(4).) The strength of our unmortified corruption shews itself in our pride, and the swelhng vanity of our hearts when we have a name and esteem among men. When we are applauded and ho- noiu-ed, when we are admired for any gift or excellency that is in us, this draws forth the pride of the heart, and shews the vanity that is in it. So you read, Prov. xxvii. 21. " As the fining-pot for " silver, and the furnace for gold, so is a man to his praise ;'' i. e. As the furnace will discover what dross is in the metal wh n it is melted, so will praise and commendations discover what pride is in the lieart of him that receives them. This made a good man say, He that praises me, wounds me. And, which is more strange, this corruption may be felt in the heart, even when the last breath is ready to expire. It was the saying of one of the German divines, when those about him recounted for his encouragement the many services he had done for God, Auferte ignem (saith he) adhuc enim paleas haheo ; — 'take away the fire, for there is still the chaff of pride in me. To crucify this corruption, providence takes off the bridle of resti'aint from ungodly men, and sometimes permits them to tra- duce the names of God's servants, as Shimei did David's. Yea, they shall fall into disesteem among their friends, as Paul did among the Corinthians ; and all this to keep down the swelling of their spirits at the sense of those excellencies that are in them. The design of these providences being nothing else but to hide pride from man. Yea, it deserves a special remark, that when some good men have been engaged in a public and eminent work, and have therein, it may be, too much sought their own applause, God l\ad witli- held such usual assistance at such times from them, and caused them to faidter so in their work, that they have come off with shame and pity at such times, how ready and presential soever they have been at other times. It were easy to give divers remarkable, examples to confirm this observation, but I pass on.
(5.) The corruption of the heart shews itself in raising up great expectations to ourselves from the creature, and projecting abun- dance of felicity and contentment from some promising and hope- ful enjoyments we have in the world. This we find to. have been the case of holy Job in the days of his prosperity. Job xxix. 18. *' Then I said, I shall die in my nest, I shall multiply my days as " the sand." But how soon were all these expectations dashed by a gloomy providence that benighted him in the noon-tide of his prosperity ; and all this for his good, to take off his lieart more fi^lly from creature expectations. \Ve often find the best men to
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over-reckon themselves in worldly things, and over-act their confi- dences about them ; they that have great and well-grounded ex- pectations from heaven^ may have too great and ungrounded expec- tations from the eartli ; but when it is so, it is very usual for pro- vidence to undermine their earthly hopes, and convince them by experience how vain they are. Thus Haggai ii. 9- the people's hearts were intentlv set upon prosperous providences, full harvests, and great increase ! whilst in the mean time, no regard was had to the worship of God, and the things of his house ; therefore pro- vidence blasts their hopes, and brings them to little.
(6.) Corruption discovers itself in dependence upon creature- comforts and sensible props. Oh ! how apt are the best men to lean upon those things, and stay themselves upon them ! Thus did Jsrael stay themselves upon Egypt, as a feeble man would lean upon his staff; but God suffered it both to fail them and wound them, Ezek. xxix. 6, 7, 8. So for single persons, how apt are they to de- pend upon their sensible supports ? Thus we lean on our relations, and the inward thoughts of our hearts are, that they shall be to us so many springs of comfort to refresh us throughout our lives ; but God will shew us, by his providence, our mistake and error in tliese things : Thus an husband is smitten to draw the soul of a wife nearer to God in dependance upon him, 1 Tim. v. 5. so for children we are apt to say of this or that child as Lamech did of Noah, Gen. v. 29. " This same shall comfort us ;" but the wind passes over these flowers, and they are withered, to teach us that our happiness is not bound up in these enjoyments. So for our estates, when the world smiles upon us, and we have got a warm nest, how do we prophesy of rest and peace in those acquisitions, minding with good Baruch, great things for ourselves ; but provi- dence by a particulai', or general calamity, overturns our projects, as Jer. xlv. 4, 5. and all this to reduce our hearts from the creature to God, our only rest.
(7.) Corruption discovers its strength in good men by their ad- herence to things below, and lothness to go hence. This often pro- ceeds from the engaging enjoyment and pleasant fruitions we have here below. Providence mortifies this inclination in the saints, {1 .) By killing those ensnaring comforts before-hand, making all, or most of our pleasant things to die before us. (2.) By imbitter- ing this Avorld to us by the troubles of it. (3.) By making life un- desirable through the pains and infirmities we feel in the body, and so loosing our root, in order to our more easy fall by the fatal stroke.
And thus I have finished the second general head ; but before I pass from this, I cannot but make a pause, and desire you with me to stand in an holy amazement, and wonder at the dealings of God
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With such poor worms as we are ! Surely God deals familiarly with men ! his condescensions to his own clay are astonishing ! All that I shall note at present about it shall be under these three heads, wherein I fmd the matter of my present meditations summed up by the Psalmist, Psal. cxliv. 3. ^' Lord, what is man, that thou takest " knowledge of him ? Or the son of man that thou makest account " of him ?'■* And in this scripture you have represented,