4$d THE ADVAI4TA0L5 0F RtTEtYLITY tSÉCT. llt: pretences over the rest of the mass, wherein it lay in common pollution and wretchedness ? Or if we hope that we are called and sanctified and be- come the children of God, who was it made the differ- ence ? Was it not the free mercy of God that called us and wrought the divine change in us ? What is there for us- to boast of ? Let us allow those who we think are yet uncalled and unchanged by grace all the natural excel- lencies and moral qualifications that belong to them, and not sully and darken the evidences of our own christian- ity by a haughty and scornful carriage toward our neigh- bours. Let us remember yet further, that many others are called and renewed and sanctified as well as we, and perhaps have brighter evidences of their graces, and bear up the character -of the children of Godwith more honour than We do : and we should think so too if our pride and conceit would but suffer -us to see their shining vir- tues, their exalted piety. If we could but maintain such., thoughts as these we should not assume such haughty airs, such insolence of language over our fellow-worms that are crept out of the same bed of meanness and de- filement, and some of them perhaps have a larger share of purifying grace than ourselves. Or had I but a due degree of self-abasement, how swift and ready should I he to spy out the virtues which my neighbour possesses, and to pay due honour to all his valuable qualifications ; even as the proud, the envious, and the malicious spirits are 'ready to spy out the ble- mishes of their fellows and to expose them. It is the voice of the humble man concerning his poor neighbour, " Though he may not have so much of this world as God bas given to me, yet, perhaps, he has a larger and fairer interest in the inheritance on high He may not have such a large acquaintance with human sciences because he has not had the advantages which I have enjoyed, but perhaps he is richer in grace, and has laid up a better treasure against aday to come. It may be he is notso much acquainted with courts and palaces, he has little to do with chariots and horses and rich equi- page, but perhaps he is more acquaintedwith God, oftner at the gates of heaven, and nearer a-kin to 'the spirits made perfect, to the saintsaid- angels on high.' Thus
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