of God than that which wee are here put in minde of And This is the Promise which he hath promised us Even eternal life In which words wee have four particulars worthy our observation An excellent benefit eternal life A sure conveyance hath promised An Eminent Author Hee The peculiar persons us All which when I have severally unfolded I shall joyntly apply and that especially with reference to that which our Apostle here intends the duty of perseverance 1 The excellency of the benefit though it bee last in the verse would first be considered as it is delineated in those words eternal life If wee here examine the Grammer of the Greek Text wee shall finde it incongruous the accusative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 put for the Nominative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but that which is called in Rhetorick 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the putting of one case for another is not unusual and withall it is very frequent to put the Antecedent in the case of the Relative as appeareth by those two Instances among many others the one Virgils Urbem quam statuo vestra est and the other Terences Populo ut placeâ—ent quas fecissent fabulas so here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Emphasis of the Article prefixed before both the Substantive and the Adjective 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 would not bee passed by since as one well magnum pondus addit orationi it addeth a great deal of weight to the expression intimating that it is not an ordinary kinde of life but that which is most transcendent whereof the Apostle speaketh and withall that the eternity is that which addeth much to its excellency That which is especially to bee inquired into is what is the benefit which is represented under these Characters and why it is so represented 1 That happy and glorious estate which shall hereafter be enjoyed is without all doubt that which is here and else where intended by this phrase eternal life It may perhaps bee here objected that eternal life in a strict and proper notion may bee affirmed of the miserable condition of the wicked as well as the blisseful state of the godly for the Resurrection shall bee general and the term of that Resurrection shall bee an union of soul and body and that union shall bee inseparable which denominateth it eternal in which respect St. Austin saith expresly of the damned In eternum cruciari non poterint nisi vixerint in eternum they could not be for ever tormented if they did not live eternally But to this it is well answered that this word life is not alwaies taken pronudâ existentiâ a bare existing in but foelici conditione an happy condition of life non magnum est din vivere aut semper vivere sed magnum est beaté vivere saith St. Austin It is no great matter to live long or alwaies but to live happily That Loyal prayer Let the King live in every Language imports a prosperous estate when the Psalmist saith Who is the man that would see life hee explaineth himself presently after by good daies vivere among the Latines is sometime as much as valere to live is as much as to be well and upon this account it is that as on the one hand the Scripture calls the state of the damned an eternal death because their life is onely a continuance in misery so on the other the state of the blessed an eternal life because it is a perpetual abode in felicity 2 Having found out what is the benefit intended I shall now go on to inlarge in the description of it Indeed eternal life is a subject so sweet and pleasant that you cannot want patience to hear of it though withall it is so sublime and transcendent that I want a tongue to speak of it acquiri potest exprimi non potest it is our comfort wee may attain it but our defect that wee cannot conceive much lesse expresse it when wee come to the fruition of this life wee shall not say with those in the Psalm as wee have heard so wee have seen but with the Queen of Sheba the one half was not told us all that can bee said of that joyful eternity being but as Stilla Mari a drop to the Ocean or scintilla igni a spark to the flame But though a perfect discovery of this blisse bee impossible at such a distance as earth is from heaven yet in the Scripture lineaments we may behold it and that so much of it if wee seriously view it as that wee cannot choose but bee enamoured with it nor shall I go further than my Text wherein wee finde a description consisting of two words A word of quality and praelation life A word of quantity and duration eternal Because men love to live promissa est illis vita saith St. Austin life is promised to them and because they most fear death promissa est illis aterna eternal life is promised What doest thou love To live this thou shalt have what doest thou fear to dye this thou shalt not suffer it is life eternal of each a word 1 That future state is described by life and if you please to examine it you shall finde two things shadowed forth by it namely Wherein that blisse consists and how far it surpasseth all other injoyments 1 Inasmuch as it is called Life it intimateth wherein that happinesse consists to wit in the Beatifical vision To clear which you must know that 1 Natâ—ral life is the union of the soul with the body and accordingly supernatural life is the union of the soul with God and look as the body being united to the soul liveth because the soul is the principle of life so the soul â—nited