4.) The seal, and witness, and beginnings of life, must be within you, if you will know that

heirs of life.

you are the 19. Self-ignorance causeth men to misinterpret and repine at the providence of God, and to be froward under his most righteous judgments. Because men know not what they have deserved, or what they are, and what is good for them, therefore they know not the reason and intent of Providence; and therefore they quarrel with their Maker, and murmur as if he did them wrong: when self-acquaintance would teach them to justify God in all his dealings, and resolve the blame of all into themselves. The nature of man doth teach all the world, when any hurt is done to societies or persons, to inquire by whose will, as well as by whose hands, it was perpetrated; and to resolve all the crimes that are committed in the world unto the will of man, and there to leave the guilt and blame, and not excuse the malefactors upon any pretence of the concourse or predetermination of the first or any superior cause and to justify the judge and executioner that takes away men's lives, or their estates, as long as themselves are proved to deserve it. And surely the knowledge of the nature and pravity of man should teach us to deal as equally with God, and finally resolve all guilt and blame into the free and vitiated will of man. Humbling self-knowledge maketh us say with Job, (chap. xl. 4,) "Behold, I am vile, what shall I answer thee? I will lay my hand upon my mouth:" and when God is glorifying himself on our relations, or ourselves by his judgments, it teacheth us with Aaron to hold our peace, (Lev. x. 3,) and to say with Eli, "It is the Lord, let him do what seemeth him good." (1 Sam. iii. 18.) And with David, (2 Sam. xv. 25,) "If I shall find favour in the eyes of the Lord he will bring me again, and show me it, and his habitation: But if he thus say, I have no delight in thee; behold here am I, let him, do to me as seemeth good to him." And as the afflicted church, (Mic. vii. 9,) “ I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him." Even a Pharaoh, when affliction hath taught him a little to know himself, will

say, "The Lord is righteous, and I and my people are wicked." (Exod. ix. 27.) When Rehoboam and his princes are humbled, they say, "The Lord is righteous." (2 Chron. xii. 6.) See Ezra ix. 15.

20. Lastly, it is for want of the knowledge of ourselves, that precious time is so much lost, and hastening death no more prepared for. Did we carry still about us the sensible knowledge of our necessity, our mortality, and the inconceivable change that is made by death, we should then live as men that are continually waiting for the coming of their Lord; and as if we still beheld our graves. For we carry about us that sin and frailty, such corruptible flesh, as may tell us of death as plainly as a grave or skeleton. So great, so unspeakably necessary a work as the seriously diligent preparation for our end, could not be so sottishly neglected by the ungodly, did they thoroughly and feelingly know what it is to be a mortal man, and what to have an immortal soul; what it is to be a sinner, and what to pass into an endless life of joy or misery.

And thus I have shewed you some of the fruits, both of the knowledge and ignorance of ourselves; even in our natural, and moral, and political capacities (though it be the second that is directly intended in the text); which may help you in the application.

USE.

And now I may suppose that the best of you all, the most honourable, the most learned, the most religious (of them I dare affirm it), will acknowledge, that I want not sufficient reason to urge you, with the question in my text "Know ye not your own selves?" Judge by the forementioned effects, whether self-acquaintance, even in the most weighty and necessary respects, be common among professed Christians. Doth he duly know himself as he is a man, that doubteth of a Deity whose image is his very essence, though not the moral image that must be produced by renewing grace? Or he that doubteth of a particular providence, of which he hath daily and hourly experience? Or he that doubteth of the immortality of his soul, or of the life to come, which is the end of his creation and endowments, and is legibly engraven on the nature and faculties of his soul? Do they morally know themselves, that make a jest of sin; and make it their delight? That bear it

as the lightest burden, and are not so much humbled by all the distempers and miseries of their souls, as they would be by a leprosy, an imprisonment, or disgrace? That have as cold, unthankful thoughts of Christ, and of his grace and benefits, as a sick stomach of a feast? That compliment with him at the door, but will not be persuaded to let him in, unless he will come upon their terms, and dwell with their unmortified sin, and be a servant to their flesh, and leave them their worldly prosperity and delights, and save them for these compliments and leavings of the flesh, when sin and the world shall cast them off?

Do those men truly know themselves, that think they need not the Spirit of Christ for regeneration, conversion, and sanctification, nor need a diligent, holy life, nor to be half so careful and serious for their salvation, as they are for a shadow of happiness in the world? That would without entreaty bestir themselves, if their houses were on fire; or they were drowning in the water, or were assaulted by a thief or enemy, and yet think he is too troublesome and precise, that entreateth them to bestir themselves for heaven, and to quit themselves like men for their salvation, and to look about them, and spare no pains for the escaping everlasting misery; when this is the time, the only time, when all this must be done, or they are utterly undone for

ever.

