Againe in Esa. 57. I dwell in the high and mightie place with him also that is of a contrite and broken spirit that is there is but two places that God delights to dwell in the one is in heaven and the other place is in a humbled heart now surely hee will not dwell there where he loves not for to dwell notes a speciall presence with them that is hee will not onely dwell in the heart but hee will make his presence to comfort the heart and againe in Esa. 66. I will bee neere unto them that are humble and that tremble at my words that is I will take a speciall care of them that are humble this readinesse of Christ to receive sinners is excellently set forth in the parable of the Prodigall How readily did the father receive a rebellious childe even so ready and much more ready is Christ to receive sinners that are humbled an example we have in David how ready was God to pardon Davids great sinne when he had humbled himselfe and the same we see in Peter and so here in Paul The reasons of this point are these The first reason is because mercy pleaseth him as it is in Micha I will pardon your transgressions because mercy pleaseth mee that is he delights to shew mercy to sinners and what man will not willingly doe any thing that pleaseth him The second reason is because mercy is naturall unto God that is it is his nature for although mercy be a qualitie in us yet it is a nature in God and what man will not willingly doe any thing that is agreeable unto his nature The third reason is because God is rich in mercy a man that is rich he will not respect the giving of a small gift but he will give liberally bountifully and it is for his credit to doe thus now if it be thus with men then how much more with God because he is the Store-house hath the fountaine in himself and therfore it stands with his honor to give liberally to be rich in mercy to his children The fourth reason is because God is our Father and you know a father hath a tender affection over his children and if it be thus with men then it is much more with God towards his children thou needst not to feare the missing of his mercy if thou be one of Gods children The consideration of this that God is exceeding mercifull should draw us close unto God that is is God mercifull then let us run unto him this hoping of mercy should winne us to come unto him for what is that which makes a Traytor or a Malefactor after Hue and cry to come in and lay downe the armes of Rebellion but the Proclamation of mercy and in hope of this he comes in Therefore when you heare that Christ is exceeding mercifull then come in only lay downe the armes of rebellion and you shall finde mercy Object Oh but saith some I would willingly come unto Christ but alas my sinnes are so many and so great that I feare Christ will not receive mee Answ. To this I answer what if thy sinnes be exceeding great and many yet they are not Infinite that is they doe not exceed the price payed for them But God is Infinite in mercy and therefore exceeds all thy sinnes Againe consider the abilitie and power of God he is able to make thee cleane and purge thee from all iniquitie and therefore feare not the greatnesse of thy sinnes only labour to finde the condition faith in thee and then come and take of Christ freely Secondly if God be exceeding mercifull then let men take heed that they wrong not themselves in regard of salvation by the neglect of those meanes whereby grace is got that is let men be humble and then let them know that Christ is mercifull And that you may not put off repentance and the getting of grace consider these particulars The first thing is this take the time and opportunitie when grace is offered that is it will bee good for you to strike while the Iron is hot and grinde while the winde blowes and saile when there is a faire gale so it is good to follow the spirit in its motion for as there is a time when the spirit is offered so there is a time when the spirit may not be got and therefore it is that this time is so insisted upon so often in Hebr. 3. To day if yee will heare his voyce c. that is there is a time when God will not be found of us though wee would give a world to have but one motion of the spirit againe one moment of repentance one offer of grace but you shall not well then now you have the time and opportunity that is the day of salvation I offer you Christ and salvation and you may have him if you will but receive him that is if you will but suffer him to rule in your hearts if you will but acknowledge him to bee your Lord and King you shall have him whatsoever thou art or hast beene for the time past onely if you will be a new man for the time to come but if you will not receive Christ now but refuse him there shall a time come when thou wouldest receive him but then thou shalt not Remember the five foolish Virgins Matth. 