The Hypocrites Ladder, Treatise · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. How the Hypocrite fails in fundamental Graces, viz. Humility, Self-denial, and Repentance.
SEcondly, They are wanting in the Radical and fundamental Graces, and therefore miſcarry. The ſtony ground wanted root. It wanted the root of theſe three Radical Graces.
1 Humility. 2 Self denial. 3 Repentance, Three Radical graces.or Sin-mortification.
1 The firſt Radical and Rooting Grace is Humility; the firſt of Graces, 1 Humility.the loweſt and leaſt in mans account, the higheſt in Gods: It is not numbred among Philoſophical vertues, but hath a chief place aſſigned it among Theological Graces. God ſaith to this Gueſt, Come up higher, and it aſcends into heaven in a cloud, Rev. 11. 12. It is a grace which never goes alone, or with a little grace, but ever hath much grace accompanying it; hee who gives the firſt grace to bee humble, gives afterwards all grace to the humble. The unſound Profeſſor 1 Pet 5. 5.never was acquainted with this grace, therefore holds not out. Sincerity begins in humility, ends in perſeverance, when hypocriſiebegins alway in pride and arrogancy, and ends in Apoſtacy. The Lord alwayes digs deep, and layes his foundation low, when hee intends to build an houſe to dwell in. The higheſt heavens, and the loweſt heart, do both Iſa. 57. 15.alike pleaſe the moſt high God, Humilitas ab humo, humility, is that to the rooting of Grace, that earth and mould is to the Corn, there it thrives.
Auſtin being once asked what was the firſt Grace? anſwered, Humility: What the ſecond? Humility: What the third? Humility: Where lyes the heads of ſprings? Where the Mines of gold, but in the deeps of the earth? The Spring and Mines of Grace lye low in the humble heart. The Holy of Holies was 1 King. 6. 2. 20 compared.the loweſt part of the Temple, ten Cubits lower than the body of the Temple, but there was nothing but pure gold to bee ſeen, the very floor was overlaid with gold. The Lord will hear the humble, Pſal. 10. 17. Save the humble, Job 22. 29. Give grace to the humble, 1 Pet. 5. 5. Exalt the humble, Luke 18. 14. Yea hee will revive the ſpirit of the humble, Iſa. 57. 15. and dwell with the humble; Hee that humbleth himſelf moſt, is the greateſt in the Kingdome of God, Mat. 18. 4. Oh how fruitful are the Low Vallies! the Pſal. 65. 13.Vallies are covered with Corn, when the Mountains are covered with ſnow: All the Rivers run among the Vallies, the Mountains are ever more dry and barren. Oh how ſafe is the weak Conie in the deep of the Rocks! What ſweet communion had Elias with God in the low Cave? How ſweet is the ſmell of the lowly Violet (that hides his head) above a hundred of your gaudy Tulips? The lowly Chriſtian, is the lovely Chriſtian. There is no fear of an humble Chriſtian, that hee ſhould ever bee hinderly, and decay. If Satan cannot get thee up to an high mountain, and tempt thee with pride, hee deſpaires. This is his bait whereby hee draws the Novice and unſetled Chriſtian 1 Tim. 3. 6.into his ſnare, then hee hath him ſure if hee can bee puffed up. They are the high ſteeples that are uſually fired with lightning, when low Cottages eſcape: The high Cedars are rent and torn with windes and tempeſts, when the low ſhrubs are not touched. God is not a God of the Mountains in this ſenſe, but of the Vallies. The Devil is as was ſaid of the Leviathan, The King among all the Job 41. 34.children of pride.
Some think that the Miniſters work is onelyonly to build up Chriſtians; Oh that wee could tell how to pull them down, many are too high in this age. Some think our work and skill is to perfect children, and bring them to bee men, but our hardeſt work is to perfect men by bringing them to bee children. Except yee bee Matth. 18. 3.converted, and become as little children, yee ſhall in no caſe enter the Kingdome of God. Wee had not need ſay to many Profeſſors, as Jonathan to his Lad, Haſte thee, run, is it not beyond thee? but to ſay, come 1 Sam. 20. 37.back, art not thou beyond it?
