A Treatise of Self-Denial, Treatise · Chapter 50
CHAP. L. A Renowned and Perpetuated Name to be denied.
10. THe laſt point of Honour which ſelf muſt be denied in, is, A Renowed and Perpetuated Name. For to that height doth Pride aſpire, that no leſs will ſatisfie, where there is any apparent hope of this: though in thoſe that ſit ſo low that they ſee no ground to hope for ſuch a thing, the deſires after it are not ſo kindled as they be in others, that think the prey is within their reach. Fain men would be famous and talk'd of through the world: They would have their real and ſuppoſed worth made known as far as may be. And when they die, they would fain have their names ſurvive, that they may be great in the eſtimation of poſterity, and magnified by all that mention them. And ſo deeply are men poſſeſſed with this dangerous ſin, that they account this perpetuated fame for their felicity. And there was nothing that moſt of the Heathens did prefer before it: but when they ſeemed to be moſt vertuous, heroical, and patient, it was but to be thus eſteemed of after they were dead.
If you ask me, How far a ſurviving reputation may be regarded? I anſwer. 1. So far as the intereſt of God, or his Goſpel, Church, or Cauſe, or the publick good, or the good of our poſterity is concerned in it, and may be promoted by it, thus far it is lawful and a duty to value it, deſire it, and ſeek it. For if we have throughly ſearched our hearts, and can ſay unfeignedly that it is God, and his cauſe and honour that we principally intend, and deſire our own honour but as a Means to his, and therefore deſire it no further than it is ſuch a means; then we may juſtly deſire both the extenſion and ſurviving of our reputation if we are groundedly perſwaded that it's like to conduce to theſe happy ends. As for example: A Prince that owns the cauſe of God, and makes ſuch Laws for the common good as may exceedingly promote it, if they be obſerved by poſterity, muſt have a great regard to his preſent and ſurviving fame, becauſe the honour of his Laws will depend much upon the honour of his name: and if once the people vilifie him, they will be likely to vilifie and caſt off his Laws, to the hurt of Church and Common-wealth, and their own undoing. And even as to the ſucceſs of their preſent Government, they ſhould be very careful of their fame: ſo alſo a Miniſter of the Goſpel muſt be very careful of his preſent and future reputation. For at preſent, the ſaving good of his auditors doth much depend upon it. For if they have a baſe eſteem of the Paſtor, they will be unlikely to give diligent intention to his Doctrine, but diſeſteem it as they do the ſpeaker, and it is not likely to go to their hearts: Nor will they ſeek his advice in the great matters of ſalvation, and the difficult caſes and dangers that they meet with; but to the great hazard of their ſouls will ſlight the neceſſary aſſiſtance of him that is appointed to be their guide to heaven, and will ſet light by all the Ordinances of God. And therefore the Paſtors Reputation is ten thouſand times more beneficial and neceſſary to the people than to himſelf. For alas it is but their good thoughts and words that he receiveth; which add little to his happineſs: but it's everlaſting life which they may receive by that Word of God and help from him, which is furthered by his Reputation. And therefore as Miniſters ſhould be exceeding watchful againſt Pride, that they deſire not Honor for themſelves; ſo when they are ſure that God is their end, they muſt be exceeding careful of their own Reputation, and avoid all occaſions & appearances of evil, and purchaſe it by all juſt means: For though honour be worth little, yet the Cauſe of God and the ſouls of men are worth much; and we muſt not be prodigal of our Maſters Talents, and ſuch as are very uſeful to his ſervice: Our Reputation is Gods and the Churches due, and to be cheriſhed for their uſe. Eſpecially thoſe Miniſters muſt be careful of their Reputation, that by Reformation or Publick uſeful writings are capable of profiting Poſterity: and they may deſire the ſurviving of their honours, which for it ſelf might not be deſired: becauſe their works and writings, and Doctrine are like to be much blaſted by their own defamations, and do little good to any that come after: Nay the precious truths and cauſe of God may be moſt dangerouſly