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Looks, and that furly Statelinefs, that too often attended it!

Can any one that calls himfelf a Disciple of Chrift, and feriously reflects upon thefe Paffages of the Life of his Mafter, be eafily proud of that Wealth, or thofe Titles, that Fortune has given him above others? Who art thou, that thou fhouldeft value thyself upon the Nobleness of thy Birth, or of thy Relations, when thy Lord was born in the Stable of an Inn? Who art thou, that thou fhouldeft pride it in thy rich Cloaths, and thy great Poffeffions, and thy fplendid Equipage, and thy fumptuous Way of Living, and defpife all others that are inferior to thee in thefe Refpects, when he whom thou adoreft was meanly clad, and lived in great Poverty, and had not fo much as a Houfe to lay his Head in? Who art thou, that thou fhouldeft be fo difficult and inacceffible, and fo mortally offended, if every Punctilio of Place, and Ceremony, and Addrefs be not obferved towards thee, when the Perfon, by whofe Name thou calleft thyself, and whofe Life thou pretendeft to copy out, vouchfafed even to wafh the very Feet of his Servants, and commanded thee to go and do likewife? Not that we are to think that these Inftances of our Lord's Humility and Selfdenial do oblige any of his Followers according to the Letter: Far be it from any

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Christian to think, that he is hound, by Virtue of our Saviour's Example in thefe Particulars, to throw away his rich Attire, or to take upon him a voluntary Poverty, or to lay afide his Titles of Dignity, or to refufe thofe Refpects or Distances that are due to his Quality. No, no: Chriftianity doth no way favour the Principles of Quakers or Levellers; it certainly allows, and the Conftitution of human Affairs neceffarily requires, that there fhould be different Orders and Degrees of Men; that there fhould be Superiors and Inferiors, and Men of all Ranks and Qualities; and that every Man, according to his Degree, fhould have his different Way of Living, and a different Respect paid to him. Those that are placed in a higher Sphere, ought to be distinguished by feveral outward Badges and Characters from the common Crowd of Mankind. And whoever hath a plentiful Portion of outward Goods allowed him in this Life, may, without Offence, freely enjoy them, not only for the Supply of his Neceffities, but even for his Conveniency and Delight. A Man may be a good Chriftian, and yet wear rich Cloth, and fare fumptuoufly, and have a great Retinue, and receive the Refpects, and keep the Distances that are due to the Poft and Station he maintains in the World.

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All that the Example of our Lord calls for at our Hands in this Matter, is, that we do not one Jot the more esteem our felves, or undervalue others, upon Account of thefe outward Things; but that we be affable, and courteous, and ready to ferve others in the meaneft Inftances, whenever it is in our Power; that we be poor in Spirit in the midft of our Wealth, or State, or Bravery; that we ufe this World as if we used it not; that we keep our Hearts To unintangled by it, fo loofe from it, that we never forget God, nor our Neighbour, nor ourselves, fo long as we poffefs it, and are heartily willing to part with it the next Moment, if the Caufe of God or Virtue doth require that we fhould. Whoever is thus qualified, thus difpofed and prepared, is a true Follower of our Lord Jefus in his Humility, and Poverty, and Condefcenfion, let his outward Circumstances and Way of Living be never fo pompous and magnificent.

But befides our Saviour's infinite Condefcenfion, he gave us other Evidences of a great Humility, which it will highly concern us to imitate him in. He was perfectly dead to the Praise of Men, and 'ftudied only to approve himself to God. So far was he from oftentating himself, from catching at the Applaufe of the People, that he feemed ftudioufly to conceal

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all thofe Qualities and Actions of his that might procure it. When he had done any great Work that was praife-worthy, he was fo far from publishing it himself, that he often laid a strict Charge upon those that had received the Benefit of it, that they should tell no Man. No Man, with a thousandth Part of his Excellencies, and Perfections, and heroical Actions, ever made fo little a Noife in the World; nay, even then, when his Virtues and wonderful Works became fo illuftrious, that they could not be any longer concealed, yet even then he was fo far from pleafing himself in this, or affuming any Praife to himself upon Account thereof, that, on the contrary, he attributed nothing to himself, but gave all to his Father, afcribing the whole Glory to him. I can do nothing (fays he) of my felf; the Father that dwelleth in me, he doth the Works. As I hear, I judge; and my Judgment is juft, because I feek not my own, but the Will of my Father which hath fent me. When the Woman, being ftruck with Admiration of his wonderful Preaching, and his wonderful Works, cried out in a Tranfport, Bleffed is the Womb that bare thee, and the Paps that gave thee Juck! See how he turns this Acclamation, that seems to reflect fome Glory upon himself, to quite another Purpose, namely, to the encouraging the By-ftanders in Virtue; Yea,

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rather (fays he) blessed are thofe that do the Will of my Father.

This now is that divine Humility we are all to labour after. We are not to think them the humbleft Perfons that make the largest Declarations against themselves, and entertain all Companies with their own Infirmities; for this poffibly may be only an Art to catch Praife: no, nor thofe that are really fenfible of their several Defects, that know their own Poverty, and how far a great many others do outftrip them in feveral Accomplishments; for this is not always fo much an Effect of Virtue, as of the Soundness of a Man's Understanding; for it would argue the Man to be a Fool, if he had other Thoughts of himfelf: Much lefs is it the Perfection of Humility to think one's felf the worft, or the meaneft, or the moft contemptible of Mankind; for it is certain fuch a Notion of a Man's felf cannot be true in all Instances; there can be but one of Mankind that is the worft, or the meaneft, or the like. And therefore, if all Men be obliged, upon the Account of Humility, to think themselves that Man, it is manifeft that all of them, except one, hath falfe Apprchenfions of himself. And fure it can be no Part of any Man's Virtue to think otherwife of himself than he really is. But he is the true humble Man, and moft imitates our Saviour, who, though he

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