SERMON I.

ON HUMILITY.

ROMANS xii. 3.

For I fay, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think: but to think foberly, according as God bath dealt to every man the meafure of faith.

THESE words express the duty of humility fo accurately, and carry in the very manner of stating it fo full and clear an evidence of its obligation, that one would hope no man could read or hear them, without being convinced, that he ought to do what they enjoin.

There are directions of fcripture, concerning this matter, which fome pretend to be impracticable, and unfit to be practised: As where St. Paul himself exhorts, In lowliness of mind let each efteem other better than themselves *; and St. Peter, All of you be fubject one to anothert. In relation to fuch passages, it hath been pleaded, that, were every one to think thus, many must think falsely; which we ought not to do if we could, and for the most part, in this cafe, cannot do if we would, but only pretend to it hypocritically: that men would be inwardly prouder and cutwardly more troublesome, with this affected humility, than without it : that the mockery of a mutual fubmiffion in every thing must fill human life with perpetual embarrafsments; and whilst every one infitted upon obeying, no one would be left to rule or preferve order §.

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†1 Pet. v. 5.

Now

*

† Ο γαρ ὑπο ατύφια τυρος τυρόμενος, πανίων χαλεπωλαίος. M. Antonin, 1. xii. § 27.

Now the abfurdity of fuch behaviour indeed is very glaring. But for that reason the apostles are not to be understood, as they need not, in a fense that gives encouragement to it. Practical writers on religious and moral subjects, confidering how hardly the generality are brought to entertain fufficiently strict notions of their duty, purposely express it fometimes in words, which, taken literally, would be too strict. For abatements more than enough will not fail to be made: especially in fuch favourite points, as that of the good opinion which we have of ourselves. But in these two apoftolical injunctions, only a very moderate abatement is wanting. We are to esteem others better, or fuperior to us, not in things where we know they are not, but in things where we may justly suppose they are. And perhaps there is no person, or however, no pious and good perfon, and to fuch the apostles wrote, but hath the advantage of us in fome particulars; or at least, from our fuller acquaintance with our own defects, may, on probable grounds, be apprehended by us to have it. Or if not, yet efteeming them fuch, may, according to a frequent use of the original word fo rendered *, mean only treating them as such. And though we must not do this, by making hollow and deceitful profef fions of inferiority; yet we may do it, by concealing and waving our claims to fuperiority: not being subject one to the other on all occafions indeed, but on all proper ones, which are more than a few. It cannot be, that either of the apostles should intend to carry the duty further; because both of them acted in stations of authority themselves, and prescribed rules to others how to act in them. But it is peculiarly impoffible that St. Paul should run into fuch an extreme: for he hath diftinguished very exactly the obligations proceeding from the different ranks and improvements of men, which implies, that they must be confcious of them. And if he had given no 0ther proof of his understanding the nature of humility aright, the text alone affords a strong demonftration of it.

For what doth he there say, through the grace given unto bim, in virtue of the dignity gracioufly conferred upon him, to every one amongst us, for our direction in this behalf? Only, not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think; but to think foberly, according as God bath dealt to every man the measure of faith: that is, according to the real degree of piety and virtue, which, through God's mercy, our faith to Chrift hath produced; or rather, taking the word, faith, in a less common, but more fuitable meaning, according to the real value of the several talents, which God hath intrusted to our faithful management.

This we must allow to be a most equitable way of stating the duty in general. And therefore it may be hoped we shall proceed, with willing minds, to examine more particularly,

First, What manner of thinking concerning ourselves; and, Secondly, What manner of acting towards others, our obligation to humility, thus explained, requires. The former of these I shall confider now: the latter, God willing, hereafter. At present then let us inquire, how we ought to think of ourselves. And,

1. We ought plainly not to think, that we are poffefsed of any other good qualities or advantages, or any greater eminence in them, than in truth we are: which yet is a point that we frequently misapprehend. Self-love, an affection inseparable from us, tempts us to be wonderfully easy of belief in our own favour; and extremely flow to decern, and induftrious to disguise, even to our own view, whatever tends to leffen us. Then, as for the information which we might receive from others, whoever hints the least thing, which is not for our honour, we suspect immediately must do it, if not from ill defign, yet at best from want of judgement: and, if we can but find a shadow of probability for either fufpicion, we foon conclude, that only malice or ignorance can find fault with us. To confirm which perfuafion, we fee perhaps the generality of our acquaintance treat us with marks of confiderable regard: and this we interpret as a most undeniable token that we deserve it all, though perhaps it arises merely from their civility, and defire of living well with us. Or it may be our cafe, is yet worse and we are misled by perfons, who from bad motives make it their business to fill us with extravagant notions of our own accomplishments and pre-eminences. The rich and great indeed fuffer most by these wretches: and therefore should above all be on their guard against them. But persons of every degree, down to the very lowest, have their flatterers. And even the grossest flattery is commonly believed: but if it be conducted with any art, it feldom

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feldom fails. And in fact, from one or other of these causes,
into what aftonishing errors, about their own qualifications, do
we fee people fall !
:

The instances are numberless, were no others to be mentioned, of perfons deluding themselves in the most important of all points, the state of their fouls: mistaking uncharitable zeal, or lifeless formality, or enthusiastic transports, for true religion; or bad-tempered rigidness, or prudential regularity, or conftitutional good-nature, for true virtue: faying inwardly, as the revelation of St. John expresses it, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and not knowing, that they are wretched, and poor, and blind, and naked *. But in fuch matters also, as others are apt to value themselves upon, how established an observation is it, that, from things of the greateft importance down to the veriest trifles, almost all the world are continually judging wrong of their own title to esteem; and vain of imagined excellencies, where at most they do but equal those about them, or perhaps are peculiarly deficient. We can easily remark this in our neighbours: but we strangely overlook it in ourselves; and forget, that their failings are only those of human nature; to which, with the fame nature, we are just as liable, and it may be, full as guilty of them.

Some few indeed, through excefs of modesty, or weakness of fpirits, or strength of temptation, fall into the oppofite extreme, of diffidence, or even defpondency. And thefe, were they to think foberly and justly, would think better of themfelves; to which they ought to be excited with the most compaffionate earnestness. But the general caution, to the reft of us, must ever be, not to think too well: to make fure of abating fufficiently from what they who pay court to us would fuggeft; and attend to the less favourable judgments concerning us, that others pass: not to bear them the least ill-will on that account; but folely to learn that knowledge of ourselves, which we are happy, if we learn any way. The best of outward monitors indeed is a faithful and prudent friend; if we have fuch a one, and will permit him to act as fuch. But the main article is, that each take care to be his own friend; by studying his own qualifications impartially, and as one bound in confcience to be an upright judge. For if a man think bimSelf

• Rev. ii. 17.