Chap. 9. An Expofition upon the Bookof J O B Vex'. themfelves withmen, they begin to think they are like God him- felf. A man looking upon his neighbour is jufl btfòre'him, or fees him nobetter then hiinfélf, ofno purer thread, ofno better die inhis life then he; I have faults,and Co have others;I have fail- ings,& fo-have mÿneighbours;ifyou charge Mc with my fìnnings, who is it that is without fin ? As our ufualiphrafe is, If the Li& mans faults were written in hisfore-bead,it would Makehim pull'bis hat over his eyes.Thus ufually men compare thcmfelves With men; but if they would look up to God, O how would the thoughts of their hearts fall, and be abafed before him. The Pharifee could pride hirnfelfin his comparifons with men(L4i8.)God be thank¿- edI am not as other men are,nor as this Publican. But Pharifce,art thou as God? pure, and holy, and jufl as he ? Lookupwards, and pride will down. The hóly Apoftle, ( 2Gor 10.12 .) fpeaking of thole talle Apoflles;faith,They meafuring the'nfelvles by themfélves, andcomparing themfelves amongel thetnfelves, are not wife. So we may fay to men in generall,,while ye take a fcantlingof your own wayes,by your ownrules and meafure your fclves by your felves, or whileye meafure man by man,and compare creature with crea- ture,ye are not Wife; while we go this way to work pride will not down. Man bath Lome reafou to fay, I am as good as man, I have finned, and fo bath he , fuch a man bath as many finsas I. But if we look up to God, we 4ía11 quickly finde that he bath no fin at all in him, and that we have no goodnefs at all inus. The bell Of Saints mull not only confeffe,with Paul,' know that inme(that ís; in myflefb) dwelleth no goodthing,(Rom.7.18.)but hemuff confers alfo,I know that in me, even inmyfpirit,dwels nogood thinp,in ca m- parifon ofthe goodnefs ofGod.Though man in regeneration is made\ apartaker of the divine nature(2 Pet. 1.42.) yet his nature cannot bear the perfefiions of the divine nature. How(hall man be :pit withGod? Verfe3. Ifhe will contend with him, he cannot eonfr'er him one of a thoufand. This is a confirmation of the former grant. I ( faith he ) ac- knowledge no man can be julI, by inherent righteoufnefs before Gad, f r, IfheMould contend with him, he cannot answer him one of a thou and;
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=