Chryſostome hath a remarkable ſaying of Humility. Suppoſe a man were defiled with all manner of ſin and enormity, yet humble; and another man inriched with gifts, graces, and duties, yet proud; the humble ſinner were in a ſafer condition than this proud Saint. And certain I am, what ever wilde ſenſe ſome have put upon that place of Daniel 2. 34. 35. & 44. to the diſturbing of the peace of Nations, by dreaming of a Temporal Fifth Monarchy, which ſhall deſtroy all former forms of Government. Yet I ſay when Chriſt Jeſus, that ſtone cut out of the Mountain (not the fifth and laſt, but the firſt and laſt Monarch, and the onelyonly Potentate, as hee is called, 1 Tim. 6. 15.) ſhall ſet up his Spiritual Kingdome in the ſoul to the diſturbance of Satans peace, and the dethroning of that Tyrant (and this is properly the work and reign of Chriſt) then hee ſhall ſmite the High Image on his feet, caſting down every imagination, and exalted thought, and ſhall not onelyonly break the Clay, the Iron, and Braſs, but the Gold and Silver alſo all in peeces, and make them all as the duſt of the Summer-threſhing-floor. When the loftineſs of man ſhall bee brought down, and the Lord alone exalted in that day, Iſaiah 2. 17.
2 Self-denial, is the ſecond fundamental 2 Self-denial.grace, which every unſound Profeſſor wants, therefore holds not out. It is the firſt leſſon Chriſt teacheth, and puts us into, If any man will come after Matth. 16. 24,mee, let him deny himſelf, &c. hee muſt abdicate his reaſon, wit, will, wiſdome, and captivate his thoughts, and receive new principles from his new Maſter. If any man bee wiſe in this world, let him become 1 Cor. 3. 18.a fool that hee may bee wiſe. A hard ſaying to a carnal heart. But hee that learns this leſſon beſt, proves the beſt Chriſtian, and Schollar in Chriſts School.
Wee may ſay of this leſſon as a learned man ſaid of the holy Language, many ſtudy it, ſome Schollars underſtand it; Vines.but there is no Nation, ſcarcely any perſon that uſeth, and ſpeaketh the Hebrew Tongue; ſo many ſtudy this grace of Self-denial, ſome Schollars underſtand it, very few uſe it. The want of this, ſpoyls the Profeſſors of this Age, who have too much brains, art, queſtions, diſputes, objections, disſatisfactions, (as they ſay) to become humble Chriſtians. They aſſent not to this, nor that, nor tother, hardly any thing, they muſt ſee more reaſon for it firſt. The Quariſta hath ſpoyled the Curriſta, Chriſt ſhall bee God again, as once Tertullian ſaid of Tiberius his act in propoſing it to the Senate, if hee pleaſe men well, and his Truths and Scripture ſhall De humano arbitratu Divinitas penfitatur. Niſi homini Deus placuerit, Deus non erit. Homo jam Deo propitius eſſe debet. Apot. c. 5.bee received and ſubmitted to, when they are better ſatisfied. Therefore few ſincere.
Hee that will not learn at firſt to deny himſelf, will too ſoon learn to deny his Lord that bought him, and to doubt of all the Articles of his faith, and all things practized ſince the Primitive Church, The Lords day, Infant-baptiſme, Family-prayers, Singing of Pſalms, the office of a Minister, Doctrine of Election, perſeverance of the Saints are all called in queſtion.
