they are no gods at all able of themselves to save us but they are the ordinances of God that leade us to God yet they cannot give salvation to any that rests upon them It is the nature of a sinfull heart to make the meanes as meritorious to salvation yet mistake me not these duties must be had and used but still a man must not stay here a man will use his bucket but he expects water from the well these meanes are the buckets but all our comfort and all our life and grace is onely in Christ if you say your bucket shall helpe you you may starve for thirst if you let it not downe into the well for water so though you brag of your praying and hearing and fasting and of your almes and building of hospitals and your good deeds if none of these bring you to a Christ and if these are not meanes to settle you on a Christ you shall die for thirst though your works were as the works of an Angel But why doth the soule seeke for succour from it selfe and will not goe out to Christ Reason 1 The first reason is because the sinner being conceived not yet to be in Christ out of the guilt of sin dares not be so proud as to thinke that he shall have any favour at Gods hands for the sinner being now overwhelmed with the body of death and the guilt of his abominations galling of him and being starved by reason of his sinnes and still his sinnes being before his eyes and to this day having gotten no assurance of the pardon of them and God being angry against him his heart shrinkes in consideration of the eternall wrath of the Almighty against him and he saith because I have despised justice and abused mercy how dare I appeare before Gods justice for feare justice consume me and execute vengeance upon me and therefore the soule dares not yet venture to come before God and hence it is that the soule saith can I not take some course of my selfe and doe it without Christ must I needs goe and heare certainly the word will condemne and must I needs goe and confesse my sinnes what shall I a rebell goe before a Prince to come before him it is the next way to be executed and have some plague throwne upon me As a malefactor will devise some shift that hee may not come before the judge so while the soul may have some succour from himself and the staffe is in his owne hand there is some hope and he would willingly doe any thing for himselfe but for the soule to have salvation out of his owne reach and to put the staffe out of his owne hand and to hang his salvation upon Gods good pleasure whose love and mercy as yet he was never perswaded of Oh this is very hard and the heart is marvellous shie and carefull in this and it is with the heart in this kinde as Rabshecah said to the people of Israel If you say to mee Esa 36.7 is not that hee whose altars you have broken downe c. Thus hee laboured to plucke away the hearts of this people from trusting in the Lord The soule in this kinde sometimes shakes and shrinkes in the apprehension of his owne vilenes and saith as this wretch did have you offended him and doe you looke for any succour from him this argument was very peevish and keene and yet false for they were the altars of Idols but the soule saith against it selfe and marvellous truly when a Minister would perswade a man to goe to heaven for mercy the soule begins to reason thus with it selfe and saith shall I repaire to God Oh that 's my trouble is not he that great God whose justice and mercy and patience I have abused and is not he the great God of heaven and earth that hath beene incensed against mee oh with what face can I appeare before him and with what heart can I looke for any mercy from him I have wronged his justice and can his justice pardon mee I have abused his mercy and can his mercy pitie mee what such a wretch as I am If I had never enjoyed the meanes of mercy I might have had some plea for my selfe but oh I have refused that mercy and have trampled the blood of Christ under my feet and can I looke for any mercy no no I see the wrath of the Lord incensed against mee and that 's all that I looke for the soule rather desires the mountaines to fall upon him that he may never appeare before God Nay I have observed this in experience In the horror of heart the soule dare scarce reade the Word of God for feare he should reade his owne necke verse and he dare not pray for feare his prayers be turned into sinne and so increase his Iudgement thus the soule out of the guilt of sinne dare not seeke out to the Lord and therefore it will use any shift to helpe it selfe without going to God Reason 2 The second Reason why the soule dare not seeke out to Christ for succour it is this because the mysteries of life and salvation through Christ are not yet made knowne to the soule the soule being yet considered as barely broken and wearied with the burthen of sinne Let me say as the Apostle doth the new and living way in Christ is not yet revealed to the soule and it is not yet set open before his eyes though it shall be revealed taking it as in this precise consideration only prepared for Christ Nay those supernaturall truthes namely that the soule must live by another mans life and be made holy by anothers holinesse and be sanctified by anothers spirit these are not yet revealed these doe exceed our corrupt nature Adam after his fall could not have found out this way if the Lord had not revealed it Had not the Lord Iesus Christ that came from the bosome of his Father made this bosome truth knowne we had never beene acquainted with it therefore the soule cannot come to Christ upon