The Parable of the Pilgrim, Parable · Chapter 21
CAP. XXI.
Of the indeavours of his Enemies to keep him from doing good to his Brethren, under a pretence of Love to God. And of the Excellency of that Brotherly Charity.
AND here it ſeems very ſeaſonable to remember you, of another common ſubtilty whereby your Adverſaries will ſtudy to deceive you, and put a great ſtop to your progreſs in the way you are about to enter. Which is, to detain you in the amuſements of contemplation, and to buſie your head only with Meditations and Conferences with Jeſus. They know that this will keep you too much at home, as well as any thing elſe, and that you will travel in your mind and thoughts only, but not with your whole man to Jeruſalem. And therefore they will labour to perſwade you of this at leaſt, that there is not half ſo much Piety can be exerciſed abroad as in your Cloſet, and that the good we do our Brethren, is nothing comparable to the Meditations we have of God and our Saviour, and the Affections we expreſs unto them. This will very much hinder your proficiency, and put a greater rub than you imagine in your way, if you lend any belief unto it. It will keep you very much behind, under the pretence and colour of putting you forward, and it will depreſs and thruſt you down below others, while you ſeem to be mounting up on high, and ſoaring to a pitch far above them. For your Enemies underſtand very well, that God accounts all that as done to himſelf, which is done to your Brethren for his ſake. He hath made over all thoſe benefits to them which are owing to him, becauſe he is in no need of them. They are become his Receivers, and he hath devolved the right which he hath to our returns of Love to him, upon our Brethren. Be not you ignorant of this then, but underſtand it as well as your Enemies, that you never ſerve God better, nor ſo well neither, as when you are doing any ſervice to your poor Neighbours. You are bound, you think, to expreſs ſuch Love to God, as he hath expreſſed to you. Only you find that he is not capable to receive ſuch effects of it, as you experiment in your ſelf from his affections to you. But will you imagine now, that he will loſe the right he hath to your thankful retributions, becauſe he is in want of nothing? No ſuch matter: he hath deputed thoſe who are in need to receive from us that which is due to him, and imploy it to their own uſes. He hath communicated (as I may ſay) all his claim to them, and bids them demand in his Name that which we cannot give, much leſs forgive to him. So that you exerciſe Juſtice and Charity both together, when you do good to your Neighbour; and there is a double Charity in it alſo, one to Him, and another to them. They have good done them upon his account, and he takes it ſo much as done to himſelf that he acknowledges an obligation, and binds himſelf to pay us again.
Nay, let me tell you, that there is nothing in all the world can render you ſo divine and heavenly as to do much good. This puts us in the place of God to our poor Brethren to whom he ſends relief and help by our hands. Is not this a very high honour? And is not that a very noble quality which ſo differences us from all others, that it makes us like to the Moſt High? The Mechanical Chriſtian will here find himſelf to be dead and void of God; it being nothing but a Spirit of Life, and that very Divine too, which will carry us out of our ſelves, and fill us with perpetual ardors of Love to others, and inſtigate us to be doing of good to all. This is the very Character of the Deity, for God is Love, and he that loveth, dwelleth in God, and God in him. And therefore if you covet to excel all others, ſtudy to be indued with the moſt profitable Gifts, as the great Apoſtle adviſeth: and yet, ſaith he, I ſhew you a more excellent way, and that is Charity. For this cauſes us to make uſe of all thoſe Gifts for the benefit of Mankind. This is the rareſt way of excelling others, becauſe it makes us excell our ſelves, and likens us to God. The Angels, you know, had the ambition of being like to God in Power and Majeſty, aſpiring, as is conceived, to the Throne of the Moſt High. Our firſt Parents were ſoon infected with the like vanity, and they rubbed their Leproſie upon them, for they affected to reſemble God in wiſdom and knowledge. But by this means you know that both of them loſt what they enjoyed, inſtead of adding more unto it. What muſt we do then who ſee their falls? muſt we be content not to be like to our Creator? Not ſo neither, but we muſt indeavour to imitate him in Love and Goodneſs, in which there is no danger. This admits of no exceſs (as wiſe men obſerve) but only of error. We cannot love too much, though we may be imprudent in the communications of it. Though Angels and Men ſuffered ſo much by the deſire of other things in exceſs, yet in Charity there can be none, nor ſhall either of them ſuffer any damage by it. And therefore it was that God ſent his Son Jeſus into the world that by looking on him we may know how to become Divine. All his acts of power were acts of Love. All his Miracles were Mercies to men. He never imployed his Might but to do benefits. To teach us that they are truly great who are little in themſelves (as he was) and great in Charity. That they are indued with moſt power who can do moſt good: and that they are neareſt to God and moſt highly exalted, who are neareſt to their neighbours and moſt deeply humbled. You know that if a Circle be made, and you draw lines from the circumference to the middle point or Center where they all meet; the further theſe lines are in any place one from the other the farther they are from the Center; and the nearer they come to that, the nearer alſo and the clofer their approaches are to each other. This may be a reſemblance if you pleaſe of our condition here in this World, where we are all in our way to God the Center of our Reſt, and travelling to Jeruſalem where we hope to meet in him. We are deſirous now to draw as nigh to him as we can, and many fancy that their muſings, meditations and prayers, are the chiefeſt if not the only things that bring them near unto him. But as I have told you heretofore ſo let me now repeat it again, That God and our Brethren are ſo inſeperable that we cannot touch the one but we muſt be joyned to the other alſo. The further any of us is removed from his neighbour (as you ſee in that ſimilitude) at the greater diſtance he is from God. He cannot go away from the former, but he goes away in the ſame proportions from the latter too. And the nearer and cloſer he is joyned in the affection of Charity to his neighbour, the nearer he is unto God, the more doth he approach to his excellencies, and to an union with him. If you will be a follower of God then as a dear child of his, Walk in love. You cannot chuſe ſure to do otherwiſe when you have ſo glorious a pattern before you. It is an honourable thing now you ſee to love, ſince God himſelf is become a Lover. You may have imagined perhaps that ſome offices of Charity are ignoble and diſparage a perſon of honour: As moſt men of condition think it below them to go into a poor mans houſe, to come near the ſtinking wounds and the dirty beds of the meaner ſort: and there are very few who do not account it a ſneaking quality to put up injuries and paſs by affronts. But you cannot be of this mind if you look upon God who by loving us hath alſo taught us how honourable and glorious all theſe things are. They are not below us ſince they are not below himſelf. There is no man ſo much our inferiour, as we are all beneath Him. And yet he condeſcended to them. He comes and dwells in this periſhing fleſh of ours. He deſpiſes not our poor cottages: he dreſſes our wounds: he takes care of our ſores: he heals our ſickneſſes, he paſſes by our tranſgreſſions; yea, he prayes us to be friends, and intreats us to be reconciled. And that is a thing which men think to be ſo poor and mean that no great ſpirit can indure to ſubmit unto it. To go to others who have offended us and beſeech them to lay aſide their enmity is thought to ſavour of baſeneſs and to be an argument of a low and cowardly mind. But God will give us leave to think ſo no longer. He hath ſhown us that it is the effect of a moſt generous and noble diſpoſition, and ſo far from being a blemiſh to us that we ſhould glory in it to be the firſt in making peace and offering terms of reconciliation. Others may think to give proofs of their gallantry by ſtanding in defiance to all thoſe who will not ſubmit themſelves and lye at their feet; yea by trampling on them who ſhall in the leaſt offend them: but God teaches us by his own example that there is no greater height of mind, then in Humility and Meekneſs to condeſcend to others, yea to lay our ſelves at their feet and beg of them for the ſake of the Lord of Peace that they will be the children of Peace. This is to become the ſons of the moſt High and heirs of the greateſt Glory.
