him who made you loose eternal glory and deserve Hell for even him who wrought you so much hurt and still persists in doing it do you not think that you have cause to detest Well now this person is your self an opposite and enemy of God an opposite and enemy of your own salvation CHAP. X. That the knowledge of ones self doth not canse dismay but rather gives conrage and strength THere is another great benefit which grows from the exercise of knowing a mans self that not onely it causes no dismay or base fear as perhaps some might doubt but rather a great heart and courage towards all those things which are good And the reason of this is that when a man knows himself he sees that here is no colour why he should rely upon himself but that distrusting himself he must put all his confidence in God in whom he finds himself strong and able for all things Hence it is that these are the men who are apt to attempt and undertake great things and these are they who go through with them For in regard they ascribe all to God and nothing to themselves God takes the busines in hand and makes it his and holds it upon his own account and then he is wont to do mighty things and even wonders by the means of weak instruments To shew the riches and treasures of his mercies God will do wonderfull things by instruments who are miserable and weak He uses to put the treasures of his mercy into the poorest vessels for thus doth his glory shine most This is that which God said to St Paul when being even tired with temptations he cryed out and begged that he might be delivered from them and God made him this answer My grace shall be sufficient for thee how great soever thy temptations and miseries may be and then doth the power of God prove it self to be more strong and perfect when the weaknes and infirmity is more apparent For as the Physitian gains more honour when the sicknes which he cures is more dangerous so when there is more weaknes in us our delivery brings more glory to Gods arm and power and so doth Saint Augustine and Saint Ambrose expound this place So that when a man knows and distrusts himself and puts all his confidence in God then doth his Majesty come and help and when on the other side a man puts considence in himself and in his own diligences and means he is forsaken by Almighty God This saith Saint Basil is the cause why when we desire to make our prayers best and to have most devotion in certain principal times and occasions it sals out many times that we have lesse because we put our considence in our own means and in our own diligences and preparations And at other times we are prevented with great benedictions and sweetnes when we look for them least to the end that we may know that this is an effect of the grace and mercy of our Lord and of no diligence or merit of ours So that a mans knowing his misery and frailty causes no cowardise or dismay but rather gives courage and strength in regard that it makes him distrust himself and place all his confidence in God And this is also that which â—e Apostle saith When I am weak then am I strong 2 Cor. 12.10 That is when I am humbled then I am exalted For thus do hoth Saint Augustine and Saint Ambrose declare it When I humble and abase my self and know that I am good for nothing then am I exalted and raised up Whilst I know and see my infirmity and misery fastning my self upon God I find my self more strong and more ful of courage for he is all my confidence and strength Hereby you may understand that it is not Humility nor any thing which springs from thence when there com to us somtimes certain dismays and dejections concerning our little progress in grace and when we fear that we shal never obtain such or such a virtue and never overcom such an il condition or inclination or that we shal not be fit for this or that office and ministery in which we are or may be imployed This may seem to be humility but many times it is not so but rather springs from pride For such a one casts his eyes upon himself as if by his own strength and diligences he were to go through with that business wheras he ought to cast them upon God in whom we are to be ful of confidence and courage and say The Lord is my light and my salvation whom then shal I fear the Lord is the strength of my life of whom then shal I be afraid If whole armies shal rise against me my heart shal nor be afraid If they shal bid me battel yet wil I hope in God Psal 27. Though I walk in the midst of the very shadow of death and arrive even at the very gates of hel yet my heart shal not fear because thou O Lord art with me Psal 23. With what varietie of words doth the holy Prophet express the self same thing and indeed we have the Psalms ful of this to signifie the abundance of pious affections and of the confidence which he had and which we ought to have in God In my God I wil pass over a wal how high soever it may be Nothing shal be able to put it self between me and home God can conquer giants by grashoppers In my God I wil tread lions and dragons under my feet By the grace and favour of our Lord we shal be strong He teacheth my hands to fight and mine arms shal break even a bow of steel CHAP XI Of other great benefits and advantages which grow by the exercise of a mens knowledge of himself ONe of the principal means which for our parts we are able to imploy to the end that our Lord may shew us favour and communicate great graces and gifts to us is that we humble our selves and know our own frailty and misery And so said the Apostle St. Paul I wil gladly glory in my infirmities and weaknesses that so the power of Christ may dwel in me And St. Ambrose upon those words I am pleased in my infirmities saith If a Christian be to glory it is to be in his own povertie and miserie whereby he may increase and prosper in the sight of God St. Augustine brings that of the Prophet to this purpose Thou O God sentest a gracious rain upon thine inheritance and refreshedst it when it was weary When think you that God will give the voluntary and sweet rain of his gifts and graces to his inheritance which is the soul of man When the same soul shal understand her own infirmity and misery then wil he perfect it and the voluntary and sweet shower of his gifts and graces shal fal down upon it And as here amongst us the more our poor beggars discover their wretchednes and their sores to
