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which we every day meet with in the world.

Nay, it is easy to obferve very different thoughts in a man, of the fin that he is most fond of, according to the different ebbs and flows of his inclination to it. For as foon as the appetite is alarmed, and feizeth upon the heart, a little cloud gathereth about the head, and fpreadeth a kind of darkness over the face of the foul, whereby it is hindered from taking a clear and diftinct view of things but no fooner is the appetite tired and fatiated, but the fame cloud paffeth away like a fhadow, and a new light fpringing up in the mind of a fudden, the man feeth much more, both of the folly and of the danger of the fin, than he did before.

And thus having done with the several reasons, why man, the only creature in the world that can reflect and look into himself, is fo very ignorant of what paffeth within him, and fo much unacquainted with the ftanding difpofitions and complexions of his own heart; I proceed now, in the

III. Third and laft place, to lay down several advantages, that do most affuredly attend a due improvement in the knowledge of ourfelves. And,

1. One great advantage is, that it tendeth very much to mortify and humble a man into a modest and low opinion of himself. For let a man take a nice and curious inspection into all the feveral regions of the heart, and obferve every thing irregular and amifs within him; for inftance, how narrow and fhort-fighted a thing is the understanding! upon how little reafon do we take up an opinion, and upon how much less sometimes do we lay it down again! how weak and falfe ground do we often walk upon, with the biggest confidence and affurance; and how tremulous and doubtful we are very often, where no doubt is to be made! again, how wild and impertinent, how bufy and incoherent a thing is the imagination, even in the best and wifeft men; infomuch that every man may be faid to be mad, but every man doth not shew it! Then, as to the paffions, how noify, how turbulent, and how tumultuous are they! how eafily are they ftirred and set a-going; how eager and hot in the pursuit, and what ftrange diforder and confufion

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do they throw a man into, so that he can neither think, nor fpeak, nor act, as he should do, while he is under the dominion of any one of them.

Thus, let every man look with a fevere and impartial eye into all the distinct regions of the heart; and, no doubt, several deformities and irregularities that he never thought of, will open and disclose themselves upon fo near a view; and rather make the man ashamed of himself, than proud.

2. A due improvement in the knowledge of ourfelves, doth certainly fecure us from the fly and infinuating affaults of flattery. There is not in the world a bafer, and more hateful thing, than flattery. It proceedeth from fo much falfenefs and infincerity in the man that giveth it, and often discovereth so much weaknefs and folly in the man that taketh it, that it is hard to tell which of the two is moft to be blamed. Every man of common fenfe can demomtrate in fpeculation, and may be fully convinced, that all the praises and commendations of the whole world can add no more to the real and intrinfic value of a man, that they can add to his ftature. And yet, for all this, men of the best fense and piety, when they come down to the practice, cannot forbear thinking much better of themselves, when they have the good fortune to be spoken well of by other perfons.

But the meaning of this abfurd proceeding feemeth to be no other than this: There are few men that have fo intimate an acquaintance with their own hearts, as to know their own real worth, and how to fet a juft rate upon themselves; and therefore they do not know, but that he who praises them moft, may be moft in the right of it. For, no doubt, if a man were ignorant of the true value of a thing he loved as well as himself, he would measure the worth of it according to the esteem of him who biddeth most for it, rather than of him that biddeth lefs.

Therefore the moft infallible way to difintangle a man from the fnares of flattery, is, to confult and ftudy his own heart; for whoever does that well, will hardly be fo abfurd, as to take another man's word, before his own fenfe and experience.

VOL. I.

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3. Another

3. Another advantage from this kind of ftudy, is this, that it teacheth a man how to behave himself patiently, when he has the ill fortune to be cenfured and abufed by other people. For a man who is thoroughly acquainted with his own heart, doth already know much more evil of himself than any body elfe can tell him and when any one speaketh ill of him, he rather thanketh God, that he can fay no worse. For could his enemy but look into the dark and hidden receffes of the heart, he confidereth what a number of impure thoughts he might there fee brooding and hovering like a dark cloud upon the face of the foul; that there he might take a profpect of the fancy, and view it acting over the feveral fcenes of pride, of ambition, of envy, of luft, and revenge; that there he might tell how often a vitious inclination hath been reftrained, for no other reafon, but just to fave the man's credit or interest in the world; and how many unbecoming ingredients have entered into the compofition of his best actions. And now, what man in the whole world would be able to bear fo fevere a teft, to have every thought and inward motion of the heart laid open and expofed to the view of his enemies? But,

