66 The spiritual life) andIn-being repetitions pafre upon their hearts ? When you pray alt a- lone, you have no focLI repetitions ; but when you have prayed, or been E:e,'ziling In a Company ; doth not your heart run back fometimes, and fay ; Thus and thus I Paid, and this and this I did, and this Expreflion I had ? Hath there not been itrange kindof repetitions, after you have performed Duty in Company ? Is not here Self? is not here the I ? 6 Again, Are there not Tome, that never to this day, were fenfible of their Pride in fpiritual things ? Now I dare boldly fay unto thee from the Lord, Thou haft not yet learned this leffon ofSelf-Denyal in fpiritual things, that wert never Humbled for thy Pride in fpiritual things. I repeat it again, I fay, If thou wert never humbled for thy Pride in fpiritual things to this day, theLord knows, thou haft not learned this great leffon ofSelf-Denial in fpiritual things. I fay no more by way of Convincement ; Only this : There is nothing that a Profeffor is more apt to be proud of, than fpiritual things. Before a man takes up a ProfefTion ; poffibly then he is proudof his Cloaths ; or he is proud ofhis Friends ; or he is proudof his fine Houle and the like. But after oncea man comes to take up aPro- feffion there is nothing that he is more apt to be proud of than his Gifts, Graces, and Spiritual things. For, look where a mans Excellency lies, there his Pride grows. Now the Excellency of a Profeffor lies in fpiritual things ; and therefore there his Pride grows, and there he is molt apt tobe proud, Yet let me tell ye, It is a more dangerous thing to be proud Of a mans Duties, and Spiritual Gifts ; then to be proud of Cloaths, then to be proud of theft outward things ; For this prideof Spiritual Gifts, it's di-- real y oppofite to a mans juflification. And the more fecret & hidden any fin is,the more dange rous it is : andwhen fin & Pride lies under Duties, and Spiritual things, then it is hidden indeed. The more Bold a fin is, the greater it is; When a fin shall dare to come into the pretence of God, t hen it is bold indeed : Now pride in fpiritual things comes more
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