Four books on the eleventh of Matthew

Now for the way of knowing our selves, and what the word of God doth help us to know our selves in, that we shall not speak of in this place, but only to show the ground of Humility, it is the knowledge of our own vileness, and the judging of our selves, according to what we know of our selves, not according to what others think of us. A humble man doth not much go according to what any body else knows of him, or esteems of him, but according to what he knows and esteems of himself. It was a Speech of another Heathen, Do not believe others of thy self, more than thy self of thy self, It is a Foolish thing for any man to go by the esteem that others have of him, and not by the esteem that he hath of himself upon right examination, it may be other men may in Charity judg that thou hast this, and this, such and such Graces, and such excellencies, while in the mean time thou mayest know thy self to be a vile, mean, wretched, base Creature; Now a proud heart will rather go according to what others think of him, than indeed according to what he knows of himself, it may be other men that live with thee, that see but the outside, they give a good report of thee: But what report doth thy own Conscience give of thee? What dost thou know of thy self? That thou shouldst look most after. While our friends do rejoice in those excellencies they esteem us to have, in the mean time thou mayest see the cause to be confounded in thine own thoughts, and to be ashamed before the Lord, and to have such thoughts of thy self, that if the Lord should discover unto thy friends, that now esteem highly of thee, what thou knowest of thy self, thou wouldst think that they would kick and spurn thee out of their Company, and be ready to spit in thy face. I make no question but those that look into their own hearts, and observe the workings of their own spirit, those that know what is ⟨p. 416⟩within, and are acquainted with themselves, many times when others have high esteems of them, they see cause to look upon themselves with such shame, as to believe that if others should but see the inside, if God should turn their insides outward, all their friends that have such esteems of them now, would be ready to abhor them, and be ready to loath them, if they did but know what they are of themselves.

Now for the way of knowing our selves, and what the word of God doth help us to know our selves in, that we shal not speak of in this place, but only to shew the ground of Humility, it is the knowledg of our own vileness, and the judging of our selves, according to what we know of our selves, not according to what others think of us. A humble man doth not much go according to what any body else knows of him, or esteems of him, but according to what he knows and esteems of himself. It was a Speech of another Heathen, Do not beleeve others of thy self, more than thy self of thy self, It is a Foolish thing for any man to go by the esteem that others have of him, and not by the esteem that he hath of himself upon right examination, it may be other men may in Charity judg that thou hast this, and this, such and such Graces, and such excellencies, while in the mean time thou mai'st know thy self to be a vile, mean, wretched, base Creature; Novv a proud heart will rather go according to what others think of him, than indeed according to what he knovvs of himself, it may be other men that live vvith thee, that see but the outside, they give a good report of thee: But vvhat report doth thy ovvn Conscience give of thee? What dost thou knovv of thy self? That thou should'st look most after. While our friends do rejoyce in those excellencies they esteem us to have, in the mean time thou mai'st see the cause to be confounded in thine ovvn thoughts, and to be ashamed before the Lord, and to have such thoughts of thy self, that if the Lord should discover unto thy friends, that now esteem highly of thee, what thou knowest of thy self, thou would'st think that they would kick and spurn thee out of their Company, and be ready to spit in thy face. I make no question but those that look into their own hearts, and observe the workings of their own spirit, those that know what is