I 5. If we would humble ourselves, let us set before us the example of our blessed Saviour ; for we must be conformable to him, by whom we hope to be saved. He left heaven, took our base nature, and humbled himself to the death of the cross, yea, to the washing of his disciples' feet, and among the rest, washed Judas's feet, and so suffered himself to be killed as a traitor, Philip, ii. 5-7 ; and all this to satisfy the wrath of God for us, and * Cf. Augustine in references and quotations of note y, Vol. III. p. 531. — G.
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50 THE ART OF SELF-HUMBLING.
that he mij^ht be a pattern for us to be like-minded. Therefore, if we would humble ourselves by pattern, here is a pattern without all exccjition. Let us be transformed into the likeness of him ; }X'a, the more we think of him, the more we shall be humbled. For it is impossible for a man to dwell upon this meditation of Christ in humility, and with faith to apply it to himself, that he is his particular Saviour, but this faith will abase the heart, and bring it to be like Christ in all spiritual representation. A heart that believeth in Christ will be humbled like Christ. It will be turned from all fleshly conceit of excellency, to be like him. Is it possible, if a man consider he is to be saved by an abased and humble Saviour, that was pliable to every base service, that had not a house to hide himself ; I say, is it possible that he which considers of this, should ever be willingly or wilfully proud ? Do we hope to be saved by Christ, and will we not be like him ? When we were firebrands of hell, he humbled himself to the death of the cross, left heaven and happiness a- while, and took our shame, to be a pattern to us. We know that Christ was brought into the world by a humble virgin. So the heart wherein he dwells must be an humble heart. If we have true faith in Christ, it will cast us down, and make us to be humbled. For it is impossible that a man should have faith to chal- lenge any part in Christ, except he be conformed to the image of Christ in humility. Therefore let us take counsel of Christ : * Learn of me, for I am humble and meek ; and so you shall find rest to your souls,' Mat. xi. 29.
Lastly, That we may humble ourselves, let vs ivork iqwn our own souls hy reasoniiif/, discoursiiif/, and spcakiiif/ to our own hearts. For the soul hath a faculty to work upon itself. Now this, being a reflected action, to humble ourselves, it must be done by some inward action ; and what is that ? To discourse thus : If so be a prince should but frown upon me when I have offended his law, in what case should I be ! Yet, when the great God of heaven threatens, what an atheistical unbelieving heart have I, that can be moved at the threatenings of a mortal man, that is but dust and ashes, and yet cannot be moved with the threatenings of the great God ! Consider also, if a man had been so kind and bountiful to me, if I should reward his kindness with unkindness, I should have been ashamed, and have covered my face with shame ; and yet how unkind have I been unto God, that hath been so kind to me, and 3-et I never a whit ashamed ! If a friend should have come to me, and I have given him no entertainment, what a shame were this ! But yet how often hath the Holy Ghost knocked at the door of my heart, and suggested inany holy motions into me of mortification, repentance, and newness of life, yet notwithstanding I have given him the repulse, opposed the outward means of gi'ace, and have thought myself un- worthy of it ; what a shame is this !
Thus, if we compare our carriage in earthly things with our carriage in heavenly, this will be a means to work upon our hearts, inwardly to humble ourselves. Thus was David abased ; for when Nathan came and told him of a rich man, who having many sheep, spared his own and took away a poor man's, which was all that he had ; when David considered that he had so dealt with Uriah, he was dejected and ashamed of his own courses. Let us labour to work our hearts to humility, into true sorrow, shame, true fear, that so we may have God to pity and respect us, who only doth regard a humble soul. Thus we have seen some directions how we may come to humble ourselves.
Further, There is an order, method, and agreement in these reflected actions, when we turn the edge of our own souls upon ourselves and
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examine ourselves ; for the way that leads to rest is by the examination of ourselves. We must examine ourselves strictly, and then bring ourselves before God, judge and condemn ourselves ; for humiliation is a kind of execution. Examination leads to all the rest. So, then, this is the order of our actions ; there is examination of ourselves strictly before God, then indicting ourselves, after that comes judging of ourselves.