these termes As our Saviour saith Ioh. 3.13 No man hath ascended up to heaven but hee that came downe from heaven Now this poore distressed sinner as yet guiltie of his sinne and yet not seeing a way revealed and not able to ascend into this heavenly mystery because it seeth no better way it will betake it selfe to these duties that may be done by his owne strength without seeking to Christ Reason 3 Because for a man to be able and to have a power and principle of life to performe duties of himselfe and to please God of himselfe it was once possible in the time of mans innocency Adam had it and he might have procured Gods favour and have kept the Law and have beene blessed by the Law because the Lord had given him a stocke in himselfe and made him able to doe it of himselfe and we retaine thus much of Adams nature we are loath
see this in that cursed shift of a carnall man When Balack sent for Balaam saying Num. 22.23.19 Come curse this people and I will advance thee The Lord met Balaam and said thou shalt not curse them then Balaam rose up early and said to the Princes of Moab get you home for the Lord refuseth to let me goe with you hee laid all the fault upon God as if he had said I have a good affection to goe with you but the Lord will not give me leave Well when they came againe hee said tarry here all night that I may know what the Lord will say unto me more He would goe to advise with God to doe that which God had formerly forbidden Thus the carnall heart goes to worke when hee cannot avoyde the truth and he would faine have some reservations and such exceptions and hee saith is it not possible that I may be drunke and adulterous and covetous and yet make a shift to go to heaven too this is a wretched heart as Balaam did so do many nay the most of the world do so consider that place of Scripture and let me have your judgements in it 1 Ioh. 3.2 he that hath this hope saith the Apostle purgeth himselfe as Christ is pure He doth not say he may and ought to do it but he doth purge himselfe and the Apostle Peter saith be yee holy as Christ is holy in all manner of conversation 1 Pet. 1.15 He doth not say hee may and should bee so but be holy as Christ is holy that is in truth and sincerity as a child goes like his father though not so fast as he And as an apprentice workes as fast as his Maister though not so well and as the Apostle saith abstaine from all filthinesse of the flesh and Spirit as if had said if there be ever a harlot or alehouse in the world avoyde it and all those appearances of evill come not neare them This is the condition that God requires You heare all these truths now let me call for record from heaven I would faine know what any wicked opposer can say against these truths oh that I could know your minds a little You that thinke a man need not bee so exact and precise nay you blame your children and servants for it I know not what you would say except it be this It is true this is good but doth any man do it and it were to bee wished that wee could do it and happy are they that can do it a man may bee a man though not so good as an other man c. away with those tricks the text saith hee that hath this hope purifies himselfe as Christ is pure though not for the measure yet in the same manner Thou and I and all of us must do it or els wee may cast away all hope The Lord be mercifull to us If your judgements were humbled I can tell what you would do the heart that is humble takes the truth and yeilds to the authoritie of it whereas a carnall heart Lords it over the truth if it bee thus with thee thy mind was never soundly enlightened and as the Lord lives never humbled never converted and neuer brought home to the Lord see what our Saviour saith Matth 15.3 why do you also by your traditions transgresse the commandement of God They set their owne carnall traditions cheeke by joll with the commandements of God they made the Command of God without any royalty or power They were content to give Christ the hearing but they turned aside from the truth that should have prevailed with them If ever thou wouldest have the word worke upon thee to do thee good then whereas heretofore thou wouldest not come in nor yeild now shew thy selfe to be humbled and go thy way home and let this truth take place in thy heart and be delivered into the forme of this doctrine now in hand and when profainenesse leud and ungodly sports come then remember this and say I must purge my selfe as Christ is pure did Christ ever thus and thus did he ever sit up till twelve a clocke at night ryotting and banquetting it is a truth oh Lord let it take place in my heart and let it bee fastened there When the Lord hath a man in his fetters and breakes the heart with horror Iob 36.8 9 10. he openeth his eare to discipline and commands him to returne from iniquitie Hee doth not leave a man there and say this is the way and the truth walke in it but he saith I must have that uncleane heart purged and that carnall company abandoned and so forth and so the Lord saith to the Ministers command that dissembler and that hypocrite and that base wretch to come out from their ungodly practises and to yeild to mee Oh let the power and royaltie of this truth take place in your hearts as it will do if you be Subjects of the truth I charge you before God and his Angels if you know any command obey it and if you know any sinfull course remember the commandement is plaine you must purge your selves as Christ is pure Let this word prevaile and have his authoritie over you and be not