fo much upon the rehearsal of his Vertues, as to forget the confeffion of his Sins, thinking himself all Perfection, and with the Church of Laodicea, to be Rich and to have need of nothing, when at the fame time he is Poor, Blind, Naked, Wretched and Miferable, he apprehends no occafion he has of endeavouring to grow better, and accordingly he does not, notwithstanding that he has perhaps as much reason to do it as a nother Man. But so it is, the Valleys thrive and flourish, while the lofty Hills grow dry and barren.

17. It may also be confidered as a further commendation of Humility, that 'tis the furest and most direct way to Honour and Refpect. This indeed is a thing of lesser moment in it felf, and what Humility can well be without. But 'tis what is greatly valued by most Men, and is fo far juftly to be valued as it ferves to higher and more important Purposes, to qualifie him that has it to glorify God, and do good to Men. And fince both Solomon and our Saviour Christ have both taken notice of it, it would be an Omisfion hardly excufable not to bestow a Reflection upon it. Says the Wife Man, before Honour is Humility, Prov. 15. 33. And fays the Wisdom of God, he that Humbles himself fhall be Exalted, Luke 14. 11. That is, Respected and had in Esteem. For fo the oc

cafion of our Saviour's Discourse requires it fhould be understood in that place, as both following and being given, as the reason of that faying of his, then shalt thou have Worfhip in the prefence of them that fit at meat with thee. To verify this, it is not neceffary that it fhould be fo among all forts of Men. Neither I think is it. For among ordinary People, Humility is not fo much regarded. And a Man may Humble himself long enough before they will Exalt him. On the contrary, they perhaps will be the first that fhall pull him down lower, and keep him down when he is fo. Here if my Experience and Obfervation be right, a Man is generally valued according to that value which he fets upon himself, and if he take ftate, look great, and carry it high with them, he will find Refpect and Worship among them; but if he gives himself a lowly and fubmiffive Ayre, they then take that ftate upon them which he declines, and his Humility does but ferve to make him Cheap and Contemptible with them. Thus it is very often among vulgar People, upon whom the Pearl of Humility is but ill bestow'd; they know not the value of it, and will many times even tread it in the very Dirt. But among thofe of better Quality, and more refined Education, and who have a jufter and more rectify'd fenfe of things, it is far otherwife. There the Jewel

Jewel is understood, and valued according to its worth. There the Humble Man finds his due refpect, and the lower he depreffes himself, the more will he be Exalted. ́ Neither is this without reason. For Humility befides the excellency of its Temper, and the greatness of the Vertue, fhews a good understanding, and a right judgment of a Man's felf, and fo intitles him to respect, which Men are also the more willing to pay to the Humble Man, because he is fo little just to himself. Whereas Pride, befides the folly and weakness which it betrays, and want of true worth to deferve refpect, it also hinders and difaffects Men from giving it, by its own preventing forwardness to ufurp it. And thus the Proud Man drives away from him that Honour and Refpect which he fo greedily hunts after and the Humble Man that flies from it is perfued by it. By which means, those words of our Lord come to have their accomplishment, Whosoever exalteth himself fhall be abafed, and he that humbleth himself fhall be exalted.

A ftrange turn and tranfpofal of Events, and fuch as no doubt will be as differently received. The Humble Man bears his Exaltation handfomely and well, with a tempstate Spirit, and well compofed Mind, knowing how little he deferves it, and that he receives no real addition of worth from it.

And fo looks upon himself as the fame Man ftill, and as diftinguish'd from others not fo much by the glory of his Light, as by its fhining from an higher Orb. But now the Proud Man takes his Abafement, Poorly, Miferably, and Contemptibly. He finks under it, frets and repines at it, struggles with it, fights and contends against it as the Egyptians did against the prevailing waters, and to as much purpose. Nothing makes so strange a Figure as a high Spirited Man in a low Condition, especially if fallen into it from a higher. A Proud Man brought down and fallen into Contempt, is one of the pitifullt Creatures in the World. And yet no body pities him, but every one rather tramples upon him,and endeavours to tread him down lower into the Mire,where we must leave him Miferable, till he can either raise his Fortune, or humble his Mind.

18. Again it may be further confidered, that Humility is a great Friend to Contentment. The Humble Man is always a Contented Man, as thinking any condition or station good enough for him, and most to be much better than he deferves. It also gives a Man a Spirit of Submiffion and Refignation to God's Providence, which is the best Ground and Foundation of true Contentment. It keeps a Man in that place and order wherein the Providence of God has fet him; hinders

Contra Episto

lam Marichæi. Cap. 6.

him from making public Disturbances to serve private Ends, from deprefling others to exalt and advance himself, and fo contributes to the public Peace and Order of the World. To which also it further ferves by making Men fubmiffive to their Betters, and obedient to their Governours, good Servants, and loyal Subjects, by preventing Faction in the State, and Schifm in the Church, and by putting a Bar even against Herefy it felf,whereof Pride is generally either the Mother or the Nurfe. Accordingly St. Austin calls Pride, Mater Hereticorum, the Mother of Heretics. Humility is the most Orthodox thing in the World; or if it fhould happen to Err, yet it is not obftinate in its Errours, but ready to acknowledge and relinquish them upon better Information, for which also it ftands fairly difpofed. Whereas Pride naturally carries Men to Singularities and Innovations in Religion as well as in other things, makes them apt to Err by affecting to be out of the way, and when they do Err it confirms them in their Errours, which a high Spirit is more inclinable to defend, than to renounce or acknowledge. Add to this, that Humility keeps the Peace between Man and Man as well as that of the Public, prevents Anger, or ftifles it in the very Birth, cuts off all occafion of Strife and Contention, which