do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies. O Lord hear, O Lord forgive, O Lord hearken and do, defer not for thine own sake.”

(4.) Of their forfeiture of all that which they have received from God already and desert of the greatest evil. That they deserve, as to receive nothing further; so to be stript of all that which they already have. And therefore under all afflictions and bereavements, when God comes out sharply against them, they can heartily say, "He has punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and, It is the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed." Ezra ix. 13. Lam. iii. 22. They know they live upon sparing mercy and long-suffering; and that if God should mark their iniquity, they could not stand. Ps. cxxx. 3. And therefore they humbly acknowledge that God has not dealt with them after their sins, nor rewarded them according to their iniquities. Ps. ciii. 10. They have not taken so slight a view of themselves and their sins, as to imagine that justice can demand no more of them.

(5.) Of their absolute need of divine help and grace upon all accounts. That they cannot live but are most certainly undone without God's grace and help in Christ. Their help, all their help, and their only help is in the Lord. 2 Chron. xx. 12. "We have no might-neither know we what to do, but our eyes are upon thee."

2. When they are lowly in their carriage and behavior of themselves. The poor and contrite-spirited person

(1.) He ingenuously confesses all he knows and is sensible of by himself, unto God. He does not seek to cover or cloak any of his weakness or wretchedness, but openly acknowledges all, he is willing to speak plain truth of himself before, and unto God. And the forementioned things which his heart knows to be truths concerning him, with respect to God, he subscribes to them all. Luke xv. 21. "Father, I have sinned—and am no more worthy." He humbly receives his doom and sentence from the word of God, the judgment it passes upon him. To this practice of humiliation, God would have his sinning people brought, to confess their trespasses and humbly declare their acceptance of the punishment of their iniquity, justifying God therein. Levit. xxvi. 40, 41. "If they shall confess their iniquities, and the iniquities of their fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against me, and that also they have walked contrary unto me; and that I also have walked contrary unto them, and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquities, then will I remember."

(2.) He lays himself down before God, to be dealt with as he

sees meet. 2 Sam. xv. 26. "But if he thus say, I have no delight in thee behold here am I, let him do to me as seems good unto him." If he shall refuse to help and rescue him, he justifies and clears him: If he does help, it will be undeserved mercy. Therefore he puts his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope for him, and he may receive any thing from God, who is so far above him, and of whom he has so ill deserved. Lam. iii. 29. He kisses the rod when laid in the dust; and submits himself to God's sovereign disposal. To this degree of practical humility and submission God brought his people before he afforded them deliverance in a desperate case. Judges x. 15. "And the children of Israel said unto the Lord, we have sinned, do thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee, deliver us only, we pray thee this day.”

(3.) He humbly accepts of offered mercy by a mediator and surety. To be beholden to him for all, and to take all upon his account. He looks for merit and righteousness that may procure him good elsewhere, feeling he hath none in himself: And therefore he prizes exceedingly the hope set before him, which he flees to. Luke xviii. 13. "He would not so much as lift up his eyes to heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner." Which mercy to a sinner can be only through Jesus Christ the mediator. Thus a backsliding people when humbled, pray the Lord's favor for his name's sake. Jer. xiv. 7. "O Lord, though our iniquities testify against us, do thou it for thy name's sake, for our backslidings are many."

(4.) He subjects himself to be wholly ruled and ordered by the will of his Lord. Let God command and dispose of him, he will not withstand in the least; but yield and comply. He fears to stand against any command of God, counsel or warning from him. Thus when Israel under threatenings of God's departure were soundly humbled, they seriously reformed themselves by the word of God, and found compassion in his sight. Judges x. 16. "And they put away the strange gods from among them, and served the Lord and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel."

(5.) He behaves himself meekly, humbly, self-denyingly in all things, as one whose proud spirit has been broken. Ps. cxxxi. 1, 2. "Lord, mine heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me. Surely I have behaved and quieted myself as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child." He bears and carries himself as a poor, meek and humble man: not proudly, confidently, arrogantly, &c. His behavior testifies his lowliness and meekness of spirit before, and towards God and men, as one that seeks not himself any way, not to lift up himself, not to set forth himself, nor to set up himself: But it is

clearly another thing which he purely designs, viz. the promoting the work and honor of Christ by all due ways and means, thinking meanly of, and humbly behaving himself therein. Acts xx. 19. "Serving the Lord with all humility of mind." This should be the carriage of all those that profess themselves to be the Lord's people. Phil. ii. 3, 4. "Let nothing be done through strife or vain-glory, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, every man also on the things of others."

but

II. Whence is it that God accepts and respects the humble and lowly? It is indeed wonderful condescension in the infinite God, thus to vouchsafe his regard to such low worms as the best of the children of men are. That the Great God should look upon such nothings, is a great stoop. Ps. cxxxviii. 6. "Though the

Lord be high, yet he has respect to the lowly." These do not indeed re dissentire, but they do ratione: They do not in reality disagree for it is a truth that God doth respect such, but they do in reason; for it is admirable that the highest and the lowest should thus meet. Ps. viii. 3, 4. "When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and stars which thou hast ordained: What is man that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man that thou visitest him?" The reasons and grounds hereof are,

1. Because it is the Lord's free will and good pleasure. This is the bottom cause. He is pleased thus to do wonderfully. Matt. xi. 25, 26. "And hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight." 1 Sam. xii. 22. "Because it has pleased the Lord to make you his people."

