The Fire of the Sanctuary Newly Uncovered, Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII. Of Compaſsion.
I Am now come at length to the laſt particular wherwith Zeale muſt be tempered: to wit, Compaſsion. This, ſaithaBern. de reſur. dom. Ser. 2. Quaerat igitur mens aromata ſua, ante omnia, comp…ſſionis affectum, &c. Bernard, is one of the ſweeteſt perfumes, or pretious oyntments of the Soule. Therefore aboue all, let the ſoule ſeeke to ſhore her ſelfe with this affection.
So often as thou ſeeſt thy Brother offend, thy compaſſion ſhould preſently diſcouer it ſelfe, meaſuring him by thy ſelfe, as the Apoſtle willeth;bGal. 6.1. If any man be ouertaken with a fault, yee which are ſpirituall, reſtore ſuch an one with the ſpirit of meekeneſſe, conſidering thy ſelfe, leaſt thou alſo be tempted.
The ſame Father ſends vsus to that Good old Man, who hearing that one of his brethren was fallen into a ſinne, fell into a bitter paſſion of weeping, and vttered theſe words; He is fallen to day; and I may, tomor…ow The iniquity of the other made him to ſhed teares ouer his owne frailty: And his owne frailty made him condole his brothers iniquity.
This affection is of great vſe: it cannot but wound an ingenious minde, and make him aſhamed to ſee another mourne ouer his ſin, though happily before, hee did not bewaile it himſelfe.
Much better is a ſweete and brotherly compaſſion, then a ſowre and ſterne affection of a paſſionate minde, ſaithcGilb. ſup. Cant ſer. 32. Metior est d… is & fraterna c…mpaſſio, quam indignantis animi durus & immitis affectus. Gilbert in his continuation of Bernard vponupon Salomons Song.
Compaſsion ſhewes that a man knowes himſelfe, he that ſhewes no compaſſion makes no acknowledgement of his owne ſinfull condition: but proudly carries himſelfe as if ſinne and he had neuer beene acquainted: where as, in truth, none commonly, is more intimate with that ſtrumpet, then himſelfe.
And yet with all, let men beware of falſe compaſsion. There are (as ſome ſay) in the the Sea, fiſhes of ſo many different ſhapes, as may paralel, for outward reſemblance, all the beaſts vponupon earth. Sure I am, there are in the hearts of hypocrites ſo many counterfeit graces as may match, in ſhew, all that are true in the Godly.
Among other, they hauehave (ſome of them) a counterfeit of true Compaſsion, whereby they ſeeme to condole with others, and to extenuate their faults to any that ſpeake of them, not out of louelove to their brethren whom they ſeeme to bewaile; but out of deere affection to the like ſinnes in themſelues, which hereby they would palliate and defend from blowes.
When a man falls into diſcourſe of ſuch or ſuch a mans faults, and begins to aggrauate them, perhaps with a minde bad enough, theſe cōpaſſionate ſelfe-louers will be ready to ſay; Oh Sir, be not too raſh, and cruell; it was but a fruite of humane weakneſſe; the beſt may offend; and it is not good to iudge too hardly; we are all men; you ſhew little compaſſion, &c. whereas all this fluttering and crying of the crafty Lap-wing, is but to draw you from her owne neſt.
He hath a helliſh brood of the ſame kinde: and that you may fauour him, and his ſin, he will ſtoutly pleade his fellow offendors cauſe without a Fee.
Doe you not thinke, that, if the iudge ſhould bee as pitifull to the theefe at the Barre, as another would bee that is guilty of the ſame offence, the Countrey would ſoone ſwarme with theeues like Bees in ſummer; and the Hangman might go practiſe vponupon himſelfe, if hee ſhould ſtand in neede of vſing his Trade?
This therfore is, of al other, the moſt cunning defence of a mans owne iniquity, which while it goes masked vnderunder the name of Compaſſion to others, doubles his own tranſgreſſions.
Compaſſion is like to Ieremies figgs, whereof ſome were good; and ſome, naught: both ſorts excelled;dIer. 24.3. the good figgs, very good; and the euill very euill, that they could not bee eaten, they were ſo euill.
Compaſſion, ſaitheHugo. de ſc vict erud. Theol. Libello de 4. volunt in Chriſto. Triplex compaſſionis modus est. Alia ex natura, alia ex virtute, &c. Hugo, is of three ſorts: the one is from Vice, the other from Nature; and the third from Grace. The firſt is when a man is touched with an euill greefe, becauſe he is touched in that wherewith he was formerly held by the bonds of an vnlawfull louelove.
The ſecond is that whereby a man out of naturall piety (which is all one with naturall affection to ſuperiors) condoleth the miſeries of ſuch as are neere him, when hee ſeeth nature afflicted and oppreſſed with euills, beyond the bounds of humane ſtrength, and contrary to naturall piety.
The third is that whereby, for Gods ſake we ſympathize, with others in their greefes, when wee ſee righteouſneſſe oppreſſed, & innocency ſuffer. The firſt of theſe he pronounceth, culpable; the ſecond vnblameable; and the third commendable.
He might well hauehave added, that compaſſiō which comes from grace, extends it ſelfe to the falls of our brethren into ſinne, who ought to be reſtored with bowels of compaſſion yearning vponupon them, and forcing vsus to giuegive them the beſt helpe we can, to ſet them againe on their feet.
