VI. Gracious affections are attended with evangelical humiliation. Evangelical
humiliation is a sense that a Christian has of his own utter insufficiency,
despicableness, and odiousnesss, with an answerable frame of heart.
There is a distinction to be made between a legal and evangelical humiliation.
The former is what men may be the subjects of, while they are yet in a state
of nature, and have no gracious affections; the latter is peculiar to true
saints: the former is from the common influence of the Spirit of God, assisting
natural principles, and especially natural conscience; the latter is from
the special influences of the Spirit of God, implanting and exercising supernatural
and divine principles: the former is from the mind's being assisted to a
greater sense of the things of religion, as to their natural properties
and qualities, and particularly of the natural perfections of God, such
as his greatness, terrible majesty, &c., which were manifested to the
congregation of Israel, in giving the law at mount Sinai; the latter is
from a sense of the transcendent beauty of divine things in their moral
qualities: in the former, a sense of the awful greatness, and natural perfections
of God, and of the strictness of his law, convinces men that they are exceeding
sinful, and guilty, and exposed to the wrath of God, as it will wicked men
and devils at the day of judgment; but they do not see their own odiousness
on the account of sin; they do not see the hateful nature of sin; a sense
of this is given in evangelical humiliation, by a discovery of the beauty
of God's holiness and moral perfection. In a legal humiliation, men are
made sensible that they are little and nothing before the great and terrible
God, and that they are undone, and wholly insufficient to help themselves;
as wicked men will be at the day of judgment: but they have not an answerable
frame of heart, consisting in a disposition to abase themselves, and exalt
God alone; this disposition is given only in evangelical humiliation, by
overcoming the heart, and changing its inclination, by a discovery of God's
holy beauty: in a legal humiliation, the conscience is convinced; as the
consciences of all will be most perfectly at the day of judgment; but because
there is no spiritual understanding, the will is not bowed, nor the inclination
altered: this is done only in evangelical humiliation. In legal humiliation,
men are brought to despair of helping themselves; in evangelical, they are
brought voluntarily to deny and renounce themselves: in the former, they
are subdued and forced to the ground; in the latter, they are brought sweetly
to yield, and freely and with delight to prostrate themselves at the feet
of God.
Legal humiliation has in it no spiritual good, nothing of the nature of
true virtue; whereas evangelical humiliation is that wherein the excellent
beauty of Christian grace does very much consist. Legal humiliation is useful,
as a means in order to evangelical; as a common knowledge of the things
of religion is a means requisite in order to spiritual knowledge. Men may
be legally humbled and have no humility: as the wicked at the day of judgment
will be thoroughly convinced that they have no righteousness, but are altogether
sinful, and exceedingly guilty, and justly exposed to eternal damnation,
and be fully sensible of their own helplessness, without the least mortification
of the pride of their hearts: but the essence of evangelical humiliation
consists in such humility, as becomes a creature, in itself exceeding sinful,
under a dispensation of grace; consisting in a mean esteem of himself, as
in himself nothing, and altogether contemptible and odious; attended with
a mortification of a disposition to exalt himself, and a free renunciation
of his own glory.
This is a great and most essential thing in true religion. The whole frame
of the gospel, and everything appertaining to the new covenant, and all
God's dispensations towards fallen man, are calculated to bring to pass
this effect in the hearts of men. They that are destitute of this, have
no true religion, whatever profession they may make, and how high soever
their religious affections may be: Hab. 2:4, "Behold, his soul which
is lifted up, is not upright in him; but the just shall live by his faith;"
i.e., he shall live by his faith on God's righteousness and grace, and not
his own goodness and excellency. God has abundantly manifested in his word,
that this is what he has a peculiar respect to in his saints, and that nothing
is acceptable to him without it. Psalm 34:18, "The Lord is nigh unto
them that are of a broken heart, and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit."
Psalm 51:17, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and
a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise." Psalm 138:6, "Though
the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly." Prov. 3:34,
"He giveth grace unto the lowly." Isa. 57:15, "Thus saith
the high and lofty One who inhabiteth eternity, whose name is holy, I dwell
in the high and holy place; with him also that is of a contrite and humble
spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the
contrite ones." Isa. 66:1, 2, "Thus saith the Lord, the heaven
is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: but to this man will I look,
even to him that is poor, and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my
word." Micah 6:8, "He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and
what doth the Lord thy God require of thee; but to do justly, and to love
mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" Matt. 5:3, "Blessed are
the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of God." Matt. 18:3,
4, "Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as little
children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore
shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom
of heaven." Mark 10:15, "Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall
not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein."
The centurion, that we have an account of, Luke 7, acknowledged that he
was not worthy that Christ should enter under his roof, and that he was
not worthy to come to him. See the manner of the woman's coming to Christ,
that was a sinner, Luke 7:37, &c.: "And behold, a woman in the
city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's
house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, and stood at his feet behind
him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with
the hairs of her head." She did not think the hair of her head, which
is the natural crown and glory of a woman (1 Cor. 11:15), too good to wipe
the feet of Christ withal. Jesus most graciously accepted her, and says
to her, "thy faith hath saved thee, go in peace." The woman of
Canaan submitted to Christ, in his saying, "it is not meet to take
the children's bread and cast it to dogs," and did as it were own that
she was worthy to be called a dog; whereupon Christ says unto her, "O
woman, great is thy faith; be it unto thee, even as thou wilt," Matt.
15:26, 27, 28. The prodigal son said, "I will arise and go to my father,
and I will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before
thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy
hired servants," Luke 15:18, &c. See also Luke 18:9, &c.: "And
he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they
were righteous, and despised others, &c. The publican, standing afar
off, would not so much as lift up his eyes to heaven, but smote upon his
breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went
down to his house justified rather than the other: for everyone that exalteth
himself, shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself, shall be exalted."
Matt. 28:9, "And they came, and held him by the feet and worshipped
him." Col. 3:12, "Put ye on, as the elect of God, humbleness of
mind." Ezek. 20:41, 42, "I will accept you with your sweet savor,
when I bring you out from the people, &c. And there shall ye remember
your ways, and all your doings, wherein ye have been defiled, and ye shall
loathe yourselves in your own sight, for all your evils that ye have committed."
Chap. 36:26, 27, 31, "A new heart also will I give unto you-and I will
put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, &c.
Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not
good, and shall loathe yourselves in your own sight, for your iniquities,
and for your abominations." Chap. 16:63, "That thou mayest remember
and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame,
when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord."
Job 42:6, "I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes."
