CONFIRMED CHRISTIN. 545 thathe doth it, but for his own ends. He never trulyhonoreth his superiors ; for he doth not respect them as the officers of God, nor obey them for his sake with a conscionable obedience. He fear- ed' the higher powers as bears or tigers, that are able to hurt him ; or useth their favor as he useth his horse, to do him service. Were it not for himself, he would little regard them. The true Christian honoreth the basest creature more than the hypocrite and worldling honoreth his king; for he seeth God in all, and useth the smallest things unto his glory whereas the worldling debaseth the highest, by the baseness ofhis esteem, and use, and end; for he knoweth not how to esteem or use the greatest prince; but forhim- self or for some worldly ends ; 2 Tim. iii. 3, 4. XLIX .1 A Christian indeed is a man of courage and fortitude in every cause of God; for he trusteth God, and firmly believeth that he will bear.him out. He knoweth his superiors,' and hath a charitable respect to all men : but as for any selfish or timorous respect, he bath the least regard to man. For he knoweth that the greatest are but worms, whose breath is in their nostrils, that pass away as shadows, and return to dust; and that the most po- tent are impotent when they contendwith God, and are unequal matches to strive against their Maker; and that it will prove hard for them to kick against the pricks ; and that whoever seemeth now to have the day, it is God that will-be conqueror at last. Job xxv. 6. xvii. 14. xxiv. 20. Psal. lxxix. 31. ciii. 16. cxliv. 3-'-5. Acts ix. 4 6. " Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help ; his breath goeth forth; he return- eth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish. Happy is he that hath the God ofJacob for his help; whose hope is in the Lord his God." "Woe to him that striveth with his Maker;" Isa. xlv. 9. He knoweth that it is more irrational to fear man against God, than tofear a flea or a fly against the greatest man. The infinite disproportion between the creature that is against him, and the Creator that is for him, doth resolve him to obey the com- mand of Christ; "Benot afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no 'More that they can do : but I will forewarn you whom yoú shall fear: fear him, which, after he bath killed, bath power to cast into hell : yea, I say unto you, fear him ; " Luke xii. 4. " Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, thepeople in whose heart is my law: fear ye not the reproof of man, neither be afraid of their revilings. For the moth shall eat them up like agar- ment, and the worm sháll eat them like wool ; but my righteous-. ness shall be forever, and my salvation from generation to genera- tion;" Isa. lvii. 7, 8. "I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair. I hid not my face from shame and spitting. For the Lord God will help me; therefore VOL. I. 69
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