we believe every man honest, till we have evidence to the contrary : but they exempt no man from their suspicions, till a full experience of his integrity has constrained them to revere his character. But be- tween the extremes of blind confidence and unchari- table suspicion, there is a medium, a cautious reserve, which prudence dictates, and religion approves. Such a reserve seems naturally, and as it were necessarily, to result from the observation in our text ; an obser- vation humiliating indeed to our proud nature, but justified by the actual state of mankind in all ages ; and fitly calculated to guard us against an undue confidence either in ourselves or others.
This observation we shall confirm, by shewing,
I. That a profession of goodness is common —
The virtues of truth, honour, integrity, benevo- lence, friendship, liberality, are claimed by every one as the inherent and characteristic qualities of his heart : and even piety itself is, if men's opinions of themselves be true, an inmate of every bosom. " Goodness" is not only approved by all, but claimed as the property of all :
1. Of the profane —
[They do not indeed boast of their goodness; they will say, as hypocrites do, that ' they are as good as their neigh- bours. It is true, they are not always quite so correct in their conduct as they might be ; yea, they are sometimes betrayed into follies which they cannot justify ; but they mean no harm; they injure nobody ; they have good intentions, good disposi- tions, good hearts' The fruit is bad, they acknowledge:
but they will have it, that the tree is good.]
2. Of the moral —
[These have some more pretensions to goodness, it may be thought : but their estimate of their own character is scarcely less erroneous than the judgment of the profane. They are observant of many duties ; and oftentimes are really eminent for honour and integrity in their dealings. But they omit from their catalogue of duties all that pertains to the spiritual life, and content themselves with a system of heathen ethics. Hu- mility and contrition, faith and love, heavenly-mindedness, and connnunion with God, are scarcely considered by them as forming any part of true goodness : on the contrary, they allow
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