Phil.:.to. PfJl.8.4. A Commentarie "'lpon Chap.6. our owne conce'lts,are norourowne, but lent vs for at1me. Fwwhttt i& there, thlltthouhafi not receiutdiwhethcr ingifts of bodie, or gra– ces of mmde I nay, whether thoufpeake of foute,or bodie it fclfc! ttnd ifthou haftr!cdt~ed it,why bo.jhfl thon thJ fdf' as th"'t.h thou had– deft notreceiuedit?what vanitie is it, for a man robe proudofanother mans garmcnt?or for a woman to boa(l of her borrowed haire? Thewtckcd pcrfccutors of the Church are reprooued for facrificingtotheirnets, and bur– ninoincen(etothe~ryarne. Hab.I.IG. Furrh~r, we~nu(} confider we hauc not onely recciued rhem;bucthat~chaue fo recciued them, as rhat they are not our owne, With wh1ch we may docwhatwelifl, but talentslentvs fot a rime,& left with vs to cmploy,ouerwhich we arebutflcwardsand baylilfcs, not lordsor maflcrs; and that we mull bee countablefor 'heC.Halic(l gift,cuen the lcafl farthing, how we hauc gottr, kept it, beflowed it: rheti1~e will come when tt fhali be (aidvnto thee,G•u• a;,t~ccOtmt ofthJflewardfoip,Luk.l6.z, There~ fore we oughtnot (o much to bee putfcd vp with the oreatnctfe of our talents, as tobee humblcd 0 with theconfidcrationof the !hid rcckningthat God will require at our hands, (eeing tbsr ofhim, to whomcmuchUcommmed, m•chjhal/ be required. Founhly,to the end we may auoid thiso– uerwccningo(our felues,lct vs compare our (clues with the maidlic of God, in whofe fight)we .uc but as fillywormes,ctawlingvp~ on rhcground,nay in comparifon c.f whom, we arc Jclfe then nothing, and v•nity itfclfe. Confider, thattobimmery k_n"dorh howe, of thing.r in heaHtn, in CArt4, nnd vndtr the earth, and thou wilt not befo conccttcd ofthy felfc, that a filiy man doth crouch vnto thee: that to htmeHerJ tong-udoth confeJJe,ver. J 1.andfing his praifes, the ble!Tcd Angels crying conti· r.ually Holy,Holy,Holy, LordGodofSab– bath,hcaucn and earth ore full ofthy gloric: and then a nlOrt bla!l of windc, or popular applaufe,fhali not fo cafilypu~e thee vp,like an empr1ebladder, orcarne theeQ\ny, as tt didHerod, AC!. u , ButtoomitthisodiOUS comparifon, betwista fraile mortall man, and thegloriouscuerliuingGod(therebem~ no compatifon betwixt finite and infinite) let vs neucr compare our fcJues withour infcri– ours, but wtth our fuperiours & betters,who are eminently aboue vs, in cuerygtfrand blelling of God, in regard ofwhofehonours and preferments wee arc but bafc and con· tcmptible:inregard of wbofeknowledgc,we are butchildren, and know nothing: in re– gardofwho(e riches,weare but beggars, and haue nothing, Foras Dauid,when he beheld the wonderlull frame of the beauens, thofe glorious creatures, the Sunne, theMoone, and the flarres, by and by made thisvfeofit to him(elfc,to confider bis ownevileneffe in regard of them, Wh11t i& mAn tb~tt rh1u art mmdfi•Nofhimlorth'fonn,ofman, that th•• vifi. A ''fl h•ml So whenwecompare ourfclues with others, thatarc as farreaboucvs, as thehca– uens arc aboue the caub,whofc giftsandgra– ce• doe as farrc excell ours, as the btight funncfhmethcdimmccandle light: we can– notchufc,but bcabaO,ed,andconfoundcd in our (clue•; acknowledging, that there is no fuchcaufe why wee fhould fo magnifieour !clues abeue others, and nullifie others in cornparifunofour (dues. 4. But let ~u~r} man proau~ hMowne work!, and then/ball he haut rei')cing in himf'lf"nd;, ~mdnot inanothtr. Here the Apo!lle Jaieth downe another B rcmcdie again!! felfe-Ioue and ouer..cening ofourfclucs, and it.is the 6ft and the la(! of which I purpofc to entreatc, and it flands in proouing and examining of a mans owne workc by itfclfc, withoutcomparing itwith an other mans worke, and withall in theap– proouing of it vntoGod, L't t11!1J manap– f~'OOII( b/4 orrne wor~. And heegiues tworea– [ons,why euery man ought to approouc his owne \Vorkes vnto God, and to confider them abfolutely in themfelues, and not rela– tiuely in refpedof others: the fit!! reafon IS in thi' verfe, then /hAlt h~haue rei<')cing itz him– (~lfeonll,andnot inanother: the (econd, in the nexrve,fe. For euery mAn{lutlllu-arehis owne !Jurden, Touching thercmedie,l.et eutrym•nprou< C hi4own~w,rk!. Thewordrranflared i':prooue, •Jutp.~~,. lignificth alfo toappr()QI.,,as Rom.•-t· ver,zz. Bltlfedishethatcondtm,Jetb not himJ~lfe in tht j, ;;J,~'f':l.?" thing thAtheApprooutth.t.Cor. I 6.3-Whojomtr w, ;,t, 1~~~.,. l' foal/ appmN' or al/o,. ofbJ Imm, And fo ~"""· the word is v(ed in EngJifl,, when wefay fuch aone is toproo11t A wiiJ, that is)approoue it. The word in this place (I takcit) may bee vnderilood in both[enfes,roprooHt oHrJv~rk_es, and roapprooue thttn. How we are ro prooue our workes by taking triall and examination ofthem, I haucalready fl1ewed in the former verfe. Bur we arefurthertoapproouethtm to qod,accordingtoPauls commandemcnt: fiN· di• tofhewthyfel(tapprooutd~nto G•d, z. Tim. z.15,and his pradrfe, in coueting alway to be D acceptabl'""'•h.,n, z,Cor-5,9· This approo– uing ofour workes is afouera~gne remediea– gainfl ouerwe<ning ofour[elues: for he that alwaies tlandsvponhis triall, anti Gods ap– probation , cannot bee puffedvp wirhfelfe. Ioueofhimfclfe, orfclfe-ltkingof his o•·ne workes: butrather humbledwrth theconfi– deration of Gods abfolute iuUice, and his owneimperfeC!ions, and fo flirredvpwith greater diligencetoworke out his faluarron with fcare and trembling. Now we fhall apptooue our workes vnto God, ifwcobferuethefethrcethings, Firfl, that allour aC!ions (fpecral!y in the worfhip &feruice ofGod)begrounded vpon the will and word ofGod;and notvpon wrll-worfl1ip, or humaneinucntion•: otherwi(e it will be I faid,Whor~tptirtJthtjethingr tflJOHr handsl Sccon _d__,Iy'"-'--- ..
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