_Recommending devotions at nine o’clock in the morning, called
in scripture, the |third hour| of the day. The subject of
these prayers may be |humility|._
I AM now come to another hour of prayer, which in scripture is called
the _third hour_ of the day; but according to our way of numbering the
hours, it is called the ninth hour of the morning.
But if the practice of the saints in all ages, if the customs of the
pious _Jews_ and primitive Christians be of any force with us, we have
authority enough to persuade us, to make this hour a constant season
of devotion.
I have in the last chapter laid before you the excellency of _praise_
and _thanksgiving_, and recommended that as the subject of your first
devotions in the morning.
And because humility is the _life_ and _soul_ of piety, the _ground_
and _security_ of all holy affections, this may be the subject of your
devotions at this _hour_.
This virtue is so essential to the _right state_ of our souls, that
there is no pretending to a _reasonable_ or _pious_ life without it.
We may as well think to see without _eyes_, or live without _breath_,
as to live in the spirit of religion, without the spirit of _humility_.
But altho’ it is the _soul_ and _essence_ of all religious duties;
yet is it, generally speaking, the least _understood_, the least
_regarded_, the least _intended_, the least _desired_, and _sought_
after, of all other virtues.
*No people have more occasion to be afraid of the approaches of pride,
than those who have made _some advances_ in a pious life. For pride
can grow as well upon our _virtues_ as our _vices_, and steal upon us
on all occasions.
Every good thought we have, every good action we do, lays us open to
pride.
*It is not only the beauty of our persons, the gifts of fortune,
our natural talents, and the distinctions of life; but even our
_devotions_ and _alms_, our _fastings_ and _humiliations_, expose
us to fresh temptations of this evil spirit.
And it is for this reason, I so earnestly advise every _devout_ person
to the exercise of humility, that he may not fall a sacrifice to
his own progress in those virtues, which are to save mankind from
destruction.
As all virtue is founded in truth; so humility is a _true_ sense of
our _weakness_, _misery_, and _sin_.
*The _weakness_ of our state appears from our inability to do any
thing of ourselves. In our natural state we are entirely without _any
power_; we are indeed active beings, but can only act by a power, that
is every _moment_ lent us from God.
We have no more power of our own to move a _hand_, or stir a _foot_,
than to move the _sun_, or stop the _clouds_.
*When we _speak_ a word, we feel no more power in ourselves to do it,
than we feel ourselves able to raise the _dead_. For we act no more
within our _own power_, or by our own strength, when we _speak_ a word,
or make a _sound_, than the _apostles_ acted within their own power,
or by their own strength, when a _word_ from their mouth cast out
_devils_, and cured _diseases_.
As it was solely the power of God that enabled them to speak to _such
purposes_, so it is solely the power of God that enables us to speak
_at all_.
This is the dependent, helpless poverty of our state, which is a great
reason for humility. For since we neither are, nor can do any thing of
ourselves; to be proud of any thing that we are, or of any thing that
we can do, and to ascribe glory to ourselves for these things, has the
guilt both of _stealing_ and _lying_. It has the guilt of stealing,
as it gives to ourselves those things which only belong to God. It
has the guilt of lying, as it is denying the truth of our state, and
pretending to be something that we are not.
♦3. The misery of our condition appears in this, that we use these
_borrowed_ powers of our nature, to the _torment_ and _vexation_ of
ourselves, and our fellow creatures.
♦ Numbers 1. and 2. omitted in text.
*God has entrusted us with reason, and we use it to the disorder and
corruption of our nature. We reason ourselves into all kinds of folly
and misery, and make our lives the sport of foolish and extravagant
passions: seeking after imaginary happiness in all kinds, creating to
ourselves a thousand wants, amusing our hearts with false hopes and
fears, using the world worse than irrational animals, envying, vexing,
and tormenting one another with restless passions, and unreasonable
contentions.
