Chap.6. the Epijlfe tfJ the qatatiam. nctle,andoucrweening ofam11~s f~lfe, is the A ~o·ery banc and p~Jyfoo of Jouei for lt maketh proud m~n rhmke rllemfducs too good to become packe horfcs or drudges tob_earc o– ther mens burdens, to becom:: fermceable vmo them in an}"'duty ofloue,or ro rollerate their fradries,or to yecld oftheir right, or to fu/lor iniuries at their hands,orto put vp any Jarle indignitie, wlfhout !lomackc and dtf· content: becau[c they Imagine tbt:mfclues C· uery way bcrter rhen their brethren,& there– fore ought eobe rollerared, but not fa bound to toilerate and beare with others; So that where felfe-loue is, there is no true brotherly loue; It was well faidof the Poet, Non bme conueniunt,(frc.maie{ltU& ~Jmur.lt may befatd, B may not he that is priuic to his owne vertues, in confc1eoce of his o~vnc ,vonh, iudge him– fclfo to be fomcwhat,that is,to be that which indcede be is,or to haue agreater meafurcof knowledge, grace, and othergifts, then they that haue letfc. A•f. He may. For bumilitieisnor fottiOJ: the mdlcr in hunulitie cannot tbinke his Cc holler more learned then himfelfc, except he Otall rhinkc again!\ his confciencc. For that faying,Phil.z..3. LttemrJmanthi1J/t.! btt– tcrof ,mother,thenofhrm(elfe, moll bee rdlrai– ncdonelyroequalles, and not extended to fupl!rioun in regard oftheir infenours. Se condly, I anfwcr, that the Apolllc in that C placc,(pcaketh not ofthegifcs and graces be– rlowcd vpon men, but ofthe perIons them– (elucs, andofthem, not{omuchas they are in rileaccount of men, as in theaccount of God.For he faithnotjLtt euerym~tnthink! An– othn-morelearntd,n>i[e,di(crtete,folur,rhmhim– feife(forfohe may thinke agamll hisconfci– cnce)but, Lu enery mAnlhink..~amther(that is, any other that is his brother in the Lord)bet– terrhenhimfolfe,towit,bcforcGod. And this cuerymanmaydo withgoodcor.fcicnce;for albeit another !hall <>otwardly feeme more ignoranr,negligcnt, backward, in matters of religion then himfdfe, yetforany thing hee knowcth, be may be higher in thefauour of God,then he: And therefore though a man erre in thrnking ofanother, better then of D himfdfe,yethe 0Ioll not doanything againI! hisconfcience. Thus the PublicAnaccounred rhe proud Pharifte better then himfdfc. For heheldhimasiull, himfelfenot worthieto looke vpto hcaucn:yct herein he finned not, nay he iscornmended for it,though he erred in hisiudgementofthePhari(ie.And[oifthe Ph.ri/ie had reputed the Public..better then himfelfe,that is,highcr in Gods fauour then him(dfe,hc had not linncd, nor done again£! hisconfcicncc. For though hee might iudg~ himfcffc morcio£lthen thePublican, in re– gardof his life pall, yetfor his prcfent ellare befme God hee could nor. ThoughDauid knew in the parrin1lar quarrell becwrxt Saul and him) thatS.,wlw:uvniull, and he inno– cent, ycrifhe 010uld haoe thought berter of .. Saul in generall, then ofbtmfelfc, he fhould but haoedone his duty. The fourth and latl point, ~ontaineth the remed1es ofthis cui ll,which are the ratherto beconfidered, becaufeit isagreat linnc, one ofthofe feaucn which the Lord doth moll of all detdl, Prou.G. '7· adangerous fiune,ha– umg aheauic woeattending vpon it, Woeto rhnn that ArrprudcntiNtheirowntyel. I(a.s.:s. . a flnncalmolt incurable, See/} thana mAn thAt Mwifein hi4 on•ne eyu?there ismorehope tf A foole Prou.1t, u thetJ ()fhim ~ therefore the remediesare more carctully to be knowne,and applied. The remedies arcfpcciallyfiue. Thefirllt!,tolookeour (elues in the glalfe ofthcLaw, which will Otew what we are without llatterie, orpartialirie: and by it we 11-.all fee nothing in our fclue• butthe vgly fh•pe ofS>tan, cl cane defacmg the image ofGod, and that in vs there dwelfeth no gqod thing (as Paulfaith ofhimfclf<, Ram. 7· t 8.) thar rhere is nothing burvanitie inourmmds, rcbclJio(l inour wlls, aconfufcd ataxic in all ouraffetlions,rranfgrcffion in our l1ues. The viewing ofour hearts and Hues m the Law, and the confidcring of our wretched ellare, in that wearc vndcr the fearefullcur(<,• hich is a th~nderbolt annexed to coery breach thereof,willdriuevs out ofall conceit ofour felues, fi:om our fclfe-loue, and felfc-l1kiag: nay,itwill make vs goeoutofour felues,nor oncly todenieourfoluer,as Chrifi commanOs, but eucn toahhorreOHrjehu1, rtpenrint! indu{f am/4/hes,as lob did, chap. 4:. 6. canli~g v, to become flatnorhing in our felues, that wee may be f01r.ethingin Chrill,as PaHI[aith.Let nomAtJd(ceiuehimfdft>: if ll'IJ manamont!JDII I.Cor.j.t8 [utmto bewifomthM wo... fd, let h1mhe 11 foote, tiw hemar be,.,;(e, Secondly,wbcn wee fcelcour felues to be tickled with the itching humour of felfe. loue,andfelfc-liking,ariling from our hidden corruption,cither in regardof OUt\~·ard gifrs, or inward graces :we mufl make our owne e– uil.,fins, blemiJhes,impcrfcClions (forthere is no man but bath one or other) a foue– raigncremedieagain{lir, and fo(asitwcre) driueawayonepoyfon with another. Asto call tomindefome gre;t deformtticthat is in our bodies, fame gl'eat infirmiric that Js in ourmindc,fomecrolleor miferiein our out– ward cllate, fame vile and abominable finne which wehauc committcd 1 and the hotrtblc punifhment, to the which we are lyable by r<afon thereof; and no doubt botthe ferious confideration ofthefc,or any ofthefe,will be auailcable,to nippe pndc in the bud, and ktll thefcrpent in the 01ciL and in (o doino we 01all with the Peacocke, now and then~call our eyes downeward,to our feecc, the fowle~ and vg{iell things we hauc: and notalway fiand in admiration of our gay feotthers and glorioustraine. Thirdly, we mul1 confider that the things for which we lookc fo high, and live!I [.:, in our
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=