Chap. 40. AnExpofition upon the liookofJ o a, Verf, t 3, them , or puni(hed them with. 'What doproud womenmore desire than beauty and bravery ? And what do proud men IQok after, but tobe refpeeted, honoured, and to have every one point the fingerat them,or bow the knee to them ? Nowwhen the Lord- blafts proud women in their beauty andbravery , when he bfa((s proud men in their honour and etlimation , when he thusabafeth and treads them down, he toucheth them in that which the fpi- ric of pride prizeth molt , and with greate(t regret parteth from. Pride is a bale height of fpiric , therefore the Lord :ba;ech the proud. There are five words in the Text, all tending direEtly to crofte the fpirit of a proud man. Firft , He(hall be abafed. Secondly, He (hail bebroraght low. A proud man would fain behigh , he would fit at the upper end of the Table , yea, he would tit at the upper end of the World coo ; but , faith the Lord, he (hail be brought low. Thirdly, What would a proudman do ? He would treadup- on the necks of all others , but he (hall be trodden under foot. Fourthly, Wherewould the proud man be ? He would be confpicuousin high places, but he (hall be hid in the duff, Fifthly, He would be lookc at by all men with admiration, but, faithGod, his face (hall be bound in fecret ; he loves toap- pear and make a fair (hew in the fleth, but he (hall not appear at all,. Proud ones cannot get fo high, but God in his Ju(ticewill get above them, and (trip them of that wherein they have chief- lyprided themfelves. Read (Ifa. 14. 1 1,12)13,14,24,2S. and Ifa. 2 ;. 9.) Thofe Scriptures tell us how the Lord deals with proud men, according to their pride,or rather contrary to their pride ; he gives them that which they mo(t difguft , and takes that from themwhich they molt patfionately. defire. Secondly, Take wicked men in the common notion, for chofe that do evilat the higheft rate,that draw iniquity with cords of vanity,and Gn asit were withCart-ropes. Then, Obferve, Firft ; Wicked men, that is, impenitent fnnnrt, high-bandedfanners, are anavery fad condition , and/ball come to afad concha- fan The Lord will tread themdown (Pfah. 9. 16,17.) Thewick - G b g g ed
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