pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the Lord of hosts*. And I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the heathen; and I will overthrow the chariots, and those that ride in them, and the horses and their riders shall come down'.

Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Behold I will punish the king of Babylon, and his land, as I have punished the king of Assyria". Call together the archers against Babylon; recompense her according to her work; for she hath been proud against the Lord, against the holy One of Israel". Behold I am against thee, O thou most proud, saith the Lord God of hosts; for thy day is come, the time that I will visit thee. And the most proud shall stumble and fall, and none shall raise him up. Thou saidst, I shall be a lady for ever; I am; and none else besides me". Thy wisdom and thy knowledge it hath perverted thee. Therefore shall evil come upon thee, thou shalt not know from whence it riseth'.

Daniel was brought in before the king Belshazzar. Then Daniel answered and said, O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour'; and for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whom he would he slew, and whom he would he kept alive, and whom he would he set up, and whom he would he put down. But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him. And he was driven from the sons of men, and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses; they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will. And thou his son, O Belshazzar,

hast not humbled thine heart though thou knewest all this; but hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified. Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written', God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it; thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting; thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians'.

How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit".

SECT. 9. Dissuasives from pride, with exhortations and motives to humility.

Thus saith the Lord, let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches; but let him that glorieth, glory in this, that he understandeth, and knoweth me, that I am the Lord, which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth; for in these things I delight, saith the Lord'. He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy, I dwell in the high and holy place; with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; but to this man will I look, even to him that is

poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word d.

Blessed is the man that maketh the Lord his trust; and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies. Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly; but the proud he knoweth afar off'. The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. Better it is to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud". By pride cometh contention; but with the well-advised is wisdom'. A proud heart stirreth up strife; but he that putteth his trust in the Lord shall be made fat*. Surely he scorneth the scorners; but he giveth grace unto the lowly'. In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride; but the lips. of the wise shall preserve them". When pride cometh, then cometh shame; but with the lowly is wisdom". A man's pride shall bring him low; but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit. Before destruction the heart of man is haughty; and before honour is humility". By humility and the fear of the Lord, are riches, and honour, and life. He forgetteth not the cry of the humble'. He poureth contempt upon princes; yet setteth he the poor on high. The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit'. The Lord raiseth them that are bowed down"; he healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds. The Lord lifteth up the meek; he casteth the wicked down to the ground*. When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person'. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as noon-day2.

d Isa. lxvi. 1, 2.
g Eccles. vii. 8.
* Prev. xxviii. 25.
n Prov. xi. 2.

Prov. xxii. 4.

t Psalm xxxiv. 18.

e Psalm xl. 4.
h Prov. xvi. 19.

Prov. iii. 34.
0 • Prov. xxix. 23.
r Psalm ix. 12.
u Psalm cxlvi. 8.

f Psalm cxxxviii. 6. i Prov. xiii. 10. Prov. xiv. 3.

P Prov. xviii. 12.

Psalm cvii. 40, 41. * Psalm cxlvii. 3, 6.

y Job, xxii. 29.

2 Isa. Iviii. 9, 10.

SECT. 10. The divine instructions of our blessed Lord.

And the Lord spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others": two men went up to the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood, and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other. For every one that exalteth himself, shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself, shall be exalted".

Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children, with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom. But Jesus answered, and said, Ye. know not what ye ask: to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father. And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren. But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them; and they that are great, exercise authority upon them. But whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant. Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

The disciples came unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, and said, Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted,

a

§ 10. Luke, xviii. 6, 9.

b Luke, xviii. 10-14.

* Matt. xx. 20-28.

and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones".

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven'. Which of you having a servant ploughing, or feeding cattle, will say to him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat? and will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterwards thou shalt eat and drink? Doth he thank that servant, because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not. So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants; we have done that which was our duty to do.

SECT. 11. His great example of condescension and humility.

Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come, that he should depart out of this world unto the Father; having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. And supper being ended, he riseth, and laid aside his garments, and took a towel and girded himself; after that he poureth water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done unto you? Ye call me Master and Lord; and ye say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another's feet: for I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I