Works of Joseph Hall, Letter 3
To my Lord HAY, H. and P. EP. III. Of true Honour.
MY Lord, it is ſafe to complaine of Nature where Grace is; and to magnifie Grace, where it is at once had, and affected. It is a fault of Nature, and not the leaſt, that as ſhe hath dimme eyes, ſo they are miſs-placed. She lookes ſtill, eyther forward or downeward; forward to the obiect ſhe deſires, or downeward to the meanes: neuer turnes her eyes eyther backward, to ſee what ſhee was; or vpward, to the cauſe of her good: whence, it is iuſt with God to with-hold what he would giuegive, or to curſe that which hee beſtowes; and to beſot carnall minds with outward things, in their value, in their deſire, in their vſe: whereas true wiſedome hath cleare eyes, and right ſet; and therefore ſees an inuiſible hand in all ſenſible euents, effecting all things, directing all things to their due end; ſees on whom to depend, whom to thanke. Earth is too low, and too baſe, to giuegive bounds vntounto a ſpirituall ſight. No man then can truely know what belongs to wealth, or honour, but the gracious, eyther how to compaſſe them, or how to prize them, or how to vſe them. I care not how many thouſand wayes there are to ſeeming-honour, beſides this of vertue: they all (if more) ſtill lead to ſhame: or what plots are deuiſed to improue it; if they were as deepe as hell, yet their end is loſſe. As there is no counſell againſt God, ſo there is no honour without him. He… inclines the hearts of Princes to fauour; the hearts of inferiours to applauſe. Without him, the hand cannot moue, to ſucceſſe; nor the tongue, to praiſe: And what is honour without theſe? In vaine doth the world frowne vponupon the man, whom hee meanes to honour; or ſmile, where hee would diſgrace. Let mee then tell your Lordſhip, who are fauourites in the Court of heauen; euen whiles they wander on earth: yea, let the great King himſelfe tell you, Thoſe that honour mee, I will honour. That men hauehave the grace to giuegive honour to God, is an high fauour: but becauſe men giuegive honour to God (as their dutie) that therefore God ſhould giuegive honour to men, is to giuegive, becauſe hee hath giuen. It is a fauour of God, that man is honoured of man like himſelfe: but that God alloweth of our endeuours as honour to himſelfe, is a greater fauour than that wherewith hee requites it.
This is the goodneſſe of our God; The man that ſerues him, honours him: and whoſoeuer honours him with his ſeruice is crowned with honour. I challenge all times, places, perſons: Who euer honoured God, and was neglected? Who hath wilfully diſhonoured him, and proſpered? Turne ouer all Records, and ſee how ſucceſſe euer bleſſed the iuſt, after many dangers, after many ſtormes of reſiſtance, and left their concluſion glorious; how all godleſſe plots, in their looſe, hauehave at once deceiued, ſhamed, puniſhed their Author. I goe no further: Your owne breſt knowes, that your happy experience can herein iuſtifie God. The world hath noted you, for a follower of vertue, and hath ſeene how faſt Honour followed you: Whiles you ſought fauour with the God of heauen, he hath giuen you fauour with his Deputy on earth.
Gods former actions are patternes of his future: He teacheth you what he will doe, by what hee hath done. Vnleſſe your hand be weary of offering ſeruice, he cannot eyther pull in his hand from rewarding, or hold it out empty. Honour him ſtill, and God pawnes his honour, on not failing you. You cannot diſtruct him, whom your proofe hath found faithfull. And, whiles you ſettle your heart in this right courſe of true glory, laugh, in ſecret ſcorne, at the idle endeuours of thoſe men, whoſe policies would out-reach God, and ſeize vponupon honour without his leaue. (God laughes at them in heauen, it is a ſafe and holy laughter that followes his.) And pity the prepoſterous courſes of them, which make religion but a foot-ſtoole to the ſeat of aduancement; which care for all things but heauen; which make the world their ſtanding marke, and doe not ſo much as roue at God. Many had ſped well, if they had begun well, and proceeded orderly.
A falſe method is the bane of many hopefull endeuours. God bids vsus ſeeke firſt his Kingdome; and earthly things ſhall find vsus vnſought. Fooliſh nature firſt ſeekes the world: and if ſhe light on God by the way, it is more then ſhe expects, deſires, cares for; and therefore failes of both, becauſe ſhee ſeekes neither aright. Many had beene great, if they had cared to be good; which now are croſſed in what they would, becauſe they willed not what they ought. If Salomon had made wealth his firſt ſuit, I doubt he had beene both poore and fooliſh: now, hee asked wiſedome, and gained greatneſſe: Becauſe he choſe well, he receiued what he asked not. O the bounty and fidelitie of our God! becauſe we would hauehave the beſt, he giues vsus all: Earth ſhall wait vponupon vsus, becauſe we attend vponupon heauen.
Goe on, my Lord, goe on happily, to louelove religion, to practiſe it: let God alone with the reſt. Bee you a patterne of vertue; hee ſhall make you a Precedent of glory. Neuer man loſt ought by giuing it to God: that liberall hand returnes our gifts, with aduantage. Let men, let God ſee that you honour him; and they ſhall heare him proclaime before you, Thus ſhall it be done to the man whom the King will honour.