Chap.4o. an Expofition upon the Book of j o B. Verï.,.1z. 583 asmoll men make of themfelves. Doubtlefs, if we have any high thoughtsof our (elves, we over-think our felves ; and ufually they that have leaf§ true worth, have greatefl thoughts of their own worthinefs. Man hash loci all, is fiript of all, as he cometh into the world, yet he is proud asif he had all. As they that have much are proud, or ingreat danger of pride, fo is is a truth, that theywho have nothing are often proud too. The Apatite bidsTi- mothy (a Tina. 6.17.) Charge them that bomb in this world,that they be not high-minded. And among rich men, they who (asI may fay, according to the phraCe of the world) have railed their own fortunes, are moll apt CObe proud ;and there are two reafons of ir, Firfl, Becaufe of the change of their Rate; they were low and empty, but now they are high and full. This change of their condition, changeth their difpofïtion ; and (as we fay) Their blood . rifeth rviththeirgood. Secondly, That which they have is (fay they) of their own getting they think their skill and their dili- gence bathgot ir. Fience job prorefled, If I rejoyced becaufe my band bath gotten much. Nebuchadnezzar boafied of his great Palace, becaufe he had built it ; Is not this great Babel that I have built ? Now, as they are apt to be proud who have much, . efpeciallywhen it is of their own acquitLion (though indeed we havenothing meetly of our own acquifttion)ïo they who have lit- tle or nothing,are nor out of the danger of pride;poord proud is fo common, that ir is grown into a proverb. And they efpecially, who ase poor in fpirituals, grow proud in fpirit , as it was with the LaodiceanAngel (Rev. 3. I 7.) But further, they are proud who lift up themfelves in any thing of feif ; As, Pita, in their natural parts, wir, underfland ing, memory , elocution Secondly, in their acquired parts, learning, knowledge, skill ; Thirdly, in their moral vertues, fo- briety, temperance, juflice ; Fourthly, in their fpirirual graces, faith, love,Pelf-denial Crispoflible to be proud for a fit of thefe, . or to have a fit of pridecome upon us upon the exercile of thefe) Fifthly, in their holy duties and performances, prayers, failings,; ckc. Sixthly, in their legal righteoulnefs and gooddeeds, alms, charities. We feldom do well, or any good, efpecially (as we ought, and dutybinds us) much good, but we think too well of our felves (that we are better than we are or too muchboth of the good we have done, and of our own goodnefs. As the great
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=