Twenty sermons preached at Oxford before His Majesty, and elsewhere

2. I thank God, my neighbours also, and all others that know me,¹ speak well of me. I have not only a good conceit of my self, but every man about me can speak well of me, cannot say, black is mine eye. I have a good report of all men. But if this were enough and sufficient to assure thee of the goodness of thy estate, it were well, but it is not enough. True it is, a good report from men for fair and honest dealing is not to be despised; yet it will do no good, unless thou have it from God. It was one of the happinesses of our Saviour, that he was in favour with God and men; it was with God too as well as men. When both meet together, it's well indeed. Demetrius in John 3.12. we read, had a good report of all men, and of the truth it self. To have a good report from men, and also from the truth, is an happy thing: but having it not from the truth, Woe to us, when all men speak well of us. What folly is it to rest upon a good report from men, when I have it not from the truth? The like madness it is, as for a man to trust in the absolution of his fellow-prisoners, when the Law of the Land condemns him. Shall a sick man be so mad, as to say he is well, because others say so? As if we should seek our selves out of our selves, No, Let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself, and not in another. Rom. 2. ult. He is a Jew, which is one inwardly, whose praise is not of men but of God. Not as if this did dis-common, or turn out the praise of men; but it is comparatively spoken, and it's meant, whose praise is not so much of men as of God. So that this is the second false glass, when a man concludes himself to be in a good estate because men praise him, thinks it well with him, because others think so, and say so. He hath a good opinion of himself, but that's not a ll, other men give him a good report too. And this follows the former: for a man needs never fear flattery from others, that doth not flatter himself.

2. I thank God, my neighbours also, and all others that know me,¹ speak well of me. I have not only a good conceit of my self, but every man about me can speak well of me, cannot say, black is mine eye. I have a good report of all men. But if this were enough and sufficient to assure thee of the goodness of thy estate, it were well, but it is not enough. True it is, a good report from men for fair and honest dealing is not to be despised; yet it will do no good, unless thou have it from God. It was one of the happinesses of our Saviour, that he was in favour with God and men; it was with God too as well as men. When both meet together, it's well indeed. Demetrius in