25. They were shut out of the marriage chamber and so maist thou if thou now refuse him Secondly consider that repentance is not in thine owne power that is it is a turning of the heart and casting of a man into a new mould the setting of the heart the right way and withall know that there is a false repentance Cain and Esau and Iudas repented as well as Paul and Peter and David but the one proceeded from the Spirit and the other from the flesh it must be sound repentance if it be acceptable now this no man can doe of his owne power and strength except there bee a supernaturall worke of grace in the soule There are two causes why God doth afflict his children First God afflicts his children because of some scandall I speake now of Gods children and thus David was afflicted because he gave a just occasion of scandall in the matter of Vriah therefore God afflicts him Secondly to weane them from the world because God knowes till they be humble and basely esteeme of themselves and the world they will not prize Christ or grace but when they are throughly humbled then they will come in and take Christ and therefore it is that wee preach Christ generally unto all that whosoever will come and take him may have him and therefore this is the question that wee move and propound unto all men whether they will receive Christ that is whether they will take him above all things for better or worse to bee their Lord Master and King if they will thus receive him they
to be his master p. 257 4 It tames the stubbornnesse of our Nature ibid. 5 It makes him willing to suffer any thing for Christ. p. 258 VI. To prize Christ above the things of the world p. 259 DOCT. II. Sinne in it selfe is full of griefe and bitternesse and men shall finde it so sooner or later p. 260 Prov'd to be bitter p. 261 Men shall find it so for these reasons because 1 Otherwise God should lose his glory p. 262 2 Every sinne is the breach of a just Law p. 263 3 It is Gods Iustice to punish sinners p. 264 God suspends the execution of Iudgement 1 Because the time of punishment is not yet come p. 265 2 For the Churches increase p. 266 3 For the good of some that are yet to be call'd ibid. 4 For try all of the heart p. 267 5 Because their afflistions are greater than other mens though they seeme not so and that in these respects 1 Because God denyes them grace p. 268 2 The prosperity of the wicked is a punishment ibid. 3 They wither and dry in their sinnes ibid. 4 They have many afflictions we know not of p. 269 USE I. To teach us not to delude our selves in the matter of afflictions p. 269 Motives to forsake sinne are 1. Sinne will make you ashamed p. 271 2. If you sinne God will beat you p. 272 God correcteth his children when they sinne sor two reasons 1 Because sinne is sinne with God in whomsoever it is ibid. 2 Because Gods children are the Temptes of the holy Ghost wherein God delights to dwell p. 273 Six objections concerning Gods punishing sinne answered p. 274 3. Sinne will take away your excellency p. 277 4. The least sin violateth the peace of conscience p. 278 5. Sin will bring upon you all manner of miseries ibid. 6. Sin can yeeld no true comfort or content p. 280 7. Sin is restlesse p. 281 8. Sin hath no familiarity with God p. 282 9. If you live in sinne God will shew no mercy ibid. 10. Sin breakes the Covenant betwixt God you p. 283 11. Sin is a Theefe p. 284 12. Sin is the greatest enemy God hath p. 285 13 Sin will make you come weeping home p. 286 14 No content so long as you live in sinne p. 287 15 Sin will make you confesse your selves to be fooles ib. 16 Sin will take you away from God and God from you p. 288 Motives to hate sinne in regard of God 1. God doth take notice of all you doe p. 289 2. When God strikes for sinne his wrath exceeding bitter ibid. 3. The longer God stayes from striking sinnes the greater and terribler his stroke when it comes p. 290 DOCTR III. Christ is exceeding mercifull and ready to shew mercy to those that are truly humbled p. 291 REAS. I. Because mercy pleaseth him p. 293 REAS. II. Mercy is naturall unto God ibid. REAS. III. God is rich in mercy ibid. REAS. IV. God is our Father ibid. USE I. To draw us close to God because he is mercifull ibid. OBJECT My sinnes so many so great I feare Christ will not receive me p. 294 ANSW Gods mercy is infinite and so are not thy sinnes p. 294 USE II. To exhort men not to neglest those meanes whereby grace is got p. 294 Helpes not to put off Repentance but to get grace are 1 To take the time and opportunity when Grace is ofred ibid. 2 Repentance is not in thine owne power p. 295 PAVLS CONVERSION ACTS 9. 