The Christians in Complete Armor, Religious treatise · Introduction 4 · Chapter 11
CHAP. XI. The third kinde of ſpiritual Pride, viz. Pride of Priviledges.
THe third kinde of pride, (ſpiritual pride I mean) is pride of Priviledges, with which theſe wicked ſpirits labour to blow up the Chriſtian; to name three,
Firſt, when God calls a perſon to ſome eminent place, or uſeth him to do ſome ſpecial piece of ſervice.
Secondly, when God honours a Saint to ſuffer for his truth or cauſe.
Thirdly, when God flowes in with more then ordinary manifeſtations of his love, and fills the ſoule with joy and comfort. Theſe are Priviledges not equally diſpenſed to all, and therefore where they are, Satan takes the advantage of aſſaulting ſuch with pride.
SECT. I.
Firſt, when God calls a perſon to ſome eminent place, or uſeth him to do ſome ſpecial piece of ſervice: Indeed it requires a great meaſure of grace to keep the heart low, when the man ſtands high. The Apoſtle ſpeaking how a Miniſter of the Goſpel ſhould be qualified, 1 Tim. 3.6. ſaith, he muſt not be a Novice, or a young Convert, leſt he ſhould be lift up with pride, and fall into the condemnation of the devil; as if he had ſaid, this calling is honourable; if he be not well ballaſt with humility, a little guſt from Satan will tople him into this ſin; The Seventy that Chriſt firſt ſent out to preach the Goſpel, and prevailed ſo miraculouſly over Satan, even theſe while they trod on the Serpents head, he turn'd again, and had like to have ſtung them with pride, which our Saviour perceived, when they return'd in triumph, and told what great miracles they had wrought, and therfore he takes them off that glorying, left it ſhould degenerate into vain glory, and bids them not rejoyce that devils were ſubjest to them,Luke 10.12 but rather that their names were writ in Heaven. As if he had ſaid, It is not the honour of your calling, and ſucceſſe of your Miniſtery will ſave you; there ſhall be ſome caſt to the devils, who ſhall then ſay, Lord, Lord, in thy name we have caſt out devils; and therefore value not your ſelves by that, but rather evidence to your ſoules that ye are of mine elect ones, which will ſtand you more in ſtead at the great day then all this.
SECT. II.
A ſecond Priviledge is, when God honours a perſon to ſuffer for his truth, this is a great Priviledge. Ʋnto you it is given not only to beleeve, but to ſuffer for his ſake. God doth not uſe to give worthleſs gifts to his Saints, there is ſome preciouſneſſe in it which a carnal eye cannot ſee. Faith you will ſay is a great gift, but perſeverance greater, without which faith would be little worth, and perſeverance in ſuffering this above both honourable; This made John Careleſſe. our Engliſh Martyr, (who though he died not at the ſtake, yet in priſon for Chriſt,) ſay, Such an honour 'tis, as Angels are not permitted to have, therefore God forgive me mine unthankfulneſſe. Now when Satan cannot ſcare a ſoul from priſon, yet then he will labour to puffe him up in priſon; when he cannot make him pity himſelf, then he will flatter him till he prides in himſelf; Affliction from God expoſeth to impatience, for God to pride; and therefore (Chriſtians) labour to fortifie your ſelves againſt this temptation of Satan, how ſoon you may be called to ſuffering work you know not, ſuch clouds oft are not long ariſing. Now to keep thy heart humble when thou art honoured to ſuffer for the truth; Conſider,
Firſt, though thou doeſt not deſerve thoſe ſufferings at mans hand, (thou canſt and mayeſt in that regard glory in thy innocency, thou ſuffereſt not as an evil doer) yet thou canſt not but confeſſe it is a juſt affliction from God in regard of ſin in thee, and this methinks ſhould keep thee humble; the ſame ſuffering may be Martyrdome in regard of man, and yet a fatherly chaſtiſing for ſin in regard of God: none ſuffered without ſin but Chriſt, and therefore none may glory in them but he; Chriſt in his own, we in his; God forbid that I ſhould glory ſave in the Croſſe of Chriſt, Gal. 6. This kept Mr. Bradford humble in his ſufferings for the truth, none more rejoyced in them and bleſſed God for them, yet none more humble under them then he; and what kept him in this humble frame? reade his godly letters, and you ſhall finde almoſt in all how he bemoans his ſins, and the ſins of the Proteſtants under the reign of King Edward: It was time (ſaith he) for God to put his rod into the Papists hands we were grown ſo proud, formal, unfruitful, yea, to loath and despiſe the means of grace, when we enjoyed the liberty therof, and therfore God hath brought the wheele of perſecution on us. As he look't at the honour to make him thankful, ſo to ſinne to keep him humble:
Secondly, conſider who bears thee up, and carries thee through thy ſufferings for Chriſt: Is it thy grace or his that is ſufficient for ſuch a work? thy ſpirit or Chriſts, by which thou ſpeakeſt, when call'd to bear witneſſe to his truth? how comes it to paſſe thou art a ſufterer, and not a perſecutour; a confeſſour, and not a denier; yea, betrayer of Chriſt and his Goſpel? This thou oweſt for to God; he is not beholden to thee, that thou wilt part with eſtate, credit, or life it ſelf for his ſake. If thou hadſt a thouſand lives, thou wouldeſt owe them all to him: but thou art beholden to God exceedingly, that he will call for theſe in this way, which has ſuch an honour and reward attending it. He might have ſuffered thee to live in thy luſts, and at laſt to ſuffer the loſſe of all theſe for them. O how many die at the Gallowes as Martyrs in the devils cauſe, for felonies, rapes and murders! Or he might withdraw his grace, and leave thee to thy own cowardiſe and unbelief, and then thou wouldeſt ſoon ſhew thy ſelf in thy colours. The ſtouteſt Champions for Chriſt, have been taught how weak they are if Chriſt ſteps aſide. Some that have given great teſtimony of their faith and reſolution in Chriſts cauſe, even to come ſo near dying for his Name, as to give themſelves to be bound to the ſtake, and fire to be kindled upon them, yet then their hearts have failed, as that holy man Mr. Benbridge in our Engliſh Martyrol. who thruſt the faggots from him, and cried out, I recant, I recant. Yet this man, when re-inforc't in his faith, and indued with power from above, was able within the ſpace of a week after that ſad foile, to die at the ſtake cheerfully: Qui pro nobis mortem ſemel vicit, ſemper in nobis vincit: He that once overcame death for us, 'tis he that alwayes overcame death in us. And who ſhould be thy Song, but he that is thy ſtrength? applaud not thy ſelfe, but bleſſe him. 'Tis one of Gods Names, he is call'd the glory of his peoples ſtrength, Pſal. 89.17. The more thou glorieſt in God that gives thee ſtrength to ſuffer for him, the leſſe thou wilt boaſt of thy ſelf: A thankful heart and a proud cannot dwell together in one boſome.
Thirdly, conſider what a foule blot pride gives to all thy ſufferings, where it is not bewailed and reſiſted, it alters the caſe. The old ſaying is, that 'tis not the puniſhment, but the cauſe makes the Martyr; we may ſafely ſay further, it is not barely the cauſe, but the ſincere frame of the heart in ſuffering for a good cauſe, that makes a man a Martyr in Gods ſight. Though thou ſhouldeſt give thy body to be burnt, if thou haſt not an humble heart of a ſufferer for Chriſt, thou turneſt Merchant for thy ſelf. Thou denieſt but one ſelf to ſet up another, runneſt the hazard of thy eſtate and life to gain ſome applauſe, may be, and reare up a monument to thy honour in the opinions of men; thou doeſt no more in this caſe then a ſouldier, who for a name of valour will venture into the mouth of death and danger, only thou ſheweſt thy pride under a religious diſguiſe, but that helps it not, but makes it the worſe. If thou wilt in thy ſufferings be a ſacrifice acceptable to God, thou muſt not only be ready to offer up thy life for his truth, but ſacrifice thy pride alſo, or elſe thou mayeſt tumble out of one fire into another, ſuffer here from man, as a ſeeming champion for the Goſpel, and in another world from God, for robbing him of his glory in thy ſufferings.
