SECTIONIL. 29 has directedmy feet into the paths of holiness and peace and life eternal : I was sick and God healed me : I was in trouble and the Lord relieved me : I was in darkness andhe shed light upon my path : I was in straights and his hand extricatedme out of them, I was on the very borders of death andon the verge of hell, help- less and hopeless in myself, but, glory be to his holy name, he has given me help, and hope, and salvation. Such is the language of the blessedPaul; 1 Cor. xv. 10, H. I am nothingin myself, and if I appear tobe any thing, it is by thegrace of God, I am what I am : Holy David in his devotions is full of the same humble acknowledgments : Iwas poor and needy, but thou hast been my helper and my strength, I was sur- roundedwith enemies, but thou hast been my salvation : This is the sense of many of his divine songs. And who am I or what is my house that thou hast brought me hitherto? 1 Sam. vii. 18. On the other hand the man who is full of self is ready to assume all the honour of his success and his peaceful circumstan- ces to his own reason, to his own wisdom, to the diligence and strength of his own right hand, or at least to his own merit of these -favours from heaven. He gives himself the praise, of the blessings, that surround him : And if his table is spread plenti- fully from the earth or from the waters, he ascribes that plenty to his own skill, he sacrifices to his own net, and burns incense to his own drag, as the prophet expresses it in a noble metaphor ; Hab. L 10. And thus the God of heaven is robbed of his honours, and the praise is given to a creaturewhich is due to the Creator only : Thus the proud man multiplies his iniquities and commitssacrilege and idolatry at once. III. Another advantage of these humbling thoughts of our- selves is this, that we shall bear with more patience the afflicting hand of God upon us, and wait longer for themoment of deliver- ance without murmuring. These self-abasing sentiments under heavy sorrows will incline us to confess, " Lord, I have deserv- ed them all," and will teach us to speak the language of the prophet Micah, chap. vii. ver. 9. Iwill bear the indignationofthe Lord, because I have sinnedagainst him, till he arise and pleadmy cause. When, O my soul, wilt thou learn this holy behaviour ? When wilt thou learn this humble language ? If the Lord be- stow notemporal blessings upon me, I lie at his foot ; he isnot my debtor, I deserve no blessingsfrom his hands : Ifhe take away part ofmy substance andmy wealth, Ihavedeserved to bedeprived ofit all, for my upprofitableness, for my earthlymind, for my vanity and the pride of my heart. If I'havefood and raiment, I will therewith be content ; it is much more than I have deserved. If I am sick and in pain, I would remember that I am guilty, and he punishes less than nay iniquities deserve. If I am stripped naked of my earthly comforts, I resign them to his disposal, I
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