Four Books on Matthew 11, Book 3 · Chapter 129
CHAP. CXXIX.
The excellency of Humility in thirteen particulars. 1. God prizeth it. 2. It is a convincing Grace. 3. By it we walk worthy of the Goſpel. 4. It is an Evidence of election. 5. Better than Sacrifices. 6. It ſerveth for the prevailing of Prayer. 7. It is a tryed heart. 8. It is fit for great Services. 9. It is the ornament of all Graces. 10. It preſeves all Graces. 11. It makes all Duties and Croſſes eaſie. 12. It makes the life comfortable. 13. It is moſt uſefull to give God the Glory of the new Covenant.
THe excellency of this Grace of Humilty, Learn of me, for I am meek and Lowly in heart. This Grace is above all Graces, next to Faith it ſelf, and mightily extolled in Scripture, and it is proper indeed to Chriſtianity, if you read in Phyloſophers that ſpeak of moral vertues, you ſhall find high commendations of Juſtice, Vertue, and the like, and little or nothing ſaid of Humility, No, it is the Chriſtian that counts Humility to have an Excellency in it, it is Chriſt that is come from the Boſom of his father into the world, to be an example and a pattern to hold forth the excellency and glory of this Grace before the world, and that was one Reaſon why Chriſt came into the world, Namely, to hold forth the Glory, and excellency of his Grace: Humility may ſay but little of its own praiſe, God takes care for the Glory of it, it will diſcover it ſelf by the fragrancy of it ſelf; as violets diſcover themſelves by the ſweetneſs of them, though they be covered with Leaves, ſo the excellency of humility will diſcover it ſelf by its ſweetneſs, and no man or Woman needs to take care for the diſcovery of its excellency, and therefore it is abundant folly for a man or woman to be proud of their humility, or to ſhew themſelves humble that others may take notice of it, and ſo commend them for it, but true humility ſhews forth it ſelf, and it muſt not be forced but let it alone, and let it appear in it ſelf in a genuine way, and its excellency of its ſelf wil be beſt diſcovered. Let us ſee the… wherein the true excellency of a Lowly heart appears, that we may be in Love with this Grace.
Firſt, There is no grace in Scripture that God ſpeaks more honorably of, that the Lord hath a more honorable eſteem of. In Prov. 16. 19. See what the Teſtimony of God is of an humble ſpirit, Better it is to be of an humble ſpirit with the lowly, than to divide the Spoile with the proude.. Here is Gods Teſtimony, here is two ſortes of people compared one with another, the humble ſpirit, and he that divides the Spoile with the proude, there is no time wherein the heart of man is more lifted up, than when a man hath overcome his enemy, and is triumphing and dividing the ſpoil, Oh, Now his ſpirit is above, Now (ſaith God) you poor creatures, when you can get victory, and make a prey of your enemies, then your hearts are lifted up, and you think ſuch a man hath a brave conqueſt over his enemy, and now he is triumphing, Well, ſaith God, there is a poor humble contrite heart that the world takes no notice of, and I count it better for one to be of an Humble Spirit with the Lowly, than to divide the Spoil with the proud. Take men in their greateſt jollity, and height, and glory, and luſtre, that ever men were in the world, yet the poor humble, Lowly ſpirited men, are more glorious in mine Eyes, I count a poor S…ul, a Child, a Servant, that hath gotten into a hole, humbling their Souls before me, I look upon theſe as a more glorious object for me to behold, than great Alexander, and Caeſar, and the greateſt conqueror in the world. We cal the proud happy, but the Lord cals the humble happy. And ſo in Iſa. 66. That Famous place, The Lord that dwels on high, be looks on him that i… of an humble and contrite ſpirit, As if there were no object for the Eye of God to feed upon, to be pleaſed withal but the humble ſpirit, whereas the proud he looks afar off upon them, Pſalm. 138. 6. Though the Lord be high, yet he hath reſpect unto the Lowly, but the proud he knoweth afar off, The humble he looks upon; as if God ſhould ſay, there is nothing in all the world that is worth my looking upon but an humble ſpirit yea, and God loves to be neer to them, in Pſal. 34. 18. The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart, and ſaveth ſuch as be of a contrite Spirit, He loves to be neer one that is of an humble ſpirit, Yea, and he loves to dwel with them. In Iſai. 57. 15. Thus ſaith the high and lofty one, that inhabiteth eternity, whoſe name is holy, I dwel in the high and holy place, with him alſo that is of a contrite and an humble ſpirit, God lifts up himſelf, and ſaith twice, firſt that he is high and lofty in himſelf, and then that he dwels in the high and lofty place, and yet, faith he, I dwel in an humble ſpirit, it may be an humble ſpirit is ſuch a one as proud men ſcorn their company, cannot indure their company, Well, but God loves to dwel in the Houſe where thou art, let it be never ſo poor a cottage, he loves to dwel there, God hath but two Houſes, he hath the higheſt Heavens, and the loweſt heart, thoſe are the two Houſes God dwels in, the Heavens above, and the heart that is low, and the lower the heart is, the more the Lord loves to dwel there.
