The Best Treasure, Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII.
Wherein is opened the tranſcendent Humility of Chriſt.
ANother part of this total Sum of Chriſt's perſonal Treaſure, conſiſting in the Sweetneſs of his Diſpoſition, is,
Fourthly, His Humility and Lowlineſs of mind, This is an excellent Vertue, and that which the very Heathens have eſteemed at a high Rate: 'tis a rare thing (ſaith Aretius) and rare things are excellent: Chryſoſtom calls it the chiefeſt Vertue, the Salt that ſeaſons all other Excellencies, and the Beginning of all Good. If any (ſaith Auſtin) ſhould ask me what is the chiefeſt Vertue? I ſhould ſay, Humility; what is the next? Humility, what is the next? Humility. The humble Soul (ſaith Manton) is God's ſecond Heaven, Iſa. 57. 15▪ Of ſo great a worth is all true Humility in any, eſpecially in Perſons of Height and Grandure: for theſe to come down, and humble themſelves is exceeding high and noble. O then what is Humility in the high and lofty one, in the Lord of Glory and King of Kings, and Lord of Lords; yet this is part of Chriſt's Treaſure, Mat. 11. 29. Learn of me, for I am meak and lowly: He who beſt knew himſelf, who is Truth it ſelf and cannot lye, hath declared that he is lowly, and that not in Carriage, and external Shew only, but in Heart alſo: O what ſtupendious wonder is this, that ſo glorious a perſon as the only begotten Son of God ſhould be lowly in Heart? I ſpeak not here of his divine Nature as God, though in that reſpect he is lowly too, Iſa. 57. 15. Though he inhabiteth the higheſt Heaven, yet he dwelleth alſo in the loweſt Heart; yea 'tis wonderful Condeſcenſion in God to behold the things that are in Heaven and Earth, Pſal. 113. 5, 6. But I treat here of Chriſt as Mediator, God-man, and ſo he is humble and lowly in Heart, which will appear, if we conſider theſe particulars,
Firſt, His Humility whilſt he was on Earth.
Secondly, His Humility now he is in Heaven.
His Humility on Earth conſiſts, firſt, in his Willingneſs (being God over all and Maker of all) to become man his Creature; this is ſtrange, that the Son of God ſhould be willing to be accounted, yea to become the Son of man, Heb. 2. 16. He did not take the Nature of Angels upon him, but he took on him the Seed of Abraham; ſo verſ. 14. Foraſmuch then as the Children were Partakers of Fleſh and Blood, he likewiſe alſo himſelf, took part of the ſame. (foreign) He did freely receive their Communion-nature, or did freely communicate with them in the ſame Nature: He took on him the Seed of Abraham, (foreign) he conſented to take their Nature, and therein to be their Avenger and Redeemer, as the word imports: O Humility! That this glorious Jehovah ſhould condeſcend to ſo near a Union with man, a Creature ſo low and of ſo ſmall Account, Iſa. 2. 22. Pſal. 8. 4. A Creature ſo poor, deſtitute of all Good, and deprived of its Beauty, Strength, Riches, and Glory, Pſal. 140. 12. Rev. 3. 17. A Creature ſo filthy and vile, that it drinketh up Iniquity as water, Job. 15. 16. And a Creature ſo guilty before God, of Rebellion and high Treaſon, one that hath forfeited all his Mercies, and ſtands bound over to the juſt Sentence of Death and Condemnation.
Secondly, in his Birth, He was born of mean and obſcure Parents; Joſeph his Father was a Carpenter, he deſcended not from perſons of the higheſt Dignity, but of low Eſtate, as Mary her ſelf acknowledgeth, Luke 1. 48. He was born in a Stable, and laid in a Manger, Luke 2. 7. A contemptible place where bruit Beaſts uſe to lodge and feed; he was worſhipped by the wiſe men of the Eaſt, acknowledged to be King of the Jews, and proclaimed to be Saviour of the World by an Herauldry of Angels, and yet hath no b…tter Cradle than a Manger. O unparellel'd Condeſcenſion!
