The Bibles Abstract and Epitome, Part 84
Of Pride and Ambition punished.
PRide is the beginning and end of all sinnes, because it is not onelyonly a sinne, butEcclus. 10. 7, 12, 13. Pro. 13. 10. & 30. 10. Chap. 11. 2. Psal. 10. 3. Luke 18. that no sinne is, or hath been, or shall be without it: This sinne causeth a man to think he hath a thing, when he hath it not, which cometh of selfe-love: As also it causeth us not to acknowledge from whence we have that we have, making us to glory in the Gift not in the Giver, with the Pharisee.
There are two sorts of Pride:
The one of Opinion,
There are two sorts of Pride:
The other of Action.
Of the first sort are they, who say not with Moses, Lord, who am I?Exod. 3. 11.
But they say in their own Pride, Lord, what am not I?
The other sort are they who once being conceited, lash out their riches in excesse of diet, in vanitie of apparell, and such like, and then they will be proud as an Italian, new-fangled with the Spaniard, drunke with the Grecian, gluttonous with the Muscovites, and cruell with the Tartarians. So that often-times in one and the same Creature, we have the English speech, the Spanish fashion, the Italian behaviour, a manly shape, and a beastly life.
From these two former kindes of pride there springethIsai. 10. 12. Chap. 16. 6. 1 Ioh. 2. 17. 2 Ki. 20. Prov. 28. 11. Rom. 12. 16. Prov. 10. 7. Psal. 52. 7. Prov. 16. 18.
Arrogancie, Pride of life, Pride of gifts, Pride of sinning, which is in high lookes, and indignation of spirit. in glorying in friends, money, &c. to thinke himselfe wise in conceit. in committing of great evils, and that against knowledge, conscience notwithstanding accusing; together with presumption, obstinacie, hypocrisie, boasting, ingratitude, contempt, disobedience and curiositie, which brings a man to finall destruction.
The Description of a Proud Man.
The ambitious man is bred out of the dust, yet he catcheth at Lordships and Honours, ransacks the citie, forredges the countrey, scoures it through the Church,Adams Serm. but his errand is at Court: He is the Maggot of pride, begot out of corruption, and lookes into an office, as the Ape did when he had got on the robes of a Senatour. Now for his pride that pleaseth no body, because he himselfe is acceptable to no1 Pet. 5. body: He doth not please God, for that he is contrarie to him, for he resisteth the proud: He doth not please the humble, for that they altogether abhorre pride: He pleaseth not proud men, because they cannot abide any greater then themselves: His pride onelyonly pleaseth the devill, who is delighted with those that are like himselfe.
Through Pride
The Angels were cast out of Heaven: Adam or Paradise Eden.Iude 6. Gen. 3.
Ahimelech, Absalom, Adoniah, and Athaliah aspiring were slain.
Ashur said,
Are not my Princes altogether Kings? Is not Calno as Charchemish? Ezek. 31. 3. Jer. 50. 29. Isai. 10. 2 King. 19. … Mach. 9. Mark 9. Dan. 5. 1 Cor. 4. 18. Isa. 47. Isa. 47. 7. Numb. 22. 37. 2 Ki. 1. Psal. 30. 6. Obad. 3. Ier. 49. Iudg. 12. Iudg. 9. Gen. 16. 2 Chr. 32. 35. 2 Ki. 20. Esth. 7. & 5 11. Act. 12. Isai. 9. 9. Hos. 6. 3.shall not I as I have done to Samaria doe to Ierusalem? God plagued him.
Antiochus advanced himselfe, till by a fall God wounded him.
The Apostles reasoned who should be the greatest among them.
Be…shazzar was lifted up till a hand-writing struck him.
Babylon said she was a Lady: God brought her to destruction.
Two Captains of three sent to take Elijah commanded him to come down.
David said he should not be moved: Absalom rose against him.
Edomites made their nests on high, the Lord brought them down.
Ephraimites set themselves against Iephthah, thousands were slain.
Gaal said, Who is Abimelech? He was forced to fly from him.
Hagar bearing Ishmael, despised Sarah, being barren.
Hezekiah shewed all his treasures to the men of Babylon.
Haman was hanged on the gallowes provided for Mordecal.
Herod was stricken with wormes, so that he died suddenly.
The Israelites said the brickes were fallen, but they would build them of hewen stones: God moved adversaries against them.
The women of Israel had their heads made bald, their secret parts discovered, their ornaments taken away, in stead of sweet savour they had stinke,Isai. 3. for a girdle a rent.
The Jewes would not have Christ being poore to reigne over them.Matth. 27. Eze. 16. 1 Ki. 12.
Jerusalem was destroyed, and Ieroboam for calves erecting.
The king of Aram said that the dust of Samaria should not be a handfull apiece for those that followed him. He was by the Lord overcome at the1 King. 20. last with a small number of men.