wronged and diſadvantaged by it; and get ſuch a blot and diſhonour by their diſhonour, that any that ſhall ſeek the promoting of it hereafter may be greatly hindered and diſadvantaged thereby: For it will ſeem enough to caſt off ſuch a Doctrine for ever, that by the diſhonour of the maintainers it was once diſhonourable and rejected as an error. And doubtleſs ſome things have been thus made Hereſies, and ſo will be long rejected as Hereſies in many parts of the Chriſtian world, becauſe they were once called by that name; and that was becauſe the Perſon that did own them had ſome ſuch diſhonour or diſadvantage as left his Doctrine open to this reproach. And therefore you may here ſee what a Potent inſtrument Reputation is in the Devils hand, to do his work; and what abundance of advantage he gets by defaming Gods ſervants. Principally by this means did he long keep the world from the entertainment of the Goſpel, the ſervants of Chriſt being contemptible in their eyes, and the preaching of the croſs but fooliſhneſs to them. By this means did the Phariſees hinder the Jews from believing in Chriſt: And by this means is Heatheniſm, Infidelity, and Mahometaniſm continued in poſſeſſion of moſt of the world to this day. By this means it is that Popery keeps the common people in thraldom: as the voluminous lies of Cochlaeus, Bolſecus, and many others concerning Luther, Calvin, Zuinglius, and other of our Reformers and Writers, do fully teſtifie. And by perſonal reproaches and diſhonours it is that the Doctrine of the Reformed Divines is made ſo odious among the Lutherans; and the like inſtances might be given in others. If now any weighty Chriſtian Verity ſhould be aſſerted by any Paſtor of the Church, in a ſounder and clearer manner, than is commonly known or owned, if the perſon that doth it, ſhould but fall under any reproach (which he ſhall be ſure of if the Devil can procure it) it's two to one but for his ſake his Doctine will be ſtigmatized with the name of error, and ſo lie buried for ever, till Divine Omnipotency commands its Reſurrection. And hence it is that there is not one Inſtrument that ever God raiſeth up to vindicate any truth, or ordinance, or do him any ſpecial ſervice, but Satan raiſeth up tongues and pens if not hands and ſwords againſt him, and an Army of reproachers will preſently be on the back of him.
Now in all ſuch caſes as theſe, it is a great duty for any ſervant of Chriſt to be very regardful of his Reputation even with Poſterity: For his good name may much promote the Truth, as we know the Name of Auſtin, Calvin, and many another doth at this day. And if it be our great duty to extend our ſervice of God as far as we can, to all Countries, and to all poſterity, to do them good; then is it our duty to endeavour that a good Reputation ſhould go along with our labours to further the ſucceſs, or remove impediments. And thus while we are ſincere, and intend all for God, we may and muſt regard our honour; and yet in ſo doing we Deny our ſelves, becauſe we do it not for our ſelves but for God and his Church.
2. And if honour be given in to us this way, even as we partake of it our ſelves, as a Means to Gods honour, we muſt thankfully accept it, eſteem it, and rejoyce in it. And therefore it is made the matter of many promiſes, and ſpoken of in Scripture as a bleſſing, Prov. 22. 1. A good name is rather to be choſen than great riches] and 10. 7. The memory of the Juſt is bleſſed: but the name of the wicked ſhall rot] Eccleſ. 7. 1. A good name is better than precious oyntment] with many the like.
Thus much I have ſaid to prevent a miſ-application of that which followeth; and to help you ſo to underſtand me on this point of Honour, as not to run from extream into extream, and to ſin by ſeeking to avoid ſin.
But alas, this kind of ſeeking our Honour for God and his Church, and not for our ſelves, and as our own, I doubt is more rare than the neglect of honour. The ſin that I diſſwade you from, is in theſe two points. 1. That you do not Affect and ſeek after Extending or ſurviving Reputation for your ſelves; and out of a Proud deſire to be ſtill ſome body in the eſtimation of the world: 2. That if God deny you even that honour which in the lawfulleſt manner you deſire, that you ſubmit to his pleaſure, and take it patiently; and in theſe two reſpects you muſt here deny your ſelves.
