must have passed, between the Time of the Serm. Commission of his Crimes, and the Time X. of the Prophet's coming to him; and it does not appear from the Story, that he had in all this while the leaft Remorfe or Contrition.

They

There is not any thing, relating to Men and Characters, more furprizing and unaccountable, than the Partiality to themselves, which is obfervable in many; as there is nothing of more melancholy Reflection, respecting Morality, Virtue and Religion. Hence it is that many Men feem perfect Strangers to their own Characters. think, and reason, and judge quite differently upon any Matter relating to themfelves, from what they do in Cafes where they are not interested. Hence it is one hears People expofing Follies, which they themselves are eminent for; and talking with great Severity against particular Vices, which, if all the World be not mistaken, they themselves are notoriously guilty of.This Self-ignorance and Self-partiality may be in all different Degrees. It is a lower Degree of it, which David himself refers to in thefe Words, Who can tell how oft he offendeth? O cleanfe thou me from my fecret Faults.

This

Serm. is the Ground of that Advice of Elihu to X. Job: Surely it is meet to be faid unto God,

That which I fee not, teach thou me ; if I have done Iniquity, I will do no more. And Solomon faw this thing in a very strong Light, when he faid, He that trufteth his own Heart is a Fool. This likewife was the Reason why that Precept, Know thy felf, was fo frequently inculcated by the Philosophers of old. For if it were not for that partial and fond Regard to ourselves, it would cer tainly be no great Difficulty to know our own Character, what paffes within, the Bent and Bias of our Mind; much lefs would there be any Difficulty in judging rightly of our own Actions. But from this Partiality it frequently comes to pass, that the Observation, of many Men's being themselves laft of all acquainted with what falls out in their own Families, may be applied to a nearer Home, to what paffeth within their own Breasts.

There is plainly, in the Generality of Mankind, an Abfence of Doubt or Diftruft, in a very great Measure, as to their moral Character and Behaviour; and likewife a Difpofition to take for granted, that all is right and well with them in these Respects. The former is owing to their not reflect

I am

X.

ing, not exercifing their Judgment upon Serm. themselves; the latter, to Self-love. not speaking of that Extravagance, which is fometimes to be met with; Inftances of Persons declaring in Words at length, that they never were in the wrong, nor had ever any Diffidence of the Juftness of their Conduct, in their whole Lives. No, these People are too far gone to have any thing faid to them. The thing before us is indeed of this Kind, but in a lower Degree, and confined to the moral Character; fomewhat of which we almost all of us have, without reflecting upon it. Now confider how long, and how grofly, a Perfon of the best Understanding might be impofed upon by one of whom he had not any Sufpicion, and in whom he placed an intireConfidence; especially if there were Friendship and real Kindness in the Case: Surely this holds even stronger with respect to that Self we are all fo fond of. Hence arifes in Men a Difregard of Reproof and Inftruction, Rules of Conduct and moral Discipline, which occafionally come in their Way: A Difregard, I say, of these; not in every Respect, but in this fingle one, namely, as what may be of Service to them in particular towards mending

N 4

Serm. mending their own Hearts and Tempers, and X. making them better Men. It never in ear

neft comes into their Thoughts, whether fuch Admonitions may not relate, and be of Service to themselves; and this quite diftin& from a positive Perfuafion to the contrary, a Perfuafion from Reflection that they are innocent and blameless in those Respects. Thus we may invert the Obfervation which is fomewhere made upon Brutus, that he never read but in order to make himself a better Man. It scarce comes into the Thoughts of the Generality of Mankind, that this Ufe is to be made of moral Reflections which they meet with; that this Ufe, I fay, is to be made of them by Themselves, for every Body observes and wonders that it is not done by Others.

Further, there are Inftances of Perfons haying fo fixed and steady anEye upon their own Intereft, whatever they place it in, and the Intereft of thofe whom they confider as themfelycs, as in a Manner to regard nothing elfe; their Views are almoft confined to this alone. Now we cannot be acquainted with, or in any Propriety of Speech be faid to know any thing, but what we attend to. If therefore they attend only to one Side, they really will not, cannot fee or know what

X.

is to be alledged on the other. Though a Serm. Man hath the best Eyes in the World, he cannot fee any Way but that which he turns them. Thus these Persons, without paffing over the least, the most minute Thing which can poffibly be urged in Favour of themfelves, fhall overlook intirely the plainest and most obvious Things on the other Side. And whilft they are under the Power of this Temper, Thought and Confideration upon the Matter before them has scarce any Tendency to fet them right: Because they are engaged; and theirDeliberation concerning an Action to be done, or Reflection upon it afterwards, is not to fee whether it be right, but to find out Reasons to justify or palliate it; palliate it, not to others, but to themselves. In fome there is to be obferved a general Ignorance of themselves, and wrong Way of thinking and judging in every thing relating to themselves; their Fortune, Reputation, every thing in which Self can come in: And this perhaps attended with the righteft Judgment in all In others this Partiality is not fo general, has not taken hold of the whole Man, but is confined to fome particular favourite Paffion, Intereft or Purfuit; fuppofe Ambition, Covetoufness, or any

other Matters.

other: