RELIGIOUS AFFECTIONS
JONATHAN EDWARDS
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 savour, 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.[56]
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 fervours and elevations of mind, as though they were truly the subjects
of divine illapses and heavenly communications.[57]
It is true, that many hypocrites make great pretences to humility, as well as
other graces; and very often there is nothing whatsoever which they make a
higher profession of. They endeavour to make a great show of humility in
speech and behaviour; but they commonly make bungling work of it, though
glorious work in their own eyes. They cannot find out what a humble speech and
behaviour is, or how to speak and act so that there may indeed be a savour 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
behaviour becoming holy humility, by the vigour 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 savour 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
pretence 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 savoured 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 behaviour 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.[58]
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 Saviour, 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.[59]
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.[60]
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 honour of his father, and beholds He respect which men show
him, naturally looks on that honour 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 honour
any being is in some proportion to his loveliness and honourableness, or to
his worthiness to be loved and honoured 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 honourableness, 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
behaviour, 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 behaviour,
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 neighbour'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.[61]
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 favour; 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 behaviour.
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 honours his superiors; he takes reproofs quietly; he readily honours
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 humoursome, 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.[62]
A
poor man is modest in his speech and behaviour; so, and much more, and more
certainly and universally, is one that is poor in spirit; he is humble and
modest in his behaviour 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 behaviour 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
behaviour: 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 behaviour 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 honour all men: 1 Pet. 2:17,
"Honour all men." A humble Christian is not only disposed to honour
the saints in his behaviour; but others also, in all those ways that do not
imply a visible approbation of their sins. Thus Abraham, the great pattern of
believers, honoured 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 behaviour 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
honoured Festus: Acts 26:25, "I am not mad, most noble Festus." Not
only will Christian humility dispose persons to honour 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, honoured 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 honour him in like manner.
Thus
I have endeavoured to describe the heart and behaviour 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 odour. 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 odour; 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 odour 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 behaviour.
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