216 b Rom 7.9, c Phil,3.8. decor.2,:. s Iticonfide- rateñeffe òf receivings. eIarú.t,t7. f z Cor.3,5, g t Chron. i9, h Dan.4,zo. i Hab t.16. k Deut.324 Q. Inconfiderateneffe of receiving, cautepride. an adverfary againft Chrift, being filled with high thoughts of himfelfe ; but after the commandement b came, prefenting his fpots like a glaff beforehim ; he humbled himfelfe, he was in his owne apprehenfion as a dead man, in whomwas no life, no beauty, noexcellency, thenhe was an abhorring to himfelfe, and Chrift was precious in his eyes, then all was dung and droffe in comparifon of' the c excellent knowledge of Chrift ; then he did no more exalt himfelfe but Chrift ; then bee determined to know d nothing hut Chrift and him cru- cified ; then he preached Chrift and not himfelfe ; then he put himfelfe wholly upon the fervice of Chrift, and made it his crowneand comfort todrawmen unto Chrift. He that is molt ignorant ofhimfelfe, is tort proud, and moil fiudtous to exalt himfelfe. Mans ignorance of his neceffity of Chrift makes him regardleffe toexalt Chrift. 2 e,.2Wansinconfderateneffe of his receivings. He confiders not that he isa ciflerne, and God the fountaine, a.branch and Chrift the root, that all that he bath is aegift, a borrowed tiing,theLords and not his ; He remembers not that he bath nothing of his ownebefides his fins°, that all his r fuf ficiency is ofGod, bothnattirali and morali, temporali and fpirituall, as all the bright and lightfome fufficiency ofthe aire is from the Sunne : He cannot fnfibly conf?eile with David, riches and honour come of thee, andthou reigneft over all, and in thy hand is power andmight, and in thy handit is to makegreat, and to give .faresgthunto all. Vaine man lookes on all that hehath, as Nebuchadnezzar on his b Babel,ss on ahoule of his own building, as on a tree ofhis owneplanting. He I facrificeth to his owne net, andburned) incenfe to hisowne dragge ; and therefore like Nebuchadnezzar, he exalts and magnifies him- felfe and not Chrift. He that Both not fee and feele (brill in his receivings, can never admire Chrift in them, nor be drawne to Chrift by them, but is vain,y pufhti up againft Chrifl.in the prefenceof them. WhenKoran k waxedfat,was filled with all earthly abundance, he kicked, rebelled againft God, refufed the Lawesandordinances of God, he forfooke Godwhich made him, and lightly etteemed the rockeof his falvation. And why f©, whence proceeded this exalting of him-
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=