Chap. 4o. AnExpofi'tion upav theBook of J o B. Verf I`3. in the firfi place as to influence ; for what is the reafon why men over-love themfelves ? is it not becaufe they are proud, and have too high thoughts of themfelves ? David (Pfal. 119. a s .) ahew- eth the wickednefs of proud men,or that proud men are extream- ly wicked , while he faith to and of God, Thou haft rebuked the proud that are turfed, which do erre from thy Commandements. The proud are fuch as continually wander out of the wayes of truth and holineffe. Pride will not let us keep Commandements ('tis the humble foul which keeps them) and therefore pride may be called thebreach of all the Commandements ; and if fo,proud men mua needs be the very fir{l-born of the wicked ; and therefore David faith of t*fem, that they are not onely under the rebuke of God , but under his curfe, which is the peculiar portion and pu nifhment of the wicked. And what the way of proud men is, bot h in doing and (peaking, the fame David tellsus ( 75. 9.5.) faidunto the fools, deal notfoolifhly ; and to the wicked, lift not up the horn , lr ft not upyour horn on h :gh , fpeaknot with a/life neck, that is, be not proud. Wicked men lift up their horn and tongue, they cannot but (hew their pride in word and deed. The De- vil is the wicked one (Match. s 3. 19.) The high-way ground ha- ving received the feed,'tis faid thewicked one (that is,the Devil cvmeth and catcheth it away. And when the world is ¡aid to lie inwickednefs , or in the wickedone (i john 5, t 9.) Themeaning is, theDevil over-rules the carnal world. Now , as the Devil is the wickedone , fo he is theproud one al fo. Pride was that wicked- ednefs for whichGod trod him down , and his wickednefs fill continueth ih temptingmen to, or in puffingthem upwith pride.. Itis the bufinefle of the wicked orie,the Devil,te makemen proud, becaufe he knows pride will make themwicked, and do wicked- ly. Pride hardeneth the mind (as `Daniel faith it did Nebtechad- ',czar , ('bap. 5. zo.) Nowwhat wickednefle is there, which a hardened mind will not attempt to do ! Pride put Herod upon Peeking the bloud ofChrill, who came to fave and wafh [inners ,h-sth hisblood. Proudmen are very wicked as they defpife other men (a proud man thinks no man fo good as himfelf, or himfelf too good for all other men) Some proud men are fo wicked , that theydefpife :e- ven God himfelf. The proud man lifts up himfelf againfl the Word ofGod, flights the promifes,.regards not the threatnings of God; 591
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