Downame - Puritan-02038 v2

3 o6 Ofrhe varritieof prioritie andpreferments. their labour, in attainingvnto this vanitie, then about the affurance of their owne faluation,or thofe vnfpeakable ioyes ofGods kingdome ; being more fiudious and earefrtll ofha- uing an high place among men, then to haue any place a- mong the Saints in heauen. Yea fo doe they value this prio- ritie and vpper hand, that they vfually make it the occafiou ofmortall quarrels, and defperate fraies,atrd chafe rather to hazard the Joffe of their lines, then the Joffe of that place, which their pride makes them thinke is due vnto them. But Chrifiians who mull denie themfelues, and in all humilitie follow their maflerChrifl,mufilearne tocontemne this idle vanitie. To which purpofe let vs confider,that if we willfol- low our Sauiours counfell,wee mull: take the loweftplace at feafis and meetings,vntill others taking notice of our worth Joe preferre and caufe vs to fit higher : ifwe will be aduifed by his holy Apofile,we mull indeed contend about honour, yet not in taking,but.in gluing it; we mull !trine to haue the precedence, but in humilitie,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 of the lower fore. Furthermore let vs conlder,thatthis difference of places, and hands,is a matter of opinion onely, which bringeth veto no man any true worth or reali good; yea rather it maketh them hated for their pride and infolence, when they preffe higher then be- feemeth them : and if opinion 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 themiddle better then the vpper end. Let vs re- member that the Heathen Monarch could teach vs this lef- fon, that not the place the man, but the man doth dignifie the place : and foule fhame it is for Chriflians to excel! him in pride, whole ambition was filch that the whole world could not fatisfie it. Let vs know that thispriuilege ofplace on earth is common to the wicked and reprobate, fo that whenwee haue feated our (clues as high as we can,there are many hundreds in hell that haue been higher then we. And therefore let vs not flriue for an high place in the world, but rather