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MCHuL S SLEIE5 OF STANDAEI; LITKM prsTTAX III:::?.
WOEKS OF TH'J^IAS BEOuKS. TOL in.
COUNCIL OF PUBLICATION.
W. LINDSAY ALEXANDER, D.D., Professor of Theology, Congregational Union, Edinburgh.
JAMES BEGG, D.D., Minister of Newington Free Church, Edinburgh.
THOMAS J. CRAWFORD, D.D., S.T.P., Professor of Divinity, University, Edinburgh.
D. T. K. DRUMMOND, M.A., Minister of St Thomas's Episcopal Church, Edinburgh.
WILLIAM H. GOOLD, D.D., Professor of Biblical Literature and Church History, Reformed Presbyterian Church, Edinburgh.
ANDREW THOMSON, D.D., Minister of Broughton Place United Presby- terian Church, Edinburgh.
General ©tutor. REV. THOMAS SMITH, M.A., Edinbukgh.
THE COMPLETE WORKS
THOMAS BROOKS.
BY THE REV. ALEXANDER BALLOCH GROSART, LIVERPOOL.
VOL. III.
CONTAINING !
THE UNSEARCHABLE RICHES OF CHRIST. A CABINET OF JEWELS.
EDINBURGH : JAMES NICHOL.
LONDON: JAMES NISBET AND CO. DUBLIN: G. HERBERT.
M.DCCC.LXVI.
EDINBURGH :
PRINTED BY JOHN GREIG AKD SON,
OLD PHTSIC GARDENS.
;AV-'
CONTENTS.
I.-IHE UNSEABCHABLE EICHES OF CHEIST.
PAGE
Epistle Dedicatory, . . . , . . 3-6
The words opened, ...... 7-8
The first doctrine. — Tliose that are loivest in their oivn esteem are
highest in God's esteem, proved, . . 8—10
Eighteen properties of an humble soul, . . . 10-26
Five reasons of the point, ..... 26-29
Uses of it, . . . . . . . 29-30
Eight motives to provoke persons to be humble, . . 30-36 Nine directions and helps to keep us humble and low in our own
eyes, ....... 86-41
The dangerous nature of pride held forth in nine propositions :
also, six ways wherein pride shews itself, . . 41-48
The second doctrine. — All saints are not of an equal size and growth
in grace and holiness, . . . 48-49
Twelve things by which souls weak in grace are discovered and
deciphered, ...... 49-60
Twelve supports and comforts to uphold weak Christians.
Wherein also you may see how Christ and they are sharers, 60-75
Six duties that lie upon weak saints. And in the opening of them, several weighty questions are propounded and answered, ...... 75-95
The duties of strong saints to the weak shewed in eleven particu- lars, .... . . 95-102
The third doctrine. — That the Lord gives the best gifts to his best be- loved ones, .... 103 What those best gifts are that Christ bestows upon his dearest
ones, shewed in ten particulars, . . . 103-110
The difference between Christ's giving and the world's giving,
shewed in six things, ..... 110-111 The excellency of those gifts that Christ gives above all other
gifts that the world gives, shewed in five things, . . 111-113
Six reasons why God gives the best gifts to his dearest ones, . 113-117 Eight inferences or uses made of this point, . . . 117-122
A word to sinners, ...... 122-124
The fourth doctrine. — That the gifts and graces that God hestoivs upon his people should be improved, employed, and exercised by his peojjle, . . . 124
VI CONTENTS.
PAGE
This point proved and opened, .... 124-125
Twelve reasons why gracious souls should exercise and improve their gifts and graces ; in the handling and opening of which reasons several other considerable things fall in, . 125-136
Three sjiccial ends that the gifts and graces that God has be- stowed upon believers should be exercised and improved to, 136-140
The main use is, To stir up all Christians to make a blessed im- provement of their gifts and graces, . . . 140
Seven considerations or motives to stir saints up to improve their
talents, ....... 141-147
Question : When may a soul be said to be excellent in grace, or to
have highly improved g7-ace ? . . . 147
This question receives ten answers, .... 147-150
The fifth doctrine. — That the Lord Jesus Christ is very rich, . 150
This point is opened and proved by eight arguments, . . 151-155 Four grounds and reasons why the Lord Jesus Christ is held
forth in the word to be so very rich, . . . 155-157 The excellency of the riches of Cbrist above all other riches in
the world, held forth in seven particulars, . . 157-161
1st Use is, To exhort Christians to labour to be spiritually rich.
Seven considerations or motives to work Christians to this ; in th€ handling of which, several weighty questions are answered, ...... 161-172
Question : What means must Christians use that they may grow rich in grace f
Answered in eight things, ..... 172-179
Seven propositions concerning spiritual riches. The serious minding of them may give to many much satisfaction, and prevent many objections, .... 179-190
Five notes or signs of a person that is spiritually rich, . 190-192
2d Use. Do not join anything with Christ, in the great work
of your redemption and salvation, . . . 192-193
8d Use. If Christ be so rich, then take heed of three things, 193-194
4th Use. K Christ be so rich, oh then open to Christ when he
knocks, ...... 194
5th Use. If Christ be so rich, then sit down and wonder at his
condescending love, ..... 194-195
6th Use. If Christ be so rich, then prize Christ above all. Five considerations to work Christians to a high prizing of Christ, ....... 195-198
7th Use. Then tnist to Christ, if he be so rich. Trust him with your best treasure. Trust him for power against the remainders of corruption. Trust him to bring you into the land of rest, ...... 198-199
8th Use. If Christ be so rich, then do not leave him, do not
forsake him, do not turn your backs upon him, . . 199-200
9th Use. If Christ be so rich, oh then lot Christians strive more and more to clear up their interest in Christ. Six directions herein, ..... 200-202
A word to sinners, ...... 202-208
Nine directions to poor souls that would fain get an interest in
Christ, . 203-207
CONTENTS.
The sixth doctrine. — That it is the great duty of preachers or ministers to preach Jesus Christ to the peoj^le, proved, . Five reasons why ministers must preach Christ to the people, . How Christ is to be preached, shewed in eleven things. (1.) He must be preached plainly, perspicuously, (2.) ... ... faithfully, .
(3.) ... ... humbly,
(4.) ... ... wisely,
(5.) ... ... zealously, .
(6.)* ... ... laboriously,
(7.) ... ... exeraplarily,
(8.) ... ... feelingly, experimentally,
(9.) rightly, .
(10.) ... ... acceptably, .
(11.) ... ... constantly. They must not lay down
to take up the sword, &c., .
Three rules or directions, that such are to observe, as would
preach Christ aright to the people. (1.) They must get a Christ within, ....
(2.) They must mind more, and study more Scripture truths. Scripture mysteries, than human histories. No histories comparable to the histories of the Scriptures, hinted in seven things, .... . .
(3.) They should dwell much upon the vanity of human doc- trines, the vanity of which doctrines is discovered in five things, ......
The last doctrine. — That the office of a faithful minister is an honour- able office. Two things are premised for a right understanding of the point,
I. Seven things speak them out to be honourable.
(1.) The several worthy names and titles that are given them in Scripture, speak them out to be honourable, .
(2.) Their work is honourable, ....
(3.) They are fellow-labourers with God in the salvation of sin- ners. And what greater honour than to be a co-worker with God ? .
(4.) The honourable account that God hath of them, speaks out their office to be honourable, ....
(5.) They serve an honourable master,
(6.) Their very work and service is honourable,
(7.) Their reward is honourable, . .
II. What honour that is that is due to faithful ministers, shewed
in three things. (1.) Honourable countenance is due to them, . (2.) Honourable maintenance, ....
(3.) Honourable obedience, ..... A short use, .......
Quest. How must Christians honour their faithful ministers.
Shewed in five things. (1.) By hearing them, and giving credit to their messages which
they deliver from the Lord, .... (2.) By standing fast in the doctrine of the Lord delivered by
them, .......
207-208 208-210
211-212 212-213
213 213-214 214-215 215-216 216-217 217-218 218-219
219 the Bible 219-220
220-221
221-222
222-223
223
224 224
224
224-225 225 225
225-220
226-227 227-228 228-229 229-236
230 230
CONTENTS.
PAGE
(3.) By being followers of them, so far as they are followers of
Christ, ....... 230
(4.) By bearing them upon your hearts, when you are in the
mount, . . . . . . 230-231
(5.) By adhering to them, and abiding with them in all their
trials, Sec, ...... 231
The use of all, . . ' m ' ' ' ^^^"^^^
II.-A CABINET OF JEWELS. '
Epistle Dedicatory, ...... 235-248
Ch.vptek I. — Eighteen special Maxims, Considerations, Rules, and Directions that are seriously to be minded and observed, in order to the clearing up of a man's interest in Christ : the saving work of God upon his own soul ; and his title to all the glory of another world, ...... 249-306
Chapter II. — Many choice, precious, and infallible evidences of true saving grace, upon which a Christian may safely and securely, comfortably and confidently, rest and adventure the weight of his precious and immortal soul, and by which he may certainly know that it shall go well with him for ever : and that he has a real saving interest in Christ, and shall be everlast- ingly happy, when he shall be here no more, &c., . . 306-390
Chapter III. — Sound, saving repentance, repentance unto life ; that evangelical repentance that hath the precious promises of remis- sion of sin and salvation running out unto it. So far as may speak it out to be evidential of the goodness and happiness of a Christian's spiritual and eternal condition, . . . 390-436
Chapter IV. — How far an hypocrite cannot go. What an hypocrite cannot do. What a hypocrite is not. The several rounds in Jacob's ladder that no hypocrite under heaven climb up to, . 436-466
Chapter V. — Some propositions and directions, that so you may see what a sober use and improvement Christians ought to make of their evidences for heaven ; and how, in the use of gracious evi- dences, they ought to live above their gracious evidences, and how to exalt and lift up Christ above all their graces, evidences, and performances, ...... 466-505
THE UNSEARCHABLE EICHES OF CHRIST.
VOL. III.
NOTE.
The ' Unsearchable Riches of Christ' was originally published in 1655. A second edi- tion followed in 1657 ; a third, ' corrected and amended,' in 16C1 ; and a fourth iu 1671 — all 4to. Our text is the third edition, and its title-page is given below.* — G.
* ' Avi^iy^viasroi irXoZroi roZ y^oiaroZ.
THE
Unsearchable Riches
OF
CHRIST.
OR,
MEAT for STRONG MEN, » And
MILKE for BABES.
Held forth in Twenty-two
SERMONS
FROM
Ephesians III. VIII.
By Thomas Beooks, Preacher of the word in London.
The Third Edition Corrected and Amended.
Ipse unus erit tibiomnia.quiainipsouno bono, bona sunt om- nia. Avg. It pleased the father, that in him should all fullne?se dwell. Col. 1.19. In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdoms and knowledge. Chap. 2. 3.
LONDON : Printed by M.S. for John Ilancock at the first Shop in Popes head- Alley, next to Cornhill.
166 1.
EPISTLE DEDICATORY.
To all true Israelites, in whom there is no giiile, Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, through our Lord Jesus Christ, be multiplied.
Dear Hearts, my design in appearing once more in print is not to please the captious critic, or the sullen cynic, but to heighten yoar ' fellowship with the Father and the Son,' 1 John i. 3, 4, and to further you in a closer walking with God, and to ripen you more and more for reigning with God when you shall be here no more.
' Beloved in our Lord,' there are two sad and great evils — oh that there were no more ! — among the saints this day. The strong are very apt, yea, they make little of offending the weak ; and the weak are as apt, and make as little of judging and condemning the strong, Rom. xiv. 1-10. The serious and conscientious perusal of this treatise may, by the blessing of the Lord, contribute much to the preventing of those sad evils. You that are weak may, in this treatise, as ia a glass, see your weakness, your mercies, your graces, your duties, your privileges, and your comforts.^ You that are weak in grace, may here find many questions answered and doubts resolved, that tend to the satisfying, quieting, settling, and establishing of your precious souls in peace, joy, and assurance. Yoiv that are weak in grace, may here find a staff to support you, a light to direct you, a sword to defend you, and a cordial to strengthen you, &c. And you that are strong in grace, may here see what is your way, what is your work, and what at last shall be your re- ward. Here you will find that which tends to the discovery of spirits, the sweetening of spirits, the uniting of spirits, the healing of spirits, and the making up of breaches, &c.
Here you will find ' meat for strong men,' and ' milk for babes.' Here you will find who is more motion than notion ; more heart than head ; more spirit than flesh ; more inside than outside, &c.
Here you will find 'the unsearchable riches of Christ,' — which of all boxes of precious ointment is the most precious — opened ; and oh how
' Invalidum omne natura querulum, weak spirits are ever quarrelling and contending. — Seneca, [I)e Animi Tranquillitate. — G.]
4 THE UNSEARCHABLE RICHES OF CHRIST.
sweet must he be, that is the sweetest of sweets ! In Christ are riches of justification ; in Christ are riches of sanctitication, riches of consola- tion, and riches of glorification. And this following treatise may serve as a key, I say not as a golden one, to open the door, that you may come whore these treasures lie. Christ's riches are like the eternal springs of the earth, that cannot dry up, but are and shall be diffused by his Spirit and gospel, until his whole house be filled with them.
The excellency and usefulness of the riches of Christ, and answers to many weighty queries about his unsearchable riches, is more than hinted at in this tract. In this tract much is spoken concerning thenature, properties, and excellencies of humility, which is both the beautifier and preserver of all other graces.
Here you may see that those that are lowest in their own esteem, arc highest in God's esteem. Here you may see that humble souls are not so low and contemptible in the eyes of the world, as they are honourable in the eyes of God.^
And if ever there were an age since Christ was on earth, wherein it was needful to preach, press, and print this great doctrine of humility, of self, of soul abasement, this is the age wherein we live. Oh the pride, the stateliness of the professors of this age ! But because this point is largely spoken to in this tract, I shall satisfy myself with this touch.
There are many other weighty things treated on, which for brevity's sake I shall omit, only give me leave to acquaint you with a few things about this ensuing tract, and then I shall draw to a close.
First, That it is the substance of twenty-two sermons, preached by me about three years ago, on the lecture nights at this place where now I preach.
Secondly, That there are in it several other things of no small con- cernment to your souls, that I did not then deliver, but have been given in since, from that fountain that fills all in all.
Thirdly, That though I have been much pressed to print these sermons, yet I should never have yielded, had I not been thoroughly convinced and persuaded in my judgment and conscience, that they maj^ by the blessing of the Lord upon them, prove many ways useful and serviceable to all those honest Nathanaels into whose hands they may fall, else they had been buried in the dark, and never come to public light.^
I have only a few requests to make to you, and then I shall take my leave of you.
And my first request is this, that you would meditate and dwell upon what you "read ; otherwise your pains (I say not your souls) and mine will be lost.
It is a law among the Parsees in India, to iise premeditation in what they are to do, that if it be bad, to reject it ; if good, to act it. The ap- plication is easy.^ The more any man is in the contemplation of truth, the more fairer and firmer impression is made upon his heart by truth.
1 Humility is conservatrix virtutum. saith Bernard : that which keeps all graces togetliei- . . llumilitas animi, suhlimitas Cliristiani. [Serm. : on Canticles, as before.— G.']
* A sermon preached serveth but an auditory, a sermon printed may servo many audi- tories.
^ Lectio sine meditatione arida est, meditatio sine lectione erronea est, oratio sine medilatione tep'.da e«^— Augustine, finely.
EPISTLE DEDICATORY, 5
Christians must be like the clean beasts, that parted the hoof and chewed the cud ; they must by heavenly meditation chew truths and concoct truths, or else they will never taste the sweetness that is in divine truths.
Mary 'pondered the sayings of the shepherds in her heart,' Luke ii. 19.1 Not they that eat most, but they that digest most, are the most healthful. Not they that get most, but they that keep most, are richest. So not they that hear most, or read most, but they that meditate most, are most edified and enriched.
My second request to you is this, that you will make conscience of living out those truths you read.^
To read much and practise nothing, is to hunt much and catcli nothing.
Suetonius reports of Julius Caesar, ' That seeing Alexander's statue, he fetched a deep sigh, because he at that age had done so little.^
Ah ! what cause have most to sigh, that they have heard so much, and read so much, and yet done so little ! Surely it is more honourable to do great things, than to speak or read great things ! It is the doer that will be most happy at last, John xiii. 17. In vitce lihro scrihuntur qui quod possunt faciunt, etsi quod dehent, non possunt, they are written in the book of life, that do what good they can, though they cannot do as they would [Bernard.]*
I have read of a sood man coming from a public lecture, and being asked by one whether the sermon was done, answered, with a sad sigh, ' Ah! it is said, but not done.'^
My third request is this, that you will pray over what you read.
Many read much, and pray little, and therefore get little by all they read.
Galen writes of a fish called Uranoscopos, that hath but one eye, and yet looks continually up to heaven.'' When a Christian has one eye upon his book, the other should be looking up to heaven for a blessing upon what he reads.
When one heard what admirable victories Scanderbeg's sword had wrought, he would needs see it ; and when he saw it, says he. This is but an ordinary sword ; alas ! what can this do ? Scanderbeg sent him word, I have sent thee my sword, but I have the arm that did all by it.
Alas l'^ what can Christ's sword, Christ's word, do without his arm? Therefore look up to Christ's arm in prayer, that so his sword, his word, may do great things in your souls.
Luther professeth ' that he profited more by prayer in a short space than by study in a longer ;' as John, by weeping, got the sealed book open.
M.y fourth request to you is this, That if, by the blessing of the Lord upon my weak endeavours, any leaf or line should drop myrrh or mercy,
' The angels are much in meditation.
^ Your actions, in passing, pass not away; for every good work is a grain of seed f(ir eternal life. 3 Eisiorice Ccesarum, Julius Csesar. — G.
^ It was a saying of Augustine, one thousand two hundred years ago, that we must take heed lest, whilst we fear our exhortation being cooled, prayer be not damped, and pride inflamed.
s Philip Goodwin's 'Evangelical Communicant.' 1649.— G.
^ See Index under ' Galen' for other references to the oyjavoa-xocra?. — G,
^ See Glossary for other uses of ' alas' in this way, and cf. Sibbes, sub voce. — G.
b THE UNSEARCHABLE RICHES OF CHRIST.
marrow or fatness, upon your spirits, that you will give all the glory to the God of heaven, for to him alone it does belong.
Through grace I know I am a poor worm ; I am nothing, I have nothing but what I have received. The crown becomes no head but Christ's. Let him who is our all in all have the honour and the glory of all, and I have my end.^
Pliny tells of some in the remote parts of India that have no mouth.s, and yet live on the smell of herbs and sweet flowers ; but I hope better things of you, even such as accompany salvation.*
My fifth request to you is this, That you would let me lie near your hearts, when you are in the mount especially.
Oh pray, pray hard for me, that the Spirit of the Lord may be re- doubled upon me ; that his word may prosper in my mouth ; that it may ' run, and be glorified ;' and that I may be high in my communion with God, and holy and imblameable in my walkings with God; and tliat it may be still day with my soul; that I inay live and die in the joys and comforts of the Holy Ghost ; and that when my sun is set, my glass out, my work done, my race run, I may rest in the everlasting arms of divine love, &c.^
My last and least request to you is this. That you will please to cast a mantle of love over the mistakes of the press, and do me that right, and yourselves the courtesy, as, before you read, to correct any material faults that you shall find pointed at in the errata.''
God s easy passing over the many and daily erratas of your lives, cannot but make you so ingenuous as readily to pass over the erratas in this book.
You are choice jewels in my eye; you lie near unto my heart; I am willing to spend and be spent for your sakes. My earnest and humble desire is, that my service and labour of love may be accepted by you, Rom. XV. 81, and that it may work much for your internal and eternal welfare ; and that ' an abundant entrance may be administered to you into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,' 2 Pet. i. 11, and i. 8 ; and that you may be filled ' with joy unspeakable and full of glory,' and with that ' peace that passes understanding.' This is, and by grace shall be, the pra3^er of him who desires to approve himself faithful to Christ, his truths, his interests, and his people, and wl.o is your souls' servant in all gospel engagements.
Thosias Brooks.
' Ingratitude, say some, is a monster in nature, a solecism in manners, and a parado.'c in grace, damming up the course of donations, divine and human.
- See our Index under Psylli, as before. — G.
3 1 Thes. V. 25 ; 2 Thes. iii. 1 ; Heb. iii. 18 ; Col. iv. 3 ; Philip, i. 19 ; 2 Cor. i. 11 ; Acts xii. 5; Rev. xiv. 13.
* In every pomegranate there is at least one rotten kernel to be found, said Cratea the philosopher. [Suidas, s. v. Kj«r>ij — G.]
THE UNSEARCHABLE RICHES OF CHRIST.
Unto me, tvho am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.— Evn. III. 8.
' Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints.'
The Greek is a comparative made of a superlative. ' Less than the least of all saints,' is a double diminutive, and signifies lesser than the least, if lesser might be.* Here you have the greatest apostle descending- down to the lowest step of humility. Great Paul is least of saints, last of the apostles, and greatest of sinners.^ The choicest buildings have the lowest foundations, the best balsam sinks to the bottom ; those ears of corn and boughs of trees that are most filled and best laden, bow lowest. So do those souls that are most loaden with the fruits of pai-adise. ' Unto me who am less than the least of all saints.'
