z 34 Cltap.9, OfHumility andPride, &c. . Ctn. r . hârdned tfftar Hearts, and grew to that height, that he faid, who is the lord, that he fhould let his people go P Saint Bernard defcribeth thefe kind of humble men thus; vidimu4 multót humiliator, fed non bumiles, we fee many hùmbled, few humble 2. Counterfeit or Baltard Humility, fperiahumilitas, for in every vertue befrdes the two extreams, there is that which hattr the likelihoodof vertue, which they call [Fusion vertutem, wherewith many are deceived. Thus fome are naturally of a low ierviledifpofition, which Come take for Humility, though it benot, neither is it true Humility togive in Gods caufe, and nòt to beflout in maintaining it ; for detrimen- tur veritatit non eft ornamentum humilitatis, that which brings detriment" to the Truth, can be no ornament of Humility. So todeny the gifts or gracesof God in our felves is not true Humility ; Saint Paul would have the Epbe tans underfland his knowledge in theMyfteryof Chrift, Ephef 3.45 and prefers he pews, of which himfelf wasone, before the Gentiles, Gal. z. r5. and all this,Without Pride. In e- very one there is fomewhat of God , fomewhat of Na ure, fomewhat of fin ; now it'strue, every man may fee more fin and corruption in himfelf than in ano- ther, and fo may faywith Saint Paul, I am the greateft firmer, r Tim. I. 15. and may fee that gift in another, which is not in himfelf, whichhe is bound to honour in him : buttoprefer the gifts of nature in another before thegifts of Grace in our felves ; is not true but counterfeit Humility. So likewife is that Hypocritical Humi- lity which fome pretend for worldly ends, as that of Abfelom, who though he were the Kings Son, yet bowedhimfelf to every one, and kiffed him, &c Whereby heHole away the Hearts of the people, and rebelled againft his Father. zSamr5.5 Now the means to Humility are theft, among many other. . The firft is the confideration of the vilenefs of the compofitionof our Bodies. Saint Baf:le faith, that mans life is a School-houfe of Humility, and his Ground r xezameron is upon that of the Pfalm, where the Prophet comparing his Body to the celeftial Pfa1 s;, 4. Bodies, falls into admiration, why Goddid rather choofe to put a reafonableSoul into his Body rather than into them. What is in man(Lord)thatthou art fo mindful of him &c. And out of that place in Genets, where Abrahamacknowledgeth h imfelf to be ,C,en.r 8.27. but Duft and afhcs. Our nature is but a heap of Duft, mingled with Mlles. And the Philofopher faith, that we are but a Pot of Choler andPhlegm. And Saint Auguiline faith, that itwould be a prevalent motive to Humility, ifwe wouldbuttake notice what mannerofftuff paffeth through our Nofe, Ears, and other parts of our Bodies. nxnquam tam talefterquilinium reperites, we íhould fee there is no fuck Dunghil asou' felves. r z. Another means is, the confiderationof theeflate of our Souls. The humble Luke.is.rl. Publican took notice of ir, whenhefaid, God be merciful to meaflnner. A Fa- ther feems to correr l the tranflation of thofe words well, by mihi percato to me Rom. 7 r4. which am nothing but fin. For it is many of ourcafes. Weare fuel' (inners, as that as. the Apoftle faith, we are fold as llaves under fin and in us, that is, in our flefh a c.3.5. there dwelletli no good thing, infomuch that of our felves we arenot able to think a good thought. And not only fo, but if we confiderthat we have fomultiplied our PGLda s. tranfgremons, as that they are more in number than the Hairs of our Head, info- 0. 4 much as the burdenof them info intollerable that they are too heavy for us to bear. Theconfideration of theft things will fo humble us, that thoughthe Devil carry us Gen. 32. r.4 into our own Mountain and thew us any good thing in our felves, to tempt us with, Luke 17.10. we (hall be able to faywith ?acob, weare not worthyof the leali of Gods mercies, and that if we ufe the gifts we have never fowell, yet to fay, we are unprofitable Servants, and that there is no gain to be expefted from us to hip. and with the Dan 9 Prophet, OLord righteoufnefs belongeth to thee, but untousconfufion of Faces, and Pfal, i t s. , laflly, with King David. Not untous Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name givethe praife, for thy loving mercy andTruths fake. 3. Athird is, the confiderationof the croffes and afflidtions whichGod either hath sir may lay upon us t and this is a fufficientmotive to humbleeven thewicked. This t Kin. 21. 20. wrought upon King ,.4bab (of whom it is faid that he had fold himfelf to work 29. evil) a blaze of Humility, which was not unrewarded. And certainly this is no (mall means to work thisduty, and fo we are to think of ir. King David faid, it is good Pía1, , ,, 17. for me that I have been afRifted. Becaufetherebyhe learnt Gods ftatutes ; this drives us
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