Thomas Watson: A Godly man is a humble man

A Godly man is a humble man
...by Thomas Watson

A humble soul is emptied of all swelling thoughts of himself.

Bernard calls humility a self-annihilation. `Thou wilt save the humble' (Job 22:29). In the Hebrew it is `him that is of low eyes'.

A humble man has lower thoughts of himself than others can have of him. David, though a king, still looked upon himself as a worm: `I am a worm, and no man' (Psa. 22:6).

Bradford, a martyr, still subscribes himself a sinner. `If I be righteous, yet will I not lift up my head' (Job 10:15) – like the violet which is a sweet flower, but hangs down the head.

A humble soul thinks better of others than of himself: `let each esteem other better than themselves' (Phil. 2:3).

A humble man values others at a higher rate than himself, and the reason is because he can see his own heart better than he can another's. He sees his own corruption and thinks surely it is not so with others; their graces are not so weak as his; their corruptions are not so strong. `Surely', he thinks, `they have better hearts than I.'

A humble Christian studies his own infirmities and another's excellences and that makes him put a higher value upon others than himself. `Surely I am more brutish than any man' (Prov. 30:2). And Paul, though he was the chief of the apostles, still calls himself `less than the least of all saints' (Eph. 3:8).

It was Zac Poonen who said that the greatness of God is seen, not primarily in the wonders of the universe, but rather in the humility that made the Son of God empty Himself and come in our flesh and identify Himself with our fallen race.

We see the glory of God in a far greater way in His humility than even in His miracles. It is in the path of humility that we are to follow Jesus primarily.

In Christ,

Ron

It does not take much for pride to rear it's ugly head and it causes me much sorrow to find it in my own heart. It springs up over the simplest, foolish things, and despite the fact that I [i][u]know[/u][/i] that all good things come from Him -- why, there it is again!

My only consolation is that it will not be so in heaven.

A humble soul has a low esteem of his duties.

Pride is apt to breed in our holy things as the worm breeds in the sweetest fruit and froth comes from the most generous wine.

A humble person bemoans not only his sins but also his duties. When he has prayed and wept, `Alas,' he says, `how little I have done! God might damn me for all this.' He says, like good Nehemiah, `Remember me, 0 my God, concerning this also, and spare me' (Neh. 13:22). `Remember, Lord, how I have poured out my soul, but spare me and pardon me.'

He sees that his best duties weigh many grains too light; therefore he desires that Christ's merits may be put into the scales. The humble saint blushes when he looks at his copy. He sees he cannot write evenly, nor without blotting.

This humbles him to think that his best duties run to seed. He drops poison upon his sacrifice. `Oh,' he says, `I dare not say I have prayed or wept; those which I write down as duties, God might write down as sins.'

A humble man is willing to have his name and gifts eclipsed, so that God's glory may be increased.

He is content to be outshone by others in gifts and esteem, so that the crown of Christ may shine the brighter. This is the humble man's motto: `Let me decrease; let Christ increase.' It is his desire that Christ should be exalted, and if this is effected, whoever is the instrument, he rejoices.

`Some preach Christ of envy' (Phil. 1:15). They preached to take away some of Paul's hearers. `Well,' says he, `Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice' (v.18).

A humble Christian is content to be laid aside if God has any other tools to work with which may bring him more glory.

A humble saint likes that condition which God sees best for him. A proud man complains that he has no more; a humble man wonders that he has so much: `I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies' (Gen. 32:10).

When the heart lies low, it can stoop to a low condition.

A Christian looking at his sins wonders that it is no worse with him; he does not say his mercies are small, but his sins are great. He knows that the worst piece God carves him is better than he deserves; therefore he takes it thankfully upon his knees.