The Saints Temptations, Sermons · Sermon 4
SERMON IV.
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 give the grounds and reaſons of the Doctrine, to ſhew how it comes to paſs that men of the higheſt grace, are yet in danger of ſpiritual pride.
The firſt Reaſon of it is,Reaſon 1. Becauſe Satan aſſaults and tempts ſuch moſt. None are like to be more fiercely aſſaulted than men of the higheſt grace. It is a great Scripture to illuſtrate this, Luke 22.31. Simon, Simon, behold Satan hath deſired to have you, that he may ſift you as wheat. Peter was one of the moſt eminent of all the Apoſtles. Now our Saviours intention was to admoniſh Peter of the danger he was in above the reſt. It was not Peter only that was in danger: the reſt of the Apoſtles were in danger of temptation as well as Peter; for our Saviours words are in the plural number, Satan hath deſired to have you, he doth not ſay to have thee, but to have you, that is, he hath a deſire to aſſault you all and tempt you all; but Chriſt mentions Peter; he doth not mention any of the reſt, to ſhew that Satan had a peculiar mind to tempt and aſſault him above the reſt; and our Saviour admoniſheth Peter of the danger he was in above the reſt, Simon, Simon; the repetition our Saviour uſeth, notes the earneſtneſs of the affection with which he ſpeaks. When we admoniſh a friend of a danger, we ſay, Friend, Friend, have a care of ſuch a thing. Our Saviour admoniſheth Peter of the danger he was in: though all the reſt of the Apoſtles were in danger, yet Chriſt knew Satan had a particular malice againſt Peter, and would aſſault him above the reſt. The more eminent a man is in grace, the greater advantage the Devil thinks to make, in caſe he can foil ſuch a perſon. And although Satan may not think to prevail always againſt a man that hath much grace, yet he knows not but he may prevail. Satan knows that many ſtrong ones have been overcome by his temptations. Our firſt parents in innocency, Sampſon, David, and others that were great ſaints, and he knows not but he may prevail upon others. Now if he can prevail over ſome eminent Saint, he knows that his conqueſt and triumph will be ſo much the greater. The Devil knows nothing will be a greater wound and blow to Religion, than if he can make ſome eminent Saint to fall. Now Satan knows that he can undo a man by nothing ſooner, than by the temptation of ſpiritual pride: for, as for groſs ſins in practice, a holy man abhors them, and at the very firſt bluſh of a temptation, when a groſs ſin is preſented to him, he turns away with diſdain. Oh, but ſpiritual pride is a more ſubtil ſin, and the Devil may more eaſily inſinuate the temptation of that ſin, and ſo prevail.
The ſecond Reaſon is,Reaſon 2. Pride is ſuch a ſin as doth naturally ariſe and ſpring out of our own hearts. Pride was the firſt ſin that infected the nature of the creature. It was the firſt ſin that did undo our firſt Parents: the firſt ſin that infected the Angels that fell. The Angels that fell had no tempter, none to tempt them to pride, and yet they fell into pride. This is a clear argument, that there is no ſin we are more incident unto than pride. Man is indowed with an apprehenſive faculty, and when he apprehends ſome excellency in himſelf that is not in another, then he is in danger of pride in the underſtanding; and when he apprehends ſome ſuperior excellency that is attainable, that he hath not attained unto, then he is in danger of pride in the will, for that is pride in the will, the affectation of a ſuperior excellency: ſo that there is no ſin we are more naturally ſubject to than pride, it naturally ſprings and grows up out of our nature.
The third Reaſon why men of the higheſt grace are ſubject to pride is,Reaſon 3. Becauſe pride takes occaſion from the gifts and graces of God, and cauſeth a mans heart to riſe, ſwell, and be lifted up. The more gifts and graces God hath beſtowed upon any perſon, he is in ſo much the more danger of pride. Such is the venom and poyſon of pride, that it turns good into evil; ſucks poyſon out of the gifts and graces of God. Pride makes a man to think, doſt thou not ſee how thou excelleſt others? Others have not ſuch gifts and parts as thou haſt; theſe are the workings of pride.