Let any man but look back upon his own life, and see what use he has
made of his reason. What foolish _passions_, what vain _thoughts_,
what needless _labours_, what extravagant _projects_, have taken up
the greatest part of his life: how foolish he has been in his _words_
and _conversation_; how seldom he has been able to _please_ himself,
and how often he has _displeased_ others; how often he has changed his
counsels, hated what he loved, and loved what he hated; how often he
has been enraged and transported at _trifles_, pleased and displeased
with the very _same things_, and constantly changing from one vanity
to another. Let a man but take this view of his own life, and he will
see cause enough to confess, _that pride was not made for man_.
*Let him but consider, that if the world knew all that of him, which
he knows of himself; if they saw what _vanity_ and _passions_ govern
his inside, and what secret _tempers_ sully and corrupt his best
actions, he would have no more pretence to be honoured and admired for
his _goodness_ and _wisdom_, than a _rotten_ and _distempered_ body to
be loved and admired for its _health_ and _comeliness_.
4. This is so true, and so known to the hearts of almost all people,
that nothing would appear more dreadful to them, than to have their
hearts thus fully discovered to the eyes of all beholders.
And perhaps there are very few people in the world, who would not
rather chuse to die, than to have all their _secret_ follies, the
vanity of their minds, the frequency of their _vain_ and disorderly
_passions_, their _uneasiness_, _hatreds_, _envies_, and _vexations_,
made known unto the world.
And shall pride be entertained in a heart thus _conscious_ of its own
_miserable behaviour_?
*Shall a creature in such a condition, that he could not support
himself under the shame of being known to the world in his _real
state_; shall such a creature, because his shame is only known to
God, to holy angels, and his own conscience; shall he, in the sight
of God and holy angels, dare to be _vain_ and _proud_ of himself?
5. If to this we add the _shame_ and _guilt_ of sin, we shall find
still a greater reason for humility.
No creature that had lived in innocence, would have thereby got any
pretence for pride; because, as a creature, all that it _is_, or _has_,
or _does_, is from God, and therefore the honour of all that belongs
to it is only due to God.
But if a creature that is a _sinner_, deserving nothing but pains and
punishments for the _shameful_ abuse of his powers; if such a creature
pretends to glory for any thing that he is, or does, he can only be
said to glory in his shame.
Now, how _monstrous_ and _shameful_ the nature of sin is, is
sufficiently apparent from that _great atonement_ that is necessary
to cleanse us from the guilt of it.
Nothing less has been required to take away the guilt of our sins,
than the sufferings and death of the Son of God. Had he not taken our
nature upon him, our nature had been for ever separated from God, and
incapable of ever appearing before him.
And is there any room for _pride_, whilst we are partakers of _such a
nature_ as this?
*Have our sins rendered us so abominable ♦to him that made us, that he
could not so much as _receive_ our prayers, or _admit_ our repentance,
till the Son of God made himself man, and became a suffering advocate
for our whole race; and can we, in _this state_, pretend to high
thoughts of ourselves? Shall we presume to take delight in our _own
worth_, who are not worthy so much as to _ask pardon_ for our sins,
without the mediation and intercession of the Son of God?
♦ duplicate word removed ‘to’
Thus deep is the foundation of humility laid, in these deplorable
circumstances of our condition; which shew, that it is as great an
offence against truth for a man, to lay claim to any degrees of glory,
as to pretend to the honour of creating himself. If man will boast
of any thing as his own, he must boast of his _misery_ and _sin_; for
there is nothing else but this, that is his own property.
6. Turn your eyes towards heaven, and fancy that you saw what is doing
there; that you saw _cherubim_ and _seraphim_, and all the glorious
_inhabitants_ of that place, all united in one work; not seeking
_glory_ from one another, not labouring their own _advancement_, not
contemplating their own _perfections_, not singing their own _praises_,
not valuing _themselves_, and despising _others_, but all employed
in one and the same work, all happy in one and the same joy; _casting
down their crowns before the throne of God, giving glory, and honour,
and power to him alone_. Rev. iv. 10, 11.
Then turn your eyes to the _fallen world_, and consider how
unreasonable and odious it must be, for such poor _worms_, such
miserable _sinners_, to take delight in their own _fancied glories_,
whilst the highest and most glorious sons of heaven seek for no other
greatness and honour, but that of ascribing all honour and greatness,
and glory to God alone?
