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Four Books on Matthew 11 · Jeremiah Burroughs

Four Books on Matthew 11, Book 3 · Chapter 123

CHAP. CXXIII.

Of the behavior of humility before God in ten Particulars. 1. It acknowledgeth the infinite diſtance between God and a ſinner. 2. It hath a trembling Heart before God. 3. A Relenting Spirit. 4. It makes Gods will its Rule. 5. It is willing God ſhould chooſe its condition. 6. It is willing God ſhould be advanced in all his waies. 7. It admires the leaſt mercy. 8. It is willing to be put in a mean and bard imployment. 9. It is willing to waite upon God. 10. It is willing to do what it can to honor God.

NOw theſe two being laid as the ground of Humility, the proportion upon which an humble Soul goes. Let us come to the Particulars. It is that vertue whereby the Heart behaves it ſelf, towards God, and it ſelf, and others, according to the right low eſteem that it hath of it ſelf, and the ſence of its own vileneſs. Having laid that firſt as the ground, The right low eſteem of it ſelf, and ſence of its own vileneſs. Now let us come to open the behavior of this humble Heart. You will ſay, it is a behavior anſwerable to this: It is Firſt, in reſpect of God: Secondly, It ſelf: Thirdly, Others.

Firſt, I ſhould ſhew you what is in an humble Heart in this reſpect, and then come to ſhew the great excellencies of a Lowly Heart.

Firſt, In regard of God, as God hath a ſpecial Eye to a Lovvly Heart, ſo a Lovvly Heart hath a ſpecial Eye to God, there is no object that God Eyes more then an humble heart, and there is no object that an humble heart Eyes more then God.

Now the behavior of an humble heart towards God is eſpecially in theſe Particulars.

1. An Humble Heart doth acknowledg the infinite diſtance that there is between God and it ſelf, and from this infinite diſtance that he ſees between God and himſelf he comes to be more, and more vile, no man or woman in the world is humble, except they have a knowledg of God, they cannot be vile in their own Eyes in a Chriſtian way, except God hath made himſelf known to them, but when the Lord doth acquaint the Soul with himſelf, and the Soul comes to ſee and acknowledg the infinite diſtance between God and it, and upon that comes to have high thoughts of God, and low thoughts of it ſelf, this is the firſt work of an humble Spirit in reſpect of God. You know that in Job, 42. 4, 5. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the eare, but now mine Eye ſeeth thee, therefore do I abhor my ſelf in duſt and aſhes, Here was Jobs Humility, Oh, Lord, I have a ſight of thee, I ſee an infinite diſtance between thee and me, and it is this that makes me have ſuch high thoughts of thee, and low thoughts of my ſelf, and therefore I abhor my ſelf, and repent in duſt and aſhes: It may be, many of you, when you are put into an affliction, perhaps God takes away your eſtate that makes you dejected, God laies an affliction upon your body, your Wife, or Husband, and that dejects you, Oh, but the right dejection of the Spirit is this, I ſee an infinite diſtance between God and me, and that is it that lowens my ſpirit more then any thing in the world. I appeal unto you▪ hath God beaten this upon your ſpirits, the infinit diſtance between God and you, and upon that you have layen low. There is a notable Scripture in Prov. 30. and the beginning, The words of Agur the Son of Jakeh, even the Prophecy, the man ſpake unto Ithiell, even unto Ithiell, and Ucal, Surely I am more brutiſh then any man, and have not the underſtanding of a man, he ſpake to Ithiell even unto Ithiell, and Ucal. Now there is a great variety of interpretations of this place, but I find the moſt carry it, Ithiel, and Ʋcal, being two Names of Chriſt that Agur makes uſe of, and ſo he ſpeaks unto Chriſt as God, for ſo Ithiel is, God with me, and it is ſuitable to that name of Chriſt that you have in the firſt of Matthew, the 23. Chriſt is there called Emmanuel, God with us, and here his name is Ithiel, God with me, that is the difference between thoſe two Names of Chriſt, Ithiel and Emmanuel, Immanuel is to ſignifie Chriſt being God and Man in generall for the good of mankind, God with us, but Ithiel, is that name of Chriſt whereby a Beleever applies Chriſt to himſelf particularly, not only is the Savior of the Elect, the Savior of all Beleevers, is God with all Beleevers, but Ithiel, he is God with me, my Soul, I apply him particularly to my own Soul, he is God with me, I look upon Chriſt as God to all Beleevers, and to all Beleevers for their good, but looking upon Chriſt as applying him to my own Soul, So I look upon Chriſt as Ithiel, God with me, and therefore he repeats this twice, The man ſpake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel, Oh! he loves to look upon Jeſus Chriſt as God with him, particularly with him. And then Ʋcal, Ʋcal ſignifies, I ſhall be able to prevail, and ſo it is the name of Chriſt, noting that the confidence of a Gracious heart is, to prevail in the ſtrength of Chriſt againſt temptation, againſt ſin, againſt corruption, againſt all trouble whatſoever, though I look upon my ſelf as weak, vile, yet I look upon Chriſt as one in whom I ſhall prevail, and ſo I call him Ʋcal, I ſhall be able in him, I ſhal prevail in him, that is the meaning of theſe two words, Ithiel and Ʋcal, The man ſpake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ʋcal, that is, ſpake to Jeſus Chriſt, God in me, and God in whom I ſhall prevail, though I be weak in my ſelf, and now mark how he came to be low in his own eyes upon this, Surely, I am more brutiſh than any man, and have not the underſtanding of a man in me, I neither learned wiſdom, nor have the knowledg of the Holy; and ſo he goes on, he is hereupon very vile in his own eyes, and yet mark, before he doth expreſs himſelf ſo vile, he can look upon Chriſt as his Chriſt, and he in whom he hath confidence to prevail, ſo that Faith and Humility may go both together, and the truth is, one furthers the other, the more faith and confidence we have in God, the more we come to be vile in our own Eyes, that is the firſt thing.

