Four Books on Matthew 11, Book 3 · Chapter 122
CHAP. CXXII.
The ground of Humility. A knowledge and ſenſe of our own vileneſs.
WEll then, having ſhevved the lovvlineſs of Chriſt, and the force of his Example: Let us novv come to ſhevv hovv vve ſhould be lovvly in Heart, and that according to the deſcription that vve gave of Lovvlineſs of heart, that concernes us, for there is ſomthing indeed vvherein vve are to be lovvly othervviſe then Chriſt vvas capable of, according to the deſcription, It is that virtue whereby the heart behaves it ſelf towards God, and it ſelf, and others, according to the right low eſteem it hath of it ſelf, and the ſence of its own vileneſs. That is the Deſcription of Humility as it concerns us▪ Novv then here obſerve, Firſt, What rule an Humble Heart goes by, And then Secondly, The behavior of an Humble Spirit according to thoſe three Objects, God himſelf, and others, the rules that an humble heart goes by, it is the right eſteem of its ovvn meanneſs, and ſence of its ovvn vileneſs, That is the firſt thing that is in humility, a right knovving our ſelves, not knovving our ovvn excellencies, as men are too too ready to knovv their ovvn excellencies. We uſe to ſay of a man, …uch a one hath excellent parts, and he knovvs it himſelf; but the knovvledg of our ſelves that vvay may puffe up, but this knovvledg of our ſelves, to knovv our ovvn meanneſs and vileneſs, and vvretchedneſs, this is that that humbles us; and ſo an humble Heart makes that to be the rule of his behavior, according to vvhat he ſhal have made knovvn to him of his ovvn meanneſs, and vileneſs. This knovvledg of our ſelves is that that the Heathen did commend, to knovv thy ſelf, it vvas a great Maxime of theirs, a great point of Wiſdom for them to knovv themſelves, but certainly, they meant eſpecially their ovvn excellencies, but a Chriſtian that knovvs himſelf, it is eſpecially to knovv thine ovvn vileneſs, and thine ovvn vvretchedneſs, and becauſe humility doth order the heart according to this knovvledg, therefore the Scripture ſpeaks of humbleneſs of mind, in Colloſ. 3. 12. To be low in our mind, Firſt the mind muſt be lovv before the Heart be lovv, in the judging of our ſelves, vve muſt judg of our ſelves right before the heart can lie lovv, vve muſt judg of our ſelves by the right rule, by no falſe rule, but by examining of our ſelves according unto the vvord, according to vvhat the vvord of God doth reveal concerning us after Serious, Faithfull, and ſtrict examination of our ſelves, then follovvs the vvork of Humiliation a right judging of our ſelves firſt. A Heathen Phyloſopher being ask'd What is the hardeſt thing in the World? He anſvvers. Noſcere teipſum; to knovv thy ſelf, the braveſt thing in the World for a man to knovv himſelf, and indeed vve that profeſs our ſelves to be Chriſtians, vve may find it by experience to be ſo, the hardeſt thing in the World to know our ſelves, The heart of man is deceitfull above all things, and who can know it? The heart of man is, Grande profundum, a very great depth, there's not one of ten thouſand that knovvs himſelf, there is a great Art, and Skil in being able to know ones ſelf, and that is the reaſon that there is ſo little Humility in the World becauſe we do not knovv our ſelves, every proud man is a Fool, a Fool in this, Becauſe he knovvs not himſelf, he doth not give a right judgment of himſelf.
