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it is in our age, I leave to the experience of the living: yet there is one demonftration that can hardly fail us : the people are not converted, but debauched, to a degree, that time will not allow us an example. The worship of Christendom is visible, ceremonious, and gawdy, the clergy ambitious of worldly preferments, under the pretence of fpiritual promotions; making the earthly revenues of church-men, much the reason of their function; being almost ever fure, to leave the prefent fmaller incumbence, to follicit and obtain benefices of larger title and income. So that with their pride and avarice, which good old Peter forefaw would be their snares, they have drawn after them, ignorance, mifery, and irreligion upon Christendom.

§. XVII. The way of recovery from this miferable defection is, to come to a faving knowledge of religion; that is, an experience of the divine work of God in the foul; to obtain which, be diligent to obey the grace that appears in thy own foul, O man! that brings falvation, it turns thee out of the broad way, into the narrow way; from thy lufts to thy duty, from fin to holinefs, from Satan to God". Thou muft fee and abhor felf, thou must watch, and thou must pray, and thou must fast: thou must not look at thy tempter, but at thy preferver; avoid ill company, retire to thy folitudes, and be a chafte pilgrim in this evil world: and thus thou wilt arrive to the knowledge of God and Chrift, that brings eternal life to the foul; a wellgrounded affurance from what a man feels and knows within himself; fuch fhall not be moved with evil tidings.

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CHAP. VIII.

§. 1. Pride craves power as well as knowledge. §. 2. The cafe of Korah, &c. a proof. §. 3. Abfalom's ambition confirms it. §. 4. Nebuchadnezzar's does the like.. §. 5. The hiftory of Pififtratus, Alexander, Cæfar, &c. fhews the fame thing. §. 6. The Turks are a lively proof, who have shed much blood to gratify pride for power. §. 7. The last ten years in Christendom exceed in proof of this. §. 8. Ambition refts not in courts, it finds room in private breafts too, and fpoils families and focieties. §. 9. Their peace is great, that limit their defires by God's grace, and having power, ufe it to the good of others.

S. I.

BUT

UT let us fee the next most common, eminent, and mischievous effect of this evil. Pride does extremely crave power, than which, not one thing has proved more troublesome and deftructive to mankind. I need not labour myself much in evidence of this, fince most of the wars of nations, depopulation of kingdoms, ruin of cities, with the flavery and mifery that have followed, both our own experience and unquestionable hiftories acquaint us to have been the effect of ambition, which is the luft of pride after power,

§. II. How fpecious foever might be the pretences of Korah, Dathan and Abiram against Mofes, it was their emulation of his mighty power in the camp of Ifrael, that put them upon confpiracies and mutinies. They longed for his authority, and their not having it was his crime for they had a mind to be the heads and leaders of the people. The confequence of which was, a remarkable deftruction to themselves, and all their unhappy accomplices.

§. III. Abfalom too was for the people's rights, against the tyranny of his father and his king"; at leaft, with this pretence he palliated his ambition: but his rebel

2 Sam. xv.

lion fhewed he was impatient for power, and that he refolved to facrifice his duty, as a son and subject, to the importunities of his reftlefs pride, which brought a miferable death to himself, and an extraordinary flaughter upon his army.

§. IV. Nebuchadnezzar is a lively inftance of the exceffive luft of pride for power. His fucceffes and empire were too heady for him: fo much too ftrong for his understanding, that he forgot he did not make him-: felf, or that his power had a fuperior. He makes an image, and all must bow to it, or be burnt. And when Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to comply, Who (fays he) is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands? And notwithstanding the convictions he had upon him, at the conftancy of those excellent men, and Daniel's interpretation of his dreams, it was not long before the pride of his power had filled his heart, and then his mouth, with this haughty question, Is not this great Babylon that I have built for the houfe of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majefty?' But we are told, that while the words were in his mouth, a voice from heaven rebuked the pride of his fpirit, and he was driven from the fociety of men, to graze among the beafts of the field.'

