.226 DIItECTIOIv S FIOw. TO, LEAD A a prince and a ploughman. Well then, art thou a man of worth in thine own eyes ? Art thou delighted when thou hearest of thy esteem with men, and much dejected when thou hearest that they slight thee ? ]Jost thou love those best that honour thee, and think meanly of them that do not, though they be otherwise men of godliness and honesty ? Must thou have thy humours fulfilléd, and thy judgment be a rule, and thy word. 'a law, to-all about thee ? Are thy passions kindled, if thy word or will be crossed ? Art thou ready to judge humility to be sordid baseness, and knowest not how to submit to humble confession, when thou hast sinned against God, or injured thy brother? Art thou one that lookest strange at the godly poór, and art almost ashamed to be their com- panion? ..Canst thou not serve God in a low place as well as a high ? Are thy boastings restrained more by prudence or artifice than humility ? Dost thou de- sire 'to have all men's eyes upon thee, and to hear them say, This is he? Art thou acquainted with thè de- ceitfulness and wickedness of. thy heart ? At thou more ready to defend thy innocence; than accuse thy- self or confess thy fault ? Canst thou hardly bear a close reproof; or digest plain dealing ? If these symptoms be undeniably in thy heart, thou art.a proud person. There is too much of hell 'abiding in thee, to have any acquain- tance with heaven ; thy soul is too like the devil, to have any familiaritywith God. A proud man makes himself his god, and sets up himself as his idols : how then -can his affections be set on God? How can he possibly have his heart in heaven ? Invention and memory may pos- sibly furnish his tongue with humble and heavenly ex- pressions, but in his spirit there is no more heaven than there is humility. .I speak the more of it, because it is the most common and dangerous sin in morality, and most promotes the great sin of infidelity. O Christian, if thou wouldst live continually in the presence of thy Lord, lie in the dust, and he will thence take thee up. "Learn of him to be meek and lowly; and thou shalt find rest unto thy soul. "(y) Otherwise thy soul will be like (y) Matt. xi. 29.
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