A Bridle for the Tongue, Chapter 14
CHAP. XIV. Of the Boasting Tongue.
SECT. 1. Boaſting defined: Six things men are apt to boaſt of.
LEt us now in the laſt place ſet down ſomething of another ſin of the Tongue, ſc. The ſin of boaſting.
Definit. of Boaſting Gloriatio eſt alicujus ſui boni magnitudinem agnoſcere, de eo ſ…bi placere, ſeque beatum putare, & inſuper id ore apud alios depraedicare. Flac. Illyr. Clav. ſcrip.Boaſting is a ſin whereby men glory in themſelves, or in any thing belonging to them, or that they do imagine doth appertain to them; thinking the more highly of themſelves for it, and openly publiſhing it among others, when men rejoyce in their own …oaſtings, all ſuch rejoycing is evil, …ith the Apoſtle. Jam. 4.13. Man …s very prone to this ſin: The tongue is … little member and boaſteth great …hings; Behold how great a matter a …ittle fire kindleth. Jam. 3.5.
There is ſcarce any thing but cor…upt hearts are apt to boaſt of it: The Scripture ſheweth us in divers particulars what things men are apt moſt to boaſt of.
1. Some boaſt in their parts, gifts, and endowments, numbring up their own vertues, that they may appear to be praiſe-worthy▪ Habes tu undè glorieris, & gaudeas, non in te quidem ſed in eo qui te ſumma in re tantò majoribus praeferre dignatus est, qua nil majus, nil melius tibi, tribui poterat in hac vita. Haec verò religio,, quae te Deo religat, Deum tibi, humilitatem p…is mentibus inſerit, inſolentiam & arragantiam extirpat. Petrach de Remed. utr. fort. Dial. 13.boaſting of their Knowledge, their Religion, &c. but of theſe things men ought not vainly to boaſt: If thou boaſteſt of an imaginary excellency, thou art fantaſtical; if of a real, thou art ſacrilegious; thou haſt not wherewithall to glory in thy ſelf, but in him who hath vouchſafed to prefer thee in theſe things before many others; and indeed a wiſe man the more wiſdom he hath, the more he ſeeth his lack of true wiſdom, he doth not boaſt of it, but earneſtly deſireth after it. A man that is truly Religious doth not boaſt of Religion: That is true Religion, which bindeth thee faſt to God and God to thee, that ſoweth humility in the minds of men, and rooteth out inſolence, and arrogance: many boaſt of the form of Religion, that are ſtrangers to the power of godlineſs. 2 Tim. 3.5.
2. Some there are that boaſt in their wealth and riches, that they are the higheſt and beſt men in the Pariſh: they think they are beloved of God, and that all is well with them, becauſe they are wealthier then their neighbours: The Pſalmiſt ſpeaks of ſuch as truſt in themſelves, and boaſt in the abundance of their riches. Pſal. 49.6. Many boaſt in their full purſes and ſtately buildings, like Nebuchadnezzar, crying out, Is not this great Babel thai I have built for the houſe of the Kingdom, by the might of my power, and for the honour of my Majeſty? Dan. 4.30. Ephraim boaſteth that he was rich and had found out ſubſtance. Hoſ. 12.8. A great vanity it is to boaſt of riches, when as he that heapeth up riches, knoweth not who ſhall gather them. Pſal. 39.6. Indeed they are things that are not, and therefore not to be boaſted of. Socrates finding Alcibiades boaſting much of his riches, Lands, Farms, and Houſes, carryed him into a place of the City, where a Table was containing the circuit of the whole earth, and bade him there find out Athens, which being found, he bids him find out his Farms and fair Buildings; which things when Alcibiades told him, were nowhere to be found: Wherefore then, ſaid Socrates, doſt thou boaſt of thoſe things which are not about any part of the earth?
