324 Chap. 33. An.E.xpnfitien upon the Book of ] o B. Verf. tr. they compare. themfelves only with thofe that ,are below, not with thofe where above themfelves. Theywkkcompare theme felves with themfelves, or wish thofe only who:are btlowThem- felves, arenot wife, though they think themfelves verywife. If we would compareour felves with other men, who are above us, it would mightily keepdown-thepride of our fpirits for who is there but might fee more in fome,_ yea in many others then in himfelfe ? Now, as it is an excellent means to keep the foule frommurmuring and dTfcontent, to confider that many others are below us ; fo it is an excellent means tokeep us from pride, ta . confider that many others are above us ;. fo much above us, that our knowledge is but ignorance to their knowledge,, our f krength weakheffe,our,faith unbeliefe, our patience unquietneffe of fpi- rir, our very fruitfullnefle barrenneffe comparedwith theirs;cr to fpe k allufively, that our fat kine are but leane to the fat ones of others, and our full ears but withered looked upon with theirfull. eares. And as it is a good meanes to keepe the foule humble or to cure it of pride,tocompare our felves with men who are much. above us, fo efpecially, if we wouldbut remember how much: God is above us;in comparifon of whom all our fulinefs is.indeed emptinefs, our ftrength w.eakneffe, our riches poverty, and our. light darknefs: And therefore whenfob ( Chap: 42.. ) began to compare himfelfe with God, and to.fet God before him, then he. was in.the dull prefently;though,he fpake over-valuingly of him felfe fometime, yet when once he came to. fet himfelfe.before God, then faith he, Ihavefpok,en once, but Iwilljpeaknomore ; abhorre my felfe, and repent in duff andafhes. And when the Pro- phet.Ifniahfaw the Lord in his Glory, and compared himfelfe: with him, he cryed our, Iam undone, I amaman of pointed lips. ;. all his graces, and all his gifts vanifhed into nothing,. when he. confdered the Lord before whomhe,flood. Thuswe maykeepe. downepride by con(dering our deficiencies, and comparingour felveswith others whoare above us, éfpecially by comparing our felves with God, towhom we are not fo much as a drop of the, bucket to the whole Ocean,rnor the duff of the ballante : to the. body of the whole earth:, Sixthly, For the hideingand keeping dowñé of pride, often. refle6 upon your own finfulnefl'e ;Our defe6ts ingood may keepe, our hearts low a but_our abuncfance of finfull evills may keepe there
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