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tion upon the subject. If it confirm our good opinion of our own conduct, it will give us great delight: if not, it may do us great service, by leading us to amendment.

III. Humility of behaviour towards our inferiors, on which I shall chiefly enlarge, must be differently expressed in different cases. For some kinds of fuperiority ought not to be concealed, but fupported and exerted. Parents, masters, magif trates, rulers and officers of all kinds, would offend against their duty, were they to make their authority infignificant, by too large or unseasonable condescensions. Their humility therefore confists in acting as persons, intrusted with power, nor for their own fake, but that of others: in affuming no greater dignity, than is manifestly requifite for good ends: in joining with it always humanity and affability, and continuing, in the midst of it, to know themselves: in procuring diligently, and hearing impartially, true information and faithful advice: being reasonable in their commands and expectations, moderate in the burthens they impose, merciful in the punishments they inflict; and in watching over all committed to their care, as they that must give account; that they may do it with joy, and not with grief*.

But, where pre-eminence carries no authority along with it, an humble mind will be very backward to claim it; for feldom any defirable effects will follow, and often many bad ones. It may not only give needless pain to others, which ought never to be done, but incite them to envy and ill-will, produce contentions and injuries. Most persons are uneasy at feeing themselves in a state of inferiority: and therefore both goodnature and prudence forbid us to remind them of it without neceffity. If we are acknowledged to be fuperiors, humility, afsisted by a little difcretion, will contribute much to perpetuate the acknowledgement. And if the cafe be doubtful, haughtiness is by no means the way to procure a determination in our favour. People are not willing to let that be extorted from them by overbearing violence, which, if left to themfelves, they would have granted with pleasure, and invited us to accept, as an equitable tribute. Finding any one take upon him, without a call to do so, alarms every one: they know not, how far the matter will be carried; put themselves on their

*Heb. xiii. 17

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their guard, and set up pretenfions in oppofition. And, if the question comes once to be tried by popular opinion, the world, we know, is exceedingly apt to judge wrong, especially when provoked to it. And if, after all, the point should be given against us; what a fuperfluous disgrace shall we have brought down upon our own heads, by indulging a spirit, the most incapable of bearing disgrace that can be ! Solomon's counsel therefore is full of wisdom. Go not forth bastily to strive, left, thou know not what to do in the end thereof, when thy neighbour bath put thee to shame *. But indeed success, in a competition of this nature, may be altogether as hurtful, as disappointment: by inspiring men with a vanity, which may prove the parent of many fins and follies; may expose them to much ridicule, and bring them also into more ferious inconveniences.

Nor must we avoid only fuch open and gross claims to fuperiority, but the indirect one of an assuming air and manner: which fome have, to so strange a degree, that they neither do. nor say any thing, without intimating their own importance. Indeed our very expressions of civility may have insolence mixed mith them: for what is it less, if instead of treating those unaffectedly and frankly as our equals, whom we ought, whether abfolutely fuch in all respects or not; we take pains to fignify to them politely, that we have the goodness to stoop beneath our rank, in order to put ourselves on a level with them? Nay, were we in no way to claim regard from others, but in the most submissive and infinuating way to court it; yet scarce any thing is remoter from true lowliness of mind, than that behaviour, which most folic tously difquifes itself under the appearance of it, and enables us to climb by creeping. Or even fuppofing neither interest nor advancement to be our point, but applause only: still, both acting from a view to gain it, and taking too much pleasure in the confciousness of having gained it, are snares highly dangerous to humility. And many a man, of otherwise virtuous dispositions, hath by this one weakness, of delighting in his own praises, been cor rupted insensibly within; and brought to deferve an extremely different character from that which he coveted.

But to return. If concealing our fuperiority be for the most part right; resenting a delay, or even refusal, to acknowledge.

• Prov. xxv. 8.

knowledge it, must be exceedingly wrong. Other persons may very innocently be ignorant of our merit; may have no concern to inquire about it; may be no judges of it; or may be, on the other hand, better judges than we; and perceive, that we over-value ourselves. But suppose they mistake, or, yet worse, are unwilling to do us justice; we are all fo liable to the fame failing, that we must forgive it each other of course, or there can be no longer any peace upon earth.

