fall within the Cognizance of the Laws, fall under their Care. And the Chriftian Religion is fo far from difcouraging Men to act according to their feveral Stations and Callings, that it greatly encourages a Diligence in every Station and Relation, though ftill under the Direction of the great Chriftian Rules of Humility, Prudence, Juftice, Charity, and Mercy. But,

2. Befides thefe Perfons, who by their Office have a particular Infpection over others, there is another Chriftian Infpection, which, if duly limited, must be allowed all Men, both in order to their own Prefervation, and in order to the Duty of Fraternal Correption and Admonition. All the Difficulty is, to diftinguish right between the prying in my Text, in order to this rash judging, and the other commendable Infpection for our own, or our Neighbour's Edification: And though it would be too great a Digreffion to handle this Subject here at full Length, it may not be improper to obferve thefe few Bounds of Distinction.

(1.) As ye may obferve from what has been juft now faid, there is a great Difference between the Defigns of the one, and the other, in their obferving their Neighbour's Behaviour. The one doth it like an Enemy, who fearches out the weakeft Parts of the Garrifon, that at them he may make his Affault; the other doth it like a Friend, who obferves them, that he may repair and fortify them better. The one enquires into his Neighbour's Faults, that he may upbraid, infult, injure, or undermine him; the other, like a Phyfician, that he may cure them, or at least

fave

fave himself from them, if they are catching and infectious.

(2.) There is a great Difference in the Degrees of their Enquiry; the one diligently pries into all Secrets, fpies out every the leaft Mote, as my Text says, in his Neighbour's Eye, accomplishes a moft diligent Search: The other, though no negligent Spectator of what is expofed to publick View, is fo much taken up in minding his own Affairs, and the State of his own Soul, that he doth not enquire into the Secrets of other Peoples Lives. What is that to thee? faid our Saviour to Peter (when he asked him, Lord, and what shall this Man do?) follow thou me, John xxi. 21, 22. And St. Peter himself forbids to be bufy bodies in other Mens matters, 1 Pet. iv. 15.

(3.) A third great Difference between these two Obfervers is, that the one is cenforious, and puts the worst and hardeft Constructions on every thing; the other, the moft fair and charitable. He is fure to make no Faults where there are none, and to make them no greater than they are, and to ballance Faults with all the Good he can find, to put in the other Scale.

(4) They are very differently affected with what they obferve of their Neighbour. The one rejoices at the Faults, and is displeased at the good Things he obferves in his Neighbour. The other is of a quite contrary Spirit; he rejoices to find any Good; and is grieved when. he looks upon the Tranfgreffors.

(5.) They make quite different Ufes of the Faults they obferve in others. The one expofes them, takes all Opportunities to improve them

to

to his Neighbour's Prejudice, and applauds himself in comparison with him. The other conceals his Neighbour's Faults and Infirmities; prays for, and endeavours his Amendment; and from others, takes Example of fuch Things as may be of ufe in the ordering of his own Life and Conversation. Thus much may ferve for Explication of our Duty in this Particular; I mean, how we are to govern ourselves with relation to the obferving of our Neighbour's Faults.

But then as to the other Part of the cenforious Man's Character, his Blindness as to his own Vices, here defcribed by his not seeing the Beam in his own Eye; we are to remember, that there is a much greater Degree of Care requifite to obferve our own Faults, with the feveral Aggravations of them, in order to our Repentance and Amendment. We may be as gentle as we please to the Errors and Faults of our Neighbours; nay, while we confider that no Man is free from Failings, it is commendable to pardon many fmall Faults in one another. But it is much more allowable, I may fay neceffary, to be feverer to ourselves. We know a great deal worse by ourselves, than we can know by others. We may know our own Hearts; but cannot know the Hearts of other Men. We may know what good Inftructions and Admonitions have been given to ourselves, and what inward Checks of Confcience we have had for our Sins; fo that we may fafely judge and condemn ourselves; but if we fhould offer to do fo by our Neighbour, we fhould invade God's Property. Befides, there is no great Danger if we

fhould

should have a better Opinion of our Neighbour, and a worse Opinion of ourselves, than is exactly true and juft. An Error herein is the fafeft of all Errors, as tending to create a more humble Conceit of ourselves, and a more charitable Opinion of our Neighbours. It will be an excellent Prefervative againft this Sin of rafh judging; and will have a great many other good Effects, in pushing us on still more zealously to work out our Salvation with Fear and Trembling. And I fee no Danger, though we should never be undeceived of this Error till the final Judgment. Our Saviour, I think, feems to give us fuch a Reprefentation of good Men, even at the final Sentence, that they had no good Conceit of themselves; for when they fhall be told by Chrift, Mat. xxv. 35. I was hungry, and ye gave me Meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me Drink; I was a Stranger, and ye took me in; naked, and ye clothed me: I was fick, and ye vifited me: I was in Prifon, and ye came unto me: They are represented as anfwering: Lord, when faw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee Drink? when faw we thee a Stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? or when faw we thee fick or in Prifon, and came unto thee? So that ye see these righteous Persons, at the very last, have not fo good an Opinion of themfelves, as Chrift had of them. But, on the other hand, the Wicked are brought in full of Selfconceit, and to the very laft, vindicating their own good Opinion of themselves.

III. A Third Aggravation of this Sin of rafh judging, in my Text, is taken from the Perfon

againft

against whom it is committed, our Brother. Why beholdeft thou the Mote that is in thy Brothers Eye? There are two Things I would obferve from this Word Brother. 1. That it implies a Parity or Equality. 2. That it is a Word that imports Friendship. Now both thefe Confiderations furnish us with Arguments against the Sin of rafh judging.

(1.) The Word Brother, implying Parity or Equality, furnisheth us on that Account with an Argument against the Sin of judging or cenfuring. For judging is properly the Part of a Superior towards an Inferior. This is an Argument I find ufed by St. Paul, Rom. xiv. 4. Who art thou that judgeft another Mans Servant? to his own Mafter he ftandeth or falleth. It is not for Fellow-Prifoners or Fellow-Criminals to judge one another: If they do, it is a fort of mock Judgment. This the fame Apoftle urges again at the 12th Verfe of that Chapter. So then every one of us fhall give an Account of himfelf to God; let us not therefore judge one another

any more.

(2.) The Word Brother, is a Word that imports Friendship, and for that Reafon doth not agree with centuring, which is an A&t of Severity. The Word judging, is taken here for condemning; St. Luke puts them both together, Fudge not, and ye shall not be judged; condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned, Luke vi. 37. Now as a Brother would be loth to condemn a Brother, and it would be thought a very unnatural Thing; fo our Saviour, by giving the Word Brother to the cenfured Perfon; and by calling it, the beholding a Mote in our Bro

ther's