' Is this grace given.'
In the Greek, or ' was this grace given.'^ The word that is here ren- dered grace, is taken in Scripture not only for the favour of God, but also for his gracious gifts ; and so you are to understand it in this place. Grace is taken for the gifts of grace ; and they are twofold, common or special. Some are common to believers and hypocrites, as know- ledge, tongues, a gift of prayer, &c. ; some are special and peculiar to the saints, as fear, love, faith, &c. Now Paul had all these, the better to fit him for that high and noble service to which he was called.
' That I should preach.'
That is, declare good news or glad tidings. The Greek word answers to the Hebrew word, which signifies good news, glad tidings, and a joyful message.*
' That I should preach am^ong the Gentiles.'
Sometimes this Greek word is generally used for all men, or for all nations. Sometimes the word is used more especially for the people of
' iXax"''^'''^'^?'^' minimissimus. — Estius. [Commentaria in omnes S. Pauli Epist., in loco. 2 vols, folio, 1709.— G.]
^ Qui parvus est in reputatione propria, magnus est in reputatione divina. — Grogory [Na- zianzen]. He that is little in his own account is great in God's esteem.
^ looSn n x''?'^ auTfi. xa.^KXfj.a. is always taken in Scripture for a free gift, a grace gift ; but x"-i'i is taken not only for the favour of God, but also for his gracious gifts.
^ sVv£<r/v luayyixiffutStti, Mat. xxviil. 19 ; John xi. 48, 50, 51 ; Acts x. 22.
8 THE UNSEARCHABLE [EPH. III. 8.
the Jews. Sometimes it is used for the Gentiles distinguished from the Jews. So it is used Mat. vi. 32, ' For after all these things do the Gentiles seek.' And so it is used here. Those that are * without God in the world,' that stand in arms arainst God, that are imorant of those riches of grace that are in Christ ; this grace is given to me, that I should preach among the poor heathens, ' the unsearchable riches of Christ'
' That I might preach among the Gentiles.' Wliat, myself ? No, but * the unsearchable riches of Christ.'^
The Greek word signifies, not to be traced out.^ Here is rhetoric indeed ! Here is riches, unsearchable riches, unsearchable riches of Christ. Riches always imply two things : 1, abundance ; 2, abundance of such things as be of worth. Now in the Lord Jesus Christ is the greatest riches, the best riches, the choicest riches ; in Christ are riches of justification, Titus ii. 14 ; in Christ are riches of sanctification, Philip, iv. 12, 13 ; in Christ are riches of consolation, 2 Cor, xii. 9; and in Christ are riches of glorification, 1 Pet. i. 2, 3. But of these glorious unsearchable riches of Christ, we shall speak hereafter.
I shall begin at this time Avith the first words, ' Unto me who am less than the least of all saints.' There are these two observations that naturally flow from these words.
Ohs. 1. That the most holy men are always the most humble men.
None so humble on earth, as those that live highest in heaven.
Or if you Avill, take the observation thus :
That those that are the most highly valued and esteemed of by God, are loivest and least in their own esteem.
' Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints/ &c.
06s. 2. The second observation is.
That there are lueak saints as well as strong ; little saints as well as great.
Or thus,
All saints are not of an equal growth or stature.
I. I shall begin with the first observation, TJiat the most holy men are always the most humble men. Souls that are the most highly esteemed and valued by God, do set the least and lowest esteem upon themselves. ' Unto me who am less tlian the least of all saints,' &c.
In the handling of this point, I shall do these three things :
I. I shall prove that the most holy souls are always the most humble souls.
II. I shall shew you the properties of souls truly humble.
III. I shall shew you the reasons why those that are the most highly prized and esteemed of God, do set so low a price upon themselves.
IV. And then the use.
I. For the first, That this is so, I shall give you most clear proofs, and open them to you.
' Ipse unvs erit tihi omnia, quia in ipao vno bono, bona svnt omnia : one Christ will be to thee instead of all things else, because in him are all good things to be found. — Augustine
^ Gal. i. 16. aȣ|<;^v/a<rTov. Nec Christus ncc ccclum patitur hyperbolem, a man cannot hyperbolize in speaking of Christ and heaven. Omne bonum in summo bono, all good is in IJie chiefest good.
EpH. III. 8.] KICHES OF CHRIST. 9
See it in Job.^ No man ever received a fairer or a more valuable certificate under the hand of God, or the broad seal of heaven, for his being a soul famous in grace and holiness, than Job, as you may see, Job i. 8, "And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God and escheweth evil V And yet no man could speak more undervaluingly of himself than Job did. Job xlii. 5, 6, ' I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye seeth thee, I abhor myself in dust and ashes.'^ This expression is the deepest act of abhoiTency. Abhorrency strictly taken, is hatred wound up to the height. ' I abhor myself The word that is rendered abJtor signifies to reject, to disdain, to contemn, and to cast off^ Ah ! says Job, I abhor myself, I reject myself, I disdain myself, I cast off myself, I have a vile esteem of myself* So our blessed apostle, who had been ' caught up into the third heavens, and had such glorious revelations as could not be uttered,' yet he accounted himself less than the least of all saints.^ Not that anything can be less than the least ; the apostle's holy rhetoric doth not cross Aristotle's philosophy ; but the original word being a double diminutive, his meaning is that he was as little as could be ; therefore he put himself down so little as could not be, less than the least.
Another proof you have, Isa. vi. 1, 5, 6. As Paul among the apostles was the greatest, so Isaiah among the prophets was the dearest and choicest gospel preacher, and holds out more of Christ and of his king- dom and glory, than all the other prophets do. Isa. vi. 1, He sees the glory of the Lord in a vision, and this makes him cry out, verse 5, 'Woe is me, for I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips, for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts ; I am undone.' The Hebrew is, ' I am cut off,' I am a forlorn man ! Why? ' For I have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.'*^ Here you have the highest and choicest among the prophets, as you had Paul before among the apostles, abasing and laying low himself.
So Peter. Luke v. 8, ' Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.''' When he saw that glorious miracle wrought by the Lord Jesus, he Cries out as one very sensible of his own weakness and sinfulness. ' Depart from me, for I am a sinful man.' Ah ! I am not worthy to be near such majesty and glory, who am a mere bundle of vice and vanity, of folly and iniquity.
Take another clear instance : Gen. xviii. 27, ' And Abraham answered and said. Behold, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, who am but dust and ashes.' Here you have the father of the faithful, the
* Job was a non-such in regard of those perfections and degrees of grace that he had attained to beyond any other saints on earth.
^ Job was high in worth and humble in heart ; humilitas animi, suhlimitas Christiani.
•* A me, me salva Domine : deliver me, 0 Lord, from that evil man, myself. — Augustine. [Confessions. — G.]
^ 2 Cor. xii. 1-7. Vide Bezam. [Nov. Test., Exp. in loco. — G.] cL^^nra. p-/i//.aTa, word- less words, such as words are too weak to utter.
^ The clearest sight and vision of God does always give a man the fullest sight of his own emptiness, sinfulness, and nothingness. "'n''Dn3"''3, I am cut oif,
^ 'Avjij Ufjt.a.o'ru'K'oi, a man, a sinner, a very mixture and compound of dirt and sin.
10 THE UNSEARCHABLE [EpII. III. 8.
greatest believer in the world, accounting himself dust and ashes.^ Dust notes the baseness of his orimnal, and ashes notes his deservinsr to be
..... ^
burnt to asiies, if God should deal with him in justice rather than in mercy. The nearer any soul draws to God, the more humble will that soul lie before God. None so near God as the angels, nor none so humble before God as the angels.
So Jacob, Gen. xxxii. 1 0, ' I am not worthy of the lea.st of all the mercies, and all the truth which thou hast shewed unto thy servant/ &cJ' Jacob, a man eminent in his prevailing with God, a prince that had the honour and the happiness to overcome the God of mercy, yet judges himself unworthy of the least mercy. Ah ! how low is that soul in his own eyes, that is most honourable in God's eyes !
David, you know, was a man after God's own heart, 1 Kings xv. 5 ; a man highly honoured, much beloved, and dearly prized by the Lord ; yet 1 Sam. xxvi. 20, he counts himself a flea; and what is more contemptible than a flea ? In Ps. xxii. 6, ' I am a worm,' saith he, ' and no man.' The word that is there rendered tvorm, is a word that signifies a very little worm which breedeth in scarlet, a worai that is so little that a man can hardly see or perceive it. A worm is the most despicable creature in the world, trampled under foot by every one. Says he, I am a despi- cable worm in my own eyes, and in my enemies' eyes.*
And thus you see the point proved, that the most holy men have been always the most humble men.
II. The second thing that I am to do is, to sheiv you the 2)Toperties of humble souls. I confess, when I look abroad in the world, and observe the carriage of all sorts of men, my heart is stiiTed to speak as fully and as home to this point as Christ shall help me. It is very very sad to con- sider, how few humble souls there be in these days. Ah ! the damnable pride that reigns and rules in the hearts and lives of most men. I think it is far greater than hath been known in the generations before us. Ah, England ! England ! what folly, what damnable wickedness is this, that thou shouldst be a-lifting thyself up in pride, when God is a-staining the pride of all glory, and bringing into contempt the honour- able of the earth, and a-setting his feet upon the neck of pride.*
[1.] Now the fii'st property that I shall lay down of an humble soul is this :
Aoi hiLinble soul under the highest spiritual dicoveries, and under the greatest outward mercies, forgets Twt his foi^nier sinfulness and his former outward meanness. Paul had been taken up into the third heavens, and had glorious revelations and manifestations of God, 2 Cor. xii. 1-4 ; he cries out, ' I was a blasphemer, a persecutor, and injurious,' 1 Tim. i. 13. Under the choicest discoveries, he remembers his former blasphemies. So Rom. vii. 23, 'I see a law in my members Avarring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin, which is in my members.' He had been at this time about
' 1DN1 "ISy, gnapharvorphar, dust and ashes; i.e. base, vile, worthless. Solemnly think that thou art dust and ashes, and be proud if thou canst, Isa. vi. 1, 2.
- Dnonn 7D0 ^DJDp, 1 am less than all mercies, to wit, in worth or weight, &c,
■^ ny'piri' (olaynalh, an humble soul is a little, little nothing in his own eyes.
* (jod loves to hear this as a parcel of his praise, parcere snhJccCis et debellare super- bos, to spare the lowly and strike down the proud.
EpH. III. 8.] EICHES OF CHRIST. 11
fourteen years converted, as some judge. He was a man that lived at as high a rate in God, as any we read of ; a man that was filled with glorious discoveries and revelations, and yet under all discoveries and revelations, he remembers that body of sin and death that made him cry out, ' O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me ?' Who shall ease me of my burden, who shal] knock off these chains that make my life a hell ?^ I will by a few instances prove the other branch : Gen. xxxii. 10, ' I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies,' says Jacob, ' for with my staff I passed over this Jordan, and now I am be- come two bands/ I remember, saith he, when I went over Jordan, I was as a footman that carried all his wealth with him. Under his outward greatness he forgets not his former meanness. An humble soul is good at looking back upon his former low estate, upon his thread- bare coat that was his best and only robe.^
So David, 1 Chron. xvii. 16, 17, ' And David the king came and sat before the Lord, and said, What am I, 0 Lord God, and what is mine house, that thou hast brought me hitherto ? And yet this was a small thing in thine eyes, 0 God ; for thou hast also spoken of thy servant's house for a great while to come, and hast regarded me according to the state of a man of high degree. Who am I, O Lord God, and what is mine house ?' David remembered the meanness of his birth ; he remembered his shepherd's crook, as Jacob did his travelling staff.* Mercies make an humble soul glad, but not proud. An humble soul is lowest when his mercies are highest ; he is least when he is greatest ; he is lowest when he is highest ; he is most poor when he is most rich. Nothing melts like mercy, nothing draws like mercy, nothing humbles like mercy. Mercy gives the humble soul such excellent counsel, as Plasilla the empress gave her husband Theodosius, ' Remember, O husband,' saith she, ' what lately you were, and what now you are ; so shall you govern well the empire, and give God his due praise for so great an advancement.'* The voice of mercy is, Remember what lately thou wert, and what now thou art, and be humble. Now proud men that are lifted up from the dunghill, that abound in worldly wealth, ah ! how does their blood rise with their outward good ! The more mer- cies they have, the more proud they are ; mercies do but puff and swell such souls. In a crowd of mercies, they cry out in the pride of their hearts : ' Depart from us, O God, for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. What is the Almighty that we should serve him ? and what profit shall we have, if we pray unto him ?' Ps. Ixxiii. 3-13 ; Job xxi. 7-16, xiv. 15.
[2.] A second property of an humble soul is this, He overlooks his
1 Chrysostom observes it of Paul, as his greatest honour, that although he had obtained pardon of God for bis sins, yet he is not ashamed to reckon them up to the world. The spouse of Christ, under all the kisses and embraces of Christ, acknowledges herself to be black : Cant. i. 2, 5, compared.
■-' Omnia mea mecum porto, all my goods I carry with me, said Bias, one of the seven wise men of Greece. \^As before. — G.]
3 Iphicrates, that noble captain, cried out. From how small to how great an estate am I raised! [Son of Timotheus, a shoemaker. — G.] So does the humble soul, when God turns his brass into silver, his iron into gold, his pence into pounds. Agathocles, who, of a potter's son, was made king of Sicily, would always be served in earthen vessels. [A. was himself a ' potter.'— G.]
* Kather Placilla, sometimes Flacilla and Placidia. Cf. Tillemont, as before. — G.
12 THE UNSEARCHABLE [EPH. III. 8.
own righteousness, and lives upon the Hghteousness of another, to icit, the Lord Jesus. So the apostle, Philip. iiL 8-10, ovei'looks liis owu rigliteousness, and lives wholly upon the ri<(hteousness of Christ : ' I desire to be found in him,' saith ho, ' not havin<i: mine own ri<rhteous- ness.' Away with it, it is dross, it is dung, it is dog's meat ! It is a rotten righteousness, an imperfect righteousness, a weak righteousness, ' which is of the law ; but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith, '^ that is a spotless righteous- ness, a pure righteousness, a complete righteousness, an incomparable righteousness; and, therefore, an humble soul overlooks his own right- eousness, and lives upon Christ's righteousness. Remember this, all the sighing, mourning, sobbing, and complaining in the world, doth not so undeniably evidence a man to be humble, as his overlooking his own righteousness, and living really and purely upon the righteousness of Christ. This is the greatest demonstration of humility that can be sh'ewn by man, Mat. vi. 8. Men may do much, hear much, pray much, fast much, and give much, &c., and yet be as proud as Lucifer, as you may see in the Scribes, Pharisees, Mat. xxiii., and those in Isa. Iviii. 3, who in the pride of their hearts made an idol of their own righteous- ness : ' Wherefore have we fasted,' say they, ' and thou seest it not ? wherefore have we afflicted our souls, and thou takest no knowledge 1' Oh ! but for a man now to trample upon his own righteousness, and to live wholly upon the righteousness of another, this speaks out a man to be humble indeed. There is notliing that the heart of man stands more averse to than this, of coming off from his own righteousness. Man is a creature apt to warm himself with the sparks of his own fire, though he doth lie down for it in eternal sorrow, Isa. 1. 11. Man is naturally prone to go about to establish his own righteousness, that he might not subject to the righteousness of Christ ; he will labour as for life, to lift up his own righteousness, and to make a saviour of it, Rom. x. 4. Ay, but an humble soul disclaims his own righteousness : ' All our right- eousness is as filthy rags.' ' Enter not into judgment with thy servant, for in thy sight shall no man living be justilied,' Ps. cxliii. 2. So Job, ' Though I were righteous, yet I would not answer, but I would make supplication to my judge,' Job ix. 15. Proud Pharisees bless themselves in their own righteousness : ' I thank God I am not as this publican ; I fast twice in the week,' &c., Luke xviii. 11, 12. Ay, but now a soul truly humbled blushes to see his own righteousness, and glories in this, that he has the righteousness of Christ to live upon.^ Rev. iv. 10, 11, the twenty -four elders throw down their crowns at the feet of Christ. By their crowns you may understand their gifts, their excellencies, their righteousness ; they throw down these before Christ's throne, to note to us, that they did not put confidence in them, and that Christ was the crown of crowns and the top of all their royalty and glory. An humble soul looks upon Christ's righteousness as his only crown.
[3.] Thirdly, The loivest and the meanest good ivork is not heloiu an humble soul. An humble David will dance before the ark : he enjoyed
^ Ver. 8, iTKvS'uXa, dogs' meat : i. e. coarse and contemptible, Isa. Ixiv. 6 ; Cant. iv. 2 ; Eev. xiv. 5; Col. ii. 10.
* A proud heart eyes more his seeming worth than his real want. Non decel Christia- num in hac vita coronari, said the Christian soldier.
EpH. III. 8.] RICHES OF CHRIST. 13
SO much of God in it, that it caused him to leap and dance before it ; but Michal his wife despised him for a fool, and counted him as a simple vain fellow, looking upon his carriage as vain and light, and not becom- ing the might, majesty, and glory of so glorious a prince. Well ! says this humble soul, if this be to be vile, I will be more vile.
Great Paul, yet being humble and low in his own eyes, he can stoop to do service to the least and meanest saint. 1 Cor. ix. 19-21, 'For though I be free from all men, 3'^et have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews. To them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law. To them that are without law, as without law, being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ, that I might gain them that are without law. To the weak, became I as weak, that I might gain the weak. I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means gain* some.'> Here you have an humble soul bowing and stooping to the meanest saint, and the lowest services, that he might win souls. So the Lord Jesus himself was famous in this, John xiii. 4. Though he was the Lord of glory, and one that thought it no robbery to he equal with God, one that had all perfection and fulness in himself, yet the lowest work is not below this King of kings. Witness his washing his dis- ciples' feet and wiping them with a towel, 1 Cor. ii. 8 ; Philip ii 6 • Col. i. 19.
Bonaventure, though he was born of great parentage, and a great scholar, yet to keej) his mind from swelling, he would often sweep rooms, wash vessels, and make beds.
So that famous Italian marquess,^ when God was pleased by the ministry of his word to convert him, the lowest work was not below him. Thono-h he might have lived like a king in his own country, yet having tasted of that life and sweet that was in Jesus, he was so humble that he would go to market, and carry home the meanest and the poorest things the market yielded. There was nothing below him, when God had chanoed him, and humbled him.^
It was recorded to the glory of some ancient generals, that they were able to call every common soldier by his own name, and were careful to provide money, not only for their captains and soldiers, but litter also for the meanest beast.* There is not the lowest good that is below the humble soul. If the work be good, though never so low, humility will put a hand to it ; so will not pride.
^ Ver. 19. !ci^ly,<ra Signifies to gain with joy and delight of heart. Ah, says Paul, it is my greatest joy, my greatest delight, to gain souls to Christ. The word also signifies craft, or guile Ah ! humble Paul will use a holy craft, a holy guile, to win souls. To know the art of alms is greater than to be crowned with the diadem of kings, and yet to convert one soul is greater than to pour out ten thousand talents into the baskets of the poor. — Chn/sostom.
2 Galeacius Carraciolus, as before. Cf. Sibbes, vol. i. pp 184, 289, seq.—Q.
3 Proud hearts cannot stoop to low services ; they say this work and that is below their parts, place, parentage, and employments.
* Cirius [Cyrus?] and Scipio. These heathens will rise in judgment against many proud professors in these days, who scorn to stoop to mean services, &c. Venial, veniat verbuni Domini, et subniittemus illi sezcenta etsi nobis essent colla, said Baldassar, a German minister. So it is with all that are high in worth and humble in heart. Lev. x. 2, 3, God will be sanctified either actively or passively ; aid a nobis aut in nos, either in us or upon us.
U THE UNSEARCHABLE [EPH. Ill 8.
[4?.] A fourth property of an humble heart is this, An humble heart toill suhmiit to everi/ truth of God, that is rtiade knoum to it ; even to those divine truths that are most C7'oss to flesh and blood. 1 Sam. iii. 17, Eli would fain know what God had discovered to Samuel concerning him ; Samuel tells him that he must break his neck, that the priesthood must be taken away from him, and his sons must be slain in the war ; why ' it is the Lord,' saith he, ' let him do what seemeth him good.' So in Lev. x. 3, the Lord by fire from heaven destroys Aaron's two sons. ' Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is that the Lord spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified ; and Aaron held his peace.' If God miss of his honour one way, he will rain hell out of heaven, but he will have it another way. This Aaron knew, and therefore he held his peace, when God shewed himself to be ' a consuming fire.' The Hebrew word' that is here rendere'd peace, signifies the quietness and silence of his mind. He did not hold ills tongue only, for many a man may hold his tongue, and yet his mind and heart may kick and swell against God, but his very mind was quiet and still ; there was a heavenly calm in his spirit ; he was dumb and silent, because the Lord had done it. So in Acts x. 33, ' We are all here present before God, to hear all things that ai'e commanded thee of God.' We are not here to hear what may tickle our ears, or please our fancies, or satisfy our lusts. No ; but we are here to hear what God will say. Our hearts stand ready pressed to subject them- selves to whatever God shall declare to be his will. We are willing to hear what we may do, that we may obey sincerely and universally the good pleasure of our God, knowing that it is as well our dignity as our duty so to do.
