The Whole Duty of Man Epitomized, Part 6
PARTITION VI.
Of Sobriety, of Humility, the great Sin of Pride, of vain Glory, the Danger, Folly, the means to prevent it, of Meekneſs, &c.
Duty to our Selves.
THis Duty to our Duty to our Selves.Selves, is by St. …aul ſumm'd up in … word SOBERLY, by which … meaning muſt be our keeping …ithin thoſe bounds which God has … us, both with reſpect to our …ouls and Bodies; and this ſober …overnment of the Soul requires a great many Vertues, of which I place Humility Humility.in the firſt Rank.
Humility gives us low and humble thoughts of our ſelves, direct us to behave our ſelves eaſily und… the mean Opinion of others, an… withal is directly oppoſite to … kind of Pride, and vain Glory; tw… of the moſt dangerous Enemies … Mankind.
Pride in the fir… Place, is a very gre… Pride a great Sin, betraies us to other Sins, fruſtrates all Remedies. Expoſes us to Puniſhment.and provoking Sin, … has been often ſhe… by God's ſevere P…niſhments of it, it … in ſome reſpects, … ther a Parent or Nurſe to moſt oth… Vices, by betrayi… us firſt, and then … drawing us in to reject all Remed… and by fruſtrating all the deſi… and overtures of Gods Mercies; a… beſide this too, it betrays us to …niſhments, God having all al… declar'd himſelf the proud Ma… particular Enemy.
'Tis likewiſe a very fooliſh Vice, a Vice The Folly of Pride in reſpect of the Goods of Nature, Fortune or Grace.that argues the greateſt Folly that can be, becauſe there can be nothing either in the Goods of Nature, Fortune or Grace, that with any reaſonable pretence we can be proud of.
That this dangerous and fooliſh Sin is to be avoided, I ſuppoſe we may take for granted, and the chief Means to do it, are by applying our ſelves to God for the Grace of Humility; Means of Humility.which may be beſt acquir'd by a Reflection upon our own Sins, Follies, Meanneſs and Imperfections; to which we ought to joyn our hearty Prayers, that God would make us ſome of thoſe poor in Spirit to whom the Bleſſings of Heaven are promis'd.
Secondly, Vain Glory; that is, an empty thirſt after the Praiſe of Men, is likewiſe oppoſite to Humility, and a very great Sin; for it betraies Vain Glory; the Sin, Danger, and Folly of it.Men into ſeveral dangers, but more eſpecially erraces Chriſt out of their Heart…. 'Tis an Indication of Folly too, which every one muſt be ſatisfied in, that would but conſider what 'tis he hunts for, only a little empty Applauſe, a little popular Air▪ which can never bring him any ſolid advantage; the Means to help this Helps againſt Vain-Glory.are to conſider o… ſelves in the firſt place and then the true ſtate of things in the ſecond, and … weigh both in the Ballance of Wiſdom and Sobriety.
Meekneſs; that is a Calm and peacef… Meekneſs and the advantages of it.Temper is another great Vertue, and may be exerciſed both with reſpect to God and our ſelves, that towards God falls under the Head of Humility and is already ſpoken to; as it reſpects our ſelves, 'tis an Advantage in a great many Particulars; more eſpecially as it promotes our Honour and Reputation, enables us to bear the Sufferings of Humane Life with Eaſe and Moderation, and with Prudence and a good poſture of Mind; and the proper Means to obtain Means of obtaining itthis moſt admirable Vertue, are by comparing the Lovelineſs and Benefits of it, with the uglineſs and miſchiefs of Rage and Anger, but above all, by contemplating the Life and Example of that great Pattern of all Meekneſs Jeſus Chriſt.
Conſideration is a third Vertue, that relates Conſideration of our ſtate, 'tis the rule to try our State.to the Soul, and directs us to preponderate both our State and our Actions; to weigh our State firſt, and to conſider both the Grounds of our Faith, and the Caſe of our Souls; and accordingly to prepare our ſelves againſt the Day of Deat… and Judgment; an… the neglect of thi… The Danger of Inconſideration.moſt excellent Vertue has been the ruine of thouſands, and is the general Cauſe of all our Sin… and Misfortunes.
It directs us too i… our Actions; teache… Of our Actions before, and after we do them.us to adviſe with ou… Conſciences, and t… debate the probabl… good or ill of every thing we do before we do it, and t… examine likewiſe thoſe things tha… we have already done, whether they may be warranted by the Law… of God, and the Rules of Religio… and Sobriety; upon many Account… therefore we are to employ it often both with reſpect to our State an… Actions, and to mak… up our Accounts frequently; Frequency of Conſideration and Danger of omitting it.and the plain Reaſon for it i… this, becauſe ou… Lives are ſo wavering and uncertain, that we hazard our Salvation, when ever we lie down to ſleep in an unrepented Sin.