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

5. If you know not your selves, you know not how to apply the word of God, which you read or hear; you know not how to use either promises or threatenings, to the benefit of your souls: Nay you will misapply them to you hurt. If you are unregenerate and know it not, you will put by all the calls of God, that invite you to come in and be converted, and think that they belong to grosser sinners, but not to you. All the descriptions of the unsanctified and their misery, will little affect you; and all Gods threatenings to such will little move you; for you will think they ar• not meant of you; you will be Pharisaically blessing your selves when you should b• pricked at the heart and laid in Contrition at the feet of Christ: you will be thanking God that you are not such as indeed you are; you will be making application […] the threatenings to others, and pitying […] when you should lament your selves ▪ […] will be thundering when you should […] trembling; and speaking that evil of […] ⟨p. 115⟩that is your own; and convincing others of that which you had need to be convinced of; and wakening others by talking in your sleep; and calling other men hypocrites, proud, self-conceited, ignorant and other such names that are indeed your own; you will read or hear your own condemnation, and not be moved at it, as not knowing your own description when you hear it, but thinking that this thunderbolt is levelled at another sort of men. All the words of Peace and Comfort, you will think are meant of such as you. When you read of Pardon, Reconciliation, Adoption, and right to everlasting Life, you will imagine that all these are yours. And thus you will be dreaming-rich and safe, when you are poor and miserable, and in the greatest peril. And is it not pity that the celestial undeceiving Light should be abused to so dangerous self-deceit? and that Truth itself should be made the furtherance of so great an error? And that the eyesalve should more put out your eyes • Is it not sad to consider that you should now be emboldened to presumption, by that very word which (unless you be conver•ed) will judge you to damnation? And that self-deceit should be increased, by the ⟨p. 116⟩