And now let me aſk you for what end would you ſhut up your ſelf in your Cloſet, or make a Cell of your houſe? Is it not that you may improve your ſelf in the knowledge of God; and do you not hope there to converſe more with Heaven? you need not then be put to the trouble of this confinement, for I aſſure you nothing will ſo much promote your end as Love of your neighbour. This will make you feel what God is and give you the cleareſt and ſtrongeſt ſenſe of him. And the larger and wider your Charity grows, the more able will you be to conceive the vaſtneſs of Gods Love, and the leſs doubt you will have of his Univerſal good will. It will diſpoſe you alſo more then any thing elſe to believe the Goſpel, and will win your aſſent to thoſe reports which ſeem moſt incredible. When you find in your ſelf ſuch a great loye to others, it will be eaſier for you to conclude that God might love us ſo much as to ſend his only Son into the World, and give him alſo to dye for us ſinners. And if there be any thing of greater force then other to bring you acquainted with the joy and peace of Jeruſalem, and to make diſcoveries beforehand of it, this muſt be that happy Spy. For they conſiſt very much in the dear love and friendſhip which there is between all the inhabitants of that bleſſed place. But theſe things I will leave to your own thoughts and only pray you to imploy your mind in all your ſecret retirements ſo much in theſe meditations, that you may iſſue forth from thence very full of God, and as a man inſpired to do much good. For this active devotion is that which God loves. He will impart more of his bleſſings to you if you open your hands in doing benefits to others, then if you ſhould lift them up all day in prayers to Heaven. He refuſes nothing to the ſtirring and diligent ſouls, whom love and good-will have ſet in motion. He delights to give to thoſe who imploy his Grace. It is a pleaſure to him to bleſs thoſe who go forth to meet his favours and do not expect them in their Chambers. But we never imploy his Grace better then when we imitate the effuſions of it upon us in our kindneſs and benignity to others. And we are never more like to meet his bleſſings, then when they are bleſſing of him for the good that we have brought unto them.
I know you will be ready to ſay hereafter, that you can deſign a great deal more, than you doubt you ſhall ever do. That the Idaea you have of this Noble quality is very high, but you are affraid it is above your reach. And therefore I pray you before hand that you would not trouble your ſelf with ſuch thoughts, but only remember theſe two things. That when you have done all the good that ever you can, that will diſpoſe you ſtill to do more: and in the mean ſeaſon you are to take care of this, to rejoyce heartily that there are others in the World who can do more good then you. If we were once arrived at this noble diſpoſition of rejoycing in the good of others, either in that which they enjoy, or that which they can do, we ſhould be ſo far from wanting Charity, that we ſhould equal our ſelves with the moſt excellent and bleſſed natures. As we ſhould have no cauſe to complain that we are not in the ſame throne with Princes, nor to envy the learning of thoſe who ſit in the Chairs of Wiſdom: ſo we ſhould not come behind the devotion of the greateſt Saints, nor be much inferiour to the Angels, who think it no ſmall part of their happineſs that they can rejoyce in God and in all the marks of his goodneſs whereſoever they can diſcern them. Are we leſs happy becauſe our Wit is not ſo ſtrong, our revenues not ſo large, our ſtation not ſo high, and ſo our power to oblige others not ſo great as thoſe of many of our neighbours? No ſuch thing, but we ſhall rather be the more happy if in the midſt of a low condition and in a meaner rank, we can keep our ſelves from the ruſt and canker of envy which is wont to grow ſooneſt in ſuch places as are low and damp. He hath raiſed himſelf to a very high pitch whoſe ſoul ſurmounts all diſcouragements and rejoyces in the Univerſal good of mankind by whomſoever it is procured. Hereby we ſhall make the happineſs of every perſon that is above us to be our own. For how is he more Happy then I who gets a victory, if I triumph in it as much as himſelf? Wherein is he Superiour to me whoſe riches increaſe, if I be not only contented therewith, but much better pleaſed in his proſperous eſtate then I was before he injoy'd it? Nay, if it make me well, to ſee him in health, and refreſh my ſpirit, to ſee him merry, and really render me better to behold his progreſs in wiſdom and vertue; then I have the benefit of all theſe, and they become mine as much as his in whom they are. And can you contrive a better way then this to make your ſoul the reſort of all pleaſures; the very Center wherein the happineſs of the whole world ſhall meet, the Rendevouz (if you will give leave to that word) of all thoſe joyes which are ſcattered every where among Gods creatures? It is not poſſible for you to do it: nor is there any delight ſo noble and ſublime, ſo pure and refined as this that with ſo much eaſe you may enjoy. It is the very extract of all other pleaſures; it is the Eſſence and Spirit of them without the groſſer parts, which are wont to detain half of the pleaſure from us. Though other pleaſures make more noiſe, yet this gives greater contentment. They make a louder ſound, but the commendation of this is its ſilence and quiet. The world takes more notice of others but the very ſecrecy of this joy increaſes its ſweetneſs, and vapours not out the purity thereof. Other injoyments may be greater in bulk, but this is more in value. They are obtained at a great charge, but this we injoy at other mens coſt. Thoſe perſons have the labour and ſweat together with their delight, and we have the pure pleaſure. They work not for themſelves only, but they muſt do us ſome ſervice thereby. We come in for a ſhare of all their gettings, and want nothing which they have, but only the toil and the pains. And yet ſo innocent is this pleaſure, that while we enjoy all that others do we leave them all they had and take nothing away from them. As the Bees ſuck an inviſible ſweetneſs, which robs the Flowers of none of their beauties from whence they fetch it: So do we when we ſolace our ſelves in other mens goods; which are not impaired by our relliſhies nor made leſs by all the contentment we draw from them. Nay we oblige them by this means, and pay them largely for all that we take. It will be an addition to their pleaſures to know that others are pleaſed with them. It will be the beſt part of their ſatisfaction to underſtand that you caſt not an evil eye upon their enjoyments. Their happineſs would be imperfect, if you did not think your ſelf happy too. They will owe as much to you as to their own acquiſitions, and you equal your ſelf to them by not envying their ſuperiority.
