[6.] A sixth property of an humble soul is this. He judges himself to be belovj the ivrath and judgments of God!^ An humble soul looks upon himself as one not worthy that God should spend a rod upon him, in order to his reformation, edification, or salvation. As I am unworthy, saith an humble soul, that God should smile upon me, so I am unworthy that he should spend a frown upon me. Job xiii. 25, 'Wilt thou break a leaf driven to and fro ? And wilt thou pursue the dry stubble ?' Why, I am but a leaf, I am but a little dry stubble, I am below thy wrath ; I am so very, very bad, that I wonder that thou shouldst so much as spend a rod upon me. What more weak, worthless, slight, and con- temptible than a leaf, than dry stubble ? Why, Lord, says Job, I am a poor, weak, and worthless creature, I wonder that thou shouldst take any pains to do me good, I can't but count and call everything a mercv that is less than hell.
So David, in 1 Sam. xxiv. 14, 'After whom is the King of Israel come
^ Plenitudo ahundaniice and plenitudo redundantim. Omne honum in summo bono, all good is in the chiefest good. Christ is quicquid ajjpetibile, as Ori,u;en speaks, whatever we can desire.
* A proud heart resists, and is resisted : this is dura durum, flint to flint, fire to fire. An humble soul blesses God as well for crosses as mercies, as well for adversity as for prosperity, as well for frowns as for smiles, &c., because he judges himself unworthy of the least rebukes from God.
16 THE UNSEARCHABLE [EPH. III. 8.
out ? After whom dost thou pursue ? After a dead dog, after a flea.' The lano-uage of an humble soul, when God begins to be angry, is this : Lord, I can bless thee that thou wilt take any pains with me ; but I humbly acknowledge that I am below the least rod, I am not worthy that thou shouldst frown upon me, threaten me, strike me, or whip me, for my internal and eternal good. But proud hearts think themselves wronged when they are afflicted, they cry out with Cain, ' Our punish- ment is greater than we can bear,' Gen. iv. 13.
[7.] A seventh property of an humble soul is this, An humble soul doth highly fnze the least of Christ. The least smile, the least good w^ord, the least good look, the least truth, the least mercy, is highly valued by an humble soul.
Tlie Canaanitish woman in the fifteenth of Matthew sets a high price upon a crumb of mercy.^ Ah, Lord, says the humble soul, if I may not have a loaf of mercy, give me a piece of mercy ; if not a piece of mercy, give me a crumb of mercy. If I may not have sun-light, let me have moon-light; if not moon-light, let me have star-light; if not star-light, let me have candle-light; and for that I will bless thee.
In the time of the law, the meanest things that were consecrated were very highl}^ prized, as leather or wood, that was in the tabernacle. An humble soul looks upon all the things of God as consecrated things. Every truth of God is a consecrated truth ; it is consecrated to holy use, and this causes the soul highly to prize it; and so every smile of God, and every discovery of God, and every drop of mercy from God, is very highly prized by a soul that walks humbly with God. The name of Christ, the voice of Christ, the footsteps of Christ, the least touch of the garment of Christ, the least-regarded truth of Christ, the meanest and least-regarded among the flock of Christ, is highly prized by humble souls that are interested in Christ, Song i. 3; John x. 4, 5; Ps. xxvii. 4; Mat. ix. 20, 21; Acts xxiv. 14; 1 Cor. ix. 22. An humble soul cannot, an humble soul dares not, call anything little that has Christ in it ; neither can an humble soul call or count anything great wherein he sees not Christ, w^herein he enjoys not Christ.* An humble soul highly prizes the least nod, the least love-token, the least courtesy from Christ; but proud hearts count great mercies small mercies, and small mercies no mercies ; yea, pride does so unman them, that they often call mercy misery, &c.
[8.] The eighth property of an humble soul is this. It can never he good enough, it can never irray enough, nor hear enaitgh, nor mourn enough, nor believe enough, nor love enough, nor fear enough, nor joy enough, nor reiient enough, nor loathe sin enough, nor be humble enough, &c.
Humble Paul looks upon his great all as nothing at all; he forgets those things that are behind, and reaches forth to those things which are before, ' that if by any means lie might attain unto the resurrection of the dead,' Philip, iii. 11-14 ; that is, that perfection of holiness which
' Ver. 27. Faith will pick an argument out of a repulse, and turn d scouragem snts into encouragements. Lutlier would not take all the world for oue leaf of the liibie ; such a price he set ujton it, from tho sweet that he found in it.
* Austin loved TuUy before his conversion, but not so much after, quia nomen Jesu non eral iii, because the name of Christ was not there. [Confessions, b. lii., iv. 7- — G.]
EpH. III. 8.] RICHES OF CHRIST. 17
the dead shall attain unto in the morning of the resurrection, by a metonymy of the subject for the adjunct.'