475 / 652
HUMILILY REPRESEN'rED IN
ST.
PAUL.
46.ri
nothing that
is
grand and exalted,
but
the least of
all
the
saints, and less
than
the
least
of
them." When, O my
soul,
when wilt thou
learn
to
copy
after
so
illustrious
art
example,
so
divine a
pattern of
humility
?
But
not
to
paraphrase
any
longer
on this
matter
here
at
large
let
us
enter
into
particulars.
Perhaps
some
persons
may
expect
that
I
should
spend
time here to distinguish
and determine exactly what
sort
of
opinion and esteem
we
ought
to
have
of
ourselves.
Surely a man
of
letters and education
is
not
bound
to
think himself
as
illiterate
as
a
peasant, nor a
youth
of
ingenuity
to
fancy himself a
fool
:
A
person
of
figure
and
quality must
not
suppose himself
in
all
respects upon
a
level with
the lower
ranks
of
mankind,
nor can
it
be
but
that
a man
of
sense
and virtue,
of
religion
and goodness
must
know
himself to
be
of superior
worth and
merit
to
the rude and the wicked 'multitude.
Do not nature and
reason
direct
us to
judge of
persons
as well
as things
ac-
cording
to truth
?
Nor
does the best
Of
religions
forbid
us
to pass
a
true and
right
judgmentconcerning
ourselves
or
concerning
our
fellow
-
creatures.
Besides,
it
is
proper
and necessary
that
a
man should
have in some measure
a
just
idea
of
himself,
that
he may
every where
in
his
conduct
and
behaviour maintain
his
own
character, and
answer the demands
of
his own
sta-
tion
with
justice
and
honour
both
in
the
world
and
in
the
church. What
is
it
then
we
are
to
understand
by
this
diminishing
idea
of
self,
which
was so
honourable in the
great
apostle, and which
is so
worthy
of our
imitation.
To
this
enquiry I
shall
give
but a short
answer,
for
,
I
allow all
that
is
here
proposed
by
way
of
query or
objec-
tion
to be
just
and true.
I
grant it
is
our duty
to
know
ourselves for
many valuable purposes
both
in life
and
religion,
and to
form a
just
sentiment,
as
near
as
we
can,
of
our
own
qualifications,
and our
place and
rank
amongst
our
fellow
-
creatures.
But
as
the
honourable
example of
St.
Paul
directs
us, so
the
design
of
my
pre-
sent
advice
lies
here, viz.
that
in
passing
a
judgment
con
-
cerning
ourselves,
we
should
always set
a strong
guard
on
the
side
of self
-love
and flattery
:
We
should
watch
against the pride
of our
hearts, which
is
every
moment
ready
to over
-rate
all
appearances of
what
is
valuable
in
-us,
and
forgets
to
bring
our
defects into the balance
of
VOL.
III.
2