The Mystery of Self-Deceiving, Chapter 4
CHAP. IIII.
Of the deceits of three seuerall sorts of men, the rich worldling, the ciuill iustitiary, the loose libertine.
SO much of the first deceit in iudging of our persons. The second Deceit is, that our bad estate is good: where there areThe second followeth. And that is when wee thinke our selues in good and happy estate before God, being indeed miserable; when with the Church of Laodicea wee iudge our selues rich and Reuel. 3.wanting nothing, when indeed wee are poore, naked, blind and beggerly wretches. If any man, saith Gal. 6. 3.Paul, thinke himselfe somewhat, when he is nothing, hee deceiueth himself in his imagination. Now what greater somewhat then for a man to be happy? what greater nothing then to be miserable? and so what greater deceit then this, for a man being miserable to iudge himselfe happy, being in Gods deepe displeasure to account himselfe to be highly in his fauour? A deceit indeede very common, but also very dangerous: for in this case mans deceitfull and dreaming heart makes him like that dreamer of the Prophet, who though hungry and thirstie, yet in Esay 29. 8.his sleepe thinkes he hath meat and drinke; but as he awakened sees his error and feeles his hunger, so shall the heart aroused by God, at least at the day of iudgement, see her deceit and feele hir miserie. Surely as in the naturall dreames it is better, when they be false, they should be of fearefull things, then of ioyfull, as better for a King to dreame himselfe to bee a begger, then contrarily for a begger to dreame that hee is a King: for the King, when hee wakens, his griefe is gone and his ioy is redoubled, seeing the vanitie of his dreame, but the begger when he awakes, his former griefe that slept with him awakes, and returnes so much the fiercer, in regard of the false ioy of his dreame: so is it in these dreames and deceitfull dotages of the heart. Farre better is that deceit, whereby the sonne of God thinkes himselfe a slaue of Sathan, than the contrary, when the limme of Sathan deemes and dreames himselfe a member of Christ. Better it is for Nebuchadnezer being a man, through his braine distempered with melancholly to thinke himselfe a beast, then for a beast to thinke it selfe a man: for this deceit is nothing so vsuall, nor so perilous. A mans false conceit of misery, when indeede he is happy, may lessen his happinesse: it cannot make him miserable: But a mans false apprehension of happinesse being miserable, is so farre from making him happy, that it makes him twise, yea remedilesse miserable; it being the first step to happinesse to know our miserie. Lamentable therefore is it, that this deceit being so pernitious, should be so vniuersall. Our Sauiour tels vsus that there are but few that shall be saued. And yet if all they should be saued, that thinke they shall be saued, sure then there are but very few that shal be damned, & then the strait and narrow way is that which leadeth to Hell, the broad way is Heauen way: For who is there almost that perswadeth not himselfe hee shall be saued?
And heere I obserue more specially the deceit of Foure deceits.foure seuerall sorts of men; the rich worldling, the ciuil iustitiarie, the loose libertine, or carnall gospeller, and the temporarie beleeuer; all these vponupon their seuerall, but all of them deceiuable grounds, perswading themselues, they are in the fauour of God.
First, the men of this world, whose bellies God filleth with the hid treasure of the earth, vponupon occasion Rich worldlings deceit. Psal. 17.of their outward prosperity, are quickly brought into this fooles paradise of thinking themselues to be the speciall darlings of God: for if the godly themselues hauehave oftentimes their eies so dazeled with the outward glittering and flourishing estate of the wicked, as thereupon they are ready to say of them, The generation of Gods children, which Psal. 73.was once Dauids error for a time: how much more then, thinke wee, will the wicked thinke so of themselues? He that maketh gaine, saith Dauid, blesseth himselfe, Psal. 10. 3.namely in this false opinion of his owne felicitie. And elsewhere hee sheweth that when God holdeth his peace, and doth not by his iudgements Psal. 50.disturbe them in their pleasures and profits, then presently their deceitfull heart thereon inferreth, that God is like to them, he alloweth of them and their doings. That we may free these men from this deceit, and discouer the grossenesse of it, diuers things must be considered.
