The Saints Temptations, Sermons · Sermon 5
SERMON V.
2 Cor. 12.7, 8, 9.
And leſt I ſhould be exalted above meaſure through the abundance of revelations? there was given to me a thorn in the fleſh, the meſſenger of Satan to buffet me, leſt I ſhould be exalted above meaſure.
For this thing I beſought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
And he ſaid unto me, My grace is ſufficient for thee: for my ſtrength is made perfect in weakneſs.
I Come now to propoun ſome remedies againſt this ſin. The diſeaſe of pride is ſuch a diſeaſe as is hardly cured; nay it is not wholly cured in the beſt of the Saints, while they live in the body, and all the remedies we can think of are little enough to heal this diſeaſe.
1. Remedy, Let us ſtudy much our own infirmities and imperfections. It is a ſure rule, The foundation of humility, F adamentum humilitatis cogni io proprii def ctus.is the knowledge of our own defects. Nothing laies ſo great a foundation of humility in us, as the knowledge of our own defects. We keep our eyes and pore upon our own ſuppoſed perfections, but we ſorget our infirmities and imperfections. The true ſenſe of our infirmities would ſtrike a holy ſhame into us. As the apprehenſion of what is good and excellent in us, is apt to lift us up in pride: So in order to the ſuppreſſing and keeping down our pride, it is good to conſider our natural infirmities, and our ſinful infirmities.
1. Let us conſider our natural infirmities, we are but mutable dying creatures at beſt, we are but poor pieces of clay. What little reaſon hath he to be proud, that remembers he is mortal, and muſt ſhortly be turned into rottenneſs and duſt? We may ſay to every one that finds his heart lifted up in pride, as one did that was appointed to come to Alexander, and uſe theſe words, Remember that thou art a man; ſo may we ſay, Remember that thou art a mortal creature. As high as thou art, and as much lifted up as thou art in thy own apprehenſion, thou muſt ſhortly be turned into rottenneſs, worms muſt feed upon thee.
2. Let us conſider our ſinful infirmities.
1. Conſider our great defects in grace, conſider our great defects in knowledge, 1 Cor. 8.2. If any man think he knows any thing, he knows nothing as he ought to know. How little is it that the beſt of us do know concerning the nature of God? Concerning the Divine nature and attributes? How little do we know concerning the Myſterie of the Trinity? How little do we know concerning the union of the two natures in Chriſt, the Hypoſtatical union as it is commonly called? How little do we know of the myſtical union, the union of believers with Chriſt? how little are we acquainted with any of theſe Articles of Faith? In all theſe reſpects we may ſay with him, I am more bruitiſh than any man, I have not the underſtanding of a man, Prov. 30.2. And as we are deſective in knowledge, ſo we are defective in faith, in love, in ſelf-denial, in heavenly mindedneſs, and many other graces. If ſome graces may ſeem to flouriſh in us, yet are we not greatly defective in other graces? And if there be ſome good in us, is there not a great deal of evil mixed with that little good? Are there not many ſinful circumſtances that do attend the beſt of our actions? It was the ſpeech of an eminently holy man. There was not the beſt action that ever I did in my life, but God ſhewed me ſome ſinful circumſtance attending it. Conſider what the wiſe man ſaith, Eccleſ. 10.1. Dead Flies cauſe the ointment of the Apothecary to ſend forth a ſtinking ſavour. A little ſin is like a little poyſon mixed with the greateſt delicacies, it mars and ſpoils all. It is true, God out of his grace forgets the ſinful circumſtances that attend his peoples ſervices; but ſin is of that nature that the leaſt mixture of it is enough to ſtain and blemiſh the beſt action.