There are three things in an humble soul that do strongly incline it to duty.
The^irs^ is divine love. . The second is divine presence.
The third is divine glory.
The dove made use of her wings to fly to the ark ; so doth an humble soul of his duties to fly to Christ. Though the dove did use her wings, yet she did not trust in her wings, but in the ark. So though an humble soul does use duties, yet he does not trust in his duties, but in his Jesus. But now proud hearts they hate the truth, they cry out, ' Who is the Lord, that we should obey him V And what are his command- ments, that we should submit to them? Ay, but an humble soul falls under the power of truth, and counts it his greatest glory to be obedient to all truth.
[5.] A fifth property of an humble soul is this: An humble soul lives not upon liimself, nor upon hisoivn actings, but upon the Lord Jesus,
' Dl^l. The word often signifies a modest quietness of mind, tlie troubled aflFec- tions being allayed ; so here. In Lam. iii. 27-29 it signifies to submit unto God. and to be patient in affliction ; and so it may be taken here. Nxtnqiinvi nimis dieitur, quid nun- quam satis discitur, we can never hear that too often that we can never learn too well. Aliliti mulla agenda, patienda plura, the Christian soldier must do many things, and suffer more. If Seneca said of liis wise man, Mnjore parte illic est, unde dcscindit, lie is more in heaven than in earth, this is much more true of humble, holy souls. [Seneca : De Constantia Supieixtis. — G.] Duke wmen Christi, sweet is the name of Christ. Christ may well be comjiared to the trees of the sanctuary, Ezek. xlvii. 12, which were both for meat and medicine.
EpH. Ill 8.] RICHES OF CHRIST. 15
and his actings. Poor men, you know, they do not live upon them- vselves, they live upon others ; they live upon the care of others, the love of others, the provision of others. Why ! thus an humble soul lives upon the care of Christ, the love of Christ, the promise of Christ, the faithfulness of Christ, the discoveries of Christ. He lives upon Christ for his justification, Philip, iii. 7-10 ; he lives upon Christ for his sanc- tification. Cant iv. 16, ' Awake, O north wind, and come thou south, blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out ;' and he lives upon Christ for his consolation : Cant. ii. 3, ' As the apple-tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste ;' and he lives upon Christ for the performance of all holy actions : Philip, iv. 13, ' I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me ;' Gal. ii. 20, 'I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me ; and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.' An humble soul sees in Christ' a fulness of abundance, and a fulness . of redundancy, and here his soul lives and feeds. An humble soul sees that all his stock is in the hands of Christ. His stock of graces, his stock of comforts, his stock of expe- riences are in the hands of Jesus Christ, who is thegreatLord-keeperof all a believer's graces, and of all his comforts ; and therefore, as children live upon them in whose hand their stock is, be it a brother or a friend, why, so an humble soul sees its stock is in the hand of the Lord Jesus, and therefore he lives upon Christ, upon his love, and his pro- vision, and his undertakings, &c. But now proud hearts live not upon the Lord Jesus Christ ; they live upon themselves, and upon their own duties, their owm righteousness, their own actings, as the Scripture evidences. Christ dwells in that heart most eminently that hath emptied itself of itself. Christ is the humble man's manna, upon which he lives, and by which he thrive*, Lsa. Iviii. 2, 7; Luke vii. 47.
[6.] A sixth property of an humble soul is this. He judges himself to he belovj the ivrath and judgments of God? An humble soul looks upon himself as one not worthy that God should spend a rod upon him, in order to his reformation, edification, or salvation. As I am unworthy, saith an humble soul, that God should smile upon me, so I am unworthy that he should spend a frown upon me. Job xiii. 25, ' Wilt thou break a leaf driven to and fro ? And wilt thou pursue the dry stubble ?' Why, I am but a leaf, I am but a little dry stubble, I am below thy wrath ; I am so very, very bad, that I wonder that thou shouldst so much as spend a rod upon me. What more weak, worthless, slight, and con- temptible than a leaf, than dry stubble ? Why, Lord, says Job, I am a poor, weak, and worthless creature, I wonder that thou shouldst take any pains to do me good, I can't but count and call everytliing a mercy that is less than hell.
So David, in 1 Sam. xxiv. 14, ' After whom is the Kmg of Israel come
1 Plenitudo abundantice and phnitudo redundandce. Omne bomim in summo bono, all good is in the chiefest good. Christ is quicquid appeiibile, as Ori;,'en speaks, whatever we can desire.
2 A proud heart resists, and is resisted : this is dura durum, flint to flint, fire to fire. An humble soul blesses God as well for crosses as mercies, as well for adversity as for prosperity, as well for frowns as for smiles, &c., because he judges himself unworthy of the least rebukes from God.
16 THE UNSEARCHABLE [EPH. III. 8.
out 1 After whom dost thou pursue ? After a dead dog, after a flea.' The Language of an humble soul, when God Ijcgins to be angry, is this : Lord, I can bk'ss thee that thou wilt take any pains with me ; but I humbly acknowledge that I am below the least rod, I am not worthy that thou shouldst frown upon me, threaten me, strike me, or whip me, for my internal and eternal good. But proud hearts think themselves wronged when they are afflicted, they cry out with Cain, ' Our punish- ment is greater than we can bear,' Gen. iv. 13.
[7.] A seventh property of an humble soul is this, An hwmhle soul (loth h'lrjhhi iinze the least of Christ. The least smile, the least good word, the least good look, the least truth, the least mercy, is highly valued by an humble soul.
The Canaanitish woman in the fifteenth of Matthew sets a high price upon a crumb of mercy.' Ah, Lord, says the humble soul, if! may not have a loaf of mercy, give me a piece of mercy ; if not a piece of mercy, give me a crumb of mercy. If I may not have sun-light, let me have moon-light; if not moon-light, let me have star-light ; if not star-light, let me have candle-light; and for that I will bless thee.
In the time of the law, the meanest things that were consecrated were very highly prized, as leather or wood, that was in the tabernacle. An humble soul looks upon all the things of God as consecrated things. Every truth of God is a consecrated truth ; it is consecrated to holy use, and this causes the soul highly to prize it; and so every smile of God, and every discovery of God, and every drop of mercy from God, is very highly prized by a soul that walks humbly with God. The name of Christ, the voice of Christ, the footsteps of Christ, the least touch of the garment of Christ, the least-regarded truth of Christ, the meanest and least-regarded among the flock of Christ, is highly prized by humble souls that are interested in Christ, Song i. 3; John x. 4, 5; Ps. xxvii. 4; Mat. ix. 20, 21; Acts xxiv. 14; 1 Cor. ix. 22. An humble soul cannot, an humble soul dares not, call anything little that has Christ in it ; neither can an humble soul call or count anything great wherein he sees not Christ, wdierein he enjoys not Christ.^ An humble soul highly prizes the least nod, the least love-token, the least courtesy from Christ; but proud hearts count great mercies small mercies, and small mercies no mercies ; yea, pride does so unman them, that they often call mercy misery, &c.
[8.] The eighth property of an humble soul is this. It can never be good enough, it can never pray enough, nor hear enough, nor mourn enough, nor believe enough, nor love enough, nor fear enough, nor joy enough, nor rej^ent enough, nor loathe sin enough, nor be humble enougli, &c.
Humble Paul looks upon his great all as nothing at all ; he forgets those things that are behind, and reaches forth to those things which are before, ' that if by any means he might attain unto the resurrection of the dead,' Philip, iii. 11-14 ; that is, that perfection of holiness which
* Ver. 27. Faith will pick an argument out of a repulse, and turn discouragenDnts into encouragements. Lutiier would not take all the world lor one leaf of the Bible ; such a price he set upon it, from the sweet that he found in it.
2 Austin loved Tully before his conversion, but not so much after, qiiia novien Jesu non erat j6t, because the name of Christ was not there. [Confessions, b. lii., iv. 7.— G.]
EpH. III. 8.] EICHES OF CHRIST. 17
the dead shall attain unto in the morning of the resurrection, by a metonymy of the subject for the adjunct.'
No holiness below that matchless, peerless, spotless, perfect holiness that saints shall have in the glorious day of Christ's appearing, will satisfy the humble soul. An humble heart is an aspiring heart ; he cannot be contented to get up some rounds in Jacob's ladder, but he must get to the very top of the ladder, to the very top of holiness. An humble heart cannot be satisfied with so much grace as will bring him to glory, with so much of heaven as will keep him from dropping into hell; he is still crying out, Give, Lord, give ; give me more of thyself, more of thy Sou, more of thy Spirit; give me more light, more life, more love, &c. Csesar in warlike matters minded more what was to conquer than what was conquered ; what was to gain than what was gained. So does an humble soul mind more what he should be than what he is, what is to be done than what is done. Verily heaven is for that man, and that man is for heaven, that sets up for his mark the perfection of holiness. Poor men are full of desires ; they are often a-sighing it out, Oh that we had bread to strengthen us, drink to refresh us, clothes to cover us, friends to visit us, and houses to shelter us, &c. ; so souls that are spi- ritually poor they are often a-sighing it out. Oh that we had more of Christ to strengthen us, more of Christ to refresh us, more of Christ to be a covering and shelter to us, &c. I had rather, says the humble soul, be a poor man and a rich Christian, than a rich man and a poor Christian. Lord, says the humble soul, I had rather do anything, I had rather bear anything, I had rather be anything, than to be a dwarf in grace, Rev. iii. 17, Isa. Ixv. 5, Luke xviii. 11, 12. The light and glory of humble Christians rises by degrees: Cant. vi. 1, (1.) Looking forth as the morning, with a little light ; (2.) Fair as the moon, more light ; (3.) Clear as the sun, i.e. come up to a higher degree of spiritual light, life, and glory. Lord, says the humble soul, give me much grace, and then a little gold will serve my turn; give me much of heaven, and little of earth will content me; give me much of the springs above, and a little of the springs below will satisfy me, &c.
[9.] The ninth property of an humble soul is this, 7^ will smite and strike for small sins as well as for great, for those the ivorld count no sin, as luell as for those that they count gross si7is.
When David had but cut off the lap of Saul's garment, his heart smote him as if he had cut off his head. The Hebrew word signifies to smite, wound, or chastise.^ Ah! his heart struck him, his heart chastised him, his heart wounded him for cutting off Saul's skirt, though he did it upon noble grounds, viz., to convince Saul of his false jealousies, and to evidence his own innocency and integrity : and
^ IviXTiitiifiiviis ; it signifies the straining of tlie whole body, a stretching out head and hands, as runners in a race do to lay hold on the mark or prize proposed, Ps. x. 17. De- sires, laavath, from Avah, that signifies so to desire and long after a thing as to have one's teeth water at it ; so in Micah vii. 1. But proud hearts sit down and pride themselves, and bless themselves, as if they had attained to much, when they have attained to nothing that can raise them above the lowest step of misery.
2 1 Sam. xxiv. 5, "y). A good man's heart, when kindly awakened, may smite him for those actions that at first he judged very prudent and politic. How great a pain, not to be borne, comes from the prick of this small thorn ! Little sins have put several to their wits' ends, when they have been set home upon their consciences. VOL. in. B
18 THE UNSEARCHABLE [EPH. III. 8.
SO, at another time, liis heart smote him for numherinf^ tlie people, as if he liad murdered the people: 2 Sam. xxiv. 10, 'And David's heart smote him, after that he had numbered the people; and David said unto the Lord, I have sinned greatly in that I have done : and now I be- seech thee, O Lord, take away the iniquity of thy s(;rvant, for I have done very foolishly.' An humble soul knows that little sins, if I may so call any, cost Christ his blood, and that they make way for greater; and that little sins multiplied become great, as a little sum multiplied is great; that they cloud the face of God, wound conscience, grieve the Spirit, rejoice Satan, and make work for repentance, &c. An humble soul knows that little sins, suppose them so, are very dangerous ; a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump; a little staff may kill one; a little poison may poison one; a little leak in a ship sinks it; a little fly in tiie box of ointment spoils it; a little flaw in a good cause mars it; so a little sm may at once l>ar the door of heaven and open the gates of hell ; and therefore an humble soul smites and strikes itself for the least as well as the greatest. Though a head of garlic be little, yet it will poison the leopard, though he be great. Though a mouse is but little, yet it will kill an elephant, if he gets up into his trunk. Though the scorpion be little, yet it will sting a lion to death ; and so will the least sin, if not pardoned by the death of Christ.
A proud heart counts great sins small, and small sins no sins, and so disarms conscience for a time of its whipping and wounding power ; but at death, or in hell, conscience will take up an iron rod, with which it will lash the sinner for ever ; and then, though too late, the sinner shall acknowledge his little sins to be very great, and his great sins to be exceeding grievous and odious, &e.
[10.] The tenth property of an humble soul is this, It ivill quietly hear burdens, and patiently take blows and knocks, and make no noise. An humble soul sees God through man; he sees God through all the actions and carriages of men : ' 1 was dumb,' saith the prophet, ' I opened not my mouth, because thou didst it.'^ An humble soul looks through secondary causes, and sees the hand of God, and then lays his own hand upon his mouth. An himible soul is a mute soul, a tongue-tied soul, when he looks through secondary causes to the supreme cause. So Aaron, when he saw his sons suddenly surprised by a dread- ful and doleful death, he held his peace, he bridled his passions; he sits silent under a terrible stroke of divine justice, because the Hre that devoured them went out from the Lord. So when Samuel had told Eli that God would judge his house for ever, and that he had sworn that the iniquity of his house should not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever, &c., ' It is the Lord,' says Eli, ' let him do what seemetli him good.' Eli humbly and patiently lays his neck upon the block; it is the Lord; let him strike, let him kill, &c., says Eli, 1 Sam. iii. 11, 13.
So David, when Shimei manifested his desperate fury and folly, malice and madness, in raving and raging at him, in cursing and reproaching of him, says he. ' Let him alone, and let him curse, for th(j Lord hath bidden him,' 2 Sam. xvi, 5, 14. God, says he, will, by his wise provi-
' Pa. xxxi.x. 9, *no'?SJ, from alam, wliicli sif;nifios to bo mute, or tongue-tied. Lev. x. 1-3, vaiidevi from JJantd, wliich siguilies the quietuess of the mind, the troubled affec- tions being allayed.
EpH. III. 8.] RICHES OF CHRIST. ] 9
tlence, turn his cursing into blessing. I see the justice of God in his cursing, therefore let him alone, let him curse, says David. ^
Cassianus reports, that when a certain Christian was held captive by the infidels, and tormented by divers pains and ignominious taunts, being demanded, by way of scorn and reproach, Tell us what Christ has done for you, answered. He hath done what you see, that I am not moved at all the cruelties and contumelies you cast upon me.*
So that blessed martyr, Gyles of Brussels, when the friars, sent to reduce him, did at any time miscall him, he ever held his peace, inso- much that those wretches would say abroad that he had a dumb devil in him.* Full vessels will bear many a knock, many a stroke, and yet make no noise. So Christians that are full of Christ, that are full of the Spirit, will bear many a knock, many a stroke, and yet make no noise.
An humble soul may groan under afflictions, but he will not grumble in calms. Proud hearts discourse of patience, but in storms humble hearts exercise patience. Philosophers have much commended it, but in the hour of darkness it is the humble soul that acts it. I am afflicted, says the humble soul, but it is mercy I am not destroyed. I am fallen into the pit ; it is free grace I am not fallen into hell. God is too just to wrong me, and too gracious to harm me ; and therefore I will be still and quiet, let him do what he will with me, says the humble soul. But proud souls resist when they are resisted, they strike when they are stricken, Isa. Iviii. 1-8 : ' Who is the Lord,' says lofty Pharaoh, 'that I should obey him ?' and Cain cries out, 'My punishment is greater than I am able to bear/ Well ! remember this : though it be not easy in afflictions and tribulations to hold our peace, yet it is very advantageous ; which the heathens seemed to imitate in placing the image of Angerona [goddess of silence], with the mouth bound upon the altar of Volupia [of pleasure], to shew that those that do prudently and humbly conceal their sorrows and anxieties by patience, shall attain comfort and refreshment.*
[11.] The eleventh property of an humble soul is this: in all religious duties and services, he trades with God upon the credit of Christ.^ Lord, says the humble soul, I need power against such and such sins : give it me upon the credit of Christ's blood. I need strength to such and such services : give it me upon the credit of Christ's word. I need such and such mercies for the cheering, refreshing, quickening, and strengthening of me : give them into my bosom upon the credit of Christ's intercession. As a poor man lives and deals upon the credits of others, so does an humble soul live and deal with God for the strength- ening of every grace, and for the supply of every mercy, upon the credit
* Gallesius observes upon Exod. xxii. 28, the exceeding patience of those three em- perors, Theodosius, Honorius, and Arcadius, towards those that spoke evil of them. [Qu. 'Gallasius?'— G.]
2 [Foxe.] Acts et Mon. fol. 811. [By Townsend, sub nomine. — G.]
3 By long soothing our own wills, we have forsaken, as Cassian saitli, the very shadow of patience. [Voes and Esch, not Gyles. Foxe, as above, vol. iv. 349-50. — G.]
* lion sic Deos coluimus aut sic vixinius, id ille nos vinceret, said the emperor [Marcus A.] Antoninus Philosophus. [' Meditations.' — G.]
5 John xiv. 13, and xv. IG, and xvi. tS, 2G. The name of Jesus hath a thousand trf-asures of joy and comfort in it, saith Chrysostom ; and is therefore used by Paul five hundred times, as some have reckoned.
20 THE UNSEARCHABLE [EPH. III. 8.
of the Lord Jesus. An humble soul knows that since he broke with God in innoccncy, God will tinist him no more, he will take his word no more ; and therefore when he goes to God for mercy, he brings his Ben- jamin, his Jesus, in his arms, and pleads for mercy upon the account of Jesus.
Plutarch reports that it was wont to be the way of the Molossians, when they would seek the favour of their prince, they took up the king's son in their arms, and So went and kneeled before the king, and by this means overcame him.' So do humble souls make a conquest upon God with Christ in their arms. The Father will not give that soul the repulse that brings Christ in his arms.'^ The humble soul knows that God out of Christ is incommunicable, that God out of Christ is incom- prehensible, that God out of Christ is very terrible, and that God out of Christ is inaccessible ; and therefore he still brings Christ with him, and presents all his requests in his name, and so prevails, &c. Oh ! but proud souls deal with God upon the credit of their own worthiness, righteou.sness, services, prayers, tears, fastings, &c., as the proud Phari- sees and those wrangling hypocrites in Isa. Iviii. 1-3.
It was a very proud saying of one, Coduni gratis non accipiam, I will not have heaven but at a rate ; and therefore well did the father call vain-glory a pleasant thief, and the sweet spoiler of spiritual ex- cellencies.
[12.] The twelfth property of an humble soul is this : it endeavours onore how to honour and glorify God in afiictions, than how to get out of affl.icti(ms. So Daniel, the three children, the apostles, and those worthies of whom this world was not Avorthy. They were not curious about getting out of affliction, but studious how to glorify God in their afflictions.' They were willing to be anything, and to bear any- thing, that in everything God might be glorified. They made it their business to glorify God in the fire, in the prison, in the den, on the rack, and under the sword, &c. Lord, says the humble soul, do but keep dow^n my sins, and keep up my heart in a way of honouring of thee under all my troubles, and then my troubles will be no troubles, my afflictions will be no afflictions. Though my burdens be doubled, and my troubles be multiplied, yet do but help me to honour thee by believing in thee, by waiting on thee, and by submitting to thee, and I shall sing care away, and shall say. It is enough.*
When Valens the emperor sent messengers to win Eusebius to heresy by fair words and large promises, he answered, Alas, sir ' these speeches are fit to catch little children that look after such things, but we that are taught and nourished by the holy Scriptures are readier to suffer a thousand deaths than to suffer one syllable or tittle of the Scripture to be altered. And when the emperor threatened to confiscate his goods,
' So Themistocles did when he sought the favour of kiug Admetus. [Plutarch, sub nomine. — G.]
- The name of a Saviour, saith Bernard, is lioney in the nioutli, and music in the ear, and a jubilee in the heart. [Serm. on Canticles, as before. — G.] The boy tiiat was a monitor cried aloud to him that rode in triumph, Memento te esse homincm, remember thy- self to bo a man.
3 Dan. iii.; Acts v. 41. 42, and iv. 29 ; Hcb. xi. ; Eph. vi. 10, 20; Philip, i. 13, 19.
* I'rorsiis Satan est Lut/tervs, sed Christus vivit et regiiat, Amcu, said Lulher, in writ- ing to his friend Spalatinus. [During Diet of Augsburg — G.]
