A Treatise of Self-Denial, Treatise · Chapter 41
CHAP. XLI. Honour and Pride; And 1. Climbing high, &c.
III. THe third part of the Objective Intereſt of Self, is that which goes commonly under the name of Honour; and is called by the Apoſtle, [Pride of Life] and put by him in the third place. And of this, I intend, if God will give me time and ſtrength, to write alſo a Treatiſe by it ſelf, and therefore ſhould ſay nothing of it here; but only leſt I ſhould not have time to do that which I deſire, I ſhall briefly name you ten of the particulars under this head of Honour, which you muſt deny: that is, Ten ways wherein men exerciſe their Pride.
1. One work of Pride is to climb higher into places of ſuperiority and honour and command. Poor men that are out of hope, and in no capacity for riſing, feel not much of this, though the Diſpoſition to it be in them as well as others, becauſe it is not drawn forth by temptations. But where opportunity ſerveth, there is nothing wherein ſelfiſhneſs and Pride doth more conſtantly and obſtinately ſhew it ſelf than in this. It is the Nature of ſelfiſhneſs to aſpire after the higheſt exaltation in the world that can be attained. We may eaſily obſerve in Kingdoms and Corporations, and all Societies of men, what Chriſt obſerved at their feaſts, that [they chooſe out the chief rooms, and ſit with the higheſt] Luke 14. 7, 8. What eager deſires have they to be above other men? If any office or ſeat of Honour be void, there is few that apprehend any poſſibility of attaining it, that want a will to it; Yea few that will not ſeek and ſtrive for it, and envy thoſe that carry it before them; and hate, or bear a grudge to thoſe that were againſt their riſing: yea few but venture on the moſt unlawful means to accompliſh their deſires, & yet will ſcarce believe that they are unlawful, becauſe they think them neceſſary to their ends. There is few, if they had the choice of a man to any vacant place of honour, that would chuſe any other but themſelves; unleſs their unfitneſs were likely more to dishonour them, or ſome way to make their honors too burdenſom to them. No man in their eyes is ſo fit as themſelves, or ſo worthy as themſelves: Or if it be their Children or Kinſmen that ſtand for it, or any that ſelf hath ſpecial intereſt in, they ſeem the worthieſt for the place, becauſe they are related to them. Eſpecially if it be any eminent Dignity or command, that ſeems to them a prey that's worth the hunting after. O the blinding, bewitching, befooling power of Pride and Selfiſhneſs! How commonly doth it rule! How few are thoſe holy, happy men, that have eſcaped and overcome it! How few Societies be there in the world, whether Corporations, Colledges, or the like, but Pride and Selfiſhneſs makes their Governors? How few Nations on the Earth, where Pride and Selfiſhneſs maketh not their Kings or Soveraigns? And is it any wonder if they be all ill-governed then, where the Devil doth ſo much to chooſe the Governors? I know that God over-ruleth all, and reſtraineth the luſts of men, and croſſeth their deſigns; but yet their luſts and the Devil may Rule to their deſtruction for all that.
Object. But is it not lawful to ſeek for dignity and ſuperiority?
Anſw. No: not for ſelf; but for God it is. You have warnings enough, and plain enough from Chriſt, if warnings would ſerve turn: He hath bid you [ſit not down in the higheſt room:] he hath ſharply rebuked them that ſtrive for precedency, and who ſhall be the greateſt: He hath told you, he that will be the greateſt, muſt be the ſervant of all: and hath told you of ſtooping to the feet of the meaneſt, and condeſcending to men of low degree; and hath ſet little children before you to be your Teachers, and aſſured you that there is no entrance into his Kingdom in any other poſture. He hath told you that God reſiſteth and abhorreth the Proud, and that he that humbleth himſelf ſhall be exalted, and he that exalteth himſelf ſhall be brought low.
Object. But how ſhall I know whether I ſeek preferment for God or my ſelf? I hope it's God that I ſeek it for.
Anſw. 1. How ſhall a man know his own mind? you have dark hearts indeed if you cannot know your own Intentions, if you are but obſervant, and diligent, and willing to know them. 2. He that ſeeketh not Dignities for himſelf, but for God, will never ſeek to put by another that is as able and likely to do God ſervice in the place as he: Nor will he ſeek it at all, if he ſee that God may be ſerved as well without his ſeeking it: but will ſtay till God call him to it, and then he may expect his help and bleſſing. Few do intend God in it, that are Exalters of themſelves. Indeed if you ſee that an enemy of the Goſpel, or ſome unworthy, ungodly man is like to come into the place if you ſeek it not, by which the Church or the Commonwealth, is like to be much injured, then you may ſeek it by lawful means; ſo that you can truly ſay, I would not do it for my ſelf; but it is to ſerve God for his peoples good. 3. Nay he that ſeeketh not the Dignity for himſelf, will ſeek firſt and more to get in another, if he know another that is fitter than himſelf, and likely to do God more ſervice: and this he will do heartily, and not diſſemblingly. If you had not rather a worthier and more uſeful man were preferred before you, and ſeek not more for ſuch than for your ſelves, you are plain ſelf-ſeekers, whatever you may pretend. If a man ſhould come to almoſt any of the Rulers of Nations, Churches, Colledges or Corporations that have ſcrued themſelves into the place of Government, and ask them, Did you know no man fitter for this place than your ſelf, and have you ſought firſt to get in a fitter man? what can they for ſhame ſay to it? If they ſay, No; they proclaim themſelves notorious ſelf-ſeekers! For it's very ſeldom, that an humble man is allowed to judge himſelf the fitteſt. 4. And he that ſeeketh Dignities for God and not for himſelf, will uſe them for God, and not for himſelf. For the Intention will command the uſe. He will deny himſelf in his ſuperiority as well as if he were in the loweſt place; and will contrive how he may moſt ſerve and honour God: and this will be eaſily ſeen in his endeavours, whether it be God or ſelf that he ſerves and liveth to.
