34 ni;DIILITY REPRESENTED. spirits are ready to spyout the blemishes of their follows and to expose them. It is the voice of the humble man concerning higpoorneigh- bour, "Though he may not have so much-of this world as God has given to me, yet, perhaps, he has a larger and fairer interest in the inheritanceon high : He may not have such a large ac- quaintance with human sciences because he has not had the ad- vantageswhich I have enjoyed, but perhaps he isricher in grace, and has laid up a better treasure against a day to come. It may be he is not so much acquainted with courts and palaces, lie has little to do with chariots and horses and rich equipage, but perhaps he is more acquainted with God, oftner at the gates of heaven, and nearer a-kin to the spirits made perfect, to the saints and angels on high." Thus hé prefers his neighbour in the honours of the invisible world, while in all things visiblehe is much supe- rior to him : Thus he fulfils the.advice ofSt. Paul to the Philip- pians, chapter ii. verse 3. and in lowliness of mind esteems others better than himself. Such a happy spirit as this reigning within us, will utterly forbid us to fall in with a word of scandal when it is going cur- rent round the room: A wretched but a common crime ! Hum- ble souls ever carry aboutthem such a constant sense of their own defectsand follies that they dare not help onward the flying re- proach. They find so many errors in their bwn lives that they cannot dwell with delight on the blemishes of their fellow-mortals: And inward consciousness and shame blushes in their bosoms, and imposes silence upon their lips : Or perhaps compassion awakens ahem to make some apology for the absent sufferer, or to strike the scandal dead with a word of,just reproof. If we have a low opinion of ourselves, our eyes will never acquire the disdainful cast, nor learn the scornful airs of those who are full of self. Our lips will never assume the haughty tone and the in- solent language of the proud in heart. " Speaknot ;" say they . to their inferior friends, " we do not want your prattle, while I amhere : Answer not when I give my opinion : Do what I re- quire, be silent and dumb ; Do you not know who it is speaks to you?" At another time they will forbid you their company : go out of my sight, avoidmy presence, it is not fit I should be seen in your company, you have neither dress nor manners fit to ap- pear. So the haughty hypocrites in the days of Isaiah the pro- phet, Stand by thyselffor am holier and better than thon; Isa. lxv. 5. So the proud mortals of every age publish and pro- nounce their scorn of those, whom providence has placed but a little below them. Such sort of language, indeedshould scarce ever be used by masters to their own menial servants, but where the servant is very assuming, or intolerably impertinent: But for persons to treat lower friends or acquaintance at this rate, gives too evident
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