SERMON I ON HUMILITY. ROMANS xii. 3. For I fay, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think: but to think foberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the meafure of faith. THESE words exprefs the duty of humility fo accurately, and carry in the very manner of ftating it fo full and clear an evidence of its obligation, that one would hope no man could read or hear them, without being convinced, that he Fought to do what they enjoin. There are directions of fcripture, concerning this matter, which fome pretend to be impracticable, and unfit to be practifed: As where St. Paul himself exhorts, In lowliness of mind let each eleem other better than themfelves *; and St. Peter, All of you be fubje&t one to another. In relation to fuch paffages, it hath been pleaded, that, were every one to think thus, many muft think faifely; which we ought not to do if we could, and for the most part, in this cafe, cannot do if we would, but only pretend to it hypocritically: that men would be inwardly prouder and cutwardly more troublefome, with this affected humility, than without it: that the mockery of a mutual fubmiffion in every thing muft fill human life with perpetual embarraffments; and whilft every one infitted upon obeying, no one would be left to rule or preserve order §. $ Celfus affirmed unreasonably, that Chriftians had learned their notions of humility from Plato mifunderflood. Orig. agairft Celfus, vi, 15. Now the abfurdity of fuch behaviour indeed is very glaring. But for that reafon the apoftles are not to be understood, as they need not, in a fenfe that gives encouragement to it. Practical writers on religious and moral fubjects, confidering how hardly the generality are brought to entertain fufficiently ftrict notions of their duty, purposely express it fometimes in words, which, taken literally, would be too ftrict. For abatements more than enough will not fail to be made: efpecially in fuch favourite points, as that of the good opinion which we have of ourselves. But in thefe two apoftolical injunctions, only a very moderate abatement is wanting. We are to efteem others better, or fuperior to us, not in things where we know they are not, but in things where we may justly suppose they are. And perhaps there is no perfon, or however, no pious and good perfon, and to fuch the apoftles wrote, but hath the advantage of us in fome particulars; or at least, from our fuller acquaintance with our own defects, may, on probable grounds, be apprehended by us to have it. Or if not, yet esteeming them fuch, may, according to a frequent ufe of the original word fo rendered *, mean only treating them as fuch. And though we must not do this, by making hollow and deceitful profeffions of inferiority; yet we may do it, by concealing and waving our claims to fuperiority: not being fubject one to the other on all occafions indeed, but on all proper ones, which are more than a few. It cannot be, that either of the apoftles fhould intend to carry the duty further; because both of them acted in ftations of authority themfelves, and prefcribed rules to others how to act in them. But it is peculiarly impoffible that St. Paul should run into fuch an extreme: for he hath diftinguifhed very exactly the obligations proceeding from the different ranks and improvements of men, which implies, that they must be confcious of them. And if he had given no other proof of his understanding the nature of humility aright, the text alone affords a ftrong demonstration of it. For what doth he there fay, through the grace given unto him, in virtue of the dignity gracioufly conferred upon him, to every one amongst us, for our direction in this behalf? Only, not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think; but to think foberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the * See Job xiii. 24. xix. 11. xxxiii. 10 xli 27, 29. Phil. iii. 7, 8. See alfo a letter in the Nouvelle Bibliotheque, Sep. 1742. the measure of faith: that is, according to the real degree of piety and virtue, which, through God's mercy, our faith to Chrift hath produced; or rather, taking the word, faith, in a lefs common, but more fuitable meaning, according to the real value of the several talents, which God hath intrusted to our faithful management. This we must allow to be a moft equitable way of stating the duty in general. And therefore it may be hoped we shall proceed, with willing minds, to examine more particularly, First, What manner of thinking concerning ourselves; and, Secondly, What manner of acting towards others, our obligation to humility, thus explained, requires. The former of thefe I fhall confider now: the latter, God willing, hereafter. At prefent then let us inquire, how we ought to think of ourfelves. And, 1. We ought plainly not to think, that we are poffeffed of any other good qualities or advantages, or any greater eminence in them, than in truth we are: which yet is a point that we frequently mifapprehend. Self-love, an affection infeparable from us, tempts us to be wonderfully easy of belief in our own favour; and extremely flow to decern, and induftrious to disguise, even to our own view, whatever tends to leffen us. Then, as for the information which we might receive from others, whoever hints the least thing, which is not for our honour, we fufpect immediately muft do it, if not from ill defign, yet at beft from want of judgement: and, if we can but find a fhadow of probability for either fufpicion, we foon conclude, that only malice or ignorance can find fault with us. To confirm which perfuafion, we fee perhaps the generality of our acquaintance treat us with marks of confiderable regard and this we interpret as a most undeniable token that we deserve it all; though perhaps it arises merely from their civility, and defire of living well with us. Or it may be our cafe, is yet worfe: and we are misled by persons, who from bad motives make it their business to fill us with extravagant notions of our own accomplishments and pre-emiThe rich and great indeed fuffer moft by these wretches and therefore fhould above all be on their guard against them. But perfons of every degree, down to the very loweft, have their flatterers. And even the groffeft flattery is commonly believed: but if it be conducted with any art, it nences. : feldom fails. And in fact, from one or other of thefe caufes, into what astonishing errors, about their own qualifications, do we fee people fall! The inftances are numberlefs, were no others to be mentioned, of perfons deluding themselves in the most important of all points, the ftate of their fouls: miftaking uncharitable zeal, or lifeless formality, or enthufiaftic tranfports, for true religion; or bad-tempered rigidness, or prudential regularity, or conftitutional good-nature, for true virtue: faying inwardly, as the revelation of St. John expreffes it, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and not knowing, that they are wretched, and poor, and blind, and naked *. But in fuch matters alfo, as others are apt to value themselves upon, how eftablished an obfervation is it, that, from things of the greateft importance down to the vericft trifles, almost all the world are continually judging wrong of their own title to eftecm; and vain of imagined excellencies, where at moft they do but equal thofe about them, or perhaps are peculiarly deficient. We can eafily remark this in our neighbours: but we ftrangely overlook it in ourselves; and forget, that their failings are only thofe of human nature; to which, with the fame nature, we are just as liable, and it may be, full as guilty of them. Some few indeed, through excefs of modefty, or weakness of fpirits, or ftrength of temptation, fall into the oppofite extreme, of diffidence, or even defpondency. And thefe, were they to think foberly and juftly, would think better of themfelves; to which they ought to be excited with the most compaffionate earnestnefs. But the general caution, to the rest of us, must ever be, not to think too well: to make fure of abating fufficiently from what they who pay court to us would fuggeft; and attend to the lefs favourable judgments concerning us, that others pass: not to bear them the least ill-will on that account; but folely to learn that knowledge of curfelves, which we are happy, if we learn any way. The best of outward monitors indeed is a faithful and prudent friend; if we have fuch a one, and will permit him to act as fuch. But the main article is, that each take care to be his own friend; by studying his own qualifications impartially, and as one bound in confcience to be an upright judge. For if a man think him Self • Rev. i. 17. |