Meditations, Meditation 85
85
The naturall man hath in him an inclination to be proud in the enioying of such things as hauehave any excellence, though himself be not the Author of that excellence, and sometimes though he hauehave therby no addition of worth to his owne person. So in the first kinde he is proud of a good wit, and in the second, is he proud of a proud horse, of a rich iewell, of an imbrodered garment. And accordingly hee attributeth more glory to himselfe, for possessing them, then to the Author and giuer, for creating and giuing them: yea commonly all the glory to himselfe, the standing poole, and none to the spring. But the true Christian, euen the new borne sonne of God, rips vp this swelling deceit, and striues to free his soule from it, and to bring her to a true and iust discerning of things. To this end bending her eye to the contemplation of truth, shee findes that chiefe and only glory belongeth to the giuer, not to the receiuer; to the Creator, not to the thing made. Shee sees no reason that she should boast of anothers worke, nor that shee should be proud of what shee hath receiued; but rather shee seeth great reason, that the creature should giuegive all glory to the Creator, and the receiuer to the giuer. For the borrower is a seruant to the lender, his receiuing is an implied subiection, and hee oweth to him the thing lent, much more the glory of the thing. Accordingly▪ the sanctified cry out: Sing ye loud to the Lord all the earth; for the Lord is God, he hath made vsus, and not wee our selues: And, Thou art worthie ô Lord to receiue glory, honour, and power, for thou hast created all things. This if puft vp man would rightly consider, hee would remember by the benefits of God, to glorifie God his Benefactor, not himselfe, the almesman of God. And thogh knowledge by mans corruption is made an instrument of puffing vp, yet knowledge pursued to this point by sanctification, would humble and abase. For it would shew vsus that wee must glorie in our owne, not in our debts. Rather thereby as borrowers and owners wee should become humble acknowledgers of our owne subiection and obligation to him who lendes and bestowes. But miserable and distracted man, how farre dost thou wander from this dutie? thou art proud of a chaine borrowed of thy neighbour, howmuch more wilt thou bee of a greater thing giuen thee of thy God? Rather breake off thy sins by repentance, humble thy false swelling, & abate the wisedome of thy foolish flesh; yea let all glorie which other giuegive thee, reflect from thee to thy maker, who only is the true rest of glory. Then if thou glorifie him, thou shalt be glorified by him, wc is the glory thou especially shouldest seeke for vntounto thy self; so maist thou aspire by humility which is the only honour: yea most ready way of aspiring. But if thou doe it not, know that pride is the especiall barre of Gods mercies; Pride keepes out God, and many might hauehave beene farre more sanctified, if they had beene farre lesse proud. For God enters not into the soule that acknowledgeth not him nor his benefits; those that are farre from beholding him, hee beholdeth afar off. But into the humble soule, that giueth him abundance of glory; he enters with abundance of grace, sowing there, and there only plenty of grace, where he is assured to reape plenty of glory. Now let vsus beware that what God soweth for himselfe wee reape not to our selues, lest we be found robbers of God: but being as labourers in that haruest only for him, let vsus be content with our wages of labouring, which wil be sufficient yea an exceeding great reward to vsus; for great glorie shall be giuen to those in the next world, to whom God giueth grace to bee humble in this world.