X g z Of the Vanity of Man's judgment SRRM. a ftandard in our own minds and by it can try XI. ourfelves better than any others, as it is of vaftly greater moment that we f hould ; but for the difpofitions and works of our fellow- creatures, it is little we know of them, and the former only by the latter ; and even thefe areoften mifapprehended ; few are ocular witneffes, and the eyes themfelves are not al- ways above the poffibilityof deception; others have but hearfay evidence, which, when the utmoft care is taken to afcertain it, is far from being infallible. But, when the fat is fettled as well as it can be to us, the moil difficult part to be known Rill remains, that is? the morality. It depends upon the heart, and who can penetrate into the fecrets of it, its hidden fprings of ation, its intentions and motives, which yet are of effential confider- ation to a true judgment of right and wrong? virtue and vice ? But the knowledge pf God is in all things intuitive and infallible, parti- cularly, he * fearches the hearts and tries the reins of the children of men; not only the ex- ternal works, but the very thoughts of all men, their deepeft defigns, unknown to all other creatures, are open to his view; j- there is no darknefs nor Jhadcw of death, where the ff. vii. 9, t Job xxxiv. 22. zworker4
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