The Christian Governor in the Commonwealth and Private Families, Exposition 1 · Part 16
Him that hath a high looke, and large heart, &c.
THe Prophet now speaketh of a proud person, whom he describeth by the signe, a high looke; and the thing signified, a large heart. For, pride (properly) is in the heart, manifestly in the eyes and externall behauiour. The eyes, that is, the eyes life vp, are the windowes out at which pride looketh, and the heart (the large heart, for, so it is in the owne tongue) is that highly exalted Chaire of estate in which pride sitteth. So that proud persons hauehave bigge lookes, and a large heart; or are large in heart; that is, aspire to great matters, & swell with ouer-weenings. And though the heart be vnsearchable, yet it may be found and iudged of by the pulse, and beating of it in a disdainefull countenance, according to the Phisiognome of the holy Ghost in this place. In the words themselues the Prophet sheweth what a proud person is, and how hee will proceede against him; he will not abide him: where hee immitateth the Highest, who resisteth the proud, 1 Pet. 5.5. For the first, hee sayth that (for the most part) a proud heart may be seene in the Glasse of a proud countenance: at least, where there is a loftie countenance, there must needes be a proud heart.
The doctrine heere taught is:Doct. 1. A bigge looke, and a large heart, are inseperable M…tes: and where a haughtie face lookes out at the window, there is a Iezebel (certainely) within doores, 2 King. 9 30. So Pro. 21.4. A haughtie looke, and a proud heart goe hand in hand. And Esa. 2.11. The high looke of man, and the loftinesse of men, are taken for proud Man, by a figure of the signe for the thing signified. Also the Prophet Esa, speaking of proud w… men, layeth …hem open in diuers token… of pride and lightnes: as that they ha… stretched-…ut neckes, wandering eyes, and made a tinkling with their feete, Esa. 3.16. The like wee reade, Deut. 28.56. And so now adayes many of our coy women goe tripping, and mince it as they goe: which proud gesture, in such, what is it but the euidence or blab of a proud heart?
The Reasons.
As the fruit doth manifest what the tree is, Mat. 12.33. so the behauiour shewes the man. An Adulterous heart hath eyes full of Adulterie, 2 Pet. 2.14. and a Couetous heart is quickly displayd in a couetous tongue. Secondly, the countenance and the outward parts are moued by the heart, and as the heart is so goe they. They that hauehave proud hearts, walke proudly, and looke bigge: and they that hauehave froward hearts, talke churlishly, and speake ill: and they that hauehave guile in their hearts, will hauehave vanitie in their mouths, and falshood in their right hand, Psal. 144.8.
Vses.
A reproofe to those who being reprooued for their outward euill behauiour,Vse. 1. (the true copie of an euill heart) as, because they looke bigge, hauehave rolling eyes in their head, filthie talke in their mouth, and put on pride in all their apparrell, vse to say that their heart is as good as any mans, or as theirs that reprooue them. But is not the body the Lords as well as the soul… ? and did not he that made the soule, for his seruice, make the body for his glory? 1 Cor. 6.20. Why then should hee not be serued with both, who made both? Or, to speake more to purpose; Doth not the Lord bring to light that which is within, by that which is without? and doe not proud speeches, countenances, goings, and apparrell, signifie a vaine & proud heart? when mens actions are worldly, doe we not say that they hauehave a worldly heart? and who, seeing streames of pride in the cloathes men weare, will not thinke that they flow from the well-head that boyleth in the heart? If wee hauehave humble soules, our eyes will be cast downe, as were the Publicans, Luk. 18.13. or if we thinke other… better then ourselues (and it is our dutie to be so minded, Rom. 12.10.) wee will striue to giuegive them honour, and not honour our selues by striuing with them for the better hand. Seeing (then) wee lay forth our hearts thus in these bodily actions, who will not say that our heart is as these are? and who will finde fault with him that shall say, This is naughtie fruit, and therefore the tree is naught that beares it?
Vse 2.Againe, heere wee see what may be thought of Swaggerers and Ruffians, who looke bigge, and care for no man, are rude in behauiour, and wicked in talke, hauing no grace in them, nor outward thing to commend them. They thinke themselues to be some body, and that all men should looke after them: but they are abiect base persons, their glorie is to their sha…e, Phil. 3.19. and their valour (that which they call valour) is nothing but a kinde of drunken rudenesse. They shew that they hauehave a vaine heart, by so foolish behauiour. I pray you, who did swagger more then Ismael, whose hand was against eueryevery man? Gen. 16.12. but was hee for such fiercenes euer the better man: nay, sayth the Scripture, hee was a wilde man; and what was his swaggering (then) but the effect and testimony of a wilde heart? And thus we hauehave heard how a man may trace a proud person by his high looke. That which followeth is the swelling heart, blowne vp by the winde of conceit, and may therefore be compared to a payre of Bellowes that hauing gathered winde, begin to swell, and take a larger roome. But that which is called here a large heart, is called, Pr…. 16.5. pride of heart: and they that are swayed by it, proud in heart. Such as hauehave an habite of pride, and in whom pride hath dominion, such are sayde to hauehave a large heart, or heart enlarged by couetousnes.
From whence wee learne,Doct. 2. that proud persons thinke all too little for themselues: so sayth the Lord by Esa, (speaking of such) that they ioyne house to house, and lay field to field, till there be no place, that they may be placed by themselues in the midst of the earth, Esa. 5.8. The meaning is, that they will hauehave none to dwell by them, that shall not hold of them; and that all others shall be Tennants, and no Lords but they. Ieremie speaketh of some, who build a wide house and large chambers, Ier. 22.14. as if a little house could not hold them, nor a few roomes contayne them. If then we would auoid the vlcer of Couetousnes, wee must abhorre the itch of vaine-glory.
The Reasons.
A proud person is euer couetous of more, and neuer content with that hee hath: for hee cannot abide to be lesse then another; and he cannot be greater, but by a desire of greatnesse. Secondly, a proud person neuer thinketh what hee hath, but alwayes enuieth what another hath: and from hence it is that pride stirreth vp so much strife, Pro. 28.25. and that there is no peace in their Tabernacles, that hauehave a proud heart, Pro. 13.10.
Vses.
Vse 1.An instruction to abhorre Pride as we would hate to be Extortioners, & couetous: for the Wolfe of Pride is hungrie, and must be fedde with supplyes from whomsoever: Also, Pride is haughtie, and will not be satisfied with a little. Then we must keepe downe our hart, if we would keepe vnderunder the humour of desire.
A reproofe to those who keepe no banke by humble affections,Vse 2. and therefore cannot but runne ouer, as a Floud, by large couetousnes. This is euident in all those Tyrants, who, not content with their owne territories (because Pride hath made them insatiable) hauehave broken into other Princes possessions, and taken the wide roomes of the earth by oppression, that there might be one alone, and not a second, Eccl. 4.8. Such before the Floud, were called Giants, Gen. 6.4. and after it, Hunters, as Nimrod, the mightie Hunter before the Lord, Gen 10.9. These were Rangers, and kept not their pale as good Princes doe. The Prophets manner of proceeding against a proud person followeth.