own eyes, much in deLasing lierself upon all occasions, looking upon herself as below ' the least of mercies,' with Jacob, Gen. xxxii. 10 ; and as ' dust and ashes,' with Abraham, Gen. xviii. 27 ; and as ' a poor Avorm,' with David, Ps. xxii. G ; and ' less than the least of all saints,' with Paul, Eph. iii. 8. And commonly the more high in spiritual worth, the more humble in heart. God delights to pour in grace into humble souls, as men pour in liquor into empty vessels. Humility makes a person peaceable among brethren, fruitful in well- doing, cheerful in suffering, and constant in holy walking. Humility makes a man precious in the eyes of God. Who is little in his own account is always great in God's esteem. It is well observed by some, that those brave creatures, the eagle and the lion, were not offered in sacrifice unto God, but the poor lambs and doves were ; to note that God regards not your brave, higli, lofty spirits, but poor, meek, and contemptible spirits. Humility is a rare grace. Many, saith Augus- tine, can more easily give all they have to the poor, than themselves become poor in spirit. Be low in your own eyes, and be content to be low in the eyes of others ; and think not of yourselves above what is meet, as ever you would write after your mother's copy, and affect more to be amongst God's ' little ones,' Mat. xviii. 10, than the ' great ones of this world.' Be humble Christians ; as ever you would be holy, be humble. Humility is of the essence of the ' new creature.' He is not a Christian that is not humble. The more grace the more humble. Those that have been most high in spiritual worth have always been most humble in heart. Ignatius could say of himself, Non sum dignus did minimus, I am not worthy to he called the least. Lord, I am hell, but thou art heaven, said blessed Hooper. I am a most hypocritical WTctch, not worthy that the earth sh(ndd bear me, said holy Bradford. I have no other name, saith Luther, than ' sin- ner ;' sinner is my name, sinner is my surname. This is the name by which I shall be always known. 1 have sinned, I do sin, I shall sin in injinitum. Ruth was the daughter of the king of Moab, if we may give credit to the general opinion of the Rabbins ; or if that be not so probable, yet she was one that we may well suppose to have been one of good quality in her own country, as being wife of Mahlon, the elder brother of the family of the prince Naasson : yet she accounts herself scarce equal to one of the maid-servants in the house of Boaz, Ruth ii. 13. tSo Abigail, the wit of the time, 1 Sam. xxv. 41. So Eliza- beth, though she ^vas the elder and the better woman for outward quality, yet how confounded was she wnth Mary's visit, as being too great a weight of honour for her to bear, Luke i. 43. So Mary, Luke i. 38. ' If I were asked,' said Austin, ' what is the readiest way to attain true hajq)iness, I would answer, the first, the second, the third thing is humility.' lluniility doth not only entitle to ha])piness, but to the highest degree of happiness. Mat xviii. 4. Humility is that Jacob's ladder which reaches from earth to heaven.
3. Thirdly, Imitate her in her charity and mercy toicards suffering, needy, and wanting ones. How seldom did you find her ear or hand shut against charitable motions ! She knew that those that did good to the poor and needy for Christ's sake, God would do good to them for the poor's sake, most sure for his Son's sake. She knew that he
THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY. 439
who promised they ' should have that asked/ had first commanded such to give unto tliem that asked ; she knew that unmercifulness is a sin wliich least becomes and worse beseems one that had so largely- tasted of the mercies of God, as she had done both in New and Old England. She was much made up of pity and mercy to the poor ; the bellies of the hungry, and the back of the naked, did often proclaim her pity and charity. Many ministers, widows, and fatherless ones, have tasted not only of her husband's bounty, but of hers also. Vain persons, when they give, they will cause their kindness to run in a visible channel, they will sound a trumpet, to be seen of men, Mat. vi. 1, 2 ; but was she not a secret and hidden reliever of God's dis- tressed ones ? Did she not refresh the bowels of many with her hid treasures ? Will you all learn to write after this copy? Of Midas it is fabled, ' that whatever he touched he turned into gold.' It is most sure that whatever the hand of charity toucheth it turneth into gold, — be it but a cup of cold water, — nay, into heaven itself ; cold water, having not fuel to heat it ; cold water, which costs not the charge of fire to warm it. Salvian saith that Christ is mendicorum ynaximus, the greatest beggar in the world, as one that shareth in all liis saints' necessities, Heb. vi. 10; and will never forget the charitable person, the merciful person. Cicero could say, ' That to be rich is not to pos- sess much, but to use much ;' and Seneca could rebuke them that so studied to increase their wealth that they forgot to use it. I have read of one Evagrius, a rich man, that lying upon his death-bed, being- importuned by Synesius, a pious bishop, to give something to chari- table uses, he yielded at last to give three hundred pounds ; but first took bond of the bishop that it should be repaid him in another world before he had been one day dead. He is said to have appeared to the bishop, delivering in the bond cancelled, as thereby acknowledging what was promised was made good, according to that promise : Mat. xix. 29, ' And every one that hath forsaken houses,' &c.
4. Fourthly, Imitate her in keeping off from the sins and pollutions of the day loherein you live. Was she not one of God's mourning one's for the abominations of the time ? Did not men's abomination in worship and practice vex, grieve, and wound her poor soul ? Was it not her great work to live by no rule, to walk by no rule, to worship God by no rule, but by that which she dared to die by, and to stand by in the great day of our Lord Jesus ? Ezek. ix. 4, 6 : Jer. ix. 1,2; 2 Pet. ii. 7, 8 ; Ps. cxix. 53, 136, 158. She knew that worshipping of God in spirit and in truth was the great worship, the only worship that God stood upon, John iv. 23, 24. She did not, she durst not, worship God according to the customs of the world, or the traditions of the elders, Phil. iii. 3, or the examples of great men. She knew that that worship that is not according to the word, is (1.) Worship- ping of devils and not God. Those that depart from the true worship of God, and set upon false worship forbidden by God, do not serve God by it, but the devil, what boasting soever they make, as you may evi- dently see by comparing the scriptures in the margin together, i ^ She knew, (2.) That that worship that is not according to the word, is an image of idolatry, which of all sins is most provoking to a holy, jealous