[5.] Consider, as their advantages are less, so their snares are more ; the higher their station, the more dangerous. He had need have a steady head that walks upon a precipice ; the snares of worldly great- ness are many. Trees planted on the tops of mountains are more ex- posed to bleak winds ; and when we are full, we are apt to forget God : Jer. V. 5, ' I will get me unto the great men ; but these have altogether broken the yoke.' Rank pastures breed weeds ; little fishes escape, when the great ones are held in the net ; the movin is eclipsed when it in the full ; so that unless we be in love with our temptation, we should not thus earnestly desire greatness in the world. When the sons of Zebedee desired to be set, one at Christ's right hand, and the other at his left, says Christ, Mat. xx. 22, ' Ye know not what you ask ;' so when you seek honour, you know not what you seek, for your snares, sins, and burdens, are greater. Your snares are greater, for there are more temptations ; and your sins are greater, because of the eminency of your station ; for the higher your station is, every sin you commit is the greater ; when others are lost in a crowd, you are taken notice of. And your burden is the greater ; the more talents, the greater account 5'ou have to make ; more duty is required of you than of others ; you have talents enough already to answer for. He that cannot bear a lesser burden, how shall he bear a greater ?
[6.] Self-seekers are many times the greatest self-losers, for God will cross them ; God will appear against them, for he loves to resist the proud. The shadow follows them that run from it ; and usually they that seek their own interest least do most convince the world of their real worth, which, where it is, will speak for itself. Therefore those that torture themselves with restless, aspiring thoughts, do not attain their end many times : Ps. cxxvii. 2, ' It is vain for you to rise
446 SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. [SeR. LIX.
up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrow ; ' that is, it is in vain for you, Absalom, to think to rise by a tedious observance of the people, and for you, Adonijah, to torture yourself with restless, ambi- tious thoughts and pursuits ; you toil yourselves to no purpose, ' for God will give his beloved sleep.' Solomon was called Jedidiah, the beloved of the Lord (that is the private sense) ; God will give the crown to whom he intends it ; and so men lose all their travail and pains, it comes to notldng but ruin. Climbing proves very dangerous to men if they have not a good holdfast, as putting up too much sail overturns the ship man}^ times.
[7.] The true ambition is the spiritual ambition ; to seek the true glory, the things of heaven and Christ. Thei-e we cannot be too earnest, we must take no nay ; as Luther said, Valde protestatus sum me non sic a Deo satiari — I protested that I would not be put off with these things. It is no crime or treason to offer violence to the kingdom of heaven, Mat. xi. 12. This is ambition becoming a christian, to affect tlie crown of glory, to follow God, and not be put off by him. This will make us despise other things. Remember these are the great things, and that others are but small things in regard of these. Com- pare two places together, 2 Peter i. 4, with 1 Cor. vi. 2. In the latter place he calls the things of the world ' the smallest matters,' and the promises 'exceeding great and precious promises.' These are the greatest things : to have tlie favour of God, and to have hopes of the glory of God ; these are the things that we should most busy our thoughts about.
[8.] That true greatness lies not in honour, but in real worth and grace. A dwarf is but a dwarf though he stand upon a mountain : he may have the advantage-ground, but he is never a whit the taller. A horse is not the better for his trappings, but for his strength and swiftness. A man exalted is not any whit the greater, nothing is added to him. And the Lord to put a scorn upon these outward things gives them sometimes to the basest of men. In troubled waters the mud cometh on the top ; as it was told Anastatius, he was exalted, not because he was worthy of the government of the city, but they were not worthy of a better governor. All these considera- tions should help to free the soul of this cursed weed that is apt to grow and vent itself in our hearts, this affectation of worldly greatness.
Use 2. Exhortation to the high, and those that are in honour, to be of Moses' spirit, actually to quit these things upon trial, but at present in the preparation of your mind. Two things I would press you to — weanedness and resolution.