Chap. 6. the Epiflle to the qalatianr. they feeme to themfelues eo bee fomewbar, and that ofrhemfeluer.II I.That mfo dorng they deceiue themfelues. I V. The remedies againtlcheouerweemngof our felues. Forthe firtl:it may be demaunded holY it can betrulyfaid, that men are of themfelues mcerenothing lls.henothing that iscreated after the image of God, dn holineifc .and rightwufnelfe ~ArePrinces and Potentates norhing that are called Gods in Scripture? Arethey nothingthat prophecie,and worke miracles? An(. P4o/fpeaketh nor ofthe gifts ofGod,betlo'wcd,v.pon men'J.butofthe men themfelues: and ofthem,notas they were in the (lace ofinnpc~ncicbefore the fall, but as cheyarenow.inthe !late of corruption and " apotlaGe1or in the !lace ofgrace, as they are B conuderedof, in, and by chem(elues. Thus cuen fpiricuall men, are nothing ofchem– fclues: (for of them cfpecjally the Apoflle fpeaketh, asirmayappeareout of thc·firfl verfe.) ' A !t._nowethfomttbing,thAthtJc.o,.etbnOihing Mhe ought,."-"""· 1. Cor. 8.t. and ofmany, that chcy are puffedvpand knownothing. I.Tim. 6 4.For a(wellingconceit 1 and cmptincifev– fuallygoe together. For fir(!,,all are by nature the children of wrath, and firebrands ofhell::. thegifts of God bellowed "PJ>nvswhetherofnature or Thefecond general! thing ro be obferued inthewcrds, i11his; Thar.it is naturall for men tothinke ioo we! ofthemfelues,tomag· nifie rhemfeluos aboue orhera in their con– ceits, and in a manner to deifie rbemfe!ues 1 & to nullifie others in compsrifon of them• !elucsiand rhiaouerweaning ofa mans felfe,io abranch ofpride. Fora man looking vpon himfclfethrough thefpectacles offclfe-loue, doth rhinke C!l•ry fmaUgiftof God , wbich he(eetb to be in himfelfe, to befarre greater then in truth it is: imagining meere llta. dowes,to be fubtlancea ;-or melehillcsro be ofgrace,arc not·ours, bur Go.ds, the giucr of them.Thereforeno man may arrogate more vnro himfelfe, then an orher in regard of ·chcm,feeing all ofvs arc but tlewards, & the things we haucare burralents, left vstoim~ ploy to our.matlersaduanrace. Jfthouh-f/rr. etiMed them(faith Paul) "'hJ be41cft thou thJ " (tlfe,.u though th011 hadf/not rmiued themLJ. C Be 1t that aman bee in ChriQ and fanctified, yet he hath no greaterrightto the :neriroof Chrill, norgreater parr in them, then bee which is lelfc (anctified: for though (ancti6carion bath degree•, and acertainclatitude, yet iutltfication bath none. So that a man is as biggeas mount.aioes.. For asQ man that is inloue,:dorhthinke ihe blemilhes and de– formities in,hisloue,ro be ornaments, which makehermore beautifull: So rhofe which withNarciJ/m are in loue with themfelues, and dorcvpon their ownegifr•, iud~;c the vi– ces which they fecro bein rhem(clues, ro be vertues . Simo• Magm though a wicked· wretch, alimmeofrhcdiuell,aforcerer, &c. yet had thisconceit ofhim(clfe, and gaue it , outalfo,tb~the,.,M[i>megrMtm••· Act. 8, 9· towit, thegreat po1Per of God, verf.Io. The Church ofL4odict4,thoughtPm "'"rich,And mcrtA~dwithg~qdJ, ~ttndhAdneede ~rnothing : whdeaJfote.•M "M'ttched, AndnJiferA#i~, and poort,4nd~l~nd,andnak,ed, Apoc.3.17. And fo the skarler Urumpet thought her felfc a Queene,and that fltec was out of all danger otdownfall, when theW¥alreadiefallcn.A– poc::r8.:.7.Yea thiscorruption it (o natural, rhar euen the regenerate rhemfelues, who, aremparrfanCltfied, are tainted therewith: andgenerally, they rhatbauerecclued grea– tergifts ofknowledge, offanctification,&c. aremotl readie roouerweene their own gifts except God giue them grace to reiJQ this temptation: for k_n,./edgtpR/fethvp. r.Cor. 8. r. The Apotlles rhem(elues contended which o(them fooH/d fume to he the gre4tcft. Luk.11.14. Yea in all agestherehauebecne in truth nothing of hirnfclfe. 1. Becaufehe bath his beeing and beginning of nothing, and rendetl1 of his own nacu1eto corruption, andnothing.t.ln thathei~ notrbatwbich he imaginerh hi.mf~lfe robe. 3.Tbougb hehaue fome gifts and graces ofGod, yetis bee no– thing, becau(ehe is farre lhort of thatwhich heoughr eo be.t.Cor.8.z.Vpon rhefc confi– dcrations Abraham acknowledgeth him. fellc eo be but duf/ani4jlm, Gen.18.z7·'Da– uid comparing hi!n(elfe with the magnifi– cence ofSaul.faith, Wb41Am I~ orJwhat id my fathmhouft? t.Sam. r8.18. Nay, whether we confider man abfolutely in him(elfe, or relatiuelyIn rc(pect of orber,creatures, as rho(e glorious bodies, the Sunne, Moone, Cl acres, we may fay with theProphet Da•id, Lordntb4t 16 mM, th11t thou~trtmindfuOifhim, or the (onn< of m4n , that thou rrg.rdefl himI Pfal.8.4. l'ar~/confctfech bimfelfero be norhing,in, oF,or by himfclfc:butbJ thegramfG•d(Caith he)Iamth.r lam, I,Cor.Is.to. Andagaine, l n'.unothing iifcriourto the very chiefe Aptf/les, altho,~h I.,nnothing.z .Cor.I>-II.TheApo– llie aflirmcrh ofeuery man,·,.hichtbinf<!th h• .. D fome in the Church cuerwcentng rhem– felucs,as in Chritls time the IuffitiarlePha– rilics:afrer them,rhcCmb4rifb, or PHritllnes, who both proudlyand odlouflycalled rbem– feluesby_rhar n:ime, thinking rhemfelues wtthout hnnc: the 'DonAtifls,thartbey were a Church without fpor er wrinkle: theJ .. Ninumif/s, that aman cannot linneafter the lauer of regeneration: The Pelagians, chat the life ofa iutl man in this world barb no IJnne in it at all: and of later 'imcs theSe. mi-Pel•gia• hcretitke,who will be fomething of htm(elfe, andwtll bauefome llrokein his 6rfr conuerfion, and will con<urre with Chritl in the worke ofIutlificarwn.Itwlll be (aid, Papitloafcribe allrhe prai(e to God. An/w. SodtdrhePharifie,Luk. t8.ver(J '· Hh 4 and ! , I I ;
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