O think upon your dignity!

(Thomas Sherman, "Divine Breathings; Or, a Pious Soul Thirsting after Christ")

Christian! You are a child of God's love, an heir of His glory, and reckoned among His favorites! O think upon your dignity, and consider:

Will an Emperor live like a beggar?

Is it befitting for those who are clothed in scarlet—to wallow in the mire?

Am I born of God—and shall I live like a beast?

Has God raised my soul to the purest excellencies—and shall I stain my dignity with the world's filth?

May I feed upon Christ—and shall I feed upon empty vanities?

Shall I who am to judge the world—be a drudge to the world?

Has Christ prepared for me a mansion in the heavens—and shall I be groveling in earthly mire?

Am I a child of light—and shall I commit the works of darkness?

No! I am born to greater and higher things—than to be a slave to lust, and a drudge to the world!