and reforme thy wayes and blessed be God for what hee hath made thee able to doe but this I must tell thee If thy repentance and reformation be all thy hope and thou relyest upon them as the Iewes did upon their Legall righteousnesse thy Soule and all will sinke everlastingly if thou looke no further for helpe for all these cannot procure thy acceptance before God in that great Day of accounts nor give any satisfaction to Gods Iustice Now the weakenesse of all these priviledges and duties may appeare in five particulars First Thou canst not do that which God requires of thee Rom. 8.14 in all this that thou so much braggest of Thou hast a hard heart and canst not repent If thou canst doe what God requires of thee then why doest thou not breake that hard heart of thine It is a heart that cannot repent The Saints of God finde this though they see their sinnes yet their hearts will not breake Thou art as able to rend the rocks in pieces as to breake thy hard heart The good that I would doe saith Saint Paul Rom. 2.5 I cannot doe and the evill that I would not doe that I doe The Church complaines of it and saith Why are our hearts hardened from thy feare Therefore God may justly take exception against thee Secondly Thou art not many times carefull to doe what thou canst sometimes thou lettest passe opportunities and if thou takest the occasions it is marvellous slightly and hoverly though God have put power and abilitie into thy heart to performe holy duties so that thou seest the occasions yet thou slightest them over most shamefully Iam. 3.2 In many things we sinne all saith the Apostle Saint Iames and the Prophet Esay saith Esa 64.7 There is none that calleth upon thy name neither stirreth he up himself to take hold of thee It was the common fault of the wise Virgins they all slumbred Matth. 25.5 this befals even those that are the most beloved of the Lord. Thirdly Doe what thou canst in the best of all thy services when thou commest to the highest pitch of the holinesse of thy heart and to the most ferventest prayers that ever thou didst make and the most broken heart that ever thou haddest and the most exactest way of godlinesse I say in the very best of all thy duties there is still some imperfection and for which God may in exact rigour frown upon thee now Iudge this can that service save thee in which there is enough to condemne thee that 's impossible in the best of thy duties there is enough to make God frowne upon thee And therefore the Priest that was to offer Sacrifice Heb. 7 27. Was to offer Sacrifice for the sinne of his offering Where we see that even the holiest service that ever the Minister puts up to God and in the best care that ever he exprest he hath need to offer Sacrifice for his offering and so it is in all your services You little thinke that God may condemne you for your Prayers and Sacraments and Fastings But I will make it cleare to you for this is a common rule we all beleeve in part we know in part and we love in part so that though our hearts are renewed yet they are but renewed in part there is some hatred mixed with our love some unbeliefe with our faith and some ignorance with our knowledge And as the Apostle saith Gal. 5.17 The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh so that these two are contrary the one to the other There is so much corruption in thee so that when thou wouldest doe good thou canst not doe it with that readinesse that thou oughtest thou canst not doe it with all the whole streame of thy heart The Law requires that wee should love the Lord with all our hearts and with all our strength So that we have no hangings backe in our duties but in all our prayers and hearings and readings there is flesh that opposeth the spirit and corruption that crosseth the worke of grace So that we are not able to performe any service as God doth require of us how backward are we to duties and how weary in duties what wandring thoughts what privy pride and what seeking of our selves have we in them You know nothing if you know not this but whether you know it or no it is so There is much corruption opposing and thwarting the worke of the Spirit and therefore you had need pray for the repentance of your repentance and to begge the pardon of all your prayers and whereas you thinke that you will repent and amend and heare and pray and the like I tell you that though it be commendable to pray and heare yet there is so much sinne in your amendment and repentance and duties that in exact justice God may curse all that you doe and execute his Iudgements upon you for the same therefore these cannot save you He that heretofore hath prophaned the will now Sanctifies it and soe he thinks all is quit but I tell thee that in all thy sanctification of the same thou hast neede of a Saviour Fourthly Were it graunted and let it be supposed which I confesse will not nay can never bee but Imagine it were so that after God hath opened a mans eyes and broken his heart he should never commit the least sinne in all the world and never have any failing in holy duties nor any distemper in his Soule though this cannot bee but Imagine it were so that he did