PART III< of gracious 4falions. 205 nance, or with a pharifaical Affe6tation : And we muff believe that they are thus humble, and fee themfelves fo vile, upon the Credit of their Sayfo ; for there is nothing appears in 'em of any Savour of Humility, in the Manner of their Deportment and Deeds that they do. There are many that are full of Expreffions of their own Vile_. nets, who yet expea to be looked upon as eminent and bright Saints by others, as their due ; and 'tis dangerous for any, fo much as to, hint the Contrary, or to carry it towards them any otherwife,than as if we looked upon 'em fome of the chief of Chriftians. There are- many that are much in crying out of their wicked Hearts, and their great Short-comings, and Unprofitablenefs, and fpeaking as tho' they looked on themfelves as the meaneft of the Saints ; who yet, if a Minifter fhould ferioufly tell 'em the fame Things in private, and . fhould fignify, that he feared they were very low and weak Chriflians, and thought they had Reafon folemnly to confider of their great Barrennefs and Unprofitablenefs, and falling fo much fhort of many others ; it would be more than they could digeft ; they would think themfelves highly injured ; and there would be Danger of a rooted Prejudice in 'em againft fuch a Minifler. There are fome that are abundant in talking againft legal Doe7rines, legal Preaching, and a legal Spirit, who do but little underiland the Thing they talk againft. A legalSpirit is a more fubtilThir:g than they imagine, it is too fubtil for them. It lurks,and operates, and prevails in their Hearts, and they are molt notoriously guilty of it, at the fame Time, when they are inveighing againft it. So far as a Man is not emptied of hirnfelf, and of his own Righteoufnefs and Goodnefs, in whatever Form or Shape, fo far he is of a legal Spirit. A Spirit of Pride ofa Man's own Righteoufnefs, Morality, Holinefs, Affe6tion., Experience, Faith, Humiliation, or any Goodnefs whatfoever, is a legal Spirit. It was no Pride in ildam before the Fall, to be of a le- gal Spirit : Becaufe of his Circumfiances, he might feel: Acceptance by his own Righteoufnefs. But a legal Spirit in a fallen finful Crea- ture, can be nothing elfe but fpiritual Pride ; and reciprocally, a fpi- ritually proud Spirit is a legal Spirit. There is no Man living that is lifted up with a Conceit of his own Experiences and Difcoveries, and upon theAccount of them glifters in his own Eyes, but what trufts in his Experiences, and makes a Righteoufnefs of 'em however he may ufe humble Terms, and fpeak of his Experiences as of the great Things God,has donefor him, and it may be calls upon others to glorify God for them ; yet he that is proud of his Experiences, arrogates fome thing to himfelf, as tho' his Experiences were fome Dignity of his. And if he looks on them as his own Dignity, he neceffarily thinks that God looks on 'em fo too ; for he neceffarily Thinks his own Opinion of 'em to be true ; and confequently judges that God looks on thorn as he dons ; and fo unavoidably ianagines that God look;
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