3o6 Ofrhe varritieofprioritie andpreferments. their labour, in attainingvnto this vanitie, then about the affuranceoftheir owne faluation,or thofe vnfpeakable ioyes ofGodskingdome ; being more fiudious andearefrtll ofha- uing anhighplace among men, then to haue any place a- mong the Saints in heauen. Yea fo doe theyvalue this prio- ritieand vpper hand, that theyvfually make it the occafiou ofmortall quarrels, and defperate fraies,atrd chafe rather to hazard the Joffe oftheir lines, then the Joffe ofthatplace, which their pride makes them thinke isdue vnto them. But Chrifiians who mull denie themfelues, and in all humilitie follow their maflerChrifl,mufilearne tocontemne this idle vanitie. To whichpurpofe let vsconfider,that ifwe willfol- lowour Sauiours counfell,wee mull: take the loweftplace at feafis and meetings,vntill others taking noticeofourworth Joe preferre and caufe vs to fit higher : ifwe will be aduifed byhis holy Apofile,wemull indeed contend about honour, yet not in taking,but.in gluing it; wemull !trine tohaue the precedence, but inhumilitie,outliripping others, in prefer- Roma z.ro..16 ring them before our (clues ; In giuinQ borrow (faith he)gae one before another. And againe, Be or hfeh minded, but mate your feint's equall to them ofthe lowerfore. Furthermore let vs conlder,thatthis differenceofplaces, and hands,is amatter ofopinion onely, which bringeth veto no man any true worth or reali good; yea rather it maketh them hated for their pride and infolence, when theypreffe higher then be- feemeth them : and ifopinion should varie (as it Both in di- ners times and countries) then the fuppofed worth of this vanitie would alter alfo, making the wall work then the outude,and themiddlebetter then the vpperend. Let vs re- member that the Heathen Monarch could teachvs this lef- fon, that not the place the man, but the man doth dignifie the place : and foule fhame it is for Chriflians toexcel! him inpride, whole ambition was filch that the whole world couldnotfatisfie it. Let vs know that thispriuilegeofplace on earth is common to the wicked and reprobate, fo that whenweehaue feated our (clues as high aswe can,there are manyhundreds in hell thathaue been higher thenwe. And therefore let vs notflriue for anhighplace in the world, but rather
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