Fourthly,Reaſon 4. Where men are indowed with ſome peculiar excellency in any kind, others are apt to have too great eſteem of them. Now the eſtimation of others is a great occaſion and temptation to pride; for we are apt to value our ſelves according to the opinion and eſteem others have of us, and this often occaſions in us temptations unto pride.
Fifthly, Reaſon 5.Men of the higheſt grace are ſubject to pride, Becauſe pride is ſuch a ſin as is not ſo ſoon conquered and mortified, as other ſins are. A man when he is firſt converted, is ſooner mortified as to ſenſuality and groſſer ſins; but ſpiritual pride is not ſo ſoon mortified in him. A child of God when he hath gotten the victory and conqueſt over other corruptions, yet he is ſain to conflict with pride all his days. It is the obſervation of Auſtin, Superbiam nor cito ſanat Dous pro quâ ſarandâ illi piae a…imae cum lacrimis & …a…is gemitibus ſupplicaal. Aug.That God doth not preſently hear a man for the killing and mortifying of his pride; when yet he deſires to have pride mortified with great earneſtneſs, and cry to God with great ſighs and groans that he may be cured of it. And there are ſeveral reaſons why God doth not preſently hear a man as to this thing, for the mortifying of pride, though he cry to him with ſighs and tears that they may be healed of it.
The firſt Reaſon is, That he may ſhew to us the great corruption of our nature, how deeply pride is rooted in us. There is nothing ſhews us the corruption of our nature more than pride doth; for when we have prayed againſt it, and ſtriven againſt it, and fortified our ſelves with all arguments that poſſibly we can againſt it, yet there are conſtant Ebullitions of it; ſo that nothing ſhews the corruption of humane nature more than this ſin.
2. God doth leave this ſin in his people, that he may make pride it ſelf a means to humble us. For what more humbling conſideration than this, that ſo malignant a root ſhould remain in us, after ſo many means have been to exterminate it?
3. Laſtly, which I take to be a great conſideration, God leaves pride in his children notwithſtanding all their cries and tears againſt it, Becauſe it makes them feel the ſmart, and taſte the bitterneſs of the firſt ſin as long as they live. The firſt ſin of the creature, it was pride; and therefore though God out of the riches of his free grace have pardoned it, yet he leaves the root of it that we may carry our grave cloaths, the badge of our ſhame along with us as long as we live. Pride was the occaſion of the creatures apoſtaſie from God, therefore God will have us carry this badge of our ſhame with us to our graves. For theſe reaſons God in his infinite wiſdom permits pride to continue and remain in us; though he have taken away the power and reign of it in his people: yet he leaves the root of it ſtill, ſo as that it is matter of great humiliation to them as long as they live. Thus I have given the grounds and reaſons of the Doctrine. I come now to the Uſe and Application of it.
And the great Uſe I ſhall make of it is this.
Is it ſo, That men of the higheſt grace are in danger of ſpiritual pride, and to be exalted above meaſure?
This ſhould teach us to watch and ſtrive moſt againſt this ſin,Uſe. the ſin of pride. I remember it was the ſpeech of an holy man, a wiſe Chriſtian, and of great experience in the ways of God, As he ſaid, fight not againſt ſmall or great, but againſt the King of Iſrael: ſo ſay I, of all corruptions fight againſt theſe two, pride and ſelf. We ſhall have more to do with pride and ſelf-love than with all other ſins; when you have mortified other ſins, yet pride and ſelf-love will be the two laſt ſins you have to conflict withal.
In the proſecution of this Uſe, I ſhall,
1. Indeavour to ſhew the evil of this ſin, and then 2. Propound ſome remedies againſt it.
1. I ſhall begin to diſcourſe a little concerning the evil of pride, that we may be more out of love with it, and have our hearts more ſet againſt it.
