Two Books, Treatise 1 · Chapter 20
CHAP. XX.
Application. The Reaſon why Beleevers are tempted to Pride. Where there is true Faith, there is humility of Spirit: And that is manifeſted in four Particulars. 1 In Modeſty. 2 In a Senſe of its own Condition before Grace. 3 In an acknowledgment of all that is in a man to be from God. 4 In making a man wary and faithful in the uſe of what he hath received.
USE
ALL that I ſhall ſay by way of Uſe (and ſo paſs on unto the next) is this:
Firſt, You may from hence ſee the Reaſon why Beleevers are ſo much tempted unto Pride: unto Pride in thinking of themſelves otherwiſe than is meet, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks: unto Pride in neglecting good works, as neceſſary unto the attaining and perfecting of Eternal Life. As ſome that are well born and deſcended, cannot endure to fal unto mean imployment. So doth the Devil labor to put it into the hearts of Beleevers, that they need not be ſo careful in Duty, nor ſo ſtrict and exact in the performance of the Law, for they are the Sons of God, and born unto Eternal Life as their Inheritance. Now the Reaſon why the Devil doth labor to ſtir the Saints to this, is, Becauſe that Pride is the moſt contrary unto the Life of Faith, and the condition we are put into through beleeving. For to ſee (as I ſaid now) a Beggar Proud, or a Servant Reign; to ſee an Alms man (who is cloathed of meer Mercy) to jet and ſtrut as if he were cloathed in Gold of his own, is the moſt uncomly ſight in the World. And ſo uncomly do we behave our ſelves in the ſight of God, when (becauſe of the ſtate we are in) we grow proud. For what have you to be proud of? For there is nothing that you have, but what you have received.
And again. Hence it doth appear that where ever there is true Faith, there wil be humbleneſs of Spirit, For the Spirit is ſuited to the condition and life which Faith brings in from Chriſt, but it empties the Soul of it ſelf, according as it doth bring in. So much a meaner opinion a man grows into of himſelf, as he grows more into the enjoyment of Chriſt. There is this temper of heart in a Beleever, that as he rejoyceth in this, that he hath much in Gods hands to receive, ſo alſo he doth walk humbly. As the Apoſtle ſpeaks in Phil. 2.12, 13. He works out his Salvation with fear and trembling: Why? Becauſe it is God that worketh in him both to will and to do. And if a man would make a Judgment of himſelf whether he be in the Faith or not, if he would diſcern whether he hath received Jeſus Chriſt unto the Salvation of his Soul or not, he may know it by this as ſoon as by any thing; Doth thy Spirit grow more humble? Art thou more vile in thy own eyes? Seeſt thou leſs worth, nay, no worth in thy ſelf? Doth the manifeſtation or communication of Grace from Chriſt, make thee to abhor and loath thy ſelf? But I ſhall ſpeak a little more to this particular by ſhewing you,
That where ever indeed there is true Faith, there is humbleneſs of Spirit manifeſted in theſe four Particulars. There are four Particulars I ſay, wherein humbleneſs of Spirit doth alwaies ſhew it ſelf in a Beleever.
Firſt. In modeſty, or ſobriety. Not aſſuming unto its ſelf the doing of any thing, or being the motive unto God, or the Reaſon why God ſhould do any thing to him. Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to thy Name be the praiſe, is the voyce of Faith, according to that of the Pſalmiſt, Pſal. 115.1. I live (ſaith Paul) yet not I, but Chriſt that liveth in me, Gal. 2 20. I have done more than they all, yet not I, but the Grace of God in me, 1 Cor. 15.10. And as the Pſalmiſt ſaith in another caſe, We got not the Victory by our own ſtrength and ſword, but it was thy hand and power that gave us the Victory, Pſal. 44.3. So the Soul ſaith, That it is not its praying or hearing, or any thing whereby it doth attain unto any favor with God, or any degree of Grace, but only becauſe the Lord ſo pleaſeth. As there can be no reaſon given why the Rain ſhould fall upon one ground, and not upon another, but only becauſe the Lord Reigns and Rules in Heaven. So there can be no reaſon given (ſaith the Soul) why I that am a barren deſert, ſhould have any life rained on me, but only becauſe it ſeems good unto him. That is the firſt thing.