Sincerity begins in Self-denial, and taking up the Croſs, and ends in ſelf-ſaving, and taking up the Crown; or if you will, ſincerity begins in ſelf-loathing, and ſelf-denial, is carried on in ſelf-ſuſpecting, and ſelf-obſerving, and ends in ſelf-ſaving, whereas hypocriſie begins in ſelf-loving, is carried on in ſelf-ſeeking, and ends in ſelf-deſtroying. Hee that loveth his life ſhall loſe it. What hindred Naamans obedience to the Prophets counſel, to go waſh in Jordan, and bee clean, but want of Self-denial at firſt? Hee went away puffing and blowing, I expected ſome other matter; when hee had learnt to deny himſelf, and to beleeve and obey, hee was preſently cured. The mixt multitude, though they ſaw all thoſe ſigns and wonders in Egypt, yet not being well grammared in Self-denial, halted, and flinched, and ſtarted, and flung back, and never came to Canaan; they diſliked the way, the fare, the Miniſters and Ordinances, and every thing, and ſo periſhed. Bleſſed is hee that is not offended in mee. None but a ſelf-denying perſon partakes of this bleſſing. The Timber well ſeaſoned never warps, nor ſhrinkes, the heart well ſeaſoned with this grace, never ſhrinkes neither.
3 Repentance is the third Radical 3 Repentancegrace, wherein hypocrites fall ſhort. It is that which in this Chapter Capernaum was upbraided and challenged with, verſ. 20. That they repented not.] Not that they heard, profeſſed, beleeved not. Simon Magus found it an eaſier matter Act. 8. 13. & 22. compared.to beleeve (ſuch a beleef as it was) than to repent. Therefore Peter calls upon him to repent after hee beleeved, and told him he was in the gall of bitterneſs, becauſe he repented not; he that beleeveth before he repenteth, muſt repent to purpoſe after ſuch beleeving, or of ſuch beleeving, or periſh in beleeving without repentance. Many deal with the doctrine and practiſe of repentance, as children do with a hard leſſon, they skip it, and turn over to an eaſier. The hypocrite can ſin, and beleeve, beleeve, and ſin; but hee cannot repent, and rent his heart (ſuch is true repentance) Joel 2. 13.and live in ſin when hee hath done. The hypocrite as Magus claps a new faith, to an old life; this is eaſie, but to make all new, and to joyn a new life to new doctrines, and a new heart, to a new life (this is repentance, Ezek. 18. 31.) this asketh more pains, and coſts hot water, as wee ſay. This is the caſe of many new converts, they long to bee at the fair havens of conſolation, but would never touch at the port of Repentance, nor ever unlade the ſhip of his burden of ſin, or meet with contrary winds to drive them Act. 27. 4, 7, 8.backe, or ſo much as a ſayling ſlowly, if I may ſo far allude to that Sea-voyage of the Apoſtle, Act. 27. 4, 7, 8. Wee are in this age all for news and eaſe, a new Goſpel, new Truths, an eaſie ſalvation, and the cheap Goſpel is all in all. Like Naaman, wee like not to hear of waſhing, and waſhing ſeven times in Jordan, 2 King. 5. 10, 11hee expected the Prophet ſhould have prayed, and touched the ſore, and hee ſhould bee healed, without any pains of his; ſo do many expect Chriſt ſhould make a prayer, and intercede for us, the Spirit of grace ſhould touch the ſore, and free grace do all, and the Father ſhould pronounce us clean.
The practical part of Repentance is laid aſide, dead and buried, hence ſo many raw, and unſound Chriſtians: Mortifying the deeds of the body, plucking out the right eye, are torn out of the Goſpel: Inſtead of mortifying the deeds of the fleſh, wee mortifie the works, grace, and motions of the Spirit; inſtead of repenting of ſin, wee repent of duty, and repent of Repentance.
But the Word tells us there is no Goſpel to bee preached without repentance, Mark. 1. 15. no remiſſion of ſins to bee promiſed without repentance, Luke 24. 47. and that this is as neceſſary as faith, Act. 20. 21. yea to bee preached and practiſed before the fiducial application of faith; therefore ſo often ſet-before it, Mark. 1. 15. Act. 20. 21. Matth. 21. 32.Heb. 6. 1. Although I am not ignorant as no faith is ſaving without repentance, as in Magus, ſo no repentance without faith, as in Judas, they muſt go both together. And therefore wee come to ſpeak in the next place after theſe Radical Graces, of the three Nutritive, whereof faith is firſt.