MEN _ _._. PART III. of gracious 4fdiions. 2I9 properly ftand, is very different. For fome great Man, to ftoop to bole the Latchet of the Shoes of another great Man, his Equal, or to walla his Feet, would be taken Notice of as an AEI of Abafement in him ; and he being fenfible of his own Dignity, would look upon it fo himfelf. But ifa poor Slave is feen ffooping to unloofe the Shoes of a great Prince, no body will take any Notice of this, as any AEA of Humiliation in him, or Token of any great Degree of Humi- lity : Nor would the Slave himfelf, unlefs he be horribly proud, and ridiculoufly conceited of himfelf: And if he after he had done it, he Ihould, in his Talk and Behaviour, Phew that he thought his Abate- ment great in it, and had his Mind much upon it, as an Evidence of his being very humble; would not every Body cry out upon him, " Who do you think your felf to he, that you should think this that '" you have done, fuch a deep Humiliation ? " This would make it plain to a Demonffration, that this Slave was fwolen with a high De- gree of Pride and Vanity of Mind, as much as if he declared in -plain Terms, I think my felf to be fine great one. And theMatter is no le& plain and certain, when worthlefs, vile and loathfome Worms of the Duff, are apt to put fuch a ConítruE'ion on their As of Abafement before God, and to think it a Token of great Humility in them that they, under their Afì=etaions, can find themfelves fo willing to ac- knowledge themfelves to be fo and fo mean and unworthy, and to be- have themfelves as thofe that are fo inferiour. The very Reafon why fuch outward AEIs, and fuch inward Exercifes, look like great Abafe went in fuch an one, is becaufe he has a high Conceit of himfelf. Whereas if he thought of himfelf more juftly, thefe Things would ap- pear nothing to him, and his Humility in them worthy of no Regard ; but would rather be aftonifhed at his Pride, that one fo infinitely def- picable and vile, is brought no lower before God. When he Pays in his Heart, " This if a great AEI of Humiliation : It is certainly " a Sign of great Humility in me, that I fhould feel thus, and do G: fo ; " his Meaning is, " This is great Humility for me, for fuch a " one as I, that am fo confiderable and worthy." He confiders how low he is now brought, & compares this with theHeight of Dignity, on which, he in his Heart thinks he properly Rands, and the Dif- tance appears very great, and he calls it all meer Humility, and as fuch admires it. Whereas, in him that is truly humble, and really fees his own Vilenefs and Loathfomnefs before God, the Diffance ap- pears the other Way. When he is brought lowefl of all, it does not appear to him, that he is brought below his proper Station ; but that he is not come to it : He appears to himfelf, yet vafily above it : He longs to get lower, that he may come to it ; but appears at a great Diffance from it. And this Diffance he calls Pride. And therefore his Pride appears great to him, and not his Humility. For altho' he is brought much Lower them he ufed to be yet it don't appear to him
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