A Counterpoison, Religious treatise · Chapter 11
CHAP. XI.
That it makes them humble.
8. EIghtly, that …e may have an humble conceit of our selves, and wholly depend upon God. We received the sentence of death in our selves (saith the Apostle) because we should not trust in our selves, but in God, who raiseth us up from the dead, 2 Cor. 1. 9. When Babes are afraid, they cast themselves into the armes and bosome of their mother. A Hen leading her Chickens into the Sunne, they fall a playing with the dust, she may clock them to her long enough, they will not come: But when they see the Kite, then they come without calling: And so it fares with Gods Children till affliction come. The Prodigall never thought of his Father, till hee wanted huskes; the Peroni… never made out to Christ till all her money was gone. The Widow that is left alone trusteth in God, saith the Apostle, 1 Tim. 5. 5. who while she had an husba…d, leaned too much upon him. The poore man depends not upon the reliefe of others, untill hee …inds nothing at home. Till our meanes is spent, wee are apt to trust in uncertaine riches; but after, in the name of the Lord, Zeph. 3. 12. Asa bore himselfe bold upon his forces, as being five hundred and fourescore thousand strong: till hee was overmatcht with an Army of a thousand thousand Ethiopians: this made him cry, helpe us O Lord our God, for we rest on thee, 2 Chron. 14.
God crosseth many times our likelyest projects, and makes the sin…ws of the Arme of flesh to crack, that being unbottomed of the creature, wee may trust in the living God: who giveth us richly all things to enjoy, 1 Tim. 6. 17.
The people of Layish, because they wanted nothing, would have businesse with no man, Judg. 18. 7. Where is no want, is much wantonnesse: and to be rich in temporals, hastens poverty in spirituals. The Moone is never eclipsed, but in the full: but the fuller she is, still the more remote from the Sunne. I thought in my prosperity (saith David) I shall never be moved, But thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled, Then turned I unto thee, &c. Psal. 30. 6, 7, 8. It is high time to humble them, that doe not find themselves to stand in need of God.
When a stubborne Delinquent, being committed, was no whit mollified with his durance, but grew more perverse than he was before; one of the Senators said to the rest, Let us forget him a while, and then he will remember himselfe; Loving Spaniels, the more they are beaten, the more tractable, and gentle doe they appeare, and apply themselves more diligently to their masters call.
The Heart is so hot of it selfe, that if it had not the Lungs, as Fannes to blow wind upon it, and kindly moysture to coole it, it would soone perish with the owne heat: and yet when that moysture growes too redundant, it againe drownes the Heart. Who so nourisheth his servant daintily from his chil…hood shall after find him stubborne. In prosperity, wee are apt to thinke our selves men good enough, wee see not our need of God: but let him send the Crosse, it confutes us presently: and shewes us our nothingnesse. Even Saint Paul was sick of this disease, hee began to be pu…t up, untill the messenger of Satan was sent to take him downe, 2 Cor. 12. 7. And Saint Peter, Mat. 26. 33. Though all men should forsake thee, yet I will never forsake thee, bravely promised: but Peter the same night swore I know not the man; cowardly answered. It is one thing to suffer in speculation, and another in practice.
It is a wonder to see, how the best men may bee mistaken in their owne powers: When our Saviour propounds to James and John, are yee able to drink of the Cup that I shall drinke of? and to be baptized with the baptisme that I shall be baptized with? out of an eager desire of the honour, they are apt to undertake the condition: and answer accordingly, we are able, Math. 20. 22. But alas poore men, no thankes to them that they were able to ruime away (as they did) when their master was apprehended. For God must give us his dayly bread to feed us, and his dayly breath to quicken us, or we quickely perish: yet how common is it for men to brag and crack of what they can doe: yea, one that hath but a wooden head and a leaden heart, how will he helpe it out with a brazen face, and a golden hand; for being as great in pride, as he is small in desert: hee will keepe adoe in an audacious masterlinesse, as if with Simon Magus hee would bare downe all with large proffers. But this cannot be so pleasing to nature, as it is hatefull to God. Neither can there be a worse signe, of ensuing evill, then for a man in a carnall presumption to vaunt of his owne abilities? how justly doth God suffer that man to be foyled; purposely that he may be ashamed of his owne vaine selfe-confidence.
When a great Prelate durst write, Ego et Rex meus: I and my King: the King subscribed in act; Ego & servus meus, I and my slave; and quickly tooke downe the maine Mast of his ambition: so will God doe by all proud men, and make them know, that all their worthinesse, is in a capable misery: which he can soon doe, for let him but make our purses light, our hearts will soone grow heavy: at least, let him with that, deprive us of his other blessings: we become as dust, coagulated, and kneaded into Earth by teares. And certa…nely, if God owne such a man, he will quicken his sight with this Copris: Yea, he will leave him to himselfe, and let hi… fall into some foule sinne, as he did Peter: And Saint Austin is peremptory that it hath beene prositable for proud men, to fall into some grose offence; for they have not lost so much by their fall, a… they have got by being downe. It is better to be humble under sinne, than bee proud of grace. Of the two, to be a Pharisee, is worse then to be a Publican: to be proud of good endowments, is worse then to have neither pride, nor good endowments. Yea in this case, the party is not onelyonly bettered, but others learne humility thereby: for who can doe other then yearne, and feare, to see so rich, and goodly a vessell split, as David, or Solomon was.
