36 THE BRUISED REED our high conceits, to do any poor soul good? Shall man be proud after God bath been humble? We see the minis~ ters of Satan turn themselves into all shapes to make proselytes. A Jesuit will be every man. We see ambitious men study to accommodate themselves to the humours of those by whom they hope to raise themselves: and shall we not study to be like Christ, by whom we hope to be advanced, nay, are already, as it were, sitting with him in heavenly place,s? After we are gained to Christ ourselves we should labour to gain others to him. Holy ambition and covetousness will move us to put on the disposition of Christ; but first we must put off ourselves. We should not rack their wits with curious or doubtful disputes, for so we shall distract and tire them, and may lead them to cast off the care of all. That age of the church which was most fertile in nice questions, was most barren in re· ligion ; for it makes people think religion to be only a matter of wit in tying and untying of knots. The heads of men, given that way, are hotter usually than their hearts . Yet, when we are cast into
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=