Part 1 › Chapter 4 › Part 4: Directions against inordinate Man-pleasing: or that Over-valuing the Favour and Censure…, A Christian Directory by Richard Baxter (1673) | AskReformation

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:1891p. 228

§. 68. See therefore that you live upon Gods approbation as that which you chiefly seek and will suffice ¹you: Which you may discover by these signs. 1. You will be most careful to understand the Scripture, to know what doth please and displease God. 2. You will be more careful in the doing of every duty, to fit it to the pleasing of God than man. 3. You will look to your Hearts and not only to your actions: To your ends, and thoughts and the inward manner and degree. 4. You will look to secret duties as well as public, and to that which men see not, as well as unto that which they see. 5. You will reverence your consciences and have much to do with them, and will not slight them. When they tell you of Gods displeasure it will disquiet you: When they tell you of his approbation² it will comfort you. 6. Your pleasing men will be charitable for their good, and pious in order to the pleasing of God, and not proud and ambitious for your honour with them, nor impious against the pleasing of God. 7. Whether men be pleased or displeased, or how they judge of you or what they call you, will seem a small matter to you as to your own interest, in comparison of Gods judgement. You live not on them. You can bear their displeasure, censures and reproaches, if God be but pleased. These will be your evidences.

§. 68. See therefore that you live upon Gods approbation as that which you chiefly seek and will suffice ¹you: Which you may discover by these signs. 1. You will be most careful to understand the Scripture, to know what doth please and displease God. 2. You will be more careful in the doing of every duty, to fit it to the pleasing of God than man. 3. You will look to your Hearts and not only to your actions: To your ends, and thoughts and the inward manner and degree. 4. You will look to secret duties as well as publick, and to that which men see not, as well as unto that which they see. 5. You will reverence your consciences and have much to do with them, and will not slight them. When they tell you of Gods displeasure it will disquiet you: When they tell you of his approbation² it will comfort you. 6. Your pleasing men will be charitable for their good, and pious in order to the pleasing of God, and not proud and ambitious for your honour with them, nor impious against the pleasing of God. 7. Whether men be pleased or displeased, or how they judge of you or what they call you, will seem a small matter to you as to your own interest, in comparison of Gods judgement. You live not on them. You can bear their displeasure, censures and reproaches, if God be but pleased. These will be your evidences.

1Signs.
2Non est idon•u• Philosop••ae discipulu•, qu• s•ultum pud••em n•n possit contemn•re. Id. jo•d p. 728.Non est idon•u• Philosop••ae discipulu•, qu• s•ultum pud••em n•n possit contemn•re. Id. io•d p. 728.

:1895p. 229

§. 3. I. PRIDE, is an inordinate self-exalting: or a lifting up our selves above the state or degree ¹appointed us. It is called [Greek or Hebrew], because it is an appearing to our selves, and a desire to appear to others above what we are, or above others of our quality. It is a branch of SELFISHNESS, and containeth man-pleasing as before described, and produceth Hypocrisy, and is its original and life. It containeth in it these following acts or parts. 1. A will to be higher or greater than God would have us be. 2. An overvaluing of our selves, or esteeming our selves to be Greater, Wiser or Better than indeed we are. 3. A desire that others should think of us, and speak of us, and use us, as greater, or wiser, or better than we are. 4. An endeavour or seeking to rise above our appointed place, or to be overvalued by others. 5. An ostentation of our inordinate self-esteem in outward signs of speech or action. Every one of these is an act of Pride. The three first are the inward acts of it in the Mind and Will, and the two last are its external acts.

§. 3. I. PRIDE, is an inordinate self-exalting: or a lifting up our selves above the state or degree ¹appointed us. It is called 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, because it is an appearing to our selves, and a desire to appear to others above what we are, or above others of our quality. It is a branch of SELFISHNESS, and containeth man-pleasing as before described, and produceth Hypocrisie, and is its original and life. It containeth in it these following acts or parts. 1. A will to be higher or greater than God would have us be. 2. An overvaluing of our selves, or esteeming our selves to be Greater, Wiser or Better than indeed we are. 3. A desire that others should think of us, and speak of us, and use us, as greater, or wiser, or better than we are. 4. An endeavour or seeking to rise above our appointed place, or to be overvalued by others. 5. An ostentation of our inordinate self-esteem in outward signs of speech or action. Every one of these is an act of Pride. The three first are the inward acts of it in the Mind and Will, and the two last are its external acts.

1Pride what.

:1897p. 229

§. 5. HUMILITY is contrary to pride; and therefore consisteth, 1. In a contentedness with¹ that degree and state which God hath assigned us. 2. In mean thoughts of our selves, esteeming our selves no Greater, Wiser or Better than we are. 3. In a willingness and desire that others should not think of us, or speak of us, or use us, as greater, or wiser, or better than we are; that they should give us no more honour, praise or Love than is our due; the redundancy being but a deceit or lie, and an abuse of us and them. 4. In the avoiding of all inordinate aspiring endeavours, and a contented exercise of our assigned offices, and doing the meanest works of our own places. 5. In the avoiding of all ostentation or appearance of that greatness, wisdom or goodness which we have not, and fitting our speeches, apparel, provisions, furniture and all our deportment and behaviour to the meanness of our parts, and place, and worth. This is the very Nature of Humility: The more particular signs I shall open afterwards.

