'I48 Chap. g.. An Expofition upon the Bookof 0 B. anArgument to take down the fpirit of Job from his fuppofed heights and fell- conceits. Surely thou art great in thy own thoughts, when thou prefumeff to enter a contefi with God: But, look to thy Original;fuch towring, lofty,and afcending thoughts would quickly be abatec?,if thouwouldeft remember that thou art but a clod of earth,a little refined clay, moving flume, enlivened duft,breathing afhes ; did we fpiritualiy look upon the matter of our bodies, it would take down the fwelling of our fpirits ; when our fpirits are like Jordan in the time ofharvefi,overflowing all the banks of humility and moderation, this thought fpiritua- liz'd will bring us into our channelsagain,and recal us toour own bounds and banks. Some Naturalifis obferveof the Bees, that when they are up and angry,do but throw a little duff upon them, they are quiet and hive again. Certainly, when our imaginations are buzzing and humming in the air, when they are flying and mounting up to Heaven,not in holy afpirings to God (which we ever ought) but inbold afpirings againft God, which we fhould never dare; in fuch a diftemper of our fpirits, ifwe could but calk this duct upon them, it would quiet and bring them in again. Math not man caufe tolye as low in his thoughts, as that from whence he was extraCed ? should not he be humbled to the duff, who is duff?Efpeeially, this earth thould be abafed in all addreffes to Heaven, in all our approaches unto God, as Abraham, Genefis a 8. 27. I have taken upon me to fpeak, unto the Lord, who am but duff and afhes. We fhould never be fo low in our own thoughts, as when we make ufe of our higheft priviledges ; and the nearer we are admitted to come to Heaven,themore fhould we (for the magnifying of Free-grace,which makes this admiffìon)remember that we are but Earth. Fourthly, If the body be but cl ay,and hath but a.foundation of dull, then.do not bellow toomuch care and coil upon your clay, upon your duff. How many are there who bellow much pains to trim up a vile body, and negleó a precious foul ? Moll ufually they who bellow mofi pains upon this mortal houle of clay, be- llow leali about that immortal inhabitant.In an over cared for bo- dy,there ever dwells a negle6ted foul.You fhail havea body clean- ly walhed,and a foul all filth ; a.body neatly cloathed and dreff, with a foul all naked and unready ; a bodyfed, and a foul llar- red ; abody full of the creature, and a foulenipty of Chrïfl;thefe are poor fouls indeed. That complaint of the Moralift againft. Heathens,
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