Glimpses of Christian History Presents Pastwords #120: Divisive Pride and Self-Love by Jeremiah Burroughes ©2007

BURROUGHES, JEREMIAH. Irenicum, to the Lovers of Truth and Peace. Heart-Divisions Opened In the Causes and Evils of them: With Cautions that we may not be hurt by them, and Endeavors to heal them. London, Robert Dawman, 1646, octavo.

Jeremiah Burroughes (1600?-1646) English Congregationalist, suspended for non-conformity in 1636, member of the Westminster Assembly and one of the few who opposed the Presbyterian majority. "A Puritan writer of much piety, good sense, and evangelical matter."--Bickersteth's Christian Student.

he great divisions amongst us are those that are between the seed of the woman, and the seed of the Serpent; some divisions there are between those who are the seed of Christ, but the great stirres in the Kingdome come from the evil spirit there is in the seed of the Serpent against the godly in the Land. In the beginning of the Parliament when mens liberties and estates being involved in one, there was good agreement, all men rejoiced, generally the countenances of those who were not popish and Prelaticall, were serene, they had comfortable aspects one upon another; but when those whose spirits were opposite to the power of godliness, saw how the godly amongst them rejoiced, how their heads were lifted up, how their hearts were filled with the hopes of good days, wherein Religion should be countenanced and honoured; that Antipathy that was in their hearts against the ways of God, boiled in them; though they were glad that they should be freed from some burdens, yet to see those whom they hated in their hearts, to rejoice so much, they could not beare, but their spirit rose against them, and in opposition to them they have raised these stirres, they have made these woeful distractions that are amongst us.

The lusts of mens hearts are the cause of our divisions, because God requires every man according to his place to make opposition against them; the cause of the strife lies not in those who oppose them, they doe but their duty; but in those who nourish such lusts within them; yet we finde it ordinarily, that those who are most corrupt will cry out against those who oppose them in their wicked ways, as the cause of strife and divisions, as if they were the troublers of Israel, whereas indeed themselves, the wicked lusts of their owne hearts are the troubles of Israel, those who oppose their lusts desire all good to their persons. I remember Augustine in his Book about the unity of the Church hath this passage, The Son doth more grievously persecute his father by living naughtily, then the father him by chastising him duely. Sarahs Maid did more trouble her by her wicked pride, then she her Maid by her deserved correction. Those men who are most faulty, are the men who are to be charged to see the greatest troubles in Church and State.

Thus in the generall, mens lusts are the cause of divisions; but let us enquire into the practical lusts of men, which we may also charge: We shall finde these dividing distempers to be as many as the dividing Principles: As the Philosopher speakes of four Cardinall virtues, so the first four that I shall name I may call four Cardinal vices, these are Pride, Self-love, Envy, Passion or Forwardness; all the other distempers that cause divisions, have the poison of these four at the root of them. These are the Chariot wheels of the Furies, or the four horses that draws them up and down hurrying from place to place.

The Pride of mens hearts the great dividing distemper.

Pride is the greatest Master of mis-rule in the world, it is the great incendiary in the soule of man, in families, in Townes, Cities, in all societies, in Church and State: This wind causeth tempest to arise. Prov. 13.10. Only by pride comes contention. The Holy Ghost singles out pride, as the only cause of all contentions, because it is the chiefe; though there be many in a riot, the whole usually is laid upon the ring-leaders. Pride is the ring-leader to all riots, divisions, disturbances amongst us. Prov. 21.24. Proud and haughty scorner is his name who dealeth in proud wrath. Pride may be well indicted for the great common Barrettor in all Townes, and Cities, and Kingdomes, it makes woeful troubles wheresoever it comes. Mathematicians make this a rule to know when a thing is exactly round, and when it is exactly plain; Round things will not touch but in puncto, if you lay plaine things together, they will touch in every part of them.

>Proud hearts will join only in some things that concerne themselves, but plaine hearts will join in every thing wherein God may have glory, and their Brethren good.

