The Saints Temptations, Sermons · Sermon 3
SERMON III.
2 Cor. 12.7, 8, 9.
And leſt I ſhould be exalted above meaſure through the abundance of revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the fleſh, the meſſenger of Satan to buffet me, leſt I ſhould be exalted above meaſure.
For this thing I beſought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
And he ſaid unto me, My grace is ſufficient for thee: for my ſtrength is made perfect in weakneſs.
I Come now to the ſecond part of the Text, and that is to ſpeak of the ground, and occaſion of this exerciſe and conflict that Paul was under, and that is the danger he was in of being lifted up, Leſt I ſhould be exalted above meaſure, there was given unto me a thorn in the fleſh, the meſſenger of Satan to buffet me.
The Obſervation which doth naturally ariſe from this Part, it is this,
Doct. 2. That,Doct. 2. men of the higheſt grace, are in danger of ſpiritual Pride, and to be exalted above meaſure. Leſt I ſhould be exalted above meaſure, ſaith the Apoſtle. Paul was an Apoſtle, a man of more than ordinary grace, and yet he was in danger of Spiritual Pride.
In the proſecution of this Doctrine, theſe things are to be ſpoken unto.
1. We muſt ſhew what Pride is, what the Nature of it is, in General.
2. What Spiritual Pride is.
3. We ſhall ſhew you how it comes to paſs, that men of the higheſt grace are in danger of Spiritual Pride.
1. We ſhall ſhew a little what the nature of Pride is in general.
Pride may be conſidered either as it is in the underſtanding, or as it is in the will: for pride is ſeated in both the faculties of the ſoul. Pride it is to be found both in the underſtanding and will; now we ſhall conſider Pride in both.
1. For Pride in the underſtanding; Pride in the underſtanding, it is nothing thing elſe but a vehement opinion, Vehemens opinio propriae excellentiae.or ſtrong conceit of a mans own excellency. And this pride in the underſtanding hath ſeveral branches.
1. One branch of Pride in the underſtanding is, when we imagine or ſuppoſe a greater excellency to be in our ſelves than indeed there is. Superbia eſt ſupergreaiens meatis elatio de to quod non eſt.Pride is a ſurpaſſing or exceſſive lifting up of the mind concerning ſomething that is not. This is one firſt branch of Pride, when I have an apprehenſion of ſome excellency in my ſelf that is not indeed in me. This was in the Church of Laodicea, ſhe conceited her ſelf to be rich, and increaſed with goods, and indeed ſhe was poor, and wretched, and miſerable, and blind, and naked, Rev. 3.17. Pride ariſeth our of ſome ſuppoſed perfections in us, which are not really in us. Pride cauſeth a man to think he hath that which indeed he hath not. A proud man ſuppoſeth ſome perfections to be in him which indeed are not in him. He ſuppoſeth there is that wiſdom, grace, holineſs in him which indeed is not in him.
2. Pride in the underſtanding, is when we pore upon ſome excellency that is in us, as if ſo be it were our own and not received. What haſt thou O man that thou haſt not received, ſaith the Apoſtle, and if thou haſt received it, why doſt thou boaſt as if thou hadſt not received it? This is pride when we glory in the gifts of God, as if ſo be they were our own and not his. Maximum ſuperbiae genus — It is the higheſt kind of pride, ſaith Auſtin, for a man to lift up himſelf above others, with the gifts which he hath received from God.
3. Pride in the underſtanding is, when we ſuppoſe there is ſome merit and worth in our ſelves, by which God is obliged to do that for us, and beſtow that upon us which he doth do for us, and beſtow upon us. Our Saviour tells us, When we have done all we are unprofitable ſervants. It is not poſſible that the creature ſhould oblige God in a way of merit, by any thing he can do; for when the creature hath done its utmoſt, it is but a debt of duty that it owes to God. Therefore when we preſume upon our own worthineſs, to think ſo and ſo, and therefore think God is bound to us, this is Pride.
4. The laſt branch of Pride in the underſtanding is, when we admire and overvalue our ſelves and deſpiſe others.
Thus the proud Phariſee, I am not as other men are, I am no Extortioner, &c. neither am I as this Publican. Pride cauſeth a man to magnifie himſelf, and think contemptuouſly of all others. Although it be ſome raal good, ſome real excellency, ſome real perfection we are poſſeſſed of, yet it is poſſible we may think too well of our ſelves becauſe of it; the more good is in us, the more are we beholding to divine grace, and the better we ſhould think of the grace of God. By grace I am what I am, ſaith Paul. But now this is the nature of pride to cauſe a man to draw down every thing to himſelf; and inſtead of admiring the grace of God, which only ought to be admired, pride cauſeth us to admire our ſelves.
