Chapter IV.
The Believing Soul Seeks God Internally, In Itself; Its Beauty And Blessedness When It Is United With God.
I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it; that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.—John 17:26.
There are two ways of seeking after God, the one external, and the other internal. The first is the active way, when man seeks after God; the second is the passive, when God seeks after man. In the outward way, we seek God by various exercises of a Christian life; as fasting, prayer, retirement, meekness, accordingly as we are moved by God, or led by devout people. In the inward, we enter into the ground of our hearts, attending upon the revelation of the kingdom of God which is within us. Luke 17:21. For if the kingdom of God be in us, then God himself is in us, and more intimately united to the soul than she is to herself: and such a treasure as this within us, ought carefully to be attended to. The soul that desires to enter into this inward way, must entirely resign and submit itself to all the dispensations of Providence, both inward and outward; must perfectly rest in God, and be content to be, as God shall appoint, poor or rich, cheerful or sad, peaceful or joyless. For thus the soul is cleansed from all created images that may crowd into it from without; and when thus stripped of all rational, sensible, and created things, and everything which is not God, she comes at last into her own ground and centre, and there with a pure eye discovers the essential light and presence of God. But before this treasure can be obtained, everything else must be forsaken. Blessed and truly happy are they that find it: for being entirely divested of all worldly affections, they live in a constant union with God.
2. And now, if a man could with his bodily eyes take a view of such a soul as this, he would see the most beautiful creature in the world, shining forth in all the transcendent beauties of holiness; for such a soul is united to God, and by consequence is a partaker of His glory, not by nature, but by grace. It desires nothing either in time or eternity but God alone, seeking nothing for its own sake, either spiritually or naturally. On the other hand, could we but see with our bodily eyes a soul sunk in the love of itself and the creatures, wholly polluted with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life; and all its corrupt thoughts and imaginations externally figured by visible characters and impressions; neither earth nor hell could furnish a more dreadful monster than this. But in the last great day, when the hearts and consciences of all men shall be laid open (1 Cor. 4:5), and the inward eye shall be unclosed, so that every one shall have a full view of himself, then shall such an impure soul see its secret abominations, and find in itself an eternal source of sorrow, misery, and torment. On the other hand, the pure and divine soul shall forever contemplate in itself the presence and kingdom of God, whom it shall forever see as He is, and by [pg 389] virtue of its union with him, possess and enjoy him as its own forever. He that rightly considers this union of the soul with God, shall experimentally understand that expression of St. Paul, that “neither height nor depth can separate us from the love of God.” Rom. 8:39. For if it were possible that such a soul should be in hell, yet could it not be separated from the presence and kingdom of God, to which it is most intimately united. On the other hand, should a damned spirit, or the devil himself, be admitted into Paradise and heaven, yet could they not be exempt from the torments of hell, which they continually carry about in themselves.
Chapter V.
Showing How A Man May Be Drawn To God; Also, Wherein Spiritual Poverty Consists; And, What The Degrees Of Humility Are.
He that humbleth himself shall be exalted.—Luke 18:14.
Many are the means which men make use of to come to a union with God; such as reading, and other external exercises of religion. But in truth, next to that true, living faith which purifies the soul from the love of the creatures (as has already been shown, and will be further explained below, chap. ix), there is no better or easier method than that of true humility. This, however, does not consist in words, or in any external behavior; but is seated in the bottom of the soul, so that the man upon all accounts, both natural and spiritual, reckons and esteems himself as nothing; and being thus truly poor in spirit (Matt. 5:3), he values neither wealth nor honor, body nor soul, peace nor joy, nor anything in the world, in comparison with his duty and the glory of God. Yea, should it please God to inflict even the agony of hell upon him, he would acknowledge that he deserved it; and he would most cheerfully and contentedly submit, esteeming the will of God as the only measure and standard of his duty and happiness, and continuing to offer praise. This is that true poverty of spirit which disposes a man cheerfully to part with, or submit to, anything, according to the will of God; after the example of our blessed Saviour, who not only did, but also suffered the will of his Father (Matt. 26:39), and voluntarily chose the accursed death of the cross, and therefore was highly exalted by God. Phil. 2:9. Whosoever has this humility, is truly poor in spirit; and though he possessed the greatest temporal riches, yet would they be no hindrance to his union with God. This is that “poor man” of whom the Psalmist speaks: “This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him.” Ps. 34:6. And if we could suppose such a one to be at ever so great a distance from God, yet would the most merciful Father, out of his abundant mercy and goodness, infallibly draw him to himself. For the fulness of divine grace chooses to discover [pg 390] itself in the depth of human misery, and can no more forsake it, than a tender father could leave his beloved son under the agonies of a dangerous sickness. Of this we have an instance in the woman of Canaan, who, looking upon herself as no more worthy than a dog, immediately obtained help of Jesus. Matt. 15:27, 28. For no man ever yet came to the fountain of living truth, but by the way of humility and poverty of spirit, arising from a knowledge of his utter unworthiness. He that understands this, will never think contempt, reproaches, poverty, or the cross, either bitter or irksome to him. Yea, rather with the holy apostles, he rejoices that God has thought him worthy to suffer shame for His name (Acts 5:41), so that God in his glory may enter into his soul in his misery. Hence the truest and safest way of coming to a union with God, is that of deep humility and true poverty of spirit.