A35535:585
An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty second, the thirty third, and…An exposition with practicall observations continued upon the thirty second, the thirty third, and…
An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty second, the thirty third, and the thirty fourth chapters of the book of Job being the substance of forty-nine lectures / delivered at Magnus near the Bridge, London, by Joseph Caryl ...An exposition with practicall observations continued upon the thirty second, the thirty third, and the thirty fourth chapters of the booke of Job being the substance of forty-nine lectures / delivered at Magnus neare the Bridge, London, by Joseph Caryl ...
London: printed by M. Simmons, 1661
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Secondly, There is a flattery of persons, as to what they have and are, when we speak more of them then is in them, when we speak highly of them, who are low in all abilities and attainments. How grossly do they give flattering titles, who blow up very Ideors with a conceit of their learning, who extol fools for wisdom, and commend the wicked as virtuous, yea recommend them as patterns of virtue.
Secondly, There is a flattery of persons, as to what they have and are, when we speake more of them then is in them, when we speake highly of them, who are low in all abilities and attainments. How grossely doe they give flattering titles, who blow up very Ideors with a conceit of their learning, who extoll fooles for wisdome, and commend the wicked as vertuous, yea recommend them as patternes of vertue.
We should give honour to all men to whom it belongs; but we are not to flatter any man, for that belongs to no man. (Rom: 13.7.) Render therefore to all their dues, tribute to whom tribute is due, custom to whom custom, fear to whom fear, honour to whom honour. There is an honour that belongs to men with respect to their degrees, when none belongs to them with respect to their qualities. He that is very honourable as to his place, may not deserve any honour as to his worth, yet he must be honoured as much as his place comes to. And as there is an honour due to those that are above us, so there is an honour due to those that are our equals, yea to those that are our inferiors, and below us. The Apostle gives that direction more then once; we have it first (Rom: 12.10.) Be kindly affectionate one to another, in honour ⟨p. 129⟩preferring one another. The people of God should be so far from an ambitious affectation of preeminence above others, that they should f•eely and really (not as many do complementally) give others the preeminence, and offer them the upper place or hand; The grace of humility, doth not only forbid us to exalt our selves above our betters, but it also (in many cases) bids us set our selves below those whose betters we are. One of the Ancients hath made three degrees of this kind of humility. The first is, when we make our selves inferior to our equals; The second, when we make our selves but equal to our inferiors; The third, when we make our selves inferior even to our inferiors, and less then those who are lesser then we. Of this third sort of humility, the Apostle speaks again in that serious admonition to the Church (Phil: 2.3.) Let nothing be done through strife, or vain glory, but in lowliness of mind; Let each esteem other better then himself. As it is good to judge (according to truth) the worst of our selves, and the best of others, so it is good to have a better opinion of others then of our selves.