The Book of Nature Translated and Epitomized, Chapter 18
Chap. 17.
Sect. I.
The private honour of man is the capital enemy of God's honour.
MAn cannot be a more direct capital enemy of God, in any thing, then by contriving and designing his own honour, praise, glory, fame, or name, in and by all he does; and by seeking the encrease and multiplication thereof. He that seeks his own honour, busies himself to procure the encrease and multiplication thereof in the hearts of other men. So, his own foolish, vain heart, and the hearts of others (all which ought to be vessels and living temples of God's honour) are made temples of his own honour, fame, and name. His own private honour, which is the enemy of god's, intrudes into and possesses the room thereof, in his own and others hearts, which is the greatest injury that can be offered unto God. Such temper'd men desire to jussle the honour of god quite out of the world, out of all hearts, to make room for their own, the capital enemy thereof. Every man is for or against God, the friend or enemy of God, seek's his own honour or God's. There's no middle way.
The seeking of self-honour, does so blind a mā, that he cannot se or think aright of the honour of god. He ought therefore to avoid his own honour, as the most poisonous, deadly, destructive vanity of all vanities, that will finally appear to be nothing, and will expose him to be eternally worse then nothing. All honour will perish but god's; and so will all that seek any other honour then his. Who can defend his own honour, against the omnipotent God? What transcendent folly and blindnes is it, for the thing formed to think of prospering in a contest with him that formed it?
SECT. II.
The honour of God is attended with man's profit: the honour of man tends directly to his own damage and ruine.
GOd made all things for his own honour, as the principal end of all. He then that seeks any other honour, in oppositiō to that, does, what in him lies, pervert the whole world, and frustrate God's intention in making it. He sets himself up, by his own private autority, will, and pleasure, in the room of God; and would have the world filled with his name, fame, and praise, as a temple of his own private, selfish honour. Hast thou, o man, an arm like God? Job 40. 9. contend not with him then. If thou do, 'tis easy to guesse what wilbe the issue betweē a poor, fraile, impotent creature and the omnipotent creatour, to whom all nations are lesse then nothing, and vanity; Isai. 40. 17. The fruit of all such contests, must needs be unutterable damage unto man.
The more a man muse's upon, and seek's his own honour, the more is he still dark'ned and blinded, as to any right knowledg or consideration of God and his honour. He madly digg's his own grave; hasten's to his own eternal ruine. He lay's the foundation of his self contrived hapines, in a lie, an errour, a meer nullity, his own honour. He not only loses all his labour in such a self-seeking trade, but is sure to be ruin'd by it. As he therefore tender's his own hapines, he ought to flee and avoid his own honour, praise, and glory, that is enmity to God, as the greatest evil. Eternal shame, perpetual confusion, and everlasting contempt wilbe the certain portion of all that finally seek their own honour. But if a man honour God, God will put honour upon him, and glorify him for ever, in himself.
Vain man, that's eager and hot in the pursuit and maintenance of his own private honour, though unjust and undue, will not patiently endure the least diminution thereof, as we may ordinarily find. And can we then think, the almighty God will suffer any diminution of his honour, that's most justly due unto him, without punishing the offendour?