his infirmities, failings, and obligations, on the one hand, and fenfible, on the other, of what belongs to him as a being poffeffed of upright intentions, deftined to glorious purposes, and honoured with ineftimable privileges in the creation of God.

But muft it not be owned, that Humility has been sometimes accompanied, in the presence of strangers and fuperiors, with an embarraffment, a perturbation, a terror, extremely prejudicial to fuccefs? Have not bashful youths more especially been fometimes fo depreffed and chilled by their diffidence in the beginning, that they have never been able to furmount it, or its effects, as long as they lived? All this has, no doubt, happened, though the present is not an age in which it is likely to happen very often. The celebrated author before quoted, fays, even of Modefty, that "it has a natural tendency to "conceal a man's talents; as impudence "displays them to the utmost, and has

"been the only cause, why many have "rifen in the world under all the difad

¢ vantages of low birth and little merit." But he ought to have diftinguished betweenModefty and want of firmness, between Humility and want of fpirit. The one is a virtue; the other, a weakness: the one adds to a man's value; the other takes from its currency. There is a becoming refolution, an ingenuous confidence, in afferting, juftifying, defending to the laft, what the heart believes to be right and true, that is no way incompatible with an unaffuming temper, or an unpretending manner.

It fhould likewife be obferved, that bafhfulness in the extreme may be frequently the refult of too anxious an attention to one's felf, too eager an aim to shine. or to please, too quick an apprehenfion of. not appearing to fufficient advantage. He. is, in truth, the humbleft man, who wears the garment of Humility with the leaft confcioufnefs, and the greatest ease.

VOL. II.

U

It deferves to be added, that, however the empty and the forward may often fucceed, and fometimes divert, they never delight, they often difguft, and commonly at length fink into contempt, at least among perfons of difcernment. Such will feldom chufe to employ, in business of serious moment, those whose folly and conceit they may fometimes in a vacant hour fuffer to amufe them. It is to the folid, the fteady, the modeft, that they will look for affiftance in cafes of importance.

Image to yourselves a youth of this character; and the following account you will, if I mistake not, generally find to be true. He may at fetting out work his way fomewhat flowly, as the fober dawn rifes by little and little, and foftly steals upon the world. But, like it too, his progrefs will be fure: " his path," to speak in the fublime language of Solomon, "is "as the morning light that fhineth more

❝ and more, unto the perfect day." By real, increafing, unoftentatious worth he will filently gain real, increasing, unreluctant regard. Free from Pride himself, he will not be apt to hurt the Pride of other men. He will not expofe his weaknefs by attempting beyond his ftrength. He will improve on acquaintance, inftead of lofing by it; and, in proportion as his merit is difcovered, the beft people will be difpofed to encourage it for its own fake, and to love him for not proclaiming it. By accepting their kindness as a favour, he will receive the more. Pride cannot ftoop to own itself obliged; but Humility is full of gratitude; and gratitude is so very rare, that it is unspeakably pleafing. Who would not confer benefits on a deferving young man, that, instead of faucily confidering them as a debt to which he had a claim, places them with modesty and fenfibility to the credit of his benefactors? His benefactors will grow in their friendship, when they perceive

that he does not grow upon it; and perhaps they will help him forward with the greater. zeal, that they are not afraid of his standing in their way. What fhall we fay farther? He will do nothing impious, for he remembers his Creator; he will do nothing difhonourable, for he reverences his confcience; and he will do nothing infolent, because he refpects mankind. But. who, that beholds fuch a behaviour, can forbear to approve it? Accordingly, earth and Heaven will fmile; men will patronife, angels will guard, and God willprofper him. Before honour "is Humi

lity; and he that humbleth himself, "fhall be exalted."

This doctrine, we have already remarked,. holds a distinguished rank in our Religion;. nor in any inftance, perhaps, has its Author manifefted a deeper knowledge of the nature he affumed, with a view to recover and raise it. At the fame time that he enjoins, in the strongest manner, the virtue