him to fee withal, that God's Mercy is infinite, that Jesus the Son of GOD is the Meffenger of unbounded Peace and Love, and leaning upon that merciful Loving kindness, he hath learnt to grieve for thofe Tranfgreffions of his, which made fuch a Contrivance of fuffering Goodnefs needful, and to apply thereto with an Heart full of self-loathing Sorrow. He hath learnt to fee himfelf lefs than the leaft of all God's Mercies; and therefore he is in a Way, wherein he receives the very leaft Bleffing with Thankfulnefs and Acknowledgment, and parts with it again, when Gop fees fit, without Murmuring; a Way, wherein he quietly bears the Vifitations of GOD's Hand, and patiently 'waits for the Gifts of Providence and Grace. -Whatever he hath of Endowment, Wealth, or Influence; he confiders it is a Truft, to be used for the Interefts of GOD, and the Welfare of Man. Of a lowly Mind, he is apt to esteem others better than himfelfHe feels Vanity and Infufficiency in every earthly Thing; but knows, that there is an Abundance of fubftantial Blifs, which he cannot now comprehend, in the World which fhall be. In his Paffage through Life to Glory, he finds himself fadly befet with wakeful and mighty Adverfaries without, and continually in Danger of being betrayed by a treacherous Heart within; he perceives

himself

himfelf without all Skill to obferve, and Strength to oppofe, the one and the other; and Experience hath told him, that he must be over-powered, unless he be divinely fupported. In a word, he finds himself a finful Creature, (and none he finds worse than himfelf) a poor helpless Creature caft upon Mercy, and whofe main Bufinefs is, by GoD's Help, to get out of Sin and above this World, and to work out Salvation, the eternal State of Holiness and Happiness.

THIS is what I mean by Humility. This is feeing with clear Eyes, and making a right Eftimation and Judgment of all Things. And even thus the new Creature thinks and determines of himself. He regards himself, as a Sinner deferving Death, whom Mercy only fuffers to live and hope. He regards himself as a Creature fubject to God's Government, and as a Sinner in need of and liable to his Corrections. With all Obedience, he would fubmit to God's Rule; with all Patience and Thankfulness, he would endure his Chaftifements. All that he hath and is, he regards as God's Property, and to be employed to his Glory: He regards Heaven as a treasure indeed; the Delights of Time, as a Toy; and the Devil, the World, and the Flesh, as his Adverfaries, oppofing his Entrance into Life. He walks forward, impreffed with a needful Fear, in

Circum

Circumftances of fo much Hazard, and fo much Importance, as he plainly fees his are, while in the Body.If you can say now, "This is the Sight and Senfe I have of my"felf, and of the Things present and eter"nal;" I may not withhold from you the Truth and the Bleffednefs of your State; you are affuredly a new Creature. This I fhall quickly help you to prove, if you do upon fure Grounds apply this Humility to yourself, when I fhall come to speak of the remaining Parts of this general Description.

THE careless Sinner is the very contrary of all this; and, I fear, a Character too frequently to be met with. He hath his Eyes fealed up, and his Heart hardened, to all fpiritual and eternal Things. He may know, that God made him; but he lives intirely at his own Will and Pleasure. He hath not the least Thought of the Dishonor he is doing to his Maker; and very little Reflexion he makes, of the Danger himself is in, and of the Wrath which hangs over him. He is more infenfible to God's Goodnefs, than he is to his Juftice; and leaves God, Chrift, and Eternity, far above out of his Sight. He careth for none of thefe Things; he is a Man of the World. What he hath, he reckons his own; nor, inquiring who gave it him, doth he once imagine that he is but a Steward. Ready he is to fwell and triumph

upon

upon every thing, wherein he feemeth to himself to excel others; and the more abundant his Wealth, Knowledge or Power is, the larger his Vanity. As he is unthankful for what God bestows upon him; so he must have no Cross in his Way: He frets and galls himself under corrective Difpenfations; and doth nothing but murmur, and lie in Impatience, till he fee the End of his Affliction. He hath not the smallest Apprehenfion that the World is his Enemy, all his Views lying on this Side the Grave Give him his Heart's content in the Indulgence of his Body, and of his worldly Prospects, and let him withal enjoy his Humour, he defires no more: He will be failing down Time very quietly, and be for the most part as much at his Ease, as if there were no Death, nor Eternity.

BUT here the Formalift will be interpofing; will be thanking God, be is not, as this Man is; will be pleading his Freedom from harming others, his Exactness in Duties, his fair Shew in the Flefb, having no grofs Sin refting on him; his Benevolence and good Deeds. Truly, all this may be, and yet nothing right at the Bottom: After all, you may have as little Pretence to Humility, as the, in Appearance, more careless Sinner. You own that you are God's Creature: But you own not, that you are a Sinner; that you

have dishonored your Maker, abused his Mercy and his Patience, juftly incurred his Wrath, forfeited all Title to the very least Bleffing at his Hand: that such a Sinner you are, you are unworthy of the very Bread you eat. All this your unhumbled Heart difallows. You cannot judge of yourself in this Sort, while you can fee none going be-yond you in Regularity, Decency, and Services. You judge rather, that such an one, as you, must be a peculiar Favorite of Heaven; that your Converfation deserves and demands fome Regard of your heavenly Father towards you; and confidently truft upon your formal Prayers and Alms and Faftings, that they fhall not be in vain. But after all, where, I pray you, is the Difference between the carelefs and yourself, as to the Matter of Humility? He thinks not of his Sins you deny yours, or excuse them, or fet up your good Works as more than countervailing them. Lefs than he, you dread GoD's Juftice; nor is he more infenfible than yourself, to the Riches of redeeming Love. He values himself upon worldly Endowments, which hely hath you boast of fpiritual Qua

have no Pretence to. H thankful, fretful,

Equally, ye are

for, and Hatre

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