thoughts the apostle Paul cautions Christians, and commands them to fupprefs and extinguifh them: "I fay to every man who is among you, not to think of himfelf more highly than he ought to think :" [Rom. xii. 3.] Our Saviour frequently inculcated the neceffity of mortifying pride, and putting on humility, in order to be faved. He repeatedly faid that he who exalteth himself fhall be abafed, and he who humbleth himself fhall be exalted. The apoftles commanded men to humble themselves in the fight of God, as the only way to favour, and directed Chriftians to be clothed with humility.

Fallen man is naturally under the dominion of felfifhnefs and pride. He is exceeding proud; by which all his thoughts, words and actions are governed, even when he puts on the appearance and pretence of humility. This his pride is moft unreasonable, and the fource of conftant unhappiness; while there is the highest reafon for the deepeit humiliation, in a view and sense of the infinite odioufnefs of his character and conduct, and his unfpeakable guilt and mifery, being the object of the high displeasure and awful curfe of his Maker. But it is always true that the more reafon men have for humility, and the more unreasonable their pride is, their pride is proportionably greater, and their hearts are more ftrongly oppofed to humbling themfelves. It is the nature of pride to hide itfelf from the perfon who has it; and he who has the most of it is the fartheft from being fenfible that he has any pride. And he only fees his own pride in any degree of true light in whose heart the power of it fo far broken as to exercife a degree of true humility; which is true of every Christian. And even he is far from feeing the whole of his pride, and it often deceives him. It dwells in a great meafure unfeen in his heart; and it mixes itfelf with all his thoughts, and is gratified in words and actions, while it is not directly perceived, and is called, it may be, by some good name, and even looked upon to be real humility.

Pride has different objects, and fupports and exercifes itself in ways and by means innumerable. It is exercised towards God, fo far as he comes into view, in mean, degrading thoughts of the Moft High, and high and exalting thoughts of felf; in haughty ftubbornnefs to his authority, and difobedience to his law; in fetting a high value on his own. exercises, which he calls religious, fo as to be confident they are highly pleasing to his Maker, &c. &c. It is excrcifed, as it refpects men and himself, in a manner and ways too many to .be enumerated here.

The gofpel is levelled directly againft the pride of man, and is calculated to exalt God, and abafe man; fo that none but thofe who humble themselves in the fight of the Lord can approve of the way of falvation by Chrift, or go one step in it. Every true Christian has thus humbled himself; fo that the dominion of pride is broken in his heart. He has come to Christ, and taken his yoke upon himself, and learned of him who is meek and lowly in heart; and walks humbly with God, and before men, in a view and fenfe of his own vile, odious character, his unworthinefs, littleness and ill-defert before God, and his abfolute dependence on him, of whom he has the highest, most exalted and honourable thoughts. He delights to abase himself, and exalt the Lord, trufting wholly to the atonement and righteoufnefs of the Redeemer for pardon and acceptance with God. But the Chriftian is far from deliverance from all pride. He has a degree of true humility, and in the light of this difcovers his own pride, as he never did before, which appears to him to be exceeding odious; and the many inftances of the exercise of it, which he fees in his own heart and practice, are made the occafion of promoting his humility, and of humbling him in his own eyes. And it requires conftant watchfulness and exertion of a Christian to fight against, fupprefs and mortify the pride of his own heart, in which he is working out his own falvation; for he cannot be faved in any other way, nor until all his pride be flain, and he is completely delivered from it.

All

All this is illuftrated in the inftance of king Hezekiah. He was a good man, and had been truly humbled; and refolved to walk foftly and humbly all his days. But on a certain occafion he was led aftray by his own pride and vanity of mind, which was not perceived by him in the time of his gratifying it. His finful heart deceived him, and was lifted up in pride. But when this was discovered to him, he humbled himself for the pride of his heart; as it proved the occafion of his feeing more clearly than before all that was in his depraved heart: [fee 2 Chron. xxxii. 25, 26, 31; Ifai. xxxviii. 15.]