But 2. There is pride in the will. Now pride in the will is the overloving of, or overdeſiring a mans own excellency. As pride in the underſtanding is too great an opinion of a mans own excellency, Amor ſeu inordinatus appetitus propriae exelentiae.ſo pride in the will is the overloving of a mans own excellency, or an inordinate deſire of a mans own excellency. Now pride in the will, hath ſeveral things by which it is diſcovered.
1. The root of pride in the will is diſcontent. It is generally conceived, and not without grounds, that the firſt ſin of the Angels, and occaſion of their fall, it was Pride. Now the root of this pride was diſcontent. And that appears from that expreſſion of the Apoſtle Jude, Jude Ep. verſe 5. The Angels which kept not their firſt ſtation. This was the occaſion of the Angels fall, they were not contented to be in the place, and ſtation God had ſet them in, they would be in a higher ſphere than that God had placed them in. A proud perſon is not content with the ſtate God hath placed him in. Some of the ancients make ingratitude or unthankfulneſs to be one ſpecies or kind of pride. When a man is not thankful for the benefits he hath received; but though God hath done much for him, he is ſtill diſcontent, this is one ſign of pride. Diſcontent is a certain argument of pride. A diſcontented perſon thinks nothing good enough for him, whereas a humble perſon thinks every thing that is leſs than Hell, is a mercy.
2. Pride in the will is when there is affectation of ſome ſuperior excellency, to the place and condition God hath ſet a man in: This was in the Angels that fell, and this was in our firſt Parents. The great temptation to our firſt Parents, was this, You ſhall be as God; they aſpired after the Divinity, there was an affectation of ſome excellency that was above the rank and condition of creatures. When a private perſon affects to be in the dignity of a magiſtrate. When Korah, Dathan and Abiram affected the Prieſts Office, this was pride. And in general it may be ſaid when perſons aſpire to a ſuperior excellency than what is ſuitable to the condition and place God hath ſet them in, this is pride in the will.
3. Pride in the will is, when a man refuſeth to ſubmit to the ſupremacy of the Divine will. When a man would have no ſuperior to himſelf. When a man would be his own Lord and make his own will a law to himſelf. What greater pride than this, for a man to own no ſuperior? For a man to be willing to have none above him, that ſhould govern him? This is the nature of pride. Wherefore ſay my people we are Lords, Jerem. 2.31.we will come nomore unto thee? A proud perſon is a man that is wholly given to pleaſe himſelf, he diſdains to ſubmit to the will of another, he will be wholly governed by his own will. This is an argument of intolerable pride, when the creature refuſeth to ſubmit it ſelf to the Divine will. The perfection of a created will is to ſubmit its ſelf to the Divine and Increated will. Now when the creature caſts off the Authority of God, and will not ſubmit to the Divine will, this is an argument of the higheſt pride. This was in them we read of in Jer. 44.16. As for the word that thou haſt ſpoken to us in the name of the Lord, we will not hearken to thee.
4. Pride in the will is, when there is a deſire of ſingularity. When a man deſires that the excellency of others may be obſcured, that ſo his excellencies may alone appear. When a man would appropriate ſomething to himſelf; when a man is of this temper, that he deſires ſuch a good ſo as that he would not have others to ſhare in that good with himſelf: this is an argument of pride in the will, when there is an affectation of ſingularity.
5. The laſt diſcovery of pride in the will is this, when a man makes himſelf his laſt end. When a man refers all things to himſelf; when he deſires the gifts and graces of God and other good things, not that God might be glorified, but that he only may be ſeen and admired.
Thus I have ſhewn the nature of pride in general.
We come in the ſecond place to ſhew the nature of Spiritual Pride, becauſe the Text leads us to the conſideration of that, Leſt I ſhould be exalted above meaſure through the abundance of the revelations. The pride that Paul was tempted to, was not that pride, the generality of people are lifted up with: but his pride was another thing; Leſt I ſhould be exalted above meaſure through the abundance of the revelations. Spiritual Pride was his temptation; Therefore I ſhall ſpeak ſomething concerning ſpiritual pride. To open this we muſt know there is that we call external pride, and then there is ſpiritual pride.
