52 The Life of GOD aveneration and love among all wife and difcerning perfons; while pride defeateth its O\vn defign, and depriveth a tnan of that honour it n1akes him pretf: nd to. But as the chief exercifes of humility are thofe which relate unto Almighty God; fo thcfe are accompanied with the greatefl: £·uisfacrion and fweetnefs. It is impoffible to exprefs the great pleafure and delight which religious perfons feel in the lowefl: profirations of their fouls before God, _when, having a deep fenfe of_ the divine majefl:y and glory, they fink (if I may fo fpeak) to the botto1n of their b"eings, · and vanifh and difappear in the prefence of God, by a fcrious and affectionate ac– knowledgement of their own nothingnefs, and the fhortnefs and imperfections of their attainn1ents; whe.n thcyunderfiand the full fenfe and emphafis of the Pfalmift' s excla– n1ation, Lord what is man? and can utter it with the fan1e affection. Never did any haughty and ambitious pe;fon receive the pra ifes and applaufes of n1en with fo n1uch pleafure, as the humble and religiou~ do renounce then1: Not zmto-us, 0 lArd, not Ul1to us, but unto thy name giveglory, &c. trhus I have fpoken fomething of the excellencies and advantage of religion in its fevcral. branches; but fhould be very . . .
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=