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to be more useful to them. This Character engages Men in perpetual Hypocrify, Falihood and Ingratitude: For where Self-intereft is the only Aim, thofe things, which to the Generous and Virtuous are most offenfive and fhocking, are to them, Trifles, are nothing, are a meer Jeft and Diversion. They, who truft to the Friendship of this Set of Men, are a very numerous Race, who are beguiled by their Artifice, infnared in their long forecasted Train, and fuffer in the most fenfible and pungent manner imaginable. The Virtuous are ready to take every Occasion that arifes, to serve their Friends; they are not fufpicious themselves, and think themselves unfufpected; they trust to all, and look upon themselves as trusted by all: And for a Man of this Turn to find himself made use of as a Tool in a dirty Scheme, and to be defpifed as a Tool by the Wretch that he has ferved, what can we imagine more vexatious and more grating? There

There is a third Sort of diffembled Love, which is almost as common, and infinitely more mischievous, than either of the Two before defcrib'd, and that is a feigned Love arifing from Envy. When the noble Principle of Emulation degenerates into Envy, an Affectation of Efteem and Regard attends the Object of it; tho' not with a Design to imitate, but to eclipse its Virtues. There are innumerable Perfons in the World, who have fo great an Opinion of their own Merit, or at least would have others think fo highly of them, that every Person who happens to get one Step above them, or is likely to do fo, is immediately look'd upon as their Enemy, an Encroacher upon their Right. This is a Character the moft Diabolical that Human Nature is capable of. These are they, who infinuate themselves into your Secrets with no other Design than to reveal them;

who

who betray with a Kifs, and a Hail, Mafter! whole Words are fmoother than Oil, whilft the Poifon of Afps is under their Lips. The Diffimulation of Vanity without Self-Intereft, and of SelfIntereft without Envy, are harmless things, in comparison of this: For this includes not only all the Evils of the other Two, but adds a Depth to their Intrigues, a Mask to their Hypocrify, a Mischief to their Subtilty. Here we have not only the Wiles, but the Venom of the Serpent, and have the greatest Occasion to attend to our Lord's Admonition, Behold, I fend you forth as Sheep in the midst of Wolves: be ye therefore wife as Serpents, and harmless as

Doves.

These appear to be the most general Caufes of Diffimulation and Hypocrify; and, on the other hand,

Matth. x. 16.

there

there are many Kinds and Degrees of undiffembled and real Love.

First, There is a Love, or fort of general Propenfity to mutual Benevolence, which holds Mankind together in Society; that makes them feek and delight in each others Company and Converfation; that prompts them to entertain, divert, and please each other. This is doubtless a natural Paffion; but there are so many other Paffions blended together with it; fo many Defigns and Intrigues, that this Sort of Love will yield us no Character; its Force is always fwallowed up and determined by fome more powerful

Paffion.

Next to this we may reckon the Love of Good-nature, of a soft and compaffionate Temper, which many Perfons are blefs'd with in a very high Degree. All indeed have fome Share of it, but in fome the vindictive Paffions get the better of it, and in

others

But it is

others, they quite extinguish it. This tender Feeling of the Miferies and Calamities of others, this Milkiness of Blood (as it is fomewhere called) makes us happy within ourselves, and extremely useful to others. generally attended with this Misfortune, that it is too easily impofed upon, and caught by Tales of falfe Woe: Its Senfations of these things are fo delicate, fo quick and preffing, that they will not allow time to examine into the Arts of Hypocrites, and fo a great deal of the Good, that wou'd otherwise be done, is thrown away upon the most unworthy and undeferving of all Objects.

The next Kind of Love, I fhall take notice of is that of Generofity: Tho' this, and the foregoing, may be thought very near of Kin, if not the fame; yet it will be found that they differ greatly in their Source, and their Conduct. This flows from a

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