z Chap. 30. An. Expofition topen the Book of J o a. Verf. i. ties of man. That dreadful) fentknce ofGod upon proud Nebu- chadnezzar (Dan. 4. 16.) falls upon many a man, though not fo fenfibly as upon him ; Let his heart be changed from mans, and let a beafts heart begiven unto bim. He that bath a beafts heart will footle after aft the beafts part ; and when once men aft like bea(ts, they forfeite their honour as men ; and what can they expert then, but to be turn'd out and reckon'd among beats ? How dishonor r tble are thofe poore men who thus dishonour their very poverty I Saints mufi preferre one another in honour (Rom. 12, TO And againe, the holy Apostle advifeth them ( 'phil. z. 3. ) Let nothing be done throughfirife or vaine- glory, but in lonlinef a of minde, let each efieeme other better then themfelves; Saint = should walk humbly, and thinke rhemfelves kffe then the leaft of Saints, giving the hand of honour to any other Saint : But as for the wicked, we mutt take heed of pre- ferring them in honour ; Davidgives this as the markof aGod- ly man, (`T-fal, 15 4. ) He is one, inwhose eyes a vile perfon to contemned, boot he bonouretá them thatfeare theL9rd ; a vile per- fon is contemptible, though great ; Bare greatneffe, is no guard againft contempt. The flyer and-gold of a wicked man, cannot hidehim from difgrace ; the fine linnen and purple of a wicked man, cannot cover his nakedneffe ; And the rags of aGodly man cannot obfcurehis worth, nor hinder him from true ho- nour in the hearts, and from the tongues ofthofe that truly feare and honour God. But where any are poore and wicked too, they draw double contempt upon rhemfelves: ?ob fees thefe poore ones below his dogs ; poverty fubjeets men to difgrace, but impiety is a difgrace ; poverty had made theft men low, but fin made them lower. JoB30.
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