I know not what thoughts people may have of _humility_, but I see almost every person pretending to it, and shunning such expressions and actions as may make them be accounted arrogant and presumptuous; so that those who are most desirous of praise, are loth to commend themselves. What are all those compliments and modes of civility so ♦frequent in our ordinary converse, but so many protestations of the esteem of others, and the low thoughts we have of ourselves? And must not humility be an excellent endowment, when the very shadows of it are so necessary a part of good breeding? ♦ “frequently” replaced with “frequent” per Errata _The pleasure and sweetness of an humble temper._ 19. Again, this grace is accompanied with a great deal of happiness. The proud person is a trouble to all that converse with him, but most of all to himself. Every thing is enough to vex him; but scarce any thing sufficient to please him. But the humble person hath the advantage when he is despised, that none can think more meanly of him than he doth of himself; and as he is less affected with injuries, so he is less obnoxious to them. _Contention, which cometh of pride_, betrays a man into a thousand ♦inconveniences, which those of a meek and lowly temper seldom meet with. True humility begets veneration among wise men, whilst pride defeateth its own design, and depriveth a man of that honour it makes him pretend to. ♦ “inconvenices” replaced with “inconveniences” 20. And the exercises of humility which relate to God, are accompanied with the greatest satisfaction. It is impossible to express the delight which religious persons feel in the lowest prostrations of their soul before God; when having a deep sense of the divine Majesty, they sink (if I may so speak) to the bottom of their beings, and vanish and disappear in the presence of God, by a serious and affectionate acknowledgement of their own nothingness; when they understand the full sense of the psalmist’s exclamation, _Lord, what is man?_ And can utter it with the same affection. Never did any haughty person receive the praises of men with so much pleasure as the humble renounce them, _Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory_. 21. Thus I have spoken something of the excellencies and advantages of religion in its several branches. Let us acquaint ourselves with it, and experience will teach us more than all that ever hath been spoken or written concerning it. If we may suppose the soul to be already awakened unto some longing desires after so great a blessedness, it will be good to give them vent, and suffer them to issue forth in some such aspirations as these. A PRAYER.