The King of Tire said he was a god: He was destroyed by God.Ezek. 28. Isai. 14. 12. N…b. N…b. 16. 10. 16. Zeph. 8, 15. 2. Isai. 16. 8. Gen. 11. 1 Sam. 25. Dan. … & 4. Psal. 83. 11. Ex…d. 5. Exo. 15. 9. …. …. Joh. 19. Mat. 23. 5. Luk. 1…. Isai. 36. Iudg. 4. Act. 8. Ezek. …7 3.
Korah and his companie set themselves against Moses.
Moab did howle unto Moab through desolations.
Nimrod building Babel, all languages were confounded.
Nabal in his drinke and chu…lishnesse said, Who is David?
Nebu…hadnezzar said, Who can deliver? is not this Babel that I have builded?
Orch and Zeeb said, Let us take for our possessions the habitations of God.
Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord? The Princes of Succoth boasted.
Pilate said to Christ, Have not I power to deliver thee?
The Pha…see exalted himselfe praying: The Publican in humilitie.
Rabshakeh blasphemed: His army was slain by an Angel.
Sisera came to battell against Israel: he was slain by Iael.
Simon Magus mounted to be like God, bewitching the people.
Sheba Shallum, and Zimri conspired, they were executed.
Theudas boasted, he, and many of his company perished.Act. 5.
Zedekiah smote Micatab, asking, when Gods spirit departed, &c.2 Chron. 26. 16. … 2 Chron. 18. Matth. 20. Psal. 73. 11. Job 21. 14. …p. 22. 17. Prov. 27. 1. Pro 30 32. Matt. 23. 12. Pro. 29. 23. Chap. 16. 7. 2 S…. 22. … 26. 5. Pro. 15. 25 Ps. 119. 21. Chap. 16. 5. Is…. 13. 11. Chap. 26. 5. Jam. 5. Zeph. 1. 8. Ezek. 17. 24. Mal. 4. Pro 16. 5. Rom. 12. 3, 16. Gal. 5. 2….
Zebedeus sons Iames and Iohn desired of Christ to be promoted.
The wicked say,
How doth he know it? Who is the Lord?
The wicked say,
Depart from us, what can the Almightie doe for us?
Men
Shall be humbled and brought to shame, they shall be visited, and their houses made desolate: Their riches shall be corrupted, their garments shall be moath-eaten, their silver and gold shall cancker: They shall be abominable to the Lord, and shall be left without root or branch, their end shall be destruction, and without repentance damnation.
Use.
1. Let not the wise man glorie in his wisdome, the strong man in his strength,Jer. 19. 23. Isai. 2. 11. Luk. 1. 51. Luk. 4. 11. or the rich man in his wealth, for that the high lookes of men shall be abased, in that the Lord putteth down the mightie, and shall be himselfe exalted onelyonly, together with them of low degree, whom he will exalt highly.
2. Remember that thou art but dust, thy breath is sinfull, thy life miserable, thy body wormes meat; Then take heed of pride that cast Lucifer out of Heaven, it will not then place a proud man again in Heaven:
Then to avoide it,
3. Consider from whence thy Pride commeth: for,
If Pride proceed from
Riches, They may be lost in a moment.
Nobilitie, It may be stained.
Knowledge, It is full of errour.
Wit, It's guiltie of follie.
Strength, It may soon decay.
Honour, It is but a Ceremonie.
Good Successe, Time may alter it.
Beautie, Age may wrinkle it.
Health, Sicknesse may destroy it.
Clothing, Moaths may consume it.
Daintie food, It may breed surfetting to thee.
Friends, They may as Davids and Iobs did prove miserable comforters unto thee.
4. Know that pride is the most pestilent and compatible opposite that GraceSyr. 23. 4. hath; The Remedie whereof is Humilitie: for as pride doth ba…sh us from God,Gal. 5. 26. so Humilitie doth call us again unto God.
Reade Lam. 4. 5. Dan. 4. 34. Hab. 2. 5. Prov. 16. 18. Chap. 21. 4. Psal. 101. 5. Psal. 73. 6. Psal. 138. 6. Zech. 9. 6. 2 King. 14. 9. Ecclus. 29. …8▪ 2 Chron. 26. 16. Prov. 27. 1. Chap. 30. 32. Psal. 17. 10. Rom. 11. 18. Eccl. 7. 8. Syr. 10. 14. Syr. 2. 30. Luke 16. 15. Ezek. 28. 1, &c. Chap. 31. 10. 1 Cor. 4. 19. Syr. 10. 12. Matth. …8. 14. Isai. 26. 5. Ezek. 17. 24. Psal. 119. 11. Prov. 6. 17. Iob 38. 15. Luke 14. 7, 8. Luke 1. 52. Chap. 14. 11.