Reflections, that like so many plain-dealing SERM. I Friends would put him out of Humour with himself, by fuggefting to him unwelcome, though neceffary, Truths. And yet this is the very Effence of Pride.

For Humility confifts in the inward Frame and Difpofition of the Mind, in a right Judgment, in the main, of ourselves: It is when we afcribe the Glory of our Actions to God alone, who gives us Power to act; like polished Veffels, which reflect back again the Rays of Light which they receive, instead of absorbing, imbibing and detaining them. It is to have a deep Sense that God created us out of Nothing, and that Sin reduceth us to a State worse than Nothing without the Mercies of God, and the Merits of our Saviour.

Though there may be a Sincerity without Humility, yet a Simplicity of Manners is a neceffary Ingredient of it. For there is a Difference between Simplicity and Sincerity; or, in other Words, a Man may be very fincere without any Simplicity: He may not be ambitious to be thought what he is not; yet be too oftentatious of what he is: Unable to wait till others difcover, he is impatient to display his own Perfections with

all

SERM. I. all the Advantages which Art and Address

can give them. Whereas Simplicity is free from every Alloy of Vanity, or any Thing of a fhewish Nature; it fhines forth with natural and unstudied Beauties, is not puffed up, feeketh not it's own, the Praise that is due to it; and it's chief Ornament is, that it does not affect any. And yet the true Sublime of Life, as well as of Writing, confifteth in the Simple. For noble Actions and noble Qualities, like noble Thoughts, fupport themselves, they have an inherent Greatness and a native Luftre, which needs not foreign Pomp and borrowed Ornaments. Nothing does them more Harm, than fetting them off too much and over-charging them with Decorations.

:

To obviate Mistakes and to remove Scruples, it will be neceffary to obferve that Pride is not merely to think favourably of ourfelves For then indeed Pride, as fome late Authors have maintained, would be an univerfal Vice; every Body being, more or lefs, biaffed in his own Favour. But Pride is to think fo favourably of ourselves, as to exclude a modeft Diffidence of ourfelves, and a falutary Senfe of the Number of human Frailties, the Imperfection of

our Virtues, the Malignity of our Crimes, SERM. I and our Dependance on God for every Thing good in us and for us. A Man may think himself fomewhat wifer and better than he is; who, notwithstanding, may have an humble or low Opinion of himself upon the Whole, as being far from thinking himself wife and good enough: far from thinking that he ftandeth collected in himfelf, and therefore needeth not take Heed, left be fall. A Man may not imagine himself quite fo faulty as he is; (for who can tell how oft be offendeth?) who yet may deserve the Character of an humble Man; if, at the fame Time, that he endeavoureth to improve in Virtue, and get clear of every prefumptuous Sin; he strives to detect, and begs of God to cleanfe him from, his fecret and unfufpected Faults. Pride is a Vice or moral Evil: And nothing can be Evil, any further, than it is in it's genuine Tendency productive of Evil. But what evil Effects would an Opinion too favourable of ourfelves be attended with; provided it did not rife to fo high a Pitch, as to make us think presumptuously and fecurely of ourfelves, contemptuously and uncharitably of our Fellow-Creatures, and behave irreve

rently

SERM. I. rently and ungratefully to our Creator? It

is, I doubt, almost impoffible to hold the Balance exactly even without the least Inclination to our Side; it is impoffible for us, who are Parties, to pafs Judgment on ourselves with the ftrict Rigour of Justice without the leaft Partiality, without any favourable Softenings and Allowances: All, that can be expected from us, is, what I believe every wife and modeft Man doeth, viz. that looking around us and confidering how apt every Man is in fome Degree to over-value himself, we learn from hence to entertain and cherish a constant Sufpicion and Misgiving, that we do so too: which Mifgiving difpofeth us to look deeper into ourselves, to trust not so much to our own Abilities, as to our Vigilance and Circumfpection, and God's Bleffing upon us, and to make our humble Application to him, that he would look well, if there be any Way of Wickedness in us, and lead us in the Way everlasting.

Having thus ftated the Nature of Pride, I proceed, IIdly, To fhew the Unreafonableness of this Vice. And this I fhall do, by examining our Pretenfions to Pride.

Are

Are we proud of Riches? Riches can- SERM. I. not alter the Nature of Things, they cannot make a Man worthy, that is worthless in himself: They may command an infipid Complaifance, a formal Homage, and ceremonious Profeffions of Refpect, and teach a fervile World to fpeak a Language foreign to their Hearts; but where a Largenefs of Soul is wanting, they can never procure an affectionate Efteem, grateful Sentiments, and an undiffembled Love, the willing Tribute of a generous Heart to Merit only. The Value of the Estate may be very great; but that of the Man is not at all greater; if he does not employ his Estate as the great Engine to procure moral Pleasures, and to do benevolent Offices. And if it be true Wifdom to think that early, which we must think at laft; let us now be convinced, which we shall certainly be hereafter, that there is nothing truly valuable, noble and manly, but the good Sense to know our Duty, an hearty Inclination to practise it, and a determinate Steadiness to persevere in it to the End: That the only true substantial Greatness is rightly to apprehend, affectionately to worship, and diligently to imitate our heavenVOL. II.

C

ly