are both of Divine Institution, can never be accounted for upon that Principle. That must be resolved into the intrinfic reafon of the thing. 'Twas by this that the Moral Law excell'd the Ceremonial; and 'tis by this that one part of the Moral Law, or one Vertue, is more excellent than another.

4. Upon this account it 'twas, that the devout Pfalmift fpends fo much Meditation upon the Excellency, and dwells fo long in the Praife and Commendation of the Law of God. The whole 119th Pfalm is imployed upon that Subject. And had the whole Secret and Mystery of the matter been no more than this, that fuch certain things had been commanded and required by God,without any intrinfic Goodness in the things themfelves, or previous reafon why they should be commanded by a Wife Law-giver, I fay had this been all, I do not fee what occafion the Pfalmift had to be fo free and copious in extolling this Law, much lefs to call the precepts of it Righteous Judgments, or to pray that God would open his Eyes that he might behold wondrous things out of his Law; or to say that his Statutes were the Subject of his Meditation, (for what occafion is there to Meditate in things whofe only reafon is God's Will and Pleasure) or to say that his Delight was in God's Law, that it was better to him than thousands of K 4 Gold

Gold and Silver, and fweeter than Honey to his Mouth. Or to fay that God's Commandment was exceeding broad, and that he had more understanding than his Teachers, because he had made that his Study. Or to fay that God's Teftimonies were wonderful, and that therefore he kept them, that the entrance of his word gives Light and Understanding to the fimple, that his Judgments are upright, and that the Teftimonies which he had commanded, were Righteous and very Faithful; that his Word is very pure, that his Law is the Truth, that the righteousness of his Teftimonies is everlasting, and that all his Commandments are Truth, &c. Twas therefore the subject Matter and intrinfic Reason of the Law of God upon which both its own Excellency, and that high Efteem which the Pfalmift profeffes of it was founded. But we have already fhewn the Vertue of Humility to be highly Reasonable, and therefore by that it appears to be as highly Excellent.

SECT

SECT. II.

The Excellency of Humility, further argued from the Quiet and Repofe which it gives to the Mind,

T

Ranquility of Mind is both a principal part, and a neceffary condition of Happiness, fince without it no other part of Happiness can please or relish, or yield any true enjoyment to him that has it. There are two forts of this tranquility of Mind, very diftinct, though perhaps not always fo diftinctly confidered. One is what we call peace of Confcience, by which I think is to be understood no other than that competent measure of perfwafion which a Man is in as to the fafe eftate of his Soul with refpect to the favour of God, and the Happiness of another Life. (For as for a Man's Consciousness of his own Sincerity, or that inward approbation which he paffes upon it in the court of his Breaft, that is rather the Ground and Foundation of peace of Confcience, than the very thing it felf, being properly what we call a good Confcience). The other is a ftate of Freedom, Liberty, or Exemption from the Power and Dominion of the Paffions, which being as fo many Tempests ruffling and difcompofing

the

the Soul that is fubject to them, and making it like the troubled Sea by their violent agitations, the mind that is delivered from them may be not improperly faid to be in Tranquility, or to enjoy an intellectual Calm.

2. This latter fort of Tranquility of Mind, was that which was fo much both the Talk and the Boaft of some of the Heathen Philofophers, and concerning which one of them has written a particular Treatife. But the Philofophy of it is one thing, and the Poffeffion of it is another. And though there is no doubt, but that Reason and Philofophy may go very far in compofing the Mind into this fort of Tranquility, yet after all that Philosophy can do, the best and most effectual Remedy to lay the fury of the Paffions, is the fame that Remedies the corruption of our Nature from whence it Springs, viz. the Grace of God. Upon which the other fort of Tranquility of Mind does no less depend; but however they otherwise differ, yet they both agree in this, that they are both Effential Parts, and Neceffary Conditions of Human Happiness. And therefore whatever Naturally tends to the procurement or promotion of them, muft needs be a thing of great Excellence, as tending fo far to the procuring of our Happinefs. Now this Humility does in both the Senfes premised. It contributes to Tranquility of Mind in the

firft Senfe, as much as any other fingle Vertue does. (For 'tis from a Confociation of Vertues that that must arife). But for the procuring of the latter, it has a fingular and peculiar aptnefs. And accordingly, though I do not exclude the other, yet this is that tranquility of Mind, which I here primely intend.

3. Now what a friend Humility is to this, we may gather from thofe words of our Saviour Chrift, the great Doctor and the great Example of Humility, Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in Heart, and ye fhall find reft unto your Souls, Mat. 11. 29. Here we may firft of all obferve, that our Lord propofes himself to us as the great Pattern and Example of our imitation, by calling upon us, and exhorting us to learn of him. Learn of me... Then we have here Secondly, the Reason why he exhorts us to do fo, viz. because of his being fo eminently indued with those two great Vertues, Meeknefs and Humility. Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in Heart. Which implies again Thirdly, that thofe very Vertues in particular, were more efpecially commended to our Study and Practice, because we are exhorted to learn of Chrift for the fake of thofe Vertues. Then in the last place, we have here the encouragement which our Lord promifes to all thofe who fhall thus

learn