The Revival of Grace, Part 2 · Chapter 5 · Section 8
CAP. V. Sect. 8. Humility Improved, on Chriſt's Dying a Teſtator.
8. THE eight Sacramental grace I did mention was Humility. The proud and lofty heart bearing it ſelf high upon its own deceived opinion, is not fit for the Lords Table and Supper; the Lord ſtands (not as an endeared Friend to entertain, foreign, Jam. 4.6. Pſal. 22.26.but) as an armed man to oppoſe, the proud. 'Tis the meek ſhall eat and be ſatisfied, as the Pſalmiſt in anocaſe ſaid, who come to the Lords Table richly provided with their ſelf-confidences are ſent empty away, Luk. 1.53. 1 Pet. 5.5.whilſt he filleth the hungry with good things. In this clothing muſt we appear, for however plain it may ſeem to be, 'tis really a clothing of very great price in the account of God; 1 Pet. 3.4.to ſpeak of the excellency of this grace is aliene to this place; and the ſeaſonableneſs, and ſuitableneſs of it to the Sacrament, I think ſo apparent, that it needeth not any proof, I rather addreſs my ſelf to point out the incentives which from Chriſt Dying our Teſtator, do offer themſelves to ſet forward and improve this grace of humility; It will teach us to judge of our ſelves as becometh us, and it will ever keep us lowly.
1. The Apoſtles motive to humility, 1 Cor. 4.7. offereth it ſelf to us in the very entrance on this meditation; what haſt thou which thou haſt not received? look on either the beauty of thy renewed ſoul, or the comelineſs of thy holy converſation, or the excellency of thy juſtified ſtate, or the honour of thy Adoption, or look on the luſtre of thy ſpiritual joyes, thy heavenly Hopes. And of all theſe in general, or of any of the particulars compriſed in them; can'ſt thou ſay, this, or that is not received? I know thou can'ſt not deny the receiving, and if thou haſt received, why doſt thou boaſt? this Queſtion, like a needle, opens the ſwoln bladder of pride, and letteth out the wind of vain opinion, which would either corrupt, or break us. Thou hadſt had as little to pride thy ſelf in as one who hath only his ſhame to glory in, if thou hadſt not received what is now thy glory; it was the bounty of thy Rich, and Loving, Friend at his Death, to enrich thee; thou haſt no reaſon either
1. To boaſt before God, who hath choſen and called thee, as others like thee, weak, fooliſh and baſe; Free and Rich mercy hath raiſed, made wiſe, and excellent; and now neither thou, I, or any fleſh may boaſt before God, 1 Cor. 1.26, 27, 28, 29. For what we are, we are in Chriſt, as v. 30. And the glory is due to God alone; as v. 31.
2. Nor to boaſt over thy brother who was every whit as Good as thou before Grace made the difference, and may ere long be as Rich in Grace as any, and more humble than thou art yet. He who hath adorned and bleſſed thee, might with the ſame freeneſs have adorned him whom thou deſpiſeſt. Since then all that Good which is in thee was given to thee by thy Dying Lord, it is abſurd and exceeding unſeemly for thee to lift up thy ſelf above thy brother, or to Glory in thy ſelf before thy God. When thou intendeſt to approach the Sacrament, and when thou art there attending on the Lord, remember thou hadſt been poor and deſtitute of all thoſe bleſſings therein repreſented, if thy Lord Dying, had not by Will bequeathed all to thee;
2. The Second perſwaſive to Humility drawn from the Death of Chriſt as a Teſtator, leaving us ſuch Legacies, may be our incapacity to ſerve him in any real ſervice of advantage to him. We Never yet were, we never ſhall hereafter be in any capacity either of deſerving what we have received, or of requiting the love which gave it to us. He that gave it, gave by Will, and Dyed to confirm his Will, and our goodneſs could not extend to our Friend in the other world. Our Lord needeth it not; wee are, when our beſt is done, unprofitable ſervants. Theſe are two things which have kept better men in a humble, lowly thought of themſelves. David's prayer, Pſal. 16.1. was from a humble heart, and in an humbled ſtate; and he maintained his Humility on the obſervation of his uſeleſneſs and unprofitableneſs to his Lord, his preſerver, ver. 2, 3. My Goodneſs extendeth not unto thee, &c. It is Elihu his argument, Job 35. ver. 5. with 7. &. 8. To perſwade to humility. And Eliphaz. Job. 22.2. lay's down man's unprofitableneſs firſt, and leaves us to conclude that unprofitable man muſt be a humble man; thou mayeſt not be proud before one who needs thee not; thou muſt not boaſt in thy Beſt, ſeeing thy beſt is not good to him before whom thou boaſteſt. Should a man boaſt himſelf in his ſmoaky cottage before his Soveraign in his magnificent pallace? or ſhould a lame and decrepit fool boaſt of his wiſdom and ſtrength, and commend it to his Soveraign for the wars? In a word or two,
1. Were thy Lord but a man, yet his preſent ſtate of Majeſty and certaineſt coming in Glory confirmed, repreſented to thee in his Laſt Teſtament, mindeth thee that he needeth not thy help. Thou canſt not ſay, He can be, but not ſo well without me.