SECT. III.
A third priviledge is, when God flowes in with more then ordinary manifeſtations of his love, then the Chriſtian is in danger of having his heart ſecretly lift up in pride. Indeed the genuine and natural effect, which ſuch diſcoveries of divine love have on a gracious ſoule, is to humble it. The ſight of mercy encreaſeth the ſenſe of ſin, and that ſenſe diſſolves the ſoule kindely into ſorrow, as we ſee in Magdalen. The heart which poſſibly was hard and frozen in the ſhade, will give and thaw in the Sun-ſhine of love, and ſo long all pride is hid from the creatures eye. Then (ſaith God) Ezek. 36.31. ye ſhall remember your wayes, and your doings that were not good, and ſhall loath your ſelves in your own ſight, &c. And when ſhall this be, but when God would ſave them from all their uncleanneſſes, as appears? v. 25. yet notwithſtanding this, there remain ſuch dregs of corruption unpurged out of the beſt, that Satan findes it not impoſſible, to make the manifeſtations of Gods love an occaſion of pride to the Chriſtian: and truly God lets us ſee our proneneſſe to this ſin in the ſhort ſtay he makes, when he comes with any greater diſcoveries of his love. The Comforter ('tis true) abides for ever in the Saints boſome, but his joyes they come, and are gone again quickly. They are as exceedings, with which he feaſts the believer, but the cloth is ſoon drawn; and why ſo, but becauſe we cannot bear them for our every day food? A ſhort interview of heaven, and a viſion of love now and then upon the mount of an ordinance or affliction, cheeres the ſpirits of drooping Chriſtians, who might they have leave to build Tabernacles there, and dwell under a conſtant ſhine of ſuch manifeſtations, would be prone to forget themſelves, and think they were Lords of their own comforts. If holy Paul was in danger of falling into this diſtemper of pride from his ſhort rapture, to prevent which God ſaw it needful to let him blood with a thorne in the fleſh, would not our blood much more grow too rank, and we too crank and wanton, if we ſhould feed long on ſuch luſcious food? And therefore, if ever (Chriſtian) thou hadſt need to watch, then is the time when comforts abound, and God dandles thee moſt on the knee of his love, when his face ſhines with cleareſt manifeſtations, leſt this ſin of pride (as a thief in the candle) ſhould ſwaile out thy joy. To prevent which thou ſhouldeſt do well; Firſt, to look that thou meaſureſt not thy grace by thy comfort, leſt ſo thou beeſt led into a falſe opinion, that thy grace is ſtrong, becauſe thy comforts are ſo. Satan will be ready to help forward ſuch thoughts as a fit medium to life thee up, and ſlacken thy care in duty for the future. Such diſcoveries do indeed bear witneſſe to the truth of thy grace, but not to the decree and meaſure of it; the weak childe may be, yea, is oftner in the lap then the ſtrong. Secondly, do not ſo much applaud thy ſelf in thy preſent comfort, as labour to improve it for the glory of God. Ʋp and eate, ſaith the Angel to the Prophet, becauſe the journey is too great for thee. The manifeſtations of Gods love are to fit us for our work. It is one thing to rejoyce in the light of our comfort, and another to go forth in the power of the Spirit comforting us (as Giants refreſhed with this wine) to run our race of duty and obedience with more ſtrength and alacrity. He ſhews his pride, that ſpends his time in telling his money meerly to ſee how rich he is; but he his wiſdom, that layes out his money and trades with it. The boaſter of his comforts will loſe what he hath, when he that improves his comforts in a fuller trade of duty ſhall adde more to what he hath. Thirdly, remember thou dependeſt on God for the continuance of thy comfort. They are not the ſmiles thou hadſt yeſterday can make thee joyous to day, any more then the bread thou didſt then eate can make thee ſtrong without more; thou needeſt new diſcoveries for new