ause the humble man knows his own inside,
and only another's outside. Now certainly the outside is always better and
more specious than the inside, and therefore a humble man seeing nothing
but his neighbour's outside, and being acquainted throughly with his own
inside, he esteems another better than himself. Humility, as it makes a
man to think well of another, so it hinders him to speak evil of his
brother. James iv. He lays down the ground work in the 10th verse, "Humble
yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up." He raises
his superstructure, verses 11, 12: "Speak not evil one of another,
brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother,
speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law, but if thou judge the law,
thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is one lawgiver, who is
able to save, and to destroy. who art thou that judgest another?" For
truly the very ground of evil speaking of that nature, is some advantage,
we conceive, that may redound to our own reputation, by the diminution of
another's fame. Or, because we are so short sighted in ourselves,
therefore we are sharp sighted towards others, and because we think little
of our own faults, we are ready to aggravate other men's to an extremity.
But in so doing we take the place of the judge and law upon us, which
judges others, and is judged by none. So we judge others, and not
ourselves. Neither will we suffer ourselves to be judged by others. This
is to make ourselves the infallible rule, to judge the law.

Humility levels men to a holy subjection and submission to another,
without the confusion of their different degrees and stations. It teaches
men to give that respect and regard to even one that is due to his place
or worth, and to signify it in such a way as may testify the simplicity of
their estimation, and sincerity of their respect. Eph. v. 21, "Submit
yourselves one to another in the fear of God." 1 Pet. v. 5, "All of you be
subject one to another, and be clothed with humility." Now, if humility
can put a man below others, certainly it will make him endure patiently
and willingly to be placed in that same rank by others. When others give
him that place to sit into, that he had chosen for himself, will he
conceive himself wronged and affronted, though others about him think so?
Nay, it is hard to persuade him of an injury of that kind, because the
apprehension of such an affront hath for its foundation