6. And he trembling and astonished said Lord What wilt thou have me to doe And the Lord said unto him arise and goe into the City and it shall be told thee what thou must doe IN this verse wee have the first act of Pauls conversion from being a persecutor to bee an Apostle In the words there are two parts The first is the manner of it he trembled and was astonished Secondly the plyablenesse of his will and hee said Lord what wilt thou have me to doe but before wee come to any observations we will open the words unto you Trembling Trembling is an effect of feare which feare is seated in the affecttive part of the soule for when the understanding apprehends any thing whether good or evill then the affections come and apply it either unto joy or sorrow Now the affections may bee considered either in regard of good or evill in regard of good and that either present which breedeth joy or future and to come whence flowes desire for desire is of some good not present but to come Secondly I say the affections may bee considered in regard of evill and that likewise either as present which breeds sorrow or to come whence flowes abomination or an affection by which wee flye and shunne this evill Againe if a man apprehends the good which is to come as possible though hard to be obtained this breedeth hope And so if the evill be apprehended as future and hard to be shunned it worketh feare And this was Pauls feare he apprehended affliction as comming and hard to be avoided the Iudge as terrible and that there was no way to escape and therefore hee trembled He was in a great perplexity and feare after that the Lord had showne unto him a glimpse of his dreadfull power Whence wee may see That nothing will so much deject a sinner as when hee sees the fearefull power of God When there is a crevis opened unto him whereby hee who is a sinner sees into the holinesse and the purity of God and the vilenesse of his owne nature hence hee feares and therefore it was that Adam feared when he heard but the voyce of God in the Garden and the Israelites could not indure the presence of God because that it was terrible unto them For they conceived as the Scripture speaketh That no man could see God and live that is see him according to the excellent greatnesse of his power and majesty but it would utterly overwhelme them so that there should no longer life remaine in them whence was their feare And astonished This is another effect of feare or a further degree of it hee apprehends such a sight of the power of God and of his owne estate that is this light did so shine into his soule that hee was at a non-plus not knowing what to doe or how to escape Now there are three things that make an astonishment First if the danger bee sudden for else it will not astonish for that which is knowne before will not cause astonishment Secondly if it bee great for a small evill wil not astonish a man but when a man apprehends a great evill present then he is astonished at it Thirdly if it be inevitable when a man is compassed about with it that he cannot get out there is no doore to escape but he must needs abide it hence proceeds an astonishment thus it was with Paul It was sudden a light shoone it was
loath the creature but sinne all the imperfections and blemishes and diseases and infirmities of the creature makes not God to loath it if there be not a mixture of sinne with it because they are not contrary unto God they fight not against God but sinne fights against the purity and holinesse of God and therefore Gods hatred of the creature is onely a hatred for sinne Secondly to us it is the greatest evill the argument stands thus that which deprives us of the greatest good is the greatest evill but this sinne doth Ergo. for it doth deprive us of all things that are good but especially of two things wherin standeth our chiefest good As first it deprives us of the best outward good which is God as the Prophet saith Your sinnes separate betweene you and your God and they keepe good things from you of all other good especially they hinder the comming of grace into your hearts Now what greater evill can there be then this to keepe