What other man fpeaks fo often and vehemently against the vice of pride, fets the weaknefs of it in a more odious light, or is more hurt with it in another, than the proud man himself? It is the fame with the paffionate, the defigning, the ambitious, and fome other common characters in life; and being a confequence of the nature of fuch vices, and almost infeparable from them, the effects of it are generally fo grofs and abfurd, that where pity does not forbid, 'tis pleasant to obferve and trace the cheat through the feveral turns and windings of the heart, and detect it through all the fhapes and appearances which it puts on.

ན་ Next to thefe inftances of felf deceit and utter ignorance of our true difpofition and character, which appears in not feeing that in ourselves which fhocks' us

in

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.

སྙ

To conceive this, let any man look into his own heart, and obferve in how different a degree of deteftation, numbers of actions stand there, though equally bad and vicious in themselves: he will foon find that fuch of them, as ftrong inclination or cuftom has prompted him to commit, are generally dreffed out, and painted with all the falfe beauties which a soft 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

all the true circumftances of their folly and dishonour,

When David furprized Saul fleeping in the cave, and cut off the skirt of his robe, we read, his heart fmote him for what he had done-ftrange! it fmote him not in the matter of Uriah, where it had fo much stronger reafon to take the alarm. A whole year had almoft paffed from the firft commiffion of that 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," that he was deceiving himself, and was

i capa

capable of committing the fouleft and moft difhonourable actions; that he should 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 said possibly with Hazael upon juft fuch another occafion, and with the fame ignorance of himself -What? is thy fervant a dog that be fhould do this great thing. And yet in all likelihood, at that very time there

VOL. I.

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 impetuously a man will. rufh into it, and act against all principles of honour, juftice 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 honeft indignation and sharpnefs he expreffes against it, and how infenfibly his anger kindles against the man who hath done this thing.

Thus