SERM. but rather to spend their care and pains in preparing for their own account. XXII. 5 Nothing indeed more causeth us to neglect our own case, nothing more engageth us to leave our own faults unobserved and uncorrected, than this humour". It is easy to observe, that, as they who are most sparing and gentle in censure are usually most exempt from blame, (for that carefully reflecting upon their own infirmities and defects, spending their heat and activity of spirit upon amending their own errors and faults, they have less time, less concernment, less mind to search out and scan the imperfections and misdemeanours of others; they do find less reason also, and therefore have less will to be fierce or severe toward them,) so the most censorious are usually the most stupid in discerning, and most careless in retrenching their own faults. And needs it must be so, for the actions of other men devour their leisure, take up the intention of their spirits, employ the keenness of their passions upon them, so that they cannot and will not attend to themselves; they are so much abroad, they are so very busy otherwhere, that they little know or care what is done at Matt. vii. home; while they are spying and pulling out motes from their brother's eye, they consider not the 3, 4. " Οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἄνθρωπον κακηγοροῦντα, καὶ τοὺς ἀλλοτρίους πολυπραγμονοῦντα βίους τῆς ἰδίας ἐπιμεληθῆναί ποτε ζωῆς. τῆς γὰρ σπου δῆς ἁπάσης αὐτῷ εἰς τὴν ἑτέρων πολυπραγμοσύνην ἀναλισκομένης, ἀνάγκη τὰ αὐτοῦ πάντα ἁπλῶς κεῖσθαι καὶ ἠμελημένως.—Id. Ανδρ. γ'. [Tom. VI. p. 479.] Vid. Chrys. in Matt. Orat. XLII. [Tom. I. p. 278.] Sen. de Vit. B. XXVII. Βραδὺ γὰρ εἰς ὑπόνοιαν κακοῦ, τὸ πρὸς κακίαν δυσκίνητον.—Greg. Naz. [Orat. XII. Opp. Tom. I. p. 249 D.] beam that is in their own eye, although never so SERM. gross and obvious. XXII. 6 Hence, I say, it is, that commonly the best men are the most candid and gentle, and they are most apt to blame others, who deserve worse themselves; that the sharpest tongues and foulest lives do usually go together; that they, who are the strictest judges of their own, are the fairest interpreters of other men's actions; and they, who will least pardon others, do most excuse themselves; that they, who are strangely acute in descrying other men's faults, are stark blind in discerning their own. Our Saviour therefore chargeth such persons with hypocrisy; Thou hypocrite; first cast Matt.vii.5. the beam out of thine own eye; implying, that they do but falsely pretend a respect for goodness and zeal against sin, seeing in their own practice they indulge it; that it is indeed rather pride, peevishness, idleness, spleen, or selfish design that acteth them. 7 In fine, the censorious humour, as it argueth ill nature to be predominant, (a vulturous nature, which easily smelleth out, and hastily flieth toward, and greedily feedeth on carrion,) as it signifieth bad conscience; for he that knoweth evil of himself is most prone to suspect, and most quick to pronounce ill concerning others, so it breedeth and fostereth such ill dispositions; it debaucheth the minds of men, rendering them dim and doltish in * Τὸ κακίας ἐλεύθερον, καὶ ὑφορᾶσθαι κακίαν ἀργότερον. — Id. [Ep. XXI. Opp. Tom. II. p. 34 B.] Ὁ μὲν γὰρ κακὸς τάχιστα ἂν καταγνοίη καὶ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ· ὁ ἀγαθὸς đè củlẻ Toi kakou puôis.—Id. Orat. xxi. [Tom. I. p. 395 A. Egomet mi ignosco, Mænius inquit. Stultus et improbus hic amor est, dignusque notari. SERM. apprehending their own faults, negligent and heedXXII. less in regard to their own hearts and ways; apt to please and comfort themselves in the evils, real or imaginary, of their neighbours; which to do is a very barbarous and brutish practice. Heb. xiii. 20, 21. These considerations may, I hope, suffice to persuade the observance of this precept, by the help of God's grace, to which I commend you, and conclude. Now the God of peace make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. SERMON XXIII. OF QUIETNESS, AND DOING OUR OWN I THESS. IV. 11. And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business. XXIII. S frequently between neighbouring states there SERM. do rise dissensions and contests about the just limits of their territories; so doth it frequently happen between virtue and vice, right and wrong, duty and miscarriage in practice; for, although the extreme degrees, and even the middle regions of these things are very distant, yet the borders of them do lie very close together, and are in a manner contiguous; a certain ridge of separation running between them, which commonly, being very narrow, thin, and obscure, it is not easy to discern. So it particularly falleth out in the matter before us, wherein our text is concerned. Duty and offence do nearly confine, and almost indiscernibly differ one from the other; for there are about this case precepts which seem to contradict; there are duties appearing to thwart one another. St Paul here biddeth us to be studious or ambitious of quiet; otherwhere he enjoineth us to be earnestly active, (to be Not slothful in business, TŶ Rom. xii. σπoudη μn okvпρoi:) here he would have us to mind ". II. XXIII. SERM. our own affairs; otherwhere he prescribeth, that we should Not look every man to his own things, but every man also to the things of others. Phil. ii. 4. According to the general drift of scripture, and the tenor of our Religion, we are in charity obliged to concern ourselves heartily for the good of our neighbour, and to strive earnestly in promoting it; we are enjoined so far to interpose and meddle in the affairs of others, as to watch over them for their good; to instruct and advise them, to admonish and excite them, to check and reprove them upon occasion; to offer and yield them succour, to compose differences between them; to Heb. x. 24. promote their edification and peace: Let us, saith the apostle to the Hebrews, consider one another, κατανοῶμεν ἀλλήλους, to provoke unto love and to Rom. xiv. good works. Let us, saith St Paul to the Romans, follow after the things which make for peace, and I Thess. v. things wherewith one may edify another; and, Comfort yourselves together, and edify one another;Warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, saith he to the Thessalonians in this Epistle. 19; XV. 2. II, 14. To be zealous and earnest in the maintenance and propagation of truth, of virtue, of piety, is a duty incumbent on us, which implieth care and activity concerning others; that we offer to instruct Tit. i. 11. them; that we enter into contest with them; that we examine their words and actions; that we presume to tax and oppose them. II. In fine; our Religion doth seem by the bands of mutual relation, and obligations of charity, so to unite us together, so to endear us to one another, and to all men, that all things belonging to our |