The True Christians T est, Part 1 · Meditation 75 – Meditation 76
MEDITAT. LXXV. Of Self-love.
AFter the Things of the World, come to be conſidered, the Perſons thereof.
If any man prefer any perſon in the World before God, the Love of God is not in him. The World loveth its own Perſons, as well as Things.
The Perſons may be divided into Ones Self, Ones Re…ti…ns, and other Men.
Firſt, Of Self-love.
Self-love is directly contrary to the Love of God; and where it is predominant, does exclude it.
I have partly prevented my ſelf in many things, that might be reduced to this Head.
Self is the great Centre of all worldly men, inſomuch that Sin ſeems to be nothing elſe, but the ſinking down of the Soul from God into Self.
It is an inſtance of predominant Self-love, to ſtand viewing and admiring our own particular Being, as ſomething diſtinct from the unbounded Eſſence of God, and independent upon him; or to ſeek its gratification without any reference to the Supreme Being, endeavouring ultimately to accommodate it with ſomething, that ſhall no way redound to him.
To dote upon our own Perfections, as if they were the diſtinct Excellencies of our own Beings, and not Communications from God.
To allow that in our ſelves, which we condemn in others of the ſame circumſtances with our ſelves.
To love our Lives in oppoſition to, in competition with, in a way of ſeparation from God, I have already conſidered; there is yet ſomewhat higher.
A man may be guilty of an unchaſte love of his own Soul, as the Stoicks with their foreign, their Selfſufficiency, proudly magnifying the excellency of their own Souls, and their own ſufficiency, at leaſt in a way of independance upon God, if not of oppoſition to him. What mean elſe thoſe great Brags, Sapiens contendet cum ipſo Jove de foelicitate, A wiſe man may contend with God himſelf for Happineſs; and the ſtrange Eneomiums that they give to their wiſe man, Compar deorum, deorum conviva, and the like?
The Stoicks ſought the ſalvation of their own Souls in a corrupt manner: Let no one boggle at the phraſe of ſeeking the ſalvation of their own Souls. For the ſalvation of the Soul, is nothing but the happineſs and perfection of it.
This they ſought out of God; and we, if we will excel them, muſt ſeek it in him: They ſought it as the perfection of their own Beings, as ſomething diſtinct from God; we muſt ſeek it as a participation and enjoyment of him.
Will it ſeem ſtrange to any to hear it ſaid, That men may be ſelfiſh in ſeeking their own Salvation? How were the Stoicks? Why may not a man be ſelfiſh in the undue love of one part of him, as well as of another?
To account Salvation nothing elſe, but preſervation from miſery; and to ſeek ſuch a Salvation, is as compatible to the carnal, as to the ſpiritual man. To account Heaven a ſtate of Eaſe, Peace, Honour, Everlaſting Safety, and a Paradiſe of Pleaſure, and to deſire it as ſuch; why is not this conſiſtent with a carnal heart?
But further, To account Salvation ſomething poſitive, the perfection and higheſt accompliſhment of our Souls, and to ſeek it as the accompliſhment of our own particular Beings, as ſomething diſtinct from God, and to ſet up our ſelves as Anti-deities; what is this better than Stoiciſm?
If we take Salvation in the true Goſpel-ſenſe, for the perfecting of the Soul in God; then indeed we cannot ſeek the Salvation of our Souls, more than the Glory of God: But in this falſe Notion of it, which I was juſt now ſpeaking of, we may; the Stoicks did, and many do. Take it in a true Goſpel-ſenſe, and it is impoſſible to disjoin the Glory of God, and our own Salvation: The ſtronger the love of God is, the purer is the love of our own Souls. The Salvation of the Soul comprehends its being perfected in Humility, Self-nothingneſs as well as other Graces: As the glorified Spirits caſt down their Crowns before God, aſcribe all worthineſs to him, they ſeek not themſelves, nay, they feel not themſelves at all diſtinct from him. It is perfect Nonſenſe in Religion, to deſire Heaven as a Self-accommodation.