*Pride is only the disorder of the _fallen world_, it has no place
amongst other beings; it can only subsist where _ignorance_ and
_sensuality_, _lies_ and _falshood_, _lusts_ and _impurity_ reign.
Let a man, when he is most delighted with his own _figure_,
contemplate our blessed Lord _stretched_ out, and _nailed_ upon a
_cross_: and then let him consider how absurd it must be, for a heart
full of _pride_ and _vanity_, to pray to God, through the sufferings
of a _crucified_ Saviour?
These are the reflections you are often to meditate upon, that you may
walk before God in such a spirit of humility, as becomes the _meak_,
_miserable_, and _sinful_ state of all that are descended from fallen
_Adam_.
7. But you must not content yourself with this, as if you was
therefore humble, because you acknowledge the reasonableness of
humility, and declare against pride.
You would not imagine yourself to be devout, because in your judgment
you approved of prayers, and often declared your mind in favour of
devotion. Yet how many people imagine themselves humble enough, for
no other reason, but because they often commend humility, and make
vehement declarations against pride?
_Cæcus_ is a rich man, of good birth, and very fine parts; is very
full of every thing that he says or does, and never imagines it
possible for such a judgment as his to be mistaken. He can bear no
contradiction, and discovers the weakness of your understanding, as
soon as ever you oppose him. _Cæcus_ would have been very religious,
but that he always thought he was so.
There is nothing so odious to _Cæcus_ as a proud man; and the
misfortune is, that in this he is so very quicksighted, that he
discovers in almost everybody, some _strokes_ of vanity.
On the other hand, he is exceeding fond of humble and modest persons.
Humility, says he, is so amiable a quality, that it forces our esteem
wherever we meet with it. There is no possibility of despising the
_meanest_ person that has it, or of esteeming the _greatest_ man that
wants it.
_Cæcus_ no more suspects himself to be proud, than he suspects his
want of sense. And the reason of it is, because he always finds
himself so in love with humility, and so enraged at pride.
It is very true, _Cæcus_, you speak _sincerely_ when you say you
love humility, and abhor pride. You are no _hypocrite_, you speak the
_true_ sentiments of your mind; but then take this along with you, you
only love humility, and hate pride, in _other people_. You never once
in your life thought of any other humility, or of any other pride,
than that which you have seen in _other people_.
8. The case of _Cæcus_ is a common case: many people live in all the
instances of pride, and yet never suspect themselves, because they
dislike proud people, and are pleased with humility and modesty,
wherever they find them.
All their speeches in favour of humility, and all their railings
against pride, are looked upon as effects of their own humble spirit.
Whereas in truth, these are so far from being proofs of humility, that
they are great arguments of the want of it.
*For the fuller of pride any one is himself, the more impatient will
he be at the smallest instances of it in other people. And the less
humility any one has in his own mind, the more will he demand it in
other people.
*You must therefore act by a quite contrary measure, and reckon
yourself only so far humble, as you impose _every instance_ of
humility upon yourself, and _never_ call for it in other people. So
far an enemy to pride, as you never _spare_ it in yourself, nor ever
_censure_ it in other persons.
The loving humility is of no benefit to you, but so far as all your
own thoughts, words, and actions are governed by it. And the hating of
pride does you no good, but so far as you hate to harbour any degree
of it in your own heart.
Now in order to set out in the practice of humility, you must take it
for granted, that you are _proud_, that you have been so all your life.
You should believe also, that it is your _greatest_ weakness, that
your heart is most _subject_ to it; that it is so _constantly_
stealing upon you, you have reason to suspect its approaches in all
your actions.
For there is no one vice that is more deeply rooted in our nature, or
that receives such constant nourishment from almost every thing that
we think or do; there being hardly any thing in the world that we
_want_ or _use_, or any _action_ or _duty_ of life, but pride finds
some means or other to take hold of it. So that at what time soever we
begin to offer ourselves to God, we can hardly be surer of any thing,
than that we have a great deal of pride to repent of.
