Chapter 64

Of a profitable exercise, of knowing the being which we have in Nature, that by it we may obtain Humility.

BECAUSE¹ I think, thou desirest to obtain this holy humiliation of thyself, whereby thou mayst become pleasing to our Lord, I will say somewhat, of the means how thou mayst procure it. And² let the first of them be, to beg it with perseverance, of him, who is the giver of all good things; for it is a particular gift of his, which he bestoweth upon his elect. Yea and the very knowing that it is a gift of God, is no small favour.

They who are tempted with pride do well perceive, that there is nothing further off from their own power, than this true, and profound humility; and that it happeneth many times, that by the same means, whereby they hope to obtain it, they fly furthest from it; and that by the very acts of humiliating a man's self, the very contrary, which is pride, sometimes doth grow. Thou³ must therefore (as I said in that discourse, which I made before, of Chastity) take in hand the obtaining of this jewel, in such sort; as that neither thou give over thy endeavour, by saying What shall I get by striving for it, since it is the gift of God; nor yet must thou put thy confidence, in thy arm of flesh and blood; but in him, who is wont to grant his gifts, to whom he giveth the grace to ask them, by means of prayer, and other devout exercises.

The course than which thou art to hold shallbe this. Consider these two things in order; The one a being, the other a good and happy being. As for the first, thou art to think, who thou wert before God made thee; and thou wilt find that thou wert a profound pit of being nothing, & a privation, of all things, that are good. Consider then, how that mighty, and sweet hand of God, drew thee out of that profound Abyss, & placed thee, in the number of his creatures; giving thee a true and real being; and consider thyself, not as a thing of thine own making, but as a present, which⁴ God was pleased to bestow upon thee; and look upon thine own being, as a thing as fare from thy strength to compass, as thou lookest upon another man's; believing, that thou couldst as little create thyself, as him. And as little couldst thou have come, out of that darkness, of not being, as they can, who remain therein. And those things which are not at all, be equal to thee, for as much as concerneth thyself; and it is God, to whom thou must attribute, the advamtages which thou hast above them. Be⁵ sure, not to think, now that thou art created, that thou dost conserve thyself, in thyself. For thou hast no less need of God in every moment of thy life, to the end that therein thou mayst not again lose the Being which thou hast, than thou hadst before, to the end that, of nothing, thou mightest come to the being, which now thou hast.

Enter into thyself; and consider, that now, thou art a certain thing, which hath both being, and life. Ask thyself this question: Is this creature depending upon itself, or upon some other? Doth it sustain itself, or hath it need of some other hand? And S. Paul will answer thee,⁶ That God is not fare from us; but that in him, we live, and move, and have our being. And do thou consider God, who is the being of all that which is; and without him nothing is. And he is the life of all that which life's; and without him all is death. And he is the strength of all that which hath any power; and without him all is weakness. And he is the entiere good of all that which is good, without whom, the least of good things, can have no goodness in it. Therefore doth the Scripture⁷ say, All nations are before God, as if they were not; and they are reputed as vanity, and as nothing, in his presence. And in another place, it is written, He⁸ who thinketh himself to be somewhat, whereas indeed he is nothing, doth but deceive himself. And the prophet⁹ David, speaking to God, did say, In thy sight, I am as nothing. By which passages, thou art not to understand, that creatures have no being, or life, or operations, which are not proper even to them, and distinct from those of the Creator, but because that which they have, they hold not of themselves; nor are able to conserve it, but only of God, and in God, they are said not to be, because they hold their being, & strength, from the hand of God, and not from their own.

Learn therefore to sound well, into the bottom, of the being, and power which thou hast; and give not over, till thou arrive to the¹⁰ very first foundation thereof; which, as being most firm, and never failing, nor being founded upon any other; but being the foundation of all the rest, doth maintain thee, that so thou mayst not fall again, into that profound pit of nothingness, out of which he drew thee, before. Know, that the protection which he hath of thee, and the hand which he carrieth over thee, keeps thee still on foot; and confess thou with¹¹ David, Thou, O Lord, didst make me, and thou didst place thy hand above me. And know, that thou dost so hang under this power of God; that at the same instant, wherein that should fail thee, thou wouldst also fail; as the light which was in a chamber would fail, if the torch which gave it, were removed; or, as all light, is retired from the presence of the earth, by the absence of the Sun.

Thou¹² must therefore adore this Lord, with profound reverence; as the sole beginning of thy being; and thou must love him, as the perpetual benefactor, and preserver of it; and say to him, both with thy hart, and with thy tongue. Glory be to thee for ever, O thou Omnipotent power, by which thou dost maintain me. There is nothing, O Lord, for me to seek, out of myself; since thou art more internally to me, than I am to myself; and by myself, & through myself it is, that I must first pass, that so I may enter into thee. Come close with thy hart, and un ●e it to him, in an amorous manner, & say to him,¹³ This is my joy for all eternities, here will 〈◊〉 d●ell, because I have chosen is. And¹⁴ from thence forward, know how to carry the presence of God in thyself, withal reverence; since he is most present to thee. And as thou hast understood, by that which passeth within thee, that it is God, who hath given thee thy being, and thy working; so art thou to understand the same in all the creatures. And considering God in all things, they all will serve thee, for a bright glass, which may represent their Creator to thee; and so thy soul may go well united to God, and devoutly singing of his praises, if thou seek nothing, but God in the creatures.

Footnotes

1. I beseech you ponder well, the four next chapters, for they will te●l you ●ewes. ↩

2. The means which are to be used for the procuring of the holy virtue of humility. ↩

3. Note, ↩

4. Our creation is of God. ↩

5. Our conservation is of God. ↩

6. Act. 17. ↩

7. Isa, 40. ↩

8. Galat. 6, ↩

9. Psal. 3.8. ↩

10. which is the power, and wisdom, & goodness of Almighty God. ↩

11. Psalm. 138. ↩

12. Our Lord jesus make us able to do it. ↩

13. Psalm. 13●. ↩

14. N●te this well & beg of God that thou may est ●augrace 〈◊〉 practice 〈◊〉. ↩