Quest. But here it may be demanded, considering that wdcked men do oftentimes humble themselves, being convinced in their consciences, and thereupon ashamed,
4. How maij ice know lioly from hypocritical humiliation ? which is the last thing I propounded concerning humiliation, namely, the notes and marks whereby we may know true humihation from false, which are these.
Ans. 1. First, IIolij humiUation is voluntary ; for it is a reflected action, * In ' Confessions ' repeatedly. — G.
THE ART OF SELF-HUMBLING.
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■which comes from a man's self. It ends where it begins. Therefore Josiah is said to humble himself. But, on the contrarj^ the humiliation of other men is against their will. False humiliation is not voluntary, but by force it is extorted from them. God is fain to break, crush, and deal hardly with them, which they grieve and murmur at. But the children of God have the Spii'it of God, which is a free Spirit, that sets their hearts at liberty. For God's Spirit is a working Spirit, that works upon their hearts, and hereby they willingly humble themselves, whereas the wicked, wanting this Spirit of God, cannot humble themselves willingly, but are cast down against their wills. For God can pluck down the proudest. He can break Pharaoh's courage, who, though he was humbled, yet he did not humble himself. A man may be humbled, and yet not humble. But the children of God are to humble themselves, not that the grace whereby we humble ourselves is from ourselves ; -but we are said to humble ourselves, when God doth rule the parts he hath given us, when he sets our wits and understanding on work to see our misery, and then our will and aifec- tion to work upon these. Thus we are said to humble ourselves when God works in us. An hypocrite God may humble and work by him. He may work by graceless persons, but he doth not work in them. But God's children have God's Spirit in them, not only working in* them his own works, as he doth by hypocrites and sinful persons, but his Spirit works in them. So that here is the main difference between true humiliation and that which is counterfeit. The one is voluntary, being a reflected action, to work upon and to humble ourselves ; but the other is a forced humiliation.
2. Again, True humiliation is ever joined with reformation. Humble thy- self and walk with thy God, saith the prophet : Micah vi. 8, ' He hath shewed thee, 0 man, what he doth require of thee, to humble thyself, and walk with thy God.' Now the humiliation of wicked men is never joined with reformation. There is no walking with God. Josiah reformed him- self and his people to outward obedience, as much as he could, but he had not their hearts at command.
3. Again, Sin must appear hitter to the soul, else we shall never be truly humbled for it. There is in every renewed soul a secret hatred and loathing of evil, which manifests the soundness both of true humiliation and refor- mation, and is expressed in three things.
(1.) In a serious purpose and resolution not to ofi'end God in the least kind. The drunkard must purpose to leave his drunkenness, and the swearer resolve between God and his own heart, to forsake his base courses, and cry mightily herein for help from above.
(2.) Secondly, There must be a constant endeavour to avoid the occasions and allurements of sin. Thus Job made a covenant with his eyes, that ' he would not look upon a maid,' Job xxxi. 1 ; and thus every unclean and filthy person should make a covenant with themselves against the sins which they are most addicted unto. When they came to serve God, in Hosea, then ' away with idols,' Hosea. xiv 8. So must we, when we look heavenward, cast from us all our sins whatsoever.
(3.) Thirdly, There must be a hatred and loathing of sin in our confes- sions. We must confess it with all the circumstances, the time when, and place where. We must aggravate our ofi"enc9S, as David did : * Against thee have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight ;' Ps. li. 4 ; and as the apostle : * I was a blasphemer, I was a persecutor,' I was thus and thus. He did
* Qu. ' by ' ?— Ed.
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THE ART OF SELF-HUMBLING.
not extenuate bis sin, and sa}', the rulers commanded me so to do ; but, ' I persecuted tbe cburcb' out of tbe wickedness of mine own beart. A true Cbristian will not bide bis sins, but lay tbem open, tbe more to abase bim- self before God. Tbis aggravating of our sins will make tbem more vile unto us, and us more bumble in tbe sigbt of tbem. True reformation of life is ever joined witb an indignation of all sin, tbere is sucb a contrariety iu tbe nature of a cbild of God against all evil.
[1.]* We sbould tberefore first hate sin unirersaJli/ ; not one sin, but every kind of sin, and tbat most of all wbicb most rules in us, and wbicb is most prevalent in our own bearts. A sincere Cbristian bates sin in bimself most. We must not bate tbat in anotber wbicb we cberisb in ourselves.