Secondly, Upon this follows, That an humble heart in behavior towards God, hath a trembling heart, walkes with God in a trembling way, fears this great God that he hath ſuch high thoughts of, & reverenceth before him. In Iſai. 66. 4. There thoſe two are put together, The poor Contrite Spirit, and one that trembles at his Word, Herein the Soul ſhews it ſelf to be a poor, contrite, low Spirit, in that it trembles at any thing of God, at any manifeſtation of God, not in a ſlaviſh way, but in a reverentiall way, having this fear ſtruck into him, becauſe of the greatneſs of that God that I ſee ſo infinitely above me, and I ſee my ſelf ſo low under this God, and this makes me fear before him, eſpecially when he co…es into the preſence of God, this makes him fear before him, thro…gh the apprehenſion of his own meanneſs. So Abraham, when he ſpeaks to God, Gen. 16. 27, 28. Duſt and aſhes hath begun to ſpeak to thee, O Lord: This is the Reaſon of the reverentiall behavior of the Saints of God in the preſence of God; becauſe of the fear of God: Whereas a proud heart is bold before the Lord, and preſumptuous before the Lord, and ſtands it out againſt God, ſtands ou… againſt what is manifeſted in the Word, that might make him tremble, but the leaſt word makes the humble heart to tremble. As we go along we may examin our Humility, whether your behavior be the behavior of an humble heart before God? Do you find this? That as heretofore your hearts were bold in the preſence of God, you could walk in a daring way before God, now you can tremble at Gods word, tremble in his pereſence in a reverentiall way?