3. Some boaſt of the greatneſs of their power; and eſpecially that they have power to do miſchief to others: So doth Do…g. Therefore ſaith the ſpirit of God to him, Why boaſteſt thou thy ſelf in miſchief O mighty man? Such as boaſt of their power to do miſchief to the Saints, God will deſtroy them for ever; he ſhall caſt them away, and root them out from the Land of the Living. Pſal. 52.5 They ſhall be hurled away as a man hurleth a ſtone out of a ſling. Job 27.21. This i… threatned againſt Babylon: So much as ſhe ha…h glorified her ſelf, ſo much torment give her. Rev. 18.7.Thou loveſt all devouring words, O thou deceitful Tongue! Pſal. 52.1, 4. Pilates boaſting ſpeech to Chriſt was full of pride; Knoweſt thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and p wer to releaſe thee? Joh. 19.10: It was not Ceſar that could give Pilate power over Chriſt: it was the ſupream King of Kings whoſe Vaſſal Ceſar himſelf was, that gave him power thus to judge and condemn his own only begotten ſon as an evil-doer, for the accompliſhment of his promiſe, and the ſalvation of his people; and the word foreign ſignifieth lawful authority: therefore Judas that betrayed him, and the High Prieſt that delivered him, had the greater ſin. Lamech boaſteth, I have ſlain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt: if Cain ſhall be avenged ſeven-fold, truly Lamech ſeventy and ſeven fold. Gen. 4.23, 24. he boaſteth of his ſtrength what he could do.
4. Some there are that boaſt of their merits by their works; but this is hateful to God: for as Theophilact ſpeaketh, What can be more pernicious or abominable before God,Abominatio eſt apud Deum cum quis ſibi, non Deo ſua bona opera tribuit; quid hoc aliud quam negare Deum eſſe, et eum adverſari? Theophil. in Luc Tu pol ſi ſapis, quod ſcis neſcias. Terent. in Andria. then when men attribute their good deeds to themſelves? what is this but to deny God and be his adverſary? fruſtra de radice gloriatur, qui nihil adfert niſi folia. In vain doth he brag of the root that brings forth nothing but leaves; and to as little purpoſe is a mans boaſting of good works, and merits, that brings forth nothing but vain flouriſhes.
5. Sometime men boaſt of what they have not, and that they will do what lies not in their power. Peter boaſteth more then John. Mat. 26.33. that though all men ſhould be offended becauſe of Chriſt, yet he would never be offended, and he cuts off an ear of one that comes to apprehend his Maſter; yet he that ſaid leſs, performed more; although he was known to the high-Prieſt, he ſpake to her that kept the door, and brought in Peter who ſtood at the door without. Joh. 18.16. We read of one of the Martyrs in Queen Maries dayes,Differt jactantia ab arrogantia in hoc quod arrogantia eſt in incorde tantum, jactantia vero in ere, & procedit ab arrogantia tanquam cauſatum a cauſa. Alex. Fabrit. deſtruct. vitior. part. 6. cap. 7. that could not diſpute yet would dye for Chriſt As ſome proud vaunting ſpirits boaſt of what they have not, and are not able to do; ſo ſome there are that boaſt what they will do at ſuch and ſuch a time: to ſuch the Apoſtle gives a check, Go to now ye that ſay, To day or to morrow we will go into ſuch a City and continue there a year, and buy and ſell, and get gain; for ye cannot tell what ſhall be to morrow. Jam. 3.13, 14. and Solomon ſaith: Boaſt not thy ſelf of to morrow, for thou knoweſt not what a day may bring forth. Prov. 27.1. If we cannot promiſe to our ſelves the events of one day, then can we not be aſſured what ſhall be to morrow.
6. Some there are ſo impudent, as to glory in their ſhame, that boaſt of their ſins, Phil. 3.19. Such the Prophet ſpeaks of Iſai. 3.9. The ſhew of their countenance doth witneſs againſt them, and they declare their ſin as Sodom, they hide it not; by how much the more vile they are above others, by ſo much they glory in ſin above others, and by their proud and haughty looks as well as by their lofty tongues they ſhew their ſins: How many are there that will cheat and cozen their neighbours, and when they have ſo done, boaſt how neatly they have lurched them: Others will boaſt of their filthineſs and of their drunkenneſs, how many they have made drunk, and laid under boord: it is a dreadful thing for a man to boaſt of ſin and wickedneſs; and upon ſuch Gods hand falls heavy at laſt: Their thinking to ſin, their affecting ſin, yea their working of ſin, God forbears, and ſeemeth to wink at all theſe; nay further! he lets their cuſtom in ſin alone, and ſtrikes not, although they plead for ſin; but when men declare their ſins like Sodom, and boaſt of their wickedneſs, then they are come to the height of ſin, and then God cuts them down.
SECT. 2. Of the greatneſs of this ſin of boaſting, and how many ſins meet together in this ſin.
NOw that we may ſee the greatneſs of this ſin, conſider.
