He that knoweth himself, perceiveth how much of the commendation is his due, and how much he can lay just claim to: and knoweth it is a dishonour to own the honour that is not his own. He loves not to be belied by a praiser, any more than by a dispraiser; lest truth and he be both abused. Vices, like worms, are bred and crawl in the inward parts, unseen, unfelt of him that carrieth them about him; and therefore by the sweetmeats of flattery and sensuality they are ignorantly fed: but it is bitter medicines that must kill them; which those only will endure, that know they have them, and what they are. Lenocinantur dulcia delictis: austera vero et fortia virtutibus sunt amica.' You speak bitterly, saith the impatient sinner to the plain reprover, but such are sweet and excellent men that meddle not with the sore. But it is bitter things that are wholesome to your souls; that befriend your virtues, and kill the worms of your corruptions, which sweet things cherish. Saith Jerom in Eccles. Si cujus sermo non pungit, sed oblectationem facit audientibus, ille sermo non est sapiens.' Sermons not piercing, but pleasing, are not wise. But, alas, men follow the appetite of their vices, not only in choosing their meat, and drink, and company, and recreations, but also in the choice of the church that they will hold communion with, and the preachers that they will hear: and they will have the sweet, and that which their corruption loveth, come on it what will, 'Libenter enim quod delectat, audimus, et offendit omne, quod nolumus,' saith Jerom: Nay, pride hath got so great dominion, that flattery goeth for due civility; and he is accounted cynical or morose that useth it not. To call men as they are, (even when we have a call to do it,) or to tell them of their faults with necessary freedom, though with the greatest love and caution and deprecation of offence, is a thing that most, especially great ones, cannot digest: A man is supposed to rail, that speaketh without flattery; and to reproach them that would save them from their sins. Saith Jerom, Adeo regnat vitium adulationis, quodque est gravissimum, quia humilitatis ac benevolentiæ loco ducitur, ita fit ut qui adulari nescit, aut invidus, aut superbus reputetur: that is, the vice of flattery now so reigneth, and which is worst, goeth under the name of humility and good-will, that he that knoweth not how to flatter is reputed envious or proud. Indeed some men have the wit to hate

a feigned hypocritical flatterer, and also modestly to take on them to disown the excessive commendations of a friend; but these mistaken, friendly flatterers do seldom displease men at the heart. Quanquam respondeamus nos indignos, et calidus rubor ora perfundat, tamen ad laudem suam anima intrinsecus lætatur,' Hieron. We can say we are unworthy, and modestly blush; but, within, the heart is glad at its own commendation. Saith Seneca, Cito nobis placemus, si invenimus, qui nos bonos viros dicant, qui prudentes, qui sanctos: Non sumus modica laudatione contenti; quicquid in nos adulatio sine pudore congessit, tanquam debitum prendimus: optimos nos esse et sanctissimos affirmantibus assentimur, cum sciamus sæpe illos mentiri :' that is, We soon please ourselves to meet with those that call us good men, wise and holy: and we are not content with a little praise: whatever flattery heapeth on us without shame, we lay hold on it as due; we assent to them that say we are the best and most holy, when we oftentimes know ourselves that they lie. All this is for the want of the true knowledge of themselves. When God hath acquainted a sinner effectually with himself, he quickly calleth himself by other names, than flatterers do: With Paul he saith, "We ourselves were sometime foolish, disobedient, serving divers lusts and pleasures." (Titus iii. 3.) And (Acts xxvi. 11,) that he was mad against the saints in persecuting them. He then speaks so much against himself, that if tender ministers and experienced friends, did not think better of him than he of himself, and persuade him to more comfortable thoughts, he would be ready to despair, and think himself unworthy to live upon the earth.

4. Judge also how well men know themselves, when you have observed, what different apprehensions they have of their own faults and of other men's; and of those that are suitable to their dispositions, interests or examples, and those that are against them. They seem to judge of the actions by the persons, and not of the persons by the actions. Though he be himself a sensualist, a worldling, drowned in ambition and pride, whose heart is turned away from God, and utterly strange to the mystery of regeneration and a heavenly life, yet all this is scarcely discerned by him, and is little troublesome, and less odious than the failings of another,

whose heart and life is devoted unto God. The different opinions, or modes and circumstances of worship, in another that truly feareth God, is matter of their severer censures and reproach, than their own omissions, and averseness and enmity to holiness, and the dominion of their deadly sins. It seems to them more intolerable for another to pray without a book, than for themselves to pray without any serious belief, or love, or holy desire, without any feeling of their sins, or misery or wants; that is, to pray with the lips without a heart; to pray to God without God even without the knowledge or love of God, and to pray without prayers. It seemed to the hypocritical Pharisees, a greater crime in Christ and his disciples, to violate their traditions, in not washing before they eat, to break the ceremonious rest of their sabbath by healing the diseased, or plucking ears of corn, than in themselves to hate and persecute the true believers and worshippers of God, and to kill the Lord of Life himself. They censured the Samaritans for not worshipping at Jerusalem, but censured not themselves for not worshipping God, that is a spirit, in spirit and in truth. Which makes me remember the course of their successors, the ceremonious Papists; that condemn others for heretics, and fry them in the flames, for not believing that bread is no bread, and wine is no wine, and that bread is to be adored as God, and that the souls of dead men know the hearts of all that pray to them in the world at once; and that the Pope is the vicechrist, and sovereign of all the Christians in the world; and for reading the Scriptures and praying in a known tongue, when they forbid it; and for not observing a world of ceremonies; when all this enmity to reason, piety, charity, humanity, all their religious tyranny, hypocrisy, and cruelty, do seem but holy zeal and laudable in themselves. To lie, dissemble, forswear, depose and murder princes, is a smaller matter to them when the Pope dispenseth with it, and when it tends to the advantage of their faction, which they call the church, than to eat flesh on Friday, or in Lent, to neglect the mass, or images, or crossing, &c.

