superficial reason, to have determined on one side, some discordance to his own inclination, or some latent prejudice soon discovering itself, he wavers, and at length falls off; finding that he hath promised to himself or others what he is unable or unwilling to perform; so, like St. James's two-souled man, he is unsteady in all his ways. The hard student of himself is like a man that hath his estate in numerato, in ready cash, all in his hand, or at his command; he can presently tell what he can do, and satisfy those he hath to do with. Go to him, you may know where to have him, even just where you left him, or where he uses to be; you may expect a sudden dispatch, and you may rely on his word; for he knows beforehand what he doeth, and shall continue to like; why he determines so or so; and cannot be removed from his well-grounded purpose, (that which is by the philosopher termed ratio nec dissidens, nec hæsitans, a reason that doth not strive, nor stick, he is master of.) But he that neglects this practice, what he hath any title to lieth dispersed, and laid up in corners unknown to himself, so that himself cannot come readily by it; you can hardly tell where to find him; you must wait his resolution; and when it is told you, you cannot be assured thereof, nor anywise satisfied that he will stick to his word or his mind: he knows not thoroughly what he would have himself; can you then hope for a certain answer from him? He cannot well trust himself; can you then rely on him? He will find himself mistaken and crossed in his own choice; can you expect less? Quid est sapientia? semper idem velle, atque idem nolle : Constancy to a man's self is, saith he, the very being of wisdom: however, nothing more beseems a man, more commends him to society, and suits him to business, is more pleasant and graceful to those who have to do with him, than such a clear, uniform, steady disposition of mind; such a smooth and even tenor of action; nothing renders conversation and commerce more unpleasant, than a fickle lubricity of humor, and unaccountable deformity of behaviour: that study therefore is very useful, which conduceth to breed and maintain the one, and which removeth the other.

2. Again, another valuable convenience of this practice is,

Sen. de Vit. B. 8.

that it disposeth unto and preserveth a man's mind in a sober temper, agreeable to his state, and to the circumstances into which he is cast; such a temper I mean as that which the wise man prescribes, where he saith, In the day of prosperity be joyful; but in the day of adversity consider.' It is apt to beget either a comfortable joy or a wholesome regret, according as the interior condition of his soul (that wherein the chief cause of the one or of the other affection is grounded) doth seasonably and justly require. To be transported with mirth and jollity in a state of grievous misery, when reason itself demands sorrow and pity; to be sad and dumpish when all things flow prosperously; either of those will seem marvellously incongruous, and argue a kind of stupidity in him that so behaves himself. Now there is not in truth any calamity so disastrous as that which befals us within ourselves, no prosperity so worthily delightful as the good proceeding of affairs in our souls: it is the most excellent pleasure a man is capable of, that which doth spring from the being conscious that his mind doth evodovodai, as St. John speaks, that is, go well forward in a happy course, that good thoughts freely do spring up, that good inclinations are strong and prevalent, that good habits of mind wax vigorous, that the love of goodness is improved, that he generally doth thrive in health and strength spiritual. No increase of treasure can affect the covetous, no rising in power nd dignity can satisfy the ambitious, no enjoyment of sensual ntertainments can ravish the voluptuous man with so true or ;reat content, as the sensible proficiency in virtuous and pious dispositions of soul, growing richer unto God, and stronger in the hopes of his favor, do produce in him that doth affect it, and can perceive it: it is a joy in all respects incomparable; only wise and reasonable, pure and innocent, firm and durable. As on the other hand if it be so that we discern that within our hearts bad thoughts do swarm and multiply, bad appetites do sway, bad customs do incroach on us; that desire of and delight in good things decay; that we become more dark, dull, unsettled in our spiritual apprehensions, more feeble and languid in our prosecutions of virtue, it is a great benefit to have a timely remorse prompting and urging us to endeavor a deliverance from so unhappy a condition: but no man can well either enjoy that

comfortable delight, or be affected with this profitable sorrow, who doth not with a careful attention view his heart, and descry how things go there. This consideration mindeth of a farther and more general advantage accruing from this practice; which is this, that,