First, If riches be that that makes men happy, (according to the foolish phrase men vse when such things befall one, O he is made!) how then comes it to passe, that Heauen the cheefe and royall seate of blessednesse, is so empty of these treasurers? for there grow no minerals, the veine of siluer & gold is not to be found there. And yet God who there sheweth the brightest lustre of his glorie, the holy Saints and Angels, that dwell there with him, want nothing that may serue to make them completely blessed. Surely belike happinesse must be digged out of the bowels of the earth, it growes below, not aboue. The earth can no longer say, when it is demanded of our happinesse, as it is in Iob, it is not in Iob. 28. 14.mee; if siluer and gold be our happinesse, then it is in the earth, and so, which is strange, it is neerer hell (which the scripture seemeth to place below i… the deepes) then heauen, which all knowe to be aloft, Luke 8.and so neerer the Diuell, then God let me hauehave heauens miserie, take thou hels happinesse.
2 If this deceit be true, happinesse should rather be found in the wildernesse of India, Turkey, and such like barbarous, and brutish places, then in the faire Eden of the Church. Is it likely, that if riches were such pearls, the Lord would cast them to such swine? if such happie things, he would throw them to such dogges? if the childrens bread, hee would feed whelpes with them?
3 Riches indeed themselues are the good blessinges of God, and are notable instruments of vertue, as we see in Salomon, Abraham, Lot, and other holy rich men in the scripture, in all whom that saying was true, Wisedome is good with an inheritance. Eccles. 7. 13. interpreted.Wisedome is good without an inheritance to the owner, but it is not so good to others, it cannot so cleerely shew, and manifest it selfe to them, without the helpe of this instrument. As how could Abraham hauehave shewed his hospitall, and bountifull minde, in intertaining strangers, if poore? How could Iob hauehave declared his mercy, and liberality to the poore, without his riches? how could Salomon hauehave witnessed his munificence, & royall magnificence, yea his zeale, and piety in building the temple, together with his wisedome and skill in naturall philosophy, had not the Lord so abundantly furnished him with these helpes? what then? shall wee say, because riches are the instruments, whereby vertue declareth it selfe, therefore they make men vertuous? that, because a good pen is the instrument of writing, therefore it will make one a good writer? nay rather a good writer makes the pen good, and to bee a fit instrument of writing well. For furnish an vnskilfull writer with neuer so good a pen, yet his fist remaines still as vnskilfull. So a good man knowes how to make vse, and aduantage of riches, for the practise of vertue; as Salomon saies, The crowne of the wise is their riches: but Pro. 14. 24. cleered.yet giuegive them a foole, and you put a sword into a mad mans hand, still hee is as wicked, naie worse then before, as Salomon addeth in the same place, the folly of fooles, namely rich ones, is foolishnes; why, was it not foolishnes before they were rich? yes, but not in comparison of that it is now, since they became rich. That as wisedome is good, that is, better, shines brighter, so folly is naught, that is, farre worse, more palpably discouers it selfe, with an inheritance. That which Salomon speakes of silence in a foole, may as truely be said of pouerty sometimes. Prou. 17. 28.A foole is accounted wise while poore, but let him once be rich, then his follie is foolishnesse indeed. Riches then declare whether wee be good, or no, as a sword in a mans hand whether he be sober, or drunke, but they make vsus not good; because, as I said, they are only instruments of goodnesse. And the instrument alwaies receiueth it force from that which vseth it, giueth none vntounto it. Were it not absurd for a man to thinke himselfe a good scholer, because he hath many bookes standing in his closet, or a good musition, because he hath many musicall instruments hanging vponupon his wals, when he knowes not how to vse either bookes, or instruments? And yet riches are no such necessary instruments of grace, as bookes are of learning. For a man may shew as much, naie (as Chrysostome hath well Hom. 1. ad pop. Antioch.noted in the example of Iob) more of some obedience namely that which we call passiue in pouertie, then in riches.
