CHAPTER XLI – Self-denial in point of honor and pride: Of climbing into dignities or high places
23:46. If the hands and will of the Father were the rock and comfort of Christ in his suffering and death, so also they must be to us. See therefore that in your health you kill your own wills, that when death comes, self may have no will to strive against the will of God; but as your heaven itself will be your rest in the will of God; so rest in it in death, that you may have a taste of heaven in death, and sure that will sweeten it, if any thing will.
II. I have hitherto shewed you wherein self-denial doth consist, first, as to the heart and root of it, which is the mortification of the selfish inclination or disposition; and then, as to the first of the three parts of its objective interest, which is sensitive pleasure; I should now proceed to the other two parts of its objective interest: and the second is, worldly gain or profit, which the apostle John calleth "the lust of the eyes," and puts next to the "lust of the flesh." But I have already written a treatise of this by itself, viz. "Of our Crucifixion of the World;" and therefore I may well forbear it here.
CHAPTER XLI
III. Honour and Pride, and 1. Climbing high, &c.
THE third part of the objective interest of self, is that which goes commonly under the name of honour; and is called by the apostle,
"pride of life," and put by him in the third place. And of this, I intend, if God will give me time and strength, to write also a treatise by itself, and therefore should say nothing of it here; but only lest I should not have time to do that which I desire, I shall briefly name you ten of the particulars under this head of honour, which you must deny: that is, ten ways wherein men exercise their pride.
1. One work of Pride is to climb higher into places of superiority, and honour and command. Poor men that are out of hope, and in no capacity for rising, feel not much of this, though the disposition to it be in them as well as others, because it is not drawn forth by temptations. But where opportunity serveth, there is nothing wherein selfishness and pride doth more constantly and obstinately shew itself than in this. It is the nature of selfishness to aspire after the highest exaltation in the world that can be attained. We may easily observe in kingdoms and corporations, and all societies of men, what Christ observed at their feasts, that "they choose out the chief rooms and sit with the highest;" Luke 14:7, 8. What eager desires have they to be above other men! If any office or seat of honour be void, there are few that apprehend any possibility of attaining it, that want a will to it; yea, few that will not seek and strive for it, and envy those that carry it before them; and hate, or bear a grudge to those that were against their rising: yea, few but venture on the most unlawful means to accomplish their desires, and yet will scarce believe that they are unlawful, because they think them necessary to their ends. There are few, if they had the choice of a man to any vacant place of honour, that would choose any other but themselves; unless their unfitness were likely more to dishonour them, or some way to make their honours too burdensome to them.
No man in their eyes is so fit as themselves, or so worthy as themselves: or, if it be their children or kinsmen that stand for it, or any that self hath special interest in, they seem the worthiest for the place, because they are related to them. Especially if it be any eminent dignity or command, that seems to them a prey that is worth the hunting after. O, the blinding, bewitching, befooling power of pride and selfishness! How commonly doth it rule! How few are
those holy, happy men, that have escaped and overcome it! How few societies be there in the world, whether corporations, colleges, or the like, but pride and selfishness make their governors! How few nations on the earth, where pride and selfishness maketh not their kings or sovereigns! And is it any wonder if they be all ill-governed then, where the devil doth so much to choose the governors? I know that God overruleth all, and restraineth the lusts of men, and crosseth their designs; but yet their lusts and the devil may rule to their destruction for all that.
Object. 'But is it not lawful to seek for dignity and superiority?'
Answ. No; not for self; but for God it is. You have warnings enough, and plain enough from Christ, if warnings would serve turn; he hath bid you "sit not down in the highest room;" he hath sharply rebuked them that strive for precedency, and who shall be the greatest. He hath told you, he that will be the greatest, must be the servant of all; and hath told you of stooping to the feet of the meanest, and condescending to men of low degree; and hath set little children before you to be your teachers, and assured you that there is no entrance into his kingdom in any other posture. He hath told you that God resisteth and abhorreth the proud, and that he that humbleth himself shall be exalted, and he that exalteth himself shall be brought low.
Object. 'But how shall I know whether I seek preferment for God or myself? I hope it is God that I seek it for.'
