The Mischiefs of Self-Ignorance, Errata
ERRATA.
PAge 228: l. 29. for gain r. game: p. 229. l. 29. for having r. have: p. 147 l. 17. r. relevetur: l. 22. r. ſanabat: p. 236. l. 2. r. Impenitent ſinner! p. 247. l. 5. for juggling r. jingling: p. 288. l. 25. r. it is: p. 29…. l. 20. r. preſervative: p. 334. l. 24 for more r. meer: p 340 l. 25. r. if it were: p. 341. l. 2. for as r. is, l. 6. dele that, p. 349. l. 4 for after r. ofter, p. 351. l. 8. r. all that, p 353. l. 10. for over r. our, p. 307. l. 17. for bodily r. boldly, p. 375. l. 17. r. hath ſet you, p. 383. l. 2…. r. is it to, p. 381. l. 28. r. fitteth, p. 387. l. 8. r. proſperity, p. 407 l. 26. for natives r. Na…ions, p. 411. l. 3. r. wh… it is, p. 428. l. 6. dele in, p. 434. l. 9. r. its, l. 13. r. he is not, p. 448. l. 21. r. put him, p. 452. l. 14. r. of one, p. 46…. for are r. hear…, and for hear r. are p. 476. l. 19. r. inconſiderate, p. 485. l. 1. corrigentis.
THE Miſchief of Self-ignorance, AND Benefit of Self-acquaintance.
2 COR. 13.5.
Know ye not your own ſelves —?]
THE Corinthians being much abuſed by falſe-teachers, to the corrupting of their faith and manners, and the queſtioning of the Apoſtles Miniſtery, he acquainted them in my Text with an obvious remedy for both theſe maladies; and lets …hem know, that their miſcarriages call …hem to queſtion themſelves, rather then …o queſtion his authority or gifts, and that if they find Chriſt in themſelves, they muſt acknowledge him in his miniſtry.
He therefore firſt moſt importunately urgeth them to the mediate duty of Self-examination: [Examine your ſelves, Whether you be in the faith: Prove your own ſelves:] Self-examination is but the Means of Self-knowledge. This therefore he next urgeth, and that firſt in General; and this by way of Interrogation, [Know ye not your own ſelves?] and then more particularly he tells them, what it is of themſelves, that it moſt concerneth them to know, [How that Jeſus Chriſt is in you except ye be Reprobates.] As if he ſhould ſay, [Alas, poor ſouls; you have more cauſe to queſtion your ſelves then me: Go too therefore, examine and prove your ſelves. It is a ſhame for a man to be ignorant of himſelf. Know ye not your own ſelves? Either Chriſt is in you, by faith, and by his Spirit, or he is not. If he be not, you are yet but Reprobates, that is, diſapproved of God, and at preſent in a forſaken, or condemned ſtate your ſelves; (which is a concluſion that you will be loath to admit, but more concerneth you:) If Chriſt be in you, it was by the means of my miniſtry; and therefore that miniſtry hath been powerfull and effectual to you; and you are my witneſſes; the ſeal of my miniſtry is upon your own ſouls; Chriſt within you, bears me witneſs, and therefore of all men, you have leaſt cauſe to queſtion or quarrel with my miniſtry.]
This Paraphraſe opening all that may ſeem difficult in the Text, I ſhall immediately offer you a double Obſervation, which the words afford us; firſt, as conſidered in themſelves, and then as reſpecting the inference for which they are premiſed by the Apoſtle.
The firſt is, that [All men ſhould know themſelves: or, It is a ſhame for a man to be unacquainted with himſelf.]
The ſecond is, that [Not knowing our ſelves is the cauſe of other errors: or, The knowledge of our ſelves, would much con…uce to the Cure of many other errors.]
In handling this, I ſhall ſhew you, 1. What … is to know our ſelves. 2. How far it is, …r is not, a ſhame to be ignorant of our …elves. 3. What evils follow this Ignorance …f our ſelves, and what benefits ſelf-know…dge would procure. 4. How we ſhould …prove this doctrine by Application and …actice. Of the firſt but briefly.
I. SElf-knowledge is thus diſtinguiſhed according to the object. 1. There is a Phyſical ſelf knowledge: when a man knows what he is as a man; What his ſoul is, and what his body, and what the compound called man. The Doctrine of Mans Nature, or this part of Phyſicks, is ſo neceſſary to all, that it is firſt laid down even in the Holy Scriptures, in Gen. ch. 1, 2, 3. before his Duty is expreſſed. And it is preſuppoſed in all the moral paſſages of the word, and in all the preaching of the goſpel; The Subject is preſuppoſed to the Adjuncts. The Subjects of Gods Kingdom belong to the Conſtitution; and therefore to be known before the Legiſlation, and Judgement, which are the parts of the Adminiſtration. Morality alway preſuppoſeth nature. The Species is in order before the ſeparable Accidents. Moſt ridiculouſly therefore doth Ignorance plead for it ſelf againſt Knowledge, in them that cry down this part of Phyſicks, as Humane Learning, unneceſſary to the Diſcipl… of Chriſt. What excellent holy Meditations of Humane nature do you find oft in … and in Davids Pſalms, Pſ. 139. concluding … the praiſe of the incomprehenſible Creator, ver. 14. [I will praiſe thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: Marvellous are thy works; and that my ſoul knoweth right well.]