it wil help-us little that the work it self be very good nay rather in good works we have most cause to fear the vice of vain glory and pride For other vices have relation to sins and wicked objects as envy luxuriousnes and wrath which carry a kind of ill superscription upon them to the end that we may take heed thereof Whereas pride is ever treading as it were upon the heels of good works that so it may destroy them A man goes prosperously sayling with his heart raised up towards heaven because at the beginning of the action he had addressed it to the glory of God and behold when suddenly there comes a wind of vanity and casts him upon a rock by procuring to make him desire to please men and to be honoured and esteemed by them taking some vain contentment therein and therewith the whole businesse sinks And so both Saint Gregory and Saint Bernard say very wel He who assembles any other vertues without humility is like a man who carries a little dust or ashes against the wind in which case the wind will be sure to scatter and carry it all away CHAP. II. That Humility is the foundation of all vertue SAint Ciprian saith Humility is the foundation of holinesse Saint Hierom cals humility the firsâ— and principall grace of a Christian Saint Bernard saith Humility is the foundation and preserver of all other vertues they all say that humility is the ground and foundation of all holinesse vertue and grace Saint Gregory in one place cals it the mistris and mother of all vertue and he saith also in another place that it is the root and very off-spring of vertue This metaphor and comparison of the root is very proper and doth very well declare the properties and conditions of humility For first he saith that as the root sustains and supports the flouer and when the root is pluckt up the flouer doth instantly dry and withe so every vertue whatsoever is instantly lost if it grows not up and continues not in the root of humility But as the root which lyes under ground and is trampled and trodden upon hath no beauty or odour in it and yet the tree receives life from thence just so the humble man is buried and dis-esteemed and disgraced and seems to carry no lustre nor brightnes in himself but is cast aside into a corner and forgotten and yet this very thing is that which conserves him and makes him thrive But withall as to the end that the tree may be able to grow and continue and bear much fruit it is necessary that the root lye deep and how much the more deep it is and more covered with earth so much the more fruit will the tree yeeld and so much the longer will it continue according to that of the Prophet Iâ—y It shall send the root downward and make the fruit grow upward so the fructifying of a soul in all vertue the conserving it self therein consists in laying a low root of humility How much the more humble you are so much the more will you profit grow in vertue and perfection To conclude as pride is the beginning root of all sin according to the wise man so humility is the foundation and root of all vertue But some man will say perhaps how can you affirm that humility is the foundation of all vertue and of all spirituall building when commonly we are taught by spirituall men that faith is the foundation according to that of Saint Paul Other foundation can no man lay than that is layed Jesus Christ the righteous that is faith in Jesus Christ To this Aquinas answers well Two things are necessary for the well founding of a house first it is necessary to open the ground well and cast out all that which is loose till at length you arrive to that which is firm that so you may build afterward upon it and when this is done you begin to lay the first stone which with the rest then laid is the principal foundation of the building After this manner saith Aquinas do humility and faith behave themselves one towards another in the spirituall building of vertue Humility is that which opens the soyle and the Office thereof is to dig deep into the earth to cast out all that which is loose which signifies the weaknes of mans power So that you must not lay your foundation upon your own strength for all this is no better then sand all this is to be cast out distrusting your selves and still you must be digging on till you come to the firm stone and the living rock which is Christ our Lord. This indeed is the principall foundation but yet notwithstanding because for the setling of this foundation there is need also of that other humility is also called a foundation And so he who by means of humility will open the soyl well and dig deep into the knowledge of himself and cast out all the sand of his own estimation and confidence in himself will arrive to that true foundation which is Christ our Lord and this man will raise a good building which will not be driven down though the winds blow and the waters beat because it is founded upon the firm rock But on the other side if he build without humility the building will instantly sink down because it is founded upon sand They are not true vertues but apparent only and false which are not founded upon humility And so Saint Augustine saith 1 Cor 13. That in those Romans and antient Philosophers there was no true vertue not only because they wanted charity which gives life and being to all vertue and without which there is no true and perfect vertue but besides because they wanted also the foundation of humility and in their fortitude temperance wisdom and justice they desired to be esteemed and to be talked of when they were dead and so their vertues were but certain empty things and without substance and indeed they were but shadows and shews of vertue And so as they were not perfect and true but only apparent he saith that God rewardeth the Romans for them with temporall blessings of this life which are also blessings but of apparence If therfore you meant to build up true vertue in your souls procure first to say a deep foundation of humility therein If you desire saith he to be truly great and to erect a high building of vertue in your hearts you must open the ground very low As much more high as a man means to raise this building so much the lower must he lay his foundation For there is no high without low and after the proportion or rate that you will dig deep and lay the foundation of humility low so much the higher will you be able to raise the Tower of Evangelicall perfection which you have begun Aquinas amongst other grave sentences which are remembred to have been his said thus of Humility He who goes
