though they could not conquer this principle of felf-love, yet often laid it asleep, or at least over-reached it for a few moments, till a juft judgment could be procured.

The prophet Nathan seems to have been a great mafter in this way of addrefs. David had greatly displeased God by two grievous fins which he had committed, and the prophet's commiffion was to go and bring him to a conviction of them, and touch his heart with a fenfe of guilt for what he had done against the honour and life of Uriah.

The holy man knew, that was it any one's cafe but David's own, no man would have been fo quick-fighted in difcerning the nature of the injury,— more ready to have redreffed it, or who would have felt more compaffion for the party who had fuffered it, than he himself.

Instead therefore of declaring the real intention of his errand, by a direct accufation and reproof for the crimes he had committed; he comes to him with

a fictitious complaint of a cruel act of injuftice done by another, and accordingly he frames a cafe, not fo parallel to David's as he fuppofed would awaken his fufpicion, and prevent a patient and candid hearing, and yet not fo void of resemblance in the main circumstances, as to fail of ftriking him when fhewn in a proper light.

And Nathan came and faid unto him, "There were two men in one city, the "one rich and the other poor-the rich

man had exceeding many flocks and "herds, but the poor man had nothing "fave one little ewe lamb which he had . bought and nourished up-and it grew

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up together with him and with his "children-it did eat of his own meat, "and drink of his own cup, and lay in "his bofom, and was unto him as a "daughter-and there came a traveller "unto the rich man, and he fpared to "take of his own flock and of his own "herd to drefs for the wayfaring man, "that was come unto him, but took "the poor man's lamb and dreffed it

the man that was come unto

" for
"him."

The cafe was drawn up with great judgment and beauty, -the feveral minute circumftances which heightened the injury truly affecting,-and fo ftrongly urged, that it would have been impoffible for any man with a previous fense of guilt upon his mind, to have defended himself from fome degree of remorfe, which it must naturally have excited.

The ftory, though it spoke only of the injuftice and oppreffive act of another man-yet it pointed to what he had lately done himself, with all the circumstances of its aggravation ;—and withal, the whole was fo tenderly addreffed to the heart and paffions, as to kindle at once the utmost horror and indignation. And fo it did, but not against the proper perfon. In his tranfport he forgot himself;- -his anger greatly kindled against the man,—and he faid unto Nathan, "As the LORD "liveth, the man that hath done this

thing fhall furely die, and he fhall "restore the lamb fourfold, because he "did this thing, and because he had no "pity."

It can scarce be doubted here, but that David's anger was real, and that he was what he appeared to be, greatly provoked and exafperated against the offender: and, indeed, his fentence against him proves he was fo above measure. For to punish the man with death, and oblige him to restore fourfold befides, was highly unequitable, and not only difproportioned to the offence, but far above the utmost rigour and feverity of the law, which allowed a much fofter atonement, requiring, in fuch a cafe, no more than an ample reftitution and recompence in kind. The judgment,

however, seems to have been truly finceré and well-meant, and bespoke rather the honest rashness of an unfufpicious judge, than the cool determination of a confcious and guilty man, who knew he was going to pafs fentence upon himself.

I take notice of this particular, because it places this inftance of self-deceit, which is the fubject of the discourse, in the strongest light, and fully demonstrates the truth of a fact in this great man, which happens every day among ourfelves, namely, that a man may be guilty of very bad and dishonest actions, and yet reflect fo little, or fo partially, upon what he has done, as to keep his confcience free, not only from guilt, but even the remoteft fufpicions, that he is the man which in truth he is, and what the tenor and evidence of his life demonstrate. If we look into the world -David's is no uncommon cafe;-we fee fome one or other perpetually copying this bad original, fitting in judgment upon himself, -hearing his own. cause, and not knowing what he is doing; hafty in paffing sentence, and even executing it too with wrath upon the perfon of another, when in the language of the prophet, one might fay to him with justice, "thou art the man."