SERM. ties, but then a good deal is not fo, a XV. that which is, would have been a dead Let ter ftill, had they not been tranflated from the original Language for the use of ordi nary People. And befides, were they, as to the whole, ever fo plain and easy, yet the wifeft are so subject to the Infirmities of human Nature that they want frequently to be reminded of them, or else they would have but little effect, which alfo fhews the Neceffity there is for an Order of Men to be fet apart for that Purpose, which I come now, 2dly to, confider. It can be but of very little Signification, that there is this Provifion made for Mankind, if they will not, like the Perfon in the Text, fhew a teachable Disposition. What Ufe can a Guide be of to one, who thinks he wants none, who is in his own Opinion allfufficient? To fay now-a-days, how can 1 understand except fome Man teach me? would pafs among fome for nothing but Banter and Grimace: The Language now is, I will learn of none, I have a Right to act and think for myfelf; and no one has any Bufinefs to deprive me of it by any Authority whatsoever, and to fet himself up for Inftructor: But however this may prevail among fome few conceited Men, and my whats whatever ill Opinions they may entertain of SER M. others, and good ones of themselves, yet it XV. certainly argues a very degenerate State of Mind and Depravity, as refufing to suffer the Motives of Reafon and Truth to have their due Influence upon us. For if it be a Truth that a Man may put Truft in his own Understanding, is it not equally fo to put fome degree of Truft and Confidence in another's? And if it be, how can he be in a right State, when every Truth has not its due Influence upon him. Indeed ifa Man was confcious, that he was infinitely wife, and was really fo, then it would be a Truth to give an abfolute Credit to his own Understanding, because where no Knowledge is, by the Suppofition, wanting, there no Degree of Truft fhould be with-held from it; i. e. if he were a God, he would have no Occafion to give any Understanding Credit but his own, for the Truft we put in others, is only to supply the Deficiency we find in our felves But as he is but mortal Man with a limited Understanding like his fellow Creatures, fo much Room there will be for a proper draw-back to this Truft, and an equal Occafion for placing a proper Degree of it in others; for God has given abroad Truth to Mankind (and not confin'd it to one SERM. one Man only (for no fingle Man can have XV. any more than a certain Proportion of it) . and especially to great Bodies and Socie- Genius, Industry, Situation c, will al- SERM. ways warrant a mutual Truft and Depend- XV. ence upon each other: Accordingly this will be always a Ground and Foundation for Humility and a teachable Difpofition; and indeed there is no Way of arriving at Wisdom and Knowledge, but thro' the Gate of Humility. Pride and Conceit are the Paths that lead to infinite Error and Confufion. For the lefs Truft we put in others, the lefs Benefit can we have from them; and the lefs.we make our Circle the fmaller will our Circle be; and the more we admire ourselves, the lefs fhall we fee to admire in others, 'till at laft we fancy ourfelves all-fufficient. But there being no folid Foundation to fupport this imaginary Perfection, it commonly ends in infinite Doubts, Diffidence and Despair. There is certainly nothing more amiable in the Sight of God or Man, than Humility and a Difpofition to hearken to Inftruction and Advice. 'Tis fuch a true Direction of the Mind, that it gains the Love of People at the fame Time that it gains Inftruction. And if, where there is Action, there is also neceffary Reaction, 'tis the beft Difpofition imaginable for Instruction. For the good Opinion he entertains of others, operates SERM. operates back upon himself with all the XV. Advantage imaginable. In fhort, nothing can be wanting to fuch a Difpofition to receive Inftruction, or to create a Difpofition in others, to give it. In the natural and mo ́ral World there is the fame Refemblance and Analogy. Minds that are rightly difpos'd, do naturally attract each other, like natural Bodies, and when they don't do this, 'tis a Sign they are not right. But perhaps it will be objected, that Men are fallible, and therefore can have no right to fuch a Truft or would be prepofterous to Gredit, which it give them, fince our felves. 'Tis true, they are fo, for which reafon the Truft we put in them, is not an abfolute one but limited accordingly. But after all, what if they are as fallible as we, are they not as wife too? therefore if we diftruft others, fhould not we for the fame Reafon diftruft ourselves likewife? But what does a Man lofe by a proper Submiffion to Au thority? Do we part with any Privilege by fo doing, which we might otherwise have enjoy'd? Do we give up the use of our Understandings by giving a due Credit to the Understandings of others? Or have we lefs Understanding for fo doing? Or ras ther |