The mischiefs of self-ignorance and the benefits of self-acquaintance opened in divers sermons at…

1. When you should Repent of sin, you know it not as in yourselves, and therefore cannot savingly Repent of it. If you know in general, that you are sinners, or know your gross and crying sins, which Conscience cannot overlook, yet the sins which you know not because you will not know them, may condemn you. How can you Repent of your Pride, Hypocrisy, Self-love, Self-seeking, your Want of love and fear, and trust in God, or any such sins which you never did observe? Or if you perceive some sins, yet if you perceive not that they reign and are predominant, and that you are in a state of sin, how can you Repent of that estate which you perceive not? Or if you have but a sleight and superficial sight of your sinful state and your particular sins, you can have but a superficial false Repentance.

1. When you should Repent of sin, you know it not as in yourselves, and therefore cannot savingly Repent of it. If you know in generall, that you are sinners, or know your gross and crying sins, which Conscience cannot overlook, yet the sins which you know not because you will not know them, may condemne you. How can you Repent of your Pride, Hypocrisie, Self-love, Self-seeking, your Want of love and feare, and trust in God, or any such sins which you never did observe? Or if you perceive some sins, yet if you perceive not that they reign and are predominant, and that you are in a state of sin, how can you Repent of that estate which you perceive not? Or if you have but a sleight and superficiall sight of your sinfull state and your particular sins, you can have but a superficiall false Repentance.

2. If you know not yourselves, you cannot be duly sensible of your misery. Could it be expected that the Pharisees should lament, that they were of their Father the Devil, as long as they boasted that they ⟨p. 94⟩were the Children of God? Joh. 8.41, 44. Will they lament that they are under the wrath of God, the curse of the Law, and the bondage of the Devil, that know not of any such misery that they are in, but hope they are the heirs of heaven? What think you is the reason, that when Scripture telleth us that few shall be saved, and none at all but those that are new creatures, and have the Spirit of Christ, that yet there is not one of many that is sensible that the case is theirs? Though Scripture peremptorily concludeth, that They that are in the flesh cannot please God, and that To be carnally minded is death, Rom, 8.6, 7, 8. and that Without holiness none shall see God,