Thirdly: An humble heart in the preſence of God, hath a relenting ſpirit, humility of ſpirit manifeſts it ſelf in walking towards God in this diſpoſition, that it relents and melts in Gods preſence at any manifeſtation of Gods diſpleaſure againſt him. And this is likewiſe cleer in Scripture, that Famous Example of Joſiab in 2 Kings 22. 19. Becauſe thine heart was tender, or becauſe it did Melt, for ſo ſome Books hath it, And thou dideſt humble thy ſelf before the Lord, Mark how theſe two are put together, a melting heart, and an humble heart, whereas if Joſiah had had a proud heart, he would have contemned the reading of thoſe papers that was brought unto him, as his Son afterwards did, he took a Pen-knife, cut them, & threw them into the fire, the Son of this Joſiah, but Joſiah being a man of a very lowly heart, though a King, upon reading of the Law of God that was found in a corner of the Temple, his heart did tremble preſently. And hence in Matth. 5. thoſe two are put together, Bleſſed are the poor in ſpirit, and bleſſed are thoſe that mourn, ſo that one that is of a poor and low ſpirit, I mean, low in a gracious manner, not in a baſe way, is one that mourns, is not of a hard heart. It is ſaid of Belſhazzar that he did harden his heart in pride, Pride had hardened his heart in Dan. 5. 20. But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride &c. Certainly, a hard heart is a proud heart: So far as a heart is hard, it is proud, and it is proud againſt God, and that is the worſt pride in the world, for a Creature to be proud in its behavior before God. When you come to hear the Word, now you come near to him, and …he Lord reveals his diſpleaſure againſt you, and expects your heart ſhould melt before him, and you harden your heart, you gather thoſe thoughts together that may harden your hearts, Oh! this is the pride of thy Heart, the Lord looks upon thee as a deſperate proud heart, that ſhal thus harden thy Heart, but now if upon the leaſt manifeſtation of Gods diſpleaſure to thee thy heart melts, here is an humble heart now, that according to the eſteem of its own meanneſs, and ſence of its vileneſs behaves it ſelf thus.

4. It makes the will of God to be the rule of its will, it is emptied of its own wil, and makes God… wil the rule of his Will, Not my will be done, but thy will be done, ſaith Chriſt, and in this the lowlineſs of the Heart of Chriſt is diſcovered as much as in any one thing. Not my will▪ but thy will, ſhall Jeſus Chriſt ſay thus, that had no evil in his wil? Is there not infinite more cauſe that thou ſhouldeſt ſay ſo, not my will, but thy will be done? For thy will is a crooked will, a perverſe ungodly, wicked will, and there is abundance of wickedneſs in thy will, for indeed, the wil is the ſeat of all kind of abominable wickedneſs, and therefore there is infinite, cauſe when thou comeſt once to know thine own vileneſs, and to be ſenſible of thy own wretched, and mean condition, when thou comeſt before the Lord, that thou ſhouldeſt ſay, Lord, Not my will, but thy will be done. A wilful man and Woman is ever a proud man and Woman, eſpecially when it comes to God, …hen you are ſet to have your wills, I will have this, and I will have that, if one come and give you but a place of Scripture, you will preſently yeild if you be humble, but now if men be wilful againſt God himſelf, theſe are the deſperate proud hearts. You think there is pride in fine Cloaths, and vanity of ſpirit, it is true, there may be vanity in outward things. but here lies the deſperateneſs of the proud heart of man, that thou art proud againſt God, and when any thing of Gods wil is revealed to order thy converſation, yet thou wilt follow thine own wil, the language of thy actions is but thus much▪ Lord, here is thy wil, and my wil, but Lord, my wil muſt be regarded before thine, my wil muſt be lifted up before thy will. I will give you a Scripture for this in Jeremiah, 44. 10. They are not humbled unto this day, neither have they feared, nor walked in my Law, nor in my ſtatutes that I ſet befo…e you, and before your Fathers. Here is a proofe of their not fearing God, and ſetting up the wil of God, they are not Humbled to this day, How doth that appear? Neither walked in my Laws n…r in my ſtatutes, For ſo it appears that it was their own wills that they ſet up. In Jeremiah, 43. 2. All proud men came to Jeremiah, ſaying, thou ſpeakeſt falſly, the Lord our God hath not ſent thee to ſay, go not into Egypt to ſojourn there. The proud men, they came and oppoſed what Jeremiah had ſpoken▪ and they did confeſs afterwards, that what was ſpoken of Jeremiah, for their own parts, they were convinced of the word that was ſpoken to him, as at the 16. verſe, As for the word which thou haſt ſpoken to us in the Name of the Lord, we will not hearken unto thee. Firſt, That pride of Heart got them to an acknowledging of the word of the Lord, but afterwards they came to this paſs, As for the word of the Lord that thou haſt ſpoken, we will not hearken to it, And ſo the Lord chargeth them with this, that they did not humble themſelves to walk in his Statutes and Commandements. A Stoutneſs and ſtubborneſs of Heart againſt God, that is the great pride of heart. And another text you have in John, 5. 30. Chriſts Lowlineſs of heart in ſubmitting to the wil of his Father, ſaith he, I can of my own ſelf do nothing, as I hear I judg, and my Judgment is juſt, becauſe I ſeek not mine own will but the will of the Father which ſent me; Oh, That we were but able to ſay ſo! that we were but Lowly in heart as Chriſt manifeſts himſelf to be lowly in heart, that we could ſay, Lord, thou that knoweſt all things, thou knoweſt, that it is not mine own will that I ſeek, but thine own wil, and what is our wills that they ſhould be regarded more then the wil of Chriſt? He could deny his own will, what art thou that thou ſhouldeſt not deny thine own will?

