selves at the expense of others? " Strife and vain-glory" are, in my text, put in immediate contrast with " the lowliness of mind" which is there recommended. Suppose that all were actuated by the spirit of which we have been speaking ; the little offences which occur would be scarcely noticed as worthy of a thought: a charitable construction would be put upon the motives of others, and the wounds inflicted by them would be healed in a moment. Verily, there would be nothing but love and harmony, where now exists nothing but animosity and discord13."]
2. On our own soul —
[O ! if pride were mortified, and self-love were put away, and charity were exercised, and the soul were humbled under a sense of its own unworthiness ; how many sources of pain would be cut off! how many fountains of holy pleasure would be opened to us ! The trials of life, whether from God or man, would be as nothing to us ; because they would appear infinitely less than our desert, and would be regarded as medi- cines to heal the sickness of our souls. On the other hand, our mercies, how unmerited would they appear ; and what admiring and adoring gratitude would they excite within us ! Every little attention from man, instead of operating to foster our vanity, would abase us rather as unworthy of such love, and stimulate us to make to him every return in our power. The whole of our frame would resemble that of the Lord Jesus Christ, " whose meekness and lowliness " were alike conspi- cuous, amidst the acclamations of friends, and the assaults of the most envenomed enemies.]
3. On the interest of religion in the world —
[The world are eagle-eyed in spying out the faults of those who profess religion : and when they see a vain, con- ceited, talkative, obtrusive, uncharitable professor, they despise him in their very souls. And truly he deserves to be despised; for "he stinks in the nostrils of God" himself0. But the world do wrong in identifying these dispositions with religion : for religion disclaims them utterly, and altogether condemns them. On the other hand, they cannot but admire in their hearts the man who is of a meek and humble mind. True, they will not love him, because " they hate the light " which such a character reflects : but they have an inward conviction that he is right ; and a wish, that, though they live not his life, they may " die his death." They know, in their souls, that God approves such characters, and that he will distinguish
b Eph. iv. 2, 3. c Isai. lxv. 5.