by those who boast, and are always talking of the Good they do, let any Man judge. Our Saviour's Advice about Charity holds in all other Cafes of the like Nature; our left Hand must not know the Charity our right Hand does; and whatever elfe we do that may seem good in our own Eyes fhould at least be kept from our Tongue's End, for fear we fhould be found in the Number of those, who take to themselves the Praise that is due to God alone.

One aukward Way that fome Men have of letting others know what Good they have done, is by perpetually leffening and discommending in themselves what, in their private Thoughts, they think others ought to admire. But there is little Difference between Pride and affected Humility; and whenever Men delight to talk of themselves, it is to be fufpected that Pride and Vanity direct them to the Choice of the Subject, though it may appear perhaps in the Disguise of Meekness and Humility. If you think that you have done nothing worthy of Praise or Admiration, whence arifes your Jealousy that the World should overvalue you? And why all this Care to leffen and debafe yourfelf, unless you are confcious to yourself of

fomething that in Reason you judge ought to exalt you? If you labour to fhun the Praise of Men, it is plain you think you have deserved it, and your pretended Humility is the genuine Offspring of Pride and Vain-glory : For Humility will no more make a Shew of itself than of other Virtues; and, where Men are truly humble, they will not tell all the World of it; and therefore where they take Delight in industriously undervaluing themfelves, it can proceed from nothing but their Defire of being thought humble: But to affect even the Praise of Humility is Pride and Vanity. So then, in refpect to this Subject, the Rule of Prudence and the Rule of Virtue are coincident, that the lefs we talk of ourselves the better: It is a nice Theme, and few enter upon it, who come off clear either of Folly or Sin.

In the next Degree we place Cunning and Artifice, which make Men very forgetful of the Respect that is due to Truth, whilst they direct their Speech to serve and support fome End or Design of their own. There are many Degrees of this Cunning: That which is fo grofs as to aim at making a Prize of the Ignorance of others needs not to be mentioned here. Men of this Principle pro

ceed

ceed farther generally than idle Words, and are out of the present Subject through an Excess of Lying, and falfifying their Words and Oaths, as may best serve their Purpose.

But the Charge of idle Words lies against a Cunning, which is less desperate and malicious, and is the diftinguishing Mark of fuch Men, who deceive you by a Shew of Kindness which is not real. Now the Man who courts and careffes all that come near him must allow himself a great Latitude, fince he must often bestow his Smiles on the Perfon he does not love, and his Compliments on the Person he despises: In both which Cafes he stands charged with Falsehood and Hypocrify,

This Man of general Civility and Address destroys the Credit of Language; for his Words have no Meaning; none at least that you can understand: He that says the fame Things to every body, must be supposed to mean them of no body. But the Advantage these Men have is from the Folly and Selflove of Mankind; for moft People are fo well opinionated of themselves, that they cannot think a Man infincere, who com mends and extols them: From whence it comes to pass, that a Man will fwallow the

F 4

Compliments,

Compliments, when applied to himself, though they come from a Mouth which he knows makes no Distinctions.

But what Account shall a Man give of himself for living perpetually in a Disguise; for deceiving all about him, and ufing the Speech, which God gave him for better Purposes, to impose on the Weakness and Folly of Mankind? An Account he must give, unless he can fhew the Ufe and Benefit of his fair Speeches. Say, which is yet more than you can say, that these Words are innocent and harmless: They are at the best then useless and infignificant; and think how your Excufe will found, when the utmost you will have to say for yourself will be, that you employed the Talent God gave you to no good End or Purpose, only you hope you Harm. But add to this, that you deceived the World; that by your fervile Compliance you puffed up the Vanity of the Proud, betrayed and expofed the Credulity of the Weak, and poffibly too have made a Gain of this Ungodliness; and then I think you need not be told what Sentence a God of Truth, of Righteousness and Justice, will pass against fuch Deceivers and Liers in wait for Men.

did no

But,

But, Secondly, Idle Words may comprehend the Reports of Envy and Malice, by which our Neighbour fuffers in his Credit or Reputation.

I would diftinguish under this Head between those who invent and contrive wicked Stories and Reports to the Scandal and Defamation of their Neighbour, and those who credulously take up with the Invention, and report and spread them. To contrive malicious and wicked Stories, and wilfully to defame our Brother, is a Vice that the Text has no Name for; it exceeds all that can be meant by idle Words, and must be registered with the other black Crimes, which stand in oppofition to the lighter Offences of the Tongue. But even to believe without fufficient Ground, or to report, when we do believe the Ill we hear of others, cannot be excused of Malice and Envy. It is an old Saying, Facile credimus quæ volumus; and if so, to believe the evil Things spoken of our Brother willingly, is a great Mark of an evil Difpofition, and fhews at least that we should be pleased if they were true: And the Restleffness that fome Minds are under, when they have picked up an ill Report, to disburthen themselves, and spread the Story in the Neighbourhood,