Gospel-worship, or, The right manner of sanctifying the name of God in general. And…

The Fourth Note is, That the more the dignity of men is, the more is their danger if they look not to it: And this Note I gather from ⟨p. 13⟩hence, That Nadab and Abihu were the two eldest sons of Aaron, and we find in the Scripture that Eleazer, and Ithamer that were the two other sons of Aaron they escaped and were not thus consumed. Why? because the two elder sons had the dignity and privilege to come and of er the Incense, and having greater dignity than the younger, and not being careful to behave themselves as they ought to do, the Lord smote them, and the younger they escaped. And so many times those that are in a meaner condition they escape, when those that are in a higher condition they are struck. Let men that are in higher conditions than others look to themselves, for their danger is greater: And you that are in a meaner condition, envy not those that are higher, for you may be more safe in that mean condition which you are in, than they in theirs.

The Fourth Note is, That the more the dignity of men is, the more is their danger if they look not to it: And this Note I gather from ⟨p. 13⟩hence, That Nadab and Abihu were the two eldest sons of Aaron, and we find in the Scripture that Eleazer, and Ithamer that were the two other sons of Aaron they escaped and were not thus consumed. Why? because the two elder sons had the dignity and priviledge to come and of er the Incense, and having greater dignity than the younger, and not being careful to behave themselves as they ought to do, the Lord smote them, and the younger they escaped. And so many times those that are in a meaner condition they escape, when those that are in a higher condition they are struck. Let men that are in higher conditions than others look to themselves, for their danger is greater: And you that are in a meaner condition, envy not those that are higher, for you may be more safe in that mean condition which you are in, than they in theirs.

The Fifth Note is this, That the beginnings of things of high concernment, do meet sometimes with great difficulties and interruptions. This Note I gather from hence, That Nadab and Abihu were struck at the very beginning of their Priest hood: As now, suppose there were a new Office erected in a Common-wealth that concerned the Public good of the Kingdom, and in the very first erecting of the Office there falls out some hideous accident that rang throughout the whole Kingdom, as if God from Heaven had done something against them in that Office. As now, Suppose that the first time the Judges should come at the Bench, that God should strike them from Heaven dead at the very Bench, it would be a mighty matter to darken the glory and honour of that Office. So one would think that it should have been a mighty matter to have darkened the glory and the honour of the Priest hood always: But God stands not upon that, many times the beginnings of great things are darkened by sad accidents, and therefore let us not be offended though we see some sad accidents to fall out at the beginning of great things, for though accidents fall out sadly at first, yet God may prosper it afterwards, as He did the Priesthood.