about our souls; and sinful selfishness is always a losing course. As he that will be a self-saver, in point of estate, or honour, or life, taketh the ready way to lose them, (Matt. xvi. 15,) so he that for the saving of his soul, will confine all his care and charity to his own soul, taketh not the way indeed to save it. We keep not ourselves; we quicken not, we comfort not, we save not ourselves; but only as agents under Christ, manuring the land, and sowing the seed, to which he alone can give the blessing: it is not therefore our inordinate self-studying that will do it: With all our care, without his blessing, we cannot add one cubit to the stature of our graces: therefore it must needs be our safest course, to be as careful and faithful as we can in duty, and lay out most of our study to please him; and then if we come not to assurance of his love, or discern not his image and grace upon us, yet we must trust him with our souls, and leave the rest to his care and goodness, that hath undertaken that none shall be losers by him, nor be ashamed or frustate of their hopes, that wait upon him: "Let us commit the keeping of our souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator." (1 Peter iv. 19.) " As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters- -so our eyes (in a way of duty) must wait upon the Lord our God, till he have mercy upon us." (Psal. cxxiii. 1, 2.) And though we

grow weary of crying, and our throat be dried, and our eyes fail while we wait for God," (Psal. Ixix. 3,) yet" our hope is only in him, and therefore we must continue to wait upon him." (Psal. xxxix. 7.) "And they that wait for him. shall not be ashamed." (Isa. xlix. 23.)

It is not the pretended necessity of one work, that will excuse him that hath many as necessary to do; especially when they are conjunct in nature and necessity, and must go together, to attain their end. Concerning God, as we may well say that we must love and serve him only, and none but him, because we must love nothing but for his sake, and as a means to him the end of all; and so while it is God in all things that we love, we are more properly said to love God than the creature by that act, because he is the ultimate first intended end, and principal object of that love; and as the means, as a means, hath its essence in its relation to the end; so the love of the means, as such, is accordingly

specified: and so we may say of our study and knowledge of God, that nothing but God is to be studied or known; because it is God in the creature that must be studied: It is a defective similitude (as all are) to say, 'As it is the face that we behold the glass for:' for God is more in the creature than the face in the glass. But though all the means be united in the end, yet are they various among themselves. And therefore though we must study, know, and love nothing but God, yet we must study, know, and love many things besides ourselves: the means that are many, must all be thought on. More strings must be touched than one (how near soever) if we will have any music. More letters must be learned than I, or we shall never learn to read.

All men will confess, that to confine our charity to ourselves, and to do good to no others, is unlike a Christian. To deny to feed and clothe our brother in his need, is to deny it unto Christ: and it will be no excuse, if we were able, to say, 'I laid it out upon myself.' And the objects of our charity must be the objects of our thoughts and care: and it will not suffice for our excuse to say, 'I was taken up at home, I had a miserable soul of my own to think on.'

And yet if these self-studying souls, that confine almost all their thoughts unto themselves, would but seek after God in themselves, and see his grace and benefits, it were the better but, poor souls, in the darkness of temptation, they overlook their God; and most of their study of themselves, is to see Satan and his workings in themselves: to find as much of his image as they can, in the deformities or infirmities of their souls; but the image of God they overlook, and hardly will acknowledge. And so, as noble objects raise the soul, and amiable objects kindle love, and comfortable objects fill it with delight; and God, who is all in one perfection, doth elevate and perfect it, and make it happy; so inferior objects do depress it; and ugly, loathsome objects fill it with distaste and loathing; and sad and mournful objects turn it into grief: and therefore to be still looking on our miseries and deformities, must needs turn calamity and woe into the temperament and complexion of the soul.

This much I thought needful to be spoken here, to prevent misunderstanding and misapplication; that while I am

pressing you to study and know yourselves, I may not encourage any in extremes, nor tempt them to make an ill use of so great and necessary a doctrine. And indeed the observation of the sad calamity of many poor, drooping, afflicted souls, that are still poring excessively on their own hearts, commanded me not to overpass this caution. And yet when I have done it, I am afraid lest those in the contrary extreme, will take encouragement to neglect themselves, by my reprehensions of those that are so unlike them.

