Honour and A Pride, And 1. Climbing high, &c. 233 bring down and be avenged on at laft : you debafe the facred coinwhich bears the (lamp and name of God. Magiftracy is holy, and the Imageof God, and you bafely turn it into the Image ofthe flefh ; and blot out Gods name from it, and 'Damp upon it the name of fell; and traiteroufly make it your own, whichwas eminently his. Believe it,whoever you are, ifyou feek for places of Rule and Dignity with carnal felfifh ex- pedations, you muD either ufe them accordingly when you have them , which is the readieD way to damnation in the world, or elfe youmutt findyour expectations croft, andmifs of all your carnal Ends ; and find that the greateft toil and burden,which you expected thould have been your chief con- tent. God path annexed the Honour and outward greatnefs, partly to encourage you to fo hard a work , left the burden thould be too heavy,and partly to enableyou to perform it,and give you fome advantages againft oppofition. But though the cloathingof Authority and Rule be fplendid, the fubilance thus covered is extraordinary Labour,and duty, and fuffering. It is Honourable bu its an honourable burden, and an ho- nourablepainful difficult work. So that if men underftood what Officeand Authority is in Church or Commonwealth, and look't after the fubflance as well as the ornaments ; the work as well as the Honour and Greatnefs ; it would be an eminent piece offelf-knial for a man to fubmit to the call of God, to be a Prince, a Judge, a Juitice or but a Conftable and men would as hardly be drawn to take the Office, as they are now to do the work of the Office in faithfulnefs and with courage and zeal for God ; and that is almoft as hard as an offendor is drawn to the Docks : Offices and high places, are not intended to accomodate the flefh ; nor are they things to be ambitioufly defired and fought for by fuch as understand theEnds and ufe of them : but they are fuch laborious, ha- zardous ways offervingGod, which awife man knows muff colt himmore, then the honour will repay, andwhich a Good man will not run away from, w4nGod calleth him thereto ; but will fo far Deny himfelf as to fubmit to them ; but not thrufchimfelf into them, as the Proudand felfith do. It is a work ofPatience to a Godly man to be thusexalted but it is H h a work
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