Abernathy - Houston-Packer Collection BX9178.A33 S4 1748 v.2

The Gaups and Danger of Self -Deceit. Sr fidered fuggeftions which may arife in his own SER perhaps from appetite or paflion ; for III. certainly the man who above all others is the leaft liable to felf-deceit, is he, who is the molt aware of his danger, and gives the molt conftant wakeful attention to his heart. There is one fymptom which generally, per- haps univerfally in fome degree, accompanies a bad Rate of mind and the influence of wrong motives in the counfels of our hearts, relating to our moral conduft, and that is, a general fecret fufpicion that all is not right within, caufing perturbation, uneafinefs, and an hurry of thought, with a defire to get rid of it. I have faid but juft now, that a total abfence of doubt, or diftruft, is dangerous ; but, againft this we have for the molt part a warning, in a fecret mifgiving of heart, which however proves ineffeftual, producing no other effe t than a hafte to get over it, be- caufe we are unwilling to examine it, left that lhould end in a diffatisfaétion with ourfelves : like a bankrupt, who fearing, or having a ge- neral knowledge, that the ítate of his worldly affairs is bad, wilfully declines looking into them more particularly, and examining his accounts, left he fhould thereby difcover what Vol,. II. G he

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