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28
The Life
of
GOD
of God, in taking our nature upon
hin1 ;
but only reflect on our Saviour's
lowly
and humble deportment while he was in
the
world.
He
had none of thofe fins
and imperfections which may jufily hun1ble
the
beft
of
men; but he was fo entirely
fwallow.ed
up
with a deep fenfe of the in–
finite perf etlions of God, that he appeared
as
nothing
in
his own eyes,
I
mean,
fo
far as he' was a · creature. He confidered
thofe eminent perfecrions which fhined
in
l1is bleffed
foul, not as his own,
but
the
gifts of God ; and therefore affumed no–
thing to himfdf for them, but with the
profound~it
humility renounced all pre–
tences
to them. Hence did he refufe that
ordinary com.Pcllation of
good majler,
when
addrdfcd
to his human nature by one who
ir
feems was ignorant of his divinity: .
Why
calte(l thou me
good?
thtre is none
goad,
/Jut God on!y :
As
if he had faid, The
goodnefs of any creature (and fuch only
thou takeft
me
to
be)
is n'ot worthy to be
na.med or taken noti<;e of; ir is God alone
who
is originally and ctfentially good.
He
never h1:1de ufc of his miraculous power
for vanity or ofl:entation. He would
f'Ot
gr~ ri
y ti1c
curiofity of the
Je·ws
with
a
fign from heaven,
fon1e
prodigious appea–
rance in the air: nor would he follow the
advice