2. Conſider as there are great defects of grace in us, ſo we all carry about with us the body of ſin and death, O wretched man that I am, who ſhall deliver me from the body of this death? Rom. 7.In me, that is in my fleſh there dwelleth no good thing, Rom. 7.18. There is nothing that is truly and ſpiritually good, that proceeds from our nature. Whatſoever is good proceeds from the ſpirit of God, and the grace of the ſpirit in us. Corrupt nature that is in us is prone to evil, and nothing elſe but evil; and if we do not always perceive the buddings and puttings forth of this root, yet it is in us: that evil root ſticks in us when it doth not always act in that ſenſible manner. Now what a humbling conſideration is this, that we ſhould carry ſuch a root of evil in us, that bears ſuch a contrariety in it to the holineſs of God? The holy Angels never had ſuch a root in them, they never had their natures vitiated and tainted as we have: and the glorified Saints, though ſometimes they had the root of original ſin in them as we have, yet now they have no ſuch root remaining in them. What matter of humiliation is this to us, that we have that root remaining in us that is ſo contrary to the holineſs of God? The holy Angels have it not in them, and the glorified Saints are delivered from it. There is little cauſe for any creature, the moſt perfect, and innocent creature to be proud; becauſe he is but a creature, and a dependant thing. But how much leſs cauſe is there of pride in a ſinful creature, that carries the marks of his ſhame about him, and hath loſt that purity that was ſtampt upon him in his firſt creation? When we have attained the higheſt meaſure of holineſs upon earth, yet remember it is not with us as in innocency, we have the root of original ſin ſtill remaining in us.
3. Conſider what great eruptions of ſin and corruption there have been in us. Whatever we are at preſent, we are by the grace of God. It is by grace that we are what we are. But whatever we are at preſent, hath not the time been, when there hath been great breakings out of corruption in us? I was ſaith Paul, a Blaſphemer, and a Perſecutor. 1 Tim. 1.16.Thou that thinkeſt thou haſt received moſt grace, and haſt attained moſt holineſs; haſt thou not been ſo and ſo? If thou haſt not been guilty of ſcandalous ſins, yet have there not many things fallen out in the courſe of thy converſation, which thou haſt cauſe to be aſbamed of? What fruit, Rom. 7.21.ſaith the Apoſtle, had ye in thoſe things, whereof you are now aſhamed? Let us remember the things that have fallen out in our converſation, they will be matter of humiliation to us all our days.
This is the firſt Remedy againſt pride, to ſtudy our own defects and imperfections.
The 2. great Remedy againſt pride, and that which I take to be the main of all, is this, Let us ſtudy the humility of God-incarnate. This is certain, no ſuch remedy againſt pride as the ſtudy of the humility of God incarnate, Learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart, Matth. 11.29. Let the ſame mind be in you that was in Chriſt Jeſus, Phil. 2.5, 6. What was the mind that was in Chriſt Jeſus? He was in the form of God, and yet took on him the form of a ſervant, and humbled himſelf to the death, even the death of the Croſs. It is Auſtins obſervation, That humility whereby God was born of a woman, and by ſuch great indignity and contumelies was brought by men unto death, is the higheſt medicine by which the tumor of pride is ſubdued and killed in us. O conſider it, The moſt Glorious God, the moſt humble man. God is humble, and ſhall a worm be proud? Now Chriſt was God and man in one perſon, and Chriſts condeſcenſion and humility was exceeding great, if we conſider him in either of theſe reſpects, as God or as man.
1. Conſider him as God, and ſo his condeſcenſion is exceeding great.
1. What condeſcenſion was it in God to come into the nature of man, to come into the nature of his own creature, a nature ſo inferiour to his own? He was in the form of God, ſaith the Apoſtle, and counted it no robbery to be equal with God, and yet he was made in the likeneſs of men, and he was found in faſhion as a man, Phil. 2.6,Creator at Dominus omnium reram unus voleui eſſe mortalium, Proinde qui manens in formá Dei f…cit & ho ninem, idem in formâ ſervi factus eſt homo. Leo.7, 8. One of the ancients expreſſeth it thus. He that was the Creator and Lord of all things would become one of mortal men. He who being in the form of God did make man, by aſſuming the form of a ſervant, he himſelf was made man. O what condeſcenſion was this?
2. The humility and condeſcenſion of Chriſt as God appears in this, That he was content to vail and hide his glory in our nature aſſumed. He was content to have the glory of his Divinity covered and eclipſed by the vail of his humanity, and that is the meaning of that expreſſion, Phil. 2.7. He emptied himſelf, foreign.taking upon him the form of a ſervant. How did the ſon of God empty himſelf? Not by diveſting himſelf of his Divinity; that was impoſſible; he remained to be God ſtill; It was not poſſible for him to ceaſe to be God. But the meaning is, He laid aſide the manifeſtation of his glory; He did not diveſt himſelf of his eſſential glory, that was impoſſible; But he laid aſide his manifeſtative glory for a time. He was content to have his glory unſeen for a time. Sometimes indeed he did emit and ſend forth the raies of his glory in his miracles. But otherwiſe, he did for the moſt part keep in the raies of his glory, during the time of his humiliation. He was lookt upon as the Carpenters ſon. He was hungry, weary, expoſed to the ſame infirmities as we are, only without ſin. All this was his voluntary condeſcenſion. The Son of God when he was in our nature, might always have let forth the bright beams of his Divinity, ſuch as ſhould have dazelled the eyes of the beholders. But he was content to have his glory unſeen. Now conſider it, If he who was the Son of God, and God, was content to have his glory vailed and unſeen, dot it become us to deſire to be ſeen and admired?