1. Conſider that pride is ſuch a ſin, as is moſt unbecoming of a creature. What is a creature but ſomething that is from another? A creature hath nothing but what it hath received; it is nothing but what it has from another, a creature came out of nothing; it is of it ſelf and by it ſelf nothing, and in it ſelf it tends to nothing. This is the very notion of a creature, if we underſtand what the nature of it is, that it is all that it is from another. Now a creature by pride magnifies it ſelf, and makes it ſelf to be ſomething; yea makes it ſelf to be all. Take the creature abſtract from its dependance upon God,To…um eſſi creature eſt eſſi depende…s. Aquinas. and it is nothing. The being of the creature is a dependant thing, and the operations of the creature are dependant things. So that take a creature and abſtract it from God, and it is nothing. Now a creature that is indeed nothing of it ſelf magnifies it ſelf, and makes it ſelf all by pride. The creature by pride lifts up it ſelf, and arrogates that to it ſelf which is not its own, but hath it all from another. What an abſurd thing is it, that poor duſt ſhould lift up it ſelf, and give out it ſelf, as if it were ſome great excellent thing? That man that is made of the duſt of the earth, ſhould yet lift up himſelf againſt his Maker.
2. Conſider that no ſin is ſo contrary to the glory of God as pride.
1. It is the glory of God that he is the moſt excellent being, he is therefore called the holy one of Iſrael. The holy one, that is the moſt excellent one, the moſt incomparable one; there is none like him, there is none to be compared with him, he is infinitely diſtinguiſhed from the creatures, He is the peerleſs matchleſs one. Now a proud perſon lifts up himſelf, and makes himſelf to be moſt excellent. A proud perſon would ſeem to be the moſt excellent one. Grace teaches us that it is fit that God only ſhould be ſeen and admired, and that the creature ſhould be unſeen and reduced to nothing, Pſal. 57.5. Be thou exalted O God above the heavens, let thy glory be above all the earth. Now pride cauſeth a man to deſire that he only may be ſeen and admired. So that pride is ſuch a ſin as is moſt injurious to the Divine Majeſty. A proud perſon affects an equality to God: we do not think of it, but it is certainly ſo, a proud man would ſeem to be that which God is.
2. It is the glory of God to be the firſt cauſe; … all things are of him, and by him. In him we live and move and have our being It is the glory of God to communicate to the creature whatever the creature hath. Now a proud perſon robs God of this glory, a proud perſon attributes all to himſelf, as if he were the cauſe of all; why doſt thou glory as if thou hadſt not received it? 1 Cor. 4.7.Daniel 4 30. Is not this great Babylon that I have built?
3. It is the glory of God to be the laſt end, to refer all things to himſelf; hence is it ſaid that he is Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the firſt and the laſt. The original of all creatures, the laſt end of all creatures. All things are of him, and by him, and to him. Now a proud man makes himſelf his laſt end, he refers all things to himſelf. It is the property of pride, for a man to affect a greatneſs to himſelf. A proud perſon ſo he be great, he cares not who is little. Grace teaches us to pray that God may be great, Hallowed be thy name, what is the meaning of that petition? In that petition we pray that the name of God may be ſacred amongſt men, that his name may be great and admired amongſt men. Grace teaches us to pray that God may be great amongſt men, and pride makes a man deſire that he himſelf may be great: So that pride is injurious to God as he is the moſt excellent Majeſty, the firſt cauſe, and the laſt end.
3. To ſhew the evil of pride, conſider that as pride is a ſin moſt contrary to God, ſo God is moſt contrary to it.foreign. Hence is that expreſſion that God reſiſts the proud, ſets himſelf in battle array againſt them, 1 Pet. 5.5. God is a profeſſed enemy to proud perſons, you can find very few inſtances of perſons that have been eminent for pride, but God hath made them examples of his Judgements. Pharaoh, Senacherib, Nebuchadnezzar, Herod, are all monuments of Gods ſeverity againſt Pride. God is a profeſſed enemy to proud perſons, Iſa. 2.11, 12. The day of the Lord of hoſts ſhall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up, ſo verſ. 17. And the loftineſs of man ſhall be bowed down, and the haughtineſs of men ſhall be made low, and the Lord alone ſhall be exalted. A proud perſon would dethrone God, and ſet himſelf in the place of God, and therefore it is no wonder if God ruine him.