1. Boaſting is plainly in Scripture forbidden by the Lord. 1 Sam. 2.3. Talk no more ſo exceeding proudly, let not arrogancy come out of your mouth; for the Lord is a God of knowledge and by him actions are weighed; the meaning is; Boaſt not what you will do, for God is a God of knowledge, and whatſoever you think of your ſelves, and of your power to do this or that, the Lord knoweth what ſhall come to paſs.
It is no honour nor credit for a man to be a boaſter: Laus proprio ſordet in ore, praiſe in a mans own mouth is ſhame to himſelf; for men to ſeek their own glory is no glory. Prov. 25.27. This was the vanity of the builders of Babel, to build themſelves a City and a Tower, whoſe top might reach unto Heaven, that they might make themſelves a name. Gen. 11.4. to do any thing whereby to ſearch for our own prayſe, and then to trumpet out our own glory, is a diſhonour to us.
It is a note of great weakneſs and folly;Stultus eſt im…rob s mor. Horat. a boaſter is not only a wicked man but a fool too; The boaſting Phariſee ſaid, well, I am not as this Publican, for he was much worſe: ſuch perſons gape for the applauſe of every vain fellow, and (like harlots) lay open themſelves to every gull, and lend their ears to the report of fools; and the ſpeech of a fooliſh flatterer, and fawning Sycophant more pleaſeth them, then a wiſe reproof; ſo that a vain boaſter is exceeding fooliſh.
4. Every man abhorreth a bragger and is aſhamed of him, and loaths his company: and if a boaſter ſuffers ſhame, reproach and miſery, no man pityeth him; Who will commiſerate a boaſting beggar?
5. Boaſting is a certain mark of a wicked man, of one that is given over to a reprobate mind; proud men and boaſters are ſaid to be given over to a reprobate mind, to do thoſe things which are not convenient, being filled with all unrighteouſneſs. Rom. 1.28, 29, 30. There are many ſins that meet togegether in this one ſin.
1. Pride; when men are proud of what they have, then their tongues are apt to crack of it: when the bagpipe is full of wind, dry and extended, it giveth a ſound; ſo when men are full of the wind of pride, extended to all evil by obſtinacy, and dry for want of grace to ſupple them, then they boaſt and brag, and are full of their bravadoes, and would make the world believe that they are the only men, that they only ought to ſpeak, and who ſhould controul them? This kind of ſpeech carryeth the coat of pride and arrogancy: The tongue that ſpeaketh proud things, ſaith, With our tongues will we prevail, our lips are our own▪ who is Lord over us? Pſal. 12.4. proud men and boaſters are put together. Rom, 1.30.
2. It is a kind of lying to boaſt of what a man hath not,Ne verbis quod ſis oſ…entes, ſed rebus te oſtendere ſcires. and ſheweth the vanity of ſuch a mans ſpirit: He in vaunting ſpeaks largely of what he hath, and what he can do, when as he forgets the rules of modeſty, and is the vain trumpeter of his own ſuppoſed excellencies, ſetting them forth in the largeſt characters, tranſgreſſing the bounds of ſobriety: It is a loud lye for men to ſpeak well of them ſelves and do ill; thy deeds will mak… thee more famous then thy word… can.
3. There is much of ſelf-love i… this ſin; the vaunting Phariſee when he boaſteth of his good deeds, he ſticks not to ſay, that he is not as other men are; his boſom was full of ſelf-love; ſo it is with every boaſte… how green and lively are the roots of ſelf-love, honour and eſtimation to be found in his heart! how is he tickled with vain glory, privily diſſembling his hypocriſy! how doth he labour to cover his defects, and would gladly ſeem to be another manner of man then in very deed he is!
Some are as vain: boaſters as ever was Thraſo on the ſtage, Goliah in the Camp, and Gorgias in the Schools4. This is a great demonſtration that the heart is empty of what it ſhould have, and of what it boaſteth to have: An empty barrel giveth the greater ſound. He that boaſteth himſelf of a falſe gift, is like clouds and wind without rain. Prov. 25.14. And one obſerveth that the Apoſtle Jude alludeth to this Text, when he …mpareth ſuch men whoſe mouth …eaketh great ſwelling words, to …uds without water, carryed about … winds. Jude ver. 12, 16. Some …ve a name of Chriſtians upon them, …d like Simon Magus give out that …ey are ſome great ones, and would …e taken for ſome body, when they …e nothing at all: thus Chriſt tells the Church of Laodicea, ſick of this di…aſe: ſhe ſaid, I am rich and encreaſed …ith goods, and have need of nothing: …ut ſaith he to her, Thou knoweſt not …at that thou art wretched, and miſe…able, poor, and blind, and naked. Rev. ….17.
