being opposite to glorying in God. While men
reflect within themselves, and behold some endowments and abilities in
their minds beyond other men, of which wisdom is the principal, and here
stands for all inward advantages or qualifications of the soul in that
secret reflection and comparison, there is a tacit gloriation, which yet
is a loud blasphemy in God's ears. It is impossible almost for a man to
recognosce(275) and review his own parts such as ingine,(276) memory,
understanding, sharpness of wit, readiness of expression, goodness and
gentleness of nature, but that in such a review, the soul must be puffed
up, apprehending some excellency beyond other men, and taking complacency
in it, which are the two acts of robbery that are in gloriation and
boasting. Commonly this arises from unequal comparisons. We please
ourselves that we are _deterioribus meliores_, "better than the worst,"
and build self-estimation upon the ruins of other men's disadvantages, as
if it were any point of praise in us that they are worse, like men that
stand upon a height, and measure their own altitude, not from their just
intrinsic quantity, but taking the advantage of the bottom, whereby we
deceive our own selves. I remember a word of Solomon's, that imports how
dangerous a thing it is for a man to reflect upon, or search into his own
glory, Prov. xxv. 27. "It is not good to eat much honey, so for men to
search their own glory is not glory."

To surfeit in the excess of honey or sweet things drives to vomit, and
cloys the stomach, ver. 16. Though it be sweet, there is great need, yea,
the more need of caution and moderation about it, so for a man either to
search into his own breast, and reflect upon his own excellencies, to find
matter of gloriation or studiously to affect it among others, and inquire
into other men's account and esteem of him, it is no glory--it is a
dangerous and shameful folly. Now this is not only incident to natural
spirits, upon their consideration of their own advantages, but even to the
most gracious, upon the review of spiritual endowments and prerogatives.
It is such a subtile and insinuating poison that it spreads universally,
and infects the most precious ointments of the soul, and, as it were,
poisons the very antidote and counterpoison. So forcible is this that was
first dropped into man's nature by Satan's envy, that it diffuses itself
even into humility, and humiliation itself, and makes a man proud because