to come unto thee, promifing them rest, but at the fame time, exhorting them to take thy Yoke upon them, and to learn of thee to be Meek and Lowly in heart; and withal, upbraiding us, that when thou art contented to be at fo much pains to teach us, we will not be at fome to learn.

Bleffed Jefus, who haft Triumphed over our Pride by the Humility of thy Cross, join with the Triumphs of thy Crofs the Victorious influence of thy Grace,to Kill and Mortify all Pride in us. And now thou art Afcended on High, and haft received Gifts for Men, give us the excellent Gift of Humility, that we being like minded with thee, and following thee in the fteps of thy Humble Life, may hereafter have a part in the Exaltations of thy Glory, Amen.

CHAP.

CHAP. X.

A Concluding Exhortation,to the Study and Practice of true Chriftian Humility.

1.

IF ye know these things, happy dre ye if Je do them, John 13. 17. faid our Bleffed Lord to his Difciples,when he most humbly condefcended to wash their Feet; thereby intimating, that those words of his Imported not only a general Truth, but were to be understood with relation to Humility in particular, that 'tis not the knowing what to practice, but the practicing what we know of that great Christian Vertue that is to make us Happy. And therefore having by God's Affiftance, gone through the feveral stages of this undertaking, and offer'd what I think fufficient, to let in a competent Light into the Rational and Inftructive part of it, I fhall now conclude all with a Word of Exbortation, that fo that great Chriftian Vertue, which has hitherto been the Subject of our Meditation and Difcourfe, may now by the affiftance of the Divine Grace, become the Subject of our Pious and Confcientious Practice.

2. One great reason why Men make fo little progress in Goodness as they do, and why, while Arts and Sciences, Trades and Profeflions are improved, and continually improving, Religion alone ftands at a stay, is because they do not exercise themselves in it as they do in thofe other things, do not make it their Business and their Study, but only a By-work, a matter of mere form and decency, fomething for fashions fake, fomething to fatisfy the World, and procure a fair Character in it, fomething to ftill the clamours of their Confciences, which will not be fatisfied with juft nothing, fomething to come in now and then in its turn, to fill up a Vacancy, and to serve to help off some of those leisure hours which they know not well how otherwife to imploy. But they do not apply themselves to it as to a Study, as to a Work or Profeffion, whereof they mean to make themfelves Masters; they do not Exercise themselves unto Godliness, as the Apostle fpeaks, 1 Tim. 4. 8. Do not meditate on these things, nor give themfelves wholely to them, ver. 15. For if they did, their Improvements would Answer to their Diligence, in this as well as in other matters, and their profiting, as the Apostle there fpeaks, would appear unto all Men.

3. That

3. That which is here obferv'd of Religion in general, is in an eminent manner true of Humility. The reason why Men profit and advance fo little in this great Christian Vertue, is because they don't apply themselves to the practice of it, and perhaps not fo much to the practice of this as of other Chriftian Vertues; either because they are not fo fenfible of its neceffity, or because their Pride perfuades them that they have already a competent share of it, and fo need not endeavour after a greater, (which Pride is more apt to do in this than in any other Vertue, because it is most contrary to it felf, and its own Interest) or because it is against the inclination of their corrupt Nature (which delights in magnifying, and not in leffening it felf) to be imployed in fo degrading a Work. However it comes to pass, the study and practice of this great Vertue, is under a great and a general, I fear I may fay, a peculiar Neglect, being not fo regarded as it ought, even by those who have a sense of Religion, and seem to make confcience of all other Christian Duties. But here they allow themfelves great Liberties, and feem fo indifferently concern'd about this Duty, whether they keep within the Bounds of it or no, as if it were hardly any part of the practice of Piety.And therefore as all Chriftians are to be Exhorted as to Religion in general, to apply B b 3 theme

themselves to the practice and exercise of being Good and Vertuous, and above all things to take care of their Minds, and to think that nothing belonging to them, deferves their care so much as themselves: (according to the Exhortation which Socrates in Plato's Apology, used to make to his CountryMen the Athenians) So as to Humility in particular, they are to be in an efpecial manner admonish'd, exhorted and stirred up, to use all diligence to cultivate that neglected Vertue, and to improve themselves in it,to be always watching against every motion of Pride, and always upon their Guard against that infidious Enemy, and to be as careful to bring themselves down in their own Opinion of themselves, as they used to be to raise themfelves in the Opinions of others, to cloath themselves with Humility, instead of the vain and immodest Attire of the Age, and to put the Ornament of a meek and quiet Spirit; which however it may be neglected and difregarded by Men, is yet in the fight of God of great Price.

4. This therefore is the great Practice, that Christians are to be exhorted and call'd upon to exercise themselves in, partly, because of their being fo much wanting in it, and partly, because of the great Benefit and Advantage that would redound to them from fuch a practice,