208 The fixth Sign PART III. comparing himfelf with others. 'Tis natural for him to fall into that Thought of himfelf, that he is an eminent Saint, that he is very high among{} the Saints, and has diftinguifhingly mood and great Ex- periences. That is the fecret Language of his Heart, Luke 18. 1 r. God, I thank thee, that I am not as other Men. And Ifai. 65. 5. I am holier than thou. Hence fuch are apt to put themfelves forward a- mong God's People, and as it were to take a high Seat among them, as if there was no Doubt of it but it belonged to them. They, as it were, naturally do that which Chrift condemns, Luke 14. 7, &c. take the highe/l Room. This they do, by being forward to take upon 'em the Place and Bufinefs of the Chief ; to guide, teach, direct: and manage ; They are confident that they are Guides to the Blind, a Light of them which are in Darknefs, In, flruaors of the Foohjh, Tea- chers of Babes, Rom. 2. 19, 2o. 'Tis natural for them to take it for granted, that it belongs to them to do the Part of Diaators and Matters in Matters of Religion ; and fo they implicitly afedt to be called of Men Rabbi, which is by Interpretation 'Haller, as the Pharifees did, Matth. 23. 6, 7. i. e. They are apt to expeS`i that others Mould regard 'em, and yield to 'ern, as Mafters, in Matters of Religion. t But he whofe Heart is under the Power of chriftian Humility, is of a contrary Difpofition. If theScriptures are at all to be relied on, fuch an one is apt to think his Attainments in Religion to be com- paratively mean, and to efteem himfelf low among the Saints, and one of the leaft of Saints. Humility, or true Lowlinefs of Mind, difpofes Perfons to think others better than themfelves ; PhiI. 2. 3. In Lowlinefs of Mind, let each clleem others better than themfelves. Hence they are apt to think the loweft Room belongs to them ; and their inward Difpofition naturally leads them to obey that Precept of our Saviour, Luke 14. ro. 'Tis not natural to them to take it up- on 'em to do thePart of Teachers ; but on the contrary,they are dif- pofed to think that they are not the Perfons, that others are fitter for it than they ; as it was with Mofes and feremiab (Exod. 33 r 1. yer. 3. 6.) tho' they were fuch eminent Saints, and of great Knowledge. It is not natural to them to think that it belongs to them to teach, but to be taught : They are much more eager to hear, and to re- ceive Inftruaion from others, than to diaate to others ; Jam. I. 19. Be ye fwift to bear, flow to /peak. And when they do fpeak, 'tis not " There be two Things wherein it appears that aMan has only " common Gifts, and no inward Principle ; 1. Thefe Gifts " ever puff up, and make a Man fomething in his own Eyes, as the Corinthian Knowledge did ; and many a private Man " à thinks himfelf fit to be aMinifier ". Shepard's Parable, Part I. p. 181, 18-2. natural
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