to God must needs live much more because God is the living God the fountain and Original of life 2 This union of the soul with God is double and accordingly with St. Austin wee distinguish of a double supernatural life â—na fide altera specie una in tempore peregrinationis altera in eternitate mansionis there is a mediate union wee have with God in this Pilgrimage by faith and there is an immediate union wee have with him in that mansion by sight that is the life of grace this the life of glory when S. Paul saith wee Walk by faith and not by sight hee expresseth the former and withall intimateth the latter life when wee shall walk by Sight and not by faith Thus whereas God himself told Moses No man can see mee and live it may in this respect bee inverted no man can live without seeing God since by seeing it is the Saints have an union with and fruition of God and so live to which those words of the Psalmist are fitly applicable Thou wilt shew mee the path of life in thy presence is fulness of joy 2 In that it is called life it inferreth its surpassing worth and value To illustrate
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make choice of fit opportunities for recreation And thus with what perspicuous brevity these various serious subjects would affoard I have unfolded the latitude of this evil which is here called the lust of the flesh To winde up this discourse in few words How great a predominancy this lust of the flesh hath in the world the gluttonies drunkenness and uncleane practices of the most do sadly proclaime Seneca complained that the men of his time were Inter vinum oleum occupati altogether taken up with wine and oyle I would to God such were only to be found among Pagans but alas these swarme in the Christian world nay which is yet more sad in the Reformed Protestant Church of England Oh that Papists and Sectaries had not too just cause to say A great part of the English Protestants are uncleane adulterous gluttonous epicures quaffing drunkards riotous gamesters so that whilest they profess the purest faith they leade the most debauched lives For these Bastard Sons doth their Mother the Church mourne and suffer at this day and yet as if all her sufferings were not worth their pitty they still renew and multiply these sins to the dishonour of her profession and the prolongation of her miseries Indeed according to that known Proverb Venter non habet aures The belly hath not ears voluptuous persons are deafe to divine instructions and as St Hierome truly speaking of these sins Eò deponere est difficilus quò eis uti est dulcius they are therefore very difficult to leave because so sweet to enjoy so that as Solomon observeth of the Adulterer in particular it is too true of all those sorts of sinners they are hardly and therefore rarely reclaimed but yet I will not wholly despaire even of their conversion however for others prevention I shall propose these following considerations The lust of the flesh is defiling debasing destroying and consequently not only to be abandoned but abborred 1. It is defiling True it is as our Saviour saith That which goeth in at the mouth the Object of these lusts doth not defile a man but it is as true that which cometh from the heart the lust after these Objects doth defile Indeed all sin is of a polluting nature but especially these and therefore one of these lusts in a pecular manner is called impuriâ—y and uncleanness The gross acts of these sins defile the body and the very lust after them defileth the soul 2. It is debasing Indeed nothing is more naturall then a desirâ— after these Objects but yet nothing is more unnaturall then the inordinate lust after them and what a shame is it that the grace of God should not teach us to deny these lusts which the light of nature teacheth Heathens It is observed that of all living Creatures Man hath the narrowest Wombe and the straitest Throate as if nature would thereby teach us to be the most abstemious The truth is the lust of the flesh is not only unchristian because contrary to the precept and practice of our Lord and Master but inhumane because opposite to the dictates of â—eason so that we may truly affirme men by the fulfilling of this lust become like the beast that perisheth whilest gluttony transformeth them into Tygars drunknness into Swine uncleanness into Goats sloth into Dormouses and laziness into Asses nay shall I adde they are worse then the Beasts for whereas these Creatures cannot be made to eate or drinke more then their naturall appetite requireth and observe their usuall times of conjunction voluptuous men regard neither season nor measure in the satiating of their lusts Add to all this 3. It is destroying And here I might enlarge in severall respects this lust of the flesh being that which destroyeth the credit the state the body yea without sincere repentance the soul of him that indulgeth to it Solomon saith of the Adulterer and it is as true of the Glutton and Drunkard A wound and dishonour shall be get and his reproach shall not be wiped away sensuall lusts whilest they please the flesh blot the name and though the execution of them content the sinners taste and touch they make him to stinke in the nostrils of God and Man Again the Wiseman warning the young man not to lust after the whorish woman in his heart saith That by meanes of an whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread and elsewhere in one Verse he tels us That the Drunkard