And it makes me remember Hall's description of an hypocrite, 'He turneth all gnats into camels, and cares not to undo the world for a circumstance. Flesh on Friday is more abominable to him, than his neighbour's bed: he abhors more not to uncover at the name of Jesus, than to swear

by the name of God, &c.' It seems, that prelates were guilty of this in Bernard's days, who saith, Prælati nostri calicem linquunt, et Camelum deglutiunt: dum majora permittentes, minora discutiunt. Optimi rerum æstimatores, qui magnam in minimis, et parvam aut nullam in maximis adhibent diligentiam:' i. e. Our prelates strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel, while permitting greater matters, they discuss (or sift) the less: Excellent estimators of things indeed, that in smaller matters employ great diligence; but in the greatest, little or none at all. And the cause of all this partiality is, that men are unacquainted with themselves. They love and cherish the same corruptions in themselves, which they should hate and reprehend in others. And saith Jerom, Quomodo potest præses Ecclesiæ auferre malum de medio ejus, qui in delictum simile corruerit? aut qua libertate corripere peccantem potest, cum tacitus ipse sibi respondeat, eadem se admisisse quæ corripit:' i. e. How can a prelate of the church reform the evil that is in it, that rusheth into the like offence? Or with what freedom can he rebuke a sinner, when his conscience secretly tells him, that he hath himself committed the same faults which he reproveth?

Would men but first be acquainted with themselves, and pass an impartial judgment on the affections and actions that are nearest them, and that most concern them, they would be more competent, and more compassionate judges of their brethren, that are now so hardly used by them. It is excellent advice that Austin gives us, 'Quum aliquem reprehendere nos necessitas coegerit, cogitemus, utrum tale sit vitium, quod nunquam habuimus; et tunc cogitemus nos homines esse, et habere potuisse, vel quod tale habuimus et jam non habemus; et tunc memoria tangat communis fragilitatis, ut illam correctionem non odium sed misericordia præcedat: Sin autem invenerimus nos in eodem vitio esse, non objurgemus, sed ingemiscamus, et ad æqualiter deponendum invitemus:' i. e. When necessity constraineth us to reprove any one, let us think whether it be such a vice as we never had ourselves; and then let us think that we are men, and might have had it: or if we once had such, but have not now, then let the remembrance of common frailty touch us, that compassion and not hatred may lead the way to our reproof: but if we find that we have the

same vice ourselves, let us not chide, but groan, and move (or desire) that we may both equally lay it by.

5. It shews how little men know themselves, when they must needs be the rule to all other men, as far as they are able to commend it; and that in the matters that men's salvation dependeth on, and in the smallest, tender, disputable points; and even in those things where themselves are most unfit to judge. In every controverted point of doctrine, (though such as others have much better studied than themselves,) he that hath strength to suppress all those that differ from him, must ordinarily be the umpire; so is it even in the modes and circumstances of worship. Perhaps Christ may have the honour to be called the King of the Church, and the Scripture have the honour to be called his Laws. But indeed it is they that would be the lords themselves; and it is their wills and words that must be the laws; and this under pretence of subserving Christ, and interpreting his laws; when they have talked the utmost for councils, fathers, church-tradition, it is themselves that indeed must be all these; for nothing but their own conceits and wills must go for the sense of decrees, or canons, fathers, or tradition. Even they that hate the power and serious practice of religion, would fain be the rule of religion to all others: And they that never knew what it was to worship God in spirit and truth, with delight and love, and suitableness of soul, would needs be the rule of worship to all others, even in the smallest circumstances and ceremonies. And they would be the governors of the church, or the determiners of its mode of government, that they would never be brought under the government of Christ themselves. If it please them better to spend the Lord's-day in plays or sports, or compliment or idleness, than in learning the will of God in his word, or worshipping him, and begging his mercy and salvation, and seriously preparing for an endless life, they would have all others do the like. If their full souls loathe the honey-comb, and they are weary of being instructed above an hour, or twice a day, they would have all others forced to their measure, that they may seem as diligent as others, when others are compelled to be as negligent as they. Like a queasy-stomached lady, that can eat but one slender meal a day, and therefore would have all her servants and tenants eat no more, or if they do, accuseth them of excess,