5. This is a robbing God of his …onour; when men ſearch for their …wn glory, they rob God of his Glory, who hath ſaid, My Glory will I not give … another. Dr. Sibs Dr. Sibs returning backſlider.ſaith, that boaſt…ng is Idolatry, becauſe it ſets the crea…ure in the place of God; that it is ſpiritual adultery, cauſing a mans affec…ions to go a whoring after other things; that it is a ſpiritual drunkeneſs, ſuch a man being drunk wi… ſelf-conceitedneſs; that it cauſe… blindneſs, that he cannot ſee any thin… but the creature: The boaſting Ph… riſee Luke, 18.11. puts up no petition for any thing he wanteth, nor giveth God thanks for any thing h… hath, when he ſtood and prayed th… with himſelf; God, I thank thee that am not as other men are; extortioners unjuſt; adulterers, or even as this Publican; as if he had acquired all of him ſelf, and came to the Temple to boa… of it. This God warneth his people o… Deu. 8.17. That when their Herd and Flocks multiply, and their Silve… and Gold. and all they have be multiplyed, that their heart be not lifte… up, and that they forget not the Lord their God who brought them fort… out of the Land of Egypt, and die thus and thus for them: when evil me… proſper, they arr apt to ſay, Our hig… hand, and not the Lord hath done a… this. Deut. 28.27. It ſeemeth th… Church of Corinth was ſick of this di…aſe; they were apt to be puft up for he againſt another, and to boaſt of …eir gifts and parts; therefore ſaith …he Apoſtle; Who maketh thee to differ from another? and what haſt thou that …hou didſt not receive? Now if thou didſt …eceive it, why doſt thou glory as if thou …idſt not receive it? 1 Cor. 4.7. This kind of pride is, firſt, a vain imitation of Gods Majeſty; becauſe ſuch a one …ſcribeth what he hath to himſelf onelyonly, as if it came not from the Lord. Secondly, as God hath All in himſelf, ſo he doth act all to himſelf: So a vain glorious man ſacrificeth to his own …et, and burns incenſe to his own drag. Hab. 1.16. He takes all the glory to himſelf, attributing nothing to God; If ill weather come, he aſcribes it to the change of the Moon, or the courſe of the time; if his Cattle dye, he ſaith it cometh of negligence; if his Land be not fruitful, it is laid to ill-Husbandry: if ſickneſs come, it is cauſed by diſtemper; on the contrary, If he hath a healthy body and conſtit… tion, he aſcribes it to his good dye… if he encreaſe in riches, it is his goo… fortune or good Husbandry; if he overcome an enemy by Law, it is hi… friend in Courth or his purſe; if he overcome an enemy in Fight, it wa… his valour and manhood; if he got ſo much by a good bargain, it was hi… wit and cunning; thus he, and no… God hath done all this. Thirdly, i… is Gods prerogative, that his will is the rule of all righteouſneſs; and a vain glorious man ſcorns to be at the will of any, yea of God himſelf. Thus you ſee how filthy a thing it is to brag above right; all evil comes of this ſin… of boaſting, much of the devil is in it; whence one of the Ancients ſaid,Bernard. Mater gehennae eſt inanis gloria, vain glory is the Mother of Hell.
SECT. 3. Of the cure of Boaſting: Four Remedyes againſt it.
NOw I ſhall lay down the remedyes againſt this ſin of vain boaſting.
1. Labour after humbleneſs of mind: the more truth of Grace is in any man, the more humble he is; the great work of Grace is to make and keep the ſoul humble, and the ſoul is kept humble becauſe it ſeeth its own vileneſs, and emptineſs; and when a ſoul cometh to ſee its defects, it is a good means to keep it humble; and the more grace it hath received, the more it looks upon it ſelf as engaged to the Lord; and the more the Lord giveth, the more he looketh for our returns: Grace teacheth us that Obligations are encreaſed with receipts; and to know how ſhort we are of what we ought to be, and of what we ſhall be, this will keep us from vain boaſting: As Adam fell by aſcending ſo we muſt riſe by deſcending; when we are loweſt in our own eyes, we are higheſt in eſteem with God; when we go fartheſt from God by a holy deſperation, he is neereſt to us by a gracious acceptation: The humble Publican would not boaſt of his good deeds and worth as the Phariſee did,Noluit ap propinqua re ad Deum, ut Deus appropinqua… et ad eum. Beda. nor come neer to God, that God might come neer to him; when we are lowly in our own eyes, ſin will not ſtoop to us; and when we are lifted up with a preſuming ſelf-conceit, and are apt to boaſt of our own ſuppos'd or real excellencies, God will not come neer us.
