A Directory for Youth, Sermon · Remedies 7
Remedies againſt that Youthful Sin of Pride.
THat Youth is apt to admire themſelves, for their ſuppoſed Excellences, as Beauty, Parts, Wit, Strength, &c. I have ſhewed before, Man is a proud piece of Duſt, and a little thing will puff him up, a R…bbon, a Feather, a Wire, a black ſpot, a bag full of Dirt, a Shop full of Goods, or the Excrements of Beaſts; this is that old Leaven of Corruption, that hath leavened the whole humane nature: hence young Abſalon ſwells, O that I might be Judge of Iſrael. Wherefore I ſhall lay down ſome directions in order to your fleeing this Sin.
1. Repreſent to thy ſelf how odious and abominable this Sin is to God, as will evidently appear, if thou ſtudy theſe Scriptures. 1 Peter 5. God reſiſteth the Pruod, foreign the Word ſignifieth, Sets himſelf in battle array againſt ſuch a perſon. Proverbs 6. 16, 17. it is there placed in the front of thoſe ſix things the Lord hates, A proud look, &c. Proverbs 16. 5. Every one that is Proud in Heart, is abomination to the Lord; and though Hand joyn in Hand, yet ſhall he not go unpuniſhed. Iſaiah 23. 8. Surely the Lord of Hoſts hath purpoſed to ſtain the Pride of all Glory. And in Iſaiah 2. 11. The Day of the Lord ſhall be upon every one that is Proud, whoſe Heart is lifted up. O young People, when ever you are affecting a Glory, and a kind of Supremacy to your ſelves, conſider theſe Scriptures, and remember what a God he is, that hath thus expreſſed his hatred of this Sin: he is a God of infinite Greatneſs, and Majeſty, that might in his Soveraignty have left thee in the Womb of Nothing, had he pleaſed; or might have cruſh'd thee into nothing in the Cradle. When he did but let out of his Glory a little to Job, and Iſaiah, one crys ou…, Wo is me! I am an undone man, I have ſeen the Lord, Iſaiah 6. The other breaks forth, Behold I am vile, I abhor my ſelf in Duſt and Aſhes, for mine Eyes have ſeen the Lord of Hoſt. And in Heaven, where he fully ſhineth forth in his Glory, the Elders fall down, and caſt down their Crowns before him that ſitteth on the Throne. O proud Duſt, one glimpſe of the high and lofty One would make thee quake and tremble.
Secondly, Get thy Heart well ſeaſoned with deep Convictions of what a poor ſinful mortal Creature thou art; it is ignorance of your ſelv…s, that makes you proud. Hence you read Rev. 3. 17. Thou ſayeſt I am rich, and increaſed with Goods, and have need of nothing, and knoweſt not that thou art wretched, and miſerable, and poor, and blind, and naked. Here you ſee the different judgment of God and man; Whence is it, but from man's ignorance of himſelf? O proud Youth, were you brought but once to underſtand what a leprous, deformed, diſeaſed Soul lodgeth in thy dunghil Body, let Conſcience anſwer whether thou couldſt be Proud or no? a Soul ſo ignorant of, and averſe unto the bleſſed God, ſo unbelieving, unholy, univerſally miſerable and wretched, ſo like to the Devil, and yet be proud? a Soul ſo unreconciled to God, ſo unready for the coming of Chriſt, in ſuch danger of the damnation of Hell, one would thi…k here ſhould be no more room for Pride than there is reaſon for it, and that's none at all, but the quite contrary, namely, lying in Tears, and abaſement before the Lord, and begging of Mercy, better becometh ſuch a Soul. And then for thy Body, wherein this miſerable Soul lodgeth for a few days, one would think thou ſhouldſt have little mind to be proud of that, were it only for the ſake of ſo wretched a Tenant that dwells within: but as wiſely conſider it, and ſee whether there be any thing in it, or no, to be proud of; firſt then, O young man, doſt thou not know it to be a poor, vain, frail, periſhing thing; the Heathen can tell you this without the Book of Scripture: haſt thou now a juvenile verdure, and freſhneſs of Complexion, or briskneſs of Spirits, or quickneſs of Parts, or ſtrength of Body? and art thou tempted to Pride by any, or all of theſe? Alas, let but a Feaver, or an Apoplexy ſeize you, as they may within the ſpace of an hour, and then where are all theſe? Indeed if thou couldſt by thy youthful ſtrength and ability, hinder any of theſe; and wert ſo conſiderable a Creature, as to beat back Sickneſs and Death, when they come, thou mighteſt have ſome pretence for thy boaſting; but if thy young Fleſh be but as Graſs, that can no ways defend it ſelf from the Sythe, then be aſhamed and abaſed in the Duſt. Have you no… ſeen? or at leaſt have you not heard? …w ſuddenly many of your Age have d…p'd into the P…; go to the Churchyard, …nd look among the Graves, and ſee it there be not ſhorter Graves than would fit you, and learn humility.
Thirdly, S…udy an humbled Chriſt, and abhor Pride for ever. Mat. 11. 29. Learn of me (ſaith Chriſt) for I am meek an… lowly. And will you be proud and haughty? Pſal. 22. 6. I am a Worm, and no Man, it is ſpoken of Chriſt. O when you are tempted to be high-minded, and to over-valuing conceits of your ſelves, to think I am ſome body, and deſerve reſpect and eſteem, then look an humbled Chriſt in the face, and loath thy ſelf, and ſay, O proud heart, doſt thou ſtand upon thy Pantofles and Terms, and thy Saviour ſtoop and ſtep down into the form of a Servant? Diſmount, diſmount, proud Duſt, and come down, and let the ſame mind be in you as was in Chriſt, 2 Phil. 6.
The next Sin Youth is prone unto, is quenching the Spirit.