An exposition with practical observations continued upon the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters…

Either of these three senses are fair from the construction of the Text, and may be profitable for us; I shall therefore draw them down into five or six conclusions, which will be at least a portion of that marrow and fatness which this Scripture yields us to feed upon.

Either of these three senses are faire from the construction of the Text, and may be profitable for us; I shall therefore draw them down into five or six conclusions, which will be at least a portion of that marrow and fatnesse which this Scripture yeilds us to feed upon.

First, we may observe, That man naturally preferreth himself ⟨p. 111⟩not only above other men, but even before God himself. A principle of pride dwells in our hearts by nature, which at some times, and in some cases breeds better thoughts in us of our selves, than of God himself. And it is this height of spirit, which the heavenly vision here would level to the ground. We know it was the first sin of man, that man desired to be like God Gen. 3. The first temptation was baited with a parity to the Divine powers, Ye shall be as Gods knowing good and evil. This also was the language of Lucifers heart; Thou hast said in thy heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God, I will ascend above the heights of the Clouds, I will be like the most high, I say •4. 13, 14. And the practise of the man of sin, is thus prophesied That he shall exalt himself, above all that is called God, 2 Thess. 2. 4. But the heart of man is yet more mad, and hath out-grown those sinful principles. For in troubles and temptations, when things go not according to his mind, he sometimes hath thoughts not only that he is like God: but that he is more just than God, and if he had the ordering of things, he would order them better than God: he sometime thinks himself juster than God, and if he had the punishing of offenders, justice should proceed more freely and impartially than it doth: which is upon the matter, not only to exalt himself (as the Man of Sin doth) above Nuncupative Gods, or all that is called God, but to exalt himself above him who is God by nature, above the only one-most God. Even to speak in this Dialect of highest blasphemy, that he is more just than God, more pure than his Maker.