Hieron - Houston-Packer Collection BX5133.H54 S4 1624

The Minoritie ofthe Saints, 3F fee,a man wantinghumility,isvnfit for thed ivies towards God: he is no leffe vn. fir for the duties ofcharity, The ground ofall the duties ofcharity, is this, that Phil.z,ç, thefox? m ea indebeinus,thattb.meninChriff Ief a ,andwhatmindewasthat ?e- uen this, (that being in the formeofGod,t&e. he humbledhitfelfe, &c.) So that hu- mility is the foundation of charity :and ifwe examine the true caufeof thenegleCt ofthe Maine duties of louei wee (hall finde it tobe either the want of feeling of meosmine fpirituallmi(eries, which maketh them nottopitty others, orelfe a highconceit ofthemfelues abode others,which caufeththem to dirdaineto hoop fo Imo, as to take noticeof,-or to haue to doe with others. Sothat ifwee haue marked the order and proceeding of thisdifeourfe, a know it %Jilt prooue tone which HI Ifaid,that amanwanting humility,isvnfitfor any Chriflian duty:and therefore it maywell be tearnied the firtl keptoChriftianity. Thuswe fee what is thefirit thing whereinall that would be Caved, mull referable children, and that is Humility. You fee the wordsoftheTextare plaine, HefhaIneaterenter intothe kingdomof TheVfe, God,anhorecemrth it not asa little. child. Now humility,bothby ()mown experiéce, and by Chrilts words, is prooued to be a propertyofchildhood,and how necef- Cary it is Chriftian, youmay perceiue bythatwhich bath been fpoken to that end. Out ofall there fpecialties it muttneeds follow, that ifwe defire to be faued, wemull labour forhumility : wefhall deceiue ourfelues, ifwee thinke to come toheauen without it. And Idoe the rather will: that weemay hearken to this exhortation,becaufe the want oftrue hum iliation,is fo common an euilinow adaies. For fee lie thow few there-arewhich haueany true liuely feelingof their ownewretchedneffe by finne, wholehearts are broken with apprehenfionof the vilenelikof their nature.' The greateft parr are even erufted and hardened in their ownedeadfeCurit, and frozenepos tb_c dregsoftheirownedu!nelik: they did neueryet knowwhat it is tobe a firmer, and-to-be in danger of Godswrath, they neuer flood in awe ofGods maíefly, or trembled at his iuflice : they neuer bunged for righteoufneffe, theycould neuer yet fay with that holyPatriarke e f Gen; 4931/- O Lordthaw twined: . orwith Danid,I him longedfor thyfaluatient.Nowalthogh g74'l'119. to theeye this makeno thewof pride, andis inmany,whrch in the opinionofthe world, becaufe Oftheiroutward-habit and falhion,. are farce enough frompride, yet it isthe greatefl,the haughtieft,and the moll abominablepride:for it makes a man to conremne Godsmercy, to defpife his bounty ,,to abule his patience, to hludeq, turnebio grace inrnwantonnefJ n to tread vnderfootrhebloodofCbriilt, to account iHeb.io.a9. Godsthreatnings but aswinde';, topalle by hisWord as an idleand fuperfluous k tec,9a3. do&rine a what greater pridecan be imagined? andyet this is thecommonpride oftheworld, not one man ofmany, but he is herein guilty : wee are generally flout-hearted, andwill not yecld to the terror oftheLord', or feeke to auoide I a Cor.y.iu. the wrathtocome. Secondly, there is another kindeof pride among-the (corners of this generation, wholease fo much to theirowne wifedome m, that they defpife m Pro.3.y allinflru&ion,and. makeamoche ofpublike teaching. This pride breedescon. temptofGodsordinance, and is a flop to the courfeof Godsgrace,and maketh menescapable of the renewing power of Gods Spirit. To flat vpthis point therefore, this is thefumme : He that wouldbe fatted, muttfee himfelfeto fchoole to childrenand infants, of them to learne humility. Wherefore let euery man, which tendereth the euerlalling good ofhis owne foule, begofGod inhisdaily prayers, that he would One him anhumble fpirit,that hemay feehis owne wren chedne(fe, andperceive himfelfe to be nothing in refpe& ofany goodnes, toIlse end thatby thismeanesthemercies ofGod in Chrifl maybe tweet unto him,and hisWord p1ecioss, his lonle layingwith L)auide, Ho*Tweetare tltypromiftvats mymouth?yru/werrrr thenhosy voto mymouth n. This is the firfl thingwhereinhe ,, PlaItz. that vnfainedly affe&s eternal'life,mu(l belike achilde. soi. The fecondfolloweth, and that is, freedome from malicioulneffe. At censer- 7be a. dig. sing

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