as not only to deceive the spectator, but the ceived ourselves. If any acquaintance beartist. Self-love in its various artifices to tray us, we take warning, are on the watch, deceive us to our ruin, sometimes makes and are careful not to trust him again. But use of a means, which, if properly used, is however frequently the bosom traitor deone of the most beneficial that can be de-ceive and mislead, no such determined vised to preserve us from its influence--the perusal of pious books.

stand is made against his treachery: we lie as open to his next assault as if he had never betrayed us. We do not profit by the remembrance of the past delusion to guard against the future.

But these very books in the hands of the ignorant, the indolent, and the self-satisfied, produce an effect directly contrary to that which they were intended to produce, and Yet if another deceive us, it is only in which they actually do produce on minds matters respecting this world; but we deprepared for the perusal. They inflate ceive ourselves in things of eternal moment. where they were intended to humble. As The treachery of others can only affect our some hypochondriacs, who amuse their fortune or our fame, or at worst our peace; melancholy hours with consulting indiscri- but the internal traitor may mislead us to our minately every medical book which falls in everlasting destruction. We are too much their way, fancy they find their own case in disposed to suspect others who probably every page, their own ailment in the ail- have neither the inclination nor the power ment of every patient, till they believe they to injure us, but we seldom suspect our own actually feel every pain of which they read, heart though it possesses and employs both. though the work treats of cases diametri- We ought however fairly to distinguish becally opposite to their own so the religi-tween the simple vanity and the hypocrisy ous valetudinarian, as unreasonably elated of self-love. Those who content themselves as the others are depressed, reads books with talking as if the praise of virtue implidescriptive of a highly religious state, with ed the practice, and who expect to be the same unhappy self-application. He thought good, because they cominend goodfeels his spiritual pulse by a watch that has ness, only propagate the deceit which has no movements in common with it, yet he fan- misled themselves, whereas hypocrisy does cies that they go exactly alike. He dwells not even believe herself. She has deeper with delight on symptoms, not one of which motives; she has designs to answer, combelongs to him, and flatters himself with petitions to promote, projects to effect. their supposed agreement. He observes in But mere vanity can subsist on the thin air those books what are the signs of grace, and of the admiration she solicits, without intenhe observes them with complete self-appli-ding to get any thing by it. She is gratucation; he traces what are the evidences of itous in her loquacity; for she is ready to being in God's favour, and those evidences display her own merit to those who have he finds in himself. nothing to give in return, whose applause Self-ignorance appropriates truths faith-brings no profit, and whose censure no disfully stated but wholly inapplicable. The grace.

presumption of the novice arrogates to itself It is not strange that we should judge of the experience of the advanced Christian. things not according to the opinion of others He is persuaded that it is his own case, and in cases foreign to ourselves; cases on which seizes on the consolations which belong only we have no correct means of determining; to the most elevated piety. Self-knowledge | but we do it in things which relate immewould correct the judgment. It would teach diately to ourselves, thus making not truth us to use the pattern held out as an original but the opinion of others our standard in to copy, instead of leading us to fancy that points which others cannot know, and of we are already wrought into the assimila-which we ought not to be ignorant. We tion. It would teach us when we read the are as fond of the applauses even of the history of an established Christian, to la-upper gallery as the dramatic poet. Like bour after a conformity to it, instead of mis-him we affect to despise the mob considertaking it for the delineation of our own cha-ed as individual judges, yet as a mass, we covet their applause. Like him we feel Human prudence, daily experience, self-strengthened by the number of voices in love, all teach us to distrust others, but all our favour, and are less anxious about the motives combined do not teach us to distrust goodness of the work, than the loudness of ourselves; we confide unreservedly in our the acclamation. Success is merit in the own heart, though as a guide it misleads, as eye of both. a counsellor it betrays. It is both party and judge. As the one, it blinds through ignorance, as the other, it acquits through partiality.

racter.