and the Glutton shall come to poverty and Drousiness shall cloath a man with rags The full cup makes an empty purse and the fat dish a lean bag a soft bed a thin shop and the costly Mistris a thredbare servant yet again Solomon saith of the Adulteress she hunts for the precious life it is no less true of banquâ—tings drinkings revellings and such like It is not seldome seen that men by satisfying these carnall lusts endanger their lives ruine their healths and hasten their ends Finally The Wiseman saith of the unclean sinner that he destroyeth his own soul and it is verified of the rest The Gluttons table is a snare as well to his soul as his body the Drunkards cup spoileth him of grace as well as wit the Gamester staketh his soul as well as his state and the Sluggard by consulting his bodies temporall ease hazardeth his souls eternall rest And now my Brethren if upon all these accounts you are at last willing to bid farewell to this lust of the flesh remember what is hinted in the begining of this discourse namely that it is a fire and therefore you will do well to take the same course in subduing this lust which men do in putting out a fire More particularly take notice of these foure directions 1. Extinguish it whilest but a sparke least when a flame it become too powerfull resist the very beginning since if you give the least way to you will be entangled by it Verecunda peccati initia sensuall desires at first are modest but if consented to and delighted in are more and more craving yea at last commanding Indeed Sensim sine sensu by little and little insensibly this lust gets ground of us therefore let us be watchfull betimes to espye and prevent it 2. Substract the fewell which feeds and increaseth it Sâ— Peters counsell is Abstaine from fleshly lusts which is best done by taking away that which foments them what St Paul saith of the legall Ceremonies touch not taste not handle not that I may fitly apply to sensuall lusts take heed of the occasions inducing to them Eradenda sunt pravae cupidinis alimenta if you would not have lust to fatten do not feed it Not to launch out into those many particulars which might be reckoned up in this kinde beware especially of evill company It is Solomons advice Be not amongst wine bibbers amongst riotous eateâ—s of flesh The way not to be of
Believer He hath eternall life and I will raise him up at the last day to wit to the actuall fruition of that life in another which he had only by faith and hope in this vvorld 2. Or we may thus expound it he abideth for ever to wit in his soul When our Saviour saith God is the God of Abraham Isaack and Jacob and presently addeth God is not the God of the dead but of the living he seemeth to intimate that those Patriarchs do now live to wit in their souls and we read expresly that St John saw the soules of them that were slaine under the Altar that is as some gloss with Christ who is the Christians Altar so that it is true both waies He abideth in his soul for ever without any interruption and though he must go out of this world he abideth for even in his person in the world to come 2. But it may yet further be Objected that this is a defective assertion for what is there in this of reward to continue for ever Are not the souls of the wicked immortall as well as of the godly shall not the bodies of the bad be raised as well as of the good will not the state of the disobedient in the other world be eternall as well as of the obedient and how then is this annexed as a promise to the doer of Gods will that he abideth for ever But to this it is justly answered that more is intended then is expressed it is not a meer continuance of being but an eternity of well being you have need of patience saith the Author to the Hebrews that after you have done the will of God you may receive the promise and will you know what the promise is our Apostle tells you in this Chapter it is eternall life so that we must expound this by that it is not only abiding but living for ever which is here assured Indeed though the wicked shall continue for ever yet when the Scripture speaketh of their future state it is called a perishing for ever if you would know where are the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the many Mansiens or abiding places Christ tells his Disciples it is in his Fathers house that is in Heaven in Gods presence so that to abide eternally in the beatificall vision in the place and state of happiness is that which is here intended by our Apostle If any shall aske a reason how it cometh to pass that by doing Gods will we obtaine an eternity of bliss I answer both in regard of God and his will or word 1. St Cyprian quoting this Text addeth by way of Explication Quomodo Deus manet in aeternum He abideth for ever as God abideth for ever And that this is implyed will appear by the connexion for as there it is expressed that the world passeth away so here it is implyed that God abideth for ever the comparison being made both between God and the world and the lovers of God and the lovers of the world So then God is α and ω the beginning and the end he inhabiteth eternity and with him is no variableness or shadow of changing And though eternity in its most comprehensive notion be peculiar to a deity and incommunicable to any Creature yet eternity a parte post is that which God hath made rationall Creatures capable of and as he abideth for ever so will he grant to them that do his will to abide