4. Conſider that pride was the firſt ſin and the original of all ſin. The original of mans ſin, and the Angels firſt ſin was, that they would not be ſubject to God. Iaitium omnis peccati ſeperbia, &c. Aug.Auſtin obſerves the beginning of all ſin is pride, and the beginning of pride was to apoſtatize from God, for the creature to refuſe to be ſubject to God.
5. Pride is ſuch a ſin as makes men moſt like to the Devil. Pride turned the Angels into Devils. 1 Tim. 3.6. Not a novice, leſt being lifted up with pride, he fall into the condemnation of the Devil. That clearly intimates that pride was the Devils firſt ſin. When we would ſet forth a proud perſon, we are wont to ſay, ſuch a perſon is as proud as Lucifer, as proud as the Devil. Oh how black a ſin is pride that carries the image of the Devil in it?
6. The ſixth Conſideration, and that which ought to be matter of trembling, is, Pride is ſuch a ſin as that it oft-times cauſeth God to ſuffer men to fall into other ſins to heal and cure it. Oh how great is the venom and poyſon of pride, that can be cured by nothing thing elſe but by poyſon? A wiſe Phyſician permits his patient to fall into a leſſer infirmity, to prevent a mortal diſeaſe. The infinitely wiſe God when he ſeeth his children inclined to pride, permits them to fall into other ſins, that ſo the ſhame of thoſe ſins may be a means to humble them, and ſuppreſs their pride. It is a ſpeech of Auſtin, Audeo dicer ſ… perbis eſſi utile cad…re in aliguod apertum & manifeſtam peccat…m, unde ſibi diſpliceant, qui jam ſibi place do cecederant. Auguſt.I am bold to ſay, That it is ſometimes proſitable, and advantageous to proud perſons to fall into ſome open and manifeſt ſin, that ſo they may be diſpleaſing to themſelves, who had already fallen by too much pleaſing of themſelves. I confeſs this ſpeech may ſeem a little harſh, unleſs it be qualified; we muſt remember that no ſin is Eligible. For as we may not do evil that good may come of it, ſo neither may we deſire evil that good may come of it. But this we may ſafely ſay, when God permits it to be ſo, that a man is in great danger to be lifted up with ſpiritual pride, and he is overtaken with ſome other ſin; we may then conclude that Gods intention in ſuch a permiſſion, it was to cure a greater evil, and ſo in the event it turns to good. Let us not miſtake here, that ſin proves medicinal to any, to heal them, this is not from the nature of ſin; the nature of ſin is quite contrary: the nature of ſin is to harden and to damn. Therefore when at any time ſin doth prove medicinal, this is from the power of Divine grace, that knows how to turn that which is a diſeaſe in it ſelf into a remedy; yet this is a trembling conſideration, that ſo great is the evil of pride, that God ſuffers his children to fall into other diſeaſes to cure this diſeaſe, which is moſt pernicious of all other.
7. To ſhew the evil of pride, conſider that pride is ſuch a ſin that hinders and puts a ſtop to the communication of Divine grace.Vas Gratiarum. God gives grace to the humble, 1 Pet. 5. Look as it is ſaid, that humility is the veſſel that receives and contains other graces: So pride is that which excludes other graces. When a man hath a ſelf-fulneſs, he is not prepared to take in Divine grace. God fills the hungry with good things, but the rich he ſends empty away: we muſt be empty of ſelf, before we can be capable of receiving Divine grace. Some of the schoolmen conceive that the cauſe of the Angels ſin was, that they thought to attain the laſi happineſs, which was the viſion of God,Per virtutem naturae ſuae abſ que gratiâ alicajus ſuperioris. by vertue of their own nature without the grace and help of any ſuperior to themſelves. This conceit of their own ſufficiency was the occaſion of their fall. When a man ſuppoſeth he hath ſome vertue, or root in himſelf to reſiſt temptation, and carry him forth to any holy action, this is ſuch a thing as is excluſive of Divine grace. He that ſuppoſeth that he hath a ſelf-ſufficiency, cannot ſee the need he hath of Divine grace. Therefore pride puts a ſtop to the communication of Divine grace.