4 Riches, though they be the giftes of God, yet we must consider, with what hand hee reacheth them forth vntounto vsus, whether with the right, or the left, with what mind he giueth them, whether in louelove, or in anger. For God often giueth men riches as he gaue the Israelites quayles, euen to be thornes to choake them. Herein being like that King Eutrapeles, Drus. in adag.that heaped vp most riches vponupon such as he most hated, saying that together with their riches hee should crush them with a heauy burden of cares. Pharaoh himselfe was not smitten with many of those judgements, wherin others perished, but it was not from any speciall respect God had of him aboue them, but God himselfe, least he should misiinterprete it, tels him the reason for this cause Ex. 9. 16. interpreted vide Iun.hauehave Ireserued thee, namely from being stroken with the former judgement, not for any louelove I beare to thee, but, that I may shew my power in thee. The Psalmist therefore excellently couples these thinges together. The Lord giueth fight to the blind, hee raiseth Ps. 146. 8. inlightened.vp the crooked, he loueth the righteous. To teach that the Lord may dispense these outward blessinges to the wicked, but not in louelove, saue only to the righteous. Wherefore our rich worldling hath little cause of reioycing in his riches, vnlesse hee knew that the Lord looked vponupon him, as Elizabeth speaketh of the Luc. 1. 25.blessing of hir fruitfull wombe, in the giuinge of them, euen with a sweete, and amiable countenance, ready together with his riches to deale his owne soule vntounto him. But it is otherwise: The Lord turneth his backe vponupon him, euen then when his hand reacheth forth these outward thinges vntounto him. In his anger he giueth these supposed faelicities to the wicked, which in his mercy he denieth to the godly. He putteth them into the fatter pastures, because he meaneth to kill them, and causeth these to feede on the bare commons, because he will hauehave them liue still. If the stalled oxe had reason, would he be so senselesse as to thinke his master loued him better then his fellowes, because of his more liberall foode? know it then thou rich worldling God onlie fatteth thee for the slaughter. Hee thus ladeth thee with these blessinges that by this meanes aggrauating thy ingratitude, and impenitency, hee Rom. 2. 4.might lade thee with a heauier weight of condemnation. Yea by this meanes in his iust judgement, as by an outward occasion, he prouoketh, and stirreth vp that corruption of pride, couetousnesse, cruelty, oppression, and such like, which before were in thee, but for want of occasion could not so plainly shew themselues. That therfore this secret corruptiō may be discouered, he offreth fit matter for it to feed vponupon, toworke vponupon. Iudas was couetous before hee came to Christ: therfore Christ gaue him the bag to feed that his humor, to minister fuell to it, that so his rotten heart might be detected, should not now Iudas hauehave deceiued himselfe much, if hee had apprehended the office which Christ assigned him, as an argument of his grearer respect, as though hee had reposed more confidence in him for fidelity, whome indeed he knew to be most vnfaithful? Iudas bag was a net to catch his soule. The wickeds table, though swimming neuer so much with dainties, is his snare & his prosperity his ruine. God giueth them these things Psa. 69. 22.no otherwise then Iael gaue Sisera milke, and lodging, that by this means casting them into the dead sleep of security, he might strike them through with the naile of his iudgements, or as Ehud gaue the present to Eglon, onelyonly that he might hauehave an occasion to sheath his dagger in his bowels: wherefore looke how Haman deceiued himselfe in construing the Queenes inuitation of him to the banquet, as a matter of speciall grace: for indeede shee did it onelyonly to accuse him; alike doe these fatte worldlings deceiue themselues, imputing their outward prosperity to the fauour of God, who indeede onelyonly giueth them these things to furnish their inditemēt out of them; like as once Ioseph caused his cup to bee put into one of his brethrens sacks, that he might picke a quarrell with them, and lay theft to their charge: for God, howsoeuer he hauehave giuen the wicked these earthly blessings, yet will he chalenge them of theft, and vniust vsurping of his creatures, to the which being out of Christ, they hauehave no right and title. See then ye miserable mucke wormes of the earth, how grossely yee deceiue