with him for ever 2. Danaeus commenting upon this clause thus Paraphraseth sicut voluntas Dei est aeterna ita qui facit voluntatem Dei as Gods will is eternall so he that doth it must needs be eternall St Peter having illustrated the frailty of man by the resemblance of the grass and the flower presently addeth but the word of the Lord which is his revealed will endureth for ever Now Gods will and word is said to endure for ever not only because it is of eternall verity in it selfe but because it maketh them caâ—able of eternity who obey it and the Apostle in the same place a little before affirmeth of Believers that they are borne again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the word of God which liveth and abideth for ever to wit not only subjectivè in it selfe but effectivè making them who are borne again of it eternall and if you would know how we are borne again our Saviour tells us when he saith He that doth the will of God is my Mother my Brother to wit by this new birth For this reason it is that Christ calls his word the Meat that endureth to everlasting life because being eaten by faith and digested by obedience it nourisheth the soul to eternity No wonder that our Apostle here asserteth He that doth the will of God abibideth for ever And now Brethren If this consideration cannot induce us to the doing Gods will what will If any man should come and pretend to tell us how we might abide for ever in this world we would readily receive and speedily follow his advice But alas the most learned and experienced Physitian though he may prescribe rules De servandâ valitudine of preserving health for a time cannot give any De tuendo à morte for the escaping of death Whereas we set before you the way to an eternall durance in a farre better world and are forced to complaine with the Prophet Isaiah Who hath believed our report Is there any of us so brutish as not to desire participation of a blessed eternity Surely as Paul said to Agrippa Believest thou the Prophets I know thou believest I may say in this Desirèst thou to be happy I know thou desirest it and if so see here by doing Gods will thou shalt have thy own if thou endeavour to fulfill his commands he will satisfie thy desires Doing Gods Precepts for a time on Earth will obtaine the enjoying Gods face for ever in Heaven What then was Maries eâ—mmendation let it be our imitation Shee chose that good part which shall not be taken from her that is saith Grotius Cujus frucâ—us perpetuò mansurus whose benefit should remaine for ever and will you know what that good part was it appeareth by the context to be sitting at Christs feet for this end no doubt that she may first learne and then do Gods will Learne we to do likewise let our first care be to know and our next to do what God hath required that so we may now comfortably hope and at last happily enjoy what he hath promised an eternall Mansion And so much shall suffice to have been spoken of the clause considered in it self 2. That which next presents it selfe to our Meditation and would by no meanes be left out is the Relative connexion of this with what precedeth And here both parts of this clause would be looked upon and it is not unworthy our inquiry how and upon what account they are
vision The understanding is that whereby we know and apprehend things intelligible it is as it were the souls window whereby it receiveth the light of knowledg 5. Finally The office of the eye is to guide the motion of the body to direct our hands in working and our feet in walking such is the office of the understanding to order the will and affections in their inclinations and aversations to teach us what to choose and what to refuse what to love and what to hate you see how fitly the understanding of the mind is compared to the eyes of the body 5. The Disease of this part here specified is blindness the worst evill that can befall the eye as rendring it altogether useless and the state of the person dangerous a dimme eye may do some service by preventing many fals but a blinde eye exposeth to continuall hazards well faith our blessed Saviour if the light meaning the eye that is in thee be darkness how great is that darkness Yet this is the state of every wicked malicious man especially his eyes are blinded his understanding darkned he knoweth nothing as he ought to know indeed his left eye is quick sighted but his right eye is starke blinde he is wise to do evill but to do good he hath no knowledg Quantum mortalia pectora caecae Noctis habent saith the Poet how darke a night of ignorance overshadoweth the minds of mortals It is not seldome that this name of foole is given in Scripture to an evill man and not without cause since he is altogether destitute of right reason the Prodigall repenting is said to come to himself whereby is intimated that whilst wandering he was besides himself thus is the sinner a foole a mad man a blinde man ignorant of the things which concern his everlasting peace And surely if blindness of the bodily eye be sad this of the spirituall is far more dolefull our bodily eye is common to us with beasts our intellectuall that where by we partake with Angels and by how much the eye of the minde is better then that of the body by so much the blindness of this is worse The bodies eye may be better spared then the souls yea the want of corporall sight may be a meanes of spirituall good but the want of spirituall sight can be no way helpfull but