image of godliness which he yet retaineth. The conceit of his own sincerity and salvation, is that which deludeth and undoeth him. What sin would not gain or pleasure draw him to commit, if he were but sure to be forgiven? It is fear of hell that causeth that seeming religion which he hath; and therefore, if that fear be gone, all is gone, and all his piety, and diligence, and righteousness, is come to nought; Gal. vi. 3. John viii. 39. 42. 44.

XXVI. 1. For all his assurance, a confirmed Christian is so well acquainted with his manifold imperfections, and daily failings, and great unworthiness, that he is very low and vile in his own eyes; and, therefore, can easily endure to be low and vile in the eyes of others. He hath a constant sense of the burden of his remaining sin; especially he doth even abhor himself, when he findeth the averseness of his own heart to God, and how little he knoweth of him, and how little he loveth him, in comparison of what he ought; and how little of heaven is upon his heart, and how strange and backward his thoughts are to the life to come. These are as fetters upon his soul. He daily groaneth under them as a captive, that he should be yet so carnal, and unable to shake off the remnant of his infirmities, as if he were sold under sin; that is, in bondage to it; Rom. vii. 14. He hateth himself more for the imperfections of his love and obedience to God, than hypocrites do for their reigning sin. And O, how he longeth for the day of his deliverance! Rom. vii. 24. He thinketh it no great injury for another to judge of him as he judgeth of himself, even to be less than the least of all God's mercies. He is more troubled for being over-praised and over-valued, than for being dispraised and vilified; as thinking those that praise him are more mistaken, and lay the more dangerous snare for his soul. For he hath a special antipathy to pride, and wondereth that any rational man can be so blind as not to see enough to humble him. For his own part, (in the midst of all God's graces,) he seeth in himself so much darkness, imperfection, corruption, and want of further grace, that he is loathsome and burdensome continually to himself. If you see him sad, or troubled, and ask him the cause, it is ten to one but it is himself he complaineth of. The frowardest wife, the most undutiful child, the most disobedient servant, the most injurious neighbor, the most malicious enemy, is not half so great a trouble to him as he is to himself. He prayeth abundantly more against his own corruption, than against any of these. O, could he but know and love God more, and be more in heaven, and willinger to die, and freer from his own distempers, how easily could he bear all crosses, or injuries from others! He came to Christ's school as a little child, (Matt. xviii. 3.) and still he is little in his own esteem; and, therefore, disesteem and contempt from others is no great matter with him,

He thinks it can be no great wrong that is done against so poor a worm, and so unworthy a sinner as himself, (except as God or the souls of men may be interested in the cause.) He heartily approveth of the justice of God in abhorring the proud; and hath learned that, Rom. xii. 10, "In honor preferring one another," and, Gal. v. 26, "Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another."

2. But the remnant of pride is usually the most notable sin of the weak Christian; though it reigneth not, it foully blemisheth him. He would fain be taken for somebody in the church: he is ready to step up into a higher room, and to think himself wiser and better than he is. If he can but speak confidently of the principles of religion, and some few controversies which he hath made himself sick with, he is ready to think himself fit to be a preacher. He looketh through a magnifying-glass upon all his own performances and gifts: he loveth to be valued and praised: he can hardly bear to be slighted and dispraised, but is ready to think hardly of those that do it, if not to hate them in some degree: he loveth not to be found fault with, though it be necessary to his amendment; and though all this vice of pride be not so predominant in him, as to conquer his humility, yet doth it much obscure and interrupt it. And though he hate this his pride, and strive against it, and lamenteth it before God, yet still it is the sorest ulcer in his soul. And should it prevail and overcome him, he would be abhorred of God, and it would be his ruin; 2Chron. xvi. 10. 12. Luke xxii. 24-26.