5. An humble heart, it is willing that God ſhould chooſe his condition let it be what it wil be, to be put into what condition God himſelf will put him into, he wil not be his own carver, to carve out his own condition, but let God do with me what he will, as I am willing to do what God will, his wil ſhall be the rule of my actions, ſo I am willing to be done withal as God pleaſeth, it is fit that I ſhould be at Gods diſpoſing who am Gods Creature, and have all from God, and wha…ever I have beſides Hell, is a mercy, and therefore … I ſhould be at Gods diſpoſe. An humble Spirit, if God change and alter the condition of ſuch a one, upon the apprehenſion of its own meaneſs and vileneſs, and what it deſerves, it is willing to …e at Gods diſpoſe, and to accept of what he ſhal chuſe for us, God ſhal chuſe the inheritance of an humble heart, Lord, we will not chuſe our inheritance, our own portion what it ſhal be, but, O Lord, thou ſhalt chuſe our inheritance, thou ſhalt lay out our lot and our portion, that is the behavior of an humble ſpirit in reſpect of God.

Yea, And whatever befals▪ it, it looks upon God rather then the thing it ſelf, and that is the thing I ſpeak of now, whatever befals it, it looks upon God, and its own meanneſs, and ſo makes it willing that God ſhould order al things: There is nothing wherein the pride of a mans heart appears more then in this, that he would fain be his own diſpoſer and orderer of himſelf, would fain put himſelf into what rank he pleaſeth, and order his own actions and waies, this is as much as to ſay, I would fain be in Gods place, that God would come down, and let me be in his Throne, and let me order things that concern my ſelf thou doſt not think that there is ſo much evil in thy diſcontentedneſs, it is as much as if thou ſhouldeſt ſay, Lord, do thou come down, and let me come into thy place, into thy Throne, and order and diſpoſe of things that do concern my ſelf. One ſaid to the King of Spain, one that was a Schollar, and had great skil in Arts and Sciences, a great Phyloſopher, he had this Blaſphemous ſpeech; That if he had been at the making of the world, he would have diſpoſed of things better then they are now, any one would ſhake at ſuch a Speech, ſuch a thought as this; but yet in a diſcontented Spirit there is this language, if I had the ordering of my affairs and condition, I could diſpoſe of them better than they are a great deal, yea, there is this in thoſe that do beleeve that God loves them too, and yet they cannot ſubmit to the diſpoſe of God, they cannot ſay in the truth of their heart, Lord, thou ſhalt chuſe an inheritance for me.

6. The behavior of an humble Soul is in this, and this mainly, That it is willing that God ſhould be advanced in all, and that in his own way, and the latter branch hath moſt dependance upon this, it is willing that God ſhould be advanced above all, and in his own way.

