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

But before I urge this duty further, I must prevent the misapplication of some troubled souls; I must confess it is a grievous thing for a guilty soul to judge it self, and see its own deformity and danger: And I observe many troubled humbled ⟨p. 153⟩souls, especially where melancholy much prevails, are exceeding prone to abuse this duty, by excess and by misdoing it: Though wandering minds must be called home, we must not run into the other extreme, and shut up our selves, and wholly dwell on the motions of our own distempered hearts: Though straggling thoughts must be turned inward, and our hearts must be watched, and not neglected; yet must we not be always poring on our selves, and neglect the rest of our intellectual converse: To look too long on the running of a stream will make our eyes misjudge of what we after look on, as if all things had the same kind of motion: To look too long on the turning of a wheel, will make us vertiginous, as if all turned round. And to pore too long on the disordered motions, the confused thoughts, the wants, the passions of our diseased minds, will but molest us, and cast us into greater disquiet and confusion. The words of Anselm notably express the straits that Christians are here put to [O nimis gravis angustia, si me inspicio, non tolero meipsum: si non inspicio, nescio meipsum: si me considero, terret me facies mea: si me non considero, fallit me damnaetio mea; si me video, horror ⟨p. 154⟩est intolerabilis: si non video, mors est i•e• tabilis.] [O grievous strait! If I look […] my self, I cannot endure my self: if I look not into my self I cannot know my self. If I consider my self, my own face affrighteth me: if I consider not my self, my damnation deceiveth me: If I see my self, the horror is intolerable▪ if I see not my self, death is unavoidable.]

But before I urge this duty further, I must prevent the misapplication of some troubled soules; I must confess it is a grievous thing for a guilty soul to judge it self, and see its own deformity and danger: And I observe many troubled humbled ⟨p. 153⟩soules, especially where melancholy much prevailes, are exceeding prone to abuse this duty, by excess and by misdoing it: Though wandering minds must be called home, we must not run into the other extreame, and shut up our selves, and wholly dwell on the motions of our owne distempered hearts: Though stragling thoughts must be turned inward, and our hearts must be watched, and not neglected; yet must we not be alwayes poreing on our selves, and neglect the rest of our intellectual converse: To look too long on the running of a stream will make our eyes misjudge of what we after look on, as if all things had the same kind of motion: To look too long on the turning of a wheele, will make us vertiginous, as if all turnd round. And to pore too long on the disordered motions, the confused thoughts, the wants, the passions of our diseased minds, will but molest us, and cast us into greater disquiet and confusion. The words of Anselme notably express the streights that Christians are here put to [O nimis gravis angustia, si me inspicio, non tolero meipsum: si non inspicio, nescio meipsum: si me considero, terret me facies mea: si me non considero, fallit me damnaetio mea; si me video, horror