As we would therefore make the holy Scriptures our rule in judging of the
nature of true religion, and judging of our own religious qualifications
and state; it concerns us greatly to look at this humiliation, as one of
the most essential things pertaining to true Christianity. This is the principal
part of the great Christian duty of self-denial. That duty consists in two
things, viz., first, in a man's denying his worldly inclinations, and in
forsaking and renouncing all worldly objects and enjoyments; and, secondly,
in denying his natural self-exaltation, and renouncing his own dignity and
glory and in being emptied of himself; so that he does freely and from his
very heart, as it were renounce himself, and annihilate himself. Thus the
Christian doth in evangelical humiliation. And this latter is the greatest
and most difficult part of self-denial: although they always go together,
and one never truly is, where the other is not; yet natural men can come
much nearer to the former than the latter. Many Anchorites and Recluses
have abandoned (though without any true mortification) the wealth, and pleasures,
and common enjoyments of the world, who were far from renouncing their own
dignity and righteousness; they never denied themselves for Christ, but
only sold one lust to feed another, sold a beastly lust to pamper a devilish
one; and so were never the better, but their latter end was worse than their
beginning; they turned out one black devil, to let in seven white ones,
that were worse than the first, though of a fairer countenance. It is inexpressible,
and almost inconceivable, how strong a self-righteous, self-exalting disposition
is naturally in man; and what he will not do and suffer to feed and gratify
it: and what lengths have been gone in a seeming self-denial in other respects,
by Essenes and Pharisees among the Jews, and by Papists, many sects of heretics,
and enthusiasts, among professing Christians; and by many Mahometans; and
by Pythagorean philosophers, and others among the Heathen; and all to do
sacrifice to this Moloch of spiritual pride or self-righteousness; and that
they may have something wherein to exalt themselves before God, and above
their fellow creatures.
That humiliation which has been spoken of, is what all the most glorious
hypocrites, who make the most splendid show of mortification to the world,
and high religious affection, do grossly fail in. Were it not that this
is so much insisted on in Scripture, as a most essential thing in true grace,
one would be tempted to think that many of the heathen philosophers were
truly gracious, in whom was so bright an appearance of many virtues, and
also great illuminations, and inward fervors and elevations of mind, as
though they were truly the subjects of divine illapses and heavenly communications.
It is true, that many hypocrites make great pretenses to humility, as well
as other graces; and very often there is nothing whatsoever which they make
a higher profession of. They endeavor to make a great show of humility in
speech and behavior; but they commonly make bungling work of it, though
glorious work in their own eyes. They cannot find out what a humble speech
and behavior is, or how to speak and act so that there may indeed be a savor
of Christian humility in what they say and do: that sweet humble air and
mien is beyond their art, being not led by the Spirit, or naturally guided
to a behavior becoming holy humility, by the vigor of a lowly spirit within
them. And therefore they have no other way, many of them, but only to be
much in declaring that they be humble, and telling how they were humbled
to the dust at such and such times, and abounding in very bad expressions
which they use about themselves; such as, "I am the least of all saints,
I am a poor vile creature, I am not worthy of the least mercy, or that God
should look upon me! Oh, I have a dreadful wicked heart! My heart is worse
than the devil! Oh, this cursed heart of mine," &c. Such expressions
are very often used, not with a heart that is broken, not with spiritual
mourning, not with the tears of her that washed Jesus's feet, not as "remembering
and being confounded, and never opening their mouth more because of their
shame, when God is pacified," as the expression is, Ezek. 16:63, but
with a light air, with smiles in the countenance, or with a pharisaical
affectation: and we must believe that they are thus humble, and see themselves
so vile, upon the credit of their say so; for there is nothing appears in
them of any savor of humility, in the manner of their deportment and deeds
that they do. There are many that are full of expressions of their own vileness,
who yet expect to be looked upon as eminent and bright saints by others,
as their due; and it is dangerous for any, so much as to hint the contrary,
or to carry it towards them any otherwise, than as if we looked upon them
as some of the chief of Christians. There are many that are much in crying
out of their wicked hearts, and their great short comings, and unprofitableness,
and speaking as though they looked on themselves as the meanest of the saints;
who yet, if a minister should seriously tell them the same things in private,
and should signify, that he feared they were very low and weak Christians,
and thought they had reason solemnly to consider of their great barrenness
and unprofitableness, and falling so much short of many others, it would
be more than they could digest; they would think themselves highly injured;
and there would be a danger of a rooted prejudice in them against such a
minister.
There are some that are abundant in talking against legal doctrines, legal
preaching, and a legal spirit, who do but little understand the thing they
talk against. A legal spirit is a more subtle thing than they imagine; it
is too subtle for them. It lurks, and operates, and prevails in their hearts,
and they are most notoriously guilty of it, at the same time, when they
are inveighing against it. So far as a man is not emptied of himself, and
of his own righteousness and goodness, in whatever form or shape, so far
he is of a legal spirit. A spirit of pride of man's own righteousness, morality,
holiness, affection, experience, faith, humiliation, or any goodness whatsoever,
is a legal spirit. It was no pride in Adam before the fall, to be of a legal
spirit; because of his circumstances, he might seek acceptance by his own
righteousness. But a legal spirit in a fallen, sinful creature, can be nothing
else but spiritual pride; and reciprocally, a spiritually proud spirit is
a legal spirit. There is no man living that is lifted up with a conceit
of his own experiences and discoveries, and upon the account of them glisters
in his own eyes, but what trusts in his experiences, and makes a righteousness
of them; however he may use humble terms, and speak of his experiences as
of the great things God has done for him, and it may be calls upon others
to glorify God for them; yet he that is proud of his experiences, arrogates
something to himself, as though his experiences were some dignity of his.
And if he looks on them as his own dignity, he necessarily thinks that God
looks on them so too; for he necessarily thinks his own opinion of then,
to be true; and consequently judges that God looks on them as he does; and
so unavoidably imagines that God looks on his experiences as a dignity in
him, as he looks on them himself; and that he glisters as much in God's
eyes, as he does in his own. And thus he trusts in what is inherent in him,
to make him shine in God's sight, and recommend him to God: and with this
encouragement he goes before God in prayer; and this makes him expect much
from God; and this makes him think that Christ loves him, and that he is
willing clothe him with his righteousness; because he supposes that he is
taken with his experiences and graces. And this is a high degree of living
on his own righteousness; and such persons are in the high road to hell.
Poor deluded wretches, who think they look so glistering in God's eyes,
when they are smoke in his nose, and are many of them more odious to him,
than the most impure beast in Sodom, that makes no pretense to religion!
To do as these do, is to live upon experiences, according to the true notion
of it; and not to do as those who only make use of spiritual experiences,
as evidences of a state of grace, and in that way receive hope and comfort
from them.
There is a sort of men, who indeed abundantly cry down works, and cry up
faith in opposition to works, and set up themselves very much as evangelical
persons, in opposition to those that are of a legal spirit, and make a fair
show of advancing Christ and the gospel, and the way of free grace; who
are indeed some of the greatest enemies to the gospel way of free grace,
and the most dangerous opposers of pure humble Christianity.
