Page images
PDF
EPUB

the lowest service to the meanest saint. John xiii. 5. Humility can feed upon the meanest dish, and yet it is maintained by the choicest delicacies, as God, Christ, and glory. Humility will make a man bless him that curses him, and pray for those that persecute him. An humble heart is an habitation for God, a scholar for Christ, a companion of angels, a preserver of grace, and a meetness for glory. Humility is the nurse of our graces, the preserver of our mercies, and the great promoter of holy duties. There are three things humility cannot find on this side heaven; it cannot find fulness in the creature, nor sweetness in sin, nor life in an ordinance without Christ. And there are three things an humble man always finds on this side heaven: an empty soul, a full Christ, and every mercy and duty sweet, wherein God is enjoyed. Humility can weep over other men's weaknesses, and joy and rejoice over their graces. 1 Thess. i. 2, 3. Humility will make a man quiet and contented in the meanest condition, and keep him from envying other men's prosperity. Humility honours those that are strong in grace, and puts two hands under those that are weak. Eph. iii. 8. Humility makes a man richer than other men, and teaches him to judge himself the poorest among men.* Humility will see much

[ocr errors]

The humble soul is like the violet, which grows low, hangs the head downwards, and hides itself with its own

good abroad, when it can see but little at home. Ah Christians! though faith be the champion, and love the nurse of grace, yet humility is its beautifier; it casts a general glory upon all the graces in the soul. Did Christians more abound in humility, they would be less bitter and froward, and more gentle and meek, in their spirits and practices. Humility will make a man have high thoughts of others, and low thoughts of himself; it will make him see much glory and excellency in others, and much baseness and sinfulness in himself. I judge, (saith an humble soul,) it is well with these Christians now, but it will be far better with them hereafter.

[ocr errors]

They

are now upon the borders of the New Jerusalem, and it will be but as a day before they slide into it. An humble person is more willing, publicly to claim God, heaven, Christ, and every newcovenant blessing, for other gracious persons than for himself. Were Christians more humble, there would be less unhallowed fire, and more love among them, than there now is.

leaves and were it not that the fragrant smell of his many virtues discovered him to the world, he would choose to live and die in his self-conceited secrecy.

CHAPTER V.

As Satan hath his Device to destroy gracious souls, so he hath his Devices to destroy poor ignorant souls, and that sometimes,

BY causing them to affect ignorance, and to neglect and despise the means of knowledge. Ignorance is the mother of mistakes, the cause of trouble and error; it is the highway to hell, and makes a man both a prisoner and a slave to the devil at once. Ignorance robs man of his dignity, and makes him a beast, yea, more miserable than the beasts that perish. There are none so easily, nor so frequently taken in Satan's snares, as ignorant persons; such are easily drawn to dance with the devil all day, and to dream of supping with Christ at night.-Now the remedies against this device are these :

Remedy 1. Against this device of Satan, seriously consider, that an ignorant heart is an evil one. Without knowledge the mind is not good,' Prov. xix. 2. It is a heart in the dark, and no good can come into such a heart, but it must pass through the understanding: And if the eye be dark, all the the body is dark,' Mat. vi. 22. A leprous head and a leprous heart are inseparable companions. Ignorant hearts are

да

so evil, and they let fly on all hands, and spare not to spit their venom in the very face of God, as Pharaoh did, when thick darkness was upon him.

Rem. 2. Consider, that as blindness is the deformity of the face, so ignorance is the deformity of the soul. As the want of bodily eyes spoils the beauty of the face, so the want of spiritual eyes spoils the beauty of the soul. A man without knowledge, is as a workman without hands, as a painter without eyes, as a traveller without legs, as a ship without sails, as a bird without wings, or as a body without a soul.

Rem. 3. Remember, that ignorance makes men the objects of God's hatred and wrath. It is a people that do err in their hearts, and have not known my ways. Wherefore I swear in my wrath, they should not enter into my rest. My people are a people of no understanding, therefore he that made them, will not have mercy on them.' Christ hath said,That he will come in flaming fire, to render vengeance on them that know not God.' Ignorance will end in vengeance. * When you see a poor blind man here, you do not loathe him, nor hate him, but you pity him: Oh! but soul-blindness makes you abominable in the sight of God. God hath

* Heb. iii. 10, 11. They must needs err that know not God's ways, but they cannot wander so wide as to miss of hell. İs. xxvii. 11. 2 Thes. i. 8.

sworn that ignorant persons shall never enter into heaven; heaven itself would be a miserable state to such persons.

'My people are destroyed for want of knowledge; because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will reject thee,* (or cut thee off,') Hos. xlvi.

[ocr errors]

Chilo, one of the seven sages, being asked what God had done, answered, He had exalted humble men, but had suppressed proud and ignorant fools.'

Rem. 4. Consider, that ignorance is a sin that leads to all other sins; all sins are seminally in ignorance. You do err, not knowing the scriptures,' Mat. xxii. 29. It puts men upon hating and persecuting the saints. They shall hate you and put you out of the synagogues, yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you, will think that he doeth God service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me,' John xvi. 2, 3. Paul imputes to his ignorance all his cruelties to Christians. I was a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious, but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly,' 1 Tim. i. 13. It was ignorance moved the Jews to crucify Christ: Father forgive them,' saith Christ of his murderers, 'for they KNOW NOT what they do;' for if the princes of this world had KNOWN, they would

Rome saith, "Ignorance is the mother of devotion," but the scripture saith "It is the mother of destruction."

« PreviousContinue »