1. Pride leads people to an excessive value of their
persons.--2. It is plain, from the racket that is made about
blood and families: also in the case of shape and beauty.--3.
Blood no nobility, but virtue.--4. Virtue no upstart: antiquity
no nobility without it, else age and blood would bar virtue in
the present age.--5. God teaches the true sense of nobility,
who made of one blood all nations; there is the original of
all blood.--6. These men of blood, out of their feathers, look
like other men.--7. This is not said to reject, but humble
the gentleman: the advantages of that condition above others.
An exhortation to recover their lost economy in families,
out of interest and credit.--8. But the author has a higher
motive; the gospel, and the excellencies of it, which they
profess.--9. The pride of persons respecting shape and beauty:
the washes, patches, paintings, dresses, &c. This excess would
keep the poor: the mischiefs that attend it.--10. But pride
in the old and homely yet more hateful: that it is usual. The
madness of it. Counsel to the beautiful to get their souls like
their bodies; and to the homely to supply want of that in the
adornment of their lasting part, their souls, with holiness.
Nothing homely with God but sin. The blessedness of those that
wear Christ's yoke and cross, and are crucified to the world.
I. But pride stops not here; she excites people to an excessive
value and care of their persons: they must have great and punctual
attendance, stately furniture, rich and exact apparel. All which
help to make up that pride of life that John tells us is not of
the Father, but of the world. (1 John, ii. 16.) A sin God charged
upon the haughty daughters of Zion, (Isaiah, iii.) and on the proud
prince and people of Tyrus. (Ezek. xxvii. xxviii.) Read these
chapters, and measure this age by their sins, and what is coming on
these nations by their judgments. But at the present I shall only
touch upon the first, viz. the excessive value people have of their
persons; leaving the rest to be considered under the last head of
this discourse, which is luxury, where they may be not improperly
placed.
II. That people are generally proud of their persons is too visible
and troublesome; especially if they have any pretence either to
blood or beauty; the one has raised many quarrels among men, and the
other among women, and men too often for their sakes and at their
excitements. But to the first: What a pother has this noble blood
made in the world:--antiquity of name or family, whose father, or
mother, great grandfather, or great grandmother was best descended
or allied:--what stock or what clan they came of:--what coat of
arms they gave:--which had, of right, the precedence! But methinks
nothing of man's folly has less show of reason to palliate it.
III. For, first, what matter is it of whom any one is descended,
that is not of ill fame: since it is his own virtue that must raise,
or vice depress him? An ancestor's character is no excuse to a man's
ill actions, but an aggravation of his degeneracy: and since virtue
comes not by generation, I neither am the better nor the worse for
my forefather; to be sure, not in God's account, nor should it be in
man's. Nobody would endure injuries the easier, or reject favours
the more, for coming by the hand of a man well or ill descended. I
confess it were greater honour to have had no blots, and with an
hereditary estate, to have had a lineal descent or worth; but that
was never found: no; not in the most blessed of families upon earth,
I mean Abraham's. To be descended of wealth and titles, fills no
man's head with brains or heart with truth: those qualities come
from a higher cause. It is vanity then and most condemnable pride
for a man of bulk and character to despise another of less size
in the world and of meaner alliance for want of them: because the
latter may have the merit, where the former has only the effects
of it in an ancestor: and though the one be great by means of a
forefather, the other is so too, but it is by his own: then, pray,
which is the braver man of the two?
IV. O, says the person proud of blood, It was never a good world
since we have had so many upstart gentlemen! But what should others
have said of that man's ancestor, when he started first up into
the knowledge of the world? For he, and all men and families, aye,
and all states and kingdoms too, have had their upstarts, that is,
their beginnings. This is being like the true church, because old,
not because good: for families to be noble by being old, and not by
being virtuous. No such matter: it must be age in virtue, or else
virtue before age; for otherwise a man should be noble by the means
of his predecessor, and yet the predecessor less noble than he,
because he was the acquirer: which is a paradox that will puzzle
all their heraldry to explain. Strange! that they should be more
noble than their ancestor that got their nobility for them! But if
this be absurd, as it is, then the upstart is the noble man: the
man that got it by his virtue; and those are only entitled to his
honour that are imitators of his virtue: the rest may bear his name
from his blood, but that is all. If virtue then give nobility, which
heathens themselves agree, then families are no longer truly noble
than they are virtuous. And if virtue go not by blood, but by the
qualifications of the descendants, it follows blood is excluded:
else blood would bar virtue; and no man that wanted the one, should
be allowed the benefit of the other: which were to stint and bound
nobility for want of antiquity, and make virtue useless.
