Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A62445
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Exercitations and meditations upon some texts of Holy Scripture and most in Scripture-phrase and expression. By Samuel Thomsonn, M.A. and Doctor of Physick; formerly student in Magdalen-Hall in Oxford.
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Thomsonn, Samuel, b. 1643?
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1676
(1676)
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Wing T1035; ESTC R221734
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178,823
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458
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God Who Job 9. 4. ever hardened himself against God and prospered Know as thou canst not contend with Him so He knows thee afar Psal 138. 6. Psal 73. 27. off and all they that be far from Him shall perish Talk no more so exceeding proudly let not arrogancy come forth of thy lips for the Lord is a God of judgment 1 Sam. 2. 3. and by Him actions are weighed Though in thy towring thoughts thou thinkest highly of thy self yet when God weighs thee in the ballance thou wilt be found a pitiful poor empty creature Therefore hear and give ear for Jer. 13. 15. the Lord hath spoken these things against thee and be not proud any longer The height of pride is scornfulness He that is proud and haughty scornful is Prov. 21. 24. his name who worketh in the pride of his wrath this man despiseth his neighbour Prov. 18. 3. and therefore is destitute of understanding Judgments are prepared for scorners and stripes for the backs of such Prov. 19. 29. proud fools And so I leave them Surely God scorneth the scorners but He giveth Prov. 3. 34. grace unto the lowly Q. What are the proper means whereby pride may be subdued A. 1. With the consideration of the greatness and power of God the serious apprehension thereof will make us vile Job 42. 5 6. Rom. 9. 20. 21. in our own eyes and to abhor our selves in dust and ashes 2. So the second means is the consideration of our own vileness 3. The consideration of those obligations and tyes by which we are bound to subject our selves wholly to God as He is our Creator Up-holder Provider and our Lord. 4. The consideration of God's wrath and indignation against all proud persons and His grace and favour toward the humble Come we now to the second Proposition God giveth grace to the humble 2 Proposition There are several acceptations of Grace in Scripture But to wave them Grace in God is His eternal favour and good-will which is the well-spring of all the benefits we have So we have it 1 Tim. 1. 9. according to His own purpose and Grace So Rom. 11. 6. if of Grace then not of works This is the Grace of Election which makes us gracious and acceptable unto God There is also Grace freely given as the gifts of the Spirit freely bestowed upon us so we are bid to grow in Grace So also faith with all the saving 2 Pet. 3. 18 effects and fruits thereof which are called Grace because they are freely given unto us So also the free imputation Rom. 5. 1. 15 17. 20 21. of Christ's righteousness or our justification is by God's Grace and called the Grace of God which hath abounded unto many By the name of Grace we use to comprehend the free favour of God in Christ and His gifts from that Grace whether given to believers as ingraffing into the body of Christ by His Spirit remission of sins final perseverance or to hold out unto the end and in the end eternal life These gifts are not given of God but only to those who are in His Grace and favour that is to true believers But corporal and temporal good things are given to many yea to those that are not true believers and have no faith whereby men alone may please God Heb. 11. 6. Some do understand by Grace in this place favour and acceptation with God Luk. 2. 80. and men So we read that Jesus grew in Grace and savour with God and men so it is in the Original The Lord will give his people grace and glory and no good thing will â—e withhold from them that Psal 8â— 11. walk uprightly So God gives grace to the humble makes them accepted and favoured with God and men Briefly Grace in Scripture is used three ways 1. For comeliness stature meekness or mildness 2. For free favour whereby one embraceth another pardoning former injuries and receiving the party offending into favour So Gen. 6. 8. Noah found grace in the eyes of God 3. For all kinds of gifts and graces which of God's free favour are given whether temporal or eternal Eph. 4. 7. So I understand that grace is taken here Now to speak of humility we have the same expression in St. Peter as is here All of you be subject one to another and 1 Pet. 5. 5 6. be clothed with humility for God resisteth the proud but giveth grace to the humble Humble your selves therefore under the mighty hand of God that He may exalt you in due time A humble man signifies one lowly-minded A description of Humility esteeming others better than himself ascribing all unto God being little in his own eyes or account even as a weaned child Whosoever shall humble Mat. 18. 4. himself as this little child saith our Saviour the same is greatest in the kingdom of God So David to profess his humility said Surely I have behaved and quieted my self as a child that is weaned of his mother my soul is even Psal 131. 1. â— as a weaned child Christ in his incarnation exceedingly humbled Himself for us in that He would be man a Servant and subject to death yea the death of the Cross He being equal to God God Phill. 2. 5 6 7 8. abaseth Himself to behold the things in heaven how much more the things on earth The great God hath two houses where He dwells as in His glory He Psal 113. 6. dwells in Heaven so is He present by His grace to dwell with His humble afflicted poor servants here on earth To this man will I look saith the Lord even to him that is poor and of a contrite Isai 66. 2. spirit and that trembleth at My word Thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity whose Name is holy I dwell in the high and holy place with Isai 57. 15. Him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and â—o revive the heart of the contrite ones A man is never so humble as after he hath received the holy Spirit of promise The best men are worst and lowest in their own eyes As the attaining of great learning makes us see our own ignorance more and more for the emptiest vessels sound most so the more grace we have the more we see our own weaknesses and corruptions to be humbled under the sence of them and to loath our selves in our own sight for all Ezek. 36. 31. our iniquities This puts a man quite out of conceit with himself for that the Lord comes in as the Sun-shine and shewes him those corruptions which he never saw before that he wonders at himself how he hath lived so long with himself and knew himself no better This makes him humble and is a means to keep him humble Now there is a Two-fold Humility 1. Toward God 2. Towards Man 1. Of