And therefore I must add, to save them from deceit; 1. That it is but a very few that are faulty in over-studying themselves, in comparison of the many thousands that err on the other hand, in the careless neglecting of themselves. 2. And that it is symptomatically and effectively far more dangerous to study yourselves too little than too much. Though it be a fault here to exceed, yet it is for the most part. a sign of an honest heart to be much at home, and a sign of an hypocrite to be little at home and much abroad. Sincerity maketh men censurers of themselves; for it maketh them more impartial, and willing to know the truth of their condition: it cureth them of that folly, that before made them think that presumption shall deliver them, and that they shall be justified by believing promises of their own, though contrary to the word of God; yea, by believing the promises of the devil, and calling this a faith in Christ: They are awakened from that sleep in which they dreamed, that winking would save them from the stroke of justice, and that a strong conceit that they shall not be damned, will deliver them from damnation; and that they are safe from hell if they can but believe-that there is no hell, or can but forget it, or escape the fears of it. These are the pernicious conclusions of the ungodly; discernible in their lives, and intimated in their presumptuous reasonings, though too gross to be openly and expressly owned: and therefore they are indisposed to any impartial acquaintance with themselves.

But grace recovereth men from this distraction, and makes them know that the judgment of God will not follow the conceits of men; and that the knowledge of their disease is necessary to their cure, and the knowledge of their danger is necessary to the prevention; and that it is the

greatest madness to go on to hell, for fear of knowing that we are in the way; and to refuse to know it, for fear of being troubled at the news.

And an upright soul is so far fallen out with sin, that he taketh it seriously for his enemy, and therefore is willing to discover it, in order to its destruction, and willing to search after it in order to a discovery.

And he hath in him some measure of the heavenly illumination, which maketh him a child of light, and disposeth him to love the light, and therefore cometh to it, "that his deeds may be made manifest." (John iii. 21.) Hypocrites are quick-sighted in discovering the infirmities of others; but at home they shut the windows, and draw the curtains, that they may not be disturbed or frightened in their sin: Thieves and sleepers choose not light; darkness suits the works of darkness. It is a good sign when a man dare see his own face in the glass of God's word; and when he dare hear his conscience speak. I have ever observed it in the most sincere-hearted Christians, that their eye is more upon their own hearts and lives, than upon others: and I have still observed the most unsound professors to be least censorious and regardful of themselves, and hardly drawn to converse at home, and to pass an impartial judgment on themselves.

Hence therefore you may be informed of the reason of many other differences between sincere believers and the ungodly. As, 1. Why is it that the sincere are so ready to discourse about matters of the heart; and that they so much relish such discourse; and that they have so much to say when you come to such a subject. It is because they know themselves in some good measure. They have studied, and are acquainted with the heart, and therefore can talk the more sensibly of what is contained in a book which they have so often read, and are so conversant in. Talk with them about the matters of the world, and perhaps you may find them more simple and ignorant than many of their neighbours: but when you talk about the corruptions of the heart, and the secret workings of them; the matter, and order, and government of the thoughts, and affections, and passions; the wants and weaknesses of believers; the nature and workings of inward temptations; the ways of grace,

and of the exercise of each grace; the motions and operations of the Spirit upon the heart; the breathings of love and desire after God; the addresses of the soul to Christ by faith, and dependance on him, and receivings from him; about these secret matters of the heart, he is usually more able in discourse than many learned men that are unsanctified.

And hence it is that upright, self-observing souls are so full in prayer, and able to pour out their hearts so enlargedly before the Lord, in confessing their sins, and petitioning for grace, and opening their necessities, and thanking God for spiritual mercies! Some that are themselves acquainted with themselves, and the workings of grace, despise all this, and say, 'It is but an ability to speak of the things which they are most used to.' I doubt not but mere acquired abilities and custom may advance some hypocrites, to pray in the language of experienced Christians. And I doubt not but natural impediments, and want of use, and of right education, may cause many to want convenient expressions, that have true desires. but the question is, from whence it comes to pass, that so great a number of those that are most careful and diligent for their souls, are so full in holy conference and prayer, when very few others that excel them in learning and natural parts, have any such ability? And doubtless the chief reason is, that the care and study of these Christians hath been most about their spiritual estate; and that which they set their hearts upon, they use their tongues upon generally it cannot be imagined, why they should use themselves to those studies and exercises which procure those abilities, but that they more highly esteem, and most seriously regard the matters that concern their salvation, which are the subject. I doubt not, but God bestoweth his gifts upon men in the use of means, and that it is partly use that maketh men able and ready in these services of God. But what reason can be given, why one part of men use themselves to such employments, and another part are unable through disuse, but that some do set their hearts upon it, and make it their business to know themselves, their sins, and wants, and seek relief, when by the others all this is neglected. Some hypocrites may be moved by lower ends, both in this and in other duties of religion; but that is no rule for our judging of the intentions of the

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