The True Christians T est, Part 1 · Meditation 77 – Meditation 78
MEDITAT. LXXVII. Of the Love of other Men.
TO love and eſteem man, any man more than God, denominates a Lover of the World.
To love man qua man, and conſequently every man, is a Chriſtian Duty, and an high Perfection: it is, as if it were to be transformed into the Nature of that bleſſed Being, whoſe Name is Love.
God is recommended to us by this, God is Love. Chriſt commends him to our imitation in this eſpecially, Mat. 5. 44, 45.
Chriſt Jeſus is commended to us by this. Oh the wonderful Love that he ſhew'd to Mankind, in laying down his Life for them! yea, his whole Life, before he laid it down, was Love; it was teaching, healing, feeding men, ſerving the Neceſſities of Souls and Bodies.
The beſt of Men are commended for this: Moſes the meekeſt of Men; David ſympathizing with his very Enemies in their Afflictions; Jeremiah mourning over the Sins of Iſrael, and the Calamities even of Moab; Paul moſt paſſionately deſirous of the ſalvation of the perſecuting Jews.
The beſt of Heathens commended for it: Socrates profeſt, That he knew nothing but to love; he ſtyled himſelf foreign, a Servant of Love.
It is the Speech of a Jeſuite, Neminem odit, qui Deum amat; He that loves God, hates no man.
By this Epithete things are commended. The beſt wiſdom, is that which is gentle and loving; and the beſt Valor is kind, and apt to forgive.
But it will be asked, Is every man lovely?
Yes, there is ſomething lovely in every man, ſomething of God that Love will delight in. No man is ſo bad, but there may be found ſomething of good Nature, good Manners, good Offices, at ſome time or other: all this is an Emanation from God.
If none of this were, yet the Relation wherein man ſtands to God, as a reaſonable Creature, makes him lovely.
We love our ſown Corn in Hope, and many other things: Let us love the worſt of men, in hopes that they may be good.
Lord, ſhed abroad this Large, Liberal, Generous Grace into my heart! Enlarge my heart, that it may comprehend all mankind! This is better, than, with Barzillai, to entertain a King and his Army; or with Ahaſuerus, to keep open houſe for a Kingdom. Thus ſhall I, though I have nothing to give, be as Charitable as the Rich, and more munificent than the Princes of the Earth.
I charge thee, O my Soul, this day in the preſence of the God, whoſe Name is Love, that thou hate no child of man; and that thou mayſt be ſure not to do it, that thou doſt not ſo much as ſecretly deſpiſe the meaneſt, or ſuſpend good offices towards the worſt, or rejoice in the ſins or ſufferings of the moſt injurious of men.
But (alas!) what pity is it that this divine affection ſhould be depraved, that Love it ſelf ſhould become filthy and unchaſte. Separate man and his perfections from God, and then love him or them diſtinctly, and this love becomes adulterous. For although all men are to be loved in God, and for his ſake, yet no man is to be loved any otherwiſe than ſo.
They prefer Man before God, who ſtand admiring the Excellencies and Perfections of any man, as the accompliſhments of this or that particular Being, and not as Beams from the Father of Lights. It is the part of unrefin'd minds to admire diverſity of gifts, and overlook the ſame Spirit. How nobly does the refined Soul live and act, who viewing the Perfections of all men in God the Fountain, enjoys them all as fully and deliciouſly, as if they were his own!
They alſo, who have mens perſons in admiration, being partial in their eſtimation or commendation of … reaſon of their greatneſs, or of ſome advan… … got by them: This the Apoſtle taxeth as a … thing.
There is indeed a kind of civil honour and reſpect … …o men by vertue of their Office, Authority, and …igher Station in the World, and a peculiar grateful …ſpect to be ſhew'd to Benefactors.
But to have the Eyes blinded, the Judgment bri…ed, the Noble affection of Love made mercenary, by any ſecular greatneſs; either to love men the more, or to think that God does ſo, becauſe of their temporal Proſperity and Grandeur, is to call the proud happy, and to bleſs the covetous whom God abhors; it is to proſtitute that Virgin affection, that ſhould be preſerved chaſt.