Gouty swollen legs keep at a distance one from another; Bladders that are blowne up with wind, spurt one from another, they will not close, but if you prick them, and so let out the wind, you may pack a thousand in a little room. We finde this by experience, when God gives us most success in our Armies, then are we most divided, then every man begins to look high, and to be sharking for himself; and when the Lord discountenances our Armies, and brings us low, then we think and speak of ways of Accommodation, then we bewaile our divisions with some brokenness of spirit: As it is with Soldiers when they are fighting against the common adversary, then they can agree well enough, but when they come to divide the spoil, or be put into their Garrisons, then they fall out: When we lie under the danger of the same common calamity, then we can agree, but when we come to share for our selves, then our spirits swell one against another.

We reade in Scripture of the Mannah that God gave his people, such was the nature of it, that the heat of the Sun melted it. You will say, How could it then endure the heat of the oven? for they baked it in the oven; yet so it was, of a strange kind of nature, that it could beare the heat of the oven, and not the heat of the sun. Even of such a temper are our hearts; The heat of the sun of prosperity dissolves us, causes us to run one from another, but the heat of the fire of affliction bakes us, brings us and settles us together; it makes us to be one, it takes away our rawness, it consumes many of our ill humours, and so composes our spirits into one.

The stupidness of our hearts is such, as we do not make our brethren's case, who suffer the rage of these wars, our owne; But we for the present having some more liberty then formerly, we are lifted up, and in the pride of our hearts push at our brethren, and smite our fellow servants: If the dogs be at a little distance from us, though we even hear the cries of our brethren who are worried by them, yet we foolishly bless our selves in our present ease, enjoyments, and hopes, as if our flesh must be spared, our estates, our liberties and enjoyments must be continued, yea raised, whatsoever becomes of others. Oh sinful vaine spirits, befooled and hardened with their pride!

But what are the several workings of pride that make such a stir in the world?

First, A proud man thinks himself too great to be crossed, Shall I beare this? I will make you know what is to do such things against me; he thinks it is a great dishonour to him to beare any thing, therefore he must needs quarrel and contend, if it be but to show what a man of spirit he is, or to show that he is a man of such worth, as whatsoever others beare, yet it is not fit for him to beare it; it is but reason that such a man as he should make men who will presume to crosse him, to yield to him, to stoop under him. Now when one proud man thinks it a dishonour for him to put up wrongs from another who it may be is as proud as himself, and he thinks it a dishonour for him to put up wrongs; what peace can there be? Some wrongs must be put up, but proud men will never agree who shall begin.

Secondly, because his spirit swells so big, he thinks every thing that crosseth him to be very great; his sufferings are great to him according to the excellency or meanness of any person; So are his sufferings to be reckoned, sufferings of a man in eminency are judged according to this eminency and place; if a meane man suffer the same things, they are not accounted so great; now whether a man be great really, or in his own apprehension, its all one in regard of his esteem of his sufferings, he thinks them therefore intolerable because they are against himselfe.

Dan. 3.14. Is it true O Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego? Doe not ye serve my gods? that which you have in your books, Is it true? Arias Montanus translates, what, is there desolation made? what, you to oppose the command of a King? If this be suffered, what desolation must needs follow? And indeed the root from whence the Word comes, signifies, to make desolate; why? Was it a desolation that these three poor innocent men made, because they would not, nay they could not do as this proud King would have them? What made him thus to aggravate the offense, but merely the pride of his heart? He thought that any thing Crosse to his command was a most heinous offense, a thing most horrid in the very mention of it, no less then the utter undoing of all things. Pride ever aggravates any thing done against its owne minde. This in Dan. That Montanus turns, translates; what on purpose? You doe it on purpose to provoke me; thus proud men and women in their families, whatsoever children or servants do amiss; what? You do it on purpose to anger me, doe you? When the wind comes cross the stream, the waters rage: so does the will and affections of a proud heart when any thing crosseth it.