the honour of God and who steals those jewels which he esteems the most rich and of the greatest price and value and which indeed were set at so high a rate that he thought his own blood and life wel imployed upon the purchase thereof For this reason a certain holy Father being full of care and fear lest he should fall into pride was wont to say thus to God O Lord if thou give me any thing keep it for me who dare not trust my self with it for I am no better then a theef and am still running away with thy goods And now let us also walk on with the same fear since we have much more reason to be afraid and are far from being so humble as he was Let us not fall into this so dangerous pride let us not run away with those goods of God which he hath put with so much confidence into our hands Let no part thereof stick to us let us artribute nothing to our selves but return the whole back to God It was not without great mistery that Christ our Saviour when he appeared to his Disciples upon the day of his glorious Ascension reprov'd them first for their incredulity and hardnesse of heart and commanded them afterward to go and preach the Gospel throughout the whole world and gave them power to work many and mighty miracles For he gives us thereby to understand that he who is to be exalted to the doing of great things hath need to be humbled first and to be abased in himself and to have a true knowledge of his own faculties and miseries that so though afterward he come to great perfection he may yet remain still intire in the knowledge of himself and stick fast to the understanding of his own basenes without attributing any other thing to himself then unworthinesse Theodoret to this purpose notes that God resolving to chuse Moses for their Captain and conductor of his People and to work by his means such wondrous and admirable things as he resolved to let the world see thought fit for the cause aforesaid that first that very hand wherewith he was to divide the Red Sea and effect other things so very strange being first put into his bosome should be then drawn forth and seen by himself to be full of leprosie A second reason for which we stand in more particular necessity of Humility is to the end that we may gather fruit in those very ministeries wherein we are imployed so that Humility is necessary for us not only in regard of our own improvement lest otherwise we should grow vain and proud and so cast away our selves but besides for the gaining of our neighhours and the bringing forth fruit in their souls One of the most principal means towards this end is Humility and that we distrust our selves and that we rely not upon our own industry or prudence or other parts but that we place all our confidence in God and ascribe and refer all to him according to that of the wise man Put your confidence in God with your whole heart and rely not upon your own prudence And the reason hereof is as afterward I shall declare more at large because when through distrust of our selves we place all our confidence in God we ascribe it all to him and put the whole busines to his accompt whereby we oblige him much to take care thereof O Lord dispatch thine own busines the conversion of souls is thine and not ours alas what power can we have to save fouls But now when we are confident in the means we use and in the discourses which we are able to make we bring our selves to be parties to the busines and attribute much to our selves and all that we do we take from Almighty God They are like two balances for look how much the one rises so much the other will be sure to fall as much as we attribute to our selves so much we take from God and run away with the glory and honour which is only his and thus he comes to permit that no effect is wrought And I pray God that this be not sometimes the cause why we do our Neighbours no more good We read of many Preachers in former times and remember some of our own time who though they were not very learned men no nor very eloquent yet by their Preaching Catechising and private communications in an humble and low way have converted quickened inflamed and strengthened many of their flock not in the perswading words of humane wisdom but in the manifestation of spirit and truth as Saint Paul saith They were distrustfull of themselves and placed all their confidence in God and so God gave strength spirit to their words which seemed even to dâ—rt burning slames into the hearts of their hearers And now I know not whether the reason why we produce not at this day so great fruit be not because we stick much closer to the opinion of our own prudence because we rest and rely much upon our own means of perswasion and our learning and discourse and our polite and elegant manner of declaring our minds and we go gusting and delighting our selves much with our selves O well then saith God when you conceive that you have said the best thing and delivered the most convincing reasons and remain content and jolly with conceit that you have done great matters you shall then effect least of all And that shall be fulfilled in you which the Prophet Isay said give them a barren womb and dry breasts I will take order that thou shalt be a barren Mother and thou shalt have no more thereof but the name I will give you dry breasts such as no child shall hang upon nor any thing stick by them which thou sayest for this doth he deserve who will needs usurp the goods of God and attribute that to himself which is proper and only due to his divine Majesty I say not but whatsoever Men shall preach must be very well studied and considered but yet this is not all for it must also be very well wept upon and very well recommended to God and when you shall have made your head ake with studying it and ruminating upon it you must say We have but done what we ought and we are unprofitable servants what am I able to effect I have made a little noise of words like a peece which shoots powder without a bullet but if the heart be wounded it is thou O Lord who must do it The Kings heart is in Gods hand and he inclines it to whatsoever he will It is thou O Lord who art to move and wound the heart alas what are we able to do to them What proportion can our words all our humane means carry to an end so high and so supernaturall as it is to convert souls No such matter But how comes it then to passe that we are so vain and so well pleased with our selves when