We ought to think and eſtimate according to God, to love as he loves, and to hate the deeds of the Nicholaitans, which he alſo hateth; otherwiſe we prefer the World before God.
To delight in the company, and either profane or jejune communication of worldly or wicked men, more than in the ſociety of the godly, is a worldly love.
In our hearts to love or eſteem any vile perſon, be he of what Civil Capacity he will, before them that fear the Lord, be their Civil Capacity never ſo mean, is as good an Argument of an unſanctifi'd mind, as the contrary is of a Citizen of Zion. (Pſal. 15. 4.) In whoſe eyes a vile perſon is contemned. In this Courtly Age it would be lookt upon as an unmannerly behaviour in the Prophet, who would not vouchſafe to look towards the King of Iſrael, 2 Kings 3. 14. But certainly it is worſe than unmannerly, to have the greateſt reſpect and kindneſs for them that are not at all of Iſrael.
MEDITAT. LXXVIII. Of Flattery.
THis brings me to think of the foul vice of Flattery, which although it be not always an Eſtimation of men (for men often flatter thoſe whom in their hearts they diſeſteem and deſpiſe) yet it would be thought ſo, and is as worldly as the other.
An humble behaviour indeed is ornamental; ſoft anſwers are good and uſeful.
To approve or commend a good man, or a good action, is ſo far from being ſimply evil, that ſometimes it is duty, and may ſerve good ends.
But it requires a great deal of wiſdom. For,
Firſt, It eaſily mingles it ſelf with ſomething evil, and is corrupted by Covetouſneſs, Slaviſh fear, or Self-love: Men may moſt ſet off themſelves, and ſtudy to endear themſelves moſt, when they commend other men.
Secondly, It is eaſily perverted to ill ends, and may as ſoon make me prouder, as better.
Commendation therefore muſt be given Juſtly, Seaſonably, Proportionably, and ſhould be mixt with the remembrance of God, as Paul's was to Philemon, ver. 4, 5.
Flattery is ſometimes groſs, in words; commending evil, and calling it by good names; aſſenting to every thing at a venture, or denying without reaſon: Magnifying ſome little thing beyond its deſert, and extenuating ſome foul fault into a meer peccadillo, or unavoidable infirmity.
Sometimes it is more fine and ſubtile, in actions; in a crouching, truckling, over-obſequious behaviour.
I need ſay no more of Flattery, than that it is,
Firſt, an argument of a mean and ſlaviſh mind. The truly generous mind that adores truth, knows not how to give flattering Titles.
Secondly, that it is of moſt miſchievous conſequence, and very pernicious in its effects; becauſe it in… Princes Courts, and Great Mens Houſes. Flatterers by blinding the Judgment of Princes, do at once put out the eyes of a Nation: For they lead …hoſe out of the way, who when they are miſled, cauſe the reſt of the world to err.
We know how fatal it prov'd to Ah…, when his Chaplains the Prophets, and the Cour… … together to deceive him. Go up and pr…ſ… … the Prophets; Let thy word be as one of … ſays the Courtier.
And with what indignation God does … the daubing of theſe Prophets, and their putting … under mens heads and arms, the Prophet Ezekiel does acquaint us.
Lord, what is man or his power, who can onelyonly kill the body, that I ſhould fear and flatter him in any thing, that is hateful to thee! What Profit or Preferment can I expect from man that ſhall Countervail thy diſhonour, or the prejudice done to truth and holineſs, by ſordid Flattery, or ſinful Complyance! Oh that the intereſt of God and Religion be exalted in my ſoul far above all theſe petty carnal Conſiderations! And oh that the Meſſengers of God would ſeriouſly examine, whether they be not the ſervants of men, of the worſt part of men, even their luſts, by impriſoning the Truth, leſt it ſhould fly in ſome honourable or worſhipful face; whether they do not tremble to ſpeak of temperance, before inceſtuous Felix; or whether they can take ſuch fair leave of their Patrons, as Paul took of his Epheſians, I have kept back nothing that was profitable to you!