The Hypocrite Discovered and Cured, Book 2 · Chapter 17
CHAP. XVII. The ſixth Medicament. The cure of corrupt affections. Of Envie. The folly of it. Of Popularity. The poyſon of it. Of Vaine-glory. The deceitfulneſse of it. Of Worldlineſse. The vanity of it. The Concluſion.
6. LAſtly, becauſe the main cauſe of hypocriſie is indulgence to corrupt affections, foure of which I took notice of, I am to propound ſomewhat for the cure of them.
1. The cure of Envy. Eccl. 4.4, 5. a Sam. 7.23.Envy is the ſigne at which the foole dwels. Solomon is bold to give him that name: I conſidered (ſaith he) every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbour, The fool foldeth his arms together and eateth his own fleſh. Was not Ahitophel a fool to hang himſelfe, Eſth. 5.13.becauſe another mans words were received with more applauſe? Was not Haman a foole, who could receive no comfort in his owne great preferments and places of honour, becauſe another man, Iob 5 3.namely Mordecai was a Courtier? Solomon called ſuch men fooles, as well he might, and Eliphaz cals them ſilly ones, Wrath killeth the fooliſh man, and envy ſlayeth the ſilly one. 'Tis indeed a corrupt and rotten humour, The rottenneſſe of the bones, Prov. 14.30.and therefore by all meanes to be purged forth. But you muſt purge out pride firſt, for the proud foole is the envious one; He is proud, 1 Tim. 6.4. 1 Cor. 13 4.knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof commeth Envy. After purging uſe ſtrengtheners, ſincere love, rejoyce in others good, communicate good with them. Some wrap up their talent and will not improve it, leſt others ſhould ſhare in ſome gaine with them; out of theſe flints, yee ſhall get no fire, unleſſe ye ſtrike them hard. They will call this reſervedneſſe wiſdome, Sonec. epiſt 55.modeſty; but 'tis in truth a rotten envious churliſhnes. Vacia that Seneca ſpeaks of and makes a witty Epitaph upon him, laid himſelfe up in the country in a retired life, among other reaſons for this, that he could not endure to ſee men happy. But they are moſt like God that are moſt diffuſive. Let us be content to ſhine to others, and to let others ſhine. Rejoyce in others gifts. St Paul did ſo with the Philippians; Phil. 1.3, 4, 5.I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, alwayes in every prayer of mine for you all, making requeſt with joy for your fellowſhip in the Gospell. And with the Coloſſians, We give thanks to God, Col. 1 3, 4.ſince we heard of your faith in Chriſt Jeſus, and of the love which ye have to all the Saints. And if we cannot patterne this copy in St Paul, unleſſe we have ſome to hold and direct our hand; let us conſider that God uſeth his Soveraignty in beſtowing of gifts, and wee muſt ſubmit unto his high pleaſure; but he is pleaſed withall to manifeſt his infinite wiſedom in the diſtribution, that we might ſtand in need of, and ſerve one another in love. I will not purſue this argument, it being wholeſomly and fruitfully done already in ſome Tractates extant.
2. Baniſh popularitie, and complying with opinion. The cure of Popularitie.Entertaine not greedily the applauſe and affection of the multitude. It may prove to be poyſon to them who are yet very ſound. I know that Chryſoſtom is accuſed to have been popular. 'Tis true, he preached with much freedom againſt the Court, which ordinarily is well taken and thought of among the people: But to me it ſeems this popular favour was beſide his indeavour, becauſe I find, where he might have made uſe of it, he declined it. For when a potent faction of errouious and ſome hypocriticall Biſhops had procured a ſentence of baniſhment againſt him, Eraſm, in vita Chryſ. ante 1. To Oper.which was for nothing indeed but his honest zeale, yet durſt not execute the ſentence for feare of the people, to whom Chryſoſtom was very deare. But he to avoid tumult, ſecretly came and delivered himſelf into the officers hands, and ſuffered his horſes to ſtand at one gate of the City, that while the people flocked thither, expecting that there he ſhould take horſe, he went out privately at another. To me it appeares by this act, that he was and maintained himſelf ſincere, and that he fled from that popularity, which without his ſeeking, followed him. Know that your account is due to God, rather then to the world. Goe not in the croud. 