true Humility is discerned Saint Bernard descends more particularly to declare wherein this vertue consists and gives us this definition thereof Humility is a vertue whereby a man most truly discerning and observing his own defects and miseries holds himself in small account Humility consists not in exterior things or words but in the very root of the heart in a mans thinking most basely of himself and both in holding himself and in desiring to be held by others in very mean account and so as that this must rise out of a most profound knowledg of himself To declare and as it were anatomise this truth the antient Fathers set down many degrees of Humility Aquinas assigneth twelve degrees of this vertue Saint Anselm speaks of seven Bonaventure reduces them to three and we will now follow this last both for brevities sake and to the end that restraining this Doctrine to fewer points we may the more easily keep them before our eyes and so procure to put them in execution The first degree therefore of Humility saith Bonaventure is that a man think meanly of himself and have himself in small account and the necessary and only means to this is the knowledg of a mans self These two things be they which the definition of Humility assigned by Saint Bernard comprehends and so it only reaches to the first degree Namely that Humllity is a vertue wherby a man holds himself in mean account This is then the first and this saith St Bernard is wrought in man by his having a true knowledg of himself and of his miseries and defects For this cause some are wont to put the knowledg of a mans self for the first degree of Humility and they do it with great reason But yet for as much as we reduce al the degrees to three with Bonaventure we put for the first degree the holding of a mans self in small account and we put the knowledg of a mans self for the necessary means whereby to attain this degree of Humility but yet in substance all is one We all agree in this that the knowledg of a mans self is the beginning and foundation whereby Humility is to be obtained and the thinking of our selves as we deserve For how can we think of a man as he deserves if we know him not This cannot be it is therefore necessary first that we know what any man is and then we may esteeme or honour him more or lesse according to what we know of him So that still you must first know what you are and afterward according to what you are you may esteem your selves and you shall have good leave to do so for if you esteem your selves for what you are you will be very humble for you will esteem your selves very little but if you esteem your selves more then you deserve that will be pride Saint Isidore saith Superhus dictus est quia super vult videre quam est Therefore is a man called proud be cause he holds himself and desires to be held by others for more then he is and this is one of the reasons which some assigne why God loves Humility so much because he is a great lover of truth and Humility is ttuth and pride is a deceit and a lye for you are not that which you think of your selves and which you desire that others should think you to be If therefore you resolve to walk in truth and in Humility esteem your selves for what you are Me thinks I ask no great matter of you in desiring that you will esteem your selves for what you are and not for what you are not For it is a very unreasonable thing for any man to esteem himself for more then he is And it would not only be a great deceit but a great danger withall so any man to be deceived in himself esteeming himself for other then indeed he is CHAP. VI. Of the knowledg of a mans self which is the root and the necessary and only means for the obtaining of Humility LEt us begin to sound and dig deep into our selves and into the knowledg of our weaknes and misery that so we may discover this most rich treasure saith St. Hierome In the very dung of your basenes and of your infirmities and sins you shall find that pretious pearl of Humility Let us begin with our corporall being let that be the first pressing of the spade as St. Bernard saith Set these things ever before thine eyes what thou wert what thou art and what thou art to be Have ever before thine eyes what thou wast before thou wert ingendred which was a certain thing so stinking and so filthy as that we may not give it the true name What art thou now Thou art a vessell full of dung what art thou to be shortly but the food of worms We have here matter enough to meditate upon and to dig into O base and vile condition of humane nature Look upon the trees and plants thou shalt find that they produce beautifull leaves and flowers and fruits but man proceeds out of himself nits lice and worms The plants and trees yeeld out of themselves Oyl Balsamum and wine and odours also of much sweetnesse and a man utters a thousand uncleanesses of so abominable savour as makes ones stomach turn to think of it and much more to name it But in fine such as the tree is such is the fruit like to be for an ill tree can bear no good fruit Verily the Fathers do with much reason and with great propriety compare the body of 〈◊〉 to a dunghil overcast with snow which on the outside appears beautifull and fair but within is full of uglines and uncleanesse The blessed St. Bernard said If you put your selves to consider what you vent by your eyes your ears your mouth your nostrils and the other sinks of your body there is not in the whole world any other so filthy dunghill nor which utters such abomination as this O how well said the holy Job What is man but rottennesse it self and a very fountain of worms I have said to rottennesse thou art my Father and to the worms I have said you are my mother and my brethren Such a thing as this is man a very running stream of rottenesse and a wide sack full of worms Wel then of what shall we now be proud Of what will dust and ashes take occasion to brag At least from hence we shall be able to discover no colour for being proud but enough for being humble and to despise our selves And therefore Saint Gregory saith It will help us to conserve Humility if we remember our own deformity it will keep very safe under these ashes Let us pass yet a little further on and dig yet deeper and press the spade yet lower into the ground Consider what you were before God created you and you shall find that you were just nothing and that you could never have been delivered out of