8. Pride is a ſin that is moſt contrary to our communion with God, Iſa. 57.15. Thus ſaith the high and lofty one, whoſe name is holy, who dwells in the high and holy place, with him alſo that is of an humble and contrite ſpirit. God dwells with humble and contrite ſouls, unto ſuch he delights to manifeſt himſelf. A man muſt be reduced to nothing in himſelf, before he be fit to receive divine manifeſtations. It is the uſual method of God to bring his people to great abaſement in themſelves, before he manifeſts himſelf to them. It is a great Scripture. Pſal. 138.6. Though the Lord be high, yet he hath reſpect to the lowly, but he beholds the proud afar off. God keeps himſelf at a diſtance from proud perſons, but if he obſerve any in the world. it is the humble, lowly ſoul, that is the ſoul he delights in. Though the Lord be high, yet he hath reſpect to the lowly. Nothing indangers a mans ſpiritual comforts more than pride: when a man hath had the comforts of the ſpirit of God, and God hath been affable and familiar with him, and he begins to be lifted up in himſelf, this cauſeth God to ſuſpend his comforts. When a man is proud of thoſe things that are meerly the gift of God; this cauſeth God to take away his gifts from him; and ſo ſhews him what a poor and empty creature he is in himſelf, when the gifts of God are withdrawn.
9. Conſider, pride makes a man to forget himſelf, pride tranſports and carries a man beyond himſelf, pride makes a man forget his own frailty, pride makes a man forget that he is a mutable creature. Every man at his beſt ſtate is altogether vanity. Take a man in his beſt ſtate, and he is ſubject to changes and death. Should a piece of clay be proud? You muſt ſhortly be turned into a clod of earth, and be crumbled into duſt. Pride makes us forget that we are mortal. Whatever external excellencies men are proud of, they are fading and withering, All fleſh is graſs, and the glory of it as the flower of the graſs. And if a man have ſome ſpiritual excellency, and be proud of ſome gifts and graces of the ſpirit of God; let God but withdraw his ſpirit, and he ſhall ſoon ſee that he is nothing.
10. Pride cauſeth a man to break off his dependance upon God, and deny ſubjection to him. The perfection of the creature lies in dependance upon God, and ſubjection to him. The perfection of a thing is to remain in the condition, in which it was naturally ſet. Now the creature is placed from the very frame and conſtitution of its being, in a condition of dependance upon God, and ſubjection to him. Now pride cauſeth a man to caſt off his dependance upon God, and ſubjection to him. A proud perſon thinks he hath all of himſelf, and from himſelf, and therefore ſeeth no need of dependance. A proud perſon makes himſelf his laſt end, and ſo refuſeth to be ſubject to another.
11. Pride maketh a man to ſtick at no ſin; pride is the mother and root of other ſins. A proud perſon that makes himſelf his own end, will ſtick at nothing to ſerve himſelf and accompliſh his own ends. Theſe and many more are the evils of pride.
Now it concerns us greatly to watch againſt this ſin, and that for theſe two Reaſons.
1. Becauſe pride is apt to ariſe ſecretly and inſenſibly in us. The root of pride is ever budding and putting forth it ſelf. There are many riſings and ebullitions of pride that ariſe and ſpring out of our hearts before we are aware. Pride bubbles up in our duties, ſervices and actions before we think, or are aware of it, it is a thing that grows up ſecretly.
Then 2. If we do not watch againſt it, we may ſoon grieve the ſpirit of God, and cauſe it to retire. There is no ſin cauſeth the ſpirit of God to withdraw and retire from a child of God more than ſpiritual pride. Now pride being ſo incident to our nature, and ſo apt to riſe upon all occaſions; we may too ſoon loſe the preſence and familiarity of the ſpirit of God, unleſs we narrowly watch againſt this fin.
The end of the Fourth Sermon.