1. The kinds and degrees of it.
2. Some directions how we may humble ourselves.
3. The motives to move us to it.
4. The notes whereby it may be known.
1. First, for the nature and kinds of it ; we must know that humiliation is either
(1.) Inward, in the mind fii'st of all, and then in the affections; or,
(2.) Outward, in expression of tcords, and likewise in carriage.
(1.) To begin with the first inward humiliation in the mind, in regard of judgment and knowledge, is, when our understandings are convinced, that ire are as ue are; when we are not high-minded, but when we judge meanly and basely of ourselves, both in regard of our beginning and dependency upon God, having all from him, both life, motion, and being ; and also in regard of our end, what we shall be ere long. All glory shall end in the dust, all honour in the grave, and all riches in poverty. And withal, true humiliation is also in regard of spiritual respects, when we judge aright how base and vile we are in regard of our natural corruption, that we are by nature not only guilty of Adam's sin, but that we have, besides that, wrapt ourselves in a thousand more guilts by our sinful course of life, and that we have nothing of our own, no, not power to do the least good thing. When we look upon any vile person, we may see our own image. So that if God had not been gracious unto us, we should have been as bad as they. In a word, inward conviction of om* natural frailty and misery, in regard of the filthy and foul stain of sin in our nature and actions, and of the many guilts of spiritual and temporal plagues in this life and that which is to come, is that inward humiliation in the judgment or understanding.
Again, Inward humiliation, besides spiritual conviction, is ichcn there are affections of humiliation. And what be those? Shame, sorrow, fear, and such like penal afilictive afiections. For, upon a right conviction of the understanding, the soul comes to be stricken with shame that we are in such a case as we are ; especially when we consider God's goodness to us, and our dealing with him. This will breed shame and abasement, as it did in Daniel. Shame and sorrow ever follow sin, first or last, as the apostle demands, Rom. vi. 21, ' What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed ? ' After conviction of judgment there is always shame ; and likewise there is sorrow and grief. For God hath made the inward faculties of the soul so, that upon the apprehension of the under- standing, the heart comes to be stricken through with gi'ief, which works
THE ART OF SELF-HUSIBLING. 47
upon our souls. Therefore we are said in Scripture to afflict ourselves ; that is, when we set ourselves upon meditation of our deserts. Hereupon we cannot but be afiected inwardly, for these sorrows are so many daggers to pierce through the heart.
The third penal affection is, fear and treinhUng before God's judr/meuts and his threateninr/s, a fear of the majesty of God, whom we have offended, which is able to send us to hell if his mercies were not beyond our deserts. But his mercy it is, that we are not consumed. A fear of this great God is a part of this inward humiliation. So we see what inward humiliation is : first, a conviction of the judgment ; and then it proceeds to inward afflic- tive affections, as grief, shame, fear, which, when upon good ground and fit objects, they are wrought in us by the Holy Ghost, they are parts of inward humiliation. But as for the wicked, they drown themselves in their pro- faneness, because they would not be ashamed, nor fear, nor grieve for them. But this makes way for terrible shame, sorrow, and fear afterwards ; for those that will not shame, grieve, ajjd fear here, shall be ashamed before God and his angels at the day of judgment, and shall be tormented in hell for ever.
2. Secondly, His outward humiliation is expressed and manifested in words, in outward behaviour and carriage. The words which he used are not here set down ; but certainly Josiah did speak words when he humbled himself. It was not a dumb show, but done with his outward expression and his inward affection. This is evident by those words of the text, ' I have heard thee also,' saith the Lord. Without doubt, therefore, he did speak something. But because true sorrow cannot speak distinctly, — for a broken soul can speak but broken words, — therefore his words are not here set down, but yet God heard them well enough. And indeed, so it is some- times, that the grief for the affliction may be stronger than the faculty of speech, so that a man cannot speak for grief. As a heathen man, by light of nature, did w^eep and grieve for his friends, but when his child came to be killed before him, he stood like a stone, because his sorrow was so great that it exceeded all expression. So humiliation may so exceed that it cannot be expressed in words ; as David himself, when he was told of his sins by Nathan, did not express all his sorrow, but saith, ' I have sinned ;' yet afterwards, he makes the 51st Psalm, a composed speech for supply, a fit pattern for an humble and broken soul. So doubtless there was outward expression of words in Josiah, although they be not here set down. This speech, which is a part of humiliation, is called a confession of our sins to God ; with it should be joined hatred and grief aftlictive, as also a depre- cation and desire that God would remove the judgment which we have deserved by our sins ; and likewise a justification of God, in what he hath laid or may lay upon us. Lord, thou art righteous and just in all thy judg- ments ; shame and confusion belongeth unto me ;■ my sins have deserved that thou shouldest pour down thy vengeance upon me ; it is thy great mercy that I am not consumed. The good thief upon the cross justified God, saying, ' We are here justly for our deserts ; but this man doth sufler wrongfully,' Luke xxiii. 41. Justification and self-condemnation go with humiliation. This is the outward expression in words. Now the outward humiliation in respect of his carriage, is here directly set down in two acts :