If therefore you find it disagreeable to entertain this opinion of
yourself, and that you cannot put yourself amongst those that want to
be cured of pride, you may be as sure, as if an _angel_ from heaven
had told you, that you have not only much, but all your humility to
seek.
*For you can have no greater sign of a confirmed pride, than when you
think that you are humble enough. He that thinks he loves God enough,
shews himself to be an entire stranger to that holy passion; so he
that thinks he has humility enough, shews that he is not so much as
a beginner in the practice of true humility.
9. Every person, therefore, when he first applies himself to the
exercise of humility, must consider himself as a _learner_, who is, to
learn something that is contrary to all his former tempers and habits
of mind.
He has not only much to learn; but he has also a great deal to
_unlearn_: he is to forget, and lay aside his own spirit, which has
been a long while fixing and forming itself; he must forget and depart
from abundance of passions and opinions, which the _fashion_, and
_vogue_, and spirit of the world, have made natural to him.
He must lay aside the opinions and passions which he has received from
the world; because the vogue and fashion of the world, by which we
have been carried away, as in a _torrent_, before we could pass right
judgments of the value of things, is utterly contrary to _humility_.
The devil is called, in scripture, the prince of this world; because
he has great power in it, because many of its rules and principles are
invented by this evil spirit, to separate us from God, and prevent our
return to happiness.
Now, according to the _spirit_ of this world, whose corrupt air we
have all breathed, there are many things that pass for _great_, and
_honourable_, and _desirable_, which yet are so far from being so,
that the _true greatness_ and honour of our nature consists in the not
desiring them.
To abound in wealth, to have fine houses and rich cloaths, to be
attended with splendour and equipage, to be beautiful in our persons,
to have titles of dignity, to be above our fellow creatures, to
command the bows and obeisance of other people, to be looked on with
admiration, to subdue all that oppose us, to set out ourselves in as
much splendour as we can, to live highly and magnificently, to eat
and drink, and delight ourselves in the most costly manner, these are
the _great_, the _honourable_, the _desirable_ things, to which the
_spirit_ of the world turns the eyes of all people. And many a man is
afraid of not engaging in the pursuit of them, lest the world should
take him for a _fool_.
10. The history of the gospel, is chiefly the history of Christ’s
_conquest_ over this _spirit_ of the world. And the number of true
Christians, is only the number of those who, following the _Spirit_
of Christ, have lived _contrary_ to the spirit of the world.
_If any man hath not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his._ Again,
_Whosoever is born of God, overcometh the world. Set your affections
on things above, and not on things of the earth; for ye are dead,
and your life is hid with Christ in God._ This is the language of the
whole New Testament. This is the _mark_ of Christianity; you are to be
_dead_, that is, dead to the _spirit_ and _temper_ of the world, and
live a new life in the _Spirit_ of Jesus Christ.
But notwithstanding the plainness of these doctrines, most Christians
live and die slaves to the _customs_ and _tempers_ of the world.
How many people swell with _pride_ and _vanity_, for such things
as they would not value at all, but that they are admired in the
world?
Would a man take _ten years_ more drudgery in business, to add _two
horses_ more to his coach, but that he knows that the world admires a
_coach_ and _six_? How fearful are many people of having their houses
poorly furnished, or themselves meanly cloathed, for this only reason,
lest the world should place them amongst _low_ and _mean_ people?
Many a man would drop a _resentment_, and forgive an _affront_, but
that he is afraid, if he should, the world would not forgive him.
How many would practise Christian _temperance_ and sobriety, were it
not for the censure which the world passes upon such a life?
Others have frequent intentions of living up to the _rules_ of
Christian perfection; but they are frighted, by considering what the
world would say of them?
11. Thus they dare not attempt to be _eminent_ in the sight of God,
for fear of being little in the eyes of the world.
From this quarter arises the greatest difficulty of humility, because
it cannot subsist in any mind, but so far as it is dead to the world.
You can make no _stand_ against the assaults of pride, humility can
have no place in your soul, ’till you stop the power of the world over
you, and resolve against a _blind obedience_ to its laws.
