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SERMON X.

Of HUMILITY.

LUK. xiv. II.

For whofoever exalteth bimfelf, fhall be abafed; and he that humbleth bimfelf, fhall be exalted.

HERE is no Virtue in hu- SER M. man Life, of more univerfal

Usefulness than Humility; and

yet none more difficult to be
practifed by a man's felf, or

to be rightly stated and defined to others.

Pride grows upon Men infenfibly by im, perceptible degrees, and creeps in unta

ken

X.

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SER M.ken notice of upon innumerable OccaX. fions, and yeils itself often under an af fected Appearance even of Humility itself. For true Humility, as it is hard to define, fo it is not always eafy to know when a man has it: And whilft it is frequently described to be a man's having in ap pearance a meaner Opinion of himself, than it is poffible for him to have in reality; (for no man can really think that of himself, which he knows at the fame time not to be true of himself;) it happens, not uncommonly, that there may be great Pride, in a man's pretending fo to think of himself, as he knows every body believes there is no just reason to` think of him; and that there may be more and truer Humility in Another perfon, who without either affected Humility or real Pride, fo thinks of himself as he ought to think, and fo behaves himself as becomes his proper Station and Imployment in the World. For true Humility confifts, not in Imagination, but in Action; not in mens appearing to think ill of themselves, but in behaving themselves well; it confifts in carrying themselves

modeftly

modeftly in the Performance of their pre-SER M. fent Duty, not affuming to themselves X. any thing above the character of their proper Station, not putting themselves forward in an eager and indecent manner, but, by the Practice of real and useful Virtues, caufing Others to be defirous of their Advancement in the World. This is the Behaviour of True Merit; and the Method, which, in the Nature of Things, in the Judgment of the Wifest Men, and by the Appointment of God himself, leads modeft and unaffected Virtue, to real Honour, and to à fettled and established Esteem. For whofoever exalteth himfelf, fhall be abafed; and he that bumbleth bimfelf fhall be exalted. In the following Difcourfe upon which Words, I fhall t endeavour to show what True Humility is, and wherein it confifts; and 2dly, propofe fome Arguments to perfwade men to the Practise of it. Under which famé Heads, it will appear at the fame Time what Pride is, and by what Arguments men are to be warned against falling into it.

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ift, I am to confider what True Humility is, and wherein it confifts. And here, VOL. III. because

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SER M. because the Circumftances of men are X. infinitely various; and the Practice of every moral Virtue, is diverfified in as many different manners, as the Circumstances of the Cafe wherein it is to be exercised; therefore either general Rules cannot be given at all, or, if they be, yet commonly they are but of small Use, because they are loft in the endless diverfity of the Application. On the other hand, particular Rules for every fingle Case, are as impoffible to be laid down; because their Number would wholly confound the Memory, and fo become incapable of being applied at all. The middle and most useful Way, is to mention the principal Heads only; which, being Few, are easy to be remembred; and yet to which all the rest, that are numberless, may with ease be occafionally reduced in Practife. In order therefore to explain distinctly and intelligibly, what true Humility is; it may be proper to confider it, with regard to the Perfons towards whom it is to be exercised, and with regard to the Thing wherein thofe Perfons differ feverally from each other. The Persons, in

our

Ι

X.

our behaviour towards whom the Virtue S ER M. of Humility is to be exercifed, are either Superiors, Equals, or Inferiors: and the Things wherein these feyeral Perfons differ principally from each other, are either their Civil Stations in the World, their different Natural Abilities, or their Religious Improvements.

ift, WITH regard to Superiors in general, true Humility confifts, in paying them cheerfully and readily all due Honour and Respect, in those particular Regards wherein they are our Superiors, notwithstanding any other accidental Disadvantages on their fide, or Advantages on ours. More particularly; with regard to Superiors in Civil Stations in the World, true Humility confifts, in obeying them willingly in all things juft and lawful; in fubmitting to the Authority, even of the froward and unworthy; in not defpifing their Perfons, expofing their Weakneffes, or infulting over their Infirmities but being truly fenfible, that those of Us who think beft of our own Abilities, might, in higher Stations, and under greater Trufts, find Difficulties we are P 2

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