31 - /
You need not therefore now wonder, that I lay so much stress upon singing a Psalm at all your devotions, since you see it is to form your spirit to such joy and thankfulness to God, as is the highest perfection of a divine and holy life.
32 - /
And for this reason, I exhort you to this method in your devotion, that every day may be made a day of thanksgiving, and that the spirit of murmur and discontent may be unable to enter into the heart, which is so often employed in singing the praises of God.
33 - /
I cannot pass by this place of Scripture, without desiring the pious reader to observe, how strongly we are here called upon to this use of Psalms, and what a mighty recommendation of it, the practice of these two great Saints is.
34 - /
But this by the way. I now return to the objection in hand; and answer Fourthly, That the privacy of our prayers is not destroyed by our having, but by our seeking witnesses of them.
36 - /
And because an humble state of soul, is the very state of Religion, because humility is the life and soul of piety, the foundation and support of every virtue and good work, the best guard andsecurity of all holy affections; I shall recommend humility to you, as highly proper to be made the constant subject of your devotions, at this third hour of the day; earnestly desiring you to think no day safe, or likely to end well, in which you have not thus early put yourself in this posture of humility, and called upon God to carry you through the day, in the exercise of a meek andlowly spirit.
37 - /
And it is for this reason, that I so earnestly advise every devout person to begin every day in this exercise of humility, that he may go on in safety under the protection of this good guide, and not fall a sacrifice to his own progress in those virtues, which are to save mankind from destruction.
38 - /
EVERY person, when he first applies himself to the exercise of this virtue of humility, must, as I said before, consider himself as a learner, that is to learn something that is contrary to former tempers and habits of mind, and which can only be got by daily and constant practice.
39 - /
And therefore I hope, you will not think it a hard saying, that in order to be humble, you must withdraw your obedience from that vulgar spirit, which gives laws to Fops and Coquettes, and form your judgments according to the wisdom of Philosophy, and the piety of Religion. Who would be afraid of making such a change as this?
40 - /
These reflections will, I hope, help you to break through those difficulties, and resist those temptations, which the authority and fashion of the world have raised against the practice of Christian humility.
41 - /
But this is not the thing I now mean; the education that I here intend, is such as children generally receive from virtuous and soberparents, and learned tutors and governors.
42 - /
I know it is said, that it is not envy, but emulation, that is intended to be awakened in the minds of young men.
43 - /
I know it is said in defence of this method of education, that ambition, and a desire of glory, are necessary to excite young people to industry; and that if we were to press upon them the doctrines of humility, we should deject their minds, and sink them into dulness and idleness.
44 - /
They are not indeed suffered to dispute with us the proudprizes of arts and sciences, of learning and eloquence, in which I have much suspicion they would often prove our superiors; but we turn them over to the study of beauty and dress, and the whole world conspires to make them think of nothing else.Fathers and mothers, friends, and relations, seem to have no other wish towards the little girl, but that she may have a fair skin, a fine shape, dress well, and dance to admiration.
45 - /
For this reason, I speak to this matter with so much openness and plainness, because it is much to be lamented, that persons so naturally qualified to be great examples of piety, should by an erroneous education, be made poor and gaudy spectacles of the greatest vanity.