Prov. xxix. 27, ' A man's pride shall bring him low ;' for it sets God against him, and angels against him, and men against him ; yea, even those that are as proud as himself. It is very observable, that whereas one drunkard loves another, one swearer loves another, and one thief loves another, and one unclean person loves another, &c., yet one proud person cannot endure another, but seeks to undermine him, that he alone may bear the bell, and carry the commendations, the praise, the promotion. It is storied of the Romans, that were the proudest people on the earth, that they reckoned it as a parcel of their praise, that they brought down the proud. All the world, sirs, will not keep up those persons that do not keep down their spirits.^
Proud Valerian, the Roman emperor, fell from being an emperor to be a footstool to Sapor, king of Persia, as oft as he took horse.
Henry the Fourth, emperor, in sixty-two battles, had generally the better, and yet was deposed, and driven to that misery, that he desired only a clerkship in a house at Spira, that himself had built. And oh ! that professors would think of this in these days in which we live. All the world shall not keep up those which do not keep down their own spirits. The very design of God is to stain the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt the honourable of the earth. Therefore now if men in our days shall grow proud and high, under mercies and divine appearances, justice will be above them, and turn their glory into shame, and lay their honour in the dust. If your blood rises with your out- ward good, yovi will certainly fail, and great will be your fall.
(5.) The fifth consideration to provoke us to be humble is this : let us have always our eye fixed upon the example of Jesus Christ, and his humble and loivly carriage.
Christ by his example labours to provoke his disciples to keep humble, and to walk lowly: in John xiii. 4, 5, 12, 13, 14, 15 verses compared. He rises and washes his disciples' feet, &c., and mark what he aims at in that carriage of his, verse 12-14 : 'Know ye what I have done unto you,' saith he ; 'Ye call me Master and Lord, and ye say well, for so I am ; if I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another's feet ; for I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.' I have given you an ex- ample, saith Christ, and I would have you to imitate my example. Example is the most powerful rhetoric ; the highest and noblest example should be very quickening and provoking. Oh ! here you have the o-reatest, the noblest example of humility, that was ever read or heiii'd of. Upon consideration of this great and eminent example of Christ's humility, Guericus, a good man, cried out. Thou hast overcome me, O Lord! thou hast overcome my pride. This example of thine hath mas- tered me. Oh that we could say with this good man. Thou hast over- come, O Lord ! thou hast overcome our proud hearts, by this example thou hast overmastered our lofty spirits.
This example of Christ's Inunility you have further set forth, Philip, ii. 6-8, 'Who being in the form of God,' that is, in the nature and essence of God, being very God, clothed witli divine glory and majesty as God, ' thought it no robbery,' it being his right by nature, ' to be
1 Dionysius, a proud king of Sicily, fell from a king to a schoolmaster. History is full of such instances.
EpH. III. 8.] RICHES OF CHRIST. 33
equal with God.' The Greek words that are rendered, ' he thought it no robbery/ do import, he made it not a matter of triumph or ostenta- tion to be equal with God, it being his right by nature, and therefore the challenging of it could be no usurpation of another's right, of taking to himself that which was not his own. 'He thought it no rob- bery to be equal with God.' The Greek is equals, that is, every way, equal, not a secondary and inferior God, as the Arians would have him. ' But made himself of no reputation,' verse 7. The Greek is ' emptied himself,' that is, he suspended and laid aside his glory and majesty, or dis-robed himself of his glory and dignity, and became a sinner, both by imputation and by reputation, for our sakes.
And verse 8, ' he humbled himself This Sun of righteousness went ten degrees back in the dial of his Father, that he might come to us with healing under his wings. ' And became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.' In these words there is a kind of gradation ; for it is more to become obedient than to humble himself ; and more to yield unto death than to become obedient ; and yet more to be crucified than simply to die ; for it was to submit himself to a most painful, ignominious, and cursed death. ' He became obedient.' That is, saitb Beza, ' to his dying day,' his whole life being nothing but a con- tinual death. ^
I have read of an earl called Eleazarus, that being given to immo- derate anger, was cured of that disordered affection by studying of Christ and his patience ; he still dwelt upon the meditation of Christ and his patience, till he found his heart transformed into the simili- tude of Jesus Christ. And oh ! that you would never leave pondering upon that glorious example of Christ's humility, till your hearts be made humble, like the heart of Christ. Oh ! that that sweet word of Christ, Mat. xi. 29, might stick upon all your hearts, ' Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me ; for I am meek and lowly, and you shall find rest to your souls.'
Bonaventure engraved this sweet saying of our Lord, * Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart,' in his study ; and oh that this saying was engraven upon all your foreheads, upon all your hearts ! Oh that it was engraven upon the dishes you eat in, the cups you drink in, the seats you sit on, the beds you lie on, &c.^
Jerome having read the religious life and death of flilarion, folding up the book, said, Well ! Hilarion shall be the champion whom I will imitate. Oh ! when you look upon this glorious example of Christ, say, The Lord Jesus his example shall be that that my soul shaU imitate.
(6.) Sixthly, consider Humility will free a man from perturbations and distempers.
When there are never such great storms without, humility will cause a calm within. There are a great many storms abroad, and there is nothing will put the soul into a quiet condition but humility. An humble soul saith. Who am I, that I may not be despised ? Who am I,
^ Annot. in loeo, as before. — G-
* It was a good law that the Ephesians made, that men should propound to themselves the best patterns, and ever bear in mind some eminent man.
34 THE UNSEARCHABLE [EPH. III. 8.