2. Because these do most truly respect the Lord. Therefore will the Lord so accept and look upon them, above others. The poor have their eyes unto and upon the Lord, and therefore the Lord will have his eyes upon them. In them there is the most free and open passage for the Lord to come into their souls with all his power, authority, sovereignty, glory and grace. True contrition, humiliation and poverty of spirit open the heart to God to let him in, to come and do all for the soul as belongs to a God to do; but on the contrary, height of spirit and unbrokenness of heart withholds that due respect from God, and so bars his so full passage into, full possession of, and dominion over the soul. And God hath said, that as men are disposed and carry to him, so he will carry himself to them: And therefore he will regard and save the afflicted and humble people. Ps. xviii. 25-27. "With the merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt show thyself upright; with the pure thou wilt show thyself pure, and with the froward thou wilt show thyself froward. For

thou wilt save the afflicted people, but wilt bring down the high looks."

3. Because these do most gladly look to, and depend upon the Mediator, in whom God is well pleased. Whence they thus improving and honoring him, God hath a gracious respect to them for his sake.

III. How God doth look upon and accept the humble and lowly. It is with special and peculiar grace: He looks favorably on them. Such are the greatest favorites in the kingdom of heaven. Matt. xviii. 4. "Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven." He takes pleasure in them. Ps. cxlvii. 11. "The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him." He will instruct them. Ps. xxv. 9. "The meek will he guide in judgment, and the meek will he teach his way." He will communicate his grace to them. James iv. 6. "But gives grace to the humble." He will dwell with them. Isa. lvii. 15. God will make bis settled abode in the humble soul; own and use it as his special property; place and displace what he sees meet there. He will remember them in searching and trying times. Ps. ix. 12. "When he makes inquisition for blood, he remembers them: He forgets not the cry of the humble." He will work for them, arise for their judgment, help and salvation. Ps. lxxvi. 9. "When God arose to judgment to save all the meek of the earth." Ps. cxlvii. 6. "The Lord lifts up the meek." Job xxii. 29. "And he shall save the humble person." He will do what is good, what is indeed best, for such as are indeed lowly and humble: In the day when they cry he will answer them; and if he do not give them outward deliverance, yet he will strengthen them with strength in their souls; with faith, patience and courage to bear up, and hold out under the continuance of their pressures, which will be as good and better to them than external deliverance. Ps. cxxxviii. 3. "In the day when I cried, thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul." God will be near at hand to support and save them in and out of the floods or fires of affliction and calamity. Ps. xxxiv. 18. "The Lord is nigh to them that are of a broken heart and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit."

I. Use. It is of solemn conviction and humiliation to us this day, that we have not been, that we are no more such as God hath declared his acceptance of, and respect to. That we have been and are no more poor, contrite and trembling at his word. Alas, that this people hath lain no more low before God. Let the prophets of the Lord and all the Lord's people mourn, and their souls weep for the pride of New England. Jer. xiii. 17. “But

if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride, and mine eyes shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the Lord's flock is carried away captive." O that we could so take reproof from God, as to make this place and this day a Bochim! Judges ii. 4, 5. "And it came to pass when the angel of the Lord spake these words (viz. words of conviction and reproof, ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this? ver. 2. and words of threatening, I will not drive them out before you, but they shall be as thorns in your sides,) unto all the children of Israel, that the people lift up their voice and wept: and they called the name of that place Bochim." They were deeply affected, and greatly mourned under that divine reproof. Hath not God spoken as plainly and directly to us of our neglect to obey his voice; and in particular of the pride and lordliness of our hearts, by that and many other words. Jer. ii. 31. "O generation, see ye the word of the Lord, have I been a wilderness unto Israel? a land of darkness? Wherefore say my people, we are lords, we will come no more unto thee?" Had we not been stout against the Lord, we could never have stood out against so many solemn counsels and warnings upon these and other occasions, as we have done. Oh that (as it is said of Hezekiah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, 2 Chron. xxxii. 26. "Notwithstanding Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so") all our rulers, and all the people would humble themselves for the pride of their hearts! This would be a means to keep wrath off the land, even that which has been threatened.

Here consider, 1. What we have done. 2. What we have suffered for want of this humble spirit: Both which should convince and abase us.

I. What we have done for want of this spirit. The want of this has been the cause of all our errors, of all provoking errors in doctrine, worship, in administration both civil and ecclesiastical, and in conversation. The pride and unbrokenness of our hearts hath caused us in many instances to wander from the pathway of wisdom and understanding. In general,

1. Hence we have withheld from God his right; what was due to him viz. The full honor of his sovereignty, power, authority and command over us. This has not been fully and practically acknowledged by us, which yet hath been due from us. "A son honoreth his father, and a servant his master: be a father, where is my honor? and if I be a master, my fear? saith the Lord of Hosts unto you that despise my name."

Mal. i. 6.
If then I

where is

2. Hence, we have taken to ourselves more than our right.