3. But then the depth of his humility lay in this, That he humbled himſelf, even to the death of the croſs; ſo the Apoſtle expreſſeth it, Phil. 2. Conſider it, The perſon who gave himſelf to ſuffer was God though in the nature of man, For their ſakes I ſanctifie my ſelf, John 17.19. The perſon that ſanctifies himſelf is God. So again, I lay down my life for the ſheep, John. 10.18. No man taketh it from me, I lay it down of my ſelf, I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. Certainly he that hath power to lay down his life, and take it up again, was more than man. No man that is a meer man can ſay thus, I have power to lay down my life, and I have power to take it up again; therefore he that ſpake theſe words was more than man. Now what condeſcenſion was it for that perſon who was God as well as man, to lay down his life for man, 1 John 3.16. Hereby perceive we the love of God, becauſe he laid down his life for us. And we may ſay, hereby do we perceive the great humility and condeſcenſion of God, that he laid down his life for us. O what a ſpectacle of hamility was it to the holy Angels, (think you) to ſee him hanging on the Croſs, whom they knew to be the Son of God, and God, although cloathed with our nature, and whom in his Divine nature they had been inured for ſo long a time to worſhip in Heaven? Here was a ſpectacle of humility indeed! It is Auſtins expreſſion,Remedi m elationis eſt contuitus Dominicae Crucis. Aug. The beſt remedy againſt pride is the beholding the Lords Croſs. Let us every day take a turn at the Croſs of Chriſt, and let us by the eye of faith behold the Son of God, and God in our nature ſuffering the greateſt torments to make expiation for our pride. What ſhould humble us more than this thought, that God muſt become man, ſuffer and die for man, to expiate mans pride? If the death of that perſon who was God, and who died on purpoſe to expiate our pride, will not humble us, I know not what will. I may ſay whilſt I was meditating on theſe things, I found my heart in ſome meaſure affected with theſe conſiderations; and if you ſteep your hearts deeply in theſe meditations, you may poſſibly find your hearts affected alſo. O conſider the humility of God incarnate.
2. Conſider him as man, Remedy 2.ſo his humility was very great. Never ſo humble a man as the man Chriſt Jeſus, Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, As a ſheep before his ſhearers is dumb, ſo he opened not his mouth. Matth. 11.One great argument of humility is ſubmiſſion: when a perſon ſubmits to bear all that is laid upon him, this is one great argument of humility. Chriſt was moſt patient and ſubmiſſive to bear all that which God and man laid upon him. He opened not his mouth, but as a meek Lamb bare all.1 Pet. 2. … When he was reviled, he reviled not again. And then, as his humility appeared in his ſubmiſſion, ſo his humility appeared in this, that he attributes and aſcribes all to the Father, The Father in me doth the works, John 14.10. I can of my ſelf do nothing, as I hear I judge, John 6.30. Now the greatneſs of Chriſts humility as he was man, appears from theſe three or four Conſiderations, briefly, I pray you weigh them and conſider them deeply.
1. In that he knew that he had the fulneſs of all habitual grace, that was poſſible for a created nature to be filled with. The ſpirit of the Lord did reſt upon him, the ſpirit of wiſdom and underſtanding, the ſpirit of counſel and of might, the ſpirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord, Iſa. 11.2. O conſider it, Chriſt was humble when he knew he had all that grace that it was poſſible for his humanity to be filled with, and when he knew that he had not the leaſt ſin in him; and ſhall we be proud who have ſo little grace and ſo much ſin? If Chriſt was humble when he had perfection of grace and no ſin, doth it become us to be proud, who have ſo little grace, and ſo much ſin?
2. Chriſt knew that his humane nature was perſonally united to the Divine: And this he knew was ſuch a dignity, that no creature was or ſhould be admitted to beſides his humanity. Now when Chriſt knew that he had attained that honour, the grace of union which no creature was ever honoured with, or ever ſhall be, but his humanity; yet he was moſt humble under this dignity.