carnall hypocrites to oppose it now and so to bee damned for it everlastingly The will must be subject As the reason must be subject to Gods will so the will and affections must be humbled and the frame that is contrary to this humilitie is this when the will and heart of a man and that part whereby you say I will have this and I will not have that when this part doth not yeild to the authoritie of Gods word when there is a kind of Soveraigne Command in this waywardnesse of heart and the heart would challenge a kinde of monarchicall authoritie and would not be overtopped by the truth of God This cannot stand with any saving worke of humiliation The generall is thus Ieremy 2.31 As the people said wee are Lords we will come no more unto thee wee know what to doe And as it is said in the Psalmist Psalme 12.4 our tongues are our owne we ought to speake who is Lord over us Object But some will say how shall we know that our corrupt hearts wils and affections doe thus over-power the truth of Christ and challenge to it selfe a soveraigne command Here is the maine wound and and women that are weake in their reasons are wonderfull refractory in their wils Answ We shall know it by these three particulars First The heart is weary of the command and wisheth secretly there were no command of God to crosse him in his course and to hinder him in his way of sinne I will not declare what I have heard wicked wretches say in this kinde because I will not teach men to be wicked He wisheth that there were no righteous God to bound him The adulterer wisheth that there were no such Law as this
a wearinesse to mee to sanctifie the Sabaoth and hearing praying and other holy duties are a burthen to mee to this day my heart is not prepared for mercy good Lord to this day I am a wretched carnall man This is something Now there is some hope And the Soule goes on further and saith Good Lord what will become of my Soule am I Gods to dispose of no no pride and peevishnesse hath rul'd mee and I must cloath my selfe as Pride would have mee This is somewhat indeed And the adulterer saith If the adulteresse come I must goe though I dye for it When the drunkard comes to pull you out tell him of this and say Who hath disposed of you this day and all your life a drunken wretch and a base queane You have heard the word of God checking of you and yet nothing would doe Oh now at last yield and say The Lord hath not disposed of me Now therefore labour that God may dispose of you and let the mighty God pull downe that mightie heart Challenge the Lord with his promise and give him no rest till hee have mercy upon you And you servants humble your selves and say Wee have beene proud and idle together now let us mourne and pray together The time shall come when you will be content that God should dispose of you and you shall desire the Lord to looke graciously towards you and that God would take away your corruptions and that pride which accuseth you and all those abhominations that have beene a shame and disgrace to you therefore now resolve with your selves and say Lord take away this sinne and subdue that corruption and doe thou rule and reigne over my heart and life for ever let the power of thy truth carry mee and turne me from my wickednesse and over-power this proud will of mine and whatsoever vanity is in my life good Lord take it away and frame me after thy minde When this time comes say That a poore Minister did wish you good and that you had a faire offer If you will be at Gods disposing in minde in heart and life the Lord will prepare a place for you in heaven and rancke you there amongst his blessed Saints and Angels for evermore If another mans servant come to demand of you meat drinke and wages you will say You have not beene at my command therefore goe to the Master that you have served let him pay your wages So it will be with you if you goe to God for mercy and comfort in that day the Lord will send you to your lusts and new fashions c. but if any man be Gods servant then every thing shall be fitted for him and though that day be troublesome to the proud and haughty spirit yet it will be a comfort to the godly that they have submitted themselves to Gods word For then Christ shall fill their mindes with wisedome and their wills with holinesse and their lives shall be made honourable and acceptable before him Think of this and labour to bring your hearts to it that Gods will may be your wills and if you be humbled you shall and must be for ever comforted Thus much of the triall of the truth of our humiliation The second part of the use Now I come to the second part of the use that is to examine the measure of our humiliation for as I conceive all the difficulty of a mans course lyes here and the cause why a man receives not the assurance of mercy from God that hee desires or that comfort that he might it is all from hence I say because he is not empty For if the heart be prepared Christ comes immediatly into his temple and the lesse wee have of our selves the more we shall have of Christ This is mervailous usefull and therefore you must know that though the heart be truly humbled and laid low in it selfe in truth and the thing is done yet there remaines a great deale of pride in the heart Take a mighty Castle though it be battered downe yet there remaines many heapes of rubbish and happily some of the pillars stand many Winters after So it is with this frame of Spirit in a high imagination 2 Cor. 10.5 in these Towers of loftinesse Though this Dagon of a mans selfe be fallen downe