But even though we may put more refinement into our self-love, it is self-love still. No subtlety of reasoning, no elegance of taste, though it may disguise the radical prinThough we value ourselves upon our dis-ciple, can destroy it. We are still too much cretion in not confiding too implicitly in in love with flattery, even though we may others, yet it would be difficult to find any profess to despise that praise which depends friend, any neighbour, or even any enemy on the acclamations of the vulgar. But if who has deceived us so often as we have de- we are over anxious for the admiration of

the better born and the better bred, this by no means proves that we are not vain; it only proves that our vanity has a better taste. Our appetite is not coarse enough perhaps to relish that popularity which ordinary ambition covets, but do we never feed in secret upon the applauses of more distinguished judges? Is not their having extolled our merit a confirmation of our discernment, and the chief ground of our high opinion of theirs?

merit but they who want penetration. If we cannot refuse them discernment, we persuade ourselves that they are not so much insensible to our worth as envious of it. There is no shift, stratagem, or device which we do not employ to make us stand well with ourselves.

We are too apt to calculate our own character unfairly in two ways; by referring to some one signal act of generosity, as if such acts were the common habit of our lives, and by treating our habitual faults, not as common habits, but occasional failures. There is scarcely any fault in another which offends us more than vanity, though perhaps there is none that really injures us so little. We have no patience that another should be as full of self-love as we allow ourselves to be; so full of himself as to have little leisure to attend to us. We are particularly quick sighted to the smallest of his imperfections which interferes with our self-esteem, while we are lenient to his more grave offences, which by not coming in contact with our vanity, do not shock our self-love.

But if any circumstance arise to induce them to change the too favourable opinion which they had formed of us, though their general character remain unimpeachable, and their general conduct as meritorious as when we most admired them, do we not begin to judge them unfavourably? Do we not begin to question their claim to that discernment which we had ascribed to them, to suspect the soundness of their judgment which we had so loudly commended? It is well if we do not entertain some doubt of the rectitude of their principles, as we probably do of the reality of their friendship. We do not candidly allow for the effect which prejudice, which misrepresentation which Is it not strange that though we love ourparty may produce even on an upright mind. selves so much better than we love any other Still less does it enter into our calculation person, yet there is hardly one, however litthat we may actually have deserved their tle we value him, that we had not rather be disapprobation, that something in our con- alone with, that we had not rather converse duct may have incurred the change in with, that we had not rather come to close theirs. quarters with, than ourselves? Scarcely It is no low attainment to detect this lurk-one whose private history, whose thoughts, ing injustice in our hearts, to strive against feelings, actions, and motives we had not it, to pray against it, and especially to con- rather pry into than our own. Do we not quer it. We may reckon that we have ac-use every art and contrivance to avoid getquired a sound principle of integrity when ting at the truth of our own character? Do prejudice no longer blinds our judgment, we not endeavour to keep curselves ignorant nor resentment biases our justice; when we of what every one else knows respecting do not make our opinion of another depend our faults, and do we not account that man on the opinion which we conceive he enter-our enemy, who takes on himself the best tains of us. We must keep a just measure, office of a friend, that of opening to us our and hold an even balance in judging of our-real state and condition? selves as well as of others. We must have The little satisfaction people find when no false estimate which shall incline to con- they faithfully look within, makes them fly demnation without, or to partiality within. more eagerly to things without. Early The examining principle must be kept practice and long habit might conquer the sound, or our determination will not be ex-repugnance to look at home, and the fondact. It must be at once a testimony of our ness for looking abroad. Familiarity often rectitude, and an incentive to it. makes us pleased with the society which, In order to improve this principle, we while strangers, we dreaded. Íntimacy should make it a test of our sincerity to with ourselves might produce a similar search out and to commend the good quali-effect. ties of those who do not like us. But this We might perhaps collect a tolerably just must be done without affectation, and with- knowledge of our own character, could we out insincerity. We must practice no false ascertain the real opinion of others respectcandour. If we are not on our guard we ing us; but that opinion being, except in a may be laying out for the praise of generosi- moment of resentment, carefully kept from ty, while we are only exercising a simple us by our own precautions, profits us noact of justice. These refinements of self- thing. We do not choose to know their selove are the dangers only of spirits of the cret sentiments, because we do not choose higher order, but to such they are dangers. to be cured of our error; because we love The ingenuity of self-deceit is inexhausti- darkness rather than light;' because we conble. If people extol us, we feel our good ceive that in parting with our vanity, we opinion of oerselves confirmed. If they dis- should part with the only comfort we have, like us, we do not think the worse of our- that of being ignorant of our own faults. selves, but of them; it is not we who want

