always be bribed by honour and preferment to betray that relation, he is unconverfible; he must not be catechifed and counfelled, much lefs reproved or contradicted: no, he is too covetous of himself to fpare another man a share, and much too high, ftiff, and touchy: he will not away with those freedoms that a real friendship requires. To fay true, he contemns the character it is much too familiar and humble for him: his mighty foul would know nothing befides himself, and vaffals to ftock the world. He values other men as we do cattle, for their service only; and, if he could, would use them fo; but as it happens, the number and force are unequal.

§. VI. But a proud man in power is very mischievous; for his pride is the more dangerous by his greatness, fince from ambition in private men, it becomes tyranny in them: it would reign alone; nay, live fo, rather than have competitors: aut Cæfar, aut nullus. Reafon must not check it, nor rules of law limit it; and either it can do no wrong, or it is fedition to complain of the wrong that it does. The men of this temper would have nothing thought amifs they do; at least, they count it dangerous to allow it to be fo, though fo it be; for that would imply they had erred, which it is always matter of ftate to deny. No, they will rather chufe to perish obftinately, than by acknowledging, yield away the reputation of better judging to inferiors; though it were their prudence to do fo. And, indeed, it is all the fatisfaction that proud great men make to the world for the miferies they often bring upon it, that, first or laft, upon a divifion, they leave their real intereft to follow fome one excess of humour, and are almost ever destroyed by it. This is the end pride gives proud men, and the ruin it brings upon them, after it has punished others by them.

§. VII. But above all things, pride is intolerable in men pretending to religion; and, of them, in ministers; for they are names of the greatest contradiction. I fpeak without respect or anger to perfons or parties; for I only touch upon the bad of all. What fhall pride do

with religion, that rebukes it? or ambition with ministers, whose very office is humility? And yet there are but too many of them, that, befides an equal guilt with others in the fleshly pride of the world, are even proud of that name and office, which ought always to mind them of felf-denial. Yea, they ufe it as the beggars do the name of God and Chrift, only to get by it: placing to their own account the advantages of that reverend profeffion, and thereby making their function but a politick handle to raise themfelves to the great preferments of the world. But, O then, how can such be his minifters, that faid, 'My kingdom is not of this 'world?' Who, of mankind, more felf-conceited than thefe men? If contradicted, as arrogant and angry as if it were their calling to be fo. Counsel one of them, he fcorns you; reprove him, and he is almost ready to excommunicate you. I am a minifter and an elder:" flying thither to secure himself from the reach of just cenfure, which indeed exposes him but the more to it: and therefore his fault cannot be the lefs, by how much it is worse in a minifter to do ill, and fpurn at reproof, than an ordinary man.

§. VIII. O but he pleads an exemption by his office! What! fhall he breed up chickens to pick out his own eyes? be rebuked or inftructed by a lay-man, or parishioner! a man of less age, learning, or ability! no fuch matter; he would have us believe that his minifterial prerogative has placed him out of the reach of popular impeachment. He is not fubject to vulgar judgments. Even questions about religion are fchifm: believe as he fays: it is not for you to pry fo curiously into the mysteries of religion: never good day fince lay-men meddled so much with the minifter's office. Not confidering, poor man! that the contrary is moft true; not many good days fince ministers meddled so much in lay-mens bufinefs. Though perhaps there is little reafon for the diftinction, befide fpiritual gifts, and the improvement of them by a diligent use of them for the good of others.

Such

Such good fayings as thefe, Be ready to teach; anfwer with meeknefs: let every man fpeak as of the 'gift of God, that is in him: if any thing be revealed to him that fits by, let the firft hold his peace; be ⚫ not lords over God's heritage, but meek and lowly; washing the feet of the people, as Jefus did those of ⚫ his poor disciples; are unreasonable and antiquated inftructions with fome clergy; and it is little less than heresy to remember them of these things: to be sure a mark of great difaffection to the church, in their opinion. For by this time their pride has made them the church, and the people but the porch at best; a cypher that fignifies nothing, unless they clap their figure before it forgetting, that if they were as good as they fhould be, they could be but minifters, ftewards, and under-fhepherds; that is, fervants to the church, family, flock, and heritage of God; and not that they are that church, family, flock, and heritage, which they are only fervants unto. Remember the words of Christ, Let him that would be greatest be your fervant '.'

