A Christian Directory Volume I Part 48

Consider also the benefits of taking up with the pleasing of G.o.d. 1. The pleasing of him is your happiness itself; the matter of pure, and full, and constant comfort, which you may have continually at hand, and no man can take from you. Get this, and you have the end of man; nothing can be added to it, but the perfection of the same, which is heaven itself.

2. What abundance of disappointments and vexations will you escape, which tear the very hearts of man-pleasers, and fill their lives with unprofitable sorrows!

3. It will guide and order your cares, and desires, and thoughts, and labours to their right and proper end; and prevent the perverting of them, and spending them in sin and vanity on the creature.

4. It will make your lives not only to be divine, but this divine life to be sweet and easy, while you set light by human censures which would create you prejudice and difficulties. When others glory in wit, and wealth, and strength, you would glory in this, that you know the Lord, Jer. ix. 23, 24.

5. As G.o.d is above man, thy heart and life is highly enn.o.bled by having so much respect to G.o.d, and rejecting inordinate respect to man: this is indeed to walk with G.o.d.

6. The sum of all graces is contained in this sincere desire to please thy G.o.d, and contentedness in this so far as thou findest it attained.

Here is faith, and humility, and love, and holy desire, and trust, and the fear of G.o.d concentred. You "sanctify the Lord of hosts himself, and make him your fear, and dread, and sanctuary," Isa. viii. 13, 14.

7. If human approbation be good for you and worth your having, this is the best way to it; for G.o.d hath the disposal of it. "If a man's ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him,"

Prov. xvi. 7. Appeasing their wrath, or restraining them from intended evil, or doing us good by that which they intend for hurt.

[Sidenote: Signs.]

See therefore that you live upon G.o.d's approbation as that which you chiefly seek, and will suffice you: which you may discover by these signs. 1. You will be most careful to understand the Scripture, to know what doth please and displease G.o.d. 2. You will be more careful in the doing of every duty, to fit it to the pleasing of G.o.d than men.

3. You will look to your hearts, and not only to your actions; to your ends, and thoughts, and the inward manner and degree. 4. You will look to secret duties as well as public, and to that which men see not, as well as unto that which they see. 5. You will reverence your consciences, and have much to do with them, and will not slight them: when they tell you of G.o.d's displeasure, it will disquiet you; when they tell you of his approbation, it will comfort you. 6. Your pleasing men will be charitable for their good, and pious in order to the pleasing of G.o.d, and not proud and ambitious for your honour with them, nor impious against the pleasing of G.o.d. 7. Whether men be pleased or displeased, or how they judge of you, or what they call you, will seem a small matter to you, as their own interest, in comparison of G.o.d's judgment. You live not on them. You can bear their displeasure, censures, and reproaches, if G.o.d be but pleased. These will be your evidences.[195]

PART V.

_Directions against Pride, and for Humility._[196]

Pride, being reputed the great sin of the devil, by which he fell, is, in the name and general notion of it, infamous and odious with almost all; but the nature of it is so much unknown, and the sin so undiscerned by the most, that it is commonly cherished while it is commonly spoke against. Therefore the chief directions for the conquering of it, are those that are for the full discovery of it; for when it is seen it is shamed, and to shame it is to destroy it.

_Direct._ I. Understand aright the nature of pride, that you may neither ignorantly retain it, nor oppose your duty as supposed to be pride. Here I shall tell you, 1. What pride is, and what commandment it is against; and what humility is, which is its contrary. 2. Some seemings or appearances like pride, which may make men censured as proud for that which is not pride. 3. The counterfeits of humility, which may make a proud man seem to himself or others to be humble.

[Sidenote: Pride what.]

I. Pride is an inordinate self-exalting, or a lifting up ourselves above the state or degree appointed us. It is called ?pe??fa??a, because it is an appearing to ourselves, and a desire to appear to others, above what we are, or above others of our quality. It is a branch of selfishness, and containeth man-pleasing as before described, and produceth hypocrisy, and is its original and life. It containeth in it these following acts or parts: 1. A will to be higher or greater than G.o.d would have us be. 2. An overvaluing of ourselves, or esteeming ourselves to be greater, wiser, or better than indeed we are. 3. A desire that others should think of us, and speak of us, and use us, as greater, or wiser, or better than we are. 4. An endeavour or seeking to rise above our appointed place, or to be overvalued by others. 5. An ostentation of our inordinate self-esteem in outward signs of speech or action. Every one of these is an act of pride. The three first are the inward acts of it in the mind and will, and the two last are its external acts.