yet still the stumps remaine and will doe many yeares And it will cost much horror of heart and much trouble before this haughtinesse of heart will be every way pull'd downe and made agreeable to the good will of God Though this distemper is mervailous secret yet a man may take a measure and scantling of it How to try the measure of humiliation The first particular Triall and hee may know how much of this cursed rubbish remaines in his heart by these foure particular rules First looke what measure there is of carnall reasoning against the truth of God when it is made knowne what measure there is of it either subtilly comming in upon the heart or else that doth violently transport the spirit against the spirit so much need thou hast of Humiliation and so much thou wantest of it This is a cleare case Every Saint of God is willing to know the truths that he shall doubt of and is content to yeild himselfe to the truth that shall be revealed and of which he shall be convinced yet there remaines much carnall reasoning against the truth As the Apostle saith Let no man deceive you intruding into those things which he hath not seene Coloss 2.18 vainely puft up in his fleshly minde The ground and roote of this carnall reasoning or the measure of it may appeare in two causes First There is a kinde of perverse darknesse in the heart still sticking in the minde and understanding even of a gracious Godly man And from hence namely out of this mistaking of the minde followes all that carnall reasoning that howsoever the Soule is satisfied yet it will not sit downe but still it sticks in this carnall reasoning and the sinner cannot conceive the truth nor fathom the compasse of it by reason of his owne weakenesse therefore it is long before hee will be perswaded that it is truth and that he is bound to yeild to it When the wisedome of the truth is so plaine and evident that he cannot resist the clearenesse of it yet because he cannot conceive of it he thinkes that hee is not bound to yeild thereunto Object But some will say should a man yeild to that which he cannot conceive Answ To this I answer When the minde is so farre enlightened that he cannot gain-say any thing in reason though he cannot compasse the depth and bottome of the truth yet he should yeild to it and rather goe with reason then follow his owne imagination when there is no reason for it Iust so it was with Nicodemus When Christ spake of the worke of regeneration Ioh. 3.9 he said Can a man be borne
and that suddenly Oh let us pitie them will you not yield now but you will stand it out to the last man The Lord comes out in battell aray against a proud person and singles him out from all the rest and when the vyalls of his wrath are poured out upon all wicked ones mee thinks the Lord saith Let that drunkard and that swearer alone a while but let mee destroy that proud heart for ever You shall submit in spite of your teeth when the great God of heaven and earth shall come to execute vengeance and doe not think to scarre God with your mocks you that wil sweare a man out of your company Consider that place in Iob and see how the Lord comes with all his full might against a proud man Iob 15.25.26 27. It is good to read this place often that God may pull downe our proud hearts For he stretcheth out his hands against the Almighty saith the text and strengtheneth himselfe against God and he saith I will do it though my life lie at the stake for it he strengthens himselfe and will doe it Surely God is afraid of him he comes so well mann'd the Lord must deale some way with him to overthrow him Mark what the text saith The Lord runnes upon him even on his neck upon the thick bosses of his bucklers because hee covereth his face with his fatnesse and maketh collops of fat upon his flankes the Lord comes upon him not at the advantage but in the height of his pride and in the rage of his malice the Lord will come upon him and ruinate him for ever Those that now stand it out and cast off all carelesly throwing away the commandements of God I would have them at the day of their death to out-stand the curse of God The Lord God commands to sanctifie his Sabbaths and to love his truth and his children yet you will not but you will strive against all I would haue you to out-stand the curse of God in the day of judgement and when the Lord Iesus shall say Depart from me yee cursed into everlasting fire stand it out now and say I will not goe to hell Lord I will not be damned No no you broke the cords here but the Lord will binde you in chaines of darknesse for ever remove those chaines if you can No Esay 2.17 the haughtinesse of men shall be brought low and the loftinesse of men shall be abased and the Lord shall onely be exalted in that day Vse 2 The second Use is for instruction to shew unto us that an humble Soule is mervailous teachable and tractable and is willing to yeeld unto and to be guided by any truth it submits and there is no quarrelling against the commandements of God one word of Gods mouth is enough If the Lord reproves it takes the same home to it selfe if the Lord promiseth it beleeves and if the Lord threatens it trembles It is easie to be convinced of whatsoever it is informed if it have no good reason to gaine-say it It is not of that wayward and pettish disposition that it will not be satisfied though all his reasons be answered and all objections taken away It is not led by his owne humours as many a man is though his conceits be against reason and opposite against God and his grace Nay it is content