E&SAY VII. 191 the sight of God, by the imputation of a perfect righteousness, which is not originally his own. Frommy own experimentI can easily guess what confound- ing intricacies of thought others pass through in their honest searches after truth. These conflicts did exceedingly enlarge my soul, and stretched my charity to a vast extent. I see, I feel, and am assured that several men may be very sincere, and yet entertain notions in divinity, all widely different. I confess now and then some opinions,or some unhappy occurrencesare ready to narrow and confine my affections again, if I am not watchful over myself; but I pray my God to preserve upon my heart a strong and lasting remembrance of those days and those studies, whereby he laid within me the foundationof so broad a charity. V. Fifthly. . Another cause of uncharitableness, is a want of reflection, on the grounds of our own opinions. We should be more just to ourselves, and more gentle to others, if we did but impartially review the reasons why we first embraced our several principles and practices. Perhaps it was education determined most of them, then let us chide ourselves severely for building upon so careless and slight a bottom : Or let us be civil to the greatest part of mankind, who came by all their principles the same way. Perhaps we were led into particular notions by the authority of persons whom we reverence or love; then we should not upbraid our neighbours that have been influenced into differ- ent sentiments by the same springs. Perhaps we have felt inte- rest sometimes ready to bias our thoughts, and give us a secret inclination or aversion to a party ; let us then pity the frailty of human nature, and have compassion upon men whose judgments are exposed to so mean a bribery, and sometimes have been warped aside from the truth. Or finally, perhaps it was deep meditation, a daily search into scripture, and fervent prayer were the methods by which we pursued knowledge, and established our principles upon solid reason. Let us then be socharitable to those whom we contend with, as to suppose they sought after truth the same way, and then our contentions will have less fire and spleén in them ; less of clamour and indignation against those that differ from us. The true reason whywe kindle our anger against our chris- tian brethren that are not entirely of our party is, becassewe not only have the vanity to fancy ourselves always in the right, and them in the wrong ; but we judge their consciences and their sincerity too, that they did not come honestly and fairlyby their principles, while we never consider how we ourselves came by our own. But there are still more ways to arrive at this un- charitable temper : I must proceed to, VI. Sixthly. Which is a commonmethod, and thus to he
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