[Sidenote: Against what commandment.]

As the love of G.o.d and man are the comprehensive duties of the decalogue, expressed most in the first and last commandment, but yet extending themselves to all the rest; so selfishness and pride (which is a princ.i.p.al part of it) are the opposite sins, forbidden princ.i.p.ally in the first and last commandment, as contrary to the love of G.o.d and man, but so as it is contrary to the rest. They are sins against the very relation itself, that G.o.d and man do stand in to us, and not only against a particular law: they are against the very const.i.tution of the kingdom of G.o.d, and not only against the administration: it is treason or idolatry against G.o.d, and a setting up ourselves in some part of his prerogative: and it is a monstrous exuberancy in the body, and a rising of one member above and so against the rest, either superiors (and so against the fifth command) or equals (against the rest).

[Sidenote: Humility what.]

Humility is contrary to pride; and therefore consisteth, 1. In a contentedness with that degree and state which G.o.d hath a.s.signed us.

2. In mean thoughts of ourselves, esteeming ourselves no greater, wiser, or better than we are. 3. In a willingness and desire that others should not think of us, or speak of us, or use us, as greater, or wiser, or better than we are; that they should give us no more honour, praise, or love than is our due; the redundancy being but a deceit or lie, and an abuse of us and them. 4. In the avoiding of all inordinate aspiring endeavours, and a contented exercise of our a.s.signed offices, and doing the meanest works of our own places. 5. In the avoiding of all ostentation or appearance of that greatness, wisdom, or goodness which we have not; and fitting our speeches, apparel, provisions, furniture, and all our deportment and behaviour to the meanness of our parts, and place, and worth. This is the very nature of humility. The more particular signs I shall open afterwards.

[Sidenote: The inward seemings of pride that are not it.]

II. Pride, lying in the heart, is oft misjudged of by others, that see but the outward appearances, and sometimes by the person himself, that understandeth not the nature of it. The inward appearances that are mistaken for pride, and are not it, are such as these: 1. When a man in power and government hath a spirit suitable to his place and work: this is not pride, but virtue. 2. When natural strength and vigour of spirits expelleth pusillanimity; especially when faith, beholding G.o.d, expelleth all inordinate respect to men, and fear of all that they can do, this is not pride, but christian magnanimity and fort.i.tude; and the contrary is not humility, but weakness, and pusillanimity, and cowardice. 3. When a wise man knoweth in what measure he is wise, and in what measure other men are ignorant, or erroneous; and when he is conscious of his knowledge, and delighted and pleased in it through the love of truth, and thankful to G.o.d for revealing it to him, and blessing so far his studies and endeavours; all this is mercy and duty, and not pride. For truth is amiable and delectable in itself.

And he that knoweth must needs know that he knoweth; as he that seeth doth perceive by seeing that he seeth. And if it be a fault to know that I know, it must be a fault to know at all. But some knowledge is necessary and unresistible, and we cannot avoid it: and that which is good must be valued, and we must be thankful for it. Humility doth no more require that a wise man think his knowledge equal with a fool's, or ignorant man's, than that a sound man take himself to be sick. 4.