Secondly, The excellency of an humble ſpirit appears in this, that it is a grace that moſt convinceth men, even a proud man ſees a luſtre of humility in others, one proud man hates another proud man, whereas one humble man loves another humble man, humility is that that glaires in the Eyes of thoſe that are contrary to it, a proud man, if he ſees one humble is mightily convinced of the excellency of it, thoſe are the Chriſtians that live convincingly, which manifeſt the lowlineſs of their hearts and humility in their carriage.
Thirdly, And further, It is that grace likewiſe whereby one walks worthy of the Goſpel, you may add this if you will to the former, and in that it is convincing. I… Epheſ. 4. 1, 2. I therefore the priſoner of the Lord, beſeech you, that you walk worthy of the vocation wherewith you are called, with all lowlineſs and Meekneſs, When Lowlineſs of heart appears in your Demean or and Carriage thus, here is walking now worthy of the vocation to which you are called.
Fourthly, Yea and further, It is an evidence of Gods eternal election, and as here Chriſt joynes Low lineſs and Meekneſs together, ſo in Scripture they are joyned in this, in walking worthy of your calling, and a note of your election, So in Coloſ. 3. 12. Put on therefore, as the Elect of God, Holy and beloved, Bowels of mercies, Kindneſs, humbleneſs of mind, It is an Argument that God hath ſet his heart upon thee from al eternity, if he hath given thee a Lowly heart.
Fifthly, And further, Humility is a Grace that is beyond all kind of Sacrifices acceptable to God, in Pſal. 51. The Sacrifices of God are a broken ſpirit, But the place eſpecially that I would fix this upon, it is that in Mic. 6. 6. and ſo on, There is the queſtion asked, Wherewith ſhal I come before the Lord, and bow my ſelf before the high God? Shal I come before him with burnt offerings, and Calves of a year Old? Will the Lord be pleaſed with thouſands of Rams, Or with ten thouſand of Rivers of Oyl? Shall I give my firſt born for my Tranſgreſſion, the fruite of my Body for the ſin of my Soul? Here was great things, ſhal I do all this? We are willing to do all this, Mark verſe, 8. He hath ſhewed thee, O man, what is good, and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do juſtly, and to Love Mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? Here is a Scripture that juſtifies what we ſaid before, that an humble man is of a tender heart; but now I note it only for this, that when they ſeem to promiſe ſuch great things to God, that they would offer if they were able thouſands of Rams, and ten thouſand Rivers of Oyl, that they would give the fruite of their body for the ſin of their Soul, ſaith God, all this is nothing to me in compariſon of your walking humbly before me, walk humbly before God, and this is more to God, then if you were able to ſhew your reſpects unto him in offering thouſands of Rams, or ten thouſand Rivers of Oyl, or give the fruite of your body for the ſin of your Soul. You that are poor people, you are not able to give much to God, you think, Oh, if I were able to do much ſervice for God, to do great things for God as others are, what an excellent thing were it? But I have nothing; Well▪ but canſt thou walk humbly before the Lord? It is more then if thou couldeſt give Kingdoms unto God, and therefore a great excellency appears in this Grace of Humility.
