The True Christians T est, Part 1 · Meditation 71 – Meditation 73
MEDITAT. LXXI. Of Pride in Priviledges.
THere are indeed ſpiritual Priviledges belonging to the Saints, wherein they may well glory; yet ſo, as it be in Chriſt onelyonly, and not in themſelves. Who can but glory in the relation of a Son or Daughter of God, of an Heir of the Kingdom, of an intereſt in all the Promiſes of the Goſpel, of free acceſs unto the Throne of Grace, and entertainment there, in an intereſt in the prayers of the Faithful, eſpecially in the interceſſion of the Bleſſed Mediator; Theſe are Priviledges more noble than the moſt princely; in which no man can rejoice or glory too much, except he can rejoice with a joy greater than unſpeakable.
But there are Priviledges in which it is eaſy and uſual to rejoice and glory exceſſively and carnally. I have already inſiſted upon Pride in Parentage and Education: That which I fix my thoughts upon here is Church Priviledges, or the Priviledge of being in Covenant with God, as all the Members of the Viſible Church are.
I take all that are admitted into the Church, and have taken upon them the Profeſſion of the Goſpel, in oppoſition to Jews and Heathens, to be in Covenant: But to them that are faithful in Covenant, and anſwer the terms of it, to them only it is advantageous to ſalvation; to the reſt, an high aggravation of their ſin and condemnation.
It is doubtleſs a great mercy to be born within the Pale of the Church, taken into the number of its Members, to ſit under the ſound of the Goſpel; becauſe it is the ordinary means of mens converſion to God, and the road that leads to the Church above. But yet to be within the pale of the Church, and not be of the little flock, to be a member of the Church, and yet a rotten and corrupt one; to be a branch in Chriſt that bringeth forth no fruit, to live under the ſound of the Goſpel, and in the mean time the Goſpel to be no more than an empty ſound to men; How little matter of glory is in all this.
And yet, how do the generality of men glory in theſe Priviledges, rather than in the anſwer of a good Conſcience; in a form of Godlineſs, rather than in the power of it? Theſe are lovers of the World and carnal.
How impudently did the Jews glory in their Father Abraham, the Law, the Temple, their Circumciſion and Sacrifices; when in the mean time, they were Strangers to the Faith and Obedience of Abraham; broke and made void the Law; refus'd to make their Souls the Temple of God; were uncircumciſed in heart; deni'd to hearken to Gods voice, which is better than Sacrifice, and more acceptable than the fat of Lambs.
And is it not as uſual, is it not as reaſonable, is it not as impudent, to glory in the profeſſion of the Goſpel, and yet reject the terms of it; to be proud of being Baptized into the Name of Chriſt, and utterly refuſe to be Baptized into the Spirit of Chriſt? Shall a dog brag of his communion with the Family and his memberſhip, becauſe he lies by the fire as the Children do, or eats part of the ſame Bread that they eat? But who are proud of their Church Priviledges? All that value themſolves and their Chriſtianity by theſe. All that bleſs themſelves in the Font, and in the Altar; whilſt they are not at all waſhed from their ſins, neither know what communion with God in the Spirit, with Chriſt in his Graces, means. Who take up their reſt in theſe, not ſeeing any neceſſity of Regeneration, or thinking the Baptiſmal one to be ſufficient: That brag that they are not excommunicate from the Society of the Saints upon earth, when they ſtand excommunicate from the Inheritance of the Saints in Light; that make more Reckoning that they are Proteſtants, than that they are Converts. They are Proteſtants; they underſtand by this no more, but that they are not Papiſts; nor no more by that than they come to Church. And is not this a great matter to be proud of? To Glory in this, and reſt here, is notorious Hypocriſie and Carnality.
Lord, Pity the deluded and miſtaken multitude, who come and ſit before thee as thy People, but their hearts are not with thee; theſe run after their Covetouſneſs, their Pride, their Revenge and Luxury?
MEDITAT. LXXII. Of Pride in Power and great Place.
TO prefer Power and Advancement, an high and honourable ſtation in the World, before God, before Truth, and a good Conſcience, is to be a Lover of the World. It will be asked, Who do ſo?
I anſwer, They that climb up to Preferment by undue means, by Injuſtice, Flattery, by ſinful Compliance with the guiſe of a corrupt Age, or that ſwim to a Throne in a Sea of innocent Blood.
