Volume II, Treatise III, Chapter XXI

That a Most Sure Way to Gain the Esteem of Men, T3 to Become Virtuous and Humble

Ir, notwithstanding all we have said, you cannot yet forbear to love so vain a thing, as the opinion of the world is; and to attach a value to a little smoke—if to defend your own sentiment therein, you say, that to be esteemed by men, is of value, and of importance for the edification of your neighbour, and for several other things; and that the wise man himself counsels you, “to take care of your reputation;” (Ecclesiasticus 41:13), well then do so-in God’s name. I will grant that you ought to take care of it, and endeavour to acquire esteem in the world; but I beg to tell you at the same, time, that you deceive yourself if you hope to succeed therein; for by the way you take, you will never obtain what you aim at. The infallible way to be esteemed by men, says St. Chrysostom, is that of virtue and humility. Endeavour to be a good religious, labour to be, and to show yourself the humblest of all, in the way you are, and on all occasions which shall offer themselves, and so you will gain the esteem of every one; for herein consists the honour of a religious, who has truly renounced the world. A plain and coarse habit, and a mean office, which through humility he takes upon him, becomes him as well as rich and fine clothes do worldly people. Nay, he would otherwise be laughed at as one, “‘ who had begun to build, without being able to finish;” (Luke 14:30), nay, it would be a shame for him to aim at the esteem and praise of men; because to adopt again the sentiments of the world, which a man had quitted at his entrance into a religious life, is a kind of returning to the world.

Would you see clearly what a shame it is to him, who professes to aspire after perfection, to desire to be esteemed of men?

let but any body know this your design, and you will find how ashamed you will be as soon as ever it is perceived. We have — very good example hereof in the gospel. The apostles, walking once at a little distance from our Saviour, so that they thought he could not hear them, began to dispute, ‘“who was the greatest among them:” and when they came home, he asked them, “what was the subject of their discourse upon the way?” (Mark 9:32) They were so ashamed to find their ambition and vanity discovered, that they all held their peace; “because,” says the gospel, “they had disputed who was the greatest amongst them.” Then Jesus calling them to him, said, “those who command others in the world are looked upon as the greatest, but it is not so with you.” (Matthew 20:25) “For he that would be great among you, let him be as the least, and let him who would be chief, be your servant.’ (Luke 22:26) ‘ He who would be the first let him be the last, and become the servant of all.”—-(Mark 9:34) To be great in the house of God, and in a religious life, is to be humble, and to make one’s self little; and to give place to all, is to raise one’s self above all. In this kind of honour a religious life consists; for that honour which you seek, is no true honour at all, but rather a subject of confusion; and instead of acquiring thereby the esteem of the world, you make yourself despicable, because you pass for a proud man; which is the worst opinion can be had of you. You cannot injure your reputation more, than when you give occasion to make others believe, that you would fain be honoured and esteemed; or when you stand much upon your honour, and are touched in what relates thereunto.

Upon this account it is, that St. John Climachus says, that vanity has been often the cause of shame and confusion to the proud; because it makes them do things which betray their pride, and bring them into contempt. They are not aware, that all they say and do to make themselves esteemed and respected, serves many times, only to lay open the vanity of their pride, and to render them despicableé by the very means they adopt to attract esteem.

Pride, says St. Bonaventure, is a blindness of our understanding, which is never greater in us, than when we perceive it least; and hence it is, that a vain man is moved sometimes, to say and do things, which he would be sure never to say or do, ifhe did but ever so little reflect thereupon, nay, though he should consider therein only the esteem of the world, without any regard either to God or his own duty. How often happens it, that a man, finding himself disquieted, because he has not been regarded; or because some other has been preferred to him; and imagining that he is wronged, and that bis honour is affected, and that justice will be done him upon his complaint, go so far as to make a discovery of his whole heart? The effect of all which is, that this very person is hereupon less esteemed than he was before; because he is now looked upon as a proud man, since he stands so much upon panctilios; which is very odious, especially in a religious: whereas, had he lightly passed over the business, and left the superiors at liberty to do what they thought fit, he would no less have gained their esteem, than the friendship of every body else.

So that if we consult only prudence, common sense, and even worldly principles, without any regard to those of a spiritual life, the surest way to attract the love and esteem of men, is to become really virtuous and humble. Agesilaus, one of the wisest kings of Sparta, being asked by Socrates, how he could gain esteem in the world, answered, “you will gain it by endeavouring to be such a one indeed, as you would be thought to be.” And at another time, when some one else asked the same question; “you will be esteemed,” says he, “if you say only good things, and do nothing else but what is also good.” There is a story also, that a great philosopher had a friend, who was used in all places to speak well of him, and that his friend took once occasion to tell him, how much he was obliged to him; because in whatever company he went, he praised still his virtue and merit; the philosopher answered, that he sufficiently requited him, by living so, that in the praises he gave him, he could not be accused of having said anything that was false.

But all this while it is not my intent, that you should pursue virtue, with the prospect only of acquiring esteem among men; for that would be to pervert and destroy the best thing in the world, by a motive of pride. What I say is, that if you endeavour to be truly humble, you will undoubtedly gain esteem, even though you seek it not; and the more you avoid being esteemed and despised, the greater account will be made of you; for glory is like a shadow, which follows always when you go from it, and is never to be caught when you run after it. Hence St. Jerom, speaking of St. Paula, says, “that in shunning glory she deserved glory, which always follows virtue, as the shadow follows the body, and flying from those that seek it, seek those that despise it.”

Jesus Christ himself has taught us this in the gospel, when speaking to the Pharisees, who chose always the best places in the assemblies:—‘‘ When thou shalt be invited to a wedding,” says he, ‘sit not down in the first place, lest a more considerable man than thyself be also invited, and that he who invited both of you, comes and says to thee, give this man place, and thou findest thyself put down with shame to a lower place; but when thou art invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, that when he comes that invited thee, he may say unto thee, friend, go up higher; then shalt thou be respected in the presence of all about thee.” (Luke 14:8,9). The Holy Ghost teaches us the same thing by the mouth of the wise man, when he says, “Put not thyself too forward before the king, and stand not in the place of great men, for it is far better, that it should be said unto thee: come up hither, than that thou shouldst be put down lower in the prince’s presence.” (Proverbs 25:6).

To conclude, “whoever exalts himself shall be humbled,” says the Saviour of the world, “and whosoever humbles himself shall be exalted.” (Luke 14:11). You see, then, that he who is humble and stoops to others, becomes thereby more esteemed, not only before God, but men also; and on the contrary, that he who is proud and will have the preference everywhere, exposes himself to contempt and affronts, even by behaving himself after this manner. “QO holy humility,” cries out the great St. Austin, “how different art thou from pride? It was pride, my brethren, which threw down Lucifer from heaven, and it was humility that made the Son of God descend from thence, to take our flesh upon him; it was pride that drove Adam from paradise, and humility that gave the good thief a place there. Pride caused the confusion of tongues, and humility re-united people of different languages. Pride transformed Nebuchodnosor into a beast, and humility raised Joseph not only above all the Egyptians, ‘but even above all the children of Jacob. Pride caused the destruction of Pharao; and humility exalted Moses.”—(Serm. 12. ad frat. in Erem.)

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