The saints everlasting rest

5. As you value the comforts or a heavenly life, take heed of a proud and lofty spirit. There is such an antipathy between this sin and GOD, that thou wilt never get thy heart near him, as long as this prevaileth in it. If it cast the angels from heaven that were in it, it must needs keep thy heart estranged from it. If it cast our first parents out of paradise, and separated between the LORD and us, it must needs keep our hearts from paradise, and increase the cursed separation from our GOD. The delight of GOD is an humble soul, even him that is contrite, and trembleth at his word: and the delight of an humble soul is in GOD: and sure where there is mutual delight, there will be freest admittance, and heartiest welcome, and most frequent converse. Well then, art thou a man of worth in thine own eyes? And very tender of thine esteem with others? Art thou one that much valuest applause and feelest delight when thou hearest of thy great esteem with men; and art dejected when thou hearest that men slight thee? Dost thou love those most who best honour thee; and doth thy heart bear a grudge at those that thou thinkest undervalue thee? Wilt thou not be brought to shame thyself, by humble confession when thou hast sinned against GOD, or injured thy brother? Art thou one that honourest the rich? and thinkest thyself somebody if they value and own thee? but lookest strangely at the poor, and art almost ashamed to be their companion? Art thou unacquainted with the deceitfulness and wickedness of thy heart? Or knowest thyself to be vile only by reading, not by feeling thy vileness? Art thou readier ⟨p. 304⟩to defend thyself and maintain thine innocency, than to accuse thyself, or confess thy fault? Canst thou hardly hear a close reproof, or plain-dealing without difficulty and distaste? Art thou readier in thy discourse to teach than to learn; and to dictate to others, than to hearken to their instructions? Art thou bold and confident of thy own opinions, and little suspicious of the weakness of thy understanding? but a slighter of the judgment of all that are against thee? Is thy spirit more disposed to command than to obey? Art thou ready to censure the doctrine of thy teachers, the actions of thy rulers, and the persons of thy brethren? And to think, if thou wert a judge, thou wouldst be more just;