132 The fuperior Excellency and fpiritual; free and ingenious; in a word, · that the righteous is more excelient tha;; his netghbour. , Before we proceed further it will be ne– cdfary to take off fame prejudices and -ob– jeCtions that arife againfl: the noblenefs and , ,excellency of religion. And the firfl: is, That it injoineth lowlinefs and humility; which men look upon as an abject and vile difpofi.tion. What! will they fay, can ever th'at n1an afpire to any thing.. that is excel– lent, whofe principles oblige hin1 to lie low and grovel on the ground; who thinks nothing of himfelf, and is content that all the world t1 tink nothing of hin1 ~ Is this a difpofi.tion fit for any but thofe whofe crofs fortune obliges them to fu:ffer mife- • ries and affronts~ Such are n1ens thoughts of humility, which God loves fo n1uch, that we may fay he fent his own Son from heaven, to teach and recon1mend it. But if we ponder the matter, we .£hall find, that a-rrogancy and pride are the Hfues of bafe and filly minds, a giddinefs incident to thofe , who are raifed fuddenly to unaccufl:omed height; nor is .there any vice .cloth more palpably defeat its own defign, depriving a man of that honour and reputation which it nukes him aim at~ On
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