3. The Chriftian, in working out his own falvation, has to watch againft all anger, wrath, bitterness, envy, and malevolence, even in the thoughts and motions of his heart. All these are implied in felfishness and pride, and are the genuine offspring and fruit of thofe evil difpofitions, which, being indulged and gratified, produce all the angry clamours, contentions, fightings, wars, murders, and the various kinds of injuries, unrighteousness and oppofitions, which take place among mankind. The Chriftian, from the remaining depravity of his heart, and the many, various and daily temptations, injuries and provocations, is in conftant danger of having fome or all of thefe evil thoughts and motions rife in his heart, and of indulging them in a finful degree. He muft therefore keep up a continual watch and fight against all these; conftantly endeavouring to guard himfelf against them, that he may avoid or fupprefs them in their firft motions, and prevent their breaking forth into words and actions. And without this he cannot work out his own falvation. In order to be faved he muft mortify all these, and endeavour to cultivate an unruffled, calm, patient, meek and quiet fpirit, and live in. the exercise of that benevolence of heart which is contrary to anger, wrath, envy and malice, and will fupprefs and root them out. The apoftle James therefore fays to profeffing Chriftians, "If ye have bitter envying and ftrife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the

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truth.

truth. This wisdom defcendeth not from above, but is earthly, fenfual, devilish :" [fam. 3, 14, 15.] And the apostle Paul fays to fuch, "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil fpeaking, be put away from with all malice:" [Eph. 4. 31.]

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4. Would Chriftians work out their own falvation, they must not indulge, but avoid and fupprefs, a worldly difpofition and affections. All men are naturally of the earth and earthly. They love the world, and feek a worldly good as their portion: they fet their hearts and affections on the things of this world: they speak of the world, and therefore think much of it, and take their greatest and only pleasure in the purfuits and enjoyments of this world. The Chriftian is no longer of this world, but has renounced it as his portion, and chofen that which is infinitely better. But as he has still a degree of a worldly disposition, and is furrounded with worldly objects, and muft have much concern with them, they are conftantly courting his affection, he is continu ally in danger of being led aftray, and fetting his affection on things on the earth. It therefore requires conftant care, watchfulness and exertion in order to guard againft, and fupprefs and mortify, all worldly affection, in the exercife of that faith which overcometh the world, and leads the foul to fet its whole affection on things which are above, and not on things on the earth, and to keep the heart from a finful love of the world and the things of the world. Salvation is to be obtained in no other way but this, by which Chriftians are more and more weaned from this world, and have their converfation in heaven. The cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches and the pleasures of this life, being indulged, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. Therefore the Chriftian in working out his own falvation muft follow the direction of Jefus Chrift, who faid to his difciples," Take heed to yourselves, watch and pray always, left, at any time, your hearts be overcharged with furfeiting and drunkenness, and the cares of this life:" [Luke xxi. 34, 36.]

5. The Chriftian's working out his own falvation implies a keeping in fubjection and mortifying all inordinate bodily fenfual appetites and lufts. Thefe appetites are given to men to anfwer good and important purposes, while in the body in this world: but become a temptation to innumerable indulgences, which are hurtful and criminal, and are inconfiftent with the gospel falvation;` for they who live after the flefh fhall die. In this refpect therefore every Chriftian muft crucify the flesh with the affections and lufts, and mortify their members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleannefs, inordinate affection, and evil concupifcence. They muft keep under their bodies, and bring them into fubjection, as the only way to escape destruction. They must avoid the practice of gluttony, rioting and drunkennefs, and all chambering and wantonnefs; and make no provifion for the flesh, to fulfil the lufts thereof; but purge themselves from all thefe, that they may be veffels unto honour, fanctified and meet for their Mafter's use; know. ing that their bodies are temples of the Holy Ghoft.

Thus, to keep the body under, and regulate and go. vern all the inclinations and appetites of it, and occa fioned by it, requires great and conftant care and watchfulness, and ftrong refolution and fortitude of mind, and is no fmall part of the work of a Chriftian.

6. The Chriftian cannot work out his own falvation unless he croffes and strives against an indolent, flothful difpofition, which is natural to man, and prevalent in him with refpect to all thofe things and actions which refpect his falvation, and are neceffary in order to it. Hence have been invented innumerable excufes and pleas in favour of fitting ftill, and neglecting thofe exertions and duties which are neceffary to be performed in order to falvation, which are too many to be mentioned here. Christians are exposed to be infefted and retarded in their work, by giving way to this flothful difpofition, which is moft contrary to the work they have to do. This requires their whole time, and conftant zealous exertions, in which they muft not be flothful, but fervent

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