An exposition of the morall lavv, or Ten Commandements of almightie God set dovvne by vvay of exercitations, wherein is contained an explanation of diverse questions and positions for the right understanding thereof, together with an explication of these scriptures which depend upon, or belong unto every one of the commandements, all which are cleared out of the originall languages, the customes of the Iewes, and the distinctions of the schoolemen / by Iohn Weemse ...

EXERCITAT. V. Against boasting of our selves. Commandement IX.

Prov. 27.6. Let another man praise thee, and not thine owne mouth.

THis Commandement condemneth boasting of any thing in our selves, this is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.* 1.1

The ground of this boasting is selfe-love, and the conceit of our selves, hence cometh swellings, 2. Cor. 12.20. and then bragging.

First then, a man must not bragge of his knowledge,* 1.2 They said they saw well enough when they were blinde, Re∣velat. 3.17.

So a man must not bragge of his holinesse, as the Pharisee did, Luc. 18.11. I thanke thee O God, that I am not as other men are, and such as said, Stand by thy selfe, come not neare to mee; for I am holyer then thou, Esay. 65.5.

Thirdly, he must not bragge of his workes, Rom. 3.27. So neither of his perseverance, this was Peters bragge; Matt. 26.33. Though all men be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended. It is a good thing when Mo∣ses face shineth, and hee knoweth not.

As a man may not bragge of his spirituall estate,* 1.3 so neither may hee bragge of his bodily strength, as Goliah did, nor of his riches, Ier. 9.23. Let not the mighty man glory in his might; Let not the rich man glory in his riches. So Hos. 12.8. Ephraim said, I am become rich, I have found mee out substance. hee braggeth of his substance, but tel∣leth

not of whom hee had them; such was the proud bragge of Benhadad. 1. King. 20.10. God do so, and more to me also, if the dust of Samaria shall be handfuls, for all the people that shall follow. So Esay 14. Nebuchadnezzars bragge, I have set my throne above the starres, and I have gathered all the earth, as one gathereth egges.

* 1.4Neither must they bragge of their worldly security, such was the bragge of Babylon, I sit as a queene, and am no widdow, and shall see no sorrow▪ Revelat. 18.7. Esay. 47.8. Salomon saith, It is not good to eat much honey, so he that searcheth his owne glory shall perish, Prov. 25.27. as hony taken moderately is wholesome, but to eate too much of it, maketh a way to surfet: so it is not good for a man to search his owne praise, or to bragge too much of him∣selfe. And whereas hee goeth about thus to get friends by bragging, he loseth his friends.

Lastly, let not a man bragge of the victory before it be gotten, Let him not bragge who girdeth on the harnesse, but hee who layeth it aside. 1. King. 20.11.

* 1.5Kings and great men must not arrogate too great and high titles to themselves, for this is a proud boasting. Alexander the great, commanded to call himselfe the sonne of Iupiter Hammon. So Sapor king of Persia in his letters to Constantine, began with these titles: King of kings, Sapor prince of the starres, the brother of the Sunne, and the moone, wisheth all health to Constantine. So to call themselves, The great king, a title which is onely proper to God. Matt. 5.25. Thou shalt not sweare by Ierusalem, for it is the city of the great king,* 1.6 such is the proud title of the Othmans, gnottoma, signifieth pride and majesty, hence cometh the proud name Othman, which wee call Ottaman.* 1.7 So the titles which the Pope taketh to himselfe; calling himselfe, Christs Vicar upon earth, and those titles which his flatterers give unto him.

Simon Magus ascribed a little to himselfe, calling

himselfe some great one. Act. 8.9. and the people called him, the great power of God. So the proud stile which the Church of Rome taketh to her, calling herselfe the mother Church. Whereas the Iewish Church called the Church of the Gentiles, her sister. Cant. 8.8. So the proud titles which the Pharisees and Doctors of the Iewes tooke to themselves,* 1.8 they were called Pekachim aperti, because they onely saw; and leaders of the blinde. Rom. 2.19. and they would not be content to be called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, lovers of wisedome; but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, wise men; there∣fore they said, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the wise men will teach tra∣ditions the day, and they were called Merobhetz hatorah,* 1.9 because they made the law to rest amongst them; and they sayd of the common people, populus terrae scabel∣lum pedum Pharisaeorum. One of them was called Or hagnolum, the light of the world; and the title of Rabbi Iuda was Rabboni hakkodesh, holy master.* 1.10 Zaddias was cal∣led Hagaon, illustris; and Aben Ezra was called Lapis auxilij, the stone. Lastly, the proud titles which the Schoole men take to themselves, as Doctor irrefragabi∣lis, Doctor seraphicus, Doctor fundatissimus, Doctor illumi∣natus, Doctor solemnis, Doctor subtilis, Doctor angelicus, and Comestor, quod edit scripturam; and Iacobus de Vora∣gine, quod devoraverat scripturam.