never sinne after his repentance yet even the sinne of his nature which he brought into the world with him were enough to make the Lord take the advantage of him for ever and to cast away all that ever he doth as abhominable from his presence Our repentance and our exactest performance of duties though we could doe them even to the uttermost it is a duty that we are bound to doe and the doing of that which we owe can never satisfie for that which hath beene done amisse by us but our repentance of sinne and our reformation is a duty which the gospell requires and therefore will not satisfie for that which is done amisse before our conversion As a Tennant that is run behind hand with his Land-Lord soe many hundreths and at last he begins to consider with himselfe what hee hath done and he bringes the rent of the last halfe yeare when his lease is out will this man thinke that hee hath now satisfied his Land-Lord if he should say now Land-Lord I hope you are contented and all is answered and have fully paid all that is betweene you and mee you Land-Lords would be ready to reply thus and say this satisfies mee for the last halfe yeare past but who payes for the odde hundreths so it is with a poore soule be it so that after those arrerages that thou hast run upon the score with God after
that is you will not goe out from your selves to the Lord Christ and therefore cannot receive mercy and grace from his Majesties hands though thou art never so base and vile if thou couldst goe to the Lord Iesus and rest upon him for mercy nothing should stand betweene thee and heaven but if thou stickest in thy selfe all the grace in Christ can doe thee no good Secondly This carnall confidence makes a man unprofitable under all the meanes that God bestowes Ier. 17.5 6. As the Prophet Ieremy saith Cursed is he that trusts in the arme of flesh and departs from the Lord Why What shall become of him the text saith he shall be like an heath in the wildernesse and shall never see good The nature of the heath is this though all the dew of heaven and all the showers in the world fall upon it and though the Sunne shine never so hotly it will never grow fruitfull it will never yield any fruit of increase but it is unfruitfull still Such a Soule thou wilt be thou that restest upon thy own services sayest because thou hearest and prayest and doest sanctifie the Lords Day therefore thou must needs goe to heaven I say thou shalt never see good by all the meanes of grace if thou makest them independent causes of salvation all the promises in the Gospel shall never establish thee and all the judgements in the world will never terrifie thee thou shalt never have any saving grace wrought in thee by them The truth is hee that hath all meanes and hath not a Christ in all hee shall never see good by all Therefore thou that restest upon thy parts and gifts and upon thy duties thou wilt have a heart so besotted that grace will never come into thy heart and God will never quiet thy conscience It may be a poore drunkard is converted and humbled but thou standest still and canst get no good by all the means in the world Therefore say thus to thy selfe doth this carnall confidence cut mee off from all the grace and mercy that is in Christ and without mercy and pardon from Christ I am undone for ever and without grace I am a poore defiled wretch here and shall be damned for ever after if I rest here I may bid adue to all mercy Nay all the meanes that I have never doe mee good Is this the fruit of my carnall confidence Oh Lord withdraw my heart from it Lastly When all the meanes of grace will not plucke away the Soule from resting upon it selfe The fourth meanes when reason will not rule him nor meanes will not prevaile with a poore sinner as commonly a great while they will not then the Lord tires a poore Soule with his owne distempers And the Lord deales with the Soule as an enemy deales with a Castle that he hath besieged When the Citizens will not yield up the Castle he famisheth them and cuts off all provision and makes them consume within and so at last they are forced to resigne it up upon any termes So When the Lord hath laid siege to a carnall heart and hath shewed him his woefull condition and yet the heart will not of nor will not take up any termes of peace but still hee will shift for himselfe Now what doth the Lord doe hee takes away the comfort of all the meanes that he hath till hee is famished with the want of Gods favour and then hee is content to yield up all to the God of heaven and earth It was just so with this Prodigall all the world could not perswade him but he might live better of his portion and so away hee goes and when hee had tried the world and could get no succour at last he confest it was better to be at a fathers finding and now he saw that a fathers house was admirably good and that the servants and children in their fathers house are happy for they have bread enough and enough againe and to spare too and so hee is forced to returne So it is with many poore distressed soules all the arguments under heaven cannot quiet them and all the meanes in the world cannot plucke them from