The Cayes and Danger of Self- Deceit. 83 ment, and endeavouring to reconcile an ap- SERM. pearance of right to felfifh intereft or inclina- III. tion. Fourthly, in order to prevent felf- deceit and find out the truth more exactly, it may be expedient to fubftitute another perfon in our own place ; confider how we would judge if the cafe were a neighbour's to whom we are indifferent ; perhaps a fault, a moral blemifh might be more eafily fpied, and a mote in a brother's eye better dfrerned than a beam in our own. It might be profitable too, to change the judge, as well as the party to be tried. Make the fuppofition that a per - fon intirely difinterefted, were to hold the enquiry, knowing as perfeUly what pates in our minds, as we do ourfelves ; nay, fuppofe a malicious enemy to have that province who would curioufly pry into every fecret corner to detet the moft latent corruption ; furely a well - govern'd felf -love makes it more our in- tereft to difcover our faults, in order to amend them, than hatred could make it his intereft, in order to expofe them. And, Laflly, let us always eat-nerdy implore tho* al'iftance of divine grace, that we may be led into the knowledge of the moft important religious truths, and be preferv'd from fatal G 2 errors
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