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other Men's; much more intimate, fenfible and perfect; fo the Refult of these two Sorts of Knowledge must be equally different. We would not exchange Beings, Perfons, or Natures with any Man: We could not do it, because we know not their Natures as we do our own; we have not a like Consciousness of them, nor Complacency refulting therefrom. Was fuch an Offer made us, and brought near to us, we should recoil at it: It would be acting in the dark upon the most important Occafion, and giving up a very valuable Certainty, for we know not what. As to all external Matters, whether they relate to ourfelves, or others, we come at the Knowledge of them in the fame way; and can by that means make fuch an Estimate, as not to refuse a proper Exchange, when offered to us. Nature indeed inclines us to prefer external Things, which are our own, to other

Men's,

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Men's, when theirs may poffibly be of more real Value; and by this means leads us gently to Content and Chearfulness, but the does not constrain us, as in the former Cafe.

This neceffary good Liking and Preference of our own internal Nature, feems to be a very wife and gracious Inftitution. If there had been nothing of this, or any thing contrary to this, implanted in us, what forlorn and gloomy Creatures had we been? How effentially diffatisfy'd, envious and malicious? Whereas, as things are ordered, every Man has a perpetual Source of Content and Satisfaction within. We may easily observe, that the Occafions of Anxiety and Torment which we fo frequently encounter, do not arise from Reflexions on our own internal Nature, but wholly from things without us. This Esteem of ourselves, thus grounded on a Consciousness of, and Compla

cency

cency in our natural internal Perfections, is a ftrong Incentive to the Improvement of thofe Perfections; for they all appear, to the first Obfervation, to be improveable. A good Liking of any thing, prompts us to the Cultivation of it, because by that means our Esteem and Enjoyment of it are increas'd: But it is not enough for a Man to have a general Complacency in himself, which, as was before obferv'd, he cannot well avoid, but is in fome degree a neceffary Refult of his Composition; he muft and will proceed further; he will defcend to Particulars, and felect fome Endowment or other from the reft, make that his Favourite, place it firft in his Esteem, and endeavour to adorn it, not only for his own retired Enjoyment, but for the Pleasure of exhibiting it to others, and exciting by that means their Value and Efteem for himself. The general Compla

cency,

cency, tho' fo extremely useful, is not liable to any great Abuses; but when we come to be more particular, and chufe for ourselves, the Danger is confiderable; because there is great matter of Choice, and a Mistake in that respect would be of no small mo

ment to us.

As it is therefore a Point of fome Importance, I fhall here offer a few Reflexions upon it.

The Rectitude of our Self-Esteem must turn wholly upon these two Points, the Nature of the Object we make choice of, and the Degree of Value we fet upon it. If we fingle out any Part of ourselves, which is inferior, and lefs worthy, and cultivate it with ever fo much Industry, our Choice is wholly misplac'd; and all our confequent Efteem and Conduct upon that Account, wrong, and ridiculous: The more Pains we take in improving this mean, and lefs worthy

worthy Part of us, the more we neglect the more worthy and noble Parts; and the more diligent we are in fhewing these Improvements, the more we difcredit and expofe ourfelves. If a Man takes it into his Head to admire his Face, his Shape, or any Part of his Perfon, or any thing that refults from his whole Perfon, he will naturally adorn and improve it with all the Care imaginable; and when he has done all, it is no more than adorning the Shell of a Houfe, which is perhaps useless and unfurnish'd, void and defolate within. If we value ourselves chiefly for our Birth, Titles, or Fortune, which all of them, in a proper Degree, deferve to be valued; yet these are Things exterior to us, and if we efteem ourselves for them, we esteem ourselves for what is no Part of us; and by this means what conftitutes our Person is neglected for what we

esteem

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