There is a pretended great humiliation, and being dead to the law, and emptied
of self, which is one of the biggest and most elated things in the world.
Some there are, who have made great profession of experience of a thorough
work of the law on their hearts, and of being brought fully off from works;
whose conversation has savored most of a self-righteous spirit of any that
ever I had opportunity to observe. And some who think themselves quite emptied
of themselves, and are confident that they are abased in the dust, are full
as they can hold with the glory of their own humility, and lifted up to
heaven with a high opinion of their own abasement. Their humility is a swelling,
self-conceited, confident, showy, noisy, assuming humility. It seems to
be the nature of spiritual pride to make men conceited and ostentatious
of their humility. This appears in that first born of pride among the children
of men, that would be called his holiness, even the man of sin, that exalts
himself above all that is called God or is worshipped; he styles himself
Servant of servants; and to make a show of humility, washes the feet of
a number of poor men at his inauguration.
For persons to be truly emptied of themselves, and to be poor in spirit,
and broken in heart, is quite another thing, and has other effects, than
many imagine. It is astonishing how greatly many are deceived about themselves
as to this matter, imagining themselves most humble, when they are most
proud, and their behavior is really the most haughty. The deceitfulness
of the heart of man appears in no one thing so much as this of spiritual
pride and self-righteousness. The subtlety of Satan appears in its height,
in his managing of persons with respect to this sin. And perhaps one reason
may be, that here he has most experience; he knows the way of its coming
in; he is acquainted with the secret springs of it: it was his own sin.-Experience
gives vast advantage in leading souls, either in good or evil.
But though spiritual pride be so subtle and secret an iniquity, and commonly
appears under a pretext of great humility; yet there are two things by which
it may (perhaps universally and surely) be discovered and distinguished.
The first thing is this; he that is under the prevalence of this distemper,
is apt to think highly of his attainments in religion, as comparing himself
with others. It is natural for him to fall into that thought of himself,
that he is an eminent saint, that he is very high amongst the saints, and
has distinguishingly good and great experiences. That is the secret language
of his heart: Luke 18:11, "God, I thank thee that I am not as other
men." And Isa. 65:5, "I am holier than thou." Hence such
are apt to put themselves forward among God's people, and as it were to
take a high seat among them, as if there was no doubt of it but it belonged
to them. They, as it were, naturally do that which Christ condemns, Luke
14:7, &c., take the highest room. This they do, by being forward to
take upon them the place and business of the chief; to guide, teach, direct,
and manage; "they are confident that they are guides to the blind,
a light of them which are in darkness, instructors of the foolish, teachers
of babes," Rom. 2:19, 20. It is natural for them to take it for granted,
that it belongs to them to do the part of dictators and masters in matters
of religion; and so they implicitly affect to be called of men Rabbi, which
is by interpretation Master, as the Pharisees did, Matt. 23:6, 7, i.e.,
they are yet apt to expect that others should regard them, and yield to
them, as masters in matters of religion.
But he whose heart is under the power of Christian humility, is of a contrary
disposition. If the Scriptures are at all to be relied on, such a one is
apt to think his attainments in religion to be comparatively mean, and to
esteem himself low among the saints, and one of the least of saints. Humility,
or true lowliness of mind, disposes persons to think others better than
themselves: Phil. 2:3, "In lowliness of mind, let each esteem others
better than themselves." Hence they are apt to think the lowest room
belongs to them, and their inward disposition naturally leads them to obey
that precept of our Savior, Luke 14:10. It is not natural to them to take
it upon them to do the part of teachers; but on the contrary, they are disposed
to think that they are not the persons, that others are fitter for it than
they; as it was with Moses and Jeremiah (Exod. 3:11, Jer. 1:6), though they
were such eminent saints, and of great knowledge. It is not natural to them
to think that it belongs to them to teach, but to be taught; they are much
more eager to hear, and to receive instruction from others, than to dictate
to others: Jam. 1:19, "Be ye swift to hear, slow to speak." And
when they do speak, it is not natural to them to speak with a bold, masterly
air; but humility disposes them rather to speak, trembling. Hos. 13:1, "When
Ephraim spake trembling, he exalted himself in Israel; but when he offended
in Baal, he died." They are not apt to assume authority, and to take
upon them to be chief managers and masters; but rather to be subject to
others: Jam. 3:1, 2, "Be not many masters." 1 Pet. 5:5, "All
of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility." Eph.
5:21, "Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God."
There are some persons' experiences that naturally work that way, to make
them think highly of them; and they do often themselves speak of their experiences
as very great and extraordinary; they freely speak of the great things they
have met with. This may be spoken and meant in a good sense. In one sense,
every degree of saving mercy is a great thing: it is indeed a thing great,
yea, infinitely great, for God to bestow the least crumb of children's bread
on such dogs as we are in ourselves; and the more humble a person is that
hopes that God has bestowed such mercy on him, the more apt will he be to
call it a great thing that he has met with in this sense. But if by great
things which they have experienced they mean comparatively great spiritual
experiences, or great compared with others' experiences, or beyond what
is ordinary, which is evidently oftentimes the case; then for a person to
say, I have met with great things, is the very same thing as to say, I am
an eminent saint, and have more grace than ordinary: for to have great experiences,
if the experiences be true and worth the telling of, is the same thing as
to have great grace: there is no true experience, but the exercise of grace;
and exactly according to the degree of true experience, is the degree of
grace and holiness. The persons that talk thus about their experiences,
when they give an account of them, expect that others should admire them.
Indeed they do not call it boasting to talk after this manner about their
experiences, nor do they look upon it as any sign of pride; because they
say, "they know that it was not they that did it, it was free grace,
they are things that God has done for them, they would acknowledge the great
mercy God has shown them, and not make light of it." But so it was
with the Pharisee that Christ tells us of, Luke 18. He in words gave God
the glory of making him to differ from other men; God, I thank thee, says
he, that I am not as other men. Their verbally ascribing it to the grace
of God, that they are holier than other saints, does not hinder their forwardness
to think so highly of their holiness, being a sure evidence of the pride
and vanity of their minds. If they were under the influence of a humble
spirit, their attainments in religion would not be so apt to shine in their
own eyes, nor would they be so much in admiring their own beauty. The Christians
that are really the most eminent saints, and therefore have the most excellent
experiences, and are the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, humble themselves
as a little child, Matt. 8:4; because they look on themselves as but little
children in grace, and their attainments to be but the attainments of babes
in Christ, and are astonished at, and ashamed of the low degrees of their
love, and their thankfulness, and their little knowledge of God. Moses,
when he had been conversing with God in the mount, and his face shone so
bright in the eyes of others as to dazzle their eyes, wist not that his
face shone. There are some persons that go by the name of high professors,
and some will own themselves to be high professors: but eminently humble
saints, that will shine brightest in heaven, are not at all apt to profess
high. I do not believe there is an eminent saint in the world that is a
high professor. Such will be much more likely to profess themselves to be
least of all saints, and to think that every saint's attainments and experiences
are higher than his.