Answ. 1. How shall a man know his own mind? You have dark hearts indeed if you cannot know your own intentions, if you are but observant, and diligent, and willing to know them. 2. He that seeketh
not dignities for himself, but for God, will never seek to put by another that is as able and likely to do God service in the place as he; nor will he seek it at all, if he see that God may be served as well without his seeking it; but will stay until God call him to it, and then he may expect his help and blessing. Few do intend God in it, that are exalters of themselves. Indeed if you see that an enemy of the Gospel, or some unworthy, ungodly man is like to come into the place if you seek it not, by which the church or the commonwealth, is like to be much injured, then you may seek it by lawful means; so that you can truly say, I would not do it for myself; but it is to serve God for his people's good. 3. Nay, he that seeketh not the dignity for himself, will seek first and more to get in another, if he know another that is fitter than himself, and likely to do God more service; and this he will do heartily, and not dissemblingly. If you had not rather a worthier and more useful man were preferred before you, and seek not more for such than for yourselves, you are plain self-seekers, whatever you may pretend. If a man should come to almost any of the rulers of nations, churches, colleges, or corporations, that have screwed themselves into the place of government, and ask them, did you know no man fitter for this place than yourself, and have you sought first to get a fitter man? What can they for shame say to it? If they say, no; they proclaim themselves notorious self-seekers! For it is very seldom, that a humble man is allowed to judge himself the fittest. 4. And he that seeketh dignities for God and not for himself, will use them for God, and not for himself. For the intention will command the use. He will deny himself in his superiority, as well as if he were in the lowest place; and will contrive how he may most serve and honour God; and this will be easily seen in his endeavours, whether it be God or self that he serves and liveth to.
And now I advise all that love their souls, to take heed of this aspiring act of selfishness. If you will needs seek yourselves, and be your own exalters, you must trust to yourselves, and be your own defenders; and then you will find that the lowest condition in the hand of God, is more safe and comfortable than the highest in your own hand. If God should lift you up to the top of the highest mountains, you may expect either a calm, or his protection in the storm, and to be as safe as those below; but if you lift up yourselves, and satan carry you to the pinnacle of the temple, take heed lest you thence cast down yourselves by his temptations that did lift you up.
Dignities and honours, are not indeed the things that they seem to be to carnal eyes that see not the inside, but judge by the outward, glittering show. There is most holy duty and work to be done, where is the greatest dignity. And certainly the life of greatest work and labour is not the life of greatest ease, or carnal pleasure; especially when it is the work of God that you must do; a work which all the world is against, and which satan and all his power will resist; and which must meet with enmity and abundance of enmity, whenever you set about it. Though you are commanders, yet you are soldiers; and you that are leaders have the hottest standing, and must expect the sharpest conflicts. Do you think of your dignities and offices as places of mere superiority and honour, and accommodation to your carnal selves? Then are you carnal men, and enter upon you know not what, and make yourselves traitors and enemies to God, whom he is engaged to bring down and be avenged on at last; you debase the sacred coin which bears the stamp and name of God. Magistracy is holy, and the image of God, and you basely turn it into the image of the flesh; and blot out God's name from it, and stamp upon it the name of self, and traitorously make it your own, which was
eminently his. Believe it, whoever you are, if you seek for places of rule and dignity with carnal, selfish expectations, you must either use them accordingly when you have them, which is the readiest way to damnation in the world, or else you must find your expectations crossed, and miss of all your carnal ends; and find that the greatest toil and burden, which you expected should have been your chief content. God hath annexed the honour and outward greatness, partly to encourage you to so hard a work, lest the burden should be too heavy, and partly to enable you to perform it, and give you some advantages against opposition. But though the clothing of authority and rule be splendid, the substance thus covered is extraordinary labour, and duty, and suffering. It is honourable, but it is an honourable burden, and an honourable, painful, difficult work. So that if men understood what office and authority is in church or commonwealth, and looked after the substance as well as the ornaments; the work as well as the honour and greatness; it would be an eminent piece of self-denial for a man to submit to the call of God, to be a prince, a judge, a justice, or but a constable; and men would as hardly be drawn to take the office, as they are now to do the work of the office in faithfulness, and with courage and zeal for God; and that is almost as hard as an offender is drawn to the stocks. Offices and high places are not intended to accommodate the flesh; nor are they things to be ambitiously desired and sought for, by such as understand the ends and use of them; but they are such laborious, hazardous ways of serving God, which a wise man knows, must cost him more than the honour will repay; and which a good man will not run away from, when God calleth him thereto; but will so far deny himself as to submit to them; but not thrust himself into them, as the proud and selfish do. It is a work of patience to a godly man to be