2©4 The fixth Sign PART III. 'Tis true that many Hypocrites make great Pretences to Humility, as well as other Graces ; and very often there is nothing whatfoever which they make a higher Profeffion of. They endeavour to make a great Shew of Humility in Speech and Behaviour ; but they com- monly make bungling Work of it ; tho' glorious Work in their own Eyes. They can't find out what a humbleSpeech andBehaviour is,or how to fpeak and aft fo that there may indeed be a Savour of chrillian Humility in what they fay and do : That fweet humble Air and Mien is beyond their Art, being not led by the Spirit, or naturally guided to a Behaviour becoming holy Humility, by the Vigour of a lowly Spirit within them. And therefore they have no other Way, many of them, but only to be much in declaring that they be humble, and telling how they were humbled to the Dull at fuch and fuch Times, and abounding in very bad Expreffions which they ufe about themfelves ; fuch as, I am the lea/l of all Saints, I am a poor vile Crea- ture, I am not worthy ofthe lealI Mercy, or thatGodJhould look upon me ! Oh, Ihave a dreadful wickedHeart ! my Heart is worfe than the Devil ! Oh, this curled Heart of mine, &c. Such Expreffions are very often ufed, not with a Heart that is broken, not with fpiritual Mourning, not with the Tears of her that wafhed Jefus's Feet with her Tears, not as remembring and being confonnded, and never opening their Mouth more, becaufe of their Shame, when God is pacified, as the Expreffion is, Ezek. i6. 63. But with a light Air, with Smiles in the Counte- 'c of it's own Fire. And altho' many of thefe old Philofophers cc could, by the Strength of their own Lights and Heats, toge 'c ther with fome c.)mmon Elevations and Raifures of Spirit, s" ( paradventure from a more than ordinary, tho' not fpecial c' and laving Afliftance of the Spirit ) abandon many groffer '' Vices ; yet they were all deeply immerfed in that miferable cc curled Abyfs of fpiritual Pride : fo that all their natural and " moral & philofophicAttainments,did feed,nourifh,ílrengthen, " and render molt inveterate, this Hell -bred Pelt of their " Htidrts - Yea thofe of them that feem'd molt modeft, as the " ilcademicks, who profefs'd they knew nothing, and the Cy- " nicks, who greatly decried, both in Words and Habits, the ..( Pride of others, yet even they aboundel in the molt notorious c. and vifible Pride. So connatural and morally effential to cor- 6 rupt Nature, is this envenom'd Root, Fountain and Plague ..: of fpiritual Pride : Efpecially where there is any natural, c moral or philofophic Excellence to feed the fame. Whence " uiuf?in rightly judged all thefe philofophie Vertues, to be but .4. fplended Sins. " Gale Court of the Gentiles, Part II. B. II. Chap. io. § 17. nance,
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