When we look upon any vile person, we may see our own image. No good works, say we, are ours, as effects of the Spirit in us.Īnd true humiliation is of spiritual respects, when we judge aright how base and vile we are in regard of our natural corruption, that we are by nature not only guilty of Adam’s sin, but that we have, besides that, wrapt ourselves in a thousand more guilts by our sinful course of life, and that we have nothing of our own, no, not power to do the least good thing. Therefore it is foolish for the papists to say, good works be our own, as from ourselves. We are said to humble ourselves, because we are temples wherein he works, seeing he uses the parts of our soul, as the understanding, the will, and the affections, in the work. Though such works be the works of God, yet they are said to be ours, because God doth work them in us and by us. So that the Spirit of God doth work upon us as upon fit subjects, in which grace doth work. The actions of grace are reflected actions. They begin from a man’s self, and end in a man’s self yet we must not exclude the Spirit of God for he doth not say, thou from thyself didst humble thyself, but ‘thou didst humble thyself.’ We have grace from God to humble ourselves. It is said, ‘Thou humblest thyself.’ Then we learn, Many are humbled that are not humble many are cast down that have proud hearts still, as Pharaoh had. But here is the glory of a Christian, that he hath got grace from God to humble himself which humbling is, from our own judgment, and upon discerning of good grounds, to bring our affections to stoop unto God to humble ourselves. And certainly this is that true humiliation, the humbling of ourselves for it is no thanks for a man to be humbled by God, as Pharaoh was for God can humble and pull down the proudest that do oppose his church. Humiliation is a reflected action: Josiah humbled himself. ‘Thou didst humble thyself.’ He was both the agent and the patient, the worker and the object of his work: it came from him, and ended in him. Now, therefore, humbling of ourselves, the making of us as low as the ground itself, is added unto tenderness for the soul being once tender and melting, is fit to be humbled, yea, cares not how low it be abased, so mercy may follow. …for things that are hard will not yield nor bow. A great iron bar will not bow, a hard stony heart will not yield. Tenderness of heart and humbling a man’s self go both together… “Because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heard his words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and humblest thyself before me, and didst rend thy clothes, and weep before me….
0 kommentar(er)