Thirdly, In his voluntary making himſelf of no Reputation, and taking on him the Form of a Servant, Phil. 2. 7. He did, as it were, evacuate himſelf, and ſpoil himſelf of all his Glory as the word ſignifies; not that he ceaſed to be God, or to be equal with the Father, but he concealed all this Glory, and as it were, depriv'd himſelf of all the Manifeſtations of it, by uniting to himſelf the form of a Servant, that is, the humane nature in a ſervile State: he took upon him the Form of a Servant, Non dimittendo quod erat, ſed aſſumendo quod non erat (ſays Zanchy) As God he was omnipotent, but this Omnipotency was hid under the weakneſs of his humane Nature, his Omniſcience veiled under a limitted Knowledge, his Glory clouded under Shame, his Riches concealed under Poverty, his Majeſty obſcured under Contempt, and his Immortality cloathed with Mortality. Queſt. What Servant did Chriſt take on him the Form of? Anſ. Why: 1. Of the Servant of God, Iſa. 42. 1. Behold my Servant whom I uphold. Some take it paſſively, on whom I will lean, and in whom I will truſt, and commit my whole Work unto: others actively, whom I will raiſe up and ſtrengthen, and carry through my Work. Again, 2. He became the Servant of man alſo, Matth. 20. 28. The Son of man came not to be miniſtred unto, but to miniſter.
Fourthly, In his being made under the Law, Gal. 4. 4. When the Fulneſs of time was come God ſent forth his Son made under the Law, and therefore 'tis ſaid, he was a Miniſter of the Circumciſion: O! What Humility was this? That the Son of God ſhould ſtoop to the Paedagoge of the Law, and enter on this low and legal Obedience.
Fifthly, In his Obedience to his Parents, and Submiſſion to their low and mean Condition, both for Food and Apparel, Luke 2. 51. And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was ſubject to them.
Sixthly, In his Employment, and Calling he was pleaſed to uſe, till he entred upon his Miniſtry: He continued with his Father, and (as one of the Fathers hath it) wrought at his Father's Trade, and therefore was called the Carpenter, Mark, 6. 3. Joſeph (ſays Mr. Lightfoot) taught Chriſt his own Trade: And Juſtin Martyr (an ancient Writer) ſayes, That Jeſus Chriſt, before he entred upon his Miniſtry, made Plows and Yokes.
Seventhly, In his Company: He did not chuſe the Society of Great and Noble, but of mean and obſcure Perſons: He ſet apart Fiſhermen and Publicans to be his Diſciples, and accompanied Publicans and Sinners, which cauſed the Senate of Rome to vote him down from being a God, becauſe all his Diſciples and followers were inconſiderable and beggarly, Joh. 7. 48.
Eightly, In his contentment with mean things: He had not a houſe where to lay his head, Matth. 8. 20. And 'tis ſaid, he was willing to be poor, For being rich he made himſelf poor, that we, through his poverty, might become rich, 2 Cor. 8, 9. He was content with any fare, Barly Bread and Fiſhes; a broyled Fiſh, and an honey-comb, Luke 24. 42. He was not as proud Perſons are, nice, and choice of his D…et, but was pleaſed with any food, Joh. 21. 5. Children, have you any meat?
Ninthly, In his ſubmiſſive carriages towards God and men; when the Lord bruis'd him, and made his Soul an Offering for Sin, we find not one haſty or undue Expreſſion: But, 'tis ſaid, He was led as a Sheep dumb before her Shearer, Iſa. 53. 4, 6, 7. All that he ſaid, was this humble complaint, O God, my God, why haſt thou forſaken me? He was rejected and deſpiſed of men, and yet maintain'd an humble deportment, ver. 3. He was lowly to all Perſons, not only to the high and noble, but to the poor and deſpicable; not only to Friends but to Enemies; not only abroad but at home; not only among the meek and humble, but among the proud and peeviſh; not when it was admired, but when deſpiſed.
Tenthly, In his doing the meaneſt Services: He condeſcended to the loweſt, and moſt contemptible actions, if he might adminiſter good, Matth. 20. 28. He girded himſelf with a Towel, as a Servant, and waſhed his Diſciples feet, Joh. 13. 4, 5.
Laſtly, In his patient bearing others Sins, and Sufferings. Proud men cannot endure to bear another's Fault, but Chriſt was willing to be numbred amongſt Tranſgreſſors, to be reckoned an Offender, and to bear the Sins of many, even of all that come unto him, 1 Pet. 2. 24. He humbled himſelf to the Death, Phil. 2. 8. To a ſhameful Death; the Death of the greateſt Malefactors; and to the curſed Death of the Croſs.
