which He repeats on three several occasions. The value of humility is taught us by Micah, "What doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to do justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God'?" Likewise by Isaiah, "To this man will I look, saith the Lord, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word 2;" likewise in the Psalms, "Whoso hath a proud look and high stomach I will not suffer him." The same in St. James, "God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble." In short, throughout the whole Bible, there is scarcely anything more constantly kept in view, or more earnestly urged upon us, than the necessity of the practice of humility; which God has made indispensable towards the attainment of His grace and favour, requiring that all who would enter His palace of everlasting joy, should approach it through the strait, and narrow, and hard-to-be-found gate of humility.

The virtue thus highly prized by God, and which He esteemed so necessary, consists chiefly in a lowly opinion of ourselves and our merits, and a full conviction of our many sins, and frequent faults, and numberless imperfections; not in thinking them greater than they are, or accusing ourselves of them when they do not exist, which is an excess into which men sometimes fall on this head; but in truth merely in this, namely, in coming to a

1 Mic. vi. 8. 2 Isa. lxvi. 2. 3 Ps. ci. 7. 4 James iv. 6.

just and correct view of things. In forbearing to see them, and judge of ourselves, according to the false colouring which our vain and deceitful imaginations would cast over them; which would lead us to forget the treasures of Heaven, while they falsely heighten the gilded toys of this world, and while we think of ourselves, to forget the God in whom "we live and move and have our being 1;" but in looking at them, and considering ourselves as the case really is; in thinking of ourselves as sinful and helpless creatures, having no good of ourselves, and dependent upon another for our life, and for every thing we have, value, and hope for, and without whose favour we must be lost and undone for ever; and in thinking of the things around us as of no real value, but so far as they are, or may be made, either directly or indirectly, the means of obtaining this awful Being's favour: in feeling that after we have done our best to serve Him, still this service is so imperfect, and so unworthy His acceptance, on its own account, that, strictly speaking, we cannot be said to deserve anything at His hands, and therefore must be willing to receive any and every of His blessings not as of right, or as due unto us, but merely as matter of His bounty and free grace.

This is humility: and the existence of this virtue in the human mind is to be shown and proved by

1 Acts xvii. 28.

such conduct, as this state of mind, and these feelings, if sincere, must necessarily produce. Namely, 1st, As concerns God, in living in a state of dependence and firm trust in Him; in looking up to Him in our minds, and being guided by what we know and believe to be IIis will, in everything; in doing nothing which we dare not beg Him to prosper; in hoping for nothing but according to His will, and in using everything as far as may be to His honour; in praying to Him for every thing we want, and not expecting to prosper in any undertaking, nor to be preserved from evil, or to be enabled to do what is right, except by His blessing and therefore, which is the consequence of this, in being very careful when we do prosper in any of our plans, or overcome evil, or act like Christians, not to take the credit of any of these to ourselves, "as though by our own power and holiness "" they had been accomplished, but to ascribe and return it all to God, to whom alone it is due, as it is written, "Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give the praise 2;" and in another place, "Say not thou in thine heart my power, and the might of mine arm hath gotten me this: but thou shalt remember the Lord thy God, for it is he that giveth thee power" lastly, considering everything upon which a man would be inclined to pride himself, his riches, his honour, his power, his

1 Acts iii. 12.

2

Ps. cxv. 1. 3 Deut. viii. 17, 18.

influence, all but as so many talents intrusted to him by his Master, to whom for the employment of all he must hereafter give account.

2ndly, The existence of humility is proved, as concerns a man's self, in moderation of his desires, as judging it unreasonable that himself, of whom he knows so much that is bad, should expect to become great and exalted; in contentment with his station, whatever it may be, as feeling that it is more than he deserves, inasmuch as he had no right to any; in frequent self-examination, and self-condemnation for the sins and failings of which he is so frequently guilty; in keeping a strict watch and ward over himself, knowing to how many temptations he is exposed, and how liable he is to fall under them. 3dly, It is shown as concerns others, which is but the effect of this opinion of himself, in kindness, gentleness, and charity. If ever he compares himself with them, it is not for the self-complacent purpose of thinking of his own superiority over them, but, on the contrary, of finding out some points in them in which they are superior to himself, and in which, therefore, he may take a lesson from them; as it is written, "In lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself'." he does by remembering that all the evil he knows of them, is for the most part merely by report and uncertain, while of what he knows of himself he

This

1 Phil. ii. 3.

can have no doubt. And this sense of his own infirmities leads him to bear meekly with those who offend him, because though sometines he may be provoked to deal harshly with them, he checks himself by considering how melancholy a prospect his own would be, if such severe notice were taken of all his own offences against his neighbour or against God as it is written, "If thou, Lord, shalt be extreme to mark what is done amiss, O Lord, who may abide it1?" In short, "the good tree bringeth forth good fruit," and real humility of the heart, if a man hath it, is shown by humility of thought, word, and deed, as concerns God, his neighbour, and himself.

The arguments in favour of this virtue of humility, and against every species of pride, whether we derive them from the consideration of man's natural state, which heathens and all can understand, or from his spiritual condition, which is known only to the worshippers of the true God, are so many and so forcible, that we must on all hands be convinced of and confess the reasonableness of Almighty God in requiring it at our hands, as indispensable to the attainment of His favour and everlasting salvation.

For if we consider, 1st, the natural state of man, where shall we find a single argument in support of pride, or do they not all concur in forcing humi

1 Ps. cxxx. 3.