The Eighteen Properties of An Humble Soul–Property #11

This is qite short so I will reproduce it in its entirety here….

“The eleventh property of an humble soul is this: in all religious duties and services, he trades with God upon the credit of Christ. Lord, says the humble soul, I need power against such and such sins: give it me upon the credit of Christ blood. I need strength to such and such services. give it me upon the credit of Christ’s word. I need such and such mercies for the cheering refreshing quickening, and strengthening of me: give them into my bosom upon the credit of Christ’s intercession. As a poor man lives and deals upon the credits of others, so dos an humble soul live and deal with God for the strengthening of every grace, and for the supply of every mercy, upon the credit of the Lord Jesus. An humble soul knows that since he broke with God in innocency; God will trust him no more, take his word no more; and therefore when he goes to God for mercy, he brings his Benjamin, his Jesus, in his arms and pleads for mercy upon the account of Jesus.”

“Plutarch reports that it was wont to be the way of the Molossians, when they would seek the favour of their prince, they took up the king’s son in their arms, and so went and kneeled before the king, and by this means, overcame him. So do humble souls make a conquest upon God with Christ in their arms. The Father will not give that soul the repulse with Christ in his arms. The humble souls knows that God out of Christ is incommunicable, that God out of Christ is incomprehensible, that God our of Christ is very terrible, and that God out of Christ is inaccessible; and therefore he still brings Christ with him, and presents all is requests in his name, and so prevails, &c. Oh! but proud souls deal with God upon the credit of their own worthiness, righteousness, services, prayers, tears, fastings, &c, as the proud Pharisees and those wrangling hypocrites in Isa. lvii. 1-3″

“It was a very proud saying of one, Coelum gratis non accipiam, I will not have heaven but at a rate; and therefore well did the father call vain-glory a pleasant thief, and the sweet spoiler of spiritual excellencies.”