EpH. III. 8.] RICHES OF CHRIST. 21
to torment him, to banish him, or to kill him, he answered, He need not fear confiscation that hath nothing to lose; nor banishment, to whom heaven only is a country ; nor torments, when his body will be dashed with one blow ; nor death, which is the only wa}' to set him at liberty from sin and sorrow.^ Oh ! but when a proud man is under troubles and afflictions, his head and heart are full of plots and projects how to get off his chains, and to get out of the furnace, &c. A proud heart will say anything, and do anything, and be anything, to free himself from the burdens that press him, as you see in Pharaoh, &c. ; but an humble soul is willing to bear the cross as long as he can get strength from heaven to kiss the cross, to bless God for the cross, and to glorify Gcd under the cross, &c., John i. 20, 21.
[13.] The thirteenth property of an humble soul is this : it seeks not, it looks not, after great things. A little will satisfy nature, less will satisfy grace ; but nothing will satisfy a proud man's lusts.^ Lord, says the humble soul, if thou wilt but give me bread to eat and raiment to put on, thou shalt be my God, Gen. xxviii. 20-22. Let the men of the world, says the humble soul, take the world in all its greatness and glory, and divide it among themselves.^ Let me have much of Christ and heaven in my heart, and food convenient to support ray natural life, and it shall be enough : Job xxii. 29, ' When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person \ or as the Hebrew hath it, ne shahh gneaim, him that hath low eyes, noting to us that an humble soul looks not after high things.* So in Ps. cxxxi. 1, 2, ' Lord, my heart is not haughty nor mine eyes lofty.' But how do you know that, David ? Why, says he, ' I do not exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high, or too wonderful for me. Heb. '•300 niN'?D3ni Surely I behaved and quieted myself.' ' My soul is as a child that is weaned of his mother. My soul is even as a weaned child.' As a great shoe fits not a little foot, nor a great sail a little ship, nor a great ring a little finger, so a great estate fits not a humble soul. It was a prudent speech of that Indian king Taxiles to the invading Alexander :* What should we need, said he, to fight and make war one with another, if thou comest not to take away our water and our neces- saries by which we must live ? As for other goods, if I be richer than thou, I am ready to give thee of mine ; and if I have less, I will not think scorn to thank thee if thou wilt give me some of thine. Oh ! but proud Absalom can't be content to be the king's son, unless he may have the crown presently from his father's head. Csesar can abide no superior, nor Pompey an equal. A proud soul is content with nothing. A crown could not content Ahab, but he must have Naboth's vine- yard, though he swim to it in blood. Diogenes had more content with his tub to shelter him from the injuries of the weather, and with his wooden dish to eat and drink in, than Alexander had with the con- quest of half the world, and the fruition of all the treasures, pleasures, and glories of Asia.^ So an humble soul is more contented and satisfied
' Happy is that soul, and to be equalled with angels, who is willing to suffer, if it were possible, as great things for Christ as Christ hath suffered for it, said Jerome.
* Galen. ' Vir bonus paucis indiget.
* Ps. iv. 6, 7 ; Prov. xxx. 8. Luther made many a meal of a herring, and Junius of an egg. [Francis Junius, the noble-born coadjutor of Treraellius. Died 1602. — G.]
^ Plutarch lAlewandur, 59, 65. — G.] ^ Plutarch, &c., as before. — G.
22 THE UNSEARCHABLE [EPH. III. 8.
Avith Daniel's pulse and John's coat than proud princes are with their glistering crowns and golden sceptres.
[14.] The fourteenth property of an luunblc soul is this: it can rejoice in the (/races and gracious actiiKjs of others, as well as in its mvn. An humble Moses could say when Eldad and Medad prophesied in the camp, * Would God that all tlie Lord's people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them,' Num. xi. 26-30. So humble Paul in Acts xxvi. 29, ' And Paul said, I would to God that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost and altogether such as I am, except those bonds." 1 heartily wish and pray for thine own sake that not only in a low but in an eminent, degree, both thou and all that are here present, were as far Christians as I am ; only I would not wish them imprisoned as I am. An humble soul is no churl. There is no envy in spiritual things ; one may have as much of spirituals as another, and all alike. So in 1 Thes. i. 2, 3, ' We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers ; remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father.' So in the 2 Epistle i. 2-4, ' Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all towards each other aboundeth : so that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God, for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure.' Ezekiel can commend Daniel, his eontemporary, matching him with Noah and Job, for his power in prayer ; and Peter highly praises Paul's epistles, though he had been sharply reproved in one of them, Ezek. xiv. 1 4, 2 Peter iii., &c. Oh ! but proud souls will be still a-casting disgrace and contempt upon those excellencies in others that they want in themselves.
A proud cardinal, in Luther's time, said, Indeed, a reformation is needful, and to be desired, but that Luther, a rascally friar, should be the man should do it, is intolerable.^ Pride is like certain flies, called cantharides, who light especially upon the fairest wheat and the most blown roses.'
Though Licinius, who was joined with Galerius in the empire, was so ignorant that he could not write his own name, yet as Eusebius re- ports, he called the liberal arts a public poison.^
This age is full of such monsters that envy every light that outshines their own, and that throw dirt upon the graces and excellencies of others, that themselves may only shine. Pride is notable both at subtraction and at multiplication. A proud heart always prizes himself above the market ; he reckons his own pence for pounds, and others' pounds for pence ; he looks upon his own counters as gold, and upon others' gold as counters. All pearls are counterfeit but what he wears.
' sv oXi't^* xa.) ID -rcxx^ : a little and a great way. The ancient church had her diptychs. or public tables, wherein the persons most noted for piety were recorded. Plato calle(l Aristotle the intelligent reader, and Aristotle set up an altar in honour of Plato.
* Attributed to Cardinal Cajetan. Cf. Sibbes, vol. vii. p. 4C4 — G.
^ Ca;.sar Borgias, emulating and imitating Julius Ca>sar, did use to say, Aut Caesar, out nullus ; but not long after he was slain in the kingdom of Navsirre.
* As before : see Index, sub 7iomine. — U.
EpH. III. 8. J RICHES OF CHRIST. 23
[15.] The fifteenth property of an humble soul is, he ivill rather hear wrongs than revenge wrongs offered. The humble soul knows that vengeance is the Lord's, and that he will repay, &c., Ps. xciv. 1 . The humble soul loves not to take the sword in his own hand, Rom. xii. 19 ; he knows the day is a-coming, wherein the Lord will give his enemies two blows for one, and here he rests. An humble soid, when wrongs are offered, is like a man with a sword in one hand and a salve in the other; could wound but will heal:' Ps. xxxv. 11-16, 'False wit- nesses did rise up : they laid to my charge things that I knew not. They rewarded me evil for good, to the spoiling of my soul. But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth : I humbled my soul with fasting ; and my prayer returned into my own bosom. I be- haved myself as though he had been my friend or brother : I bowed down heavily, as one that mourneth for his mother,' &c. The Scripture abounds in instances of this nature.
Dionysius having not very well used Plato at the court, when he was gone, fearing lest he should write against him, he sent after him to bid him not to write against him. Says he, ' Tell Dionysius that I have not so much leisure as to think of him.' So humble wronged souls are not at leisure to think of the wrongs and injuries that others do them. 2
Mr Foxe, that wrote the Book of Martyrs, would be sure to do him a kindness that had done him an injury : so that it used to be a pro- verb, ' If a man would have Mr Foxe do him a kindness, let him do him an injury.' An humble soul is often in looking over the wrongs and injuries that he has done to God, and the sweet and tender carriage of God towards him notwithstanding those wrongs and injuries ; and this wins him, and works him to be more willing and ready to bear wrongs, and forgive wrongs, than to revenge any offered wrongs.
[16.] The sixteenth property of an humble soul is this. An humble soul, though he be of never so rare abilities, yet he will not disdain to be tauglit what he hnoivs not, by the meanest persons, Isa. xi. 6. A child shall lead the humble soul in the way that is good ; he cares not how mean and contemptible the person is, if a guide or an instructor to him.
Apollos, ' an eloquent man, and mighty in the Scripture,' a master in Israel, and yet sits by an Aquila, a tent-maker, and Priscilla his wife, to be instructed by them. Acts xviii. 24-26.^ Sometimes the poorest and the meanest Christian may, for counsel and comfort, be a god to an- other, as Moses was to Aaron. As an humble soul knows that the stars have their situation in heaven, though sometimes he sees them by their reflection in a puddle, in the bottom of a well, or in a stinking ditch ; so he knows that godly souls, though never so poor, low, and contempt- ible, as to the things of this world, are fixed in heaven, in tlie region above ; and therefore their poverty and meanness is no bar to hinder him from learning of them, Eph. ii. 6.
• I may truly say of the humble soul what TuUy said of Cajsar, Nihil oblivisci soles, nisi injurias, that he forgot nothing but injuries. Augustus Ceesar, in whose time Clirist was born, bid Catullus, the railing poet, to supper, to shew that he had forgiven him. [Rather Julius Csesar : Suetonius, Jul. 73. — G.]
2 Cf. Tyzetzes, Chil. v. 182-185.— G.
3 Vide Baza on the words. [Annot., as before. — G.]
24 THE UNSEARCHABLE [EPH. III. 8.
Though John was poor in the world, yet many humble souls did not disdain, but rejoice in his ministry. Christ lived poor and died poor, Mat. viii. 20. As he was bom in another man's house, so he was buried in another man's tomb. Austin observes, when Christ died he made no will ; he had no crown-lands, only his coat was left, and that the sol- diers parted among them ; and yet those that were meek and lowly in heart counted it their heaven, their happiness, to be taught and instructed by him.'
[17.] The seventeenth property of an humble soul is this : an humble soul ivill bless God, and be thankfid to God, as ivell under misery as under mercy ; as ivell when God froiuns as when he smiles ; as well when God takes as when he gives ; as well under crosses and losses, as under blessings and mercies:^ Job i. 21, ' The Lord gives and the Lord takes, blessed be the name of the Lord.' He doth not cry out upon the Sabeans and the Chaldeans, but he looks through all second- ary causes, and sees the hand of God ; and then he lays his hand upon his own heart, and sweetly sings it out, ' The Lord gives, and the Lord takes, blessed be the name of the Lord.' An humble soul, in every condition, blesses God, as the apostle commands, in the 1 Thes. v. 18, ' In every thing give thanks to God.' So 1 Cor. iv. 12, ' Being reviled, we bless ; being persecuted, we suffer.' The language of an humble soul is, If it be thy will, saith an humble soul, I should be in darkne.ss, I wall bless thee ; and if it be thy will I should be again in light, I will bless thee ; if thou wilt comfort me, I will bless thee ; and if thou wilt afflict me, I will bless thee ; if thou wilt make me poor, I will bless thee ; if thou wilt make me rich, I will bless thee ; if thou wilt give me the least mercy, I will bless thee ; if thou wdlt give me no mercy, I will bless thee. An humble soul is quick-sighted ; he sees the rod in a Father's hand; he sees honey upon the top of every twig, and so can bless God ; he sees sugar at the bottom of the bitterest cup that God doth put into his hand ; he knows that God's house of correction is a school of instruction ; and so he can sit down and bless when the rod is upon his back. An humble soul knows that the design of God in all is his instruction, his reformation, and his salvation.^
It was a sw^eet saying of holy Bradford, If the queen will give me ray life, I will thank her ; if she will banish me, I will thank her ; if she will burn me, I will thank her ; if she will condemn me to perpe- tual imprisonment, I will thank her.* Ay, this is the temper of an humble heart. An humble soul knows, that to ble.ss God in prosperity is the way to increase it ; and to bless God in adversity is the way to remove it. An humble soul knows, that if he blesses God under mer- cies, he hath paid his debt ; but if he blesses God under crosses, he
' On John xiv. 27.— G.
* Tully calls gratitude Moximam, imo matrem, omnium virttitum rcliqitarum, the greatest, yea, the mother of all virtues.
* The Jews have a proverb, that wo must leap up to mount Gerizim, which was a mount of blessings ; but creep into mount Ebal, which was a mount of curses : to shew that we must be ready to bless, but backward to curse. An humble soul can extract one contrary out of another, honey out of the rock, gold out of iron, &c. Afflictions to humble souls are the Lord's plough, the Lord's harrow, the Lord's flail, the Lord's drawing-plas- ter, the Lord's pruning knife, the Lords potion, the Lord's soap ; and therefore they can sit down and bless tlie Lord, and kiss the rod.
* Foxe, sub nomine, and his own Letters. — G.
EpH. III. 8.] RICHES OF CHRIST. 25
hath made God a debtor. But oh the pride of men's hearts, when the rod is upon their backs ! You have many professors that are seemingly- humble, while the sun shines, while God gives, and smiles, and strokes ; but when his smiles are turned into frowns, when he strikes and lays on, oh the murmurings ! the disputings ! the frettings ! and wranglings of proud souls ! they always kick when God strikes.
[18.] The last property of an humble soul is this : an humble soul will wisely and patiently bear reproof : Pro v. xxv. 12, 'As an ear- ring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear.' A seasonable reproof falling upon an humble soul hath a redoubled grace with it. It is an ear-ring of gold, and as an ornament of fine gold, or as a diamond in a diadem.
An humble David can say, ' Let the righteous smite me, it shall be a kindness, and let him reprove me, it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head,' Ps. cxli. 5. David compares the faithful reproof of the righteous, to the excellent oil that they used about their heads. Some translate it, ' Let it never cease from my head.' That is, let me never want it, and so the original will bear too, I would never want reproofs, whatsoever I want : ' But yet my prayer shall be in their calamities.' I will requite their reproofs with my best prayers in the day of their calamity, saith David. Whereas a proud heart will neither pray for such nor with such as reprove them, but in their calamities will most insult over them.'
Some translate it more emphatically : ' The more they do, the more I shall think myself bound unto them.' And this was Gerson's dispo- sition,^ of whom it is recorded, that he rejoiced in nothing more than if he were freely and friendly reproved by any : Prov. ix. 8, 9, ' Rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee ; give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser.' Prov. xix. 25, ' Reprove one that hath under- standing, and he will understand knowledge.' You know how sweetly David carries it towards Abigail, 1 Sam. xxv. 32, 33 ; she wisely meets him, and puts him in mind of what he was going about, and he falls a-blessing of her presently : ' Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me, and blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood.' I was resolved in my passion, and in the heat of my spirit, that I would not leave a man alive, but blessed be God, and blessed be thy counsel ! An humble soul can sit down and bless God under reproofs. An humble soul is like the Scythian king, that went naked in the snow, and when Alexander wondered how he could endure it, he answered, ' I am not ashamed, for I am all forehead.' An humble soul is all forehead, able to bear reproofs with much wisdom and patience. Oh ! but a proud heart cannot bear reproofs, he scorns the reprover and his reproofs too.^
' •'^J'N"! ''i''"7N. Oil is here metaphorically taken for words of reproof, which may be said figuratively to break the head. Vide Job x. 2.
2 In vit. Jo. Gerson. So Alypius loved Austin for reproving him [Confessions, b. vi., vii. 12.— G.] So did David Nathan, 1 Kings i. ; 2 Sam. xii. 12, V6, and xxiv. 13, 14. That is a choice and tender spirit that can meekly and humbly embrace reproofs, and bless God for reproofs.
3 Manasseh, king of Judah, being reproved by the aged princely prophet Isaiah, caused him, near to the fountain of Siloa, to be sawn in sunder with a wooden saw, in the eightieth year of his age ; for which cruel act, amongst other of his sins, he was sorely
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Prov. XV, 12, 'A scorner lovetli not one that reproveth him, neither will he go unto the wise.' Amos v. 10, ' They hate him that reproveth in the gate ;' as Ahab did good Micaiah, and John Baptist did Herod, and our Saviour the Pharisees,' Luke xvi. 13. Christ beint; to deal with tlie covetous Scribes and Piiarisees, he lays the law iiome, and tells them plainly that they could not serve God and mammon. Here Christ strikes at their right eye ; but how do they hear this ? Mark in the 14th verse, ' The Piiarisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things, and they derided him.' The Pharisees did not simply laugh at Christ, but gave also external signs of scorn in their countenance and gestures. They blew their nose at him, for that is the meaning of the original word." By their gestures they demonstrated their horrid derid- ing of him ; they fleared and jeered, when they should have feared and trembled at the wrath to come : Isa. xxviii. 10, ' For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept ; line upon line, line upon line ; here a little, and there a little.' One observes, that that was a scoff put upon the prophet, and is as if they should say, Here is nothing but precept upon precept, line upon line. And, indeed, the very sound of the words in the original carries a taunt, zau le zau, kau lahau, as scornful people, by the tone of their voice and rhyming words, scorn at such as they despise. Pride and passion, and other vices, in these days go armed ; touch them never so gently, yet, like the nettle, they will sting you ; and if you deal with them roimdly, roughly, cuttingly, as the apostle speaks, they will swagger with you, as tlie Hebrew did with Moses: 'Who made thee a judge over us?' Exod. ii. 13, 14. And thus much for the properties of an humble soul.
III. I come now to the next thing, and that is, to shew you the reasons why the best men are the most humble men.
[1.] First, Because they see tltemselves the greatest debtors to God for 'I chat they do enjoy.
There is no man on earth that sees himself such a debtor to God as tlie humble man. Every smile makes him a debtor to God, and every good word from heaven makes him a debtor to God. He looks upon all his temporals, as health, wealth, wife, child, friend, &c., and sees himself deeply indebted for all. He looks upon his spiritual mercies, and sees himself a great debtor to God for them ; he looks upon his graces, and sees himself a debtor for them ; he looks upon his experi- ences, and sees himself a debtor for them ; he looks upon all his pri- vileges, and sees himself a debtor for them ; he looks upon his in-comes, and sees himself a debtor for them.* The more mercy he hath received, the more he looks upon himself indebted and obliged to pay duty and tribute to God ; as you may see in Ps. cxvi. 6, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14 verses compared. In the Gth, 7th, 8th verses, he tells you of the mercies he punished by God, 2 Chron. xxxiii. 11. So Cambyses, king of Persia, hated Praxaspes, one of his nobles tliat was familiar with him, for reproving his drunkenness.
* The meaning is plain, though the sentence is inaccurate. — Ed.
^ They blowed their nose at him, manifesting thereby their scorning at what he said.
' When a knight died at Home that was much in debt, Augustus the emperor sent to buy his bed. conceiving there must needs be some extraordinary virtue in it, if ho tliat was so much in debt couhl take any rest upon it. An humble soul sees himself so mucli in debt for mercies in hand, and mercies in hope, tliat he cannot sleep without blessing and admiring of (iod.
EpH. III. 8.] RICHES OF CHRIST. 27
had received from God, and in the 12th and lotli verses, says he, * What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits towards me ?' I see my- self, saith he, wonderfully indebted ; well, what then ? why, ' I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows unto the Lord, in the presence of all his people.' The same you have in the 16th, l7th, and 18th verses of the same psalm.
So David, Ps. ciii. 1-4, casts his eyes upon his temporal and his spiritual mercies, and then calls upon his soul : ' O my soul, bless the Lord ; and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits : who forgive th all thine iniquities ; who healeth all thy diseases,' &c. An humble soul knows, that it is a strange folly to be proud of being more in debt than another. It is true, saith he, I have this and that mercy in possession, and such and such mercies in reversion ; but by all, I am the more a debtor to God.i
Cgpsar admired at that mad soldier, who was very much in debt and yet slept so quietly. So does an humble soul wonder and admire, to see men that are so much indebted to God for mercies, as many are, and yet sleep so quietly, and be so mindless and careless in blessing and praising of God. There is nothing, saith one, that endures so small a time, as the memory of mercies received ; and the more great they are, the more commonly they are recompensed with ingratitude.
[2.] Secondly, It is because in this life they have but a taste of God. In the 1 Pet. ii. 2, 3, ' As new-born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby ; if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious." The best men on this side heaven have but a taste ; he is but in a tasting, desiring, hungering, thirsting, and growing condi- tion : Job xxvi. 14, 'These are part of his ways, but how little a por- tion is heard of him !' So in 1 Cor. xiii. 9, 10, 12, ' We know but in part, and we prophesy but in part ; now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face.' The Lord gives out but little of himself here, we have but a taste of divine sweetness here, we see but the back-parts of God, the day is not far off when we shall see his face. The best of Christ is beliind, as the sweetest honey lies in the bottom. Our greatest knowledge here is to know that we know nothing.
The Rabbins in their comments upon Scripture, when they meet with hard knots that they cannot explicate, they salve all with this, Ellas cum venerit solvet omnia, ' When Elias comes, he will resolve all things.' The best men are in the dark, and will be in the dark, till the Lord comes to shine forth upon them in more grace and glory. The best men on this side heaven are narrow vessels : they are able to receive and take in but little of God. The best men are so full of the world, and the vanities thereof, that they are able to take in but little of God. Here God gives his people some tastes, that they may not faint ; and he gives them but a taste, that they may long to be at home, that they may keep humble, that they may sit loose from things below, that they ■ may not break and despise bruised reeds, and that heaven may be the more sweet to them at last, &c.