§. IX. There is but one place to be found in the holy fcripture, where the word clerus (xxgos) can properly be applied to the church, and they have got it to themselves; from whence they call themselves the clergy, that is, the inheritance or heritage of God. Whereas Peter exhorts the minifters of the gospel, ' not to be lords over God's heritage, nor to feed them for filthy lucre. Peter (belike) forefaw pride and avarice to be the minifters temptations; and, indeed, they have often proved their fall: and, to fay true, they could hardly fall by worse. Nor is there any excufe to be made for them in these two refpects, which is not worse than their fin. For if they have not been lords over God's heritage, it is because they have made themfelves that heritage, and dif-inherited the people: fo that now they may be the people's lords, with a falvo to good old Peter's exhortation.

a

2 Tim. ii. 24, 25. Tit. iii. 1 Cor. xiv. 30. C 1 Pet. v. 2, 3.

Mat. xx. 26.

And

And for the other fin of avarice, they can only avoid it, and speak truth, thus, that never feeding the flock, they cannot be faid to feed it for lucre: that is, they get the people's money for nothing. An example of which is given us, by the complaint of God himself, from the practice of the proud, covetous, falfe prophets of old, that the people gave their money for that which 'was not bread, and their labour for that which did not 'profit them' and why? Because then the priest had no vifion; and too many now despise it.

§. X. But alas! when all is done, what folly, as well as irreligion, is there in pride? It cannot add one cubit to any man's ftature: What croffes can it hinder? What disappointments help, or harm fruftrate? It delivers not from the common ftroke; fickness disfigures; pain misfhapes; and death ends the proud man's fabrick. Six foot of cold earth bounds his big thoughts; and his perfon, that was too good for any place, muft at laft lodge within the strait limits of fo little and fo dark a cave: and who thought nothing well enough for him, is quickly the entertainment of the lowest of all animals, even worms themselves. Thus pride and pomp come to the common end; but with this difference, lefs pity from the living, and more pain to the dying. The proud man's antiquity cannot fecure him from death, nor his heraldry from judgment. Titles of honour vanish at this extremity; and no power or wealth, no distance or refpect can rescue or infure them: as the tree falls, it lies; and as death leaves men, judgment finds them.

§. XI. O, what can prevent this ill conclufion? and what can remedy this woful declenfion from ancient meekness, humility, and piety, and that godly life and power which were fo confpicuous in the authority of the preachings, and examples of the living of the first and pureft ages of Christianity! truly, nothing but an inward and fincere examination, by the teftimony of the holy Light and Spirit of Jefus, of the condition of their

d Ifa. lv. 2.

fouls

1

fouls and minds toward Chrift, and a better enquiry into the matter and examples of holy record. It was his complaint of old, that light was come into the world, • but men loved darkness rather than light, because • their deeds were evil.' If thou wouldest be a child of God, and a believer in Christ, thou must be a child of light. O man! thou must bring thy deeds to it, and examine them by that holy lamp in thy foul, which is the candle of the Lord, that fhews thee thy pride and arrogancy, and reproves thy delight in the vain fashions of this world. Religion is a denial of felf; yea, of felf-religion too. It is a firm tie or bond upon the foul to holiness, whofe end is happiness: for by it men come to fee the Lord. The pure in heart (fays Jefus) fee' God':' he that once comes to bear Chrift's yoke, is not carried away by the devil's allurements; he finds excelling joys in his watchfulness and obedience. If men loved the cross of Chrift, his precepts and doctrine, they would cross their own wills, which lead them to break Chrift's holy will, and lofe their own fouls in doing the devil's. Had Adam minded that holy light in paradife more than the ferpent's bait, and ftayed his mind upon his Creator, the rewarder of fidelity, he had feen the fnare of the enemy, and refifted him. O do not delight in that which is forbidden! look not upon it, if thou wouldeft not be captivated by it. Bring not the guilt of fins of knowledge upon thy own foul. Did Chrift fubmit his will to his Father's, and, for the joy that was fet before him, endure the cross, and defpife the fhame of a new and untrodden way to glory? Thou also must submit thy will to Chrift's holy law and light in thy heart, and for the reward he sets before thee, to wit, eternal life, endure his cross, and defpife the fhame of it. All defire to rejoice with him, but few will fuffer with him, or for him. Many are the companions of his table; not many of his abstinence. The loaves they follow, but the cup of his agony they leave. It is too bitter: they like not

· John iii, 19.

Mat. v. 8.

Heb. i. z.

to