Now if his heart be humble, he will not look what others speak of him in this kind, but be ashamed and confounded in his own spirit, because of what he knows of himself, Certainly we may see some ground why others should think well of us, and ye• we may be most wretched, and abominable, and loathsome in the eyes of God at that present when other Godly people have high thoughts of us, Do not rest in that, not only others, but wise men, and Godly men have high thoughts of us, and yet in the mean time we may be wretched & abominable in the sight of God, and our own Consciences may condemn us. We read of the spirit of Man in Prov. 20. 27. it is said of the spirit of Man, That it is the Candle of the Lord, searching all the the inward parts of the Belly. Now you know that by a Candle, if you bring a Candle into a Room, you may search in corners, secret corners, under every bench hole, and see fil•h in many places, that perhaps the light of the Sun may not come to, the light of the Sun may not come into some secret places in a House where is a great deal of filth, but a Candle may discover it, Now the Spirit of man is the Candle of ⟨p. 518⟩the Lord, That is, a man by the help of his own Spirit, may be able to search into the secret corners of his own Heart, but no other light can discover it, we are to labour to look into our selves, and to make use of our own Spirits, as a Candle, to be searching into every corner of our own hearts, that we may know our own meanness, our own wretchedness, a man that hath a proud spirit, is satisfied that others have a high esteem of him, though he knows himself to be vile. As mark the difference between an humble Spirit, and a proud spirit in this, one that •s a proud man, he is dejected, if others think ill of him, whereas an humble heart takes advantage from the vile thoughts that others have of him to make himself more vile, & thinks thus, Lord, do I thus, & thus to make others think vilely of me, Oh! What a deal of filth do I see more then they see: and so likewise takes an advantage the more he finds that others honour him, and respect him, to be the more low in his own Eyes, because he sees such a difference between what he knows of himself and what others know of him.
Now if his heart be humble, he will not look what others speak of him in this kind, but be ashamed and confounded in his ovvn spirit, because of vvhat he knovvs of himself, Certainly vve may see some ground vvhy others should think vvell of us, and ye• vve may be most vvretched, and abominable, and loathsome in the eyes of God at that present vvhen other Godly people have high thoughts of us, Do not rest in that, not only others, but vvise men, and Godly men have high thoughts of us, and yet in the mean time we may be wretched & abominable in the sight of God, and our ovvn Consciences may condemn us. We read of the spirit of Man in Prov. 20. 27. it is said of the spirit of Man, That it is the Candle of the Lord, searching all the the inward parts of the Belly. Now you know that by a Candle, if you bring a Candle into a Room, you may search in corners, secret corners, under every bench hole, and see fil•h in many places, that perhaps the light of the Sun may not come to, the light of the Sun may not come into some secret places in a House where is a great deal of filth, but a Candle may discover it, Now the Spirit of man is the Candle of ⟨p. 518⟩the Lord, That is, a man by the help of his own Spirit, may be able to search into the secret corners of his own Heart, but no other light can discover it, we are to labor to look into our selves, and to make use of our own Spirits, as a Candle, to be searching into every corner of our own hearts, that we may know our own meanness, our own wretchedness, a man that hath a proud spirit, is satisfied that others have a high esteem of him, though he knows himself to be vile. As mark the difference between an humble Spirit, and a proud spirit in this, one that •s a proud man, he is dejected, if others think ill of him, whereas an humble heart takes advantage from the vile thoughts that others have of him to make himself more vile, & thinks thus, Lord, do I thus, & thus to make others think vilely of me, Oh! What a deal of filth do I see more then they see: and so likewise takes an advantage the more he finds that others honor him, and respect him, to be the more low in his own Eyes, because he sees such a difference between what he knows of himself and what others know of him.
