crease of humility, that my heart and all within me may bless and praise thy holy name to-day, and for ever. Amen. And,

Let this appear in my whole behaviour to others. This is another blessed fruit of humility. It has an influence over the believer's intercourse with mankind, and renders his tempers and manners loving and amiable. Pride was not made for man, and yet it is in all men, and is the chief parent of human woe. It sets people above their place, and makes them think, that they could support the greatest fortunes, and are able to manage the most difficult affairs. Others, as proud as they, deny them their fancied superiority. Hence come wars and fightings, public and private. The sweet grace of humility sent from heaven to relieve those distresses: for into whatever bosom it enters, it renders men kind to one another, tender hearted, ready to every good word and work. Thus runs the divine exhortation: "Be ye "kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love, "in honour preferring one another." This is heart-humility, which the holy Spirit requires, and which he bestows. He brings his disciples into humble subjection to God, and then to one another: which has the most happy effects upon public, social, and private happiness. How would these flourish, if all men were of a meek and quiet spirit? But there is none of this among the unconverted, and alas? how little is there among believers? How often are they found in the proud spirit of the world? acting contrary to the lowly spirit of Jesus. And yet it is not for want of precept, nor for want of promished help but it is because they are not walking by faith, as becometh the gospel, nor out of love to God's glory studying to recommend humility by their practice. Observe, O my soul, the remedy provided of God for the subduing of all selfish tempers, and pray that it may be effectual in thy life and conversation. "Do ye

"think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that "dwelleth in us lusteth to envy: But God giveth more "grace, wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but

"giveth grace unto the humble." This scripture cannot speak in vain; for fallen man is certainly such as he is here described. The spirit that dwelleth in him, in his own nature, lusted to envy-a passion made up of pride and discontent-offended with God-and displeased with the blessings, which he bestows upon men. It is an enemy to the love both of God and man, and transgresses the law of both tables. Pride brought it into heaven, and the fallen angels brought it into this world. Ever since it entered by sin, natural corruption breaks out very much in envy. But God giveth more grace, to conquer this passion, than sinful nature has to put it forth. He not only gives grace to pardon it, but also more grace to subdue it; so that envy loses its dominion in the reign of grace. We cannot subdue, any more than we can pardon, envy, pride, and such passions, but grace is almighty. Want ever so much, use ever so much, God has still more for you. And he gives more, when the creature is humbled enough to take it out of the hands of his mercy. Thus he overcomes envy: "For he resisteth the proud," he is at open war with them, and they with him. Pride lifts up the creature against the Creator; and puts it upon seeking happiness out of God: this is resisting his sovereignty, attacking his providence, and opposing his law. He is concerned to pull such rebels down, and he says their pride goeth before destruction: "But he giveth grace "unto the humble"-he gives them grace to humble them, and being emptied, he delights to fill them: for then they are disposed to receive his grace, and to value it. Whatever God gives, the humble give it back again to him. They have the blessing, he has the praise: which is the just tribute due to him for his gifts. And he gives more grace, where he can get more glory. Thus he subdues self conceit with its various proud workings. And as grace reigns over them, humility prevails; which has a friendly aspect towards mankind. It keeps brotherly love in the heart, and tends mightily to the practice of every social virtue. Humility suffer

eth long and is kind, humility envieth not; humility vaunteth not itself; is not puffed up; doth not behave itself unseemly; seeketh not her own; is not easily provoked; thinketh no evil.

