A Practical and Polemical Commentary Upon 2 Timothy 3-4, Part 1 · Subpart 2 · Section 3
3. Boasters. foreign.
A second Branch that sprouts from that accursed Root of Self-love, is Boasting. This sin is fitly linked to the former; for when men by covetous Practises, have gained Riches, then they begin to boast and glory in them, [Prov. 18.11, 1 Tim. 6.17.] because of the supposed good which they think riches will procure them, as Friends, Honours, Fine Cloaths, Fine Buildings. The Lord foresaw this, and therefore hath forbidden all glorying in Riches, and commands us onelyonly to glory in him, who is our Life, our Light, our Sun, our Shield, and exceeding great Reward. Ier. 9.23.
foreign, Iactator, Gloriosus, vanus ostentator, elatus, insolens, arrogans; ab foreign epit. & intensiva. & foreign capio, quia plus aequo sibi assumit. Arrogans praedicat & ea quae non insunt, & majora quam insunt sibi fingere videtur. Aristot. Ethic. l. 4. c. 7.The Greek word is diversly rendred, yet all tend to one and the same thing, and are coincident; for he that is a Boaster, is usually a Vain-glorious, lofty, insolent, arrogant man: it notes one that is inordinately lifted up with an high esteem and admiration of his owne supposed, or reall excellencies; and thereupon arrogates and assumes more to himself then is meet; or, one that boasts of the Learning, Vertues, Power, Riches which he hath not, and brags of Acts which he never did.Hinc Pavo dicitue foreign, avis ostentatrix. Such we call [Thrasones & milites gloriosos.] vain-glorious Thraso's. The proud man boasts of what he hath, and the Boaster braggs of what he hath not. This Vice is opposed by Aquinas and othets, to Verity; and in proper speaking it consists in Words,Iactantia in eo proprè consistit, ut homo verbis se extollat, ac de se aliquid dicendo proferat, supra id quod in ipso est, vel etiam supra id, quod de se homines opinantur. Aquinas. rather then in the Heart; for as Pride, in exact and proper speaking, hath relation to the heart, rather then the words; so this sin of boasting hath relation to our words, rather then our hearts: so that this sin is the daughter of Pride, (and though by an Hysterosis, it be placed here before it,Iactantia procedit ex superbia, sicut ex causa interius motiva & impellente. Aquinas. 22. q. 112. art. 1. yet Rom. 1-30. Pride is set immediately before Boasting, as the proper root of it) for when Pride lyeth hid in the heart, it shewes it self by arrogant boastings, and high flowen words.
Quest. Doth the Scripture condemn all kinds of Boasting, and is it unlawfull in any case to Boast?
Answ. We must distinguish of Boasting. There is
1. A Religious Boasting.
2. A Necessary Boasting.
3. A Vain-glorious Boasting.
4. A Diabolical Boasting.
1. The Scripture mentions a Pious and Religious Boasting, when the soul makes her boast of God. Psal. 34.2. whilest others are boasting of their Riches, and Babels, which they have built, a gracious soul triumphs in God, as if it had found some great spoyles, and rich Treasure. Psal. 27.1, 2, 3. So Paul having a holy confidence in Christs merits, Glories therein. Rom. 8.37, 38. So he Glories in his sufferings for Christ. Gal. 6.14. and all Believers glory in their tribulations for him. Rom. 5.3. So Paul glories in the Prosperity of Gods people. 2 Cor. 7.4.14. and 2.9.2. and 2.2.16, 17. This is comendable Boasting, and is commanded. Ier. 9.24. Isay 41.16. and 45.25. 1 Cor. 1.31. and 2.10.17. he that Glories must glory in the Lord: he dares not sacrifice to his own net, nor kiss his own hand, Iob 31.17. he arrogates nothing proudly to himself, but gives all the glory of all his Goods, Gifts, and Graces, to the God that gave them.
2. There is a lawful Boasting for necessary defence, being urged thereto by the slanders of wicked men; on this account Christ apologizeth for himself, and defends his innocency against his adversaries. In Matth. 12.6.41, 42. So Iob spends some Chapters in Apologizing for himself against the false accusations of his friends. Iob 29. and 31. So Nehemiah 13. Paul spends 17. Verses at least in a forced commendation of himself, in relating his Service and Sufferings for Christ.In 11. Cases Self-commendation is Lawfull. See Mr. Reynor's Rules for the Tongue. p 314, 315, &c. It must be right for Matter, Measure, Manner, and End p. 517. 2 Cor. 11.16. to 33.
3. There is a Vain-glorious Boasting and Ostentation of what we are, and what we have done, that the world may take notice of us, and we may be admired as some great men in the world. Thus Simon Magus gave out, that he was some great man. Acts 8.9. he made himself his own Idol, and therefore he expected that all the beholders should fall down and worship it, which they are ready to do. V. 10. Thus when men set a high rate upon their own Parts and Perfections, they be very impatient and discontented, if others will not come to their price, and because other men will not,See my Pulpit-Guard. p. 43. Edit. 4. and Mr. Reynor. p. 315. &c. they will Canonize themselves for Saints. So did the proud Pharisee, when he boasted of his own perfection, and contemned the Publican. Luke 18.11. So Matth. 6. and 23, 5. Iohn 12.43. and this is the Boasting which the Apostle here, and the scripture elsewhere oft condemnes. Prov. 27.2. and 20.6. 2 Cor. 10.18.
