the least appearance of them in another, and to condemn it, and yet so
partial are they in judging themselves,--self-love so purblinds them in
this reflection, that they cannot discern that in themselves, which others
cannot but discern! How often do men declaim against pride, and
covetousness, and self-seeking, and other evils of that kind? They will
pour out a flood of eloquence and zeal against them, and yet it is strange
they do not advert, that they are accusing themselves, and impannelling
themselves in such discourses, though others, it may be, will easily
perceive a predominancy of these evils in them. "Who art thou, O man, who
judgeth another, and doest the same thing? Canst thou escape God's
judgment?" Rom. ii. 1. Consider this, O Christian, that thou mayest learn
to turn the edge of all thy censures and convictions against thyself, that
thou mayest prevent all men's judgments of thee, in judging thyself all
things that men can judge thee, that is, a chief of sinners, that hath the
root of all sin in thee, and so thou mayest anticipate the divine judgment
too, "for if we judge ourselves, we shall not be judged." Labour thou to
know those evils that are incident to thy nature, before others can know
them, that is, in the root and fountain, before they come to the fruit and
stream, to know sins in the first conceptions of them, before they come to
such productions as are visible, and this shall keep thee humble, and
preserve thee from much sin, and thou shalt not deceive thyself, nor
dishonour God, in making him a liar, but rather set to thy seal to this
truth, and his word shall abide in thee.

There is a common rule that we have in judging ourselves, by comparing
ourselves amongst ourselves, which, as Paul saith, "is not wisdom," 2 Cor.
x. 12. When we do not measure ourselves by the perfect rule of God's holy
word, but parallel ourselves with other persons, who are still defective
from the rule, far further from it than anyone is from another, this is
the ordinary method of the judging of self love. We compare with the worst
persons, and if we be not so bad as they, we think ourselves good. If not
so ignorant as some are, we presume that we know, if not so profane as
many, we believe ourselves religious. "Lord, I am not as this publican,"
so say many in their hearts,--there is a curser, a swearer, a drunkard, a
blind ignorant soul, that neglects prayer in private and public, and upon
these ruins of others' sins,