3. Chriſt knew that his humanity was to be uſed as a conjunct organ of the Divinity in the work of mediatorſhip. It was by him as man that the Law was perfectly to be obeyed and fulfilled. It was by him that the penalty of the Law was to be undergon, he alſo as man was to make interceſſion for us. This alſo was ſuch an honour that no creature was admitted unto. No creature was ever intereſted in the work of mediation with God, but that humanity of his, There is one mediator between God and men, the man Chriſt Jeſus, 1 Tim. 2.5. He knew no creature ſhould ever be intereſted in the work of mediatorſhip with God, as his humane nature was, and yet he was humble under this honour.
4. He knew that after his humiliation, after the work he had to do for the Father, was finiſhed, he ſhould be in the ſtate of his exaltation, be advanced above all creatures, Epheſ. 1.20. He ſet him at his own right hand, in the Heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but in that which is to come. It was Chriſt-man that was thus to be exalted. As he was the eternal Son of God, ſo he needed no exaltation. For being in the form of God, he was equal with God. But he that was thus to be exalted was he that was raiſed from the dead; ſo we have it at verſ. 20. Which he wrought in Chriſt when he raiſed him from the dead, and ſet him at his own right hand, &c. Now according to his humanity was he raiſed, and therefore according to his humanity was he exalted. Now conſider it, He that knew he ſhould be exalted above all creatures, not only in this world, but in that which is to come, he was moſt humble, though he foreſaw his exaltation; and that the dignity he ſhould be advanced unto, was ſuch a dignity that no creature ſhould be advanced unto, yet no creature more humble than he. Learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart. Oh let us ſtudy Chriſt much, let us ſtudy the humility of God incarnate: there is no means ſo effectual to humble us as this.
3.Remedy 3. Let us ſtudy the greatneſs and majeſty of God. As the humility and condeſcenſion of God on the one hand, ſo the majeſty and greatneſs of God on the other hand, may be a means to humble us.H…wilitas homiais, & allitude Deitatis. L…o. Now in Chriſt both of theſe met, The humility of man, and height of the Deity. Therefore as his humility as man, ſo the conſideration of his highneſs and excellency as God, may be a means to humble us. All creatures compared to God are as nothing, you know what the Prophet ſaith,Iſa. 40.17. All nations before him are as the drop of the bucket, leſs than nothing, and vanity. What do we account of a poor bubble that is blown up? Truly all the creatures are but as ſo many bubbles blown up. The ſame omnipotency which made all the creatures which we ſee and behold, could make many more if he pleaſed. We compare our ſelves with our ſelves, we compare our ſelves with others; but O if we did compare our ſelves with the Divine majeſty, then we ſhould ſee all our wiſdom was but folly, our ſtrength but weakneſs, our utmoſt perfection but imperfection. It is a known paſſage, that of Job, Job 42.56. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye ſeeth thee, wherefore I abhor my ſelf, and repent in duſt and aſhes. This is a certain truth; nothing ſo much humbles the ſoul as clear ſights of God. When Daniel had a ſight of Chriſt in his majeſty and glory, what doth he ſay? O, ſaith he, There remained no more ſtrength in me, …a…iel 10.8.for my comelineſs in me was turned into corruption, and I retained no ſtrength. Had we right thoughts of Gods immenſity, it would reduce us to nothing, it would certainly do ſo. Take all the creatures and put them all together, they are all as nothing in compariſon of God. Therefore there is little reaſon that one poor ſingle duſt, as each one of us is, ſhould be proud. Let us ſtudy therefore the greatneſs and majeſty of God.
4.Remedy 4. Conſider whatever good or excellency there is in us, it is the gift of God. Have we wiſdom, parts, grace, eſtate, dignity, honour, All theſe are the giſts of God. And is it reaſon that we ſhould be proud of that which is anothers? What haſt thou O man, that thou haſt not received, and if thou haſt received it, why doſt thou boaſt as if thou hadſt not received it, again, who made thee to differ? Thou wert made of the ſame clay with other men; and if God hath caſt more honour upon thee than he hath upon others, thou haſt no reaſon to be proud who waſt taken out of the common maſs, but to admire ſoveraign grace who hath beſtowed that upon thee, that he hath not upon others.
