2. Humiliation is not a willingness to be damned, some have thought that to be necessary; and that this was humiliation: some have thought they have attained to this: and 'tis possible that under some strong pang, persons may find somewhat of this nature, but certainly they did not know their own hearts in it: neither does God require any such thing of men in order to their coming to Christ: indeed it is contrary to nature for men to be willing to be damned: wicked men do act as if they love damnation, Prov. 8.36. they that hate me love death, they do so interpretatively: but for men directly and understandingly to be willing to be damned, is against nature: God had planted a principle of self-love in men: whereby they do necessarily desire ⟨p. 210⟩their own happiness; no persuasions can prevail with men not to desire their own happiness: we may as soon persuade a stone not to be heavy, or the Sun not to shine: there is a weight upon the soul of every man carrying of it that way; this is implanted by God in the very constitution of nature, and remains in man in his corrupt and his renewed estate: a man must shake off his nature before he can shake off this desire: self-love is natural unto man: man is capable of happiness, and being capable of it stands in need of it: he cannot be satisfied until his capacity of happiness be filled; hence he necessarily and perpetually desires happiness: besides this, it is contrary to Gods command for a man to be willing to be damned, for God has commanded us to seek salvation, he is often calling upon us to be seeking life, and that with earnestness, Luke 13.24. Strive to enter in at the strait gate: and this seeking must be with earnest desires: and indeed when this work of Humiliation is wrought in the heart: he yields under this encouragement, that there is some hope of salvation in God: hopes of life in this way, is one of the things that make him lie down at Gods foot: the four leprous men fell unto the Host of the Syrians, because that was the most likely way for their lives to be preserved, 2 King. 7, 4. the Syrians submitted to Ahab in hope to find favour, 2 King 20.31. when the soul is humbled, he is as desirous of salvation as ever: and it is the hope of that; that has a great influence into his humiliation.
2. Humiliation is not a willingness to be damned, some have thought that to be necessary; and that this was humiliation: some have thought they have attained to this: and 'tis possible that under some strong pang, persons may find somewhat of this nature, but certainly they did not know their own hearts in it: neither does God require any such thing of men in order to their coming to Christ: indeed it is contrary to nature for men to be willing to be damned: wicked men do act as if they love damnation, Prov. 8.36. they that hate me love death, they do so interpretatively: but for men directly and understandingly to be willing to be damned, is against nature: God had planted a principle of self-love in men: whereby they do necessarily desire ⟨p. 210⟩their own happiness; no perswasions can prevail with men not to desire their own happiness: we may as soon perswade a stone not to be heavy, or the Sun not to shine: there is a weight upon the soul of every man carrying of it that way; this is implanted by God in the very constitution of nature, and remains in man in his corrupt and his renewed estate: a man must shake off his nature before he can shake off this desire: self-love is natural unto man: man is capable of happiness, and being capable of it stands in need of it: he cannot be satisfied until his capacity of happiness be filled; hence he necessarily and perpetually desires happiness: besides this, it is contrary to Gods command for a man to be willing to be damned, for God has commanded us to seek salvation, he is often calling upon us to be seeking life, and that with earnestness, Luke 13.24. Strive to enter in at the strait gate: and this seeking must be with earnest desires: and indeed when this work of Humiliation is wrought in the heart: he yields under this encouragement, that there is some hope of salvation in God: hopes of life in this way, is one of the things that make him lie down at Gods foot: the four leprous men fell unto the Host of the Syrians, because that was the most likely way for their lives to be preserved, 2 King. 7, 4. the Syrians submitted to Ahab in hope to find favour, 2 King 20.31. when the soul is humbled, he is as desirous of salvation as ever: and it is the hope of that; that has a great influence into his humiliation.
