Chap: t 2.. An' Expofition upon the Book, of JO B. Verf, 3 Chriít -mull be leffened , if we doe not. 1 thin, (faith Paul),tbae 1have the fpirit of god , (t Cor.7. t o.) he fpeaks not as if he doubted w'-ether he had , but to reprove thofe who flighted him as ifhe had not the fpirit of God. While he faith only , I think, Ihave thefpirit ofgod, he faith more to his purpofe, then if he had afferted ftrongly, I have the f irit ofGod, The confidence of the falle Apoftles, that they had the fpirir, gave occafion not only tofufpe ì whether they had.it, but to conclude, that they had it not : mauls modefly in but thinking, gave occafißn tobe refolute in concluding that he had the fpirit. Further , job clothnot onlycommend himfelfpoltively and fay , ;I haveunderílanding, I have w.ifedom , but he commends himfelf comparatively , which ,is,- the muff unpleaing way of commendation. We ufe to fay, cemparifons are odious,. and fubjeft to mifconflruaion: Yet yob commends himfelf, at leaf} bycomparing himfelf with, if not by preferring himfelf before the foremoft ofhis friends, lamnot inferior to you. Hence Obferve, Aman infamecafes mayHandupon his own honour , asnot to yeelal or fubmit toothers at add. The Apoftles counfell is, in lowlineff of mincie, let eachefiee n etherbetter thenthemfelves, (Phil.2.3.) and yet a time may come when aman with lowlineffe of minde enough may judge himfelf better then another; When the matter lies between Saints and Saints (of fuch the Apoftle there (peaks) one Saint timid not lift up himfelf above another,.' they Ihould rather give honour to one another, and think others better then them- felves: If any man bath wherein to boáfl, I much more (faith Psul, Phil.3.4.) yet hecalls himfelfle, then the 'mil ofall Saints; amongfl Sant he cares not though he were accounted the leaf! ofSaints ; But when his Miniftery and Apoí}leihip was under-ra- ted,he (peaks ofhimfelf at the higheft rate, 2 Cor. t i .5. 1fuppofe I was not a whit behinde the very cbiefert Apofiles, fully the lánguage of ob here, I.amnot inferiour to you, no not to the belt of you. But were fume of the Apoftles greater and better then others ? was there inferiority and fuperiority among(} them ? No, Apo - ftlethip as an office is of equal honour in all Apofties ; but even amongft Apoftles fome had more excellent gifts and greater enlargements, God did communicate himfelf more to one then toanotllera one.of.thofe flarres,difred from another ílarre in for
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