himself too wise to want, or seek for improvement which he regards as to him unnecessary. He will not exercise any watchful self-control, for he apprehends no danger of his falling into sin, and therefore he proceeds fearlessly and carelessly in the "broad way which leadeth to destruction."* Above all, he will not seek for the assistance of the Holy Spirit, for he confides in his own strength; he will not cherish its influences on his heart which would lead him to think seriously of his religious state and "walk humbly with his God;"† for he triumphs in his own supposed excellence, and is elated with a sense of his own superiority. Thus he "grieves," and "resists,"§ and "quenches" || the Holy Spirit of God; and when that is withdrawn, he must inevitably sink into impiety and vice, and finally into perdition, without any hope of reform or recovery. Thus it appears, that all boasting in our own works; all selfcomplacency in our own moral and religious character and attainments; all reliance on our own deservings, as sufficient to obtain justification and acceptance with God, are utterly inconsistent with a just sense of the justice of God; are equally inconsistent with our own depravity and guilt, our numerous and inexcusable offences; and above all, are equally calculated to preclude true repentance and to check all growth in grace. All such boasting and self-complacency prove our hearts to be elated with false and exaggerated views of our own virtues, and that we contemplate our defects and offences through a medium so false and flattering, that they appear clear as innocence, or bright as virtue. Thus repentance never appears necessary, and therefore reformation is hopeless. Hence it is that such a turn of mind as leads to boasting, is so severely condemned in every part of Scripture; and the opposite character of humility, contrition, and self-abasement, so decidedly approved, so strongly recommended. "Seest thou (says the preacher,) a man wise in his own conceit, there is more hope of a fool than of him." And the prophet, "Thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also who is of a contrite Matt. vii. 13. + Micah, vi. 8. || 1 Thes. v. 19. VOL. III. + Ephes. iv. 30. and humble Spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones."* In the sacred records of the Gospel, the spirit of humility is equally praised; the arrogance of boasting equally condemned. In that divine scheme of instruction, by which at the commencement of his ministry, our Lord laid the foundation of Christian virtue, as the corner-stone of this system, he annexes that blessedness which is the effect and encouragement of conformity to the divine will, to penitence, and humility. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, (i. e. the self-abased and lowlyminded) for theirs is the kingdom of heaven;"†, i. e. such alone are fitted to become my followers here, and to enjoy the glories of my kingdom hereafter. "Blessed are they that mourn," (i. e. that mourn for their sins with a godly sorrow,) "for they shall be comforted;" comforted with the assurance of present pardon, and of future happiness. "Blessed are the meek;" that is, the humble and unassuming, who boast of no peculiar merit, who advance no pretensions to superiority; "for they shall inherit the earth," their enjoyment even of this world shall be more secure and tranquil than that of the proud, and they will have a sure portion in that future world, where the humble and penitent only shall dwell. "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness;" who deeply sensible of their spiritual defects, are as uneasy under that consciousness, as anxious for instruction and amendment, as men pining with hunger and thirst are to satisfy their cravings by seeking for a plentiful and wholesome supply-" they shall be filled;" they shall by the aid of divine grace, have their spiritual wants supplied, their weakness strengthened, and their faith confirmed, until they advance from strength to strength, and ultimately attain acceptance and reward in heaven. Thus strongly does our Lord, at the very outset of his ministry, encourage repentance and humility. And through the entire of his ministry he inculcates the same principles. The woman of Canaan, who, unoffended by the apparently harsh repulse, "I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel; it is not meet to take the children's bread and cast it to dogs,"* could still reply, "Truth, Lord, yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master's table "-she is approved, and her persevering humility rewarded; "Woman, great is thy faith; be it unto thee even as thou wilt." Thus also the centurion, who to our Lord's gracious offer, "I will come and heal thy servant," replied, "Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof, but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed;"t-his faith and self-abasement are praised, as worthy of the kingdom of heaven. Thus also our Lord declares the impossibility of human merit claiming reward from God. "Doth the master thank his servant because he did the things that were commanded him, I trow not; so likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, we are unprofitable servants, we have done that which it was our duty to do."