comforts: let God hide his face, and thou wilt ſoon loſe the ſight, and forget the taſte of what thou even now hadſt. It is beyond our skill or power to preſerve thoſe impreſſions of joy, and comfortable apprehenſions of Gods favour on our ſpirits, which ſometimes we finde; as Gods preſence brings thoſe, ſo when he goes he carries them away with him, as the ſetting-Sun doth the day. We would laugh heartily at him, who when the Sun ſhines in at his window, ſhould think by ſhutting that to impriſon the Sun-beams in his chamber; and doeſt thou not ſhew as much folly, who thinkeſt becauſe thou now haſt comfort, thou therefore ſhalt never be in darkneſſe of Spirit more? The believers comfort is like Iſraels Manna: 'tis not like our ordinary bread and proviſion; we buy at market and lock up in our Cupboards where we can go to it when we will; no, it is rained as that was from heaven. Indeed God provided for them after this ſort to humble them, Deut. 8.16. Who fed thee in the wilderneſſe with Manna which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee. It was not becauſe ſuch mean food, that God is ſaid to humble them; for it was delicious food; therefore call'd Angels food, Pſal. 78.25. Such as if Angels did eate, might ſerve them. But the manner of the diſpenſing it, from hand to mouth, every day their portion and no more, ſo that God kept the key of their Cupboard, they ſtood to his immediate allowance; and thus God communicates our ſpiritual comforts for the ſame end to humble us. So much for this ſecond ſort of ſpiritual wickedneſſe.
I had thought to have inſtanced in ſome other, as hypocriſie, unbelief, formality; but poſſibly the ſubject being general, what I have already ſaid may be thought but a digreſſion, and that too long.
I ſhall therefore conclude this branch of ſpiritual wickedneſſe, in a word to thoſe who are yet in a natural and unſanctified ſtate, which is to ſtir them up from what I have ſaid (concerning Satans aſſaulting beleevers with ſuch temptations;) to conſider ſeriouſly, how that Satans chief deſigne againſt them alſo lies in the ſame ſins. Theſe are the wickedneſſes he labours to ingulph you in above all others. If ever you periſh, it will be by the hand of theſe ſins. 'Tis your feared conſcience, blinde minde, and dedolent impenitent heart, will be your undoing if you miſcarry finally. Other ſins, the devil knowes, are preparatory to theſe, and therefore he drawes thee into them to bring thee into theſe. Two wayes they prepare a way to ſpiritual ſins; Firſt, as they naturally diſpoſe the ſinner to them; 'tis the nature of ſin to blinde the minde, ſtupifie the conſcience, harden the heart, as is implied, Heb. 3.13. Leſt your heart be hardened through the deceitfulneſſe of ſin. As the feet of Travellers beat the high way hard, ſo does walking in carnal groſſe ſins the heart; they benumbe the conſcience, ſo that in time the ſinner loſes his feeling, and can carry his luſts in his heart, (as Bedlams their pins in their very fleſh) without pain and remorſe. Secondly, as they do provoke God by a judiciary act to give them up to theſe ſins, Lam. 3.65. Give them obſtinacy of heart, (ſo 'tis in your margin) thy curſe unto them; and when the devil hath got ſinners at this paſſe, then he hath them under lock and key. They are the fore-runners of damnation; if God leave thy heart hard and unbroken up, 'tis a ſad ſigne he means not to ſowe the ſeed of grace there. O ſinners pray, (as he did requeſt Peter for him) that none of theſe things may come upon you; which that they may not, take heed thou rejecteſt not the offers he makes to ſoften thee. Gods hardening is a conſequent of, and a puniſhment for our hardening our own hearts. 'Tis moſt true what Proſper ſaith, Poteſt homo invitus amittere temporalia, non niſi volens amittere spiritualia: A man may loſe temporals againſt hia will, but not ſpirituals; God will harden none, damn none againſt their will.