Sixthly, And then humility it is a main ingredient to the prevalency in prayer, God hath a ſpecial Eye to the Humility of the Soul in ſeeking of him in Prayer, I might give you divers Scriptures for that, in 2 Chron. 7. 14. If my people which are called by my name, ſhal humble themſelves, and ſeek my Face, and pray, I wil hear them ſaith God. And ſo again in Pſal. 9. 12. He forgetteth not the cry of the Humble, If an humble man cry, Oh, it takes deep impreſſion in the heart of God, it will not go …ut of his mind for a long time together, as you know ſome things that are ſpoken that take the heart, are not eaſily forgotten, as when you come to a Sermon, if you hear ſomthing that is ſpoken that takes the heart, it will abide with you, it will not eaſily be forgotten, ſo here, he will not forget the cry of the humble, as if he ſhould ſay, Oh, the cry of the humble doth ſo take my heart, that I cannot forget it, it may be ſomtimes when you go abroad, and hear the cries of ſome miſerable people, you cannot forget it, you ſay, O me thinks in the night, and whatever I am about, I hear the cry of ſuch a one, there is the cry of ſuch a poor creature in mine Ears; ſo ſaith God, whatever I am about, me thinks the cry of the humble is in mine Ears, I cannot forget it, and therefore ſaith the Pſalmiſt, in Pſal. 10. 12. Ariſe O Lord, O God lift up thy hand, forget not the Humble, He doth not inſtance in any other qualification but the humble, do not forget the Humble, the Lord, he can paſs by Kings, and Princes, and great ones, but he will not forget the Humble. As I remember that Famous Mr. Fox, that wrote the book of Martyrs, when a poor Woman came to beg of him his Prayers, well ſaith he, I may forget Kings and Princes, but I hope I ſhall never forget an humble, broken Soul, this is Gods reſpect to the humble. And then in Pſal. 10. 17. Lord thou haſt heard the deſire of the humble, thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt incline thine Ear to hear. An humble heart, if he have but a deſire, preſently God hears it; Mark▪ thou haſt heard the deſire of the humble, he doth not ſay, thou haſt heard the Prayer of the humble, but thou haſt heard the deſire of the humble, the very deſire of an humble Soul cries aloud in Gods Ears. And therefore (by the way) of all things in the world take heed of wronging thoſe that are humble, take heed of doing wrong to one that hath a Lowly heart, if ſuch a one that hath a broken heart goes and makes his moan to God, woe unto thee, for no cry takes ſuch mighty impreſſion in Gods heart, as the cry of the humble, if it be twenty years after he will not forget it, ſuch an humble Soul came and made its moan againſt ſuch a Man or Woman, and I remember it; and therefore in theſe times, when ye cal for Prayer, and the Church cals for Prayer, and our own neceſſity calls for Prayer, we had need be of humble ſpirits, for this is a maine ingredient for the prevalency of Prayer, and therefore there is an excellency in the Grace of humility.