Such is the nature of grace, and of true spiritual light, that they naturally
dispose the saints in the present state, to look upon their grace and goodness
little, and their deformity great. And they that have the most grace and
spiritual light, of any in this world, have most of this disposition. As
will appear most clear and evident to anyone that soberly and thoroughly
weighs the nature and reason of things, and considers the things following.
That grace and holiness is worthy to be called little, that is, little in
comparison of what it ought to be. And so it seems to one that is truly
gracious: for such a one has his eye upon the rule of his duty; a conformity
to that is that he aims at; it is what his soul struggles and reaches after;
and it is by that that he estimates and judges of what he does, and what
he has. To a gracious soul, and especially to one eminently gracious, that
holiness appears little, which is little of what it should be; little of
what he sees infinite reason for, and obligation to. If his holiness appears
to him to be at a vast distance from this, it naturally appears despicable
in his eyes, and not worthy to be mentioned as any beauty or amiableness
in him. For the like reason as a hungry man naturally accounts that which
is set before him, but a little food, a small matter, not worth mentioning,
that is nothing in comparison of his appetite. Or as the child of a great
prince, that is jealous for the honor of his father, and beholds He respect
which men show him, naturally looks on that honor and respect very little,
and not worthy to be regarded, which is nothing in comparison of that which
the dignity of his father requires.
But that is the nature of true grace and spiritual light, that it opens
to a person's view the infinite reason there is that he should be holy in
a high degree. And the more grace he has, the more this is opened to view,
the greater sense he has of the infinite excellency and glory of the divine
Being, and of the infinite dignity of the person of Christ, and the boundless
length and breadth, and depth and height, of the love of Christ to sinners.
And as grace increases, the field opens more and more to a distant view,
until the soul is swallowed up with the vastness of the object, and the
person is astonished to think how much it becomes him to love this God,
and this glorious Redeemer, that has so loved man, and how little he does
love. And so the more he apprehends, the more the smallness of his grace
and love appears strange and wonderful: and therefore is more ready to think
that others are beyond him. For wondering at the littleness of his own grace,
he can scarcely believe that so strange a thing happens to other saints:
it is amazing to him, that one that is really a child of God, and that has
actually received the saving benefits of that unspeakable love of Christ,
should love no more: and he is apt to look upon it as a thing peculiar to
himself, a strange and exempt instance; for he sees only the outside of
other Christians, but he sees his own inside.
Here the reader may possibly object, that love to God is really increased
in proportion as the knowledge of God is increased; and therefore how should
an increase of knowledge in a saint make his love appear less, in comparison
of what is known? To which I answer, that although grace and the love of
God in the saints, be answerable to the degree of knowledge or sight of
God; yet it is not in proportion to the object seen and known. The soul
of a saint, by having something of God opened to sight, is convinced of
much more than is seen. There is something that is seen, that is wonderful;
and that sight brings with it a strong conviction of something vastly beyond,
that is not immediately seen. So that the soul, at the same time, is astonished
at its ignorance, and that it knows so little, as well as that it loves
so little. And as the soul, in a spiritual view, is convinced of infinitely
more in the object, yet beyond sight; so it is convinced of the capacity
of the soul, of knowing vastly more, if the clouds and darkness were but
removed. Which causes the soul, in the enjoyment of a spiritual view, to
complain greatly of spiritual ignorance, and want of love, and to long and
reach after more knowledge and more love.
Grace and the love of God in the most eminent saints in this world, is truly
very little in comparison of what it ought to be. Because the highest love
that ever any attain to in this life, is poor, cold, exceedingly low, and
not worthy to be named in comparison of what our obligations appear to be,
from the joint consideration of these two things, viz.: 1. The reason God
has given us to love him, in the manifestations he has made of his infinite
glory, in his word, and in his works; and particularly in the gospel of
his Son, and what he has done for sinful man by him. And, 2. The capacity
there is in the soul of man, by those intellectual faculties which God has
given it, of seeing and understanding these reasons, which God has given
us to love him. How small indeed is the love of the most eminent saint on
earth, in comparison of what these things, jointly considered, do require!
And this grace tends to convince men of this, and especially eminent grace;
for grace is of the nature of light, and brings truth to view. And therefore
he that has much grace, apprehends much more than others that great height
to which his love ought to ascend; and he sees better than others, how little
a way he has risen towards that height. And therefore estimating his love
by the whole height of his duty, hence it appears astonishingly little and
low in his eyes.
And the eminent saint, having such a conviction of the high degree in which
he ought to love God, this shows him, not only the littleness of his grace,
but the greatness of his remaining corruption. In order to judge how much
corruption or sin we have remaining in us, we must take our measure from
that height to which the rule of our duty extends: the whole of the distance
we are at from that height, is sin: for failing of duty is sin; otherwise
our duty is not our duty, and by how much the more we fall short of our
duty, so much the more sin have we. Sin is no other than disagreeableness,
in a moral agent, to the law or rule of his duty. And therefore the degree
of sin is to be judged of by the rule: so much disagreeableness to the rule,
so much sin, whether it be in defect or excess. Therefore if men, in their
love to God, do not come up half way to that height which duty requires,
then they have more corruption in their hearts than grace; because there
is more goodness wanting, than is there: and all that is wanting is sin:
it is an abominable defect; and appears so to the saints; especially those
that are eminent; it appears exceeding abominable to them, that Christ should
be loved so little, and thanked so little for his dying love: it is in their
eyes hateful ingratitude.
And then the increase of grace has a tendency another way, to cause the
saints to think their deformity vastly more than their goodness: it not
only tends to convince them that their corruption is much greater than their
goodness, which is indeed the case; but it also tends to cause the deformity
that there is in the least sin, or the least degree of corruption, to appear
so great as vastly to outweigh all the beauty there is in their greatest
holiness; for this also is indeed the case. For the least sin against an
infinite God, has an infinite hatefulness or deformity in it, but the highest
degree of holiness in a creature, has not an infinite loveliness in it:
and therefore the loveliness of it is as nothings, in comparison of the
deformity of the least sin. That every sin has infinite deformity and hatefulness
in it, is most demonstrably evident; because what the evil, or iniquity,
or hatefulness of sin consists in, is the violating of an obligation, or
the being or doing contrary to what we should be or do, or are obliged to.