When a wise man valueth the useful knowledge which G.o.d hath given him, above all the glory and vanities of the world, which are indeed of lower worth, this is not pride, but a due estimation of things.[197]

5. When a wise man desireth that others were of his mind, for their own good, and the propagating of the truth, this is not pride, but charity and love of truth: else preachers were the proudest men, and Paul had done ill in labouring so much for men's conversion, and saying to Agrippa, Acts xxvi. 29, "I would to G.o.d that not only thou, but also all they that hear me this day, were both almost and altogether such as I am, except these bonds." 6. When an innocent man is conscious of his innocency, and a holy person is conscious of his holiness, and a.s.sured of his state in grace, and rejoiceth in it, and is thankful for it, this is not pride, but an excellent privilege and duty. If angels rejoice at the conversion of a sinner, (Luke xv.) the sinner hath reason to rejoice himself: and if it be a sin to be unthankful for our daily bread, much more for grace and the hope of glory. 7. When we value our good name, and the honour that is indeed our due, as we do other outward common mercies, not for themselves, but so far as they honour G.o.d, or tend to the good of others, or the promoting of truth or piety among men, desiring no more than is indeed our due, nor overvaluing it as that which we cannot spare, but submitting it to the will of G.o.d, as that which we can be without; this is not pride, but a right estimation of the thing.

[Sidenote: The outward appearances of pride that are not it.]

The outward seemings which are oft mistaken for the signs and fruits of pride by others, are such as these: 1. When a magistrate or other governor doth maintain the honour of his place, which is necessary to his successful government, and liveth according to his degree. When princes, and rulers, and masters, and parents, do keep that distance from their subjects, and servants, and scholars, and children, which is meet and needful to their good, it is usually misjudged to be their pride.

2. When a sinner is convinced of the necessity of holiness in a time and place where it is rare, and infidelity or profaneness and unG.o.dliness is the common road, the necessary singularity of such a one in giving up himself to the will of G.o.d, is commonly charged on him as his pride; as if he were proud that cannot be contented to be d.a.m.ned in h.e.l.l for company with the most; or to despise salvation if most despise it, and to forsake his G.o.d when most forsake him, and to serve the devil when most men serve him. If you will not swear, and be drunk, and game, and spend your time, even the Lord's day, in vanity and sensuality, as if you were afraid of being saved, and as if it were your business to work out your d.a.m.nation, the world will call you proud and singular, and "think it strange that you run not with them to excess of riot, speaking evil of you," 1 Pet. iv. 4.[198] You shall quickly hear them say, What! will you be wiser than all the town? What a saint, what a holy precisian is this! When Lot was grieved for the filthiness of Sodom, they scorn him as a proud controller: Gen. xix.

9, "This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge."

And what thought they of Noah that walked with G.o.d in so great singularity, when all the world was drowned in (and for) their wickedness? When David "humbled his soul with fasting," they turned it to his "reproach," Psal lxix. 10; x.x.xv. 13. Especially when any of the servants of Christ do press towards the highest degree of holiness, they shall be sure to be accounted proud and hypocrites. And yet they accuse not that child or servant of pride who excelleth all the rest in pleasing them, and doing their work; nor do they take a sick man to be proud, if he be carefuller than others to recover his health.

But he that will do most for heaven, and most carefully avoideth sin and h.e.l.l, and is most serious in his religion, and most industrious to please his G.o.d, this man shall be accounted proud.

3. He that will not forsake his G.o.d and betray the truth, and wound his conscience by wilful sin, but will do as Daniel and the three confessors did, Dan. vi. 3, and answer as they answered, will be accounted proud. But it is no pride to prefer G.o.d before men, and to fear d.a.m.nation more than imprisonment or death. The army of martyrs did not in pride prefer their own judgments before their superiors that condemned them; but they did it in obedience to G.o.d and truth, when that was revealed to babes, which was hid from the wise, and prudent, and great, and n.o.ble of the world.

4. When those that are faithful to the honour of Christ's sovereignty, dare not approve of papal usurpations, against his laws, and over his church, and the consciences of his subjects, they shall by the popish usurpers be called proud and despisers of government; as if a usurper of the kingly power should call us proud, because we dare not consent to his pride; or call us traitors, for not being traitors as he is himself.

5. When a man that hath the sense of the matters of G.o.d and men's salvation upon his heart, is zealous and diligent to teach them to others, and if he be a minister, be fervent and laborious in his ministry, he is called proud, as one that must needs have all men of his mind: though compa.s.sion to souls, and aptness to teach, and preaching instantly in season and out of season, be his necessary duty required of G.o.d. And what is the ministry for, but to change men's minds, and bring them to the full obedience of the truth?