Secondly, The Lord Jeſus was not only humble whilſt on Earth, when he paſs'd through his ſtate of Humiliation; but even now, when he is in Heaven, and hath entred into his Glory, he detains this lowlineſs of heart. This will be perſpicuous, if you conſider,
Firſt, His Condeſcention to behold the things on Earth, Pſal. 113. 5, 6. One would have thought it beneath the Dignity of Chriſt, now advanc'd above all Glory, to take any notice of Sublunar Affairs: but if he delighted in the habital Parts of the Earth, before he came down to redeem them, then much more now he hath the poſſeſſion of the fruit of his Blood among them.
Secondly, His Converſes with the meaneſt, and moſt deſpicable Perſons on Earth, by his Spirit, Iſa. 57. 17. Joh. 14. 19. 21, 23. Be they never ſo low and poor, yet, if holy, he takes up his abode with them, and keeps his Court amongſt them.
Thirdly, His bowing down of his Ear to hear the cryes of his poor, and deſpiſed People, Pſal. 10. 17. Lord, thou haſt heard the deſire of the humble, Pſal. 31. 2. Bow down thine Ear to hear me.
Fourthly, His gentle and kind reception of their poor, pitiful Offerings and Services, Pſal. 51. 17. The Sacrifices of God are a broken Spirit, a broken and a contrite Heart, O God, thou wilt not deſpiſe.
Fifthly, His owning them in the face of the World, before Kings and Rulers, 1 Chro. 16. 21. 22. He is not aſham'd to call them Brethren, Heb. 2. 11.
Sixthly, His appearing for them in Heaven, and confeſſing them before his Father's Face in Glory, Matth. 10. 32. Heb. 9. 24.
Seventhly, His looking after their meaneſt Concerns, and numbring the very hairs of their head, Matth. 10. 30.
Laſtly, His ſlowneſs to Anger. But this properly pertains to another excellent Diſpoſition of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, namely his Meekneſs, where you may find it fully handled.
Is Jeſus Chriſt of ſuch an humble, ſubmiſſive Diſpoſition? then,
Firſt, Admire the greatneſs of Divine Love, in giving ſuch a Saviour, of ſo humble and lowly a Spirit: Had not the Son of God been of a condeſcending Nature, he would never have become man; and what then would have been the ſtate of Sinners? Had he not been of a lowly mind, he would never have conſented to have come into the World in the form of a Servant; and then enthralled Sinners could never have been made free: Had he not been humble, he would never have been willing to be made under the Law; and then the righteouſneſs of the Law had never been fulfilled: Had he not been lowly, he would never have borne our Fault and Puniſhment; and then our Sins muſt have been charged upon our own heads.
Secondly, This will ſerve to ſhame the proud hearts of men, eſpecially thoſe that profeſs Chriſt: O, ſee the vileneſs of your Pride in the glaſs of Chriſt's Humility!
Thirdly, Labour to be like to Chriſt, and to be enriched with this excellent adorning Grace of Humility.
Fourthly, Here's Encouragement to humbled Sinners, from the Lowlineſs of Chriſt: You that ſee your Iniquities to be heavier than you can bear, and are afraid becauſe of the Terrours of the Almighty; yet be encouraged to come to Chriſt, becauſe he is humble, Iſa. 57. 15. You that ſee no Worthineſs in your ſelves to come before him, but are fearful to approach into his Preſence, becauſe of your Poverty and low Eſtate; be encouraged to draw nigh to him, becauſe he is humble, Iſa. 41. 17. You that ſee an Infinite diſtance betwixt God and you, and ſo dare not approach him; let his Humility encourage you, he will not deſpiſe the Prayer of the deſtitute, Pſal. 102. 17. You that think your Souls beneath the thoughts and care of ſuch a God, and that he will take no notice of you; O, conſider his Humility for your Hope, Pſal. 113. 6. Cheriſh expectations from Chriſt's Humility, for the mortification of your Pride; becauſe 'tis God's Ordinance and appointment unto this end, Matth. 11. 29.