The arraignment of pride, or, Pride set forth, with the causes, kinds, and several branches of it: the odiousness and greatness of the sin of pride: the prognosticks of it, together with the cure of it: as also a large description of the excellency and usefulness of the grace of humility: divided into chapters and sections. / By W. Gearing minister of the word at Lymington in Hantshire.

CHAP. 19. Of Pride of Memory.

MEmory is one of the greatest natural gifts, and one of the principal utensils of our life, it is the repository of truth, and the store-house of the soul, depending much upon the understanding: Some men have excelled for the greatness of their memories, having, * 1.1 as one saith, drunk memoriae dolium; a whole hogs-head there∣of. The memory of King Cyrus was so great, that he was able to call every souldier that he had through his whole army by his own name: L. Scipio could do the like by all the Citizens of Rome; and Cyneas Em∣bassador of King Pyrrhus the very next day that he came to Rome, both knew and sa∣luted all the Senatours by name, and the whole degrees of Gentlemen and Cavalry in the City. King Mithridates governed divers Nations of divers languages, and gave laws and ministred justice to them, and made speeches to every Nation in their own lan∣guage: * 1.2 and so great was the memory of Beza, that when he was above fourscore years of age, he could perfectly rehearse any Greek chapter in Pauls Epistles, or any other thing which he had learn't long before. Now some

have been proud of their memories, and God hath taken it from them, as from Messala Corvinus the great Oratour, who after a great sickness forgot his own proper name: Staupiti∣us Tutor to Luther, and a good man, in a proud ostentation of his memory repeated the Gene∣alogy of Christ (Matth. 1.) by heart in a Sermon of his, but being quite out, when he came to the captivity of Babylon, * 1.3 he uttered these words, Now I see that God resisteth the proud. Canst thou remember many things? know, that God can make the remembrance of those things sad to thee, that have been most delightful to thee: * 1.4 If thou hast done that which is good, the remembrance of that will be sweet unto thee; but if thou hast done evil, the remembrance of that will cause thee sorrow and vexation of spirit; If thou canst remember many things, then thou must expect that thy sins, and reproaches, faults and wickednesses will come to thy remembrance, as well as any good thing that hath been done by thee; * 1.5 and the thoughts of by-past evils will more afflict thee, then the delight of any pre∣sent good can be pleasant to thee. A free man will indeed remember his captivity with de∣light, * 1.6 a man that is set at liberty will remember his bonds, and a man that is ransomed and returned home his exile, a rich man his pover∣ty, a man restored to health his sickness: but there is some thing that will stick close to a

man upon the remembrance of it, and that is ignominy and reproach: a good name is bet∣ter then riches, yea then life it self. Boast not then of the greatness of thy memory; for in the remembrance of divers things, there wanteth not abundance of trouble; some things will prick, some things will wound and tear thy conscience, some things will terrifie thee, some deject thee, and other things will confound thee. Art thou proud of thy great memory? let me ask thee this question, What then is the reason thou art so forgetful of Gods Commandements, * 1.7 and of divine precepts, which are but few in num∣ber? whence is it that thou forget∣test that one and only God, and thy duty towards him? It may be, thy memory is very tenacious of inju∣ries, of worldly things and outward concernments (for even old men do precisely remember all their several debtors, and their manner of dealing, and all the coffers, cabinets and corners, wherein they have laid up and hid their gold and jewels; they carry an exact inventory of them in their heads.) But what a vain thing is it to remem∣ber all other things, and not know how to return into our selves, and to forget the one thing necessary? Its good to put many things out of our minds, and utterly to forget them, so we may remember God; and whosoever truly remembreth him, may say he hath for∣gotten nothing. * 1.8 Therefore remember thy

Creatour in the daies of thy youth: Remem∣ber the providences of God, and the years of the most High to observe them and improve them for thy good; remember the justice of God to keep thee from sin, remember the commandments of God to do them, the mercy of God to keep thee from despair; remember thy sins to mourn and grieve and to be daily humbled for them, and Gods mercies to be continually thankful for them; remember death that thou maist alwaies be in preparation for it: King Philips Page of Macedon, * 1.9 was to sound this every morning in his ears, Remem∣ber O Philip that thou art but a man; the re∣membrance of these things will never puffe thee up with Pride, but alwaies keep thee very humble.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Plin. nat. hist. lib. 7. cap. 24. Some have so good a memory, that they go (as it is said) to ga∣ther Mulberies with∣out a hook, to the well without a pitcher.
• * 1.2

  Thuan. in chit. doct. virorum. p. 384.
• * 1.3

  Melch. Adam. in vita Stau∣pitii. p. 20.
• * 1.4

  Memoria similis reti, quod majora continet, minora transmittit. E∣rasmus.
• * 1.5

  It is said of Julius Cae∣sar that he forgot no∣thing but injuries.
• * 1.6

  Haec olim meminisse juvabit.
• * 1.7

  When one promised Themistocles to teach him the art of memory invented by Simonides, he said he had rather learn the art of for∣getfulness, then of memory.
• * 1.8

  Eccl. 12.1.
• * 1.9

  Memento Philippe te esse homi∣nem.