6. If a man understand the truth, in any point of divinity better than most others, and holdeth any truth which is there in credit, or commonly received, he shall be accounted proud, for presuming to be so singular, and seeming wiser than those that think they are wiser than he. But humility teacheth us not to err for company, nor to grow no wiser when once we arrive at the common stature; nor to forsake the truth which others understand not, nor to forbear to teach it because it is not known already. If some of the pastors in Aba.s.sia, Syria, Armenia, Russia, Greece, or Italy, or Spain, were as wise as the ministers in England are, it were no evidence of their pride.

7. If a man that understandeth any thing contrary to the judgment of another, cannot forsake it, and think or say as another would have him; especially if you contradict him in disputation; he will take it to be your pride, and overvaluing your own understanding, and being too tenacious of your own conceits.[199] Erroneous men that in their pride are over eager to have others of their mind, will call you proud because you yield not to their pride. They think that the evidence is so clear on their side, that if you were not proud you could not choose but think as they do.

8. Some humble men are naturally of a warm and earnest manner of discourse; and their natural heat and eagerness of speech is frequently misjudged to come from pride, till fuller acquaintance with their humble lives do rectify the mistake.[200] It is written of Bishop Hooper the martyr, that "those that visited him once, condemned him of over-austerity; they that repaired to him twice, only suspected him of the same; those that conversed with him constantly, not only acquitted him of all morosity, but commended him for sweetness of manners: so that his ill nature consisted in other men's little acquaintance with him."

Tho. Fuller's Church Hist. lib. 7, p. 402, and G.o.dwin in Glocest.

Bishops. The same is true of very many worthy men.[201]

9. If we zealously contend for the faith or the peace of the church against heretical or dividing persons, and their dangerous ways, they will call us proud, though G.o.d command it us; Jude 3, especially if we "avoid them, and bid them not G.o.d speed," t.i.t. iii. 10; 2 John 10.

10. When a man of understanding openeth the ignorance of another, and speaketh words of pity concerning him, though it be no more than truth and charity command, they will be taken to be the words of supercilious pride.

11. That plain dealing in reproof which G.o.d commandeth, especially to his ministers, towards high and low, great and small, and which the prophets and servants of G.o.d have used, will be misjudged as arrogancy and pride, Amos vii. 12, 13; 2 Chron. xxv. 16; Acts xxiii. 4. As if it were pride to be true to G.o.d, and to pity souls, and seek to save them, and tell them in time of that which conscience will more closely and terribly tell them of, when it is too late.

12. Self-idolizing papists accuse their inferiors for pride, if they do but modestly exercise a judgment of discretion about the matters that their salvation is concerned in, and do not implicitly believe as they believe, and forbear to prove or try their sayings, and swallow not all without any chewing, and offer to object the commands of G.o.d against any unlawful commands of men.[202] As if G.o.d were contented to suspend his laws, whenever man's commands do contradict them; or humility required us to please and obey men at the price of the loss of our salvation.[203] They think that we should not busy ourselves to inquire into such matters, but trust them with our souls, and that the Scriptures are not for the laity to read, but they must wholly rely upon the clergy: and if a layman inquire into their doctrines or commands, they say as David's brother to him, 1 Sam. xvii. 28, "With whom hast thou left the sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thy heart."

13. If a zealous, humble preacher of the gospel, that preacheth not himself but Christ, be highly esteemed and honoured for his work's sake, 1 Thess. v. 12, 13, and crowded after, and greatly followed by those that are edified by him, it is ordinary for the envious, and the enemies of G.o.dliness, to say that he is proud, and preacheth to draw disciples after him, and to be admired by men; for they judge of the hearts of others by their own: as if they knew not that Christ and his most excellent servants have been crowded after without being thereby lifted up, or chargeable with pride. As the sun is not accusable for being beheld and admired by all the world; nor fire and water, earth and air, food and rest, for being valued by all. Little do they know how deep a sense of their own unworthiness is renewed in the hearts of the most applauded preachers, by the occasion of men's estimation and applause, and how much they desire that none may overvalue them, and turn their eye from the doctrine upon the person: and how oft they cry out with the laborious apostle, "Who is sufficient for these things?"

