ing on account of the latter. A good deal of time is lost by some in reviewing and doating upon their past achievements; but the humble man saves all that time, and more besides: his attention is not divided between his pursuits and himself, neither are his thoughts and energies wasted in vain exultation, but reserved for further employment. Not satisfied either with the quantum or quality of what he has done, his object is always to do more and better. Looking to his own qualifications and performances, he can say with St. Paul, "The good that I would, I do not" (Rom. vii. 19) to the extent that I would; “but this one thing I do; forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Phil. iii. 13, 14).

Proceeding in this way, the humble man will gild his course through life, not only with fair achievement, but also with the respect, if not with the admiration of his contemporaries. For naturally esteeming others better than himself (Phil. ii. 3), he teaches others respect by example, the best way for dignified individuals, if not the only way for some, to teach it to the multitude; and thus it is that the truly great are distinguished from the truly little; who, on the contrary, would rather teach respect to their poor, and perhaps only, inferiors by distance, unaccommodation and insult. Oh, when will it please God, to let us see SUCH A STATE OF SOCIETY AS

MUST NEEDS FOLLOW WHEN WORTH SHALL BE ESTIMATED

BY UTILITY, AND HONOUR BY HUMILITY? It may be said, when He who giveth grace to the humble, shall give more wisdom to the many-who giveth grace to the humble, not as a return, but as a foundation for their humility, in the same way that "He giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding" (Dan. ii. 21).

For it should be observed, that in the distinction of humility there are two primary casts or species, inward and

outward, or absolute and comparative, following its inward and outward direction or manifestation: the former of which is the cast that has been chiefly indicated hitherto, while the latter is also worth noticing, and divides in like manner after its two objects into humility towards God, and humility towards mankind. Of the latter division, or outward and comparative humility, some good and agreeable features have been slightly noticed: but its principal species, cast, or direction, is that towards God; and the principal argument for its general culture of more consequence than any human praise or approbation-is that above, which will make it one of our best securities for continuing in the divine favour and protection, being like the circumcision of the heart, "whose praise is not of men, but of God" (Rom. ii. 29).

If we ever boast our righteous dealing to those who have not so high a sense of their own merits, it must be either with a view to wound their feelings, or claim their adoration; and such boasting cannot be disregarded by one who is said to be "a jealous God" (Exod. xx. 5); and also appears to be jealous of his creatures' credit as well as of his own. We generally find the righteousness of such boasters, therefore, of but short duration. Some of them sin it away, others talk it away, and others may think themselves out of it in time, as they thought themselves into it. As long as a man only confesses to God among the gentiles (Rom. xv. 9) like David, he is as likely to be favoured with the divine protection, and kept in well doing: but when he shall reverse his practice, and confess to the gentiles before God, as some do, it is much but the man will be suffered to show himself presently in his true colours, and acquire more contempt among the strangers than respect or adoration. "For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth" (Cor. II. x. 18), says St. Paul. "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift

you up" (Jam. iv. 10. Pet. I. v. 6), say St. James and St. Peter.

It were endless to cite all the passages of scripture with any proportionable part of the natural reasons by which this grace of humility is recommended; and very much beside the present purpose were it also to exhaust either of these authorities on this or any other head: yet one other advantage must be observed of the general property, which we learn from reason and experience: it is an excellent preparative for what we must all come to. Humbling ourselves, and being always prepared for any degree of humiliation that God in his wise and gracious. providence shall think fit to lay on us, is the way to prepare ourselves for that deep and unavoidable humiliation, the grave; WHICH MUST SEEM DEEP INDEED TO

THOSE WHO ARE FALLING STRAIGHTWAY INTO IT FROM THEIR HIGH MIGHTINESS, WITHOUT EVER DESCENDING ONE STEP IN THE WAY OF HUMILITY TO BREAK THEIR FALL.

And after observing so much of this good objective characteristic independently, or alone, (and much less could not have been observed,) it may also be well to add concerning the same in relation to others of its class, that even humility will not stand alone any more than the good properties that were severally mentioned before it, but will require two special supporters to make it look graceful as it ought, being, 1, a love and respect in its owner for other men, without which a low opinion of ourselves will be no more than we deserve; and 2, an active endeavour in striving always for their good beyond our supposed ability, without which humility might degenerate into sloth and despondence. Humility and endeavour with a respectful consideration for our fellow men, and fellow Christians especially, are the arms, the springs, the axles of a Christian practice; neither of which will serve alone. "Herein is my Father glorified," (said Christ to them,)" that ye bear much fruit: so shall ye be my

disciples" (John xv. 8). "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another" (Ib. xiii. 35). "Ye call me Master and Lord and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye ought also to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you" (Ib. 13-15). But we must not think too much of what we do either at the same time, to be humble: but on the contrary, as he says elsewhere, "When ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you; say, We are unprofitable servants; we have done that which it was our duty to do" (Luke xvii. 10).

2, It would be fond, to expect, that in a general muster of spirits, or only in that of the good appetitive sort, there should be no room for misnaming or misplacing: but it is hoped, that there will be found at least a tolerable conformity among them as they here stand, if the station of each be compared with its respect and object, whether such respect be superior like the respect of those which have just been considered; or inferior, as of those which are reserved; or equal, as of the sort that we are now to consider.

-1, Among the good equal appetitive objective spirits there is one that must be owned very unequivocal in regard both of the appetite, its object, and respect; being that of Self-love: as in the very phrase one member will signify an equal respect of the subject to its object which are both one; and the other member, its objectively good appetite, being love; which St. Paul declares, to be the fulfilling of the law (Rom. xiii. 10).

It may seem much for so common a property, and so sordid too in the opinion of some, as self-love, to be dignified with the rank and title of a good objective characteristic; and also, considering its necessity to an animal being, that the same ought rather to stand with some of the lowest essentials of the Kingdom; indeed, that self

preservation and maintenance, the fruit of self-love were better intitled to that dignity. But it should be remembered, that love, the essence of the characteristic, is not necessarily implied in self-preservation, neither is self-love so common and inevitable a property as it appears: if it were, there would be no meaning in that commendation of the same, "So long as thou doest well unto thyself, men will speak good of thee" (Ps. xlix. 18). And there would also be no necessity either in that case for laws against self-destruction implying a duty in self-love; which however, laws will not long be able perhaps to uphold against the growing influence of atheism. For laws cannot supply such a principle as self-love where it is wanting. But without such principle a man will not have much in him for either restraint or encouragement to lay hold of: as an indifference to life increases, the force of law must necessarily decrease; and there will be nothing at last but bolts and shackles, where there was law and religion. There is no restraint but bolts and shackles for the desperate; who are also self-haters in fact, if not in purpose or profession.

If, therefore, irreligion be a plague to society as well as to individuals, on the one hand, how unsocial, not to say unnatural and absurd on the other hand must we deem those institutions which make a duty, not of self-denial merely before commended, but of self-hatred; and it may as well be said, of general discord. For if we hate ourselves, we cannot love others; as it is notorious, that love begins at home and that self-love is the foundation of universal benevolence seems no new doctrine, nor so unnatural as that of self-hatred, but one that rests on good experience. We may see proofs of this, though not so often as it were to be wished; and how it is possible to love another for one's own sake, or one's self in the person of another. What is more, we may find sometimes an instance of the secondary object gaining upon the first; when, and not before, the love of that object may be properly denominated after it. Thus, for example, with regard to the love of