470 THE SPRINGS OF ST. PAUL'S HUMILITY. SECT I. to abase thee in thy own eyes, than all thy suspicions of the folly and guilt of thy neighbours should do, to sink their character in thy esteem. Remember this, that for the most part it is but a rumour and suspicion of the sins of thy brethren that lessens thy esteem of them ; but thou hast an inward consciousness and assurance of thy own frailties and thy own vileness, which might more power- fully abase thy pride and teach thee to Cry out with the apostle, 'less than the least ofall the saints. III. I might add in the third place, another spring of his humility was an abiding sense of the infinite greatness and holiness of God, and the unsearchable excellencies and glories of his Son Jesus. This is a sight which stains the glory of all flesh, and brings the haughtiness of man down to the dust. This I confess does not so directly tend to this comparative humility, this abasing himself below his fellows, but it has a mighty influence on this virtue absolutely considered, and therefore I name it. The apostle maintains upon his spirit grand ideas of the great God, " the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords, who only bath immor- tality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach, whom no man hath seen nor can see, to whom belongs honour and power everlasting ;" 1 Tina. vi. 15, 16. What an atom, what a dust of being, what a dark and diminu- tive thing is man under the lively apprehension ofa pre- sent God, a God of such majesty and brightness ? And in the words following my text he is surveying the gran- deurs of " Christ, by whom God created all things, and the unsearchable riches of his grace ;" Eph. iii. 8, 9. And howmean and little must every son of Adam appear in the presence of this Son of God ? He looks upon himselfas poor and contemptible in theview ofsuch un- searchable riches and glory. A sinful and fallen man, who has been favoured with some attainments above his neighbours, when he stands in the midst of sinful and fallen men, may perhaps ap- pear something great and honourable ; butwhen he sets himself before a holy God and before Christ the Son of his love, and the express image of his glories, he must then think himself despicably little, and covered with meannesses and dishonours. ; So a worm- or an emmet 2 H4
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