your selues, that are so fearefull of being deceiued by others, and know that as in other regards, so in this hath our Sauiour befooled you, that Luk. 12.you thus lull your selues a sleepe in a false conceit of your owne happinesse, and sing a requiem to your owne soules, soule take thine ease; and yet sinne lies before the doores; this night ô foole shall they take away thy soule: and then though with Diues ye hauehave bin rich in this world, yet with him also ye shal be poore, enough in the World to come: so poore that yee shall bee driuen to begge a droppe of water of Luk. 16.some Lazarus, to whom heere you denied crummes of bread. O extreame and more then beggerly pouerty, when thou canst not commaund a little drop of water! So fitly did the Apostle say, charge them that are rich in this world, intimating that there is one riches & pouerty of this world, & of the world to come another, as Lazarus, poore in this world, became rich in the other world, and Diues, rich in this world, became exceeding penurious in the other: withall teaching that these riches, when they last longest, last no longer then this life, they follow not after vsus when wee are dead, to make vsus rich in that other world; Go now and blesse thy selfe in thy riches, and prosperous estate as badges of blessednes; from which holy Agur desired to bee blessed; fearing least his shoe being ouerwide for his foote it would but hinder him in his iourney, and his ouer-ample estate would be as cumbersome to his soule, as Sauls armour would hauehave beene to Dauids body. The Apostle tels thee, God chasteneth eueryevery child hee Heb. 12.hath, and none but bastards goe vncorrected: what an idle conceit then is this for thee to take that for a note of thy sonneship, namely thy oyled and buttered paths, thy long ease and freedome from crosses, for which the Holy Ghost, hath reproached thee with the brand of bastardisme? Our Sauiour cries out, woe be to you rich men, for yee shall weepe. What a madnesse for thee to blesse where Christ curses? He tels thee that thy riches are as great burthens, hindering thy entrance in at the strait gate, and as the bunch on the Camels backe, hindring his passage through the needles eye, and therefore cries out, how hardly shal a rich man enter into the kingdome of heauen? what a dotage is this to account the barre of heauen dore shutting it vp against vsus, to be the key opening it to vsus, to take weights, pressing vsus downe to hell to bee wings, lifting vsus vp to heauen?
2. Sort of men deceiuing themselues in this Ciuill Iustitiaries deceit.kind are our ciuill iustitiaries, who therefore iudge themselues to be in good state to God-ward, because they liue without scandall honestly, quietly paying eueryevery man his owne &c. If they had hence concluded they had beene in good state to man-ward, the deceit had beene more tolerable; for men cannot so well chalenge those that can with Samuel say, whose oxe or asse hauehave I stollen? whom hauehave I wronged? but the deceit is fond, to thinke therefore God can hauehave no action against thee. Alike as if thou shouldest thinke the King can touch thee in nothing, because thou hast not failed in any point, the Law tyes thee to thy fellow-subiects, with whom thou liuest, and yet happily hast many waies faulted against the king himselfe: Thou talkest of paying men their dues; wel let it be so: what can follow hence, but that among men thou shalt go for an honest man? what with God too? yes, if thou canst truly say, thou paist him his dues; the due of prayer, hearing, reading, & meditating in the worde, sanctifiing of the Sabbaoths, the which our ciuill man neuer paieth, and therfore as thou wouldst account him vnhonest, that paies thee not thy dues, so will God account thee, for not paying him his. This is true religion saith Iames to the loose professor seuering some outward duties of religion in the first, from righteousnesse in the second table, to visit the Fatherlesse and widdow &c. which are duties not of religion properly, but of iustice and righteousnesse: and this hee doth because this is the triall of the truth of our religion. By like reason and proportion may I say to the Ciuil man, as vnreasonably diuiding the works of righteousnes, in the second table, from those of religion, in the first, This is true righteousnesse, this is true honesty, to sanctifie the Sabbaoths, to call vponupon the name of the Lord, to conferre, to meditate of the word: For looke what kind of Religion that is, which is not attended with honesty