13o Chap.ç. Of Humility andPride, &c. Comm. r, we muftbe altogether emptied, before his Grace can fill us.' And thus much for the nature of Humility. Now for thecommand and prohibition : and firft for the com- mand' the affirmative part. The 'thing herecommanded is the making our felves kw in oñr own,Eyes, sod it is defined tobe an opinion or conceit of a man proceeding out of true knowledge of himfelf, whereby a man is vile in his own Judgment. And to be madethus low it hath this priviledge, that we cannot fall lower, qui jacet interr,eminhabetundecadat. Rife t may, but tower it catino fall, for there.s nothing under it. A man that stands may fall, iiflat videat ne cadar; he that fisnds let him take heed left he fall, but he that thus humbleth himfelf is our of this rule. The t Cor. so. ts. ufual phrafes of theHoly Ghoft againft the high minded are crating down, hewing down, cutting down, but the humble that hath cart himfelf down already, fearerh not Gods carting him down, for he hath done it already, and his next hope is of exaltation : and this is a farther priviledge this humiliation hash, that God hash madea promife of exaltation to this verrue. He that humbleth himfelf fhall be ex- alted. As God in the beginning made all things of nothing, fo he keepeth that Luke' rç, ii. courfeRill; to make high the things that are low, and humility the way to ex- altation. In this Humiliation there are three things included. t. it muff not be only a bare bareconceit of our felves and our nature, which goes no farther than the Brain, the objeft whereof isthe Majeayof God, but there mull be alfo humilitna corks, the humbling of the Heart, we muff be Chrifts difci- ples in this, meek and lowly in Heart," we muA affume nothing to our felves, nor de- Syyar, r.r, z9, fireany glory, but that God may have all : and fay with the prodigal Son, that we are not worthy tobe called Soria, the degree of a hired Servant will be fufficient Luke :5./9. forus. z. Secondly, our appetitemull be fubdued and reftrained, andbe proportionable to the gifts which God'hath endowed uswithall. And this is againft the common pia_ Etife of the World, wheremen afpireand account themfelves worthy of higher de- grees than theydeferve: and as St. Bernard faith, quod adepti rant nummrs, meriti attribuere, what preferment they buy for Money; they afcribe to their deferts. King David is a pattern for us in thispoint. Domine, non eftcxaltatumcot-meum, &c. Lord, rral, rm:, r, my Heart is not haughty, nor mine Eyes lofty, nor do l cxercifemÿ felt in great mat- ters, or in things toohigh for me. But this is more proper to another place. 3. The third is, to thinkbetter of others mens abili ies than our own, andnot vilile that which we fee in others, and extol that which we think we have in our felves, which is far from humility. But we are to follow the Apoftles counfel ; In lowlineffe of minde let all efteemof others better than themfelves. And this point alto will Phil, s, 3, fit another place better. r. Concerning the -firf of thefe which is proper to this comandment, as our hu. militymuft be hearty not fuperficial,, fo it muff be of continuance; as fear is thebe- ginning and end of the Commandments; fo there muffbe humility in the beginning, and humility to perfeft all. For the6rft, Godofed never to work any excellent thing by any, but did firff prepare him byhumility. As 7efeph was firf fold to the Iß»sae- liresandthen toPotiphar, beforehe came to his place of honour. And Alojes was forty years in Egypt, and forty years after that in .lidian, before thofe excellent thingsand wonderswere wrought by him. The like we readof David and others. And this is, aparseante, this goes before exaltation atid deliverance, both in this life, and that to come, to make as more fenfible of our future condition, and endear the mercy of God therein to us. z. The other is aparrs poll. Our humilitymuff continue to the end, as fear is con- tinual, fo muff humility be: elfe it will befall us, as it did Noah, who was byhis fear preferved in the midff of a wicked generation from the general deluge ; but the food crating, and he growing carelefs and deftitute of his former humility and fear, fell fo grofsly; that he was a fcora to hisown Son. So Lot, as long as he was in Sealant, and humbled bydanger,, he kept himfelf in the fear of the Lord ; but being high in mind in the Mountain, where he thought himfelf fafe from danger, he committed in- ceft with both his Daughters. The like may be laid of King David, whobeing humbled by Souls perfecutiort, kept himfelf in the fearof God ; but coming to men,
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