But farther: As no difpleasure should be expressed towards our inferiors on such occasions, no contempt should be expreffed towards them on any occasion. The distance is not so extremely great between the highest and lowest of men; besides that they, who are inconfiderable in one respect, may deferve highly in another; perhaps more than he, who despises them. Indeed no one is truly despicable, but for his wilful follies and fins: and the fight of these ought to give us concern, instead of triumph; especially as we have all too many of our own. But for the rest, be the outward circumstances of others ever fo mean, be the defects of their persons or understandings ever so remarkable, the disposer of all things might have placed us originally in a condition full as wretched, and may even still reduce us to it. Therefore laugh no man to fcorn in the bitterness of his foul: for there is One, which humbleth and exaltcth*. Yet how needlessly and wantonly do perfons often make their inferiors, especially in rank and fortune, fuffer by their flighting and over-bearing usage of them, both in words and actions! For an infolent word, or even a haughty look, is enough to cause bitter affliction to him, that knows he must bear it, whether he deferves it or not. And when, to speak in the fon of Sirach's language, The rich man hath done wrong, and yet he threateneth withal; when the poor is wronged, and be must intreat alsot; the more helpless the condition is, the more feverely the injury is felt. For people of the lowest class have by nature just the same sensibility that others have. And if others would reflect, how painful the feeling of fuch ill usage is, they would furely scruple inflicting it on their fellow-creatures; as not only barbarous, but ungenerous: for all the good uses of fubordination might be as well, and much better, fecu

red by gentler means. VOL. I.

C

But

Ecclus. vii. r.

† Ecclus. xiii. 3,

But fuperiors too frequently confider those beneath them, as worthy of no attention; and their most serious concerns in life; as things to be played with, and facrificed to every caprice. Now this is one of the most pernicious kinds of pride. Let any one think ever fo much too highly of himself; so long as he keeps it to himself, or only gives out a few flighter intimations of it, though he is very blameable, yet he is tolerably harmless. But there are many, who crush their inferiors under their feet, without minding them: though perhaps, from principle, such as it is, they would behave to, one of their equals in a quite different manner. But fo far all men are equal, that the meanest wretch on earth hath the fame right to live unmolested and free from insult, as the greatest monarch. And the elevation of one above others, far from authorizing him to trample upon them, strictly binds him, to show humanity, and afford protection, to all those, whom providence, by putting them under his power, hath intitled to his patronage.

This then is the conduct, which humility requires of fupe riors. And to preserve it steadily, they should call to mind every day, that the world was not made for them alone, to gratify their vanity or love of pleasure, to indulge their hu mours, or purfue their advantages, whatever becomes of the reft: but with intent that each of them should contribute faithfully in his station, as well as others in theirs, to the common benefit of the whole. For God hath created all men of the fame nature and the fame blood: and united them by strong inward ties of sympathy and mutual tenderness, which it is both impious and unnatural to break or loofen. If I have withheld, faith Job, the poor from bis defire, or have caused the eyes of the widows to fail; if I did despise the cause of my manfervant or my maid-fervant, when they contended with me: what then shall I do, when God riseth up; and when he visiteth, what shall I anfwer him? Did not be, that made me, make him? and did not one fashion us in the womb*? We, that are so fond of exalting ourselves above those of our own species, who are equal to us in most things; preferable, it may be, in many; and beneath us only in accidental circumftances; do we con fider, before how awful a fuperior we stand all the time? One

that

Job xxxi. 13,-16.

that accepteth not the person of princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor: for they are all the work of his Lands*. But, happily for the universe, his infinite greatness is inteparably joined with infinite mercy and bounty: which blesled union is the very ground of the worship that we pay him, of the honour and love, that fills our hearts at the thought of him. And what is it then, that deferves love and honour amongst men? Surely to imitate this adorable goodness of him, who is high above all nations, and his glory above the beavens: who yet bumbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven and earth. For though the Lord be high, yet bath be respect unto the lowly; but as for the proud, be beholdeth them afar off t.

Let us therefore delight in shewing ourselves, by all fit. proofs of condescending benevolence, the true children of our heavenly Father, and the true disciples of our gracious Redeemer; who hath made us all members of one, that is, his own body: and whose rule it is, whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your fervant; even as the fon of man came, not to be ministred unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many §. The fame lesson, of not difdaining the very meanest offices of kindness, one to another, when occafion requires them, he taught his apostles, and through them all his followers, in a manner so unfpeakably engaging, just before his death, as one of the farewel demonstrations of his tender affection to them; (for fo the evangelift puts it;) conveying his meaning the more expressively, as the eastern custom was, by an outward action, peculiarly fitted to exemplify it: that I shall read you almost the whole passage, as the best conclufion, that can be made to a difcourse on the present fubject.

Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that bis hour was come, that he should depart out of this world unto the Father; having loved his own, which were in the world, be loved them unto the end. And fupper being ended, he laid afide his garments, and took a towel and girded himself, After that, he poureth water into a bafon, and began to wash the disciples feet, and to wipe them with the towel, wherewith he

was

Job xxxiv. 19. † Pf. cxiii, 4, 6. Pf. cxxxviii, 6. § Mat. xx. 26, 27, 28.

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