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then ideas, are converted into opinions and sentiments. If we proceed in this way, by God's providence, by the help of his holy Spirit and the direction of his holy Word, we may go on still from a correct to a wise apprehension, and thence to the good characteristics on other intellectual processes or constituents; as discernment, prudence, discretion, and wisdom of every kind in short. But besides the natural infirmity of the understanding there are also other things against it: there is an enemy.... "Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (Pet. I. v. 8).

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2. Considering the application of wisdom and truth to the second named intellectual constituent, to make a true and wise Memory; it will appear, that there are more sorts of this constituent than people generally contemplate when they talk of good and bad, and that there are also in a moral or objective view, both better and worse than in a natural or subjective: yet the natural will afford the greatest variety. For of the moral sort there are no more varieties than there are of a peaceful conscience which is founded thereon; v. g. wise and unwise, or just and mistaken. With those men whose memories are so very flattering as to hush the recollection of an offence almost as soon as it is committed, a peaceful conscience must needs be a mistaken conscience: and vice versâ, the memory of real offences that never yields to time, nor business, nor blandishments, nor FALSE PROMISES (Ezek. xiii. 22), nor to any other consideration till duly relieved by grace, bringing the sufferer to repentance, which is known to be godly by fruits meet for repentance-such a memory, being just itself, is usually attended with satisfaction to the subject and peace of conscience, or peace in the central or interior department of the kingdom. There may, indeed, be anomalies in this respect through the excessive meekness or susceptibility of the subject, perchance, producing horror and devastation where comparative peace

and security ought to reign, or through a spiritual tyranny (Ib.) as bad as blandishments; but this temporary disorder, it is to be hoped, will not make any essential difference to such a person in the end; when "the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain" (Isai. xl. 4). In the meantime a good moral memory may be formed, and a bad one improved by a virtuous and charitable apprehension; and a pleasant memory may be formed, and an unpleasant improved by a pleasant, just and charitable demeanour: or else it must continue; as there can be no sweet sauce in a memory that is loaded with vexatious, vicious, and uncharitable actions.

3. Among the different essentials which serve as a fund for character, or a foundation to moral characteristics, and on the right use of which as much will depend as on the right employment of two, five, or any other proportion of talents that may be confided to us (Matt. xxv. 15) the property of judgment is not the least considerable, nor at the same time least precarious. For whether we use this privately for our own direction, or publicly for the direction or correction of others, we shall find much required to its success, and many chances of failure in this respect. One prime requisite to a wise Judgment, and indispensable too perhaps, is charity: indeed, all our doings without charity must be defective, and of no intrinsic worth. But it is not so clear in every other way as in this, how charity tends to edification (Cor. I. viii. 1): and here it will seem most evident, if we consider how there are generally two ways of viewing the same object as the same object will generally have two sides; and it is wonderful how an habit of viewing objects on the most favourable side will improve the judgment as well as general character of the observer; or on the contrary, how a regularly ill-natured view may continue to deprave the illnature from which it proceeds. Therefore, "judge not (says our blessed Saviour) that ye be not judged" (Matt. vii. 1): meaning unfavourably. An unfavourable opinion

of others does not present an edifying model for a man's own conduct. Think rather, therefore, of other men's good qualities than of the evil which they also have. With regard to scripture-characters especially; as the sacred history is most candid in exposing the faults of its subjects along with their perfections; we should consider the proper use of this information to be, the correcting of our own faults by theirs, and checking exultation by the sense of their superior worth: not judging or inferring evil things of prophets, patriarchs, and apostles; but the best that we can, with a view to support ourselves under the pressure of inevitable failings by the consideration of God's mercy displayed in them. It is thus, that the candour of this inestimable record deserves to be repaid.