Firſt, an humble Spirit is willing that God ſhould be advanced, and above all, it is willing that God ſhould be advanced as the higheſt of all, the firſt cauſe of all, I look upon my ſelf as nothing, but look upon God as the firſt cauſe of all; and therefore I being nothing, and having nothing, and am worthy of nothing, it is fit that God ſhould have all Glory, though I have no ſhare; many would be content that God ſhould have Glory, ſo they might have ſome ſhare, I but an humble heart is content that God ſhould have all Glory alone, being willing to lift up Gods Name, and advance him above all. Here is the right temper of an humble heart: Let him increaſe, though I decreaſe, as John ſaith, Joh. 3. 27. he rejoyced that he ſhould increaſe, though himſelf decreaſed, ſo ſaith an humble heart, le… God be magnified, though I be mean, God hath given me many mercies, but the Glory of all he reſerves to himſelf, the rent penny he reſerves to himſelf: and now an humble heart is willing to this, Oh, bleſſed be God that I may ſhare in the comfort and bleſſing, though I do not ſhare in the Glory. Now a proud heart would not only have the comfort and bleſſing, but the Glory too, an humble heart ſaith thus, Oh, it is mercy that God will imploy me in any thing, it is a wonder that God will uſe me in his ſervice, when he hath uſed me, there is infinite cauſe that what is done he ſhould have the Glory of all after it is once done: So if I be made a Veſſel of mercy that I may retain that, if I am not made a Veſſel of Glory to retain that; indeed, we are Veſſels of Gods mercies, that we may keep them: but we are Veſſels of Gods Glory that may run through us, and we ſhould ſatisfie our ſelves thus, that we may be Veſſels of Gods mercy to keep them in us, and to be Veſſels of Gods Glory to have that run through us. Not unto us, not unto us, ſaith the Pſalmiſt, Pſal. 115. 1. and leaſt it ſhould ariſe, not unto us, not unto us, not unto us, the third time, but unto thy Name be praiſe, reflects all upon the Lord. I remember, Gulielmus Pariſienſis hath this expreſſion concerning the Grace of Humility, concerning Praiſe, ſaith he, Get you unto God, unto Praiſe, I repel you and I tranſmit you unto that God whoſe proper Propriety you are. Thus an humble heart would be, when there would be any pranking of it ſelf in what he hath, or is, or doth, he ſhould with an holy indignation repel the Glory to God, Get you away to God, as a man would ſend away a Run-way Servant, Away, get you gone to your Maſter, and you are your Maſters, you do not follow your work; it wer… an evil thing, you would ſay, in any to entertain a Run-away Servant, though you ſhould not inveigle him away: So we ſhould ſtill repell and caſt it upon God, that is the way. As I remember the ſame learned man, ſpeaking of applauſe, ſaith he, it is like unto the Wind, now if a man turn his back to the Wind, it will help him to go his Journey, but if he go againſt the Wind it will hinder him: So in applauſe, if he turn his back it will help him in his Journey, but if he think to take it to himſelf, it will hinder him and make him go ſlower: but let all return to that God to whom it is due. The example of Joab is very Famous to this purpoſe, in 2 Sam. 12. 18. Joab was there ſent to fight againſt the City, he ſends to David, at verſe 27▪ and ſaid, I have fought againſt Rabbah, and have taken the City of waters, I have as good as taken the City that thou ſenteſt me againſt: Now therefore gather the reſt of the People together, and encamp againſt the City, and take it, leaſt I take the City and it be called after my Name. Here Joab ſhewed himſelf a faithfull Servant to David, he had almoſt taken the City, and he thought the City ſhould be called by his Name, and David ſhould have no part in it, now Joab having endured the hardſhip of the work, he was content to have David his Maſter to have the Glory of it, and therefore he ſaith, come and you ſhall have the Glory, Leaſt I take the City and it be called after my Name. Here what a faithful Servant was Joab, though an excellent Warrier, and yet generally it is queſtioned, whether he had Godlineſs in him or no, though ſome think there was ſome Godlineſs in him, he was of an excellent Spirit, and Joab he regarded more to do a worthy work, than to have the Glory and the Name afterwards. Now if Joab ſhall do this for his Maſter, how much more ſhould we do for God? when God ſets us about a work, let us be ſuſpicious leaſt God ſhould not have the Glory, we ſhould lift up Gods Name; as one that lifts up another upon the wall, he that is lifted up ſees, but the other ſees not, ſo we ſhould lift up God ſo as God ſhould be alone ſeen, though we be hidden our ſelves, and if at any time there ſhould any pride ariſe to take part of the Glory from him, (for we wil be ready to be fingring and filching of the glory of God from him) then humility takes an advantage by pride, as ſomtimes pride will take the riſe from humility, a man may be proud of his own humility, ſo humility will take the riſe from pride, a gracious heart wil be humble for his pride, and for this we have a notable example too, in 2 Chron. 32. 25. It is the Example of Hezekiah, But Hezekiah rendred not according to the benefit done unto him, for his heart was lifted up. verſe, 26. Notwithſtanding Hezekiah humbled himſelf for the pride of his Heart, If at any time an humble gracious Heart, whom God is pleaſed to imploy in any great Service, ſhal find his heart riſing up, to be filching any of Gods glory from him, preſently it beates down it ſelf ſo much the lower, and nothing will more humble him then to conſider the vileneſs of his heart that would r…b God of his Glory.

