you are sure to find him pre-engaged; either he has some business to do, or some diversion to take, some acquaintance that he must visit, or some company that he must entertain, or some cross accident has put him out of humour, and unfitted him for such a grave employment.  And thus it cometh to pass that a man can never find leisure to look into himself, because he does not set apart some portion of the day for that very purpose, but foolishly defers it from one day to another, till his glass is almost run out, and he is called to give a miserable account of himself in the other world.  But,

Thirdly, Another reason why a man does not more frequently converse with himself, is, because such conversation with his own heart may discover some vice or some infirmity lurking within him, which he is very unwilling to believe himself guilty of.  For can there be a more ungrateful thing to a man, than to find that upon a nearer view he is not that person he took himself to be?  That he had neither the courage, nor the honesty, nor the piety, nor the humility that he dreamed he had?  That a very little pain, for instance, putteth him out of patience, and as little pleasure softens and disarms him into ease and wantonness?  That he has been at more pains, and labour, and cost, to be revenged of an enemy, than to oblige the best friend he has in the world?  That he cannot bring himself to say his prayers, without a great deal of reluctancy; and when he does say them, the spirit and fervour of devotion evaporate in a very short time, and he can scarcely hold out a prayer of ten lines, without a number of idle and impertinent, if not vain and wicked thoughts coming into his head?  These are very unwelcome discoveries that a man may make of himself; so that ’tis no wonder that every one who is already flushed with a good opinion of himself, should rather study how to run away from it, than how to converse with his own heart.

But further, if a man were both able and willing to retire into his own heart, and to set apart some portion of the day for that very purpose; yet he is still disabled from passing a fair and impartial judgment upon himself, by several difficulties, arising partly from prejudice and prepossession, partly from the lower appetites and inclinations.  And,

First:  That the business of prepossession may lead and betray a man into a false judgment of his own heart.  For we may observe, that the first opinion we take up of anything, or any person, does generally stick close to us; the nature of the mind being such, that it cannot but desire, and consequently endeavour to have some certain principles to go upon, something fixed and unmoveable, whereon it may rest and support itself.  And hence it comes to pass, that some persons are with so much difficulty brought to think well of a man they have once entertained an ill opinion of:  and perhaps that too for a very absurd and unwarrantable reason.  But how much more difficult then must it be for a man, who takes up a fond opinion of his own heart long before he has either years or sense enough to understand it, either to be persuaded out of it by himself, whom he loveth so well, or by another, whose interest or diversion it may be to make him ashamed of himself!  Then,