A SERMON.

"HE THAT HUMBLETH HIMSELF, SHALL BE EXALTED.”—LUKE xiv. 11.

THESE words point out the direct road to preferment. They exhibit that conduct which is honorary to man and acceptable to God. However mortifying it may be to our pride to form a just estimate of ourselves, and to practice the meek, unassuming virtue, humility; however despicable we may appear in the view of the world, for denying ourselves and complying with the injunctions of our divine Saviour; yet these are the only things which will secure true dignity and permanent happiness. We ought to remember, that infinite wisdom, comprehends at one view, the origin, motives, progress, effects and final issue of all our actions. God's ways are as much above ours as the heavens are above the earth. We are limited in our capacity and in our own exertions. We are liable to forget the past, and we cannot penetrate the future. Hence we cannot take in, at once, the whole train of action, which God has ordained to prepare us for happiness. His directions are designed to coincide with the whole science, and the great end of our existence. Hence we are liable to form unfavorable and imperfect conceptions concerning many of God's injunctions and operations, merely because we view them detached from the great plan of his administration. In the scripture, many dispositions are in

culcated, to which we are naturally averse, and many are censured to which we are naturally attached. We are apt to suppose that exalted, ambitious views, and a correspondent conduct will promote our prosperity and happiness. Our pride leads us to measure the greatest achievements by our own powers. Though we are limited in the intellectual as well as in the natural world, yet we do not rest satisfied with the bounds prescribed by our beneficent creator. We sigh to explore the hidden causes of things, their intimate constitutions, and their final destination. We sigh to wield a world, as we do an atom, to search the center of the earth, and to sail among the stars. Experiment destroys our vain imaginations. We fall back into our proper selves, and feel the necessity of some superior power and wisdom to direct, control, and limit our exertions. How vain is it for man to presume on the perfection of his own powers, and to indulge an exulting confidence in himself! He is sure to meet with disgrace and degradation. He who knew the hearts of men said, "He that exalteth himself shall be abased." Our Saviour when on earth embraced every favorable opportunity, to inculcate those lessons of wisdom, which were calculated to exterminate the pride and self-confidence of men. From the most ordinary occurrences he deduced the most weighty instructions. When in the house of one of the chief Pharisees, observing that they that were bidden chose out the chief rooms, he said, "When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room, lest a more honorable man than thou be bidden; and he that bade thee and him, come and say to thee, Give this man place, and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room; but when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room, that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher, then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee." He then added, as the sum of his instructions on that occasion, "For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted." My design is to show, from a few considerations, the connexion between humility and preferment,

I. Humility implies a just and proper estimate of ourselves. Such is our situation in the present world that it is of the greatest importance to us in all our concernments, to proportion our enterprises and our exertions to our ability. If we fail in this respect we shall, in all affairs of magnitude, involve ourselves, and probably others, in disgrace or ruin. Hence appears the necessity of acquiring as accurate a knowledge of ourselves, as circumstances will permit, previous to our entrance on the active businesses of life. We must lay aside our prejudices; all partiality for our own talents and acquirements; we must disclose all our infirmities to a strict scrutiny; we must retire from ourselves, and become objects of our own contemplation and judg ment. This indeed is a difficult task; but still it is necessary to be performed, if we would feel ourselves in the station assigned to us by our maker. We must consider our corporeal and mental powers; we must enquire to what objects and pursuits they are adapted. Our intellect, memory, imagination, our power of volition, our passions, our propensities, our affections and aversions; our moral qualities and improvements; our situation and prospects; our means and resources; our connexions in social and civil life; and above all our relation to God; all these must be attentively considered by those who would acquire a just knowledge of themselves; so as to preserve that mild equanimity which is below pride and above meanness. A comprehensive and unprejudiced survey of ourselves, by showing us our numerous imperfections, our limited capacity and sphere of action, will convince us that we have little reason for indulging exalted thoughts of ourselves and of our greatest exertions. When we compare the extensiveness of God's works with the narrowness of our own powers; when we consider how soon we are baffled in explaining the causes of the most common appearances, and when we consider that, in almost all our conduct, we are obliged to proceed upon mere probability, and that there is scarcely any thing except mathematical demonstration in which we can arrive at absolute certainty, we are surprized that we should ever have thought so highly of ourselves; and instead of arrogantly boasting of our superiority, we are disposed to bow down at the feet of omnipotence and adore him for that

