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icives with many things, while the one thing needful is the more neglected (Luke 10. 42.) but all about them must be partakers of the trouble. What abundance of trades doth Pride maintain? and how many are continually at work to ferve it?

But the lowly who mind not vain oftentation, do save themfelves all this unprofitable pains: They can avoid undecent fordidness, at a cheaper rate than by proud curiofity. They are accurate and curious in greater matters, in doing good, in fecuring their falvation, in cfcaping fin, and in pleafing God; which will one day prove a wifer curiofity, than to be curious in courtship, and complements, and dreffings, and other impertinent childish things: Though the leaft juft decency is not to be neglected in its place, it is foolith pride to prefer it before things of importance and neceffity. Mins mind and time are not fufficient for all things: Somewhat must be omitted; and its wisdom which chufeth to omit the leaft, and folly which chufeth to omit the greateft. As in Learning, they prove the four deft Scholars who spend their ftudies on the moft excellent and ufeful parts of learnings whilft thofe that too much study things fuper flucus, are ever empty of neceffary knowledge: It is fo alfo in the actions of our lives: As Paul fo vehemently condemneth vain jangling about unnecssary and unedifying questions, though yet truth was not contemptible in those matters: fo alfo vain curiofity, and unedifying diligence (though about things not altogether contemptible) is but the perilous diverfion of the mind, from greater things, 1 Tim. 1.6,7, &c.

10. The bigh-minded cannot endure to be bebelden (unless neceffity or covetoufnefs prevail against their Pride.) But they would have all others beholden to them, that they may feem as petty Deities in the world. O how it puffeth them up to have the people depend upon them, and acknowledge them for their benefactors, and to have crouded facrifices of thanks and praife to be offered them as they go about the streets: If they were accounted fuch as the world could not live, nor be happy without them, as being the moft neceffary parts or pillars thereof, nothing could more content their humour.

But the lowly mind desireth rather to do good, than to be known

known to do it: And it is not mens unthankfulness that will take him off,because it is not their thanks which is his reward. He would be as like God as he can in doing good, but not for kis own glory, but for Gods. As he is Gods Steward, it is with God that he keepeth reckoning; and if his accounts will pafs with bim, he hath enough. And if God will have him to need the help of others, he is not too ftout to feek and be beholden. Though every ingenious man should value his freedom from the fervitude of man, 1 Cor. 7. 23. and if he can be free, should chufe is rather, verf. 21. (And the borrower is a fervant to the lender, Prov, 22. 7.) And we may fay with him in Luke 16. 3. To beg I am afhamed: Yet here humility will make us ftoop, when God requireth it. Chrift himself refused not to be a Receiver, Luke 8. 3. No nor to ask a draught of water, John 4. And poverty is oft a great mercy to the proud, to take them down, and make them stoop. The rich answereth roughly; but the poor useth intreaties, Prov. 18. 23. So much of the Marks of Pride.

Direct. III. Overlook not the odiousness and peril of Pride. I will name you now but a few of its aggravations, because I have more largely mentioned them elsewhere.

I. It is the most direct oppofition to God, to fet up our felves as Idols in his place, and feck for some of his honour to our felves.

2. It is the first born of the Devil, and an imitation of him whom God in nature hath taught us to take for the greatest. enemy of him and us; and the most odious of all the creatures of God.

3. It is madness to fall by that fame fin, which we know was the overthrow of our firft Parents, and of the world.

4. And it is fottish impudency in fuch as we, who know that our bodies are going into rottennefs and duft, and think in what a place and plight we must there lie, and that those daies of darkness will be many: And who know that our fouls are defiled with fin, and if we have any faving knowledge and grace, it is fmall, and mixt with abundance of ignorance and corruption; and the nature of it is contrary to Pride..

5. It is contrary to the defign of redeeming grace, which is to fave the humble contrite foul,

6. It betrayeth men to a multitude of other fins (as vanity of mind, lofs of time, neglect of duty, ftriving for preferment, quarrelling with others, upon matters of reputation or precedency, &c)

7. And it is a fin that God is fpecially engaged againft, and the furest way to dejection and felf fruftration, 1 Pet. 5. 5. James 4. 6. Ifa.2.12. Prov.15 22. & 16.5. & 21. 4. Pfal.138.6. 31. 23. Job 40. 11, 12. Luke 14. 11. & 18. 14.

II. After thefe three general Directions, Ifhall bric fly name a few particular ones.

Dired, 1. Remember continually what you are, and what you were, what your bodies are, and will be; and what your fouls are by the pollution of fin; and how close it still adhereth to you; and from how great a mifery Chrift redeemed you: He neither knoweth his body, nor his foul, his fin, or misery, nor Chrit, nor grace, who is a fervant unto Pride.

