l 116 The Lo,d U mercifuO to the humble. ' oGjcfl. But you-will fay, we fee the;eontrary,proud men , are advanced J and humbl~men depreft, they have . riches when as the humble man is poore, and as we · u[e to fay, where the hedg is loweft, there all the beafis go over, and tread it downe :every man will be ready to trample upon the humble man. . · Jnfw.r. I anfwer firft; TheLordgivesoutwatdgaudy things to proud men ; but he~ gives his Iewels, to thofe that are humble, hee revc:ales his fecret to them=; thefe are Princes' though theygoe on foot, . and the other are fervanrs, though they ride on horfebacke. 2 · But this-is not all myanfwer: but fecondly I · , fay - j that even for the things of this life, the Lord . · cloth exalt the humble and bring downe the proud5 onely with this caution, hee dothborh in feafo11, . 1 when things are brought tomaturity; as the Apo– ftle Saint Peter faith, 1 Pet.5. 6. humbleJ6Nr[elves nnder the mighty handof God, th~tt het mll'j exAlt JON in due time. God cloth it not on a fuddaine. When the: proud like the corne are r.ipe, thenheputs in the , · fickfe,a-nd curs themdowne, and calls them inro_the fire. The wall which is-fwdd, mufihave a time to moulder 2nd f.Ul, and f0 on the contrary, there is a i .. due time; for the exaltation of the hmnble. ·And ' therefore· ifthoufayHr, I have-humbled my felfe, · and have not heene healed, I lilave not beene freed ·· from fudi a temptation for all my humiliation ; if 1 :; this be thy cafe,_then a!fure thy felfe thou·arc not · : ! . , humbled enough, but goe thou and y·et bri1.1g thy heart lower, and then be confident, that this rule will hold : the Lordwill take otftfue fmartirrg plai- , / · frer r
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