Seventhly, Further, an humble heart is a tryed heart, no man or woman knows their own hearts but thoſe that are humble, thou canſt not know thine own heart till thou beeſt humble. There is many afraid leſt they ſhould be deceived, they cry out, O my heart is deceitful, and I may deceive my ſelf and perriſh at laſt, wouldeſt thou prevent this? wouldeſt thou not be deceived in the matters of eternity, and thy eternal eſtate? Then be very Lowly and humble, and then thou wilt know thy heart; the reaſon why all Hipocrites go away with a formal profeſſion, and do not know their hearts, and have falſneſs lie at the bottom, it is from the pride of their own hearts, becauſe their hearts are not broken, and are not humble, therefore mark what God ſaith in Deut. 8. 2. Saith God to his people there when he would bring them into the wilderneſs, And thou ſhalt remember al the way which the Lord thy God led thee theſe fourty years in the Wilderneſs, What was it for? For to humble thee, and prove thee, and know what was in thine Heart. Whether thou wouldeſt keep his commandements or no, all this was to humble thee, and prove thee, and to know what was in thy heart. Did not God know what was in their heart before? Yes certainly but he would have them know what was in their heart, and how would he do it? By humbling them, and proving them, God humbles men by bringing their eſtates Low, and they come to know what is in their hearts thereby, O! men that did proſper in outward things, now in theſe times God hath taken their eſtates from them, and they come to know more what is in their own hearts then before, and in this God doth recompence their loſs of Eſtate, that they come to know their own hearts more, Saith an humble ſoul, true, I have loſt much of mine eſtate, but yet withal I have come thereby to know more of mine own heart then ever I did before: then I argue from the leſſer to the greater, if the looſing of a mans eſtate will try one, then certainly, the humbling of the heart will try one more, that is the excellency of an humble heart, it is a tryed heart, the Lord may truſt ſuch a Soul, let God ſet them about what he will, to do or ſuffer, an humble heart is fit for it.
Eightly, And then the next thing is this, an humble heart is fit to be imployed in great Services, in any great thing for God, no man or woman is ſo fit to be imployed in great things as thoſe that are humble, God himſelf did a more glorious work in his low eſtate, then in his high eſtate, the work of Redemption is a more glorious work, then the work of creation, and in what a low eſtate was the Lord Jeſus Chriſt in redeeming the world? Chriſt in dying, and in being made a curſe, in that he redeemes the world, and Chriſt never did from all eternity greater things then when he was made a curſe for mans ſin, as he was a God, Though he thought it no Robbery to be equal with God, As in Pillip. …. Yet he emptied himſelf as the word is▪ and became obedient unto the death of the Croſs, I ſay, there is a greater thing done by God there in that low eſtate, then ever was done from all eternity before, And as God doth greater things in his low eſtate, then in his high eſtate, ſo it is with man alſo, he doth greater things in his low eſtate then when he is raiſed high, And hence it is that thoſe great inſtruments that God uſed for his honor were kept but low, as Abraham, he wandered up and down a long time▪ and how was he tryed, and humbled? And ſo Joſeph, and Daniel, that God intended to do ſuch great things by, and ſo al the worthies of God, that God made choice inſtruments for his Glory, they muſt firſt be low. And Paul, that was the choiceſt inſtrument that ever God had, next to Chriſt, how low was he? in Acts, 20. 19. He tels the elders of Epheſus, He had ſerved the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many Tears and Temptations, And God fitted him to be a great inſtrument of his Glory. In 2 Cor. 12. 9. You have a notable expreſſion of Paul for this purpoſe, the latter part of the verſe, Moſt gladly therefore wil I rather glory in mine infirmities, that the power of Chriſt may reſt upon me, therefore I take pleaſure in infirmities, in reproaches, in neceſſities, in perſecution, in diſtreſſes for Chriſt ſake, for when I am weak then am I ſtrong, Paul could Glory in his infirmities, and he ſpeaks of his infirmities that he would take pleaſure in, in reproaches, perſecutions diſtreſſes for Chriſts ſake, but now Mark theſe two expreſſions that follow upon this, firſt, That the power of Chriſt might reſt upon him, The power of Jeſus Chriſt reſts upon Paul when he was brought into a low eſtate, and when he could humbly ſubmit himſelf ſo far to the hand of God, as to rejoyce in his infirmities, Paul could never do ſuch great things for God as then. And then again, Saith he, When I am weak, then am I ſtrongeſt, Oh, Humility is that that makes the Soul fit for any Service for God, though humble men may lie hid for a while and be as it were under the hatches for it, yet certainly. God intends great things for humble Hearts, and what he doth not now, he will reſerve for them hereafter, and make them inſtruments of his Glory in a more ſpecial manner, but at one time or other every humble ſoul ſhal be a glorious inſtrument of the praiſe and honor of God, this we may boldly affirme. You will ſay, they may live obſcurely and die. I grant it, but then God hath another time to make them glorious inſtruments of his praiſes hereafter, and to ſhew forth himſelf in Glory upon them to recompence what Glory they were willing to deny here in this world▪ and willing to be deprived of as ſubmitting to the will of God.
