The old Greeks used to preach, 'Know thyself.' It was a high behest, and
very often a very vain-glorious one. A man's best means of knowing what
he is, is to take stock of what he does. If you will put your conduct
through the sieve, you will come to a pretty good understanding of your
character. 'He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city
broken down, without walls,' into which all enemies can leap unhindered,
and out from which all things that will may pass. Do you set guards at
the gates and watch yourselves with all carefulness.

Then, again, I would say we must try to diminish as much as possible the
mere instinctive and habitual and mechanical part of our lives, and to
bring, as far as we can, every action under the conscious dominion of
principle. The less we live by impulse, and the more we live by
intelligent reflection, the better it will be for us. The more we can
get habit on the side of goodness, the better; but the more we break up
our habits, and make each individual action the result of a special
volition of the spirit guided by reason and conscience, the better for
us all.

Then, again, I would say, set yourselves to educate your consciences.
They need that. One of the surest ways of making conscience more
sensitive is always to consult it and always to obey it. If you neglect
it, and let it prophesy to the wind, it will stop speaking before long.
Herod could not get a word out of Christ when he 'asked Him many
questions' because for years he had not cared to hear His voice. And
conscience, like the Lord of conscience, will hold its peace after men
have neglected its speech. You can pull the clapper out of the bell upon
the rock, and then, though the waves may dash, there will not be a
sound, and the vessel will drive straight on to the black teeth that are
waiting for it. Educate your conscience by obeying it, and by getting