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 ftrict 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 Praise to himself upon Account thereof, that, on the contrary, he attributed nothing to himfelf, but gave all to his Father, afcribing the whole Glory to him. I can do nothing (fays he) of myself; the Father that dwelleth in me, he doth the Works. As I hear, I judge; and my Fudgment is juft, becaufe I Jeek not my own, but the Will of my Father which hath sent me. When the Woman, being ftruck with Admiration of his wonderful Preaching, and his wonderful Works, cried out in a Tranfport, Bleed is the Womb that bare thee, and the Paps that gave thee fuck! See how he turns this Acclamation, that feems to reflect fome Glory upon himself, to quite another Purpofe, namely, to the encouraging the By-ftanders in Virtue; Yea,

rather

rather (fays he) bleffed 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 Praise: no, nor those 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 himself: 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 Inftances; there can be but one of Mankind that is the worst, 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 false Apprehenfions 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

knows

knows he is poffeffed of many Excellencies and Virtues, which perhaps others have not, though he knows he doth many commendable Actions, which ought juftly to render him efteemed, and taken notice of by others; yet he is not at all the more puffed up for this; his Defigns are braver and greater than to feek himself in any thing that he doth. Vain-glory, and the Defire of Praife, is no Ingredient into any of his Actions. On the contrary, provided he but do the Work that God fent him hither to do, and maintain the Poft in which he is placed, he cares not how meanly and contemptibly he be thought on in the World. So far is he from being his own Trumpeter, or from making popular Applause the End of any thing that he doth, that fo that the Good be done, he matters not whether any body knows that it was he that did it: Nay, tho' instead of the Acclamations of the Neighbourhood, he fhould be pursued with their Cenfures and Reproaches, he is not a-whit disturbed, so long as that that caufed them was well intended.

But tho' he be little concern'd for his own Praise, and be indifferent whether he hath it or no, he is highly concerned that God have his. And therefore, as he very well knows and confiders, that whatever Virtue he hath, whatever good Action he

doth,

doth, is wholly owing to the Mercies and Favour of God; fo is he ready always to attribute the Glory of all to Him, looking upon himself as a poor indigent Creature, nay, as one that had been worfe than nothing, had he not been made what he is by the Divine Bounty. So that, with the lowest Proftration of his Soul, he continually adores the Riches of God's Grace to him,. acknowledges himfelf to be infinitely unworthy of the leaft of his Mercies, and in every Inftance of his Life, whatever he doth, whatever he poffeffeth, whatever he fuffereth, that any way feems to redound. to his own Praife, he refers it all to the Goodness of his heavenly Father, continually faying with David, Not unto us, O God, not unto us, but unto thy Name be the Praife.

Thus have I given you fome kind of Description of the humble Man, as our Saviour hath in his own Perfon represented him. I now pass on, in the fifth Place, to another Thing, wherein he hath proposed himself to our Imitation, and that is, his extraordinary Meekness.

This, as I faid before, is one of those Qualities that he would have us learn of him; Learn of me (faith he) for Iam meek and lowly in Heart. And indeed, he that was fo eminently humble, as has been faid,

muft

must needs be a very meek Perfon; this Virtue being a natural and neceffary Confequence of that: All Anger, and Wrathfulness, and Haftinefs of Temper, being generally the Effects of Pride, and an overweening Conceit and fond Love of our felves. If we truly had thofe lowly Thoughts of ourfelves that we ought to have, we should not be easily provoked, or put out of our Temper, by any Thing that could be offered to us.

But to come to the Point. Well might our Saviour bid us learn of him to be meek, for no one elfe could ever fo teach us as he did. There was nothing of Harshness or Ruggedness in his Difpofition; but we may truly fay of him, that he was the quieteft, gentleft, eveneft-tempered Man in the World. That which we call good Nature,was in him in Perfection. He would neither give any Offence to others, nor take any Offence at any thing that others could fay or do to him. As he would not be provoked, fo neither would he willingly provoke any. On the contrary, he was full of Humility and Courtefy, affable and fociable, ready to yield all innocent Compliances to the Perfons with whom he converfed. So that in this Senfe he was a truly complaifant Perfon, as we exprefs, if we may ufe fuch a Word of fuch a Perfon.