SECTION V. 65 And now tell me, O son or daughter of poverty, tell me, hast thou no pride ? Hast thou none of these symptoms of this mortal malady? No spots of this defilement of soul? No share in this universal crime of the children of Adam ? Dost thou think that pride never inhabits a cottage, and never travels but in chariots and coaches ? Art thou so weak as to imagine that a thread-bare garment must needs cover a humble heart ? When thou hast honestly made all these enquiries which I have pointed out, I hope thy own heart will unlearn this mistake, and teach thee that thou hast not escaped this general guilt and folly. Some of the poorest of mankind have "happened to be some of the proudest in my observation that I ever met with, and it is possible that others have made the same remark, though it must be owned their temptations to pride are less. Let us enquire next of the faint-hearted man, the coward of soul, who flatters his infirmity, and thinks himself; to be all hùmi lily and meekness. I own,, saith he, I have a tenderness for . myself, but-I have no pride. If I am injured and reproached, I cannot well bear it, but I am all in. tears; I tremble and answer not again ; my soul sinks within me at the words of slander, and I die at the voice of a proud oppressor, surely this heart of mine is humble. But tell me, Oman, if thou hadst courageand power to re- venge the affront, would thou he thus impatient ? If thou hadst wealth and dignity in the world to support thee, wouldst thou not retort the reproaches of thy adversary, and look down with a sort of disdain upon him who now disdains. thee ? It is impotence then and cowardice, but not humility which makes thee imitate patience and meekness. It is abjectness of spirit and want of power, and not christian lowliness, that renders thee so silent under injuries. Christ Jesus could command legions of angels to destroy his blasphemers ; yet when he was reviled, he bore it patiently, and reviled not again : he endured the contradiction of -sinners against himself But tell me, friend, dost thou never revile those in-secret who have reviled thee in public, and that without any plain call of providence to publish their crimes or follies and to expose them ? Art thon not impatient and inwardly fretful under the hadd of God or man beyond all reasonable de- grees ? Are not thy lips open in slander where those whom thou slanderest cannot hear thee ? Art thou not ready sometimes to take offence at some innocent words that are spoken, and where perhaps an affront was never designed ? I-iow dost thou bear a contradiction to thy sayings, or opposition to thy will ? Dost thou net kindle into secret resentment and let wrath burn inwardly on such occasions ? Doth not thy bosom swell with indignation at sucha season, though thou art afraid-to vent it ? What-is it but an excessive tenderness for thyself, and undue love of honour and
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