1. Humility dwells in an enlightened mind, & hath such rays from God, as make the heart where it is, take up very low thoughts of itself. Of old the appearances of God in outward Symbols of Glory, made men lye very ⟨p. 103⟩low before him. When Job heard the voice of the Lord out of the whirl-wind, he abhorred himself in dust and ashes, Job 42. 6. When the Prophet saw the Lord sitting upon a throne high and lifted up, he cried out. Woe is me, I am undone, Isaiah. 6.5. When Daniel saw the Vision of the bright shining man, his comeliness was turned into corruption, Dan. 10.8. The noble man now hath not such outward appearances, but he hath an inward light of faith, and when he looks up to God, and reflects upon himself, it makes him go in fundum, into the Centre of the Earth, and there to see his own nothingness. I shall give a triple instance of this: When the humble man looks up to the glory and greatness of God, he reflects and communes with his Heart after this manner, O how high is God! his glory is above the Heavens, his Majesty is infinitely brighter then a thousand suns, the rays of it bid me go down and hide my self in the dust of my own vileness and nothingness; how great is he, that spans the Heavens, weighs the mountains, and measures the Seas in the hollow of his hand? To him all Nations are but as a drop of the bucket, a dust of the Balance; nay, less then nothing itself: And I, what am I? the drop of a drop, a piece of a dust, and much less then that which is less then nothing ⟨p. 104⟩itself. Such thoughts as these do so abase and annihilate a man in his sense, that the great and glorious God may do any thing with him; his own littleness will keep him from murmuring under any Cross or Affliction that comes from the most High. Again when the humble man looks to the holiness of God, he speaks to his heart: God is very holy, he is perfect purity without any spot, infinite light without any darkness at all; the glance of his pure eyes bids me go down into my Spotted self, and there cover my self with the shame of that Corruption, that is worse then nothing: The Stars are not pure in his sight, and how can I be so? The glorious Angels cover their faces, and cry to him, holy, holy, holy; and what should Worms do! What reason have I to cry out over my self, as the Leper was to do, Unclean, Unclean.
1. Humility dwels in an enlightned mind, & hath such rayes from God, as make the heart where it is, take up very low thoughts of itself. Of old the appearances of God in outward Symbols of Glory, made men lye very ⟨p. 103⟩low before him. When Job heard the voice of the Lord out of the whirl-wind, he abhorred himself in dust and ashes, Iob 42. 6. When the Prophet saw the Lord sitting upon a throne high and lifted up, he cried out. Woe is me, I am undone, Esay. 6.5. When Daniel saw the Vision of the bright shining man, his comeliness was turned into corruption, Dan. 10.8. The noble man now hath not such outward appearances, but he hath an inward light of faith, and when he looks up to God, and reflects upon himself, it makes him go in fundum, into the Center of the Earth, and there to see his own nothingness. I shall give a triple instance of this: When the humble man looks up to the glory and greatness of God, he reflects and communes with his Heart after this manner, O how high is God! his glory is above the Heavens, his Majesty is infinitely brighter then a thousand suns, the rayes of it bid me go down and hide my self in the dust of my own vileness and nothingness; how great is he, that spans the Heavens, weighs the mountains, and measures the Seas in the hollow of his hand? To him all Nations are but as a drop of the bucket, a dust of the Ballance; nay, less then nothing itself: And I, what am I? the drop of a drop, a piece of a dust, and much less then that which is less then nothing ⟨p. 104⟩itself. Such thoughts as these do so abase and annihilate a man in his sense, that the great and glorious God may do any thing with him; his own littleness will keep him from murmuring under any Cross or Affliction that comes from the most High. Again when the humble man looks to the holiness of God, he speaks to his heart: God is very holy, he is perfect purity without any spot, infinite light without any darkness at all; the glance of his pure eyes bids me go down into my Spotted self, and there cover my self with the shame of that Corruption, that is worse then nothing: The Stars are not pure in his sight, and how can I be so? The glorious Angels cover their faces, and cry to him, holy, holy, holy; and what should Worms do! What reason have I to cry out over my self, as the Leper was to do, Ʋnclean, Ʋnclean.
