This is the grace of humility, with which the best Moralists among the Heathen, were nothing acquainted; they had indeed their moral virtues, as remaining sparks of natures light, and dark resemblances of some Gospel graces, which nevertheless, wanting the principle of Faith, without which it is impossible to please God, and not being directed to the right end, the glory of God, could not be acceptable to him. But besides this imperfection and defectiveness in their wisdom and way, the Gospel having a far more high and noble design, then they could propose, hath also graces, that are wholly peculiar to it: The work and end of moral Philosophy, could be no other, then to moderate passions, and regulate manners, in such a conformity to reason, as might give unto a man, void of all sense of his distance and alienation from God, an in ward lying tranquility, and outward transient peace, whereas, the project and scope of the Gospel, is quite another ⟨p. 337⟩thing, viz. to reconcile, and save lost sinners, through faith in Christ, and in him, to make them partakers of holiness here▪ and glory and happiness hereafter: Hence it is, that as the Gospel doth, by renewing and sanctifying, wholly change the old appearances of virtues into solid graces, flowing from Christ the fountain, and referred to God as their true end; so doth it also require and bestow its proper graces, such as, Repentance, Faith, Humility, and many other, unto which these Moralists were altogether strangers. And as to this humility, it is certain, that the Gospel, by discovering unto us, the lost and wretched condition, whereinto sin had ruined us, and the free and wonderful love, whereby we are delivered out o • it, doth agreeably to this command, teach us a lowliness •nd sell • denial, so unlike to any thing in the doctrine of these o •d Moralists, that it is not more proper to the spirit of the Gospel, then it's contrary pride, may be called their Characteristic, in as much as it is evident, that these self-improvers of self, became also self-magnifiers, to that pitch of arrogance, that Lucretius and Seneca, in the name of their most famous Sects, endeavoured by argument to extol their virtuous man, even above their Gods; and the best of them would have accounted Christian humility an unworthy and base abjection of spirit; but neither are these the only men tainted with this evil;
This is the grace of humility, with which the best Moralists among the Heathen, were nothing acquainted; they had indeed their moral vertues, as remaining sparks of natures light, and dark resemblances of some Gospel graces, which nevertheless, wanting the principle of Faith, without which it is impossible to please God, and not being directed to the right end, the glory of God, could not be acceptable to him. But besides this imperfection and defectiveness in their wisdom and way, the Gospel having a far more high and noble design, then they could propose, hath also graces, that are wholly peculiar to it: The work and end of moral Philosophy, could be no other, then to moderate passions, and regulate manners, in such a conformity to reason, as might give unto a man, void of all sense of his distance and alienation from God, an in ward lying tranquility, and outward transient peace, whereas, the project and scope of the Gospel, is quite another ⟨p. 337⟩thing, viz. to reconcile, and save lost sinners, through faith in Christ, and in him, to make them partakers of holiness here▪ and glory and happiness hereafter: Hence it is, that as the Gospel doth, by renewing and sanctifying, wholly change the old appearances of vertues into solid graces, flowing from Christ the fountain, and referred to God as their true end; so doth it also require and bestow its proper graces, such as, Repentance, Faith, Humility, and many other, unto which these Moralists were altogether strangers. And as to this humility, it is certain, that the Gospel, by discovering unto us, the lost and wretched condition, whereinto sin had ruined us, and the free and wonderful love, whereby we are delivered out o • it, doth agreeably to this command, teach us a lowliness •nd sel • denyal, so unlike to any thing in the doctrine of these o •d Moralists, that it is not more proper to the spirit of the Gospel, then it's contrary pride, may be called their Characteristick, in as much as it is evident, that these self-improvers of self, became also self-magnifiers, to that pitch of arrogancie, that Lucretius and Seneca, in the name of their most famous Sects, indeavoured by argument to extoll their vertuous man, even above their Gods; and the best of them would have accounted Christian humility an unworthy and base abjection of spirit; but neither are these the only men tainted with this evil;
