476 'WHAT LIGHT HURT kingdom of heaven ; (Matt. xvi. 24. and xviii. 3, 4.) and bath decreed and foretold us that whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased, and he thathumbleth himself shall be exalted; and there- fore the greatness which his ministers must seek must be to be the servants of the rest; Matt. xxiii. 11 -13. "Honor shall uphold the humble in spirit, but a man's pride shall bring him low;" Prov. xxix. 23. " Better is it to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoils with the proud;" Prov. xvi. 19. He that will honor his religion must "put on, as the elect of God, bowels of mercy, kindness, humbleness of mind, (not of tongue only,) meekness, .long-suffering, forbearing one another, and for- giving one another, if any man have .a quarrel 'against any ; " Col. iii. 12, 13. . He must mot set oút himself like the richest, and de- sire to seem high or notable to others, nor set up himself with his superiors, nor swell or grudge, if he be not regarded or taken no- tice of; no, nor if he be reproved or dishonored; but must learn of an humbled Christ to be meek and lowly; (Matt. xi. 29.) and must not mind or desire high things, but condescend to men of low estate, and not be wise in his own conceit; Rom. xii. 16. "I beseech you, therefore, that you walk worthy the vocation where- with ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suf- fering, forbearing one another in love ; " Eph. iv. '1, 2. "Let nothing be done through strife or vain-glory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves ; " Phil. ii. 3. What man loveth'not such a spirit and conversation? O that it were more common and eminent among us ; and then we should find that the disaffection of the ignorant would be .much abated, and that when a man's ways thus please God, his enemies will be the more at peace with him ; Prov. xvi. 7. But when they are proud, and we are proud, and we cannot yield; nor bow, nor give place to the wrathful, but must jostle and contend with them for our place and honor, we lose our Christian honor by seeking carnal honor, and appear to be but like Other men; and even the proud themselves will disdain the proud. 2. And though we may be angry and not sin, and must be plain and zealous against sin, and for God ; though guilty, galled sinners be displeased by it, yet meekness must be our temperature; for a turbulent, rough, unquiet spirit is displeasing both to God and man': such persons have seldom peace with others or themselves. " A meek and quiet spirit is, in the sight of God, of great price ; " 1 Pet. iii. 4. "Blessed.are. the meek, for they shall inherit the earth ; they shall speed better than others, even in this world ; Matt. w. 5. The wisdom from above is first pure, then peacea- ble, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits."
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