16. Self-love, the Second Dividing Distemper.
Chapter Sixteen Self-love, the Second Dividing Distemper.
T his is near akin to the former: Philippians 2:3. Let nothing be done through strife: Verse 4. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others: This is the cause of strife because men look so much on their own things. Many will have no peace unless their own party is followed; Jehu-like, "What hast thou to do with peace?
Follow me." It is not peace but party that they mind. Maxima pars studiorum est studium partium: The greatest part of their studies is to study sides and parts. Luther upon the 127th Psalm has a notable speech: "I am of that opinion," says he, "that monarchies would continue longer than they do were it not for that same little pronoun [Ego], that same [I] (myself)."
Certainly, if this same self could be laid aside, all governments and societies would not only continue longer but flourish better.
Self-love is the cause of our divisions.
First, where this prevails, men love to take in all to themselves but let out nothing from themselves; this must needs divide societies in Church and State, for they are bodies. If one member in the body takes in all to itself and lets out nothing from itself to other members—suppose the arm or leg
takes in all the blood and spirits that come in to strengthen itself, and when it has got them in, keeps them and lets out none to any other member—how soon would the members drop one from another? The whole world is maintained by mutual communication of one creature to another; take away that, and the world dissolves presently.
Secondly, those who are driven by self-love have no common ends to join them; therefore they cannot close. If they are employed in public service, they quickly warp to their private ends. Take two boards never so straight; yet if one is seasoned and the other green, they will lie close for a while, but before long you will find that the unseasoned will divide from the other by warping, especially when heat comes to it. Thus many at first—oh who but they for the public, for the common good—but there being a principle of self within, like the sap in the board, when they begin to feel heat or some difficulties arise, they warp to their own ends and divide from those they were employed with. Men's private ends are narrow; they cannot drive on them without meeting with one another and jostling one another, quarreling, contending, and fighting for the way as carmen do when they meet in narrow streets and boatmen in narrow passages. If we had public ends, our way would be broad enough; we might go on peaceably and comfortably without prejudice to one another. If a man lived alone, then he might go on quietly in his way; only God would meet him in it. But seeing men live in the world amongst others, they must consider that if they will drive on their own designs and work their own ends, other men have designs and ends to drive on and work as well as they do: it is therefore impossible but you will cross and be crossed; you will vex and fret at others, and others will vex and fret at you. Whatsoever is such, says Tully, wherein many cannot excel,
in that there is for the most part such contention as society can hardly be kept entire.
Thirdly, self makes every man judge things according to what is in himself. I have read of Blackmores: when they paint an angel, they paint him black like themselves; and when they paint the devil, they paint him white, as much different from themselves as they can. Thus men driven by self—the foulest, blackest opinion—yet if suitable to their judgments, they will set out like angels with the fairest glosses that may be; and that which is truth, if disagreeing from them, they will paint out in the foulest manner that can be; they labor so to besmear it that if possible it shall look like a devil. If a selfish man is conscious of not having that which is commendable, he will not believe that others have it: As Nero, being abominably filthy, would not believe there was any chaste man in the world: Whatsoever evil he does, he thinks all men if they had the like opportunity would do the same; if they have plots to fetch about their own ends, they think every man is plotting too.
Fourthly, self makes much stir and trouble for it is a very odious thing; Omne affectatum odiosum: as vermin are odious because they only take in to themselves, consume things, and are no way useful to anything else.
When anything does but smell of self, it begins to be loathed; let a man have never such excellent parts or do never such excellent things yet if self appears, the loveliness and glory of all is gone; therefore those men that act self need to be very cunning to keep it hidden. Herein appears what a vile thing self is: though in truth it acts all and receives the incomes of all yet it dares not appear but lies skulking under all the covers it can; how vile is this self for which all must be done—which thou makest thy God—yet cannot in the least appear but is odious and abominable to everyone? Yea it
is conscious to itself that it is so and therefore dares not appear; yet the acting of it is very mischievous to all human societies.
Fifthly, there is this wickedness in self-love: even those things that people acknowledge to be right and good in general, if they do not suit with something they desire in particular, will lead them to oppose it. What peace and union can there be among people if they commend something as good, yet when it conflicts with their interests, they oppose and contend against it? As in Acts 26:7: "Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God night and day, hope to come. For this hope's sake, I am accused by the Jews." The twelve tribes, the whole body of the Jews, consistently grant the promise of the Resurrection, yet in malice towards me, they accuse me of this; or if not so, they are willing for me to fail in this cause.
Just as many ministers used to commend highly the ways of religion in their pulpits, exhorting people to grow in godliness and be careful in all their ways; but when some parishioners practiced in particular what was commended in general, they would hate and persecute them for it. God deliver us from such a spirit.
Sixthly, self-interest causes those in public employment to maintain their private disputes and grudges, interrupting public matters. They will undermine each other's work for the public good, letting it suffer so they can make each other feel their private grievances. In this, Christians are beneath heathens. I have read of Aristides and Themistocles, who had many disputes between themselves, but when both were employed in the work of the Commonwealth on an embassy, one said to the other, "Let us lay down all our private grudges upon these mountains, at least until our business is over. If there is just cause when we have done our work for the Commonwealth, we may then examine them." It would be fortunate if all
those in public employment in this land would speak thus to one another from their hearts; but people are selfish and cannot do it. Hence come many of our breaches and divisions.
