PART III. of gracious Affections. 2(7 There is a pretended great Humiliation, and being dead to the Law,and emptied of Self, which is one of the biggeff and moff elated Things in the World. Some there are, who have made great Pro- feffion of Experience of a thoro'Work of theLaw on their ownHearts, and of being brought fully off fromWorks ; whole Converfation has favoured moft of a Self-righteous Spirit, of any that ever I had Op- portunity to obferve. And fome who think themfelves quite emptied of themfelves, and are confident that they are abafed in the Duff, are. full as they can hold with the Glory of their own Humility, and lifted up to Heaven with an high Opinion of their Abafement. Their Hu- mility is a fwelling, felf- conceited, confident, fhowy, noify, affuming Humility. It feems to be the Nature of fpiritual Pride to make Men conceited and offentatious of their Humility. This appears in that firft-born of Pride, among the Children of Men, that would be called His Holinefs, even the Man of Sin, that exalts himfelf above all that is called God or is worshipped ; he flyles himfelf Servant of Servants; and to make a Shew of Humility, washes the Feet of a Number of poor Men at his Inauguration. For Perfons to be truly emptied of themfelves, and to be poor in Spirit, and broken in Heart, is quite another Thing, and has other. .Effeas, than many imagine. 'Tis aflonifhing how greatly many arc deceived about themfelves as to this Matter, imagining themfelves moff humble, when they are moff proud, and their Bei:avioar is real- ly the molt haughty. The Deceitfulnefs of the Heart of Man ap- pears in no one Thing fo much, as this of fpiritual Pride and Self- Righteoufnefs. The SubtiIty of Satan appears in it's Height in his managing of Perfons with Refpeét to this Sin. And perhaps one Reafon may be, that here he has moll Experience : He knows the Way of it's coming in ; he is acquainted with the ferret Springs of it ; it was his own Sin. - --- Experience gives vaft Advantage in leading Souls, either in Good or Evil. But tho' fpiritual Pride be fo fubtil and fecret an Iniquity, andcom- monly appears under a Pretext ofgreat Humility ; yet there are two Things by which it may ( perhaps univerfally and furely) be difcover- ed and diffinguifhed. Thefiri! Thing is this ; He that ,is=under the Prevalence of this Diftemper, is apt to think highly of his Attainments in Religion, as " their new Inventions of Faith. I fpeak not this againff the 66 Do.}rine of Faith, where it is preached ; but am glad ofit : 66 Nor that I would have Men content themfelves with every 66 Form of Faith ; for I believe that molt Men's Faith needs 66 confirming or trying. But I fpeak to prevent Danger on 66 that Hand, " Shepard's Parable Part I. p, 122. comparing
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