Observations Divine and Moral, Chapter 57
CHAP. LVII. Of Humilitie, and Meeknes.
HVmilitie is that vertue by which we are taught to v…lue according to, & not ab…ve the worth, ourselvs, and all the good things▪ which God …ath given us. I say, according to the worth; for men may, as one sayth, not subj…ct, but Seneca.a…j…ct themselvs: and sometimes, we see men, specially pressed with great burdens of temptations, in a kinde of abjectnes of minde, to moulder away, and make their gold litle better then drosse, by undervaluing Gods goodnes towards them. Such are unthankfull to God, uncomfortable in themselvs, and unprofitable unto others, in comparison. Besides, there is an humble hypocrisy, when men so subj…ct thems…lvs to others (specially superiours)Gregory. as they reverence their vi…es; or suffer their reason, (more, if their fayth, and consciences) to be captived to their lusts: And hence comes the worshiping of Angels, Col. 2.and other poynts of will worship: in which the sh…w of …isdom in the inventers, & imposers; and of humilitie in the followers bear …w…y. Lastly, there is a desperate humilitie, when out of an evill, and accusing conscience, a man knows, and judges himself out of Gods favour, and a vile person. But now the most of this humilitie hath joyned with it no small pride. That of the first kinde is very rare: and the infinitely more common, and dangerous disease is the overswelling of the heart, through excesse of self-love, and presumption. Self-love disposeth a person to think himself, and to desire to be thought of others to have the excellency, which he hath not. Herewith the minde is easily corrupted, and vayn man induced to presume of that goodnes in himself, which he wants; and to be lifted up with that, which he hath. Many by stouping loose of their bodily height: but few stoop too low, in conceipt of themselv…. Yet as Christ Iesus ceased not to be God, though he humbled himself to the taking upon him the form of a servant: so neyther is any man eyther in truth,Phil. 2. or account of God, or good men, the lesse, but much the more excellent for his lowly appearance to himself, or others. Yea, as the same Christ our Lord stepped from the shamefull crosse to the height of his glory, and exaltation: Austin.so he that will make any high building in christianitie, must first think of, and lay this low foundation of humilitie.
This lowlynes of minde is the mother of meeknes, as Christ insinuates, saying, Learn of me, for I am lowly and Math. 11.meek. The humbly-mynded, if a crosse come, or injurie be offered, bears them moderately, as thinking moderately of himself: yea meanly in regard of his sins, and the miserie to which they expose him. The proud through want of consciousnes hereof, if he be a litle crossed; is feirce, and violent: …ove dignas concipit iras. What? He? A man of his worth so to be used? specially by such a one? And as the boar whe…s, and sharpens his …uskes in his own foam; so doth a proud person whet, and sharpen his heart, hands, and tongue to indignation, and revenge in the froathy, and foamish imagination of his own worth.
Seeing that in evill dayes the meek and milde in spirit following Christs example, who was as a lamb dumb before Isa. 53.the shearer, not opening his mouth, are in danger not onelyonly to be shorn, but to be flayed also; the most in the wisdom and lust of the flesh, think it better to …owl with the Calvin.wolves, and to byte too, then by departing from evill, speciallyIsa. 59. by bearing wrongs patiently, to make themselvs a pray. But here fayth steps in, and leads the meek to Gods promises, that he shall inherit the earth: and that God will Math. 5. Psal. 76.arise to judgment, to save all the meek of the earth: and that he will see, and hear, and in due time right the wrongsNum. 11. Psal. 78. of meek Moses, though he passe them by, and as a deaf man hears not: But for the violent, and self-avenger, he puts himself out of Gods protection, and goes upon his own hazzard.
As the stommack swels eyther with good meat excessively used, or with winde, and ill humours: so there is …carse any thing eyther so good, or so evill; but mans corrupt heart takes occasion of prydeing, and puffing up its self by it. The prophet speaks of some, who boasted in evill: Psal. 52.and the Apostle of others, whose glorying was in their shame. Phil. 3.If former ages have been bold; ours is impudent this way: in which it is hard to say, whether the pride which persons take in good, or in evill be greater. Many shame not to boast of the evils practised by them, which modest men are ashamed to hear of; and some of the evils which they never did, nor dare, nor can doe, thereby to get credit with vayn persons. If pride in good be hatefull, it is abhominable in evill: specially when men bely themselvs to get matter Austin.of glorying in mischief; as Austin confesseth he in his youth had done. Fools glory in their mo…ley coats; and therein shew why they wear them: But worse then mad are they who glory in sin, and are lift up for that, which cast the Angels from heaven; Adam out of Paradise; and Nabuchadnezzar out of his kingdom amongst the beasts of the feild: and which will cast all into hell, that delight in it.