Now for the way of knowing our ſelves, and what the word of God doth help us to know our ſelves in, that we ſhal not ſpeak of in this place, but only to ſhew the ground of Humility, it is the knowledg of our own vileneſs, and the judging of our ſelves, according to what we know of our ſelves, not according to what others think of us. A humble man doth not much go according to what any body elſe knows of him, or eſteems of him, but according to what he knows and eſteems of himſelf. It was a Speech of another Heathen, Do not beleeve others of thy ſelf, more than thy ſelf of thy ſelf, It is a Fooliſh thing for any man to go by the eſteem that others have of him, and not by the eſteem that he hath of himſelf upon right examination, it may be other men may in Charity judg that thou haſt this, and this, ſuch and ſuch Graces, and ſuch excellencies, while in the mean time thou mai'ſt know thy ſelf to be a vile, mean, wretched, baſe Creature; Novv a proud heart will rather go according to what others think of him, than indeed according to what he knovvs of himſelf, it may be other men that live vvith thee, that ſee but the outſide, they give a good report of thee: But vvhat report doth thy ovvn Conſcience give of thee? What doſt thou knovv of thy ſelf? That thou ſhould'ſt look moſt after. While our friends do rejoyce in thoſe excellencies they eſteem us to have, in the mean time thou mai'ſt ſee the cauſe to be confounded in thine ovvn thoughts, and to be aſhamed before the Lord, and to have ſuch thoughts of thy ſelf, that if the Lord ſhould diſcover unto thy friends, that now eſteem highly of thee, what thou knoweſt of thy ſelf, thou would'ſt think that they would kick and ſpurn thee out of their Company, and be ready to ſpit in thy face. I make no queſtion but thoſe that look into their own hearts, and obſerve the workings of their own ſpirit, thoſe that know what is within, and are acquainted with themſelves, many times when others have high eſteems of them, they ſee cauſe to look upon themſelves with ſuch ſhame, as to beleeve that if others ſhould but ſee the inſide, if God ſhould turn their inſides outward, all their friends that have ſuch eſteems of them now, would be ready to abhor them, and be ready to loath them, if they did but know what they are of themſelves. And indeed it is a great Argument for to make thoſe that have any acquaintance with their own hearts to be humble, to ſuffer any outward meanneſs, to be willing to ſuffer any thing that might make them low outwardly, Why? Becauſe of the great mercy of God to conceal from men what evill is in them. Thou art loth to ſuffer ſome outward affliction, but if God ſhould diſcover to all the world all that evill that is in thee, and that thou art conſcious to thy ſelf of: Yea, take the beſt Man and Woman that is, if all the evill that they themſelves are conſcious to themſelves of, were diſcovered, it would make them more vile than any mean condition that ever God put them into, Yea, than any outward affliction can poſſibly put them into. God rather doth eſteem of us, & wil rather judg us according to what we eſteem of our ſelves, than according to what others think of us; And therefore in 1 John 3. 20. that place that is well known, If our Conſciences condemn us, God is greater than our Conſciences, and knoweth all things. It is no matter what others ſay, others may juſtifie us, others may think we have excellent Gifts, and exccellent Graces, and we perform duties in an excellent manner, but in the mean time our own Conſciences may condemn us. Now the behavior of a proud heart, is rather according at what others think of him, then what he thinks of himſelf, though he knows never ſuch vileneſs in his own heart, as now in Duty, he joyns with us in Prayer, perhaps he hath excellent expreſſions in Duty, in Prayer, that the hearts of thoſe that are with him, are taken with him, and bleſs God for the Gift of God in him, and what Graces he exerciſeth in Prayer, and ſo others are bleſſing God for him and highly eſteeming of him, and themſelves happy that they joyn with him, now upon that he hath a proud heart, and bleſſeth himſelf in that and rejoyceth in that, while in the mean time his Conſcience tels him, that he hath a baſe heart, a proud ſpirit, an empty heart, and a dead heart, and that all this while there hath been a mighty unſutableneſs between his heart, and the expreſſions: Now if his heart be humble, he will not look what others ſpeak of him in this kind, but be aſhamed and confounded in his ovvn ſpirit, becauſe of vvhat he knovvs of himſelf, Certainly vve may ſee ſome ground vvhy others ſhould think vvell of us, and ye… vve may be moſt vvretched, and abominable, and loathſome in the eyes of God at that preſent vvhen other Godly people have high thoughts of us, Do not reſt in that, not only others, but vviſe men, and Godly men have high thoughts of us, and yet in the mean time we may be wretched & abominable in the ſight of God, and our ovvn Conſciences may condemn us. We read of the ſpirit of Man in Prov. 20. 27. it is ſaid of the ſpirit of Man, That it is the Candle of the Lord, ſearching all the the inward parts of the Belly. Now you know that by a Candle, if you bring a Candle into a Room, you may ſearch in corners, ſecret corners, under every bench hole, and ſee fil…h in many places, that perhaps the light of the Sun may not come to, the light of the Sun may not come into ſome ſecret places in a Houſe where is a great deal of filth, but a Candle may diſcover it, Now the Spirit of man is the Candle of the Lord, That is, a man by the help of his own Spirit, may be able to ſearch into the ſecret corners of his own Heart, but no other light can diſcover it, we are to labor to look into our ſelves, and to make uſe of our own Spirits, as a Candle, to be ſearching into every corner of our own hearts, that we may know our own meanneſs, our own wretchedneſs, a man that hath a proud ſpirit, is ſatisfied that others have a high eſteem of him, though he knows himſelf to be vile. As mark the difference between an humble Spirit, and a proud ſpirit in this, one that …s a proud man, he is dejected, if others think ill of him, whereas an humble heart takes advantage from the vile thoughts that others have of him to make himſelf more vile, & thinks thus, Lord, do I thus, & thus to make others think vilely of me, Oh! What a deal of filth do I ſee more then they ſee: and ſo likewiſe takes an advantage the more he finds that others honor him, and reſpect him, to be the more low in his own Eyes, becauſe he ſees ſuch a difference between what he knows of himſelf and what others know of him.