3. But in the hypocrite, pride is the reigning sin. The praise of men is the air which he liveth in. He was never well acquainted with himself, and never felt aright the burden of his sins and wants, and, therefore, cannot bear contempt from others. Indeed, if his corrupt disposition turn most to the way of covetousness, tyranny, or lust, he can the easier bear contempt from others, as long as he hath his will at home; and he can spare their love, if he can be but feared and domineer. But still his pride is predominant; and when it affecteth not much the reputation of goodness, it affecteth the name of being rich or great, Sin may make him sordid, but grace doth not make him humble. Pride is the vital spirit of the corrupted state of man.

XXVII. 1. A confirmed Christian is acquainted with the deceitfulness of man's heart, and the particular corrupt inclinations that are in it, and especially with his own; and he is acquainted with the wiles and methods of the tempter, and what are the materials which he maketh his baits of, and what is the manner in which he spreadeth his nets. He seeth always some snares before him; and what company soever he is in, or what business soever he is about, he walketh as among snares, which are visible to his

sight; and it is part of his business continually to avoid them. He liveth in a continual watch and warfare. He can resist much stronger and more subtle temptations than the weak can do. He is always armed, and knoweth what are the special remedies against each particular snare and sin; Eph. vi. 2 Cor. ii. 11. Prov. i. 17. And he carrieth always his antidotes about him, as one that liveth in an infectious world, and in the midst of a froward and perverse generation, from which he is charged to save himself; Phil. ii. 15. Acts ii. 40.

2. And the weak Christian is a soldier in the army of Christ, and is engaged in striving against sin, (Heb. xii. 4.) and really taketh the flesh and world, as well as the devil, to be his enemies, and doth not only strive, but conquer in the main; but yet, alas! how poorly is he armed; how unskillful doth he manage his Christian armor; how often is he foiled and wounded; how many a temptation is he much unacquainted with; and how many a snare doth lie before him which he never did observe! And oft he is overcome in particular temptations, when he never perceiveth it, but thinks that he hath conquered.

3. But the hypocrite is fast ensnared when he glorieth most of his integrity, and is deceived by his own heart, and thinketh he is something, when he is nothing; Gal. vi. 3. Luke xviii. 20-23. When he is thanking God that he is not as other men, he is rejoicing in his dreams, and sacrificing for the victory which he never obtained; ver. 11. He is led by Satan captive at his will, when he is boasting of his uprightness; and hath a beam of covetousness, or pride, or cruelty in his own eye, while he is reviling or censuring another for the mote of some difference about a ceremony, or tolerable opinion. And usually such grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived; Matt. vii. 3-5. 2 Tim. iii. 13.

XXVIII. 1. A Christian indeed is one that hath deliberately counted what it may cost him to follow Christ, and to save his soul; and knowing that suffering with Christ is the way to our reigning with him, he hath fully consented to the terms of Christ. He hath read Luke xiv. 26, 27. 33., and findeth that bearing the cross and forsaking all, is necessary to those that will be Christ's disciples. And accordingly, in resolution, he hath forsaken all; and looketh not for a smooth and easy way to heaven. He considereth that "all that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution," and that "through many tribulations we must enter into heaven." And, therefore, he taketh it not for a strange or unexpected thing, if the fiery trial come upon him. He doth not wonder at the unrighteousness of the world, as if he expected reason or honesty, justice or truth, or mercy, in the enemies of Christ, and the instruments of Satan: he will not bring his action against

