s'piritztal Perfeaion: diare and explicit contempt of God, and efpecially in Pride. Sins of this nature exceedin~ly \~~;~k~1~~d ~;~r~~;~~P~~~~f:ff.r~fficiency of Counfei , or Power, or Riches, to . obtaio their ends. This Sin wa~ charged upon SenM~trr~; 1 wtU pru11fb the f_rutt of the Ifa.1o . u, ,, . prOttd H<art of the !(jng of AJhriA, and the glor7 of hts htgh looks ' For lu f atth, By the f::'i'f:t:(p~{y~a;,•.~:'~~~r:&d ~~~ ~h; k:th~211~;1/~h'; ];:7::; ag~tfl~~~~t~tc~~;; with it? Or the Sand magnify /Jimfeifagainjl him that {baketb it? Thus God fpeaks to Phar.toh King of Egypt; Behold! am ag11inft thee, the great Dragon that lies in the midft ol his. ,v4rers, JVJ 1ich hM [aid, My R1ver is mine own.t ( ~ b_lafphemer !) and I ~ave made it for mJ fe!f Thus N ebttchadnezzar boafted, walkmg m hJS Palace, Is not thngr<at Baby/on, that. J have built for tbe Hou/e of mJ /(jngdom, bJ the might of mJ Power, and the glorJ of mJ ,Majefty? I have laid the Foundations thereof on the centre of tbc Earth, and raifed its Tou.,trs to thtHeavem. This Pride is attended with reliance'and confidence in their own direB: ion to contrive, and ability to accomplifh their defigns; and with affuming the glory of all their fuccefs intirely to themfclves. The proud manage their affairs independently upon t he Providence of God, who is the Author of all our Faculties, and the Efficacy of them, and totally neglect the two cffcntial parts of Natural Relgion, Prayer and Praife ; or very Jlight!y perform the external part, without thole inward Alfuctions that are the Spirit and Life of them. 'Twas the wile Prayer of Jlgar, Give me not Riches, lejll be {ttU, and deny t hee. God ftri8ly cautions hts People againft this dangerous Sin, Beware tbor~ for- Deur.s.• 7 ,. tt. ~:; ~;~ ~~:£7' ;;;[:fp6~n,~~;~:;~;/~i::: fh;;:~e~":O ~:r ~~~~;( AnlJ~:i:'e~~~t;d~~ gcrous, left Men {hould attribute Victories or Profperity, in any l<ind, to their own Counfel and Refolution, their Prudence and Power, without humble and thankful obfi:rving and acknowledging the Divine Providence, the fountain and original of all our Bleffings. (2.) Whatever the kinds of Sin be, when committed againft knowledge with defign and deliberation, they proceed from Infolence and Obftrnacy. The 1/raelites are charged with this aggravation in their finniog; They dealt promlly, tlnd hardtn'd their necks, and Neh.9. iii,:7• hllfken'd not to tbe Co-mmandments, and rift{ed to obey. Proud Sinners are introduced ~~~~~~g~~~~fs ~~1i~~[;,' :~rifwr"he;'~~;:eL:b~:;r;a~ :nd~~~~e~il1 ~T~~~~u~~ r:~rr~~t:~ few fo prodigiouily wicked as to fpeak thus ; but Men's Actions have a Language as declarative as their Words: And finning prefumpxuoufiy with a high Hand, is conftruClively a denial, and defpifing of the Domi~ion and Power of the Lawgiver; as if he had no ri a ht to command, nor ftrength to vmd1cate, the Honour of his defpifi:d Deity. In the !aft Judgment the Punifhment of rebellious Sinners will be according to the Glory of God's Ma jef!y, and the Extent of hiS Power that was COjltemned and vilified by them. ~- When Divine Judgments are Cent to correCl the diffolute diforders of the World, and Sinners !hould with tenderoefs and trembhng hear the Voice of the Rod, And who ha< •ppointed it; yet they proceed in their Wickednefs, as if God were not always Prefent to fee their Sins, nor Pure to hate them, nor Righteous to exact a fevere Judgment for them, nor Powerful to infli<l it ; this argues intolerable Pride and Obfiinacy. God and Sinners are very unequa l Enemies : The effects of his Difpleafure lhould be received with obfcquionfnefs, not with obduration : Therefore the Apoftle puts that confounding C<!Jeftion, Do ;or' provoke the Lord to jealoufJ? are you flro'lger than he ? Can you encounter witb offended Omnipotence ? To de!pife his Anger is as provoking as to defpife his Love. 'Tis aftonifhi ng_, t hat Duft and Allies lhould rife to fuch an incorrigible heighth of l'ridc , as to Ay m the Face of God : Who ever hardned himftlf againjl him, and pro.flmd? All that are care lefs of God's de!ign to reform them by Affiict10ns , that leek for relief in diverting Bufinefs or_Pleafures, provoke God to more fevere inflictions of his Anger: Hut thofc furly proud Natures that are exafperated by Suffenngs, and wrefile with the ftrongefi Storms, arc in combination with the ftubboro Spirits of Hell, and !hall have their portion with them. La!lly, When Men have a vain prefumption of the goodnefs of their fpiritual ftate, of the degrees of their Goodnefs, and their ftability in Goodnefs, not fenfible of their commua) want of renewed fupplies from Heaven, t hey are gu ilty of fpiritual Pride. Of ' thiS there _are two In!lances in Scripture; the one in the Church of lukewarm Laodi&e.:, the oth~ r 10 the Phari{ee, mentioned ~Y our Saviour. The firft faid, 1 am rich, and in· Rev. j . crea{e~ tn J?_oods , anti. have need of nothtng ; and lmon;ejl not , tbat thou art rvretched, and poor, •nd miferable, and blind, and naked. The Phari(ee, to raife the efi cem of his own Goodncfs;
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