And therefore by how much the greater the obligation is that is violated,
so much the greater is the iniquity and hatefulness of the violation. But
certainly our obligation to love and honor any being is in some proportion
to his loveliness and honorableness, or to his worthiness to be loved and
honored by us; which is the same thing. We are surely under greater obligation
to love a more lovely being, than a less lovely; and if a Being be infinitely
lovely or worthy to be loved by us, then our obligations to love him are
infinitely great; and therefore, whatever is contrary to this love, has
in it infinite iniquity, deformity, and unworthiness. But on the other hand,
with respect to our holiness or love to God, there is not an infinite worthiness
in that. The sin of the creature against God, is in deserving and hateful
in proportion to the distance there is between God and the creature: the
greatness of the object, and the meanness and inferiority of the subject,
aggravates it. But it is the reverse with regard to the worthiness of the
respect of the creature to God; it is worthless, and not worthy, in proportion
to the meanness of the subject. So much the greater the distance between
God and the creature, so much the less is the creature's respect worthy
of God's notice or regard. The great degree of superiority increases the
obligation on the inferior to regard the superior; and so makes the want
of regard more hateful. But the great degree of inferiority diminishes the
worth of the regard of the interior; because the more he is inferior, the
less he is worthy of notice; the less he is, the less is what he can offer
worth; for he can offer no more than himself, in offering his best respect;
and therefore as he is little, and little worth, so is his respect little
worth. And the more a person has of true grace and spiritual light, the
more will it appear thus to him; the more will he appear to himself infinitely
deformed by reason of sin, and the less will the goodness that is in his
grace, or good experience, appear in proportion to it. For indeed it is
nothing to it; it is less than a drop to the ocean; for finite bears no
proportion at all to that which is infinite. But the more a person has of
spiritual light, the more do things appear to him, in this respect, as they
are indeed.-Hence it most demonstrably appears, that true grace is of that
nature, that the more a person has of it, with remaining corruption, the
less does his goodness and holiness appear, in proportion to his deformity;
and not only to his past deformity, but to his present deformity, in the
sin that now appears in his heart, and the abominable defects of his highest
and best affections, and brightest experiences.
The nature of many high and religious affections, and great discoveries
(as they are called) in many persons that I have been acquainted with, is
to hide and cover over the corruption of their hearts, and to make it seem
to them as if all their sin was gone, and to leave them without complaints
of any hateful evil left in them (though it may be they cry out much of
their past unworthiness); a sure and certain evidence that their discoveries
(as they call them) are darkness and not light. It is darkness that hides
men's pollution and deformity; but light let into the heart discovers it,
searches it out in its secret corners, and makes it plainly to appear; especially
that penetrating, all searching light of God's holiness and glory. It is
true, that saving discoveries may for the present hide corruption in one
sense; they restrain the positive exercises of it, such as malice, envy,
covetousness, lasciviousness, murmuring, &c., but they bring corruption
to light, in that which is privative, viz., that there is no more love,
no more humility, no more thankfulness. Which defects appear most hateful
in the eyes of those who have the most eminent exercises of grace; and are
very burdensome, and cause the saints to cry out of their leanness, and
odious pride and ingratitude. And whatever positive exercises of corruption
at any time arise, and mingle themselves with eminent actings of grace,
grace will exceedingly magnify the view of them, and render their appearance
far more heinous and horrible.
The more eminent saints are, and the more they have of the light of heaven
in their souls, the more do they appear to themselves, as the most eminent
saints in this world do to the saints and angels in heaven. How can we rationally
suppose the most eminent saints on earth appear to them, if beheld any otherwise
than covered over with the righteousness of Christ, and their deformities
swallowed up and hid in the coruscation of the beams of his abundant glory
and love? How can we suppose our most ardent love and praises appear to
them, that do behold the beauty and glory of God without a vail? How does
our highest thankfulness for the dying love of Christ appear to them, who
see Christ as he is, who know as they are known, and see the glory of the
person of him that died, and the wonders of his dying love, without any
cloud of darkness? And how do they look on the deepest reverence and humility,
with which worms of the dust on earth approach that infinite Majesty which
they behold? Do they appear great to them, or so much as worthy of the name
of reverence and humility, in those that they see to be at such an infinite
distance from that great and holy God, in whose glorious presence they are?
The reason why the highest attainments of the saints on earth appear so
mean to them, is because they dwell in the light of God's glory, and see
God as he is. And it is in this respect with the saints on earth, as it
is with the saints in heaven, in proportion as they are more eminent in
grace.
I would not be understood, that the saints on earth have in all respects
the worst opinion of themselves, when they have most of the exercises of
grace. In many respects it is otherwise. With respect to the positive exercises
of corruption, they may appear to themselves freest and best when grace
is most in exercise, and worst when the actings of grace are lowest. And
when they compare themselves with themselves at different times, they may
know, when grace is in lively exercise, that it is better with them than
it was before (though before, in the time of it, they did not see so much
badness as they see now) and when afterwards they sink again in the frame
of their minds, they may know that they sink, and have a new argument of
their great remaining corruption, and a rational conviction of a greater
vileness than they saw before; and many have more of a sense of guilt, and
a kind of legal sense of their sinfulness by far, than when in the lively
exercise of grace. But yet it is true, and demonstrable from the forementioned
considerations, that the children of God never have so much of a sensible
and spiritual conviction of their deformity, and so great, and quick and
abasing a sense of their present vileness and odiousness, as when they are
highest in the exercise of true and pure grace; and never are they so much
disposed to set themselves low among Christians as then. And thus he that
is greatest in the kingdom, or most eminent in the church of Christ, is
the same that humbles himself, as the least infant among them; agreeable
to that great saying of Christ, Matt. 18:4.
A true saint may know that he has some true grace: and the more grace there
is, the more easily is it known, as was observed and proved before. But
yet it does not follow, that an eminent saint is easily sensible that he
is an eminent saint, when compared with others. I will not deny that it
is possible, that he that has much grace, and is an eminent saint, may know
it. But he will not be apt to know it; it will not be a thing obvious to
him: that he is better than others, and has higher experiences and attainments,
is not a foremost thought; nor is it that which, from time to time readily
offers itself; it is a thing that is not in his way, but lies far out of
sight; he must take pains to convince himself of it; there will be need
of a great command of reason, and a high degree of strictness and care in
arguing, to convince himself. And if he be rationally convinced by a very
strict consideration of his own experiences compared with the great appearances
of low degrees of grace in some other saints, it will hardly seem real to
him, that he has more grace than they; and he will be apt to lose the conviction
that he has by pains obtained: nor will it seem at all natural to him to
act upon that supposition. And this may be laid down as an infallible thing,
"that the person who is apt to think that he, as compared with others,
is a very eminent saint, much distinguished in Christian experience, in
whom this is a first thoughts that rises of itself, and naturally offers
itself; he is certainly mistaken; he is no eminent saint, but under the
great prevailings of a proud and self-righteous spirit." And if this
be habitual with the man, and is steadily the prevailing temper of his mind,
he is no saint at all; he has not the least degree of any true Christian
experience; so surely as the word of God is true.
