â—e taken for some body when they â—e nothing at all thus Christ tells the Church of Laodicea sick of this diâ—â—ase she said I am rich and encreased â—ith goods and have need of nothing â—ut saith he to her Thou knowest not â—â—at that thou art wretched and miseâ—able poor and blind and naked Rev. â—â— 17 5. This is a robbing God of his â—onour when men search for their â—wn glory they rob God of his Glory who hath said My Glory will I not give 〈◊〉 another Dr. Sibs Dr. Sibs returning backslider saith that boastâ—ng is Idolatry because it sets the creaâ—ure in the place of God that it is spiritual adultery causing a mans affecâ—ions to go a whoring after other things that it is a spiritual drunkeness such a man being drunk wiâ—â— self-conceitedness that it causeâ— blindness that he cannot see any thinâ— but the creature The boasting Phâ—risee Luke 18.11 puts up no petition for any thing he wanteth nor giveth God thanks for any thing hâ— hath when he stood and prayed thâ— with himself God I thank thee that am not as other men are extortioners unjust adulterers or even as this Publican as if he had acquired all of him self and came to the Temple to boaâ—â— of it This God warneth his people oâ— Deu. 8.17 That when their Herd and Flocks multiply and their Silveâ— and Gold and all they have be multiplyed that their heart be not lifteâ— up and that they forget not the Lord their God who brought them fortâ— out of the Land of Egypt and die thus and thus for them when evil meâ— prosper they arr apt to say Our higâ— hand and not the Lord hath done aâ— this Deut. 28.27 It seemeth thâ— Church of Corinth was sick of this diâ—â—ase they were apt to be puft up for he against another and to boast of â—â—eir gifts and parts therefore saith â—he Apostle Who maketh thee to differ from another and what hast thou that â—hou didst not receive Now if thou didst â—eceive it why dost thou glory as if thou â—idst not receive it 1 Cor. 4.7 This kind of pride is first a vain imitation of Gods Majesty because such a one â—scribeth what he hath to himself onely as if it came not from the Lord. Secondly as God hath All in himself so he doth act all to himself So a vain glorious man sacrificeth to his own â—et and burns incense to his own drag Hab. 1.16 He takes all the glory to himself attributing nothing to God If ill weather come he ascribes it to the change of the Moon or the course of the time if his Cattle dye he saith it cometh of negligence if his Land be not fruitful it is laid to ill-Husbandry if sickness come it is caused by distemper on the contrary If he hath a healthy body and constitâ—tion he ascribes it to his good dyeâ— if he encrease in riches it is his gooâ— fortune or good Husbandry if he overcome an enemy by Law it is hiâ— friend in Courth or his purse if he overcome an enemy in Fight it waâ— his valour and manhood if he got so much by a good bargain it was hiâ— wit and cunning thus he and noâ— God hath done all this Thirdly iâ— is Gods prerogative that his will is the rule of all righteousness and a vain glorious man scorns to be at the will of any yea of God himself Thus you see how filthy a thing it is to brag above right all evil comes of this sinâ— of boasting much of the devil is in it whence one of the Ancients said Bernard Mater gehennae est inanis gloria vain glory is the Mother of Hell SECT 3. Of the cure of Boasting Four Remedyes against it NOw I shall lay down the remedyes against this sin of vain boasting 1. Labour after humbleness of mind the more truth of Grace is in any man the more humble he is the great work of Grace is to make and keep the soul humble and the soul is kept humble because it seeth its own vileness and emptiness and when a soul cometh to see its defects it is a good means to keep it humble and the more grace it hath received the more it looks upon it self as engaged to the Lord and the more the Lord giveth the more he looketh for our returns Grace teacheth us that Obligations are encreased with receipts and to know how short we are of what we ought to be and of what we shall be this will keep us from vain boasting As Adam fell by ascending so we must rise by descending when we are lowest in our own eyes we are highest in esteem with God when we go farthest from God by a holy desperation he is neerest to us by a gracious acceptation The humble Publican would not boast of his good deeds and worth as the Pharisee did Noluit ap propinqua re ad Deum ut Deus appropinquaâ— et ad eum Beda nor come neer to God that God might come neer to him when we are lowly in our own eyes sin will not stoop to us and when we are lifted up with a presuming self-conceit and are apt to boast of our own suppos'd or real excellencies God will not come neer us Object But for a man to speak the truth though of himself is neither pride nor boasting Resp I answer with Solomon If thou art praise-worthy Let another man praise thee and not thine own mouth a stranger and not thine own lips Prov. 27.2 for as one saith God likes better or sin with humbleness then of innocence with pride and boasting if it were possible 2. If any man glory