' I have read of a stork that cast a pearl into the bosom of a maid, which had healed her of a wound. So humble souls cast the pearl of praise into the bosom of God for all his favours towards them.— Gmc. Hist., lib. iv. [Guicciardini.— G.]
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[3.] A third reason wliy tlie best men are the most humble, and that is, because the best men dwell more vpon tfceir worser 'part, their ignoble paii, titan they do upon their noble part, their better p}art.
In Isa. vi. 5, 'I am a man of unclean hps,' saith that humble soul. So humble Job cries out of the iniquity of his youth ; and says he, ' Once have I spoken foolishly, yea, twice, but I will do so no more,' Job xiii. 26, xl. 15. Humble David, Ps. li. 3, sighs it out, 'My sin is ever before me.' So humble Paul, Rom. vii. 22, 23, complains, that he ' hath a law in his members Avarring against the law of his mind, and leading him captive to the law of sin ;' and that, ' when he would do good, evil was present with him.' An humble soul sees that he can stay no more from sin than the heart can from panting, and the pulse from beating; he sees his heart and life to be fuller of sin, than the firmament is of stars ; and this keeps him low.' He sees that sin is so bred in the bone, that till his bones, as Joseph's, be carried out of the Egypt of this world, it will not out. He every day finds that these Jebusites and Canaanites be as thorns in his eyes, and as goads in his sides. He finds sin an ill inmate, that will not out, till the house fall on the head of it; as the fretting leprosy, in the walls of the house, would not out till the house itself was demolished.^ Though sin and grace were never born together, and though they shall not die together ; yet while the believer lives, these two must live together ; and this keeps them humble.
As the peacock, looking upon his black feet, lets fall his plumes, so the poor soul, when he looks upon his black feet, the vanity of his mind, the body of sin that is in him, his proud spirit falls low.
Epaminondas, an Athenian captain, bemg asked why he was so sad the day after a great victory, answered, ' Yesterday I was tickled with much vain-glory, therefore I correct myself for it to-day.'' That is the temper of an humble soul. It is very observable, that the saints are pressed to take notice of their better part : Cant. i. 15, ' Behold thou art fair my love, behold thou art fair.' And so, chap. iv. 1, ' Behold thou art fair, behold thou art fair.'* God hath much ado to get a gracious heart to mind his spiritual beauty; to take notice of the inward excellency that he hath wrought in it. Though ' the king's daughter be all glorious within,' yet God hath much ado to bring her to see and take notice of her inward beauty and glory. The humble soul is more set to eye and dwell upon its deformity, than it is upon that beauty and glory that God hath stamped upon it. And this makes the man little and low in his own eyes.
[4.] Fourthly, Because they have the clearest sight and vision of God, and have the nearest and highest commiLnion ivith God. None on earth are so near to God, and so high in their communion with God, as humble souls. And as they have the clearest visions of God, so those actions of God give them the fullest sight and knowledge of their own sinfulness and nothingness. So in Job xlii. 5, 6, ' I have heard of
' Tcneo in memorin, scribo in charta, sed non habeo in vita. — Augustine.
'As llagar would dwell with Sarah till she beat her out of doors, so will sin dwell with grace till death beat it out of doors. ' Plutarch : P2pam. — G.
* This duplication, as well as the ecc, is full of attention and admiration, and Christ by praising perfects liis own work ; for locutio verbi in/usio doni, to call her fair is to make her so, &c.
EpH. III. 8] RICHES OF CHRIST. 29
thee by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye hath seen thee, I abhor myself in dust and ashes.' Isa. vi. 1, 5, In a vision the Lord discovers his glory to the prophet, then verse 5, ' Woe is me !' saith he, ' for I am undone ;' or ' I am cut off,' why ? Because ' I am a man of unclean lips ; and have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.'' Oh, the vision that I have had of the glory of God hath given me such a clear and full sight of my own vileness and baseness, that I cannot but loathe and abhor myself When Abraham draws near to God, then he accounts himself but dust and ashes. Gen. xviii. 26, 27. The angels that are near God, that stand before him, they cover their faces with two wings, as with a double scarf, in the 6th of Isaiah ver. 2.
[5.] The fifth and last reason why those are most humble that are most holy is, because they maintain in themselves a holy fear of sin- ing.^
And the more this holy fear of falling is maintained, the more the soul is humbled. Pro v. xiv. 16, ' A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil;' and chap, xxviii. 14, 'Happy is the man that feareth always: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief And this keeps the holy soul humble.
1 have known a good old man, saith Bernard, who when he had heard of any that had committed some notorious offence, was wont to say with himself, llle hodie, et ego cixis, he fell to-day, so may I to-morrow. Now, the reason why humble souls do keep up in themselves a holy fear of falling, is because this is the best to keep them from falling. Job fears and conquers on the dunghill ; Adam presumes, and falls in paradise; Nehemiah fears, and stands, Neh. v. 15; Peter presumes, and falls. Mat. xxvi. 69, seq. ; Mr Sanders the martyr, in Queen Mary's days, fears and stands ; Dr Pendleton presumes, and falls from a pro- fessor to be a papist.^
When Agamemnon said. What should the conqueror fear ? Casander presently answered. Quod nihil timet, He should fear this most of all, that he fears not at all.
And so I have done with the reasons of the point. I shall now come to
IV. The uses of it : and the first is this.
[l.J Is it so, that the most holy souls are the most humble souls? Then this shews you, that the number of holy souls is very fetu. Oh, how few be there that are low in their own eyes! The number of souls that are high in the esteem of God, and low in their own esteem, are very few. Oh, the pride of England ! Oh, the pride of London ! Pride in these days has got a whore's forehead ; yet pride cannot climb so high but justice will sit above her.
Bernard saith, that pride is the rich man's cousin. I may add, and the poor man's cousin, and the profane man's cousin, and the civil man's cousin, and the formal man's cousin, and the hypocrite's cousin ; yea, all men's cousin ; and it will first or last cast down and cast out all the Lucifers and Adams in the world.*
' DXJDX, from DXD, which signifies to reject, to despise, to cast off, to contemn.
2 As one fire, so one fear drives out another. As the sunshine puts out fire, so doth the fear of God the fire of lusts. ^ Clarke, as before. — d,
* A proud heart resists, and is resisted ; this is duro durum, flint to flint, fire to fire, yet down he must.
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[2.] Secondly, As you would approve yourselves to be high in the account of God, as you ivould approve yourselves to be not only good, but eminently good, keep humble. Since England was England, since the gospel sinned amongst us, there was never such reason to press this duty of Inunility, as in these days of pride wherein we live ; and there- fore I sliall endeavour these two things :
First, To lay down some motives that may work you to be humble.
Secondly, To propound some directions that may further you in this work.
First, For the motives, Consider,
(1.) First, lioiu God singles out humble souls from, all others, to pour out most of the oil of grace into their hearts.
No vessels that God delights to fill, like broken vessels, like contrite spirits: James iv. 6, 'He resists the proud, and gives grace to the humble.' The Greek word signifies, to set himself in battle array. God takes the wind and hill of a proud soul, but he gives grace to the humble. The silver dews flow down from the mountains to the lowest valleys. Abraham was but dust and ashes in his own eyes ; ay, but saith God, ' Shall I hide from Abraham the thing that I will do ?' Gen. xviii. 17. No ; I will not. An humble soul shall be both of God's court and his counsel too. Humble Jacob, that was in his own eyes less than the least of all mercies, Gen. xxxii. 10, what a glorious vision had he of God, when the ground was his bed, and the stone his pillow, and the hedges his curtains, and the heavens his canopy ; then he saw angels ascend and descend. Gen. xxviii. An humble soul that lies low, oh what sights of God hath he! What glory doth he behold, when the proud soul sees nothing ! God pours in grace to the humble, as men pour in liquor into an empty vessel. He does not drop in grace into an humble heart, but he pours it in.*
The altar under the law was hollow, to receive the fire, the wood, and the sacrifice ; so the hearts of men, under the gospel, must be humble, empty of all spiritual pride and self-conceitedness, that so they may receive the fire of the Spirit, and Jesus Christ, who otfered himself for a sacrifice for our sins.
Humility is both a grace, and a vessel to receive grace. There is none that sees so much need of grace as humble souls. There is none prizes grace like humble souls. There i& none improves grace like humble souls. Therefore God singles out the humble soul to fill him to the brim with grace, when the proud is sent empty away.
(2.) A second motive is, of all garinients humility doth best become Christians, and most adorn their prof cssion.
Faith is the champion of grace, and love the nurse, but humility the beauty of grace : 1 Peter v. 5, ' Be clothed with humility.' The Greek word iyx-oijbZ'jidaa&i imports, that humility is the ribbon or string that ties to<Tether all those precious pearls, the rest of the graces. If this string break, they are all scattered.
The Greek word that is rendered clofJted, comes of another Greek word y.oiMZog, that signifies to knit, and tie knots, as delicate and curious women used to do, of ribbons, to adorn their heads and bodies, as if
• He that is in the low pits and caves of the earth sees the stars in the firmament, when they who are upon the tops of the mouutaius discern them not.
EpH. III. 8.] RICHES OF CHRIST. 31
humility were the knot of every virtue, the grace of every grace, Chrysostom calls humility the root, mother, nurse, foundation, and band of all virtue/ Basil calls it ' the storehouse and treasury of all good.' For what is the scandal and reproach of religion at this day ? Nothing more than the pride of professors. Is not this the language of most ? They are great professors. Oh but very proud ! They are great hearers, they will run from sermon to sermon, and cry up this man, and cry up that man, Oh but proud ! They are great talkers, Oh but as proud as the devil ! &c. Oh that you would take the counsel of the apostle, ' Be clothed with humility' ; and that Col. iii, 12, ' Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercy, kindness, humble- ness of mind, meekness, longsuffering.' No robes to these.'
(3.) The third motive is this, humility is a loadstone that draws both the heart of God and man to it.
In Isa. Ivii. 15, ' Thus saith the high and lofty One, that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is holy ; I dvvell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit.' The Lord singles out the humble soul of all others, to make him an habitation for himself Here is a wonder ! God is on high ; and yet the higher a man lifts up himself, the farther he is from God ; and the lower a man humbles himself, the nearer he is to God. Of all souls, God delights most to dwell with the humble, for they do most prize and best improve his precious presence.
In Prov. xxix. 23, * A man's pride shall bring him low, but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit. Prov. xxii. 4, ' By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honour,' &c. The Hebrew is, ' The heel of humility.' Riches and honour follow humility at the very heels. One of the ancients used to say that humility is the first, second, and third grace of a Christian.^ Humility is a very drawing grace ; it draws men to think well and speak well of Christ, the gospel, and the people of God ; it makes the very world to say, Ay, these are Christians indeed ; they are fuU of light, and yet full of lowliness ; they are high in worth, and yet humble in heart. Oh, these are the crown and the glory of religion.''
An humble soul is like the violet,, that by its fragrant smell draws the eye and the hearts of others to him. Mat. xviii. 4, ' They are the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.' He that is least in his own account is always greatest in God's, and in good men's account.
(4.) The fourth motive is this, consider all the ivorld cannot keep him up, that doth not keep down his own spirit.
One asked a philosopher, what God was a-doing ? He answered, ' That his whole work was to lift up the humble, and to cast down the proud.'* That man cannot possibly be kept up, whose spirit is not kept down, as you may clearly see in Pharaoh, Haman, Herod, and Nebuchad- nezzar ; all the world could -not keep them up, because their spirit was not kept down.
' It is reported of the crystal, that it hath such a virtue in it, that the very touching of it quickens other stones, and puts a lustre and beauty upon them. So does hutnility put a lustre upon every grace.
2 Augustine. Of. our Index under IlumilUy for other references. — G.
^ Vis magnus esse ? incipe ah imo, wilt thou be great ? begin from below, saith the father.
* Totam ipsius occupationcm esse in elevatione huniilium, el superborum d<jcctiom:
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Prov. xxlx. 27, 'A man's ])ride shall bring him low ;' for it sets God against him, and angels against him, and men against him ; yea, even those that are as proud as himself. It is very observable, that whereas one drunkard loves another, one swearer loves another, and one thief loves another, and one imclean person loves another, &c., yet one proud person cannot endure another, but seeks to undermine him, that he alone may bear the bell, and carry the commendations, the praise, the promotion. It is storied of the Romans, that were the proudest people on the earth, that they reckoned it as a parcel of their praise, that they brought down the proud. All the world, sirs, will not keep up those persons that do not keep down their spirits.^
Proud Valerian, the Roman emperor, fell from being an emperor to be a footstool to Sapor, king of Persia, as oft as he took horse.
Henry the Fourth, emperor, in sixty-two battles, had generally the better, and yet was deposed, and driven to that misery, that he desired only a clerkship in a house at Spira, that himself had built. And oh 1 that professors would think of this in these days in which we live. All the world shall not keep up those which do not keep down their own spirits. The very design of God is to stain the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt the honourable of the earth. Therefore now if men in our days shall grow proud and high, under mercies and divine appearances, justice will be above them, and turn their glory into shame, and lay their honour in the dust. If your blood rises with your out- ward good, you will certainly fall, and great will be your fall.
(5.) The fifth consideration to provoke us to be humble is this : let us have always our eye fixed upon the example of Jesus Christ, and his humble and loivly carnage.
Christ by his example labours to provoke his disciples to keep humble, and to walk lowly: in John xiii. 4, 5, 12, 13, 14, 15 verses compared. He rises and washes his disciples' feet, &c., and mark what he aims at in that carriage of his, verse 12-14 : 'Know ye what I have done unto you,' saith he ; ' Ye call me Master and Lord, and ye say well, for so I am ; if I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, ye also ou«-ht to wash one another's feet ; for I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.' I have given you an ex- ample, saith Christ, and I would have you to imitate my example. Example is the most powerful rhetoric ; the highest and noblest example should be very quickening and provoking. Oh ! here you have thef o-reatest, the noblest example of humility, that was ever read or heard of. Upon consideration of this great and eminent example of Christ's humility, Guericus, a good man, cried out, Thou hast overcome me, O Lord ! thou hast overcome my pride. This example of thine hath mas- tered me. Oh that we could say with this good man. Thou hast over- come, 0 Lord ! thou hast overcome our proud hearts, by this example thou hast overmastered our lofty spirits.
This example of Christ's humility you have further set forth, Philip. ii. 6-8, ' Who being in the form of God,' that is, in the nature and essepce of God, being very God, clothed with divine glory and majesty as God, ' thought it no robbery/ it being his right by nature, ' to be
* Dionysius, a proud kiug of Sicily, fell from a kiug to a sclioolmaster. History ia full of such iastauces.
EpH. III. 8.] RICHES OF CHRIST. 33
equal with God/ The Greek words that are rendered, ' he thouglit it DO robbery,' do import, he made it not a matter of triumph or ostenta- tion to be equal with God, it being his right by nature, and therefore the challenging of it could be no usurpation of another's right, of taking to himself that which was not his own. 'He thought it no rob- bery to be equal with God.' The Greek is equals, that is, every way, equal, not a secondary and inferior God, as the Arians would have him. 'But made himself of no reputation,' verse 7. The Greek is ' emptied himself,' that is, he suspended and laid aside his glory and majesty, or dis-robed himself of his glory and dignity, and became a sinner, both by imputation and by reputation, for our sakes.
And verse 8, ' he humbled himself This Sun of righteousness went ten degrees back in the dial of his Father, that he might come to us with healing under his wings. ' And became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.' In these words there is a kind of gradation ; for it is more to become obedient than to humble himself ; and more to yield unto death than to become obedient ; and yet more to be crucified than simply to die ; for it was to submit himself to a most painful, ignominious, and cursed death. ' He became obedient.' That is, saitb Beza, ' to his dying day,' his whole life being nothing but a con- tinual death. ^
1 have read of an earl called Eleazarus, that being given to immo- derate anger, was cured of that disordered affection by studying of Christ and his patience ; he still dwelt upon the meditation of Christ and his patience, till he found his heart transformed into the simili- tude of Jesus Christ. And oh ! that you would never leave pondering upon that glorious example of Christ's humility, till your hearts be made humble, like the heart of Christ. Oh ! that that sweet word of Christ, Mat. xi. 29, might stick upon all your hearts, ' Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me ; for I am meek and lowly, and you shall find rest to your souls.'
Bonaventure engraved this sweet saying of our Lord, * Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart,' in his study ; and oh that this saying was engraven upon all your foreheads, upon all your hearts ! Oh that it was engraven upon the dishes you eat in, the cups you drink in, the seats you sit on, the beds you lie on, &cc?
Jerome having read the religious life and death of Hilarion, folding up the book, said. Well ! Hilarion shall be the champion whom I will imitate. Oh ! when you look upon this glorious example of Christ, say, The Lord Jesus his example shall be that that my soul shall imitate.
(6.) Sixthly, consider Humility will free a man from, 'perturbations and distempers.
When there are never such great storms without, humility will cause a calm within. There are a great many storms abroad, and there is nothing will put the soul into a quiet condition but humility. An humble soul saith. Who am I, that I may not be despised ? Who am I,
^ Annot. in loco, as before. — G-
2 It was a good law that the Ephesians made, that men should propound to themselves the best patterns, and ever bear in mind some eminent man.
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that I may not be reproached, abused, slighted, neglected ? That which Avill break a proud man's heart, will not so much as break an humble man's sleep. In the midst of a storm, an humble soul is still in a calm. When proud hearts are at their wit's ends, stamping, swearing, and swaggering at God, and man, and providence, an humble soul is quiet and still, like a ship in a harbour. Shimei, 2 Sam. xvi. G, 13, comes railing and cursing of David, and calls him a bloody man, and a man of Belial, that is, a runnagado, one who being desperately wicked had shaken off the yoke of government, and would be under no law. So the Hebrew word JacjTiat, signifies men without yoke, or lawless. Therefore the Septuagint commonly translate it 'Tra^dvofiog^ altogether irregular. It signifies most flagitious men, and notorious and des- perately wicked, stigmatized villains, even incarnate devils ; and yet David holds his peace, though provoked by his mighty men to revenge himself Oh ! how would this cursing and railing have madded and broken many a proud man's heart ; and yet it stirs not David.
Fulgentius, after he was extremely persecuted, he had an advantage to seek revenge, but he would not; for, saith he, plura 2')ro Christo toleraiida, we must suffer more for Christ than so. What though I am thus and thus wronged? What though I have an opportunity for revenge ? yet I must suffer more than so for Christ, says the humble soul. An humble soul, when wrongs are offered him, is like a man with a sword in one hand and salve in another ; he could kill but will cure.
One wondering at the patience and humble carriage of Socrates, towards one that reviled him, Socrates said, If we should meet one whose body were more unsound than ours, should we be angry with him, and not rather pity him ? Why then should we not do the like to him whose soul is more diseased than ours ? An humble soul, when he meets with this and that wrong from men, he knows that their souls are diseased, and that rather moves him to pity than to revenge wrongs offered. A proud heart swells and grows big, when in the least wronged, and is ready to call for fire from heaven, and to take any opportunity for revenge of wrongs offered. No man so abused as I, no man thus styled as I, says the proud soul. Oh, but an humble soul in patience possesses himself in all trials and storms.
Gallasius observes upon Exod. xxii. 28, the patience and humble car- riage of those three emperors, Theodosius, Honorius, and Arcadius, towards those that spake evil of them ; they would have them subject to no pun- ishment ; for they said, If it come from lightness of spirit, it is to be con- temned; if from madness, it is worthy of pity ; if from injury, it is to be forgiven ; for injuries and wrongs are to be pardoned.' And this is the true temper of an humble soul, and by this he enjoys peace and quiet in the midst of all earthquakes and heartquakes.
(7.) The seventh consideration is this, consider huinility exalteth.
He that is most humble, is and shall be most exalted and most honoured. No way to be high, like this of being low. Moses was the meekest man on earth, and God made him the honourablest, calling of him up unto himself into the mount, making known his glory to him, and making of him the leader of his people Israel. Gideon was very > Willet on Exodus xxviii, Qu. 51. [1618, fulio.— G.]
EpH. III. 8.] RICHES OF CHRIST. 35
little in his own eyes ; he was the least of his father's house in his own apprehension, and God exalts him, making him the deliverer of his Israel.
It was a good saying of one, Wilt thou be great ? begin from below. As the roots of the tree descend, so the branches ascend. The lower any man is in this sense, the higher shall that man be raised. Mat. xxiii. 12, 'And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased ; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.' God, that is wisdom itself, hath said it, and he will make it good, though thou seest no ways how it should be made good. The lowest valleys have the blessing of fruitfulness, while the high mountains are barren ; Prov. xviii. 12, ' Before destruction, the heart of man is lofty, and before honour is humility.'
David came not to the kingdom till he could truly say, 'Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lifted up,' Ps. cxxxi. 1, 2. Abigail was not made David's wife till she thought it honour enough to wash the feet of the meanest of David's servants, 1 Sam. xxv. Moses must be forty years a stranger in Midian, before he became king in Jeshurun ; he must be struck sick to death in the inn, before he goes to Pharaoh on that noble embassage.
