WILLIAM PENN'S ADVICE TO HIS CHILDREN
Part Three
Be humble. It becomes a creature, a depending and borrowed being, that lives not
of itself, but breathes in another's air with another's breath, and is accountable for
every moment of time and can call nothing its own, but is absolutely a tenant at
will of the great Lord of heaven and earth. And of this excellent quality you cannot
be wanting, if you dwell in the holy fear of the omnipresent and all-seeing God; for
that will show you your vileness and His excellency, your meanness and His
majesty, and withal, the sense of His love to such poor worms, in the testimonies
He gives of His daily care, and mercy and goodness; that you cannot but be
abased, laid low and humble. I say, the fear and love of God begets humility, and
humility fits you for God and men. You cannot step well amiss if this virtue dwell
but richly in you; for then God will teach you. The humble He teacheth his Ways,
and they are all pleasant and peaceable to His children: yea, He giveth grace to the
humble but resisteth the proud Jam. 4:6; 1 Pet. 5:5. He regardeth the proud afar
off. Psal. 138:6. They shall not come near Him, nor will He hear them in the day of
their distress. Read Prov. 11:2; 15:33; 16:18, 19. Humility seeks not the last
word, nor first place; she offends none, but prefers others, and thinks lowly of
herself; is not rough or self-conceited, high, loud, or domineering; blessed are they
that enjoy her. Learn of me, said Christ, for I am meek and lowly in heart. He
washed His disciples' feet, John 13, indeed himself was the greatest pattern of it.
Humility goes before honour. Prov. 18:12. There is nothing shines more clearly
through Christianity than humility; of this the Holy Author of it is the greatest
instance. He was humble in His incarnation; for He that thought it no robbery to be
equal with God, humbled Himself to become a man; and many ways made Himself
of no reputation. As first in His birth or descent, it was not of the princes of Judah
but a virgin of low degree, the espoused of a carpenter; and so she acknowledges
in her heavenly anthem, or ejaculation, Luke 1:47, 48, 52. speaking of the great
honour God had done her: And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour, for He
hath regarded the low estate of his hand- maiden; He has put down the mighty
from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. Secondly, He was humble in His
life: He kept no court but in deserts and mountains and in solitary places; neither
was He served in state, His attendants being of the mechanic size. By the miracles
He wrought we may understand the food He ate, viz. barley-bread and fish; and it
is not to be thought there was any curiosity in dressing them. And we have reason
to believe His apparel was as moderate as His table. Thirdly, He was humble in His
sufferings and death: He took all affronts patiently, and in our nature triumphed
over revenge: He was despised, spit upon, buffeted, whipped, and finally crucified
between thieves, as the greatest malefactor; yet He never reviled them, but
answered all in silence and submission, pitying, loving and dying for those by whom
He was ignominiously put to death. O mirror of humility! Let your eyes be
continually upon it, that you may see your selves by it. Indeed His whole life was
one continued great act of self-denial: and because He needed it not for Himself,
He must needs do it for us; thereby leaving us an example that we should follow
His steps, 1 Pet. 2:21. And as He was we should be in this world according to the
beloved disciple. 1 John 2:6. So what He did for us was not to excuse but excite
our humility. For as He is like God, we must be like Him, and that the froward, the
contentious, the revengeful, the striker, the dueller, etc. cannot be said to be of
that number, is very evident. And the more to illustrate this virtue, I would have
you consider the folly and danger of pride its opposite: for this it was that threw
the angels out of heaven, man out of paradise, destroyed cities and nations, was
one of the sins of Sodom, Ezek. 16:49. the destruction of Assyria and Israel, Isa.
3:16 and the reason given by God for His great vengeance upon Moab and
Ammon, Zeph. 2:9, 10. Besides, pride is the vainest passion that can rule in man,
because he has nothing of his own to be proud of, and to be proud of another's
shows want of wit and honesty too. He did not only not make himself, but is born
the nakedest and most helpless of almost all creatures. Nor can he add to his days
or stature, or so much as make one hair of his head white or black. He is so
absolutely in the power of another, that as I have often said, he is at best but a
tenant at will of the great Lord of all, holding life, health, substance, and every thing
at his sovereign disposal; and the more man enjoys the less reason he has to be
proud, because he is the more indebted and engaged to thankfulness and