man thinks at all, he cannot be a ftranger to what paffes there-he must be conscious of his own thoughts and defires, he must remember his past purfuits, and the true fprings and motives which in general have directed the actions of his life: he may hang out falfe colours and deceive the world, but how can a man deceive himfelf? That a man can-is evident, because 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 de

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

pens, that he generally knows the "leaft-and with all the power which "God has given him of turning his eyes inward 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 difpofi"tion and true character, than all the "world befides."

By what means he is brought under fo manifeft a delufion, and how he suffers himfelf to be fo grofsly impofed upon in a point which he is capable of knowing fo much better than others, is not hard to give an account of, nor need we seek farther for it, than amongst the causes which are every day perverting his rea fon and misleading him. We are deceived in judging of ourfelves, just as we are in judging of other things, when our paffions and inclinations are called in as counfellors, and we fuffer ourselves to see and reafon just so far and no farther than they give us leave. How hard do we find it to pass an equitable and found judgment in a matter where our intereft is deeply concerned!-and even where there is the remoteft confideration

of felf, connected with the point before us, what a ftrange bias does it hang upon our mind, 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 there happens to be strong appearances against him, how apt we are to overlook or put favourable constructions upon them, and even fometimes, when our zeal and friendship tranfport us, to affign the beft and kindest motives for the worst and most unjustifiable parts of his conduct!

We are ftill worse cafuifts, and the deceit is proportionably ftronger with a man, when he is going to judge of himfelf--that dearest of all parties,fo closely connected with him-fo much and fo long beloved-of whom he has fo early conceived the highest opinion and esteem, and with whofe merit he has all along, no doubt, found fo much reason to be contented. It is not an easy matter to be fevere, where there is fuch

an impulfe to be kind, or to efface at once all the tender impreffions in favour of fo old a friend, which difabled us from thinking of him as he is, and feeing him in the light, may be, in which every one else fees him.

So that however eafy this knowledge of one's felf may appear at first sight, it is otherwise when we come to examine; fince not only in practice, but even in fpeculation and theory, we find it one of the hardest and most painful leffons. Some of the earliest inftructors of mankind, no doubt, found it fo too, and for that reason foon faw the neceffity of laying fuch a ftrefs upon this great precept of felf knowledge, which, for its excellent wisdom and usefulness, many of them fuppofed to be a divine direction; that it came down from Heaven, and comprehended the whole circle both of the knowledge and the duty of man. And indeed their zeal might easily be allowed in fo high an encomium upon the attainment of a virtue, the want of which fo often baffled their inftructions,

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and rendered their endeavours of reforming the heart vain and useless. For who could think of a reformation of the faults without him, who knew not where they lay, or could fet about correcting, till he had firft come to a fenfe of the defects which required it?

But this was a point always much eafier recommended by public instructors than fhewn how to be put in practice: and therefore others, who equally fought the reformation of mankind, obferving that this direct road which led to it was guarded on all fides by felf-love, and confequently very difficult to open accefs, foon found out that a different and more artful courfe was requifite; as they had not ftrength to remove this flattering paffion which stood in their way and blocked up all the paffages to the heart, they endeavoured by ftratagem to get beyond it, and by a fkilful addrefs, if poffible, to deceive it. This gave rise to the early manner of conveying their inftructions in parables, fables, and fuch fort of indirect applications, which,