Self-knowledge would materially contri

ed, a sort of religious self-deceit, an affection of humility which is in reality full of life, which resolves all importance into what concerns self, which only looks at things as they refer to life. This religious vanity operates in two ways:-We not only fly out at

bute to our happiness, by curing us of that self-sufficiency which is continually exposing us to mortifications. The hourly rubs and vexations which pride undergoes, is far more than an equivalent for the short intoxication of pleasure which it snatches. The enemy within is always in a confede-the imputation of the smallest individual racy with the enemy without, whether that fault, while at the same time we affect to enemy be the world or the devil. The do- charge ourselves with more corruption than mestic foe accommodates itself to their al- is attributed to us; but on the other hand, lurements, flatters our weaknesses, throws while we are lamenting our general want of a veil over our vices, tarnishes our good all goodness, we fight for every particle that deeds, gilds our bad ones, hoodwinks our is disputed. The one quality that is in quesjudgment, and works hard to conceal our tion always happens to be the very one to internal springs of action. which we must lay claim, however deficient Self-love has the talent of imitating what-in others.-Thus, while renouncing the preever the world admires, even though it should be the Christian virtues. It leads us from our regard to reputation to avoid all vices, not only which would bring punish-the canvass. ment but discredit by the commission. It can even assume the zeal and copy the activity of Christian charity. It communicates to our conduct those properties and graces, manifested in the conduct of those who are actuated by a sounder motive. The difference lies in the ends proposed. The object of the one is to please God, of the other to obtain the praise of man.

tensions to every virtue, 'we depreciate ourselves into all.' We had rather talk even of our faults than not occupy the foreground of

Humility does not consist in telling our faults, but in bearing to be told of them; in hearing them patiently and even thankfully; in correcting ourselves when told; in not hating those who tell us of them. If we were little in our own eyes, and felt our real insignificance, we should avoid false humility as much as mere obvious vanity; but we seldom dwell on our faults except in a general Self-love judging of the feelings of others way, and rarely on those of which we are by its own, is aware that nothing excites so really guilty. We do it in the hope of being much odium as its own character would do, contradicted, and thus of being confirmed in if nakedly exhibited. We feel, by our the secret good opinion we entertain of ourown disgust at its exhibition in others, how selves. It is not enough that we inveigh much disgust we ourselves should excite did against ourselves, we must in a manner forwe not invest it with the soft garb of gen-get ourselves. This oblivion of self from a tle manners and polished address. When pure principle, would go further towards our therefore we would not condescend to take advancement in christian virtue, than the the lowest place, to think others better than most splendid actions performed on the opourselves, to be courteous and pitiful,' on the posite ground. true scripture ground, politeness steps in as That self-knowledge which teaches us huthe accidental substitute of humility, and mility, teaches us compassion also. The sick the counterfeit brilliant is willingly worn by pity the sick. They sympathize with the those who will not be at the expense of the disorder of which they feel the symptoms in jewel. themselves. Self-knowledge also checks inThere is a certain elegance of mind which justice by establishing the equitable princiwill often restrain a well-bred man from sor-ple of showing the kindness we expect to did pleasures and gross voluptuousness. He receive; it represses ambition by convinwill be led by his good taste perhaps not cing us how little we are entitled to superionly to abhor the excesses of vice, but to ad-ority; it renders adversity profitable by letmire the theory of virtue. But it is only the ting us see how much we deserve it; it crapule of vice which he will abhor. Ex-makes prosperity safe, by directing our quisite gratifications, sober luxury, incessant hearts to HIM who confers it, instead of rebut not unmeasured enjoyment, form the ceiving it as the consequence of our own principle of his plan of life, and if he ob-desert.

serve a temperance in his pleasures, it is We even carry our self-importance to only because excess would take off the edge, the foot of the throne of God. When prosdestroy the zest, and abridge the gratifica-trate there we are not required, it is true, tion. By resisting gross vices he flatters him-to forget ourselves, but we are required to self that he is a temperate man, and that he remember HIM. We have indeed much has made all the sacrifices which self-denial sin to lament, but we have also much merimposes. Inwardly satisfied, he compares cy to adore. We have much to ask, but we himself with those who have sunk into have likewise much to acknowledge. Yet coarser indulgences, enjoys his own superi- our infinite obligations to God do not fill our ority in health, credit, and unimpaired fa-hearts half as much as a petty uneasiness of culties, and triumphs in the dignity of his our own; nor HIS infinite perfections as own character. much as our own smallest want.

