The Hypocrite Discovered and Cured, Book 2 · Chapter 16
CHAP. XVI. The fifth Medicament. The exalted thoughts of our Christian Dignitie.
5. High thoughts of Chriſtian dignitie cure hypocriſie.BEcauſe baſeneſſe of ſpirit makes hypocrites, they are Faex populi, a low and for did flattering generation; let us get raiſed and exalted minds. The loweſt of the people were fit to be Prieſts to Jeroboam, they would ſay as ſaid, and ſerve his turn beſt, becauſe they would ſerve his humour, and make even Religion it ſelf a ſtate buſines for the ſetling of his new crown. But let us remember that though we are the Kings people and our friends friends, yea and their ſervants too in all offices of righteouſneſſe and love; yet we ſerve alſo an higher maſter, the Lord Chriſt. He that publiſhed the ſweet Poems of that happy man Mr George Herbert, ſaith of him, that to teſtifie his Independency upon all others, and to quicken his diligence in Gods ſervice, he uſed in his ordinary ſpeech, when he made mention of the bleſſed name of our Lord and Saviour Jeſus Chriſt, to adde my Maſter. If men were unfainedly of his mind, their reſpects would be to Christs commands, to Chriſts will, to Chriſts pleaſure. Pſ. 123.1, 2.If we could lift up our eyes to God, to him that dwels in the Heavens, then as the eyes of ſervants look unto the hand of their maſters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her miſtreſſe; ſo would our eyes wait upon the Lord our God. We are Gods ſpeciall people, peculiar, precious to him, a purchaſed people, 1 Pet. 2.0, 10.and therefore to refer all our wayes to his liking, to ſhew forth the praiſes of him, who hath called us out of darkneſſe into his marvellous light; which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God. They are nullius nominis, ſcarce to be called ſo much as a people, who are the worlds people, who are every bodies people, who are and will be whatſoever you will have them to be. We become a people, when we become the Lords people, elſe we are none; O let the thoughts of our dignity elevate and take us off from baſe dependancies. True godlineſſe will enoble mens ſpirits, contrary to that ſlander which profane men caſt upon it in Salvians time, Salv. de Guber. Dei l. 4. Prov. 17.27. Bern. Ep. 42.that Chriſtians loſt the honour of Nobility. Solomon a King was of another mind, That a man of understanding is of an excellent ſpirit. And ſo was St Bernard, that ſuch a man cannot but mind glorious things. Such an one enjoyes freedom as his patrimony. Hypocrites are the pooreſt ſort of ſlaves, but where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty. 2 Cor. 3.27.Such have a holy ſcorn to be at the becke of every baſe and unworthy humour, and with the Courtiers of Dionyſius to lick up his spettle and ſware it was ſweeter than Nectar. The world thinks of the religious that they are dull, heavy, droſſie, ſtupid fooles; wheras indeed they have the only braveneſſe of mind; for this is it which perfects a man, Greg. Niſs. de vita Moſis.to imitate God, as Nyſſen obſerves; or as others, to know God aright: every kind of knowledge gives ſome excellence. Aug. ep. 130.Polemon hat St Auguſtin ſpeaks of, who was all for wine and play, became a braver man when he came acquainted with the Philoſophers ſchool. But divine knowledge gives yet a fairer luſtre. The learned man excels the ignorant, Fr. Petrarch. de Remed. utr. fort. l. 1. dial. 16.the godly man the learned. The nobleſt bloud runs in the veines of religious men. They are ſpecially and principally Gods offspring. Other differences of bloud, and the boaſting of it, Petrarch cals fooleries. All bloud is of the ſame colour, noble birth makes not a clearer skin but ſound conſtitution. I will not inſert more out of that dialogue of Petrarch, leaſt I ſhould be thought to diminiſh and diſgrace Nobility; no, I honour it, and am not of their Counſell of Confuſion, who would have theſe hils levelled with the low vallies of the people, only I prefer the heavenly Nobility, Sion is the moſt pleaſant hill, and one of the ſons of God more noble then all the ſont of Adam that are not ſo. Who will not eaſily grant me, that a mean private Chriſtian is in this reſpect more innobled then the great Ottoman, or the mighty Cham of the Tartars? That ſoul which drinks the largeſt draught out of the cup of ſpirits, Merc. Priſmeg. in Cratere.according to the fable of Antiquity, is moſt pure and noble. Only let this conſideration work ſo upon us, as to make us anſwer our worth, and not degenerate from that nobility. How do Nobles ſtand upon their honour, what dangers will they not meet with, and expoſe themſelves to, for the clearing of their reputations, or illightning their names. How many bloudy duels have been fought in the cauſe of wronged honour, how tender is it, like the eye, of the leaſt duſt of diſparagement; and ſhall we ſtain our dignity and betray it? Mart Cromer. d… r…. Polon. l. 5But as Boleſlaus King of Poland, when he was to ſpeake or do any thing of importance, would take out a little picture of his father, that he carried about him, and would kiſſe it and ſay, Dear father I wiſh I may do nothing unworthy of thy name: So let us doe nothing that may diſparage our God, whom we ſerve, our father from whom we deſcend. We have a moſt notable probatum est upon this medicament, delivered by an Apocryphall Writer, but very worthy of our taking notice, in one Eleazar, … Mac. 6.18, 19, &c.who ſuffered under the perſecution of Antiochus, they would have forced open his mouth to eat Swines-fleſh, but he choſe rather to die gloriouſly then to doe any thing ſo contrary to the Law. Then ſome pretending friendſhip and old acquaintance with him, tooke him a ſide privately and deſired him to take other fleſh into his mouth, and make as though he had eaten the fleſh of the Sacrifice appointed by the King, that ſo he might ſcape death. But he began to conſider his age, the honour of his gray-haires, his converſation from his child-hood, but eſpecially the Law of his God, and therefore reſolved not to yeeld to them, So the Geneva tranſ…ation reades.but told them it became not his age to diſſemble, to make others thinke that Eleazar of 90 years of age were now gone to another Religion; and ſo (ſaid he) through my hypocriſie for a little time of tranſitory life, they might be deceived by me, and I ſhould procure malediction *Abominan. dam maculam. Gr. Abominationem & maculam. Fr. Jun. ad loc Baſil. Serus in Gord, Mart.and reproach to mine old-age. I will ſhew my ſelfe ſuch as mine age requireth, and will leave a notable example for ſuch as be young to die willingly and couragiouſly for the honourable and holy law. I will parallel this brave Jew with as grave and reſolute a Chriſtian: The famous Gordius ſo much commended by St Baſil, he being a Commander of the Army under the Emperour Galerius, for love to Religion caſt away his Belt and went into a Deſert; but comming one day into the City, when the feaſt of Mars was celebrated, he could not containe his ſpirit, and being diſcovered was adjudged to the fire: His friends wept about him and advis'd him at leaſt in word to deny Chriſt, though in heart he believed in him. But he ſuddenly repeating that of the Apoſtle, with the heart, &c. Rom. 10. went from them couragiouſly to the Stake. O let us ſeriouſly entertaine the ſame conſideration to keep us from being blotted with hypocriſie. As profeſſion makes us eminent: ſo t'will make our ſinnes more evident.