A Difputant, of lefs Complaifance than my Theron, would probably afk with a contemptuous Sneer; "Have you then been drawing your own Picture?" -To whom I would reply, with Confusion and Sorrow, "I have." Alledging this only, to moderate my Confufion; That I am daily feeking, by Prayer and Watchfulness, more and more to put off this old Man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful Lufts*. And, to alleviate my Sorrow, I am endeavouring continually to remember; That, however unworthy I am, however vile I may have been, my adored REDEEMER's Righteousness is perfect; and in this Righteousness every Believer is to make his Boaft. Ther. So then Man is blind in his Understanding; perverfe in his Will; diforderly in his Affections; influenced by Difpofitions, which are partly brutal, and partly diabolical.-I have often heard you extol, in Terms of high Admiration, the Virtue of Humility. You have lavished all the Riches of Eloquence, when haranguing on Poverty of Spirit. If fuch be the Condition of Mankind, they have infinite Caufe to be poor in Spirit. They muft, therefore, have one Excellency left; and according to your own Account a very diftinguithing one. Afp. Scarce any Thing difplays, in a more glaring Light, the extreme Depravity of Man, than his ftrong Propenfity to Pride; notwithstanding fo much Vilenefs, and fo many Deformities. Should the noifome Leper admire the Beauty of his Complexion, or the impotent Paralytic glory in the Strength of his Sinews; would they not be mistaken, even to a Degree of Sottishness and Frenzy? Yet, for Man, fallen Man, who has loft his original Righteoufnefs, which was the true Ornament of his Nature; who is become fubject to bafe and fordid Lufts, or, as the Apostle speaks, is earthly and fenfual-for him Eph. iv. 22. to to be proud, is ftill more abfurdly wicked. And fince this is the Cafe, I cannot acquit him from the laft and heaviest Article of the facred Writer's Charge; I have a fresh and more convincing Proof, that we do him no Wrong, when we call his Nature, his Difpofition, his Wifdom-devilish *. Ther. Why do you reckon Pride an univerfally prevailing Corruption? I fee no Ground for fuch a difhonourable Sufpicion. I hope, I myself am an Inftance to the contrary. To unguarded Sallies of Paffion, to feveral other Faults, I confefs myself fubject. But cannot think, that I am proud. Afp. Ah! Theron, if you was not proud, you would not be paffionate. Unreasonable Anger always proceeds from an over-weening Opinion of our own Worth.-One who, befides his acquired Knowledge of human Nature, had the fupernatural Gift of difcerning Spirits, is obferved to join Humility and Meekness. Intimating, that they are amiable Twins; and where one exifts, the other cannot be abfent. Always confiftent with himself, he links together the oppofite Vices, heady and high minded not obfcurely hinting, that those who are eafily provoked, are certainly proud.-Shall I add, without Offence? If we fancy our Minds to be clear from the Weeds of Vanity, and our Thoughts free from the Workings of Self-admiration; it is a moft pregnant Symptom, that we are over-run with the former; abandoned to the latter; and blinded by both. Pride was the firft Sin, that found Entrance into our Nature; and it is, perhaps, the last that will be expelled.. What are all our Afflictions, but a Remedy provided for this inveterate Difeafe? Intended to hide Pride from Man. What is the Inftitution of the Gospel, but a Battery erected against this Strong * Jam. iii. 15. + Eph. iv. 2. † 2 Tim. iii. 4. Strong-hold of Satan? Ordained to caft down every high Imagination*.-Though that Remedy is often applied, though this Battery is continually playing; yet the peccant Humour is not intirely purged off, nor the Elatement of Spirit totally fubdued, till Mortality is fwallowed up of Life. Pride is the Sin, which most easily befets us. Who can fay, I have made my Heart clean + from this Iniquity? It defiles our Duties, and intermingles itself with our very Virtues. It starts up, I know not how, in our moft folemn Hours, and our most facred Employs.