let him glory in the Lord. God hath so ordered it that the whole matter of our salvation shall depend upon his free grace If a man may boast of any thing it may be of his natural parts that they were born with him or that he hath gotten them by Art or industry and won them proprio Marte But let no man be deceived even nature it self in the last resolution is of grace Sanders in 1 Cor 12.7 Gratia nullo modo est gratia nisi omni modo sit gratuita vae universali justitiae noâ—â—rae laudabili hominum vitae si amota Dei misericordia discuriatur August Quâ— gratiam Dei secundum merita hominum dâ—â—ri asserere audei contra fidem catholic â—mpraedicat Ambros l b. 2. de vocat Genâ—â—um cap. 8. he is in and thorough Christ all in all to us that so we might not have any thing in our selves to boast of but that all our glorying should be in the Lord. Jerem. 9.23 Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom neither let the mighty man glory in his might let not the rich man glory in his riches but let him that glorieth glory in this that he understandeth and knoweth me that I am the Lord for God will have no flesh to glory in his presence Therefore Christ is of God
made unto us wisedome righteousness sanctification and redemption that according as it is written He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord. 1 Cor. 1.29 30 31. Our Redemption is through the blood of Christ and he is made ours by faith and this faith is the gift of God that so we might not have any thing in our selves to glory in but all our glorying should be in the Lord So the Apostle to the Ephesians Ye are saved by grace through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God not of works lest any man should boast Eph. 2.8 9. If the whole work of our salvation proceed from the grace of God then our works have no hand in the matter as Rom. 11.5 where Paul tells us God reserveth to himself a remnant according to the election of grace then he addeth ver 6. if by grace then is it no more of works otherwise grace is no more grace or if of works then no more of grace otherwise were work no more work where you see grace and works cannot stand together in the business of our salvation it is of grace not of works lest any man should boast he hath of his own to save him 3. Labour to have the true fear of God planted in your hearts Be not highminded but fear Rom. 11.20 The fear of God is set in opposition to highmindedness which causeth foolish boasting The fear of the Lord is to depart from evil pride and arrogancy Prov. 8.13 the fear of God will make thee afraid of assuming glory to thy self when God hath no praise pray to the Lord with David to keep thee from presumptuous sins Psal 19.12 whereof this of boasting is one of the greatest 4. Take frequent views of thy self in the glass of Gods law what thou wast what thou art what thou maist be if God should leave thee consider what thou art to God to Angels to good men then thou wilt have little cause to boast consider what thou hast and what thou wantest and thou shalt surely find thou hast good cause to be afraid lest that thou hast be a very deceit and a meer shadow of vertue and thy righteousness even a false and counterfeit righteousness oh then boast not of thy goodness forget it and God will remember it be mindful frequently to confess thy sins and be humbled for them then God will forget them CHAP. XV. Divers considerations to stir us up to the bridling and moderating of our Tongues SEeing then that men most easily of all things do offend in their lips and tongues then which to keep from failing there is nothing more difficult what need have we to be watchful over our mouths and careful to keep the doors of our lips that we offend not with our tongues It is a thing praise-worthy in anger to keep our hands from fighting in abundance of dainty meats to bridle our appetite from intemperance in great prosperity to refrain from pride but to offend with the tongue being so easy and the way thereof so slippery that not to offend in words is a vertue so rare and a thing so seldom seen as that the son of Syrach counteth it most marvelous when he saith Who is he that faileth not in his tongue and St. James esteemeth it a great perfection If any man offend not in word the same is a perfect man and able also to bridle the whole body Jam. 3.2 And to shew what great things may be done by the well ordering of the tongue the Apostle compareth it to a Bridle or Bit of an horse like as the bit is but a small thing in comparison of the horse yet it turneth about and ruleth the strongest horse at the pleasure of the rider so the Tongue is but a small member in the body of man yet being moderated with discretion it bridleth the whole body Now that we may the better be enabled to bridle and moderate our tongues I shall propound these considerations God in his word gives a great charge Consid 1 to his people that own him for their God that they look carefully after their tongues He that leaveth not the eye the ear the hand at liberty he leaveth not the tongue at liberty A man may not do with his tongue as he