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

Hind. 3. THE third extrinsical Impediment to self-knowledge, is, Conversing only with such as are as bad as our selves; and not with such whose lives display the spiritual endowment, and excellencies which we want. Among the Ethiopians, it seemeth no deformity to be Black: Seneca saith, that no man is to be upbraided with that which is vitium humani generis, the common fault of all the world, or of the country where he lives: for this were but to upbraid him that he is a man, or that he was born in such a time or place: Though Christians that know better the common disease, do know that there must be common humiliation and remedy; yet these indeed ⟨p. 462⟩are the thoughts of most: They know not that it is a matter of dishonour and lamentation, to be no better then the most, and to lie in the common corruptions of the world, and to have no better hearts then they had by Nature. To hear preachers talk of [Holiness, and a Divine Nature, and a new birth, and of being made new Creatures, and of living in the Love of God, and in the joyful Hopes of endless Glory] doth seem to them but as the talk of a world in the sun, or the description of an Angel, which humbleth not them at all, for not being such, nor exciteth in them any great desires to be such: As long as they see not the persons that are such, they think these are but devout imaginations, or the pious dreams of melancholy men; and that indeed there are no such persons in the world: or if there be, that they are but as the Papists Saints, here and there one to be admired and canonized, and not upon pain of damnation to be imitated. They judge of all the world, or almost all, by those about them; And they think that God should be unmerciful if he should condemn so great a number as they see are like themselves; and should save none but those few transcendent souls, that they are described, but hear unacquainted with.

Hind. 3. THE third extrinsecal Impediment to self-knowledge, is, Conversing only with such as are as bad as our selves; and not with such whose lives display the spiritual endowment, and excellencies which we want. Among the Ethiopians, it seemeth no deformity to be Black: Seneca saith, that no man is to be upbraided with that which is vitium humani generis, the common fault of all the world, or of the country where he lives: for this were but to upbraid him that he is a man, or that he was born in such a time or place: Though Christians that know better the common disease, do know that there must be common humiliation and remedie; yet these indeed