to yeeld to the authority of the truth and to take the impression of every truth it heares and yields Iob 34.32 and obeyes and frames it selfe answerably As Iob saith That which I know not teach thou mee and if I have done any iniquity I will doe so no more The humble Soule is content to confesse his ignorance and to submit to any truth that may enforme him and it is content to receive that mercy and grace that is offered by what meanes soever God seeth best to Communicate it Nay the heart that is truly submissive is as willing to take comfort when it is offered upon good grounds as it is to performe dutie enjoyned By a foolish pettishnesse the divell withdrawes the hearts of Gods owne people from much comfort that God hath dished out of purpose for their benefit For howsoever the Soule of a poore sinner be truly touched yet for want of this lowlinesse and this teachablenesse and submission it refuseth that sap and sweet that it should take and receive from the Lord. Take a poore sinner that hath many sinnes burthening of him and hee is crushed with them and that in truth he desires comfort but receives none Let the Minister of God come and answer all his arguments and satisfie all his quarrels that he can make and set him on a cleare boord and tell him that the work of grace is cleare and mercy is appointed for him Now marke how he flyes of through that sullennesse and untoward peevishnesse and pride of Spirit hee casts away the mercy and yields not to the comfort offered though he is content to yield to the duties enjoyned and so he deprives himselfe of that mercy and comfort that is offered and thus when all is done time after time the Soule saith I see it not and I perceive it not and all the world shall not perswade me of it Why what are you wiser then all the world what a pride of heart is this Oh saith he another man may be cozened and deceived but I know my owne heart better then any Minister doth But you tell the Minister what your condition is and so what you know hee knowes and hee hath more judgement to enforme you then you have of your selfe Then saith the Minister all your cavils and objections are answered and remooved and all that worke of grace that God hath wrought you have made it knowne and revealed and all this is made good by the Word of God now if all these quarrels be answered and if all the reasons and evidences of the worke of grace be made cleare that you cannot deny them then why may not you take comfort Downe with that proud heart of yours that will not beleeve whatsoever the Minister saith Oh the height of pride and haughtinesse of heart in this case I speake to you to whom comfort and mercy is impropriated downe with those proud spirits I say It is not because you cannot but because you will not It is said in Esay God prepares the garment of gladnesse for the spirit of heavinesse When the Lord seeth the soule prepared and humbled Esa 61.3 he takes measure of it and disheth out a comfort answerable he prepares a consolation as fit as may be and yet the Soule will not put it on nor be warned and refreshed with it as it is with some way-ward untoward childe who when his father hath prepared a suit of cloathes fitting for him because he hath not such and such a lace hee will not put it on but throwes all away Oh it is marvellous pride of spirit a rod
Nay the Soule finds no end in pleading and therefore he reasons thus with himselfe and saith that God cannot doe more against him then he hath deserved but be sure he thinkes that God will not lay more upon him then hee is worthy of Nay it is sure the Soule cannot beare nor suffer so much as he hath deserved and pluckt upon himselfe if God should proceed in rigour with him For the sinner that will deale plainely and discernes his evill exactly it is easie for him to number up all his abhominations and the Soule thus reasons with it selfe and saith I onely deserve eternall condemnation for the wages of all sinne is death being committed against an infinite Majestie and against a Divine Iustice and then what doe all these my sinnes deserve committed and continued in and maintained against the light of Gods Word against all corrections and all checks of conscience and all the Commandements of God hell is too good and ten thousand hels is to little to torment such a wretch as I am In truth I begged mercy but what I mercy I am ashamed to expect it and with what heart can I beg this mercy which I have troden under my feet Shall that blood of Christ purge my heart that blood that I have trampled under my feet and accounted it as an unholy thing and when the Lord hath woed mee and his wounds were bleeding and his sides goared and his hideous cryes comming into mine eares My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee yet this Christ have I slighted and made nothing of his blood and can the blood of Christ doe mee any service indeed I doe crave grace but how doe I thinke to receive any All the pillars of the Church can testifie how often grace and mercy hath beene offered to me but I have refused it therefore how can I begge any grace And as the text saith They shall see their sinne and acknowledge their wayes and Iudge themselves worthy to be condemned So the Soule confesseth that it is worthy of nothing that is good it is not worthy of Gods love nor of Gods preservation nor any other priviledge only he confesseth that he doth loath himselfe and saith Oh this stubbornnesse and villany and this wretchednesse of mine what I mercy no I am not worthy of any it is more then I can expect I am onely worthy to be cast out for ever As the Prophet Ezechiel saith That thou mayest remember Ezech. 