It was a sweet observation of Luther, ' That for the most part when God set him upon any special service for the good of the church, he was brought low by some fit of sickness or other.'^ Surely, as the lower the ebb, the higher the tide; so the lower any descend in humility, the higher they shall ascend in honour and glory. The lower this founda- tion of humility is laid, the higher shall the roof of honour be overlaid. If you would turn spiritual purchasers of honour, or of whatsoever else is good, no way like this of humility. We live in times wherein men labour to purchase honour ; some by their money, others by their friends ; others by making themselves slaves to the lusts of men ; others by being prodigal of their blood, and many by giving themselves up to all manner of baseness and wickedness, whereby their carnal ends may be attained, and themselves exalted ; but these men and their honour wiU quickly be laid in the dust. Oh ! but the readiest, the surest, the safest, the sweetest way to attain to true honour, is to be humble, to lie low. Humility makes a man precious in the eye of God. He that is little in his own account, is great in God's esteem.^
(8.) The eighth and last consideration that I shall propound is this, consider humility keeps the soul free from many darts of Satan's coasting, and snares of his spreading.
As you may see in the three children in Daniel, and in those worthies in the 1 J th of the Hebrews, ' of whom this world was not worthy.' As the lowest shrubs are freed from many violent gusts and blasts of wind, which shake and rend the tallest cedars ; so the humble soul is free from a world of temptations, that proud and lofty souls are shaken and torn in pieces with. The devil hath least power to fasten a temp- tation upon an humble soul. He that hath a gracious measure of humility, is neither affected with Satan's proffers, nor terrified with
> In < Table Talk,' as before, often.— G.
* Qui parvus est in reputaiione propria, magnus est in reputaiione divina. — Gregory [of Nyssa. — G.]
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Satau's threaten ings. The golden chain docs not alhire him, nor the iron chain docs not daunt him.
I have read of one who, seeing in a vision many snares of Satan spread upon the earth, he sat down and mourned, and said with him- self, 'Who shall pass througli these?' whereunto he heard a voice answering, ' Humility shall pass through them.' A proud heart is as easily conquered as tempted, vanquished as assaulted. But the hum- ble soul, when tempted, says with that worthy convert, ' I am not the man that 1 was.'' There was a time when my heart was proud and lifted up, and then thou couldst no sooner knock but I opened ; no sooner call but I answered ; no sooner tempt but I did assent. Oh ! but now the Lord taught me to be humble ; I can resist, though I can- not dispute ; I can fight, but not yield.
Mistress Katherine Bretterge, an humble precious soul, being once in a great conflict with Satan, said thus to him, ' Satan, reason not with me, I am but a weak woman ; if thou hast anything to say, say it to my Christ; he is my advocate, my strength, and my redeemer, and he shall plead for me.^ An humble soul is good at turnmg Satan over to the Lord Jesus, and this increases Satan's hell. It is reported of Satan, that he should say thus of a learned man, Tu me semper vincis, thou dost always overcome me ; when I would throw thee down, thou liftest up thyself in assurance of faith ; and when I would exalt and promote thee, thou keepest thyself in humility ; and so thou art too hard for me. The only way to avoid cannon-shot, as they say, is to fall down flat ; no such way to be freed from temptations as to keep low.
And so I have done with the first head ; namely, the motives that should move and provoke us to keep humble, to be base, to be nothing in our own eyes.
I shall now come to some helps and directions that may be useful to keep us humble and low in our own eyes. And the first is this :
[1.] Diuell much upon the greatness of God's mercy and goodness to you.
Nothing humbles and breaks the heart of a sinner like mercy and love. Souls that converse much with sin and wrath may be much ter- rified ; but souls that converse much with grace and mercy will be much humbled. Luke vii., the Lord Jesus shews mercy to tliat noto- rious sinner, and then she falls down at his feet, and loves much and weeps much, &c.^ In the 1 Chron. xvii., it was in the heart of David to build God a house. God would not have him to do it, yet the mes- senger must tell David that God would build him a house, and estab- lish his Son upon the throne for ever. Look into the 1 5th, IGth, and 1 7th verses, and there you shall find that David lets fall such an humble speech, which he never did before that God had sent him that message of advancement. ' And David the king came, and sat before the Lord, and said. Who am I, O Lord God ? and what is mine house, that thou hast brought me hitherto ? And yet this was a small thing in thine eyes, O God ; for thou hast also spoken of thy servant's house for
' Qtii$ pertransiel ista ? The answer wa3, Humilitas pertranskt. . . . Ego non sum ego. * As before : see our Index under Bretterge. — G.
' It is said of Adam, that he turned his face to tho giirden of Eden, and wept sore. [Query, by the Rabbins ? or is it a tacit allusion to Milton's description ? Par. Lost, b, xii. 646.— G.]
EpH. III. 8.] RICHES OF CHRIST. 37
a great while to come,' &c., 2 Sam. vii. 18, 19. And this sweetly and kindly melts him, and humbles him, before the Lord. Oh, if ever you would have your souls kept low, dwell upon the free grace and love of God to you in Christ.^ Dwell upon the firstness of his love, dwell upon the freeness of his love, the greatness of his love, the fulness of his love, the unchangeableness of his love, the everlastingness of his love, and the activity of his love. If this do not humble thee, there is nothing on earth will do it. Dwell upon what God hath undertaken for you. Dwell upon the choice and worthy gifts that he has bestowed on you ; and dwell upon that glory and happiness that he has prepared for you, and then be proud if you can.
[2.] Secondly, Ke&p faith in continual eocercise, upon Christ as crucified, and upon Christ as glorified.
There are two special sights of Christ, that tend much to humble and abase a soul.
The one is a sight of Christ in his misery, in the 12th of Zech. ver. 10.
And the other is a sight of Christ in his glory (Rev. i. 7, Isa. vi. 1, 8, 5, compared). It is dangerous to be more notion than motion ; to have faith in the head and none in the heart ; to have an idle and not an active faith. It is not enough for you to have faith, but you must look to the acting of your faith, upon Christ as crucitied, and upon Christ as glorified. Souls much in this will be very little and low in their own eyes. The great reason why the soul is no more humble is because faith is no more active.^
[3.] Thirdly, Study your own natures more, and whatever evil you behold in other men's practices, labour to see the same in your own nature.
There is the seed of all sins, of the vilest and worst of sins, in the best of men. When thou seest another drunk, thou mayest see the seed of that sin in thy own nature. When thou seest another unclean, the seeds of uncleanness thou mayest see in thy own nature. And in that thou dost not act uncleanness as others, it arises not from the goodness of thy nature, but from the riches of God's grace.^ Remember this, there is not a worse nature in hell than that that is in thee, and it would discover itself accordingly ; if the Lord did not restrain it, it would carry thee to those horrid acts that are against the very light of nature.*
There was one that was a long time tempted to three horrid sins : to be drunk, to lie with his mother, and to murder his father. Being a
1 As honey flows naturally from the bee, so does mercy flow naturally from God.
* As one scale goes up, the other goes down ; so as faith goes up, the heart goes down. 3 Imibria sued Scenola, for that he received not his weapon deep enough into his
body. — Augustine. [Qu. Scavola? — G.]
* I have read of an Italian monster, who, taking his enemy upon an advantage, set his dagger to his heart, and made him to abjure and blaspheme the Lord, tliat so he might save his life ; which being done, he thrust him through, and with a bloody triumph, in- sulting over him, said, Oh, this is right noble and heroical revenge, which doth not only deprive the body of temporal life, but bringeth also the immortal soul to endless flames everlastingly. See what natures you carry with you. It was a good saying of one of tlie fathers : Other vices are in sius, saith he ; but pride and high confidence is most apt to creep in upon duties well done. [Related in Wanley's Wonders, with authority, book iv. 0. xi. — G.]
nS THE UNSEARCHABLE [EPH. III. 8.
long time followed with these horrid temptations, at last he thought to get rid of them, by yielding to that he judged the least, and that was to be drunk ; but when he was drunk, he did both lie with his mother and murder his father.' Why, such a hellish nature is in every soul that breathes ! and did God leave men to act according to their natures, men would be all incarnate devils, and thi.s Avorld a perfect hell. Such is the corruption of our nature, that propound any divine good to it, it is entertained as fire by water ; but propound any evil, and it is like fire to straw. It is like the foolish satyr that made haste to kiss the fire ; it is like that unctuous matter, which the naturalists say that it sucks and snatches the fire to it with which it is consumed. There was a holy man that rarely heard of other men's crimson sins, but he usually bedewed the place with his tears, considering that the seeds of those very sins was in his own nature. In thy nature thou hast that that would lead thee with the pharisees to oppose Christ ; and with Judas, to betray Christ ; and with Pilate, to condemn Christ ; and with the soldiers, to crucify Christ, ^c. Oh, what a monster, what a devil wouldst thou prove, should God but leave thee to act suitable to that sinful and woful nature of thine !
[4.] Fourthly, Dwell much upon the iTnperfection that follows and cleaves to thy best actions.
Oh the wanderings ! Oh the deadness, the dulness, the fruitless- ness of thy spirit in religious duties ! Man is a creature apt to hug himself in religious services, and to pride himself in holy duties ; and to stroke himself after duties, and to warm himself by the sparks of his own fire, his own performances, though he does lie down in sorrow for it, Isa. 1. 11. Whenever thou comest off from holy services, sit down, and look over the spots, blots, and blemishes that cleave to your choicest services. The fairest day has its clouds, the richest jewels their flaws, the finest faces their spots, the fairest copies their blots, and so have our finest and fairest duties.
Plutarch tells of a private soldier of Julius Caesar's, who fought so valiantly in Britain, that by his means he saved the captains, which otherwise were in great danger to be cast away, being driven into a bog, then marching with great pain through the mire and dirt : in the end he got to the other side, but left his shield behind him. Csesar, won- dering at his noble courage, ran to him with joy to embrace him ; but the poor soldier, hanging down his head, the water standing in his eyes, fell down at Ca:;sar's feet, and besought him to pardon him, for that he had left his shield behind him.^ You know how to apply it. He had done gallantly, yet he falls down at Caesar's feet, after his brave ser- vice, with tears in his eyes, upon the sense of his leaving his shield behind him. When we have done our best, we have cause to fall down at Jesus's feet, and with tears in our eyes sue out our pardon.
[5.] Fifthly, In the day of thy prosperity, forget not thy former 'poverty.
In the day of thy present greatness, forget not thy former meanness. Humble Jacob, in the day of his prosperity, remembers his former poverty : ' With my staff I passed over Jordan, and now I am become
' Given in • Precious Remedies.' Cf. Vol. I. p. 20, and note. — G. * Plutarch. [Julius Ccesar ; Britain. — G.]
EpH. III. 8.] RICHES OF CHRIST. 39
two bauds,' Gen. xxxii. 10. And so David, in his prosperity, remem- bered that his sheep-hook was changed into a sceptre, and his seat of turf into a royal throne, Ps. Ixxviii. 71, 1 Chron. xvii. And when Joseph was a royal favourite, he remembered that he had been an im- prisoned slave. And when Gideon was raised to be a saviour to Israel, he remembered how God took him from the threshing-floor, Judges vi. 11, and how God changed his threshing instrument of wood into one of iron, to thresh the mountains, as God himself phraseth it, Isa. xli. 15.
Primislaus, the first king of Bohemia, kept his country shoes always by him, to remember from whence he was raised.
Agathocles, by the furniture of his table, confessed that from a potter be was raised to be a king of Sicily.
We live in times wherein many a man hath been raised from the dunghill to sit with princes ; and oh that such were wise to remember their former low and contemptible beings, and to walk humbly before the Lord ! otherwise who can tell but that greater contempt shall be poured forth upon them, than that which they have poured upon princes.
[6.] Sixthly, Look upon all that you have received, and all that you shall hereafter receive, as the fruit of free grace.
Look upon thy adoption, and write this motto, This is the fruit of free grace. Look upon thy justification, and write this motto. This is the fruit of free grace. Look upon all thy graces, and write. These are the fruits of free grace. Look upon thy experiences, and write, These are the fruits of free grace. Look upon thy strength to with- stand temptations, and write. This is the fruit of free grace. Look upon divine power to conquer corruptions, and write, This is the fruit of free grace. Look upon the bread thou eatest, the beer thou drinkest, the clothes thou wearest, &c., and write, These are the fruits of free grace. 1 Cor. iv. 7, ' Who maketh thee to differ from another ? and what hast thou that thou hast not received ? and if thou hast received it, why dost thou glory as though thou hadst not received it ?' Who maketh thee to differ ? Episcopius, a great insolent Arminian, answered, Ego me ipsuni discerno, I make myself to differ, to wit, by the improve- ment of nature.
This age is full of such proud monsters, ; but an humble soul sees free grace to be the spring and fountain of all his mercies and com- forts ; he writes free grace upon all his temporals, and upon all his spirituals, &c.
[7.] The seventh direction is. Meditate much upon these two things :
First, The great mischief that sin hath done in the world.
It cast angels out of heaven, and Adam out of paradise. It hath lain the first corner-stone in hell, and ushered in all the evils and miseries that be in the world. It hath threw down Abraham, the best believer in the world; and Noah, the most righteous man in the world; and Job, the uprightest man in the world; and Moses, the meekest man in the world ; and Paul, the greatest apostle in the world. Oh, the diseases, the crosses, the losses, the miseries, the deaths, the hells, that sin hath brought upon the world !
Basil wept when he saw the rose, because it brought to his mind the
40 THE UNSEARCHABLE [EPH. III. 8.
first sin, from whence it had the prickles, which it had not while man continued in innoccncy, as he thought! Oh, when he saw the prickles his soul wept ; so when we see, hear, or read of the blood, misery, wars, and ruins that sin has brought upon us, let us weep and lie humble before the Lord.
Secondly, Meditate much on this, that many vncked men take more pahis to damn ihe'ir souls and go to hell, than thou dost to save thy soul and to get to heaven, Mat. xxii. 15.
Oh, what pains do wicked men take to damn their souls and go to hell ! Lactantius saith of Lucian, that he spared neither God nor man. He took pains to make himself twice told a child of wrath.'
It is said of Marcellus, the Roman general, that he could not be quiet, nee victor, nee victus, neither conquered nor conqueror. Such restless wretches are wicked men. The drunkard rises up in the morning, and continues till midnight, till wine inflame him, Isa. v. 11. The unclean person wastes his time, and strength, and estate, and all to ruin his own soul.
Theotimus, being told by his physician, that if he did not leave his lewd courses, he would lose his sight, answered. Vale lumen amicum, then farewell, sweet light.'' What a deal of pains does the worldling take ! He rises up early, and goes to bed late, and leaves no stone unturned, and all to make himself but the more miserable in the close.
Pambus, in the Ecclesiastical History, wept when he saw a harlot dressed with much care and cost, partly to see one take so much pains to go to hell, and partly because he had not been so careful to please God as she had been to please a wanton lover.^ Oh, sirs ! what reason have you to spend your days in weeping ? When you look abroad, see what pains most men take to damn their souls and go to hell, and then consider what little pains you take to escape hell, to save your souls, and go to heaven.
[8.] Eighthly, Get more internal and expenmental knowledge and acquaintance luith God.
If ever you would keep humble, no knowledges humbles and abases like that which is inward and experimental. We hve in days wherein there is abundance of notional light. Many professors know much of God notionally, but know nothing of God experimentally ; they know God in the history, but know nothing of God in the mystery. They know much of God in the letter, but little or nothing of God in the Spirit ; and tlierefore it is that they are so proud and high in their own con- ceits, whenas he that experimentally knows the Lord is a worm and no man in his own eyes. As the sun is necessary to the world, the eye to the body, the pilot to the ship, the general to the army, so is experi- mental knowledge to the humbling of a soul. Who more experimental in their knowledge than David, Job, Isaiah, and Paul ? And wiio are more humble than these worthies ?*
' Such a mad devil was Catiline. * Ambrose, as before. — G.
* Socrates, Eccl. Hist., lib. iv. cap. 28.
♦ It is a sad tiling to be often eating of the tree of knowledge, but never to taste of the tree of life. [The ' History' and ' Mystery' is a favourite distinction of the Puritan divines, and is elaborately carried out by Roberts in his extraordinary and exceedingly rare folio, entitled, ' The Mystery and Marrow of the Bible,' (1057) ; and also by Ness in
EpH. III. 8.] RICHES OF CHRIST. 41
Seneca observed of the philosophers, that when they grewmore learned, they were less moral,^ so a growth in notions will bring a great decay in humility and zeal, as it is too evident in these days. Well, remember this, a drop of experimental knowledge will more humble a man than a sea of notional knowledge.
[9.] Ninthly, Look wp to a crucified Christ for special potuer and strength against the pride of your hearts. It is satl in these knowing times to think how few there are that know the right way of bringing under the power of any sin. Most men scarce look so high as a cruci- fied Christ for power against their powerful sins. One soul sits down and complains. Such a lust haunts me, I will pray it down ; another saith, Such a sin follows me, and I will hear it down, or watch it down, or resolve it down : and so a crucified Christ is not in all their thoughts. Not but that you are to hear, pray, watch, and resolve against your sins ; but above all, you should look to the acting of faith upon a cruci- fied Christ.^ As he said of the sword of Goliath, ' None like to that,' so I say, None like to this for the bringing under the pride of men's hearts. The weaker the house of Saul grew, the stronger the house of David grew. The weakening of 3'our pride will be the increase and strengthening of your humility, and therefore what the king of Syria said unto his fifty captains, 'Fight neither with small nor great, but with the king of Israel,' so say I, If you would keep humble, if you will lie low, draw forth your artillery, place your greatest strength against the pride of your souls. The death of pride will be the resurrection of humility. And that this may stick upon you, I shall lay down several proposi- tioDS concerning pride ; and I am so much the more willing to fall upon this work, and to make it the subject of our discourse at this time, because this horrid sin doth appear so boldly and impudently, and that not only among profane persons, but professors also. There are ten pro- positions that I shall lay down concerning pride.
[1.] And the first is this. Of all sins pride is most dangerous to the souls of men.
Pride is a sin that will put the soul upon the worst of sins. Pride
is a gilded misery, a secret poison, a hidden plague. It is the engineer
of deceit, the mother of hypocrisy, the parent of envy, the moth of
holiness, the blinder of hearts, the turner of medicines into maladies,
and remedies into diseases. It is the original and root of most of those
notorious vices that be to be found among the children of men. It was
pride that put Herod upon seeking the blood of Christ. It was pride
that put the Pharisees upon the persecuting of Christ. It was pride
that made Athaliah destroy all the seed-royal of the house of Judah,
that he might reign, 2 Chron. xxi. 10. It was pride that put Joab upon
murdering perfidiously, under colour of friendship, Abner, 2 Sam.
iii. 27, and Amasa, 2 Sam. xx. 9, 10. Zimri, out of ambition to reign,
murdered Elah his lord, 1 Kings xvi. 8-10. Omri, out of pride and
ambition to reign, rose up against Zimri, and enforced him to burn
his not less remarkable and equally rare work, ' History and Mystery' of the Bible, 4 vols, folio, 1696.— G.]
' De Constantia Hapientis ei Epistolce. — G.
* Ps. X. 4. It was the blood of the sacrifice and the oil that cleansed the leper in the law, and that by them was meant the blood of Christ and the grace of his Spirit, is agreed by all.
42 THE UNSEARCHABLE [EPH. III. 8.
himself in the king's palace, 1 Kings xvi. 18. It is pride that hath ushered in all the contentions that be in towns, cities, countries, families, and pulpits tliroughout the world. It was pride and ambition to reign that put Absalom upon pursuing his father's life, from whom he had received life.^
It is very remarkable, that the pride and ambition of Nebuchad- nezzar did usher in the destruction of the Assyrian monarchy ; and the ambition and pride of Cyrus that did usher in the overthrow of the Babylonian monarchy ; and tlie ambition and pride of Alexander was the cause of the annihilation of the Persian monarchy, and it was the pride and ambition of the Roman commanders that was the cause of the utter subversion of the Grecian monarchy. There is no tongue that can express, nor heart that can conceive, the horrid sins and miseries that pride hath ushered in among the children of men. All sin will down with a proud heart that is resolved to rise. Great sins are no sins with such a soul ; he makes nothing of those very sins that would make the very heathen to blush.
[2.] The second proposition that I shall lay down concerning pride is this,
Where "pride hath possessed itself thoroughly of the soul, it turns tJie heart into steel, yea, into a rock.
