The Christians Guide to Devotion, Part 4 · Chapter 11
CHAP. XI. Of the raſh Judgment which is made of Devout People.
I HAVE done with the Directions I thought neceſſary to help Devotion; but before I conclude, I believe there is ſome Conſolation due to truly Devout Perſons, of whom ſo bad a Judgment is made in the World. Some put them all into the rank of Hypocrites; Theſe are our falſe Devoto's, ſay the profane, who obſerve forms ſo exactly; who are careful to be at all pious Ordinances; who lend ſo great an attention to a Sermon; who pray and communicate with ſo many viſible marks of Devotion: we are never the leſs good Chriſtians for our little Affectation, we have what's ſolid in piety, and they the appearance only. It muſt be confeſt, Hypocriſie doth a great deal of harm to Devotion: I do not deny there are falſely devout People; there's hardly any veil, wherewith evil Conſciences cover themſelves more ordinarily than with this of Godlineſs. But becauſe ſome Hypocrites there be, is it neceſſary there are none others? Becauſe we find counterfeit Diamonds, can none find true and effective ones? becauſe there are falſe and fooliſh fires, is there then no true light? Some indeed believe they have found out a good remedy againſt this miſchief; they affect an apparent Indevotion: for having ſome zeal at the bottom they imagine 'tis neceſſary to affect a Way and an Air of indifference to avoid the Accuſation of Hypocriſie, but this is to avoid one evil by a greater: and being reduc'd to the neceſſity either of committing a Crime, or of being the occaſion of one, we are to determine on the latter. We are commanded to make the light of our good Works to ſhine before men, and to edifie our …eighbours by our good Examples. Unhappineſs there…ore attends them, who put their Candle under a buſhel: …ut [to ſpeak the truth] I believe thoſe that ſo ſtrenu…uſly endeavour to hide their Devotion, do not hide my great thing from us; they have little enough within. When a Chamber is fill'd with fire the light appears thorough the Windows; Piety is a fire that caſts its flame through all our vertues, tho never ſo much care be …aken to conceal it. If the heart be full of godly zeal, it will appear upon the Tongue, in the Hands, and even in the Eyes. True, no affectation is to be us'd: God hates thoſe pompous and vain-glorious Pieties, which expoſe 'emſelves at the corners of Streets, and which wholly conſiſt in the liftings up of the hands, the …ouling of the Eyes, and a wan and deadiſh Viſage: Devotions the more ſecret they are, the better: But how eaſie is it to diſtinguiſh Sincerity from affectation. If theſe prophane Judges did but know themſelves a little they would not confound a modeſt Piety and ſage Devotion, which ſhines only thorough the veil of a profound Humility, with a Devotion made up of Grimaces. The Life, Converſation and Manners are the beſt touch-ſtone to know the Sincerity of Devotion. If the devout Perſon is Covetous, Ambitious, one that grows rich at the expence of the Poor, or that is vindicative, I agree we may put ſuch an one in the rank of counterfeits. But if the Life, in all reſpects, be unreprovable, 'tis a Sin worthy of all the flames in Hell to judge that the Devotion is feign'd: 'tis a ſort of Sin againſt the Holy Ghoſt, like to that which the Phariſees were guilty of againſt our Saviour, in accuſing him that he did through the help of the Devil, what he did by the Finger and Spirit of God. Theſe prophane men do the ſame thing; to the evil ſpirit of Hypocriſie, they attribute the immediate works of God's Spirit. But ſay ſome, tho theſe ſame devouts appear regular in their Life, it's becauſe they ave the Addreſs, Dexterity and Knack not to diſcover their impurities: the love of their Reputation engaging 'em to uſe ſuch Precautions as hinder the publick from taking notice of their crimes. But is not this to violate all ſorts of Rights, to invade even thoſe of God himſelf, to undertake to ſee into the Heart? Is it not to violate the aſ…lums of Secreſie, to judge boldly of what doth not appear to the World? Is it not to goe againſt all the rules of good Senſe, to judge a man is wicked, becauſe he appears to be good. To conclude, I ſay, if we were to declare for the Hypocrite, or the prophane Libertine, the latter is to be baniſht rather than the former. The Hypocrite, at leaſt has the moity of a Chriſtian, tho he hath but the leaſt part: his Externals make to Edification, and his falſe Godlineſs may enkindle what is true. But the Libertine hath it neither within nor without: he offends God, ſcandalizes his Neighbour; he undoes others as well as himſelf. I ſhut up all then with counſelling our devout Perſon to affect nothing, yet to take heed of hiding his Devotion under the Veil of Indifference for the ſatisfaction of Libertines; to be an exact Frequenter of holy Aſſemblies; to hear with Attention; to pray with Ardour; not to diſpenſe himſelf from the external Actions of Humility, but without being exceſſively given to Appearances. After this, let him ſet himſelf above the Judgment of indevout People: God who ſees the ſincerity of his Heart will reward him, and puniſh thoſe raſh Judges moſt ſeverely.