§. 5. HUMILITY is contrary to pride; and therefore consisteth, 1. In a contentedness with¹ that degree and state which God hath assigned us. 2. In mean thoughts of our selves, esteeming our selves no Greater, Wiser or Better than we are. 3. In a willingness and desire that others should not think of us, or speak of us, or use us, as greater, or wiser, or better than we are; that they should give us no more honour, praise or Love than is our due; the redundancie being but a deceit or lie, and an abuse of us and them. 4. In the avoiding of all inordinate aspiring endeavors, and a contented exercise of our assigned offices, and doing the meanest works of our own places. 5. In the avoiding of all ostentation or appearance of that greatness, wisdom or goodness which we have not, and fitting our speeches, apparel, provisions, furniture and all our deportment and behaviour to the meanness of our parts, and place, and worth. This is the very Nature of Humility: The more particular signs I shall open afterwards.

1Humility what.

:1898p. 229–230

§. 6. II. Pride lying in the heart is oft mis-judged of by others, that see but the outward appearances,¹ and sometime by the person himself that understandeth not the nature of it. The inward appearances that are mistaken for pride, and are not it, are such as these. 1. When a man in power and Government hath a spirit suitable to his place and work: This is not Pride but virtue. 2. When natural strength and vigour of spirits expelleth pusillanimity; especially when faith beholding God expelleth all inordinate respect to men and fear of all that they can do, this is not pride but Christian magnanimity and fortitude; and the contrary is not humility but weakness, and pusillanimity, and cowardice. 3. When a wise man knoweth in what measure he is wise, and in what measure other men are ignorant, or erroneous, and when he is conscious of his knowledge, and delighted and pleased in it through the love of truth, and thankful to God for revealing it to him, and blessing so far his studies and endeavours, all this is mercy and duty, and not pride. For truth is amiable and delectable in it self. And he that knoweth must needs know that he knoweth▪ as he that seeth doth perceive by seeing that he seeth. And if it be a fault to know that I know, it must be a fault to know at ⟨p. 230⟩all. B•t some knowledge is necessary and unresistible, and we cannot avoid it: And that which is good ••••t be valued, and we must be thankful for it. Humility doth no more require that a wise man think •••• knowledge equal with a fools, or ignorant mans, than that a sound man take himself to be sick. ••. When a wise man valueth the useful knowledge which God hath given him, above all the glory and vanities of the world, which are indeed of lower worth, this is not Pride, but a due estimation of things. 5. When a wise man desireth that others were of his mind, for their own good, and the propagating of the truth, this is not Pride, but Charity and love of truth: Else preachers were the² pr•udest men, and Paul had done ill in labouring so much for mens conversion, and saying to Agrippa, A••s 2•. 29. [I would to God that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost a•d all••••ther such as I am, except these •onds]. 6.

§. 6. II. Pride lying in the heart is oft mis-judged of by others, that see but the outward appearances,¹ and sometime by the person himself that understandeth not the nature of it. The inward appearances that are mistaken for pride, and are not it, are such as these. 1. When a man in power and Government hath a spirit suitable to his place and work: This is not Pride but vertue. 2. When natural strength and vigor of spirits expelleth pusillanimity; especially when faith beholding God expelleth all inordinate respect to men and fear of all that they can do, this is not pride but Christian magnanimity and fortitude; and the contrary is not humility but weakness, and pusillanimity, and cowardize. 3. When a wise man knoweth in what measure he is wise, and in what measure other men are ignorant, or erroneous, and when he is conscious of his knowledge, and delighted and pleased in it through the love of truth, and thankful to God for revealing it to him, and blessing so far his studies and endeavours, all this is mercy and duty, and not pride. For truth is amiable and delectable in it self. And he that knoweth must needs know that he knoweth▪ as he that seeth doth perceive by seeing that he seeth. And if it be a fault to know that I know, it must be a fault to know at ⟨p. 230⟩all. B•t some knowledge is necessary and unresistible, and we cannot avoid it: And that which is good ••••t be v•lued, and we must be thankful for it. Humility doth no more require that a wise man think •••• knowledge equal with a fools, or ignorant mans, than that a sound man take himself to be sick. ••. When a wise man valueth the useful knowledge which God hath given him, above all the glory and vanities of the world, which are indeed of lower worth, this is not Pride, but a due estimation of things. 5. When a wise man desireth that others were of his mind, for their own good, and the propagating of the truth, this is not Pride, but Charity and love of truth: Else preachers were the² pr•udest men, and Paul had done ill in labouring so much for mens conversion, and saying to Agrip•a, A••s 2•. 29. [I would to God that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both allmost ad allther such as I am, except these onds]. 6.

1The Inward see ••n•• of Pride that are no• ••.The Inward se ••n•• of Pride that are no• ••.
2[…]—H•m•l•a• enim (ut & reliquae vir•utes) opus est voluntatis. Nam sicut virtutes per ra jonem cognoscimus, ita per di[…] nobis s••••unt: T•••••. ••••. c. 7 p▪ 103, 104.〈…〉—H•m•l•a• enim (ut & reliquae vir•utes) opus est voluntatis. Nam sicut virtutes per ra ionem cognoscimus, ita per di〈…〉 nobis s••••unt: T•••••. ••••. c. 7 p▪ 103, 104.