As you may see in Pharaoh. Pride turned his heart into steel, yea, into a very rock. God strikes again and again ; he sends plague upon plague ; and yet the more he is plagued, the more he is hardened. His pride turned his soul into a rock : he is no more sensible of the frowns of God, the threatenings of God, the plagues, the strokes of God, than a rock. Pride had hardened his heart ; he stirs not, he yields not.2
It was the pride of Saul that turned his heart into steel : ' I have sinned,' saith he, ' yet honour me before the people,' 1 Sam. xv. 30. God gave him many a blow, many a knock, and many a check, and yet, after all, ' Honour me before the people.' Oh how desperately was his heart hardened in pride ! In Dan. v. 1 8, Nebuchadnezzar's mind, saith the text, ' was hardened in pride.' He saw the vengeance of the Almighty upon his predecessors, and God took him up, and lashed him till the blood came, and yet he made nothing of it, because his heart was hardened in pride. Pride sets a man in opposition against God. Other sins are aversions from God, but this sin is a coming against God. In other sins a man flies from God, but in this sin a man Hies upon God : James iv. 6, * God resisteth the proud.' A man doth not resist another till he is set upon ; the traveller doth not resist until such time as the thief sets upon him. Saith the text, 'God resisteth the proud.' It intimates thus much to us, that the proud heart sets upon God him- self, and therefore God resists him. The Greek word is dvrirdeeirai ; he places himself in battle array against the proud. God brings forth his battalia against the proud, and they bring forth their battalia against God. A proud heart resists, and is resisted; this is duro durum,
' A world of instances out of liistories miglit be given, if it were needful, further to evidence this truth.
' Proud souls are of his mind that said, Non pertuadebis, etiam si persiiaseris, though you do convince me, yet will 1 not be convinced.
EpH. III. 8.] RICHES OF CHRIST. 43
flint to flint, fire to fire; yet in the day of God's wrath the proud shall be burnt up as stubble, both branch and root, Mai. iv. 1. [3.] The third proposition concerning pride is this. Pride is a sin that shales forth and shews itself not one way, but many ways. For instance,
Fii'st, Sometimes it shews itself in the looks, Prov. vi. 17: he tells you of seven things that the Lord hates, and one is a proud look. The Hebrew word there is, ' The haughty eye.' The haughty eye God hates. Men's hearts usually shew themselves in their eyes : Ps. cxxxi. 1, ' Mine heart is not haughty, nor mine eye lofty.' There be such who shew pride in their very looks, but the Lord looks aloof at them, Ps. cxxxviii. Q}
Secondli/, Sometimes pride shews itself in words : Dan. iv. 80, ' Is not this great Babylon that I have built, for the house of the kingdom, by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?' and in chap. iii. 15, ' Who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?' It was a very proud saying of one. Caelum gratis nan acci^iam, I will not have heaven but at a rate ; and of another, ' We have not so lived and deserved of God that the enemy should vanquish us.' These were the proud ones, that spake loftily, and that set their mouths against the heavens, as the psalmist speaks, Ps. Ixxiii. 6, 8, 9, compared. And such a one was Henry the Second. Hearing that his city Mentz was taken, he used this proud blasphemous speech, * I shall never love God any more, that suffered a city so dear to me to be taken away from me.' Such a proud wretch, both in words and actions, was Sennacherib, as you may see in Isa. xxxvii., from ver. 8 to 18.
Thirdly, Sometimes pride shews itself in the habit of the body ; so Herod's pride appeared : Acts xii. 21, Herod was ' arrayed in royal ap- parel.' In cloth of silver, saith Josephus,^ which, being beaten upon by the sunbeams, dazzled the people's eyes, and drew from them that blas- phemous acclamation, ' It is the voice of God, and not of man.' The people being most commonly like the Bohemian curs, that used to fawn upon a good suit ; so the rich man, Luke xvi. 19, was clothed in purple, xai jSuecov, and in silk. He was commonly so clothed ; it was his every- day's wear, as the Greek word svididUzsro implieth.
Quest. But here a question may be asked. May not persons habit themselves according to their dignities, ranks, and places that God hath put them in in the world ?
Ans. I answer, They may, and ought so to do. If God hath lifted them up in the world above others, they may wear better apparel than others, Gen. xh. 42, Esther vi. 8, Ps. xlv. 18, 14, 2 Sam. xiii. 18, Lam. iv. 5, Mat. xi. 8, Gen. xxvii. 15, Isa. Iii. 1, Hosea ii. 13, Exod. xxviii, 40. I cite these scriptures so much the rather, because some, through weak- ness and peevishness, stumble and are not satisfied herein. There is nothing in the law of God or nature against it.
Quest. But you may say. May not persons sin in their apparel ?
Ans. I answer, Yes, and that in four cases.
[1.] When it is not modest, but carries with it provocation to lust
' Profecto oculis animus inhabitat. — Pliny. [Cf. Nat. Hist., lib xi. cap. 54, et alibi. — G.] 8 Antiq., xix. 8, 2.— G.
44; THE UNSEARCHABLE [EPH. III. 8.
aud wantonness : Prov. vii. 10, ' There met the young man a woman in the attire of an harlot.' The Hebrew word signifies a habit or or- nament finely set" and fitted to the body ; and saith the text, ' She was subtle of heart,' or trussed up about the breasts, with her upper parts naked ; so Levi- Ben- Gersom reads the words, 'She met him with her naked breasts,' at this day too commonly used by such as would not be held harlots. Oh what a horrid shame and reproach is it to religion, the ways of God, and the people of God, that professors should go so ! One saith ' that superfluous apparel is worse than whoredom, because whoredom only corrupts chastity, but this corrupts nature.' Another saith, ' If women adorn themselves so as to provoke men to lust after them, though no ill follow upon it, yet those women shall suffer eternal damnation, because they offered poison to others, though none should drink of it.''
[2.] Persons sin in their apparel whenas they exceed their degree and rank in costly apparel, which is that which is condemned by the apostle, 1 Tim. ii. 9, 1 Pet. iii. 3. The apostle doth not simply condemn the wearing of gold, but he condemns it in those that go above their degree and rank. The words are rather an admonition than a pro- hibition.
[3.] It is sinful when it is so expensive as that it hinders works of mercy and charity. Oh how many proud souls be there in these days that lay so much upon their backs, that they can spare nothing to fill the poor's bellies. ' Silk doth quench the fire of the kitchen,' saith the French proverb. The meaning is, that it doth hinder works of charity and mercy. Surely those that put on such costly ornaments upon their backs as close up the hand of charity, will at last share with Dives in his misery.
[4.] When persons habit themselves in strange and foreign fashions, which is the sin, shame, and reproach of many among us in these days. Now that is strange apparel which is not peculiar to the nations where men live. The Lord threatens to punish such, Zeph. i. 8, that are clothed with strange apparel. There are too many women and men in our days that are like the Egyptian temples, very gypsies, painted with- out and spotted within; varnish without and vermin within.
Mercury being to make a garment for the moon, as one saith, could never fit her, but either the garment would be too big or too little, by reason she was always increasing or decreasing. May not this be ap- plied to the vain curiosity of too too many professors in these days, whose curiosity about their clothes can never be satisfied ?
I shall conclude this head with this counsel : Clothe yourselves with the silk of piety, with the satin of sanctity, and with the purple of mo- desty, and God himself will be a suitor to you. Let not the ornaments upon your backs speak out the vanity of your hearts.
Fourthly, Sometimes pride shews itself by the gesture and carriage of the body, Isa. iii. 16, The daughters of Sion 'were haughty, and walked with stretched out necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, making a tinkling with their feet.' Oh earth ! earth ! dost thou not groan to bear such monsters as these?
' These and even more vehement rebukes will be found in Thomas Hall's ' Loathe- Bomeness of Long Hair,' &c. 1654. — G.
EpH. III. 8.] RICHES OF CHRIST. 45
Fifthly, And sometimes pride shews itself in contemptuous challenges of God ; as Pharoah, ' Who is the God of the Hebrews, that I should obey him?'
Sixthly, Sometimes pride shews itself by bragging promises, ' I will arise, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, and my lusts shall be satisfied,' Exod. xv. 9.
[4. 1 The fourth proposition that I shall lay down is this :
Pride is a sin that of all sins makes a man or woman most like to Satan.
Pride is morbus Satanicus, Satan's disease. Pride is so base a dis- ease, that God had rather see his dearest children to be buffeted by Satan, than that in pride they should be like to Satan. When Paul, 2 Cor. xii. 7, under the abundance of revelations, was in danger of being puffed up, the Lord, rather than he would have him proud like to Satan, suffers him to be buffeted by Satan. Humility makes a man like to angels, and pride makes an angel a devil. Pride is worse than the devil, for the devil cannot hurt thee till pride hath possessed thee. If thou would see the devil limned to the life, look upon a proud soul ; for as face answers to face, so doth a proud soul answer to Satan. Proud souls are Satan's apes, and none imitate him to the life like these. And oh that they were sensible of it, before it be too late, before the door of darkness be shut upon them !
[5.] A fifth proposition is this :
Pride cannot climb so high, but justice will sit above her.
One asked a philosopher what God was a-doing ? He answered. That his whole work was to exalt the humble and pull down the proud. It was pride that turned angels into devils ; they would be above others in heaven, and therefore God cast them down to hell. Pride, saith Hugo, was born in heaven, but forgetting by what way she fell from thence, she could never find the way thither again. The first man would know as God, and the Babel-builders would dwell as God, but justice set above them all. This truth you see verified in the justice of God upon Pharaoh, Haman, Herod, Belshazzar, and Nebuchadnezzar ; all these would be very high, but justice takes the right hand of them all, and brings them down to the dust. Yea, pride cannot climb so high in the hearts of saints, but divine justice will be above it. Uzziah his heart was lifted up, 2 Chron. xxvi. 16, but justice smites him with a leprosy, and so he died, out of grief and sorrow, saith Josephus.' David glories in his own gi-eatness, 2 Sam. xxiv. 1, seq., and for this seventy thousand fall by the hand of justice. Hezekiah's heart was lifted up, but wrath was upon him, and upon all Judah and Jerusalem for it, 2 Chron. xxxii. 25, seq. Pride sets itself against the honour, being, and sovereignty of God, and therefore justice will in spite of all sit above her. Other sins strike at the word of God, the people of God, and the creatures of God, but pride strikes directly at the very being of God, and therefore justice will be above her.
Nebuchadnezzar was proud, and God smites his reason, and turns him into a beast. Oh ! how many young professors are there in our days, who have been proud of their notions, and proud of their parts and gifts, and justice hath so smitten them, that they have lost that life, that
' Antiq., ix. 10, sec- 4. — G.
46 THE UNSEARCHABLE [EPH. III. 8.
sweetness, that spi ritual ness, that quickness that once they had, and are dried and shrivelled up by a hand of justice. ' They are like the apples of Sodom, glorious without, but rotten and worthless within. 8ome there are that have been very shining, yet by reason of pride have fallen from a seeming excellency to be naught, and from naught to be very naught, and from very naught to be stark naught. Isa. xxiii. 9, ' The Lord of hosts hath purposed it, to stain tlie pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt' (or to make light) ' all the honourable of the earth.' The Hebrew word that is here rendered 'purposed, signifies to consult, or take counsel." It is consulted and agreed upon in counsel, that he will stain the pride of all glory, and bring into contempt the honour- able of the earth ; and the counsel of the Lord shall stand, Ps. xxxiii. 11 ; Isa. ii. li, 12, 'The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of man shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. For the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up, and he shall be brought low.'
Divine justice will take the right hand of all proud ones on the earth. God bears, as I may say, a special spleen against pride. His heart hates it, Prov. vi. 10, 17; his mouth curses it, Ps. cxix. 21; and his hand plagueth it, as you have seen in the former instances, and as you may see further in these following instances :
The king of Egypt, that Jeremiah prophesied against, in his forty- fourth chapter, was so puffed up with pride, that he boasted his kingdom was so surely settled, that it could not be taken from him either by God or man ; not long after he was taken in battle by Amasis, one of his own subjects, and hanged up.^
Dionysius the tyrant said in the pride of his heart, that his kingdom was bound to him with chains of adamant ; but time soon confuted him, for he was driven out, and forced to teach a school at Corinth for a poor living. *
Cares, a soldier, being proud of his valour, because he had given Cyrus a great wound, shortly after he ran mad. In all ages there are notable instances to prove that pride has not got so high, but justice has set above her.
[6.] The sixth proposition is this.
Of all sins spiritual pride is most dangerous, and must be most resisted.
Spiritual pride is the lifting up of the mind against God ; it is a tumor and swelling in the mind, and lies in contemning and slighting of God, his word, promises, and ordinances, and in the lifting up of a man's self, by reason of birth, breeding, wealth, honour, place, relation, gifts or graces, and in despising of others. Of this spiritual pride Ha- bakkuk speaks, chap. ii. 4, * His heart, that is lifted up in him, is not upright.' Prov. xvi. 5, ' Every one that is proud in heart, is an aborai-
' Staupicius was proud of his memory, and justice smote it.
* nvy\ d(jlibeiately to consult and agree upon a thing.
' Phuriioh-hoplira (Jer. xliv. 30, <ts abuvc), called by Herodotus Apries, and by him designated ' proud' (b. ii. 1C9, et alibi) ; but in contradiction of Amasis liaving ' hung' him, is the text and Ezek. xxix. 19, and xxxi. 11, 15, 18 ; wlience Josephus (Antiq., b. x. c. 11), and Jerome (iu Jerem. Thren., c. 4), make Nebuchadnezzar to have been the slayer of him. — (i. * Plutarch : Dionysius, 7. — G.
I
EpH. III. 8.] RICHES OF CHRIST. 47
nation to the Lord ;' or, that 'lifts up his heart against God/ or his decrees ; as Lewis the Eleventh did, in that proud speech of his, Si salvabor, salvahor ; si vero davmabor, damnahor. ' If I shall be saved, I shall be saved ; and if I shall be damned, I shall be damned ; and there is all the care that I shall take." Like to this, was that proud and wretched speech of one Rufus, who painted God on the one side of his shield, and the devil on the other, with this mad motto:
* If thou wilt not have me, here is one will.' Spiritual pride is a white devil, as one calls it,^ a gilded poison, by which God is robbed of his honour, a man's own soul of his comfort and peace, and others of that benefit and fruit which otherwise they might receive from us. Satan is subtle ; he will make a man proud of his very graces ; he will make him proud that he is not proud. Pride grows with the decrease of other sins, and thri\'es by their decay. Other sins are nourished by poison- ous roots, as adultery is nourished by idleness, and gluttony and mur- der by malice and envy ; but this white devil, spiritual pride, sprino-s from good duties and good actions towards God and man. Spiritual pride is a very great enemy to the good and salvation of man. Pride is like a very great swelling, which unfits men for any service.
Again, spiritual pride is a very great enemy to the good and salvation of men. The Greek word signifies siuelleth, for pride is like a crreat swelling in the body, which unfits it for any good service. John v. 40,
* You will not come to me, that you may have life ;' and ver. 44, ' How can ye believe in me, which seek honour one of another?' Christ blesses his Father, Mat. xi. 25, that he had 'hid those things from the wise and prudent, and had revealed them unto babes and sucklings.' it is the pride of men's hearts that makes them throw off ordinances, as poor and low things, when, alas! in their practices they live below the power, beauty, glory, and holiness of the least and lowest ordinance. There's more holiness, purity, and glory manifested in the lowest administra- tions of Christ, than is held forth by them, m their highest practices.
[7.] The seventh proposition is this,
Pride un-mans a man ; it snakes Jiim do acts that are below a 'man.
As you may see in Pharaoh, Haman, Herod, Nebuchadnezzar, &c. It makes men bedlams, to say they know not what, and to do they care not what. It was pride that made Hildebrand to cause Henry the Fourth to stand three days at his gate, with his wife and his child, barefooted. It was pride that made Adonibezek cause thi-ee-score and ten kings, with their thumbs and great toes cut off. Judges i. 5-7, to gather their meat under his table. Oh ! what wretched unmanly acts hath the pride of many persons put them upon.
[8.] The eighth proposition is this.
The poorest are oftentimes the proudest.
Pretty is the parable of Jothara : the best trees refused to be kin^-, but the bramble affected it ; and did sperare et aspirare, hope and aspire it. Judges ix. J 5. So in 2 Kings xiv. 9, 'The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, Give thy daughter to my son to wife.' Hagar the kitchen-maid will be proud,
' Thomas Adams, whose ' "White Devil' is one of his most remarkable sermons. See Works, vol. ii. pp. 221, el seq. — G.
48 THE UNSEARCHABLE [EPH. III. 8.
and insult over her mistress Sarah, Gen. xxi. Tlie poor sons of Zebedee would sit at Christ's right hanil and left, Mat. xx. 20, 21. And those that Job disdains to set with the dogs of his flock, yet contemn him in the day of his sorrow, Job xxx. 1. The foot strives to be equal with tile head, the servant as the master, the cobbler as the councillor, and the peasant as tlie prince, &c.
[9.] The ninth proposition is this,
FrUle is a sure fore-runner of a fall.
' Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty mind before a fall,' Prov. xvi. 18, xviii. 12. Herod fell from a throne of gold to a bed of dust. Nebuchadnezzar fell from the state of amighty king, to bea beast. Adam fell from innocency to mortality. The angels fell from heaven to hell, from felicity to misery.
[10.] The tenth and last proposition is this :
God will by an invincible power cany the day against proud souls.
You that it escape,' and ruffle it out, and carry it with a high hand, remember this, God will by an invisible power carry the day against you ; wlien you think not of it, he will eat you like a moth. Isa. xlvii. 10, n, 'For thou hast trusted in thy wickedness, thou hast said, None seeth me. Tiiy wisdom and thy knowledge hath perverted thee. And thou hast said in thine heart, I am, and none else besides me. There- fore shall evil come upon thee, thou shalt know not from whence it risetli ; and mischief shall fall upon thee, and thou shalt not be able to put it off. And desolation shall come upon thee suddenly, which thou shalt not know.' Impunity oftentimes causeth impudency, but quod differtur non aufertur, forbearance is no acquittance. The longer the hand is lifted up, the heavier will be the blow at last. Of all metals, lead is the coldest, but being melted, it becomes the hottest. Humble souls know how to apply this, and proud souls shall sooner or later experience this.^
II. I shall now proceed to a second observation,
Namely,
That all saints are not of an equal size and growth in grace and holiness.
Some are higher, and some are lower ; some are stronger and some are weaker, in spiritual graces and heavenly excellencies. ' Unto me who am less than the least,' &c.
Among true believers, some may be found to be but weak believers. This point flows as natural from the words as the stream does from the fountain, and no point more clear in all the Scripture than this.
In Rom. xiv. 1, you read of some that are weak in the faith ; ' Them that are Aveak in the faith receive,' saith the apostle. None are to be rejected in whom aliquid Christi, anything of Christ, is to be found. And so Mat. xiv. 81, there is mention made of ' little faith.' 1 Cor. ix. 22, ' To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak.' You read of babes in grace : 1 Pet. ii. 2, 3, ' As new-born babes, desire the
' Qu. ' You that think to escape'? — G.
' I'ojje Innocent tlie Fourth, as he was walking securely in his palace, heard that sor- rowful and dreadful summons, Veni miser in judicium, come, thou wretch, receive thy judgment ; and soon after he was found dead. Eccles. viii. 11.
EpH. III. 8.] KICHES OF CHRIST. 49
sincere milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if so be that ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.' 1 John ii. 12-14, there is men- tion made of ' Httle children, of young men, and of fathers.' All are not fathers in grace, nor all are not young men in grace ; there are some children in grace. A Christian in this life hath his degrees of growth ; he is first a child in grace, and then a young man in grace, and then a father in grace.'
For the further opening of this point, I shall endeavour these four things.
I. I shall endeavour to decipher to you souls weak in grace.
II. I shall endeavour to lay down those things that may encourage, support, and comfort souls that are weak in grace.
III. I shall speak to the duties that lie upon those that are weak in grace.
IV. The duties that lie upon those that are strong in grace, towards those that are weak in grace.
Of these four we shall sjDeak, as the Lord shall assist.
I. I shall begin with the first. To decvpher souls weak in grace.
The first thing by which I shall decipher souls weak in grace is this :
[1.] Weak Christians are usually carried much out after the poor loiu things of this ivorld.
They are much in carking and caring for them, and in pursuing and hunting greedily after them. That is a clear text for this: Mat. vi. 24, to the end. Christ labours by several weighty arguments to fence and fortify his disciples against those diffident, doubtful, carking cares, that divide, distract, distemper, torture, and tear the heart in a thou- sand pieces. And yet neither these arguments, nor yet the presence of him who was the great landlord of heaven and eai-th, and whose love and bowels were still yearning towards them, and whose special eye of pi'ovidence was still over them, could rid their heads and hearts of these worldly cares that do but vex and perplex the souls of men. And it is very observable, that after this smart lecture that Christ had read them, they did strive three several times who should be greatest and highest in worldly enjoyments. Their hearts should have been only in heaven, and yet they strive for earth, as if there were no heaven, or as if earth were better than heaven. All which does* clearly evi- dence, that their graces were very weak, and their corruptions very strong. Men that have little of the upper springs within, are carried out much after the springs below. Baruch was good, but weak in grace ; he had but some sips and tastes of the glory of that other world, and that made him, when God was a-pulling down all worldly glory, to seek for earth as if there were no heaven, Jei\ xlv. 1-5. Certainly there is but little of Christ and grace within, where the heart is so strongly carried out after these things without. Where there is such strong love and workings of heart after these poor things, it speaks our soul's enjoyment of God to be but poor and low.