9. A serious inspection into our hearts doth much avail toward the reformation of our hearts and lives; curing the distempers and correcting the vices of them. For to the curing any disease it is requisite to know the complexion and temper of the patient, and the part affected, and the next causes thereof. As the most grievous of bodily diseases are seated in, and do proceed from, the entrails; but not all of them from the same one of them; and the same disease depends on the distemper sometimes of one, sometimes of another among them: so do all vices (as our Saviour expressly teacheth) issue from the heart, or interior man; some from one, some from another part or region thereof; and the same from different parts: sometimes natural temper, sometimes false opinion, sometimes evil custom is the root of the same kind of disease; and it is expedient we should know distinctly which of them in particular cases is the root, that accordingly we may understand what method of cure to use, whence to fetch the remedy, where to apply it; for unskilfulness in these points may frustrate our endeavors of amendment. If the mischief proceed from natural inclination, we must not hope ever utterly to subdue it, nor to free ourselves suddenly from the incursions thereof; nor is bare reasoning a proper weapon against it, it being grounded in the original constitution of the soul, either immediately, or as linked to the body; which by no operation of our mind can be soon altered; for, No wisdom,' as Seneca speaketh well, 'can remove the natural vices of body or mind; what is infixed and inbred may be allayed by art, not subdued.' Reason alone and directly is not able to grapple therewith; she will break her teeth on so tough and knotty matter: it will weary her arms in vain to swim against the rapid current of natural propension; the violent eruptions thereof may indeed somewhat be restrained; occasions. of complying therewith may often be declined; it may in time,

* Sen. Ep. 11.

and by degrees, be weakened by subtracting the food and incentives thereof: but especially devils of this kind must, as our Saviour instructeth us, be ejected by humble, earnest, and frequent invocation of divine assistance; without which other means commonly will prove ineffectual. But if the vice proceed only from ill habit, or the prevalence of bad custom, we are to oppose a contrary custom thereto, presently disusing that practice, and acting otherwise, so shall we easily remove and extirpate it if neither of these causes are discernible, we may presume our indisposition is derived from ill opinion; and that consequently our best course of redressing it is to examine the reason of the thing; to get clear and right apprehensions concerning it. For example, if we observe ourselves apt to be frequently transported with anger, let us look into our hearts, and take notice whether the root of that distemper be a choleric complexion, or whether it arise from an habitual indulgence to ourselves of being moved on slight causes, whereby a peevish humor is grown on us; or whether it cometh from vain conceits of ourselves, as of persons unto whom extraordinary deference and observance is due, so that no man should presume to dissent from our opinion, or contravene our desire; and as we find, so we must respectively proceed in repressing the causes of this disease; praying, if it arise from nature, to the Omnipotent, (the only Lord and Commander of nature,) that he would by his grace free us from that inflammable temper, and enable us to govern our passion; withal shunning occasions of being provoked; abstaining from such diet, such business, such company, as naturally do kindle or ferment that humor: if the malady grow from custom, using ourselves to bear patiently harsh words, unkind dealings, cross accidents; if our opinion dispose us thereto, reasoning ourselves into moderate conceits about ourselves, considering the reasons that may acquit or excuse others to us on occasion of offence: using all, or some of these means, or the like, such as the observation of our heart shall discover to us to be most proper and suitable to the nature or to the cause of this distemper infesting us, we shall wholly, or in good part, rid ourselves from it. Again, (to adjoin another example, the matter seeming to deserve our heed,) suppose we experience ourselves inclining to covetousness, eager in getting,

solicitous in keeping, unwilling to part with our goods on reasonable occasion, (for the maintenance of our convenient respect in the world, or for relieving the needs of our brethren, or for serving the public, or for promoting the interests of piety and virtue;) let us then look, and see whether this ariseth from a natural straitness, hardness, suspiciousness, or diffidence of heart, (some such dispositions may be observed in men,) or from being, by our education, or manner of life, enured to such a love of getting, or of sparing, or of tenacity; or whether it springs from conceits about the worth, or the necessity of wealth, (that, without being furnished with heaps of treasure, we shall come into danger of want or disgrace; we shall not be able to maintain our life, or uphold our credit; we shall not enjoy any thing, or be any bodies among men ;) let us, I say, by examining our hearts, find out from which of these springs this sordid disposition floweth, and accordingly strive to correct it; either praying to Almighty God that he would enlarge and supple our heart, if it be natural to us; or addicting ourselves on reasonable occasion to liberality and free expence, if custom hath therein prevailed on us; or if vain surmises have seduced us, rectifying our judgments; as by other good discourses, proper against that brutish vice, so especially by considering that God is most good and bountiful, and tender of our being overwhelmed with need; that he continually watcheth over us, so that he cannot but see, and will regard what we want; and that he faithfully hath promised, if we endeavor to please him, and use a moderate diligence in honest ways to maintain ourselves, that he will yield his blessing, and never will leave us destitute. So in all cases we may proceed discreetly in the cure of our spiritual, and in withstanding the temptations to sin, that assault us, if we do but search into our hearts, and learn thence whence they flow, and by what they are nou

rished.

10. This practice farther doth particularly serve to regulate our devotions, and performances more immediately spiritual, by showing us what we need to pray for, what we are obliged to give thanks for, what it becomes us to confess and deprecate; for want thereof we shall be apt not only to neglect, but indecently to confound, yea miserably to pervert these