1~2 Job. 6. 2, J. Job. 42 s, 6. If•· 6. S· l'bilip. '· 6. 7· . ,..,: ' but afterw~rds there is nothing that he is ~ore apt to be proud of thon of his parrs, and gifts, and graces, and fpiritual thmgs; for lookwhere ~ ma:os cxcellcncic lies, there his Fride growes, now the excellency ofa Chnfhan hcs m fpiritml things, and,there– fore there his pride growes, ana there he ts m~fi apt to be proud. 0 be we fenfible of this, and \110urne forthJS ! It was Mr. Fo.v hts fpeech. A s I g er .(<odby my fumes, fo I get h 11 ,-r by my graces. It tS a dangerous thmg to be proud of mans dntus andfpiritua/ grfts, we had better to be proud ot clothes, ?r f~·,cncls, or honours ; for this pride of fpmwal things IS directly oppofiteto a mans )ulhficatiOn. The fir I! fl:cp to humility i• to fee ones pride; the firll: ftep of felf-dcnJ'ai IS to be convinced of ones inclination or defire after j'eif~c.t:altif:g, felf-admt:ring, felf-advauci,~r;. Oh what a pr1ud heart hm:t J,? what aJeif-advaucing heart have I ? There is no believer but he hath fomcthing of of feif; be he never fo humble, yet he hath fomcthing ltill that tafles of the C"ske; there \~as never any that was fo transformed, melted, or changed into the mou ld of the Gofpel, but there was filii fomc favour of felf remaining in him : 'We had need there– fore to be jealous of ~ur felves, and to watch over our felves; and ifat cny time f if break out, tf at any ume the foul begms to be advanced in regard of dnry, or fpimu-.1 rhmgs, let us fall down before God, and humble our felves for the pride of our hearts. 2. Look up, and confider the glory, purity, and holineffe of God. This cor,Gdcmti<Jn will humble a foul, and caufe it to dmy itJtlf m fpint1111i thmg.r. Scc this in Jc b; no fooner had he a great profpect of the glory of Cod, but he denyes IH, >[clf concerning his own righteoufncffe, which before he ftood much upon to his friends. 1 0101v it " fo ofa truth; b~tt howJhould man be juft with God? ifhe wrllcoattJid wu h hm;, he cannflt ~tnjwtr him one of a thonfand. Gods fulnelfe will convince us abundantly of omcm– ptineffe, his purity willlhew us our fpots, his a!l-fufliciency our nothingneffe. Vvhea Job was brought a little neert r to God, he was more humbled before God. '•J /,a,·c heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but nowmme eye fc crh thee. ( i. , . ) I have a clearer and more glorious manifeftation ofthee to my foul thon ever: I now perceive thy power, thy holinelfe, thy wifdome, thy faithfulnelfe, thy goodncffe,as if I faw them , with my eye, Wherrfore I abhorre my fdf in duft and afhes. He could not go lower in his thoughts of himfelf then this expreffion laid him ; abhorrence is a peturbation of the mind ariling from vehement diflike, or extreamell: difefteem; abhcrrcnce fl:ricHytakcn is hatred wound up to the height ; and to "bhorre, upeming in duft and af!Jes, ;s the deepefl: act of abhorrence ; Thus low Job goes, not only to a difilike,but to the farthell: degree of it ; abhorrmce ofhimfelf when he faw the Lord. See this in lfaiah, when G od came neer him, and he faw much of God, then he crycd out, W oe is me,for I •m •mdom beca•cfe I am aman ofmtclean lips. How knowes he that? Why mine eyes have feen the King the Lord ofHafts. \Vhat? did not lfaiah know he was a man of po'lluted lips till then l yes, btJt he was never fo fenfiblc of it as then ; He faw his polktion more then ever by the light of the glory ofGod that fhone ro,Jnd about him; he never faw hiinfelf fo clearly as when the Majelly of God dazell'd his eyes. When the Sun lhines bright in a roome, we may fee the leall: moatc in the aire; fo, when the glory of God irradiates the foul, we fee all the moats and atomes of fin, the !call fpm, and unevenneffe of our hearts and lives. 3. Have Chrifl: in eye. The more we fee an humble Chrill:, a feif·dm)'ing Chrifi, the more lhall we learnc humility and Stif-denptl. Now Chrill: was the moll eminent, tranfcendent example of Self-denyal that ever was. He tho~<ght it no ro/;brry to be e<JitRl with G.d, and he humbled hi,>[clfand took_uton him the form•f afervanr, 0 what 5<1{– Jmyal is here ! was there ever fuch a Self-denyal as this ! Chrillians ! confider 'your Cluifi, and the more will you learne to deny your felves even in fpiritual things. 4 · Acknowledge we our felves debters to Chrifl: for all our gifts, and for all Ollr graces. Poffibly a man may wear brave ?pparel, but he owes for them at fuch a lhop; whtles he is abroad he f.waggers, and IS proud of hts cloathes, but when he comes into the fhol', and looks upon the book, and confiders what he hatb to pay, he llrikes fail then : thus the Gofpel is the great lhop, and from Chrifl: in the Gofpel we ha1•e all our gifts andgraees, and though I may be proud in fpirit at'another time, yet if [ come into the Gofpel, and fee what an infinite debter l-am to Chrill:, and to free grace forallthatever I have, then! thi.nk, Wh~t.? jhalllbeproud? What.' Jhai/InordenJ ~~')'felf f" Jfirimalthings l 5· Study
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