168 RAY. 



lebrations of those virtues and perfections^ which he 

 hath not received of any other, but possesseth eter- 

 nally and originally of himself. And, indeed (with 

 reverence be it spoken), what else can we imagine 

 the ever-blessed Deity to delight and take compla- 

 cency in for ever, but his own infinite excellencies 

 and perfections, and the manifestations and effects 

 of them, the works of the creation, and the sacrifices 

 of praise and thanks offered up by such of his crea- 

 tures as are capable of considering those works, and 

 discerning the traces and footsteps of his power and 

 wisdom appearing in the formation of them ; and, 

 moreover, whose bounden duty it is so to do. The 

 reason why man ought not to admire himself, or 

 seek his own glory, is, because he is a dependent 

 creature, and hath nothing but what he hath re- 

 ceived; and not only dependent, but imperfect; 

 yea, weak and impotent : And yet I do not take 

 humility in man to consist in disowning or denying 

 any gift or ability that is in him, but in a just va- 

 luation of such gifts and endowments, yet rather 

 thinking too meanly than too highly of them ; be- 

 cause human nature is so apt to err in running into 

 the other extreme, to flatter itself, and to accept 

 those praises that are not due to it ; pride being an 

 elation of spirit upon false grounds, or a desire and 

 acceptance of undue honour. Otherwise, I do not 

 see why a man may not admit, and accept the tes- 

 timonies of others, concerning any perfection, ac- 

 complishment, or skill, that he is really possessed 

 of; yet can he not think of himself to deserve any 

 praise or honour for it, because both the power and 

 the habit are the gift of God : And considering that 

 one virtue is counterbalanced by many vices, and 