1 It is ■with Christians as it is with planets : the moon goes her course in a month, the sun in a year, the rest not in many years ; yet at length they iinish. VOL. III. D
50 THE UNSEARCHABLE [EPH. III. 8.
In the Old Testament, the Jews, being babes and infants in grace and holiness, had a world of temporal promises, and very few spiritual promisf^s. Bat now in the days of the gospel, the Lord is pleased 1.0 double and treble his Spirit upon his people, and now you meet with very few temporal promises in the gospel, but the gospel is filled with spiritual promises. The gospel drops nothing but marrow and fatness, love and sweetness ; and therefore God looks in these days that men should grow up to a gi'cater height of holiness, heavenliness, and spirit- ualness, than what they attained to in those dark days, wherein the sun sinned but dimly. Men rich and strong in grace look upon the world with a holy scorn and disdain, as Themistocles, when he saw in the dark a thing like a pearl, he scorned to stoop for it himself, saying to another, ' Stoop thee, for thou art not Themistocles/' Abraham, a man strong in grace, looked with a holy scorn and with an eye of dis- dain upon these poor things. When Melchisedec from God had made him heir of all things, he refused the riches that the king of Sodom offered him, because God was his shield and his exceeding great reward, Gen. xiv. 21, xv. L The greatest bargain that a soul rich in grace will make with God for himself is this, ' Give me but bread to eat and clothes to wear, and thou shalt be my God.' So it was with that brave soul, Gen. xxviii. 21, he desires but food and raiment. Mark, he asks food, not junkets f raiment, not ornaments. A little will serve a man that is strong in grace, much will not serve a man that is weak in grace, nothing will serve a man that is void of grace. Souls w^eak in grace, have their hearts much working after these poor low things ; as you may see. Mat. xviii. 1, 'Who shall be greatest in the kingdom of heaven?' The question is stated by the disciples, that one would have thought should have had their hearts and thoughts in heaven ; but they dreamed of an earthly kingdom, where honours and offices should be distributed, as in the days of David and Solomon. And it is observable in Mark ix. 33, 34, they are at it again : ' And he came to Capernaum ; and being in the house, he asked them. What was it that ye disputed among 5^ourselves by the way? But they held their peace' (they Avere ashamed to tell him) ; ' for by the way they had disputed among them- selves who should be greatest.' Saith one, I'll have this, and saith an- other, I'll have that, &c. ; or as it is in the Greek, ' they disputed who was greatest ;' so in Luke ix. 46. Says one, I am greater than thou ; No, says another, I am greatest : rig ful^m, who was greatest. It is an argument of a childish disposition to be taken more with rattles and baubles than with jewels and pearls. That Christian hath little of the power of grace within him, whose heart is so strongly carried out to these vanities below. Men that are grown up to years of understanding prefer one piece of gold above a thousand new counters. A soul that is strong in grace, that is high in its spiritual enjoyments, prefers one good word from God, one good look from Christ, above all the glory of this world. ' Lord,' saith he, ' lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon me.' Warm my heart with the beams of tliy love, and then a little of these things will suffice. You see Moses and all those worthies in the 11th of the Hebrews, who were men strong in grace, how bravely they trample upon all things below God. They left their families and their countries, ' riutarch, as before.— G. * ' Dainties.'— Q.
EpH. III. 8.] RICHES OF CHRIST. 5 1
where they lived like princes, to wander in a wilderness, upon the bare command of God.' So Luther, a man strong in grace, when he had a gown and money given him by the elector, he turned himself about, and said, ' I protest God shall not put me off with these poor low things.' Souls that know by experience what the bosom of Christ is, what spiri- tual communion is, what the glory of heaven is, will not be put off by God nor man with things that are mixed, mutable, and momentary. And to shame many professors in these days, I might bring in a cloud of witnesses ; even from among the very heathen, who never heard of a crucified Christ, and yet were more crucified to things below Christ than many of them that pretend much to Christ. But I shall forbear, only desiring that those that think and speak so scornfully and contemp- tuously of heathens may not at last be found worse than heathens ; yea, be judged and condemned by heathens in the great and terrible day of the Lord.
Secondly, In order to a further deciphering of weak Christians, I shall lay down this :
[2.] That lueak saints do usually overfear troubles before they come; yea, those future evils that, forty to one, may never fall out.
The very empty thoughts and conceit of trouble is very terrible and perplexing to a weak saint. When it was told the house of David, say- ing, ' Syria is confederate with Ephraim,' his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind, Isa. vii. 2. Their heart quaked and quivered, as we say, like an aspen leaf. It is an elegant expression, shewing, in their extremity, the baseness of their fears, arguing no courage or spirit at all in them. The very news and conceit of trouble or calamities, oh how doth it pei-plex, and vex, and grieve, and overwhelm weak Christians !^ The very hearing of trouble at a distance makes them to stagger and reel, and ready to say, ' Will God now save ? Will he now deliver V It puts them into those shaking fits, that they know not what to do with themselves, nor how to perform the service they owe to God or man. Now tell me, can you call that a stout spirit, a strong spirit, that is daunted with the very report and thoughts of calamity ? Or that does torment men with im- moderate fear of a thousand things that happily shall never fall out; as fears of foreign invasions, or fears of home-bred confusions, fears of change of religion, or being surprised with such or such diseases, or being ruined in their outward estate by such and such devices or disadvantages, or by falling under the frowns of such a great man, or under the anger and revenge of such and such a man, and a thousand such like things. Now, this speaks out much weakness in grace. Souls strong in grace are carried above these fears; yea, with the leviathan in Job, they can laugh at the shaking of a spear, chap. xli. 29. They can say with David,
* The philosopher preferred the king's countenance before his coin. [Said of Socrates in Plato, as before. — G.]
2 The chameleon, saith Pliny, is the most fearful of all creatures, and doth therefore
turn into all colours to save itself ; and so it is often with weak Christians Pray
for me, said Latimer in his letter to Ridley ; for I am sometimes so fearful, that I would creep into a mouse-hole. — [Foxe] Acts et Man. 1665. [Rather, ' A Conference had be- twixt Master Ridley and Master Latimer in Prison,' &c. Foxe, by Townsend, vii. 423. The words are touchingly humble : ' Pardon me, and pray for me ; pray for me, I say ; pray for me, 1 say. For I am sometimes so fearful, that I would creep into a mouse-, hole.' — G.
52 THE UNSEARCHABLE [EPH. III. 8.
' Though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we will fear no evil ; for thou art with us, thy rod and thy staff do comfort us,' Ps. xxiii. 4. But weak souls are afraid of their own shadow. The very shadow of trouble will exceedingly trouble such souls, and oftentimes make their lives a very hell.'
[3.] Thirdly, Fainting in the day of adversity speaks of a soul to be but iue(ck in ijrace.
Weak Christians are overcome with little crosses. The least cross doth not only startle them, but it sinks them, and makes them ready to sit down and to cry out with the church, ' Behold you that pass by, see Avhether there be any sorrow like my sorrow,' Lam. i. 12. Before trouble comes, weak Christians are apt to think that they can bear much and endure much ; but, alas! when the day of trial comes upon them, when they are put to it, they prove but men of poor and impotent spirits, and then they roar, and complain, and lie down in the dust, suftering crosses and losses to bind them hand and foot, and to spoil them of all their comforts. And now though they have many comforts for one cross, yet one cross doth so damp and daunt their hearts, that joy and comfort flies away from them, and they sit down overwhelmed. Cer- tainly this speaks out little -of Christ within. All Rachel's comforts Avere no comforts, because her children were not. This speaks out much weakness within.
Prov. xxiv. 10, 'If thou faintest in the day of adversity, thy strength is small ;' if thou shrinkest, if thou abatest and slackest, in the day of adversity, thy strength is small. Man hath no trial of his strength till he be in trouble ; faintness then discovers weakness. Afflictions try what sap we have, as hard weather tries what health we have. A weak Christian sinks under a little burden ; every frown, every sour word, every puff of wind blows him down, and makes him sink under his burden. But now a soul strong in grace bears up bravely against all winds and weather. That is a brave text, and worthy to be written in letters of gold, that you have in Gen. xlix. 23, 24, ' Joseph's bow abode in strength, though the archers sorely grieved him, shot at him, and hated him. And the arms of his hands were made strong, by the mighty God of Jacob.' The archers that sorely grieved him were his barbarous brethren that sold him; his adulterous mistress that, harlot-like, hunted for his precious life ; his injurious master, that without any desert of his, imprisoned liim ; the tumultuating Egyptians, that were pined with himger, perhaps spake of stoning him ; and the envious courtiers and enchanters spake evilly of him before Pharaoh, to bring him out of favour. All these ^hot sorely at him. The word that is rendered archers in the Hebrew, ^ya^ is arrow- masters, which term implieth cunning and skilful ness in shooting. They were cunning and skilful to hit the mark, and they shot at him, as at a mark ; but yet ' his bow abode in strength.' When God in the midst of weakness makes a soul strong, that soul will not only face enemies and difficulties, but triumph over them. Those that are strong in grace seldom want courage or counsel when they are at the worst. They always find their hope to be an anclior at sea, and their faith a shield upon land ; and therefore they triumph in all storms and dangers. They stand firm
' Buccjilialue was not afraid of liis burden ; the ?])ado\s' only frighted him. So weak Christians are afraid of the shadow of the cross.
EpH. III. 8.] KICHES OF CHRIST. 53
when they are under the greatest pressures : 2. Cor. xi. 23) ' In labours more abundant, in stnpes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths often,' &c. And yet he triumphs in 2 Cor. i. 12, 'Our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in singleness and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-wards.' Strong Paul rejoiced in his sufferings for Christ, and therefore often sings it out : ' I, Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ ;' not ' I Paul, rapt up in the third heaven.' He preferred his crown of thorns before a crown of gold, his prison rags above all royal robes.^
[4.] Fourthly, A weak Christian thinks that little to he much thai lie suffers for Christ.
In Mat. xix. 27, then ' answered Peter, and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee ; what shall we have V Their worldly case in following Christ, was little worse than when they only traded in fishing; and yet, 'we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have V This their all was not worth a speaking of, and yet, for this they look for some great worldly reward and recompence. ' We have forsaken all' A great all sure ! a few broken boats, and a few tattered and torn nets, and a little old household stuff, and Christ maintained them too, upon liis own cost and charge ; and yet say thej'-, ' We have forsaken all, and followed thee.' Neither is it without an emphasis, that they begin with a Behold ; ' Behold we have forsaken all' as if Christ were greatly beholding to them. Let their wills be but crossed a little, by servants, children, friends, &c, or let them but suffer a little in their names or estates, &c., and presently you shall have them a-sighing it out, ' No sorrow like our sorrow,' no loss to our loss, no cross to our cross, &c.^ Whereas souls strong in grace suffer much, and j^et count that much but little. A soul strong in grace can suffer much, and yet make nothmg of it. I am heartily angry, saith Luther, who suffered very much, with those that speak of my sufferings, which if com- pared with that which Christ suffered for me, are not once to be men- tioned in the same day, &c.*
[5.] Fifthly, Those that are iveak in grace dwell more upon what may discourage them in the ways of grace and holiness, than they do upon what may encourage them,.
They dwell more upon their sins than upon a Saviour ; more upon their misery, than upon free grace and mercy ; more upon that which may feed their fears, than upon that that may strengthen their faith ; more upon the cross, than upon the crown ; more upon those that are against them, than those that are for them : Isa. li. 12, 13, ' I, even 1, am he that comforteth you : who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass ; and forgettest the Lord thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth ; and hast feared con- tinually every day, because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy ? and where is the fury of the oppressor V The same is intimated Rom. iv. 19, 20, 'Abraham, being not weak in ftiith, he
•
1 If we perish, Christ perisheth with us, said Luther. [' Table Talk,' as before.— G.]
2 Weak Christians are like children ; they look for a great reward for a little work. ^ ' Table Talk,' as before. — G.
54 THE UNSEARCHA15LE [EPH. III. 8.
considered not his own body beinf? dead, nor yet tlie deadness of Sarah's womb.' Mark, ' being not weak in faitl).' Souls weak in faith are very apt to dwell upon discouragements, but strong Christians look above all discouragements.
' He considered not.' The Greek is oO y-anvorirti he cared not for his own bod\', he did not mind that ; but in the 20th verse, ' he considered him that had promised.' Souls strong in grace dwell more iipon their encouragements to holiness and believing, than upon their discourage- ments. ' He considered him that had promised.' He had an eye fixed upon the faithfulness of God, and the sufiiciency and almightiness of God, and tliis bore up his heart above all discouragements. So in 2 Cor. iv. 16-18, 'Our light affliction, Avhich is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding, and eternal weight of glory ; while we look not (mark, they are not doatingupon their discouragements) upon things that are seen, but upon things that are not seen : the tilings which are seen are temporal, but the things that are not seen are eternal.' An eye fixed upon encouragements makes heavy afflictions light, long afflictions short, and bitter afflictions sweet. Those blessed martyrs found it so, that were cast out all night, in a cold frosty night, naked, and were to be burnt the nextday, who thus comforted themselves. The winteris sharp, but paradise is sweet ; here we shiver for cold, but the bosom of Abra- ham will make amends for all. Weak Christians have eyes to behold their discouragements, but none to see their encouragements ; they look more upon their corruption than upon their sanctification ; upon their disobedience than their obedience ; upon their distnist than upon their faith ; upon the old man than upon the new ; and this keeps them low and Aveak in spirituals, it causes a leanness in their souls.
[0.] Sixthly, TJie seal of iveak Christians usually outstnps their vj'isdom and knovjledge.
Weak Christians are very zealous, but not according to knowledge : Rom. X. 2, ' For I bear them record, that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.' They were very zealous, but not true zealots, they are very peevish and pettish and censorious ; but they want wis- dom and knowledge to manage their zeal, to God's glory and their brethren's good. Such zeal had those two rabbins that set upon Charles the Fifth, to persuade him to turn Jew, as judging their religion to be the only religion in the Avorld, and for which they Avere put to a cruel death, in the year 1530.' A great zeal they had to the winning over of him to Judaism, but this zeal was their ruin. Zeal without knowledge is as wild-fire in a fool's hand ; it is like the devil in the demoniac, that sometimes cast him into the fire, and sometimes into the water. So the disciples of Christ were weak in their light, and furious in their zeal : Luke ix. 54, * Let fire come down from heaven, and consume them,' say they. But mark what Christ saith, ver. 55 : ' Ye know not what manner of spirits ye are of;' that is, ye know not what spirit acts you. You think that you are acted by such a spirit as Elijah of old was acted by, but you err, saith Christ ; •' you have a zeal, but not according to knowledge,' therefore it is a human affection and not a divine motion. Zeal is like fire : in the chimney it is one of the best servants, but out of the chimney it is one of the worst masters. ' David Eubenita, trnd Shiloineh Molcha. Alsted, Ghr. 426.
EpH. III. 8.] RICHES OF CHRIST. 55
Zeal kept by knowledge and wisdom, in its proper place, is a choice servant to Christ and saints ; but zeal not bounded by wisdom and knowledge, is the high way to undo all, and to make a hell for many at once.'
Weak Christians are usually most zealous about circumstances and things that have least of God and Christ and the power of holiness in them ; and most cold about substances, as woful experience doth evi- dence in these days. Zeal ordered by wisdom, feeds upon the faults of offenders, not on their persons. It spends itself and its greatest heat principally upon those things that concern a man's self It is most ex- ercised about substantiaLs : Tit. ii. 14, but that which is rash, is most exercised about circumstantials ; Gal. i. 14, Paul was, in the days of his ignorance, very zealous for the traditions of his fathers, &c.
[7.] Seventhly, Among all saints, the weakest saints act most like carnal sinners.
No saint so like a sinner as a weak saint : 1 Cor. iii. 1-5, 'And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Clirist. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat : for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For are ye not yet carnal : for whereas there is among you envy- ing, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men ? For while one saith, I am of Paul, and another I am of Apollos ; are ye not carnal V They were advanced but very little above the imperfections and passions and sins of mere men, of such which had notliing of the Spirit in them, &c. Do wicked men quarrel with their teachers, as shallow trivial teachers, when themselves are in fault, as being not cap- able of more mysterious matter ? So did these babes here. Do wicked men impute their not profiting to the minister, as he that, having a thorn in his foot, complains of the roughness of the way as the cause of his limping, wlienas it was the thorn and not thoroughness of the way that hurt him. Or as she, that, being struck with a sudden blindness, bid open the window, whenas it was not the want of light, but want of sight, that troubled her. So did these babes in the text lay the fault of their non-proficiency upon their teachers, when the fault was wholly in themselves.^
Now he calls them carnal, partly because the flesh was strong in them, and partly because they followed and relished the things of the flesh, and partly because they did in their actions resemble carnal men. Do carnal and wicked men cry up one good man, and cry down another ? Do they lift up one, and abase another ? So did they. Are wicked men full of envy, strife, and divisions ? So were they. And these over- flowings of the gall and spleen, come from a fulness of bad humours, from that abundance of carnality that was in them. But now souls strong in grace are higher than carnal men, as Saul was higher than the people by head and shoulders. Souls strong in grace have their feet where carnal men's heads are : Pro v. xv, 24, ' The way of life is above to the
' Josephus, in the 11th and 12th chapters of his book, tells you of some tliat imposed the name of Zelote iipon themselves, as if tliey were zealous for the honour and service of God, and under this pretence committed all riots and imaginable wickedness. It were well if we had no such monsters among us in these days. [Zealots ; Antiq., b.iv. 10, seq, et alibi. — G.]
' In many things, weak Christians are carnal men's apes.
5G THE UNSEARCHABLE [EPH. III. 8.
wise, that lie may depart from hell beneath.' Souls that are strong in grace, do act rather like angels than like carnal men ; they do as much resemble the Father of spirits, as carnal men do the Father of lies.
[8.] Eigldldy, Souls weak in grace are easily drawn aside out of the ways of holiness.
You know a man that hath but a little bodily strength, is easily thrust out of the way ; so it is with souls Aveak in grace : 1 John iii. 7, ' Little children, let no man deceive you ; he that doth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.' Saith the apostle, 'Little children, let no man deceive you.' Many in these days, under pretences of high and glorious enjoyments of God, neglect and despise righteousness and holiness, crying up visions and manifestations, when their visions are only the visions of their own hearts and their manifestations are plain delusions. Ah ! but says the apostle, ' Little children, let none of these deceive you.' I tell you he, and only he, that doth righteousness, is righteous, as God is righteous. Children, you know, may be easily cozened, and made to take counters for gold, because they are broader and brighter. Children in grace are soon deceived, hence is it that they are so cozened. ' Little children, keep yourselves from idols,' 1 John V. 2L' So in Heb. xii. 12, 13, 'Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees.' Some think that the apostle alludes to those combats of the heathens, wherein it was a token of yielding, when a man hung down his hands. You are weak, saith the apostle, and by reason of trials you are apt to hang down your hands, and to give up all as lost; therefore, says he, lift up your hands to fight, and your feet to run, take heart and courage, faint not, give not over, turn not aside because of the sharpness of afflictions. But souls strong in grace will hold on in the ways of grace and holiness, in the face of all dangers and deaths, Ps. xliv.
[9.] Ninthly, Weak Christians are apt to make sense and feeling the judge of their spiritual estates and conditions.
And, therefore, upon every turn they are apt to judge themselves miserable, and to conclude that they have no grace, because they can- not feel it, nor discern it, nor believe it ; and so making sense, feeling, and reason, the judge of their estates, the}' wrong, and perplex, and vex their precious souls, and make their lives a very hell: as if it were not one thing to be the Lord's, and another thing for a man to know that he is the Lord's ; as if it were not one thing for a man to have grace, and another thing to know that he hath grace.
The Canaauite woman had strong faith, but no assurance that we read of. Mat. xv. 22, seq. Gal. iv. G, ' And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.' Mark, they are first the sons of God, and then the Spirit cries, Abba, Father. 1 John v. 13, 'These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye have eternal life.' Mark, they did believe, and they had eternal life, in respect of Christ their head, who, as a public person, was gone to heaven, to represent all his saints. And they had eternal life in respect
* The idols that are here mentioned are surely those that the Gnostics used to wor- phip, viz , the images and pictures of iSiinou Magus and Helena, as might bo made evident out of Eusebius.
EpH, III. 8.] RICHES OF CHRIST. 57
of the promises, and they had eternal life in respect of the beginnings of it ; and yet they did not know it, they did not believe it. There- fore ' these thiogs write I unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God,' saith he, ' that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that this life is in his Son.' Ponder on Micah vii. 7-9. Much of this you may read in my treatise called Heaven on Earth, or a tvell- grounded Assurance of Men's everlasting Happiness and Blessedness in this World, and to that I refer you.^
The word shall judge us at last, John xii. 48 ; and therefore strong saints make only the word of God the judge of their spiritual condition now, as Constantine made it the judge and decider of all opinions.
[10.] Tenthly, Their thoughts and hearts are more taken with the love-tokens, and the good things they have by Christ, than with the 'person of Christ.
Oh their graces, their comforts, their enlargements, their meltings, and their warminos, &c., are the thins^s that most take them. Their, thoughts and hearts are so exercised and carried out about these, that the person of Christ is much neglected by them. The child is so taken with babies^ and rattles, &c., that the mother