Online Bible 1995 March/ROM-1025.iso/olb/gill/d_500.lzh/D_582.TXT

Text File | 1994-08-25 | 7KB | 134 lines

OF HUMILITY.                                                          Book I.

582

 ,o &a""fO~  ,.
is the gift of God, says Seneca {} but that we live well,
is owing to philoso!,hy; and, adds he, by so much we
owe the more to this than to God, by how much the
greater a good life is than life itself." And says
Cicero {2}, "No man refers virtue to God; if'it was a
gift of his, we should have no praise nor glorylug: dk
ever any man give thanks to God that he was a good
man !" How contrary to this is that of the humbh
apostle, I Cor. iv. 7. Humility, or a meek and quit
spirit, is a branch of internal worship, or of experi-
mental religion and godliness; it is called, The hidden
man of the heart, 1 Pet. iii. 4. and is very necessary in
the performance of.every part of external worship and
service; Serving the Lord with all humility of hind,
Acts xx. 19. In considering which I shall,
First, Shew wherein it lies, and in what it appears
and manifests itself.
1. In a man's thinking meanly.and the worst of him-
self, and well and the best of others; observing that
rule of the apostle's, In lowliness of mind let each
esteem other better than themselves, Phil. ii. 3. such an
humble saint was the apostle himself, who reckoned
h!mself, less than the least of all saints, and the chief of
sinners; such an humble soul thinks no good man has
such a sinful corrupt heart as he has; or has so much
sin dwelling in it: one reason is, because his own sins
and corruptions are more known to himself; whilst
those of others lie more out of sight; he thinks every
saint has more grace and holiness, more spiritual know-
ledge and experience than he has, and says with Agur,
that he has not the understanding of a man, that is, of
a good man, Prov. xxx. 2. whereas, on the contrary,
a proud Pharisee thanks God he is not as other men
are, such a great sinner as others, and says, Stand by
thyself, I am holier than thou, Luke xviii. 11. Isa. lxv.
5.... 2. In not envying, but rejoicing at the gifts and
graces of others. Humility is like charity, it envieth
not; Moses was a very meek man, above all men which
were upon the face of the earth, and he said to Joshua,
Enviest thou for my sake ? that is, the gifts bestowed
on Eldad and Metlad; would God, that all the Lord's
people were prophets, Numb. xi. 29. and xii. 3. When
David. related his experiences of divine grace, his
triumph of faith, and glorylug in the Lord, he observes;
The humble shag hear thereof, and be'glad, Psalm
xxxiv. 2. so John the Baptist, when he takes notice of
the vastly superior gifts, grace, usefulness, and-.success
of Christ, says he, in a very humble and modest man-
ner, He must increase, but I must decrease, John iii.
30, 31. - 3. In ascribing all he is and has to the grace
of God; confessing that he has nothing but what he
has received; and therefore would not glory, as though
he had received it not; but says, with the apostle, By the
grace of Godlam what Iam, I Cot. iv. 7. and xv. 10.
he frankly acknowledges, that it is of the free grace of
God alone, that he is elected, redeemed, justified, par-
cloned, regenerated, and shall be saved; and not [
through any works of righteousness done by him; and I
therefore gives all the glory to it.-----4. In disclaiming
his own righteousness, and submitting to the righteous-

ness of Christ; the-Spirit of God having convinced
him of his want of righteousness, of the insufficiency
of his own to justify him before God, and that after
having done all he can, he is but an unprofitable
servant; and that through pride in himself, and igno-
rance of God's righteousness, he heretofore submitted-
not. to the righteousness of Christ, yet now he desires
to be found in it, Phil. iii. 9.. .5. In a willingness to
receive instruction from the meanest saint; Give in-
struction to a wise man, if he is an humble man, and
not a scorner, he will be thankful for it, and will be
wiser: teach a just man, not one that is righteous in
his own eyes, and despises others, and he will increase
in learning, Prov. ix. 9. so Apo!los, though an eloquent
man, and mighty in the scriptures, did not disdain to
receive instruction from Aquila and Priscilla, tent-
makers, who took him and taught him the way of God
re. ore perfiectly..    6. In kindly receiving admonitions
given; and, indeed, it is onlv to such that they are of
any advantage, and meet with success; a proud,
haughty scorner reiects them with contempt, Prov.
ix. 8. an humble re;in will take the reproof well, and
consider it as an instance of love to him, and will love
the reprover more and better for it, as David says he
should, Psalm cxli. 5.. -7. In bearing patiently all
injuries done to him, and putting up all aftrouts offered
to him. Humility, like charity, is not easily provoked,
and beareth all things: humble saints will bear, with
all lowliness and meekhess, with long-suffering, forbear_
ing' one another in love; such who put on kindness,
humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering, will not
on. ly bear with and forbear one another, but will for-
give one another, even as Christ forgave them, I Cor.
xiii. 5,7. Eph. iv. 2. Col. iii. 12, 13. When Miriam
and Aaron spoke against Moses, who is observed to
be the meekest man on,earth; as an instance of it, he
was so far from resenting the affront, that he prayed
for Miriam that she might be healed of the leprosy
with which she was stricken for it, Numb. xii. 1,2, 3,
13.--S. In submitting quietly to the afflicting hand
of God; humble souls are still under the rod, hearken
to the voice of it, are obedient to it, patiently bear it
without murmuring, humble themselves under the
mighty hand of God, and resign their wills to his; as
Aaron, Eli, David, and others have done, Lev. x. 3.
I Sam. iii. 18. Psalm xxxix. 9... .9. In not seeking
great things for a man's self, and .after things too high
for him. It is good advice given to Baruch- &ekest
thou great things for thyself ? seek them not, Jer. xlv. 5.
an humble man will not: it is a sign of a proud,
ambitious man so to do; to aspire after things out of
a mau's reach, and beyond his capacity; Lord, says
David, moy heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty;
neither do I exercise m3tself in great matters, or in
things too high for me, Psalm cxxxi. 1. especially it
argues great pride and vanity, when a man seeks to be
wise above what is written; an humble man will not
pry into things secret, but will be content with what
is revealed, Deut. xxix. 9.9. And therefore,--
10. Humility appears in subjecting a man's reason to
divine revelatiou; then is a man humble when every

a Ep. 90.

~ De Natura Deorum, 1. 3. prope finere.