232 .gonour andPride, And 1. Climbing high, &c. man fitter for this place thenyour felf, and have you fought firft to get in a fitter man ? what can they for fhame fay to it ? If they fay No ; they proclaim themfelves notorious. felf - feekers 1 For its very feldom, that an humble man is allowed to judge himfelf the fittest. 4. And he that ceeketh Digni- ties for God and not for himfelf, will ufe them for God, and not for himfelf. For the Intention will command the rile. Hewill deny himfelf in his fuperiority as well as if he were in the loweft ; and will contrive how he may most ferve and ho- nour Cod : and this will be eafily feen in his endeavours, whe- ther it be God or felf that he ferves and liveth to. And now I advife all that love their fouls, to take heed of this afpiring a& of felfl[hnefs. If you will needs Peek your felves, and be your own exalters, you must trust to your felves, and be your own defenders : And then you will find that the loweft condition in the handof God, is more fafeand comfortable then the higheft in your own hand. If God should lift you up to the top of the higheft mountains, you may expe61either a calm, or his protetlion in the ftorm, and to be as fafe as thofe below : but if you lift upyour felves, and Satan carryyou to the pinacle of the Temple, take heed left you thence call downyour felvesby his temptations that did lift you up. Dignities andHonours, are not indeed the things that they feem to be to carnal eyes that fee not the infide, but judge by theoutward glitteringPhew. There is moll holy Duty and work tobe done, where is the greateft dignity. And certainly the life of greateit work and labour is not the life of greateft eafe or carnal pleafure : efpecially when it is the work of God that youmull do: a workwhich all the world is againft, and which Satan and all his power will 1-ea : and which mull meet with enmity and abundance of enmity, when ever you fet about it : Though you are Commanderss, yet you areSoldiers ; andyou that are Leaders have the hotteft ftand- ing,&mull expeft the fharpeficonflifts. Doyou thinkof your Dignitiesand Offices as places ofmeer fuperiority and honour and accomodation to your carnal felves ? then are you Carnal men, and enter upon you know not what, and make your felves Traitorsand Enemies to God, whom he is engaged to bring
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