Humility towards God and that is a holy submission which is joyned with the fear of God Submit your Jam 4. 7. Prov. 22. 4. selves to God By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honour and life There humility and the fear of the Lord are joyned together Q. By what Arguments may a man be excited to the study of humility towards God A. 1. If he sets before his eyes the Majesty and Power of God 2. If he thinks on the nature of humility which makes the soul of man fit Isa 66. 3. Prov. 11. 2. to be the House and Temple of God and that it may be capable of wisdom that it may be a Sacrifice unto God that it may be the Receptacle of the Psal 51. 19 Prov. 3. 3 5. Grace of God for with the lowly is wisdom This humility is the mother of all other vertues and is also a singular Ornament 1 Pet. 3. 4. of the soul The Ornament of a meek and quiet spirit is in the sight of God of great price 3. If he is mindful of the promises made to the humble the Lord hath a respect unto them To this man will the Isa 66. 2. Lord look that is poor and of a contrite spirit and that trembles at His word The Lord will give grace to the humble Jâ—m 4. 10. and he will lift them up He that Luke 18. 14. humbleth himself shall be exalted 4. If he consider that humility is necessary to seek God and to turnaway His anger And when the Lord â—eph 2. 3. â— Cron. 12. 7. saw that they humbled themselves He said because they have humbled themselves therefore I will not destroy them c. 5. If he understand that humility is required in every duty towards God What doth the Lord require of thee but Mic. 6. 8. to love mercy and do justly and walk humbly with thy God As if the Prophet had said we can never walk with God please Him or be acceptable to Him without humility 2. Of Humility towards Man Out of conscience towards God we must behave our selves humbly towards man yea and the sence and acknowledging of our vileness and unworthiness before God makes us truly submissive and so doth dispose us to true humility in every respect Humility towards man is a vertue Definition whereby a man takes heed that he lift not up himself above his degree nor willingly commend himself as knowing that whosoever exalts himself shall Mat. 23. 12. Luk. 14. 11. 2 Cor. 10. 12. be abased but he that humbleth himself shall be exalted There are Three marks of humility towards men 1. A humble man affecteth not those outward signs of eminency as the uppermost Mat. 2â— 6 7 8 rooms chief seats greetings in the market the cup and knee c. like proud Haman who so stormed and was full of wrath because Mordecai Ester 3. 2 5 bowed not nor did him obeisance But in lowliness of mind let each esteem Phil. 2. 3. others better than himself I speak not to countenance sawcy pride neglect or contempt for we should give honour to whom it belongs Honour is Rom. 13. 7. in the person honouring not in the person honored What if a proud and unmannerly person sleights and neglects me shall I fret my self at it 2. A humble man beareth the contempt of himself so far as belongs to 2 Cor. 5. 12 13. himself So David when Shimei cursed him and slang stones he meekly reply'd let him curse it may be the Lord will look upon my affliction and will requite good for his cursing me this 2 Sam. 16. 7 to 12. day Lastly A humble man will not aspire Psal 131. 2 3. Jer. 14. 5. to high things Jeremy blamed Baruch for this seekest thou great things to thy self seek them not Next as there is humility towards God and towards man So also there is humility in condition and estate when a man is low and mean and poor in the world There is also a voluntary humility and the Popish Vow of Col. 2. 18. Beggery c. which have no warrant in the word of God and who required this at their hands It is humility in heart and spirit which is here meant This humility is the first step to Christianity Our Saviour said whosoever Luâ—e 9. 23. will come after Me let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. A man that is not humbled is not sit for any good duty God offereth abundant mercy to us in His Son Christ Jesus even the treasure of heavenly grace an unhumbled and a proud heart is not fit to receive it Satan hath so filled his heart with pride he hath no room to receive it he doth Luke 16. 11. not desire it but to get riches and honour credit and esteem in the world and to be revenged on those whom he apprehends have sleighted him this he desires and seeks after He careth not for the true riches and true honour which is from God alone Tell such a one of the plentiful Redemption wrought out by Christs death what doth he esteem it he hath no such feeling that he is in an undone and lost condition without it As in the Apostles days some were such proud worldly-wise fools who could not see the excellency of heavenly knowledge but esteemed the Preaching of the Gospel foolishness So St. Paul when he was at Athens the 1 Cor. 1. 21. Famousest University in the world was very much sleighted of those great Philosophers and Schollars some mocked Acts 1â— 18 32. and others said what will this babler say Even so it is in our days Others are so wise in their own conceit thinking they know enough already they are too good to be iustructed and too wise to be taught No no God hath promised the meek He will guide in Psal 25. 9. judgment and the meek He will teach His way He silleth the hungry with good Luke 1. 53. things Therefore blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness Mat. 5. 6. for they shall be filled God will satiate the weary soul and replenish every Jer. 31. 25. sorrowful soul that is every contrite and humble soul which is sorrowful and broken for sin and hungreth and thirstest after Christ and His righteousness and the grace of His Spirit God will satiate and replenish them The Word is compared to Seed Mat. 4. 14. Now the seed can take no good root in the ground untill it be broken and turned up with the Plough So neither can the Word take any place in the heart before it be rent and broken for sin and from sin therefore the Prophet Joel bids them to rend their hearts Joâ—l 2. 13. Jer. 4. 3. And Jeremy bids them break up the sallow ground of your heart and sow not among thornes If that men will not thus rent