21O ellmoftz i,vi-tci6le evil. of man is like a Catite or' Fort, and other vices like hon.- f s built under the Cafile, which cannot eauily be afaulted and beaten dówne, becaufe the Fort defends them, thee- I ,verthrow oftidier vices -is impoiiinle, until' the Caftle of pride is beaten downe in the heart of man ; the `Pharifees, being given to faf.exaltation, to the fceking and lifting up of themfelves, were under the power_ of every bale Tuff, erronious, fuaperititious, covetous, malicious, their very pi- ety, was nothing but hyoocrifie; he that 'cloth not ceafe from himfif will ceafe from no firing, if he' he but once put upon the temptation ; therefore be not Wi/è (faith So- lomon) in thine oavne, eyes, feare the Lord and depart from e- vil!, implying that where' there is not a ceilitton from felf-wifdome and felf-exaltation , there is no feare ofGod,. no keeping of Gods precepts, no diftofition,. nó care to pleafe k_'od, no cefíation from tin for confcience falte,ther- role becvitii fore take array this vice (faith Chryf flome) bar ,risen, Would ut nottut homy not appeare to men ; this vice of felt= exaltation, and ali vi- neeappare,e ces are cut of without 1abour. Vponthe'death of the firfi fi- ne t7" r borne of' Pharaoh the children of 'trail were delivered u . labore omn p vitia.re¡ècaniur on the mortification ofpride, the firli-borne of the fpiritu- all Pharaoh, the föules of men obtain. a gracious freedome:. (. Coliahs head being cut ofd;. all the'Phili/iine.r fled, the death 'of pride is the flight of all flume he that exalts hirtifelfe remaines both a ftranner to the life, power and comfort of all godlineff, and a nútfe and patron, to all unclean and bate of&ions,, b9of} invín 3' Selfexáltation is the mot invincible of all vices ; the ciúle of all°v,- roots thereof are f.o deepe and firong, and fa largely //wad cc8, in the heart. of man, it puts the foule at filch, a gre.:t di- fiance from Çsod,. makes man. fo uncapäble of (brill, and heavenly, w,fdotne, fo Weds man unto hinofelfe, and caufeth man fo tò ple f and delight himf_°If, in himflfe,:'.fo to . prize the applauf" of man, and to fliht the approbation of God, that there is no'difeaf. in the foul ofroan fuùneafiiy, cured, no weed in the garden of mans heart fo uneaüly plucked up, no enemy in thecomnion-weale of iun nsdföul: fò difficultly ovércJine as fclf-exaltation, it is the, hardeft tasks.
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