to men, alike is that honesty which is not ioyned with Religion to God. Now the former religion none so ready to condemne for naught as the ciuill man himselfe: for zeale and deuotion in no case can he away with: therefore, his owne mouth being iudge, his owne honesty which he so magnifies and makes the only prop of his happinesse must needs be rotten, and vnsound. Vnhonest religion is as good, as irreligious honesty. And if in thy iudgement, the former be naught, surely the latter cannot be good. Religion, or the feare of God Salomon cals the head of all goodnesse: honesty then without religion is as a body without a head, euen a rotting, and stinking carrion: and wilt thou yet be so fond as to thinke it is a sweet smelling sacrifice in Gods nosethrils? Heare Christ telling the Pharisees, such as thou art, that the harlots and Publicanes, as if I should now say to thee cut-throats, and cut-purses, should go before them into the kingdom of heauen. And againe, Except your righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye cannot Mat. 5.enter into the kingdome of heauen. And if this cannot stop thy mouth, yet let Esayes foule cloath, all our righteousnesse, euen our righteousnesse, the Prophet includes himselfe, holy Esaies owne righteousnesse the righteousnes of grace, is a menstruous cloath, that wil rather foule our faces, then wipe away the filth of them. What then is the righteousnesse of nature? Surely Christ must bee both wash, and wipe his disciples feet. His bloud must bee both water, and towel too. Renounce then thine own righteousnesse euen spiriuall, much more Ciuil, and trust onelyonly to his.
The third sort of these selfe-deceiuers are our common and carnall Gospellers, Gospelspillers rather, being Libertines deceit.indeed loose libertines that doe turne the grace of God into wantonnes: These also iudge themselues to be in good case before God; and why? because they hauehave beene borne in the Church, and still enioy the priuiledges thereof; they hauehave beene washed with holy water, and are daily fed with the spirituall Manna of the word, and Sacraments. This was the vsual deceit of the Iewes, who cried, the temple of the Lord, the Ier 7.temple of the Lord: and had nothing else to blesse Math. 7.themselues withal, but the cognizance of circumcision. And our Sauior sheweth how many at the last day shal look for eternal life, only because they hauehave eat and drunk in his presence, which I vnderstand of the spirituall eating and drinking in the hearing of the word, and receiuing of the Sacraments: but for all this, with the man that wanted the wedding garment, they may be taken from the very feasting table to the gallowes with Haman. And though they flie neuer so much with Ioab to the hornes of Gods altar, yet it shall not defend them from Gods sword, for the very trueth is this, the man that wants the wedding garment is no otherwise bidden to the feast by the king, then Haman was to Queene Esters feast, hee shall there finde God no lesse angry with him, then Haman found Ahashuerosh, and heare that fearefull sentence, Take him, bind him, &c. Of this deceit S. Iames speaketh, when hee saith, Be yee doers Iam. 1. 22.of the word, & not hearers only, deceiuing your selues. Shewing thereby that many, as the miserable experience euen of these times also sheweth, did therfore repute themselues in the number of Gods people, onelyonly because they came to the Church, heard the word and presented him with the outward sacrifices of their praiers, and praises, howsoeuer their liues otherwise were most vile and vitious. But Saint Iames afterward telleth these deceiuers, If any man Psalm. 26.seeme religious and refraine not his tongue deceiuing his owne heart, his religion is in vaine. And so doth S. Paul tell the Iewes that rested in the law, and the outward letter thereof, that their circumcision was no better then vncircumcision; as a man may say to a base player, apparelled like a Kings sonne, that his Princes coat is no better then a beggers. It shall doe him no more good, procure him no more honour or respect. For circumcision, baptisme, hearing, receiuing, and all such like badges of outward profession they are but as the outward garment of Christians, which may easily bee put on by those that are none. And therfore howsoeuer thcse by many are thought sufficient to make them good Christians, yet Salomon sticks not to make them the marks of fools, when there are no better then they, as when hee calleth Gods owne sacrifices, the sacrifices of fooles, bee more ready to heare then to offer the sacrifice of fools, because Eccles. 