And that sort of experiences that appears to be of that tendency, and is
found from time to time to have that effect, to elevate the subject of them
with a great conceit of those experiences, is certainly vain and delusive.
Those supposed discoveries that naturally blow up the person with an admiration
of the eminency of his discoveries, and fill him with conceit that now he
has seen, and knows more than most other Christians, have nothing of the
nature of true spiritual light in them. All true spiritual knowledge is
of that nature, that the more a person has of it, the more is he sensible
of his own ignorance; as is evident by 1 Cor. 8:2: "He that thinketh
he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know."
Agur, when he had a great discovery of God, and sense of the wonderful height
of his glory, and of his marvellous works, and cries out of his greatness
and incomprehensibleness; at the same time, had the deepest sense of his
brutish ignorance, and looked upon himself the most ignorant of all the
saints. Prov. 30:2, 3, 4: "Surely I am more brutish than any man, and
have not the understanding of a man. I neither learned wisdom, nor have
the knowledge of the holy. Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended?
Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound the waters in a
garment? Who hath established all the ends of the earth? What is his name,
and what is his son's name, if thou canst tell?"
For a man to be highly conceited of his spiritual and divine knowledge,
is for him to be wise in his own eyes, if anything is. And therefore it
comes under those prohibitions: Prov. 3:7, "Be not wise in thine own
eyes." Rom. 12:16, "Be not wise in your own conceits;" and
brings men under that woe, Isa. 5:21: "Woe unto them that are wise
in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight." Those that are
thus wise in their own eyes, are some of the least likely to get good of
any in the world. Experience shows the truth of that, Prov. 26:12: "Seest
thou a man wise in his own conceit? There is more hope of a fool than of
him."
To this some may object, that the Psalmist, when we must suppose that he
was in a holy frame, speaks of his knowledge as eminently great, and far
greater than that of other saints: Psal. 119:99, 100, "I have more
understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation.
I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts."
To this I answer two things:
(1.) There is no restraint to be laid upon the Spirit of God, as to what
he shall reveal to a prophet, for the benefit of his church, who is speaking
or writing under immediate inspiration. The Spirit of God may reveal to
such a one, and dictate to him, to declare to others secret things, that
otherwise would be hard, yea impossible for him to find out. As he may reveal
to him mysteries, that otherwise would be above the reach of his reason;
or things in a distant place, that he cannot see; or future events, that
it would be impossible for him to know and declare, if they were not extraordinarily
revealed to him; so the Spirit of God might reveal to David this distinguishing
benefit he had received by conversing much with God's testimonies; and use
him as his instrument to record it for the benefit of others, to excite
them to the like duty, and to use the same means to gain knowledge. Nothing
can be gathered concerning the natural tendency of the ordinary gracious
influences of the Spirit of God, from that that David declares of his distinguishing
knowledge under the extraordinary influences of God's Spirit, immediately
dictating to him the divine mind by inspiration, and using David as his
instrument to write what he pleased for the benefit of his church; any more
than we can reasonably argue, that it is the natural tendency of grace to
incline men to curse others, and wish the most dreadful misery to them that
can be thought of, because David, under inspiration, often curses others,
and prays that such misery may come upon them.
(2.) It is not certain that the knowledge David here speaks of, is spiritual
knowledge, wherein holiness does fundamentally consist. But it may be that
greater revelation which God made to him of the Messiah, and the things
of his future kingdom, and the far more clear and extensive knowledge that
he had of the mysteries and doctrines of the gospel, than others; as a reward
for his keeping God's testimonies. In this, it is apparent by the book of
Psalms, that David far exceeded all that had gone before him.
Secondly, Another thing that is an infallible sign of spiritual pride, is
persons being apt to think highly of their humility. False experiences are
commonly attended with a counterfeit humility. And it is the very nature
of a counterfeit humility, to be highly conceited of itself. False religious
affections have generally that tendency, especially when raised to a great
height to make persons think that their humility is great, and accordingly
to take much notice of their great attainments in this respect, and admire
them. But eminently gracious affections (I scruple not to say it) are evermore
of a contrary tendency, and have universally a contrary effect in those
that have them. They indeed make them very sensible what reason there is
that they should be deeply humbled, and cause them earnestly to thirst and
long after it; but they make their present humility, or that which they
have already attained to, to appear small; and their remaining pride great,
and exceedingly abominable.
The reason why a proud person should be apt to think his humility great,
and why a very humble person should think his humility small, may be easily
seen, if it be considered, that it is natural for persons, in judging of
the degree of their own humiliation, to take their measure from that which
they esteem their proper height, or the dignity wherein they properly stand.
That may be great humiliation in one, that is no humiliation at all in another;
because the degree of honorableness, or considerableness wherein each does
properly stand, is very different. For some great man, to stoop to loose
the latchet of the shoes of another great man, his equal, or to wash his
feet, would be taken notice of as an act of abasement in him; and he, being
sensible of his own dignity, would look upon it so himself. But if a poor
slave is seen stooping to unloose the shoes of a great prince, nobody will
take any notice of this, as any act of humiliation in him, or token of any
great degree of humility: nor would the slave himself, unless he be horribly
proud and ridiculously conceited of himself: and if after he had done it,
he should, in his talk and behavior, show that he thought his abasement
great in it, and had his mind much upon it, as an evidence of his being
very humble; would not every body cry out upon him, "Whom do you think
yourself to be, that you should think this that you have done such a deep
humiliation?" This would make it plain to a demonstration, that this
slave was swollen with a high degree of pride and vanity of mind, as much
as if he declared in plain terms, "I think myself to be some great
one." And the matter is no less plain and certain, when worthless,
vile, and loathsome worms of the dust, are apt to put such a construction
on their acts of abasement before God; and to think it a token of great
humility in them that obey, under their affections, can find themselves
so willing to acknowledge themselves to be so mean and unworthy, and to
behave themselves as those that are so inferior. The very reason why such
outward acts, and such inward exercises, look like great abasement in such
a one, is because he has a high conceit of himself. Whereas if he thought
of himself more justly, these things would appear nothing to him, and his
humility in them worthy of no regard; but would rather be astonished at
his pride, that one so infinitely despicable and vile is brought no lower
before God.-When he says in his heart, "This is a great act of humiliation;
it is certainly a sign of great humility in me, that I should feel thus
and do so;" his meaning is, "This is great humility for me, for
such a one as I, that am so considerable and worthy." He considers
how low he is now brought, and compares this with the height of dignity
on which he in his heart thinks he properly stands, and the distance appears
very great, and he calls it all mere humility, and as such admires it. Whereas,
in him that is truly humble, and really sees his own vileness, and loathsomeness
before God, the distance appears the other way. When he is brought lowest
of all, it does not appear to him, that he is brought below his proper station,
but that he is not come to it; he appears to himself yet vastly above it,
he longs to get lower, that he may come to it, but appears at a great distance
from it. And this distance he calls pride. And therefore his pride appears
great to him, and not his humility. For although he is brought much lower
than he used to be, yet it does not appear to him worthy of the name of
humiliation, for him that is so infinitely mean and detestable, to come
down to a place, which, though it be lower than what he used to assume,
is yet vastly higher than what is proper for him. As men would hardly count
it worthy of the name of humility, in a contemptible slave, that formerly
affected to be a prince, to have his spirit so far brought down, as to take
the place of a nobleman; when this is still so far above his proper station.
