314 Chap. 3 3. An Exp®ftion upon the Beük of J o B. Verf.i7 the folly ofman, but a robbery of God ; nothing robs God of his honour fo much aspride. It is faid c f Jefus Chrifi ( Phil: z. 6. ) Ile thought it no robbery to be equall with God; He did not wrong God in making himfelfe his equall, himfelfe being God. But if men will match themfelves with God, or are lifted up in their fpirits, ( as proud men are beyond the line of man) thisis a rob- bery of Cod. Whatfoever we take to our felves more then is due, we take fromGod, yeawe fleale fromGod. They who for- get God the author and fountaine of all they have, and take glory to themfelves, commit the worft kind of robbery, and are the moil dangerous Theeves. (Ifa: 42. 8.) iWy glory will I not give to another ; therefore if any take glory to themfelves (as (I fayagaine) all proud mendoe) 'ris ftealing, and 'cis not only ( as I may fay) picking ofhis pocket, but the breakingopen of his Treafury, of his Cabinet, to carry away the chief Jewel of his Crowne, fo is hisglory ( Rom: r a. 36.) All is from him, there- fore41mú(í be to him ; all is from the father of light, therefore what light, what gifts, what firength foever we have, it muff re- turne to him in prayfes, and in the glorifying of his name; we . may not deck or adorne our own name with it, nor put our name upon it ?.How much foever we have we have received;it is from the Lord ; therefore 'Lis extreamly finfull and facrilegious to take or keepe it to our felves. And as whatfoever good we have we have it of God, fo whatfoever good we have done, we have had light and firength from God,to doe it; naturali yea fpirituall firength, not only the firll power of a&ing , but all fubfequent a&ings of that power are fromGod ; therefore to have fecret liftings upof fpirit, in our owne a&ings, is tqtrobGod (Pfal. g rt. I 5 .)Open thoumy lips, andmymouth fhall Phew forth thy praife, fayd David ; As if he had fayd, Lord if thouwilt openmy lips, and help me to(peak as I ought, I will not thew forth myowne praife, nor boaft of what Ihave either fpoken'or done, but I will chew forth thy praife ; becaufe the opening of the lips is from thee. Thirdly, It is . an abomination to the proud ; for whatfoever any man bath done, or how good foever any man is , he is nobet- ter thenhe fhould be, and hath done nomore thenwas his duty todoe ; he bath done but his duty to God, and his duty toman, whenhe bath done his bell, he hath donenomore everyman is bound
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