they will disgrace, reproach, and disdain others, to gain honor and advancement to themselves, yea, they will make bold with the Scriptures and Word of God, to wrest and wring, and slight it over for their credit's sake. And let a man mark some men's talk, stories, discourses, &c. and he shall see their whole drift is to extol and set out themselves, and get praise and commendation of men.

Now the contrary was seen in Paul, he saith, He needed no letters of commendations, 2 Cor. 3. 2. And again, He is not affected with men's praise, 1 Cor. 10. 12. And here is indeed the difference between an humble-minded Christian, and a proud self-lover; an humble man often hath praise, as David, Hezekiah, and Josiah, but he seeks it not, he desires it not, he is content to go without it, he loves not the praise of men, for he knows it but froth and vanity: but a proud self-lover, he seeks it still, get it or not get it, and if he get it he is fully satisfied, if he get it not he hangs his head like a bull-rush, and hath no comfort.

5. The fifth way by which men seek their own, is by seeking to have their wills; as the wrong doers in Corinth, who thought it not enough to do wrong and harm to their brethren, but to have their wills enough of them, drew them before the Heathen magistrates.

And truly some men are so prince-like, or rather Papal, that their very will and word is become a law, and if they have said it, it must be so, else there is no rest or quietness to be had, let never so many reasons be brought to the contrary, it is but fighting with the wind. They are like the obstinate Jews, who when against God's law, and reason, they asked a King, though Samuel shewed them that it would turn in the end to their own smart, yet still held the conclusion, and said, nay, But we will have a King, 1 Sam. 8. 19. Thus men are caught by their own words, and insnared by the straitness of their own hearts, and it is death to them not to have their wills, and howsoever sometimes (like Jezebel) they are cut short of their purposes, yet self-willed men will strut and swell like Absalom, saying neither good nor bad, 2 Sam. 13. 22. but hope for the day, and threaten like prophane Esau, Gen. 27. 41. Now the contrary is seen in David, though a prince, a captain, a warrior, who having said, yea sworn, that he would kill Nabal, and all his family that day, yet upon reasonable counsel given, and that by a weak woman, he changed his mind, altered his purpose, and returned, without striking one stroke, an example rare, and worthy imitation; and when men are sick of will, let them think of David, it was his grace and honor to go back from his word and practice, when reason came. So was it Herod's disgrace and shame to hold his word and will against reason and conscience, Math. 14. 8, 9.

Quest. But some men happily will say unto me, It is true, that men seek their own by all these ways, But what should be the reason and cause of this? that men seek so earnestly themselves, in seeking riches, honor, ease, belly-cheer, will, &c. something there is that carrieth them.

Ans. True, and the reasons and causes are specially these three:

First, pride and high conceitedness, when men overvalue themselves: and this made Absalom to seek his father's kingdom, because he thought himself worthy of it. 2 Sam. 15. 4. This made Haman so sore vexed, because Mordecai bowed not to him, because he highly valued himself, Esther, 3. 5.

And surely that which a man valueth much, he giveth much respect to, and so it is a sure sign that a man loves himself most when he giveth most to himself; and some intolerable proud persons even think all the world is for them, and all their purposes and endeavors shew what a large conceit they have of themselves.

Secondly, want of due consideration and valuation of other men's endowments, abilities and deserts; when men pass those things by, though they have both seen, heard, and felt them; as Pharaoh's butler forgot Joseph's eminency when he was restored to his place, Gen. 40. 23. So men used to write their own good actions in brass, but other men's in ashes, never remembering nor considering the pains, labor, good properties, &c. which others have, and so they have no love to them, but only to themselves; as if God had made all other men unreasonable beasts, and them only reasonable men.

Thirdly, want of heavenly conversation, and spiritual eye to behold the glory, greatness, and majesty, and goodness of God; as the Queen of Sheba, thought highly of her own glory, wisdom and happiness, till she saw Solomon's wisdom and glory, and then she cried out, not of the happiness of her own servants, but of his servants that stood before him, 1 Kings 10. 7, 8. And verily, if men were conversant courtiers in Heaven, they would cry out with Paul, Rom. 11. 33. Oh the depth of the riches, wisdom, and knowledge of God, &c. and would be ashamed of their own sinfulness, nakedness and misery; for, as countrymen which never saw the state of cities, nor the glory of courts, admire even their own country Orders: And as the savages here which are clad in skins, and creep in woods and holes, think their own brutish and inhuman life the best, which if they saw and did rightly apprehend the benefit of comely humanity, the sweetness of religion and the service of God, they would even shamefully hide themselves from the eye of all noble Christians. Even so, if men in serious contemplation, by the eye of faith, would behold the glory of God, and what great riches, beauty, fulness, perfection, power, dignity and greatness is in God, they would leave admiring of themselves, and seeking of themselves, and would say with David, What am I? And what is my father's house? that thou shouldest thus bless me? 2 Sam. 7. 18. Yea What is man? or the son of man that thou so regardest him? Psal. 8. 3.

But it is time to come to apply these things more particularly to ourselves, and see what Use is to be made of them:

Use 1. Is it so, that God seeth a proneness in all the sons of Adam, to seek themselves too much, and hath given them warnings and watch-words thereof, as we have heard, and doth experience confirm it? Then hence are reproved a number of men, who think they can never shew love enough to themselves, nor seek their own enough, but think all cost, charges, cherishing, praise, honor, &c. too little for them, and no man needeth to say to them, as Peter did to Christ, favor thy self; but if they do a little for another man, they account it a great matter, though it be but a morsel of bread, or a single penny; but no varieties of dainties is too good for them, no silk, purple, cloth, or stuff is too good to clothe them, the poor man's idleness and ill husbandry is oft thrown in his dish, but their own carnal delights and fleshy wantonness is never thought upon: and why? Because they think even God and man owes all to them, but they owe nothing to none. Why, thou foolish and besotted man, hath not the Holy Ghost read it in the very face of every son of Adam, that he is too apt to seek his own, and art thou wiser than God, to think thou never seekest thine own enough? or dreamest thou that thou art made of other, and better mettle than other men are? Surely, I know no way to escape, having of corruption to thy father, and the worm to thy sister and brother. And if God had any where in all the Scriptures said, love thyself, make much of thyself, provide for one, &c. there were some reason for thee to take up the