very gibbet which he had caused to be provided for Mardochaeus This is the pay which the world is wont to give to such as serve it And now let us consider from whence al this catastrophe grew Because forsooth Mardochaeus would not rise up and do him reverence when he passed by For such a foolery as this is able to keep proud men so unquiet and restles that they shall ever be wounded by it and made sad at the heart And so we see it at this day in worldly men and so much more do we see it as the men are in more eminent place For al such things as these are as so many needles points to them which gall and transpeirce them from side to side nor is there any sharper launce which they can feel nor do they ever want their part of this how much soever they are extolled and whatsoever they possesse but they ever have their hearts as bitter as gall and they ever walk up and down the World with perpetual unquietnes and want of rest From hence we may understand another particular which we experiment very often namely that although it be true that there is a sicknes of melancholy yet many times it happens that a mans being melancholy and sad is not the humor of melancholy or any corporal infirmitie but it is the very humor of pride which is a sicknes of the soul You are melancholy and sad because you are forgotten and cast aside into some corner and because they make no account of you You are melancholy and sad because you performed not such or such a thing with so much credit and reputation as you fancied to your self but rather you conceive that you are disgraced The busines proved not as you desired that Sermon that disputation those conclusions but you rather think that you have lost opinion and credit by it and therefore you are melancholy and sad yea and when you are to do any of these publique things the-very fear of the successe and whether you shal gain or loose honour by it makes you afflicted and greived These are some of those things which make the prond man melancholy and sad But now the humble of heart who desire no honour or estimation and contents himself with a mean place is free from all this restlesness and disquiet and enjoyes great peace according to the words of Christ our Lord from whom that Saint took this saying of his If there be peace in this World the humble of heart possesses it And therefore though there were no way of spirit or perfection to be looked after but only our own interest and the keeping our hearts in peace and quietnes even for this and this alone we were to procure humility for thus we should come to live whereas the other is but to lead a kind of dying life Saint Augustine to this purpose recounts a certain thing of himself whereby he saith that our Lord gave him to understand the blindnes and misery wherein he was As I went one day saith he full of affliction and care in thought of a certain Oration which I was to recite before the Emperor in his praise whereof the greatest part was to be false and my self procuring to be praised for my pains even by them who knew that it would be false that men may see how far the vanity and folly and madnes of the World extends it self as I went I say with much thought hereof and was full of trouble and care how the busines might succeed and having as it were even a kind of feaver upon me of consuming thoughts it hapned that in one of the streets of Milan there was a poor beggar who after he had gotten wel to eat and drink was playing tricks and taking his pleasure and in fine was very merry and jolly But when I saw this I fel to sigh and represent to my friends who were present there to what misery our madnes hath made us subject Since in all our troubles and namely in those wherein we found our selves at that time carrying a great burthen of infelicity upon our backs and being wounded with the vexation of a thousand inordinate appetites and daily adding one burthen to another we did not so much as procure to seek any other thing than only some secure kind of contentment and joy wherein that poor beggar had out-stripped us already who perhaps should never be able to overtake him therein For that which he had now obtained by means of a little alms namely the joy of temporal felicity I still went seeking and hunting out with so much solicitude and care It is true saith Saint Augustine that the poor man had no true joy but it is also true that the contentment which I sought was more false then this and in fine he then was merry and I said he was secure and I ful of cares and fears And if any man should ask me now whether I had rather be glad or grieved I should quickly make answer that I had rather be glad and if he should ask me yet again whether I had rather be that beggar or my self I should then rather choose to be my self though I were then ful of afflictions but yet for ought I know I should have no reason to make this choise For I ask what cause I can alledge For my being more learned gave me then no contentment at all but only desired to give contentment to others by my knowledge and yet that not by way of instructing them but without doubt saith he that poor man was more happy then I not only because he was merry and jolly when I was full of cogirations and cares which drew even my very bowels out of my body but because he had gotten his Wine by lawful means whereas I was hunting after vain glory by the way of telling lies CHAP. XXII Of another kind of means more efficatious for the obtaining the vertue of Humility which is the exercise thereof WE have already spoken of the first kind of means which are usually assigned for the obtaining of vertue which is certain reasons and considerations both divine and humane But yet the inclination which we have to this vice of pride is so very great by reason that the desire of Divinity Eritis sicut dii remains so rooted in our hearts from our first parents that no considerations at all are sufficient to make us take our last leave of the impulse and edge which we have to be honored and esteemed It seems that that happens to us herein which ours to others who are full of fear For how many reasons soever you give to perswade such persons that they have no cause to fear such or such a thing they yet make this answer I see well that all you say is true and I would fain not fear but yet I cannot obtain it of my self For just so some say in our case I well perceive that al those reasons which you