They that inſinuate themſelves into the Favor of great men, by adminiſtring to their Luſts, and procuring Fuel thereunto, by humouring them in their unlawful deſires, by commending them for nothing, or for that which is naught. It is impoſſible to reckon up all the Follies, Falſities, Flatteries, Lyings, Diſſemblings, Detractations, and Back-bitings, Calumnies, Cruelties, Omiſſions, and Commiſſions, which are the By-ways that the Lover of the World uſes in order to Preferment. The moſt of theſe we find exemplify'd in Abſalom and Hazael affecting the Crowns of Iſrael and Syria. Nay, they that play at a ſmaller Game than Crown-catching, will not boggle at ſuch ſinful methods, as appears by the Story of Zibah. And indeed it is impoſſible for a man that intemperately thirſts after the …avor of great men, to be innocent: he muſt either do what he ſhould not, or baſely neglect to do what he ſhould.
The King of Moab jeer'd the fooliſh Prophet, becauſe the Lord had kept him from Honour.
Lord, If thou keep me from Honour, if thou interpoſe and ſtand in my way, that I cannot get to Honour but by diſhonouring thee, and violating thy Authority, let me account it a bleſſed diſappointment: nay, let me account it a ſingular Honour to me, to be ſ…addicted to thee and thy Commands, to the ſeeking of thy Face and Favor, as that in compariſon thereof, I can deſpiſe the favor of men, of the greatest of men! For what will the favor of great men ſignifie, in compariſon of the acceptance of the great God?
MEDITAT. LXXIII. Of Pride in Virtuous Actions.
TO ſpeak properly, that is not a Virtuous Action, nor a Religious Duty, which a man is proud of; for it is neceſſary to a Virtuous Action, that it be done to the Glory of God, and not for Self-Exaltation.
But we may call many Actions or Duties Religious, in contradiſtinction from Civil; and many of thoſe Religious Duties, in this ſenſe, may be as irreligious as any other. If a man preach, or pray, or hear, or receive the Sacrament, to commend himſelf to men, for the advancement of his own Eſtate, he is as carnal in thoſe Actions, as in any Civil Actions whatſoever. Jeroboams ſetting up a Worſhip (though it had not been Idolatrous) meerly to ſtrengthen his Kingdom, would have been carnal: For if Self be the higheſt End, it denominates the Action ſelfiſh, be it Civil, or Religious, it matters not.
But there is yet a more myſterious and ſpiritual piece of Pride, when men do Virtuous Actions ultimately for good Ends, and yet when they have done, take an unholy pleaſure in them, and bleſs The Devil will be ready, if he cannot get us to be ſo groſs as directly to ſeek our ſelves in performing of theſe Duties, to tempt us to feel our ſelves in the performance, and to ſet the Crown upon our own heads.
I ſpeak not of that groſs way of glorying in our own good works, or making o…tentation of them, which is palpable to every ordinary diſcerner; but that ſecret kind of ſelf-applauding, au…eſtheſie, or ſelffeeling, which is contrary to that ſelf-nothingneſs and exinanition, of which Chriſt Jeſus was the Pattern.
To rejoice and glory in God purely and onelyonly, and be nothing in our own eyes; to be perfectly emptied of Self, and wholly ſwallow'd up is predominantly the deſire and deſign of all truly renewed Souls.
Oh Lord, Thou art all things, I am nothing; Thou art the Giver of all Grace, the Ocean from which all Excellencies do flow, and into which they ought to return; Let me not feel my ſelf, but thee in my best Actions! Let me be ſo far from contriving the advancement of my own ſorry name in any good Action, as that I may not without diſpleaſure ſo much as hear my ſelf commended or ſpoken well of for it; that I may not commit a Sacriledge upon thine Honour, thou…h it be never ſo ſecret, and that there be no danger of being arraign'd in man's Court for this Theft; but may live in the exerciſe of Self-emptying, Self-exinanition, continually! Grant that I may look upon thee, not under any particular and limited Notion, but as being the Univerſal Goodneſs, Truth, Life and Love; and may view my ſelf, not as any thing diſtinct from thee, but in thee! That I may ſink into nothing, and be ſwallow'd up in thee, the infinite Abyſs of all Perfection!
Amen.