when they understand not the catechism or creed, but have need to be taught which are the principles of the oracles of God; they think they are taken into the counsels of the Almighty; they think they abound in the Spirit, and in wisdom, in revelations, and in holiness; and the wisest and holiest of Christ's ministers and people, who are as far above them in knowledge and godliness, as the aged are above a stammering infant, are proudly despised by them, and openly and impenitently reviled and railed at, as ignorant fools, and ungodly, worldly, self-seeking men, and as the deceivers of the people, and as void of the Spirit; which could never proceed to the height that we have seen it, and which their words and writings utter at this day, without a very strange degree of pride, and such as either maketh men mad, or is made by madness, or little less.

And here note also, that it is no wonder if religious pride can despise the common applause of the world, and bear a great deal of ignominy from the vulgar; because they have learned so much as to know that wicked men are fools, and base, and their judgment is no great honour or dishonour to any man; and that godly men only are truly wise, and their judgment most to be regarded. And therefore it is with them whom they think most highly of themselves, that they desire to be thought most highly of; and it is among the religious sort, that religious pride doth fish for honour: even as men that are proud of their learning, do hunt after the applause of learned men, and can despise the judgment of the unlearned-vulgar, as quite below them.

I know that this last instance of pride, is not always an attendant of prosperity but oft it is, a kind of wantonness thence arising, which is much restrained in suffering times; and being speaking of the rest, I thought not meet to pass it by.

StDirect. 2. Understand which are the ordinary effects and characters of pride, that you may not live in it, and perish by it, whilst you thought you had overcome it.' At this time (having said more of it elsewhere,) I shall recite but these marks of prosperous pride, and shew the contrary signs of lowliness.

1. The highminded are self-willed, and much addicted to rule and domineer. They would have their own wills, in all their own matters, and are hardly brought to submit to the

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judgment and will of others. Obeying, goeth quite against their grain, any further than they like the commands of their superiors and if they are in any hope of reaching it, they aspire to be the governors of others, that they may still stand uppermost, and have their will in all the matters about them, as well as in their own. If there be a place of power and preferment void, the proud man is the forwardest expectant; and maketh no great question of his fitness; but thinketh that he is injured if he be put by, how worthy a man soever be preferred before him he snuffs and scorns at inferiors that stick at his most sinful and unreasonable commands; and thunders out the charge of rebellion or schism against those that question his infallibility, or that will stick at obeying him before God, and against him; as if he had been born to rule, and other men to obey him; and all do him wrong, who fall not down and worship not his will, at the first intimation: though perhaps he be but a minister of Christ, who should be as a little child, and the servant of all, and should stoop to the feet of the poorest of the flock, and should receive the weak, and bear with their infirmities; yet pride will their lift up the head, and forget all the humbling examples and admonitions of Christ, and will either seek to draw disciples after it, by speaking perverse things, (Acts xx. 30.) or forget 1 Pet. v. 3. "Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being examples to the flock."

But on the contrary, the poor in spirit are readier to obey than rule, as knowing that ruling requireth the greater parts and graces; and are inclined to think others to be fitter for places of teaching or authority than themselves (further than clear experience constraineth them to know the contrary): for in honour they prefer others, instead of striving to be preferred before others they have a tractable, humble, yielding disposition, except when they are tempted to sin. They are gentle, and easy to be entreated, (James iii. 17.) and can submit themselves to one another; yea, and be their voluntary subjects; 1 Pet. v. 5. Ephes. v. 21. (Yet not becoming unnecessarily the servants of men; but choosing it rather when they may be free.) They are as little children, in that they expect not rule, but to be ruled; Matt. xviii. 3. They have learned to serve one another in love, (Gal. v. 13.) and take it not for Christian love, that

can do good only upon terms of equality, and cannot stoop to voluntary service. They can go two miles with him that compelleth them to go one: no man more obedient when you command not sin. For as he affecteth not to be called Master, or Rabbi, or to have the highest seat or name (Matt. xxiii. 11, &c.); so he hath learned not to please himself, but to please others for their good to edification; Rom. xv. 2. Especially if he be a pastor 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 averse to lord it over the flock, because he knoweth that he must be an example to them: and it is not an example of pride, but of lowliness, which Christ did give, and he must give; and therefore both are joined together; 1 Pet. v. 3. 5.

2. The proud do make too great a matter of that honour which perhaps may be their due: they plot for it: they set their hearts upon it. If they are slighted, or others preferred before them, their countenances are cast down, as Cain's; 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: despise them, and you torment them, or make them your enemies.