both God and his Grace from us Secondly it deprives us of the chiefest good within us as for example First it deformes the beautie and strength of the inward man Secondly it weakens that grace that is within that is it makes us unable to resist evill this is the nature of sinne Thirdly if you cannot see it in these then come unto the effects that it workes and it will appeare to be the greatest evill First it turnes all the faculties and parts of the soule body to evill and is the breeder of all distemperature as feare and horrour in the soule Secondly it brings all the evill that doth befall a man in this life they all come by sinne all shame reproach povertie disgrace punishment comes by sinne now if you will but consider sinne in these you will see it to be evill but especially you shall see the evill of sinne in a distressed conscience what feare what amazement what astonishment and despaire what sorrow what anguish of heart is there as upon Iudas no restitution will serve no comfort will worke no perswasion will prevaile thus if you looke upon sinne it will appeare the greatest evill Fourthly sinne is the greatest evill if you consider the medicine that must come to heale it Christ must lay downe his glory for a time hee must abase himselfe hee must come from heaven to earth he must take our nature upon him and humble himselfe unto a cursed death before sinne can be healed now put them altogether sinne is evill by nature Againe it is evill because it deprives us of the greatest good both within us and without us it is the cause of all diseases shame and reproach such an evill that nothing will heale but the blood of Christ looke upon sinne thus cloathed and it will appeare the greatest evill Make conscience therefore of little sinnes for they bring great evils though the sands of the Seas be but little yet a many heaped together make a great burthen so sinne though but in an idle word thought or behaviour seeme to be but a little sinne yet lay many of them together and they will breake the soule and make it barren and unfit to good if a man owe but little debts yet if they be many if he looke and cast them up in the totall hee will finde himselfe presently to bee but a bankerupt so it is with sinne what though the sinne be but a little sinne yet give this a little vent put it to action and this sinne will proove a great sinne give once consent and in time it will be a raigning sinne and when it is thus then it turnes the soule into evill sets it on a rage imprisons it makes it to obey and to be a slave to Sathan now what greater evill can there bee then sinne thus much for the first meanes to get the Iudgement rectified which will see sinne so as to humble it The second meanes to be humbled is this you must labour to make your hearts fit to be humble and that you may doe this you must doe these things First you must labour to get some sense of holinesse that is you must get the heart in a frame of grace for except a man get the spirit he will not be humbled but when there is holinesse bred in the heart then he will see sinne to be humble hee will see sinne out of his place Take any heavy thing especially water and in its place it is not heavy but let it be remooved out of its place and it will be a heavy burthen even so will sinne bee unto you when you have once gotten the spirit you will then see sinne out of his place and to be a heavy burthen that you will not willingly beare it but you will stoope under it and therefore the more holinesse that any man gets the more will be his sight of sinne and where there is most sight of sinne there will be most griefe for sinne and this griefe is alwayes accompanied with this humiliation that I speake of and where there is the greatest humiliation for sinne there is the greatest doore of mercy opened where there is most sence of sinne there the heart is best fitted for grace and in this case the more tender of conscience the better Christian. Secondly if you would be fit to bee humble consider another thing which is the punishment of sinne if you continue in sinne you shall be damned deprived of glory you were once good consider now wherein your happinesse consists consider that you have an immortall soule and that you must be called to an account the serious considerations of these things will make you to bee humble Nebuchadnezzar when he is brought to be like a beast then he confesseth that the Lord is God and humbles himselfe even so should wee Againe doe but consider that all things are in the hands of God and