3.20 Chap. 3 3, An Expofitiou upon the Book, of J o B. Verf. 17, give them any acceptation. The bell things how long foever continued to proud men, are no longer blelliings to them ; yea it had been good for them, that either they had never had them, or that they had been Toone taken away. That as one fayd falfely. (>,'tilSUtn e7 of the life of man in.general!, but truely of wickedmeu ; It. had öon nafii pro been befifor them not to have been..borne, and their next boll would ninum cira be to dye quickly. So, I may fay in this._cafe-of proudmen_ ; It had 'ri° been belt for them theynever had received any eminent gifts fromGod, and their next belt would be to have them quickly takenaway ; Pot as wicked men inGeneral (if they dye uncon- verted) the longer they live, the worfer they live,and every day by adding newheapesoffin.heape. up. further wrath againfi the day of wrath; So, proud-men in fpectall,the longer they have and höld theirgifts, their riches; their honours, their powers, doe but abufe them the more, to the ihereafe of their finhere, and. ( without repentance ) shamehereafter. And therefore to thusup this òbfervation, and the expofition Of this verfe, I fhall only give fotne few dire6iions or counfels for the cure of this foule-ficknefspride, or for the pricking ofa pride-fwolne heart, that fo the winde , that noxious winde of offentation , by which proud men are vainly puff up in their í{et7,lymindes, may..be-letoutand vóyded. Firfl , Let the proud matxconfider.whatheis ; Some have af_ kedblafphemoufly,whatt.is the Almighty? as we law at the a,th Chapter of this Booke :-But it maywell enough beasked, What is man that the Almighty fhould be rmndfull ofhim( Pfal: 144. 3, ) and may wenot much more queflion againe, tthát -is man that he fhould be fo mindfull ofhimfelfe ?David, a great king Paid to theLord ( 2 Sam: 7. 18. ) whoam I, OLord Cod,and what is my-.houfe, that "thou hall brought me hithèrto ? Thus everymmn íhould fay tohimfelfe, or put the queflion to his owne Tonle ; Who am I ? or what am I, that I should have a proud thought -? All men indeed differ in .force things, and Tome differ in very many things. Men of high degree-,andmen of lowdegree differ, men of knowledge andignorance differ, learned and unlearned men differ. And it is not only, as I may fay, a pe-ice of heraldry, but apèice of divinity to keep up the differences of men, Yet wharfs anyman; whether high or low,knowing or ignorant,-lear- ned or..unlearned,that he should beproud ? they all agree in this, they
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