3. It implieth s^:)ecially reverence in worship, and that we be deeply sensible of our unworthiness to approach his holy presence. Surely we have not a due sense of the excellency of God, unless we
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debase ourselves before him. It is said, Lev, x. 3, ' That God will be sanctified in all that draw nigh unto him.' God is sanctified when we carry ourselves humbly, holily, and uprightly in his sight ; when we set him apart from common things, going about his worship with another kind of heart than we do go about our ordinary business. So Ps. xcv, 6, ' Oh ! come let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord our maker,' Here we come iu the lowliest manner, to express the sincere humility of our souls, as sensible of our great dis- tance from God, and his superiority over us. God's love doth not abase his majesty : Ps. Ixxxix. 7, ' God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and had in reverence of them that are round about him.' Our thoughts should be taken up with the greatness of his power, excellency, and maje.sty, that he may not only be loved, but feared by us, and our praise and humble adoration may be made up of both.
4. A constant dependence on him, and a looking for all from him that we stand in need of in the course of our obedience, that we may live in him, and live to him, and continually receive a supply of strength from him : Gal. ii. 20, ' I live, yet not I,' &c. ; and Phil. ii. 12. 13, Spiritual life would be at a stand unless God did strengthen and enable. The humble soul is sensible of his utter insufficiency, 2 Cor. iii. 5, therefore liveth in and upon Christ, hath no life but from him, no access to God but by him ; he is daily receiving from Christ, John xv. 5. They live in him as members in their head, as branches in their root ; need him not only for a turn, but for their very subsistence. The stock is not in our hands, but in his,
5. A modest sense of their own vileuess and nothingness. Humility, properly and strictly taken, is a mean esteem of ourselves. In their course of walking with God, the best see enough to humble them ; it is because they are best acquainted with themselves, they think none so bad as themselves. Thus Paul, 1 Tim. i, 15, counts him- self 7rpcoTo<; d/xaprcoXwv, ' the chiefest of sinners,' and ' less than the least of all saints,' eXa'^LaroTepo';, Eph. iii. 8. So Agur : Prov. xxx. 2, ' I am more brutish than any man.' They have such dull thoughts of God, such an aversion from holy things, their meditations are so strange and backward as to the life to come, that they think there can hardly be such unthankful creatures in the world. A good christian hateth himself for the imperfectness of his obedience to God, more than hypocrites do for reigning sin. No question but ' the righteous is more excellent than his neighbour.' But you will say, How then can he speak this in truth ? I answer — They have more light and love, therefore none value themselves at a lower rate than they do ; and they know more evil of themselves than possibly they can know by another ; they have an intimate sight of their own sins, but a remote view of the sins of others. Guilt checketh a mis- trust of others, but uprightness condemneth ourselves. A man grievously sick feeleth his own pain, and can but guess at the pain of another. The sincere heart is conscious to such defects in his love to God, such slightness in his service, such cold thoughts of happi- ness to come, such unreadiness in his duty, such non-proficiency under his advantages and the means he enjoy eth, and experienceth such
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reluctances and oppositions of the carnal nature against anything that is good, that he thinketh none can be as bad as himself. As their spiritual life increaseth, so doth their sense of what is an annoyance to it ; but the heartless hypocrite is vaunting and boasting : ' God, I thank thee I am not as other men,' Luke xviii. 11. Now, concern- ing this humility, I observe four things —
[1.] It is spoken of them that are supposed to do justice and love mercy , they walk humbly with God. Some are altogether destitute of goodness, have no real w^orth wherein to pride themselves. Humi- lity doth not imply a w^ant of grace, but an humble sense of the imperfections which are mingled with the grace that we have ; and doth not only become the downright sinner, but the choicest ser- vants of God : Luke xvii. 10, ' Wlien you shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants.' Many speak against resting in their own duties when they have done nothing for God therein. Humility is when we have done all. To use this plea, when done nothing, is to harden ourselves in the neglect of duty. They that have done nothing are cast out as unprofitable servants, Mat. xxv. But when done our utmost, then to humble our- selves is most proper and commendable, and tendeth most to the glory of God and our own self-abasement.