20. Avoid the company of the person thou art in danger of; this thou canst do, if thou art willing; none will force thee. If thou wilt go seek for a thief, no wonder if thou be robbed. 21. If thou wilt go seek fire to put in the thatch, no wonder if thy house be burned. As thou lovest thy soul, avoid all opportunities of sinning. 22. If thou canst not keep at a distance nor forbear the presence of the bait, thou art not like to forbear the sin. 23. Flee from sin as from the face of a serpent; for if thou comest too near it, it will bite thee; the teeth thereof are as the teeth of a lion, slaying the souls of men. 24. A prudent man foreseeth the evil and hideth himself; but the simple pass on and are punished. THE BLIND- 25. Proud men are fearless of temptations, and confident of their strength and the goodness of their hearts: they dare live among snares, in pomp and pleasure, faring deliciously every day, among plays and gaming, and lascivious company and discourse, and fear no hurt, 26. Their pride making them insensible of their danger, and of what tinder and gunpowder is in their natures, for every spark of temptation to set fire to. 27. But the humble are always suspicious of themselves, and know and know their danger, and avoid the snare. 28. A wise man feareth and departeth from evil; the fool rageth and is confident. SIN BEGINS 29. He that only avoideth temptations outwardly, however, and doth not pluck them up by the roots, shall profit little; yea, they will the sooner return unto him, and he shall feel himself in a worse case than before. THE HEART 30. If we would put a stop to the beginning of sin, we must begin where sin begins, in the heart and thoughts. 31. For occasions do not make a man frail, but they show what he is. 32. Temptations do not defile a man except through his own slackness and want of diligence in turning aside from them. 33. Mark thyself well in the hour of temptation, for then it is that the vices will appear which before lay covered and unknown. 34. We are courageous enough so long as nothing adverse befalls us. OUTWARD THE SECRET 35. We can give good counsel also, and can strengthen others with our words, but when any tribulation suddenly comes to our door we fail in counsel and in strength. 36. And whilst we are thinking ourselves tolerably safe, and when we least expect it, we sometimes find ourselves almost entirely overcome by a slight breath. 37. It is sometimes a very trifle whence a great temptation arises. 38. We resolve that we will act with courage, but when even a small trial comes we are at once in a great strait. 39. This is that which oftentimes strikes us backward and confounds us, that we are so subject to fall and weak in resisting our passions. 40. To-day we confess our faults, and to-morrow we commit the very same we have confessed. 41. Now we are purposed to look well into our ways, and within a while we so behave ourselves as though we had never any such purpose at all. 42. Good cause therefore have we to humble ourselves, and never to have any great conceit of ourselves, since we are so frail and so inconsistent. MANY SECRETLY SEEK THEMSELVES IN WHAT THEY DO AND KNOW IT NOT 1. The deeper and more refined Self is in a man, the harder it is to conquer. It escapes in subtleties; it excuses itself under plausible pretexts; it is all the more dangerous when it seems least so. 2. We never do the wrong so unreservedly and so cheerfully as when we do it on a false principle of conscience. 3. That which is called considering our duty in a particular case, is very often nothing but endeavouring to explain it away. 4. When we find ourselves doubting about any particular duty, let us ask ourselves searchingly the question, "Am I doubting because I secretly desire to do differently?" 5. Our scruples ofttimes arise from inordinate self-love, and therefore vex us; they do no good, neither work any real amendment in us; they cloud the soul, and darken faith, and cool love.. 6. The same self-love which causes our failings, hides them very subtly, both from others and from ourselves. SELF DISLIKES ITS OWN FEATURES 7. Self-love cannot abide to see Self; the sight would overwhelm it with shame and vexation; and if it catches an accidental glimpse, it seeks some false light which may soften and condone what is so hideous. 8. It is as easy to close the eyes of the mind as those of the body. Men find that the survey of their own heart and temper, their own life and behaviour, doth not afford them satisfaction. 9. Therefore they turn away and will not go over particulars or look deeper, lest they should find more amiss. For who would choose to be put out of humour with himself? 10. The most frequent impediment to men's turning their minds inward upon themselves, is that they are afraid of what they shall find there. 11. There is an aching hollowness in the bosom, a dark cold speck at the heart, an obscure and boding sense of a somewhat that must be kept out of sight of the conscience, some secret lodger whom they cannot resolve either to eject or retain. 12. Self-love is a medium of a peculiar kind; it magnifies everything which is amiss in others, at the same time that it lessens everything that is amiss in ourselves. SELF HIDE 13. The greatest imperfection is in our inward vision; while we are so sharp-sighted as to look through others, we are almost invisible unto ourselves. 14. Pride deceiveth sinners by multiplying and magnifying the little good that is in them. There is no such flatterer as a man's Self. 15. Pride is a deep-rooted and self-preserving sin. It hindereth the discovery of itself. It driveth away the light. It hateth reproof. |