It is not only very poffible, but very common, for men to be ignorant of the chief inducements of their behaviour; and to imagine they act from one motive, whilft they are apparently governed by another: If we examine our views, and look into our hearts narrowly, we shall find that they more frequently deceive us in this refpect than we are aware of; by perfuading

us

that we are governed by much better motives than we really are. The honour of GOD, and the intereft of religion, may be the open and avowed motive; whilst fecular intereft and fecular vanity may be the hidden and true one. While we think we are ferving GOD, we may be only facrificing to Mammon: We may, like Jehu, boaft our zeal for the Lord, when we are only animated by the heat of our natural paffions (0); may cover a cenforious fpirit under a cloak of piety: and giving admonition to others, may be only giving vent to our spleen.

Many come to the place of public worfhip, out of custom or curiofity, who would be thought to come thither only out of confcience. And whilft their external and profeffed view is to serve God,

(0) 2 Kings x. 16.

and

and gain good to their fouls, their fecret and inward motive is only to fhow themfelves to advantage, or to avoid fingularity, and prevent others making observations on their abfence. Munificence and almsgiving may often proceed from a principle of pride and party-fpirit; and feeming acts of friendship, from a mercenary motive.

By thus difguifing our motives we may impose upon men, but at the fame time we impose upon ourselves; and whilst we are deceiving others, our own hearts deceive us. And, of all impoftures, felf-deception is the most dangerous, because it is least fufpected.

Now, unless we examine this point narrowly, we shall never come to the bottom of it; unless we come at the true fpring and real motive of our actions, we fhall ne、 ver be able to form a right judgment of them; and they may appear very different in our own eye, and in the eye of the world, from what they do in the eye of GOD. For the Lord feeth not as man feeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. And hence it is, that that which is highly esteemed among men, abomination in the fight of God. of man is right in his own eyes: pondereth the hearts †.

is oftentimes Every way but the Lord

СНАР.

* Sam. xvi. 7 + Luke xvi. 15. Prov. xxi, 2.

CHA P. XII.

Every one that knows himself, is in a particular Manner fenfible how far he is governed by a Thirst for Applaufe.

XI.

A

NOTHER thing necessary to unfold a man's heart to himfelf is, to confider what is his appetite for Fame; and by what means he feeks to gratify it.

This paffion in particular having always fo powerful a fway, and oftentimes fo unfufpected an influence, on the most important parts of our conduct, a perfect acquaintance with it is a very material branch of felf-knowledge, and therefore requires a diftinct confideration.

Emulation, like the other paffions of the human mind, fhows itself much more plainly, and works much more strongly in fome than it does in others: it is in itfelf innocent, was planted in our natures for very wife ends, and, if kept under proper regulations, is capable of ferving very excellent purposes, otherwise it degenerates into a mean and criminal ambition.

When a man finds fomething within him that pushes him on to excel in worthy deeds, or in actions truly good and virtuous, and pursues

pursues that design with a steady, unaffected ardour, without reserve or falsehood, it is a true fign of a noble spirit: for that love of praise can never be criminal, that excites a man to do more good than he could perform without it. Probably, there never was a fine genius or a noble spirit, that rose above the common level, and diftinguished itself by high attainments in what is truly excellent, but was fecretly, and perhaps infenfibly prompted by the impulfe of this paffion.

But, on the contrary, if a man's views center only in the applause of others, whether it be deferved or not; if he pant after popularity and fame, not regarding how he acquires it; if his paffion for praise urge him to ftretch himfelf beyond the line of his capacity, and to attempt things to which he is unequal; to condescend to mean arts and low diffimulation for the fake of a name; and in a finifter, indirect way, fue hard for a little incense, not caring from whom he receiveth it; his ambition then becomes vanity. And if it excite a man to wicked attempts, make him ready to facrifice the esteem of wife and good men to the acclamations of a mob; to overleap the bounds of decency and truth, and break through the obligations of honour and virtue, it is then not only vanity, but vice; a vice the most destructive to the peace I 2

and

and happiness of human fociety, and which, of all others, hath made the greatest havock and devestation among men.

What an inftance have we here of the wide difference between common opinion and truth? that a vice, fo big with mischief and misery, fhould be mistaken for a virtue! and that they, who have been moft infamous for it, fhould be crowned with laurels, even by those who have been ruined by it; and have thofe laurels perpetuated by the common confent of men through after-ages! Seneca's judgment of Alexander is certainly more agreeable to truth than the common opinion; who called him a public cut-throat, rather than a hero ; and who, in feeking only to be a terror to mankind, arofe to no greater excellence, than what belonged to the most hurtful and ⚫ obnoxious animals on earth (p).'

Certain

(p) Quid enim fimile habebat vefanus adolefcens, cui pro virtute erat felix temeritas ?— Hic a pueritia latro, gentiumque vaftator, tam hoftium pernicies quam amicorum. Qui fummum bonum duceret terrori effe cun&tis mortalibus: oblitus non ferociffima tantùm, fed ignaviffima quoque animalia, timeri ob virus malum. Sen. de Benef. cap. 13.

How different from this is the judgment of Plutarch in this matter? who, in his Oration concerning the Fortune and Virtue of Alexander, exalts

him