'Tis good, yea ſometimes neceſſary to be ſingular. Choice plants grow but here and there, they grow not up like nettles. The beſt are ſo few, that in many places they are alone, like here and there a wheat ſtalk in a field of barly, ſo above all the reſt that they may be told and counted by one that ſtands afarre of. Gods people have other principles, other hopes, other ends, another way then the world hath. Horat Satyr. lib. 1. Sat. 1. Ʋt quidam memoratur Athenis Sordidus ac dives, populi contemnere veces Sic ſolitus: Populus me ſibilat, at mibi plaudo Ipſe domi: ſimul ac nummos contemplor in Arca. Epheſ. 2.2. Mat 7. Pro. 2.10.Even that wretched worldling in Horace, who cared not what the people ſaid ſo his bags were full, he will ſhame us, if we be ſo weake as to value the common voice, and doe not hug our own choice and ſingular felicitie, that we are entruſted with a treaſure from God, 'Tis the condition of naturall men, and Gods enemies to live, as the Apoſtle ſpeakes, after the courſe of the world; for that is to obey the ſpirit that rules in the children of diſobedience. There's no fault in ſingularity, ſo that it be not proud, humorous, fantaſticall. Gods way lyes out of the commonroade, 'tis not much beaten, few there be (ſaith Chriſt) that find it. Good men and righteous men have a way of their own, that is called alſo their way for diſtinction ſake. The good mans way, or the righteous mans way. There is mention of it in the Proverbs, Walk thou in the way of good men, and keep the way of the righteous. Be not laughed, and mockt, and flouted out of the way, reſolve to doe that which is right and juſt, whether it be liked or diſliked by the people. I will ſay no more to this point, but commend it in the counſell and the words of our divine Poet,
Doe all things like a man, Sacred Poem. Perfirrbant. p. 5.not ſneakingly:
Think the King ſees thee ſtill; for his King does.
Simpring is but a lay-Hypocriſie:
Give it a corner and the clue undoes.
Who feares to doe ill, ſets himſelf to task:
Who feares to doe well, ſure ſhould we are a mask.
3. The cure of vain glory. Mar. 13.13.Shun vain-glory and ambition. Be of John Baptiſts mind, to be willing to decreaſe that Chriſt may encreaſe, to be willing to be hated of all for Chriſts name ſake. Be hearty for Gods glory. Exalt God into the throne. Lift him up above thine own intereſts and ends. 2 Cor. 4.5.This was faithfully obſerved by the Apoſtles; We preach not our ſelves, but Chriſt Jeſus the Lord, and our ſelves your ſervants for Jeſus ſake. And this is the way to advance a mans own intereſts, for as Salomon ſpeaketh of wiſdom, Exalt her and ſhe ſhall promote thee. Whereas Jehu and the Phariſees who ſerved their own praiſe, Prov. 4 8. Rom. 2.29.became vile. Reſpect Gods allowance before humane praiſe. The true Jew is he whoſe praiſe is not of men but of God. No matter though ye he hid to all but God. Worthleſſe dayſes grow in ſight upon the ſurface, but pretious richeſt rarities are hid within the bowells of the earth. The Sun would ſhine bright though all men were aſleep at high-noone, and no eyes open to ſee the glory of his beames. St Augustin tells us of an old Comaedian, Aug. de Civ. Dei, l. 6. c. 10.who having no other ſpectators, went uſually into the Theatre and acted before the statues of the gods. No matter if the people take no notice, if we be in Gods eye. I had thought to have enlarged theſe points, about the deniall of our ſelves in our own honour and reputation, but that there lately fell into my hands a Treatiſe uſefully and very wholeſomely penned by Mr Burroughs, of Moſes his ſelf-deniall, to which I refer my reader, and commend the book unto him, as being very pertinent to this matter in hand.