themselves and we tell them daily that they must not expect grace nor power nor pardon from themselves 2 Ioh. 3. It is mercy and peace saith the Apostle You would have peace of conscience and pardon of sinne and assurance of Gods love and whence would you have it you would have it from your duties it is not prayer and peace nor hearing and peace but it is mercy and peace and therefore away to the Lord Iesus that you may receive mercy from him Yet we cannot get poore creatures from themselves but they would faine shuffle for themselves and have a little comfort of their owne and they say Lord cannot my prayers my care and fasting merit salvation Now what doth God then he saith to such a Soule goe try then put to the best of thy strength and use all the meanes that thou canst and see what thou canst doe See if thou canst cure thy conscience and heale those wounds of thine and subdue the corruptions of thy heart with thy prayers and abilities but when the Soule hath made triall and weltred and wearied it selfe at last he finds that all the meanes he can use cannot quiet him nor comfort his conscience and the poore sinner is pinched and wearied and the Lord will not answer his prayers nor sweeten the desires of his Soule and the Lord will not blesse the Word to him for his comfort and at last the Soule saith Such a poore Christian even a man of meane parts and weake gifts how is he comforted and such a profane drunkard is puld home and hath gotten the assurance of Gods love The Lord hath puld downe the proud hearts of such and such and they live comfortably and sweetly and I have no peace nor assurance of Gods love You may thanke your selves for it they saw nothing and they looked for nothing from themselves and therefore they went home to the gate of mercy to the Lord Iesus Christ and they have bread enough if you would come home to Christ you might have beene comforted also Now therefore goe to the Lord Iesus Christ and as certainly as God is in heaven refreshing and comfort will come into your hearts and mercy which is better then marrow shall satisfie those feeble fainting spirits of yours You see what the way is and what the helps be to pluck off our hearts from resting upon these duties and therefore thinke thus with thy selfe and say is my misery so great and are my duties so weake and is my carnall confidence so dangerous that I may be troubled for ever for any thing that I can doe of my selfe and is comfort no where else to be had but in the Lord Iesus Christ Oh then Lord worke my heart to this duty Sticke not in your selves doe all this but goe
Sam. 16.6 7 8 9 10 11 12. In this his heart was marveilous quiet and now he was able to beare it better then the souldiers that were with him Though his cause was just and he might have revenged it yet now he was humble and brought under and therefore quieted though never so much opposed This Humiliation of heart so settles a man that though ten thousand oppositions come against him yet nothing will disquiet him Cast disgrace upon the humble heart causelesly and he cures it thus he thinks worse of himselfe than any man else can doe and if they would make him vile and loathsome hee is more vile in his owne eyes then they can make him and therefore he is contented If they imprison an humble Soule and persecute him hee wonders at Gods goodnesse so farre hee is from being discontented that he wonders at Gods goodnesse and mercy towards him that he would cast him into a Dungeon when he might have cast him into hell Thirdly and lastly this Humiliation of Soule The third benefit brings in satisfaction and contentednesse in all the wants that may befall him Take away from him what you will and deny him any thing yet he will be quiet Hee that is contented with all Gods dealing towards him cannot be disquieted with any thing The humble Soule justifies God and is pacified and joyns side with Gods providence he justifies God in whatsoever he doth and therefore is quiet in whatsoever he hath done The ship that goes with wind and tide goes easily but if it goes against wind and tide it is wonderfully troubled so when the humble Soule goes on with Gods blessed providence and goes that way which the will of God goes he goes on quietly and the want of this humiliation of heart is the cause of all your disquietnesse when you will stand in opposition against the Almighty the Lord will have you poore and you will be rich the Lord will have you base and meane in the world and you would be honorable the Lord on the one side and you on the other side you would have it and the Lord saith you shall not if all come not according to your mind oh then you flye out God must be of your mind and be at your becke and this you must have and that you will have or els God shall heare of you thus you make your owne trouble and this troublesome Spirit breeds all the sorrow that befalls you whereas if you would go on with God you might be quieted and comforted whatsoever condition you were in as one said that he could have what he would of God why how was that because whatsoever Gods will was that was his will humiliation quiets all and supplyes all wants once make