over all temptations and the perfection of all Vertues And so the Prophet understood it rightly when he said Except the Lord build the house their labour is but lost that build it Except the Lord keepeth the City the watchman waketh but in vain Psa 127.1 2. It is he who must give us all good things and when he hath given them must conserve them to us or els all our labour will be lost CHAP XXXII That Humility is not contrary to Magnanimity but rather that it is the foundation and cause thereof AQuinas treating of the vertue of magnanimity makes this question On the one side the Saints say yea and the holy Scripture also saith that Humility is very necessary for us and withall that magnanimity is also necessary especially so such as exercise high Ministries and live in high place Now these two vertues seem to be contrary in themselves because magnanimity is a greatnes of mind to attempt and enterprize great and excellent things which in themselves may be worthy of honour and both the one and the other seem to be contrary to Humility For as for the first which is to enterprise great things this seems not to sure well with this vertue because one of the degrees of Humility which the Saints assign is To confesse and hold himself unworthy and unprofitable for all things and now for a man to attempt that for vvhich he is not fit seems to be presumption and pride And as for the second point vvhich is to enterprise things of honour it seems also to be contrary because the true humble man must be very farfrom desiring honour and estimation To this Aquinas ansvvers very vvell and sayes that although in appearance and by the exteriour sound of the Words these tvvo vertues may seem to be contrary betvveen themselves yet in effect and truth one vertue cannot be contrary to another and in particular he saith concerning these tvvo vertues of Humility and magnanimity that if vve vvill attentively cast our eyes upon the truth and substance of the thing vve shall not only find that they are not contrary but that they are direct Sisters and depend much upon one another And this he declares very vvell because as for the first vvhich is to enterprise and attempt great things vvhich is proper to the magnanimous persons it is not only not contrary to the humble man but rather is very proper to him and he vvho is the one may very vvel do the other If confiding in our own diligence and strength we should undertake great things it might be presumption and pride because we may not undertake things either great or small in the confidence of our own strength for as much as of our selves we are not able to have one good thought as Saint Paul saith But the firm foundation of this vertue of magnanimity to attempt and enterprise great things is to be by distrusting our selves and all humane endeavours and to put our whole confidence in God and this doth Humility also and therefore do the Saints call it the foundation of all the vertues as we said before because it opens the soyl and sounds deep into the very bottom and takes out all the sand and loose stuffe till at length it arrive to that living rock which is Christ our Lord that so we may build thereupon Saint Bernard upon that place of the Canticles Who is this which rises up from the desert aboundning in delights and leaning upon her beloved goes declaring how all our vertue our strength and all our good works are to rely and rest upon our Beloved And he brings for an example that of Saint Paul to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 15.10 By the grace of God I am what I am and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain but I laboured more abundantly than they all The Apostle begins to recount his labours and how much he had done in the preaching of the Gospel and the service of the Church till at length he came to say that he had laboured more than the rest of the Apostles St Bernard saith Take heed what you say O holy Apostle To the end that you may be able to say this yea and to the end that you may not loose it rely upon your Beloved Now he replyes upon his Beloved Not I but the grace of God in me Phil. 4.13 And writing to the Philip. he saith I can do all things and then instantly he leans upon his Beloved through Christ which strengthneth me In God we shall be able to do all things by his grace we shall be of power to do all things This must be the foundation of our magnanimity and of our greatnes of mind And this is that which the Prophet Esay saith Isa 40.31 They who distrust themselves and put their whole confidence in God shal change their strength For they shall change their strength of men which is meer weaknes for the strength of God they shall change their arm of flesh and blood for the arm of our Lord and so they shall have strength for all things for they shall be able to do all things in God And therefore did Saint Leo say nothing is hard to the humble nothing is harsh to the meek The truly humble man is he who is magnanimous couragious and hardy to enterprise and attempt great things or rather nothing wil be hard to him because he confides not in himself but in God and looking up to him and relying upon him he contemns al dangers In God we can do all things This is that whereof we have much need a great and couragious mind and a great confidence in God and not a weak heart which takes away our appetites from doing our duties So that in our selves we must be humble as knowing that of our selves we are nothing we can do nothing and we are good for nothing but in God and in his power and grace we aie to be strong hearted towards the enterprising of great things Saint Basil declares this very well upon those words of the Prophet Esay Here am I send me Isa 6.8 God was resolved to send one to preach to his People for as much as he is pleased to work things in us with our good will and consent he said and said it so as that Esay might hear him Whom shall I send and who will go for us Isa 6.8 To this the Prophet answers O Lord here I am if you will be pleased to send me Saint Basil pondets very well that he said not Lord I will go and can dispatch this busines for he was humble and knew this own weakness well and saw that it was boldnes to promise for himself that he would perform so great a vvork vvhich overcame his strength but he said Lord here I am ready and vvilling to receive that which you shall be pleased to give do you send me for upon your warrant I will go As if he had said
