by him that made them, would perhaps better deserve the Name of an Impious and Saucy Pride, than of a Pious Humility. For what are we, that we should fit in Judgment upon the Works of God to Vilifie and Difparage them, which were made all in Number, Weight and Measure, by an Almighty Power, conducted by an Infinite Wisdom. This

mean Opinion then, I fuppofe, is to be underftood chiefly of Human Nature, as it is now in this Corrupt and Degenerate state of it, and efpecially as lodged in our own particular Perfons, that which we properly call our Selves. And this Corrupt Nature of ours, is alfo to be thought meanly of, not so much as a Nature, as a Corrupt Nature. For as Corrupt as our Nature is, we have nothing Subftantial in us but what is Good, and a great deal that is Excellent, being made in the Image and Likenefs of God, which still in great Measure shines forth in us. And accordingly, this is given as the Reason why Murther is to be punished with Death, becaufe 'tis the Violation of a Creature made after God's Image; which Confideration would not be of that force, if part of that Divine Image did not ftill remain in him. And befides this fame Corrupt Nature of ours, is the very Nature, as to the Subftance of it, that will hereafter be Glorified. Which fhews that this Nature of ours, as a Nature, is not

fo

fo Lowly to be thought of. Human Nature fo.confider'd, is still the Object of our just Efteem. And in this fenfe I fuppofe it is, that we are Advised to Reverence our felves, that is, that Human Nature which is in us. Of whofe Dignity to be fenfible,is also look'd upon as a great Security against Vice and Wickedness; and which now, fince the great Honour done it by the Incarnation of Chrift, has a New and Peculiar Title to our Refpect. But indeed, confidering our Natures as Corrupt, we cannot well think too Low, either of them or of our selves, fince our Nature is now become the Seat and Subject of a great many Evils; and all the Good that is in us, is a stream that derives from another Fountain.

19. Which points out to us another Confideration, wherein we are to think Meanly of our felves, and that is confider'd as a Principle. And this is a Confideration that will hold in any state of Human Nature, Corrupt or Intire, now in this Mortal Life, or hereafter in Glory. Forafmuch as we are not, never were, nor ever fhall be to our felves, the Principle of that Good which we have in our felves, as having nothing of that kind but what we have received. And accordingly thus again, we cannot well think too Meanly of our felves. And fo far Humility is Abfolutely concern'd. But as to particular Per

fections,

fections, which we may have or not have, here Humility will be concern'd in thinking of our felves according as the Cafe is. Humility obliges me not to think my self Better than I am, or Wifer than I am. And this general Obligation indeed always holds : But as to this or that particular Perfection, the measure is, that I must not think I have it if I have it not. For to think fo, is to think of my felf above what I ought to think, becaufe 'tis above what I really am, which is Pride and Vanity. But how? Only upon Suppofition; the Suppofition of my not being or having, what I think my self to be or have. For if you change the Suppofition, the thing will change too; and that which was before Pride, will be but la Juft and Sober Opinion of my felf. But to think that I have that or any other Perfection of my felf, or which is all one, to Value my felf for it, or to Glory in it, as if I derived it from that Original; this is Pride Abfolutely. For this is to think Highly of my felf under the Confideration of a Principle, as if I my felf were the Principle of that Perfection which is in my self, plainly against that of the Apostle, why doft thou glory as if thou hadst not receiv'd; which is Abfolutely against Humility, which obliges me in this Refpect, always to think Lowly of my felf. And if I do fo, there will be no occafion to think Bafely of that Na

ture

ture which God has given me, unless with Relation to this Corrupt and Disorder'd state of it, as was faid before.

20. Not but that the Human Nature it felf, as indeed any other Nature except the Divine, may poffibly be over-valued. For tho' we are not to think Difparagingly of that Excellent Nature which God has given us, and which he has now, as I may fay, given himself too; yet we are in Humility obliged, not to think that he has given us a better Nature than indeed he has. And who knows, but that this might make a part in the Pride of Angels. 'Tis not unlikely, that they might value themselves too much upon their Angelic Order, to which they had fome particular Temptation, as having a whole Species of Intellectual Creatures below them. But we have not that Reason, as being in the lowest form of Intelligence, Inferiour to Angels, and but a degree above the Brutes. Nor do Men ufe to be Proud of that Nature which they have in Common, but of those perfonal Endowments whereby they are diftinguish'd. On the contrary, Men are apt for the most part to think too meanly of their Natures, and fo to fink beneath themselves, in not endeavouring to A&t up to the true Dignity of their Condition: So unhappily verifying that of the Pfalmift, Man being in Honour hath no Understanding, but is compared unto the Beasts

that

that perish, Pfal. 49. Humility therefore, cannot be very much concern'd here. However in the ftrictness of the thing, I think it must be allowed to be one part of it, so to regulate our Opinion of our felves, even in this lefs dangerous refpect, as to keep us from fetting too high a Value upon our Human Nature. But as for having a low Opinion of it, that is, I mean, fuch as is Abfolutely fo (for as for thinking lowly of Human Nature compared to Superiour Beings, that's another Matter) I do not fee how Humility can oblige us to any fuch thing. Since to think low of our felves in this fenfe, is to reflect upon God, whofe Workmanship we are, and whose Honour is concern'd in any Reproach that is caft upon our Natures. And I cannot think that good Humility, which offends against Piety.

21. Again in the Fourth Place, when 'tis faid that Humility is a low Opinion of our felves, I conceive that this is to be understood Abfolutely, in Opposition to that which is Comparative. For the Degrees of Perfection have such a vast Latitude, and the Difference arifing from them is fo wide,not only in Creatures of different Orders, as between Angels and Men, but even in those of the fame, as between one Man and another; that there is no Man perhaps fo Proud and full of himfelf, but that he may find fome one or other