pleaseth Prov. 4.23 24. Solomon adviseth First keep thy heart with all diligence c. then the tongue Put away from thee a froward mouth and perverse lips put far from thee what is spoken there of a perverse tongue is meant of all the sins of the tongue that have been spoken of and many more that might have been spoken to And seeing God doth so strictly require that we should keep our tongues from evil and our lips from speaking guile Psal 34.13 It behoveth all those that would be counted Gods people to take special care of it He that keepeth himself from other sins and faileth herein sheweth the vanity of his Religion Let us consider wherefore God Consid 2 doth so often repeat his commands for the right ordering the tongue and his prohibitions against the sins of the tongue Surely he doth it for these ends 1. That if men be careless at one time they may be more careful at another and if they pass over it in one place of Scripture they may meet with it in another 2. Because he knew how careless men were apt to be of their tongues though they were the more careful in other things 3. He knew well the mischiefs of it what hurt it would be therefore he is so frequent in commending the duty like the Master of the family often giving in charge to his servants to take heed of fire because he knoweth the danger of it if it break out 4. Because he knoweth what a matter it is to keep the tongue in good order The Apostle sheweth that though a small Bit will rule a great Horse and a little â—udder will rule a great Ship yet the tongue is very hardly tamed Therefore God doth so often provide a Remedy against it We must when we least think of it Consid 3 be called to account for all and every sin of the tongue God will demand a reason why we did let our tongues loose at such a time and such a time in such and such discourses and though mens Laws will not reach such sinners yet Gods Laws will and the Lord Jesus saith that for every idle word that men shall speak they shall give account at the last day Mat. 12.36 Alas how much vain discourse proceedeth from men that they take no notice of but did men consider this it would make them more carefull then they are did they consider they must give account of their evil-speaking to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead 1 Pet. 4.5 God will enquire a reason why you slandered such a one at such a time what answer will you give at that day Consider how God dealt with Aaron and Miriam
all your reproaches shall be wiped off from them St. Paul 1 Cor. 6.2 would have all men consider what an honor God reserveth for his people at that day know ye not that the Saints shall judge the world Christ is the great Judge himself to him the Father hath given the power of judging and He will first absolve the people of God and then they shall sit upon his Throne with him and shall approve the sentence against all wicked men and shall glorify the Lord for it as the whole Bench at the Assizes approve the Sentence that the Judge gives upon the Malefactors Consider then it is a sin of a very high nature for you to take liberty thus to slander the people of God see the great honour that is reserved for the Saints Psal 149.5 ad finem Let the Saints be joyful in glory c. Let the high prayses of God be in their mouths and a two-edged sword in their hands to bind their Kings with chains and their Nobles with fetters of iron to execute upon them the judgement written This honour have all his Saints at the last day there shall be as much difference between a child of God and a great worldly Tyrant as there is between a poor prisoner at the Bar now and his Judge upon the Bench. 4. As in speaking against them you speak againg God so herein you are found to be blasphemers of the spirit of God in them 1 Pet. 4.14 it is He that is evil spoken of on your part when ye reproach the people of God for the name of Christ the Apostle sets it down as an encouragement to the people of God not to fear any reproach that is cast upon them by the wicked for saith he while ye are thus reproached if you walk answerable to your Profession you glorify the spirit but those that speak evil of you do blaspheme the spirit and can you speak evil of the spirit of God and yet have the spirit and having not the spirit of Christ ye are none of his 5. Consider the punishment of Dives or the rich glutton in Hell not a drop of water allowed him to cool the tip of his tongue Luk. 16. and as some Divines observe it was because he had let his tongue loose so unto this sin of evil-speaking against Gods people he fared deliciously every day and cared not for a poor child of God and most commonly prophane feasts are made up with mad mirth taunts and reproaches against the people of God But sometimes it so comes to pass that they that reproach Christ his wayes and people do themselves become an object of reproach and contempt to others even in this world as one writeth of the Emperour Charles the fifth Convitiis Christum oppugnans fraudibus ingens Regum ille terror Carolus Ipsis ridiculus pueris furiosus excors Totus repente corruit While Charles that