An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty-eighth, thirty-ninth, fortieth, forty-first, and forty-second,…

First, If man be vile in that threefold respect before spoken of (he is so in many more) then let not any man prize himself much. We do not prize vile things without us; why then should we much prize our selves who are vile? We are very apt to have thoughts of our selves beyond our selves, or to think of our selves beyond what is meet. Did we remember that we were vile, high thoughts of self would soon down, and we would cease from our selves, as well as from other men, saying, Wherein are we (men) to be accounted of? (Isa. 2.22.) The best man, of mere men, hath but a little breath in his nostrils, and he hath much sin in his soul; wherein then, or for what (as a natural man) is any man to be accounted of? Did we know our selves more (understandingly) we ⟨p. 514⟩should know our selves less (valuingly) In which sense Job said (Chap. 9.21.) Though I were perfect, I would not know my soul. It is our ignorance, who and what we are, which causeth us to have high thoughts of our selves; as it is our ignorance, who and what Christ is, which causeth us to have such low thoughts of him, and such slow or slight desires after him (Joh. 3.10)

First, If man be vile in that threefold respect before spoken of (he is so in many more) then let not any man prize himself much. We do not prize vile things without us; why then should we much prize our selves who are vile? We are very apt to have thoughts of our selves beyond our selves, or to think of our selves beyond what is meet. Did we remember that we were vile, high thoughts of self would soon down, and we would cease from our selves, as well as from other men, saying, Wherein are we (men) to be accounted of? (Isa. 2.22.) The best man, of meer men, hath but a little breath in his nostrils, and he hath much sin in his soul; wherein then, or for what (as a natural man) is any man to be accounted of? Did we know our selves more (understandingly) we ⟨p. 514⟩should know our selves less (valuingly) In which sense Job said (Chap. 9.21.) Though I were perfect, I would not know my soul. It is our ignorance, who and what we are, which causeth us to have high thoughts of our selves; as it is our ignorance, who and what Christ is, which causeth us to have such low thoughts of him, and such slow or slight desires after him (