4. and lastly, Another advantage of this kind is, that it maketh men lefs fevere upon other people's faults, and lefs bufy and induftrious in fpreading them. For a man employed at home, infpecting into his own failings, hath not leifure enough to take notice of every little; fpot and blemish that lieth fcattered upon others: or, if he cannot escape the fight of them, he always paffes the most eafy and favourable conftruction upon them. Thus, for inftance, does the ill he knoweth of a man, proceed from an unhappy temper and conftitution of body he then confidereth with himself, how hard a thing it is, not to be borne down with the current of the blood and fpirits; and accordingly layeth fome part of the blame upon the weakness of human nature, for he hath felt the force and rapidity of it within his own breaft; though perhaps, in another inftance, he remembereth how it rageth and fwelleth by oppofition; and though it may be reftrained, or diverted for a while, yet it can hardly ever be totally fubdued.

Or, hath the man finned out of cuftom he then, from

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his own experience, traceth a habit into the very firft ife and imperfect beginnings of it; and can tell, by how flow and infenfible advances it creepeth upon the heart; how it worketh itfelf by degrees into the very frame and texture of it, and fo paffeth into a fecond nature; and confequently he hath a juft fenfe of the great difficulty for him to learn to do good, who hath been Hong accustomed to do evil.

Or, lafly, hath a false opinion betrayed him into a fin? he then calleth to mind what wrong apprehenfions he háth had of fome things himself; how many opinions that he once made no doubt of, he hath, upon a ftricter examination, found to be doubtful and uncertain; how many more to be unreasonable and abfurd. He knoweth further, that there are a great many more opinions that he hath never yet examined into at all, and which, however, he still believeth, for no other reafon, but because he hath believed them fo long already without a reafon. Thus, upon every occafion, a man intimately acquainted with himself, confulteth his own heart, and maketh every man's cafe to be his own, (and fo puts the most favourable interpretation upon it). Let every man therefore look into his own heart, before he beginneth to abufe the reputation of another, and then he will hardly be so abfurd, as to throw a dart that will fo certainly rebound, and wound himself. And thus, through the whole courfe of his converfation, let him keep an eye upon that one great and comprehenfive rule of Chriftian duty, on which hangeth not only the law and the prophets, but the very, life and fpirit of the gofpel too; Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, do ye even fo unto them. Which rule that we may all duly obferve, by throwing afide all fcandal and detraction, all spite and rancour, all rudeness and contempt, all rage and violence, and whatever tendeth to make converfation and commerce either uneafy or troublefome, may the God of peace grant, for Jefus Chrift's fake, &c.

Confider what has been faid, and the Lord give you a right understanding in all things. To whom, with the Son, and the Holy Ghoft, be all honour and glory, now and for ever.

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A PROPOSAL humbly offered to the PARLIAMENT, for the more effectual preventing the further growth of POPERY.

With the description and use of the ECCLESIASTICAL THERMOMETER.

Very proper for all families.

Infani fanus nomen ferat, æquus iniqui,
Ultra quam fatis eft, virtutem fi petat ipfam.

HOR

Having, with great forrow of heart, obferved the

increase of Popery among us of late years, and how ineffectual the penal laws and ftatutes of this realm have been, for near forty years laft paft, towards reclaiming that blind and deluded people from their errors, notwithstanding the good intentions of the legiflators, and the pious and unwearied labours of the many learned divines of the established church, who have preached to them without ceafing, although hitherto without fuccefs:

Having alfo remarked, in his Grace's fpeech to both houfes of parliament, moft kind offers of his Grace's good offices, towards obtaining fuch further laws as fhall be thought neceffary towards bringing home the faid wandering fheep into the fold of the church; as alfo a good difpofition in the parliament to join in the laudable work, towards which every good Proteftant ought to contribute at least his advice: I think it a proper time to lay before the public a scheme which was writ fome years fince, and laid by to be ready on a fit occafion.

That whereas the feveral penal laws and ftatutes now in being against Papifts, have been found ineffectual, and rather tend to confirm than reclaim men from their errors, as, calling a man coward, is a ready way to make him fight; it is humbly propofed,

I. That

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