that every one of you in particular are and that he is able presently to dispose of you as he will Againe consider that God is alwayes every where that hee sees all things and that he will judge all men and that a day of judgement a day of departure to judgement is appointed unto all consider also the severity of the Iudge the sentence that hee will pronounce the punishment that he will inflict the eternity of the time I say if men would but consider these things wishly they would not goe on in sinne as they doe but the want of consideration of these things keepes men from Christ. For if the adulterer would but consider what the Scripture saith that no adulterer shall be saved or if the covetous man or drunkard c. that wholly devotes themselves unto evill would but consider that in 1 Cor. 6. 9. that none of these should inherit the Kingdome of God they would not goe on in sinne as they doe Againe if they did but consider that all sinne ends in paine that
shall have him it is no matter as I said what a man is or what a man was onely if he will be another man for the time to come and therefore it is false preaching to say they must come thus and thus as if Christ were purchast with our owne gift but we preach Christ freely without any condition without any exceptions of persons Whosoever will let him come and take of the Water of life freely as in Revel 21. And that Christ is thus ready to receive humbled sinners you may see in his readinesse to receive all manner of people whilest hee was on the earth with severall diseases hee put none away that came unto him Againe consider that if Christ should not bee mercifull then the end of his Redemption should be lost for wherefore came he but to show mercy unto sinners Againe consider how ready he is to receive sinners from the mouth of his Ministers 2 Corinth 5. 20. Now then wee are Embassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us wee pray you in Christs stead be yee reconciled to God that is wee use all the perswasions and motives that we can wee exhort rebuke instruct you and all to this end to make you willing to receive Christ nay wee doe not onely beseech you but with those in the Gospel we compell you to come in that is wee perswade you often against your wils to receive Christ. Now the things that keepes men from Christ is this they say that they are not fit to come to Christ and therefore they will not come but men are deceived for there is no other fitting condition required of us by God onely beleeve and you shall be saved that is if you have but a desire to come to Christ you may have him as for example if there should be a generall proclamation made by the King for all offenders let their crimes bee what they will that whosoever will come in and lay downe his armes of rebellion and acknowledge him to bee Supreme shall have pardon it may bee there is some offenders that have greater crimes then others and others lesse whatsoever difference there be it matters not if they will but come in they shall have pardon so I say unto you if you will come in it matters not what your sinnes were or are Christ here hath made a generall proclamation that whosoever will come in shall have mercy therefore feare not what your sinnes bee onely get a willing heart to part with sinne and cleave fast unto Christ and Christ will not forsake you In the time of the law every seventh yeere there was a Iubilee wherein every servant was made free from his Master but if any refused then then he was to be bored thorow the eares and to serve his Master for ever beloved now is the yeere of Iubilee you may now bee free men in Christ if you will but receive Christ but if you will not then you shall bee markt for the devill and serve him for ever therefore as Pyrrhus said unto his servants he that will freely goe with me unto the battell let him come so I say unto you if you will freely come in unto Christ come and Christ will receive you but if you will not Christ will not have you to goe with him that is you shall not but this you will not doe till you bee humbled and therefore labour to get humiliation and then whatsoever your sinnes are you shall bee saved if you will but receive Christ. Therefore examine your selves in what a frame your hearts stand in if so bee you finde that your hearts are hardned as the Apostle saith that is such as cannot repent it will be a difficult thing for you to receive Christ that is if you have put the spirit by his proper worke and have hardned your hearts from his feare it will be a hard matter for you to get the spirit of repentance the Apostle cals men in this estate like Trees twice pluckt up by the rootes Iude verse 12. that is it will bee a hard matter to make them to grow againe and be fruitfull but if you be thorowly humbled Christ is exceeding mercifull and ready to receive you unto favour Imprimatur Rob. Austine Iuly 30. 