-The good Hezekiah, whofe Prayers were more powerful than all the Forces of Senuacherib, was not Proof against the Wiles of this fubtle Sorceress . Even the great Apoftle, who had been caught up into the third Heavens, was in Danger of being puffed up with Pride. In fuch great Danger, that it was neceflary to put a Lancet into the gathering Tumour; or, as he himself expreffes it, to fix a Thorn in his Flesh, and permit the Me flenger of Satan to buffet him. How pathetically is this Corruption lamented, and how truly defcribed, by "a fweet finger of our “Ifrael r" * But Pride, that bufy Sin, Spoils all that I perform. Curs'd Pride! that creeps fecurely in And fwells a haughty Worm. Thy Glories I abate, Or praife thee with Defign The very Songs I frame, 2 Cor. x. 4, 5. xxxii. 25. A + Prov. xx. 9. 2 Cor. xii. 7. And † 2 Chron. And fteal the Honours of thy Name, Ther. Now, I prefume, you have given the last Touches to your distorted Pourtrait. Afp. There are other difagreeable and flocking Features. But those I fhall caft into Shades, or hide under a Veil. One Particular you must allow me to add; which, like a fullen Air in the Countenance, throws aggravated Horror over the Whole. I mean, An Inclination to be fond of our Slavery.. In other Inftances, the captive Exile hafteth to be Loofed t. But here we prefer Bondage to Freedom, and are loth to leave our Prifon. Of this, our Backwardness to Self-examination, is both a Confequence and a Proof. Self-examination, under the Agency of the SPIRIT, would open a Window in our Dungeon; would fhew us our wretched Condition, and teach us to figh for Deliverance.-Why have we fuch a Diflike of Reproof? Because we hug our Chains, and choose Darkness rather than Light. Reproof is more grating than the harfheft Difcord; though it tends to diffolve the Inchantment, and refcue us from the Tyranny of Sin. While Flattery, which abets the Delusion, and strengthens the Spell, is Mufic to our Ears.Is not our Reafon, which fhould arraign and condemn every Irregularity, forward to invent Excuses, and to fpare the favourite Folly? Reafon, which fhould unfheath the Dagger, fuperinduces the Mafk; and, inftead of striking at the Heart of our Vices, fcreens them under the Cover of fome plaufible Names. A wicked Habit is called a human Infirmity; infnaring Diverfions pafs for innocent Amusements; a revengeful Difpofition is termed Spirit, Gallantry, and Honour. Thus our Reafon (if, when fo egregiously perverted, it deferves WATTS's Hor. Lyr. + Ifai. li. 14. feves the Name) is ingenious to obftruct our Reco very; and rivets on the Shackles, which our Paffi ons have formed *. This the eternal WISDOM forefaw, and therefore uttered that tender Expoftulation; How Long, ye fumple Ones, wili ye love Simplicity, and Scorners delight in their Scorning, and Fools hate Knowledge? Even the ineftimably precious Knowledge of an all-atoning and completely juftifying SAVI OUR; who preaches, who has purchased, and who works Deliverance-preaches in his Word, has purchased by his Blood, and works by his SPIRIT, Deliverance for the Captives-the wretched Captives of Ignorance, Sin, and Death. This I take to be the most flagrant and deplorable Effect of human Depravity our Aversion to the Doctrine, the Privileges, the Grace of the Gospel.. Beware, dear Theron, left you prove my Point by -fhall I fpeak it? would you fufpect it?-your own Practice. Zealous as I am for my Tenets, I should be forry, extremely sorry, to have fuch a Demonftration of their Truth... Ther. You are highly obliging, Afpafio, to fingle me out for your Evidence. Yet why thould the Honour be appropriated to myfelf? It belongs, upon the Foot of the preceding Calculation, not to your Friend only, but to the whole Species. If you was aiming at none but the Licentious and. Abandoned, you would have none to oppose you, but Perfons of that Character. Your Arrows of Satire, would then be * Perhaps, this is what our LORD means, when, developing the human Heart, and discovering its latent Enormities, he closes the dark Account with a❤gosuvn Foolishness: implying that Stupidity, which has no Sense of its Mifery; that Perverseness, which has no Inclination for a Recovery. Both which render all the other. Evils far more inveterate, Mark vü, 22. |