and Party that starts up, takes upon them to reform and amend the World in fome Thing or other; in the mean time, being exceedingly blind as to thofe other Errors in Doctrine and Practice which they introduce. But now how unqualified these Perfons are to reform and mend the World, while they themselves are addicted to much greater Faults and Vices than thofe are which they would reform, is worth while to confider: and therefore how neceffary it is that both their Reprehenfion and Reformation fhould begin at home. For,

1. It is not eafy to be conceived, how they fhould have any right Notions of Things, or how they fhould be qualified to inftruct or reprove others, who are themselves blinded with Pride, Malice, or any other great Vice. For it is great Vices which are meant by this Beam in my Text. And by its being faid to be in the Eye, is meant the Obftruction it gives to the understanding Faculty. The fame evil Principle which makes á Man blind to his own Vices, will byás his Judgment with relation to other Mens. Suppofe this evil Principle fhould be Pride and Vanity, which was the most remarkable Part of the Pharifees Character; let us confider how far this a lone would pervert their Judgments in difcerning the Truth in other Matters; particularly, both with relation to their own, and their Neigh bour's Actions.

(1.) First then, It is very eafy to apprehend that Pride would occafion the extenuating of all their own Faults, and the magnifying of their Virtues. What do I talk of extenuating of Faults? It is more probable that it will convert

all

all their Faults into Virtues. Their Morofeness and Ill-nature shall go for Gravity and Serioufnefs; their Partiality against such as are not of their own Party and Intereft, and for fuch as are of their own Side, they will reckon Zeal for a good Caufe. Nay, it is poffible for them at the fame Time that they are gratifying their Malice, Cruelty, or Refentment, to think they are doing God good Service. Now as Pride is capable of blinding Men as to all their own Faults; for the fame Reafon it will puff them up with a very high Conceit of their own Virtues, be they otherwise ever so inconfiderable. Their tything of Mint, Anife, and Cummin, are greater Acts of Virtue in their Eyes, than the most solid Acts of Piety in others. The moft formal Compli ance with the mere Ceremonials of Religion in any one of their Party, is more regarded than true Devotion, Juftice, and Charity in others.

(2.) For the fame Reasons that they have fo great a Conceit of their own Ways and Actions, they are apt to have the fame of their whole Faction and Party; this being a further Inftance of their Self-love; for the fupporting of their Party, is the fupporting of themselves; and the commending and justifying of their Actions, is only a more modeft commending and juftifying of themselves.

(3.) The fame Self-love and Self-conceit carries them to the leffening and vilifying of their Adverfaries, left their Fame and Virtues fhould obscure their own. Efpecially if, as is common in all Party-bufineffes, Malice joins in with Pride, then there is nothing an Adverfary can do, tho

ever fo innocent, nay, ever fo virtuous and commendable, that they can have a good Opinion of, and that they will not detort to fome bad Senfe, and endeavour to blacken with fome malicious Construction. It is very obfervable, how wonderful diligent and ingenious the Scribes and Pharifees were in watching and in cenfuring our Saviour himself; though one would have thought his was a Life and Example not easy to be faulted. His preaching was all Herefy; for they gave it out, that his Defign was to deftroy the Law and the Prophets. His Miracles, he wrought by the Power of Magick; and he caft out Devils by Beelzebub the Prince of the Devils. A Schifmatick, nay, an Impoftor they made him, one that deceived the People, and led them away from their Obedience to both Civil and Ecclefiaftical Guides. For he valued not the Ceremonies and Traditions of the Elders, and fpared not to lay open the Hypocrify of their. greatest Pretenders to a Strictness in Religion. They endeavoured to render him fufpected as to his Duty and Loyalty to Cæfar, and fo to ftir up the Government against him. They were continually both putting bad Senfes on his Words, and forging all the Calumnies they could invent against his Life and Doctrine; and all was to fupport their own Reputation, and to nip his growing Fame; for they obferved the World went mightily after him. So that there is nothing plainer, than that their Pride and Malice blinded them fo, that they could fee nothing right, even in the most righteous Person that ever was upon Earth. And if they could not fo much as know what was right, and what

I

wrong

wrong, they were certainly very ill qualified for reforming and amending of others. But,

2. Suppofe they knew ever fo well what is right and what is wrong; yet while they themfelves are guilty of the fame, or greater Vices, they cannot, with a juft Freedom and Authority, prefs the Reformation of others. All Reformation from them comes fufpected, as if they were not in Earneft; or as if they knew of fome easier Way of discharging their Duty; and will therefore be very little regarded by thofe, on whom they bestow their Advices. Not that our Saviour would have the Duty of Fraternal Correption and Admonition neglected; but that, in order to qualify ourselves for it, he would have the Reformation to begin at home; that being delivered from all Bias of Vice in ourfelves, we might both fee more clearly how to amend others, and might addrefs ourselves to them in a more effectual manner, than if we ourselves were in the fame Tranfgreffion. For while we fecretly hug the fame Vices, our Confciences will fly in our Faces when we go to correct them in others. An Inftance of this we have in the History of the Woman taken in Adultery, John viii. 7. for fo foon as our Saviour gave this Decifion of the Cafe, He that is without Sin among you, let him firft caft a Stone at her; it follows, that they who heard it, being convicted by their own Confcience, went out one by one; and had no more to fay. From whence we may obferve, that they who do not first take Care to keep themselves clear of Guilt, or at least to repent and amend, will prove but cold Reformers of others. But,

3. Suppofing fuch Perfons endued with a good Stock of Affurance, that if they are ever fo guilty themselves, they can ftoutly reprehend the fame Vice in others, and urge the Reformation of it, what Effect can they hope this will have on those they pretend to correct and reform?

(1.) It is moft natural to believe, these Perfons will not think they are in earnest, knowing that their Life contradicts their Precepts and Advices.

(2.) They may very easily retort upon them that common Proverb, Phyfician, cure thy felf; and till they cure themselves, they must have a very mean Opinion of their Skill how to cure others.

(3.) If their Advices fucceed not, they have no Reafon at all to take it amifs; for what can any Man think, but that all their Advice of that nature is a mere Piece of Formality, like an Actor's Part, which he acts upon the Stage, affuming for a little while another Perfon than he really is in himself, and than he intends to perform, fo foon as he gets off the Stage. And this leads me to,

IV. The Fourth Argument here used by our Saviour against this Practice of Cenforiousness, namely, that it is a clear Proof of our Hypocrify. Ver. 5. Thou Hypocrite, fays he, Firft caft out the Beam out of thine own Eye. What I here obferve is, That our Saviour calls this Perfon thus guilty of cenfuring or rafh judging, an Hypocrite. Not that all Admonitions of others are neceffarily joined with Hypocrify; but only fuch Admonitions of Perfons, who, neglecting the

obferving