1. There is external pride; now that which we call external pride, is not ſo called, as if it had not an internal root; for even in outward pride, there is an inward root in the heart and mind; but we therefore call it external pride, becauſe it is ſuch a pride as ariſeth from external things.
Now external pride is diſtinguiſht according to the diverſity of the objects from whence pride ariſeth. I ſhall only lightly touch ſome parts of external pride. There is pride of birth, or of blood and parentage, pride of a mans family, pride of ſtrength, pride of beauty, pride of apparel, there is pride of riches; Divitiarum vermis.Pride is the worm that doth naturally breed and grow out of riches, there is pride of dignity and honor. Such is the proclivity and propenſion of mans nature to pride, that it is apt to take occaſion of pride from the leaſt things. Such is the dignity and excellency of the ſoul, that one would think that ſo noble and excellent a thing as the ſoul is, ſhould not take an occaſion of pride from ſuch little things as paint and hair, and ſome poor ornaments, or indeed from any external things that are ſo far beneath the excellency and dignity of the ſoul. But pride is a myſterious ſin, and pride will draw the leaſt thing to it ſelf as an occaſion of pride. It is the property of pride to affect an oſtentation of excellency, and when we have no greater thing to make an oſtentation of excellency by, we are apt to catch at every poor thing, every poor ſhadow, to make an oſtentation of excellency by it. One would wonder at what poor things the pride that is in the heart of man catches hold of, to make a ſhew of excellency by. But this is the myſteriouſneſs of this evil of pride, to take occaſion by the leaſt thing to lift the heart up.
But there is another thing I am to ſpeak of, and that is ſpiritual pride.
Now ſpiritual pride ariſeth from the undue apprehenſion of ſome ſpiritual excellency in us. As external pride ariſeth from the conſideration of external things: So ſpiritual pride ariſeth from the conſideration of ſome ſpiritual and internal excellency.
Now this I call an undue apprehenſion of ſome ſpiritual excellency that is in us. I call it undue, becauſe there may be an apprehenſion ſo far of the gifts and graces of God in us as to give to God the glory of his own gifts. But when there is ſuch an apprehenſion of the gifts and graces of God in us, ſo as to think highly of our ſelves becauſe of theſe things, when we pore upon the gifts of God, as if ſo be they were our own; when we forget the author of thoſe gifts, when we admire our ſelves and deſpiſe others, this is ſpiritual pride.
Now ſpiritual pride, it ariſeth from ſeveral things.
1. There is pride of natural parts and indowments of the mind, pride of wit, of memory, of judgement, of the goodneſs of a mans natural temper, and diſpoſition.
2. There is pride of ſpiritual gifts and graces, pride ariſeth out of our good actions.Omtia vitia in maletaciis timer…aſure, ſuperbia in … factis … met…enda Aug. All other vices are to be feared in our evil actions, pride is that vice that is to be feared in our good actions.
3. There is pride of comforts, and ſpiritual revelations; this was Pauls caſe here in the Text, Leſt I ſhould be exalted through the abundance of the revelations. If God hath done any thing more for a man either in point of grace, or ſpiritual comfort, than he hath done for another, no man is in ſuch danger of pride as he is; and he hath moſt reaſon to watch againſt that ſin.
Here I ſhall give you ſome brief touches to ſhew you how this ſin doth act it ſelf. The actings of ſpiritual pride diſcover themſelves in ſuch things as theſe.
1. Pride makes a man to forget and overlook all his deformities, and to pore only upon his ſuppoſed perfections. When pride acts a man, it takes off his eye from the black ſide that is in him, and his eye gazeth only upon that which he thinks to be fair and beautiful. Pride makes a man to forget his own deformities, infirmities and corruptions, it makes him forget his own emptineſs, nothingneſs, and inſufficiency in himſelf, and to pore only upon thoſe things which indeed are the gifts of God, as if ſo be they were not Gods, but his own.
2. The acting of ſpiritual pride diſcovers its ſelf in ſwelling apprehenſions concerning a mans ſelf.Tamor ſuſcrbiae. I remember it is a frequent expreſſion that Auſtin hath concerning pride, he calls it, The humor, or ſwelling of pride; it is the property of pride to make a man to ſwell in great and big thoughts of himſelf. Mark thoſe words in the Text, leſt I ſhould be exalted above meaſure:foreign Pride cauſeth a man to be exalted in his own thoughts. From hence follows a preferring a mans ſelf before others. Hence is that expreſſion you have in Deuteronomy, Leſt his heart ſhould be lifted up above his brethren. When a mans heart is ſwollen with pride, he himſelf ſeems great, and all others ſeem little. Is not this great Babel that I have built for the houſe of the Kingdom, by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majeſty? A proud perſon thinks himſelf a nonſuch in the world.