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§. V. If we look into the hiftories of the world, we shall find many instances to prove the mischief of this luft of pride. I will mention a few of them for their fakes, who have either not read or confidered them.

Solon made Athens free by his excellent conftitution of laws: but the ambition of Pififtratus began the ruin of it before his eyes. Alexander, not contented with his own kingdom, invades others, and filled with fpoil and flaughter thofe countries he fubdued: and it was not ill faid by him, who, when Alexander accused him of piracy, told him to his face, that Alexander was the greatest pirate in the world. It was the same ambition that made Cæfar turn traitor to his masters, and

Dan. iii.

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with their own army, put into his hand for their fervice, fubdue them to his yoke, and ufurp the government; which ended in the expulfion of freedom and virtue together in that common-wealth: for goodnefs quickly grew to be faction in Rome; and that fobriety and wisdom, which ever rendered her fenators venerable, became dangerous to their fafety: infomuch that his fucceffors hardly left one they did not kill or banish; unless fuch as turned to be flatterers of their unjust acquifition, and the imitators of their debauched man

ners.

§. VI. The Turks are a great proof to the point in hand; who, to extend their dominion, have been the cause of shedding much blood, and laying many stately countries waste. And yet they are to be out-done by apoftate Chriftians; whofe practice is therefore more condemnable, because they have been better taught: they have had a master of another doctrine and example. It is true, they call him Lord ftill, but let their ambition reign they love power more than one another; and to get it, kill one another; though charged by him, not to strive, but to love and ferve one another, And, which adds to the tragedy, all natural affection is facrificed to the fury of this luft: and therefore are ftories so often ftained with the murder of parents, children, uncles, nephews, mafters, &c.

§. VII. If we look abroad into remoter parts of the world, we shall rarely hear of wars; but in Christendom, of peace. A very trifle is too often made a ground of quarrel here: nor can any league be so facred or inviolable, that arts fhall not be used to evade and diffolve it, to increase dominion. No matter who, nor how many, are flain, made widows and orphans, or lose their eftates and livelihoods: what countries are ruined; what towns and cities fpoiled; if by all these things the ambitious can but arrive at their ends? To go no farther back than fixty years, that little period of time will furnifh us with many wars begun upon ill grounds, and

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ended in great defolation. Nay, the last twelve years of our time make as pregnant a demonftration, as we can furnish ourselves with from the records of any age. It is too tedious, nor is it my business to be particular: It has been often well observed by others, and is almost known to all; I mean the French, Spanish, German, English, and Dutch wars.

§. VIII. But ambition does not only dwell in courts and fenates it is too natural to every private breast to ftrain for power. We daily fee how much men labour their utmost wit and intereft to be great, to get higher places, or greater titles than they have, that they may look bigger, and be more acknowledged; take place of their former equals, and fo equal those that were once their fuperiors; compel friends, and be revenged on enemies. This makes Christianity fo little loved of worldly men, it's kingdom is not of this world; and though they may speak it fair, it is the world they love; that without uncharitablenefs we may truly fay, people profefs Chriftianity, but they follow the world. They are not for feeking the kingdom of heaven first, and the righteousness thereof, and to truft God with the reft; but for fecuring to themselves the wealth and glory of this world, and adjourning the care of falvation to a fick-bed, and the extreme moments of life; if yet they believe a life to come.

§. IX. To conclude this head; great is their peace, who know a limit to their ambitious minds, that have learnt to be contented with the appointments and bounds of providence; that are not careful to be great, but being great, are humble, and do good. Such keep their wits with their confciences, and with an even mind, can at all times measure the uneven world, reft fixed in the midst of all its uncertainties, and as becomes those who have an intereft in a better, in the good time and will of God, chearfully leave this; when the ambitious, conscious of their evil practices, and weighed down to their graves with guilt, must go to a tribunal, that they can neither awe nor bribe.

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