the good will of God that which thy heart shall yeild unto and Gods providence the best that can befall thee and then live comfortably for ever Oh! that our hearts were brought to this But the pride and vilenesse of our hearts is such that we trouble our selves needlesly therefore above all labour for this Be content to want what God will deny and to waite Gods good pleasure and to be at his disposing and then live quietly and comfortably for ever Oh! that I could bring your hearts to be in love with this blessed grace of God Is it so that Humiliation brings quiet in all a mans conditions Is there not a Soule here that hath beene vexed with the temptations of Sathan did you never know what it is to be under the malice of an enemy and did your owne distempers never trouble you Have none of you found hard measures at the hands of wicked men is there never a Soule here that is burthened with many wants and that loves his owne comfort have you not many necessities at home the want of friends and meanes and even of common necessaries and would you arme and fence your selves that no wants may disquiet you nor trouble you but in all to be above all and to rejoyce in all more then all oppositions in the world can doe you hurt then be humbled and for ever quieted Whatsoever can or shall befall you by the divell and his instruments and if every spire of grasse were a divell be humbled and then be above all the divels in hell and all temptations and oppositions that they shall not so disquiet you as to cause you to be unsetled or uncomforted In the next place you are to be desired The second Vse to try your selves by the former truth and let every man try his owne heart whether ever God hath given him this gracious disposition of Soule or no You must come to this truth for there is no justification nor acceptation without this Nay there is no faith can be infused into the Soule before the heart be thus fitted and prepared no preparation no perfection Never humbled never exalted therefore let every man and woman lay their hearts to the former truth and consider this one thing in the generall So farre as the heart is from this contentednesse to be at Gods dispose so farre it is from true preparation for Christ You must be empty if ever Christ fill you you must be nothing if you would have Christ all in all to you Thus much in the generall But now let us come to the particular trials and herein let us consider two things First the truth and soundnesse of our Humiliation Secondly the measure of it both of these this Doctrine doth discover to us It is very profitable to handle them both that they which have not this work may be humbled and that they which have it may see how farre they come short of the measure which they should and might have the want of which is the cause of much sorrow and the want of much comfort How to try the truth of our Humiliation You may try the truth of this worke of Humiliation thus In the generall looke how you are disposed of in your lives and conversations But in particular that you may see where we be let us observe these three rules First Let us see what it is that swayes our reasons and judgements Secondly What it is that over-powers our hearts our wils and affections Thirdly What it is that rules our lives and conversations Try your hearts by these rules and then it will be plaine and cleare whether you be truly humbled and abased or no. You know I told you that you must not onely be disposed of by God for God will dispose of you whether you will or no he will rule all things in heaven and earth he will either crush those proud hearts of yours by Humiliation here or else cast you downe to hell for ever but you must be content to be at Gods disposing To begin with the former namely to see what swayes our judgements If you will attend I hope you shall know something in your owne hearts you that are weake as
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
as shall make his heart dance in his breast thou poore humbled Soule the Lord will give thee a glimpse of his favour when thou art tired in thy trouble and when thou lookest up to heaven the Lord will looke downe upon thee and will refresh thee with mercy It is that which God hath prepared as a sweet morsell for his childe he will revive the humble Though the proud man shall sit and swelter himselfe in his trouble Esay 57.15 yet the Lord will not onely be in the house and heart of an humble man but looke to him and revive him It is the condition to which the Lord hath promised consolation and this Humiliation of heart is the maine termes of agreement upon which God hath ever shewed mercy Rev. 3.26 Behold I stand at the doore and knocke if any man heare my voyce and open I will come in to him and sup with him and hee with mee As when men sup together and eate in the same dish it argues a sweet rejoycing in the familiarity one of another I know you would faine have much comfort the Lord now knocks if you will but open the doore hee will come into your hearts and he will bring his owne provision with him even the sweet cordialls of his grace and comfort and hee will refresh you with those consolations