terror of Kings subtilly and reproachfully fighteth against Christ and his Members being driven out of Germany by Maurice Duke of Saxony he lies distracted in a Monastery and becomes ridiculous to children crying out often of Metz and Maurice of Maurice which had beaten him and Metz which he had lost 6. Reproachers and slanderers of Gods people shall be shut out of Heaven at the last day God will then say to such as unto Miriam How were you not afraid to speak against my servant Numb 12.8 If David would not admit a slanderer into his house Psal 101.5 much less will God admit any such to come into his glorious Kingdom But some are ready to say Object we do not speak against such and such men because they be Saints or righteous or the people of God but formalists and hypocrites Resp But to such I answer How dare you to judge them and pass sentence against them as hypocrites and such like oh know it is against Religion you speak else why make you more adoe about the miscarriages of such then of your own companions you conceal the same and worse actions in your selves and in your own companions and agree well enough and take no notice at all of them but if one that looketh after the wayes of God fail never so little he is the object of your reproach 2. As for the Vertues and Graces which are eminent in them and worthy of commendation and imitation from you you conceal them and leave them unspoken of but if you espy the least vice or imperfection in them you presently reproach them for it as notorious hypocrites and in this respect a Slanderer may be compared to a Swine that coming into a Garden where he seeth sweet Flowers and stinking ordure neglecteth the Flowers and runs presently to the Dung or to him that snuffeth a candle with his bare fingers for although his fingers be defiled thereby yet the candle gives the clearer light even so he that traduceth the vertuous defileth his own conscience but maketh him a great deal the more glorious 3. How comes it to pass that your hearts rise against those that profess Religion and own the ways of God meerly because they do so and because they go not on with you in sinful wayes and open prophanesse for if they did so you would hide their sins as your own this cleerly sheweth the ground of your hatred and malice is because of Religion 4. When you speak evil of Gods wayes and of all the people of God because of the miscarriages of some that make profession of Religion this plainly sheweth that it is from an enmity against the wayes of God and Godliness far be it from me to plead for or to uphold any men in any miscarriages that own the profession of Religion but I desire men would in the fear of God take heed of this sin lest they be found speakes against God himself there is more danger in this sin then men imagine for it is so cross to true Grace that the guilt of this sin may justly question whether a man hath any true grace or not See the title that the Lord giveth to such men Isai 57.3 Draw neer hither ye sons of the sorceresse the seed of the Adulterer and the Whore they were of those spurious Israelites that seemed to be Religious but were not so in truth now see their sin ver 4. Against whom do ye sport your selves against whom make ye a wide mouth and draw out the tongue Consider how unbeseeming to Religion this is it being the very same sin that we are speaking of SECT 6 Of the causes of slandering others in general and of the people of God in special NOw the general and ordinary causes for which men slander and speak evil one of another are these 1. Out of a desire to avenge themselves of such as have done them wrong or whom they suppose to have done them wrong and when they cannot avenge themselves otherwise they will smite their Neighbour with a slanderous tongue 2.
spake the truth unto him Hence it is that Solomon saith He that rebuketh a man afterwards shall find more favour then he that flattereth with the tongue Prov. 28.23 and elsewhere he saith He that saith to the wicked thou art righteous him shall the people curse Nations shall abhorr him but to them that rebuke him shall be delight and a good blessing shall come upon them every man shall kiss his lips that giveth a right answer Prov. 24.24 25 26. 7. A flatterer is worse then a slanderer because detraction and slandering are means to humble him Ipsi sunt Sacerdoâ—es Deâ—holi hominis vivoâ— se pelientes Perald Tim 2 de peccato linguae but flattering extolls a man and by means thereof a man is apt to be puft up Thus Herod was puft up with pride at the vain flattery of the people When men are highly extolled and commended they are apt to have high thoughts of themselves One calleth flatteres the devils Priests burying men alive and under the pretence of adorning others they sully them and strangle them 8. Let us therefore consider what mischief it doth to those that are deceived by it 1. It is an occasion of drawing men to sin thus the Harlot deceiveth the young man she inviteth him to come to her saying let us take our fill of love c. for the good man is not at home he is gone a long journey he hath taken a bagg of money with him and will come at the day appointed so with much fair speeches she â—auseth him to yield with the flattering â—f her lips she forceth him Prov. 7. â—8 19 20 21. The lips of a strange â—oman drop as a honey-comb and her mouth is smoother thin oile Prov. 5.8 The Princes of Judah after the death of Jehojada did obeisance to Joash to flatter him into idolatry 2 Chron. 