4. The cure of worldlineſſe. Mat. 16.24.The moſt prevailing of all other inordinate affections is that of worldlineſſe or worldly-mindedneſſe. Againſt which that it may not make us warpe to any uneven and crookedcourſes, we muſt eſpecially practiſe ſelf-deniall, without which we cannot be diſciples after Chriſt. To this end, endeavour to dry up, or divert the ſpring of ſelf-love; in the corrupter ſenſe and uſe of it I meane; for ſelf-love is a plant which Gods hand hath ſet in mans nature, and grace pulls not up what God planted, and nature as a freſh ſoyle yeildeth. We are to love our neighbours as our ſelves, therefore our ſelves firſt as the meaſure of the other. But when ſelf-love keeps no meaſure, and comes to deſerve its name, becauſe ſelf only is loved and neither God nor neighbour; Rom. 14 7.then 'tis turn'd to a weed which muſt be plucked up, for, None of us liveth to himſelf. But let us love our ſelves ſo, that inſtead of loving we doe not ruine our ſelves. He that thinks his happineſſe is layd up in any thing but God, that hugs the world as his treaſure, and will leave his hold to take the world with both hands, is in the way to undoe himſelf, and kill himſelf with plenty, like that Roman Lady which was cruſhed to death with the load of thoſe bracelets which ſhe coveted, and were heaped upon her by the ſouldiers with a cruell liberality. Be not taken with the worlds beauty, 'tis as fading as a womans, 1 Cor. 7.30.the faſhion of it, as the Apoſtle ſpeaketh, paſſeth away. Let it not then ingage you too far. Be to the world, as worldly men are to heavenly things; they heare as if they did not heare, they pray as if they did not pray; or as thrifty good plodding husbands, are in games, they play as if they did not play, and care not whether they winne or loſe, becauſe they will never play for much; ſo, Ʋſe the world as though ye uſed it not, ſorrow as though ye ſorrowed not, rejoyce as though ye rejoyced not; and then the world can never prevaile to engage to the betraying of your conſciences and peace. St Baſil the great had this indifferencie to the world and all worldly comforts. His mind it ſeems was not ſet upon the world, for when Modeſtus the governour threatned him with confiſcation of his eſtate. Alas (ſaid he) doe you think that can trouble me who have nothing to loſe but a threadbare gown and a few books, and yet he was a moſt famous Biſhop. He cared not for the world, and therefore the world could not make him warp. For the ſtrengthning of this, I will only commend two things, and then make an end. 1. Get the love of Jeſus Christ into your hearts, which will be ſure to keep poſſeſſion and to command forth worldly love. It will ſtamp and imprint it ſelf, as they ſay Calais was in Q. Maries heart, which ſhe told them that were about her, they ſhould find engraven in legible letters, if they opened her heart when ſhe was dead. They ſay, the word Jeſus was found in the heart of St Ignatius, Socrat. Soz. Theod.I bid no man believe that, but I am ſure the love of Jeſus wrought ſtrongly upon his heart, ſo that he deſpiſed the world both in her allurements and terrors for his ſake. Sacred. Poem. p. 105.'Tis a ſweet conceit of our Poet whoſe words I will once more venture to offer unto my reader.
JESƲ is in my heart, his ſacred Name,
Is deeply carved there: but the' other week
A great affliction broke the little frame,
Ev'n all to pieces: which I went to ſeek,
And firſt I found the corner where was J
After, where ES, and next where U was graved.
When I had got theſe parcels, inſtantly
I ſate me down to ſpell them, and perceived
That to my broken heart he was J EaSe yoU
And to my whole is JESƲ.
Court all the ſmiling and flattering contentments the whole world can afford you, and ſee if any thing els can give eaſe and relief in a broken eſtate. 2. Maintain heavenly hopes, to overcome preſent hopes and pleaſures. Get raviſht thoughts of the beauty of the new Jeruſalem. When preferments haply begin to ſmile upon you, and to entice away your integritie, conſider there are higher preferments, a Kingdom prepared from the beginning of the world. There are things above worthy of all our pains and of our utmoſt reſiſtance of the ſtrongeſt and moſt winning tentations. Mat. 25.34.There is more then within the reach of our eye. Alexanders vaſt mind enquired if there were any more Worlds: we are aſſured there is another. This aſſurance kept Abraham right, Heb. 11.10.who looked for a city which hath foundations whoſe builder and maker is God; and the reſt of the Patriarks right, who died in faith not having received the promiſes, but having ſeen them afarre off, and were perſwaded of them, and embraced them, and confeſſed that they were ſtrangers and pilgrims, on the earth; for they that ſay ſuch things, declare plainly that they ſeek a country; and truly if they had been mindfull of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned; but now they deſire a better country, that is, 2 Mach. 7.2, 9, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 19, 20, 22, 27, 28. Joſ. in Orat de Maccab. Chryſ. To. 1. p. 551.an heavenly. In a word, This it was that kept the ſeven brethren right, whoſe glorious martyrdom is recorded in the hiſtory of the Maccabe's, and by Joſephus, and is amply commended by St Chryſoſtom in a peculiar Homily. I will not preſume to adde any more, after I have commended unto men the hopes and expectations of the heavenly inheritance. I ſhall give over the cure as deſperate, if the thoughts of Heaven worke not. I have only to requeſt the ſerious conſideration of theſe things, and that men would for a while compoſe their thoughts in quiet, that the medicaments might more kindly work; which is after the counſell of a good Phyſitian, Fern. de Meth. Our. l. 3. c. 14.who would have the patient ſleep a little after he hath taken a medicine.
FINIS.