CONFIRMED CHRISTIAN. in love." Here you see the children are apt to be carried into di-. viding parties. And that they are, more apt to be proud, and that way to miscarry, see 1 Tim. iii. 6. "'Not a novice, (or Taw young Christian,) lest, being lifted up pith pride, he fall into the condemnation of the devil;" and then followeth the effect, Acts xx. 30. "Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking per- verse things, to draw away disciples after them." I would not have you groundlessly accuse any Christian with a charge of pride; but I must tell you that the childish pride of apparel is a petty business, in comparison of that pride which many in sordid attire have manifested, who, in their ignorance, dorage and foam out words of falsehood and reproach against Christ's ministers and servants, as if they were fools, or impious in comparison of them, speaking evil of thatwhich they never understood. The lifting up the heart above the people of the Lord, in the pride of supposed holiness, is incomparably worse thanpride of learning, honor, great- ness, wit, or wealth. Nay, it hath often been to me a matter of wonder to observe how little all those plain and urgent texts of Scripture, which cry down division, do work upon many of the younger Christians, who yet are as quickly touched as. any with a text that speaketh against profaneness and lúkewarmness. In a word, they are often of the temper of James. and John, when they would fain have had Christ revenged himselfon his opposers by fire from heaven; "They know not what manner of spirit they are of;" Luke ix. 55. They think verily that it is a holy zeal for God, when it is, the boiling of passion, pride, and selfishness. They feel not the sense of such words as Christ's, "I pray also for themwho shall believe on me, through their word, that they all may be one, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us., that the world may believe that thou hast sent me ;" &c: John xvii. 20-24. 3. And as for the seeming Christian, in this they are of several sorts. When their carnal interest lieth in compliance with the major part and stronger side, then no men do more cry up unity and obedience. What a noise do many thousand Papist prelates, Jesujts and friars, make with these two wórds throughout the world 1 , Unity and obedience '(unto them, upon their terms) do signify principally their worldly greatness, wealth, and power. But if the hypocrite be engaged in point of honor, or other carnal in- terest, on the suffering side, or be out of hope of any advantage, in the common road, then no man is so much for separation and singularity as he. For he must needs be notell for somebody in the world, and this is the chief way .that he findeth to accomplish it. And so, being " lifted up with pride, he falleth into the con- demnation of the devil," and becomes a firebrand in the church.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=