altogether hurtfull yea which is so much the more sad whereas the bodily blinde feeleth and acknowledgeth his want of light the spiritually blinde man thinketh that none hath clearer eyes then himself This Christ saith of the Laodicean Angell he knew not that he was blinde and this sinner in the Text saith he is in the light suam ignorans ignorantiam not knowing his want of knowledg oh learne we to be sensible of and affected with the misery of this condition to have our eyes blinded But lastly The cause of this pernicious disease would be searched into which we shall finde to arise principally from our selves it is true St Paul saith the God of this world who is the Prince of darkness blinds mens eyes but chiefly it is the darkness of wickedness within us that bringeth this evill upon us Wickedness saith the Wiseman doth alter the understanding and the bewitching of naughtiness doth obscure things that are honest to which agreeth that of St Chrysostome Sin doth so blinde the senses of the sinners that seeing not the waies of falshood they thrust themselves headlong therein The truth is as the Serpent first wrought upon the Woman and by her upon the Man so wickedness first worketh upon the affections and by that upon the understanding nor is it any wonder that when those are perverted this is blinded Who can see any thing in a troubled muddy water No more can the understanding discern aright when the affections are stirred and mudded what mists foggs are to the aire darkning it corrupt unruly passions are to the mind blinding it It were easie to instance in the severall sorts of those which the Schooles call deadly sins how raysing a commotion in the affections they obnubilate the judgment Olcot upon this account compareth the luxurious man to blind Sampson the gluttonous man to him that was born blind the sloathfull man to blind Tobias the covetous to the blind Beggars the angry to blinde Lamech the envious to blind Ely and the proud man to Senecaes blind servant who would not believe that shee was blind but the house darke certain it is all of these seating themselves in some one or other of our passions do not only reign in our mortall bodies but domineere in our immortall souls misleading its most noble faculty the judgment Oh what a slave is the minde of a covetuous luxurious malicious man to his affections it must think and plot and dictate and judge according as they please well might our Apostle say of him that hateth his Brother the darknesse blindeth his eyes Nor would it be passed by how the bad effect of this spirituall darkness exceeds that of naturall in this respect for whereas the eye of a man may be as good as strong as clear in the darke as in the light only the darkness hinders the exercise of the sight the malicious man by reason of his darkness hath the very sight of his understanding vitiated indeed whereas in naturals the sight is not blinded but the medium is darkned in spirituals the Medium which is Gods word is not at all darkned but the Organ is blinded whilst the depravation of the passion is the depravation of the understanding As therefore we desire to have our minds savingly enlightned endeavour we to have our lusts truly mortified if we would have our judgments even and upright let us not suffer them to be byased by any passion To end all What should this discription of a wicked malicious sinners misery but serve as a disswasive from this iniquity Let no violence be found in our hands nor hatred in our hearts especially considering that we say we are in the light 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith one of the Ancients it is unbeseeming those who sing the songs of Zion to barke in rage who are Gods Servants to be slaves to envious lusts I cannot expostulate better then in the words of St Cyprian Si homo lucis esse capisti quid in zeli tenebras ruis if thou art a Childe of light cast off as all so especially this work of darkeness walk no longer in this way of darkness in which if thou persist what ever thy deceitfull heart may prompt thee it will inevitably lead thee to utter darknss from which good Lord deliver us Amen THE FIRST EPISTLE OF St JOHN CHAP. 2. 12 13 14. VERS I write unto you little Children because your sins are forgiven you for his name sake I write unto you Fathers because ye have known him that is from the beginning I write unto you young Men because
such kinde of promises argue men at the worst deceitfull imposters at the best vain glorious boasters 2. Besides this pride of language there is another which is farre more frequent to wit the pride of apparell Indeed it is strange that any should make apparell the fewell of their pride we all know that garments are but things about us not inhering in but adhering to us so that to be proud of that is as if an Horse should be proud of his Trappings nay more we are beholding for them to other Creatures Sheep for the wooll Wormes for our silke and the like so that to be proud of them is as if a man should be proud of anothers parts nay which is yet worse they were occasioned by sin in which respect the Hebrews derive the Noune 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth a garment from the Verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to deale perfidiously so to be proud of them is as if a Thief should be proud because he is burnt in the hand What more absurd then to boast of what is extraneous nay borrowed nay to glory in that which is a