No, let blood and name go together; but pray let nobility and virtue
keep company, for they are nearest of kin. It is thus profited by
God himself, that best knows how to apportion things with an equal
and just hand. He neither likes nor dislikes by descent; nor does He
regard what people were, but are. He remembers not the righteousness
of any man that leaves his righteousness; (Ezek. xviii.;) much less
any unrighteous man for the righteousness of his ancestor.
V. But if these men of blood please to think themselves concerned
to believe and reverence God in his holy Scriptures, they may learn
that "in the beginning He made of one blood all nations of men
to dwell upon all the earth;" (Acts, xvii. 26;) and that we all
descended from one father and mother. A more certain original than
the best of us can assign. From thence go down to Noah, who was the
second planter of the human race, and we are upon some certainty for
our forefathers. What violence has reaped or virtue merited since,
and how far we that are alive are concerned in either, will be hard
for us to determine but a very few ages off us.
VI. But, methinks it should suffice to say, our own eyes see that
men of blood, out of their gear and trappings, without their
feathers and finery, have no more marks of honour by nature stamped
upon them, than their inferior neighbours. Nay, themselves being
judges, they will frankly tell us, they feel all those passions in
their blood, that make them like other men, if not further from the
virtue that truly dignifies. The lamentable ignorance and debauchery
that now rages among too many of our greater sort of folks, is too
clear and casting an evidence in the point: and pray tell me of what
blood are they come?
VII. Howbeit, when I have said all this, I intend not, by debasing
one false quality, to make insolent another that is not true. I
would not be thought to set the churl on the present gentleman's
shoulder; by no means: his rudeness will not mend the matter. But
what I have written is to give aim to all where true nobility
dwells, that every one may arrive at it by the ways of virtue
and goodness. But for all this, I must allow a great advantage
to the gentleman, and therefore prefer his station: just as the
apostle Paul, who after he had humbled the Jews, that insulted the
Christians with their laws and rites, gave them the advantage over
all other nations in statutes and judgments. I must grant that the
condition of our great men is much to be preferred to the ranks of
our inferior people. For, first, they have more power to do good;
and if their hearts be equal to their ability, they are blessings
to the people of any country. Secondly, the eyes of the people
are usually directed to them; and if they will be kind, just, and
hopeful, they shall have their affections and services. Thirdly,
they are not under equal straits with the inferior sort; and
consequently they have more help, leisure, and occasion to polish
their passions and tempers with books and conversation. Fourthly,
they have more time to observe the actions of other nations: to
travel and view the laws, customs, and interests of other countries,
and bring home whatsoever is worthy or imitable. And so an easier
way is open for great men to get honour; and such as love true
reputation will embrace the best means to it. But because it too
often happens that great men do but little mind to give God the
glory of their prosperity, and to live answerable to his mercies;
but on the contrary, live without God in the world, fulfilling the
lusts thereof, his hand is often seen, either in impoverishing or
extinguishing them, and raising up men of more virtue and humility
to their estates and dignity. However, I must allow that among
people of this rank there have been some of them of more than
ordinary virtue, whose examples have given light to their families.
And it has been something natural for some of their descendants
to endeavour to keep up the credit of their houses in proportion
to the merit of their founder. And to say true, if there be any
advantage in such descent, it is not from blood but education:
for blood has no intelligence in it, and is often spurious and
uncertain; but education has a mighty influence and strong bias upon
the affections and actions of men. In this the ancient nobles and
gentry of this kingdom did excel: and it were much to be wished that
our great people would set about to recover the ancient economy of
their houses, the strict and virtuous discipline of their ancestors,
when men were honoured for their achievements, and when nothing more
exposed a man to shame, than being born to a nobility that he had
not a virtue to support.
VIII. O, but I have a higher motive! The glorious gospel of Jesus
Christ, which having taught this northern isle, and all ranks
professing to believe in it, let me prevail upon you to seek the
honour that it has brought from heaven, to all the true disciples of
it, who are indeed the followers of God's Lamb, that takes away the
sin of the world. (John, i. 29.) Receive with meekness his gracious
word into your hearts, that subdues the world's lusts, and leads
in the holy way to blessedness. Here are charms no carnal eye hath
seen, nor ear heard, nor heart perceived, but they are revealed to
such humble converts by his spirit. Remember you are but creatures,
and that you must die, and after all be judged.