A TREATISE OF HUMILITIE Published by E. D. Parson sequestred 1 PET. 5. ver 5. Be clothed with Humility for God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble LONDON Printed for Thomas Johnson at the Golden Key in S. Pauls Church-yard 1654. To the Reader IN every age and nation the sins that provoke God to wrath are many and the Seers or Remembrancers so are Gods Ministers call'd and so they are do sigh and mourn for them yea and forewarn and cry out against them as in Ezek. 9.4 The sins of this our age and nation which have provoked the Lord our God to poure out the vialls of his wrath upon us though not easily numbred or named yet that one onely sin of Pride is so high so presumptuous and so generall that even for this sin alone all the judgements which we have already felt or do hereafter feare are most due and just Blessed be the Lord our God who hath hitherto in mercy as a father chastised us for our amendment and not in fury as a Judge utterly consumed us And as we acknowledge his justice and mercy in punishing us so we take notice of his wisdome in choosing such instruments to punish us men of mean and low rank and of common parts and abilities By these he doth admonish all the honourable valiant learned and wise men of this nation as it were write our sin in the character of our punishment and in the low condition of these instruments of his anger and displeasure the rod of his wrath he would abate and punish our great pride As Remembrancers we have a double office on which we attend The one to call and cry unto God night and day with humble prayers and teares to be mercifull to his people and to spare those which he hath redeemed with his precious bloud and not to be angry with them for ever The other to call and cry unto the whole nation the proud and bold punishers with their vizours or formes of godlinesse as well as the punished to humble themselves to repent to fast weep and mourn for our many and great wickednesses especially for our Pride It may please God that by his blessing this little book may prove as a sovereigne poultise or medicine to asswage the swelling tumor of pride in the hearts of all them that will humble themselves so farre as to read it Davids stone and sling which slew proud Goliah and by that meanes overthrew the pride and gallantry of a great army gives some encouragement to me that even the pride of the Army of the City of the whole nation may be in some measure lessened and abated by this small book wherein the reader will find all the kindes and degrees of our pride plainly described sadly lamented sharply reproved thereby the necessity and excellency of the heavenly grace and sweet vertue of Humility affectionately perswaded unto and commended The God of power wisdome and mercy vouchsafe to give his blessing to this weak meanes as prayeth Thine in Christ Jesus W. B. The Contents Chap. I. OF the excellency of the vertue of Humility and of the need we have thereof page 1 Chap. II. That Humility is the foundation of all vertue page 6 Chap. III. Wherein it is declared more particularly how Humility is the foundation of all vertues and this is done by discoursing of the chief of them page 10 Chap. IIII. Of the particular necessity which they have of this vertue who professe to procure the salvation of their neighbours souls page 17 Chap. V. Of the first degree of Humility which is for a man to think meanly of himself page 32 Chap. VI. Of the knowledge of a mans self which is the root and the necessary and only means for the obtaining of Humility page 36 Chap. VII Of a most principall means for a mans knowing himself and obteining Humility which is the consideration of his sins page 41 Chap. VIII How we are to exercise our selves in the knowledge of what we are that so we may not be dejected or dismayed page 46 Chap. IX Of the great benefit and profit which grows by this exercise of a mans knowing himself page 52 Chap. X. That the knowledge of ones self doth not cause dismay but rather gives courage and strength page 58 Chap. XI Of other great benefits and advantages which grow by the exercise of a mans knowledge of himself page 62 Chap. XII How much it concerneth us to be exercised in the knowledge of our selves page 65 Chap. XIII Of the second degree of Humility and here it is declared wherein this degree consists page 74 Chap. XIV Of some degrees and steps whereby a man may rise to the perfection of this second degree of Humility page 82 Chap. XV. Of the fourth step which is to desire to be disesteemed and despised and to be glad thereof page 89 Chap. XVI That the perfection of Humility and of all other vertues consists in performing the acts thereof with delight and chearfulness and how much this imports towards our perseverance in vertue page 93 Chap. XVII Of some means for the obtaining of this second degree of Humility and particularly of the example of Christ our Lord. page 98 Chap. XVIII Of some humane considerations reasons whereby we are to help our selves for being humble page 104 Chap. XIX Of other humane reasons which will help us to be humble page 109 Chap. XX. That the certain way for a man to be valued and esteemed even by men is to give himself to vertue and humility page 116 Chap. XXI That Humility is the means to obtain inward peace of mind and that without it this cannot be had page 123 Chap. XXII Of another kind of means more efficacious for the obtaining the vertue of Humility which is the exercise thereof page 132 Chap. XXIII That we must take heed of speaking any such words as may redound to our own praise page 141 Chap. XXIV In what manner we are to make a particular examination of our consciences concerning the vertue of Humility page 146 Chap. XXV How it may be compatible with Humility to be willing to be accounted of and esteemed by men page 157 Chap. XXVI Of the third degree of Humility page 166 Chap. XXVII It is declared wherein the third degree of Humility consists page 174 Chap. XXVIII The foresaid truth is more declared page 179 Chap. XXIX The third degree of Humility is further declared and how it grows from thence that the true humble man esteems himself to be the least and worst of all page 184 Chap. XXX How good and holy men may with truth esteem themselves lesse then others yea and affirm themselvs to be the greatest sinners of the world page 192 Chap. XXXI That this third degree of Humility is a good means to overcome all temptations and to obtain the perfection of all the vertues page 202 Chap. XXXII That Humility is not contrary to Magnanimity but rather