Of the Pharisees bragge. Luc. 18.

FIrst, the Pharisee faileth in reckoning up his vertues,* 1.11 but maketh no mention of his vices; for he saith not, I am proud or a contemner of God, or a contemner of others. Secondly, he saith not through the grace of God I am that I am, as Paul said; but he gloried as though he had beene made of better stuffe then other men. Thirdly, hee saith, I am not an oppressor or an adulterer; but hee was one, for the greatest sort of robbery is to

robbe God of his honour; therefore the Apostle saith, That Christ thought it not robbery to bee equall with God. Phil. 2.6. hee saith, he is not an adulterer; he abstaineth perhaps from the fact, but the Pharisees understood not; That to lust after a woman was a sinne. Mat. 5. Paul himselfe before his conversion knew not this. Rom. 7. and then hee addeth, I am not like this Publican. What seest thou O Pharisee in this Publican? Who art thou that judgest another mans servant? Seest thou not this poore Publican knocking on his breast, and casting downe his eyes? Are there not twelve houres in the day? and doth not the Lord call some, at the eleventh houre, and some at the sunne setting? And the Hebrewes say, Noli quemquam contemnere, nemo enim est cui non est sua hora: Despise no man, for every man hath his time of calling.

* 1.12But marke the affirmative part of this bragge, I fast twise in the weeke, and I give my tithes; what abstinence is this to abstaine from meat, and not from sinne? the devils never eate, and yet their abstinence pleaseth not God. Secondly, he saith, I give tithes; he maketh a gift of that which he was bound to pay.* 1.13 Basil hath a good saying, Inanis gloria est tinea virtutum, vaine-glory is as a moath which eateth and consumeth the vertue; and Gregorie in his morals hath a good comparison against against this pride; hee saith, as Eleazer fighting with the Elephant, killed the Elephant, and was killed by the Elephant himselfe when the Elephant fell upon him; So when a man hath killed many vices, and becomes proud of that, they fall under pride, and so are killed by it. Is enim sub hoste quem prosternit moritur, qui de culpa quam superat elevatur.

[Quest.] Whether may a man reckon upon his good deedes before God or not? seeing it was the fault of the Pha∣risee?

A man should be very sparing in doing of this, [Answ.] * 1.14 for oftentimes it proceedeth of the pride of his heart, and robbeth the Lord of his glory; God is most liberall to man, and will trade with him & let him have the gaine, but God himselfe will have the praise; and he reserveth this as the fat of the sacrifice for himselfe. Esay. 42. My glory I will not give to another. There is in the Sun light and brightnesse, the Sunne communicateth the beames of his light to the creatures, but reserveth the light for himselfe; so the Lord reserveth his glory for himselfe, but he communicateth the beames thereof to Angels and to men. If a rich man should bestow upon a poore man a summe of money to build some Church with it, this poore man after the worke is ended, put∣teth on his owne name and armes upon the worke; hath not the rich man just cause to finde fault with the poore man for this. So it is when man taketh the honour to himselfe which is due to God, but when a man recko∣neth up his good deedes, not trusting or glorying in them, but giving all the glory to God, then it is not a sinne; and when he saith, Dum coronat Deus opera mea,* 1.15 non coronat nisi dona sua. And the children of God have used this rather at their death and in the point of their dissolution, then in their life time; Hezekiah said when he was to die; Remember me O Lord I beseech, how I have walked before thee in truth, and in a perfect heart; and have done that which was good in thy sight. Esay. 38.3. And Paul said when he was to be offered up, and the time of his departure was at hand; I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith, and hence∣forth is laid up for me a crowne of righteousnesse. 2. Tim. 4.7. So Hilarion said when he was at the point of death. O my soule goe thy way, why art thou affraid? for thou hast served Christ thy Lord seventy yeres, why then shouldst thou bee affraid to goe to him? and it is more safe for a man to

remember these good deedes at the houre of his death than in his life time; for as Hezekiah in a boasting man∣ner did shew his treasures to the King of Babel, he was spoiled and robbed of them. 2. King. 20.17. So many in their life time bragging of those things which they have done, are oftentimes spoiled by Satan of the com∣fort and fruit of them.

