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Mason on Self-Knowledge. Melmoth's Great Importance of a Religious Life, Considered (v. 46)
Mason on SelfKnowledge Melmoth's Great Importance of a Religious Life Considered - v. 46 Author:John Mason Volume: v. 46 General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1846 Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than... more » a million books for free. Excerpt: CHAP. VII. Concerning the Knowledge of our constitutional Sins. VI. ' Self-acquaintance shews a man the particular sins he is most exposed and addicted to ; and discovers not only what is ridiculous, but what is criminal, in his conduct and temper.' The outward actions of a man are generally the plainest index of his inward dispositions; and, by the allowed sins of his life, you may know the reigning vices of his mind. Is he addicted to luxury and debauch ? sensuality then appears to be his prevailing taste. Is he given to revenge and cruelty ? choler and malice, then, reign in his heart. Is he confident, bold, and enterprising? ambition appears to be the secret spring. Is he sly and designing, given to intrigue and artifice ? you may conclude, there is a natural subtilty of temper that prompts him to this. And this secret disposition is criminal, in proportion to the degree in which these outward actions, which spring from it, transgress the bounds of reason and virtue. Every man hath something peculiar in the turn or cast of his mind, which distinguishes him as much as the particular constitution of his body. And both these, viz, his particular turn of mind, and particular constitution of body, incline and dispose him to some kind of sins, much more than to others. And the same it is, that renders the practice of certain virtues so much more easy to some, than it is to others. Now, these sins which men generally are most strongly inclined to, and the temptations which they find they have least power to resist, are usually and properly called their constitutional sins, their peculia...« less