And now I adviſe all that love their ſouls, to take heed of this aſpiring act of ſelfiſhneſs. If you will needs ſeek your ſelves, and be your own Exalters, you muſt truſt to your ſelves, and be your own defenders: And then you will find that the loweſt condition in the hand of God, is more ſafe and comfortable than the higheſt in your own hand. If God ſhould lift you up to the top of the higheſt mountains, you may expect either a calm, or his protection in the ſtorm, and to be as ſafe as thoſe below: but if you lift up your ſelves, and Satan carry you to the pinacle of the Temple, take heed leſt you thence caſt down your ſelves by his temptations that did lift you up. Dignities and Honours, are not indeed the things that they ſeem to be to carnal eyes that ſee not the inſide, but judge by the outward glittering ſhew. There is moſt holy Duty and work to be done, where is the greateſt dignity. And certainly the life of greateſt work & labour is not the life of greateſt eaſe, or carnal pleaſure: eſpecially when it is the work of God that you muſt do: a work which all the world is againſt, and which Satan and all his power will reſiſt: and which muſt meet with enmity and abundance of enmity, when ever you ſet about it: Though you are Commanders, yet you are Souldiers; and you that are Leaders have the hotteſt ſtanding, and muſt expect the ſharpeſt conflicts. Do you think of your Dignities and Offices as places of meer ſuperiority and honour and accommodation to your carnal ſelves? then are you Carnal men, and enter upon you know not what, and make your ſelves Traitors and Enemies to God, whom he is engaged to bring down and be avenged on at laſt: you debaſe the ſacred coin which bears the ſtamp and name of God. Magiſtracy is holy, and the Image of God, and you baſely turn it into the Image of the fleſh; and blot out Gods name from it, and ſtamp upon it the name of ſelf, and traiterouſly make it your own, which was eminently his. Believe it, whoever you are, if you ſeek for places of Rule and Dignity with carnal ſelfiſh expectations, you muſt either uſe them accordingly when you have them, which is the readieſt way to damnation in the world, or elſe you muſt find your expectations croſt, and mifs of all your carnal Ends; and find that the greateſt toil and burden, which you expected ſhould have been your chief content. God hath annexed the Honour and outward greatneſs, partly to encourage you to ſo hard a work, leſt the burden ſhould be too heavy, and partly to enable you to perform it, and give you ſome advantages againſt oppoſition. But though the cloathing of Authority and Rule be ſplendid, the ſubſtance thus covered is extraordinary Labour, and duty, and ſuffering. It is Honourable, but it's an honourable burden, and an honourable painful difficult work. So that if men underſtood what Office and Authority is in Church or Common-wealth, and look'd after the ſubſtance as well as the ornaments; the work as well as the Honour and Greatneſs; it would be an eminent piece of ſelfdenial for a man to ſubmit to the call of God, to be a Prince, a Judge, a Juſtice, or but a Conſtable: and men would as hardly be drawn to take the Office, as they are now to do the work of the Office in faithfulneſs and with courage and zeal for God; and that is almoſt as hard as an offendor is drawn to the ſtocks: Offices and high places, are not intended to accommodate the fleſh; nor are they things to be ambitiouſly deſired and ſought for, by ſuch as underſtand the Ends and uſe of them: but they are ſuch laborious, hazardous ways of ſerving God, which a wiſe man knows muſt coſt him more, than the honour will repay, and which a Good man will not run away from, when God calleth him thereto; but will ſo far Deny himſelf as to ſubmit to them; but not thruſt himſelf into them, as the Proud and ſelfiſh do. It is a work of Patience to a Godly man to be thus exalted; but it is a work of Pride and ſelf-ſeeking in others. Deny your ſelves ſo far as to ſubmit to Government & dignity, & bear it patiently if it be caſt upon you, as being an excellent opportunity of ſerving God: But wi… not for it, becauſe of the Honour and advantages to the fleſh: much leſs contend for it, or ſet your hearts on it. He that ſeeketh an Office or Honour for himſelf, muſt have another heart before he will uſe it for God. It's better with Saul to hide our ſelves from honour, than with Abſalom to contrive and ſeek it: but beſt of all with David to ſtay till God call us, and then obey.