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SECT.

V.1

AND

THE FAINT-HEARTED ANSWERED.

SOS

riches, who are

surrounded

with servants, and

would be

worshipped

as

little gods.

Ps.

lxxiii.

6,

7,

8,

12.

"

It

is

their

eyes,

which stand out with fatness, and because

they have more

than heart could wish, pride

corn

passeth

them

about

as

a

chain

;

it

is

they who

talk

loftily,

and

set

their mouth against the heavens, they speak wickedly

concerning the oppression

of

the

poor:"

But what

pride

can

be found

with

us?

Our

clothing

is

mean and tat-

tered, our

food

is

coarse

and

scanty,

we

have

nothing to

boast

of,

for

we have hardly

enough

to live

upon,

and

therefore we must needs

be

humble.

But

search thy

own

heart,

O

man

of poverty, nor

let

the

poor

among women neglect the

same

inward enquiry.

Tell

me

art thou

content

with that low station

in

which

God

bath placed thee

?

Is

thy will

and

humour

so

far

mortified,

as

to be

brought down

to thy

condition

?

Dost

thou not

fancy

thyself

to

have deserved

something

better?

Post

thou submit

to

the

will

of

God

as

wise,

in

making

thee

poor and

not

rich,

a

servant and

not a

master?

Art

thou

so

well

acquainted

with

thy sins

and

follies as to lie

low

at the

foot

of God,

and

receive

all

the little portion

that

he

gives

thee

as from

mere grace

?

Art

thou

thank-

ful

for

every

mercy, and

patient under

all

the pressing

afflictions

that attend

thy low

estate

?

Doth thy heart

never

rise

against

God the governor

of

the

world, nor

repine at

his

dispensations

as

though

he

had

not

treated

thee

according

to

thy merit

?

Art

thou humble

enough

to receive

alms,if

God hath

given thee

nothing

of

thy

own?

And art thou willing

to be

beholden

to

others

for

thy

daily

bread,

and

to

accept

thy portion

in

that way where-

in

God

is

pleased

to

dispense

it

without murmuring

?

He

that

promises

his

children

in

this world

food

and raiment,

has

never promised to

give

it

them without

dependence:

There

is

no

promise which binds him

to

maintain thy

body

and thy

pride

too.

But let

us

search

a

little farther.

Thou

canst not swell

among the great ones, nor talk

much

of thyself among

thy equals, and

affect

a

superiority and esteem above

them

?

Dost thou not aggrandize

thyself,

and

swell in

thy little station upon some

supposed excellencies, either

of

beauty of the face, or

strength

of limbs, or sharpness

of

wit,

or tallness

of stature

?

Or

perhaps thou art vain

enough

to

betray

thy

pride

even

in

the tokens

of

thy