undone creatures, who have no hope but in the tender mercy of God in Christ Jesus. We must, as far as respects all hope in ourselves, feel ourselves in the very condition of the fallen angels, whose sin we have followed, and whose punishment, we are doomed to share. Indeed, indeed, this is our very state, whether we know it or not : and it becomes us to seek the knowledge of it, and to live under a sense of it every day, and all the day long. We should never appear either before God or man in any other dress than this. It was the clothing of holy Job when in his most perfect statea: and so far ought we to be from putting it off because God is reconciled towards us, that a sense of our acceptance with him through Christ should operate as an additional motive for making it the one continual habit of our minds b. Incessantly should we lie low before him in dust and ashes, and rely altogether upon " his mercy to pardon us, and his grace to help us in every time of need."]
2. As exercised towards men —
[I forbear to mention any other exercises of this grace towards God, in order that I may keep the subject as simple and intelligible as I can. But in viewing its exercises towards man, I must of necessity diversify it somewhat more. Its chief actings will be found to consist in the following things : we must regard ourselves as the lowest of all ; and be willing to be treated by others as the lowest of all ; and gladly execute the meanest offices, as the lowest of all.
We must regard ourselves as the lowest of all; " esteeming others better than ourselves0," and "preferring them in honour before ourselves d," and being ready in all places, and on all occasions, to "take the lowest place6." It is not indeed neces- sary that we should accuse ourselves of sins which we have not committed, or deny the superiority of virtue to vice : but we should have such a sense of the peculiar advantages we have enjoyed, and the infinite obligations we lie under, and the consequent aggravations that have attended the many evils which we have committed, that we should account ourselves " less than the least of all saints f," yea, the very " chief of sinners8."
Nor must we be offended if we be treated by others as deserving of this character. It is only from pride and a con- ceit of something good in us, that we are induced to lay to heart the contempt and ignominy that are cast upon us. If we are sincere in abhorring ourselves, it will be a small matter to us that we are abhorred by others. David deserved not the
a Job xlii. 5, 6. b Ezek. xvi. 63. c Phil. ii. 3.
d Rom. xii. 10. e Luke xiv. 10. f Eph. iii. 8.
s 1 Tim. i. 15.