Thirdly, Pride makes man swell beyond their bounds; the way to keep within his bounds, the swelling beyond tends to the breaking all in pieces. Hab. 2.5. He is a proud man, neither keepeth at home, who enlargeth his desire as hell, and cannot be satisfied. If any honour of the body goes beyond its bounds, it brings much trouble to it, the health and peace of the body consists in the keeping of every humour within its vessel and due proportion.

Fourthly, Pride hardens mens hearts. Dan. 5.20. His minde is hardened in his pride. If you would make things cleave, you must have them soft, two flints will not join; The Spaniard hath a Proverb, Lime and stone will make a wall, if one be hard; yet if the other be yielding, there may be joining, and good may be done, not else.

Fifthly, Pride causes men to despise the persons actions and sufferings of others, nothing is more unsufferable to a mans spirit then to be vilified. A proud man despises what others do, and others what he does, every man next to his person, desires the honour of his actions. If these two be condemned, his sufferings will likewise be condemned by the proud: This also goes very near to a man; one man thinks what another man suffers is nothing, no matter what becomes of him; another thinks his sufferings nothing, and no matter what becomes of him; O at what a distance now are mens hearts one from another!

Sixthly, Pride causes every man to desire to be taken notice of to have an eminency in something or other; if he cannot be eminent on one side, he will get to the other; he must be taken notice of one way or other: when he is in a good and peaceable way, God makes some use of him, yet because he is not observed and looked upon as eminent, he will rather turne to some other way, to contend, strive, to oppose, or any thing, that he may be taken notice of to be some body, that he may not go out of the world without some noise: What, shall such a man as I? Of such parts, such approved abilities, so endued by God to do some eminent service, be laid aside, and no body regard me? I must set upon some notable worke, something that may draw the eye of observance upon me. I have read of a young man, who set Diana's Temple on fire, and being asked the reason, he said, That he might have a name, that the people might talk to him. Because he could not be famous by doing good, he would be doing evil. Proud spirits will venture the setting the Temple of god, yea Church and State on fire, that they may have a name, whatsoever they do or suffer; to get a name they will rather venture, then die in obscurity, that of all things they cannot beare.A proud man would have others under him; and others being proud too, would have him under them; he would have others yield to him, and others would have him yield to them; where will the agreement then begin? What is that which hath rent and torne the world in all ages, that hath brought woeful distractions, perplexities, confusions, miseries in all Countries by Wars, but the pride of a few great ones, seeking to bring one under another? Those waiting Warres of Romans between Sylla and Marius, Casar and Pompey, were they not from hence? It is hard for men in great places, and of great spirits to accord long. Melanchthon in his Comment upon Prov. 13.10. says concerning such men, there was want to be this Proverb, Two mountains will not mix together.

Eightly, a proud man makes his will to be the rule of his actions, and would have it to be the rule of other mens too, and other men being proud too, would have their wills the rule of their actions, and of his too. Thus the blustering wind of Pride in mens hearts causes them to justle one against another, and so to split themselves one upon another; as where many ships lie together, a violent wind breaking their Anchor cables, causes them to dash one upon another, and so to make Shipwrack even in the Haven.

A proud man opposes others, because they have begun such a work; and others, who are also proud, oppose him, because he hath begun it. The Senators of Rome could have been content to have admitted Christ to have been amongst the number of their gods, but onely upon this, they refused because the motion began not with them. Many amongst us have no other reason why they oppose good motions, but because they were first in them; They are loath to break the ice, to begin a good work, if they see any difficulty in it, and yet the Cause of God must not go on, Christ must not be admitted, if they have not been at the beginning: Like two men carrying a long piece of timber in at a narrow passage, one man will go before, and the other man will go before, they can never carry it in, because they cannot agree who shall go foremost.

One proud man is conceited of what he doth, because it is his owne way; and another proud man is conceited of what he doth, because it is his own way, and so men draw diverse wages, and the publique Cause of God and his people must give way to their conceitedness. Pride makes a man drunk with his owne conceits. Hab.2.5. The proud man is as he that transgresseth by wine; and Drunkards you know are quarrelsome. Wonder not at any absurd thing in a proud man, for pride makes him drunk. Prov. 13.10. Proud men who cause contention, are opposed to the well advised, But with the well advised is wisdom The Septuagint reads it, The wise are such as themselves, but the proud does not.

