Edwards - BX7230 .E4 1746

220 The jixth Sign PART III. him worthy of the Name of Humiliation, for him that is fo infinitely mean and deteftable, to come down to a Place, which tho' it be lower than what he ufed to affùme, is yet vafiIy higher than what is proper for him. As Men would hardly count it worthy of theName of Humility, in a contemptible Slave, that formerly efieeIed to be a Prince, to have his Spirit fo far brought down, as to take the Place of a Nobleman ; when this is Rill fo far above his proper Station. All Men in the World, in judging of the Degree of their own and others Humility, as appearing in any Ad of theirs, confider two Things ; viz. the real Degree of Dignity they Rand in ; and the Degree of Abafement, and the Relation it bears to that real Dignity. Thus the complying with the fame low Place, or low Ac`t, taay be an Evidence of great Humility in one, that evidences but little or no Humility in another. But truly humble Chriff ians have fo mean an Opinion of their own real Dignity, that all their Self - abafement, when confider'd with Relation to that, and compar'd with that, ap- pears very fmall to them. It don't feem to them to be any great Humility, or any Abafement to be made much of, for fuch poor, vile, abjet Creatures as they, to lie at the Foot of God. The Degree of Humility is to be judged of by the Degree of llbaferrent, and the Degree of the Caufefor ilbafemeat : But he that is truly and eminently humble, never thinks his Humility great, confi- dering the Caufe. The Caufe why he fhould be abafed appears fo great, and the Abafement of the Frame of his Heart fo greatly fhort of it, that he takes much more Notice of his Pride than his Humi- lity. Every One that has been converfant with Souls under Convictions of Sin, knows that thofe who are greatly convinced of Sin, are not apt to think themfelves greatly convinced. And the Reafon is this : That Men judge of the Degree of their own Convictions of Sin by twoThings jointly confidered ; viz.theDegree of Senfe which they have of Guilt and Pollution, and the Degree ofCaufe they have for fuch a Senfe, in the Degree of their real Sinfulnefs. 'Tis really no Ar- gument of any great Conviction of Sin, for fume Men to think themfelves to be very finful, beyond molt others in the World ; hecaufe they are fo indeed, veryplainly and notorioufly. And there- fore a far leis Conviction of Sin may incline fuch an one to think fo than another : He muff be very blind indeed not to be fenfible of it. But he that is truly under great Convictions of Sin, naturally thinks this to be his Cafe. It appears to him that the Caufe he has to be fenfible of Guilt and Pollution, is greater than others have ; and therefore he afcribes his Senfiblenefs of this, to the Greatnefs of his Sin, and not to the Greatnefs of his Senfibility. 'Tis natural for one under great Convictions to think himfelf one of the greateft of . Sinners in Reality, and alfp that it is fo very plainly and evidently ; for

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