their natural shapes, and the whole proof fo altered and confirmed on the other fide, as to leave the laft ftate of that man even worfe than the firft. A fecond unhappy, though general miftake in this great duty of proving our works, is that which the apostle hints at; in the doing it, not by a direct examination of our own actions, but from a comparative view of them with the lives and actions of other men. When a man is going to enter upon this work of felf-examination,--there is nothing fo common, as to fee himlook round him--inftead of looking within him. He looks round,-finds out fome one, who is more malicious,-fees another that is more covetous, a third that that is more proud and imperious than himfelf and fo indirectly forms a judgment of himself, not from a review of his life, and a proving of his own works, as the apostle directs him, but rather from proving the works of others, and from their infirmities and defects drawing a deceitful conclufion in favour of himself.--In all competitions of this kind-one may venture to fay there will be ever so much of felf-love in a man, as to draw a flattering likeness of one of the parties--and 'tis wellif he has not so much malignity too, as to give but a coarfe picture of the other, --finished with fo many hard ftrokes, as to make the one as unlike its original as the other. Thus the pharifee, when he entered the the temple,no fooner faw the pub lican, but that moment, he formed the idea to himself of all the vices and corruptions that could poffibly enter into the man's character--and with great dexterity stated all his own virtues and good qualities over against them. His abftinence and frequent fafting,-exactnefs in the debts and ceremonies of the law ; not balancing the account as he ought to have done, in this manner :What! though this man is a publican and a finner, have not I my vices as well as he? 'Tis true, his particular office expofes him to many temptations of committing extortion and injuftice;-but then-am not I a devourer of widows houses, and guilty of one of the moft cruel inftances of the fame crime? He poffibly is a prophane perfon; and 6 may may fet religion at nought;-but do not I myself for a pretence make long prayers, and bring the greateft of all fcandals upon religion, by making it a cloak to my ambitious and worldly views?— If he, laftly, is debauched and intemperate-am not I confcious of as corrupt and wanton difpofitions; and that a fair and guarded outfide is my best to the opposite character? pretence If a man will examine his works by a comparative view of them with others;this, no doubt, would be the fairer way, and leaft likely to mislead him.-But as this is feldom the method this trial is gone through, in fact it generally turns out to be as treacherous and delufive to the man himself,-as it is uncandid to the man, who is dragged into the VOL. II. M com comparison; and whoever judges of himself by this rule,-fo long as there is no scarcity of vicious characters in the world,'tis to be feared, he will often take the occafions of triumph and rejoicing, where in truth he ought rather to be forry and ashamed. - A third error in the manner of proving our works, is what we are guilty of, when we leave out of the calculation the only material parts of them ;-I mean, the motives and firft principles from whence they proceeded. There is many a fair inftance of generofity, chastity, and self-denial, which the world may give a man the credit of,-which if he would give himself the leisure to reflect upon and trace back to their first fprings, he would be confcious, proceeded |