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nations, but fhortly after he died by a flux of blood breaking out at his mouth, which choaked him on his wedding day.

4. Look unto Jefus; and conform to him, yea, by faith draw out the spiritual virtue of an humble Christ. Christ's example is not only directive, but full of virtue, the very hem of his garment, believingly touched, would cure this bloody iffue. Was not this Chrift's own leflon; Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye fhall find rest unto your fouls,' Mat. xi. 29. q. d. Learn of me, for I am lowly, I am fent by God the Father into the world, and this is one especial end that I am fent into the world for, even to hold out unto the world a pattern of humility, I am appointed as a great ordinance of God the Father to hold forth this, and therefore look on me, and be ye lowly, as I am lowly. Surely good reafon we fhould be as he was, lowly as he was lowly, and humble as he was humble. When Rebekah came to Ifaac, and fhe faw him walking in the field, and asked the fervant who it was, and he faid, it was his master's fon, prefently Rebekah lighted down, and goes on her feet, fhe would be as he was; he walked, and Rebekah would walk too. It is good reason that the spouse of Chrift should be lowly as Chrift; and therefore, faith Chrift, leard of me, look on me, write after me, let the fame mind be in you which was in me. Every Christian is united to Jefus Chrift, and fhould be acted by the fame Spirit that Chrift is. 'this mind be in you, which was alfo in Chrift Jefus, 'who being in the form of God, thought it no robbery to 'be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, ' and took upon him the form of a fervant, and was made ' in the likeness of men, and being found in fafhion as a 'man, he humbled himfelf,' Phil. ii. 5-8. Now let this mind be in you: As pride is the resemblance of the devil, which brought him to ruin, fo humility is the refemblance of Jefus Chrift, which brought him to honour.

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let this mind be in you, which was in Chrift! look at him in all the particular acts of his humility, and by faith draw virtue out of all thofe acts.

5. Let every act of pride be accompanied with a fubfe

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quent act of humiliation. If thou canst not prevent this fin of pride, yet check it fo foon as ever it ariseth. This was Hezekiah's courfe, after he was fick and restored to health, he forgot himself, and rendered not according to 'the benefit done unto him, for his heart was lifted up, 'therefore there was wrath upon him and upon Judah and Jerufalem, notwithstanding Hezekiah humbled himfelf, for the pride of his heart (both he and the inhabi'tants of Jerufalem) fo that the wrath of the Lord came not upon them in the days of Hezekiah,' 2 Chron. xxxii. 24-26. It is high time to be humbled, and ly low, when thou hafl committed fuch a fin as to provoke God to wrath. Hear ye, and give ear, be not proud, for the Lord hath fpoken. But if ye will not hear, my foul fhall weep in fecret places for your pride,' Jer. xiii. 15, 17. If pride go before, humiliation muft follow after; Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep, let your laughter be * turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness; humble yourselves in the fight of the Lord, and he fhall lift you up,' Lam. iv. 9, 10.

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6. Treafure up fome holy principles, and keep them fresh and ready in thy thoughts to quell this fin. When we would fupprefs. weeds, we ufually fow the contrary feed; fo have thou at hand, and in mind, fome contrary feed, fome holy principles. I fhall inftance in these

two.

1. Pride is the forerunner of ruin; it is a proverb as true, as commonly fpoken, that pride goes before a fall. Indeed Solomom in his proverbs gives that for one, Pride goeth before deftruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall, Prov. xvi. 18. And therefore he pourtrayed the proud man to the life, that pictured him fnatching at a crown, and falling, with this motto, Sic mea fata fequor.

2. Humility is the way to glory. This is often inculcated by our Saviour, He that humbleth himself fhall be exalted, Luke xiv. 11. and xviii. 14. We are all by nature proud, (as we have heard) we would all be exalted; how is it then that we forget this principle, The way to rife is to fall; God gave us a pattern of it in Jefus Chrift. First, he emptied bimfelf, and humbled himself to the death of the

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cross, wherefore God hath highly exalted him, and given hima name above all names, Phil. ii. 5-9. I know not any good, but humility is a means to obtain it; am I in trouble, and would I have deliverance? The Lord heareth the defires of the humble, Pfal. x. 17. Am I in a place of honour, and do I fear to fall? A man's pride fball bring bim low, but honour fhall uphold the humble in fpirit, Prov. Tho' places of advancement be flippery, yet the humble fhall be upheld. Am I difconfolate, and would I fee more of God, and of his favour and love? he that is in the loweft pits, fees ftars in the day time, The Lord will revive the Spirits of the humble, Ifa. lvii. 15. Would I be advanced not only on earth, but in heaven? Whoftever ball humble himself as a little child, the fame fball be great in the kingdom of heaven, Mac, xviii. 4.

xxix. 23.

O think of thefe principles! pride leads to hell, but ha mility to heaven. It was an anfwer that a philofopher gave to one that asked him what God did in heaven? Why, faid he, he is beating down the proud, and lifting up the humble.