This is more then a common louelove: it is indeed the Quinteſſence of it, which makes our very hearts to drop at the ſinnes of our brethren, as marble with raine, though it lie in the dry.
Compaſſion makes a man to put his brothers ſoule into his owne body; and his owne ſoule, into his brother, (asfGreg. mor. cap 26. Afflicti in ſe animum ſumit, vt prius in ſe dolentis paſſionem trauiſerat, nunc contra dolorem illius miniſterium concurrat. Gregory ſpeakes in another caſe) and to make it his owne caſe; and ſo to deale with his brother as with himſelfe: which if he doe, hee will not exceede nor yet omit any thing to recouer the other.
He that beſtowes teares of compaſſion vponupon his neighbour, giues him ſomewhat of himſelf, as well as of his goodneſſe: and it is impoſſible that he who hath this, ſhould bee wanting in any thing to his power for his neighbours good.
Then doe we ſhew compaſſion indeed, when we bewaile his fall, as if we had fallen our ſelues, and ſeeke to waſh away his ſinne (if it were poſſible) by our owne teares.
This, if wee doe, though we doe much for him, yet more for our ſelues. He that hath ſuch a tender heart for the offences of others, ſhall finde it more tender, & more ready to mourne when himſelfe offendeth.
Compaſſion therefore muſt declare it ſelfe whenſoeuer wee declare our Zeale for God.gHugo de S. Ʋict. in Ioel. 2 Zelus eſt feruor animi ad cō paſſionem natura pronus, &c. Hugo ſaith well that Zeale is ſuch a heate as is prone to compaſſion of nature.
The Lord when he ſharply reprooued, and iuſtly diſinherited Adam did yet make himhGen. 3.21. a coate of skinnes to couer his nakedneſſe which ſin made ſhamefull.
When Chriſt denounced woes vntounto Ieruſalem, hee iLuk 19 41.wept ouer it. When Samuel in Zeale departed from Saul, and ſaw him no more all the daies of his life; yet he mourned k1 Sam. 15.for him.
Saint Paul calls for meekneſſe to ſuch as by ſudden temptation are ouertaken with alGal. 6.1. fault. Saint Iude requires vsus, of ſome to hauehave compaſsion, making a mIude 20.difference. And Saint Paul pronouncing a curſe on inordinate walkers, he did itnPhil. 3 18. weeping.
The ground of Compaſſion is louelove, which, being expreſſed, will temper the ſharpnes of reproofe, and make it more medicinable. Reprehenſion of it ſelfe is hardly tollerable, vnleſſe mixed with friendly intreaties; euen as the launcing of a wound though it be neceſſary, yet will not be endured by the Patient, vnleſſe all meanes to mitigate the paine be applyed tooChriſost in 2 Tim. 4.2. hom. 9. foreign him.
VVhatſoeuer a man doth with a heart rent in peeces by Paſſion, is rather an effect of violence ſeeking reuenge, then a fruite of charity ſtudying reformation. He that can reioyce and be glad and take pleaſure to torture his brother by turning his finger in his wounds is a cruell tyrant, no true Zealot.
It is impoſſible that any ſoule needing inſtruction, ſhould receiue any benefit, if hee bee taught in a brawling and a chiding tone, although the leſſon bee neuer ſo needfull, let him apply himſelfe to learne with all his might, yet hee will carry away nothing but greefe and ſorrow, as Chriſostome pChriſoſt. in 2 Tim. 2.24. hom. 6. foreign.ſpeakes.
Howbeit he ſpeaketh this of ſuch as he ſuppoſeth to be ingenious and tractable; not of obſtinate ſtiff-necked bulls that will not be tamed but by the fierceſt Maſtiues, and vponupon whom mildnes will worke no other effect, but ſcorne and contempt of him that is ſo milde.
This obſerued a man may take all liberty hee can in reproouing, as occaſion is offered, and his calling admitteth. And when this courſe is takē, ſuch as are reproued muſt not with Plutarcks Paraſite thinke to ieſt or laugh out any thing that is preſſed on them: they muſt not grow angry without a cauſe, or neglect amendment when neede requireth.
See Caluin vponupon Iob 31.1 Serm. 123.Then ſhall we finde by experience the truth and benefit of that heauenly Prouerbe;qProu. 25.12. As an earering of Gold, and as an ornament of fine gold, ſo is a wiſe reproouer on obedient eares.
It is good to be zealouſly affected alwaies in a good thing. Gal. 4.18.
FINIS.
Errata.
PAge 9. reade a ſono literae ζ. p. 15. for ſtate, read, ſeate. p. 21. line 1. for or r. …f line. 4. r. commended it. p 59. l. 1. r. yet it was. p. 63. l. 17. r. equalize ſome ſmall. p. 27…. l. 19. blot out, it is like that p. 309. l. 4, 5. blot out, and enioyned. p. 321. l. 5. r. tongues. p. 355. l. 19. r as bad as out. p. 361. l. 3. for and, r. addes p 395 for Inne, r. in p. 430 dele, Quere. p. 438 for inuitation, r. imitation. p. 447. for mitted r committed. p. 470. l. 19. for doth r. doe. p. 480. for ſhore, r. ſtore.
End of the text · Cornelius Burges, The Fire of the Sanctuary Newly Uncovered (1625)