Seventhly, self-interest causes people not to see their own evils, or if they do, to indulge themselves in them while being quick-sighted and severe in discovering and opposing the evils in others. This causes many breaches and fallings out. We may apply that of the Apostle, 1 Corinthians 13: "Love covers a multitude of faults," to self-love. Selfish people see little evil in themselves; all is ever well with them regardless of what others do. The more they indulge themselves, the more severe they are with others. But Christ would have the opposite: severity towards ourselves but indulgence towards others. Those who are so are the most peaceable people. Matthew
18:8: "If your hand or foot offends you, cut it off and cast it from you; or if your eye offends you, pluck it out." We must deal severely with ourselves in things as near and dear to us as our hands and eyes. But verse 15: When
Christ gives order on how we are to deal with our brethren, he requires more moderation: "If your brother offends you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone; if he will not hear you, then take one or two more with you and see what you can do with him that way; yea, and after that tell the church." Not immediately cut him off or cast him away as you must do when your hand or eye offends you. If people have any indulgence, let it be exercised towards their brethren; if they have any severity, let them exercise that against themselves. I remember reading of Pliny saying of himself that he so passed by other men's offenses as if he were the greatest offender and was so severe against himself as if he meant to pardon none. If it were so with us, we would live at more peace with one another than we do.
Eighthly, selfishness causes reservedness; great self-lovers never care for communion except with those either far above them, so they may gain from them and have credit by associating with them, or with those beneath them who will admire them and whom they may rule over. In the company of either of these, they will fully express themselves; but if there is equality, you will get little from them. There is nothing to draw forth self; soon there grows a strangeness between them and such people. Union will not hold where communion is not free; if there is an interruption of the freedom of communion, the union will soon break.
You might say these were once very close friends; how did they break apart? What has either done? What unkindness has befallen them? None at all—only that principle of self was not fully satisfied as it would be; upon that, they began to be reserved and strange and eventually fell off from one another from former love and friendship. Then every little thing caused grudges between them.
Ninthly, self-interest sets people's wits to work in cunning craftiness to manipulate others for their own ends, which goes against a person's spirit as much as anything. When someone discerns it, no one can tolerate being circumvented or used merely for another's ends. The more cunning involved, the more odious and abominable it is to one's spirit when perceived; a person cannot bear it. Crooked windings are the ways of the serpent. But if someone not only seeks to use another for their own benefit but then casts them off to fend for themselves afterward, this is so provoking that it makes breaches irreconcilable.
Tenthly, when one is self-interested in their ways, they teach others to be so in theirs. As a person learns to be rebellious by associating with the rebellious, many who once had plain hearts full of love and sweetness learn
to be selfish by associating with selfish political people. They see how someone hooks themselves into everything and maneuvers this way and that way but still gets it to come back to self. They did not perceive it at first acquaintance when their heart was fully open to them. But now they see everyone is for themselves; why should they not be too? And what then is likely to become of the public?
Surely this selfishnesse is very vile in the eyes of God; God hath made us members of a community, the Universe is maintained by union, therefore the creatures will venture the destroying themselves in going contrary to their natures, rather then there should not be union in theworld; that which they doe in a naturall way, we should doe by the strength of reason, much more by grace. Phylosophers say there cannot be a vacuity in the world;
The world could not stand, but would be dissolved, if every part were not filled, because Nature subsists by being one; if there were the least vacuity, then all things should not be joyned in one, there would not be a contiguity of one part with another. This is the reason that water will ascend when the ayre is drawn out of a pipe, to fill it; this is to prevent division in nature; O that we had but so much naturalnesse in us, that when we see there is like to be any breach of union, we would be willing to lay down our self-ends, to venture our selves, to bee any thing in the world that is not sinne, that wee may helpe to a joyning: O foolish heart, that in such a time as this art selfish, when the danger is publike! As in a storme, when the Ship is in danger, if every Mariner should be busie about his own Cabbin, dressing and painting that; what infinite sottish folly were it? and is it not our case?
It were just with God to leave thee to thy selfe hereafter; if thou wilt looke so much to thy selfe now. Ezek. 22:16. And thou shalt take thine inheritance in thy selfe in the sight of the Heathen, and thou shalt know that I am the
Lord: This is in a way of threat, as appeares if you compare it with ver. 14, 15. Woe to us if God leaves us to our selves. I have heard of a story of a foole being left in a chamber, and the doore locked when he was asleepe, after he awakes and findes door locked, and all the people gone, he cryes out at the window, Oh my selfe, my selfe, O my selfe, nothing else came from him but O my selfe. Such fooles have we amongst us now, nothing but Selfe is in their thoughts, their hearts and endeavours. The Apostles complaint, Phil. 2:21. may justly be ours, All seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christs: Their owne things, that is, sayes Chrysostome,* their pleasure and their security, their temporall commodities, their profits, their honours: So others, why are not the comforts, the safeties, the honours of the Saints the things of Christ, doth not Christ owne them? Are they not under his protection and care?
Answ. Yes, And he would owne them more, if we owned them lesse; the more we deny them, the more hath he a care of them: We may by our giving them up to the honour of Christ, make them to be amongst the number of his things, and then they would be pretious indeed: but by desiring them, using them, rejoycing in them, in reference to our selves, Christ accounts them not amongst his things, things of a higher nature are his things, the glory of his Father, the propagation of the Gospel, the spirituall good of his people, and the things of eternall life, they are his things; let us make his things ours, and he will make our things his.