• 4 o ~ttf.oenpal. -c.~i~aps~;.it~--;. --p-;iron of a~~· ovcrc-;;;~i-;g hi;:;;n-~orruption. 0 this j;:j-;;;,i;~,;on ~;·ill-ft~~~~ 1 s.m:. , 3 _12 it out like a mighty champion in the heart when all other luirs lccrn to fly (as Shmtm1~ was faid to ftand it om, a<:d to dcfend_the field. when tbe pco, le fled) 0ther lull:s may go out like fire that wants fewcl, yet th1s lull: wtll fltll put forth, and foore a loft, and Jhive to climbe up into the throne of God fo long as any thing of the old man remaines in man. Of all the evils that are wtthm us, wehave moO: caufe to be convinced, yea to watch and pray agamfl thts evil of vmn-glory, fllf-cx.,ftatton, fc!f-ac!mn·«· tion. + Learne inwardly, by heart, this Gofpel truth, that mans honottring cfChrift, and and beinghormmd by Chnft IS the nucll: honour of man. if any 11MII ferve me, loim wtll my Father honotlr. As the hormmng of the father, husband, fovcragtn, IS the honol!r John 1 z. oS. of a fonne, a wife, a fubject : fo the lmmtring •fChiji', and efpccially beingh011ourcd by Chrifl, it is the glory of them who are the chtldren, fpoufc, and fubjccts of Jefus Chriil. Vainc and carnal men think no honour comparable to the fionour which men Jobo rz. "' give, as iiwas faid of the chief Rulers in Chrill:s time, They love the praife cf mm m~re rhm the praife of God; and therefore they ll:nve more to have the teftimony of man applauding them, then the witndfe of Gods Spirit fealing thrm up unto the day ofredemption. 0 but this honour lhould darken the other in our eyes; what great mottcr is it though the glory of the other be loll:, fo that Cod do but highly honour us with this? Whofoevcr knows himfelf to be the fonne of God, be never wonders more at that which is humane. Surely he debafes himfelffrom the height of true ge– neroufndfc, who admires ~t any thing befides God and Chri!t himfclr ; all other hc– no~~r is but of nature, but this howour is ofgrace ; It is a fparkle of the divine nature a ray of the very glory of God himfclflhining into the foulcs of his Saints. ' 5. Let us herein conform our felves to Chrill:. He came from the bofomc of his J)m 17 , ss, Father, and from that infinite glory he had with him before the world was; for fo he prayes, that the Father would ~lorifie him with that glory he had with him bef.re the w<rld was. Uc left the riches and pleafures of Heaven, and that honour which he might have had from all the Angels, and all to fave poor wretched finful creatures; He that was equall with God, fo emptied himfclf that he became man ; nay he was made a fcorn of men, he was called the Carpenters fonne, as one that was contemptible, he made himfelf of no reputation, he came in the form of a fcrvant, yea ofan evil fervant t?at was to be"bcaten; he was made a curf~, as if he had been the vileft ofmen living; and yet this was the honot:r of Chrifl: himfclf, bccaufe it was all for God and good of fouls. 0 then '-!ho is he that knowes any thing of Jefus Chrill:, that can think it much to lay down all his hononr, or any outword dignity under heaven for him? \Vhat can be more unworthy? what niore deteilable then that a man lhould magnifie himfelf after he hath feen God humbled? it is intollerable impudcncy, that where Maje!!y hath emptied it fclf, a worme lhould be puffed up and fwell. 6. Let us fubmit to the meaneil fervice of our God, though it darken our honours Himm Epijl. never fo much in the eyes of the world. Thus Hierome writ to Pamachi11s a godly •d~?.,na.is. young Noble man, that he would have him to be cyeJ to the blind, f eet to the lame, hands to the weak._) yea if need were to carry water, ~tnd cut woodJ and malzgfires; for what art afl thefc (faith he) to bond, bujfettings, fpittings, whippings, death. To this purpofe Conftantine, Valentinian, Theodofius, three Emperours called thcmfelves the vaffids of Jefw Chrift, as Sacrates reports ofthem; and Theodo(im efpecially did manifefl: it in the work of his humiliation, when i~ the face of a full Congregation, he call himfelf down upon the pavement, weeping, and lamenting for his finne; which many haughty fpirits, though inferiour to him would a fcorned to have done. r.,,.; "· ' 6 · 7· Let us willingly joyn with thofe of lower degree in any way of hono~rinK God. Mind not high thing>(faith the Apoll:le) but condtfund to men oflow eftate. Thus Hic– rome advifed Pamachiw to equal himfelfwith the poor, _to go into the Cells ofthe needy. \11/ho knowcs but that the poorell: creature may be far more honourable in the eyes of • J.unes •· •,s. ~~~ ~!~:J'l~g~~;~~s t~br~:h!~~=;.r:::~re~:i~~sJto~~1i:,~j~[u:~~]ft~:C1Z~~ ofglory, with refpe£1 ofpcrfons.- - Hcark,::n my beloved brethrm, hath not God chofen the p•or of this world, rich in faith, heirs ofthe Kingdome, which he hath pr•mifed to them that love him ? It may be fol:ne of themwere in Chrifl: before us, and others of them are in Chrifl: as well as the bell: ofus, and if we mufl differ in glory as we do differ in grace,who can tellbut they may be in heaven as the (tars of a bigger magnitude, and of a greater glory? 8. Let
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