Now for application, I will obferve these four things.

1. It is a ground of humility.

2. It may be to us matter of fatisfaction. 3. It may give us occcafion of thankfulness to God 4. It may give us an account of the folly of such men as neglect themselves.

Ift. It is a ground of humility. If it be fo, that duft we are, and unto duft we must return; it is fit that we know it so to be ; and that upon three ac

counts.

1. That we be not proud and conceited.

2. That we do not trust to ourselves, or any fellow-creatures whatsoever.

3. That we may take the best course we can to make a supply.

1. It is good that we know it to be so, that we be not proud and conceited. For, befides what weaknefs and meanness is natural to us, we are primitively defective, and that in two respects, (1.) Because fince we came out of God's hands, we have difrobed ourselves of our innocence. (2.) We have contracted guilt, and infirmity. Therefore arrogancy and haughtiness, and felf-conceitednefs, are the most ungrounded things in the world: and modefty and humility the most becoming temper in the world. For why fhould we live in a lie and put ourselves into a fool's paradife ? Why fhould we think of ourselves above what is fit and meet? Why fhould we make ourselves our own fools, by felf-flattery and conceit ? No one was ever cured of a diftemper by imagination and

conceit,

conceit. Things are not formed by our apprehenfions; but our thoughts are to be regulated by the existence of things. Otherwhere we affect to know things as they are; why are we not willing to know ourselves aright? 'Tis our unhappiness to be deceived by our own weakness and folly. He is an impotent creature, that takes himself to be wife, from the mouth of a flatterer. If that be falfe that is fuggefted, better that we have it from any one, than from ourselves: for then we are abused; and abused from ourselves; and none but we must give an account for it, there being none we can blame, or of whom we can demand a recompence. Therefore a man had better be abused from any body, than from himself. For a man to be vainly fraught and poffeffed, to be entoxicated with fond conceit; is fit only for a distempered perfon, for one that is withdrawn from human converfe and fociety. But for one that profeffeth fobriety, and denominates himself to be a chriftian, he ought to remember, that he is but duft, and that to duft he shall return.

2. That we may not truft ourselves, nor in any fellow-creature, above what there is reason. For the wife man faith, he that trufts his own heart, is a fool. That is, they who do not examine, but run away with fancy and conceit all other perfons that are too much trufted in, and depended upon, may prove (as the prophet Ifaiah speaks of Egypt) a broken ftaff or reed, that if a man lean upon it, it will run into his hand, Isa. xxxvi. A man is never fo much at a loss, as when he trusts to lying imaginations, and falfe reprefentations.

3. The knowledge of this, that we are but dust, is very profitable for us; that fo we may take the beft course we can, to make a fupply. He that is mistaken in his condition, builds upon fancy and fuppofition, and may not understand wherein he fails, and make a mistake till time is over, and no opportunity left for making any other provifion. This is the firft inference: it affords us matter of humiliation, to confider, that we are but duft. And it is beft for us, that we know it, that we be not vainly conceited, or truft ourselves, or any other creature, above what is meet, and that we make the best provision we can for a supply.

2dly, It is matter of fatisfaction to us to know that we are but duft: and that lies here, that God doth not look for much from us, but accordingly ; not more than he did at firft make us. He knows that we were finite and fallible; and therefore as the Pfalmift faith, God confiders our frame, he remembreth that we are duft, Pfal. ciii. 14. and makes allowance accordingly. And therefore if we be but heartily fincere and honest, though we are encompaffed about with many frailties and infirmities, God remembers that we are but duft; therefore we are not at all to be difcouraged in the ways of religion. Though we cannot perfectly fulfil the law, or altogether live without fin; or that we cannot conftantly keep ourselves in a juft temper, without being difcompofed at the various accidents of life, or not able to vanquifh temptations that are of different forts; nor though we are not able to discharge ourselves in all duties to God and one another, as

we

we should; yet we are not to be difcouraged, becaufe we are but duft, and God knows our frame, and whereof we are made; fo that if there be but found in us, a willing mind, God accepts it. We may be certain of this, that God did intend at first to lay the foundation of repentance, for man's recovery, when he did make him; because he made him finite and fallible, and he would not fo have made him, if he had not laid the foundation of repentance, and appointed that that should take effect. It is very apparent, that God looked upon the fin of man, being but duft, otherwise than he did upon the fin of the angels; as you may fee by comparing thefe places; John iii. 16. God fo loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, &c. Heb. ii. 16. He took not on him the nature of angels, but the feed of Abraham. Thefe places are for man's encouragement. Then, for the difmal eftate of the devils, fee 2 Pet. ii. 4. and Jude 6. Here it is faid, they are upon their fin and fall, caft down to hell, and referved in chains of darkness unto the judgment of the great day. What a vaft difference in these two accounts? Hence it is plain, that God hath confidered that man is but duft, because he hath made fuch a gracious declaration concerning him, and appointed repentance, as the way and means of his recovery. In this ftate we hear from God in many loving invitations to return; because God is unwilling that we should periíh, and therefore he calls upon us to repent and turn ourselves, that fo iniquity may not be our ruin. It is matter of heart's ease and fatisfaction, and doth encourage us to make application VOL. II.

D

unto

unto God; when we are affured that he doth confider our frame, and remember that we are but duft.

3dly, It is matter of great thankfulness to God, that he doth fo much confider fuch worms as we are; that he hath regard to us, that are but duft, and that he hath fuch patience with us who are fo inconfiderable, that he might bring us to repentance, and that he doth gracioufly accept from us any motion towards him, or any good purpose, and that he is fo ready to promote it. How very inconfiderable is man, as to God; in respect of his being? and how easy a thing is it for God to controul him? How little is God profited by man's goodness and righteousness? when as the Pfalmift faith, it doth not extend unto him. Yet God delights to do him good, and to fhew him favour, and to keep harm from him, and doth frequently admonish him, and give him all allowance that may be for his benefit. And this goodness of God, the holy men of old time were very fenfible of, and thankful for; as appears from Pfal. viii. and Pfal. ciii. with many other places and upon this confideration, we should give thanks unto God, and be encouraged to caft ourfelves upon the divine goodness.

4thly, and lastly, This will give us an account of the folly and madnefs of thofe men who neglect themfelves. We are duft. If there be not the remedy of culture and education, to tame the wildness and exorbitancy of man, he will grow favage, wild and ungovernable; unless the established government of reafon fhall be fet up in his foul. Wherefore, let our great care and daily employment be, to refine

Our