Chap. a z. e4n Expofation thon the Boob of JOB. Verf. 3. 169 is ufed, Nehem. 6.16. When thofe enemies perceived how God dealt with his people , the text faith., theywere call down in their own eyes, or, fell before their own eyes that is , they were atha.- med and dejeed becaufe-they law the profperityof theJews. There may be a threefold fenfe of this , 1 am not inferiour to you, or /donot fallbeforeyou. Firf , I. am not inferiour ro.youin honour and dignity, Ianaas great aman asyou. Secondly It may refer to his holineffe I am not inferiour to you in grace., 1am asgood a man as you. Thirdly, Which is specially meant I am not inferiourto you in knowledge and underflanding, I am as wife a man as you. Some render it thus , Iyetfull trip , or f innble no more thenyou, andI hope tofoundmyground in this controverfie as long asyou dar fiandagainfi me. Hence Obferve, Firfl, That in fome cafes ,Pelf-commendation is not uneomely. To boat} ofour underítanding proceeds from the want of it : but a man may fay , Ihave underflanding as well as you without a boafl. This is a very tender point : example from the fervants of God in Scripture ; teacheth us to be more ready to fpeak and write our blots and failings then our good works or praifes; And the rule of Scripture is , Let another manpraife thee andno* thine own mouth' a flranger, andnot thine,own lips, (Prov.27..2.) The Apoflle alto is expreffe , that felf- commendation is no com- mendation. (2 Cor. Io. 18.) tot he that cornmendeth.himfelf is approved, bat whom the Lordcommendeth. To have praife of other men, is better then to have praife of our felves but to have praife ofGod is better then to have praife ofmen : Yet 4hen men difpraife us malicíoufly,we may ¡Wily praife our felves. Such praife is but to doe .our felves juftice, which we are more bound to doe, then to any other man. There is a twofold commendation of our felves, There is a tinfoil felt-commendation , when we delire to be lifted up in the opinion of the world. There is a' lawfull felf-commendation, when we delire to be lifted up left the glory God fhould be cafl down. When the honour ofGod is in danger to be abated in our abatings, we may fafely take all due honour to our felvesr yea we are bound to honour and make the molt (we pofIibly can) of our felves with truth, when .eithr the truth or honour of Z Christ
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