The Whole Duty of Divine Meditation, Part 2 · Meditation 12
MED. XII. Of Humility.
1 Pet. v. 5.
Be ye cloathed with humility; for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
IF thou do'st but seriously consider the miserable State of Mankind, thou wilt easily shun the Temptations of an arrogant Spirit. Man, the Lord of all Below, though he assumes to himself that Pride of Heart, yet he is Vile in his Ingress, Miserable in his Progress, and Lamentable in his Egress: He is often assaulted, and provoked by Satan's Temptations: He is allured by Delights and Pleasures, cast down by Tribulations, entangl'd by Accusations, disrobed of Vertues, and ensnar'd into evil Habits and Customs. Why then art thou proud, O Earth and Ashes? Eccles. 10. 9. VVhat wast thou in thy Conception, but sinful Corruption? VVhat in thy Life, but a Lump of Flesh? And what after Death, but Food for VVorms? If there be any spark of Goodness in thee, it is not thy own, but the Almighty's, who is the only Donor of it.
II. THOU can'st claim nothing peculiar to thy self, but Sin which accompany'd thee into the VVorld; and therefore▪ if Divine Omnipotence hath inspired into thee any measure of His heavenly Grace, give Him the Glory to whom it is most due. If thou wilt be Christ's Disciple, observe His Doctrine: Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly of heart, Mat. 11. 29. And he that observes this Lesson, will at length attain to be a Proficient in the School of Humility. Our Saviour, the Pattern of Humility, stiles Himself, the Lilly of the Vallies, Cant. 2. 1. Inferring, That He is the most imbellish'd of all Flowers; and springs forth, not in the mountainous and lofty proud Hearts, but in the low Vallies of the contrite and humble Spirits.
III. AND the Royal Psalmist tells ye, God dwelleth on high, and yet he beholdeth the things that are humble, both in heaven and earth, Psal. 113. 5. If we contemplate with our selves, we may soon come to this result, That we cannot approach unto that Great Being, unless we tread in the Paths of Humility; for he that appears vile in his own Eyes, is valuable in the Eyes of the Almighty. VVeakness and Frailty is entail'd upon Humanity, and none can pretend to boast of such an Imbecillity. The twenty four Elders, (Rev. 4. 4.) cast down their Crowns before the Throne, (ver. 10.) and render unto God all praise and glory. And the Seraphims cover their faces, before the face of the most Highest, Isa. 6. 2. VVhat then should Man do, who is the vilest of all Creatures, the worst of Sinners, and so unthankful to his Creator.
IV. CHRIST, the Everlasting Son of God the Father, wonderfully descended from Heaven in great Humility, and miraculously condescended to take our frail Nature upon Him, and stooped so low as to be crucified for us: And what should poor Mortality answer for so high an Indulgence, who is gone so far astray from his Maker? Behold, thou aspiring Soul, with what wonderful Humility thy Saviour hath allayed thy Pride! And do'st thou still swell with Ambition? By the Path of Humility, and his bitter Death and Passion, Christ entered into his Glory, Luk. 24. 26. And dost thou imagine ever to reach Heaven-Gates, by wallowing in the haughty way of Pride: Lucifer, for his Ambition, was expell'd Heaven; and our First Parents, for Diabolical Pride, was cast out of Paradise: And dost thou think to arrive at Eternal Happiness through a Sea of Pride?
V. OH, let us rather demean our selves, with an humble jesus, to wash the Feet of others, than to seek ambitiously, with Satan, for the highest Place. Let us humble our selves under the Mighty Hand of God, in this Life present, that we may be exalted, in due time, in the Life to come. Fix not thy Heart upon what thou hast, but consider seriously what thou wantest. Mourn for those Graces that are absent, rather than extoll those Vertues thou hast acquired. Conceal, with all humility, what good Qualifications thou do'st enjoy; but confess those Sins thou daily committest.
VI. AS Fire is preserv'd by covering with Ashes, so Charity is secur'd under the Guard of Humility. Pride is the Seminary, Parent and Nurse to all Sins: Exercise therefore thy Vigilance and Care against any Elevation, lest by the precipice of thy Folly thou be cast headlong into the deep abyss of Sin and Misery. And now having consider'd the Detestableness of this Sin of Pride, and the Amiableness of this Virtue of Humility, let us earnestly endeavour to abandon the one, and embrace the other; and with all Sanctity, invoke the God of all Spirits to infuse into us his heavenly Grace, that this Tumour of Pride may be asswag'd in us; that his Meekness and Humility may be our perfect Pattern to guide us in this Life, and conduct us to the Life to come.