SERMON

IV.

2 SAMUEL. xii. 7. ft part.

And Nathan faid unto David thou art the

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man.

HERE is no hiftorical paffage in fcripture, which gives a more remarkable inftance of the deceitfulness of the heart of man to itself, and of how little we truly know of ourselves, than this, wherein David is convicted out of his own mouth, and is led by the prophet to condemn and pronounce a fevere judgment upon another, for an act of injustice, which he had paffed over in himself, and poffibly reconciled to his own conscience. To know one's felf, one would think could be no very diffi

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cult leffon; for who, you'll say, can well be truly ignorant of himself and the true difpofition of his own heart. If a man thinks at all, he cannot be a ftranger to what paffes there he must be confcious of his own thoughts and defires, he must remember his past purfuits, and the true fprings and motives which in generál have directed the actions of his life. he may hang out falfe colours and deceive the world, but how can a man deceive himself? That a man is evident, becaufe he daily does fo. Scripture tells us, and gives us many historical proofs of it, befides this to which the text refers that the heart of man is treacherous to itself and deceitful above all things; and experience and every hour's commerce with the world confirms the truth of this feeming paradox, "That though man is the "only

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"only creature endowed with reflection, "and confequently qualified to know "the most of himfelf-yet fo it hap

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pens, that he generally knows the "leaft and with all the power which

"GOD has given him of turning his 66 eyes inwards upon himself, and taking "notice of the chain of his own thoughts "and defires yet in fact, is generally "fo inattentive, but always fo partial "an obferver of what paffes, that he is "as much, nay often, a much greater "ftranger to his own difpofition and "true character than all the world be"fides."

By what means he is brought under fo manifeft a delufion, and how he suffers himself to be fo grofly impofed upon in a point which he is capable of knowing fo much better than others, is not hard

VOL. I.

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to

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to give an account of, nor need we feek' further for it, than amongst the causes which are every day perverting his reafon and mifleading him. We are deceived in judging of ourfelves, juft as we are in judging of other things, when Our paffions and inclinations are called in as counsellors, and we fuffer ourfelves to fee and reason just so far and no farther than they give us leave. How hard do we find it to pafs an equitable and found judgment in a matter where our intereft is deeply concerned?- and even where there is the remoteft confiderations of felf, connected with the point before us, what a strange bias does it hang upon our minds, and how difficult is it to difengage our judgments entirely from it? with what reluctance are we brought to think evil of a friend whom we have long loved and efteemed, and though

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&

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there happens to be ftrong appearances against him, how apt are we to overlook or put favourable conftructions upon them, and even fometimes, when our zeal and friendship tranfport us, to affign the best: and kindeft motives for the worst and most unjustifiable parts of his conduct.

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We are still worfe cafuifts, and the deceit is proportionably ftronger with a mans when he is going to judge of himfelf that dearest of all parties, clofely connected with him so much and fo long beloved of whom he has fo early conceived the highest opinion and esteem, and with whose merit he has all-along, no doubt, found fo much reafon to be contented. It is not an eafy matter to be fevere, where there is fuch an impulse to be kind, or to efface at G 2

once