5.of this foolish conceit which many ground vponupon them. but notably doth God shake these deceiuers in the fiftieth Psalme, who for all their lying, slaundering, whoring, theeuing, would yet needs goe for Saints, because they were diligent in the outward seruice of the temple. They thought they were very carefull rememberers of God, when they plied him so fast with the sacrifices of the Law, both morning and euening: and yet God telleth them that none were so vnmindfull of him as they, and therefore very fearefully thundreth against them: O consider this ye that forget God, least I teare you in peeces: For when the trueth of Obedience, and power of godlinesse is wanting, surely there is small difference betwixt an Israelite, and an Ismaelite, a circumcised Hebrewe, and an vncircumcised Philistim, a baptised Englishman, and an vnwashen Turke. Neither is the barren fig-tree in Gods orchyard in any better case, then is the bramble in the wildernesse. In which regard Dauid is not afraide to call the Eiphims strangers, Psal 54. 3. Psal. 59. 5. and 7. 1. opened.and Sauls courtiers heathen, and Saul himselfe Cushi, or an Aethiopian, though all of them liuing in the visible Church as members thereof; to shewe, that God will lappe them vp in the same bundle of condemnation, together with the heathen, and vncircumcised, stangers, from the couenants, and common-weale of Israel. This therefore will be but a silly plea before God, wee hauehave gone to Church, frequented the praiers, heard the sermons; nay the plea of preaching sermons will not bee admitted. When thou bringest to God the sermons thou hast heard, thou bringest Vriahs letters; the matter of thine owne death, and damnation. For therefore shall God adiudge thee to so much sorer, and seuerer condemnation, by how much thy meanes of repentance hauehave beene greater. Therefore shall the earth be cursed, because hauing beene watered with the dewe of heauen, it bringeth forth nothing but brambles, and briers. But here our libertine, Heb. 6.besides his outward formal Church-seruice, vrgeth his faith in the merits of Christ
Ans. His faith is meere fancy: for, 1. Faith commeth Rom. 10.by hearing, and so also is it nourished by hearing of the word, prayer and the sacraments. But these men cannot tell how they came by their faith. And it is suspitious when men hauehave goods, and cannot tel how they came by them: assuredly they cannot say they came to their faith by any such meanes: for they despise the powerfull ministerie, and to pray aright they know not, whereas true faith the daughter of the word, cannot but with al humility and thankfulnes acknowledge her father.
2. True faith is copulatiue, it ioyneth together the whole worde of God: it beleeueth one promise as well as another, the promises of this life, as well as those of the life to come. But our Libertines faith that seemeth very strong in beleeuing saluation by Christ, in temporall dangers, that concerne the outward man onelyonly, cannot vphold it selfe: the reason is, for that, as their faith is a fancy it selfe, so it apprehendeth eternall saluation as a fancie, and so there can bee bold enough, but temporall saluation beeing apprehended as a matter of trueth, their fantasticall faith cannot lay hold of the promises thereof: these men that so confidently professe, that they beleeue God hath prouided superabundant riches of glory heereafter for them, cannot yet beleeue that hee will prouide competent necessaries of maintenance for this present life: whence they so tremble in their dangers. Againe faith beleeueth the threats of the word together with the promises: now thou who pretendest beleefe of the promises, shew me thy beleefe of the threatnings: diddest thou beleeue the truth of those menaces, which God hath denounced against vncleane, couetous, ambitious, proud, enuious, malitious persons, and such like sinners, how durst thou then so wallow in these sinnes, that if God in stead of hell, had promised heauen, as a reward vntounto them, thou couldest not doe more, then thou doest; Why shouldest thou deceiue thy selfe with an opinion of faith, when indeede thou beleeuest not so much as the Diuell? for hee beleeues [namely the threatenings of the word] and trembles for horrour; but thou goest on in sin, making a mocke of the menaces, and in the infidelity Iames 2.of thy heart giuest them the lye, saying no such thing shall befall thee. And so much for the three former selfe-deceiuers.