and diligence. Phil. ii. 12. He that puts on Chrift muft put off himself; for the image and form of Chrift is felf-denial; for Chrift put himself in the form of a fervant, and a fervant parts with his own will. He that will be like unto Chrift, must live in entire self-surrender; and fo faith the apoftle, As the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on humbleness of mind, meekness, long-fuffering, &c. Col. iii. 12. In lowlinefs of mind let each efteem other above himself, Phil. ii. 3. They that are Pharifaically conceited, must be unbelievers; for do any of the Pharifees believe on him? John. vii. 48. For, as pride and conceit do ill affect the fubject in which it is, fo it doth alienate from God; For God refifteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble, Jam. iv. 6. There is no better preparation for faith, than humility; for the humble he will teach, Pfal. xxv. 9. And the humble hath fubmitted himself to be a fool, that he may be wife, I Cor. iii. 18. But the proud is in an indifpofition, and horrid contradiction and oppofition to faith: For this is the proud man's fenfe and language, if I may allude to the tree, Judges ix. 9. Shall I leave my fatnefs? So faith the proud man, fhall I relinquifh all confidence in the good things of nature, my excellent gifts, my parts, my acquirements, improvements, my education, employment, my feveral virtues and great endowments, and various performances, my merit whereby I do tranfcend others; and fhall I come to be beholden to any one? This was the temper of the proud Pharifee, this people that know not the law are curfed. John vii. 49. It doth not become fuch as

we

we are, to give up our confidence, and wholly to renounce and disclaim our felves. It is the humble, and modeft, and ingenuous fpirit that is the ready believer; and we have many teftimonies for this, Luke vii. faith our Saviour, I have not found fo great faith, no not in Ifrael. Of whom doth our Saviour fpeak this? Look the beginning of the chapter, and you fhall find it of the centurion, whom the Jews reported to be worthy for whom he should do courtefy; he having done gallantly for their nation, and built them a fynagogue. But he faith, that he was not worthy that our Saviour should come under his roof. Of this man it is that our Saviour faith, that he had not found fo great faith, no not in Ifrael. I make this further out in two particulars.

1. They that are humble and modeft, are in a due difpofition and fitness of mind for the belief of divine things; for the full foul loatheth the honeycomb, Prov. xxvii. 7. Those that are in a difpofition to come to our Saviour, are thofe that are weary heavy laden, Matth. xi. 28.

and

2. These have the advantage of God's promife; for it is faid, That God will look to him that is of an bumble and contrite fpirit, Ifa. lvii. 15. And these are the perfons that God will take care of, and inAtruct. The humble he will lead in judgment, the meek he will teach his way, Pfa. xxv. 9. So that these, and these only are the children of promise. But thus much for explication.

To make fome improvement of this for the justification of religion, as the apoftle faith, Rom. iii. 4. Let God be true, and every man a har. Let not

the

the unbelief of fome, make the faith of God of none effect: fo in this case, let not the miscarriage of fome who pretend to believe, tend to the difcredit of our religion; but let us refolve that the troublefome, proud, and self-conceited; that the wilful, boisterous, and tempeftuous ftorming tempers be reputed falfe in their profeffion. For the chriftian temper and spirit is modeft and humble, fenfible of its own shortness and imperfections, and want of growth; and knows its own dependence upon God both for the grace of favour and acceptance, as also for the grace of aid and affiftance. Therefore let every one that profefseth his faith, give proof of his humility. By this means we shall discharge religion from all imputation: for if any one that profeffeth chriftianity, be of a proud, troublesome, haughty, infolent, contentious, quarrelfome and unquiet fpirit, let him be reputed false to his profeffion; but let religion be justified; for the christian fpirit is modeft, humble, fenfible of its own wants and imperfections; it is a calm mind, a gentle and benign fpirit, and fo the scripture speaks of it; A good converfation with meekness of wisdom. Fam. iii. 13. and ver. 17. The wisdom that is from above, is pure and peaceable, gentle, eafy to be entreated, full of righteousness and good fruits. The fruit of the fpirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, meekness, &c. Gal. v. 22. With all lowliness and meeknefs, with long-fuffering, forbearing one another in love. Eph. iv. 2. I do wonder how any man that profeffeth himself a christian, can read these plain texts offcripture, and maintain himselfin self-will, self

conceit,

conceit, or gratify his own humour, imagination and fancy, prefer himself before his brethren, be boisterous, tempeftuous and troublefome in the place where he lives. For either this man, notwithftanding his profeffion, is not a christian; or else thefe perfons were mistaken that put thefe characters down in holy fcripture. No certainly, we are not to allow and esteem him a christian, that is haughty, arrogant and felf-conceited; for no principle in the world lays fuch ground of modesty and foberness of spirit and temper, as the christian religion doth. And nothing is more unnatural to the true fpirit of religion, than a proud and haughty mind; for this of all things is most scandalous to it. 'Tis eafier a great deal to bear the fcorn and contempt of the irreligious, than the infolency, forwardness, and felf-conceitedness of self-flattering profeffors.

We may, and ought to prefer the modeft, gentle, calm fpirit, that we find in fome ftill and quiet believers, before the arrogant, cenforious, self-assumer; and have reason to believe, that there is more of God and of the chriftian profeffion in the modeft ftill, quiet fpirit, who makes no noife in the world, who are rather to God than to men; and that they are more noble-spirited, and better chriftians. than the other. I will give you a demonstration of this, because that temper I have been speaking againft, is that which brings a reproach upon chri. ftianity. Profeffors of religion are thought to be troublesome to the world, and incendiaries; and where men are proud, arrogant, and selfish, and allow themselves in felf-will, they are fo indeed:

but

but these are not in the highest form of christianity. For divine truth, fublime reafon, and tried notions. of things, are to be found as the comely ornament of an humble spirit, and in fouls fubdued to God. These, and these only, have a right sense of things, and are capable rightly to estimate and judge. A generous notion will not lodge in a haughty, prefumptuous breaft: for these are not cool enough for wifdom to enter into their fouls; for wisdom is the fruit of deep fearch, and ferious confideration; and he that knows most, thinks he has most still to learn. They are the empty veffels that make the greatest noise. We need no other discovery of conceitedhefs than its own expreffion and behaviour; they are always talkative, cenforious, dictating, impofing, felf-admirers. But he that is fincere in religion, can search and discover them: just as one that is a master of his art or science, can detect a pretender, discover a bungler, and fhew his cheats: there is also a naufeousness and fulfomnefs in the converse with those that are conceited, and full of themselves; they being felf-flatterers, and great admirers of themselves, and highly in love with the fpurious iffue of their own brain; and tho' their notions are imaginary and fantastical, and truly ridiculous to any one that is of any discerning fpirit, yet they are importune and troublefome: whereas he that speaks truth in the evidence of reafon, he 'commands every ear; for man's foul is a-kin to truth, and whatsoever truth doth appear, a man's foul doth greet it as its firft and nearest acquaintance. But if it be the prefumption of a conceited VOL. I. brain

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