Now in order to do this, you need only confider, that pride and humility fignify nothing to you, but fo far as they are your own; that they do you neither good nor harm, but as they are the tempers of your own heart.

THE loving therefore of humility is of no benefit or advantage to you, but fo far as you love to see all your own thoughts, words, and actions govern'd by it. And the hating of pride does you no good, is no perfection in you, but fo far as you hate to harbour any degree of it in your own heart.

Now in order to begin, and fet out well in the practice of humility, you must take it for granted, that you are proud, that you have all your life been more or less infected with this unreasonable temper.

You should believe alfo, that it is your greatest weakness, that your heart is most subject to it, that it is fo conftantly ftealing upon you, that you have reafon to watch and fufpect its approaches in all your actions.

For this is what most people, especially new beginners in a pious life, may with great truth think of themfelves.

FOR there is no one vice that is more deeply rooted in our nature, or that receives fuch conftant nourishment from almoft every thing that we think or do. There being hardly any thing in the world that we want or ufe, or any action or duty of life, but pride finds fome means or other to take hold of it. So that at what time foever we begin to offer our felves to God, we can hardly be furer of any thing, than that we have a great deal of pride to repent of.

IF therefore you find it difagreeable to your mind to entertain this opinion of your felf, and that you cannot put your felf amongst those that want to be cur'd of pride, you may be as fure, as if an Angel from heaven had told you, that you have not only much, but all your humility to seek.

FOR you can have no greater fign of a more confirm'd pride, than when you think that you are hum

ble

ble enough. He that thinks he loves God enough, fhews himself to be an entire stranger to that holy paffion; so he that thinks he has humility enough, fhews that he is not fo much as a beginner in the practice of true humility.

CHAP. XVII.

Shewing how difficult the practice of humility is made, by the general Spirit and temper of the wo ld. How Chrif tianity requireth us to live contrary to the world.

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VERY perfon, when he firft applies himself to the exercise of this virtue of humility, muft, as I laid before, confider himself as a learner, that is,to learn fomething that is contrary to former tempers and habits of mind, and which can only be got by daily and conftant practice.

HE has not only as much to do, as he that has fome new art or fcience to learn; but he has also a great deal to unlearn: He is to forget, and lay afide his own spirit, which has been a long while fixing and forming it felf; he muft forget, and depart from abundance of paffions and opinions, which the fashion, and vogue, and fpirit of the world, has made natural to him.

HB muft lay afide his own fpirit; because, as we are born in fin, fo in pride, which is as natural to us as felflove, and continually fprings from it. And this is one reafon why Christianity is fo often represented as a new birth, and a new Spirit.

HE muft lay afide the opinions and paffions which. he has receiv'd from the world, because the vogue and fashion of the world, by which we have been carry'd away, as in a torrent, before we could pass right judgments of the value of things, is in many refpects contrary to humility; fo that we must unlearn what the fpirit of the world has taught us, before we can be govern'd by the spirit of humility.

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THE Devil is call'd in Scripture the prince of this world, because he has great power in it, because many of its rules and principles are invented by this evil fpirit, the father of all lies and falfhood, to feparate us from God, and prevent our return to happiness.

Now according to the spirit and vogue of this world, whofe corrupt air we have all breath'd, there are many things that pafs for great, and honourable, and most defirable, which yet are so far from being so, that the true greatness and honour of our nature confifts in the not defiring them.

To abound in wealth, to have fine houses and rich cloaths, to be attended with fplendor and equipage, to be beautiful in our perfons, to have titles of dignity, to be above our fellow-creatures, to command the bows and obeisance of other people, to be look'd on with admiration, to overcome our enemies with power, to fubdue all that oppose us, to fet out our felves in as much fplendor as we can, to live highly and magnificently, to eat and drink, and delight our felves in the moft coftly manner, thefe are the great, the honourable, the defirable things, to which the spirit of the world turns the eyes of all people. And many a man is afraid of standing ftill, and not engaging in the purfuit of these things, left the fame world should take him for a fool.

THE hiftory of the gofpel, is chiefly the hiftory of Chrift's conqueft over this fpirit of the world. And the number of true Chriftians, is only the number of those who following the Spirit of Chrift, have liv'd contrary to this fpirit of the world.

If any man bath not the Spirit of Chrift, he is none of his. Again, Whosoever is born of God, overcometh the world. Set your affections on things above, and not on things on the earth; for ye are dead, and your life is bid with Chrift in God, This is the language of the whole New Teftament. This is the mark of Chriftianity; you are to be dead, that is, dead to the Spirit and temper of the world, and live a new life in the Spirit of Jefus Chrift.

BUT

BUT notwithstanding the clearnefs and plainnefs of thefe doctrines which thus renounce the world, yet great part of Chriftians live and die flaves to the customs, and temper of the world.

How many people fwell with pride and vanity, for fuch things as they would not know how to value at all, but that they are admir'd in the world?

WOULD a man take ten years more drudgery in bufinefs to add two horfes more to his coach, but that he knows, that the world moft of all admires a coach and fix? How fearful are many people of having their houfes poorly furnish'd, or themfelves meanly cloath'd, for this only reafon, left the world should make no account of them, and place them amongst low and mean people?

How often would a man have yielded to the haughtinefs and ill nature of others, and fhewn a submissive temper, but that he dares not pass for fuch a poor-fpi rited man in the opinion of the world?

MANY a man would often drop a refentment, and forgive an affront, but that he is afraid, if he should, the world would not forgive him.

How many would practise Chriftian temperance and fobriety in its utmost perfection, were it not for the cen fure which the world paffes upon fuch a life?

OTHERS have frequent intentions of living up to the rules of Chriftian perfection, which they are frighted from, by confidering what the world would fay of them.

THUS do the impreffions which we have receiv'dia from living in the world enflave our minds, that we dare not attempt to be eminent in the fight of God, and holy Angels, for fear of being little in the eyes of the world.

FROM this quarter arifes the greatest difficulty of humility, because it cannot fubfift in any mind, but fo far as it is dead to the world, and has parted with all defires of enjoying all greatnefs and honours. So that in order to be truly humble, you muft unlearn all thofe

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notions

notions which

you have been all your life learning from this corrupt spirit of the world.

You can make no stand against the affaults of pride, the meek affections of humility can have no place in your foul, till you stop the power of the world over you, and refolve against a blind obedience to its laws.

AND when you are once advanc'd thus far, as to be able to ftand still in the torrent of worldly fashions and opinions, and examine the worth and value of things which are most admir'd and valued in the world, you have gone a great way in the gaining of your freedom, and have laid a good foundation for the amendment of your heart..

FOR as great as the power of the world is, it is all built upon a blind obedience, and we need only open our eyes, to get quit of its power.

ASK who you will, learned or unlearned, every one feems to know and confefs, that the general temper and fpirit of the world, is nothing elfe but humour, folly, and extravagance.

WHO will not own, that the wisdom of Philofophy, the piety of Religion, was always confin'd to a small number? And is not this exprefly owning and confeffing, that the common spirit and temper of the world, is neither according to the wildom of Philofophy, nor the piety of Religion.

THE world therefore feems enough condemn'd even by its felf, to make it very easy for a thinking man to be of the fame judgment.

AND therefore I hope you will not think it a hard faying, that in order to be humble, you must withdraw your obedience from that vulgar Spirit which gives laws to Fops and Coquets, and form your judgments according to the wifdom of Philofophy, and the piety of Religion. Who would be afraid of making such a change as this?

AGAIN, To leffen your fear and regard to the opini on of the world, think how foon the world will difregard you, and have no more thought or concern about

you