Book L OfjESUSCHRIST. 5"

againft all manner of Difficulties ; for fuch is a good Confcience, and a well-ground- ' Joh.m.21. ed Confidence towards God, which is its infeparable At- tendant.
g. The more a Man knows , and the better thofe Subjeds are, upon which his Studies have been em- ployed, the heavier (hall his Account be^ unlefs his Pie- ty and Virtue be proportionably eminent and exem- plary. So little reafon have we to be exalted with our Attainments ; and not rather to fear more, as we improve more in Knowledge. And what Improve- ments indeed can poflibly be fo great, as to juftifie our being proud of them ^ For no Man can ever want this Mortification of his Vanity, That what he knows is but a very little, in comparifon of what he ilill con- tinues ignorant of. Confider this, and, inftead of boaft- ingthy Knowledge of a few Things^confefs and be out of Countenance for the many more which thou doft not underftand. And why fo forward to prefer thy felf be- fore others, when there are fo many Perfons , whofs Learning and Skill in the Rules of Living, give them an undoubted Right to be prefcrr'd before You ? If you would attain to ufeful Learning indeed,- learn to conceal your Attainments, and be content that the World fhould think meanly of you : For Lowlinefs of Mind, and not thinking of a Man sfclf .more highly than he ought to think, is the moft difficult , but withal the moil profitable LelTon j and the preferring others be- fore our felves, is a Point of true Wifdom and high Perfection. Nor ought our Opinions of this kind be changed, though we fhould fee anotherguilty of fome egregious Folly, or very grievous Wickednefs ; fince we our felves are Men of like Paffions and Frailties j nor can we tell how long our own Virtue may con- tinue unfhaken. Remember then, that Infirmities are common to all Mankind , and fo remember it, as to perfwade your felf^ or atleaft to fufped, that thefe are
B
^^ flDf tl^e imitation Book I.
dealt to Thee in as plentiful a meafure, as to any o- ther Perfon whatfoevex-.
Chap. III.
Tbe Doclrinc of Truth.
BLefied is the Man, whom Truth condefcends to Teach • not by dark Figures, and Words quickly ^ . forgotten, but by a full and familiarCom-
rjaLxcw. 11. i-nunication of it felf. Happy fhould we be, could we but fee things as they are, free from the Errors of our fond Opinions, and the falfe Eftimates we form from thence. How high a Value do we fet upon the Knack of Diflinguifliing and Difputing nice- ly, in Matters hid from common Apprehenllons ,• but Matters too, which to know nothing of will not ren- der a Man's Cafe one whit the worfe at the Day of Judgment ? Egregious and Elaborate Folly ! which overlcoks ufeful and necelTary Points, as Things not worthy our PvCgard • and bends our Induftry to find out thofe, which either, turn to no Account, or what is worfe than none. Thus taking pains to pfalmzxv. ^^ Ignorant at laft , and verifying, in our own felves^ the Prophet's Defcription of the Heathen Idals, SNhich have Eyes, ^.ndycijcenot.
Why iliould we then, with fuch eager Toil, ftrive to be Maders of Logical Definitions, or what do our abltraded Speculations profit us ? He, whom the Di- vine Word inltruds, takes a much fhorter Cut to Truth ; For from this Word alone all faving Know- ledge is derived, and without"This no Man under- llands_or judges aright. But he, who reduces all his Studies to, and governs himfelf by this Rule^, may
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