IX. But personal pride ends not in nobility of blood; it leads
folks to a fond value of their persons, be they noble or ignoble;
especially if they have any pretence to shape or beauty. It is
admirable to see, how much it is possible for some to be taken with
themselves, as if nothing else deserved their regard, or the good
opinion of others. It would abate their folly, if they could find in
their hearts to spare but half the time to think of God and their
latter end, which they most prodigally spend in washing, perfuming,
painting, patching, attiring, and dressing. In these things they are
precise, and very artificial; and for cost they spare not. But that
which aggravates the evil is, the pride of one might comfortably
supply the need of ten. Gross impiety that it is, that a nation's
pride should not be spared to a nation's poor! But what is this
for at last? Only to be admired, to have reverence, draw love, and
command the eyes and affections of beholders. And so fantastic are
they in it, as hardly to be pleased too. Nothing is good, or fine,
or fashionable enough for them: the sun itself, the blessing of
heaven, and comfort of the earth, must not shine upon them, lest it
tan them; nor the wind blow, for fear it should disorder them. O
impious nicety! Yet while they value themselves above all else, they
make themselves the vassals of their own pride; worshipping their
shape, feature, or complexion, whichsoever is their excellency.
The end of all which, is but too often to excite unlawful love,
which I call lust, and draw one another into as miserable as evil
circumstances: in single persons it is of ill consequence; for if it
does not awaken unchaste desires, it lays no foundation for solid
and lasting union: the want of which helps to make so many unhappy
marriages in the world: but in married people the sin is aggravated;
for they have none of right to please, but one another; and to
affect the gaiety and vanity of youth, is an ill sign of loving and
living well at home: it looks rather like dressing for a market.
It has sad effects in families: discontents, partings, duels,
poisonings, and other infamous murders. No age can better tell us
the sad effects of this sort of pride than this we live in; as,
how excessively wanton, so how fatal it has been to the sobriety,
virtue, peace, and health of families in this kingdom.
X. But I must needs say, that of all creatures, this sort of
pride does least become the old and homely, if I may call the
ill-favoured and deformed so; for the old are proud only of what
they had, which shows, to their reproach, their pride has outlived
their beauty, and, when they should be repenting, they are making
work for repentance. But the homely are yet worse, they are proud
of what they never had, nor ever can have: nay, their persons seem
as if they were given for a perpetual humiliation to their minds;
and to be proud of them is loving pride for pride's sake, and to be
proud, without a temptation to be proud. And yet in my whole life I
have observed nothing more doting on itself: a strange infatuation
and enchantment of pride! What! Not to see right with their eyes,
because of the partiality of their minds? This self-love is blind
indeed. But to add expense to the vanity, and to be costly upon that
which cannot be mended, one would think they should be downright
mad; especially if they consider, that they look the homelier for
the things that are thought handsome, and do but thereby draw their
deformity more into notice, by that which does so little become them.
But in such persons' follies we have a specimen of man; what a
creature he is in his lapse from his primitive image. All this,
as Jesus said of sin of old, comes from within; (Mat. xv. 11-20;)
that is the disregard that men and women have to the word of their
Creator in their hearts; (Deut. xxx. 14; Rom. x. 8;) which shows
pride and teaches humility, and self-abasement, and directs the mind
to the true object of honour and worship; and that with an awe and
reverence suitable to his sovereignty and majesty. Poor mortals! But
living dirt! Made of what they tread on: who, with all their pride,
cannot secure themselves from the spoil of sickness, much less from
the stroke of death! O! did people consider the inconstancy of all
visible things, the cross and adverse occurrences of man's life, the
certainty of his departure, and eternal judgment, it is to be hoped
they would bring their deeds to Christ's light in their hearts,
(John, iii. 20, 21,) and they would see if they were wrought in God,
or not, as the beloved disciple tells us from his dear Master's
mouth. Art thou shapely, comely, beautiful--the exact draught of
a human creature? Admire that Power that made thee so. Live an
harmonious life to the curious make and frame of thy creation; and
let the beauty of thy body teach thee to beautify thy mind with
holiness, the ornament of the beloved of God. Art thou homely or
deformed; magnify that goodness that did not make thee a beast; and
with the grace that is given unto thee, for it has appeared unto
all, learn to adorn thy soul with enduring beauty. Remember the
King of heaven's daughter, the church, of which true Christians are
members, is all glorious within. And if thy soul excel, thy body
will only set off the lustre of thy mind. Nothing is homely in God's
sight but sin; and that man and woman that commune with their own
hearts, and sin not; who, in the light of holy Jesus, watch over the
movings and inclinations of their own souls, and that suppress every
evil in its conception, they love the yoke and cross of Christ, and
are daily by it crucified to the world, but live to God in that life
which outlives the fading satisfactions of it.