I but this is not al, to be humble to have the Lord advanced, every one wil ſay ſo, but this makes the behavior of an humble heart indeed, to be willing that God ſhould be advanced his own way, for God to chuſe his own way to be advanced, this goes hard, we would fain have God advanced in our liberty, in our comfort, and our bleſſings. But what if God wil have al our comforts? Wil have himſelf advanced by our eſtates, and by our liberty? What if God wil have al our comforts and al we have to be but as a footſtool to get up unto his glory. And indeed an humble ſpirit, appears not only in this, becauſe he ſubmits to what is Gods due, but if the Lord at any time croſs him in any thing, yet an humble heart will think al his croſſes is made up in this that God may have any glory by it, here is the genuine humble Spirit, there is ſuch and ſuch a thing that I am croſſed in, that I have a mind unto, yet it yields to this now, that though I am croſt yet God hath Glory, and I can ſee this that God hath glory in my affliction. Now when I can account that my afflicton is made up, if any glory can come to God hereby, here is the true Genuine and humble ſpirit, when a man is called to any hard Service, it may be he finds the Service harder then he thought of, I but ſaith he, God is glorified in this Service, and whatever hardſhip I endure it matters not, I account al is made up in Gods glory, and now God is glorified by me in this way, let God be advanced his own way. Somtimes you think if you ſhould be put into ſuch and ſuch a condition, God may have more glory, if you had more in largement, and more comfort, but what if God will chuſe to glorifie himſelf in your affliction, your low condition? An humble heart wil be content that God ſhould advance himſelf in his own own way.

7. Another form of an humble ſpirit is this, that it admires …t the leaſt mercy that it is ſo much, and wonders at the greateſt affliction that it is no more, I wil give you one Scripture for it, becauſe it hath reference to what I named Laſt and this both together, and it is a notable Scripture to ſhew the form of an humble Spirit, it is that of David in Sam. 2. 7. in this Chapter God promiſeth mercy to David, and the firſt that I wil obſerve is, that which concerns the former, of advancing of God in whatſoever we have, if you read this Chapter you ſhal find, how God promiſeth that he ſhould be magnified, and his name and houſe Magnified, but now we find David, he is more affected with Gods name being magnified than his own, as if he ſhould ſay, Lord, I bleſs thee for what thou haſt done for me, but this is that that rejoyceth me more that thy name is magnified. Now is it thus with thee? Art thou ſollicitous that Gods name ſhould be Magnified, then rejoyceſt that thy Name is magnified? I put this to thee, when God beſtows great things upon thee art thou Sollicitous that Gods name ſhould be glorified rather then thine own.

