Such is the nature of poornefs of fpirit. Let us fecondly, confider it both as a reasonable and a Chriftian temper.. First, if we confider it as opposed to worldly mindedness, it is certainly reasonable.-There is one great mistake in life, which men in general are too apt to fall into; and that is to confider themselves as made up only of body: they think of their fouls only as mere fecondary parts of themselves—or, if they think of them at all-as mere appendages of the body.-Now, if you allow this to be a great miftake in life, as I fuppofe you all will, you muft, at the fame time, fee how unreasonable it is to think of nothing but worldly matters; because worldly matters relate only to your bodies, and have no concern with your fouls.-Again, the reasonableness of this virtue is ftrongly enforced by Christianity, which enjoins us,in a hundred paffages,to mortify our members upon earth-to beware of covetousness-and to confider ferioufly, that if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him:-for as the end of the Chriftian religion is, to bring ftraying man to his true happiness-to purify his affections, and fit him for a heavenly ftate- we should fit loofe to the world, and confider ourselves as ftrangers and pilgrims pilgrims upon earth, girding up our loins, and being always ready to take our departure to our heavenly home.-Such is the language of Christianity! Nor is poorness of fpirit, as opposed to worldlymindedness, more a reaionable and a Chriftian virtue, than when opposed to pride.-Pride must certainly appear very unreasonable to every man, who will be at the pains of confidering himself as he ought, in the two lights of a creature and a finner. That man is a creature, is a very reasonable ground for humility. We usually think it a hum bling confideration' to remind a person of the meanness of his birth. But as to that matter, we are all much on a level; and may all, with equal justice be reminded of the meanness of our birth, for we all sprang from nothing. The world, it is true, makes a great matter of birth and family; and, merely in a political light, fome confideration may be due to these diftinctions. But they who poffefs them, should always confider them in a moral light; and whatever respect others may pay to these distinctions for the fake of order in fociety, the poffeffors should totally disclaim it in their own hearts. With this world the rules of society end. In a moral light, we are all on an equality: and equally depend depend as much for our existence on the will of our Creator, as the image in the glass on the perfon who stands before it. And fhall fuch a creature be proud? For God's fake of what? unless we can be so abfurd as to be proud of having nothing.-We often laugh at the appearance of pride in certain animals of the brute creation. We laugh, because we think fuch appearances ridiculous in creatures fo contemptible; but alas! we only deride ourselves. Man, therefore, as a creature, hath fufficient cause to be humble: but if he confider himself as a finner likewife, he hath then abundant. In truth, the best of us knows enough of himself to make him humble.-Whoever thou art, whofe fecret thoughts are inclined to pride, review thy paft life. Hath none of thine actions been barefacedly wicked? It is well. But lét not that raise thy pride.-Proceed a step farther; review thy private intentions-thy abfurd schemes of worldly vanity -the motives of thofe actions, which look fair to the world-the envy, the malice, or the hatred, which lodge in thy wicked heart, and that innumerable train of follies which are floating about it from morning till night.-Review all this, and if thou doft not find enough to make thee humble, I fear thou thou either knoweft nothing of the nature of fin and folly, or thou haft taken only a very flight review of thy heart. Poornefs of fpirit, oppofed to pride, appearing thus to be a reasonable virtue, few words will fhew it to be à Chriftian one alfo. It is, indeed, in the strongest manner enforced upon us in Scripture, both by precept and example. In one place, we are told, that God refifteth the proud-in another we are enjoined to cloath ourselves with humility-in a third, not to be high minded-in a fourth, to be meek and lowly in heart; and in a hundred others to the fame purpose all which precepts are only different ways of enjoining that duty, which the text calls poorness of fpirit. Indeed, to say the truth, there is no duty in the Gospel so often recommended to us as humility-both because it is difficult to be attained; and because it is the foundation of all other virtues. Inftruction does not eafily approach the heart of that man, who already thinks highly of himself. Again, we have a variety of examples in Scripture of this virtue. John the Baptift was an eminent inftance of humility. Such alfo was the Virgin Mary, who received the high favours of God with that meek humility, which fhewed how deVOL. III. ferving H serving she was of them.-St. Paul also was a remarkable example of humility.-Many other inftances might be produced: but our Saviour himfelf may ftand for all and indeed from his taking every opportunity to give a lesson of humility in his own life, (which with regard to himself was furely needlefs,) we may judge how very neceffary he thought humility in all his followers. Nothing certainly ought to act more ftrongly upon us than thefe Scriptural examples. If these holy perfons thought humility fo neceffary to them, what ought we to think? Having thus explained the nature of poorness of spirit, and shewn you that it is both a reasonable and a Chriftian virtue, I fhall, lastly, shew you the happiness it leads to. In the first place, from what diftreffes of various kinds muft that man be free, who is convinced of the vanity of all worldly things, and lives entirely to God. He is free not only from the distreffes which attend the frequent disappointment of his wishes; but from the diftrefs of finding, when they are obtained, they do not answer his expectations. It is an undoubted truth, that every man, fooner |