3. And then in the third place, That which is the natural conſequence upon this, there is deſpiſing and contemptuous thoughts of others. Pride makes a man undervalue all but himſelf.
The firſt Uſe ſhall be by way of Examination. This ſhould put us upon the ſearch and inquiry into our ſelves, to ſee what ſpiritual pride we can diſcover and find out in our ſelves. Pride is a ſubtil ſin, an inſinuating ſin, it inſinuates its ſelf into all we do. Pride is like Ivy that grows and twiſts about the tree; as the tree grows, ſo the Ivy grows. Pride mingles its ſelf with all we do. And it is one good ſign of ſome growth in grace when we can diſcover the mixtures of pride in all we do. the beſt of Gods children are in danger of this ſin.
And here I ſhall ſhew, when it is that we are moſt in danger of ſpiritual pride, that ſo we may the more narrowly obſerve our ſelves, and diſcover this ſin when it doth ariſe.
1. Then are we in danger of ſpiritual pride, when there is any appearance of good in us, either as to our ſelves or others. The ground and foundation of pride, is ſome excellency, either real or ſuppoſed. A man is not wont to be proud of ſome thing that is not excellent, either really, or ſuppoſedly ſo; but when there is any thing we ſuppoſe to have ſome excellency in it, that appears to our ſelves or others, then we are in danger of Pride. When we apprehend there is an excellency of parts, wiſdom, memory, judgement, and the like, an excellency of diſpoſition, temper, an excellency of gifts and graces: When we apprehend this to be in us, or others apprehend this to be in us, then have we need to watch, then are we in danger of ſpiritual pride. When a man thinks any thing to be in himſelf, or others think any thing to be in him whereby he doth excel others, then he is in danger of ſpiritual pride.
2. Then are we in danger of ſpiritual pride, when there is an increaſe of knowledge in us, and there is not an increaſe of other graces proportionable. The Apoſtle tells us, 1 Cor. 8.1. That knowledge puffeth up. Knowledge where it is not ſanctified, it will certainly puff men up. Knowledge if it be ſanctified is a means to humble men. Now I have ſeen thee by the ſeeing of the eye, ſaith Job, Now I abhor my ſelf, Job 42.5, 6. The clearer knowledge Job had of God, the more vile was he in his own eyes. Sanctified knowledge humbles. The more we know God, the more we know our diſtance from God; and the more we know the will of God, the more we ſee how ſhort we come of the ſpirituality of the Law, and this is a means to humble us. But now when there is only a growth in ſpeculative knowledge, without a growth in other grace, this is apt to lift a man up. When a man thinks he hath more raiſed notions God, and Chriſt, and Spiritual myſteries than other men, this expoſeth him to the temptation of ſpiritual pride.
3. Then are we in danger of ſpiritual pride, when we have had greateſt aſſiſtances, and inlargements from the ſpirit of God. Aſſiſtances and inlargements ſhould humble us; for the more we receive from God, the more are we beholding to God, and the more we ſhould admire his grace. But ſuch is the corruption of humane nature, that we are apt to glory in the gifts of God, as if ſo be they were our own. And therefore when we find quickning and inlargement in holy duties, theſe are apt many times to lift us up. But this is juſt as if a private perſon ſhould put on the Robes and Ornaments of a King, and be proud of them. Theſe gifts, theſe inlargements are but the Ornaments God hath put upon us, and yet we are proud of them.
4. Then are we in danger of ſpiritual pride, when God hath made ſome eminent uſe of us, and imployed us in ſome eminent ſervice. There is as little reaſon for pride in this caſe as in the former. For we are more beholding to God for uſing of us, than he is beholding to us for any ſervice we do for him, for God hath no need of us, and all that we do for him, it is by him, for no creature is any thing, any farther than God takes it up and acts it. The beſt of the creatures are nothing, any farther than God takes them up, uſeth them, and acts them: and it is the higheſt honour that God will employ any creature in his ſervice, who could if he pleaſed do all by himſelf without any creature. Yet ſuch is our corruption, that when God hath uſed us, we are apt to have high thoughts of our ſelves, and mean thoughts of others, of whom God hath not made that uſe: whereas this ſhould humble us, that God ſhould uſe us and not others, whereas he might have laid us aſide and have taken up others, and have uſed them.