4. There is a Diabolical Boasting, when men boast of their wickednesse; like that Tyrant who boasted what mischief he could do. Psal. 52.1. So did Stockly B. of London, who lying on his death-bed, rejoyced that he had burnt 50. Hereticks. These declare their sin-like Sodom, openly and impudently. Isay 3.9. and rejoyce to do wickedly. Prov. 2.14. Ier. 11.15. The Idolater glories in his Idols. Psal. 97.7. Hos. 10.5. The fornicator of his Harlots, the Drunkard of his Dozens, and how many he hath laid asleep. Impudent beasts! that instead of being ashamed of such glorying; they glory in their shame, and are ashamed of [grace which is] their glory, their end is destruction. Phil. 3.19. These are ascended to the highest degree of wickedness.Tunc consummata est infelicitas ubi turpia non solùm delectant, sed etiam placent; & desinit esse remedio locus, ubi quae fuerant vitia, fiunt mores. Seneca ep. 39. It's dangerous to excuse and defend sin, but to boast of Vices, as if they were Vertues, is the height of Villany.
By the abounding of this sin amongst us, 'tis evident we are fallen into the last times. How is the land over-spread with impudent, insolent Boasters, from Dan to Beersheba, from North to South; they swarm amongst us like the flyes in Egypt. The Papist boasts of his Traditions and M…racles, the Anabaptist of his Revelations, the Quaker of his Perfection, extraordinary Sanctity and Sufferings:Though they suffer as evill doers, and disturbers of the Peace of the land 'Tis Justice, and not persecution to punish such. never did any Hereticks speak greater swelling words of Vanity, and more cry up themselves, and cry down others, then this generation of perfect Pharisees, They boast of themselves that they are equall to the Apostles of Christ; yea to that blasphemous impudency are they ascended (for want of Punishment) that some of them say they are Christ himself, and that their Iames is become a Iesus, the King of Israel, the Judge of the world; and therefore they worship him, kisse his feet, and strew their garments before him, &c.
Whither will not Toleration and impunity lead people!
Others boast of their own Sincerity, Sanctity, Innocency, Amiableness, and Moderation; they call themselves men of a Choyce anointing, the only spiritual people, the close walking ones, the meek and quiet of the earth. Reall Saints are humble, modest men, and dare not give themselves such high Titles. Isai 6.5. Dan. 2.30. Prov. 30.2. they are content that another mans mouth should praise them,Laus proprio sordescit in ore, and not their own, Prov. 27.2. they are sensible of so much sin and corruption in themselves, that they are little and low in their own eyes. Others boast much of their extraordinary Gifts, and …ll to Preach, when upon triall they have neither the one, nor the other: but are meerly stuff't with ignorance and impudence,Arrogantia est profectus obstaculum, indocilis enim est, qui mavult doctus videri quam esse. Diogen. like those self-confident ones, that thought themselves fit to be guides of the blind, before they had learned themselves. Rom. 3.19, 20, 21.
They boast much of the spirit; I, they are as full of it, as a Barrell is of wind. This is the Basis of their Pride, and the shelter for their Sin. Ask them how they dare presume to Preach without a Call? their Answer is ready, They are called extraordinarily by the Spirit: and yet they cannot sh…w it, by so much as ordinary Gifts. Let us therefore try these Spirits by the Touch-stone of Gods word, and they will appear to be Satanicall, deluding spirits: For those that are Sensuall, and Separatists (as these men are) have not the Spirit of God. Iude 19.
Against the sinne of Vain-glorious Boasting, take these few considerations.
Against such Boasting, See a Serm. of D. Hinton on Psal 52.1. Preacht at a Funerall, 1651. Mr. Beesly's Ser. on 2 Cor. 11.30.1. Consider that all such Boasting is evill; evill in its own Nature, and the cause of much evill. Iames 4.16. God will not have the wise man to glory in his wisdome, as the Phylosophers did: nor the strong man in his strength, as Lamech did, Gen. 4.23. nor the Rich man in his Riches, Psal. 49.6. Luke 12.19. nor any man in men; 1 Cor. 3.21. but he that glories, must glory in this, That he knoweth experimentally, and savingly, the Lord his God, Ier. 9.23, 24.
2. Consider the Judgements of God on such as have boasted of their own strength and power, as Nebuchadnezzar, Dan. 3.15. and 4.27.30, 31. and the Israelites. Amos 6.13, 12, So the Gentiles, and Philosophers that gloryed in their own wisdome, were punisht with spiritual judgements, and given up to a reprobate sense. Rom. 1.22, 23, 24. Remember Gods judgements on vaunting Pharaoh. Exod. 5.2. Senacherib, 2 Kings 19.23. Haman, Hest. 5.11. Goliah, 1 Sam. 17.8. Absolon, 2 Sam. 15.4. and generally God hath threatned that all such as glory in Idols (and such are all those that glory in creatures) shall be confounded, Psal. 97.7. Now, as Judges hang up some in Gibbets, to make others fear; so, Gods Judgements on those, should make all to fear.
3. 'Tis a Sign of a Proud Heart; out of the abundance of the heart doth the mouth speak. Our discourses are discoveries of what is within.
4. It makes men like the Devill, who boasted what great things he had to give. Matth. 4.9. when he had nec ditionem, nec dationem, neither right to them, nor power to dispose of them. Mens gifts they boast off, are none of their own, what have we, that we have not received? 1 Cor. 4.7.
5. When mens mouths are so full of their own praise,S…p…issimus quisque in arte sua ignavissimus. Rollic. it argues an emptinesse of Grace within; full Vessels make little noyse, when empty ones sound loud. Empty Carts make a great rattle, when the loaded ones go quietly by you; your poor Pedlars that have but one Pack, do in every Market shew all they have, when the rich Marchant makes but a small shew of that whereof he hath great plenty within. The worst mettle rings loudest, and the emptiest eares of corn stand highest. Labour therefore for the contrary grace of Modesty, whose excelle…cy you may find in that usefull Peace. Mr. Robinsons Essayes. Observation 58. p. 511.