274 "Igainflfpiritual wickedneffe. Gods own tooles, his Ordinances, by which the holy Spirit ad., vanceth his Kingdom ofgrace in the hearts ofhis Saints. Thefe often are proftituted to pride. A man may be= very zealcus in prayer and painful in preaching, and all the while .pride is the Mailer whom he ferves, though in Gods livery. It can take san- ctuary in the holial aftions, and hide it fell under the skirt of vert ue it felf.Thus while a man is exercifing his charity pride may be the idol in fecret for which he lavifheth out his gold fo free- ly. It is hard tlarving this fin, becaufe there is nothing almoth but it can live on; nothing fo bale that a proud heart will not be lift up with, and nothing fo tiered but it will profane, even dare to drink in the bowies of the Sanctuary, nay, rather then flarve it will feed on the carcafes tof other fins ; Diffiellb wade vitatur peccatum, quodexvitVora vitiorum najcitur. This mi- nion pride will flir up the foule to refill, yea, in a manner kill fome fins, that the may boaftingly Phew the head of them, and blow the creature up with the conceit of himfelf above others ; as the Pharifee who through pride bragged that he was not as the Publicane ; fo that pride, if not look't to will have to do, every where, and bath a large fphere it moves in. Nothing in- deed (without divine affiflance) the creature bath or doth but will foon become a prey to this devourer ; but I am not to handle it in its latitude. Pride is either converfant about carnal obit 6ts, as pride ofbeauty, flrength, riches and fuch like, or about fpia ritual ; the latter we fhall (peak a little to. I confeffe for the former, poffibly a Saint may be catched in them, no fin to be flighted, get not fo commonly, for ordinarily pride is of thole perfections which are fuitable, if not proper to the fta,e and calling we are in : thus the Mufician, he is proud of the skill he bath in his Art, by which he excells others of his rank, The Scholar, though he can play perhaps as well, yet is not proud of that, but looks on it as beneath him ; no, he is proud of his learning and choice notions, and fo of others. Now the life ofa Chriftian as a Chrittiart, is fuperiour to the life of man as a man ; and therefore cloth not value hiant if by there which are beneath him, but in higher and more railed perfection;, which flit a Chriflians calling, As a natural man is proud of perteai- ons fuitable to Ills natural &ate, as honour, beauty ; fo the Chriffian, is prone Chiefly, to be puffed up with perfection; (nit- 4ble. tismosmffilifff
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