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215 abroad, must have been originally taken up in order to deceive, in the proper sense; then they became habitual, and often intended merely by way of form; yet often still, to serve their original purpose of deceiving.

There is doubtless among mankind a great deal of this hypocrisy towards each other; but not so much as may sometimes be supposed. For part which has, at first sight, this appearance, is in reality that other hypocrisy before mentioned; that self-deceit of which the Scripture so remarkably takes notice. There are indeed persons, who live "without God in the world," Eph. ii. 12; and some appear so hardened, as to keep no measures with themselves. But as very ill men may have a real and strong sense of virtue and religion, in proportion as this is the case with any, they cannot be easy within themselves but by deluding their consciences. And though they should, in great measure, get over their religion, yet this will not do. For as long as they carry about with them any such sense of things as makes them condemn what is wrong in others, they could not but condemn the same in themselves, and dislike and be disgusted with their own character and conduct, if they would consider them distinctly, and in a full light. But this sometimes they carelessly neglect to do, and sometimes carefully avoid doing. And as "the integrity of the upright guides him," Prov. xi. 3, guides even a man's judgment, so wickedness may distort it to such a degree, as that he may "call evil good, and good evil: put darkness for light, and light for darkness," Isa. v. 20; and "think wickedly, that God is such an one as himself," Psa. 1. 21. Even the better sort of men are, in some degree, liable to disguise and palliate their filings to themselves; but perhaps there are few men, who go on calmly in a course of very bad things, without somewhat of the kind now described in a very high degree. They try appearances upon themselves as well as upon the worlds and with at least as much success; and choose to manage