As wicked men pride themselvs in their evils: so are the good in danger to be enamoured of their goodnes. And as he that beseigeth a cittie, if he can neyther obteyn it by composition, nor take it by assault, nor constreyn it by hunger, will, in the last place, if he can, undermine, and blow it up with gunpouder: So our, and Gods enemy, Sathan, when he cannot corrupt, or destroy Gods servants otherwise, attempts (and that oft successively) the lifting them up with vayn conceiptednes of themselvs, and their own worth. The holy Apostle was in danger to be exalted above measure with the number of revelations; for the2 Cor. 12. preventing whereof he needed a messenger of Sathan to buffet him, So God for the keeping, and driveing of pride from his servants, sometimes brings great afflictions upon them; and humbles them thereby; and sometimes he doth this, by suffering them to fall into other sins, to remedy that greater sin of pride: as men use to drive out a greater pin with another somewhat smaller. How close doth this corruption cleav unto us, and how dangerous is it withall; for the purging out of which, the Lord useth such a medicine?
There are in this pride many strange touches: some being proud in, and some of their humilitie. Of the first sort were they, who being vaynly puffed up by their fleshly mind…, in voluntarie humblenes worsh…ped Angels: From a touchColos. 2. of this kinde Peter was not free, when he so refr…ct…rily refused to suffer Christ to wash his feet. There is also danger ofCalvin. being proud of not being proud, nor …oftie in caryage, apparaell, or contempt of inferiours: and of being called rayther goodman, then mayster; and rayther mayster then Sir knight. Besides all these, many will goe on their tiptoes, though barefoot: being proud of no man knows what eyther within, or without them: and none more then they. There want not, also amongst the rest, who put out pride to usurie, that by forbearing it a while, and u…ing for it, humble, and submissive appearances, they might after receav it with advantage. Of this sort are they, who use to dispraise themselvs, that others may the more commend Perkins.them: and who, forsooth, will alwayes come the hindmost, and sit the lowest, that they may be the more solemnly preferred to the first place. Others also (their crafts-maysters in this trade) will be very submissive to their superiours, which are but a few, that their inferiours, being many, may learn thereby to honour them the more. So Herod shewed how desirous he was of honour Iosephus.from his subjects, by the honour which he gave to Caesar, and Agrippa. Lastly, there are who put on pride, by strutting, and looking, and speaking stately, and other affected forth-puttings, to free themselvs from contempt. Such are like Esops Asse, in the Lyons skin: and have like successe with him, in the end.
The proud so loves himself, as none other can endureProv. 16▪ him. Not God, for to him he is abhominable: nor humble men, because he is not as they are, and as he should be: nor other prouds, because he is as they are; who would be singular, and have none other like them. And as God hates the proud, so he resists them: and noIames 4. marvayl, for they in a singular manner resist him. Some sinners are most directly, & immediately against themselvs; as the …louthfull, prodigall, &c. some against other men; as the covetous, slaunderer, cruell, &c. But the proud exalts himself most directly against & above 2 Thes. 2.God, whom alone all creatures should exalt, and magnifie. And he, whom God resists, must needs fall, though the whole world would take his part.
Persons are vulgarly most noted for proud by their apparaell. And indeed by it (if eyther too costly for stuffe, or affected for fashion, or curiously put on) not onelyonly the flag of pride, as Augustin cald it, is displayed; but the vice nourished. Many say to their fine cloaths,Sw…ton…us. in effect, as Saul said to Samuel, Honour me before the people. And this also they may effect with them that know them not, nor their estates, and may get them more credit with such, then they deserv; for which they are to answer God: But to them that know them, and their condition, they thereby make themselvs a byword, and ridiculous for their pride, and vanitie. A second mark of pride may be taken from mens lof…ie eyes, stretched forth necks, and other the like strutting gestures.Psal. 131. A third, contempt of mean persons, and things. A fourth, excessive care not to be neglected, or contemned by others, and trouble, if so it fall out. A fifth, Continuall striving, and janglings with others. A sixt, Crueltie in word or deed towards feeble adversaries. A seaventh, Affectation of singularitie, & being unlike to others. Good men in evill dayes are compelled to be singular in many things, as Lot was in Sodom; but never affect it. An eighth, An aptnes to observ, and task others, as proud. Lastly, A readines to speak of ones own worth, or of his great acceptance with others of worth, Thraso like.
The speciall remedyes against pride are, first, Consideration how God forbids, hates, and resists the proud: who will therefore have a fall, if not upon earth, into hell. Secondly, Meditation upon our sins, and miserie for the same. Thirdly, Thinking ra…ther what good we have not, then what we have. Fourthly, That, if in anyAustin. good thing we goe before others, we remember, that it is God that hath differenced us: and that having receaved it, we should not glory, as if we had not receaved it. Fiftly,1 Cor. 4. A serious fore casting with our selvs, that the more our receipts are, the greater our account to the Lord must be: which if we consider, as we ought, will rayther make them matter of humiliation unto us, then of arrogancie. Lastly, it will something help to keep the heart down, if we consider, that others are instruments of Gods Melanct…glory, and of good to men, as well as we.