Baxter - Houston-Packer Collection BT770 .B39 1670

45cs The Lije of Faith. concernment : your favour isnot his felicity ; nor areyou the Judge, whole lentence mutt finally decide his mire. He hunrbleth himfelf, and therefore can endure to be humbled by ethers. H: chufeth the lomeji place hitnlelf, and therefore can endure to be low, 'I Cor. 4. 3, 4, 5. Luke 14. I r. & 18.14. & 14. 10. 3. The high-minded are afhamed to be thought to' comeofa low defcent ; or that their Parents or Anceffor.r werepoor : And iftheir Anceflors were rich and great, that little honour Both help to elevate their minds; becaufe they want that perfonal worth which is honourable indeed, they arc fain to adorn themfelves with theft borrowed feathers. But the lowly know that if Riches prove fueh a hinderance of falvation, and fo few of the rich proportionably are Caved, as Chrift hath told us, ,it can be no great honour to be the off- fpring of the rich : It is a fad kind of boatt, to lay [my An- ceflors are.liker tobt in Hell than yours ; or ifany of them be in Heaven, they came thither as a Camel. through a needles eye.] We know we arc all of the. common earth, and there our Mil will all be levelled, and our noblett blood will turn to the common putrefaction : We arc all the feed offinful Adam ; our Father was anAmorite, and our Mother an Hittite, Ezek.; 1.6.3. And good men have ufcd humbly to lament their fore- fathers pride and wickednefs,infìead ofboating oftheir world- ly wealth as you may read, Neb. 9,16, 39. Dan. 9. 4. The bigb. minded are aíhamcd to be thought poor them, felves : Becaufe wealth is the Idol which they molt honour; they think that it will molt honour them. Becaufe they fee that molt men admire and honour it in the world ; therefore they being ofthe world, do judge as the world, and conform themfelves to its opinion. Even the poor that is proud, is atharned ofhis poverty,.and would be fain accounted rich. But the lowly are not afhamcd to faywith Peter, Aas 3, 6. Silver andgold have I none.; while they have better riches to rejoyce in :, Theyare glad,. when with Paul they can fay, We arepoor, but making many rich, 2 Cor. 6.1o.- They will not de- ny, orcaft away any riches (which God doth'lend them) be- caufcas his Stewards, they muff be accountable for them to their Lord. But they take it to be no (ham: to- be liker Chrítt than

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