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or Rabbi, or to have the higheft fcat or name (Mat. 23. 11, &c.) So he hath learnt not to please himself, but to please others for their good to edification, Rom. 15. 2. Efpecially if he be a Paftor of the Church, though he do by an excelling light, and love, and good life, keep up the true honour of his calling; yet is he the more averfe to Lord it over the flock, because he knoweth that be must be an example to them: And it is not an example of pride, but of lowliness, which Chrift did give, and be must give and therefore both are joyned together, 1 Pet.

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2. The Proud do make too great a matter of that honour which perhaps may be their due: They plot for it: they fet their hearts upon it. If they are flighted, or others preferred before them, their countenances are caft down, as Cains; or they are troubled, as Haman ; or they will revenge it, as Cain, and as Joab upon Abner: Touch their honour, and you touch their hearts: Defpife them, and you torment them, or make them your enemies.

But the Poor in fpirit regard their honour, as they do other matters of this world; that is, with moderation, and fo far as it is conducible to the honour of Religion, or their Coun try, or to the fervice and bufinefs of their lives. They will not be Prodigals of that which they may ferve God by: and they will not be over-defirous of that which may be a bait to Pride, and a fnare to their fouls, though it gratifie the fleshly fancy. They will feek it, as if they fought it not; and poffefs it, as if they poffeft it not, remembring how vain a thing man is, and how little his thoughts or breath can do, to make us happy: God is fo great in a Believers eye, and man and worldly vanity is fo fmall, that a lowly mind can fearce have room and time to regard the honour which is the proud mans portion; because he is taken up with honouring his God, and efteeming the honour which confifteth in his approbation.

Therefore it is tolerable to him, to be made of no reputation to be laden with reproaches, to be spit upon and buffeted; to be made as the fcorn and off fcouring of the world, and to have his name caft out as an evil doer, fo he be not an evil doer indeed, I Cor. 4. 13. Luke 6. 22. Whatever you think of him, or whatever you fay of him, he knoweth that it is little of his Mmm

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concernment: your favour is not his felicity; nor are you the Judge, whose sentence must finally decide his caufe. He bumbleth bimfelf, and therefore can endure to be bumbled by others. He chufeth the lowest place himself, and therefore can endure to be low, 1 Cor. 4. 3, 4, 5. Luke 14. 11. & 18.14.

& 14. 10.

3. The high-minded are alhamed to be thought to come of a low defcent, or that their Parents or Ancestors were poor: And if their Ancestors were rich and great, that little honour doth help to elevate their minds; because they want that perfonal worth which is honourable indeed, they are fain to adorn themselves with thefe borrowed feathers.

But the lowly know that if Riches prove fuch a hinderance of falvation, and fo few of the rich proportionably are faved, as Chrift hath told us, it can be no great honour to be the offfpring of the rich: It is a fad kind of boat, to fay [my Anceftors are liker to be in Hell than yours; or if any of them be in Heaven, they came thither as a Camel through a needles eye.] We know we are all of the common earth, and there our flesh will all be levelled, and our nobleft blood will turn to the common putrefaction: We are all the feed of finful Adam ; our Father was an Amorite, and our Mother an Hittite, Ezek 16.3. And good men have used humbly to lament their forefathers pride and wickedness,instead of boafting of their worldly wealth; as you may read, Neb.9.16, 39. Dan. 9.

4. The high.minded are afhamed to be thought poor themfelves: Because wealth is the Idol which they most honour; they think that it will moft honour them. Because they see that most men admire and honour it in the world; therefore they being of the world, do judge as the world, and conform themselves to its opinion. Even the poor that is proud, is afhamed of his poverty, and would be fain accounted rich.

But the lowly are not ashamed to fay with Peter, Aŭs 3. 6. Silver and gold bave I none; while they have better riches to rejoyce in: They are glad, when with Paul they can fay, We are poor, but making many rich, 2 Cor. 6.10. They will not deny, or cast away any riches (which God doth lend them) becaufe as his Stewards, they muft be accountable for them to their Lord. But they take it to be no fhame to be liker Christ

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than Crafus; or liker his Apoftles than the Prelates and Cardinals of Rome, or to be of those poor that are poor in fpirit, who are rich in faith, and heirs of Heaven, James 2. 5. Matth. 5. 3. Nor is it any defirable honour to have our falvation fo mach hindered and hazarded, as the rich have. God, and Angels, and wife men, do think never the worfe of a good man for being poor.

5. The kigh-minded are therefore ufually addicted to fome excels in ornaments and apparel, because they would be taken to be rich and comely (unleis when their Pride worketh fome other way.) Yea, if they be never fo mean and poor, they would feem by their clothing to be fomewhat richer than they are; or would be rich in hypocrifie, or outward appearance, except it hinder their relief. They that wear fft clothing were wont to dwell in the houses of Kings, Matth. 11.8. but now they dwell in the houses of moft Citizens, Tradefmen, Husbandmen; yea of Minifters themselves; wives, children and fervants are commonly fick at once of this difcafe: And though it be one of the lowest and foolisheft games, which Pride hath to play; yet women, and children, and lightheaded youths, do make up the greater number for this vanity, while the pride of the graver wifer fort, doth turn it felf to greater things.