All men in the world, in judging of the degree of their own and others'
humility, as appearing in any act of theirs, consider two things, viz.,
the real degree of dignity they stand in; and the degree of abasement, and
the relation it bears to that real dignity. Thus the complying with the
same low place, or low act, may be an evidence of great humility in one,
that evidences but little or no humility in another. But truly humble Christians
have so mean an opinion of their own real dignity, that all their self-abasement,
when considered with relation to that, and compared to that, appears very
small to them. It does not seem to them to be any great humility, or any
abasement to be made much of, for such poor, vile, abject creatures as they,
to lie at the foot of God.
The degree of humility is to be judged of by the degree of abasement, and
the degree of the cause for abasement: but he that is truly and eminently
humble, never thinks his humility great, considering the cause. The cause
why he should be abased appears so great, and the abasement of the frame
of his heart so greatly short of it, that he takes much more notice of his
pride than his humility.
Everyone that has been conversant with souls under convictions of sin, knows
that those who are greatly convinced of sin, are not apt to think themselves
greatly convinced. And the reason is this: men judge of the degree of their
own convictions of sin by two things jointly considered, viz., the degree
of sense which they have of guilt and pollution, and the degree of cause
they have for such a sense, in the degree of their real sinfulness. It is
really no argument of any great conviction of sin, for some men to think
themselves to be very sinful, beyond most others in the world; because they
are so indeed, very plainly and notoriously. And therefore a far less conviction
of sin may incline such a one to think so than another; he must be very
blind indeed not to be sensible of it. But he that is truly under great
convictions of sin, naturally thinks this to be his case. It appears to
him, that the cause he has to be sensible of guilt and pollution, is greater
than others have; and therefore he ascribes his sensibleness of this to
the greatness of his sin, and not to the greatness of his sensibility. It
is natural for one under great convictions, to think himself one of the
greatest of sinners in reality, and also that it is so very plainly and
evidently; for the greater his convictions are, the more plain and evident
it seems to be to him. And therefore it necessarily seems to him so plain
and so easy to him to see it, that it may be seen without much conviction.
That man is under great convictions, whose conviction is great in proportion
to his sin. But no man that is truly under great convictions, thinks his
conviction great in proportion to his sin. For if he does, it is a certain
sign that he inwardly thinks his sins small. And if that be the case, that
is a certain evidence that his conviction is small. And this, by the way,
is the main reason that persons, when under a work of humiliation, are not
sensible of it in the time of it.
And as it is with conviction of sin, just so it is, by parity of reason,
with respect to persons' conviction or sensibleness of their own meanness
and vileness, their own blindness, their own impotence, and all that low
sense that a Christian has of himself, in the exercise of evangelical humiliation.
So that in a high degree of this, the saints are never disposed to think
their sensibleness of their own meanness, filthiness, impotence, &c.,
to be great; because it never appears great to them considering the cause.
An eminent saint is not apt to think himself eminent in any thing; all his
graces and experiences are ready to appear to him to be comparatively small;
but especially his humility. There is nothing that appertains to Christian
experience, and true piety, that is so much out of his sight as his humility.
He is a thousand times more quicksighted to discern his pride than his humility:
that he easily discerns, and is apt to take much notice of, but hardly discerns
his humility. On the contrary, the deluded hypocrite, that is under the
power of spiritual pride, is so blind to nothing as his pride; and so quicksighted
to nothing, as the shows of humility that are in him.
The humble Christian is more apt to find fault with his own pride than with
other men's. He is apt to put the best construction on others' words and
behavior, and to think that none are so proud as himself. But the proud
hypocrite is quick to discern the mote in his brother's eye, in this respect;
while he sees nothing of the beam in his own. He is very often much in crying
out of others' pride, finding fault with others' apparel, and way of living;
and is affected ten times as much with his neighbor's ring or ribband, as
with all the filthiness of his own heart.
From the disposition there is in hypocrites to think highly of their humility,
it comes to pass that counterfeit humility is forward to put itself forth
to view. Those that have it, are apt to be much in speaking of their humiliations,
and to set them forth in high terms, and to make a great outward show of
humility, in affected looks, gestures, or manner of speech, or meanness
of apparel, or some affected singularity. So it was of old with the false
prophets, Zech. 13:4; so it was with the hypocritical Jews, Isa. 57:5, and
so Christ tells us it was with the Pharisees, Matt. 6:16. But it is contrariwise
with true humility; they that have it, are not apt to display their eloquence
in setting it forth, or to speak of the degree of their abasement in strong
terms. It does not affect to show itself in any singular outward meanness
of apparel, or way of living; agreeable to what is implied in Matt. 6:17,
"But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head and wash thy face.
Col. 2:23. Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will worship and
humility, and neglecting of the body." Nor is true humility a noisy
thing; it is not loud and boisterous. The Scripture represents it as of
a contrary nature. Ahab, when he had a visible humility, a resemblance of
true humility, went softly, 1 Kings 21:27. A penitent, in the exercise of
true humiliation, is represented as still and silent, Lam. 3:28: "He
sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him."
And silence is mentioned as what attends humility, Prov. 30:32: "If
thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought
evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth."
Thus I have particularly and largely shown the nature of that true humility
that attends holy affections, as it appears in its tendency to cause persons
to think meanly of their attainments in religion, as compared with the attainments
of others, and particularly of their attainments in humility: and have shown
the contrary tendency of spiritual pride, to dispose persons to think their
attainments in these respects to be great. I have insisted the longer on
this, because I look upon it as a matter of great importance, as it affords
a certain distinction between true and counterfeit humility; and also as
this disposition of hypocrites to look on themselves better than others,
is what God has declared to be very hateful to him, "a smoke in his
nose, and a fire that burneth all the day," Isa. 65:5. It is mentioned
as an instance of the pride of the inhabitants of that holy city (as it
was called) Jerusalem, that they esteemed themselves far better than the
people of Sodom, and so looked upon them worthy to be overlooked and disregarded
by them: Ezek. 16:56, "For thy sister Sodom was not mentioned by thy
mouth in the day of thy pride."
Let not the reader lightly pass over these things in application to himself.
