for we shall all stand before the judgment-seat of Christ". Diotrephes, who loveth the pre-eminence, receiveth us not; wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doth, prating against us with malicious words; and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church'.

I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts; which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me, for I am holier than thou; these are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day. Pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate'.

SECT. 5. The most criminal and dreadful is that pride which exalteth itself against God, and affects to be independent of him.

There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness. O how lofty are their eyes! and their eye-lids are lifted up. Therefore, they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. What is the Almighty that we should serve him? What profit should we have if we pray unto him? And what can the Almighty do for them. The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God; God is not in all his thoughts. As for all his enemies, he puffeth at them. He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved; for I shall never be in adversity. They are enclosed in their own fat; with their mouth they speak proudly. Pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment. They speak loftily. They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth. They

make the oppressed to cry; they cry because of the pride of evil men. They are without excuse; because that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing themselves wise, they became fools', haters of God, despiteful, proud boasters, fierce, despisers of those that are good, heady, high-minded*. These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest, to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error'.

SECT. 6. Such pride cannot escape unpunished.

Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord, and against his Anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. An high look, and a proud heart, and the ploughing of the wicked is sin. Surely God will not hear vanity, neither will the Almighty regard it. For he knoweth vain men; will he not then consider it? Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord: Though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished. These things doth the Lord hate; yea they are an abomination to him; a proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood". Proud and haughty scorner is his name that dealeth in proud

h Job, xxxv. 9, 12.
2 Tim. iii. 3, 4.

§ 6. Psal. lii, 1.
a Prov. xxi, 4.
Prov. xvi 5.

Rom. i. 20, 21, 22.
1 2 Pet. ii. 17, 18.
b Psal. ii. 1-5.

Job, xxxv. 13.
Prov. vi. 16, 17.

Rom. i. SO, with

f

Prov. xvi. 18.
Job, xi. 11.

wrath'. For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful*. I said unto the fools, Deal not foolishly; and to the wicked, Lift not up the horn'. Lift not up the horn on high; speak not with a stiff neck; for God is the judge; he putteth down one, and setteth up another". Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth; for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed ". The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things. Who have said, With our tongues will we prevail, our lips are our own; who is Lord over us? The Lord plentifully rewardeth the proud doer; for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them. He bringeth down them that dwell on high; the lofty city he layeth it low, even to the ground; he bringeth it even to the dust'. He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts; he hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree; that he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man'. The Lord of hosts hath purposed to stain the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth". Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty. The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. For the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up, and he shall be brought low; and the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low; and the mean man shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled. And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the

i Prov. xxi. 24.
m Psal. lxxv. 5, 7.
P Psal. xxxi. 23.
Luke, i. 51, 52.
Isa. ii. 10-12.

* Psal. xxxvi. 2.

1 Sam. ii. 3.
4 Exod. xviii. 11.
Job, xxxiii. 17.
' Isa. ii. 17.

1 Psal. lxxv. 4.
• Psal. xii. 3, 4.
▾ Isa. xxvi. 5.
" Isa. xxiii. 9.
2 Isa. v. 15.

Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. But the Lord of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness".

SECT. 7. For against such the wrath of God is denounced.

Hear ye, and give ear, be not proud; for the Lord hath spoken. But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride'. The pride of Israel doth testify to his face; therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquity; Judah also shall fall with them. According to their pasture, so were they filled; they were filled, and their, heart was exalted; therefore have they forgotten me. His soul, which is lifted up, is not upright in him. Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her, and in her daughters, and they were haughty, and committed abomination before me, therefore I took them away. Say unto the king and to the queen, Humble yourselves, sit down; for your principalities shall come down, even the crown of your glory. Behold the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate. And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible". Thus saith the Lord God, Remove the diadem, and take off the crown; exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high', for behold the day cometh that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble; and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly; but the proud he knoweth afar off'. Every one that exalteth

himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted".

SECT. 8. His judgments on his presumptuous enemies,

O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation. Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice, and lifted up thine eyes on high? even against the holy One of Israel. Wherefore, it shall come to pass, that when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon Mount Zion, and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks. For he saith, By the strength of my hand have I done it, and by my wisdom; for I am prudent. Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood. Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send among his fat ones leanness, and under his glory he shall kindle a burning. And shall consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field'.

Concerning Edom, thus saith the Lord of hosts, Thy terribleness hath deceived thee, and the pride of thine heart, O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, that holdest the height of the hill", whose habitation is high, that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground? Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the Lord'. I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the revilings of the children of Ammon, whereby they have magnified themselves. Therefore, as I live, saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah. This shall they have for their