the devil, for unjustly afflicting him. He will rather turn the other cheek to him that siniteth him, than he will hinder the good of any soul by seeking right; much less will he exercise unjust revenge. Though where government is exercised for truth and righteousness, he will not refuse to make use of the justice of it to punish iniquity, and discourage evil doers; yet this is for God and the common good, and for the suppression of sin, much more than for himself. Suffering doth not surprise him, as a thing unlooked for he hath been long preparing for it, and it findeth him garrisoned in the love of Christ. Yea, though his flesh will be as the flesh of others, sensible of the smart, and his mind is not senseless of the sufferings of his body, yet it is some pleasure and satisfaction to his soul, to find himself in the common way to heaven, and to see the predictions of Christ fulfilled, and to feel himself so far conform to Jesus Christ, his head, and to trace the footsteps of a humbled Redeemer in the way before him. As "Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, so doth the Christian arm himself with the same mind;" 1 Pet. iv. 1. He rejoiceth that he is made partaker of the sufferings of Christ, that when his glory shall be revealed, he may also be partaker of the exceeding joy;" ver. 12, 13. Yea, he taketh the reproach of Christ for a treasure, yea, a greater treasure than riches, or men's favors can afford; Heb. xi. 25, 26. For he knoweth if he be reproached for the name or sake of Christ, he is happy. For thereby he glorifieth that God, whom the enemy doth blaspheme, and so the Spirit of God and of glory resteth on him; 1 Pet. iv. 14. He liveth and suffereth as one that from his heart believeth, that "They are blessed that are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for great is their reward in heaven. And they are blessed when men shall revile them and persecute them, and say all manner of evil against them, falsely, for Christ's sake." In this they "rejoice and are exceeding glad," as knowing that herein they are "followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promise;" Matt. v. 10-12. Heb. vi. 12. If he be "offered upon the sacrifice and service of the faith of God's elect, he can rejoice in it as having greater good than evil;" Phil. ii. 17. He can suffer the loss of all things, and account them dung, that he may "win Christ, and be found in him, and know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable to his death;" Phil. iii. 8-10. Not out of surliness and pride doth he rejoice in sufferings, as some do, that they may carry the reputation of holy and undaunted men, and seem to be far better and more constant than others. When pride maketh men suffer, they are partly the devil's martyrs, though the cause be never so good. Though it is much more ordinary for pride to make men suffer rejoicingly in an ill cause than in a good;

the devil having more power on his own ground than on Christ's. But it is the love of Christ, and the belief of the reward, and the humble neglect of the mortified flesh, and the contempt of the conquered world, that maketh the Christian suffer with so much joy; for he seeth that the Judge is at the door, and what torments the wicked are preparing for themselves; and that as certainly as there is a God that governeth the world, and that in righteousness, so certainly are his eyes upon the righteous, and his face is set against them that do evil, (1 Pet. iii. 12.) and though "sinners do evil a hundred times," and escape unpunished till their days be prolonged, yet vengeance will overtake them in due time, and it shall be well with them that fear the Lord; and that he keepeth all the tears of his servants till the reckoning day. And if "judgment begin at the house of God, and the righteous be saved through so much suffering and labor, what, then, shall be their end, that obey not the gospel? and where shall the ungodly and sinner appear? 1 Pet. iv. 17, 18. Eccles. viii. 12. Prov. xi. 31. xiii. 6. Psal. lvi. 8. Deut. xxxii. 35. James v. 9.

2. And the weak Christian is one that will forsake all for the sake of Christ, and suffer with him that he may be glorified with him; and will take his treasure in heaven for all; Luke xiv. 26, 33. xviii. 22. But he doth it not with that easiness, and alacrity, and joy, as the confirmed Christian doth. He hearkens more to the flesh, which saith, Favor thyself.' Suffering is much more grievous to him; and sometimes he is wavering before he can bring himself fully to resolve, and let go all; Matt. xvi. 22.

3. But the seeming Christian looketh not for much suffering: he reads of it in the gospel, but he saw no probability of it, and never believed that he should be called to it in any notable degree: he thought it probable that he might well escape it, and therefore, though he agreed verbally to take Christ for better and worse, and to follow him through sufferings, he thought he would never put him to it. And indeed his heart is secretly resolved, that he will never be undone in the world for Christ. Some reparable loss he may undergo, but he will not let go life and all. He will still be religious, and hope for heaven; but he will make himself believe (and others if he can) that the truth lieth on the safer side, and not on the suffering side; and that it is but for their own conceits, and scrupulosity, that other men suffer who go beyond him; and that many good men are of his opinion, and therefore he may be good also in the same opinion, (though he would never have been of that opinion, if it had not been necessary to his escaping of sufferings;) what flourish soever he maketh for a time, "when persecution ariseth, he is offended and withereth; Matt. xiii. 21. 26. Unless he be so deeply engaged among the suffering party, that he