should then both enjoy ourselves, and enjoy God, both in fulness, and in want of all things."

Speaking of the learning, parts, and opinions of great men, and of the folly of disputations with them, he says: "The apostle Paul will never go about, to dispute it out with these great Rabbins; that is not the way, he knew that would do no good; for he had experience, that of disputations there was no end; for every one stuck so fast and unmoveable to his own opinion, there was no removing him.

And I must tell you, Opinion is a very strange thing; opinion is a witch, a very witch, worse than Simon Magus: nay, it is a very devil, and will call things that are not, as though they were, by clean contrary names. It will call evil good, and good evil. Opinion will be bold to say; John Baptist, he is a devil; and of Christ himself, he is a glutton and a wine-bibber: and those that carry and bring us the glad tidings and rich

treasures of the gospel, to be bablers and odd fellows, and setters forth of new gods. What shall I say more? Opinion will condemn the righteous, and justify the wicked, both of which are alike abominable, odious and loathsome to the Lord; as I said, it will call light darkness and darkness light, evil good and good evil. Opinion is such a blind guide and instructer, that it will teach you to call the true prophets, Jeremiah and the rest, deceivers, seducers and deluders; the prophet Elijah it will charge to be the troubler of Israel, and the like. Nay, opinion is so ignorant, bold, confident and presumptuous, that it will declare John Baptist to be a devil; yea, it will call the very Messiah, the prince of life and the Saviour of the world, a devil, nay Belzebub, the very prince of devils, none worse. It is said in a proverb; Who so bold as blind Byard? but we may as truly apply it to opinion, and say, what so confident, bold and desperate, as conceited, blind opinion? And on the other hand it

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hath a very good opinion of Simon Magus, insomuch that all give respect unto him, from the least to the greatest. And it is from opinion that a rich man is always good, and a poor man bad, and always to be suspected in his judgment: hence, also, the great man is ever wise, and the words of the poor are silly and worth nothing. All this will opinion do, and much more; and as I said, men stick fast to their opinions-One he must shew his opinion, because he is bewitched to it; tell him what you will, his opinion shall be his opinion-And another to shew his wit and eloquence-Another to gain honour and riches-Another because he hath declared what he held, and being once past the bars of his lips, he must not recant and be a flincher, and discover his ignorance, wherein he has declared so much confidence, but must now stand it out to the death so one for one end, and. another for another, mens' ends being infinite and unspeakable, so that therein St. Paul he had no hope.”

Speaking of spiritual pride, he observes; "Saith the man in whom this spirit dwells: Oh what excellent graces have I! How have I excelled other men? I have made a fair and long progress in religion, I am able to discourse on any point therein, &c. Oh brethren! here is the misery of all miseries, and the height of all aggravations, for a man to go to hell by his religion and profession of the truth; for a man, to go to hell by hearing of sermons, by receiving the communion, by praying, by preaching, by abstinence; to go to hell by overcoming of vice, by resisting of sin, by giving of alms, &c. to bless themselves and say; I thank God, I am not thus and thus, as the pharisee saith, I am not as other men, nor as the publican; I do not as other men do, I do not swear as such a man, I do not blaspheme and lie, and get drunk as such; I go to church twice a Sabbath, I attend diligently, and I read the word in my family, I pray twice a day; nay not only so, but I keep a strict watch over my heart

and tongue; I have overcome swearing and evil speaking, lying and covetousness: All these have I killed, my life is unspotted, no man can say ; Black is my eye. But may it not be said of thee, as it was concerning Alexander? For when he came to besiege and take a city, the enemy standing upon a high steep mountain or bulwark, on which stood elephants, they were in such a strait, they knew not what to do; for if they killed, they would kill more of their own army than of their enemies; for if they killed the elephants, that stood in front, their heavy bodies would tumble down upon them and kill them; as Sampson, he could not kill his enemies but he must kill himself--So I say, I fear that in killing of sin, sin hath killed thee; for all the labour and pains, that thou hast taken in religion, hath wounded and killed thine own soul, if thou pridest thyself in them, and hast high thoughts of thyself on account of what thou hast done."