* 1.16And yee shall see that the Saints of God have beene very loath to speake that which sounded to their owne praise, as Paul saith, Ye compelled me to bragge. 1. Cor. 12. and when the children of God speake any thing which tendeth to their owne praise, either they speake it in the person of another, or they extenuate it very much; wee have an example of this in Paul. 1.* 1.17 Cor. 12.2. I knew a man in Christ foureteene yeares agoe, caught up to the third heaven, of such a man I will glory, but of my selfe I will not glory. First, marke when he commeth to speake of him∣selfe, he speaketh in the person of another. Secondly, he concealed it for fourteene yeares. Hence wee see it to bee true which Salomon saith. Prov. 29.11. A foole uttereth all his minde, but a wise man will keepe it till after∣ward. Iohn will not say that hee himselfe leaned in the bosome of Christ, but for modesty he saith, There was leaning on Iesus bosome one of his Disciples whom he loved. Ioh. 13.23. So they extenuate that which seemeth to make for their owne praise. When Abraham had invi∣ted the Angels, although he had killed a calfe and pre∣pared great fare for them, yet he saith, I will fetch a mor∣sell of bread. Gen. 18.5. So when Luke speaketh of the feast which Mathew, called also Levi, made in his house to Christ, hee saith, that Levi made a great feast to Christ. Luc. 5.27.28. but when himselfe speaketh of it. Mat. 9.10. he saith onely, that he came home and eate bread in Levies house; to teach us, that another mans mouth should praise us, and not our owne. Prov. 27.2.

But Moses writeth of himselfe, [Ob.] that he was very meeke above all the men which were upon the face of the earth. Num. 12.3.

This verse seemeth to have beene added by Ioshua, [Answ.] * 1.18 or by Esaras, rather than set downe by Moses himselfe; for there are many things insert by the men of God in Moses writings, which were not insert by Moses himselfe. As Lachis which is called Dan. Gen. 14.14. although it got not this name untill Ioshua divided the land amongst the tribes. Iosh. 19.27. So Num. 21.14, 15.27. these three verses which fell out in the dayes of Ioshua are set downe in Moses history, albeit not by Moses him∣selfe.

So when Salomon gave to Hiram so many cities, Hi∣ram called them in the Phaenician tongue the land of Chabbul. 1. King. 9.13. this was the first imposition of the name, and yet it is so called in the dayes of Ioshua. Cap. 19.27. this Esdras did, or some other holy man; long after Ioshua was dead. So this verse might bee in∣serted after Moses death: So the whole last chapter of Deuteronomie was added after Moses death.

The conclusion of this is:* 1.19 What hast thou that thou hast not received? and if thou hast received, why boastest thou as if thou hadest not received them. 1 Cor. 4.7.

Notes

• * 1.1

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Sui∣ipsius laudatio.
• * 1.2

  What things a man must not bragge of.
• * 1.3

  A man should neither bragge of his strength nor riches.
• * 1.4

  A man must not boast of his security.
• * 1.5

  The assuming of glori∣ous titles is a great brag∣ging.
• * 1.6

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Majestas, superbia.
• * 1.7

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Rex superb••s.
• * 1.8

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.9

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.10

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.11

  The negative part of the Pharisees bragge.
• * 1.12

  The affirmative part of the Pharisees bragge.
• * 1.13

  Boasting whereto com∣pared.
• * 1.14

  When a man reckoneth up his good deedes, hee must first give the glory to God.
• * 1.15

  What time chiefly men should glory of their good deedes.
• * 1.16

  The saints are very spa∣ring to bragge of them∣selves.
• * 1.17

  They speake for the most part in the person of another.
• * 1.18

  Many places of antici∣pation in the Scripture.
• * 1.19

  Conclusion.