Oh thou Almighty Goodneſs, Omnipreſent Life, Perfect Beauty, deliver me from fancying a Self ſufficiency, doting upon Self-excellencies, and ſettling upon a Self-centre! I am ſtraitned at home; the more I ſeek to wring a happineſs out of my ſelf, the more I pinch and pain my ſelf: I ſee ſomething beyond my ſelf, ſomething better than I am, ſomething that I had rather be than what I am; my Soul ſtretcheth it ſelf upon thee, Oh widen it, enlarge it, that it may ſtretch it ſelf more upon thee! Oh bleſſed God, the Supreme and ſweetest Good, wrap up my mind in thy ſelf, increaſe my longings, till they be perfected into Loves, and thoſe Loves into pure and endleſs Delights!
MEDITAT. LXXVI. Of the Love of Relations.
TO love any Relations more than God, or to prefer them before him, is to be a predominant Lover of the World.
To be pleas'd with Faults, or ſo much as to diſpenſe with them, becauſe they are found in our Children, or any other Relations, is to prefer them before Truth and Juſtice, and conſequently the World before God. The Prieſt Eli is ſaid to have prefer'd his Children before God, becauſe he did not ſeverely enough correct, or puniſh, or reſtrain them.
Chriſt Jeſus undervalued all carnal Relations, in compariſon of the Father, his Will, and the doing of it: Wiſt ye not that I must be about my Fathers buſineſs?
He undervalued all things in compariſon of his Fathers Image; Whoſoever doth the Will of my Father, the ſame is my Brother and Siſter, and Mother: And he requires us to do ſo; Whoſoever will be my Diſciple, let him forſake Father and Mother.
The Apoſtle Paul valued no man according to the fleſh, by any outward thing, Riches or Poverty, Relation or not Relations, 2 Cor. 5. 16.
When the intereſt of God ſtood in competition, Levi did not know Father or Brother, Deut. 33. 9.
And if my Brother or Child do not walk according to the Law, his Relation ſhall be no Relation; his Circumciſion accounted as Uncircumciſion.
To prefer the Relation of Children to us, before their Relation to God, to love our own image more than the Image of God in them, is to make Self the Standard of our Love, and the Creature to truckle to the Creator.
To ſpeak properly, that Kindneſs and Benignity in Parents, that Dutifulneſs and Obedience in Children, that Faithfulneſs and Sweetneſs in Husbands and Wives, that Tenderneſs and Helpfulneſs in Brothers or Siſters, or any Friends, by which chiefly they are lovely, is of God, is God, and ſo to be lov'd and reliſh'd, And to love them under a diſtinct, limited conſideration, as ours, or as a kin to us, is not ſo pure and ſpiritual as it ought to be.
The truth is, there is nothing ours: For God is the Proprietor, we are only the Poſſeſſors; and why ſhould we be ſo fond of that which is anothers? It looks like a piece of melancholy; as if a man ſhould go into a Jewellers ſhop, and there fondly hug a Jewel which is only ſhew'd him, or put into his hands to judge of the worth of it. How do poor Worldlings act over the part of mad men, when they ſeem to themſelves very wiſe! The part of that Melancholiſt that I have read of, who would ſtand upon the ſhore, and make much mirth at the coming in of every Ship, ſaying, It was laden with his own Goods.
And as for Relation, what is it but a Notion? It is ſomething, I know not what, extrinſick to us. And why ſhould I be fond of every man that is call'd by my Name? Or why ſhould any man be proud that he is call'd Charles, and is Name-ſake to a great King?
And what is Relation to us? What are we, that it ſhould be ſo lovely a thing to be like us? To be like to God, to be a Kin to him indeed is ſomething; the nearer to him the Nobler, and the Happier. I muſt needs have a fooliſh, and falſe, and proud conceit of my ſelf ſure, that am …ond of a Child, becauſe he reſembles me.
Lord, Thou art nearer of Kin to me than all the World. The material World is nothing at all of Kin to my Soul, not ſo much as my Cloaths are to my Body: But in thee I ſubſist; Thou hast done that for me, that Father and Mother could never do. Let all Relation be ſwallow'd up in thee, that I may be in a ſpiritual ſenſe another Melchiſedeck!