of many Frailties, as the best are, but con- SERM. scious too that He had been meek, forgiving IX. and merciful; that He had in Simplicity of Heart been ready to pafs over Offences against himself: The having felt this good Spirit will give him, not only a full View of the Amiableness of it, but the furest Hope that He shall meet with it in his Judge. This likewife is confirmed by his own Declaration: If ye forgive Men their Trespasses, your heavenly Father will likewife forgive you. And that we might have a conftant Sense of it upon our Mind, the Condition is exprefs'd in our daily Prayer. A forgiving Spirit is therefore absolutely neceffary, as ever we hope for Pardon of our own Sins; as ever we hope for Peace of Mind in our dying Moments, or for the divine Mercy at that Day when we shall most stand in need of it.

SERMON X.

Upon Self-Deceit.

2. SA M. xii. 7.

And Nathan faid to David, Thou art the

T

Man.

X.

HESE Words are the Application SER M of Nathan's Parable to David, upon Occafion of his Adultery with Bathsheba, and the Murder of Uriah her Hufband. The Parable, which is related in the most beautiful Simplicity, is this. * There were two Men in one City; the one rich, and the other poor. The rich Man bad exceeding many Flocks and Herds: But the poor Man bad nothing fave one little EwLamb, which he had bought and nourished up: And it grew up together with bim,

N 2

• Ver. 1.

and

SERM, and with his Children ; it did eat of bis
X. own Meat, and drank of his own Cup, and
lay in his Bofom, and was unto him as a
Daughter,
And there came a Traveller

unto the rich Man, and be spared to take
of his own Flock, and of his own Herd, to
drefs for the way-faring Man that was
come unto him, but took the poor Man's
Lamb, and dreffed it for the Man that was
come to him. And David's Anger was
greatly kindled against the Man, and he faid
to Nathan, As the Lord liveth, the Man
that hath done this thing fall furely die.
And he shall restore, the Lamb four-fold,
because he did this thing, and because be
had no Pity. David paffes Sentence, not
only that there fhould be a four-fold Resti-
tution made; but he proceeds to the Ri-
gour of Justice, the Man that hath done
this thing hall die: And this Judgment is
pronounced with the utmoft Indignation a-
gainst fuch an Act of Inhumanity; As the
Lord liveth, he shall furely die: and his
Anger was greatly kindled against the Man,
And the Prophet anfwered, Thou art the
Man. He had been guilty of much greater
Inhumanity, with the utmoft Deliberation,
Thought and Contrivance. Near a Year

muft

muft have paffed, between the Time of theSERM, Commiffion of his Crimes, and the Time Xof 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.

THERE is not any thing, relating to Men and Characters, more fuprizing and unaccountable, than this Partiality to themselves, which is obfervable in many; as there is nothing of more melancholy Reflection, refpecting Morality, Virtue and Religion, Hence it is that many Men feem perfect Strangers to their own Characters. They think, and reafon, and judge quite differently upon any Matter relating to themfelves, from what they do in Cafes of Others 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 themfelves are notorioufly 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 be offendeth? O cleanfe thou me from my Jecret Faults. N 3

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