But I think it is time to conclude this diſcourſe concerning the good you are to do your Brethren; and therefore I ſhall only admoniſh you of a thing which may be apt, if you have not conſidered it, to trouble you in your way to Jeruſalem; and ſo paſs to other matters. After you have done all the good you can, you muſt not think to have the pleaſure of finding all theſe perſons grateful on whom you have beſtowed your favours. You muſt rejoyce in your own Vertue, without expecting that additional delight which reciprocal love would afford you. Such a good nature I believe as yours will make you ſuppoſe that you have received a favour when one hath but done you juſtice, and therefore you will be infinitely ſenfible of any kindneſs, and think that it layes an everlaſting obligation of gratitude upon you. But do not imagine that you ſhall meet with much of this ingenuity in the World: There are a far greater number of ſuch a wicked diſpoſition, that they look even upon kindneſſes as their due, and will render you no more thanks for them, then men commonly do for Juſtice to which every body claims an equal right. Nay you will meet with thoſe who when they are highly obliged, do love to avoid the perſons that put thoſe bonds upon them. They will not behave themſelves ſo well as to take your kindneſſes for their due, but carry it rather as if you had done them a ſenſible wrong. And I wiſh I could not ſay that there are ſuch ill natures who cannot indure ſo much as to behold thoſe who have been their benefactors, but ſhun them as if they were their deadly enemies. But you will find I fear too many of theſe wretches, who think whenſoever they ſee you that you upbraid them with al the good they have received from you. When you did them benefits you laid chains upon them, and they think it no crime to hate him that hath made them his Priſoners. They will heartily wiſh you were dead, that ſo they may be freed from their bonds which will dye and be buried in the ſame grave together with you. For they, meaſuring other mens natures by their own evil diſpoſition, which inclines them to do good to none, unleſs it be with a deſign to make them ſlaves; they could wiſh never to ſee thoſe perſons, who they think, look upon themſelves as their Lords and Maſters, by having thus engaged them. Their courteſies are meer traffique, and they alwayes expect to gain more than they give: which makes them hate their benefactors, who look they imagine for payment alſo far greater than they have a will to make. Nay, they had rather do a courteſie to thoſe who never did any thing for them, than be officious to thoſe perſons who have ſo much obliged them. Juſt like thoſe wicked people who had rather make a preſent to others, than pay what they owe to their Creditors. Which, to ſay the truth, is no more than the neceſſary confequence of that curſed principle I named before, of trading with kindneſſes, and putting them out to Uſe, that they may improve into greater, to be rendred back to them. I know very well there is no vice more odious than this, or which lyes under greater reproach even by ungrateful perſons themſelves; but yet I aſſure you, it will be found that there is none more common. And the miſchief of it is, that it is never ſo likely to grow in baſe natures, as when they have been highly bound to you. The kinder you have been, the more ungrateful they are like to prove: like thoſe, who having contracted a vaſt debt, and having little to pay, run away with ſhame, and pay juſt nothing at all. You muſt do good therefore meerly for the Love you bear to it ſelf; and though you deſire no payment but only the pleaſure of having it kindly reſented, you muſt be content ſometimes to loſe that ſmall return, and reſt ſatified in what you have done, and in your pious diſpoſition to do the ſame again.