Object. But for a man to ſpeak the truth (though of himſelf) is neither pride nor boaſting.
Reſp.I anſwer, with Solomon, If thou art praiſe-worthy, Let another man praiſe thee, and not thine own mouth; a ſtranger, and not thine own lips. Prov. 27.2. for as one ſaith, God likes better or ſin with humbleneſs, then of innocence with pride and boaſting, if it were poſſible.
2. If any man glory let him glory in the Lord. God hath ſo ordered it, that the whole matter of our ſalvation ſhall depend upon his free grace;If a man may boaſt of any thing, it may be of his natural parts, that they were born with him, or that he hath gotten them by Art or induſtry, and won them proprio Marte: But let no man be deceived; even nature it ſelf in the laſt reſolution is of grace. Sanders. in 1 Cor 12.7. Gratia nullo modo est gratia, niſi omni modo ſit gratuita: vae univerſali justitiae no…rae & laudabili; hominum vitae ſi amota Dei miſericordia, diſcuriatur. Auguſt. Qu… gratiam Dei ſecundum merita hominum d…ri aſſerere audei, contra fidem catholic …mpraedicat. Ambroſ l b. 2. de vocat. Gen… um. cap. 8. he is in and thorough Chriſt all in all to us; that ſo we might not have any thing in our ſelves to boaſt of, but that all our glorying ſhould be in the Lord. Jerem. 9.23. Let not the wiſe man glory in his wiſdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches, but let him that glorieth, glory in this, that he underſtandeth and knoweth me that I am the Lord; for God will have no fleſh to glory in his preſence: Therefore Chriſt is of God, made unto us wiſedome, righteouſneſs, ſanctification, and redemption, that according as it is written, He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord. 1 Cor. 1.29, 30, 31. Our Redemption is through the blood of Chriſt, and he is made ours by faith, and this faith is the gift of God, that ſo we might not have any thing in our ſelves to glory in, but all our glorying ſhould be in the Lord: So the Apoſtle to the Epheſians, Ye are ſaved by grace through faith, and that not of your ſelves; it is the gift of God, not of works, leſt any man ſhould boaſt. Eph. 2.8, 9. If the whole work of our ſalvation proceed from the grace of God, then our works have no hand in the matter; as Rom. 11.5, where Paul tells us, God reſerveth to himſelf a remnant according to the election of grace; then he addeth ver. 6. if by grace, then is it no more of works; otherwiſe grace is no more grace; or if of works, then no more of grace, otherwiſe were work no more work; where you ſee, grace and works cannot ſtand together in the buſineſs of our ſalvation; it is of grace not of works, leſt any man ſhould boaſt he hath of his own to ſave him.
3. Labour to have the true fear of God planted in your hearts: Be not highminded, but fear; Rom. 11.20. The fear of God is ſet in oppoſition to highmindedneſs, which cauſeth fooliſh boaſting; The fear of the Lord is to depart from evil, pride, and arrogancy. Prov. 8.13. the fear of God will make thee afraid▪ of aſſuming glory to thy ſelf, when God hath no praiſe; pray to the Lord with David to keep thee from preſumptuous ſins. Pſal. 19.12. whereof this of boaſting is one of the greateſt.
4. Take frequent views of thy ſelf in the glaſs of Gods law, what thou waſt, what thou art, what thou maiſt be, if God ſhould leave thee: conſider what thou art to God, to Angels, to good men; then thou wilt have little cauſe to boaſt; conſider what thou haſt, and what thou wanteſt, and thou ſhalt ſurely find thou haſt good cauſe to be afraid, leſt that thou haſt be a very deceit, and a meer ſhadow of vertue, and thy righteouſneſs even a falſe and counterfeit righteouſneſs: oh then boaſt not of thy goodneſs; forget it, and God will remember it; be mindful frequently to confeſs thy ſins, and be humbled for them, then God will forget them.