2. The largeneſs of that ſtate he was poſſeſſed of before he gave thee intereſs in it, and which he hath ſtill in his poſſeſſion ſince he gave thee a right to any part of it, doth clearly demonſtrate that thou haſt nothing to pride thy ſelf in before thy Teſtator: amongſt other cauſes of humility, we ſhall find that the wealth and Riches of thoſe we appear before, is one which perſwadeth us to a demiſs and lowly deportment and behaviour; there is an appearance of Glory in Riches, Pſal. 49.16. For with increaſe of Riches there is in common eſteem an increaſe of Glory. Now in the gifts and Legacies of thy Dying Lord, thou mayſt clearely ſee thoſe true, precious, and laſting Treaſures of grace, comfort and glory, which he was, and is ſtill owner of; with him are Riches and honour, Prov. 8.18. To him therefore reverent carriage, and humble thoughts, (affections, and eſteem) of our ſelves in his preſence is moſt ſuitable. And who is not affected with humility and lowlineſs toward Chriſt, is ſo much the more injurious to him by how much more excellent and precious Chriſt's riches and wealth excel the Riches of men which are ſo highly eſteemed, that they are judged ſufficient ground of honour to the owner, and ſufficient cauſe of commanding humble carriage in the poorer.
3. In Chriſt Dying a Teſtator, thou mayeſt diſcern a dignity of dominion and Lordſhip over the things which are diſpoſed of by will; A dominion which cometh near to an abſolute and uncontrouled dominion, what a man may give by will to whomſoever he pleaſeth, is more under the dominion of that man than the things which need a farther and more large conveyance. As the eſtate which may be deviſed by Will, and ſo convey'd to a Child, Friend, or ſtranger, is more under the dominion of the preſent owner, than is that eſtate which ſome law entaileth on the owners heirs, or Children. Now this being the caſe. Chriſt's dominion, and abſolute ſoveraignty over the good things he hath given by Will, doth require and deſerve a humble and lowly ſpirit in thoſe who partake of theſe gifts. Dominion is as a Ground of honour in thoſe who are inveſted with it; ſo a Ground of humility in thoſe who are inferiour to it. What would be eſteemed Friendly familiarity in me towards my equal, and a commendable deportment, would be accounted inſolent pride in me towards my Lord, or Soveraigne, and a carriage not to be endured. Joſeph advanced to be Ruler over all the Land of Aegypt, muſt be ſaluted with a Bowing Knee, Gen. 41.43. Which was the outward and viſible expreſſion of that double apprehenſion, Gen. 27.29. Iſa. 49.23. Eſth. 3.2, 5.(1.) of his worth and honour, (2.) of the meanneſs and lowneſs of the reſt who bowed. It is a very general and ancient ſigne of the reſpect we bear to the dignity and worth of any one we bow before. The inſolent ſouldiers in their carriage toward Chriſt when they bowed the knee, Math. 27.29. Shewed us what humility becometh ſubjects, and what honour is due to Soveraigns. Look then on that abſolute dominion and power which appeareth in Chriſt's laſt Will and Teſtament, be then Judge in the caſe, and ſay, What beſeemeth thee in Receiving gifts from Soveraigne power, from an abſolute Lord? will it not beſeem thy low, abject, and poor ſtate, to attend the preſence, and receive the gifts of ſuch a Lord (as Chriſt is) with a bended knee, and a humble heart?
What might be farther ſaid in this particular I ſhall leave to each ones larger meditations becauſe I will haſten to an end of the Chapter and ſubject.