‡ But as our divine Lord rejects and condemns presumption and pride, he is ever prompt to encourage the humble, and pardon the penitent. "Come unto me all ye that travail and are heavy laden, (i. e. loaded with the burden of their conscious guilt,) and I will give you rest,"§ is his gracious assurance. "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance;"|| as if he had said, I waste not my instructions on those who deem themselves righteous, for they would not listen to my words; but the conscious sinner, if he obey my call to repentance, I will pardon and bless. For, (as he elsewhere says of himself, in the words of the prophet,) "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor, to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord."¶ Thus decidedly does the Son of God, the Redeemer, and the Judge of man, extend his mercies to the humble, the penitent, the self-abased; and condemn all, who forgetting their corruption, their crimes, and their omissions; their inexcusable violations of the duty they owe to God, to their neighbour, • Matt. xv. 24, 27. § Matt. xi. 28, 29. + Luke vii. 1-10. Luke xvii. 7-10. and to themselves, "trust that they are righteous"* enough to escape punishment, or boast of such merit as may claim reward. It is therefore of great importance to discover the causes, the circumstances and dispositions, which lead to this anti-christian boasting, this spiritual pride, so criminal in its nature, so offensive to our God, so destructive to ourselves, so opposed to all the influences of grace, and all our hopes of heaven. This spirit of boasting may undoubtedly be traced to the ruling principle of our fallen nature, even self-love carried to excess. This disposition leads us to dwell with complacency and delight on every circumstance inherent in ourselves, which we can by any means consider as useful, pleasing, ornamental, desirable, or even as peculiarly distinguishing and extraordinary, though unattended with any other recommendation. And it is remarkable, that we indulge this self-complacency, we boast of possessing these advantages or privileges, these distinctions or peculiarities, very generally without stopping to consider whether they were attained by our own exertions or not. If they become by any means ours, we boast, we are proud of them, though originating in circumstances over which we had no influence or control, and from which, therefore, reason would dictate we could claim no merit. And I believe it will be found, that our boasting and our pride are almost always increased, in proportion as the circumstances in which we pride ourselves are more peculiarly and exclusively our own, such as none, or very few besides ourselves, can possess or attain to. Thus it is plainly impossible, that any man can attribute to his own exertions the circumstances attending his birth, or reasonably claim any merit to himself as having been the son of a king, rather than of a beggar; a rich man, rather than a poor; as being born in one city or country, rather than another; in France, or Spain, or England, rather than in any other spot of this our globe. Yet we constantly hear of the proud Englishman, the haughty Spaniard, and the vain Frenchman-proud, haughty, and vain, merely because they belong to nations, each of which deems itself superior to every other, while the individual claims a full share of such superiority, as belonging to himself. Thus also, *Luke xviii. 9. hereditary rank and hereditary wealth and family distinction are known to be advantages, on which men most remarkably pride themselves; indeed generally more than on rank or wealth acquired by their own exertions. And this is probably, because the very circumstance of having themselves risen from obscurity or indigence proves, that others may do the same; and therefore shows, that the advantages so acquired may not be so exclusively peculiar to themselves; while hereditary rank and wealth exclusively belong to classes already so privileged. Hence family pride is so universal, and appears so natural, that none perhaps sincerely condemn it, unless their own pride is wounded, or their own pretensions checked by its superior claims or ascendancy. Thus again, what human being can add one cubit to his stature, or change one feature or one limb which nature gives? Yet stature and shape, and their attendants, strength and activity, and still more, beauty with all its bloom and grace, perishable though they be, are proverbially the sources of selfcomplacency, and pride, and boasting, and vanity. Thus again, men are generally more proud of talents than of mere learning, more anxious for the praise of penetration and sagacity, than of experience and industry, though attended with more extended knowledge, and more useful skill. Such is confessedly the universal weakness of human nature, its proneness to pride or boasting, as exemplified in objects not immediately connected with religion or morals. On religious subjects also, this pride appears in a form, equally conspicuous and equally irrational. Men are proud of the religion in which they were born; and which they have been habitually, and as it were unconsciously led to profess; even where most grossly ignorant of its evidence and its truth, and most criminally inattentive to its duties and its laws. The Mahometan, the Indian Bramin, the Chinese Mandarin, are all proud and bigoted, perhaps equally. But unhappily, the more the opinions they hold, countenance and sanction the depraved passions and corrupt affections of human nature, the more greodily are they received, the more promptly and decidedly are they acted on. Thus also, the more rigidly they exclude all but their own nation or sect from divine favour, the more firmly are they |