And how oft they are tempted to cast off all through fear and sense of their unfitness, when the envious dullards fearlessly utter a dry discourse, and think that they are wronged because they are not commended and followed as much as others. They think the common sense of all the faithful, and the love of truth, and care of their salvation, must be called pride, because it carrieth men to prefer the means which is fitted best to their edification and salvation.

14. If an humble christian have, after much temptation and a holy life, attained to well-grounded persuasions of his salvation, and be thankful to G.o.d for sanctifying him, and numbering him with his little flock, when the world lieth in wickedness, he will be taken for proud by unG.o.dly men, that cannot endure to hear beforehand of the difference which the judgment of G.o.d will declare between the righteous and the wicked: as if it were pride to be happy or to be thankful.

15. If a man that is falsely accused or slandered, shall modestly deny the charge, and use that lawful means which he oweth to his own vindication, he will be accused of pride because he contradicteth proud accusers, and consenteth not to belie himself; yea, though the dishonour of religion, and the hinderance of men's salvation, be the consequent of his dishonour.

16. Many of the poor do mistake their superiors to be proud, if their apparel be not in fashion and value almost like their own, though it be sober and agreeable to their rank.

17. Some are of a more rustic or careless disposition, unfit for compliment; and some are taken up with serious studies and employments, so contrary to compliment, that they have neither time nor mind for the observance of the humours of complimental persons, who, because they expect it, and think they are neglected, do usually accuse such men of pride.[204]

18. Some are of a silent temper, and are accused for pride, because they speak not to others as oft as they expect it.

19. Some are naturally unapt to be familiar till they have much acquaintance, and are so far from impudent that they are not bold enough to speak much to strangers and take acquaintance with them, no, though it be with their inferiors; and therefore are ordinarily misjudged to be proud.

20. Some have contracted some unhandsome customs in their speech or gestures, which, to rash censurers, seem to come from pride, though it be not so. By all these seemings the humble are judged by many to be proud.[205]

III. There are also many counterfeits of humility, by which the proud are taken to be humble: as, 1. An accusing of themselves and bewailing their vileness, through mere terror of conscience, as Judas, or the constraint of affliction, as Pharaoh, or of the face of death. 2. A customary confessing of such sins in prayer, or in speech with others, which the best are used to confess, and the confessing of them is taken rather to be an honour than a disgrace. 3. A religious observance of those commandments and doctrines of men, which the apostle speaketh of, Col. ii. 18-23, which have a "show of wisdom in will-worship and humility, and neglecting of the body, not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh." 4. A holding of those tenets, which doctrinally are most to man's abas.e.m.e.nt; but yet never humbled themselves at the heart. 5. A discreet restraint of boasting, and such a discommending of themselves, as tendeth to procure them the reputation of modesty and humility. 6. An affected condescension and familiarity with others, even of the lower sort, which may seem humility, when the poorest have their smiles and courtesy; and yet may be but the humility of Absalom, 2 Sam. xv. 3-6, the fruit of pride, designed to procure the commendations of the world. 7. A choosing to converse with their inferiors, because they would bear sway, and be always the greatest themselves in the company: like Dionysius the tyrant, that when he was dethroned, turned schoolmaster, that he might domineer among the boys. 8. A constrained meanness of apparel, provisions, and deportment; when poverty forceth men to speak and live as if they were humble; whereas if they had but wealth and honours, they would live as high as the proudest of them all. How quiet is the bear when he is chained up! and how little doth serve a dog or a fox when he can get no more! 9. An affected meanness and plainness in apparel, while pride runs out some other way. He that is odiously proud of his supposed wisdom, or learning, or holiness, or birth, or great reputation, may in his very pride be above the womanish and childish way of pride, in apparel, and such other little toys. 10. A loathing and speaking against the pride of others, while he overlooks his own, perhaps because the pride of others cloudeth him; as the covetous hate others that are covetous, because they are the greatest hinderers of their gain; as dogs fight for the bone which both would have. Many more counterfeits of humility may be gathered, from what is said before of the seemings of pride, whereto it is contrary.