"thoughts and defires-yet, in fact, is "generally fo inattentive, but always "fo partial an obferver of what paffes, "that he is as much, nay often, a much

greater stranger to his own difpofi"tion and true character, than all the "world befides."

By what means he is brought under fo manifeft a delufion, and how he fuffers himself to be fo grofsly impofed upon in a point which he is capable of knowing fo much better than others, is not hard to give an account of, nor need we seek farther for it, than amongst the caufes which are every day perverting his reafon and misleading him. We are deceived in judging of ourfelves, just as we are in judging of other things, when our paffions and inclinations are called in as counsellors, and we fuffer ourselves to fee and reafon juft fo far and no farther than they give us leave. How hard do we find it to pass an equitable and found judgment in a matter where our intereft is deeply concerned !-and even where there is the remoteft confideration

of it, could ever meet together in one perfon; yet in fact it is no fictitious character.

Look into the world-how often do you behold a fordid wretch, whose strait heart is open to no man's affliction, taking fhelter behind an appearance of piety, and putting on the garb of religion, which none but the merciful and compaffionate have a title to wear. Take notice with what fanctity he goes to the end of his days, in the fame felfish track in which he at first fet out-turning neither to the right hand nor to the left-but plods on--pores all his life long upon the ground, as if afraid to look up, left peradventure he should fee aught which might turn him one moment out of that ftrait line where intereft is carrying him; or if, by chance, he stumbles upon a hapless object of distress, which threatens fuch a difafter to him-like the man here reprefented, devoutly paling by on the other fide, as if unwilling to trust himfelf to the impreffions of nature, or ha

zard the inconveniences which pity might lead him into upon the occafion.

There is but one ftroke wanting in this picture of an unmerciful man to render the character utterly odious, and that our SAVIOUR gives it in the following inftance he relates upon it. And likewife, fays he, a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked at him. It was not a tranfient overfight, the hafty or illadvised neglect of an unconfidering humour, with which the beft-difpofed are fometimes overtaken, and led on beyond the point where otherwife they would have wished to ftop- No!-on the contrary, it had all the aggravation of a deliberate act of infenfibility proceeding from a hard heart. When he was at the place, he came and looked at him,confidered his misfortunes, gave time for reafon and nature to have awokefaw the imminent danger he was inand the preffing neceflity of immediate help, which fo violent a cafe called aloud for; and after all-turned afide,

and unmercifully left him to all the diftreffes of his condition.

In all unmerciful actions the worst of men pay this compliment at least to humanity, as to endeavour to wear as much of the appearance of it, as the cafe will well let them;-fo that in the hardest acts a man fhall be guilty of, he has fome motives, true or falfe, always ready to offer, either to fatisfy himfelf or the world, and, God knows, too often to impose both upon the one and the other. And therefore it would be no hard matter here to give a probable guess at what paffed in the Levite's mind in the prefent cafe, and fhew, was it neceffary, by what kind of cafuiftry he fettled the matter with his confcience as he paffed by, and guarded all the paffages to his heart against the inroads which pity might attempt to make upon the occafion. But it is painful to dwell long upon this difagreeable part of the ftory; I therefore haften to the concluding incident of it, which is fo amiable, that one

...

cannot easily be too copious in reflections upon it. And behold, fays our SAVIOUR, a certain Samaritan as he journeyed came where he was; and when he faw him he had compaffion on him-and went to him-bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine-fet him upon his own beaft, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. I fuppofe, it will be scarce neceffary here to remind you that the Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans an old religious grudgethe worst of all grudges, had wrought fuch a diflike between both people, that they held themselves mutually difcharged not only from all offices of friendship and kindness, but even from the most common acts of courtefy and good manners. This operated fo strongly in our SAVIOUR's time, that the woman of Samaria feemed aftonished that he, being a Jew, fhould ask water of her who was a Samaritan;-fo that with fuch a prepoffeffion, however diftrefsful the cafe of the unfortunate man was, and how reasonably foever he might plead