small portion of intelligence with which he has been pleased to endow us. When we have inquired and ascertained what things are knowable and practicable, we shall naturally form a just judgment of the extent of that sphere in which we were destined to act. We shall rest satisfied with the station allotted us by Providence, without vexing ourselves in the pursuit of objects beyond our reach, and consuming in unprofitable reveries, that portion of time which should be devoted to the important duties of life. By reducing ourselves down to our proper size, and confining our exertions to things attainable by us, we shall coincide with the laws of nature, and succeed in our enterprises. There can remain little doubt of success; because the means we employ will be proportioned to the end we pursue. The only art and address necessary, will be the proper management of our resources. This, men of ordinary abilities may easily obtain by observation and experience. The amiable virtue, humility, is, in its nature, calculated to keep us duly mindful of our deficiencies and imperfections, so as to rouse all our powers into a steady and proper train of action. On the contrary, a high opinion of ourselves will render us blind to our defects; and of course, will lull us into a confident indolence, or engage us in schemes of destructive ambition. The conduct which flows from genuine humility is attractive and engaging. It never fails to secure the good-will of all our acquaintances. Of how much importance this to our prosperity and preferment, those can easily determine who are but moderately conversant in the affairs of life. The way for men to excel and prosper, is not to indulge an assuming confidence in their own powers, and to believe their exertions adequate to the greatest achievements. An high estimate of ourselves, though it may gratify our vanity will neither confer merit, nor ensure success.-The pine whose top brushes the clouds, yields to the blast, and falls with a most tremendous ruin. An haughty spirit, a supreme confidence in ourselves, is a sure indication of folly, and presage of degradation. If we would secure our true dignity and honor we must possess and practise humility. For it is undoubtedly true, as our Saviour asserted, that he who humbleth himself shall be exalted.

II. Humility implies a disposition to prefer others, and to promote their prosperity.

That lowliness of mind inculcated in the scriptures appears to be inseparably connected with genuine benevolence. This seeks the happiness of others in obedience to the will of God, and in subserviency to the general good of the created system. He who considers how small a part he constitutes of the great works of God, and who has just views of himself as a fallen sinful creature, is not disposed to exalt himself on the ruins of others or to say, stand by thyself, I am holier than thou. With the penitent publican he smites on his breast, and says, "God be merciful to me a sinner." He now possesses a proper temper of mind to comply with the apostle's direction, "In lowliness of mind, let each esteem others better than themselves." John the Baptist, when he contemplated the superior gifts and successes of the Saviour, humbly said, "He must increase, but I must decrease." The disposition and conduct implied in true humility, is calculated to prevent the effects of envy and to conciliate esteem. He who thinks more highly of himself, than others think of him, is sure to excite disgust and opposition. For men generally bear with impatience that superiority of merit which is real, whether it is gained by laborious, personal exertion, or inherited from the bounty of God. An indignant disgust rises against him whose pretensions to eminence and distinction are founded in vanity and self-conceit. Even where the possessor of real merit allows himself to appear sensible of it, and to value himself upon it, he at once becomes obnoxious. True merit carries its own light and its own glory with it. It needs not the varnish of affectation nor the officiousness of selflove. Unassuming diffidence, is its characteristic and recommendation. We are so constituted that we feel a peculiar pleasure in assisting and promoting those who seem diffident of their abilities, and unconscious of their real worth. We possess an anxiety lest they should not be sufficiently noticed, approved, and promoted. Those who have the greatest merit, have the clearest views of their defects. This arises from that high sensibility and nice discernment which always exist in great and virtuous minds. These have enlarged views of things; and of