And then for the other, he admires Gods mercies, that we have likewiſe in David, in 2 Sam. 7. 18, 19. When the Lord tels him what great things he would do. Then went David in and ſate before the Lord, and ſaid, who am I, O! Lord God, and what is my Houſe that thou haſt brought me hitherto? And this was yet a ſmal thing in thy ſight. O Lord God, but thou haſt ſpoken alſo of thy Servants Houſe for a great while to come, and is this the manner of man O Lord God. What am I? I bring this Scripture to this end, to ſhew, that the mercies of God will humble an humble Heart, the more God beſtowes any mercy upon an humble heart, the more low wil it grow, in admiring that God ſhould deal thus and thus with it. Whereas a proud heart, when God beſtows mercies, preſently his heart ſwels, but novv if the higher that God raiſeth you in your eſtates or othervviſe, the lovver you are, here is true humility. Let the Brother of high degree be ſo much the lower in Heart, Becauſe his degree is made higher, So it vvas vvith David, and Lord, ſaith David, Who am I? That thou ſhouldeſt do theſe things. And ſo Jacob, you have him admiring Gods mercy to him in Geneſis, 32. 9, 10. There you have the good man, vvhen the Lord had manifeſted his goodneſs to him in his journey, I am not worthy, ſaith he, of the leaſt of all thy mercies, and of all the truth that thou haſt ſhewed unto thy Servant, for with my ſtaffe, I paſſed over this Jordan, and now I am become two bands, I am not worthy of the leaſt of all the mercies that thou haſt ſhewed to thy Servant, He ſtands admiring at the mercies of God tovvards him, and doth look upon himſelf as vile, becauſe Gods mercies were ſo great. There is nothing more proper to Chriſtian humility then this, therefore to look upon our ſelves as vile, becauſe God beſtowes great mercies upon us. Many men, they ſeem to be low in time of affliction, O then they are humble and low, but when God raiſth them in proſperity then their hearts are high, now a Chriſtian in affliction he is low too, but in proſperity he is more humble, humility takes as much advantage upon Gods mercies to be humble as in affliction, and when it is thus with you, then you have Chriſtian humility in your hearts. Humility doth not ſay of any mercy as Hieram of the Cities that Solomon gave him, what are theſe my Brother? But what am I that I ſhould have ſuch a mercy? Many becauſe they have not what they would have, they reject what they have, as thus, becauſe they have not ful aſſurance of ſaving grace, though God be putting them into the way that he uſeth to lead them that he purpoſeth to ſave, this is nothing, all is nothing, Now thou ſhouldeſt ſay, Lord, Who am I, that I ſhould have the leaſt mercy from thee? This is the work of an humble ſpirit. And if any affliction befal thee, to be ſo far from thinking thy affliction great, to ſay, never any had ſuch affliction as I, Oh that is from the pride of thy heart, it is becauſe of thy pride that the affliction is ſo great, were thy heart humbled the affliction would not ſeem ſo great, but the mercy of God would ſeem great unto thee. As now put a ball into a great Veſſel and it ſeems to be nothing, but put it into a little veſſel and it wil ſeem greater, ſo when the heart is little by humility, then Gods mercy ſeems great, and the truth is the leſſe the heart is, the mercy of God will ſeem the greater, and the affliction ſeem the leſſer, it is becauſe we are not ſenſible of our own vilenſs, and wretchedneſs, and of what our condition might be, that our afflictions are ſo great in our eyes as they are. That is the next thing of an humble Spirit, that it admires at the leaſt mercy that it is ſo much, and wonders at the greateſt affliction that it is no more, I am leſs then the leaſt of all thy mercies.

8. An humble ſpirit it is willing that God ſhould put him into mean imployment, and into hard imployment, and into imployment that it can ſee no Reaſon for but only the wil of God, Yea, if the Lord ſhould put him into the loweſt work that ever creature was put into, an humble ſpirit ſubmits and thinks, it is well if I may be in any ſervice at al, Let me be but as the hired Servant, ſaith an humble Spirit, As it was with the Gibeonites, they were content that they might be but as Hewers of Wood, and Drawers of Water, So they might but live. The very Angels ſhew themſelves humble in this kind, to be willing to be Miniſtring Spirits, to the pooreſt Saint in the world, the pooreſt Saint in the world hath a guard of Angels about him night and day, this ſhews the Lowlineſs of Angels, and therefore we ſhould be willing to be ſerviceable from their example in the loweſt work for God, and not think that my parts and my Spirit is fit to be imployed in higher waies, As a Servant to think, why am not I a Govenor? I but to think that it is the condition God hath put me into, this is his Duty. And ſo for Services hard to Fleſh and Blood, Yet an humble Spirit will go on, and the truth is, humility in the behavior of the Spirit towards God appears in this, to be content to obey God in what I ſee no Reaſon for in the world, I know it is the mind of God, and though I can ſee no Reaſon for it, yet I will be content to do it, here is ſubjection of the heart to God, not ſtand wrangling, Why ſhould I perform Duties? And why ſhould I do ſo and ſo? No, but this is that that ſhal ſway my Reaſon and all, becauſe God cammands it. Now theſe are the main frames of an humble heart tovvards God, and as long as vve go along, Oh, that vve vvould examine hovv far ſhort vve come of Lovvly hearts, it may b… vve vvere taught before that vve ought to be lovvly, but here vve may that vve find come ſhort, and there vve may find matter of humiliation in our Prayers.