Ninthly: Further, Humility hath this excellency in it, That it is that that puts an ornament upon al Graces, it is as it were the Luſtre, Beauty, and Ornament, the Varniſh, Nay that is too mean a Phraſe, it is the Glory and true Beauty of every Grace in a man. I remember Chriſoſtome hath ſuch an expreſſion as this, Whatever a man doth without Humility, though he ſhould work Miracles, he were but as a dead Dog, Let a man do never ſo much, yet there is no Beauty in what he doth where there is no humility, but Humility puts an Ornament and Beauty upon all Graces. That place is known in 1 Pet. 5. 5. we have often had occaſion to make uſe of it, Be clothed with Humility, I have told you ſomtimes, the propriety of the word ſignifies, the dreſſing with Ribbons, fine beautiful Ornaments, Be clothed with Humility, it is the beautiful ornament of a Chriſtian, and of al the Graces of a Chriſtian, it puts off Grace, and every action with a Grace, as I may ſo ſay, And that ſome think to be the meaning of the Promiſe that we ſhall ſpeak unto afterwards, In 1 Pet. 5. 5. God reſiſteth the Proud and giveth Grace to the Humble. It is true, (as we ſhall ſhew afterwards) that God gives Grace, that is, the Graces of his Spirit, but there is a further ſence in it▪ God gives a Grace to that, God puts a Beauty and Ornament upon the Humble, for Humility doth ſo beautifie a Chriſtian, that whatever they do they do it with a Grace, there is no Chriſtian that doth things with ſuch a Grace as the Humble, and it is that that doth adorn all Graces, Humility Graceth all Graces whatſoever.
Tenthly: And then it is that that preſerves all Graces too, and ſo ſome take the word there to come from a word that ſignifies a knot, becauſe it ties all Graces, as it were, with faſt knots together, as I find ſome Interpreters carry the word, it unites, and knits, and ſtrengthens all Graces, Paul walked humbly with God, walked conſtantly with him, whatever fell out, it did not hinder them from ſerving God, As in Acts 20, the place I named before, when he called together the Elders of Epheſus at verſe 19. when they were come, he ſpeaks to them thus, Serving the Lord with all Humility of mind, and with many tears and temptations which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews, whatever temptations did befall Paul, yet he was able to go through them, for he ſerved the Lord with all Humility, it is the proud ſwollen heart that is the backſliding heart, but the humble heart is the heart that keeps conſtant with God, it preſerves all the Graces of the Spirit of God in vigor, and in ſtrength, uniting of them together, and uniting the Soul to the Fountain of all Grace, it is the preſervative of all Grace.
Eleventhly: And again, Humility it is that that makes all Duties and all Afflictions to be eaſie, therefore this follows that I ſhall ſpeak to afterwards, Learn of me and be lowly in heart, and then My Yoak is eaſie and my Burden is light, it is an eaſie thing for a man to do any thing that God ſets him about if he be once humble, there is no difficulty that a man finds in the ſervice of God but it is through pride of heart. And ſo there is an eaſe in all Afflictions in being humble, that that yeilds you know can bear oppoſition without any great noiſe, indeed the tall Cedars are broken with winds, but the poor ſhrubs below they do not ſuffer ſo much, but theſe two will fall more ſeaſonably in when we come to ſhew how humility gives quiet and reſt unto the Soul.
Twelfthly: Again, There is nothing that makes the life of a man and woman more joyful, and more comfortable, than Humility: You think the proud have the jolly lives, and the comfortable lives, No, but the humble have moſt comfortableneſs, becauſe it makes them to prize the leaſt mercy. Chriſoſtome, upon Acts 7. hath this expreſſion. None ſaith he, live ſo comfortably as the humble, and he gives the reaſon for it, Becauſe the leaſt thing he enjoyes, he ſets ſuch a price upon the mercy, and therefore rejoyceth in it, you ſhall obſerve it, come to a poor Godly Family, and you hear nothing but bleſſing and praiſing of Gods mercy, and wondring at Gods mercy, you that have great Houſes, and great Tables furniſhed, you are wrangling and ſnarling at this and the other thing, but an humble heart is praiſing and bleſſing God for his mercy and enjoy more of the mercies of Gods that they have than you do in all your abundance. If a man have his fleſh ſwollen, he will not be able to bear it, but it will be mighty toubleſome to him: So when the heart is ſwollen it will bring trouble to thee, but this likewiſe will come more fully in, when we come to ſpeak of the Promiſe, I will give you reſt. But now there is only one thing more for opening the excellency of this Grace, and that is, the many gracious Promiſes in Scripture that are made to humble hearts, as now to name a few, That God will guide the humble in their way, Pſal. 25. 9. I confeſs your Books have it Meek, and ſo I made uſe of it in opening Meekneſs, but the word in the Hebrew is, Humble, and you may take it both waies, and therefore in Prov. 11. 2. you have an excellent Scripture there. With the Lowly there is Wiſdom, No man or woman hath that Wiſdom for the guiding and governing of their waies, as the Lowly; Proud men will run on upon their own heads raſhly, becauſe they be conceited of their own waies, but the Lowly will examin, and wait, and ſuſpect themſelves, they wil try and examin their waies, and go in an humble way, With the Lowly there is Wiſdom. Oh! into what Labyrinths, ſtraits, aed extremities, do proud people hurry themſelves, but now the Lowly they have the guidance of the Spirit of God carrying them on in their way, and therefore they can quiet their hearts, and liſten to know what the mind of God is. And another Promiſe is, That God will revive the Humble, the humble is ready to be trod under foot, but in Iſay 57. 15. The Lord ſaith, he will revive the humble. And another is that in Peter He will give Grace to the Humble. And that ſame Promiſe that you have in Prov. 3. That he will give Grace to the Lowly. Thou wouldeſt have more Grace (it is taken for the Graces of Gods Spirit) you would fain have more Grace to ſubdue your corruptions. Are you thankful for what you have? An humble heart will take notice of every little it hath & wait upon God for more. Make uſe of this Promiſe, true Lord, I have not ſuch Grace as I would have, but I have my heart ſubdued to this condition, then here is the Promiſe, The Lord will give Grace to the Humble. And then there is the Promiſe of Exaltation, in Prov. 15. 33. and Math. 23. 12. Thoſe that do moſt abaſe themſelves, ſhall be moſt exalted by God. It was an Anſwer that a Phyloſopher gave to one, that asked him. What God did in Heaven? he gives this Anſwer, He is beating down the Proud, and lifting up the Humble, that is the thing that he is doing in Heaven; and therefore thoſe in Scripture that have been loweſt, you ſee how afterwards God hath exalted them. Humble your ſelves under the mighty hand of God, and he ſhall exalt you in due time, in 1 Pet. 5. 6. ſpeaking there of Humility, there is but one word in the Greek there for due time, foreign, the opportunity of time, God will exalt you when a fit opportunity comes. And then there is the Promiſe of ſafety alſo to the humble, in Job 22. 29. God makes a Promiſe there to keep thoſe that are humble in a ſafe condition, whatever danger is abroad, the Lord will preſerve them, When men are caſt down, then thou ſhalt ſay there is a lifting up, and he ſhall ſave the humble Perſon, the Lord wil ſave the humble Perſon in time of trouble, He ſhall find mercy frrom God in troubleſom times. And ſo in Zeph. 3. 12. I will alſo leave in the midſt of thee, an afflicted and poor People, and they ſhal truſt in the name of the Lord, it is ſpoke of the times of Captivity, and great miſery, that People ſhould be in times of trouble.
Yea, All outward needfull things is promiſed to the humble, in Prov. 22. 4. By Humility and the fear of the Lord is Riches, and Honor, and Life. You wil ſay, Humble people (may be) are poor, but they have more aſſurance of Riches than any in the world have, they have Gods bond for Riches, but ſtill ever to be underſtood with the condition of the Croſs, ever underſtood ſo, as may be uſefull for the enriching of their Souls, God hath promiſed to enrich their outward eſtates. You think by the pride of your hearts, and your buſſeling in the world, you may get much, but by walking humbly with God, you may expect more bleſſing upon your eſtate than from any thing in the world.
But now that which is the main Promiſe of all, is, that in the Text, Learn of me for I am Meek and Lowly in heart and you ſhall find reſt for your Souls, and there are no People in the world that have ſo much reſt in their hearts, ſuch ſatisfaction in their Souls, as thoſe that are of humble hearts, there is a great deal of diſquiet in the world and men complain that they cannot live at quiet, and they have no reſt at all in their Spirits, know, that is from that proud Spirit of thine that there is no reſt in thy bones and Spirit, but if God come once to work this Grace of humility in thy Soul, thou wilt find reſt unto thy Soul in all thy waies, thou wilt walk with ſuch a quiet, and contented Spirit, that none in the world walks with. Would not any of you have this Promiſe fulfi…led in ſuch troubleſome times as this, when there is no reſt in any thing in the world? Here is that Scripture that will ſhew that though you cannot have reſt in any thing in the world, yet you ſhall have reſt in your Souls, it was in the former verſe, when Chriſt did invite poor laden Sinners to come to him, I will give you reſt, there is the reſt of the Goſpel that comes to the ſoul by Jeſus Chriſt, I do not intend to look back to thoſe things, all that I intend in this Promiſe is, to ſhew you how Humility brings reſt unto the Soul (I have ſhewed before how Meekneſs brings reſt unto the Soul,) and then we ſhall come to the words following, the eaſineſs of the Yoke of Jeſus Chriſt to thoſe that are thus lowly as Chriſt would have them to be.
Thirteenthly: Humility is an excellent Grace, next unto that Grace that the Scripture makes to be the condition of the new Covenant, Faith it is that Grace that is moſt uſeful and neceſſary to give God the Glory of the new Covenant, and that upon this ground: For God though he did intend Salvation to ſome wretched and unworthy Creatures, yet he hath ſo wrought in his Wiſdom, that he will ſave them in ſuch a way as he ſhall have all the Glory and the Creature ſhall be debaſed as much as can be. We cannot think how an infinite Wiſdome could find out a way to ſave mankind, and that in a way of Covenant too, to ſave loſt man in a way of a Covenant, wherein man that is ſaved ſhould be debaſed, and the name of God ſo much honored as that way is that God hath done in the Covenant of Grace, for it is this. God will ſave them in the way of a Covenant, a Covenant you wil ſay, that is ſomwhat, it is true, God will require ſomwhat of man in the Covenant, I but yet in that manner, as man is as much debaſed as poſſibly can be, for the condition is ſo, as man muſt be emptied of al, be nothing in himſelf, he muſt go wholly out of himſelf for a principle of life, yea, and when he hath it, he muſt live upon that that is out of himſelf, for ſo a Chriſtian muſt do, not only go firſt in Jeſus Chriſt for a principle of life there, but this principle of life muſt depend upon Chriſt, it cannot be with man now as it was with Adam, God gave Adam Grace and he was to live upon that ſtock, but now we have grace from Chriſt, and we cannot live upon that ſtock but we muſt ſtill live upon him, ſtill upon the life that is in him: So that man is the moſt emptied, and debaſed, in that way that God hath appointed to ſave him by, he muſt deny himſelf in the greateſt