There is, if the expression may be allow

The great, the only effectual antidote to

self-love, is to get the love of God and of our by a fiery defence prejudiced the cause neighbour firmly rooted in the heart. Yet which he might perhaps have advanced by let us ever bear in mind that dependance on temperate argument and persuasive mildour fellow creatures is as carefully to be ness. Even a judicious silence under great avoided as love of them is to be cultivated. provocation is, in a warm temper, real forThere is none but God on whom the princi-bearance. And though 'to keep silence from ples of love and dependance form but one good words' may be pain and grief, yet the duty. pain and grief must be borne, and the silence must be observed.

CHAP. XIV.

On the conduct of Christians in their

course with the irreligious.

We sometimes see imprudent religionists glory in the attacks which their own indiscretion has invited. With more vanity than truth they apply the strong and ill-chosen inter-term of persecution, to the sneers and ridicule which some impropriety of manner or some inadvertency of their own has occaTHE Combination of integrity with discre- sioned. Now and then it is to be feared the tion is the precise point at which a serious censure may be deserved, and the high proChristian must aim in his intercourse, and fessor may possibly be but an indifferent moespecially in his debates on religion, with ralist. Even a good man, a point we are men of the opposite description. He must not sufficiently ready to concede, may have consider himself as not only having his own been blameable in some instance on which reputation but the honour of religion in his his censurers will naturally have kept a keen keeping. While he must on the one hand eye. On these occasions how forcibly does set his face as a flint' against any thing that the pointed caution recur, which was immay be construed into compromise or eva-plied by the divine moralist on the mount, sion, into denying or concealing any chris- and enforced by the apostle Peter, to distian truth, or shrinking from any command- tinguish for whose sake we are calumnied duty, in order to conciliate favour; heated.

without very important uses. While it serves to promote circumspection in the real Christian, the detection to which it leads in the case of the hollow professor, forms a broad and useful line of distinction between two classes of characters so essentially distinct, and yet so frequently, so unjustly, and so malevolently confounded.

must, on the other hand, be scrupulously By the way, this sharp look-out of worldcareful never to maintain a christian doc-ly men on the professors of religion, is not trine with an unchristian temper. In endeavouring to convince he must be cautious not needlessly to irritate. He must distinguish between the honour of God and the pride of his own character, and never be pertinaciously supporting the one, under the pretence that he is only maintaining the other. The dislike thus excited against the disputant is at at once transferred to the The world believes, or at least affects to principle, and the adversary's unfavourable believe, that the correct and elegant mindopinion of religion is augmented by the faults ed religious man is blind to those errors and of its champion. At the same time, the in-infirmities, that eccentricity and bad taste, temperate champion puts its out of his pow-that propensity to diverge from the straight er to be of any further service to the man line of prudence, which is discernible in whom his offensive manners have disgusted. A serious Christian, it is true, feels an honest indignation at hearing those truths on which his everlasting hopes depend, lightly treated. He cannot but feel his heart rise at the affront offered to his Maker. But instead of calling down fire from heaven on the reviler's head, he will raise a secret supplication to the God of heaven in his favour, which, if it change not the heart of his opponent, will not only tranquillize his own, but soften it towards his adversary; for we cannot easily hate the man for whom we

some pious but ill-judging men, and which delight and gratify the enemies of true piety, as furnishing them with so plausible a ground for censure. But if the more judicious and better informed Christian bears with these infirmities, it is not that he does not clearly perceive and entirely condemn them. But he bears with what he disapproves for the sake of the zeal, the sincerity, the general usefulness of these defective characters: these good qualities are totally overlooked by the censurer, who is ever on the watch to aggravate the failings which Christian charity laments without extens He who advocates the sacred cause of ting. It bears with them from the belief that Christianity, should be particularly aware of impropriety is less mischievous than carefancying that his being religious will atone lessness, a bad judgment than a bad heart, for his being disagreeable; that his ortho-and some little excesses of zeal than gross doxy will justify his uncharitableness, or his immorality or total indifference. zeal make up for his indiscretion. He must We are not ignorant how much truth itnot persuade himself that he has been ser-self offends, though unassociated with any ving God, when he has only been gratifying thing that is displeasing. This furnishes an his own resentment, when he has actually important rule not to add to the unavoidable

pray.

offence, by mixing the faults of our own cha-gion, the temper of her advocate may be a racter with the cause we support; because new evidence of so engaging a kind, that his we may be certain that the enemy will take heart may be opened by the sweetness of the care never to separate them. He will al- one to the varieties of the other. He will at ways voluntarily maintain the pernicious as-least be brought to allow that that religion sociation in his own mind. He will never cannot be very bad, the fruits of which are think or speak of religion without connect- so amiable. The conduct of the disciple ing with it the real or imputed bad qualities may in time bring him to the feet of the of all the religious men he knows or has heard of.