Dire. 2. Remember the continual prefence of the moft hɔly dreadful God: And can Pride lift up the head before him? Dired. 3 Look to the example of a humbled Saviour, and learn of God incarnate to be lowly, Matth. 11. 29. From his birth to his afcenfion, you may read the ftrangeft Lecture of Lowlinefs, that ever was delivered to the haughty world.

Dired. 4. Turn all your defires to the glorifying of God; remembring that you were not made for your own glory, but

for his.

Dired. 5. Think much of the beavenly Glory, and it will cloud all the vain glory of the world.

Dired. 6. Think what it is that is your honour among the Angels in Heaven, and what is most approved and honoured by God himself; and therein place your honour; and not in the conceits of foolish men.

Dired. 7. Lastly, Make use of bumbling occafions to exercife Your felf-denyal and lowlinefs of mind. I commend not to you the pious folly of those Popish Saints, who are magnified by them for making themselves purpofely ridiculous to exercise their

humility

humility (as by going through the streets with their breeches on their heads, and other fuch fooleries:) For God will give you humbling occafions enough, when he feeth good: But when he doth it, be fure that you improve them to the abasing of your felves: and ufe your felves to be above the efteem of man, and to bear contempt when it's caft upon you (as Chrift did for your fakes) though not to draw it foolishly or wilfully upon your felves. He that hath but once born the contempt of men, is much better able to bear it afterwards, than he that never underwent it, but thinketh that he hath an entire repu-. tation to preferve: And he that is more follicitous of his duty, and most indifferent in point of honour, doth usually best fecure his honour by fuch neglect, and alwaics beft undergo difhonour.

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CHAP. XVI.

How to (cape the fin of Fulness or Luxury ly Faith.

HE fecond fin of Sodom, and fruit of abufrd Profperity, is Fulneß of Bread, Ezek. 16 49 Concerning which (having alfo handled it elsewhere more at large) I fhall now briefly give you thefe general Directions firft, and then a few that are more particular.

Direct. 1. Understand well what finful Fulneßis: It is finful, when it hath any one of thefe all conditions.

1. When you eat or drink more in quantity, than is con." fiftent with the due prefervation of your health: or fo much as burteth your health or reafon. For the ufe of food is to fit us for our duty; and therefore that which difableth and unfit et b us, is too much. But here both the prefent and future mult

b: confidered.

2. When you have no bigher end in eating and drinking, than the pleafing of your appetite. Be it little or much, it is to be judged of according to its end. A baft hath no other end, because he hath no reason, and fo properly hath no end at all;" But we are bound to eat and drink to the glory of God, and to do all to furtherus in his fervice, 1 Cor. 10.31. The appetite may! be

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be pleafed in order to a higher end, that is, 1. So far as it is a true directer what is for our bealth, and will be b.ft digefted: 2. So far as by moderate and feafonable exhilaration, it fitteth us by cheerful alacrity for our duty: and therefore it hath been good mens ufe to have boly feafts, as well as holy fafts. Bit the appetite must be reftrained and denyed, 1. When it is against bealth: And 2. When it bindereth from duty: Or 3. When it would be the ultimate end of our repaft, and there is no bigber reafon for it, than the appetites delight.

It is not faid that the Senfualift in Luke 16. did eat too much : but that he fared fumptuously every day, and that he bad bir good things here: that is, that he lived to the pleafing of bis fl sh. It is not faid of him in Luke 12. 19,20. that he ate or drank to much; but that he said, Soul, take thy cafe, eat, drink, and be merry; that is, that he preferred the pleafing of his appetite or fi:th, before the everlafting pleasures. The fin of the Ifraelites was, that they were weary of eating Manna only, fo many years, and defired flesh only to please their appetite: and therefore is is faid, that they asked meat for their luft, Pfal.78.18. that is, to gratifie their flesh or fenfe. And the terrible threatnings thundered out by James against the rich, are on such accounts, James 5.4, 5. Te bave lived in pleasure on earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts as in a day of flaugh. ter. And we are commanded to make no provifion for the flesh, to fatifie the wils or lufts thereof; that is, meerly or chiefly to please our fenfes.

3. It is finful Fulness, when you needlefly ftrengthen either luftful or fluggish inclinations by the quantity or the quality of your food. I know nature muft not be famished, nor our health and life deftroyed,under pretence of conquering fin: But when neceffity of life and health doth not require it, all that muft be avoided, which cherisheth any vicious difpofition. And these two are the ufual effects of fulness. 1. Some, efpecially idle youths, abound with luftful thoughts and inclinations, which fulness greatly cherifheth; and pleafing their appetite, is the fuel of their luft: when as if they would drink water, and cat courfer food, and little of it (and withall be laborious in fome ferious work) their lufts would be more extinguished: These perfons are guilty of finful Fulness, if they take but neer as

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