Do they know themselves, and what they want, and what indeed would do them good, that itch after sensual delights, and glut their flesh, and please their appetites and lusts, and waste their time in needless sports, and long for honour and greatness in the world, and study for preferment more than for salvation, and think they can never stand too high nor have too much as if it were so desirable to fall from the highest pinnacle, or to die forsaken by that, for which they forsook the Lord.

Do our feathered, powdered, gawdy gallants, or our frizzled, spotted, wanton dames, understand what it is that they are so proud of, or do so carefully trim up and adorn? Do they know what flesh is, as they would do, if they saw the comeliest of their companions, when he hath lain a month or twelvemonths in the grave? Do they know what sin is, a sight of hell would make them know, or the true belief of such a state? If they did, they would think that another

as

garb doth better beseem such miserable sinners; and that persons in their case have something else to mind and do, than toyishly to spruce up themselves, like handsome pictures for men to look upon, and something else to spend their hours in, than dalliance and compliments, and unnecessary ornaments; and that the amiable and honourable beauty, and comeliness, and worth, consisteth in the holy image of God, the wisdom and heavenly endowments of the soul, and in a heavenly, charitable, righteous conversation, and good works; and not in a curious dress or gaudy attire, which a fool may wear as well as a wise man, and a carcase as well as a living man, and a Dives that must lie in hell, when a Lazarus may lie in sores and rags,

Do they know themselves that fear no snares, but choose the life of the greatest temptations and danger to their souls, because it is highest, or hath most provision for the flesh? and that think they can keep in their candle in the greatest storms, and in any company maintain their innocency? And yet cannot understand so much of the will of God, nor of their own interest and necessity, and danger, as to resist a temptation when it comes, though it offer them but the most inconsiderable trifle, or the most sordid and unmanly lust.

Do they know themselves, that are prying into unrevealed things, and will be wise, in matters of theology, above what is written? That dare set their shallow brains, and dark, unfurnished understandings, against the infallible word of God; and question the truth of it, because it suiteth not with their lame and carnal apprehensions; or because they cannot reconcile what seemeth to them to be contradiction; nor answer the objections of every bold and ignorant infidel. In a word, when God must not be God unless he please them; nor his word be true, unless it be all within the reach of them, that never employed the time and study to understand it, as they do to understand the books that teach them languages, art, and sciences, and treat of lower things: and when Scripture truth must be called in question, as oft as an ignorant eye shall read it, or an unlearned, graceless person misunderstand it: when offenders that should bewail and reform their own transgressions of the law shall turn their accusations against the law, and call it too precise or strict, and believe and practise no more than stands with their obedience to the law of sin, and will quarrel with God, when

they should humbly learn, and carefully obey him; and despise a life of holy obedience, instead of practising it; and in effect, behave themselves as if they were fitter to rule themselves and the world than God is; and as if it were not God, but they, that should give the law, and be the judge; and God were the subject, and man were God. Do you think, that sinful, creeping worms, that stand so near the grave and hell, do know themselves, when they think, or speak, or live at such rates, and according to such unreasonable arrogancy? Do they know themselves, that reproach their brethren for human frailties, and difference of opinion in modes and circumstances, and errors smaller than their own? And that by calling all men heretics, sectaries, or schismatics, that differ from them, do tempt men to turn infidels or Papists, and to take us all for such as we account each other? And that instead of receiving the weak in faith, whom God receiveth, will rather cast out the most faithful labourers, and cut off Christ's living members from his church, than forbear the imposing of unnecessary things? I dare say, were it not for unacquaintedness with our brethren and ourselves, we should put those in our bosoms as the beloved of the Lord, that now we load with censures and titles of reproach: and the restoring of our charity would be the restoring of our unity. If blind men would make laws for the banishment of all that cannot read the smallest characters, you would say, they had forgot themselves. Nay, when men turn Papists or Separatists and fly from our churches, to shun those that perhaps are better than themselves, and to get far enough from the smaller faults of others, while they carry with them far greater of their own; when people are more apt to accuse the church than themselves, and say the church is unworthy of their communion, rather than that they are unworthy the communion of the church, and think no room in the house of God is clean and good enough for them, while they overlook their own uncleanness; when men endure an hundred calumnies to be spoken of their brethren, better than a plain reprehension of themselves; as if their persons only would render their actions justifiable, and the reprover culpable; judge whether these men are well acquainted with themselves.

What should we go further in the search; when in all ages and countries of the world the unmercifulness of the