For indeed, as great as the power of the world is, it is all built
upon a _blind obedience_.
Ask who you will, _learned_ or _unlearned_, every one seems to know
and confess, that the general temper and spirit of the world, is
nothing else but _humour_, _folly_, and _extravagance_.
Who will not own, that the wisdom of _philosophy_, the piety of
_religion_, was always confined to a small number? And is not this
expresly owning, that the _common spirit_ and _temper_ of the world,
is neither according to the wisdom of _philosophy_, nor the piety of
_religion_?
Therefore you should not think it a _hard saying_, that in order to be
_humble_, you must withdraw your obedience from that _vulgar spirit_
which gives laws to _fops_ and _coquets_, and form your judgments
according to the wisdom of _philosophy_, and the piety of _religion_.
12. *Again, to lessen your regard to the opinion of the world, think
how soon the world will disregard you, and have no more thought or
concern about you, than about the _poorest animal_ that died in a
_ditch_.
*Your friends, if they can, may bury you with some distinction, and
set up a monument to let posterity see that your _dust_ lies under
such a _stone_; and when that is done, all is done. Your place is
filled up by another; the world is just in the same state it was; you
are blotted out of its sight, and as much forgotten by the world as if
you had never belonged to it.
*Think upon the _rich_, the _great_, and the _learned_ persons, that
have made great figures, and been high in the esteem of the world;
many of them died in your time, and yet they are sunk, and lost, and
gone, and as much disregarded by the world, as if they had been only
so many _bubbles of water_.
Think again, how many poor souls see heaven lost, and lie now
expecting a miserable eternity, for their homage to a world, that
thinks itself every whit as well without them, and is just as merry
as it was when they were in it.
Is it therefore worth your while to lose the _smallest degree_ of
virtue, for the sake of pleasing so _bad a master_, and so _false a
friend_ as the world is?
Is it worth your while to bow the knee to such an _idol_ as this, that
so soon will have neither _eyes_, nor _ears_, nor a _heart_ to regard
you, instead of serving that great, and holy, and mighty God, that
will make all his servants partakers of his own eternity?
Will you let the fear of a false world, that has no love for you, keep
you from the fear of that God, who has only created you, that he may
love and bless you to all eternity?
13. Consider our blessed Lord’s words, _They are not of this world,
as I am not of this world_. This is the state of Christianity, with
regard to this world. If you are not thus out of, and contrary to the
world, you want the distinguishing mark of Christianity; you don’t
belong to Christ, but by being out of the world as he was out of it.
We may deceive ourselves, if we please, with softening comments
upon these words; but they are and will be understood in their first
simplicity and plainness, by every one that reads them in the same
spirit that our blessed Lord spoke them. And to understand them in any
lower meaning, is to let carnal wisdom explain away that doctrine, by
which itself was to be destroyed.
Christianity has placed us out of, and above the world; and we fall
from our calling, as soon as we fall into the tempers of the world.
Now as it was the spirit of the world that nailed our blessed Lord to
the cross; so every man that has the Spirit of Christ, that opposes
the world as he did, will certainly be crucified by the world some way
or other.
For Christianity still lives in the same world that Christ did; and
these two will be utter enemies, till the kingdom of darkness is
entirely at an end.
Had you lived with our Saviour as his true disciple, you had then been
hated as he was; and if you now live in his Spirit, the world will be
the same enemy to you now, that it was to him then.
14. _If ye were of the world_, saith our blessed Lord, _the world
would love its own; but because ye are not of the world, but I have
chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you_. John
xv. 19.
We are apt to lose the true meaning of these words, by considering
them only as an _historical description_ of something that was the
state of our Saviour and his disciples at that time. But this is
reading the scripture as a _dead letter_: for they as exactly describe
the state of true Christians at this, and all other times, to the end
of the world.
For as _true Christianity_ is nothing else but the Spirit of Christ;
so whether that Spirit appear in the person of Christ himself, or his
apostles, or followers in any age, it is the same thing; whoever hath
his Spirit, will be hated, despised, and condemned by the world, as he
was.