monitour of our shame And yet what more usuall then this kinde of pride which would therefore so much the rather be reproved because it is so commonly practised Nor shall I swerve from my Text to meet with this sort of proud persons since the Peacocks pride which is in her gaudy Feather according to that of the Poet Laudatas ostentat avis Junonia pennas Is an Embleme of this pride in apparell and the Greeke Epithete 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which they give the Peacock on this account is neare a kin to the word in my Text. For the better understanding of this sort of pride whereby we may pass a just censure upon our selves for I would have none too forward in judging others upon this or any other account Be pleased to take notice of these particulars 1. It is not to be denied but that apparell in it selfe is of an indifferent nature either as to morall goodness or badness whither it be of this or that matter forme or colour though garments came in by sin yet they are not in themselves sinfull 2. It is very laudable for some persons to weare costly apparell God hath stored the wardrobe of nature not only with induments but ornaments which may no doubt be accordingly made use of When St Peter adviseth women that their adorning should not be the outward adorning of plaiting the haire of wearing of gold or putting on of apparel it is not to be understood as an absolute but a comparative prohibition otherwise no doubt it is necessary to put on apparell and lawfull for some women to weare gold and use outward adorning 3. It is not unlawfull in some sort to conforme to the fashion of the place wherein we live when S◠Paul would not have us conforme to the world he meaneth in things sinfull not indifferent The truth is there is a possibility of pride in not following the fashion to wit when it is through affectation of singularity and there may be a following the fashion without pride to wit when it is only to avoid being singular yea in one case it may be necessary namely where there is an intervening injunction of a superiour as King Husband Parent or the like in reference to any fashion which is otherwise indifferent 4. But still there is nothing more true then that there is a great deale of pride in apparell and that both in the costliness and fashionableness of it 1. In the costliness If you ask what is worth most and cost least I answer Humility if what is worth least and cost most I answer Pride The proud man expends so much upon his cloathing that whereas our Saviour saith The body is more worth then raiment it may be said of him his raiment is more worth then his body like the Bird of Paradice whose Feathers are of more value then the Carcase More particularly this costliness of our apparell is a signe of pride Whenas it is 1. Above the measure of our estate when they that are not able to buy cloth will weare silke nay they will starve their bodies to adorne their backs and rather then this shall want superfluities the other shall want necessaries 2. Above the quality of our state Soft cloathing is for them that are in Kings houses it is not for Peasants to weare Robes nor them that sit on the dunghill to be cloathed in Scarlet in which respect St Hierome lookt upon it as a thing worthy of laughter or rather sorrow the Handmaides went finer then their Mistresses 2. In the fashionableness And thus to be curious and speedy in following much more to be ring-leaders and inventers of fashions yea to conforme to any which are beyond the bounds of modesty and decency is at best a badge of pride And here I cannot but condemne all such fashions as are the attire of Harlots or garbes of Ruffians as tend to make us appear of another sex or complexion colour shape then indeed we are to be at least indecent if not immodest and so sad signs that i◠not wantonness yet pride dwelleth within I have at length drawn before you those severall lines which meet in this center And now I would to God there were not just cause of a generall Humiliation for this sin of pride it being that poyson which infects almost all of all sorts The Question of Solomon Who can say I have made my heart clean I am pure from sin may be truly put by every one to himself concerning this sin he that saith he is pure from it is probably most guilty of it That in the Psalmes of sitting in the seat of the scorners is read by the vulgar Latine in the chaire of pestilence upon which S t Austin ingenuously observeth to our present purpose the seat of the proud scorners may well be called the chaire of pestilence because that disease is infectious and commonly proveth Epidemicall Ita ferè nemo est qui careat amore dominandi humanam non appetat gloriam there is scarce any man who is not in some kind or other desirous of preheminency and glory There want not some wicked men who are proud of their vices please themselves in and would have others applaud them for their black spots and even good men are too often proud of their virtues in which respect Prosper observeth That they who have overcome other lusts are yet foyled with this whilst after their best deeds they are apt In se potius quam in domino gloriari to glory not in the Lord but in themselves The Schollar is proud of his Learning which like wine fumeth into his head and the foole is ofttimes proud and self conceited notwithstanding his ignorance Pride especially that of apparell hath been heretofore the sin of women thus the Prophet taxeth the