our Virtues, the Malignity of our Crimes, SER M. I. and our Dependance on God for every Thing good in us and for us. A Man may think himself fomewhat wiser and better than he is; who, notwithstanding, may have an humble or low Opinion of himself upon the Whole, as being far from thinking himself wife and good enough: far from thinking that he ftandeth collected in himself, and therefore needeth not take heed left he fall. A Man may not imagine himself quite fo faulty as he is; (for who can tell how oft be offendeth?) who yet may deserve the Character of an humble Man; if, at the fame time, that he endeavoureth to improve in Virtue, and get clear of every prefumptuous Sin; he strives to detect, and begs of God to cleanse him from,. his fecret and unsuspected Faults. Pride is a Vice or moral Evil: And nothing can be Evil, any further, than it is in its genuine Tendency productive of Evil. But what evil Effects would an Opinion too favourable of ourfelves be attended with; provided it did not rife to fo high a Pitch, as to make us think prefumptuously and fecurely of ourfelves, contemptuously and uncharitably of our Fellow-Creatures, and behave irreve

rently

SERM. I.rently and ungratefully to our Creator? It 'is, I doubt, almoft impoffible to hold the Balance exactly even without the leaft Inclination to our Side; it is impoffible for us, who are Parties, to pafs Judgment on ourselves with the ftrict Rigour of Justice without the leaft Partiality, without any favorable Softenings and Allowances: All, that can be expected from us, is, what I believe every wife and modeft Man doeth, viz. that looking around us and confidering how apt every Man is in fome degree to over-value himself, we learn from hence to entertain and cherish a constant Suspicion and Mifgiving, that we do fo too: which Mifgiving difpofeth us to look deeper into ourselves, to truft not fo much to our own Abilities, as to our Vigilance and Circumfpection, and God's Bleffing upon us, and to make our humble Application to him, that he would look well, if there be any Way of Wickedness in us, and lead us in the Way everlasting.

Having thus ftated the Nature of Pride, I proceed, IIdly, To fhew the Unreasonableness of this Vice. And this I shall do, by examining our Pretenfions to Pride.

Are

Are we proud of Riches? Riches can- SERM. I.

not alter the Nature of Things, they can-
not make a Man worthy, that is worthless
in himself: They may command an infipid
Complaifance, a formal Homage, and ce-
remonious Profeffions of Refpect, and teach
a fervile World to fpeak a Language fo-
reign to their Hearts; but where a Large-
nefs of Soul is wanting, they can never
procure an affectionate Efteem, grateful
Sentiments, and an undiffembled Love,
the willing Tribute of a generous Heart to
Merit only. The Value of the Estate may
be very great; but that of the Man is not
at all greater; if he does not employ his
Eftate as the great Engine to procure mo-
ral Pleasures, and to do benevolent Offices.
And if it be true Wisdom to think that
early, which we must think at last; let us
now be convinced, which we shall certain-
ly be hereafter, that there is nothing truly
valuable, noble and manly, but the good
Senfe to know our Duty, an hearty Incli-
nation to practise it, and a determinate
Steadiness to persevere in it to the End:
That the only true fubftantial Greatness is
rightly to apprehend, affectionately to wor-
fhip, and diligently to imitate our heaven-
VOL. II.
C

ly

SERM. I. ly Father. The Unthinking may be carried away with Appearances, instead of Realities; but the Judicious fhould confider Things intrinfically, and think him the greateft, who ftrives, as much as in him lies, to make others happy by his Benevolence, good by his Example, and wife by his Inftructions.

Do we value ourselves upon our Power? No; what is remarked by fome body or other, is a great Truth, viz. That there is no Good in Power, but merely the Power of doing Good. Upon our worldly Prudence? Thofe, who are acquainted with History know, how often the best-laid Defigns have proved abortive. Among all the Maxims of worldly Prudence, this is one of the beft, viz. That we should endeavour to discover the reigning Paffion in every Man, whom we would manage; and when we have found out that, we have got a Handle to turn him, which way we please. But then every Man, befides his reigning Paffion, has his particular Caprice or Humour; which will make our Meafures often miscarry. Befides, no one Paffion is perhaps the perpetual Dictator.: No, our Heart is rather a little Commonwealth;

where

where they govern us with an alternate SERM. I. Sway, and fometimes our Ambition, fometimes our Anger, fometimes our Fear or fome other Affection is uppermost.

Human Policy therefore must be uncertain, because Man, who is the Subject of it, is fo uncertain, wavering and inconftant; and there can be no fixed and stated Maxims to please and manage so changeable and inconfiftent a Creature: But we may by certain and unchanging Rules gain the Love of that Being, with whom there is no Variableness, neither Shadow of Turning. No Prudence therefore but the Spiritual, viz. To please him who is the fame yesterday, to-day, and for ever, can be certain.

Are you proud of your diftinguished Virtue? He who is proud of diftinguished Abilities, Learning and Wealth, is not the lefs able, learned and wealthy, because he is proud of them. But he, who is proud of distinguished Virtue, ceafeth to be virtuous, by his being fo. For the Man that is pleased with any Degree of Virtue, merely because it is uncommon, would be sorry, if what he values himself upon, as a fingular Mark of Diftinction, should become