5. As a Remedie againſt Pride,Remedy 5. Conſider pride is the perverſion of the end of our being. The creature as it was from another, ſo it was made for another. No creature was made for it ſelf, that is certain,Rom. 11.36. All things were of him, and by him, and to him. The creature was made for the glory of the Creator. Therefore when the creature exalts it ſelf, and refers all things to it ſelf, it forgets the end of its creation. In Heaven God ſhall be all in all; this is the perfection of the next world, that the glory of God ſhall ſhine forth through all creatures, and by all creatures; and we ought to account it our greateſt perfection here on earth to be ſubordinate to God, and to be uſed by him for his glory. Now pride makes us diſtinct and ſeparate from God, who ſhould be referred to the glory of God; ſo that pride is the perverſion of the end of our being.
6. Let us mourn over the ebullitions and actings of pride,Remedy 6. and alſo over the root of it.
1. We ſhould mourn over the ebullitions and actings of pride in us. It is ſaid of Hezekiah, That he humbled himſelf for the pride of his heart. When that good man ſhewed his riches and treaſures to the Embaſſadors of the King of Babylon, there was pride in it, and God made him ſenſible of it; and he humbled himſelf for the actings of pride. We ought to be ſenſible of all the buddings and puttings forth of pride, and to be humbled for it; And as we ſhould be ſenſible of the buddings and puttings forth of pride, ſo 2. We ſhould be humbled over the root it ſelf. O wretched man that I am, who ſhall deliver me from the body of this death! When we do not find theſe ſenſible actings and ſtirrings of pride in us, yet the root of it is there. Now we ſhould be humbled that there is ſuch a root in us. Pride was the firſt venom or poyſon that was breathed by the old ſerpent into our nature. Pride is moſt contrary to the glory of God, and it is the core and heart of all ſin. As the Naturaliſts ſay of the heart, It is the firſt thing that lives, and the laſt thing that dies; ſo we may ſay of Pride, It is the firſt ſin that lives, and the laſt ſin that dies. This ſhould be matter of humiliation to us, that we have ſuch a bitter root as pride in us.
The 7.Remedy 7. Remedy againſt pride is this, The more we find the ſtirrings of pride in us, the more ſhould we labour to abound in humility. Be ye cloathed with humility:1 Pet. 5.5. The more we find the ſtirrings of pride in us, the more ſhould we labour to put on humility. It's one good means to mortifie a luſt, to labour to abound in the contrary grace, to live in the exerciſe of the contrary grace; this the Apoſtle teacheth us in Gal. 5.16. Walk in the ſpirit and ye ſhall not fulfil the luſts of the fleſh. The way for us not to fulfil the luſts of the fleſh is to walk in the ſpirit. The way to keep down corruption is to live in the exerciſe of grace. When we find our hearts inclined to pride, we ſhould pray for grace that we may find our hearts ſo much the more humble.
8. Let us be ſure to give God the glory of what he hath done for us,Remedy 8. and beſtowed upon us. Herod is condemned for this, that he gave not God the glory. Acts 12.23.We are apt to pore upon what God hath done for us, and to forget the giver; whereas we ſhould reflect all upon God, and ſay, Not I, but the grace of God in me.
Laſtly, Let us labour for a holy magnanimity and greatneſs of ſpirit.Remedy 9. There is that which ſome of the ancients call a holy pride, Sancta ſuperbia.that is this when the ſoul having a ſenſe of its own excellency and nobleneſs, thinks that it is beneath it ſelf, to proſtitute it ſelf to theſe inferiour things.Nullum niſi omnipotentiſſimum, ſapientiſſimum, & pulcherrimum, ſuper omnia amare dignatur. It would be joyned and united to the higheſt thing. It thinks that 'tis beneath it ſelf to be joyned to any thing but the higheſt good, It can vouchſafe to love none above all things, but he that is moſt omnipotent, moſt wiſe, moſt beautiful. This is holy pride, when the ſoul ceaſeth to admire every thing but God; when it ceaſeth to admire it ſelf, and all creatures, and is wholly taken up in the admiration of God who is the firſt, ſupream, infinite and eternal perfection. This is holy pride in the ſoul when it ſelf and all the creatures ſeem vile and baſe to it in compariſon of God. This is a great but a good pride, Magna ſed bona ſuperbia.as one of the Ancients calls it. This holy magnanimity of ſpirit, is in the Angels and glorified Saints, to whom not only all creatures, but they themſelves ſeem to be vile to themſelves in compariſon of God whom they love.
The end of the Fifth Sermon.