But the poor in spirit regard their honour, as they do other matters of this world; that is, with moderation, and so far as it is conducible to the honour of religion, or their country, or to the service and business of their lives. They will not be prodigals of that which they may serve God by: and they will not be over-desirous of that which may be a bait to pride, and a snare to their souls, though it gratify. the fleshly fancy. They will seek it, as if they sought it not; and possess it, as if they possessed it not, remembering how vain a thing man is, and how little his thoughts or breath can do, to make us happy: God is so great in a believer's eye, and man and worldly vanity is so small, that a lowly mind can scarce have room and time to regard the honour which is the proud man's portion; because he is taken up with honouring his God, and esteemeth the honour which consisteth 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 scorn and offscouring of the

world, and to have his name cast out as an evil-doer, so he be not an evil-doer indeed; 1 Cor. iv. 13. Luke vi. 22. Whatever you think of him, or whatever you say of him, he knoweth that it is little of his concernment: your favour is not his felicity; nor are you the judge, whose sentence must finally decide his cause. He humbleth himself, and therefore can endure to be humbled by others. He chooseth the lowest place himself, and therefore can endure to be low; 1 Cor. iv. 3-5. Luke xiv. 11. xviii. 14. xiv. 10.

3. The highminded are ashamed to be thought to come of a low descent; 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 personal worth which is honourable indeed, they are fain to adorn themselves with these borrowed feathers.

But the lowly know that riches prove such a hindrance of salvation, and so few of the rich proportionably are saved, as Christ hath told us, it can be no great honour to be the offspring of the rich: it is a sad kind of boast to say, 'My ancestors are more like to be in hell than yours; or if any of them be in heaven, they came thither as a camel through a needle's eye.' We know we are all of the common earth, and there our flesh will all be levelled, and our noblest blood will turn to the common putrefaction: we are all the seed of sinful Adam; our father was an Amorite, and our mother an Hittite; Ezek. xvi. 3. And good men have used humbly to lament their forefathers' pride and wickedness, instead of boasting of their worldly wealth; as you may read, Neh. ix. 16. 39. Dan. ix.

4. The highminded are ashamed to be thought poor themselves; because wealth is the idol which they most honour; they think that it will most 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 ashamed of his poverty, and would be fain accounted rich.

But the lowly are not ashamed to say with Peter, (Acts iii. 6.) “Silver and gold have I none;" while they have better riches to rejoice in. They are glad, when with Paul they can say, We are poor, but making many rich; 2 Cor. vi. 10. They will not deny, or cast away any riches (which God doth

lend them) because as his stewards, they must be accountable for them to their Lord. But they take it to be no shame to be more like Christ than Croesus; or more like his apostles than the prelates and cardinals of Rome; or to be of those poor that are poor in spirit, who are rich in faith, and heirs of heaven; James ii. 5. Matt. v. 3. Nor is it any desirable honour to have our salvation so much hindered and hazarded, as the rich have. God, and angels, and wise men, do think never the worse of a good man for being poor.

5. The highminded are therefore usually addicted to some excess in ornaments and apparel, because they would be taken to be rich and comely (unless when their pride worketh some other way). Yea, if they be never so mean and poor, they would seem by their clothing to be somewhat richer than they are; or would be rich in hypocrisy, or outward appearance, except it hinder their relief. They that wear soft clothing were wont to dwell in the houses of kings, (Matt. xi. 8.) but now they dwell in the houses of most citizens, tradesmen, husbandmen; yea, of ministers themselves; wives, children and servants are commonly sick at once of this disease: and though it be one of the lowest and foolishest games, which pride hath to play; yet women, and children, and lightheaded youths, do make up the greater number of this vanity; while the pride of the graver, wiser sort, doth turn itself to greater things.

But the lowly who are not ashamed to be poor, are not ashamed of poor apparel; though they are not for uncleanliness, nor for an affected singularity, for ostentation of humility; yet they had rather go below their rank, than above it, as taking pride to be a greater shame and hurt than poverty: if their clothing be convenient to their health and use, and not offensive to others, it sufficeth them and a patch, or a rent, or a garment that is old, will not make them blush: they have learned, 1 Pet. iii. 3. "Whose adorning, let it not be that outward, of plaiting the hair, or of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; but the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price."

6. The highminded have high thoughts of worldly pomp, and wealth, and greatness; and think of such as ex