If we should be called to judge officially respecting the conduct of others, the same charity will be most likely still to lead us to just conclusions: and even if we should err on this side, the ill consequences would probably be lighter than those of erring on the side of severity. Where the evidence of any crime is incomplete, however strong the presumption, we ought to let it pass as a case not within our jurisdiction; but his who is the proper judge of secrets, "WHO WILL BOTH BRING TO LIGHT THE

HIDDEN THINGS OF DARKNESS, AND MAKE MANIFEST THE COUNSELS OF THE HEART" (Cor. I. iv. 5).

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Many other rules might be found for righteousness in judging, or for a construction by habit of the good objective characteristic, a righteous judgment; shewing how such construction must proceed both generally and particularly, to enable us to fulfil our Saviour's precept, Judge righteous judgment" (John vii. 24). For as the essential property is formed only by judging, so the moral characteristic thereon is formed by judging righteously. But this invention is a part that belongs rather to lawyers and casuists; to one sort, as judges of outward actions chiefly; to the other, as judging chiefly of inward actions, or cases of conscience. While the discoveries of

either sort are generally worth considering; and the more so, as the judgment being a more voluntary part of intellect than some, will have in consequence a larger share of responsibility attached to it.

On the same account this property in a moral view may also be more particularly distinguished than some others by its effects and circumstances; as into true and false; wise and unwise, charitable and uncharitable, honest and corrupt. But we must advance a step in the concretion or specification of the essential property before we can make this counter-distinction: "And why? God is the Judge: He putteth down one, and setteth up another" (Ps. lxxv. 8). Therefore, it will be necessary to understand also with the objective characteristics on judgment the same distinction that was lately understood for the sake of its good subjectives, v. g. into divine and human, before we can give it so much as indifference-leave alone, an evil characteristic. And with this understanding to every good characteristic of a human judgment must still be added the alloy of fallibility: so that whatever difference may be found among human judgments in other respects, they will all-just or unjust, wise or unwise, charitable or uncharitable, honest or corrupt, agree in one; they will all be naturally and universally fallible: it cannot be otherwise. And hence the most that can be said of a wise human judgment is, that it is AS WISE AS IT CAN BE. For only consider, how apt the human judgment is, and almost certain, to be biassed occasionally; and if biassed only once, it is sure to judge wrong. In no man, therefore, can this property be right altogether; but mixed, adulterated, made up of two sorts of materials or modes of judging: unless a man's judgment should happen to be always wrong, and then it will be simple enough; for there is no mixture in alloy.

If an habitually right judgment was to be found any where, one should expect to find it with those who make judgment their profession, and from their particular study and experience ought to excel in that department, as they

will, no doubt, when they can keep clear of the thing called Bias. But that is not so easy a matter as some may imagine and often they, who seem good judges enough of other things, are but plain judges of this. Judges may persuade themselves, that they are men of honour and integrity; because they are, as they think, above the influence of money as a bribe: but is money the only means of corruption? Not the only means indeed, though very common: there is such a thing as favour and preferment; there is such a thing as a difference of principle, as partyspirit, and private pique; each as efficacious as the love of money, and each as bad, if not as mean a corruptor. And frequently without the grand medium of commerce men can barter their commodities by taking payment in kind; as judgment for persecution, and a double tongue for a two-edged sword. Then will they "strain at a gnat and swallow a camel" (Matt. xxiii. 24). You would think, there were no men so scrupulous with regard to evidence as they and yet the end of evidence, which is the eliciting of justice and truth, will go down whole with them at such times by means of some quibbling conceit. And it were well for them, though not to be expected from men of such habits, if lawyers would apply their acumen fairly sometimes to the evidence of other matters, as well as the forensic: it were well, if they who make such a point of minute evidence in temporal questions could think the broadest of some consequence in the claims of religion: (punctilious hypocrites as they are) and not be carried away by their innate corruption, with the sanction of fashion to the side of infidelity and atheism!

4. From its particularly instrumental and relative nature there can hardly be any kind of objectively characteristic will, whether good or bad; though the sort may not all appear so decidedly as the general spiritual appetitive characteristic by the name of Charity aforesaid, or by the more specific name of Good-will or Benevolence. Yet in the midst of this scarcity the same root will also furnish a good

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