Twenty sermons preached at Oxford before His Majesty, and elsewhere

¹3. Third Glass, when a man compares himself with others, and himself.

1. 13. Glass. When a man compares himself with others.

1. When he compares himself with others. I thank God, saith he, I am better then twenty of my neighbours; I know this man follows such courses, and another lives in such a foul sin. Sure, saith he, I am not such a sinner as these, therefore I am happy, and I doubt not room in Heaven. This is the cause that the Pharisee went home unjustified, because looking on other men, he justified himself. God I thank thee I am not as other men, no extortioner, &c. This fellow is so far from begging any thing of God, that he fills up his time with thanksgiving, he thinks he wants nothing, and that is his error; he looks on other men, and compares himself with them, and thence concludes he is well enough, because he is not so bad as this or that man. This is the common deceit, when men take this for a rule, that because they are not so bad as the off-scouring of the World, but are better then the ordinary sort of men, therefore they suppose they are very well, or as well, as they need to be: As if a sick man should say, I am not so sick, as such a man, who is at the point of death, therefore I am very well. I would desire such men, that as they look on those that are under them, so they would a little cast up their eyes on those that are above them. When you look on the Publican, this and that man, and bless your selves, because you are not so bad as these, who perchance are before you in points of morality: If you stand on comparisons, look on those that are above you, that go beyond you in grace and zeal, and look not so much on the sins of others, as your own: Another mans sins may condemn him, they cannot save thee. When a Thief and a Murderer are both arraigned at the Bar for their lives, will the Thief say to the Murderer thy sin is greater, thy fault is of an higher nature, therefore I shall be saved, because mine is not heinous, when they both are punishable with death? The fault of another will not make thy case the better. It's no point of Justification, thus to deceive thy self, and to conclude because another is worse then thee, that therefore thy estate is blessed. So we see the degrees of false glasses. Self-love: or self conceit: Then a good opinion of men: and conferring a mans self with some others. He's better then they, therefore his estate is good. An absurd conclusion; the Devil will mightily insult over such as he can so easily deceive.