' CHAP.I. upon the Ppiflle of JAM li s. · VERs·.Io.: low as will confifl: with his being rich; made lowwhilefi ?r)..~a-1@--, rich and high in efiare and efl:eem : Some more particularly fay, ther~fore made low, becaufe thoug·h honorable for riches, yet bc– caufe ·aChriftian, no more efieemed, then if poor, but accounted bafe ;md ignominious. But t.his cloth not fuit with the Reafon at the end of the Verfe, becaufe M the flower ~f th~ field he [hall pafs Away. More properly then 'cis underfiood of the difpoGnon of the heart, of alow minde in an high condition, and fo it noreth eithet: fuch humility as arifech from the conGderation of our own Gnful– nefs, they are happy indeed whom God hath humbled with a fenfe of their fins ; o·r from a confideration.of the uncertainty of all worldly enjoymenrs, when our hearts are drawn from an high e– fieem of outward excellencies, and we live in a confiant expecta– tion of, and preparation for the Crofs, we may be faid to be mad~ low, though never fo much exalted:,' which I fuppofe is chiefly in– tended, and fo it fuiteth 'with the reafon annexed, and is paralel with that of the Apo!He, 1 Tim. 6. 17. Charge the richmenof thu world, that they be not high-minded, and truft nut in unc-er– tain' riches: The meaning is, That tneglory of their condition is, chat when God hath made themmoft high, they are mofi low in their own-thoughts. . Becau[e.u the flower ofthe grafs he foal! pa[s ~Sway.] He ren– dtrethaReafon why they iliould have a lowly minde in the midfi of their flouriibing and plenty, becaufe the pomp of their c~:mditj... on is but as aflower ofthe field, whichf~tdeth, as foon as it difplay– eth itsglory: The fimilitude is often ufed in Scripture, P[a/.37·2· They fball foon be CHt down .u the graf.s, and w_ither .u the green herb:: So Job 14. 2. He cometh forth lik! a flower, lflnd u cut down: So !fa, 40, 6,7. Alljlefb u graf.s,.and the..goodlinefs there– of M the flower of the field; thegra(s withereth, and the flower. fadeth, becaufe the Spirit ofthe Lord blow.eth upon it :· So alfo in many other places, I iliall improve the Gmilitude in the Notes ;. Onely obferve here, That the Apofile cloth not fay, that his riches ~allpajs away M a flower; but he ]hall pafs away; he arid his r~ehes alfo :.. Jf.wehadafecurity ofour eftate, we have none of our .lfves; we pafs; and they pafs, and that with as eafie a turn of providence as th€ flower ofithe field fadeth. ' . The Notes are thefe : l. Riches are 1.101 alt.ogether incon{ifl.ent with Chriftitmit} ;:let Obflrv~Jt.. _!, K 3 th~ /.
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