If you once have taken it in, that it is a bad sign for a person to be apt
to think himself a better saint than others, there will arise a blinding
prejudice in your own favor; and there will probably be need of a great
strictness of self-examination, in order to determine whether it be so with
you. If on the proposal of the question, you answer, "No, it seems
to me, none are so bad as I," do not let the matter pass off so; but
examine again, whether or no you do not think yourself better than others
on this very account, because you imagine you think so meanly of yourself.
Have not you a high opinion of this humility? And if you answer again, "No;
I have not a high opinion of my humility; it seems to one I am as proud
as the devil;" yet examine again, whether self-conceit do not rise
up under this cover; whether on this very account, that you think yourself
as proud as the devil, you do not think yourself to be very humble.
From this opposition that there is between the nature of a true, and of
a counterfeit humility, as to the esteem that the subjects of them have
of them selves, arises a manifold contrariety of temper and behavior.
A truly humble person, having such a mean opinion of his righteousness and
holiness, is poor in spirit. For a person to be poor in spirit, is to be
in his own sense and apprehension poor, as to what is in him, and to be
of an answerable disposition. Therefore a truly humble person, especially
one eminently humble, naturally behaves himself in many respects as a poor
man. "The poor useth entreaties, but the rich answereth roughly."
A poor man is not disposed to quick and high resentment when he is among
the rich: he is apt to yield to others, for he knows others are above him;
he is not stiff and self-willed; he is patient with hard fare; he expects
no other than to be despised, and takes it patently; he does not take it
heinously that he is overlooked and but little regarded; he is prepared
to be in a low place; he readily honors his superiors; he takes reproofs
quietly; he readily honors others as above him; he easily yields to be taught,
and does not claim much to his understanding and judgment; he is not over
nice or humorsome, and has his spirit subdued to hard things, he is not
assuming, nor apt to take much upon him, but it is natural for him to be
subject to others. Thus it is with the humble Christian. Humility is (as
the great Mastricht expresses it) a kind of holy pusillanimity.
A man that is very poor is a beggar; so is he that is poor in spirit. There
is a great difference between those affections that are gracious, and those
that are false: under the former, the person continues still a poor beggar
at God's gates, exceeding empty and needy; but the latter make men appear
to themselves rich, and increased with goods, and not very necessitous;
they have a great stock in their own imagination for their subsistence.
A poor man is modest in his speech and behavior; so, and much more, and
more certainly and universally, is one that is poor in spirit; he is humble
and modest in his behavior amongst men. It is in vain for any to pretend
that they are humble, and as little children before God, when they are haughty,
assuming, and impudent in their behavior amongst men. The apostle informs
us, that the design of the gospel is to cut off all glorying, not only before
God, but also before men, Rom 4:1, 2. Some pretend to great humiliation,
that are very haughty, audacious, and assuming in their external appearance
and behavior: but they ought to consider those Scriptures, Psal. 131:1,
"Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty; neither do I exercise
myself in great matters or in things too high for me." Prov. 6:16,
17, "These six things doth the Lord hate; yea seven are an abomination
unto him: a proud look, &c."-Chap. 21:4, "A high look, and
a proud heart are sin." Psal. 18:27, "Thou wilt bring down high
looks." And Psal. 101:5, "Him that hath a high look, and a proud
heart, I will not suffer." 1 Cor. 13:4. "Charity vaunteth not
itself, doth not behave itself unseemly." There is a certain amiable
modesty and fear that belongs to a Christian behavior among men, arising
from humility, that the Scripture often speaks of, 1 Pet. 3:15, "Be
ready to give an answer to every man that asketh you-with meekness and fear."
Romans 13:7, "Fear to whom fear." 2 Cor. 7:15, "Whilst he
remembereth the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling you received
him." Eph. 6:5, "Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters
according to the flesh, with fear and trembling." 1 Pet. 2:18, "Servants,
be subject to your masters with all fear." 1 Pet. 3:2, "While
they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear." 1 Tim. 2:9,
"That women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness
and sobriety." In this respect a Christian is like a little child;
a little child is modest before men, and his heart is apt to be possessed
with fear and awe amongst them.
The same spirit will dispose a Christian to honor all men: 1 Pet. 2:17,
"Honor all men." A humble Christian is not only disposed to honor
the saints in his behavior; but others also, in all those ways that do not
imply a visible approbation of their sins. Thus Abraham, the great pattern
of believers, honored the children of Heth: Gen. 23:7, "Abraham stood
up, and bowed himself to the people of the land." This was a remarkable
instance of a humble behavior towards them that were out of Christ, and
that Abraham knew to be accursed: and therefore would by no means suffer
his servant to take a wife to his son, from among them; and Esau's wives,
being of these children of Heth, were a grief of mind to Isaac and Rebekah.
So Paul honored Festus: Acts 26:25, "I am not mad, most noble Festus."
Not only will Christian humility dispose persons to honor those wicked men
that are out of the visible church, but also false brethren and persecutors.
As Jacob, when he was in an excellent frame, having just been wrestling
all night with God, and received the blessing, honored Esau, his false and
persecuting brother: Gen. 33:3, "Jacob bowed himself to the ground
seven times, until he came near to his brother Esau." So he called
him lord; and commanded all his family to honor him in like manner.
Thus I have endeavored to describe the heart and behavior of one that is
governed by a truly gracious humility, as exactly agreeable to the Scriptures
as I am able.
Now, it is out of such a heart as this, that all truly holy affections do
flow. Christian affections are like Mary's precious ointment that she poured
on Christ's head, that filled the whole house with a sweet odor. That was
poured out of an alabaster box; so gracious affections flow out to Christ
out of a pure heart. That was poured out of a broken box; until the box
was broken, the ointment could not flow, nor diffuse its odor; so gracious
affections flow out of a broken heart. Gracious affections are also like
those of Mary Magdalene (Luke 7 at the latter end), who also pours precious
ointment on Christ, out of an alabaster broken box, anointing therewith
the feet of Jesus, when she had washed them with her tears, and wiped them
with the hair of her head. All gracious affections that are a sweet odor
to Christ, and that fill the soul of a Christian with a heavenly sweetness
and fragrancy, are broken hearted affections. A truly Christian love, either
to God or men, is a humble broken hearted love. The desires of the saints,
however earnest, are humble desires. Their hope is a humble hope; and their
joy, even when it is unspeakable, and full of glory, is a humble broken
hearted joy, and leaves the Christian more poor in spirit; and more like
a little child, and more disposed to a universal lowliness of behavior.
Please visit our other web sites: The
Torments of Hell, The
Narrow Way, Heaven
and Hell, The Terrors
of Hell, Suicide:
Gateway to Peace? and The
Pilgrim's Progress Primer. To read an account of several modern examples
of conversion similar to those described by Jonathan Edwards in A Faithful Narrative,
please see Great
Awakening Style Conversions.
Tracts, sermons, and books by puritan writers are available from: