Four Books on Matthew 11, Book 3 · Chapter 130
CHAP. CXXX.
Humility brings Reſt unto the Soul in Eight Particulars, 1. It ventures upon nothing before it ſees Gods call. 2. The Head of ſuch, is lower then their condition. 3. He is never diſappointed in the World. 4. He would have God have his Glory. 5. It freeth from oppoſition, o… maketh the Heart yeild to it. 6. It makes the Heart rejoyce in the property of others. 7. It is under many promiſes. 8. All Croſſes are ſmal to an Humble Heart.
BUt now we come to open the promiſe, and then we will apply altogether, the promiſe here made to thoſe that are lowly in Heart, I will give you Reſt. Now I ſhal not need to open the Reſt that a Chriſtians heart hath that comes to Chriſt, that hath been done at large in the former verſe, Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy Laden, and I will give you Reſt. Therefore here I ſhall only ſhew, how Humility, and Lowlineſs of heart gives Reſt unto the Soul, There is, I confeſs, a great correſpondency between thoſe two Graces, and therefore I ſhal ſpeak the leſs now of the Reſt of the Soul in humility, becauſe there is a great affinity between this and Meekneſs, now one that is Lowly in heart muſt needs live at Reſt.
Firſt, Becauſe ſuch a one dares not venture upon any thing before he ſees Gods cal, a bold ſpirit will venture upon any thing when he hath not Gods cal, and there he meets with trouble, but now a Lowly Spirit thinks thus, is this Gods way? Have I a word for it? And a cal for it? If I have, Let me go on whatever comes of it, if he meet with trouble in ſuch a buſineſs, if he can ſay, I undertook it thus, I had Gods cal, what abundance of Reſt hath he? What is the Reaſon that men are diſquieted in the world, and troubled? It is becauſe they ruſh upon things without Gods cal. When the Soul can appeal to God, Lord, I would not undertake ſuch a thing, nor ſuch a thing, though I ſay, there might be ſome preferment by it, and ſomewhat got by it, yet, Lord, thou ſeeſt the uprightneſs of my heart, that I would not venture upon it without thy cal, and then when I ſaw that, I ventured upon it, ſuch a Soul muſt needs have a great deal of quiet.
Secondly, One that is humble hath Reſt becauſe he can never be in ſo low a condition, but his heart is lower then his condition. This is an excellent frame of Spirit, though my Eſtate is low, yet my heart is lower, if you be able to ſay ſo, you that have low Eſtates▪ your care is how you can raiſe your Eſtates▪ if I could raiſe my Eſtate as high as others. Then I ſhould have a great deal of Peace and comfort, No, thy way muſt be to lowen thy Heart, that is the way to raiſe thy Eſtate. If a mans affliction be above his Heart, and his heart beneath the affliction, if the fire he under the fewel then the fire quickly catcheth the fewel, but now if the Fire be above the fewel, it will not ſo ſoon kinkle it, ſo I ſay in a mans affliction, if a mans heart be above his affliction I mean in a ſinful way, he hath lifted up his heart, and he would have higher things then theſe things are, and theſe things are beneath his ſpirit, he hath a higher deſign and plot, and aimes at greater things, and theſe things are beneath what he would have, Oh! Then the affliction troubles the Spirit, but when a mans ſpirit is beneath his afflictions then a man hath a great deal of Reſt and quiet, he is lower then his afflictions and therefore he is quiet.
Thirdly, Another thing in the Lowlineſs of heart that doth bring quietneſs, and hath affinity with it, is this: One that is Lowly in heart, hath never any diſappointments in the world; nothing is more troubleſome, and diſquieting to a mans ſpirit then diſappointment, now one that is Lowly in Heart, he expects no great matters in this world, and therefore he cannot be much diſappointed in any thing that befals, and ſo he is quiet; you that have great plots and deſignes in your heads and make account of great things in the world, there will follow many Croſſes that wil diſappoint you, and how do they diſquiet you, you may account of ſuch a voyage, and when it is loſt, how unquiet are you? Whereas one that is Lowly in heart, he is quiet, and goes on in obedience to God, and that is that he looks to moſt, to go on in his calling in obedience to God, and leaves the iſſue to God, and therefore if there be any thing coming in, he receives it thankfully, becauſe he is moſt unworthy, if he be croſſed he is not much diſappointed, becauſe he looks for no high things.
Fourthly, An humble heart muſt needs bring Reſt, becauſe this is the guiſe and frame of it, it would have God to have his glory his own way; and this one principle, Oh, What abundance of quiet, and Reſt would it bring to a mans ſpirit. That God ſhould have his Glory, we all yeild to that, I but that God ſhould be glorified in his own way, this is hard, now let this and the other fal out, I but yet, ſaith a Lowly heart, it is fit God ſhould have his Glory which way he pleaſeth, and therefore he is not troubled.
Fifthly, Humility brings a great deal of quiet, becauſe it freeth us from oppoſition, or if it come, it makes us yeild to the oppoſition, it freeth us from oppoſition of men, for ſo I told you in the opening of it, an humble heart is afraid to give any offence, and ſo it is not likely that others will offend him, but if oppoſition do come, a Lowly heart yeilds to it, and when there is a yeilding in time of oppoſition, when a bluſtring wind comes, yet if there be a yeilding to it, it doth no great hurt, and ſo the heart that yeilds to oppoſition it hath quiet and Reſt.
Sixthly, Humility brings a great deal of quiet, becauſe it makes us rejoyce in the proſperity of others, the great trouble and diſquiet of the ſpirits of men in the world is, that others are above them, now an humble heart bleſſeth God that any are above it.
Seventhly, An humble heart is under a great many of promiſes, and there muſt needs be Reſt and quiet to that Soul.
Eightly, All croſſes are ſmal to an humble Soul, becauſe he is ſmal in his own Eyes, according to what proportion a man bears to his own Eye, ſo his croſſes are, if his Croſſes be great in his own eye, then they are great croſſes to him, and therefore you account your afflictions great, if you account your affliction in your own Eye, I but now, if you were ſmal in your own Eyes, you would count your afflictions ſmaller. But we cannot open the particulars of theſe, except we go further in the opening of the Grace of humility, and therefore as ever you would have Reſt and quiet in theſe troubleſome and reſtleſs times, labor for humble and quiet ſpirits.