5. Then are we in danger of ſpiritual pride, when we are in honour and eſtimation with others. I remember it is an ancient proverb, and it is a true one, He had need of ſtrong bones that can bear many good days: truly we may ſay, He had need of ſtrength of grace indeed, that can bear much applauſe and eſtimation, and not be lifted up. We ſhould glory in the honour that comes from God only It is true, we ought to bleſs God for any acceptation he gives us among his people, that ſo we may be more ſerviceable, and God have more glory. But Honour and Eſtimation, ſo far as it concerns ours ſelves only, is not a thing ſo much to be rejoyced in; and the reaſon is, becauſe this is the temper we ſhould be of. A Chriſtian ſhould deſire that he might be unſeen, and that he and all creatures might be reduced to nothing, that God alone might be ſeen and glorified: but ſuch is the corruption of our nature, that it is marvellous difficult for us to bear eſtimation and honour, and not to feel the riſings of ſpiritual pride.
6. Then are we in danger of ſpiritual pride, when God himſelf caſts ſome ſpecial honour on us, when God doth not only give us houour and eſtimation among his people, but when God himſelf ſets ſome badge and mark of honour upon us. When he gives us ſome eminent deliverance, ſome eminent anſwer to prayer, ſome ſignal mercy or other, we are apt then to be lifted up, becauſe God ſets ſome mark of honour on us, Pſal. 91.15. I will deliver him and honour him, we may underſtand it thus, I will honour him in delivering of him. I will deliver him ſo that his deliverance ſhall be honourable and glorious. Thus God did by his people at the red ſea, he gave them a glorious deliverance: he did not only deliver them, but honoured them in delivering of them; or elſe I will deliver him and honour him; we may underſtand it ſo, I will firſt deliver him, and then I will honour him after I have delivered him. Thus God did by Joſeph, he firſt delivered him out of priſon and then honoured him, he made him Ruler over Aegypt. Now when it is thus with a man that God delivers him and honours him, by ſetting ſome ſpecial badge of favour upon him, ſuch a man is in danger of ſpiritual pride. A ſad inſtance we have in Hezekiah, God delivered him and honoured him, he gave him a great deliverance, he delivered him from the plague, and gave him riches and honour in abundance; this became a temptation of pride to him; then was Hezekiah's heart lifted up, when God had thus delivered him and honoured him.
Thus I have ſhewn in what caſes we are in danger of ſpiritual pride: more poſſibly may be thought of, but I ſhall mention no more. O let us narrowly mark the workings of this corruption in our ſelves, this ſin is exceeding natural and incident to our nature; and if we do not ſee pride in our ſelves, it is not becauſe it is not in us, but becauſe we want a ſpiritual eye to ſee that in our ſelves that indeed is in us. O let us narrowly look to the workings of this corruption, a little pride doth greatly ſtain and blemiſh our beſt graces, our beſt duties, our beſt ſervices: a little poyſon, a dram of poyſon, is poyſon; and no fin hath more venom, malignity and poyſon in it than pride hath. I ſhall ſhew hereafter ſomething of the venom and malignity that is in this ſin.
Let us therefore labour to find out the workings and actings of this ſin in us. He is a rare Chriſtian that carries ſo curious an eye upon himſelf, as diligently to obſerve the firſt buddings and puttings forth of pride in himſelf.
Labour to be humbled for the workings of pride.Uſe 2. It becomes us to be humbled for every ſin, but above all for the workings of Pride. It is ſaid of Hezekiah, that he humbled himſelf for the pride of his heart. No ſin ſo unbecoming a creature, ſo contrary to the nature of a creature, and contrary to the glory of God as pride, as I may ſhew more at large hereafter. Therefore we ſhould humble our ſelves greatly for this ſin, and the more we are tempted to this ſin, the more we ſhould pray that we might abound in humility. Such is the power of Omnipotent grace, that it can turn our diſeaſes into a remedy and a medicine to heal us. God can by the power of Omnipotent grace make pride a means to heal pride in us. Now we ſhould pray to find the power of Omnipotent grace put forth in our hearts, ſo as to make our pride a means to humble us. Divine grace can ſhew us the uglineſs and deformity that is in our hearts by the pride that is in them; and we ſhould pray that this may be a great means to humble us, that we have ſuch a monſtrous ſin as pride within us; for if ever God open our eyes, we ſhall ſee that pride is the greateſt monſter in all the world.
The end of the Third Sermon.