Above all others, theſe ſorts of perſons following are in danger of this odious Pride, in deſiring for themſelves an extended and ſurviving Name. 1. Princes and Souldiers that have the management of the great affairs of the world; Fain would they be Renowned to Poſterity: And hence are their aſpiring ambitious deſigns. For this are their Wars and Conqueſts, that they may be famous when they are dead as well as while they live: And thus they make their Noble Conqueſts to be but Murders of the vileſt ſort, and worſe than any Cut-throats and Robbers by the high way, while they intend them but for themſelves and their own vain-glory; and better might they ſeek honour by whoredom, drunkenneſs, or theft which are far ſmaller ſins: Whereas if their wars had been undertaken for God, and managed according to his Will, they had made them truly honourable and renowned. And from this odious Pride it is, that Abſaloms Pillars muſt be erected, and Monuments muſt be built to perpetuate their names, and tell the world what need they have of means to keep alive their memories, and how deſtitute they are of nobler means, when Marbles and Monuments muſt be the great preſervers of their fame. Yea it were well if this Pride and ſelfiſhneſs did not corrupt the nobleſt of their works, and turn them into deadly ſins: if they did not build their Hoſpitals, Colledges or Churches, and endow them with Revenues to perpetuate their own Names, rather than to do good. Though the works themſelves are ſo good and ſo rare, that I would not caſt any diſhonour upon them, ſeeing all that can be ſaid is too little to provoke men to do the like: yet am I bound in duty to tell them, that if ſelf ſhould be the End inſtead of God, and Pride the cauſe inſtead of charity, Hell would be the Reward inſtead of Heaven: ſo great a matter it is to have an honeſt heart and right intentions in the moſt excellent and noble works. In ſo much that a poor man that hath a heart to build a Colledge or an Hoſpital, if he had but means, ſhall be Rewarded by God, as if he had done it, if God were the End, and Charity the Principle; when a rich man that doth the work it ſelf, ſhall have but a poor and temporary reward, if ſelf be the End and Pride the Principle.
2. Another ſort, that are ſpecially in danger of this ſin, are, all Rich men, who would be the great in the world, and perpetuate their names and memory in their houſes, lands and poſterity▪ and therefore they would purchaſe Towns and Lordſhips that their Houſes may be famous when they are gone. For it ſeems a kind of life to them if their Greatneſs do but live in their poſterity. Pſal. 49. 11, 12. [Their inward thought is that their houſes ſhall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations: they call their lands after their own names—This their way is their folly: yet their poſterity approve their ſayings.] Hence alſo is that oſtentation of Eſcucheons, and Arms, and of Ancient Gentility or Nobility, and much more ſuch proud and ſelfiſh vanity.
3. Another ſort that are in danger of this ſin, are Divines and Learned men in all Profeſſions, who make their Writings but a means to perpetuate their own Names to Poſterity. Temptations to this ſin may be offered to the beſt, and too much entertainment they may have with our natures, becauſe of the remnants of ſelfiſhneſs and Pride. But yet they do not prevail with the ſanctified ſo far as to aim more at their own honour than at Gods. The Labours that in themſelves are excellent and a bleſſing to the Church, are loſt to him that was the Author of them, if ſelf be the End, and Pride the fountain. And exceeding great need have the godlieſt men to watch their hearts in this particular; for they are very deceitſul, and ſelfiſhneſs will too often interpoſe, where nothing but God and publick good is diſcerned. And now becauſe that the ſin is very great and dangerous, I ſhall here annex a few Conſiderations, which by opening the evil of it, may help you to abhor it.
1. Theſe Proud deſires of a great and ſurviving Name, do ſhew that you lamentably overlook the true eternal honour of the Saints. Muſt you have Honour? chooſe that which lieth in the eſteem of God: Muſt you be great and glorious? why you may be ſo, and God would have you be ſo; if you will but know where Greatneſs and Glory is to be had, even in that bleſſedneſs that Chriſt hath purchaſed. Muſt you have your greatneſs and honour perpeuated? why you may have that which will never have an end: And when God hath ſet before you ſuch an endleſs glory, are you looking after a Name among mortal men, to leave behind you on the Earth? Do you think to be ſaved indeed or not? If you do, what need have you of the ſmoak of mans applauſe, when you are with God? what unworthythoughts have you of heaven, if you think when you are there, you ſhall have need of mens good thoughts or words on earth? But it's a dangerous ſign that you are indeed unbelievers, and lay not up your treaſure in heaven, when you are ſo careful to perpetuate your names and ſhaddows here with men. The true reli…h of Heavenly honour would put you out of love with this.
2. And do you not plainly ſee in your own deſires the vanity of all theſe Earthly things, when you are put at laſt to take up with ſuch a ſhaddow, ſuch a Nothing, as is a ſurviving name? Is this all that the world can do for you? And do you not ſee here the wonderous deceitfulneſs of the world, and the fooliſhneſs of unſanctified men, that they will d…s ſtick to the world for very nothing! when they know that they ſhall have no more from it, they are contriving for a name when they are dead. Wonderful blindneſs! that experience and the approach and thoughts of death, ſhould no more open your eyes: ſurely if this be all that the world will do for you at the laſt, you ſhould even renounce it and uſe it accordingly at the firſt.
