4. By frequent commerce with God they know more of God, and so more of themselves. A godly man hath much to do with that majesty and perfection which continually aweth him, and keepeth him humble: Job xlii. 5, 6, ' I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear ; but now my eye seeth thee : wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.' When he had an apparition of God, it affected him more than all the hearsay knowledge which he had of God before. We see our wants in God's fulness ; the ocean maketh us ashamed of our drop. We see our vileness in God's majesty ; what is the balance- dust to the great mountain, our impurity and sinfulness to God's holiness, our nothingness to his all-sufficiency ? All the creatures are nothing but what God maketh them, and continueth them to be every moment. In his supremacy and dominion we see the right that he hath in us to command us as he pleaseth, and so may condemn ourselves for our non-subjection to him. In his beneficence and goodness, we understand more of our obligation to him : the more we think of his majesty and greatness, every service we perform seemeth low and mean ; we cannot satisfy ourselves in it, as being much beneath the greatness of God. Certainly sin is more grievous to every one that hath seen God, 3 John 11. Elijah wrapped his face in a mantle when God's glory passed before him, 1 Kings xix. 13 , and Isaiah crieth out, ' Woe is me, for I am undone ; I am a man of polluted lips, and I dwell among a people of polluted lips,' Isa. vi. 5. The more large and comprehensive thoughts we have of God, the more shall we humble ourselves for our own imperfection.
5. Their estate being changed, their work is now to look to the degree. You know, besides the gate in Christianity, there is the way. If you have entered the gate, you must see that you walk in the way. Besides making covenant with God, there is keeping covenant with God: Ps. xxv. 10, ' All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth, unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies ; ' Ps. ciii. 18, ' To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments
92 SERMONS UPON PHILIPPIANS III. [SeR. X.
to do them.' Well, then, though we may be comforted that we have entered into covenant with God, yet in keeping covenant we are con- scious to many failings, and the covenant is not fully kept till life be ended. All is not done when men have begun a religious life. Many fall off who seemed to have good beginnings. It is one thing to be planted into Christ, another to bring forth fruit with patience. K there were more close walking, the holy life would be a feast and pleasure to us, but by our weaknesses and infirmities we often interrupt the comfort of it. Now good men are troubled that they walk with no more accurateness and resolvedness in the narrow way ; that though they have consented to the covenant, yet they do so weakly fulfil their covenant vow ; that though married to Christ, they bring forth no more glory to God ; that their course doth no more suit with their choice ; at least while their pilgrimage is continued, they see a need of constant caution and solicitude.
Use 1. To teach us that growth in grace, and an increase of humility, or a low esteem of ourselves do usually go together. The laden boughs do most hang their heads, and the sun at the highest casts the least shadow. The conceited seem to have more grace than the real christian, but have indeed less ; as swollen flesh is to appearance bigger and stronger, but it is not sound ; it is their humour, not their growth. Most men are too great and too good in their own eyes. Self-love representeth ourselves to ourselves in a false shape and feigned likeness, much more wise, and holy, and righteous than we are. Whereas the most serious, and they that most mind their business, humble themselves even to the dust ; as Agur did : Prov. xxx. 2, ' Surely I am more brutish than any man, I have not the understanding of a man.' And Paul calleth himself ' the least of the apostles,' 1 Cor. xv. 9 ; the least of saints, Eph. iii. 8, ' Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints.' The chiefest of sinners, 1 Tim. i. 15, ' Of whom I am the chief.' Oh what a difference is there between them and the carnal professor ! They loathe other men's sins rather than their own, extenuate other men's gifts and graces, and extol and cry up their own ; but true humility sits in the dust as in its own proper place. Only here is a doubt : How can God's children say so in truth ? For we must not lie for humility's sake ; that is to personate and act a part. There is a threefold judg- ment, of verity, charity, and sense. First, the judgment of verity is exact. So we are to search and try ourselves to the uttermost, to pry into all the aggravating circumstances : 2 Cor. xiii. 5, ' Examine your- selves whether you be in the faith ; prove your own selves : know ye not your own selves, how that Christ is in you, except you be reprobates ? ' Out of a sense of their obligation to God, and deep displeasure against sin ; none can charge others as the godly will charge themselves. Secondly, there is a judgment of charity, which ' hopeth all things,' as long as possibly it can, 1 Cor. xiii. 7. Charity teacheth us to hope the best of others, for it is a favourable judgment. They may be better than we know, or they may have more to excuse them than we know of, as being more violently tempted, or have not such means to prevent sin. Certainly, charity forbiddeth us to pry into or aggravate their failings ' For love covereth a multitude of sins,' Prov. x. 12. And, thirdly, there is^the judgment of sense and experience. We are con-