lified are fo numerous and so noisy, so full of zeal and industry to gain profelytes, and spread their opinions among the people, it cannot be wondered that there fhould be fo little brotherly love left among us.

Laftly, It would probably contribute to restore fome degree of brotherly love, if we would but confider, that the matter of thofe difputes which inflame us to this degree, doth not in its own nature at all concern the generality of mankind. Indeed, as to those who have been great gainers or lofers by the changes of the world, the cafe is different; and to preach moderation to the firft, and patience to the laft, would perhaps be to little purpofe. But what is that to the bulk of the people, who are not properly concerned in the quarrel, although evil inftruments, have drawn them into it ? For if the reasonable men on both fides were to confer opinions, they would find neither religion, loyalty, nor intereft, are at all affected in this difpute. Not religion, because the members of the church on both fides profefs to agree in every article: not loyalty to our prince; which is pretended to by one party as much as the other, and therefore can be ho fubject for debate: not intereft, for trade and industry lie open to all; and, what is further, con-cerneth only those who have expectations from the public. So that the body of the people, if they knew their own good, might yet live amicably together, and leave their betters to quarrel among themselves, who might also probably foon come to a better temper, if they were lefs feconded and fupported by the poor deluded multitude.

I have now done with my text; which I confefs to have treated in a manner more fuited to the present times, than to the nature of the fubject in general. That I have not been more particular in explaining the feveral parts and properties of this great duty of brotherly love, the apoftle to the Theffalonians

Theffalonians will plead my excufe. "Touching "brotherly love," (faith he), " ye need not that "I write unto you; for ye yourselves are taught "of God to love one another." So that nothing remains to add, but our prayers to God, that he would please to restore and continue this great duty of brotherly love or charity among us, the very bond of peace and of all virtues.

Nov. 20. 1717.

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2

SER MON V.

The difficulty of knowing one's felf *.

2. Kings viii. 13. part of it.

And Hazael faid, But what, is thy fervant a dog,. that he bould do this great thing?

J

TE have a very fignal inftance of the deceitfulnefs of the heart reprefented to us in the perfon of Hazael; who was fent to the prophet Elifha,

صيف

The manufcript title page of the following fermon being loft, and no memorandums writ upon it, as there were upon the others, when and where it was preached, made the editor doubtful whether he fhould print it as the Dean's or not. But its being found amongst the fame papers; and the hand, although writ fomewhat better, ha ving a great fimilitude to the Dean's, made him willing to lay it before the public, that they might judge whether the style and mane ner alfe do not render it ftill more probable to be his. Dublin edition, I fhall take no notice of this fermon, as it is evidently not compofed by the Dean. Ontry,

to inquire of the Lord, concerning his master the King of Syria's recovery. For the man of God having told him that the king might recover from the diforder he was then labouring under, began to fet and faften his countenance upon him of a fudden, and to break out into the most violent expreffions of forrow, and a deep concern for it: whereupon, when Hazael, full of fhame and confufion, aiked, "Why weepeth my lord?" he anfwered, Because I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the children of Ifrael: Their strong holds wilt "thou fet on fire, and their young men wilt thou "flay with the fword, and wilt dafh their children, "and rip up their women with child."

Thus

much did the man of God fay and know of him, by a light darted into his mind from heaven. But Hazael, not knowing himself fo well as the other did, was ftartled and amazed at the relation, and would not believe it poffible, that a man of his temper could ever run out into fuch enormous inftances of cruelty and inhumanity: "What," fays he, "is thy fervant a dog, that he should do this great "thing?"

And yet, for all this, it is highly probable, that he was then that very man he could not imagine himself to be for we find him, on the very next day after his return, in a very treacherous and difloyal manner, murdering his own mafter, and u furping his kingdom; which was but a prologue to the fad tragedy which he afterwards acted upon the people of Ifrael.

And now the cafe is but very little better with most men, than it was with Hazael. However it cometh to país, they are wonderfully unacquainted with their own temper and difpofition, and know very little of what paffeth within them: for of so many proud, ambitious, revengeful, envying, and ill-natured perfons that are in the world, where is there one of them, who, although he hath all the

symptoms

fymptoms of the vice appearing upon every occafion, can look with fuch an impartial eye upon himself, as to believe that the imputation thrown upon him is not altogether groundlefs and unfair? who, if he were told, by men of a difcerning fpirit and a ftrong conjecture, of all the evil and abfurd things which that falfe heart of his would at one time or other betray him into, would not believe as little, and wonder as much, as Hazael did before him? Thus, for inftance, tell an angry perfon, that he is weak and impotent, and of no confiftency of mind; tell him, that fuch or fuch a little accident, which he may then despife, and think much below a paffion, fhall hereafter make him fay and do feveral abfurd, indifcreet, and misbecoming things: he may perhaps own, that he hath a fpirit of refentment within him, that will not let him be impofed on; but he fondly imagines, that he can lay a becoming reftraint upon it when he pleafes, although it is ever running away with him into fome indecency or other.

Therefore, to bring down the words of my text to our prefent occafion, I fhall endeavour, in a further profecution of them, to evince the great neceffity of a nice and curious infpection into the feveral receffes of the heart; that being the furest and the fhorteft method that a wicked man can take to reform himself. For let us but ftop the fountain, and the ftreams will fpend and wafte themselves away in a very little time: but if we go about, like children, to raise a bank, and to ftop the current, not taking notice all the while of the fpring which continually feedeth it; when the next flood of a temptation rifeth, and breaketh in upon it, then we fhall find, that we have begun at the wrong end of our duty, and that we are very little more the better for it, than if we had fat ftill, and made no advances at all.

But,

But, in order to a clearer explanation of the point, I fhall speak to these following particulars.

1. By endeavouring to prove, from particular inftances, that man is generally the most ignotant creature in the world of himself.

2. By inquiring into the grounds and reasons of this ignorance.

3. And lastly, by propofing feveral advantages that do most affuredly attend a due improvement in the knowledge of ourselves.

I. First then, To prove that man is generally the moft ignorant creature in the world of himfelf:

To purfue the heart of man through all the instances of life, in all its feveral windings and turnings, and under that infinite variety of fhapes and appearances which it putteth on, would be a difficult and almost impoffible undertaking: fo that I fhall confine myself to fuch as have a nearer reference to the prefent occafion, and do, upon a clofer view, fhew themselves through the whole bufinefs of repentance. For we all know what it is to repent; but whether he repenteth him truly of his fins or not, who can know it?

Now, the great duty of repentance is chiefly made up of these two parts; a hearty forrow for the follies and mifcarriages of the time paft, and a full purpose and refolution of amendment for the time. to come. And now, to fhew the falfenefs of the heart in both thefe parts of repentance. And,

First, As to a hearty forrow for the fins and mifriages of the time paft: Is there a more ufual thing than for a man to impofe upon himfelf, by putting on a grave and demure countenance, by cafting a fevere look into his paft conduct, and making fome few pious and devout reflections upon it, and then to believe that he hath repented to an excellent purpofe, without ever letting it ftep forth into practice, VOL. II.

E

and