Proud men will venture upon things unseemly, thinking their esteem and greatness will beare them out; and others who are proud will venture upon the like, upon the same ground, for every man is ready to have high thoughts of himself. Psal. 19.14. Deliver me from presumptuous sinnes, so some, so others, from proud, from insolent sins. Pride makes insolent. A proud man, says the Philosopher, is a feigner of boldness and valour, and therefore will foolishly venture upon one thing.

If there is any thing to be done that is conceived to be mean and low, a proud man will seek to put it upon others, and others who are proud will seek to put it upon him; and if it be a work of credit, then he seeks it to himself, and others seek it to themselves, and hence are jarrings and divisions.

If there be any good success in any thing, then pride makes one man attribute it to himself, and another man attribute it to himself, and if the success be ill, then one puts it off from himself, and another from himself, and thus quarrels and contentions are raised and fomented.

One proud man thinks himself the only worthy man to have his counsel followed, and his desires satisfied, and the other thinks himself the man that should have his counsel followed, and his desires satisfied, and thus men struggle and oppose one another.

Lastly, one proud man is very discerning in the discovery of pride in another; and though he entertains it in his owne bosome, yet he hates it in others wheresoever he see it: This is a peculiar curse upon this sinne; one drunkard loves another, one whoremaster another, but one proud man hates another. This is exemplified notably in Boniface the second, Bishop of Rome, he says of Aurelius Bishop of Carthage, and of the rest of those who were present at the sixth Counsel of Carthage, that through the instigation of the Devil, they swelled with pride against the Roman Church, he means against the Supremacy of it, for it was spoken upon the submission of Eulalius Bishop of Rome, who would have all the preeminence himself, swells with pride against the pride of others.Here we see what a make-bate Pride is; That which Tertullus said to Felix, Act. 24.2. is true of Humility, By thee we enjoy great quietness; but the contrary is as true of Pride, By thee are made woeful divisions, by thee we suffer miserable disturbances. Though there be no occasion of quarrel, yet pride will make some; only by pride comes contention.

Now let every man look into his owne heart, and see what Pride hath been, and still is there, and be humbled before the Lord for this. All you contentious, forward, quarrelsome people, you are charged this day from God to be men and women of proud spirits, and what evil there is in our sad divisions, that pride in your bosom is a great cause of . S. Paul did beat down his body, lest after he had preached to others, he should become a Reprobate. Let us all, and especially Ministers, labour to beat down our spirits, lest after all our profession and glorious shows, we at last become Reprobates, at least such as God may cast out for the present in this world, taking no delight in making use of; what in such times as these are to have hearts swollen and lift up in pride? God is now about the staining the pride of the earth. How unseasonable and dangerous is it for a Mariner to have his top-sailes up, and all spread in a violent storme? It is time then to pull down all, lest he be sunk irrecoverably. The point of a needle will let the wind out of a bladder, and shall not the swords of God, the swords of War and Plague, that have got so deep into our bowels, let out the windy pride of our hearts? The haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone will be exalted. The Lord humble us, that he may reconcile us, not only to himself, but to one another.

Self-love, the second dividing distemper.

This is near akin to the former: Philip.2.3. Let nothing be done through strife: ver.4. Look not every man on his owne 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, except their own party be followed: What hast thou to do with peace? Follow me. It is not Peace, but Party that they minde. The greatest part of their studies, is to study sides and parts. Luther upon the 127.Psal. hath a notable speech, I am of that opinion, says he, that Monarchies would continue longer then they do, were it not for that same little Pronoun (EGO) that same (I) (myself). Yea certainly could this same Self be but 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 it self, and lets out nothing from It's self to other members; as suppose the arme or leg takes in all the blood and spirits that comes in to strengthen it self, and when it hath got them in, there 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 whole world dissolves presently.