that it is the foundation and cause thereof page 207 Chap. XXXIII Of the great benefits and advantages which are in this third degree of Humility page 216 Chap. XXXIV Of the great mercies and favours which God shews to the humble and why he exalts them so high page 224 Chap. XXXV How much it imports us to betake our selves to Humility to supply thereby whatsoever is wanting to us in vertue and perfection and to the end that God may not humble us by punishing us page 229 A TREATISE OF THE VERTUE OF HVMILITY CHAP I. Of the excellency of the vertue of Humility and of the need we have thereof LEarn of me saith Jesus Christ our Saviour for I am meek and lowly in heart and you shall find rest unto your souls Mat. 11.29 The whole life of Christ our Lord on earth was led for our instruction and he was the Master and teacher of all the virtues but especially of this of Humility which he desired cheifly that we should learn And this consideration alone may well serve to make us understand both the great excellency of this vertue and the great need also which we have thereof since the Son of God himself came down from Heaven to earth to teach us the practise and to make himself our instructor therein and that not only by word of mouth but much more particularly by his actions For indeed his whole life was an example and lively pattern of Humility Saint Basil discoursing of the whole life of Christ our Lord even from his birth observes and shews how all his actions served to teach us this vertue in most particular manner He would needs saith he be born of a mother who was poor in a poor open stable and be layed in a manger and be wrapped in miserable clouts be would needs be circumcised like a sinner and fly into Egypt like a poor weak creature and be baptized amongst Publicans and sinners like one of them And afterward in the course of his life when they had a mind to do him honour and take him up for their King he hid himself but when they put dishonour and affronts upon him he then presented himself to them when he was honoured and admired by men yea and even by persons who were possessed with the devill he commanded them to hold their peace but when they thought fit to reproach and scorn him he held his peace And neer the end of his life that he might leave us this vertue by his last Will and Testament he confirmed it by that so admirable example of washing his Disciples feet as a so by undergoing that so ignominious death of the Crosse Saint Bernard saith The Son of God abased and diminished him elf by taking our nature upon him and he would have his whole life to be a pattern of Humility so to teach us by actions that which he would also teach us by words A strange manner of instruction But why Lord must so high a Majesty be abased so low To the end that from henceforth there may not so much as one man be found who shall once adventure to be proud and to exalt himself upon the earth It was ever a strange boldnes or rather a kind of madnes for a man to be proud but now saith he when the Majesty of God hath humbled and abased it self it is an intollerable shame and an unspeakable kind of absurdity that this little wretched worm man should have a mind to be honoured and esteemed That the Son of God who is equall to the Father should take the form of a servant upon him and vouchsafe to be dishonoured and abased and that I who am but dust and ashes should procure to be valued and admired With much reason did the Saviour of the world declare that he is the master of this vertue of Humility and that we were to learn it of him for neither Plato nor Socrates nor Arisiotle did ever teach men this vertue For when those heathen Philosophers were treating of those other vertues of fortitude of temperance of wisdom and of Justice they were so far off the while from being humble therein that they pretended even by those very works and by all their vertuous actions to be esteemed and recommended to posterity It is true that thee was a Diogenes and some others like him who professed to contemn the world and to despise themselves by using mean cloaths and certain other poverties and abstinencies but even in this they were extreamly proud and procured even by that means to be observed and esteemed whilst others were despised by them as was wisely noted by Plato in Diogenes For one day when Plato had invited certain Philosophers and amongst them Diogenes to his house he had his rooms well furnished and his carpets laid and such other preparations made as might be fit for such guests But as soon as Diogenes entred in he began to foul those fair carpets with his durty feet which Plato observing asked him what he meant Calco Platonis fastum saith Diogenes I am trampling saith he upon Platos pride But Plato made him this good answer calcas sed alio fastu thou tramplest indeed but with another kind of pride insinuating thereby that the pride wherewith he trod upon Platos carpets was greater then Platos pride in possessing them The Philosophers did never reach to that contempt of themselves wherein Christian humility consists nay they did not so much as know humility even by name for this is that vertue which was properly and only taught by Christ our Lord. Saint Augustine observes how that divine sermon made by our Saviour in the Mount began with this vertue Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven For both Saint Augustine and others affirm that by poor in spirit such as be humble are understood So that the Redeemer of the world begins his preaching with this he continues it with this and he ends it with this This was he teaching us all his life and this doth he desire that we should learn of him He said not as Saint Augustin observes Learn of me to create heaven and earth learn of me to do wonderful things and to work miracles to cure the sick to cast out divels and to revive the dead but learn of me to be meek and humble of heart For better is the humble man who serves God than he who works miracles That other way is plain and safe but this is full of stumbling blocks and dangers The necessity which we have of this vertue of humility is so great that without it a man cannot make one step into spirituall life Saint Augustine saith it is necessary that all our actions be very well accompanied and fenced by humility both in the beginning in the middle and in the end thereof for if we be negligent never so little and suffer vain complacence and self-pleasing to enter in the wind of pride carries all away And