3. You cannot but know that when you are dead and gone, the Honour of the world is none of yours, nor can it do you any good, any further than it relateth to your eternal bleſſedneſs, and your honour is ſerviceable to the honor of God. What good will it do you to be magnified by men, when you neither know nor feel it? what the better is a Tree or Houſe if men commend it? And for your ſouls, if they be with God, they will be far above the praiſe of men.
4. Nay as ſuch a deſign is a dangerous ſign of your Damnation, ſo I beſeech you think, what comfort it will be to your ſoul in Hell to be extolled and well ſpoken of on earth? Will you caſt away your ſouls, to leave a Name of renown behind you? And how unſutable will ſuch Honor be to your condition? ſurely if you be there acquainted with it, you muſt needs be more tormented, both to remember that you were ſeeking the fame of the world, inſtead of the eternal glory, and to conſider what a miſerable wretch it is that men are praiſing and magnifying on earth. Ah then you will think with your ſelves [Little do the poor inhabitants of the earth know what I am ſuffering while they are extolling me. Is the applauſe of mortals ſutable to a poor tormented ſoul? Alas that at one and the ſame time, men ſhould be extolling me, and Devils tormenting me? How little eaſe do all their acclamations afford this poor diſtreſſed ſoul!] How honorable are the names of Alexander the Great, & Caeſar, & Ariſtotle here on earth! but alas what cauſe have we to fear that they are lamenting their miſery, while we are ſpeaking of their glory!
5. And the ſin is much the greater, becauſe it is not a miſ-choſen means, but a miſtaken end, that your ſouls have faſtened on: For it ſeems your very hearts are ſet upon your Honours, and deeply and deſperately ſet upon them, when you dare contrive the continuation of them when you are dead. Were it not a matter exceeding dear to you, undoubtedly you durſt not lay ſuch a deſign for it.
6. And conſider whether there be not a Love of the deadly ſin of Pride, and a final impenitency implyed in this ambition of a ſurviving name. For you …a deſign that is ſuppoſed to be executed after death. And as if you deſired an eternity of wickedneſs, becauſe your Pride it ſelf can live no where but with your ſelf, you would have it leave thoſe tokens behind it, by which the world may know that you are Proud; and the effects of it you would have perpetuated on earth? And had not the world enough of your Pride while you were alive? and had not you enough of it? Is this your Repentance, that you would leave the Monuments of your Pride unto Poſterity, as if you were afraid there would be no ſurviving witneſs againſt you to condemn you? This is a certain tranſcendency of ſin! The common wicked ones would fain die the death of the Righteous, and wiſh their laſt end were like to his: But theſe men would have their Pride to live for ever; and when they themſelves are in another world, they would have the demonſtrations of their iniquity ſurvive them.
7. And I beſeech you conſider what a fearful thing it is to die in contrived beloved ſin! when men have none but a death-bed Repentance, we have much cauſe to fear, leſt it be but fear that is the life of their Repentance: But when they have not this much, but are deſirous to leave the Monuments of their vice to all Generations, from whence then ſhall we fetch our hopes of their forgiveneſs? And O what a power hath Pride in that ſoul, where the thoughts of Death it ſelf will give no ſtop to it, but ſtill they are deſirous that Pride may over-live them! One would think that the ſerious thoughts of a grave, much more of our paſſage into another world, ſhould level all ſuch thoughts of a ſurviving honour, even in an unſanctified ſoul! But I much fear leſt it be infidelity it ſelf that is the root of all; and that men do not ſoundly believe an everlaſting life with …d, which makes them deſire to have ſomewhat like … Immortality here on earth.
8. And conſider what a ſilly immortality you deſire. The honour can be no greater than the perſons are that honour you, nor no longer. And it is but poor mortals that will magnifie your Names, and what can they add to you? and it will be but a very little while; for it is not long that the world is to continue.
