Corn. 9, Of ReproofacrdFlattery. Chap.g. g t Apofllewould. not have any to thinkof him, above that which wagsn him. Thus praife aboveamans merits, is Lam fine äran,yin,praifebeyond proportion: this breeds in men a better conceit of themfelves than they deferve ; and whereas they ought to strive and endeavour to go on, and to attain more perfellion, they handffili and reff in what they haveattained. Such flatterers though they pretend great love, yet ufually there is no fuckaffeâion in their heart: and:therefore Solomon faith of fuel), that he that praifeth bitfriend with a loudvoice riling early in the morn- prov.27,14, bog, itfhal be counteda curfe to him. Yea, it may be fometime he bath a finiffer af- feftion , he hates him whom he flatters, and therefore the fame Solomon faith, Though he!peak favourably, believe him not, for there are[even abominationsin his heart. prov,16.a. Iffuch men did truly love thofe they praife,they would fpeakno more then truth of them, for love delighteth in truth, as truthought to be in love. If the one be with- i Cor.13.6, oat the other, if either love bewithout truth, or truth without love_ ; the law Ephef.4.ig, is broken. Thuswhether it be upon uncertainties thatwe pralle men,or if upon certain- . ties, yet in evil things, or if ingood things, yet if it be too much, or too high, or without affeftionor love, it is flattery in them all, and here condemned. The lips that utter loch flatteries, the Pfalmiff condemns,and wishesthat fuch men might be liplefs, and that theymight be rootedout, that fo they might not utter Pfal. 12.3, with their lips that venenum quodhaber blanda oratio (as the Heathen man faid)that poyfoü which is conveyed undersmooth words. It is true, there is a pleating of men, which is lawful, fin being fet aide, and the truth preserved, and the heart lirff wrought upon truly to affeâ them and delire their good. Thus S.Paal laboured to become all things to all men; but with t Cor. y.aa; out these,conditions, whofoever he be that letshimfelf topleafe men, cannot be Gal. 1.10. the fertant ofChrist. To avoidthis plague of flattery,wemuff not countenance fuchperfons,nor o- pen our ears to them, left we be like thofe fpoken off by the Prophet, thatmake gfay 23,14; falihoodtheirrefuge, and love tobe well fpoken off, 'rather then to defervewell : Or verifie that of Menander dtul7471 6)&4 wgisee aavvour, that he that flatters me, (hallfarebefl, when as the Prophet fpeaks,they bend their tongue like a bowfor lies; jer,9.3I and take pains to do wickedly : we muff rather pray with the Pfálmiff,Ne impie, Pfal.141.1. gaet peccatoris oleumcaput maim, that his headmay not be fatted with the oyl of wicked men ; that is, with their words whichare smooth as oyl, that his fenfes may not be fo bewitched with their flatteries, that his heart might beperverted. And as we muff not fuller our [elves to be flattered, fo we muff not flatter o- thers, but reprove them rather, for we may be affured, that if he be wife whom we reprove, he will make ufe of, it ; Rebukea wife man, andhe will love thee: If he prov.9.8. do not, the fault is his, we have done our duty : And though for the prefent he feem to be offended, yet as the. Wifeman faith, He that rebuketh am", [hallo[ laf$ Prov.28.23ö find morefavour, then he thatflattereth with hislips. We have done with flattery,as it concerns others;wecome now to that which ofb,afting.r they call ahem refíexum,when a manby refleftingupon himfelf, doch praife him- +annting of a félf.This is 7aliantia,boaffing or vaunting of ones felf. As in the former Com- mano ownfelf mandement,a man may fin again[himfelf,as we Ihewed;fo here hemaybreak this, by bearing false witnefs againif himfelf; not only by fuppreffing the truth in Romm, T. is, unrighteoufnefs,inwardly, but allo in daily and common talk, by glorying and vaunting of that which is not in him, S. Paul faith, it was not expedient for him to a Co,. t2.f: beast', and therefore left he Iliould be thought fo to do,though he fpake nothing but the truth, fpeaking ofhis revelations, and themysteries he heard when he was wrapt up into the third Heaven, he fpeaks of it in the thirdperlon,as of .a- nother man ; and left he ffiould fall into thisfin, he hadonefeat to buffet him, that john 1ß,37ë he might not be exalted above measure. Our Saviour excepts not againil their affec- tion that Paid, He bore witnefs ofhimfelf; for ordinarily it is true,he that witnef- fethof himfelfmufthave another witnefs, but Chrift beingtruth it fell, needed not any other witnefs, for the truth may bear witnefs of it felt : but otherwife, as the Wife man advifes, Lauder to or alienum , Let another mans mouthpraife thee, not thine own, left. we fall into Moab/ fin , and partake of the punishment' Prov. z7.ti threatned, ?er,48.29,30. And
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