1633. FINIS Doctr. Reas. 1. Psal. 1. 6. 1 Sam. 2. 30 Reas. 2. Reas. 3. Use 3. Mat 6. 4. Gen. 4. 15. Vse 2. Iam. 5. Vse 3. Simile Doctr. 2. 1 Chro. 21. 3 Vers. 8. Mat. 26. 21. Iohn 6. 70. Marke 14 21 Reas. 1. Reas. 2. Reas. 3. Roin 1. 28 Reas. Reas. Simile Vse Gen. 3. â— 1 Corin. 10 Gen 38. 9 Satansdeceits 1 Answ. 2. Answ. 2. 2. Deceit Answ. 3. Deceit Answ. 4. Deceit Answ. 5. Deceit Answ. 6. Deceit Answ. Psalme 119. 7. Deceit Answ. Doctr. Vse 1. Vse 2. 1 Cor. 8. 10. Nehem 1. 11 Obiect Answ. Obiect Answ. Obiect Answ. Vse 3. Vse 4. Doctr. Quest. Answ. 2 Cor. 4. 2. Reas. Vse 1. Galat. 6. Doctr. Reas. Vse 1. Vse 2. Doctr. Reas. Vse Doctr. Reas. Obiect Answ. Vse Doctr. â— 3. Quest. 1. Answ. Answ. Quest. 2. Answ. Quest. 3. Answ. Quest. 4. Answ. Quest. 5. Answ. Caveat Caveat Doctr. Reas. 1. Reas. 2. Reas. Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Quest. Answ. Obiect Answ. 1. 2. 3. 4. Doctrine What this strength is 1. 2. 1. 2. Particulars of this strength The first particular Beare wrong patiently The second particular Thriue under any affliction Acts 5. 41. The third particular To beleeve Description of spirituall strength 2. 3. 1. 1 Cor. 3. 5. 2. 1. 2. 1. 2. 1. 2. Reason 1. Reason 2. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Vse 1. 1. 2. 1. 2. 3. Iohn 6. 27. 1. Difference 1. Iere. 31. 34. 3. 1 Pet. 4. 4. 5. 4. 2. Difference 1. 2. 3. Difference Heb. 11. 34. 1 Tim. 4. 10. Heb. 11. 24. 1. 2. Marke 16. 16. Marke 10. 29 30. 4. Difference Rom. 2. 14. 2 Tim. 2. 3. 1 Pet. 1. 5. 5. Difference Rom. 7. 23. 1. 2. Vse 2. 1. Motive Acts 16. 25. 2. Motive Isaiah 56. 2. Ioh. 17. 4 5. Ioh. 15. 8. 3. Motive Matth. 5. 33. Isai 48. 18. Prov. 22 4. 4. Motive Psal. 45. 13. Prov. 30. 29 30. Rom. 6. 12. Gen. 49. 4. Psal. 1. 3. Vse 3. Matth. 5. 6. Prover 2. 4. 1. Meane 1 Pet. 2. 2. 1 Cor. 3. 1. Heb. 5. 13. 2. Meanes Rule 1. 2. Rule 3. Rule Iam. 1. 8. 4. Rule 3. Meanes 1. Signe 2. Signe Acts 14. 15. 1 Sam. 11. 6. Acts 4. 32. 3. Signe Phil. 4. 12. 4. Signe 1 Tim. 2. 12. 5. Signe 4. Meanes 1. Hinderance 2. Hinderance 5. Meanes 6. Meanes 2 Cor. 12. 10. Ier. 17. 5. 7. Meanes Doctrine 1. Worke. 2. Worke. 3. Worke. Acts 4. 32. 4. Worke. Acts 20. 32. Vse Matth. 25. 1 Cor. 2. 10. Eph. 1. 13. Rom. 8. 11. 14. 1 Ioh. 3. 14. 1. Signe Matth. 3. 11. Acts 2. 3. 1 Cor. 7. 30 31. Revel 3. 15. Object 1. Answ. Answ. 2. 2. Signe Holinesse 1. Matth. 15. 3â—
something joyned with it as a man that is full who cares not for eating Grapes and therefore stands looking and gazing on them or as a man that is not a thirst hee will gaze more on the graving of the cup then hee will desire to drinke that which is in the cup when as the hungry or thirsty man he will not so much gaze on the Grape or respect the outside of the cup as to eate and to drinke so a truly humbled man he will not regard eloquence and wit in the Word this is unto him but as a graven cup that will not satisfie him but the pure word alone is that which will satisfie him and nourish him up in grace A man that is not humble is like a sieve that looseth thorow it all that is good but keeps nothing but motes and durt when he comes unto the word if there be any thing that may fit his humour that he will hold which is nothing but vanitie and nourisheth not but for that which is able to feed the soule and make him wise in all spirituall wisedome which is the application both of the threatnings and the promises unto the soule this he lets goe as not worth the keeping and this is the reason why men remaine so barren and fruitlesse because they doe not retaine that or love that which would make them fruitfull in holinesse these men are like children that cry for bookes not because they have a desire to learne but because they may turne over some gaudy or gilded letters so these men they come to Church and they heare and they receive the Sacraments and they reade the Word but not to learne to be edified by them but to play with some golden letters to heare the folly and foolishnesse of him that preacheth himselfe and not Christ or for fashion sake or for some other by-respect but not to this end that they may bee builded up in grace The second part of the Word is the Medicine part the healing part for as