manner that a Creature can be put to. We think this is a great deal of ſelf deniall, for a man to be willing to be mean in the world, and to ſuffer much in the world for Chriſt, it is a great deal of ſelf deniall I confeſs: but when the Soul goes to Chriſt in the way of Faith, in the Covenant of Grace, there is the greateſt ſelf deniall of all, for there a man doth not only deny his outward comforts here for the preſent, but he denies his own Righteouſneſs, his own abilities, his own gifts, yea, and afterwards when he comes to have Graces, he denies them too, and wholly goes out of himſelf for juſtification, and reconciliation with God, and all thoſe things that are excellent in their own▪ nature, he doth look upon as Droſs and Dung in compariſon of what he finds in Jeſus Chriſt, ſo that Faith is that that carries with it as great a ſelf denial as we can conceive a Creature is capable of in this world, Faith makes one like Chriſt in that reſpect, Chriſt, though he was glorious, yet he did empty himſelf, Faith makes one empty ones ſelf of all that is good, and therefore of all Graces, humility is the moſt ſubſervient and helpful to Faith, and pride is the greateſt enemy to Faith, and eſpecially pride in thoſe things that a man counts his greateſt excellency, ſome men indeed have a pride in their Cloaths, and others in their Eſtates, theſe are but poor things, but when a man comes to have pride in his Duties, and graces, this is the pride of heart that is an enemy to Faith, And therefore that place is very obſeruable, in the Prophecy of Habakkuck, How living by Faith, and pride are oppoſed to one Another. In Habakkuck, 2. 4. Behold his Soul which is lifted up is not upright in him, but the juſt ſhall live by his Faith, This Text will ſerve both for this I now bring it for, and to confirme another thing that I ſpake of even now, that is, how humility preſerves Grace, and keeps men and women from being Apoſtates, It is apparent here, ſaith he, Behold his Soul which is lifted up is not upright, in time of trouble He will fal off, But the juſt ſhal live by his Faith, It is all one, where there is no pride, there is humility, where the heart is emptyed of pride, there the heart is fit to beleeve, and that is the Reaſon why many poor Souls are ſo long under the Spirit of bondage, becauſe God would be weakening the pride of their hearts. You think that a poor Soul that hath horror and trouble of conſcience hath little pride in him, one that is ready to deſpair, and to conclude of it ſelf that it ſhall go to Hell, is that Soul proude? Certainly, there is a great deal of pride in it then, you will ſay, how will that appear that it is pride? Becauſe it would fain find ſomwhat in it ſelf to preſent unto God for its mercy, though it do not think to merit, yet it would preſent ſomthing to God for its mercy, and here is pride, the heart hath not denied it ſelf thus as to venture it ſelf upon Chriſt, though it have nothing to preſent to God, it is not brought to this, to go to Jeſus Chriſt as a meer beggar that hath nothing to live upon; now becauſe the Soul is not brought to this, therefore it is that the Soul is many months and years without comfort, the Lord hath not humbled and emptied the Soul yet, but now, when the Lord comes to empty the Soul, perhaps by the work of his Spirit, though not by Gods Sanctifying Grace, though there is not a Sanctifying principle put into the Soul, yet it is that that is very like it, and it is that whereby the Soul doth act by, as it doth when a principle of Sanctification is put into it, but this Grace is very uſeful, for that is one ſpecial aime that God hath in the Covenant of grace, though he wil glorifie his creature, yet he wil debaſe it in ſuch a way that the Creature ſhal have nothing to boaſt of, what ſhould we Boaſt of? Saith Paul, if it were of works, then we might boaſt, but becauſe it is of Faith we have nothing to boaſt of. Thus much for the Excellency of the grace of Humility.