24.17 Sicut finis oratoris est dictione persuasisse medici medicinâ curâ—sse sic adulatoris est finis â—â—â—vi loquio decepasse Chrysost Flattering is an infectious plague a damnable disease a sweet poison a deadly hony-bait that deceiveth by enticing and poisoneth by sweet perswading it is the Siren that draws many to destruction 2. To flatter men in any evil course is a means to harden them in sin Adulantium linguae ligant homines in peccatis deleâ—â—at enim ea facere in quibus non solum non metuitur repraehensor sed etiam laudatur operator August sâ—p Psal 9. when men meet with such that will sooth them up in sin they are hardened in sin a man is kept in his wickedness and hardned in it when he thinketh he doth that which is good and right the tongues of flatterers do bind men in sinful courses for it delighteth them to do those things in which not only they fear no reprover but also the doer of them is praised A mind that knoweth it self guilty is in a manner dejected to a servile flattery 3. It makes men neglect to seek after the vertues or excellencies for which the flatterer commendeth them this makes many unuseful that otherwise by diligence might have deserved true praise as Carneades observed in the sons of Princes who could indeed learn nothing deserving honour but horsemanship for in all other things their teachers would flatter them by commending them without cause and so keep them from labouring after the truth of those excellencies for which they falsely praised them Therefore Antisthenes judged it less harm to light into the power of Ravens then into the hands of flatterers and another Philosopher quarrelling with one about words Sicut corvi cadaverum oculos â—ffâ—diâ—uâ— sic aâ—ulatores suis laudibus hom num animas corrunâ—â—unt Anton. Moner in Melissâ parte 1. many unseemly speeches passed between them quoth one of them peradventure I may live to see thee hanged and then the Ravens to come and pick out thy eyes whereunto the other answered Perhâ—ps I may live to see thee fall among flatterers for Ravens pick out the eyes but of the dead whereas flatterers dig them forth while they are living A faithful friend is as a wise Physitian that considereth the condition of his Patient not giving him that which may please but that which may do him most good a true Lover woundeth his friend as well as embraceth him but those wounds are the wounds of a Chirurgion not of an Enemy The Holy smitings of a righteous man he takes for a kindness and feareth not that such as excellent oyle will break his head Psal 141.5 4. It makes men fearless of judgement and danger untill they fall into that misery they were not aware of Thus the young man befooled by the wanton Harlots flatteries goes after her straight way as an Oxe goeth to the slaughter or as a fool to the correction of the stocks till a dart strike thorow his liver he hasteneth to his ruine as a bird hasteneth to the snare and knoweth not that it is for his life Prov. 7.22 23. By flattering words men are put into fools Paradise and peswaded all is well when it is quite contrary and when men are soothed up and flattered in sin hence it cometh to pass that they drop into the bottomless pit before they are aware of it not fearing the torments of Hell till they feel them 5. This carriage is cross to the carriage of God to his people whom he loveth the more near and dear any people are to God the more he will make them to know their sins by warnings and by punishments if they take not warning Thus he speaks to the children of Israel You onely have I known above all the families in the earth therefore I will punish you for your iniquityes Amos 3.2 If David sin who was a man after Gods own heart God will not let him alone in his sin but Nathan the Prophet and Gad his Seer shall be sent unto him that he may come to a fight of his sin and be brought out of it therefore they that flatter others in sin they shew not Gods but the devils kindness to those they pretend to love 6. Consider how God will deal with those that are flatterers Labiis Linguae excisionem imprecatur cum tamen malum hoc reverà non sit labiorum nec linguae quae sunt instrumenta sed cordis tanquam ipsius sontis cui labia lingua ministrant Sic igitur detestabile est hoc malum ut non solùm cor undè fluit sed labia lingua quibus vâ—lut instrumentis dispensatur rectè detestationi excisioni subijciantur Muscul ad Ps 12. God will cut off such flattering tongues sooner or latter Psal 12.3 Whither they flatter others in sin or too much extoll what is good in them All such flattering lips shall be cut off Some read the words of the Psalmist as an imprecation let God cut off all flattering lips the Prophet being moved with zeal for the Glory