Yea, And further, becauſe a proud heart rather cares for the credit he hath by what others think of him then takes care to make g…od what others think of him: but an humble heart rather ingageth himſelf to make good what others think of him then look after the credit he hath by what others think of him, Oh! Let me labor to attain unto it, that they may not be deceived in the eſteem they have of me, this is the work of an humble heart, not to reſt in it, but according to what eſteem he hath of himſelf, a right eſteem he hath of his own meanneſs, and ſence of his own vileneſs, but that muſt be added too, not only Eſteem but ſence of his own vileneſs. There muſt be ſuch a cleer light, as muſt convince him what a wretched creature he is in himſelfe, notwithſtanding al the excellencies that God beſtowes upon him, and al gifts and parts, yet ſtill he keeps a right eſteem of what he is in himſelfe, and he hath the ſence of al, he doth feel the Load, burden, and weight of this, and his Heart is willing to acknowledg this, for ſo it comes beyond the underſtanding, it comes to the Heart, that the Heart is willing to owne it, as I am convinced that my Heart is vile and mean, ſo Lord, I am willing to acknowledg this in wh…t ever way thou wouldeſt have it diſcovered. It is true, I am not bound to diſcover my own vileneſs and wretchedneſs to every one, except in ſuch a way as God may have glory, and others may receive good, but ſtil an humble Heart keeps this principle, that though God doth not yet cal me forth to diſcover my own vileneſs, yet I have this in my heart, I am willing to do it when God calls me to it, if God may have glory, and good may be done to others, I am willing to have all opened before men, as wel as opened before God. Many are willing to open all their vileneſs before God in Prayer, what abundance can they ſpeak in the preſence of God of their own vileneſs; but to be willing as wel that it ſhould be opened before men, ſo as it ſhould be for the glory of God, the heart to be willing to this, I judg my ſelf to be thus, and I am willing to be dealt with as a Creature that thus judgeth it ſelf to be, though few come to have a right judgment of their own vileneſs, but for a man to lie under this judgment, and that willingly, not to oppoſe it, but let the truth of God that diſcovers my vileneſs, let that have rule, and c…mmand, and ſhine more, and more, I will not turne away mine Eyes from it, but I will look to it, and take it and apply it to my ſelf in what I can, and I will be content to be dealt withal according to what vileneſs I ſee in my ſelf, here is a ſence of his own vileneſs. For there are many that know much evil of themſelves, and yet have proud hearts, Why? Becauſe they have not the ſence of their own vileneſs that they are conſcious to themſelves of, it may be ſaid to them in this caſe as Daniel ſpake to Belſhazar in Dan. 5. 22. And thou Oh Belſhazar, haſt not humbled thy Heart, though thou kneweſt all this. Theſe words may be very well applied to many men, and Women, God knows, and thy conſcience knows, a great deal of vileneſs in thy ſelf, that that might make thee Low, and humble thy Heart before the Lord, but this may be ſaid of thee, That thou haſt not humbled thy ſelf before the Lord, though thou knoweſt all this, though thou knoweſt all this wretchedneſs, and vileneſs, of thy ſelf, that might have abaſed thee to the very duſt, yet thou haſt not humbled thy ſelf before the Lord, therefore there muſt be thoſe two.