9. And conſider what a wickedneſs is here commonly included. Proud men deſire to be thought better than they are, and ſpoken of accordingly; They limit not mens eſtimation to the truth of their deſerts. Otherwiſe if the beſt and greateſt of you all were thought no better or greater than you are, alas, how far would men be from admiring you? what would you be thought but worms and ſinners; and ſuch as after all your glory, cannot forbid a crawling worm to feed upon your face or heart? and ſuch as deſerve no leſs than hell; and have many a ſecret ſin that the world was unacquainted with. But it is not a true, but falſe Eſteem that the Proud deſire: They care not how great, or how good, or how wiſe and learned the world and ſucceeding ages think them: And thus they deſire to cheat mens underſtandings, and to leave a falſe Hiſtory of themſelves on earth, and to have all men believe and report untruths, to magnifie men, whoſe ſouls, it's much to be doubted, are in hell, or if they be not, muſt needs abhor ſuch doings. And thus every Proud and ſelfiſh man would be a falſe Hiſtorian and cheater of the world.
10. Yea, which is yet the worſt of all, they would continue ſacrilegiouſly to rob the Lord of his honour even when they are dead. It is an undue honour, which is ſtoln from God, which they ſo much ſeek for (For were it but ſuch as is a uſeful means to his honour, he would not be offended with them) And when the Saints ſay [Not unto us Lord, but unto thy name give the glory] theſe ſinners are not content to rob God of his honour as long as they live, but they would do it even after death. If we had not certainly known the truth of it, we ſhould have thought it an incredible thing, that ever any man ſhould come to that impiety, pride and madneſs, as to deſire to be worſhipped as a God when he was dead. Much more, that the moſt of the world ſhould be ſo far diſtracted as to do it. And yet ſo it hath been, and ſo it is in too great a meaſure. And truly the wicked or Proud diſpoſition that is predominant in the hearts of all the unſanctified, doth take up no ſnorter where it hath but hopes of ſucceſs to actuate it. Not a man of them but would be honoured as Gods when they are dead: Though I know thoſe of them that feel not this much in themſelves, will hardly believe it. Conſider what an hainous injury this is to God, and to the ſouls of men, that you ſhould leave your Names as Idols to the world, to entice ſo many thouſand men to ſin, and to be a ſtanding enemy to the honour of God, by encroaching on his right, and turning the eye of mens obſervation and admiration from him to you.
11. Conſider alſo, how that by theſe deſires of earthly honour to your ſelves, and making this the End of your endeavours, you corrupt abundance of excellent works (materially conſidered) and turn them into mortal ſins. If Princes rule & fight for themſelves, I have told you already what they do: but if this were done for God, it would have another form, and another reward, as it had another End. What a doleful caſe is it that ſuch excellent works, as alms-deeds, and acts of bounty to Church, or poor, or Commonwealth, in buildings, lands, or any the like works, ſhould be all turned into ſin and death, by ſuch a ſelfiſh vain-glorious intent? And that their ſouls ſhould be ſuffering for thoſe works that others receive much good by! What a ſad caſe is it, that Hiſtorians, Lawyers, Phyſicians, Philoſophers, Linguiſts, and the Profeſſors of all the Sciences, ſhould undo themſelves for ever by thoſe excellent works that edifie the world! Nay what can be more lamentable to think of, than that able and learned Divines themſelves ſhould loſe their own ſouls in the ſtudying, and preaching thoſe precious truths, that are ſaving unto others; and that ſuch excellent writings as remain a ſtanding bleſſing to the Church ſhould be the Authors of mortal ſin! And yet ſo it is, if the renown and immortality of a name on Earth be the End that all this work is done for.
12. Laſtly, Conſider that if Honour be good for you, it is better attained by minding your duty for the Honour of God, and denying your own Honour, than by ſeeking it: For Honour is the ſhadow that will follow you if you fly from it, and fly from you if you follow it. What Chriſt here ſaith of Life, is true of Honor: He that ſeeketh and ſaveth it ſhall loſe it, and he that loſeth it for Chriſt ſhall find it. The greateſt Honour is to deny our ſelves, and our own honour, and to do moſt for the Honour of God; and to be contented to be nothing that God may be all. For you have his promiſe, that them that honour him he will honour, but they that deſpiſe him ſhall be lightly eſteemed.
THough I have endeavoured by a right limitation and expoſition of the foregoing parts of ſelf-denial, to prevent miſtakes, and give you thoſe grounds by which objections may be anſwered, yet the ſtir that is made in the world about this point, by Papiſts and many other miſtaking Sects, doth perſwade me to give a more diſtinct Reſolution of ſome of the principal doubts that are before us, and therein to ſhew you that ſelfdenial conſiſteth not in all things that by ſome are pretended to be parts of it; but that there is a great deal of ſin that goes under the name of ſelf-denial among many of theſe ſorts of miſtaken perſons.