on delivered by the Apoftle in the Words of the Text; being directed indeed more particularly to thofe Chriftians of his time, who upon pretence of extraordinary Gifts, whether of Knowledge, Miracles, or other Graces, defpifed their fellow Chriftians, who were lefs gifted; became proud and arrogant; invaded the Offices of their Superiors, and violated the publick Order of the Church; but delivered in fuch general Terms, as equally oppofe all other Errors of Men concerning the Dignity of their Nature, or the Greatness of their Merits; recommended by a peculiar Preface of Divine Authority: For I fay unto you, through the Grace given unto me; directed unto all Chriftians, To every Man that is among you; altho' all cannot be supposed to have been guilty of that particular Exorbitance; and propofed in fuch a general Precept, as will obviate all the aforementioned Miftakes and Inconveniencies: Not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think. I fhall confider it as fuch a general Precept; and fhew, I. The Reasonableness of it. I. The Reasonablenefs of it will appear, by comparing the fond and exorbitant Pretenfions of Men, with the Imperfections of their Nature. Man is apt falfly to perfuade himself himself that he is a greater and more noble fort of Being than he really is. He pleafeth himself with vaft Conceptions of his own Dignity, and upon Confidence of them raifeth his Pretenfions to Matters beyond his Capacity, at least beyond his Merit. This was the Original of all the Misfortunes of Mankind; from hence was derived the Fall of our first Parents; to this we are to afcribe our prefent and future Mifery. The wicked Angels had led the Way, who were no fooner created, but reflecting on the Excellency of their Nature, the Dignity of their Order, and the Capacity of their Understandings, became Proud and Infolent, rebelled against God, and attempted an Independency on the Crown of Heaven. Man foon followed the Example of those wicked Spirits; who reflecting on the Faculties of his own Soul, which were then entire and vigorous, exalted with the Happinefs of his prefent Condition, which was then free from Cares and Croffes, entertained a foolish Ambition of improving his Nature to fomewhat yet greater, even of making himself like to God himself; and fo being falfely perfuaded by the Serpent, that the way to compass his Designs, was to eat of the forbidden Fruit, he fell from his former Happiness, and entailed Misery upon all his Pofterity; whofe Happiness was from thence abated, their Faculties enervated, and their Perfections leffened. Yet could not the dreadful Example of their first Parents, nor the Confcience of their much greater Imperfections, divert fucceeding Mankind from engaging themselves in the fame Mistakes. They loft the Dignity, but retained the Pride of their Forefathers, keep up their Pretenfions, and flatter themselves with an over-great Opinion of their own Perfections. For not to mention the Impiety of Atheists, who pretend to be wholly independent from God, and deny to have received their Existence from him; to omit the Profaneness of ancient Epicureans, and many modern Deifts, who difown his Government of the World, and imagine themselves to be freed abfolutely from his Dominion; even thofe who own the Existence of God, his Government of the World, and their own Dependance on him, ftill continue extravagant Pretences to greater Perfections than were defigned for them. We commonly imagine our felves to be the Top of the Creation; and that all other Beings, Heaven and Earth, Angels and Animals, were created merely for our Service. Hence we form a lofty Conceit of our own Excellence, and look down upon other Creatures with Disdain; we grow angry, if Heaven and Earth do not continually confpire to advance our Interests; we think our felves injured, if the general Laws of Providence be not violated for the Promotion of our Concerns; we project ex traor traordinary Schemes of Happiness, and then are apt to murmur against God, if they are not effected. We fcorn that imperfect Happiness, which his Providence hath affigned us in the World; we efteem it inferior to the fuppofed Dignity of our Nature, and think it impoffible that fo noble a Being fhould not enjoy fome greater Happiness, than what we find belongs to us in this Life. This Happiness moft Men place in the Satisfaction of their Senses; but then quickly perceiving that even more ignoble Beings enjoy the fame Satisfaction, they turmoil themselves about enhancing the Pleafures of Senfe. To this Purpose they either feek after Riches, or let loofe the Reins to Luxury; but after all, finding themselves disappointed, they become discontented, because not obtaining a Happiness correspondent to the Efteem of their own Merits. Or if any of better Education and more noble Thoughts, feek this Felicity in the Perfection of their Souls, yet are not they free from the like Mistake, but aim at greater Perfections than their Nature will bear; carry their Enquiries into Matters too hard for them, and then become difquieted, becaufe the Knowledge of fuch Things is denied to them; because they find their Souls to be oft-times dull and devoid of Vigor, and cannot hinder the Perturbation of them, by Commotions from the the Body; and oft-times experience the Decay of their Faculties. With these Thoughts they afflict themselves; and imagining their Nature to be somewhat greater than it really is, vainly endeavour to free themselves from all these Imperfections. Such are the common Mistakes of Mankind; Mistakes which few escape. But then there are other particular, yet frequent Mistakes derived from the fame Fountain, which are no lefs grofs. and far more prejudicial to the Interefts of another Life. From this irrational Opinion of their own Excellency, many Men are tempted to believe that they lay an Obligation upon God, when they execute his Commands, and perform his Will. They imagine the Benefit redoundeth to God, and that it is no fmall Kindness to him to hearken to his Proposals of Salvation: And thence are often drawn into a falfe Perfuafion, that God will wink at their Impenitence, rather than forfeit the Satisfaction of faving them. This Error hath prevailed fo far, that among many Chriftians it is believed, that God may in a strict Sense be made a Debtor to Man by Works of Supererogation: And others perfuade themselves into a Belief of particular Decrees of Election and Predetination made in Favour of them. They may pretend indeed, for the ground of their Perfuafion, the arbitrary Will of God, but the true Foundation of it will be difcovered to |