Chap. .3z. An Expofition upon the Bookof J o B. Verf. zr. 129 your referring one another. The people of God fhould be fo farre from an ambitious affectation of preheminence above o- thers,that_ they fhould freely and really ( not as manydoe com- plementally) give others the preheminence, and offer them the upper place or hand; The grace ofhumility, doth not only for- bid us to exalt our felves above our betters, butitallo .( inmany cafes )bidsus let our felves below thofe whole betters we are. One ofthe Ancients hath made three degrees of this kindof hu- mility. The firti is, when we make our felves inferior to our e- quals ; The fecond, when we make our felves but equal to our inferiors.; The third, when we make our Selves inferior even to our inferiors, and letfe then thofe who are leffer then we. Of this third fort of humility, the Apoflle fpeakes again in that ferious admonition to the Church ( Phil: z. 3.) Let nothing be done throughflrife, or vaine glory, but in lowlineffe ofminde Let each efteeme other better thenhimfelfe. As it is good to judge (ac- cording to truth ) the wortt of our felves, and the bell of o- thers, fo it is good to have a better opinionofothers thenof our felves. So then, the poynt lyeth not againtl giving honour to any man, or tomen of all forts, but only again!i the giving of undue honour to any. Of that the Apofdie fpeakes (gab t. to.) If Iyet pleafe meat, 1fhould not be thefervant ofC'krift ; that is,if I fhould pleafe men by flsttery,fmoothing them up in their fins or erro:s,I could nit be the fervant of Chrifi. They that were the tlrick'obfervers of Chrifi, could not but obferve this in him, that though he came to fave man, yet he was farre enough from pleating, that is, hu- moring any osan. (Luke ac. 2't. ) And they asked him, Paying, Mafter, weknow that thoufayeft and teacheft rightly, neither ac- cepte(t thou theperfon ofany, but teacheft the way of God truly. Yetcaution is to be ufedhere. For fome goe fo farre to the other hand, that while they thinke they ought not to flatter or pleafe, they care not how they flight or diírefpe& the perfons of men and in ffeadofforbearing( as theyought) to give un- due titles, they Will not ( as was-toucht before) give fo much as thole that are due; that's a fin in'defe&, as the other is in ex- ceffe. And they fin much morewho while they refute togive flat- tering titles., are free to give reviling titles. There are thefe two great tongue-evills among men' -; some- give flattering titles, S others
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