516, Chap. 4o. An Expofstion upon the Book of J o Vert'. 4, Hence note,Secondly ; The setter we are, the lefí we diemour fettles ; and full the better and better wegrow, the lower are oar thoughts of ourfelves.. There is no greater argument of height ingrace, than low thoughts of felf. Next to faith in Chria, felt-denial, or todeny our felves, is the great duty of the Gofpel (Mat.i6. 24.) Now, as to denyour felves is to be very low in our own eyes, fo ir is one of the higheti aets of grace inus, and requires not only truth of of grace, but much flrength of grace to a& ir.. And hence is comes topafs, that the higher and firongerany are ingrace, they are (Till lower and idler in their own fight-, bccaufe true height and firength of grace works the foul tomore felf-denial. And therefore, as a godly man is vile, fohe is made more fenfible of his own vilenefs, the more he encreafeth in godlinefs fothar,if any have low thoughts of him,he hash lower of himfelf. Nonecan think him lower in truth, thanhe thinks himfelf ; I am lighr, faith he, Iam vile.Though he well underfiands his fine, hispri- viledge, and his interefi inChrifi through grace, andunderfiands it fo well, that he values it above all the world, and would not part with it for the whole world, yet he is Bill vile in his own eyes, and low in his own- rue -books. 4brabam, the chief of believers, faid (Gen. i8 27.) Behold, now I have taken upon me to/peakunto the Lors, who am but daft and a(hes. So David (2Sam. 7. r 8.) what am 1 ? and what is myfathers houf, that . thou haft brought me hitherto ? How fenfible was he of his own vilenefs, who fpake thus, who yet was a man after Gods own heart, and the bell of Kings ? Further,Confìder the time whenSob was brought to this hum- ble confefïion and acknowledgement of his own vilenefs ; hehad not fpoken thus before, but was much in jufiifying himfelf, efpe-. cially as to the fincerityof his heartand wayes", and he did it e- ven tooffence ; but the Lord having dealt roundly with him, he Lryaouti d airs vile. Hence
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