own righteousness, and lives ujjon the righteousness of another, toivit, tlte Lord Jesus. So the apostle, Philip, iil 8-10, overlooks his own righteousness, and lives wholly upon the righteousness of Christ : ' I desire to be found in him,' saith he, ' not having mine own righteous- ness.' Away with it, it is dross, it is dung, it is dog's meat ! It is a rotten righteousness, an imperfect righteousness, a weak righteousness, ' which is of the law ; but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith,'^ that is a spotless righteous- ness, a pure righteousness, a complete righteousness, an incomparable righteousness ; and, therefore, an humble sovil overlooks his own right- eousness, and lives upon Christ's righteousness. Remember this, all the sighing, mourning, sobbing, and complaining in the world, doth not so undeniably evidence a man to be humble, as his overlooking his own righteousness, and living really and purely upon the righteousness of Christ. This is the greatest demonstration of humility that can be shewn by man, Mat. vi. 8. Men may do much, hear much, pray much, fast much, and give much, &c., and yet be as proud as Lucifer, as you may see in the Scribes, Pharisees, Mat. xxiii., and those in Isa. Iviii. 3, who in the pride of their hearts made an idol of their own righteous- ness : ' Wherefore have we fasted,' say they, ' and thou seest it not ? wherefore have we afflicted our souls, and thou takest no knowledge ?' Oh ! but for a man now to trample upon his own righteousness, and to live wholly upon the righteousness of another, this speaks out a man to be humble indeed. There is nothing that the heart of man stands more averse to than this, of cominsf otf from his own righteousness. Man is a creature apt to warm himself with the sparks of his own fire, though he doth lie down for it in eternal sorrow, Isa. L 11. Man is naturally prone to go about to establish his own righteousness, that he might not subject to the righteousness of Christ ; he will labour as for life, to lift up his own righteousness, and to make a saviour of it, Rom. x. 4. Ay, but an humble soul disclaims his own righteousness : ' All our right- eousness is as filthy rags.' ' Enter not into judgment with thy servant, for in thy sight shall no man living be justified,' Ps. cxliii. 2. So Job, ' Though I were righteous, yet I would not answer, but I would make supplication to my judge,' Job ix. 15. Proud Pharisees bless themselves in their own righteousness : ' I thank God I am not as this publican ; I fast twice in the week,' &c., Luke xviii. 11, 12. Ay, but now a soul truly humbled blushes to see his own righteousness, and glories in this, that he has the righteousness of Christ to live upon.* Rev. iv. 10, 11, the twenty-four elders throw down their crowns at the feet of Christ. By their crowns you may understand their gifts, their excellencies, their righteousness ; they throw down these before Christ's throne, to note to us, that they did not put confidence in them, and that Christ was the crown of crowns and the top of all their royalty and glory. An humble soul looks upon Christ's righteousness as his only crown.
[3] Thirdly, The lowest and the meanest good work is not helow an hwnihle soul. An humble David will dance before the ark : he enjoyed
' YcT. 8, (TKiCxKa, dogs' meat : j. e. coarse and contemptible, Isa. Ixiv. G ; Cant. iv. 2 ; Rev. xiv. 5 ; Col. ii. 10.
* A proud heart eyes more his seeming worth than his real want. Nondecet Chriatia- num in hac vita coronari, said the Christian soldier.
EpH. III. 8.] KICHES OF CHRIST. 13
SO much of God in it, that it caused him to leap and dance before it ; but Michal his wife despised him for a fool, and counted him as a simple vain fellow, looking upon his carriage as vain and light, and not becom- ing the might, majesty, and glory of so glorious a prince. Well ! says this humble soul, if this be to be vile, I will be more vile.
Great Paul, yet being humble and low in his own eyes, he can stoop to do service to the least and meanest saint. 1 Cor. ix. 19-21, 'For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain tlie Jews. To them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law. To them that are without law, as without law, being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ, that I might gain them that are without law. To the weak, became 1 as weak, that I might gain the weak. I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means gain some.'' Here you have an humble soul bowing and stooping to the meanest saint, and the lowest services, that he might win souls. So the Lord Jesus himself was famous in this, John xiii. 4. Though he was the Lord of glory, and one that thought it no robbery to be equal with God, one that had all perfection and fulness in himself, yet the lowest work is not below this King of kings. Witness his washing his dis- ciples' feet and wiping them with a towel, 1 Cor. ii. 8 ; Philip ii 6 • Col. i. 1.9.
Bonaventure, though he was born of great parentage, and a great scholar, yet to keep his mind from swelling, he would often sweep rooms, wash vessels, and make beds.
So that famous Italian marquess,2 when God was pleased by the ministry of his word to convert him, the lowest work was not below him. Though he might have lived like a king in his own country, yet ha\'ing tasted of that life and sweet that was in Jesus, he was so humble that he would go to market, and carry home the meanest and the poorest thino-s the market yielded. There was nothing below him, when God had changed him, and humbled him."
It was recorded to the glory of some ancient generals, that they were able to call every common soldier by his own name, and were careful to provide money, not only for their captains and soldiers, but litter also for the meanest beast.* There is not the lowest good that is below the humble soul. If the work be good, though never so low, humility will put a hand to it ; so will not pride.
^ Ver. 19. y.i^r,<Tu signifies to gain with joy and deliglit of heart. Ah, says Paul, it is my greatest joy, my greatest delight, to gain souls to Christ. The word also signifies craft, or guile Ah ! humble Paul will use a holy craft, a holy guile, to win souls. To know the art of alms is greater than to be crowned with the diadem of kings, and yet to convert one soul is greater than to pour out ten thousand talents into the Ijaskets of the poor. — CJirysostom.
2 Galeacius Carraciolus, as before. Cf. Sibbes, vol. i. pp 184, 289, seq. — G.
' Proud hearts cannot stoop to low services ; they say this work and that is below their parts, place, parentage, and employments.