9. An Humble Spirit and one Lowly in heart, is willing to wait upon God his own time, and in whatever way or means God ſhall pleaſe to work in; it is fit that I ſhould wait upon God for any thing I have who am ſo unworthy of any mercy, and the Lord being ſo high above me, between whom and my ſelf there is ſuch an infinite diſtance in Iſa. 27. 8. ſaith the Church there humbling it ſelf before the Lord, they do manifeſt their Humility thus, Yea, in the way of thy judgments O! Lord, have we waited, it is eaſie to wait upon God in the way of his Mercy, but not ſo eaſie to wait upon him in the way of his judgments, but an humble Spirit is willing to wait upon God even in the way of his judgments. So in Lament. 3. 26. It is good that a man ſhould both hope and quietly wait for the Salvation of the Lord, It is good for a man to bear the yoke in his youth. An humble heart is willing to wait upon God in the waies of his judgments, as wel as in the way of his mercies.

10. The behavior of an humble heart in reſpect of God is this, That it is reſolved to do what it can to honor God whatever God doth with it, though God deſtroy me, and that everlaſtingly yet I deſire to keep this reſolution in my heart, I will do what I can to Honor Him. Many that are afflicted and troubled in Conſcience, they have ſome kind of Humiliation wrought, but their Spirits have ſome kind of bitterneſs and ſowrneſs againſt God, and becauſe they think ſomtimes God will caſt them off, therefore they are ready to caſt off Duty too, now that is an evident ſign the heart is not throughly humbled, ſo far as thou findeſt thy heart work thus: when thou art afraid that God wil caſt thee off; therfore thou thinkeſt that it is beſt for thee to caſt off Duty, and to do no more▪ Here is an Argument that thy heart is not humbled. But now when thy heart is wrought to this, that even at that t…me, when thou art afraid that God will caſt thee off for ever, thou ſhalt reſolve let God do with me what he wil, though I periſh for ever yet I am reſolved I wil do what I can to Honor Him: this is one that hath a lowly heart, now the heart is brought low indeed, ſuch a heart is prepared for Gods mercies when it is in ſuch a condition as this, and this is that God expects from us, we muſt not indent with God, we muſt not thus ſtand upon our Tearms with God; as many in time of trouble of Conſcience when we ſpeak to them to wait upon Him, I, they wil ſay, they would be content to wait never ſo long, if they might be ſure at laſt that God would grant Mercy to them: But wilt thou not be willing except thou maiſt be ſure? Thou muſt wait though thou art not ſure; it is thy Duty to wait though God do not for the preſent aſſure thee of Mercy. Indeed, if God were ſo much bound to thee as thou art bound to him, then thou mighteſt ſtand upon thy tearms: But know that thou art infinitly bound to God, and God is not at all bound to thee, and therefore if thy heart be brought humble before the Lord, thou wilt reſolve whatever God doth with thee, yet thou wilt do what thou Canſt to Honor Him. And theſe are the principal things of the behavior of an humble heart towards God, and indeed the ſpecial work of Humility, it is the work of the heart towards God, which people little look upon: People look upon pride in reſpect of others habit, in their carriage towards others, in their vanity of Cloaths, and outward demeanors, but the main work of Pride is in the behavior of the heart towards God, and then we Sanctifie the name of God, when we Sanctifie our hearts in an humble manner, and the Reaſon why the hearts of ſinners are not lowly before the Lord, it is becauſe they know not this God, they know not that infinite diſtance that there is between the Lord and their Souls, and here is the Reaſon why the Spirit of bondage lies ſo long many times upon ſinners, Why the Lord doth terrifie their Conſciences; It is, that he might bring their hearts to be low before him, that there might be the right behavior of a lowly Spirit before God himſelf.