For the world will always love its own, and none but its own: this is
as certain and unchangeable, as the contrariety betwixt _light_ and
_darkness_.
15. You will perhaps say, that the world is now become Christian, at
least that part of it where we live; and therefore the world is not
now to be considered in that state of opposition to Christianity, as
when it was _Heathen_.
*It is granted, the world now professeth Christianity. But will any
one say, that this Christian world is of the Spirit of Christ? Are its
general tempers the tempers of Christ? Are the passions of sensuality,
self-love, pride, covetousness, ambition, and vain-glory, less
contrary to the spirit of the gospel, now they are among Christians,
than when they were among Heathens? Or, will you say, that the tempers
and passions of the Heathen world are lost and gone?
16. And indeed the world, by professing Christianity, is so far
from being a less dangerous enemy than it was before, that it has by
its favours destroyed more Christians, than ever it did by the most
violent persecution.
We must therefore be so far from considering the world as in a state
of less enmity and opposition to Christianity, than it was in the
first times of the gospel, that we must guard against it as a more
dangerous enemy now, than it was in those times.
It is a greater enemy, because it has greater power over Christians by
its favours, riches, honours, rewards, and protections, than it had by
the fire and fury of its persecutions.
It is a more dangerous enemy, by having lost its appearance of enmity.
Its outward profession of Christianity makes it no longer considered
as an enemy; and therefore the generality of people are easily
persuaded to resign themselves up to be governed and directed by it.
How many consciences are kept at quiet, upon no other foundation, but
because they sin under the authority of the Christian world?
How many directions of the gospel lye by unregarded? And how
unconcernedly do particular persons read them, for no other reason,
but because they seem unregarded by the Christian world?
How many compliances do people make to the Christian world, without
any hesitation, or remorse; which, if they had been required of them
only by Heathens, would have been refused, as contrary to the holiness
of Christianity?
Who could be content with seeing how contrary his life is to the
_gospel_, but because he sees that he lives as the Christian world
doth?
17. There is nothing therefore, that a Christian ought more constantly
to guard against, than the authority of the _Christian world_.
And all the passages of scripture, which represent the world as
contrary to Christianity, which require our separation from it, as
from a monster of iniquity, are to be taken in the _strict sense_,
in relation to the present world.
For the change that the world has undergone, has only altered its
methods, but not lessened its power of destroying religion.
Whilst _pride_, _sensuality_, _covetousness_, and _ambition_, had only
the authority of the _Heathen world_, Christians were thereby made
more intent upon the contrary virtues. But when pride, sensuality,
covetousness and ambition, have the authority of the Christian world,
then private Christians are in the utmost danger, not only of being
shamed out of the practice, but of losing the very notion of the piety
of the gospel.
There is therefore hardly any possibility of saving yourself from the
present world, but by considering it as the same _enemy_ to all true
holiness, as it is represented in the scriptures; and by assuring
yourself, that it is as dangerous to conform to its _tempers_ and
_passions_, now it is Christian, as when it was Heathen.
Need a man do more to make his soul unfit for the mercy of God, than
by being _greedy_ and _ambitious_ of honour? Yet how can you renounce
this temper, without renouncing the spirit and temper of the world, in
which you now live?
How can a man be made more incapable of the Spirit of Christ, than
by a _wrong value_ for money; and yet how can he be more wrong in his
value of it, than by following the authority of the Christian world?
*Nay, in every _order_ and _station_ of life, whether of _learning_
or _business_, either in church or state, you cannot act up to the
spirit of religion, without renouncing the most _general temper_
and _behaviour_ of those, who are of the same order and business as
yourself.
*And though _human prudence_ seems to talk mighty wisely about the
necessity of avoiding _particularities_, yet he that dares not be so
_weak_ as to be particular, will be obliged to avoid the most
substantial duties of Christian piety.
These reflections, will, I hope, help you to break through those
difficulties, and resist those temptations, which the authority and
fashion of the world hath raised against the practice of _Christian
humility_.