Againe, it makes us pittifull, and compassionate to others: They (saith Sophocles) are usually the most compassionate to others, who have suffered miseries themselves. And what saith that Tyrian Queene? evills have taught mee to bemoane, all that affliction makes to groane.
And lastly, the Devill hereby is cheated, who if hee cannot beat us downe to sinne, will blow us up with pride: he will undermine us, if he cannot overthrow us: like a most cunning wrestler, who if he cannot crush a man to the ground with plaine strength, he will lift him up, that he may give him the greater fall.
And nothing doth more advantage Satan then pride: for first, a man shall never be a proficient, that thinkes himselfe already sufficient. Secondly, when hee can poyson our good workes with Pharisaisme; he makes us by overvaluing them, to lose them.
Confidence in God, doth onelyonly support us: without him we are like Vines unpropt, which on the Earth do crawle. And suppose a man is exempt from many vices, yet he is not beholding to himselfe for it: Lord, saith S. Austin, thou hast forgiven me those sinnes which I have done, and those sinnes which onelyonly by thy grace I have not done: they were done in our inclination to them, and even that inclination needs Gods mercy, and that mercy he calls pardon. If wee escape temptation, it is his mercy; if wee stand in temptation, it is his mercy; if our wills consent not, it is his mercy; if we consent, and the act be hindred, it is his mercy; if wee fall and rise againe by repentance, all is his mercy. Neither are we sufficient of our selves to thinke, much lesse to speake, least of all to doe that which is good: 2 Cor. 3. 5. Wee have no good, wee doe no good, but wee may; wee must thanke grace for it: which is all in all. Yee can beare no fruit (saith our Saviour) except yee abide in mee: John 15. 4. Yea more expresly, without me can yee doe nothing. Verse 5.
So that we cannot put too much trust in him, not too little in our selves. O God, let me ever be humbly dejected in the sence of mine owne insufficiency: let me give all the glory to thee, and take nothing to my selfe, but my infirmities; least it fare with me, as it did with that Armenian Tigranes by name: who being encamped upon a hill, with foure hundred thousand men, and discovering the A…my of the Romans, being not above fourteene thousand ma…ching towards him: made himselfe merry with it, saying, yonder men are too many for an Ambassage, and too few for a Fight: when before the Sun-set, hee …o…nd them enough to give him the chase, with infinit…-slaughter. And Pride seldome speeds better, especially if Hezekiahs heart bee lift up, God will pull him downe againe.
By this time wee see, that there is danger in being without dangers: that selfe confidence is pride without wit: that the best mindes troubled, yeeld inconsiderate motions: that as water violently stirred sends up bubbles, so the vanities of our hearts, and our most secret and hidden corruptions (as dregs in a glasse) shew themselves when shaken by an injury, though they lay …id before. And so the pride of man is beaten downe, as Job speakes, Job 33. 17. The sharpe water of affliction quickens our spirituall sight. So proud are we by nature, that before we come to the tryall, we think that we can repell the strongest assault, and overcome all enemies by our own power; but when wee feele our selves vanquished and foyled by every small temptation, wee learne to have a more humble conceit of our owne ability, and to depend wholly on the Lord: as is set downe, Deut. 8. 2. & 13. 3. to the end. Wee esteeme our Inches, Elles, till by tryall of evills we finde the contrary; but then alas, how full of feeblenesse is our body, and our minde of impatience? If but a Beesting our slesh, it swels; and if but a tooth ake, the Head and Heart complaine. How small trifles make us weary of our selves? What can wee doe without thee? Without thee, what can we suffer? If thou be not (O Lord) strong in our weaknesse, we cannot be so much as weake; wee cannot so much as be. Yea selfeconceit, and desire of glory, is the last garment that even good men lay aside: Pride is the inmost coat which we put on first, and which we put off last; but sore affliction will make us give all to Him, of whom whatsoever we have, we hold. And we cannot ascribe too little to our selves, nor too much to Him, to whom wee owe more than we can ascribe.
Are we then molested with this guest, and would we be rid of him, returne we when we smart, to him that smiteth us, and not thinke to gaine by standing out: The Bird in the gin, the Fish upon the booke, the faster she strives, the firmer shee sticks. The Childe under his Fathers rod, the more hee strugles, the more stripes hee gots.
God will not give his over, till he hath broken their ston…acks, and made them kisse that Rod which the wicked bite: so adding impatience to their impen…tence, and passive disobedience to their active. And when he hath brought us to this, the greater submission, the more grace: if there be one hollow in the valley lower than another, thither the waters gather. And the more lowly we are in our owne eyes, the more lovely we are in Gods: the more despicable in our selves, the more acceptable in him. O that wee could be but as lowly as we are unworthy. If then I be not humbled enough, let me want the peace or pl…nty I have; and so order my condition and estate, that I may want any thing, save my selfe.