Corn, 132 Chap.9, Of Humility andPride,:.&c. r 3; The third degree of Pride is, when we conceive that we are the caufes of that -good which is in us; for it is a more excellent thing for a man to have a thing of himfelf, than from another: if we have it of our felves,. weconceive the Glory is the more. But theApoftle nips thisconceit, and abateth the edgeof this degree of Y Çor.4.7 Pride ; by faying, What haft thou that thouhaft not received ? 4. The fourth degreeof Pride is, when a manconceiveth, that though he have it not, yethedeferveth it, and ought not toRand to the courtefie of another. And,this is pea. 32. ro. alfo-laid flat on the ground by Pacob, who was as well deferving as any. O Lord, I am not worthy of the leaf} of thy mercies. All we have is of Gods mercy, not of our own merit. The Church of Rome is charged with the two kinds of Pride mentioned in 11re- buchadnezzar, and for our felves we profefs, that we are fo far from thinking that we James I T7. have any good of our felves, that we fay, we have received allfrom the Father of lights. But how true it ¡is that we fo thinkwill be tryed by thefétwo things. t., If we take it into due confideration, that whatfoever we have, we are not Proprietaries, but Difpenfators and Stewards, that we muft not account of it as our own, but that there is a Lord over us , that doth commit them to our good and orderlyufage of them ; and herein-we fail, by mifpending our meansand mifitnploy_ ing our gifts, as if wewere Owners and notStewards ; a nd if webe reproved, we arc readyto fay, It is my own, I may do what I will with it. 2. And fecondly, if we know that we have noother propriety in them, but that they are only committed to our truft, then if we confider, that when the Owner calls for it we are willingly to reftore it. And this confiderationcomes not ferioufly into the mindsof many ; for let but God withdraw any of his gifts, there is fuch murmuring and grudging, that it thews plainlythey are not willing to reflore them freely, and it is a hard task to perfwade them, that theywere but Feoffees in truft, only to difpofeof them as it belt pleated the Owner. 5. Another thing there is, which makes us guilty of this fin of Pride. Ifour gifts be but equal with other mens, yet if we imploy them better than others do, we conceive agreater excellency in us thanothers. .And this was the fault of the Pha- rifee, who bo&Red of the ufe of tholegifts which God had given him : as, abfti- nettte, juftice, ehaflity, and withal acknowledged from whomhe had them ; ' for, 0God ( faith he ) I thank thee, this gratitude was good : but then, I am not as other men, as this Publican, this fpoiled the reft of his aftions, he reputed him- felf more excellent thanothers, and in afcribing the ufe of thefe gifts tohimfelf, he fell into cdntempt of his Brethren. And in this fingularity hinderedhis prayer from being accepted : it is a fin not only odious in it felt, but afpecial impediment of Gods Grace. The common place of Humility is very ftrange in thefe times, and why? Becaufe the Pápilts ufe it : but it were to bewifhed, thatwe would make ufe of whatfoever good thing they ufe; for the forbearance and difufe of it, hath brought our Religion to that pars it is come to. Whether weconfider thole that live amongus without any fenfeof God, or thofe that have eminent parts yet want Humility ; we condemn that opinion of the Church of Rome, that any one man cannot err; they afcribe to man what is proper to God, and yet in our pradife nothing is more common, than toafcribe infallibility to our felves,:.and others, whom we admire : and thus that Pride whichwe tax in them, we praftife our felves. So likewife it is ufual among great men, They will fpeak in Gods phrafe, and as God faith, I will be gratious to whom I will be gratious, and will {hew mercy on Exol. 33. r9. whom Íwill fhewmercy. So they will prefer whom they will prefer ; and whereas God hath appointed to prefer whom we will without Gifts, they will prefer without Gifts: and laftly, whereas there are nomerits withGod, but all isexgraria, out ofFavour, they willhave no merits, but all favour, and fo in all things they"behave jyzek, at. a. themfelves not as men, but Gods : andthat comes becaufe our Hearts are lifted up as the Prophet there !peaks. rafrm. de re -. Come we to the common fort, and in them we ¡hall find St. Bernard, (even notes forre&one. or Ggns of Pride, two whereof are in. theSoul. r. Purfuing our own Counfel. 2. Following our ownwill and pleafure. Two in the Mouth. r. Grudging againit our betters. 2. Difdaiining and vilifying our inferiours. And three in outward things. a. Superbia
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