16.63 and be confounded and never open thy mouth more because of thy shame that is they shall remember the evill that they have committed and the Lords kindnesse and mercie that they have opposed and they shall be confounded and not open their mouthes any more So now his tongue cleaves to the roofe of his mouth and he saith I remember my evill and am ashamed to expect any mercy I sought for mercy before but now I see I am unworthy of any and worthy of all the judgements that God can poure upon me The Soule confesseth clearely that hee hath deserved more then God will lay upon him for if God should poure all his wrath upon him he must make him infinite to beare his infinite wrath and therefore the Lord onely layes so much upon him as hee is capable of Secondly the Soule acknowledgeth the equalnesse of Gods dealings be they never so harsh in this kind He confesseth that hee is as clay in the hands of the Potter and the Lord may deale with him as he will Yea the Soule is driven to an amazement at the Lords patience that hee hath beene pleased to reprive him so long and that God hath not cast him out of his presence and sent him downe to hell long agoe It is the frame of Spirit that the poore lamenting Church had Lament 3.22 It is the Lords mercy that wee are not confounded because his compassions faile not When a poore drunkard seeth how hee hath roared in the Alehouse against God and his truth and how he hath plotted against the Saints hee wonders that ever God could beare with such a wretch and that the earth hath not swallowed him up quick And when the Lord hath humbled the heart of an adulterer or adulteresse hee begins to think thus with himselfe the Lord saw all the evils that I have committed and all my plottings and all my inveighings and allurings to this sinne and my delight in it then the Soule admires that ever Gods Iustice was able to beare with such a monster and that God did not confound him in his burning lusts and cast him downe to hell Oh saith hee it is because his mercies faile not that my life and all hath not failed long agoe Nay the Soule concludes that the Lord should not save him As Nehemiah saith Howbeit Nehem. 9.33 thou art just in all that is brought upon us for thou hast done right but wee have done wickedly as if hee had said It is righteous that every man should lye under his owne load and therefore thou mayest justly condemne us Nay the Soule saith That God cannot but plague him for ought that hee perceives in Iustice as Daniel saith Dan. 9.14 Therefore hath the Lord watched upon the evill and brought it upon us for the Lord our God is righteous in all his works which he doth because we obeyed not his voyce Hee speakes there of the 70. yeares captivity So the Soule saith Because the Lord is just and righteous and doth not onely punish but he cannot but punish and therefore he justifies the Lord in all the plagues that ever can be inflicted upon him And hence it is that the Soule will not maintaine any kinde of murmuring or heart rising against the Lords dealings much lesse doth he hide it in the Lord. But though nature and corruption will be stirring and sometimes the heart will be grudging against the Lord and say Why doth the Lord thus and why are not my prayers answered such a Soule is humbled and such a Soule is comforted and why not I as well as hee yet when any such matter riseth in the heart hee stifles crusheth and chokes these wretched distempers and doth abase it selfe before the Lord saying What if God will not as the Apostle saith speaking of the rejection of some and the receiving of others so the Soule saith What if God will not heare thy prayers and what if God will not pacifie thy conscience nor shew any mercy to thee thou hast thy owne and doth the Lord doe me any wrong vile hell-hound that I am I have my sinne and my shame wrath is my portion and hell is my place I may goe thither when I will it is mercy that God deales thus with me Now the Soule comes to cleare God in all his providence and saith It is just with God that all the prayers which come from this filthy heart of mine should be abhorred and that all my labours in holy duties should
in at the straite gate c. This gate or this entrance into life is Humiliation of heart When the Soule is loosened from and bids farewell to sinne and himselfe then the gate is opened And as it is in other wayes If there be but one way or gate into an house and the traveller misseth that gate he looseth all his labour and must goe backe againe but if he once get in at this gate he is safe enough then So it is here There is a most narrow way of Gods Commandements and there is but one way or gate into this happinesse it is narrow and a little gate and a man must be nothing in his owne eyes and if you misse this gate you loose all your labour and shall never come to Salvation If a man could heare and pray all his dayes yet if his heart be not humbled he and his profession shall goe to hell together In Saint Matthew the conclusion is very peremptory when the Disciples were contending who should be highest Christ set a childe in the middest of them and said Except you become as little children Math. 18.3 you cannot enter into the Kingdome of heaven You may doe any thing with Infants and all that they have to doe is to cry Vnlesse you have humble hearts you cannot enter into heaven Hee doth not say You cannot be great men or you cannot goe farre into heaven