5 r4 Chap. 4o. an Expojition upon the Book of J o 8. Verf.4. fhould know our (elves lefs (valuingly) In which lenfe Job faid (Chap. 9. a, i .) ThoughI wereperfect, I would not know no; foul. It is our ignorance,who and what weare, which caufeth us to have high thoughts of our (elves; as it is our ignorance, who and what Chri(l is, which caufeth us to have fuch low thoughts of him, and fuch flow or flight delires after him (fob. 3. io) Secondly, As becaufe we are vile, we fhould take heed of prizing our felves much, fo we fhould more take heed of being proud of our felves at all. Indeed where the former is, where any perfon, man or woman fets too high a price upon fell, it is very hard to abflain from pride in felt for, pride in Pelf, arifes from over- prizing of/elf: Webru think toowell of our felves, and then are lifted up in our felves. As it is through the power of faith, that our hearts are lifted up to God and in God ; fowhen- foever our hearts are lifted up in our felves (glorying in our toms attainmenrs) orto our felves (gaping after our own ends) it-pro- ceeds from,pride. Thirdly, See the exceeding goodnefs of God, who bath put honour upon vile man. We have made our [elves vile, and fo we fhould reckon our (elves; yet the Lord is pleafed to e(leem his people highly , and make them honourable (Ifa. 43. 4.) Since than waft precious inmyfight, those haft been honourable, fob was vile (as he coufeffed) in his own fight, yet he was precious in Gods fight. And thus the Lord eflimates all that are godly, all that are tiuebelievers;rhough vile and of no value in themfelves, nor in their own fight, yet precious they are in his fight ; Since thou wall precious in myfight thou haft been honourable. We are never truly honourable, till precious in the fight of God. There isa bubblewhich the world calls honour, a wind of fame , with which many are much affe&ed, and with which fome are invefl- ed, who are not at all precious in the fight of God. The bell, the true]+ honour, arifeth from precioufnefs in the fight of God ; they who are e(leemed by God, are indeed perlons of eflimation. His grace (hewed favourablyand freely to us, his grace working mightily and effeetualiy in us,puts a bleffed worth uponus,though we art vile in our felves, and foaccounted by the world. Fourthly, See the"goodnefs of God in this alto, that though we are vile, yet he is pleafed tofct bid heart upon no, and to arernd- us. We littlemind vile things ; light things, trifles, we lightly pals
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