SECT. XIII.

Of Satan's Temptations to Paffion or Anger. THERS are of choleric difpofitions, and fo prone to paffion or anger, that they break all rules both of reafon and religion: Now Satan, that obferves their temper, puts on, to make them more raging, fierce, and fu rious; Satan ftill hath a great hand, ftroke in every fin, he can easily make use of our bodies, by commotion of the humours, he can ftit us up to uncleannefs, paffion, revenge, and all other fenfual lufts. Hence carnal defires are called his lufts, John viii. 44. and giving place to an ger, is in the apoftle's language a giving place to the devil, Eph. iv. 26, 27. Indeed the heathen, who understood not the operation of the devil, thought all our conflicts were againft internal paffions, but my text is clear, We wref not only against them, but against principalities and and rulers of the darknels of this world, and fpiritual wickedneffes in heavenlies.' I fhall not deny but fometimes we begin the temptation, and fometimes Satan; as Zanard fpeaking of the outward power of the

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devil over tempefts, Sometimes, faid he, he may raise the matter, at other times the matter being prepared, Satan may adjoin himself, and make the tempeft more impetuous. And yet for all this, it must be granted, that there is a juft, and harmlefs, and holy anger, Be ye angry, and fin not, faith the apostle, Eph. iv. 26. Thus Jacob was angry, Gen. xxx. 2. and Mofes was angry, Num. xvi. 1 5. and Nehemiah was angry, Neh. v. 6. and Jeremiah was angry, Jer. vi. 11. and Christ himself was angry, Mark iii. 5. But this paffion of anger I fpeak of, it is that which is unjust and finful, it is anger which gives place to the devil, it is an anger which miffes in object, time, measure, end, and other circumstances. Give me leave but a while to infift on these, and then you will know what anger is finful, and what anger I mean.

1. It is fuch an anger as miffes in respect of the object; holy anger hath a right object, as matters of reafon, religion, the honour and glory of God, and of Jefus Christ, but finful anger is either exercifed about nothing: Thus many are angry, and they know not wherefore, There's a great deal of cry, as they fay, and but little wool; or it is exercised about every thing. Thus every trifle, and e very toy, any thing in the world that falls out in the leaft manner against their minds, puts many into anger; or it is exercifed against some excellency that God hath beftowéd upon others more than themselves. So Saul was angry with David, and Cain was angry with Abel. When tygers fmell the fragrancy of fpices, they are put into a rage of fury (as fometimes you have heard) fo many are angry at the graces of God's Spirit which they obferve in others. Thefe, and fuch like, are the objects about which finful anger is converfant.

2. It is fuch an anger as miffes in refpect of time. Holy anger is deliberate, feasonable and fhort; but the anger which the devil fets on, it is,

1. Sudden and indeliberate; thus many men and women have tinder fpirits, or gun powder fpirits, affoon as ever the fire comes to them they are all in a flame. Againft this faith Solomon, He that is angry dealeth fool. ily,' Prov. iv. 17. And be not hafly in thy fpirit t

be angry, for anger refteth in the bofom of fools,' Eccl. vii. 9. From this hafty anger, we call the paffion of anger haftinefs, fuch a man is an hafty man, or fuch a woman is an hafty woman. Now this is folly, faith the wife man, He that is flow to wrath is of great understanding, but 'he that is hafty of fpirit, exalteth folly. Wherefore my • beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, flow to fpeak, and flow to wrath,' Prov. xiv. 27. James i. 19. Holy anger is flow, wherein it imitates God, but finful anger is fudden.

2. It is unfeasonable. Thus many are angry in the prefence of others, who fhould not fee it, or they are angry when they fee others angry before them. This minds me of the counfel that one gave to a young married cou ple, who were both of paffionate choleric fpirits, that they fhould be fure not to be angry together, it cannot be good. to add heat to fire; or they are angry when they are about to perform a duty, this is the devil's feafon; maný are angry either before fermon, or after it, or it may be, immediately before or after prayer: to thefe, faith Chrift, First be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift,' Mat. v. 24. And of these, faith the apoftle, I will therefore that men pray every where, lift'ing up hands without wrath,' 1 Tim. ii. 8. That wrath at fuch a time is an impoisoning and heavy hindrance, which clogs and clips the wings of a prayer, that it can never be able to afcend up into heaven; and therefore this anger is very unfeasonable.

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3. Sinful anger is conftant, it abides too long, the fun goes down upon it; when the apoftle faid, Be angry and fin not; he adds, let not the fun go down upon your wrath, neither give place to the devil, Eph. iv. 26. Any man that retains his anger longer than evening, gives place to the devil. Many can fay, Shall I give way to mine enemy? Shall I yield to him that hath done me fuch and fuch wrong? But they little confider, that in retaining their anger they give way to the devil, they yield to the devil. What is it not better to yield to your brother, tho' your inferior, than to yield to the devil? Shall men live as if they drank no other waters but that of Maffah

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