teful, that it lurks under some shadows of humility.
As an ape is the more ugly and ill favoured that it is liker a man,
because it is not a man, so vices have more deformity in them when they
put on the garb and vizard of virtue. Only it may appear how beautiful a
garment true humility is, when pride desires often to be covered with the
appearance of it, to hide its nakedness. O how rich a clothing is the
mean-like garment of humility and poverty of spirit! "Be ye clothed with
humility," 1 Pet. v. 5. It is the ornament of all graces. It covers a
man's nakedness by uncovering of it. If a man had all other endowments,
this one dead fly, would make all the ointment unsavoury, pride. But
humility is _condimentum virtutum,_ as well as vestimentum.(423) It
seasons all graces, and covers all infirmities. Garments are for ornament
and necessity both. Truly this clothing is alike fit for both, to adorn
and beautify whatsoever is excellent, and to hide or supply whatsoever is
deficient: _ornamentum et operimentum_.(424)

The apostle Paul gives a solemn charge to the Romans (Rom. xii. 3), that
no man should think high of himself; but soberly, according to the measure
of faith given. That extreme undervaluing and denial of all worth in
ourselves, though it be suitable before God (Luke xvii. 6, 7, 10, Prov.
xxx. 2, 3, Job xlii. 6, 1 Cor. iii. 7), yet is uncomely and incongruous
before men. Humility doth not exclude all knowledge of any excellency in
itself, or defect in another, it can discern, but this is the worth of it:
that it thinks soberly of the one, and despises not the other. The humble
man knows any advantage he has beyond another, but he is not wise in his
own conceit. He looks not so much upon that side of things, his own
perfections and others' imperfections. That is very dangerous. But he
casts his eye most on the other side, his own infirmities and others'
virtues, his worst part and their best part, and this makes up an equality
or proportion. Where there is inequality, there is a different measure of
gifts and graces, there are diverse failings and infirmity, and degrees of
them. Now, how shall so unequal members make up one body, and join unto
one harmonious being, except this proportion be kept, that the defects of
one be made up by the humility of another? The difference and inequality
is taken away this way, by fixing my eye most upon my own disadvantages
and my brother's advantages. If I be higher in any respec