Secondly, those who are acted by self-love, have no common ends to join them, therefore they cannot close; if they be imployed in public service, they quickly warp to their private ends. Take two boards never so straight, yet if one be seasoned and the other green, they will lie close awhile, but ere long you will finde that the unseasoned will divide from the other by warping, especially when heat comes to it. Thus many at the 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 began to feel heat, some difficulties rising, they warped to their owne ends, and divided from those they were imployed with. Mens private ends are narrow, they cannot drive on them but they will meet with one another, & justle one another, quarrel, contend, and fight for the way, as Car-men do when they meet in narrow streets, and Boat-men 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 owne designs and ends to drive on and work as well as they: it is therefore impossible but you will cross and be crossed, you will vexe and fret at other, and others will vex and fret at you. Whatsover is such, says Tullie, 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 of 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 acted by Selfe, the foulest, blackest opinion, yet is suitable to their judgements, 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 it out in the foulest manner that can be; they labour so to besmeare it, that if it be possible it shall look like a Devill. If a selfish man be conscious of not having that which is commendable, he will not believe that others hath it: As Nero, being abominably filthy, would not believe there was any chast man in the world: Whatsoever evil he doth, he thinks all men if they had the like opportunity, would do the same; if they have plots to fetch about their owne ends, they think every man is plotting too.

Fourthly, Self makes much stir and trouble, for it is a very odious thing; As Vermine are odious, because they only take in to themselves, consume things, and are no way useful to any thing else. When any thing doth but smell of Self, it begins to be loathed; let a man have never such excellent parts, do never such excellent things, yet if Self appears, the loveliness and glory of all is gone; therefore those men that act self, they had need be very cunning, to keep in and hide it; herein appears what a vile thing Self is, that 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 every one? Yea it is conscious to it self that it is so, and therefore dares not appear; yet the acting of it is very mischievous to all humane Societies.

Fifthly, There is this wickedness in self-love, that even those things that men acknowledge to be right and good in the general, yet if in the particular they shall not suit with something they would have, it will put men upon the opposing it; and what peace and union can there be amongst men, in what they will grant and commend to be good, yet when it falls cross to them, they will oppose and contend against? Thus Act.s.26.7. Unto which promise our twelve tribes instantly serving God night and day hope to come, for which hopes sakes I am accused of the Jews The twelve Tribes, the whole body of the Jews constantly grant the promise of the Resurrection, and yet in malice to me they accuse me of this; or if not so, yet they are willing that I should sink in this cause: Just as many Ministers were wont in their Pulpits to commend highly the ways of Religion, to exhort men to grow up in godliness, to be careful of all their ways; but when some of their parishioners did but practice in the particular, what themselves had commended to them in the general, they would hate them, and persecute them for it. God deliver us from such a spirit.

Sixthly, Selfe, causes men who are in public employment, to keep up their private jarres and grudges, to interrupt the public, they will cross one another in their work for the public; let that suffer, so they may let one another feel of their private grudges: In this Christians are beneath Heathens. I have read of Aristides and Themistocles, who had many jarrings between themselves, but being both employed in the work of the Common-wealth, in an Embassage, as they went over the Mountains, one says thus to the other, Let us lay down all our private grudges upon these mountains, at least till our business be over, and if there shall be just cause when we have done our worke for the Common-wealth, we may then examine them: It were happy with us, if all men in public employment in this Land would from their hearts speak thus to one another; but men are selfish and cannot do it: Hence comes so many of our breaches and divisions.

