man himself? It is the fame with the paffionate, the defigning, the ambitious, aud fome other common characters in life; and being a confequence of the nature of fuch vices, and almoft infeparable from them, the effects of it are generally fo grofs and abfurd, that where pity does not forbid, it is pleafant to obferve and trace the cheat through the feveral turnings and windings of the heart, and detect it through all the fhapes and appearances which it puts on.

Next to thefe inftances of felf-deceit and utter ignorance of our true difpofition and character, which appear in not feeing that in ourfelves which fhocks us in another man, there is another fpecies ftill more dangerous and delufive, and which the more guarded perpetually fall into from the judgments they make of different vices, according to their age and complexion, and the various ebbs and flows of their paffions and defires.

To conceive this, let any man look into his own heart, and obferve in how different a degree of deteftation, numbers of actions ftand there, though equally bad and vicious in themfelves: He will foon find that fuch of them as ftrong inclination or custom has prompted him to commit, are generally dreffed out, and painted with all the falfe beauties which a foft and flattering hand can give them; and that the others, to which he feels no propenfity, appear at once naked and deformed, furrounded with all the true circumstances of their folly and difhonour.

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When

When David furprised Saul fleeping in the cave, and cut off the fkirt of his robe, we read, his heart fiote him for what he had done: ftrange, it fmote him not in this matter of Uriah, where it had fo much ftronger reafon to take the alarm! -A whole year had almoft paffed from the first commiffion of this injuftice, to the time the prophet was fent to reprove him; and we read not once of any remorfe or compunction of heart for what he had done: and it is not to be doubted, had the fame prophet met him when he was returning up out of the cave, and told him, that, fcrupulous and confcientious as he then feemed and thought himself to be, he was deceiving himself, and was capable of committing the foulest and most difhonourable actions; -- that he fhould one day murder a faithful and a valiant fervant, whom he ought in juftice to have loved and honoured; that he fhould without pity first wound him in the tendereft part, by taking away his deareft poffeffion, and then unmercifully and treacherously rob him of his life-had Nathan in a prophetic fpirit foretold to David that he was capable of this, and that he fhould one day actually do it, and from no other motive but the momentary gratification of a base and unworthy paffion, he would have received the prediction with horror, and faid poffibly with Hazael upon juft fuch another occafion, and with the fame ignorance of himfelf, "What! "is thy fervant a dog that he fhould do this

"great

1

"great thing?" And yet in all likelihood, at that very time there wanted nothing but the fame degree of temptation, and the fame opportunity to induce him to the fin which afterwards overcame him.

Thus the cafe ftands with us ftill. When the paffions are warmed, and the fin which prefents itself exactly tallies to the defire, obferve how impetuoufly a man will rush into it, and act against all principles of honour, justice, and mercy!-Talk to him the moment after upon the nature of another vice to which he is not addicted, and from which perhaps his age, his temper, or rank in life fecure him; take notice, how well he reafons,—with what equity he determines, what an honest indignation and fharpness he expreffes againft it, and how infenfibly his anger kindles against the man who hath done this thing!

Thus we are nice in grains and fcruples, but knaves in matters of a pound weight; every day ftraining at gnats, yet fwallowing camels; miferably cheating ourselves, and torturing our reason to bring us in fuch a report of the fin as fuits the present appetite and inclination.

Moft of us are aware of and pretend to deteft the barefaced inftances of that hypocrify by which men deceive others; but few of us are upon our guard, or fee that more fatal hypocrify by which we deceive and over-reach our own hearts! It is a flattering and dangerous diftemper, which has undone

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done thoufands; we bring the feeds of it along with us into the world, -they infenfibly grow up with us from our childhood,they lie long concealed and undisturbed, and have generally got fuch deep root in our natures by the time we are come to years. of understanding and reflection, that it requires all we have got to defend ourselves from their effects.

To make the cafe ftill worfe on our fides, 'tis with this as with every grievous diftemper of the body, the remedies are dangerous and doubtful, in proportion to our milakes and ignorance of the caufe: for in the inftances of felf-deceit, though the head is fick, and the whole heart faint, the patient feldom knows what he ails. Of all the things we know and learn, this neceffary knowledge comes to us the laft.

Upon what principle it happens thus, I have endeavoured to lay open in the first part of this difcourfe; which I conclude with a ferious exhortation to struggle against them; which we can only hope to do, by converfing more and oftener with ourfelves, than the bufinefs and diverfions of the world generally give us leave.

We have a chain of thoughts, defires, engagements, and idleneffes, which perpetually return upon us in their proper time and order:

let us, I befeech you, affign and fet apart fome fmall portion of the day for this purpose,

of retiring into ourselves, and fearching into the dark corners and receffes of the heart,

and

and taking notice of what is paffing there. If a man can bring himself to do this talk with a curious and impartial eye, he will quickly find the fruits of it will more than recompenfe his time and labour. He will fee feveral irregularities and unfufpected paffions within him which he never was aware of:-he will difcover in his progrefs many fecret turnings and windings in his heart to which he was a ftranger, which now gradually open and difclose themselves to him upon a nearer view. In these labyrinths he will trace out fuch hidden fprings and motives for many of his moft applauded actions, as will make him rather forry and afhamed of himself, than proud.

In a word, he will understand his errors, and then fee the neceffity, with David, of imploring God to cleanse him from his fecret faults, and with fome hope and confidence to say, with this great man after his conviction, Try me, O God, and feek the ground of my heart;-prove me, and examine my "thoughts; look well if there be any way of wickedness in me,-and lead me in the way everlasting."

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$6.6

Now to God the Father, &c. &c.