But the lowly who are not afhamed to be poor, are not afhamed of poor apparel: Though they are not for uncleanlinefs, nor for an affected fingularity, for oftentation of humility; yet they had rather go below their rank, than above it, as taking Pride to be a greater shame and burt than poverty: If their clothing be convenient to their health and ufe, and not offenlive to others, it fuffi eth them and a patch, or a rent, or a garment that is old, will not make them blush: they have learnt, Pet. 3. 3. [Whofe adorning, let it not be that outward, of plating the bair, or of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel, but the hidden man of the heart, in that which i not corruptible, even of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the fight of God of great price.

6. The bigh minded have high thoughts of worldly pomp, and wealth, and greatness; and think of fuch as excel in thefe, with great cfteem and reverence: They bow to the man the

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hath the gold Ring, and the gay apparel, while they flight the b:ft and wifeft that are poor: They bless the Covetous whom the Lord abborreth, Pfal. 10. 3. And they think if they be poor and low themselves, how brave a thing is it to be high and rich: And had far rather be rich than gracious, and be higher in the world, than to have a lowly mind.

But the humble have learnt of Chrift to be meek and lowly, Matth. 11. 29. and are ftill learning it of him more and more: They had rather have Pauls heart, that counted all things as tofs and dung for Chrift, and learned to abound and to suffer want, and in every state to be content, than to be lifted up with worldly vanity. They know that it is better to be of a bumble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoils with the proud, Prov. 16. 19. And as the brother of low degree (being a fanctified Believer that can use all for God) muft rejoyce when he is exalted; fo muft the brother of high degree, when he is made low, Jam.1. 9, 10. They pitty a Dives in his purple and filk, more than a Lazarus at his gates in rags. They with not too eagerly for fo dangerous an exaltation, from which they see so many terribly caft down. They much more honour a poor Believer, than a pompous finner. For in their eyes a vile perfon is contemned, but they honour them that fear the Lord, Pfal. 15. 4.

7. The high-minded are ashamed of low employments: If they be feen doing fuch work as is accounted bafe, or proper to poor inferiour perfons, they think they are difhonoured: If the proud fort of the Paftors of the Church, had been fent as Paul and the Apoftles, to travel about the world on foot, and to preach the Gospel in their humble felf denying terms, they would have faid that this was an unfufferable drudgery; and Chrift must have provided more encouraging rewards of learning, or elfe he fhould have been no Mafter of theirs. Yea a fervant that is proud, will difdain the loweft works of your fervice, as if it were a difgrace to ftoop to low.

But the lowly do learn of Chrift another leffon. He floopt to wash and wipe the feet of his Difciples, to teach them what to do toward one another. Not as the Pope doth once a year with fome poor mens feet, by a Scenical ceremony (For Piety and Charity are both turned into imagery and ceremony by Sitan, when he would defroy them) but feriously to inftruct

his Minifters themselves, what lowlinefs they must use towards one another, and to all the flock. Chrift went on foot to preach the Gospel, and fo did his Apoftles; not to oblige us to do so when weakness doth forbid us; nor to deny the benefit of a horse, when we may have it, but to teach us that neither Pride fhou'd make us afhamed to go on foot, nor lazynefs make it seem intollerable, when we are called to it. When Chrift would appear in ftate at Jerufalem, he rode upon a borrowed Afs, to fulfill the Prophecy, Zech. 9. 9. Behold thy King cometh unto thee, week and fitting upon an Afs, Matth. 21.5. Paul refused not (with other Preachers) to labour at the trade of a Tent-maker, Ads 18. 3. And Timothy was not ashamed to bring him his cloak and parchments, fo great a Journey, 2 Tim. 4.13. Nothing is avoided by the lowly as a thame, but that which is difpleafing to God, and difagreeeble to his Chriftian duty: But not that which he can call the fervice of God, and which God accepteth and will reward.

8. The bigh-minded are ashamed of the company and familiarity of the poor (unless when they feek for applaufe by popula rity:) And they greatly affect the favour and company of the rich, James 5. 4, 6. Therefore Solomon faith, that the rich bath many friends, Prov. 14.20. When the poor is bated of bi neighbour.

But the lowly chufe to converfe with the low. For fo did Chrift who was our pattern: and it is his Law [Rom, 12. 16. Mind not high things, but condefcend 10 men of low eftate. Chrift was not ashamed to call us brethren, Heb 3.11. nor will he be alhamed fo to call the leaft of his true Difciples before God and Angels at the dreadful day, Matth.25 40. & 28. 10.7.b.20.17. They are the most honourable company, who are likeft to Christ, and are the wifeft, and the bolieft; and not thofe who are likeft to his crucifiers and enemies, and have their portion in this world.

9. Pride is ufually attended with vain curiofity: curiofity in ornaments, in fashions, in diftreffings, in attendance, infurniture, in rooms, and in abundance of (mall inconfiderable circumftances. The proud (who go this lower way) do make a great matter of so many fuch trifles, that their minds have no room for the greatcft things. They do not only trouble them

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