Meditation.
WHat Extravagance is it to fear more the raſh Judgment of Men than the juſt Judgment of God! yet my own Heart reproaches me with this Sin. How oft have I found my ſelf inclined to do Good, and yet have been ſtopt by a …neaking Shame? I avoid making my ſelf remarkable for Singularity, and therefore generally I follow the Crowd. How oft have I been willing to ſpeak of good things and yet lent an eat to Converſations either vain or ſinful? I have not only lent 'em an ear, but I have mix'd my ſelf with them. How frequently have I met with prophane People, whoſe Words I deteſted, ſo full of Profaneneſs and Blaſphemy; yet I ſuffer'd and approv'd them by my Silence? How many times have I happened to condemn certain ſorts of Pleaſures …ntirely, and yet to ſuffer my ſelf to be ingaged in them, not daring to ſay No. Oh, most pernicious Torrent of Custom! who can have Strength enough to reſist thee? Wilt thou never be dried up? Never, till thou ſhalt have drawn in the children of Eve into that vast and perillous Sea, where even thoſe are ſcarce able to ſave themſelves who paſs over it upon the Wood of the Croſs of Jeſus Chriſt. Alas! O my Soul, if thou follow the Crowd thou wilt periſh with it: though thou goeſt to Hell with Company thou wilt be never the leſs damn'd: the Society and Multitude of the Unhappy does not diminiſh their Pains: therefore hunt not after the Approbation and Praiſe of Men at the expence of thy own Salvation and Conſcience; 'tis too dear buying Wind and Smoak. What ſignifies it what Men think of thee, ſo God, who ſeeth thy Heart, judges well of thee? In this World, Sins carry their own Reward, and illuſtrious Vices are praiſed: but, comfort thy ſelf in the aſſurance, Another World will come, wherein every one will have his due. Then the raſh Judgments of Men will be null'd by the righteous Judgment of God. The Lord Jeſus Chriſt will confeſs thee before his Father and the Holy Angels; he will ſay to thee, Enter, thou good and faithful Servant, into the Joy of thy Lord. In the Preſence of Heaven and Earth, Angels and Men, he will rebuke thoſe raſh People who are always violating that Commandment of Equity, Judge not, that ye be not judged. Seek then, O my Soul, ſeek to be approved of God: walk uprightly before him: be not a ſlave to Cuſtom: conform not thy ſelf to the Manners of this wicked World: think conſtantly on him in whoſe Sight thou walkeſt, and will be the Rewarder of thy Labours, and the Avenger of the Offences and Treſpaſſes thou ſhalt commit. Keep thy ſelf from the Society of prophane People, that thou may'ſt not be infected with their Contagion; and ſince thou canſt not overcome their ill Habits by thy good Example, take heed, leſt their bad Example does not ſurmount thy good Habits of Virtue.
Prayer.
O MY Bleſſed Redeemer, come to my help. The Stream carries me away; the Torrent hurries me. I do ſwim, I make endeavours, but am carried on, and engage my ſelf more and more in the flood of Corruption, which runs through the world. I condemn the vanity of Words and Actions, and ill Cuſtoms, which are at a distance from Chriſtian Modeſty, Simplicity, Sobriety, and Purity. Nevertheleſs I let my ſelf looſe to them. Take me by the right hand, O Lord Jeſus, conduct me by thy good Spirit in this rugged and difficult path. The World is a dangerous Sea; it is always beaten with Tempeſts, and no calm is ſeen there. It is full of Shelves and Rocks, famous for a prodigious number of Shipwracks. O Lord Jeſus, be thou my Pilot, be thou my North-ſtar in this perillous Navigation, that I may eſcape ſo many abyſſes, which continually open their gaping mouth upon me. Shine upon me in this darkſome night, that I may not wander; and that leaving on one hand the paths ſo beaten and ſo frequented by Worldlings, I may walk in the High-Way, as forſaken and untrod, as I perceive it is; that I may walk in the Ways of Godlineſs, Righteouſneſs, and Devotion, which thou haſt markt out to me; that by thoſe good roads I may advance perpetually in leaving the World and Sin behind me; that I may preſs toward the mark, for the price of the high calling of God in thee: and that I may at laſt arrive at that bleſſed place; at that Haven where I ſhall be under Covert from all ſtorms; at that Haven where I ſhall ſee thy face in Righteouſneſs, where I ſhall be filled with thy Reſemblance, where I ſhall ſee thee without end, where I ſhall poſſeſs thee without ever being ſatisfied, and where I ſhall be happy to all Eternity.
THE END.
End of the text · Samuel Smith, The Christians Guide to Devotion (1685)