THE

DUTIES

OF THE

GREAT

G

vern them.

I.

REATNESS is an Ex-
terior Favour which GOD
bestows on fome Perfons;
whom he raises above
others, in order to Go-

This Greatness is not given for their fakes who are poffefs'd of it, but is entirely on the account of others, being only a Means which GOD makes ufe of, to draw the People to that Respect and Submiffion for the Great, which is necessary, that they may execute with more Facility and Authority the FunB 2 Єtions

3.

tions of their Miniftry; which is, to Govern thofe that are under them with Juftice and Piety; and GOD will demand a fevere Account from them of the Ufe they have made of this Advan tage.

II.

IN the State of Innocence if there had been an Inequality among Men, this Greatness wou'd have been a moft Eafy Mean for acquiring Sanctity; for Man having then an abfolute Empire over himself, would readily have made a good Ufe of it, by Employing that, as he would have done Health, Riches, Beauty, and the other Advantages of Nature, folely to the End for which it was given him.

III.

BUT after the Fall of Man, tho Greatness is not become Evil in it felf, it is yet become a Snare almost inevitable; because it leads to Pride, which is what JESUS CHRIST chiefly came to

Combat.

IV.

A true Chriftian ought to be fincerely afflicted and profoundly humbled, when he sees himself Great and Honourable in the World, because the Grace of JESUS CHRIST, the Restorer of our Natures, commonly feeks thofe who are meanest and most contempti ble in the Eyes of the World; and he fhould fear that GOD may have made him a Prince or a Great Man in his Indignation and the Severity of his 1 Cor. 1. Juftice: For ye fee your Calling, Brethren 26. (faith St. Paul) how that not many Mighty, not many Noble are called; But GOD hath chofen the weak things of the World, to confound the things which are Mighty: and things which are defpifed hath GOD chofen, yea and things that are not, to bring to nought things that are, flefh fhould glory in his Prefence.

V.

that no

I

THE Obstacles to the Practice of the Gospel which attend Greatness, are almoft Infinite: But of these there are four Principal ones.

B 3

The