Seventhly, Selfe causes men not to see their owne evils, or if they do, to indulge themselves in them, but to be quick-sighted and severe in discovering and opposing those evils there are in others, and this causes many breaches and fallings out. We may apply that of the Apostle, I Cor.13. Love covereth a multitude of faults to self-love. Selfish men see little evil in themselves, all is ever well with them whatsoever others do, and the more they cocker themselves, the more severe they are to others; but Christ would have the quite contrary, severity to our selves, but indulgence to others; those that are so, are the most peaceable men. Mat.18.8. If thy hand or foot offend thee cut them off, and cast them from thee; or if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out. We must deal severely with our selves in those things that are as near and dear to us as our hands and eyes; but ver.15. When Christ gives order how we are to deale with our Brethren , he then requires more moderation; if thy Brother offends thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone; if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, and see what thou canst do with him that way; yea, and after that tell the Church, not presently cut him off, or cast him away, as you must do when your hand or eye offends you; If men have any indulgence, let it be exercised towards their Brethren; if they have any severity, let them exercise that against themselves. I remember I have read of Pliny, that he says of himself, That he so passed by other mens offenses, as if himself were the greatest offender; and he was so severe against himself, as if he meant to pardon none. If it were so with us, we should live at more peace one with another; then we do.

Selfishness causes reservedness; great self-lovers never care for communion but with such as are either far above them, that so they may get from them, and have credit by conversing with them, or with those that are under them, for they will admire them, they may rule amongst them: In the company of either of these, they will let out themselves fully; but if there be an equality, then you shall have little from them, there is nothing to draw forth Self, there soon grows a strangeness between them and such, union will not hold where communion is not free; if there be but an interruption of the freedom of communion, the union will soon break.

You will say, These were wont to be very entire friends, how came they to break? What hath either of them done? What unkindness hath befallen them?

None at all, only principle of Self was not so fully fed as it would be: upon that they began to be reserved, and so strange, and at last quite fell off from one another, from former love and friendship, and then every little thing caused grudgings between them.

inthly, Self sets mens wits on work in all cunning craftiness, to fetch others about to their own ends, and this goes as much against a mans spirits as any thing: When he comes to discerne it, no man can abide to be circumvented, to be as it were rid upon, to be made serviceable only to another mans ends: the more cunning there is in it, the more odious and abominable it is to a mans spirits, when it comes once to be perceived, a man cannot beare it. Crooked windings are the goings of the Serpent: But if a man shall not only seek to make use of another to serve his owne turne by him, but after he hath done that, then to cast him off to shift for himself; this is so provoking a think, as it makes breaches irreconcilable.

When one is for Selfe in his ways, he teaches another to be so in his; As a man by conversing with the forward, learns to be forward: So many who have heretofore had plain hearts, full of love and sweetness, yet by being acquainted much with selfish political men, learn to be so too; I see how he hookes in himself in every thing, fetches about this way and that way, but still gets to come to selfe; I perceived it not at my first acquaintance with him, and then my heart was let out to him fully, but now I see every man is for himself, and why should not I be so too? And what then is like to become of the Public?

Surely this selfishness 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 the world; that which they do in a natural way, we should do by the strength of reason, much more by grace. Philosophers 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 joined in one, there would not be a contiguity of one part with another. This is the reason that water will ascend when the air is drawn out of a pipe, to fill it; this is to prevent division in nature; O that we had but so much naturalness 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 be any thing in the world that is not sinne, that we may help to a joining: O foolish heart, that in such times as this art selfish, when the danger is public! As in a storm, when the Ship is in danger, if every Mariner should be busy about his own Cabin, dressing and painting that; what infinite sottish solely were it? And is it not our -----? It were just with God to leave thee to they self hereafter; if thou wilt look so much to thy self now, Ezek.22.16. And thou shalt take thine inheritance in thy self in the sight of the Heathen, and thou shalt know that I am the Lord: This is in a way of threat, as appears if you compare it with ver. 14,15. Woe to us if God leaves unto our selves, I have heard of a story of a fool being left in a chamber, and the door locked when he was asleep, after he awakes and finds the door locked, and all the people gone, he cries out at the window, Oh my selfe, Oh my selfe, nothing else came from him but O my selfe. Such fools 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 Christ: Their own things, that is, says Chrysostome, their pleasure and their security, their temporal 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 own them? Are they not under his protection and care?

Answer: Yes, And he would own them more, if we owned them less; 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 be desiring them, using them, rejoicing 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 spiritual good of his people, and the things of eternal life, they are his things; let us make his things ours, and he will make our things his.