but he saith You cannot enter So then the danger being so great and the mistaking so full of hazard and seeing it is possible to have it therefore let us use all diligence to make this worke sure Thirdly 3. Motive consider the mervailous good that God hath promised and which hee will bestow upon all that are truly humbled And let all these be as so many cords to draw us to looke for this blessed frame of heart Wee have need of all the motives in the world I know it is a hard matter for a man to lay downe himselfe and his parts and all his priviledges in the dust I say it is mervailous irksome and tedious to the nature of a carnall man but it will quit all his cost in the end When wee shall tast of those sweet benefits that come by a humble heart and have gotten Iesus Christ and mercy from him then it will never repent us that wee have spent so many teares and made so many prayers and used so many meanes to pull downe the pride of our hearts Oh brethren thinke of it See and consider the admirable benefits and the exceeding great good that will come to you thereby The good things that come by a heart that is truly humbled they are specially foure and with those the truth and substance of whatsoever the heart can crave and desire The first benefit of an humble heart is this by this meanes wee come to be made capable of all those riches of the treasure of wisedome and grace and mercy that are in Christ and not onely of the blessings for a better life but of all things in this life so farre as they are good for us First wee are made capable of all those treasures of wisedome grace and mercy that are in Christ and for this cause was Christ sent to preach glad tidings to the meeke as you heard before all the Gospell and all the glad tidings of it doe belong to an humble soule And the Prophet Malachy saith Malac. 3.1 Behold I will send my messenger to prepare the way before mee and the Lord whom you seeke shall suddainly come into his Temple Iohn Baptist was Christs harbenger and hee made way for Christ and when the way was prepared Christ came immediatly Wee are the Temple of the holy Ghost saith the Apostle Now if the heart bee once prepared and humbled looke then immediatly for Christ Are you not content to have Christ dwell in your hearts If you will be humbled and so prepared there is neither want of love nor speed on his part This should mervailously lift up the heart of every man to seeke for this blessed grace If thou art truly humbled care not for the love of men the love of Christ will satisfie thee And though thy father and mother cast thee out of doores and thy husband tumble thee out of his bed yet if thou be truly humbled Christ will be in stead of father and husband and all comforts to thee God hath but two thrones the humble heart is one So the Text saith Esa 57.15 I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit c. If the Lord Iesus come to dwell in thy heart and that hee will doe if thou be truly humbled then certainly hee will provide for thee all needfull comforts for this life See what Zephany saith Zeph. 2.3 Seeke yee the Lord all yee meeke of the earth which have wrought his judgement seeke righteousnesse seeke meekenesse it may be you shall be hid in the day of the Lords anger When all things threatned desolation and destruction see who they were that had safety promised onely the meeke Object But some will say Is it not better for a man to be proud with the proud and to play the Beare amongst Beares and the Lyon amongst Lyons and to shift for one Answ No saith the text seeke meekenesse The humble Soule may take this to himselfe as his part and portion If there should be desolation amongst us as there is in Bohemia in the Palatinate and in other Countries the humble Soule shall be hid When the mightie tall trees are blowne downe by strong winds the little shrubs may be shaken a little but they stand still they are safe and sure when the mighty Oakes are either horribly shaken or puld up by the roots So if ever you will seeke safetie and deliverance seeke meekenesse and then you shall be hidden When the proud heart shall be weltering in his blood the Lord will provide a shadow to succour and to comfort you If Christ dwell in your hearts he is bound to all reparations 2. Benefit Secondly as Humiliation of heart doth estate a man into Christ and his merits and all provision in this kinde so it gives him the comfort of all that good which hee hath in Christ There are many that have a right to Christ and are deare to God and yet they want much sweet refreshing that they might have and as the Proverbe is They never see their owne because they want this Humiliation of heart in some measure To be truly humbled is the next way to be truly comforted The Lord will looke to him that hath an humble contrite heart Esay 62.8 and trembles at his word that is an humble Soule a poore Soule a very beggar at the gate of mercy the Lord will not onely know him for he knowes the wicked too in a generall manner but hee will give him such a gracious looke
