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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
of
all
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
of
a
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
how
mean and little must
every son
of
Adam
appear
in the presence
of
this Son
of God
?
He
looks upon
himself
as
poor and
contemptible
in
the
view
of
such
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
;
but
when
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
H
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