there is power in the Word to fill the soule full of grace so there is another power in the Word to heale the breaches and wounds in the soule now hee that will finde this saving power in the Word he must be humble he must finde and feele himselfe sicke of sinne unto death then the Word hath this power to save and to heale but if a man doe not finde himselfe spiritually sicke the Word will never heale him but it will be a quite contrary medicine rather a destroying medicine then a healing medicine it will be unto him like as the Sun is to him that hath sore eyes the more the Sun shines the more offensiue it is unto him and the greater paine it puts him unto So it is with a man that is not humble and sicke of sinne the more the Word lights upon his sinne the more hee stormes and strives against it it is with him as it is with a man that is sicke when men are sicke then every thing troubles them then they will be humble so when men are spiritually sicke then sinne troubles them it is with them as it was with Absolon and David there was a rumour of warre before there was true warre so it is with men in this case they have a kinde of warre in themselves they seele sinne and are affrighted with it but the warre is not true it is but a counterfeit warre a feigned warre because it is betweene the conscience and hell and not betweene the flesh and the spirit therefore examine your selves by this whether you be truly humbled or no. The fourth signe whereby you shall know whether you bee throughly humbled or no is this when a man is little in his owne eyes when hee thinkes himselfe worthy to be destroyed this wee see to bee the true property of a humbled soule in Eze. 36. Then shall you remember your own euill waïes and your doings that were not good and shall loath your selves in your owne sight for your iniquities they shall so remember them that they shall think them selues worthy to be destroied for then and not till then is a man truely humbled Lam. 3. 22. saith the Church It is thy mercy that wee are not consumed as if shee should say I am worthy to be destroyed and therefore it is a great mercy in thee to saue me now if a man bee humbled he will be patient milde and gentle and louing he will patiently vndergoe reproach and shame for Christ and loue them that show no true loue unto him on the contrary you may see if a man bee not humbled then he is proud and impatient collericke and angry Danid was humble in the matter of Vriah and Eli was humbled when hee heard the judgement that was threatned against his house It is the Lord saith he 1. Sam. 3. Let him doe what is good in his owne eyes that is I am worthy of it let come what will come but if your hearts rise with pride and impatience your hearts are not truely humbled and broken for hee that is the humblest man is least in his owne eyes sinne will breake the heart of a holy man and humble him but if you be not humbled your hearts will remaine stiffe and stubborne that is they will not yeeld therefore the more humility that a man gets the more is his heart broken with sinne the lesse hee esteemes of himselfe therefore examine your selves whether you bee little or great in your owne eyes and accordingly judge of your selves The fift Signe whereby you may know whether you be throughly humbled or no is this examine your obedience unto Christ if the soule be humbled it will yeild generall obedience unto God True humiliation will breed obedience in you now if you finde that you yeeld no obedience unto God but you will notwithstanding prophane the Sabbath and be drunke and game it is because you were never truly humbled for if you were you would yeeld obedience humiliation fits the soule for obedience makes it of a plyable disposition and that for these reasons The first reason is because humiliation makes a man to see God in his holinesse and power he that before respected not God when he comes to this to see the power of God will submit himselfe an example of this wee have in Belchazer that feared the Lord after he was throughly humbled but when a holy man with the power of God sees the purity and perfection that is in God this humbles him more and that also in regard of his owne basnesse and vilenesse and hence properly the obedience of a holy man proceeds Obedience depends upon humiliation As with men when a man or woman sees the power of a superiour and that he is under his power then hee becomes humble and obedient The second reason is because humiliation makes a man to desire the favour of God now you know a man