Sanctification and Obedience is answerable and thy Glory shall be suteable Now to conclude all The conclusion Doe you consider that it is possible to have an humble heart doe you consider the danger if you have it not and doe you consider the good that comes by an humble heart and doe you sit still as he said in another case Me thinkes your hearts begin to stirre and say hath the Lord engaged himselfe to this Oh then Lord make me humble Mee thinks your countenances say so The Lord make mee and thee and all of us humble that we may have this mercy Let mee make but this one question to your Consciences and give mee an answer secretly in your soules when the Lord shall close up your eyes here and put an end to your pilgrimage would you not be content to dwell with Christ in heaven which the Apostle did account his greatest happinesse to be ever with the Lord we shall be ever with Christ to comfort us when we shall be no more with sinne to vexe and trouble us would not you be content to be with Christ mee thinkes your hearts say that 's the end and upshot of all that 's the end why we live and pray and heare that we may be ever with him And doe not you meet with many troubles while you are members of the Church Militant I know you have sometimes distempers without and troubles without would you not have comfort against them all and what would you give that Christ would looke in and aske how your Soules doe and say thou art my redeemed and I am thy Redeemer No you know all flesh desires it Would you not be content to have some honour in the Church and to leave a good name behind you that the disgraces which wicked men cast upon you may not be as a blot upon your names and when you shall bee no more and you shall bid adue to friends and honours and meanes would you not be blessed and though you would be content to be the meanest in the Kingdome of heaven what would you give to be the greatest in heaven let mee put a condition to you get but humble hearts and you have all Men brethren and fathers If there be any Soule here that is content in truth and sinceritie to be humbled and to be at Gods disposing in all duties to be done do not you make too much hast to goe to heaven the Lord Iesus Christ will come downe from heaven and dwell in your hearts hee will sit and lye and walke with you his grace shall refresh you and his Wisedome shall direct you and his Glory shall advance you and as for happinesse take no thought for that Everlasting happinesse and blessednesse lookes and waites for every humble Soule Come saith happinesse thou that hast beene vile and base and meane in thine own eyes and in the contempt of the world come and be greatest in the Kingdome of heaven Brethren though I cannot prevaile with your hearts yet let happinesse that kneeles downe and prayes you to take mercy let that I say prevaile with you And answer mee now who would not be humbled If any man be so regardlesse of his owne good I have something to say to him that may make his heart shake within him But who would not have the Lord Iesus to dwell with him who would not have the Lord Christ by the glory of his grace to honour and refresh them and that he should set a crowne of happinesse upon their heads Mee thinkes your hearts should earne for it and say oh Lord breake my heart and humble mee that mercy may be my portion for ever Nay mee thinkes every man should say as Saint Paul did I would to God that not onely I but all my children and servants were not onely thus as I am but also if it were Gods will much more humbled that they might be much more comforted and refreshed The Lord in his mercy grant it Let all parents labour to have their children humbled and every master his servant This will give them cheering of heart in that great Day of accounts when palenesse comes upon your faces and leannesse to your cheekes then I know you would leave your children a good portion then get their Soules truly humbled Me thinks it cheeres my heart to consider of it if a man could get his own heart and the hearts of all truely humbled when he leaves the world if he could but say my wife is humbled and such a child and such a child is humbled how comfortably might he goe away and say though I go away and leave wife and children behind me poore and meane in the world yet I leave Christ with them Brethren though you care not for your selves yet care for your little ones never leave exhorting of them never leave praying for them and for your selves too that you and they may get these humble hearts When you are gone this will bee better for them then all the beaten gold or all the honours in the world There are many that have heretofore stood out against the Lord and they would not come in nor yeild to the conditions of mercy all those proud haughtie and rebellious spirits that have stood out against Gods Truth his Word and Ministers and have stood out long some twenty some thirtie and some fortie yeares let all such feare and tremble and now resolve not to stand it out any more but since the Lord offers so kindly to comfort you and to honour you upon your Humiliation Now kisse the Sonne be humble yeild to all Gods commands take home all truthes and be at Gods disposing There must be subjection or else confusion will you out-brave the Almightie to his face and will you dare damnation as you love your Soules take heed of it As proud as you have beene crushed and humbled Where are all those Nymrods and Pharaohs and all those mightie Monarchs of the World The Lord hath thrown them flat upon their backs and they are in hell this day Therefore be wise and be humbled under the mightie hand of the Lord. It is a mightie hand and the Lord will be honoured either in your Humiliation and conversion or else in your damnation for ever Let all the evill that is threatned and all the good that is offered prevaile with your hearts and though meanes cannot yet the Lord prevaile with you the Lord emptie you that Christ may fill you the Lord humble you that you may enjoy happinesse and peace for ever FINIS