¢8$ THE SPRINGS OF ST. PAUL'S BUMILITY. {SECT. 1. selves, and know best what our own former sins and fol- lies have been. Some of us perhaps have been suffered to fall into more criminal actions and shameful iniquities than others; but there is not one of us who has not sinned enough to make him lie humble in the dust, and think meanly of himself if our former iniquities were always kept in view. But alas ! we are much inclined to forget our sins, to cast them behind our back, to turn our eyes away from them ; it is a painful and an uneasy sight; while at the same time we vainly turn our eyes to our own fancied excellencies, and with pleasure we dwell long in the survey of our own real or imagined qua- lifications and virtues ; We aggrandize our little worth- less selves into idols, and then we worship the vain image which our pride has made. We pay much incense of self flattery and praise to the swelling and exalted idea of the little worthless name I or me ; and when we have set up a false god for our own worship, we are fond to have other men bow down and worship it too. Come, my soul, come, let the holy apostle teach thee to secure thyself against the danger and deceit of this foolish pride : Let him instruct thee how to depress and keep down this rising tumour, this fermenting swelling thing, self. Take a frequent survey of thy former sins and follies ; look into thy heart, behold the hourly work- ings of iniquity there; what abatements of thy fancied honour, what defilements and stains and inward shame wilt thou find upon thee ? Methinks, there is something elegant and exalted in the language of a famous English poet*, while he is humbling the vanity of human nature beneath the brute creatures, and even beneath the things which have neither sense nor life : °° Let theproud peacock his gay feathers spread ,..And court the femaleto his painted bed Let winds and seas together rage and swell ; This nature teaches, and't becomes them well. Pride was not made for man. A conscious sense Of guilt and folly and their consequence Destroys the claim, and to beholders tells, IJere nothing but the shape of manhood dwells," * Waller. H . ,.-
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