Now humiliation, it is either real (or inward), or verbal.
Real humihation indeed, that is, our humbling ourselves by fasting, especially when it is joined with reformation of our wicked ways, or else it is a mockery of God, as it is in Isa. Iviii., ' to hang down the head for a while,' and in the mean time to have a hard heart, to shut up our bowels to our brethren ; but that is a real kind of humiliation, when we think our- selves unworthy of the creatures, of meat or drink, of any refreshing, for this humiliation of fasting is a kind of profession, though we speak not so, that we are unworthy of these things. But all is nothing, without inward humiliation of the soul. Verbal humiliation is in words, as we shall see after in confession ; and it must come from inward humihation of spirit.
Use. Therefore, considering it is here the first disposition of God's people, let us labour to work upon ourselves those considerations that may make us humble. I will name a few.
1. First, To hriug ourselves to the glass of the law. Examine ourselves how short we have been of every commandment.
2. But especially bring ourselves to the gospel. We hope to be saved by Christ ; and have we mourned for our sins ' as one mourneth for his first- born' ? Zech. xii. 10. Our sins have wounded Christ. Have we preferred Christ, in our thoughts, above all the things in the world ? Have they all been dung to us ? Have we had that blessed esteem of the gracious pro- mises of the gospel, and the prerogatives therein set forth, that they have been so precious to us, that we have undervalued all to them, as St Paul did ? A base esteem of the gospel is a great sin : ' How shall Ave escape, if we neglect so great salvation ?' Heb. ii. 3. Put case we be not enemies to the ministry and to hohness of life, expressed in the gospel, as many cursed creatures are ; yet a base esteem and undervaluing in our thoughts is a thing punishable. ' How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salva- tion ? ' Have we walked worthy of the dignity we are called to by the gospel ? Have we carried ourselves so in spiritual things, as to rule our base lusts ? Have we been careful of private prayer, to ofier ourselves to God as priests ? Are we not pressed in St Paul's epistles, ' to carry our- selves worthy of our profession '?' Eph. iv. 1 ; and have we done so ? Let us bring our carriage, and see how proportionable it is to God's advancing of us in these glorious times of the gospel, and this will bring us on our knees.
We are ashamed of a little unkindness to men. But when we consider how unkind we have been to God, that thought not his dear Son, and heaven and happiness, too much for us ; besides other favours, that he protects, and clothes, and feeds us every day, and yet we have not been answerable : these considerations would humble us, proportionable to our carriage to men. Can we be ashamed to ofler an unkindness to men, and are we not ashamed, cannot we be abashed with this, that we have carried
ISG THE church's complaint and confidence.
ourselves so towards God ? It comes from atheism and infidelity of heart, that either \vc believe not these thiu^^s to be good, or else that we have not our i)art and portion in them. Could wo ever be so dead and dull-hearted else ?
3. Again, That we may be humbled, let us call to mind, now in this day of humiliation, tmWapccial sins. We may soon know them. Our consciences and our enemies will upbraid us for them, and we are loath to hear of them above all, either by the ministry or by our friends. We wish, above all, that the preacher would not speak of them, and fret if he do ; and our hearts run upon them above all. So let us search our false hearts, which way they run ; and now, in the day of our abasement, let us think what would lie heaviest on our conscience, if God should take us now with sickness or sudden death. Let us think with ourselves, What is the sin that would atliict me most ? that would stagger me most ? that would shake my faith most '? whether it be filthiness, or profaneness, or swearing, or injustice ; and whether have I made satisfaction or no '? Let me examine, if God should strike me with his arrow now, what sin would rob me of my com- fort, and make me afraid to yield my soul to God ? Now think of it. This is the way to be humbled. You may now bring yourselves to consider of that that at other times you will not give yourselves leisure to do. What are days of fasting for, but to give ourselves leisure, that we may not think of meat, and drink, and business '? These days should be days of rest, that we may think of that which concerns our souls. Take the advantage when thou restest from thinking of other business. Think with thine own soul, what will lie heaviest upon thy soul. This is required to humiliation. This real humiliation that is outward, it is a protestation of the inward ; and verbal humiliation is but an expression of what we do inwardly.