6. Look on Flattery and your Love to it, in their Diametrical opposition, and irreconcilableness to God in the Truth of all his Word, and in the Righteousness of all his judicial Sentence on men and things: To call evil good, or to make those seem consummate, which are defective, are an abomination to God; A just balance is his delight, and he abhors the false balance. When a Parasite extols thy Good or extenuates thy Evil, he weighs thee in a false balance; when thou art pleased with this, thou weighest thy self in the same false Balance, and God who stands by, abhorreth both of you: Now methinks this should affect your Hearts; dare you love what God hateth? will you not henceforward cease to love the undue Praises of men, least you fall under the dreadful, but just abhorrence of God? He will never lessen truth to magnify any, he will never intrench on Justice to gratify any; he is a God of Truth and Righteousness, what your Good or Evil is he will impartially declare, and abhorreth such who love a Lye, and unrighteousness, in their valuing of themselves and Actions; will it be good that God should search you out?† Truth is Divine, whence as from a Fountain, all Good, Divine and Humane flow; so that the Flatterer appears an Enemy to God: This was the Philosophers argument long since, and 'tis not less cogent, because so very ancient. None so hateful to ⟨p. 192⟩God, as these deep, ravening, and insatiable Impostors; nothing is more contrary to him who is all Truth and Goodness: Let Flatterers, and besotted Lovers of Flattery read well that, Psal. 52.2, 3, 4. ver. Thy Tongue deviseth Mischiefs, like a sharp razor, working deceitfully; thou lovest evil more than Good, and Lying rather than to speak righteousness, &c. Here is the black Character of the Flatterer; and his miserable End you have ver. 5. God will destroy him for ever, &c. The sharp arrows of the mighty, and the Coals of Juniper, are prepared for the lying Lips and false tongue, Psal. 120.2, 3, & 4. ver. Since this is one of the things God hateth, Pro. 6. v. 17, 18, 19. let it not be one of the things you love.
6. Look on Flattery and your Love to it, in their Diametrical opposition, and irreconcileableness to God in the Truth of all his Word, and in the Righteousness of all his judicial Sentence on men and things: To call evil good, or to make those seem consummate, which are defective, are an abomination to God; A just ballance is his delight, and he abhors the false ballance. When a Parasite extols thy Good or extenuates thy Evil, he weighs thee in a false ballance; when thou art pleased with this, thou weighest thy self in the same false Ballance, and God who stands by, abhorreth both of you: Now methinks this should affect your Hearts; dare you love what God hateth? will you not henceforward cease to love the undue Praises of men, least you fall under the dreadful, but just abhorrence of God? He will never lessen truth to magnifie any, he will never intrench on Justice to gratifie any; he is a God of Truth and Righteousness, what your Good or Evil is he will impartially declare, and abhorreth such who love a Lye, and unrighteousness, in their valuing of themselves and Actions; will it be good that God should search you out?† Truth is Divine, whence as from a Fountain, all Good, Divine and Humane flow; so that the Flatterer appears an Enemy to God: This was the Philosophers argument long since, and 'tis not less cogent, because so very ancient. None so hateful to ⟨p. 192⟩God, as these deep, ravening, and insatiable Impostors; nothing is more contrary to him who is all Truth and Goodness: Let Flatterers, and besotted Lovers of Flattery read well that, Psal. 52.2, 3, 4. ver. Thy Tongue deviseth Mischiefs, like a sharp razour, working deceitfully; thou lovest evil more than Good, and Lying rather than to speak righteousness, &c. Here is the black Character of the Flatterer; and his miserable End you have ver. 5. God will destroy him for ever, &c. The sharp arrows of the mighty, and the Coals of Juniper, are prepared for the lying Lips and false tongue, Psal. 120.2, 3, & 4. ver. Since this is one of the things God hateth, Pro. 6. v. 17, 18, 19. let it not be one of the things you love.
- †Quod si divina quaedam res sit veritas ex qua cenfonte Diis pariter ac hominibus omnia bona preficiscuntur, videndum ne adulator Diis omnibus sit hostis, &c. Ex Plutarcho Lud. Gran.