Secondly, The humbleneſs of Faith ſhews it ſelf in a ſenſe and apprehenſion of that condition which a man was in, before he did receive Grace. As a man unto whom a proſperous eſtate is ſanctified, he remembers his poor eſtate and low condition. So doth a man now (that hath received by Faith from Chriſt) remember what ſtate he was in when Chriſt firſt came and gave him ſomwhat, and beſtowed himſelf upon him. Here the Apoſtle Paul ſpeaking of it, in 1 Tim. 1.13. I was a Blaſphemer, and injurious, and a Perſecutor, and the chief of all ſinners. And Eph. 2.3. We were by Nature (that is, we that are now quickned, and who are now raiſed up together with Jeſus Chriſt) Children of Wrath as well as others, and under the Prince of the Air, even the Devil, who Ruleth in the hearts of ſuch Children of diſobedience as we were. And therefore upon all occaſions you know he is up with his converſion, telling what an ill courſe he was in; and what wickedneſs he was practiſing when the Lord lighted on him, as you may ſee in divers places in the Acts. It is true indeed, that there is a paſſionate ſenſe of a mans miſery, which doth ceaſe when a man hath received mercy; that is, a man cannot ſo mourn, nor a man cannot ſo weep and lament as he did do; yet there is an underſtanding ſenſe. A ſenſe that lies upon the heart as ſure, though it works not after the ſame way; and as cleer, though it hath not the ſelf ſame paſſions that were before. Though the wound be healed, yet there is a ſcar that puts in mind. And though the Lord hath been pleaſed to take away the danger, yet the Soul cannot but ſtand and wonder at that condition wherein it was when the Lord delivered it. That is the Second.
Thirdly, The humbleneſs which Faith works in the heart of a man, is this; The acknowledgment and owning of al that is in a man unto God. As we are wont to write in the Books that are given us, The Gift of ſuch a Friend, or ſuch a Friend. Or as Jacob ſaid, he came over that Brook with a ſtaff in his hand, and now he had ſo many bands, But the Lord hath given them to him. Behold I and the Children which the Lord hath given me, Or as Jacob ſaid at another time when his father asked him how he came by Veniſon ſo ſoon, ſaid he, The Lord brought it to hand. So the Soul acknowledgeth whatever he hath received to be of meer Grace. 2 Cor. 5.5. He that hath wrought us hereunto is God, who hath alſo given unto us the Spirit. Mark the word: We are wrought hereunto. That is, as if he ſhould have ſaid, if there had not been more done by another than was by our ſelves, if we had been left to do for our ſelves, we had never come to this ſtate of Grace wherein we are: We were but like Clay, and He faſhioned us into this Mould. He, Who is that? Even God. He that hath wrought us hereunto is God: that is, Infinite Power, and Wiſdom was imployed in thoſe things, and no leſs would have done the thing. And ſo the Apoſtle ſaith, 1 Cor. 2.12. It is given to us, to know the things that are freely given us of God. Ask a Beleever how it came to paſs when he and others ſate under the ſame miniſtry, and in the ſame ſeat, and it may be had the ſame convictions, that one turned his back upon God, and the other came in; that one held up weapons of rebellion againſt God, and the other laid them down. Or thus; That the one is more wrought upon, and the other is leſs; that the one hath perfect Peace, and the other ſtand diſputing, being filled with fears, and jealouſies, and ſuſpitions. The Soul will anſwer that it was not for any thing that I did more than any other, it was not becauſe I was better than another, but becauſe the Lord put forth his Power upon me, and hath more effectually called and wrought in me, than he hath been pleaſed to do upon others. That is the Third Thing.
Fourthly, The Humbleneſs which Faith works in the Soul, is this, that it makes a man to be marvelouſly wary and faithful in the uſe of all that which he hath received by beleeving. If he hath gotten peace, he keeps it warily and charily. If he hath gotten Grace, he maintains it watchfully: and he is faithful, not becauſe he doth not look upon himſelf as a Lord over it, but he looks upon it as a Gift meerly given him. If a man (you know) hath any gift given him by a Friend, though it be very uſeful, yet he is very chary of the uſe of it, and will not uſe it but upon great occaſions. There is you know, a great deal of difference between a mans receiving his life by Grace, and pardon from the Prince; and a mans receiving his life upon tearms of Juſtice: He that hath his life upon Pardon, is afraid if he ever comes again within the breach of the Law any more: Whereas he that hath his life upon Juſtice, thinks not of any ſuch danger, nor of any ſuch evil that he needs to beware of. So much carefulneſs, ſo much Wiſdom and Warineſs as there is in the Soul to uſe what it hath received, ſo much doth it argue Faith in a man.