speechless. But they that are born deaf are always dumb." Again, self knowledge will teach us to pray, not only with fluency, but fervency; will help us to keep the heart, as well as order our speech before God; and so promote the grace as well as the gift of prayer. Did we but seriously consider what we are, and what we are about; whom we pray to, and what we pray for, it is impossible we should be so dead, spiritless, and formal in this duty, as we too often are. The very thought would inspire us with life, and faith, and fervour. 2. Self knowledge will be very helpful to us in the duty of thanksgiving: as it shows us both how suitable and how seasonable the mercies are which we receive. A Christian that keeps up an intelligence with himself considers what he hath, as well as what he wants; and is no less sensible of the value of his mercies, than his unworthiness of them and this is what makes him thankful. For this reason it is, that one Christian's heart even melts with gratitude for those very mercies, which others disesteem and depreciate, and perhaps despise, because they have not what they think greater. But a man that knows himself, knows that he deserves nothing, and therefore is thankful for every thing. For thankfulness as necessarily flows from humility, as humility does from self acquaintance. 3. In the duties of reading and hearing the word of God, self knowledge is of excellent use to enable us to understand and apply that which we read or hear. Did we understand our hearts better, we should understand the word of God better; for that speaks to the heart. A man that is acquainted with his own heart, presently sees how the divine word penetrates and explores, searches and lays open its most inward parts, feels what he reads; and finds that a quickening spirit, which to a self ignorant man is but a dead letter. Moreover, this self acquaintance teaches a man to apply what he reads and hears of the word of GOD. He sees the pertinence, congruity, and suitableness of it to his own case; and lays it up faithfully in the store-room of his mind, to be digested and improved by his after thoughts. And it is by this art of applying scripture, and urging the most suitable instructions and admonitions of it home upon our consciences, that we receive the greatest benefit by it. 4. Nothing is of more eminent service in the great duty of meditation; especially in that part of it which consists in heart converse. A man who is unacquainted with himself, is as unfit to converse with his heart, as he is with a stranger he never saw, and whose taste and temper he is altogether inacquainted with. He knows not how to get his thoughts about him. And when he has, he knows not how to range and fix them; and hath no more the command of them, than a general has of a wild, undisciplined army, that has never been exercised, or accustomed to obedience and order. But one who hath made it the study of his life to be acquainted with himself, is soon disposed to enter into a free and familiar converse with his own heart; and in such a self conference improves more in true wisdom, and acquires more useful and substantial knowledge, than he could de from the most polite and refined conversation in the world. Of such excellent use is self knowledge in all the duties of devotion and piety. CHAP. XII. Self Knowledge the best Preparation for Death. XII. SELF knowledge will be an habitual preparation for death, and a constant guard against the surprise of it. Because it fixes and settles our hopes of future happiness. That which makes the thoughts of death so terrifying to the soul, is its utter uncertainty what will become of it after death. Were this uncertainty to be removed, a thousand things would reconcile us to the thoughts of dying. "Distrust and darkness of a future state, Is that which makes mankind to dread their fate! To be we know not what, we know not where." Now self knowledge in a good degree dissipates this gloom, and removes this dreadful doubt. For as the word of God hath revealed the certainty of a future state of happiness, which the good man shall enter upon after death, and plainly described the requisite qualifications for it; when by a long and laborious self acquaintance, he comes distinctly to discern those qualifications in himself, his hopes of heaven soon raise him above the fears of death. And though he may not be able to form any clear or distinct conception of the nature of that happiness, yet in general he is assured that it will be a most extensive one, and will contain in it every thing necessary to make it complete; because it will come immediately from God himself. Whereas they who know not what they are, must necessarily be ignorant what they shall be. A man that is all darkness within, can have but a dark prospect forward. Oh, what would we not give for solid hope in death? Reader, wouldst thou have it, know Gop, and know thyself PART HI. Showing how Self Knowledge is to be at tained. FROM what has been said under the two former parts of the subject, self knowledge appears to be in itself so excellent, and in its effects so extensively 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 #tudy and pursuit. If we regard our present peace, satisfaction and usefulness, or our future and everlasting interests, we shall certainly value and prosecute this knowledge above all others; as what will be most ornamental to our characters and beneficial to our interest in every state of life, and abundantly recompense all our labour. Were there need of any further motives to excite us to this, I might lay open the many dreadful effects of self ignorance, and show how plainly it appears to be the original spring of all the follies and incongruities we see in the characters of men, and of most of the mortifications and miseries they meet with here. This would soon appear by only mentioning the reverse of those advantages before specified, which result from self knowledge. For what is it but a want of self knowledge that makes us so unsettled and volatile in our dispositions? So subject to transport and excess of passions in the varying scenes of life? So rash and unguarded in our conduct? So vain and self sufficient? So censorious and malignant? So eager and confident? So little useful in the world, in comparison of what we might be? So inconsistent with ourselves? So mistaken in our notions of true religion? So generally indisposed to, or unengaged in the holy duties of it! And finally, so unfit for death, and so afraid of dying ?--I say, to what is all this owing, but self ignorance? the first and fruitful source of all this long train of evils. And indeed there is scarce any, but what may be traced up to it. In short, it brutifies man to be ignorant of himself. Man that is in honour, and understandeth not (himself especially) is like the beasts that perish.* "Corte home then, O my wandering, self neglecting soul; lose not thyself in a wilderness or tumult of impertinent, vain, distracting things. Thy work is nearer thee; the country thou shouldst first survey and travel is within thee; from which thou must pass to that above thee; when by losing thyself 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 beside themselves, to live as without themselves; do thou keep at home, and mind thine own business. Survey thyself, thine own make and nature, and thou wilt find full employment for all thy most active thoughts. But dost thou delight in the mysteries of nature? Consider ⚫ well the mystery of thy own. The compendium of all thou studiest is near thee, even within thee; thyself being the epitome of the world. If neither necessity or duty, nature or grace, reason or faith, internal inducements, external impulses, or eternal motives, might determine the subject of thy study and contemplation, thou wouldst call home thy distracted thoughts, and employ them more on thyself and thy God." * Psalm xlix. 20. |