Of HZumility at?dPride, &c. Chap.9. $33 a. Superbia habit , Pride of Apparel. 2. Superbie menfa, Pride in our Table. and;. Superbsafupelleailis, Pride inour furniture. n the meansof Grace which God gives us to beget in us humility and other graces, we thew much pride, as when we take apride in praying, hearing, &c.and do.hereinaffe& the praife and appläufe of men; but an higher degree is, whenmen rejecî thofe means of Grace, efpecially, when they refift the good motions wrought in Them, and quench thofe fparxles which are kindled by the word, when it comes h.,me to their Hearts, as if they could have the motions of Gods fpirit when they plea re whe.eas they know not whether God will ever offer them the like again, and fo this may be the laft offer of Grace. Nay no: only in the means ofGrace, but even in the Graces themfelves willpride app: ar, ano whereas the obje(sof other fins are bate and vile, even the beft things acid taoft excellent Graces are made the ebjcdt or matter ofpride, Cineresreliquarurn peccatorum, famesfuperbre when other fins are cofumed to afhes, even out of ti' c attics will pride Spring up, yea we are apt to be proud even of our humility. There is a Pride in th e Crofs, when we are humbled under Gods Hand, we may be proud in that we are not proud, or not foproud as other men, or as we have been be- fore. Thus the greater our giftsare, the more fecure we grow, and thelefs jealous sari ufpiciousof our felvcs, and fo arcovertaken, as Noah, David, Lot, and others. TL r :tyre where the greateft gifts are, there is greateft danger, and therefore the grt rer watch c,ught to be kept, and where the richeft prize is, there the Devil will ufc': greateft power and fubtilty to rob us of it. Therefore themore any man hath r...; ca, the more ought he to humblehimfelf, and watch that he benot overtaken wits. P :ide. s. We will add a little to that we have faid,and that fhall be concerning the punifh- rm'ot of this fin. Gods glory (asone well faith) is Welts regalis, hischief treafure rindexchequer into which the proud manbreaks,robbing God byextenuating his glo ry, and taking it as much as he cantohimfelf. But as thewife man fpeaks ) the Lord will deftroy the houfe of the proud, as he did Pharaoh, Haman, Herod, and many others, who were taken awayeven when they magnified themfelves molt of all. 2. Or elfe Godpunifheth him by depriving him of thegift, which was the caute of hisPride. His Tongue {hall cleave to the roof of his Mouth, or his right Hand flail forget her cunning, 3. Or when he thinks he hath gotten ftrength enough, that he is able to lean upon his own Staff, God fullers him to fall under every fmall temptation; becaufe he Peeks not to God for fupply of his Spirit, whereas by Humility he might have withftood thegreateft affaults. Thus foreof great parts, when they will be fin- gular, as unicorns, that will have no match, they break the net of Humility, which fhould bring men unto God, by Pride, and fo God leaving them to themfelves, they become the authors of heretics and errors. .. Or though it pleafeth. God to let the gift remain, whereof they are proud, yet he gives not a blefting to it, but leaves is fruitlefs. Somehave been endued with excellent Graces, but without fruit, they have made no return toGod of his Talents, not a Soul gained unto him by them, whereas a manofmean endowments joyned with Humility hath gained more than the Golden Tongue of an Eloquent Tertellús. ,g. Or laftly, (which is the greateft punilhment ) there is in the mind, (as oft times in the Body, as towards the end of a mans days, a Palfy or an Appoplexy ) a certain flupidity or numnefs, fo that neither threats can terrific thetri, nor perfwafions allure them tolrepentance, but pafs out of this World without the fear of God, or'fenfeof his judgments, fo that they die and perifh like Beafts. And Godpunifh- eth their Pride with this dulnefs, left they fhould feel, as Saint Pant did, a Thorn in the flefh, which, as the beft interpreters expound, it was a wreftling againft Pride. ' t. Another thing forbidden is forced Humility, coatta hsmilittit, And fach was that ï; ofpharaoh. So long as Gods Handwas upon him and his people, and that he was fenfible of the plagues fentby him, fo long hehumbled himfelf, and promifed to let fixed. the peoplego: But whenheperceived that the plagues ceafed, he andhis Servants harden,,
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