which the eye of man hath not seene and the eare of man hath not heard c. only the Saints of God shall feele them Every valley shall be fill'd Luk. 3.5.6 saith the text and every hill shall be brought low and the crooked things shall be made straight and then all flesh shall see the salvation of the Lord. When shall they see it when those things are done that are there promised Iohn Baptist was to make way for Christ and the Text saith Every valley shall be fill'd that is every desperate discouraged heart and every mountaine shall be levelled that is every proud heart shall be humbled and then all flesh shall see the salvation of God here is the cause why wee finde not the assurance of Gods love that wee might and ought to have there are mighty mountaines of carnall reasonings and strange mists of discontentment betweene Christ and the Soule and these keepe of the light of Gods love in Christ which else would shine in our faces for our everlasting comfort Now be humbled and throw away all those distempers and then the Lord Iesus who comes with healing under his wings will comfort you and you shall see the salvation of God There is a Christ and comfort in him if your Soules be humbled you shall see it and finde the evidence of it When the Sunne is neere setting because there is a mountaine betweene us and it therefore wee thinke it is set when it is not whereas if a man were on the top of it he should see the Sunne cleare So it is with all those mountaines of carnall reasonings they stand betweene the Lord Iesus and thy Soule and that 's the reason why thou seest not the light of Gods countenance shining upon thee The third benefit of an humble heart Matth. 23.12 Thirdly wee also may have glory in this comfort that wee have in Christ as our Saviour saith Whosoever exalts himselfe shall be abased but whosoever humbleth himselfe shall be exalted He doth not say If such a man and such a woman humble themselves but the words are universally to be understood whatsoever thou art be thou humble and the Lord shall lift thee up It is impossible that the exaltation glory of an humble Soule should be hindered by men or devils Let the devill and all his instruments labour to cast shame and disgrace upon thee nay be thy condition never so base and meane in the worlds account be thou humbled and it cannot be hindered but that the Lord will exalt thee the Lord hath promised it and thou being as thou shouldst be the Lord will doe what he hath engaged himselfe to The Lord many times for want of this leaves men of great parts and gifts in the lirch they fret and are grieved exceedingly because such a poore man findes acceptance and is approved of and yet no man lookes after them If you know any such tell them it is by reason of their pride they seeke their owne honour and not Gods they are not humbled but seek to exalt themselves and God will abase them Let them fawne and flatter let them flatter and dissemble never so much as most men doe to get honors yet God will abase them And for this cause God blasts one mans endeavours and withers another mans gifts and brings him to shame because he is proud whereas the humble Soul that is content to honor God in his abasement the Lord will set up that man in mercy and goodnesse Psal 25.9 the Lord will teach the humble in his way Doth the Lord care for any mans parts or gifts or for his honor respect No 1 Cor. 1.28 the Lord hath chosen things that are not that is things that in the eyes of the world are accounted as nothing those hath God chosen to confound the haughtinesse of the hearts of proud men in this kinde See how David answered Michall when she mocked him and said 2 Sam. 6.20 21. Oh how glorious was the King of Israel this day c. Is not this a goodly matter for the King to doe See how he answers her it was before the Lord who chose me rather then thy father and all his house and commanded me to be ruler over his people and therefore I will play before the Lord and if this be to be vile I will yet be more vile Thy father was naught and thou art so too and hee is gone to his place The meanest in all the place wil honour the humble heart but though happily the people may feare a proud man yet they will never honour him in their hearts The fourth benefit Math. 18.4 Fourthly and lastly we have blessednesse in all that appurtaines to an humble heart Whosoever humbles himselfe as a little childe shall be greatest in the Kingdome of heaven He doth not say he that is greatest and most loftie may haply be great but he that is humble and trembles at every truth of God and every truth prevailes with him and every terror awes him hee shall be greatest in the Kingdome of heaven You take it as a disgrace to be reprooved by a servant or an inferiour but the humble Soule takes it whatsoever it is and is willing to be reprooved by any and he that doth thus shall be in the highest degree of grace here and shall be greatest in the glory of heaven and be lifted up to the highest pinacle of glory the wider and deeper a vessell is the more liquor it holds So Humiliation makes the heart wide and deepe and as thy Humiliation is so shall be thy Faith and thy