Epifle Dedicatory. 1- mility,whereby, truth is fearched our,ccbarity is obtained, and the generations of wifdome areperceived. Humility exalteth ; he that is moil humble,is,and (hall bemofi ho- nourable. Mofes was the meekeff man on earth,and God made him the moll honourable,calling him up unto him Pelf in the Mount and making him the Leader ofhis peo- ple.Gideon was very little in his owne eyes, the le4/t oF'hit fathers houfe in his owne apprèhenfion, and God incredu- loufly exalted bim,making him the deliverer of Ifrael.A matis pride is attended with infamy, fo is mans meekneí% waited on with glory. Vi, snag uc effe 4 incipe nb imo: Wilt thou be great? begin from below,faith the Father. As the roots of the tree defcend, fo the branches afcend this makes the foule capable of grace, as the low grounds of water,and the broken earth of feed. God gives grace to the humble,as men pour liquor into an empty veflel.The Altar under the"Law was hollow, to receive the fire, the wood and the facrifice: the heart of man under the Got-- pel mull be humble, empty of all fpirituall pride and felf conceit, to receive the fire of the fpirir, and Jefus Chrift, who offered himfelf a facrifice for our fins: this`keeps the foule free from many darts of fatans cafting,and fnares of his fpreading, as the low drubs are free from many vio- lent gulls and blafls of wind, which (hake and rend the taller trees. I have read of one,who feeirg in a vifion ma- ny fnares of the Devill fpread upon earth, he fate downe and mourned, and laid within himfelfe, u:srü pertranfiet iHa ? who (hall paffe through thefe ? whereunto he heard a vovice anfwerit,g, Humilitas pertran fret, Humility (hall paffe through them. The devil bath leall power to fallen a temptation on him that is moll humble : he that bath a gracious meafure of meekneffeis neitheraffe6ted with fa- tans profîcrs,nor terrified with his threatnings:this makes man
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=