Master. A new combination may be formed in his mind. He may begin to see what Let not then the friends of truth unneces- he had supposed antipathies reconciled, to sarily increase the number of her enemies. unite two things which he thought as imLet her not have at once to sustain the as- possible to be brought together as the two saults to which her divine character mevita-poles-he may begin to couple candour with bly subjects her, and the obloquy to which Christianity.

the infirmities and foibles of her injudicious, But if the mild advocate fail to convince, and if there are any such, her unworthy he may persuade; even if he fail to persuade, champions expose her. he will at least leave on the mind of the ad

his forbearance will have obtained for him: whereas uncharitable vehemence would probably have forever shut the ears and closed the heart of his opponent against any further intercourse.

But we sometimes justify our rash vio-versary such favourable impressions, as lence under colour that our correct piety may induce him to inquire farther. He may cannot endure the faults of others. The Pha- be able to employ on some future occasion, risees, overflowing with wickedness them-to more effectual purpose, the credit which selves, made the exactness of their own virtue a pretence for looking with horror on the publicans whom our Saviour regarded with compassionate tenderness, while he reprobated with keen severity the sins, and especially the censoriousness of their accusers. 'Charity,' says an admirable French writer, is that law which Jesus Christ came down to bring into the world, to repair the divisions which sin has introduced into it: to be the proof of the reconciliation of man with God, by bringing him into obedience to the divine law; to reconcile him to himself by subjugating his passions to his reason; and in fine to reconcile him to all mankind, by curing him of the desire to domineer over them.'

But we put it out of our power to become the instruments of God in promoting the spiritual good of any one, if we stop up the avenue to his heart by violence or imprudence. We not only put it out of our power to do good to all whom we disgust, but are we not liable to some responsibility for the failure of all the good we might have done them, had we not forfeited our influence by our indiscretion? What we do not to others, in relieving their spiritual as well as bodily wants, Christ will punish as not having been done to himself. This is one of the cases in which our own reputation is so inseparably connected with that of religion, that we should be tender of one for the sake of the other.

But if the temperate pleader should not be so happy as to produce any considerable effect on the mind of his antagonist, he is in any case promoting the interests of his own soul; he is at least imitating the faith and patience of the saints; he is cultivating that meek and quiet spirit' of which his blessed Master gave at once the rule, the injunction, and the praise.

If all bitterness, and clamour, and malice, and evil speaking,' are expressly forbidden in ordinany cases, surely the prohibition must more peculiarly apply to the case of religious controversialists. Suppose Voltaire and Hume had been left to take their measure of our religion (as one would really suppose they had) from the defences of Christianity by their very able contemporary, bishop Warburton.-When they saw this Goliah in talents and learning, dealing about his ponderous blows, attacking with the same powerful weapons, not the enemies only, but the friends of Christianity, who happened to see some points in a different light from himself; not meeting them as his opponents, but pouncing on them as his prey; not seeking to defend himself, but tearing them to pieces; waging offensive war; delighting in unprovoked hostilityThe modes of doing good in society are when they saw him thus advocate the Chrisvarious. We should sharpen our discern- tian cause, with a spirit diametrically oppoment to discover them; and our zeal to put site to Christianity, would they not exultingthem in practice. If we cannot open man's ly exclaim, in different opposition to the exeyes to the truth of religion by our argu- clamation of the apostolic age, 'See how ments, we may perhaps open them to its these Christians hate one another!' Wherebeauty by our moderation. Though he may as had his vast powers of mind and astonishdislike Christianity in itself, he may, from ing compass of knowledge been sanctified admiring the forbearance of the Christian, by the angelic meekness of archbishop be at last led to admire the principle from Leighton, they would have been compelled which it flowed. If he have hitherto refu- to acknowledge, if Christianity be false, it sed to listen to the written evidences of reli-is after all so amiable that it deserves to be VOL. I. 66