[7.] Seventhly, Keep humble, and lualk humbly loith your God, Micah vi. 8 ; Ps. xxv. 9. The highest heavens and the lowest hearts, are the habitation of God's glorious presence: Isa. Ivii. 15, ' For saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, wliose name is Holy ; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the liumble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.' He that would in good earnest enjoy the gracious presence of God with him in his great troubles, deep distresses, and most deadly dangers, he must keep humble, and walk humbly with his God. God will keep house with none but humble souls. There are none that feel so great a need of the divine presence as humble souls, there are none that so prize the divine presence as humble souls, there are none that so love the divine presence, and that are so enamoured with the divine presence as humble souls, there are none that so thirst and long for much of the divine presence as humble souls, there are none that so lament and bewail the loss of the divine presence as humble souls, there are none that make such a singular and thorough improvement of the divine presence as humble souls; and therefore no wonder that of all the men in the world God singles out the humble Christian, to make his heart the habitation where his honour delights to dwell. Abraham is but dust and ashes in his own eyes, Gen. xviii. 27 ; and what man on earth had ever more of the divine presence of God with him than he ? Gen xv. 12-19, xvii. 1-10, and xviii. 17-19, &c. Jacob was less than the least of all mercies in his own eyes. Gen. xxxii. 10 ; and he had a mighty presence of God with him, Gen. xxxii. 24-31, &c. David in his own eyes was but a worm and no man, Ps. xxii. 6. The word in the original, tolagnath, signifieth a very little worm , which breedeth in scarlet. It is so little, that no man can hardly see it or perceive it ; and yet what a mighty presence of God had David with him in the many battles he fought, and in tlie many dano-ers he was in, and in the many miraculous deliverances he had ! See them all summed up in that 18th Psalm. It is his triumphant sono- after many victories won, deliverances vouchsafed, and mercies obtained ; and therefore worthy of frequent perusal. Paul was the least of all saints in his own eyes ; yea, he was less than the least of
586 THE SIGNAL PRESENCE OF GOD
all saints, Eph. iii. 8, iXu^x^Larorepo). This is a double diminutive, and signifies ' lesser than the least/ if lesser might be. Here you have the greatest apostle descending down to the lowest step of humility, 1 Cor. XV, 8, iv. 9 ; 1 Tim. i. 15. Great Paul is least of saints, least of the apostles, and greatest of sinners in his own eyes, and never had any mortal more of the gi'acious presence of God with him in all his ser- vices and in all his sufferings, in all his afflictions and in all liis temp- tations, in all his trials and in all his troubles, which were many and gi-eat. See Acts xvi. 23-25, xxiii. 10, 11, xxvii. 23-25 ; 2 Cor. i. 8-10, iv. 8-11, vii. 4-7, xi. 21, seq., xii. 7-10. Is your condition low, then let your hearts be low. He that is little in his own account, is great in God's esteem, and shall be sure to enjoy most of his presence. God can dwell, God will dwell with none but those that are lowly in heart ; and therefore as ever you would enjoy the signal presence of God with you in your greatest troubles and deepest distresses, be sure you walk humbly with your God. Many may talk much of God, and many may profess much of God, and many may boast much of God ; but he only enjoys much of God who makes conscience of walking humbly with God. But,
[8.] Eighthly, and lastly, If you would enjoy the signal presence of God with you in your greatest troubles, deepest distresses, and most deadly dangers, then labour ever?/ day more and more after greater measures of holiness. The more holiness you reach to, the more you shall have of the presence of a holy God with you in all your straits and trials. 1^ If the Scriptures be narrowly searched, you will find that men of the greatest measures and degrees of holiness have always enjoyed the greatest measures of the divine presence : witness Enoch, Gen. V. 24 ; Noah, Gen. vi. 8, 9, 17, 18. So Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Job, David, Daniel, John, Paul, &c. They were all famous for holi- ness ; and accordingly they had a famous presence of God with them, as hath been shewed in part, and might more fully have been dis- covered, but that the press calls upon me to hasten to a conclusion ; and therefore I shall now but hint at things. Consider,
[1.] First, That the more holy any person is, the more excellent that person is. All corruptions are diminutions of excellency. The more mixed anything is, the more abased it is. The more you mix your wine with water, the more you abase your wine ; and the more you mix your gold with tin, the more you abase your gold : but the purer your wine is, the richer and better your wine is ; and the purer yoiu- gold is, the more glorious and excellent it is. So the purer and holier any person is, the more excellent and glorious that person is. Now the more divinely excellent and glorious any person is, the more he is beloved of God, Dan. ix. 23 ; and the more he is the delight of God, and the more he shall have of the presence of God. Consider,
[2.] Secondly, The more holy any person is, the more that person pleases the Lord. Fruitfulness in holiness fills heaven with joy. The husbandman is not so much pleased with the fruitfulness of his fields, nor the wife with the fruitfulness of her womb, as God is
^ Poader upon these scriptures, Isa. Iviii. S-11; 2 Cor. vi. 16-18, and vii. 1 ; Dcut. xxiiL 13, IL
WITH HIS PEOPLE IN THEIR GREATEST TROUBLES. 587