~piritual f er[eflion. - Others prefume upon the Nobility of their Exrra£lion; but whoever our more imme• diarc Parents be , if we afccnd in our Th?ughts, we .mutt come ro our grand Pro~enic~r AdtJm, the Son of the Earth , and Founcam of Manl<lnd: A.ll are Streams from .hun ; 1f fame flide along in rhe low Grounds, and fame are receiVed m Marble Rcpoficones, they all flow from the fame OriginaL How often do the Honourable rarni fh the Colour and Lullre of their Blood by de,;cnerous Allions? How often are the Rich and Great forf•- l<en of their Dependents, and only attended by a tratn of Mifer ies, mamrain 'd by their Expences? Such Revol uti?ns are not more firange than Echpfe.s are c~ the ~oon. Some are rais'd eo the hetght h of Secular Honour; and there ts nothmg fendS up mo re hot, fuming, and intoxicating Spirits, than Soveraign Power.. Humil~ry in a fi ate of the ~~TI~~~~w~r0~1~~r;r!~~ ~~r~;~J~ ~~~t~ei.n :i~~~~er;;~~ ~r~~~~~~~~~~:~ ~~~t~~~~tOr~~~~,~~ feldom join'd wid1 the: Pre eminence of inherent Excellencies. How many wear Royal Crowns, tha t are Slaves to their Lu(l:s, and govern others who cannot govern themfclves? Befides, there is no Heighth and Eminence upon Earth, but is encompafs'd with precipices and perils. The Throne leaves fome, and all mull leave the Throne. The greate!l Mo· narchs, and the ritofl: proud of their Greatnefs, mull defcend into the Grave, without their Scepters and Flatterers, and be confin'd to a dark Solitude, where they !hall have no or her State or Carpets, but the Worms to cover them, and Corru ption under them. There is bu t{)nc Kingdom that cannot be fhaken, and one Immortal King. In the next \Vorld, they mull !land upon a level with the meane!l Wretches, and be accountable to the High and Everlalling Judge, for their management of his Vicegerency. There is nothing Men value chemfclves more than upon the a~count of their Underllandi ngs; JVowled~e puffs liP· But how little do we know? Pnde is the effell of great Prefumption, and lmle Knowledge. Suppofe one by expenme~tal Cunofl ty and lnqmrics could know all th1ngs m t he Lat1tude of the fenfible Creauon, this wer e but a refin'd kind of Vaniq', and could not afford fat isfaCbon to an I mmortal Spirit. In iliort; fUppofc a perfon eminently endowed with Divine ~alities, wherein the rcfemblance of God con fills, there cannot be the leall reafon of Pride, for they are all Graces <lifpens'd from the Soveraign unaccountable pleafure of God, who makes the moll excellent Sain: to differ from others. 577 2. It will be an Excellent Means to Cure Pride, to convince the Minds of Men, what is true Honour, and dire£\: their Defires to ir. "The \Vifdl: of Kings has told us, That hefore Honour is HNmilit]. Pride is a degene- .9.._uAm 'luitiufi rous Pa.ffi.on, debafes a Man, and brings him into miferable Bondage, enilaves him to t he '~"J'"' /,pun"' ignorant multitude. Dependance upon the opinion and applaufe of the People, who fe ~:t,7,:': '!:r Humors are very changeable, is fo uncafy, that rhe .Ambitious often Bite their heavy Chains, allMnd.~ p;,fllc- ~~~~u~~'Y;'~~~~J~~elf~t~t~~~~ct~:~~1tec~:e~\~~~~·e~;~~~~:t~:de~~~~~}~l'b!~"i~ :;,:y,;:,:,;; nion of himfelf. This is the effell of Excellent Wifdom. f•(p"f," Mm 3· Humi :ity is the mort precious Ornament in God's Sight: and to be approved by the ~-a~~ ."'Ep. ~~~ Divine Mind, and acc·epted by the Divine \V ill, is the higheA: Honour, morl worthy of Mh1Jh.,., ,~r"4 ~~;t~::bi~~tn~h:;,~~sli:i~~:~: ~~e~i~~sft~~fabi~hi~ ~~x~~v::~t~~~. Lif~o:~ ~~~~e~~ 3t~~ ;:J~!~:;~Hi:~. bitious Labour was, Wheth<r prefent or abfent to be accepted of him. Now what is t ile vain e!leem and fading breath of Men, compar'd with the acceptance of God? Doth a Learned Man value tbc praife of the Ignorant g iven to his Compofures , and difreg"d the approbation of the Learned, the proper Judges of it? Is Worldly Honour a certain indication of real worth, or can it fatisfy the defires of the Soul? A piece of rotten Wood !bines in the Dark; but when t he Day-Light appears, forfeits its Lullre: So in the darknefs of thisWorld, Titles of Honour feem Glorious, but in the morning of Eternity th~y lofe th_eir flaming BrightnefS, and vanifh for ever. 'Tis true Magnanimity> to dt~ Job. 2. fpif' thf praife of Men, and to feek and va/u, th' honour that comes from God only. After thiS Gwrt Life, Men are dead for ever to the pleafure of the ir Fame. I !ball Conclude this part of our Subjea with obferving, T hat f!urnility is a Vertuc not known to the Pbtlofophers, who thought 11 to be oppofite to Magnammity: but 'us efpec.ally recommended in the Gofpel as a rnoft Amiable and Excellent Grace. We are Commanded to do nothing through_Jirife or vain-glory, but in lowlimfl of mind let ettch ejlum Pbi l. ~.1. ot~ers ~ttter .than them/elves. ThLs may feem an unreafonable LetTon, and inconfifient w1th Smcemy.. But although tl~e difFerence b~t~een Men in Civil things , and Intellellual Perfe€bons be clea r ; yet rn Moral Ql,lahttes, we knowing our own Dtfells and fecret l'aults, may prefer others, whofe conceal'd Excellencies are vifible to God, be- . F f f f > fore
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