Consider, O my soul, those motives to an holy walk. Put them altogether. Weigh them carefully, again and again. Do it faithfully as in the presence of God. And then try, whether thou art walking in the way of duty with a free spirit. Dost thou proceed upon evangelical or upon legal principles? Dost thou serve God for wages, or for love? Examine thy heart. God looks. chiefly at it. How is it in duty? Is thine obedience to justify thee in the least, or does it spring from a sense of thy being justified freely and fully? Art thou going about to establish thine own righteousness, or dost thou submit to the righteousness of God? Art thou working from life, or for life? I require thee to examine diligently by the light of the word, and by the teaching of the Holy Spirit, what thy motives are: For there is no acceptable obedience, but what is done in faith: Whatsoever is not of faith, is sin. If thou art acting aright the love of Christ is constraining thee to obedience. Thou art living under the influence of free-grace. Thy conscience is at peace with God. Thou hast sweet liberty to serve him without fear. Thy heart delights in his service, and love makes his ways the joy of thy soul. Thou knowest what Jacob felt, when he served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed unto him but a few days for the love he had to her. A Gospel-spirit does the same to God-love makes long service short -and hard service easy. Nothing is pain, which love does. And this is gospel obedience. It is faith working by love, which refines duty into a grace; the commandments are exalted into privileges; the ordinances become happy means of fellowship with God. The believer meets God in them, and by free converse he exercises and improves his love. He draws near to God, and God draws near to him in prayer, in praise, in hearing the word, at the Lord's supper, and in all VOL. I.

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sabbath duties. In these ways God manifests his gracious presence, and the believer rejoices in it. God communicates his grace, and the believer receives them with thankfulness. O my soul, pray before duty for much of this communion with God in it. Seek it as the one great end of all duty. And if thou findest it, bless and praise the goodness of thy God. But still seek to be more spiritual and evangelical, that the fruits of thy fellowship with God may appear in thy practice of the duties of the second table. Love to God will manifest itself by love to men: For the Holy Spirit teaches all his disciples to love one another, and he teaches effectually. He not only makes them understand what brotherly love is, but he also gives it. They become partakers of the grace, and are enabled to practise it. Thus he recommends and enforces his lessons. He renders his scholars kind to one another, and tender-hearted. He puts forth his mighty power, and subdues the vile selfish tempers of the old man, and brings into use the benevolent tempers of the new man. While he carries on the gracious work his disciples grow more acquainted with themselves, and learn heart humility. He makes them feel their fallen state, their sinfulness and their danger; in the sense of their guilt and of their distance from God they are willing to receive Christ for their whole salvation, and then to enjoy in him, all the blessings of the Father's love in earth and heaven.

If thou findest it difficult, O my soul, to walk according to this rule: If to obey from love to God-to love men for God's sake-and in the sense of thine own vileness to be humbled to the dust-If these be hard lessons; consider what makes them so. Where is the difficulty? Is it not in thyself? And is it not chiefly in thy not using and not bringing into practice the principles advanced in the former chapters. Duty must be hard, if the spring of obedience be not in motion; but if this act freely, then all will go on well,

Thy whole conduct through life depends upon the

nature of the salvation, of which thou art a partaker by grace. Consider it attentively. The growing knowledge of it will engage thine affections to a willing obedience. Is it not a complete salvation-an absolutely perfect work-yea the greatest work of God? Because all the rest come from it, and lead to it. Is it not the infinitely wise contrivance of the eternal Three, for which everlasting glory is to be given to every divine attribute? When every other work of God shall cease, for this all heaven will to eternity be ascribing honour and blessing and praise to Father, Son, and Spirit. Attend, O my soul, to the scripture account of this salvation. Review the glory of it. Read again and again the revealed descriptions of it, till thy heart be satisfied, that this salvation is as perfect and complete, as the Lord God Almighty could make it. This is its character. Hast thou studied it well, and art thou well grounded and established in the belief of it? Mind: this is the foundation. If this totter, so will all the super-structure. O pray then, and be earnest in prayer that God would enlarge thy views of the infinitely glorious and everlastingly perfect salvation, which is in Christ Jesus.

As thou growest more acquainted with it, thou wilt see less reason to be discouraged at the experience of what thou art in thyself. It is a salvation for sinnerssuch as thou art and no way differing from thee. Only when they are called to the knowledge of the truth, they are acquainted with their fallen state, are made sensible of their helplessness and of their misery, but are made willing to cast their souls at God's command upon the Lord Jesus, trusting to the peace which he made by the blood of the cross. And art not thou in the happy number of these redeemed sinners? Dost not thou believe the record, which God hath given of his Son, and look upon it as thy lawful warrant-to make use of what is laid up in the fulness of Jesusthine to take freely-thine to use fully-the more the better-thine for receiving, without any condition or